Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday directed the armed forces to remain on high alert to help ensure a free, fair, impartial and acceptable referendum and 13th national parliamentary election scheduled for February 12. “As a symbol of public trust, the armed forces will, as in the past, discharge their responsibilities with professionalism, impartiality and accountability,” he said. The chief adviser paid tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War and the July–August student uprising, recalling the armed forces’ contribution to maintaining peace and stability. “In this context, the armed forces are an indispensable partner,” he said, expressing confidence in their ability to fulfil the responsibility. The chief adviser was received at the Helmet Auditorium by Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hasan, Air Chief Marshal Hassan Mahmud Khan and Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen SM Kamrul Hasan.

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS) - Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized smuggled goods worth over Tk 1,908.28 crore during extensive raids carried out across border areas and other parts of the country throughout 2025. The recovered contraband included large quantities of gold and silver, garments, cosmetics, fireworks, food items, household goods, vehicles, and livestock. The para-military force also recovered vehicles, mobile phones and accessories, wood, stone, coal, fertilizer, seeds, and 12,294 cows and buffaloes. As part of these operations, BGB arrested 2,334 individuals for involvement in drug trafficking and smuggling. BGB officials said the year-long operations reflect the force’s commitment to protecting national security, preventing drug trafficking, and curbing cross-border smuggling.

COLOMBO, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Sri Lanka's five-year unbeaten home series ODI run faces its stiffest test on Tuesday, with England levelling the series 1-1 and Joe Root again the key obstacle. Sri Lanka know the equation only too well. Dawson believes that depth could be a trump card with the T20 World Cup looming, which Sri Lanka will co-host with India. The Sri Lanka tour is a dress rehearsal for the World Cup for England. "Hopefully we can win the last game, build some confidence, compete well in the T20 series coming up and head into the World Cup on a high."

The US National Weather Service (NWS) told Americans to expect more of the same weather conditions into Monday morning. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outside over the weekend in freezing temperatures. The PowerOutage.com tracking site showed more than 840,000 customers without electricity as of Sunday night, mostly in the US South where the storm intensified Saturday. Authorities from Texas to North Carolina and New York urged residents to stay home due to the perilous conditions. The storm was moving Sunday into the northeast, dumping snow and sleet on heavily populated cities including Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

World not ready for rise in extreme heat, scientists sayPARIS, France, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Nearly 3.8 billion people could face extreme heat by 2050 and while tropical countries will bear the brunt cooler regions will also need to adapt, scientists said Monday. They found "that the population experiencing extreme heat conditions is projected to nearly double" by 2050 if global average temperatures rise 2C above preindustrial times. "The key take away from this is that the need for adaptation to extreme heat is more urgent than previously known," said Lizana, an environmental scientist. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can overwhelm the body's natural cooling systems, causing symptoms ranging from dizziness and headaches to organ failure and death. - 'Dangerously underprepared' -The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, projected that 3.79 billion people worldwide could be exposed to extreme heat by mid century.

With relations between European governments and the United States strained, calls for European teams to boycott World Cup 2026 are beginning to gain traction in some quarters. I wouldn’t like it if this happens as we won’t have a World Cup, which is always a highlight in sports and I love it. That meeting could prove decisive in any efforts to form a European alliance to boycott the tournament. With 16 of the 48 teams at the World Cup and the world’s most powerful club sides from Europe, any move by the continent’s associations would likely see the rest of the footballing world take notice — with some possibly to follow. “We do not believe that an isolated boycott on the part of NFF is an effective means of lasting change.

PARIS, France, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A US-based rights group said Monday it had confirmed the deaths of 5,848 people in a wave of protests in Iran suppressed by security forces, warning that it was still investigating thousands more potential fatalities. NGOs tracking the toll have said their task has been impeded by a now 18-day internet shutdown, warning that confirmed figures are likely to be far lower than the actual toll. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had confirmed that 5,848 people had been killed, including 5,520 protesters, 77 minors, 209 members of the security forces and 42 bystanders. Giving their first official toll from the protests, Iranian authorities last week said 3,117 people were killed. Over the weekend, Persian-language TV channel Iran International, which is based outside Iran, said more than 36,500 Iranians were killed by security forces between January 8 and 9, citing reports, documents and sources.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Monday said the people must assert their own rights and be entrusted with full guardianship of their voting rights to ensure a truly democratic process. "On the day of voting, you must go to the polling centre with the same presence as today's rally. The BNP Chairman said there have been dummy elections for the past 15-16 years while people’s voting rights were deprived. With Narayanganj District BNP Convenor Professor Mamun Mahmud in the chair, Joint Convenor Mashukul Islam Rajib moderated the programme. BNP Dhaka Divisional Associate Organizing Secretary Nazrul Islam Azad, Narayanganj-1 constituency candidate Mostafizur Rahman Bhuiyan Dipu, Narayanganj-3 constituency candidate Azharul Islam Mannan, Narayanganj-4 constituency candidate Monir Kasemi, and Narayanganj-5 constituency candidate Abul Kalam, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Rajshahi Warriors were accorded a grand reception as they toured Rajshahi city on an open-top bus on Monday, drawing massive crowds of jubilant cricket fans. At around 10:30am, the players landed at Hazrat Shah Makhdum (R.) Airport, where an open-top bus was waiting to take them on a victory tour. Shanto and Mushfiq repeatedly held the BPL trophy aloft, drawing thunderous applause. The victory parade later passed through Talaimari, Saheb Bazar, Rajshahi Collegiate School, Rajshahi College and Laxmipur, before concluding at Nabil Industrial Park in Paba. Along the route, people waved, cheered and took selfies, as the city celebrated its BPL champions in unforgettable fashion.

Photo: BSSPIROJPUR, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS) - Four suspected drug peddlers were arrested along with country-made sharp weapons and yaba tablets during a joint forces operation in Pirojpur on Monday. Joint forces comprising members of the Bangladesh Army, police, Narcotics Control Department (DNC) and civil administration conducted the raid. During the search, law enforcers recovered 496 pieces of banned yaba tablets and seven country-made sharp weapons, including Chinese axes, pocket knives and stainless steel weapons, from several concealed rooms inside the building. The court also ordered an additional two months of imprisonment in case of failure to pay the fine. Major Ishraq Rahman, commander of the Pirojpur Army Camp and leader of the operation, said the drive was part of the government's zero-tolerance policy against drugs.

MELBOURNE, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Learner Tien got his name because his mum was a teacher and the rising star of United States tennis still lives at home even as he reached a Grand Slam milestone. Tien's mother Huyen, a retired teacher, and the rest of the family have played a central part in his fast rise to prominence. Tien suffered a nosebleed early on against Medvedev in their last-16 match, the result he said of a dry nose. "I feel like I have been playing a little bit better match by match, and, you know, each match I'm making a little jump in how well I'm playing, how comfortable I feel," he said. "Right now I'm feeling better than I have all week, all year, so I'm really looking forward to it."

India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on Monday in the presence of EU leaders who were invited as the guests of honor. The Republic Day was organized around the central theme “150 Years of Vande Mataram,” commemorating the national song. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were the official guests at the Republic Day celebrations. “It is the honor of a lifetime to be Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations. My dear friend Narendra Modi, dear Indian friends, my very best wishes on this great day of celebration.

DHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS) – The government has issued strict instructions to ensure prevention of non-communicable diseases and tobacco free environment at all the educational Institutions and concerned offices across the country. Selling of tobacco products, use and publicity are strictly prohibited within 100 meters of the educational institutions, according to the directives, adding that the directives have also asked to impose ‘joint declaration’ issued by the Health Services department. All the educational institutions and offices must to declare ‘tobacco free’ and also to display necessary signage there, said the directives. The WHO FCTC regulations also have asked on limitations of marketing unhealthy food and highly sugary drink at the educational institutions with an aim to ensure nutrition for the students. The educational institutions have been asked to ensure at least 30 minutes moderate and high intensity physical exercises daily for raising physical capability of the students, said the DSHE instructions.

Any illegal weapons being used by nefarious individuals could intimidate voters, disrupt campaigns, or fuel violence - a scenario that we must avoid at all costs. As such, a robust, coordinated crackdown on illegal arms must be treated as a national priority. Law enforcement agencies have been left wanting for some time now, and citizens must be assured that they are acting impartially and targeting arms traffickers regardless of political affiliation. These days leading up to the election are crucial, and we need our law enforcement to be operating with full transparency. We need our law enforcement to be united and send a clear message: Illegal arms and explosives have no place in our plans for a better Bangladesh.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman will visit Mymensingh on Tuesday as part of his election campaign for the 13th national parliamentary election, during which he will address three separate public meetings in Mymensingh, Gazipur and Uttara in the capital. The BNP media cell confirmed the schedule on Monday afternoon. According to the media cell, Tarique Rahman will address a public meeting at the Mymensingh Circuit House ground at 2:30pm as the chief guest. On his return journey, he is scheduled to speak at a rally at the historic Rajbari ground in Gazipur at 6pm. Later in the evening, he will join another public meeting organised by the local BNP at the Azampur Eidgah ground in Uttara at 7pm, after which he will return to his Gulshan residence.