United News of Bangladesh

The government has issued a set of special visa instructions ahead of the national election to ensure the safe and orderly arrival, stay and departure of foreign nationals. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the guidelines on Monday, aiming to streamline entry procedures while maintaining security and effective monitoring during the election period. According to the order, existing visa policies must be strictly followed when issuing all types of visas, including visas on arrival. The verification of required documents and coordination among concerned agencies should also be strengthened. The guidelines include: Embassies/Missions Abroad: Bangladesh missions abroad will issue specific visas only after adhering to the terms and conditions of the Visa Policy 2006 and subsequent notifications, and after proper verification of relevant documents. Visas on Arrival: Visas on arrival may be issued to eligible foreigners following the circular issued on September 15, 2016. The purpose of arrival, sponsoring institution or person, accommodation details, return ticket, and other requirements must be thoroughly verified. Any irregularity, deviation, or suspicion will result in visa denial. Foreign Military and Security Personnel: Prior permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs is mandatory for foreign military and security force members to enter Bangladesh. Election Observers and Journalists: On the recommendation of the Election Commission and relevant ministries, arrival visas bearing the seal “Election Observation” will be issued to foreign observers and journalists for the election period. Visa fees may be waived for election observers. Coordination and Monitoring: Special Branches will enhance coordination among intelligence and law enforcement agencies during visa issuance, arrivals, and departures at all international airports, land, and sea ports. Reporting Requirements: Bangladesh embassies/missions abroad, the Directorate of Immigration and Passports, Special Branches, and ports of entry have been instructed to send detailed daily reports in Excel format on visa issuance and the arrival and departure of foreign nationals to the Additional Secretary (Immigration Sub-Division) of the Ministry of Home Affairs.      

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested a life-term convict during a raid in the Shialkol Bazar area of Sirajganj Sadar Upazila. Acting on a tip-off, a team conducted the raid on Monday afternoon and apprehended Sohel, 32, said RAB-12 Operations Officer Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Usman Gani on Tuesday. He was later handed over to the local police station for further legal action, he added. Sohel, the son of late Fotik of Sayadhangara Moholla, was sentenced in a drug-related case lodged in 2020. RAB officials said that a case was filed against Sohel on March 19, 2020. After completing the investigation, police submitted a charge sheet to the court. Following hearings and taking testimony, the Additional Sessions Judge Court-1 sentenced him to life imprisonment. He was also sentenced to an additional six months’ imprisonment in default of a Tk 10,000 fine.

Police detained a young man on charges of allegedly killing his grandmother after failing to get money for drugs in Sylhet’s Kanaighat upazila. The incident took place late Monday night at Kalinagar Dharmatila village under Lakshiprashadpashim Union. The accused was identified as Abdus Samad, 20. He was arrested following the incident. According to loacals, the victim, Amirun Nesa Hari, was found with severe head injuries. They suspect she was attacked with a sharp weapon while she was asleep. According to local sources, Abdus Samad is the son of Akmal Hossain of the same village and has long been addicted to yaba. His parents live in Beanibazar upazila where they work as caretakers at a house of an expatriate. On Monday night, Abdus Samad allegedly went to his grandmother and asked for money to buy drugs. When she refused, he became angry. Later, he allegedly entered her room and attacked her while she was sleeping. Body of elderly woman found near shrine in Sylhet On Tuesday morning, neighbours found Amirun Nesa Hari lying dead inside her house after getting no response from her. Police recovered the body and sent it to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Aminul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kanaighat Police Station, said Abdus Samad has been detained in connection with the murder case. A case is being filed by the family, he added.      

Police have arrested another suspect in the murder case of BNP leader Alamgir Hossain in Jashore following confessions from the victim’s son-in-law and the main shooter. The accused, Shahin Kazi, 25, was caught Monday night (Jan 12) from Lon Office Para area of Jashore town. On Tuesday afternoon (Jan 13), he was presented in court and confessed his involvement in the killing. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Asadul Islam accepted his statement and ordered him sent to jail. Shahin Kazi is the son of Kislu Kazi from Chanchra Raipara (Tulotola Mor) in Ward-6 of Jashore municipality. He was living in a rented house in Lon Office Para at the time of arrest. According to the source of investigatiuon, the victim’s son-in-law and main planner of the murder, Based Ali Porosh, and his associate Asabul Islam Sagar mentioned Shahin Kazi’s name while in police remand. Later, the main shooter Tridib Chakraborti Mishuk, arrested last week, also named Shahin Kazi in his confessional statement to the court. Based on this information, case investigator SI of DB Alok Kumar De arrested Shahin Kazi from Lon Office Para around 4:45 pm on Monday. According to police,  CCTV footage and information from previously arrested suspects indicate Shahin Kazi acted as a key accomplice. He coordinated with hired killers and planners and was present at the crime scene. Shahin Kazi also faces three previous cases, including extortion. Alamgir Hossain was shot dead on January 3 evening in Shankarpur area of Jashore town. Main shooter in BNP leader Alamgir murder arrested in Jashore His wife Shamima Begum filed the murder case at Kotwali police station. So far, four people have been arrested in connection with the case – the victim’s son-in-law Parash, associate Sagar, main shooter Tridib, and Shahin Kazi. Case investigator SI Alok Kumar De said, “Police are continuing their operations to arrest others involved and recover the weapons used in the murder.”

US Secretary of State Rubio  spoke with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday and exchanged perspectives on regional developments. They reaffirmed the United States’ and India’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, said Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott. They exchanged best wishes for the New Year. The US Secretary of State congratulated India on enacting the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India bill. He expressed interest in capitalizing on this important development to enhance U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation, expand opportunities for American companies, advance shared energy security goals, and secure critical mineral supply chains. Venezuela puts Rubio at the center of Trump’s foreign policy playbook Secretary Rubio and Minister Jaishankar discussed ongoing bilateral trade agreement negotiations and their shared interest in strengthening economic cooperation.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expelled its Sherpur district joint convener Md Shafikul Islam Masud for ignoring party directives and running organisational activities on his own. The decision was confirmed in a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Tuesday. The statement said Masud was expelled from primary membership and all party posts for violating party discipline and carrying out organisational activities against party instructions. Sherpur district BNP Member Secretary ABM Mamunur Rashid Palash also confirmed the matter. Masud could not be reached for comment. His mobile phone was switched off. Over 300 SAD leaders join BNP in Sherpur Masud is a former president of district Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal and was serving as joint convener of district BNP. He submitted his nomination as an independent candidate for Sherpur-1 seat defying party decision. BNP has nominated another district joint convener, Dr Sunsila Jabrin Priyanka, as its candidate for the seat.

The government of Bangladesh has suspended the “Visa on Arrival” facility for Bhutan, with effect from January 15 to February 15, 2026. The Bhutanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, in a formal notification, informed the general public that the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Thimphu has officially conveyed that. In view of this, all Bhutanese nationals intending to travel to Bangladesh during the above period are advised to apply for a visa in advance through the Embassy of Bangladesh in Thimphu prior to their travel, the notification reads. The Bhutanese Ministry advised all travellers to take note of this change and make necessary arrangements well in advance to avoid any inconvenience

Bangladesh has entered the Guinness World Records by setting a new world record for parachuting with the highest number of national flags on Victory Day. The World Records Management Team formally informed “Team Bangladesh” of the achievement on Monday. According to the Guinness World Records website, Team Bangladesh created a new world record by hoisting a total of 54 national flags simultaneously during a skydiving event. The record was successfully achieved in Dhaka on December 16, 2025, marking the country’s 54th Victory Day. Skydivers from different parts of the country united under “Team Bangladesh” to set the historic record as a symbol of national unity and cooperation.  

Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice-President Sadik Kayem on Tuesday said the Election Commission (EC) has shown a positive stance regarding the student council elections of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) and Begum Rokeya University. Shadik Kayem disclosed the change in the Commission’s position while talking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. The development comes a day after the Commission issued a directive suspending all organisational elections ahead of the 13th parliamentary election and referendum scheduled for February 12, 2026. Speaking to reporters, Shadik Kayem said the Election Commission assured them that it would take appropriate measures to ensure the student council elections are held in due time. "The Election Commission has assured us that they will take appropriate measures,” he said. Referring to the EC’s directive issued on Monday to suspend all organisational elections until February 12, he said they had already held talks with university authorities and the government. Shadik Kayem pointed out that the SUST student council election is scheduled for January 20, while the national parliamentary election will be held on February 12. “Stopping a student council election three weeks earlier on security grounds cannot be a logical decision. Student community will not accept such an undemocratic decision,” he said. The Begum Rokeya University student council election is scheduled to be held on January 21. Earlier on Monday, the Election Commission directed authorities not to allow elections of any organisation or association, including professional bodies, before the 13th parliamentary election and referendum scheduled for February 12 next. Protest erupts at SUST over EC's low bar, puts holds any elections ahead of national polls The directive, issued through a letter sent to returning officers, stated that the restriction would apply to elections of professional organisations, educational institutions, transport owners’ and workers’ associations, journalists’ associations, traders’ bodies, cooperative societies, trade unions and all other organisations. The Commission said the decision was taken to keep the parliamentary election and referendum process completely free from any form of influence.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday said he is aware of the growing misinformation and offered the support of the UN human rights office to address what he described as a growing misinformation challenge. “There is a lot of misinformation. We will do whatever is needed,” Türk said, adding that the UN rights agency would work closely with Bangladesh to tackle the issue. The UN rights chief made the remarks as Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus sought support from the United Nations human rights office to counter a surge of misinformation targeting the February 12 elections. “There has been a flood of misinformation surrounding the elections. It is coming from both foreign media and local sources,” Prof Yunus said during a telephone conversation with Volker Türk. “They have flooded social media with fake news, rumours and speculation. We are concerned about the impact this may have on the elections,” he added. During the conversation, the two leaders also discussed the upcoming referendum, the importance of institutional reforms, the work of the Enforced Disappearance Commission, the formation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the global geopolitical situation. High Commissioner Türk stressed the importance of establishing “a truly independent” National Human Rights Commission to carry forward the work related to enforced disappearances, according to Chief Adviser's press wing. In response, Prof Yunus said the NHRC ordinance has already been promulgated and that a new commission would be reconstituted ahead of the February 12 elections. “We will do it before we leave,” he said. The Chief Adviser said he had shared the final report of the Enforced Disappearance Commission with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, describing it as a crucial document that would go a long way toward ensuring accountability and justice for the victims of enforced disappearances during the autocratic regime from 2009 to 2024. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk praised the Chief Adviser’s efforts over the past year and a half. Conflicts in the Mideast and Ukraine will loom over Biden's farewell address at the United Nations He said his office had supported the work of the Enforced Disappearance Commission and would continue to do so. SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was present during the conversation.