Campaign to be launched in educational institutions to promote 'Yes' votePhoto : Chief Adviser’s Press WingDHAKA, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS) – The government has decided to carry out campaigns at all universities, colleges, schools and madrasahs across the country to encourage students to cast ‘Yes’ vote in the forthcoming referendum slated to be held on February 12. Chief Adviser’s special assistants Professor Dr Ali Riaz and Monir Haidar, UGC Chairman Professor Dr SMA Faiz, Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Rehana Perven, Technical and Madrasah Education Division Secretary Muhammad Rafiqul, NU Vice-Chancellor Professor ASM Amanullah and UGC Member Professor Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan joined the meeting. As part of the campaign, leaflets and booklets titled ‘Yes for Change’ will be distributed among students. However, documentaries, video clips and songs produced on the referendum will be released through mobile platforms and university social media platforms. He said there is no alternative to the ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum to establish a humane and democratic state.

Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) on Sunday surrounded the Election Commission (EC) building in Agargaon, protesting what it described as political influence and biased decisions by the commission, particularly regarding postal ballots. Hundreds of Chhatra Dal activists gathered in front of and around the Election Commission, positioning themselves outside the EC’s security cordon and chanting slogans. The program was led by Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam. Addressing the protest, Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam alleged that a specific political group had exerted undue influence over postal ballots and that the EC had acted with its encouragement. EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said that postal ballots are sent through the Universal Postal Union and that postal systems differ across countries, particularly in the Middle East.

Photo : CollectedDHAKA, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh has successfully concluded its participation at Heimtextil 2026, the world’s leading trade fair for home and contract textiles, reinforcing its status as a competitive destination for global sourcing. Bangladesh was represented by 15 exhibitors, comprising a strategic mix of direct exhibitors and companies supported by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). This delegation joined over 3,000 exhibitors from 65 countries, engaging with thousands of sourcing professionals, designers, and buyers attending the fair. The successful conclusion of Heimtextil-2026 has allowed Bangladesh to reinforce its position as a reliable and competitive sourcing destination within the global home textiles market. The event provided a crucial opportunity for networking and trend exploration, further expanding the country's footprint in international textile trade.

A delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami, led by its Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman and comprising four senior party leaders, arrived at the state guest house Jamuna to hold a meeting with the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus. The Jamaat delegation reached Jamuna at around 6:20 pm on Sunday. Earlier, Jamaat’s central media and publicity department had issued a statement confirming the meeting with the Chief Adviser. According to the statement, a four-member delegation led by Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman was scheduled to meet the Chief Adviser at the state guest house Jamuna at 6:30 pm on Sunday evening. Besides Dr Shafiqur Rahman, the delegation includes Jamaat’s Naeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, and Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan.

DHAKA, Jan 18, 2026 (BSS) - Former England allrounder Chris Woakes joinedSylhet Titans' practice session today ahead of the remainder of theBangladesh Premier League (BPL). Sylhet have already confirmed their place in the playoffs but will have tofeature in the Eliminator. Either Chattogram Royals or Rangpur Riders will join Sylhet in the Eliminatoron Tuesday. The Sylhet franchise has also confirmed the availability of Englandwicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings, while talks are ongoing with England openerPhil Salt regarding his participation. Meanwhile, two other England players, Moeen Ali and Ethan Brooks, havealready linked up with the squad and featured in several matches.

“The Navy remains on guard around Saint Martin’s Island at all times. Any threat or untoward incident is immediately addressed by the Navy,” a Navy officer serving at Saint Martin’s Island told Dhaka Tribune on Thursday, requesting anonymity. Saint Martin’s, Bangladesh’s only coral island, is strategically located near international maritime boundaries and key regional shipping lanes. Earlier this month, a Navy warship intercepted a wooden trawler carrying 273 people approximately 30 nautical miles southwest of Saint Martin’s. Teknaf operations: Drugs, arms, and human traffickingBeyond Saint Martin’s, the Navy has intensified operations in Teknaf under In Aid to Civil Power after the July–August mass uprising.

A delegation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, on Sunday held a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin ahead of the 13th national elections and referendum. The meeting began around 4:45pm at the CEC's office in Nirbachan Bhaban, Agargaon, Dhaka. The five-member BNP delegation concluded Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP Standing Committee member and Election Steering Committee Chairman Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP Chairman Advisory Council member Ismail Zabiullah, former acting Election Commission Secretary Dr Mohammad Zakaria and Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal. Bangladesh Election Commission Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed was also present at the meeting.

With the combined initiative of Yamaha and ACI Motors, hybrid-technology motorcycles are entering the country’s market. In introducing new technologies to Bangladesh’s motorcycle industry, Yamaha and ACI Motors have consistently played a pioneering role. Continuing this legacy, on January 16 at Le Méridien Dhaka, ACI Motors, the sole distributor of Yamaha motorcycles in Bangladesh, officially announced the launch of Yamaha FZS Hybrid in the motorcycle market. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the Yamaha FZS Hybrid features a hybrid engine that runs on a combination of fuel and battery power. Senior officials from both Yamaha and ACI Motors were also present at the launch event.

Novelist and essayist Md Ashanur Rahman has been awarded The International Creative Arts Award 2025 by the International Creative Arts, Language & Development Research Centre of the University of Dhaka for his outstanding contribution to literature and its role in “Enriching Minds and Inspiring Lives.”The award ceremony was held at the R C Mujumdar Hall of Dhaka University recently. The honor was conferred in recognition of his debut novel “Lenin,” published in 2024—a work that has drawn wide critical and readerly attention for its depth, originality, and philosophical intensity. In 2025, Md Ashanur Rahman further expanded his literary landscape with his first short story collection, “Bhor O Baruder Golpo,” a series of powerful narratives where dawn, conflict, memory, and hope intersect. Alongside his literary pursuits, Md Ashanur Rahman is a senior banking professional with over two decades of experience and currently serves as deputy managing director, chief economist, and country business manager of City Bank PLC. The International Creative Arts Award 2025 celebrates not only the success of Lenin as a novel, but also a literary journey that bridges discipline and imagination, affirming that enduring stories can emerge even from the most unlikely worlds.

He made the remarks at a policy dialogue titled “Independence of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law” at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital. He warned that symbolic measures would not ensure the rule of law if groups took the law into their own hands and punishment of offenders was delayed. Speaking on the rule of law, Jatiya Party Secretary General Shamim Haider Patwary said injustice, whether before or after a revolution, would ultimately backfire. Responding to the remarks, Tajul Islam said the movement to topple Ganabhaban could not be equated with acts such as street robberies or attacks on religious minorities by individuals from particular groups. Former CPB general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince countered that advocating the rule of law while encouraging mobs was contradictory and untenable in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Women began their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier campaign with an impressive 21-run victory over the United States at the Mulpani Cricket Ground in Nepal on Saturday. For the USA, Maahi Madhavan stood out with the ball, claiming three wickets, while Isani Vaghela picked up two. In reply, the United States made a promising start through a 42-run opening stand between Disha Dhingra and Chetna Pagydyala. Bangladesh’s bowlers shared the spoils effectively, with Nahida Akter leading the attack with four wickets, Ritu Moni taking three, and Rabeya Khan adding two. The USA eventually finished on 137 for nine, sealing a confident opening win for Bangladesh.

As many as 35 dengue patients were hospitalized across the country in the last 24 hours. Of the patients admitted to hospitals, five each in Barisal division (out of CC), Chittagong division (out of CC), Dhaka division (out of CC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Meanwhile, during the period, 66 dengue patients have been discharged from the hospitals. In 2025, a total of 1, 02, 861 were infected with dengue across the country, with a total of 413 people died of dengue. Earlier, in 2024, a total of 1, 01, 216 people were infected with dengue, and a total of 575 people died of dengue.

The interim government on Sunday clarified the chief adviser's support for the "Yes" vote in the forthcoming referendum is consistent with democratic norms in Bangladesh, outlining major six points in favour of the government stance. "Recent commentary has raised concerns that the interim government and the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus's open support for a "Yes" vote in Bangladesh's forthcoming referendum on institutional reforms may be inconsistent with the expectations of an interim administration," said a statement issued by the Chief Adviser's Press Wing in the afternoon. However, when assessed in light of Bangladesh's specific political context, the mandate of the interim government, and comparative international practice, such criticism does not withstand close scrutiny," it said. In Bangladesh's current transitional moment, the statement said, silence would not represent neutrality, it would represent a failure of leadership. Its mandate-understood domestically and communicated clearly to international partners-has been to stabilize the state, restore democratic credibility, and deliver a credible framework of reforms before returning authority to an elected government, it read.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday said his party plans to create a separate department under the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs to support the families of martyrs and fighters of the July 2024 mass uprising, if it comes to power. Tarique said independence and sovereignty were achieved in 1971 and protected again in 2024 through the mass uprising against fascism. ‘2024 Uprising Belongs to PeopleTarique said the 2024 mass uprising did not belong to any individual, party or group. “It was a true mass uprising of democratic people who were deprived of their rights,” he said. He warned that people must remain alert against attempts to turn the mass uprising to protect independence into a movement for partisan interests.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has published a list of 80 vaccination centres in the country for Hajj pilgrims to receive the required vaccines. As per the Saudi government’s directives, Hajj pilgrims who have passed health screening will have to receive meningitis and influenza vaccines. The vaccination centres include civil surgeon offices in all districts outside Dhaka. In the capital, the centres include Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Government Employees Hospital, Combined Military Hospital, Central Police Hospital and the Bangladesh Secretariat Clinic. Outside Dhaka, designated centres include Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital in Tongi, Gazipur; Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur; Chittagong Medical College Hospital; Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital; Khulna Medical College Hospital; 250-bed Mohammad Ali Hospital in Bogra; and 250-bed Dinajpur Sadar Hospital.