United News of Bangladesh

Members of the joint forces, led by the Bangladesh Army, arrested 278 suspected criminals in nationwide drive between Jan 16 and Jan 22, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday. The operations were conducted in different parts of the country including the capital by units under various infantry divisions and independent brigades in coordination with other law enforcement agencies. Those arrested include suspected terrorists, drug traders, drug users, robbery gang members, juvenile gang members, thieves and smugglers. ISPR said the joint forces also recovered 22 illegal firearms, 822 rounds of different types of ammunition, seven crude bombs, locally-made weapons and narcotics during the drives. The arrestees were handed over to the respective police stations for interrogation and legal proceedings, it said. Traffic restricted for Khaleda Zia’s janaza: ISPR ISPr it is continuing regular patrols and security operations in different areas to ensure public safety. It also said troops are performi duties in industrial areas to help keep labour unrest under control. The security efforts will continue to help keep the overall law and order situation normal, urging people to inform the nearest Army camp if they notice any suspicious or unusual activities, it added.

The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards have been announced, ending hopes for India’s official entry Homebound, which failed to make the final list in the Best International Feature Film category. Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, had reached the shortlist stage and drew attention internationally. The film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. In the overall race, Sinners emerged as the top nominee with 16 nods, while One Battle After Another also featured among major contenders across categories, according to the report. The Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 15. Comedian Conan O’Brien is set to host the event. The report also noted that Wagner Moura became the first Brazilian actor to earn a Best Actor nomination, while Timothee Chalamet set a record as the youngest male actor to receive three acting nominations.   With inputs from NDTV

Actor Suniel Shetty has said he does not believe nepotism exists in Bollywood and argued that family support is a normal part of life. Speaking on a podcast, Shetty said people may call his son Ahan a “nepo kid”, but every father wants his child to do well. He added that being privileged can bring opportunities, but success depends on how a person uses them. Shetty also praised Ahan’s co-stars in Border 2, including Diljit Dosanjh and Varun Dhawan. He said Varun often talks more about Ahan’s role than his own, and called it a sign that the common idea of “spoiled star kids” is not always true. He said Varun has been speaking highly about Ahan in many places. Border 2, featuring Ahan Shetty, was released in cinemas on Friday. On the release day, Suniel Shetty shared an emotional note for his son on Instagram. He said the Border film franchise is not just about war or glory, but about discipline, sacrifice, courage and the value of peace. Suniel Shetty acted in the original Border, released in 1997.   With inputs from NDTV

HBO’s banking drama Industry has returned for its fourth season with a darker tone and a star-studded cast. The show follows young bankers navigating London’s high-finance world. Season four features new actors including Max Minghella and Charlie Heaton. Critics say the series has become more intense, exploring toxic workplace culture, mental health crises, and shocking events. The storyline now shows former victims becoming perpetrators, with central characters Harper Stern and Yasmin facing extreme challenges in their careers and personal lives. Experts note the series depicts the corrupting influence of power and ambition in high finance. Industry first aired in 2020 with little attention but has grown popular over four seasons, gaining high ratings and a prime Sunday night slot on HBO. The series is praised for blending finance, politics, media, and social power struggles into a gripping drama. Season four is available weekly on HBO and HBO Max in the US and on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK.   With inputs from BBC

British singer Harry Styles has released a new single, Aperture, and announced a 50-show world tour for 2026. The first single from his upcoming fourth album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, Aperture marks Styles’ return after nearly four years. He described the track as the “perfect little bow” to complete the album. The album is set for release on March 6. Styles will perform across seven cities, including six shows at London’s Wembley Stadium and 30 shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The tour will also visit Amsterdam, São Paulo, Mexico City, Melbourne, and Sydney between May and December. For his London shows, Styles will be joined by Shania Twain. Other special guests across the tour include Jamie XX, Jorja Smith, and Robyn. Ticket sales are scheduled later this month. Styles said spending the past years attending live shows and being in audiences inspired the music on his new album. He told BBC Radio 1 that seeing bands like LCD Soundsystem live reminded him why live music is special. The singer first rose to fame as a member of One Direction before launching his solo career in 2017. His previous album, Harry’s House, won a Grammy and a Brit Award in 2022.   With inputs from BBC

Researchers have discovered the world’s oldest cave painting on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The painting shows a red hand with claw-like fingers and is at least 67,800 years old. The stencilled hand was found in Liang Metanduno cave on Muna Island, southeast of Sulawesi. Scientists say the artist pressed a hand against the wall and sprayed pigment around it, then altered the fingers to create a claw-like effect. The discovery predates the previous oldest hand stencil in Spain by about 1,100 years. Experts say it shows early symbolic thinking and creativity in humans far earlier than previously believed. Professor Adam Brumm of Griffith University, Australia, said the finding challenges the idea that human creativity began in Europe. He noted that such symbolic art existed across Indonesia tens of thousands of years ago. Archaeologists say the painting also supports the theory that humans reached the Australia–New Guinea landmass, Sahul, much earlier than thought. The artists in Sulawesi likely belonged to populations that later spread across the region. Previous discoveries on Sulawesi included hand stencils and animal figures dating back 40,000 to 51,000 years. The new find shows that cave art was widespread and a long-standing cultural practice in the region. Professor Maxime Aubert, co-lead of the study, said humans had the capacity for abstract and symbolic thought long before reaching Europe, suggesting creativity was an innate trait of the species.   With in puts from BBC

Police have arrested an administrative officer of Sharmin Academy in Naya Paltan area in Dhaka over allegations of physically and mentally abusing a four-year-old student. Pabitra Kumar Barua,47, was arrested around 4:30 am on Friday from Mirpur-6 during a special drive.  A video of the incident circulated widely on social media, triggering strong public outrage. . The victim, Muhammad Farz Bin Aman, joined the academy’s play class on November 19, 2025. On January 18, 2026, his mother dropped him at the school around 11:20 am. When she returned in the afternoon, she found the school’s principal Sharmin Jahan and Pabitra holding the child inside an office room. Marriage media fraudster arrested in Dhaka Later, he told his parents that he had been beaten and threatened not to disclose the incident. Police said CCTV footage collected with the help  locals  shows the child being abused. The child sustained injuries to his head, neck and ears and was first taken to Naya Paltan Islami Bank Hospital before being referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for further treatment. Following a complaint filed by the child’s mother on January 22 under the Children Act, police registered a case against the principal, her husband and . Pabitra Police said Pabitra was arrested using technological assistance and later sent to court.

US President Donald Trump’s claim that Nato troops stayed “a little off the front lines” in Afghanistan has drawn strong criticism from UK politicians and veterans’ families. Trump made the remarks during a Fox News interview on Thursday. He said he was “not sure” Nato would support the US if needed and suggested that allied troops in Afghanistan stayed behind the front lines. UK Health and Social Care Minister Stephen Kinnock called the comments “deeply disappointing” and “plainly wrong.” He said British and other Nato troops had always stood alongside US forces and many had lost their lives in American-led missions. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described Trump’s remarks as “flat-out nonsense.” Labour MP Emily Thornberry called them “an absolute insult” to British service personnel. Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey said Trump, who avoided military service five times, had no right to question the sacrifices of 457 British troops killed in Afghanistan. The UK joined the US in Afghanistan in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, invoking Nato’s collective security clause. Thousands of British soldiers served there over the next two decades. Stephen Kinnock said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer would convey the country’s position to Trump, highlighting the service and sacrifices of the armed forces.   With inputs from BBC

Chinese authorities said two people have died and four remain missing after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship carrying 21 Filipino crew members capsized in the South China Sea near the highly contested Scarborough Shoal. China’s Coast Guard said the vessel overturned about 100 kilometres northwest of the shoal. Contact with the ship was lost on Thursday night as it was travelling toward Guangdong province in southern China. Rescue efforts involving the Chinese Coast Guard and naval forces under the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command were continuing. The PLA said 15 people had been rescued, with 14 reported in stable condition. The Philippine Coast Guard said on Friday it dispatched two vessels and aircraft to support the search-and-rescue mission. It identified the cargo ship as the Devon Bay. 10 Indian soldiers killed as vehicle falls into deep gorge in J&K The incident occurred in waters that have seen repeated confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels as both sides press competing claims. Scarborough Shoal is among the most disputed features in the South China Sea and is also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Tensions in the area have been heightened by frequent close encounters at sea, including an incident in August when a Chinese navy ship accidentally collided with a Chinese Coast Guard vessel while attempting to block a Philippine Coast Guard ship near the shoal.

Despite decades of pledges to ensure women’s political empowerment, the upcoming national election paints a starkly different picture, with female representation on the ballot remaining alarmingly low. More than 30 registered political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have fielded no female candidates, leaving women to make up less than 4.5% of all aspirants in the 13th parliamentary election. Of the 2,568 nomination papers submitted for the election, only 109 were filed by women—just 4.24 per cent of the total, according to data reviewed by UNB. The election will see participation from 51 political parties, yet more than 30 of them, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, have failed to nominate even a single woman candidate, raising fresh concerns over gender inclusion in national politics. After scrutiny, the Election Commission (EC) has validated 1,842 candidates, including 1,779 men and only 63 women, meaning women make up just 3.4 percent of the final candidates. Later, 417 candidates regained their candidacies after appealing to the Election Commission. January 20 was the last day for the withdrawal of candidacies. Biased admin forced me out of constituency on day one of campaign: Rumeen According to the Election Commission (EC), a total of 1,981 candidates, including 76 women, are contesting the 13th national parliamentary election, with women making up only 3.84% of the total. Meanwhile, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) noted that women make up only 3.38% of party-affiliated candidates, while the share is 10% among independent candidates. According to EC data, the upcoming election will have 12 crore 77 lacs 11 thousand 793 registered voters, including 64 crore 8 lacs 25 thousand 361 men, 62 crore 8 lacs 85 thousand 200 women, and 1,232 third-gender voters. Legal framework and previous elections Under Section 22(ka)-(gha) of the July 2025 National Consensus Ordinance, every political party was to nominate at least 5 percent women candidates in the parliamentary election, gradually increasing to 33 percent in future polls. But the ordinance has not yet been implemented, making the rule effectively non-binding. Historical participation has remained low. According to Transparency International Bangladesh, women candidates accounted for 3.51 percent (55 women) in 2008, 5.55 percent (30 women) in 2014, and just 0.81 percent (73 women) in 2018. In the 12th Jatiya Sangsad, 20 women were elected, representing 6.67 percent, the highest in four consecutive parliaments. In the 9th Jatiya Sangsad, women lawmakers accounted for 3.32 percent, in the 10th Jatiya Sangsad 6.55 percent, and in the 11th Jatiya Sangsad just 3.68 percent. Party-wise breakdown Of the 51 parties contesting, only few fielded women aspirants. BNP had nominated women for the highest 15 constituencies but now has 11 valid women candidates following scrutiny, after the rejection of Fatema Khanam’s nomination (Natore-3) and non-scrutiny of three nominations of Khaleda Zia. Other women candidates nominated by political parties include: 9 from Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Marxist, 6 each from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Insaniat Biplab Bangladesh, 5 each from Ganasamhati Andolan and Jatiya Party, 3 each from Ganaodhikar Parishad (GOP), National Citizen Party (NCP), which emerged from mass uprising, nominated only three women out of its 44 candidates. Others including AB Party, 2 each from Gong Forum and Biplobi Workers Party, 1 each from Bangladesh Muslim League, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Basosd, Bangladesh Republican Party, National People’s Party (NPP), Aamjanatar Dal, Islami Front Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Labour Party, nominated female candidates. EC warns against code violations over voter data collection campaign day During scrutiny, several women aspirants lost candidacy: three from Basad, and one each from Jatiya Party, Ganasamhati Andolan, Biplabi Workers Party, AB Party, NPP, and Bangladesh Labour Party. Among 37 independent women aspirants, only six nominations were declared valid: Sabina Yasmin (Natore-2), Dr. Tasnim Zara (Dhaka-9), Meherjan Ara Talukdar (Jamalpur-4), Akhtar Sultana (Mymensingh-6), Tahmina Zaman (Netrakona-4), and Rumeen Farhana (Brahmanbaria-2). Among the parties, 276 aspirants from Jamaat-e-Islami, 268 from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, 224 from Jatiya Party, 104 from Gano Odhikar Parishad, 94 from Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, and other smaller parties, each with fewer than 40 aspirants, also have no female candidates. Potential impact In a recent report, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted that out of 51 political parties contesting the upcoming general election, 30 have not nominated a single woman candidate. The report highlighted that one of Bangladesh’s major parties, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has not fielded any women candidates in the constituencies where it is contesting. While Bangladesh has previously had two female prime ministers and witnessed significant participation of women in the student-led movements of 2024, HRW noted that women in the country are still largely deprived of the right to participate meaningfully in politics. Political parties must be held accountable for failing to nominate at least five percent women candidates in the upcoming national election despite pledging to do so under the July National Charter, said the Women’s Political Rights Forum (FWPR). The forum urged political parties to treat women’s nomination as a constitutional obligation rather than a token gesture and called for structural reforms to integrate women into leadership roles and ensure a gender-responsive political system. At a press conference titled “Nomination Crisis of Women Candidates: Gap between Parties’ Commitments and Implementation and the Accountability of the Election Commission” held at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, forum leaders expressed concern over women’s extremely low participation. Forum leader Reetu Satter readout a written speech in the press conference where she said the women had prominent roles in the uprising of July in 2024, but women candidates were deprived of getting party nominations for Jatiya Sangsad. Forum leader Samina Yasmin said women voters constitute nearly 50 percent, or possibly more, of the electorate. “If women make up 51 percent of voters, our next critical task is to raise awareness about women’s rights, organize them, and ensure their active political participation. Is it realistic to come to power by excluding 51 percent of the population and relying on the remaining 49 percent? This is a fundamental question,” she said. Samina said the forum is trying to work directly and indirectly with women leaders who are contesting the election and actively campaigning. “We are observing what kinds of challenges they are facing, how they are addressing them and what effective pathways could be developed to tackle these challenges in the future.” Despite widespread discussions on women’s rights, the number of female candidates in this election remains alarmingly low, forcing a serious reassessment of the situation, Samina added. Meanwhile, the Social Resistance Committee, a platform of 71 organizations working on women, human rights, and development issues, has expressed concern over the low number of women candidates in the upcoming election. In a statement, the committee said that given the prevailing misogynistic culture in society, women are hesitant to contest as independent candidates. It described this as a reflection of the patriarchal political culture and a strategy to maintain male-dominated politics. Highlighting the need for women’s visible participation in elections and politics, the Social Resistance Committee urged all political parties and the Election Commission to ensure women’s equal participation in political decision-making and governance, emphasizing that this is essential for building a democratic and equitable society.