United News of Bangladesh

Police recovered the body of a 62-year old woman from the bank of the Sugandha River in Jhalakathi early Tuesday, about eight hours after she went missing. The deceased was identified as Nilufa Begum. According to police and local sources, Nilufa Begum went missing around 10 pm on Monday near Natun Char area adjacent to Kheya Ghat in Jhalakathi municipality. Jhalakathi housewife strangled to death, money stolen from home Local people spotted the body at the riverbank around 6 am and informed police. Patrol police recovered the body and sent it to Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. Relatives claimed her gold jewelry and mobile phone were missing. They also alleged that her nose ring was removed, leaving her nose bleeding. Jhalakathi Sadar Police Inspector (Investigation) Md Belayet Hossain said investigation is ongoing and legal steps are being taken.

A woman  and her daughter were killed as a truck hit a motorbike  carrying them near Nazipur municipal bus stand area in Patnitala upazila of Naogaon on Monday evening. The deceased were identified as Khadija Akter, 28, wife of Kawsar Rahman of Usthii village and their daughter Fatema Jannat, 9. Witnesses said  when Kawsar Rahman was returning home from Nazipur market with his wife and daughter on the motorbike he lost control while trying to give way to a battery-run auto-rickshaw. The motorbike fell on the road and a timber-laden truck coming from Sapahar ran over Khadija and Jannat, leaving both dead on the spot. Angry locals vandalized he truck and beat up the driver. Patnitala Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Abu Taleb said police recovered the bodies from the spot. Mother throws toddler into river in Naogaon, rescued with police help As the family raised no complaint, the bodies were handed over after legal process without post-mortem. “The truck has been seized and the driver has been taken into police custody. A case has been filed in this connection,” he added.

A devastating fire destroyed several hundred shelters, several educational and religious institutions at Rohingya Camp-16 in Ukhiya upazila early Tuesday. Fire service source said blaze might have originated from a gas stove left unattended while heating water late around 4 am at Block D-4 of Camp-16 in Shafullah Kata area of Palongkhali Union. Fire Service and Civil Defence units from Ukhiya rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control after nearly one and a half hours with the help of Rohingya volunteers. The fire was finally doused around 5:30 am. Head Majhi of Block D at Camp-16 Mohammad Riaz at least 448 shelters were completely gutted in the fire. Two mosques, 10 schools and one madrasa were also destroyed, leaving several thousand Rohingya refugees homeless, he said. No casualties were reported in the incident. Ukhiya Fire Service Station Officer Dollar Tripura said the prompt response prevented the fire from spreading to nearby blocks. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rifat Asma said preparations are underway to compile a list of affected families and assess the extent of damage. Fire breaks out in moving ambulance on Mawa Expressway Emergency humanitarian assistance is also being arranged for the victims, he said. On December 26, a hospital at Camp-4 was damaged in a fire, while several shelters were also gutted at Kutupalong camp on December 25.

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Monday confined Vice-Chancellor Prof A M Sarwaruddin Chowdhury and other senior officials, demanding that the SUCSU and hall parliament elections be held as scheduled on Tuesday. The protest erupted after the High Court suspended the long-awaited election for four weeks following a writ filed by three candidates. From the afternoon, students blocked the main road in front of the campus and later locked the administrative building, leaving the VC, pro-VC, treasurer and registrar confined inside. In the evening, demonstrators held meetings with the university authorities and issued an ultimatum to announce the polls by Tuesday night. They warned of cutting gas, water and electricity connections if their demand is not met. Protesters stage demo over postponement of SUCSU election As of filing this report at 1am (Tuesday), the VC continues to be confined in his office. The VC told protesters that the university cannot defy the High Court order and that the chamber court had also declined to hear an appeal. The SUCSU election was scheduled to be held after a gap of 28 years.  

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, adviser to the Ministry of Finance, Science and Technology, said on Monday that Bangladesh’s current economic situation is stable and no longer fragile. Foreign reserves have increased from $18 billion to $32 billion, and the economy has moved from “ICU to cabin,” he added, predicting full recovery soon. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at Hasan Ali Government High School in Chandpur after inaugurating a campaign to promote public voting and voter awareness ahead of the referendum. Salehuddin said corruption and money laundering had previously pushed the economy to the brink, but the interim government has stabilized it within one and a half years. He expressed confidence in a free and fair vote, noting that political pressure is minimal and no group can influence the process through money or force. He urged citizens to vote “yes” in support of reforms, highlighting judicial independence, speedy trials, and law and order. Chandpur woman dies hours after husband’s passing On pay scale reform, he noted that little progress had been made since 2015 despite rising inflation. The government is working to implement necessary reforms, requiring substantial funds. Earlier, he attended a discussion at Chandpur Sadar Auditorium with officials and professional representatives, presided over by Deputy Commissioner Md. Nazmul Islam. He later visited voter awareness stalls and interacted with students and local voters.

Highway police arrested two men with a foreign-made pistol, two magazines and a round of ammunition during a search of a passenger bus in Chandina upazila of Cumilla on Monday night. The arrest was made around 8:45 pm at the Madhaiya bus stand area on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway. Officer-in-Charge of Eliotganj Highway Police Station Ruhul Amin confirmed this. The detainees were identified as Habibur Rahman Shakil, 33, son of Md Babul Mia of Monairkandi village in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj, and Md Chishti, 42, son of Md Golzar Hossain of Lakshankhola area under Bandar police station in the same district. Police said acting on a tip-off, a team of highway police searched a Dhaka-bound Asia Aircon bus coming from Cumilla and recovered the firearm and ammunition from their possession. RAB officer killed in Chattogram attack; 3 others injured It is suspected that the weapons were brought in through the border and were being transported to Dhaka. The OC said  investigations are underway to determine the source of the weapon and its intended destination. Legal action is ongoing in this regard. Meanwhile, Additional DIG of Highway Police (Cumilla Region) Shahinur Alam visited the spot after getting information.

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir’s Sylhet city unit organized a protest march on Monday against the suspension of the Shahjalal University Central Students' Union (SUCSU)  election. The march began at Court Point in Bandar Bazar and ended with a short rally at Chowhatta. Presided by Shibir Sylhet city president Shaheen Ahmad, with central executive member Amirul Islam addressing as chief guest. Central HRD secretary Sharif Mahmud and Sylhet district west president Abu Zubair spoke as special guests. Protesters stage demo over postponement of SUCSU election Amirul Islam accused BNP and Chhatra Dal of trying to impose a fascist mindset and said the student community would ensure the election takes place despite all obstacles. Sharif Mahmud condemned the High Court’s suspension of the election just a day before voting, calling it unacceptable. Shaheen Ahmad urged the administration to ensure students’ right to hold the election and vowed that Shibir would mobilize students to reclaim their rights. Several leaders of Shibir’s Sylhet city unit attended the protest.

An officer of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was killed and three others were injured in a gun attack by armed criminals while recovering weapons in the hilly area of Jungle Salimpur in Sitakunda on Monday evening (January 19, 2026). The deceased was identified as Abdul Motaleb, a Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of RAB-7. Read more: Chankharpul massacre verdict on Tuesday; BTV to air live Three other officials- Lance Naik Imam, Naik Arif, and Constable Rifat- were critically injured and admitted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Ops) Sirajul Islam. Md Sohel Rana, in-charge of the Sitakunda Fouzdarhat Police Outpost, said RAB-7 came under the gun attack by armed criminals during the arms recovery drive. He said Jungle Salimpur is a remote hilly area where thousands of illegal settlements have grown over the past four decades on government and khas land. The region has long served as a safe haven for hill grabbers, armed criminals, and land mafias. The area is reportedly still controlled by armed groups, making entry for outsiders extremely difficult, added the in-charge. Read more: Justice trails shadows; RAB arrests suspect in brutal Banasree murder

At least 10 individuals were injured in a clash between two BNP factions over establishing dominance in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah on Monday morning (January 19, 2026). The incident took place at Bishnudia village under Manoharpur union. Read more: EU delegation meets Tarique Rahman Police and local sources said supporters of district Jubo Dal joint general secretary Zahid Chowdhury and Shailkupa upazila Jubo Dal member secretary Abul Bashar Sadat had long been locked in a dispute over social dominance in the area. Tension intensified two days ago when supporters of the two leaders got into an altercation over demarcating the boundary of mosque land in Bishnudia village. Following the dispute, activists from both sides clashed with locally made weapons on Monday morning, leaving at least 10 people injured. One of the injured is in critical condition. Officer-in-Charge of Shailkupa Police Station Humayun Kabir Molla said police rushed to the spot after being informed and brought the situation under control. Read more: 10 Indian air guns recovered from Sylhet’s Jaintapur Additional police have been deployed in the area as tension continues to prevail.

Police recovered 10 Indian air guns during a search at a check post in the Jaintapur area of the Sylhet–Tamabil highway on Monday morning. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Mollah, officer-in-charge (OC) of Jaintapur Model Police Station, said the check post was set up on the north side of the Pakhitekee Korichar Bridge in Fatehpur Union of Jaintapur upazila. During the operation, two people riding an unregistered motorcycle approached the check post. When police signalled them to stop, they fled the scene, leaving behind a white plastic bag along with the motorcycle, the OC said. Later, police searched the abandoned bag and recovered four new Indian camo-coloured air guns and six new black air guns. An old Suzuki Gixxer motorcycle was also seized. The OC said legal action is underway and efforts are continuing to identify and arrest the two motorcycle riders involved in carrying the air guns. HC suspends SUST student union election Earlier on Sunday night, members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered two abandoned air guns during a special operation in a tea garden area adjacent to Chiknagul Bazar in Chiknagul Union under Jaintapur Police Station. The air guns were later handed over to Jaintapur Police Station for further legal action.