MANIKGANJ, Jan 2, 2026 (BSS) - Valiant Freedom Fighter Md Shah Jahan Ali passed away following a cardiac arrest at Monno Medical College Hospital here today. Family sources said Shah Jahan Ali suffered a cardiac arrest at his residence in Dakkhin Seota village under Manikganj Poura Sabha area this morning. He was rushed to Monno Medical College Hospital, where he breathed his last at around 6:30 am. Government officials, fellow freedom fighters and people from all walks of life attended the janaza and paid their last respects. The late freedom fighter is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter and a host of relatives, well-wishers and fellow freedom fighters.

North Indian Canyon Drive remains closed between Sunrise Parkway and Garnet Avenue at the wash, and East Vista Chino remains closed between Clubhouse View Drive and Carmela Drive in Palm Springs. Palm Springs rain totalsPhilip Gonsalves, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego, urged motorists to exercise caution and avoid driving through low-water crossings during a conversation about rainfall totals. He said Palm Springs recorded about 0.58 inches of rain in the past 12 hours. In total, since October, Palm Springs has received 2.34 inches of rain, exceeding the normal 1.11 inches for that period. Palm Springs rain forecastShowers are expected to taper off by mid to late afternoon Thursday as rain moves northeast out of San Diego County.

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The month-long 30th Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF)-2026 will begin on Saturday at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal. Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin is scheduled to inaugurate the trade fair at 10am. The Commerce Secretary said a total of 324 stalls and pavilions will be set up at the fair this year. With the participation of 11 foreign stalls and pavilions, the event will be recognized as an international trade fair. The Dhaka International Trade Fair has been organized since 1995 under the joint initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and the Export Promotion Bureau to promote, expand, and market domestic products, support production, and create employment opportunities.

Enzo Maresca left his role as Chelsea head coach on Thursday after just 18 months in charge, the Premier League club announced. "Chelsea Football Club and head coach Enzo Maresca have parted company," said a club statement. Under-21s head coach Calum McFarlane is expected to take charge of Sunday's trip to Manchester City. Maresca's stock at Chelsea was high after the Blues beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League in November. Chelsea sit 13th in the Champions League table and are likely to miss out on direct qualification for the last 16 via a top-eight finish.

In post on his Facebook account, Taiyeb stated that the authorities have received over three billion data sets from mobile operators, including historical records. "Due to the way migration data is currently displayed, some NIDs show a higher number of active SIMs or handsets than actually in use," he explained. Taiyeb also noted that the NEIR system is not new; it was first attempted in 2021. Previously, one individual could use up to 20 SIMs per NID, later it was reduced to 15, and currently limited to 10. Regarding data security, Taiyeb confirmed that measures have been taken, including secure JWT digital tokens and rate-limiting.

BNP leaders and activists, many of them with tears in their eyes, offered prayers at the grave of former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Friday after Jummah prayers. He said Khaleda Zia bore all the suffering while thinking of the people of the country and the nation. Meanwhile, BNP leaders, activists and ordinary people visited the grave of Khaleda Zia throughout the day to pay their respects and offer prayers. Due to their visit, entry for party leaders, activists and the general public was temporarily suspended from 10am to 10:50am. Thousands of leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations visited the grave throughout the day to offer prayers.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Friday said the international community is expressing a positive outlook about the upcoming 13th national election. "The global community expects a democratic transition in Bangladesh through a peaceful, credible and inclusive election,” he said. Shafiqul came up with the remarks while speaking to journalists after visiting the Nanduali Nitai Gouro Gopal Sebashram in Magura town in the morning. As part of the security measures, all 301 polling centres in Magura district are being brought under live CCTV surveillance within January, he said. Similar preparations are underway across the country, with risky polling centres identified nationwide, he added.

Teenagers Eleonore and Elisa started the year with a frantic search for friends who have been missing since a deadly fire tore through a bar in a neighboring Swiss town. Police estimate around 40 people have been killed and about 115 injured, many of them young visitors to the Swiss Alps. More than 30 victims were taken to hospitals with specialized burns units in Zurich and Lausanne, and six were taken to Geneva, according to a Swiss news agency. There is no official estimate of the missing or headcount from Le Constellation bar that night. Away from the press and guarded by police, families of the victims are received and offered assistance by authorities, diplomats and chaplains.

Pakistan suffered its most lethal year in more than a decade in 2025, with deaths linked to militant violence rising by 74%, according to a report published by an independent research organization. The report noted a 124% increase in militant deaths, attributing the surge to intensified counterterrorism campaigns against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Violence has coincided with rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of allowing cross-border attacks — allegations the Afghan Taliban government denies. Picss documented at least 1,066 militant attacks in 2025, including 26 suicide bombings — a 53% increase from the previous year. Islamabad says reopening hinges on assurances from Kabul that Afghan soil will not be used for attacks on Pakistan.

Due to dense fog, nine flights were diverted from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday. Kawsar Mahmud, an official of the Public Relations Department of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), confirmed the information. He said that several flights at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport were diverted to alternative airports today in the interest of ensuring safe operations amid dense fog. Of these, four flights were diverted to Chattogram Airport, four to Kolkata Airport and one flight to Bangkok Airport in Thailand.

After a two-year break, popular Dhallywood actress Apu Biswas is set to return to the silver screen. She will appear in a completely new look and different get-up in the thriller “Durbar”, directed by Kamrul Hasan Fuad. Apu Biswas said that around 40% of her portions had already been completed and the remaining work would be wrapped up soon. Speaking about facing the camera again after a long break, Apu Biswas said that cinema remains the core of her identity and that she is who she is today because of films. In Durbar, Apu Biswas will be seen opposite small-screen popular actor Sajal for the first time.

A member of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was found dead from a gunshot wound at the Gangarhat border outpost in Phulbari upazila of Kurigram, police said. He was serving at the Phulbari Gangarhat border outpost. BGB claimed that the member died after allegedly shooting himself with his own service rifle inside the Gangarhat border outpost. According to the inquest report, Nasim Uddin sustained a gunshot wound to the middle of his chest. BGB personnel rushed to the spot and found him lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to his chest.

BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Friday emphasized the importance of embracing the philosophy, ideology, and thoughts of late national leader Begum Khaleda Zia for the country’s progress. He stated that even though she is no longer physically present, her ideology and political philosophy will continue to guide the nation. Khasru highlighted that people from around the world, including South Asia, admire Khaleda Zia and consider her an epic and world-renowned personality. Amir Khasru emphasized the importance of protecting the rights of every individual in future Bangladesh, regardless of their background. Gyanshree Mahathero, a revered religious leader and recipient of the Ekushey Padak for social service, passed away on November 13 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chittagong.

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) under the Ministry of Education has already sent over 24 crore textbooks to schools across the country to ensure that students get books on the first day of the year. He said total number of textbooks from pre-primary to secondary levels for the 2026 academic year is 30,02,55,154. Of those, he said, 24,69,92,010 books were supplied till today, which was 82.26% of the total textbooks. He said at the primary level, the number of textbooks for general education was 8,59,24, 854 and of those, 100% was delivered. "The total number of books for class-IX is over 5.7 crore in which more than 4.86 crore have been delivered."