Hasnat Abdullah, the Jamaat-NCP 11-party alliance candidate for Comilla-4 (Debidwar), warned that anyone attempting to seize polling centers would be restrained and handed over to police. He made the remarks on Tuesday morning at a courtyard meeting held at Wahidpur Ghoshaibari field in Debidwar upazila. Abdullah told supporters that preventing vote rigging no longer required political leaders, asserting that those who joined the July movement would now guard the polls.

He urged voters to cast two ballots—one for the Shapla symbol and another as a 'yes' vote—stating that the future of Bangladesh would depend on the outcome of the referendum. Abdullah dismissed claims that a 'yes' vote would remove “Bismillah” from the constitution, calling such statements misinformation. He also advised supporters to arrive at polling centers after Fajr prayers to protect the vote.

The meeting was presided over by Subil Union Jamaat leader Maulana Tajul Islam and attended by several local leaders from Jamaat and allied parties.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanauallah stated that dual citizens who voluntarily renounced their foreign citizenship before December 29 are eligible to participate in the upcoming election. He said the Election Commission has granted this legality in accordance with existing law. Sanauallah made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon while addressing a meeting of the law and order, vigilance, and observation teams at the Noakhali Deputy Commissioner’s office ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum.

He emphasized that the integrity of the vote will not be compromised under any circumstances and that any vote cast without following proper procedures will be canceled. Sanauallah also explained that both general and postal ballots will be counted simultaneously, though postal ballot counting will take longer due to the presence of 119 symbols on each ballot. He urged election officials to ensure a festive yet peaceful environment where all voters can cast their votes freely.

The meeting, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shafiqul Islam, was attended by upazila executive officers, election officials, and representatives from the armed forces and law enforcement agencies.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman on Tuesday addressed an election rally at Mymensingh Circuit House field, where he criticized Jamaat-e-Islami for its recent remarks against the BNP. He questioned why Jamaat’s two ministers did not resign from the BNP-led government between 2001 and 2006 if the party was as corrupt as alleged. Rahman argued that those ministers stayed because they knew then–Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was taking strict measures against corruption.

During the rally, Rahman urged supporters to guard polling centers to prevent vote rigging and emphasized unity across religious and social lines to build a better Bangladesh. He highlighted local issues such as river erosion, unemployment, and drug problems, proposing vocational and ICT training to create youth employment. He also mentioned plans to honor mosque imams and muezzins through training and support programs.

The event introduced 24 BNP parliamentary candidates from the Mymensingh division. Rahman’s campaign will continue in Gazipur, Uttara, and later in Rajshahi, Naogaon, Bogura, and Barishal divisions, according to the BNP media cell.

RAB-1 conducted a late-night raid on the fifth floor of Khokon Villa in Tongi’s Dattapara area, Gazipur, arresting three individuals allegedly involved in a counterfeit money operation. The raid took place around 11:30 p.m. on Monday, and the arrests were confirmed the following morning through a press release by RAB-1 Senior Assistant Director (Media) Md. Rakib Hasan.

According to RAB, the operation followed a tip-off that a group had set up a counterfeit currency factory in the building. During the raid, officers seized fake notes worth Tk 5.4 lakh, printed sheets of counterfeit notes worth Tk 9.1 lakh, and a large quantity of printing and processing equipment, including printers, laptops, and chemicals. The arrested men were identified as Arif Raihan, Rubel Mia, and Zahidul Islam alias Sabuj.

RAB stated that the suspects had long been engaged in producing and selling counterfeit money. They, along with the seized materials, were handed over to Tongi East Police Station for further legal action.

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said there is no risk of instability in Bangladesh centering the upcoming national election. He made the remarks on Tuesday at the parade ground of the Prison Training Center in Kashimpur, Gazipur, after the closing ceremony of the 63rd batch of female prison guards’ basic training course.

Responding to a question about whether statements from the deposed Awami League government’s ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, reportedly speaking from Delhi, could cause unrest, the adviser said there is no such possibility. He claimed that the banned Awami League lacks the courage to return to the country and that its supporters and militants have either fled or taken refuge abroad. He also urged foreign countries to return those he described as fascist extremists.

In response to another question, the adviser said the government is considering building another prison in Keraniganj due to space constraints at Kashimpur. He added that recruitment under the Home Ministry has been conducted transparently without irregularities.

At least eight people have died and fourteen remain missing after a fire broke out early Monday at a momo manufacturing factory and an adjacent warehouse in southeastern Kolkata, West Bengal. The blaze, which began in a decorator’s warehouse in the Anandapur area, spread rapidly to the nearby factory containing large amounts of flammable materials. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire had not been fully extinguished.

Relatives of the victims said the missing individuals were inside the warehouse and factory when the fire started, and many are feared dead. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari posted a list of fourteen missing persons on social media, though officials have not confirmed the number. Witnesses described desperate phone calls from trapped workers as the fire intensified.

State Fire Minister Sujit Bose, who visited the site on Tuesday, said rescue operations were delayed due to extreme heat inside the warehouse and complex construction that made access difficult. Authorities will investigate whether proper fire safety measures were in place at the facility.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expelled Ranjit Kumar Sarkar, a member of the Natore district convening committee, for making indecent and misogynistic remarks about the party’s candidate in Natore-1 constituency. The decision was announced on Tuesday through a press release signed by district convenor Rahim Newaz and member secretary Md Asaduzzaman Asad. The expulsion order, issued under the directive of BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, permanently removes Sarkar from all party positions and membership.

According to the statement, Sarkar made the remarks on January 24 during an election meeting at Azimnagar Railway Station in Lalpur, organized by independent candidate and BNP rebel Taiful Islam Tipu. The party said his actions violated organizational discipline and damaged BNP’s image. Local authorities also fined Tipu Tk 10,000 for his involvement in the incident and took a written undertaking from him not to repeat such behavior.

District BNP leaders instructed all party members to avoid any contact with the expelled leader following the central directive.

A clash broke out between activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami during an election campaign in Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj on Tuesday around noon. The incident occurred in Mollarchar area of Gopaldi municipality when BNP activists allegedly obstructed a Jamaat procession led by Narayanganj-2 constituency candidate Elias Molla. Four Jamaat activists, including local Shibir leaders, were injured and admitted to the upazila health complex.

Police and eyewitnesses said the confrontation began when Jamaat’s female activists were conducting campaign activities and were stopped by a local BNP worker named Morshed. Both sides engaged in an argument that escalated into a physical altercation, leaving four Jamaat and one BNP activist injured. Police later reached the scene and brought the situation under control.

Jamaat’s local leaders condemned the attack and demanded justice, while BNP’s Morshed denied initiating the violence, claiming Jamaat activists attacked first. Police stated that legal action would be taken if a formal complaint is filed.

Livestock and Fisheries Adviser Farida Akhtar stated that tobacco control is not solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Health but a broader public health issue requiring coordinated action from all ministries and institutions. She made the remarks on Tuesday at a discussion held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on the effective implementation of the Smoking and Tobacco Products (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, organized by the National Tobacco Control Cell under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Akhtar criticized the misconception that strict tobacco control measures would reduce government revenue, calling it false and misleading. She noted that while tobacco companies’ revenue contributions are often highlighted, the health and social costs of tobacco use are ignored. She questioned the rationale for government shares in tobacco companies and emphasized the need to deactivate such entities to protect public health.

She added that Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has emphasized a comprehensive and realistic roadmap for tobacco control. Akhtar urged political parties to make clear commitments before elections and called on the Election Commission to act firmly against the distribution of free tobacco products during campaigns.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has termed the exclusion of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a severe insult. Speaking at an election rally in Satkhira Government Boys’ School field on Tuesday, he said the decision by India not to allow Mustafizur to play even a friendly match was an affront to both the player and the nation. He also criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for not accepting Bangladesh’s proposal to shift the T20 World Cup venue to Sri Lanka.

Following threats from extremist groups in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on January 3 that Mustafizur would not participate in the IPL. Citing security concerns, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided not to send the national team to India for the T20 World Cup. After several meetings, the ICC gave Bangladesh 24 hours to reverse its decision, but the country remained firm, leading to its replacement by Scotland in the tournament.

Dr. Rahman urged the ICC to reconsider its stance and emphasized maintaining dignity and fairness in international cricket relations.

The Parbatya Chattogram Agreement Implementation Movement has called for ensuring voting rights for indigenous and small ethnic communities in both hill and plain areas ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election. The demand was made at a press conference held at the Sagar-Runi auditorium of the Reporters Unity on Tuesday, where speakers urged the government, law enforcement agencies, and the Election Commission to act responsibly to guarantee security and participation for all citizens.

Speakers including Zakir Hossain, Dr. Khairul Islam Chowdhury, Shamsul Huda, and others emphasized the need for logistical support such as accommodation and food near polling centers for remote hill voters, and free, harassment-free movement for all minority voters. They also demanded a time-bound plan for full implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, an end to military dominance in the region, empowerment of local councils, and creation of a separate land commission for plains indigenous groups.

The speakers further highlighted that poor communication, administrative restrictions, and lack of awareness often prevent hill residents from voting, urging national recognition of the issue as a matter of democratic inclusion.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman attended a large election rally at the historic Circuit House ground in Mymensingh on Tuesday, marking his first visit to the city in 22 years. Thousands of supporters from various districts across the division gathered from early morning, turning the venue into a sea of people. Rahman was scheduled to appear at 2:30 p.m. but arrived at 3:55 p.m., greeting party leaders and attendees amid loud chants welcoming him.

The rally began with a recitation from the Quran and was conducted by Mymensingh Metropolitan BNP Member Secretary Ruknuzzaman Sarkar and North BNP Joint Convener Motahar Hossain. It was presided over by Mymensingh Divisional Organizing Secretary Shariful Alam. The city took on a festive atmosphere as processions and slogans filled the streets, with the Circuit House ground packed to capacity.

The event underscored the BNP’s organizational strength in the region and reflected heightened political activity ahead of the upcoming elections.

The interim government will not make any decision regarding salary increases for government employees, according to Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan. He made the remarks on Tuesday after a meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Government Procurement held at the Secretariat.

Khan explained that confusion exists over the pay scale issue. He said that although a pay commission had been formed and its report submitted, no decision had been made to implement it. With only 15 days remaining in the interim government's tenure, he stated that there was no plan to take further steps on the matter. A committee has been formed to review the report, but implementation will not occur under the current administration.

Responding to questions about why the announcement was made if it would not be implemented, Khan said the interim government was working within a limited timeframe and wanted to leave preparations that would benefit the next government.

Nasiruddin Patwari, the National Citizen Party (NCP) chief coordinator and candidate for Dhaka-8, alleged that a group loyal to Mirza Abbas attacked him and his supporters. He made the accusation at an emergency press conference on Tuesday afternoon at his election office in Fakirapool, following an incident at Habibullah College. Patwari said he was targeted after declaring that he had no money from corruption or terrorism, and he appealed to the people of Bangladesh for justice.

He urged BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman to decide whether to support or expel those involved in violence, demanding disciplinary action against Mirza Abbas for alleged misconduct. Patwari also claimed that irregularities at Habibullah College were linked to Abbas, who had formed the governing board. Referring to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, he said she had once prayed for them and would have been ashamed to witness such acts.

Patwari warned that without proper security and fair elections, his party would reconsider its participation. He pledged to prevent any reign of terror in Dhaka-8 and expressed hope that voters would reject corruption and violence in the upcoming January 12 election.

Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, made a controversial remark on Tuesday, saying the aircraft that crashed at Milestone School and College should have fallen on the Secretariat instead. He made the comment while inaugurating a training program aimed at raising awareness among drivers and workers about skill development and noise pollution.

Khan expressed strong frustration with the bureaucracy, describing it as a major obstacle to national progress. He said people are angry with the Secretariat and other government offices, accusing officials of lacking humanity and ignoring citizens’ daily problems. He alleged that bureaucrats resist change, focusing instead on increasing their benefits, pay scales, and opportunities for corruption.

Referring to the July 21 crash of an Air Force jet at Milestone School in Uttara that killed 36 people, including 28 students and the pilot, Khan said the current social and administrative situation is deeply worrying. He urged collective effort to change the nation’s fate rather than waiting for disaster.