
At least nine people were killed and 12 others were injured in separate road accidents in five districts on Friday.
In Faridpur, at least four people were killed and six others were injured when a bus collided with a human haulier on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway in Bhanga upazila Kharkhandi area around 7:30pm.
Among the deceased are Mehedi Matubbar, 25, of Aruakandi village, Hafijul Islam, 40, of Nowakanda village under Bhanga upazila and Sirajul Islam, 35, of Madhukhali upazila, reports our district correspondent.
The identities of the remaining victims could not be ascertained immediately.
Six people with injuries were admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital, Faridpur.

Throughout the past year, the leading Instant Messaging app imo was focused on ensuring account security. Consequently, there was a 17 percent fall in account hacking instances toward the end of the year, according to imo sources. Continuing with such a streak, they are now working to achieve a hundred percent safety rate throughout the new year of 2024.
Moreover, imo has been helping 200 million people across the globe to communicate with one another in 62 languages. The platform prioritizes privacy as it continuously brings features to safeguard users’ data and deal with cybercrimes.
According to data presented by imo, throughout 2023, Bangladeshi imo users exchanged a total of 101 billion messages, 91.6 billion audio-video calls, and 676 million group calls, among which 35.8 billion were international calls. On average, Bangladeshi imo users used the app 730 times throughout this past year. Hence, imo will be working to improve the quality of audio-video calls in 2024. Moving towards this very goal, the company has announced that it will be introducing a 2K HD video feature this month.
Besides, this year, imo’s research and development team will be working with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Their research team will be working to ensure the security of imo accounts and diversify online communications with the help of innovative technology.
Zavier Choo, Senior Manager, Communications of imo, said, “In the era of online communication, imo has a responsibility to bring new features to improve people’s lives and heighten security and safety for making online space safer and accessible for all. We aim to become the go-to communication solution platform for everyone and facilitate seamless interactions among people and businesses. We have big plans for 2024 and look forward to creating a positive impact on imo users’ lives.”
The platform is ready for 2024 and will enrich people’s lifestyles through their infinite possibilities. imo is looking forward to getting 10 million more users and believes that nothing can replace the connection between people. Another year is gone, and a new one has arrived, ushering in new hopes and aspirations. This new year, it is of utmost importance that people keep unearthing the value of meaningful communication to unleash their potential and reach new horizons. imo, with its handy features and innovations, is committed to making this journey impactful.

Like the previous one, Bangladesh Bank (BB) has continued the contractionary mood in monetary policy statement (MPS) for the second half (January-June) of current fiscal 2023-24 (FY24).
BB Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder today announced the contractionary policy stance tightening the money supply to tame inflation.
"The central bank (BB) has adopted a contractionary monetary policy stance and implemented multiple measures aimed at curbing inflation," said BB Chief Economist Dr Md Habibur Rahman while presenting different sides of the MPS at BB headquarters in the city.

This years Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) will begin on January 21 at the month-long events permanent venue in Dhakas Purbachal.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the DITF this year, Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh told The Daily Star.
The showcase normally begins on the first day of January every year, but this time it got delayed because of the general elections held on January 7.