You have permission to edit this article.

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS) - In a significant move to boost foreign capital inflow, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) has approved a policy to offer cash incentives to Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) who facilitate Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country. Under the newly approved proposal, he said, NRBs will be eligible for a 1.25 percent cash incentive on the equity they help bring into Bangladesh. Instead of sending money for personal consumption, he said, this policy rewards NRBs for channeling investment capital into the industrial and business sectors. While the policy has received approval in principle from the BIDA governing board, he said, it requires a final procedural step before implementation. He explained that the current structure—where the Chief Adviser (or previously the Prime Minister) chairs the governing board of each separate agency—creates significant administrative bottlenecks.

A young man has died after suffering burn injuries in a gas fire at a flat in the capital’s Mugda. He died around 1:30pm on Monday at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, police said. The victim, 30-year-old Ujjal Hossain, lived in a rented flat in Mugda. “He went to the kitchen to fry eggs. He was taken to the burn institute early in the morning and admitted for treatment.

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, CanadaZip Code

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS)- The para-military Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized various types of smuggled goods worth about Tk 1,908.28 crore raiding in border areas and other places of the country from January 1 to December 31, 2025. Besides, the weapons recovered during the same period, including 64 pistols, two SMGs, 19 hand grenades, 10 ammunitions revolvers, 56 various types of guns, 1,509 ammunition, 57 magazines, 8 mortar shells, 73,100 lead bullets, 20.05 kg of gun powder, 4 mines, 79 hand bombs, 40 petrol bombs, 178 cocktails and 25 other weapons. During this time, 1,47,14,298 pieces of Yaba tablets, 10 kg 408 grams of crystal meth ice, 1,33,396 bottles of Phensedyl, 1,30,546 bottles of foreign liquor, 2,673 liters of 75 grams of Bengali liquor, 12,678 cans of beer, 22,137 kg of marijuana, 55 kg 636 grams of heroin, 13 kg 647 grams of cocaine, 84 bottles of LSD, 4,26,705 Anegra/Senegra tablets, 1,05,765 Escafe syrup, 1,14,58,693 various types of medicines, 1,649 bottles of MKDil/Kofidil and 6,94,082 narcotic and stimulant injections. Besides, in 2025, BGB arrested 2,334 people on charges of involvement in various types of drug trafficking and other smuggling, including Yaba and crystal meth ice, and 4,238 Bangladeshi citizens, 124 Indian citizens, and 7,368 Myanmar citizens for illegally crossing the border. A legal action was taken against them, the release added.

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS)- The government has issued the 'July Mass Uprising Protection and Liability Determination Ordinance 2026' which is effective from July 1, 2024. The ordinance is aiming to legally protect and remove cases filed against the participants in the mass uprising held in July-August months in 2024. The students and people who participated in the July Mass Uprising started on July 1 in 2024 have been designated as the ‘Gono abhutthankari’ in the ordinance. The ordinance stated that any case or legal procedure filed against the July uprising participants will be removed by the court immediately at the plea of the public prosecutor. The president has promulgated the ordinance according to the power bestowed on him in the article 93(1) of the constitution.

The government has issued the Supreme Court Secretariat (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026. The Printing and Publication Wing of Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division under the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued a notification in this regard on Monday. Law Ministry’s public relations officer Dr Md Rezaul Karim confirmed it to BSS.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and allied organizations expressed strong concern Monday that the interim government has failed to lay the foundation for transitioning the country’s energy system toward renewable or clean energy. At the event, Ashna Islam, assistant coordinator of TIB’s Energy Governance division, presented a concept paper highlighting the importance of renewable energy and good governance in the sector. The event was moderated by Newazul Moula, Coordinator of Energy Governance, TIB. The TIB ED also said the draft energy master plan remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels and lacks clear guidelines for transitioning to clean energy. To ensure good governance and an effective renewable energy transition, TIB recommended:

A total of 4,05,164 Bangladeshi expatriates cast their votes through postal ballot as of 1:30 pm on Monday, according to the Election Commission. Among them, 3,44,993 voters submitted their ballots at post offices or ballot boxes in their respective countries. Meanwhile, 19,388 ballots were cast within Bangladesh. The Election Commission had sent ballots to 6,83,122 registered expatriate voters. As of 1:30 pm on Monday, a total of 4,78,326 postal ballots had been received from abroad.

When it came time for any of the Colorado Medical Services Board members to make a motion, there was only dead silence. But about a week later, Medicaid officials posted a memo directing case managers to move ahead with the rule change anyway. While Medicaid officials didn’t get the backing of the Medical Services Board, they have an August executive order from Gov. Yet Medicaid officials, in asking for the rule change, told board members they needed the emergency rule approved in order to move forward. It costs the federal-state Medicaid program $460 million annually, with a median per-person cost of $76,000 per member.

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS) - Cultural Affairs Ministry today cancelled its 'Book Selection Committee' amid stiff social media criticism on buying books during the tenure of former director of National Book Centre Afsana Begum. "The Book Selection Committee formed on November 11, 2025 to select books for donation to private libraries in the fiscal year 2025-2026 was revoked," said an official release. Earlier, a mammoth debate grew on online platform as the list of books bought by the committee was spread. Mofidur Rahman said, "The book selection committee has been revoked and a new committee will be formed soon...We have also taken a decision to buy books being imbued with July spirits". The ministry will go ahead with purchasing books on July mass uprising, Philkhana and Shapla tragedy during this fiscal, he added.

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS) – The Embassy of Italy in Dhaka today announced a temporary worldwide suspension of visa application submissions in mid-February due to scheduled technical maintenance of the Italian visa processing system. In an advisory, the embassy said that no visa applications of any category will be accepted at Italian visa offices worldwide on February 11, 12, 15, 16, 17 and 18 because of technical maintenance. The embassy instructed VFS Global not to collect any visa applications or requests for withdrawal during the period. Applicants who urgently need to travel to Italy between February 11 and February 18 were strongly advised to submit their visa applications by early February, as the system may require up to 10 days to authorize the issuance of a visa. The embassy urged applicants to plan their travel and visa submission schedules accordingly to avoid inconvenience.

The High Court on Monday granted six months’ bail to Jewel Hasan Saddam, president of the Bagerhat Sadar Upazila unit of the Chhatra League, a banned organization, following the deaths of his wife and nine-month-old son. A High Court bench comprising Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan issued the order on January 26. Lawyer Saeed Ahmed Raja represented Saddam at the hearing and said the court granted bail on humanitarian grounds. On the evening of January 24, jail authorities allowed him to see his deceased wife and infant son for the last time for only five minutes at the gate of Jessore Central Jail. At about 7:30 pm, jail officials allowed six close relatives to enter the jail gate with the ambulance.

In the forthcoming national parliamentary election, he said BNP candidates are contesting in 292 constituencies with the "Sheaf of Paddy". “They have served the people and stood by them.”Besides, Mahdi said 19 former ministers are also contesting the polls this time with the BNP symbol. “Their past experience in state administration and public engagement gives BNP a distinct advantage.”According to him, 237 BNP candidates hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Mahdi said BNP candidates include individuals who were victims of enforced disappearance during what he described as the "fascist period". Mahdi said almost all BNP candidates are facing multiple cases, with many having more than a hundred cases filed against them.

The government has promulgated the July Uprising (Protection and Liability Determination) Ordinance, 2026, providing immunity to the people who participated in the July Uprising. A gazette notification was issued by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Law Ministry on Sunday night in this regard. The ordinance ensures withdrawal of all existing civil and criminal cases related to the uprising and bars the filing of any new cases against the participants. The ordinance allows allegations of killings during the uprising to be investigated by the Human Rights Commission. The government may frame rules as necessary to implement the ordinance.