A CCTV camera installed for election security was stolen from a polling center in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari-4 constituency, two days before the 13th National Parliament election and referendum scheduled for February 12. Teachers at Noyankhal School and College discovered the theft on the morning of February 10, after the camera had been installed only a few days earlier for monitoring purposes.

Local sources said the camera was likely stolen on the night of February 9 after the school closed. Attempts to contact the institution’s principal, Jalilur Rahman, were unsuccessful. Upazila Secondary Education Officer Ashraf Uz Zaman confirmed awareness of the incident and said necessary measures were being taken. Kishoreganj Police’s Investigation Officer Abdul Quddus stated he had not yet received a report but would investigate the matter. Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Assistant Returning Officer Tanzima Anjum Sohania confirmed that law enforcement agencies were working to identify the culprits, though none had been found so far.

Authorities said legal action is underway as the investigation continues ahead of the national election.

Bangladesh and the United States have signed a trade agreement establishing a 19 percent tariff rate, announced on Monday. The deal includes exemptions for certain textiles and garments made with US materials. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said Washington committed to a mechanism allowing some Bangladeshi apparel using US-produced cotton and man-made fibre to enter the US market with zero reciprocal tariff. The White House confirmed that Bangladesh will grant preferential market access for a wide range of US industrial and agricultural goods.

Under the agreement, Bangladesh will also ease non-tariff barriers by accepting US vehicle safety and emissions standards, recognising Food and Drug Administration certifications, and lifting restrictions on remanufactured goods. The two nations highlighted commercial deals involving aircraft procurement, $3.5 billion in US agricultural purchases, and $15 billion in energy product imports over 15 years. The accord followed nine months of negotiations that began in April last year.

The reduced tariff is expected to help Bangladesh’s apparel sector, which accounts for over 80 percent of export earnings, remain competitive with India, whose tariff rate now stands at 18 percent. The announcement comes days before Bangladesh’s national election under its interim government.

Political groups in the European Parliament reached an agreement on Tuesday on the EU-US trade deal, originally struck in July 2025 by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The deal, which still requires ratification, sets US tariffs at 15% on EU exports, while the EU will cut its tariffs on US goods to zero. The Parliament’s International Partnership Committee will vote on February 24, followed by a plenary session as early as March.

The approval process had been frozen in January after Trump announced plans to impose a 10% tariff on eight European countries involved in an Arctic military mission. Work resumed weeks later, leading to a compromise that includes a sunset clause expiring in March 2028 unless renewed, and a suspension clause triggered if the US violates the deal. Socialist MEP Bernd Lange said the Greenland issue prompted the inclusion of a sovereignty criterion for possible suspension.

The Parliament’s version also adds safeguards to protect the EU market and an automatic reintroduction of tariffs if the US fails to reduce its own tariffs to 15% on over 400 steel-related products. After the plenary vote, negotiations with EU member states will determine the final terms.

A fire broke out at a multi-storey building in Mirpur Section 11.5 of Dhaka on Tuesday night. According to the report, no casualties were reported in the incident. Two units of the Fire Service responded promptly and managed to bring the blaze under control shortly after it started.

Fire Service duty officer Shahjahan Islam stated that the fire began around 11:15 p.m. and was quickly contained. The initial cause of the fire was identified as an electrical short circuit. The swift action of the fire units prevented the fire from spreading further.

Authorities confirmed that the situation was fully under control, and no injuries or significant damage were reported following the incident.

A man was killed and two others were injured when an army vehicle collided head-on with a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Naldanga upazila of Natore on Tuesday, February 10. The deceased was identified as Md. Nazrul Islam, 60, son of late Alimuddin of Birkutsa Uttarpara village. The accident occurred in the Basudevpur Bazar area in the afternoon while the army vehicle was returning from Natore to the Naldanga Army Camp.

According to local sources and police, three passengers of the CNG were injured in the collision. Nazrul Islam, who was critically injured, was taken to Natore Sadar Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment. The other two injured passengers were admitted to Naldanga Private Hospital (Bismillah Hospital) and later discharged after primary treatment.

Both vehicles sustained minor damage in the crash, and the CNG’s front glass was completely shattered. Police confirmed the incident, stating that the CNG passengers were traveling to Natore for medical purposes.

RAB-5 conducted two separate raids in Rajshahi early Tuesday night, recovering a large quantity of homemade weapons and explosives. Acting on secret information, the first operation took place around 3 a.m. in the Uttor Fire Service Station area under Kashiadanga Police Station, where 24 cocktails were seized. In another operation in the Baneshwar Pollapukur Mor area under Puthia Police Station, RAB recovered 40 locally made weapons, including machetes, sickles, knives, axes, and hammers.

According to RAB, the seized items were recovered in the presence of neutral witnesses and handed over to the respective police stations for legal action. Preliminary assessments suggest the weapons and explosives were stockpiled to disrupt the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and the 2026 referendum or to assert local dominance.

RAB-5 stated that intelligence operations and further raids are ongoing to identify and arrest those involved in storing the seized materials.

A CCTV camera installed at a polling center in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari was stolen ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election, raising concerns over pre-election security. The incident came to light on Tuesday morning, February 10, 2026, when officials visited the Noyankhal School and College polling center in Bahagili Union and discovered the missing camera. No suspects have yet been identified.

According to local sources, the CCTV cameras had been installed a few days earlier to strengthen security at the center. Teachers left the school after closing it on Monday, and upon returning the next morning, they found that one camera from the front section of the building was missing. The school’s principal, Jalilur Rahman, confirmed the theft.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Assistant Returning Officer Tanzima Anjum Sohania said authorities were aware of the incident and that legal procedures were underway. The theft has prompted calls for tighter security and monitoring at polling centers before the election.

In Lohagara upazila of Chattogram, CCTV cameras and related equipment installed for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election were stolen from a polling center. As of Tuesday, February 10, the cameras had not been reinstalled, despite the center being listed by the administration as highly vulnerable. The theft occurred on the night of January 28 at the Tayeb Ashraf Government Primary School in Jamidar Para area. The school’s head teacher, Subodh Kanti Sikdar, discovered the theft the next morning and filed a general diary with the local police.

According to the head teacher, four CCTV cameras, one router, and one monitor installed on January 15 for election security were stolen after six locks were broken. He immediately informed the police and the upazila executive officer. Upazila Executive Officer and Assistant Returning Officer Md. Saiful Islam stated that the cameras would be reinstalled by the end of the day to ensure polling center security.

Local residents expressed concern that the Tayeb Ashraf Government Primary School center, already marked as high-risk, remains without CCTV coverage so close to the election.

Bangladesh Bank has extended the age limit for opening a 'Student Banking' account to 25 years, allowing school, college, and university students to access the service. The central bank issued a new policy on Monday, replacing the previous rule that restricted eligibility to students under 18. Under the revised guidelines, account holders will now be able to use credit cards in addition to debit cards, and the service previously known as 'School Banking' will now operate under the name 'Student Banking'.

The new policy also increases the monthly ATM withdrawal limit from 15,000 to 25,000 taka upon parental request, compared to the earlier 5,000-taka cap. Students can now deposit up to 25,000 taka per month, with a maximum account balance of 300,000 taka. Those studying abroad will no longer need separate student files or accounts, as the same account can be used for remittance and educational transactions.

The policy further allows students to take loans for educational materials under parental guarantee, aiming to make financial services more accessible to young learners.

The government of Bangladesh is preparing a compensation plan for general shareholders affected by the merger of five Islamic banks. Economic Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed said the issue is under policy consideration but involves complex technical calculations. He explained that compensation will be provided gradually after completing the necessary assessments. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the government’s procurement advisory committee on Tuesday, he emphasized that depositors’ protection had been the government’s first priority.

Dr. Ahmed noted that the government has already provided Tk 42,000 crore to safeguard depositors’ funds, ensuring that customers could fully recover their deposits. Only after securing depositors’ interests is the government now focusing on shareholders. He acknowledged that compensating shareholders is difficult because several banks have negative net asset values, making conventional loss recovery methods impractical.

Possible compensation options include partial share allocations or direct financial payments, though the final model will take time to determine. Dr. Ahmed added that broader banking reforms require sustained efforts, stronger regulatory capacity, and rebuilding market confidence to achieve long-term economic stability.

A Dhaka court has granted five days’ remand for former Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Shafikur Rahman, and seven days for his wife Bithi, in a case involving the alleged torture of an eleven-year-old domestic worker. The order was issued on Tuesday by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Zakir Hossain. The court also approved five days’ remand for domestic worker Rupali Khatun and six days for Mosha. Sufia Begum. All four accused were produced before the court under tight security before the hearing.

According to the case statement, the child’s father, hotel worker Golam Mostafa, had sent his daughter to work at Shafikur Rahman’s Uttara residence in June of the previous year. He last saw her in November, after which the accused allegedly prevented further contact. On January 31, Bithi informed him that his daughter was ill, and when he retrieved her, he found severe injuries on her body. The girl later told investigators she had been beaten and burned with a heated kitchen tool by the accused.

The court had earlier sent the four accused to jail on February 2, and the investigating officer sought seven days’ remand for each on February 8.

Bangladesh Bank has announced revised office and transaction hours for all scheduled banks during the upcoming Ramadan. The Supervisory Data Management and Analytics Department issued a circular on Tuesday stating that banking transactions will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., while office hours will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All scheduled banks across the country will operate within this timeframe throughout the holy month.

According to the circular, there will be a short break for Zuhr prayers from 1:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., during which internal arrangements may allow transactions to continue. Normally, banks conduct transactions from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and official activities continue until 6:00 p.m. The circular also noted that regular office hours will resume after the end of Ramadan.

The adjustment aims to accommodate the special needs of employees and customers during the fasting period while ensuring uninterrupted banking services through internal coordination.

At least 11 workers were injured in a cylinder explosion at Abul Khair Group’s Starship milk product factory in the Oxygen area of Bayezid, Chattogram, on Tuesday around 11 a.m. The injured were rescued and taken to a private hospital, while three fire service units brought the blaze under control after about half an hour of effort.

According to initial reports, the explosion occurred when a machine cylinder burst during milk processing, igniting part of the factory. Workers alleged that the factory lacked adequate safety measures and that management forced them to work despite objections. They also claimed that security guards locked all gates after the explosion, preventing others from reaching the affected area to help. Fire Service Deputy Director Md. Jasim Uddin said the blast likely originated from bottling equipment.

However, the factory’s HR and Admin in-charge, Md. Imrul Kader Bhuiyan, stated that the fire was caused by a short circuit, not a cylinder explosion, and claimed only three workers were injured. He also denied any safety lapses at the facility.

Thousands of passengers in Tongi, Gazipur faced severe transport shortages on Tuesday as they tried to travel home ahead of the national election. Long waits at bus stops along the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway yielded few available buses, and fares surged from the usual 200 taka to as high as 500 taka. Many commuters, unable to find seats, resorted to traveling on pickup trucks and mini-trucks at inflated prices, risking their safety to reach their destinations.

The rush followed factory closures in the industrial area of Tongi, where numerous garment and other factories declared holidays for employees to vote. Crowds filled Tongi Bazar, Station Road, Millgate, Cherag Ali, College Gate, and Gazipura, as well as the Tongi Railway Junction, where passengers waited from early morning but could not board overcrowded trains. Some reported paying up to 650 taka for long-distance bus tickets.

Gazipur Metropolitan Traffic Police Inspector Zahid Majumdar said the shortage occurred because many long-distance buses had not yet returned from previous trips, forcing passengers to take unsafe transport options despite warnings.

Mexican authorities have confirmed that five of the ten workers abducted last month from a mine in Sinaloa have been found dead. The bodies were discovered on a property in the rural area of El Verde, while efforts continue to identify the remains of the remaining five. The Attorney General’s Office stated that prosecutors are maintaining regular contact with the victims’ families and that four suspects were arrested last week in connection with the case. The motive behind the killings remains unclear.

The mine is operated by Vancouver-based company Vizsla Silver, which reported that many families have now recovered their relatives’ bodies. Company president and CEO Michael Konnert expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, emphasizing the firm’s commitment to locating the missing workers and supporting affected families. Vizsla Silver said the abduction occurred on January 28 and was immediately reported to local authorities.

The Sinaloa region has seen escalating violence linked to rival gangs associated with cartel figures Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. According to local daily Milenio, more than 1,680 homicides have been recorded in the state so far in 2025, marking it as one of the most violent years in a decade.