Swechasebak Dal announces new convening committees in seven countriesDHAKA, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS)- Jatiyatabadi Swechasebak Dal has declared seven new convening committees for seven countries. The convener of the Singapore committee is Md Abdur Rahim (Biplob) and member secretary is Engineer Omar Faruk Sarkar. Besides, in Kuwait, Faizur Rahman Sumon and Lion Md Shahjalal Talukder Mohan have been elected as convenor and member secretary respectively. In Western Region of Saudi Arabia, Alamgir Hossain has been elected as convener and Hanis Sarkar Ujjal as member secretary. Meanwhile, in South Korea, Md Jahangir Hossain and Omar Faruk Bappi Khan have been elected as convener and member secretary respectively.

DHAKA, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS) - The overseas players for the six BPL franchiseeshave started arriving in Bangladesh ahead of the upcoming Bangladesh PremierLeague (BPL) T20 tournament, which is set to begin this Friday. Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir, who will play for the Sylhet Titans, arrived inSylhet late last night, as confirmed by the franchise management. Rajshahi Warriors' two direct signings, Sahibzada Farhan and Mohammad Nawaz,have already reached Bangladesh to begin their BPL campaign. Among the overseas players for Rangpur Riders, Pakistan's Khushdil Shah hasalso arrived in Bangladesh. According to the schedule, the remaining overseas players from otherfranchises are expected to join their respective teams by December 25.

“Amir has so much to offer, and we can learn a lot from him,” Ebadot said after the team’s practice session in Sylhet. His experience will be a huge asset to our team, and we hope he will give his best,” he added. Sylhet signed Amir directly after the franchisees were given the chance to sign two foreign players before the auction. Amir will be part of a strong pace attack alongside Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shohidul Islam, Rejaur Rahman Raja, and Ebadot himself, creating a formidable fast-bowling unit for Sylhet, Ebadot added. Our team is looking really strong, Alhamdulillah.”Ebadot also shared the team’s main goal for the tournament: to win the trophy.

2025 on target to be UK's hottest year on record: Met OfficeLONDON, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - This year may have been Britain's hottest onrecord, with an average temperature above 10 degrees Celsius, the nationalweather service said on Tuesday. Definitive figures for 2025 will be released next January 2, but as of thefinal week of this year, the average temperature has been 10.05C. The previous high was 10.03C in 2022, the Met Office said. Last week, the Met Office published data showing that 2025 was the sunniestyear since at least 1910. Spring 2025 was the hottest the UK has ever seen, with four heatwaves andrainfall 16 percent lower than the seasonal average.

Zaima Rahman, daughter of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and granddaughter of Khaleda Zia, on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) said she hopes to contribute to rebuilding Bangladesh and understand the country better by connecting directly with people. She made the comments in a Facebook post in which she shared reflections on her family, roots and journey ahead of her return to Bangladesh. Zaima said those moments became her first lessons in leadership, humility, sincerity and the importance of listening to others. Acknowledging public curiosity and expectations surrounding her family, Zaima said she feels that weight herself but sees it as part of her personal journey. Zaima is scheduled to return to Bangladesh with her father, Tarique Rahman on Thursday, ending their 17-year exile abroad, as they have been living in London since September 2008.

File PhotoDHAKA, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS) - A court here today granted a five-day remand for Kabir, a close associate of prime accused Faisal Karim Masud alias Daud (37), in the Sharif Osman Hadi murder case. After completion of a seven-day remand, police produced Kabir before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court. After the hearing, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Sefatullah granted his five-day remand again. Earlier, Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibuzzaman granted a seven-day remand for Kabir in the same case on December 16. On December 12, at about 2:20 pm, miscreants shot at Sharif Osman Hadi with firearms on Box Culvert Road under Paltan Police Station and fled the scene.

The ECNEC meeting was held at the NEC conference room in the capital under the chairmanship of Chief Adviser and ECNEC Chairperson Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus. Of the total project cost, Tk 30,482.49 crore will be financed from the government exchequer, Tk 1,689.61 crore from project loans and Tk 14,247.56 crore from the concerned organization's own funds. Among the approved projects, 14 are new, five are revised and three involve extensions of project tenure. The Education Ministry received approval for two projects-the development of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University and the third revision of the Bangladesh University of Professionals development project. Besides, the ECNEC meeting was also apprised about 10 projects which were earlier approved by the Planning Adviser.

Five people have been killed and several others injured during clashes and shootouts between two rival groups at Jaglar Char in Hatia Upazila, Noakhali. Hatia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saiful Alam confirmed that the clashes occurred throughout Tuesday. Although the violence eased after police arrived at the scene, tensions in the area remained high. Local and police sources said the conflict erupted over a dispute concerning the ownership of a newly emerged landmass (char) in the Meghna River. OC Saiful Alam said, "Police are currently stationed at the scene.

Hindutva organizations, including Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and Hindu Jagaran Manch, staged protests in front of Bangladesh High Commissions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Siliguri on Tuesday over the killing of Hindu youth Dipu Das in Bangladesh. In New Delhi, protesters broke through police barricades and came close to the High Commission. In Kolkata, Hindu Jagaran Manch called a procession from Sealdah, planning to submit a deputation to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission. Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch staged repeated demonstrations against the killing of Dipuchandra Das and the rising oppression of minority Hindus in Bangladesh. The protests began Sunday night and continued into Monday, with members of Hindu Jagaran Manch demanding a halt to all medical, educational, and other facilities for Bangladeshis in India.

Upcoming election must be ‘the best in history’: ECElection Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker. Photo : CollectedDHAKA, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS) - Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker today said the scheduled February 12 polls “must be the best in history” while the commission believes it to be so as well. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin later addressed as well the officials at the meeting chaired by EC’s Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed. “The Election Commission is an independent body, not accountable to anyone. He urged the field level officials to go out on the field on behalf of the Election Commission and move together.

BIJAGOS ARCHIPELAGO, Guinée-Bissau, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Turquoise wavessplash against the white sand beaches of the Bijagos archipelago, wherelocals fear rising sea levels will swallow their islands whole. The archipelago hosts several sacred sites as well as artisanal fisheriesrelied upon by some 25,000 inhabitants. Made up of 88 islands and islets -- of which only about 20 are permanentlyinhabited -- the archipelago stretches more than 10,000 square kilometres(3,850 square miles). He was in Bubaque, one of the archipelago's most populated islands withnearly 5,000 inhabitants. - Insufficient support -Climate change and rainwater runoff that triggers landslides are at the heartof the problem, IBAP's Joao said.

DHAKA, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS) - The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has ordered the deployment of an armed police member for three months to ensure the safety and security of Md Mohibul Haque, a witness in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of six people in the Chankharpul area during the July–August 2024 uprising. During the hearing, Prosecutor Tarek Abdullah told the tribunal yesterday that activists of the banned Chhatra League recently attacked Mohibul Haque with sharp weapons in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram district. As he has already given testimony before the tribunal, the prosecutor said he requires protection. Following this, the three-member ICT-1 bench, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mazumder, ordered the deployment of one armed police member for three months to ensure the security of Md Mohibul Haque, an elder brother of martyred Mohammad Ishmam-ul Haque from the Chankharpul area. A case was filed with the local police station over the attack on Mohibul Haque in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram district on Friday.

Adviser Farida Akhtar today spoke at the 10th Biennial Fisheries Conference organised by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Forum at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Auditorium. Photo: PIDDHAKA, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS) - Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtartoday said the increase of fish production will become useless until its foodsafety is ensured. The artisanal trawlers and industrial trawlers are fishing in different waysand some of the technologies used in industrial trawlers are creating newconcerns at present, she mentioned. Referring to the Hilsa production issue, she said, "Hilsa is not just a fish,it is our national asset; just like protecting dolphins, protecting Hilsashould also be part of a global movement." The combined effects of reduced river navigability, pollution and climatechange are severely disrupting the reproduction and migration of Hilsa aswell, Farida Akhter added.

DHAKA, Dec 23, 2025 (BSS) - The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), one of the country’s leading trade bodies, successfully conducted its 64th Annual General Meeting (AGM) today at the DCCI Auditorium in the capital. During the meeting, members of the DCCI emphasized the need for strong political will and consensus to ensure a business-friendly environment for the advancement of the private sector. DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed presided over the meeting while Senior Vice President Razeev H Chowdhury, Vice President Md. Salem Sulaiman, members of the Board of Directors, former Presidents, former Senior Vice Presidents, former Vice Presidents, former Directors and representatives from the member organizations were also present. DCCI Acting Secretary General Dr. AKM Asaduzzaman Patwary moderated the meeting.

Due to thick fog and cold winds, the intensity of cold has multiplied in the char areas of the district, it observed. In these cold-prone char areas, icy winds have forced many residents to remain confined indoors. Due to the biting cold, many day labourers are unable to go to work, resulting in loss of income and extreme hardship for their families. President of the Kurigram District Char Development Committee Professor Shafiqul Islam Bebu said the district has a population of around 23.29 lakh, of which 70.8 percent are poor, amounting to approximately 16.49 lakh people. He said most of the poor live in char areas, and due to weak communication systems in remote chars, residents are often overlooked.