Photo : BSSRAJSHAHI, Dec 22, 2025 (BSS) - Speakers at a meeting here today stressed the need for an active and responsible role of the media to ensure the legitimate rights of senior citizens (SCs) and persons with disabilities (PWDs). The remarks were made at a media campaign titled "Situation of Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities: Their Challenges in the Communities", held at a city restaurant. The meeting was organised by the Rajshahi Regional Office of Caritas Bangladesh with support from the Promotion of Comprehensive Social Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups, especially Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities (SDDB) project. Social Service Officer Dr Hamidul Islam and Editor of the Daily Sonar Desh Akbraul Hassan Millat also spoke on the occasion. The speakers unanimously called for integrated efforts of all concerned government and non-government organisations to ensure the welfare of senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said that law and order must be maintained at any cost ahead of the upcoming national election. He made the comments at a meeting reviewing the overall law and order situation of the country at the State Guest House Jamuna on Sunday. The chief adviser directed the authorities to ensure the swift arrest of those involved in the killing of Osman Hadi and in other illegal activities. Those arrested are Md Kashem Faruqi, Md Saidur Rahman, Rakib Hossain, Md Naim, Md Sohel Rana and Md Shafikul Islam. Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman and senior officials of various security and law enforcement agencies were present at the meeting.

The Inqilab Mancha organization has demanded that the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi be investigated with the involvement of detective agencies like the FBI and Scotland Yard and through the formation of a “fast-track judicial tribunal” and has also warned of an anti-government movement. Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Mancha, made this demand at an emergency press conference held on Monday, at 12 noon in front of the National Museum in Shahbag. “Form a judicial tribunal as quickly as possible and, in doing so, involve detective agencies like the FBI and Scotland Yard,” Jaber said. “We’ve called for a protest march at 3pm on behalf of Inqilab Mancha. Jaber further said: "You cannot rush into elections and leave without revealing who killed Osman Hadi.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Khulna division chief and central organiser of Shramik Shakti, Motaleb Sikder, was shot in public in the city’s Sonadanga area around 11:45am on Monday. He was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition, according to hospital sources. Sonadanga Model police station Officer-in-charge (OC) (Investigation) Animesh Mandal said Sikder was shot by miscreants and rescued by locals, who rushed him to the hospital. Police were later deployed to the scene. Further details will be shared following investigation, the OC added.

Law Adviser Asif Nazrul on Monday said the Osman Hadi murder case will be tried under the Speedy Trial Tribunal to ensure quick justice. In a Facebook post in the afternoon, Asif Nazrul said the trial will be held under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act, 2002. Under Section 10 of the law, he said, the trial must be completed within a maximum of 90 days after the submission of the police report. The announcement came amid growing demand for prompt justice in the killing of Hadi. For advanced treatment he was airlifted to Singapore, where he succumbed to his injuries on the night of December 18.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Monday said he is confident that the overall law-and-order situation will further improve as the election approaches. “As the polling day approaches, you will see, InshaAllah, the law and order situation will improve further. When asked if he still believes the election will turn into a "festival one" given the current environment, the CEC said: “Absolutely, absolutely and absolutely. Talking about the IT-supported hybrid postal voting system, he said the EC has made arrangements for the expatriate Bangladeshis who are interested in voting in the election. The CEC said the postal voting activities are being carried out with strict security measures.

Photo : BSSDHAKA, Dec 22, 2025 (BSS) – Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has asked law enforcement agencies to intensify the nationwide Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2 to contain fascist terrorist activities ahead of the forthcoming 13th parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12. “Strengthen Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2 to contain the activities of fascist terrorist elements,” he said. The decision to launch “Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2” was taken on December 13, 2025, with the aim of stopping the activities of fascist terrorists, he said. The directives include accelerating arrests under Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2, expanding intelligence surveillance, and keeping specialised forces on standby to protect key point installations (KPIs). Officials said the intensified measures would continue as part of ongoing efforts to maintain law and order and ensure national security.

Mahbub Ahmed Siddique. Photo : ICABDHAKA, Dec 22, 2025 (BSS) - For the First time from Bangladesh, Mahbub Ahmed Siddique, Chief Operating Officer of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), has been selected by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) as a member of Professional Accountancy Organization Development & Advisory Group (PAODAG) for the 2026-2028 term. Mahbub has been selected following a rigorous selection process competing globally by IFAC Nominating Committee. He is also ICAB nominated director at SAFA Foundation and Marketing Director at Chartered Accountants Worldwide. Besides his regular role in ICAB, currently Mahbub Siddique is serving as Assistant Executive Secretary of the South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) for the year 2025 which is nominated by the ICAB.

Traditional insurance relies on past losses, but climate risks are forward-looking—which calls for parametric or weather-based insurance,”“To truly protect our citizens, we must take joint action to build a sustainable climate risk insurance system—this includes legal reform, robust databases, technology, and strong regulatory backing,” he added. Climate insurance can help absorb shocks and prevent poor households from falling into debt after disasters,”“Women are among the most at risk from the impacts of climate change. Norul Amin, Programme Policy Officer at WFP Bangladesh, stressed the importance of fast, reliable instruments. As climate threats intensify, the speakers said integration of CRI into national policy and public consciousness is no longer optional, rather it is essential. Oxfam, WFP, and the ERF urge all stakeholders to invest in CRI literacy and policy reform, making Bangladesh a regional leader in people-centred climate finance.

File PhotoDHAKA, Dec 22, 2025 (BSS) - Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said they have taken required security measures for peaceful and festive celebrations of the Christmas Day and the 31st night. "The Christmas Day is the largest religious festival of the Christian community. Necessary security measures have already been taken for peaceful and festive celebrations of the Christmas Day with due religious fervor," he said. Jahangir said they have banned exploding crackers marking both the Christmas Day and 31st night, adding that none will be allowed to hold any programme by blocking the roads. The Home Adviser said the posh areas including Gulshan and Banani have been bought under stringent security measures to avert any untoward incident, he said.

CEC A M M Nasir Uddin spoke to journalists after inspecting postal ballot operations at the Tejgaon Mail Processing Centre in the capital this afternoon. Photo: BSSDHAKA, Dec 22, 2025 (BSS)- Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin has said Bangladesh’s newly introduced ‘hybrid postal voting’ is expected to become a model for countries around the world. “We are hopeful that this hybrid model (online registration combine manual counting of postal ballots) will emerge as a global example,” the CEC said. Expressing optimism about further development of the system, Nasir Uddin said it would continue to improve with time. Public confidence in the Election Commission already exists and will grow stronger in the future,” he added.

A video of a staged protest is being shared online with a false communal claim that it shows Bangladeshi Islamists chopping off hair of students who do not wear traditional clothes or keep a beard. The video is being shared against the backdrop of recent unrest in the country triggered by the shooting of Bangladesh student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, and lynching of a Hindu man in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. The report stated that the incident was a symbolic protest by cultural activists in Bangladesh. Several news outlets from Bangladesh, including Prothom Alo and Kaler Kantho, also published video reports about the incident featuring bytes from Ashraf. BBC News Bangla also published a video report about the incident at that time.

Photo : CollectedDHAKA, Dec 22, 2025 (BSS) - Health officials today said they recorded 165 fresh cases of dengue onslaughts in the past 24 hours. “We recorded 165 fresh cases of dengue onslaughts in 24 hours ending at 8 am today,” a spokesman of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said. “Out of the 165 fresh cases, eight were hospitalised in Barishal division, 27 in Chattogram division, 24 in Dhaka division excluding capital, 33 in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and 43 in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) areas, 10 in Khulna division, 13 in Mymensingh division, four in Rajshahi division, two in Rangpur division and one in Sylhet division, a Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) statement said. Since the start of the dengue onslaughts Bangladesh this year witnessed so far 412 deaths while the disease inflicted 101,956. The dengue last year claimed 575 lives and inflicted 1,01,214 people in the country.

Bashir Uddin spoke at a press conference on Bangladesh–Japan EPA negotiations held at the Commerce Ministry conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat this afternoon. Bashir Uddin today said that the draft of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Bangladesh and Japan has been finalised and is scheduled to be signed next month. “This will be Bangladesh’s first-ever economic partnership agreement with any country,” he said, adding that the deal would significantly boost bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries. Under the agreement, Bangladesh has agreed to open 97 sub-sectors for Japan, while Japan will open 120 sub-sectors for Bangladesh across four modes of service delivery. “Previously, when we sought more Japanese investment, the absence of a structured economic agreement often became a barrier.

“If we knew Faisal’s exact location, he would have been arrested by this time,” he said reiterating the government’s vow to ensure justice in the murder of Shaheed Osman Hadi. “No one involved in this murder will be given any kind of exemption,” he added. So far, 10 people involved in the murder have been arrested by the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), he said. Those arrested include Shaheda Parveen Samia, wife of the alleged mastermind Faisal Karim Masud, along with his mother and father, brother-in-law Wahid Ahmed Shipu, and motorcycle owner Abdul Hannan. Jahangir said the mastermind of the incident, Faisal Karim Masud, has been identified and will be brought to justice soon.