Newly appointed US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen on Wednesday said he is concerned about broader Chinese influence in South Asia, stressing that they have a host of options available to try to help their partner militaries meet their capability needs. ‘You know, as I said in my hearing…I am concerned about broader Chinese influence in South Asia. I think the United States government has been very clear about that," he said while responding to a question during an interaction with a small group of journalists. He said the US and Bangladesh have strong military-to-military cooperation, and it has been growing stronger. During his nomination hearing, Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, a Republican, asked Christensen about what he described as Bangladesh’s growing military-to-military cooperation with China.

On the third day of a highly-anticipated nine-week trial Harry will testifyagainst Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), the publisher of the Daily Mail andThe Mail on Sunday, alleging illegal privacy breaches. He is scheduled to begin giving evidence at the High Court in London at 11:30am (1130 GMT). They allege it paid private investigators implicated in other phone-hackinglawsuits for some of the unlawful information used to generate dozens ofstories. Ahead of his evidence session Wednesday, he sat in the High Court on Mondayand during some of Tuesday's proceedings. David Sherborne, representing the seven, told the High Court he will show"there was clear and systematic use of unlawful gathering of information" atANL.

Former advisor to a caretaker government and civil servant M Hafizuddin Khan has died at the age of 89. He died at his residence in Uttara’s Sector 1 on Wednesday at 7pm due to natural causes, according to his maternal cousin Liaquat Ali. Hafizuddin served as secretary of the posts and telecommunications ministry and was an advisor to several ministries, including finance and planning, during the 2001 caretaker government. He also chaired the central executive committee of SHUJAN, served as Transparency International Bangladesh’s chairman, and held leadership roles in Basic Bank Limited, Rupali Bank, and Agrani Bank. Liaquat said the body is at his Uttara home; funeral arrangements will be finalised after his daughters arrive from Canada.

The University ranked second overall among 527 institutions that received foreign funds. These forms of payment made up a little over 11% of the foreign funds. Harvard, the only other university receiving more foreign funds than Cornell, received most of its funds from England and Switzerland. When asked why the University receives aid from foreign nations, a University spokesperson told The Sun that the funds help increase collaborations across the world. “Most scientific challenges and their solutions transcend national borders and require international expertise, data, facilities, and collaborations,” a University spokesperson wrote to The Sun.

According to the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (Idra)’s September 2025 quarterly report, the life funds of at least seven life insurance companies have fallen to zero or gone negative. Protective Islamic Life Insurance and Jamuna Life Insurance also have negative life funds. Idra data shows that by September, total life insurance claims stood at Tk5,986 crore, of which Tk3,880.58 crore remained unsettled. Sunflower Life Insurance, Progressive Life Insurance, and even the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation also have large volumes of unpaid claims. Idra data shows Progressive Life has Tk153 crore in expired claims against a life fund of only Tk79 crore.

A total of 39 more dengue patients were admitted to hospitals across the country in the last 24 hours. No deaths were reported during the period, a press release from Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). According to the update, of the newly hospitalised patients, five were admitted to Dhaka North City Corporation and eight to Dhaka South City Corporation, while 26 were hospitalised outside city corporations-seven in Barishal, nine in Chittagong, four in Dhaka, five in Khulna and one inMymensingh divisions. During the same period, 21 dengue patients were discharged from hospitals. With this, a total of 700 patients have been released from hospitals so far this year.

A fragile industry under mounting strainThe RMG sector is currently navigating one of its most challenging phases in recent years. Industry leaders warn that any increase in yarn costs or uncertainty in supply could further weaken export momentum. Higher yarn costs would directly translate into higher garment prices, reducing Bangladesh’s appeal in a fiercely competitive global market where marginal cost differences often determine sourcing decisions. Garment manufacturers say they are willing to support local spinners by paying a reasonable premium over imported yarn prices. They argue that the RMG sector remains the backbone of Bangladesh’s export economy and a critical source of employment.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman arrived in Sylhet on Wednesday night to formally kick off his party’s election campaign for the 13th national parliamentary election, with plans to address seven rallies on Thursday. Sayrul said Tarique will begin his election campaign from Sylhet, widely known as the land of saints, and address seven public rallies across six districts. Earlier in the day, BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson Dr Mahdi Amin said the election campaign will formally begin on Thursday as per the announced schedule, with Tarique launching it through his Sylhet visit. On Thursday morning, he said, Tarique will address his first election rally at the Sylhet Alia Madrasa ground. After spending 17 years in exile in the United Kingdom, Tarique Rahman returned home with his family on December 25.

On January 15, Ambassador Christensen presented his credentials to President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban and said he looks forward to strengthening the Bangladesh-US relationship. “I am thrilled to return to Bangladesh, a country I know so well," said Ambassador Christensen. Ambassador Christensen was confirmed by the Senate as Ambassador on December 18, 2025. Ambassador Christensen has held additional assignments overseas in the US missions to the Philippines, El Salvador and Vietnam. A distinguished graduate of the National War College, Ambassador Christensen earned a Master of Science in National Security Strategy.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expelled 59 leaders for running for parliament independently in defiance of party mandates. The move was announced Wednesday night in a media statement. Previously, 11 members faced expulsion for similar defiance, but the bans on two were revoked after they withdrew their nomination papers.

With the symbol allocation completed, candidates will be able to start their campaigns from tomorrow, EC officials said. Returning officers across the 298 constituencies conducted the symbol allocation from Wednesday morning until 5:00 pm, assigning symbols to all 1,973 candidates. All 1,973 candidates nationwide have received their symbols," said Md Ruhul Amin Mallick, Director (Public Relations) and information officer of the EC Secretariat. They will also submit Form-5 containing the candidates' information, which will guide the printing of ballot papers. "Following symbol allocation, candidates can begin their election campaigns from tomorrow," he added.

Photo: BSSMEHERPUR, Jan 21, 2026 (BSS) - The 'Vote Rickshaw' awareness campaign was launched in the district today to encourage public participation in the upcoming 13th national election and referendum. Deputy Commissioner Dr. Syed Enamul Kabir inaugurated the campaign around 10:30am at the premises of his office. District Election Officer Md. As part of the nationwide referendum awareness initiative, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has launched the Vote Rickshaw campaign in collaboration with the Department of Mass Communication. Through the campaign, voters will be informed about the significance of the referendum, including the potential benefits of voting 'yes' and the consequences of voting 'no'.

The winner of the contest will advance to the final, where Chattogram Royalsawait in the battle for the coveted BPL trophy. After being sent in to bat, Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Sahibzada Farhan providedRajshahi with a brisk start, with Tanzid looking particularly in supremetouch. The opening stand was broken by Salman Irshad, who dismissed Farhan for a 21-ball 26, bringing an end to the 41-run partnership. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed then gave Rajshahi further blow, getting theprized scalp of Tanzid Hasan Tamim who struck 32 off just 15 balls, hammeringone four and four sixes. For Sylhet, Salman Irshad was the pick of the bowlers with 3-23, while NasumAhmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz claimed two wickets each.

Election will be held in 300 constituencies across Bangladesh, with unprecedented security measures including drones and police dog squads deployed, Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, said on Wednesday. According to the Election Commission (EC), Wednesday marked the date for allocation of election symbols, and printing of postal ballots will begin at midnight. Regional election officers have been appointed for Dhaka, Chattogram, and Khulna. There are 42,779 polling centers and 247,492 polling booths nationwide. Each polling center will have at least 15 law enforcement personnel, including regular and irregular forces.

BEIJING, Jan 21, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Beijing vowed on Wednesday that it would "safeguard" the rights and interests of Chinese businesses if the European Union pushes on with plans to ban "high-risk" foreign telecoms suppliers, a move seen as targeting China. Brussels unveiled the proposal on Tuesday as part of plans to revise its cybersecurity rules in a bid to bolster Europe's defences against a surge in cyber attacks. China's foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters on Wednesday the move amounts to protectionism by the bloc. "We urge the EU to avoid going further down the wrong path of protectionism, otherwise, China will inevitably take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Guo told a news conference. Brussels took the new step after the 2023 measures failed to yield enough change across the 27-country bloc.