Jhenaidah marked Village Defense Party (VDP) Day on Monday under the slogan “Commitment to Social Security and Development”. A colorful rally followed, winding through streets before returning to the starting point. During a discussion session that followed, speakers highlighted the VDP’s vital role in maintaining law and order, supporting socio-economic development, assisting during elections, and managing disaster response. District Ansar and VDP Commandant Mizanur Rahman, Sadar Upazila Ansar and VDP Officer Amin Uddin, Shailkupa Upazila Ansar and VDP Officer Abdul Jalil, Moheshpur’s Shahidul Islam, and Harinakundu’s Hasibul Islam were among the speakers. They urged VDP members to play a more active role at the grassroots level, raising public awareness and contributing to local development initiatives.

The family of Dr Kamal Hossain, founder of Gono Forum and a constitutional expert, has requested prayers from the people of the country for his fast recovery. While his overall condition has shown some improvement, doctors have detected a new pneumonia infection in his lungs, Gono Forum General Secretary Dr Mizanur Rahman said on Monday evening. On behalf of the family, prayers have been requested for his swift recovery. Gono Forum has also urged everyone to remain patient during this time. It is noteworthy that Dr Kamal Hossain attended the namaz-e-janaza of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Manik Mia Avenue on Wednesday, December 31.

The Americas “do not belong” to any power, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday after US counterpart Donald Trump invoked Washington’s “dominance” of the hemisphere after seizing Venezuela’s leader in a military raid. Trump described the weekend US military operation against leftist Nicolas Maduro as an update of the Monroe Doctrine: the 1823 declaration by fifth US president James Monroe that Latin America was closed to other powers, which at the time meant Europe. Sheinbaum hit back Monday, saying: “The Americas do not belong to any doctrine or any power. The American continent belongs to the peoples of each of the countries that comprise it.”

Using Credit Information Bureau (CIB) reports from Bangladesh Bank, returning officers invalidated a significant number during scrutiny, with 82 cancellations directly linked to loan default. Earlier, Bangladesh Bank officials had indicated that at least 100 defaulters had initially sought to contest the election. Under the Representation of the People Order (RPO), loan defaulters are ineligible to contest parliamentary elections. Learning from that experience, Bangladesh Bank adopted a more cautious approach this time, issuing special instructions to banks. While scrutiny this time is visibly tougher, officials concede that completely blocking loan defaulters remains impossible without legal reform.

Bangladesh’s Election Commission has asked political parties and candidates not to conduct any electoral campaign before the symbol allocation for the upcoming national election scheduled to be held on February 12 next. “No political party, candidate or any person on their behalf can’t engage in the electoral campaign before the electoral symbols are allocated on January 21,” the EC said in a media release on Monday. The deadline for submission of nomination papers expired on December 29, while the scrutiny of nomination papers, started on December 30, concluded on Sunday. The returning officers also rejected the nomination papers of 723 others, while they did not scrutinise three nomination papers of BNP chairperson late Begum Khaleda Zia. The election campaign will start on January 22 and continue till 48 hours before the balloting period (7:30am on February 10).

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has begun closely examining the election affidavits of all candidates participating in the 13th national parliamentary election, ACC Chairman Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen said on Monday. Dr Momen said the commission would independently scrutinise candidates’ affidavits, request the Election Commission to flag any suspicious assets, and, if necessary, prioritise this task over other activities. Speaking at the meeting, ACC Commissioner (Investigation) Mia Muhammad Ali Akbar Azizi said the commission would assist judges by presenting strong and credible evidence to prove corruption cases. ACC Commissioner (Investigation) Brigadier General (retd) Hafiz Ahsan Farid said the ACC and RAC are closely intertwined in the fight against corruption. The event, moderated by ACC Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain, was attended, among others, by senior ACC officials, members of the newly elected RAC executive committee and other RAC members.

Education Adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar on Monday said the interim government has decided to recruit more than 67,000 teachers to fill vacant posts in schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutions across the country. “The current interim government will leave behind a legacy of recruiting over 67,000 teachers against existing vacant posts. “There is an ideal number of vacant posts in schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutions in Bangladesh. The adviser said that after the Ministry of Education received applications from NTRCA last month seeking approval to recruit teachers for vacant posts nationwide, several meetings were held under his leadership. Dr Abrar said one of the core objectives of the interim government was to complete recruitment against vacant posts swiftly, and in continuation of that goal, the decision has been taken to recruit more than 67,000 teachers.

A total of 42 aggrieved aspirants on Monday filed appeal petitions with the Election Commission, challenging the decisions of returning officers over the acceptance and rejection of nomination papers. Of the appeals, 41 were filed against the rejection of nomination papers while one was lodged against the acceptance of a nomination. Earlier on Sunday, the Election Commission announced that 1,842 candidates were declared valid, while 723 others were found invalid following the scrutiny of nomination papers. According to EC statistics, returning officers accepted the nomination papers of 1,842 aspirants and rejected those of 723 during the scrutiny that began on December 30. A total of 2,568 aspirants submitted nomination papers to contest the 13th parliamentary election across the country’s 300 constituencies before the December 29 deadline.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Photo: CollectedUNITED NATIONS, United States, Jan 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - UN Secretary-GeneralAntonio Guterres on Monday called for respect for the political independenceof states after the United States seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro andsaid it was in charge of the country. Guterres urges "respect for the principles of sovereignty, politicalindependence and territorial integrity of states," according to remarks readon his behalf by Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo during a UNSecurity Council meeting on Venezuela. Venezuela called for the meeting and Colombia relayed the request to theSecurity Council, of which it has been a member since January 1. Maduro, in US custody, arrived at a New York court on Monday to facenarcotrafficking charges, along with his wife Cilia Flores.

Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said the final chargesheet in the murder case of Inqilab Moncho convenor Sharif Osman bin Hadi will be submitted on Jan 7. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Advisory Council on law and order at the Secretariat on Monday. So far, 11 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, he said, adding that the interim government was treating the case with utmost importance. Law enforcing agencies will take stricter action in this regard,” he said. The home advisor further said the government remained committed to maintaining communal harmony across the country.

HAVANA, Jan 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A total of 32 Cuban nationals were killed during the US attack on Caracas that culminated in the capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, the government in Havana said Sunday. "As a result of the criminal attack carried out by the government of the United States" against Venezeula, "32 Cubans lost their lives in combat operations," the Cuban government said in a statement read on national television. The deceased were members of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces or the Ministry of the Interior who were carrying out missions "at the request of counterpart agencies," Cuban officials said. Havana has declared two days of national mourning beginning at dawn Monday, and pledged to organize tributes. "Honor and glory to the brave Cuban fighters whof ell facing terrorists in imperial uniform," President Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote on X.

Photo: BSSCHANDPUR, Jan 5, 2026 (BSS) - The District Fisheries Department, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Coast Guard, seized 350 kilograms (about 8.75 maunds) of jatka from the Chandpur fish ghat during a joint operation last night. The seizure was made as part of a special combing operation aimed at removing harmful nets that threaten fish resources. The operation was carried out in the Meghna River based on secret information, said Chandpur Sadar Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Mirza Omar Faruk. Later, the confiscated jatka was distributed among madrasas and needy people from the Coast Guard Chandpur station, he added. The special combing operation to remove gillnets and other destructive fishing nets began on January 1 and will continue in four phases until February 23 to protect fisheries resources, the official said.

DHAKA, Jan 5, 2026 (BSS) - Opener Adam Rossington, the England recruit ofChattogram, struck his third straight half-century in the ongoing BangladeshPremier League (BPL) to steer his side to 169-5 against Rangpur Riders in acrucial game at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium today. His fellow opener Naim Sheikh who also hit half-centuries in previous twomatches, couldn't replicate the performance like Rossington after being outfor 16. Mahmudul Hasan Joy continued to fail to come up with the terms beforeRossington found ably support in Pakistan recruit Hasan Nawaz. Rakibul Hasan broke through with the wicket of Rossington who smashed sixfours and two sixes in his knock. Mustafizur Rahman then gave Rangpur a timely breakthrough by taking thewicket of Nawaz, who as a set batter, prepared for final assault as the lastpowerplay began.

Collected photoCRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, Jan 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Swiss police announced Monday they had now identified all 116 people wounded in the devastating fire in a bar in Crans-Montana during New Year celebrations, revising the number down from 119. "All the victims injured have been identified," the Wallis cantonal police said in a statement, after having already identified the 40 killed. The police added that 83 injured people were still in hospital.

Photo : BSSPATUAKHALI, Jan 5, 2026 (BSS) - Amid severe cold and dense fog, the Kalapara upazila administration has extended humanitarian assistance by distributing blankets to the Rakhine community to help them survive the harsh winter. At around 10:00 pm on Sunday, approximately 700 blankets were distributed at eight key locations across Kuakata under the initiative of the Kalapara upazila administration. In addition, officials personally visited Amkhlapara, Mistripara, and nearby Rakhine villages, where around 100 Rakhine men and women received blankets directly. "It is the government's humanitarian responsibility to stand beside cold-stricken people, including the Rakhine community," he said, adding that the winter assistance program would continue throughout the season. Members of the Rakhine community expressed gratitude to the administration for the timely support, saying that the blankets provided much-needed relief during the ongoing cold wave.