Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki - File PhotoDHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS)- Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has asked the authorities concerned to reduce the rent of this year Amar Ekushey Book Fair stall by 25 percent. The adviser gave the directive in response to requests from publishers, the adviser said in a Facebook post. “Following appeals from the publishers, the stall rent at the book fair has been reduced this year. According to the post, a meeting in this regard was held with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Director General of Bangla Academy. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has expressed hope that this initiative will help making this year’s Amar Ekushey Book Fair vibrant one with gathering of writers, readers, and publishers.

Most Boomers have been through many such inconveniences, having lived through six or more decades of winter weather. I do recall foot-deep snows and icicles as tall as I every single winter. There were a few incidents of inclement winter weather that impacted me as an adult. They were of course the much-talked-about Great Blizzard of 1978 and the KY Ice Storm in 1993. I read briefly about his first winter in 1779 when he brought his family, along with Daniel Boone, and settled here.

In a joint statement sent to the media on Monday, the citizens denounced the relevant authorities and the bureaucracy for what they called an “inhumane and cruel” act. The statement said Saddam had a legal right to be granted parole to attend the funeral of his wife, Suborna Swarnali, and their infant child. The statement further noted that Saddam was not a death-row convict whose parole could pose significant security concerns. “Regardless of his political identity or any alleged crimes, denying parole under such circumstances is extreme, vindictive, and inhumane,” it said. The family claimed the tragic incident was triggered by prolonged despair over Saddam not being granted release.

In a must-win encounter, Bangladesh produced a wayward batting display andwere dismissed for just 136 in 38.1 overs. England captain Thomas Rew led the chase with an unbeaten 59 off 50 balls, aninnings featuring five fours and two sixes. Hakim followedsoon after for 20, triggering a dramatic collapse as Bangladesh lost theirremaining seven wickets for just 64 runs. Bangladesh will face off Zimbabwe on January 31 in their second and finalSuper Six match. Bangladesh carried one point from their abandoned group match, making theclash against England a must-win encounter for Bangladesh.

File PhotoDHAKA, Jan 26, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur today laid emphasis on stricter regulation and stronger enforcement to restore confidence of investors for the development of Bangladesh's corporate bond market. “Weak enforcement of rules has significantly eroded investor confidence in the bond market,” he said while speaking at a seminar titled "Bond Market Development in Bangladesh: Challenges and Recommendations", jointly organised by the Bangladesh Bank and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) in the city. As a push factor to energise the bond market, Mansur said the central bank may discourage excessive dependence on bank loans. "To develop the bond market, the government and business community must take the lead," he added. After receiving stakeholder feedback, we will finalise regulations related to the bond market," he said.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said trade facilitation has overtakenrevenue growth as the primary performance benchmark for customsadministrations worldwide. Officials and employees of Bangladesh Customs should work with utmostprofessionalism and thus adapt themselves with the evolving technologicaladvancement, she said. "Trade facilitation should be a primary goal for a modern customsorganisation," he added. He observed that Bangladesh's trade tax structure remains overly complex andhigh by international standards, calling for urgent tariff rationalisationand modernisation. "Modern customs administrations must prioritise trade facilitation overrevenue maximisation," he said, adding that while overall revenue can stillincrease through higher trade volumes, trade taxes should gradually declineas a share of GDP.

The Bangladesh Pavilion, located in South Hall-12 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City, was inaugurated by Tarek Ahmed, the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the UAE, according to a press release of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior officials, including Md Rashed-uz-Zaman, Consul General at the Bangladesh Consulate in Dubai; Md. Through B2B networking, Bangladeshi exporters aim to consolidate the country's position in the agricultural processed food market and open new doors for export opportunities. With government policy support and competitive production costs, Bangladeshi agricultural and processed food products are currently exported to over 150 countries. Stakeholders believe that participation in global events like Gulfood is crucial for diversifying Bangladesh's export basket beyond the ready-made garment sector.

Bangladesh U19 dismissed for 136 in ‘do or die’ contestDHAKA, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS)—A wretched batting performance saw Bangladesh Under-19 bundled out for just 136 in their first game of the Youth World Cup Super Six phase at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe today. A victory is must for Bangladesh youngsters in this match to keep their semifinal hopes alive. Despite losing opener Zawad Abrar for 6, Bangladesh got going well, thanks to Rifat Beg and captain Azizul Hakim Tamim. However, the rot began after England bowler Farhan Ahmed broke through with the wicket of Rifat, ending 46-run partnership for the second wicket. Rifat Beg who made 31, eventually became the highest-scorer for Bangladesh.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized smuggled goods valued at Tk1,908 crore in operations conducted across border areas and other parts of the country throughout 2025. The operations were carried out from January 1 to December 31, according to a BGB statement on Monday. BGB also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition during the year, including 64 pistols, two submachine guns, 10 rifles, 19 hand grenades, four landmines, 79 hand bombs, 40 petrol bombs, 178 Molotov cocktails, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. A total of 2,334 people were arrested for alleged involvement in drug trafficking and smuggling. Meanwhile, for illegal border crossings, 4,238 Bangladeshi nationals, 124 Indian nationals, and 7,368 Myanmar nationals were detained, and legal action was taken against them, BGB sources said.

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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.

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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.