Inqilab Mancha on Saturday moved its blockade from Shahbagh to in front of Aziz Super Market ahead of the arrival of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. The platform withdrew the blockade from Shahbagh around 8:30am and took position near Aziz Super Market. In a post on its official Facebook page, Inqilab Mancha said it cleared the Shahbagh area to facilitate Tarique Rahman’s movement. It said it will return to Shahbagh after Tarique Rahman visits the grave of Sharif Osman Hadi, the platform’s spokesperson, who died in a Singapore hospital after being shot in Dhaka. As part of a pre-announced program, Inqilab Mancha staged an overnight sit-in at Shahbagh from Friday night.

But they finally came good and will head to Sydney for the fifth and final Test brimming with confidence. England had not won a Test in Australia since January 2011 at Sydney, losing 16 and drawing two since, and openers Crawley and Ben Duckett had a clear objective to snap the streak -- play ultra-aggressive "Bazball" style. They brought up a whirlwind fifty opening partnership but next ball Duckett was bowled by a Starc yorker for 34. Crawley fell lbw to Scott Boland after a gritty knock and Bethell was caught by Usman Khawaja from the same bowler. It was the most wickets to tumble on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909, and eclipsed the 19 on day one of the series opener in Perth.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is expected to receive his National Identity Card (NID) within 24 hours of completing his voter registration, ASM Humayun Kabir, Director General of the National Identity Registration Wing at the Election Commission, said on Saturday. Besides, he said, an SMS will be sent to Tarique Rahman’s mobile phone, from which he can also download the NID. The BNP leader arrived at the Election Commission’s National Identity Wing at 1pm. Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday morning after nearly 17 years abroad. His homecoming has drawn widespread attention and strong emotions among BNP leaders, activists and supporters across the country.

Ferry services on Paturia–Daulatdia and Aricha–Kazirhat river routes resumed on Saturday morning after remaining suspended for nearly 15 hours due to dense fog. Ferry services on the Aricha–Kazirhat route were also halted from 8pm on Friday as fog density increased, leaving more than 200 vehicles waiting at the Aricha and Kazirhat terminals. Due to the suspension on both routes, hundreds of vehicles, including buses, night coaches, private cars, microbuses and goods-laden trucks were stranded at four ferry terminals. As the night progressed, the number of waiting vehicles continued to rise, with more vehicles arriving at the terminals on Saturday morning. At Paturia Ghat, the queue of stranded vehicles stretched three to four kilometres from the terminal onto the highway.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman arrived at the Election Commission’s National Identity Wing in the city’s Agargaon area on Saturday to complete his National Identity Card (NID) registration and enlist himself as a voter. As part of the registration process, Tarique Rahman will provide biometric data and submit the required documents. According to BNP sources, Tarique, Zubaida and Zaima have already completed the online voter registration form. Members of the police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed across the Shahbagh and Dhaka University areas to maintain security. Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday morning after nearly 17 years abroad.

Foolproof security measures have been taken in and around the Election Commission (EC) building at Agargaon in the capital ahead of the arrival of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. After paying homage at the grave of Shaheed Osman Hadi in the Dhaka University area, Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit the EC on Saturday afternoon. The Election Commission sources said Tarique Rahman will complete necessary formalities for voter registration and take part in the process of obtaining his National Identity Card (NID). Earlier, Tarique Rahman returned home on Thursday morning after a long 17 years in exile in the United Kingdom (UK). The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying him first landed at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet before arriving at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 11:40am.

The country's 25th Chief Justice, Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, will retire on Saturday upon attaining the age of 67, as mandated by the Constitution. Meanwhile, Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has already been appointed as the country's 26th Chief Justice. Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed took the oath as the Chief Justice on August 11, 2024, following the July Mass Uprising. Syed Refaat became a lawyer in the Dhaka District Court in 1984 and in the High Court Division in 1986. Soon after assuming office as Chief Justice, Dr Ahmed announced a roadmap for the country's judiciary.

You have permission to edit this article.

MELBOURNE, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A relieved Ben Stokes hailed his team's "courage and bravery" Saturday after they finally won a Test in Australia, calling it "really special". The four-wicket victory at the fourth Test in Melbourne -- their first in Australia since January 2011 -- came after an intense build-up. "It's been a massive effort from everyone, and to come out on the right side of the result feels really special," said Stokes. "We showed bravery and were courageous." We showed a bit of bravery today in the way that we approached things with the bat.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The Yemeni regional coalition backed by Saudi Arabia warned on Saturday that it is ready to act directly against any military challenge from separatist forces. General Turki al-Malki, the spokesman for the Riyadh-led groups, said the groups would act "directly and at the appropriate moment ... to protect civilian life", according to the Saudi news agency SPA.

By Md Aynal HaqueRAJSHAHI, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS) - Potato farming through the net-house system is emerging as a lucrative venture in the Rajshahi region, including the Barind tract, providing higher income opportunities and encouraging entrepreneurship among local farmers and youths. Mijanur Rahman Kazi, general secretary of the Seed Potato Growers Cooperative Society, told BSS that around 750 seed-growing farmers have achieved satisfactory yields using the net-house method last year. "The method is gaining momentum across the region, helping farmers increase income while ensuring sustainable production," he said. This Rabi season, around 37.72 lakh tonnes of potato are expected from 1,56,620 hectares across eight districts of the division. In the Rajshahi Agricultural Zone, the target is 14.05 lakh tonnes from 58,240 hectares, while in the Bogra Zone, 23.67 lakh tonnes are expected from 98,380 hectares.

"I hope the person I vote for brings peace," she said of the seven candidates vying to become head of state. Displaced by decades of conflict, young people like Abdramane who live in camps around the town of Birao in the far northeast, see the elections as a chance for a better future. Now the teenager and other young people are counting on the elections to bring them peace, education and opportunities beyond life as displaced persons. Behind her in the queue, 25-year-old Issa Abdoul agreed the elections were essential "to continue the reconstruction of our country". - A brighter future -For them, the mere act of obtaining a voter registration card is a challenge.

MELBOURNE, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A fighting England won their first Test on Australian soil in 15 years Saturday, restoring their battered pride with a gutsy four-wicket victory to clinch a chaotic fourth Ashes clash that was all over inside two days. The pumped-up tourists dismissed Australia for 132 soon after lunch in front of a bumper 92,045 crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It left them chasing 175 to win, with Harry Brook (18) and Jamie Smith (three) seeing them home for the loss of six wickets.

Spanish family missing after tourist boat sinks in IndonesiaJAKARTA, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A Spanish family of four is missing after a tourist boat sank in Indonesia, state news agency Antara reported Saturday. Seven people including two Spanish tourists, four crew members and a tour guide were rescued. The Labuan Bajo port authority attributed the sinking to high waves of up to three metres (10 feet), Antara said. "This made it difficult for us to carry out the initial search," port authority chief Stephanus Risdiyanto told the agency. Marine accidents occur regularly in Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of around 17,000 islands, often due to lax safety standards and bad weather.

PTOLEMAIDA, Greece, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Mayor Panagiotis Plakentas fears what will happen to the town of Ptolemaida and the surrounding region when the last of the brown coal power plants in northern Greece close next year. Western Macedonia has for decades been the centre of Greece's brown coal mining industry that fed its lignite-fired power stations. But now with power plant after power plant closing "unemployment is rising and the jobs that are being cut aren't being replaced", said Plakentas, further crippling a region with the country's highest jobless rate. Its last two brown coal plants will close next year, with the one in Ptolemaida being converted to run on natural gas, as Greece moves away from highly-polluting lignite in a sweeping transition towards renewable energy. Many locals want the land back that was expropriated by PPC years ago to mine the low-grade brown coal so they can farm it again.