Happy Day, people!

So govt officially launched a National Freelancer Registration and ID Card system through a new platform, freelancers.gov.bd. Once registered, freelancers can access banking services, loans, credit cards, financial incentives, and training programs — basically, all the things that were a headache without “proper” papers. The government says the platform has already passed security tests, marking a new milestone for the country’s freelancing industry.

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Political Candidates | Iranian Protest

⚖️ Political Candidates: Service or Investment?

In the upcoming 13th National Parliament election, 44% (814 individuals) of the 1,842 valid candidates are businessmen, while those identifying as professional politicians account for only 26 individuals. This trend is accompanied by a significant influx of young leadership, with 31.31% of candidates aged between 25 and 45, largely driven by the aftermath of the July uprising. Educational qualifications remain high across the board, as 76% of all candidates hold undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leading this metric at a 94% higher education rate.

Analysts view this business dominance with concern. Badiul Alam Majumdar, editor of SHUJAN, states: "Many now view becoming an MP as an investment with high returns." The proliferation of business candidates reflects an exchange system where politicians need business support for power, while businesspeople seek opportunities through political positions. Professor Mohammad Mozibur Rahman of Dhaka University warns that monopolizing parliament with businesspeople will obstruct representation from diverse professions and social classes. Experts also noted that higher education doesn't guarantee good parliamentary performance—ethical values, accountability, and commitment to public welfare matter more than academic certificates.

“Exercise-in-a-Pill” for Bones — Scientists at the University of Hong Kong discovered that a protein called Piezo1 acts as the body’s “exercise sensor,” turning movement into signals that build new bone and reduce fat in bone marrow; activating it can mimic the effects of exercise and may one day help prevent osteoporosis in people who cannot work out.

⛽ Bangladesh is heading toward a severe energy crisis as daily gas supply has dropped to 258 crore cubic feet against a demand of 380 crore cubic feet, creating a daily deficit of 122 crore cubic feet, with current supply 17.6 crore cubic feet lower than last January. Four out of five gas production companies have seen output decline over the past year, with major producer Chevron's production falling by 1,039 million cubic metres year-on-year, forcing the government to plan imports of 115 LNG cargoes in FY2025–26 at a cost of Tk 51,540 crore. At the same time, LPG supplies have been disrupted by sanctions-affected shipping, pushing the price of a 12-kg cylinder from the official Tk 1,306 to nearly Tk 2,500, with shortages continuing. Titas Gas said pipeline damage and low winter pressure worsened Dhaka’s outages, although repairs have begun and gradual normalisation is under way.

🕵 Tk 9,630 crore in fake loans was created in the names of 102 destitute people from five United Commercial Bank (UCB) branches in Chattogram, with investigators saying the funds were allegedly embezzled to companies linked to former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed’s family. According to Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), loans issued between 2021 and 2023 were taken using stolen NIDs of day labourers, rickshaw pullers and farmers, then withdrawn in cash or routed to companies of Javed’s Aramit Group and related firms, while UCB’s Karwan Bazar branch also issued about Tk 2,500 crore to shell companies run by Aramit employees. BFIU has sent its findings to the Anti-Corruption Commission, which has filed multiple cases naming 68 people, including Javed, his family and bank officials.

🛸 Bangladesh to set up a Tk608.08 crore military drone manufacturing plant with China under a government-to-government deal approved by the finance ministry. The project, formally titled the “Establishment of Manufacturing Plant and Transfer of Technology (ToT) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” will be implemented by the Bangladesh Air Force using technology from China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) International, with Tk570.60 crore to be paid over four fiscal years and the remaining Tk37.47 crore covering LC charges, VAT and related costs. Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed declined to comment on the project before finalisation, while ISPR also did not respond. The ministry approved the deal under five conditions, including that all costs must be met from the Air Force’s existing budget and paid through letters of credit, and confirmed the contract value was reduced from Tk643.61 crore to Tk608.07 crore after negotiations.

📊Data Point

In FY 2024-25, BIDA registered 66,057 crore BDT in domestic and foreign investment proposals across 970 projects, marking a 58% decline from the previous year.

⚖️ India’s Enforcement Directorate(ED) has filed a case in the Supreme Court accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of removing evidence during a raid on political consultancy I-PAC linked to a coal and money-laundering probe. The ED said its teams searched 10 locations in Kolkata and Delhi on 8 January in a case related to alleged illegal coal mining and hawala transfers, when Banerjee entered I-PAC offices and the home of its head Pratik Jain and took files and electronic devices, claiming they contained her party’s election material. Banerjee said she acted as Trinamool Congress chairperson to prevent the "theft" of political data, while ED stated that was "forceful removal of evidence" and the search was not political or election-related. The agency has asked the Supreme Court to direct a CBI probe, while the West Bengal government filed a caveat, and related cases will be heard in the Calcutta High Court on 14 January.

✊ Iran faces widespread antigovernment protests amid deadly crackdown and US warnings of possible military action. Demonstrations, sparked by rising prices and economic hardship since 28 December, have spread to dozens of cities, with HRANA reporting at least 544 deaths—including 48 security personnel—and over 10,000 arrests, though the government has imposed a near-total internet blackout limiting verification. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said the situation is “under total control,” accused foreign actors of stoking violence, and stated Iran is “ready for war but also open to dialogue.” Pro-government rallies were held in Tehran and other cities, while US President Donald Trump indicated the US is considering “very strong options,” including military strikes, sanctions, or cyber operations, as Tehran maintains communication channels with Washington. Here is the timeline.

👨‍🚀 NASA cuts Crew-11 mission at ISS short due to medical issues, marking first early return in agency history. The four-member crew—NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and mission commander Zena Cardman, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov—will return to Earth over a month early after one member developed a “serious medical condition,” though NASA has not disclosed the individual or ailment. The early return, planned for this week via the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, follows the cancellation of a scheduled spacewalk to upgrade the station’s power system. NASA emphasized that crew safety was the top priority, and while the remaining ISS crew of three will maintain operations, some science activities will be postponed until the next crew rotation in February.

📺: Gen Z Terms-

"This is green tea! My wife plucks 23 kg of leaves in eight hours and receives 178 Taka."

— TEA WORKER BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS, SAYS HIS WIFE WORKS 8 HOURS FOR JUST TK 178 A DAY.

> Golden Globes 2026: The full list of winners: HERE!

> BTCL has upgraded its internet speeds up to five times across all packages without changing prices, rebranding them under the “Sashroyi” series. The enhanced bandwidth, ranging from 20 Mbps to 170 Mbps, aims to support online education, remote work, streaming, and gaming while improving service quality and customer experience. (more)

> Nearly 3 crore textbooks for the 2026 academic year are yet to be fully delivered, mostly affecting seventh and eighth grades, while primary and other secondary-level books have largely reached schools. NCTB expects all students to receive complete textbooks within the next few days, though printing and pre-delivery inspections may cause minor delays. (more)

> Tensions rose along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border as gunfire and airstrikes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State injured three people, including a 12-year-old Bangladeshi girl in Teknaf, while 53 Rohingyas were detained entering Bangladesh. (more)

> Eli Lilly and Nvidia are launching a new AI co-innovation lab with a $1 billion investment over five years to accelerate drug discovery using AI, robotics, and real-world lab data. (more)

>In 2025, Palestine was the deadliest country for journalists, with 56 of 128 killed worldwide, while the Middle East remained the most dangerous region overall, the IFJ reported. (more)

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