A joint security patrol and drill involving the Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) was conducted in Gazipur-4 (Kapasia) constituency on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The exercise began at 12:30 p.m. in front of the offices of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Assistant Returning Officer, led by executive magistrates. The patrol covered key roads and bus terminals in Durgapur, Kapasia Sadar, and Targao unions before returning to the Upazila Complex.

According to the local administration, the objective of the joint operation was to build voter confidence, ensure a peaceful electoral environment, and prevent any untoward incidents ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. After the drill, each law enforcement unit was deployed to its designated area to maintain order.

Officials stated that strict monitoring and security measures would continue so that voters can cast their ballots without fear. The administration also reaffirmed a zero-tolerance policy against any activities that could disrupt peace and order, noting that the overall situation in Kapasia remains stable and under control.

A delegation from the Commonwealth Observer Group, led by Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, met with Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam at the Police Headquarters in Dhaka on Tuesday. The meeting focused on security issues related to the upcoming national parliamentary election. The group’s head noted that 25 observers from the Commonwealth would participate in monitoring the election and inquired about security measures for the observers during the election period.

During the discussion, the IGP outlined the police’s comprehensive preparations to maintain law and order during the election. He detailed risk-based security planning, cyber monitoring, and the use of modern technology to ensure safety. Baharul Alam emphasized that all necessary security measures had been taken following directives from the Election Commission and the Ministry of Home Affairs to protect foreign observers and journalists. Senior police officials were also present at the meeting.

The meeting underscored coordination between law enforcement and international observers ahead of the national election, highlighting Bangladesh’s efforts to ensure a secure electoral environment.

The Ministry of Defense of Bangladesh has issued an order granting government benefits to 141 officers of the armed forces who were deprived of service rights between 2009 and August 4, 2024. The order, signed by Secretary Md. Ashraf Uddin on February 5, 2026, covers officers from the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force who faced dismissal, forced retirement, or suspension during that period. The directive includes provisions for retrospective promotions, payment of arrears, and other applicable allowances.

According to the order, 110 officers were from the Army, 19 from the Navy, and 12 from the Air Force. The government formed a committee to review their cases after receiving applications from the affected officers. Following the review, the authorities approved the restoration of their due benefits. Specific officers, including Lt. Gen. Md. Aminul Karim, Lt. Gen. Sina Ibne Jamali, Brig. Gen. Abdullahil Aman Azmi, and others, were granted financial compensation and promotions. Some officers were also recommended for flats under the Jolsiri housing project.

The decision marks a formal resolution of long-standing grievances among retired officers who alleged discrimination and injustice during the previous regime.

Bangladesh will hold general elections on February 12, 2026, to choose its next government, 18 months after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced from office by a student-led uprising. Hasina, who ruled from 1996 to 2001 and again from 2009 until her exile in August 2024, left power following a deadly crackdown on protesters that killed about 1,400 people. Since then, an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has governed the country.

The 2026 vote is considered one of the most consequential in Bangladesh’s 55-year history. The Awami League, Hasina’s party, has been suspended from contesting, leaving 51 of 59 registered parties fielding candidates. Major contenders include the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman, the Islamic Jamaat-e-Islami allied with the National Citizen Party (NCP), and newer centrist groups such as the NCP and Amar Bangladesh Party. Nearly 5 million first-time voters are expected to participate among the 56 million aged 18 to 37.

Bangladesh’s political history has been marked by alternating rule between the Awami League and BNP, military interventions, and disputed elections. The upcoming polls will test whether the country can transition from years of repression and unrest toward a more inclusive democratic process.

Leqaa Kordia’s family has demanded her release after the 33-year-old was hospitalised following a seizure while in immigration detention in Texas. For over 12 hours, her relatives and lawyers said they received no information about her condition or whereabouts. Kordia, who has been detained for nearly a year, was among protesters targeted by immigration officials after participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations at Columbia University in 2024. She remains the only person from that group still in custody.

Amnesty International joined calls for her release, arguing that she has been arbitrarily detained for exercising her right to free speech. Her lawyers said federal judges twice ruled she was eligible for bond, but immigration officials blocked her release through discretionary stays. The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that Kordia was detained for overstaying her student visa, though its earlier statement linked her arrest to pro-Palestine advocacy.

Kordia’s family and advocates have described deteriorating health and poor conditions at the Prairieland Detention Facility, where she is held far from her family in New Jersey. Supporters say her case highlights broader concerns about the treatment of pro-Palestinian activists under current immigration policies.

In Kushtia, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, owner of Subarna Agro Food Products Limited and described as an Awami League-aligned rice trader, has canceled all staff leave for February 12, 2026, the day of the national parliamentary election. A notice issued at the company stated that no employee would be granted leave on election day and that absence would result in salary deductions for that day.

When asked about the notice, Jinnah claimed he did not issue it and said that employees had done so. He did not respond when questioned about his signature on the document. The report notes that Jinnah is known to be close to Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif.

The directive has drawn attention because it coincides with the national election day, raising questions about workers’ ability to participate in voting, though no official reaction was mentioned in the report.

The army-led joint forces have taken strict measures to prevent the use of Rohingyas in acts of sabotage or violence during the upcoming national parliamentary election in Cox’s Bazar and southern Chattogram. Lieutenant Colonel Tanvir Ahmed of the Ramu 10 Infantry Division shared the information at a media briefing held on Tuesday, January 10, at the Cox’s Bazar Cultural Centre. He said the forces are focusing on restricting Rohingya movement outside camps, repairing barbed-wire fences, setting up checkpoints, and conducting special patrols to avert any unwanted incidents.

Tanvir Ahmed added that army striking forces will be deployed at remote polling centers in four constituencies of Cox’s Bazar. In case of irregularities or conflicts inside or outside polling centers, the army will coordinate with police, RAB, and BGB to take direct control of the situation. He assured that voters will be able to cast their votes without fear.

Earlier, Lieutenant Colonel Sutfa Zaman reported that between February 3 and 9, joint forces conducted 46 operations in Cox’s Bazar and southern Chattogram, seizing firearms, sharp weapons, and drugs, and detaining 1,149 Rohingyas living illegally outside camps.

With just one day left before the national election, former MP Mujibur Rahman Nixon Chowdhury, currently absconding, released a 10-minute-7-second video message on social media targeting BNP candidate Shahidul Islam Babul in the Faridpur-4 constituency. The video was uploaded on February 10 at 3:39 p.m. from a Facebook account named Shafiqul Islam Azad. The timing of the post, coming amid heightened campaign activity, drew immediate public attention and mixed reactions.

In the video, Nixon Chowdhury, identifying himself as a nephew of Hasina, claimed that the “illegal Yunus government” had filed 72 cases against him to keep him away from his supporters. He accused Babul of using false cases and police harassment to intimidate and recruit his followers. Chowdhury urged Babul to focus only on his party’s votes. The video was widely shared by his supporters after publication.

Political analysts and voters expressed concern that such a message, released at the final stage of the campaign, could disrupt the fair electoral environment. No response from BNP candidate Shahidul Islam Babul was reported.

A Chhatra Dal leader from Bhabaniganj municipality in Bagmara upazila, Rajshahi, has been expelled for violating organizational discipline. The expelled leader, Mustafizur Rahman (Milon), also known as Milon Parvez, was removed from the organization following a decision announced on Monday in a press release signed by Central Chhatra Dal Office Secretary Md. Jahangir Alam. The statement said the expulsion was based on specific allegations of breaching party discipline.

Earlier that night, a post appeared on Mustafizur Rahman’s Facebook account containing a photo from an election rally of a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate, accompanied by a message expressing support for that candidate. About three hours after the post was made, Chhatra Dal announced his expulsion.

Mustafizur Rahman claimed that someone else had used his Facebook name to make the post and denied any direct involvement in the matter.

Two parliamentary candidates in Fatikchhari, Chattogram, withdrew from the election at the last moment, each extending support to rival party nominees. On Tuesday, February 10, Ganadhikar Parishad candidate Rabiul Hasan Tanzim, who was contesting with the truck symbol, announced his withdrawal at a press conference and declared support for BNP candidate Sarwar Alamgir. Tanzim said his decision followed a political understanding between Ganadhikar Parishad and the BNP.

Separately, on Monday night, independent candidate Advocate Ahmad Kabir Karim, who was running with the football symbol, announced his withdrawal in favor of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nominee Principal Nurul Amin. Karim stated that he stepped aside voluntarily for the greater interest and urged his supporters to vote for the balance scale symbol.

The withdrawals came just before the election, reshaping the local contest in Fatikchhari as both candidates aligned themselves with major opposition parties.

United States President Donald Trump has warned Iran of potential military action if Tehran fails to meet Washington’s demands on nuclear enrichment and ballistic missiles. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 published Tuesday, Trump said, “Either we reach a deal, or we’ll have to do something very tough.” His comments came as Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani met Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said to discuss recent US-Iran talks. The US has also warned its commercial ships to avoid Iranian waters amid a growing military buildup that includes the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, with reports suggesting a second carrier may be deployed.

Trump’s renewed threats follow his administration’s three demands: ending uranium enrichment, cutting ties with regional proxies, and limiting missile stockpiles. Since returning to office in January 2025, he has reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign involving sanctions and military posturing. The escalation coincides with widespread anti-government protests in Iran, which were met with a violent crackdown that reportedly killed thousands. Analysts note that US military action could align with long-standing US and Israeli goals of curbing Iran’s military power, though its impact on Iran’s internal unrest remains uncertain.

Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators rallied across Australia on Monday to oppose the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who faces accusations of inciting genocide against Palestinians. In Sydney, police used pepper spray and clashed with protesters as Herzog began his four-day trip by laying a wreath at Bondi Beach to honor victims of last year’s mass shooting. Authorities warned that participants in a planned march from Sydney Town Hall to the New South Wales Parliament risk arrest, as the area was declared protected during the visit. A Sydney court rejected a legal challenge against the protest restrictions filed by the Palestine Action Group.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Australians to respect the solemn nature of Herzog’s visit, describing it as one made in goodwill. Herzog said he came to express solidarity and friendship, while alleging that the protests sought to delegitimize Israel’s right to exist. Amnesty International Australia and the Jewish Council of Australia criticized the visit, citing Herzog’s alleged role in inciting genocide and calling for accountability. Herzog is scheduled to visit Melbourne and Canberra before returning to Israel on Thursday.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 of Bangladesh has begun the trial of Salman F Rahman, adviser to the executed Sheikh Hasina, and former law minister Anisul Huq. Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam stated that the prosecution possesses conclusive evidence proving their involvement in decisions to suppress the July revolution through curfews and lethal force. The tribunal, chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumdar, heard the opening statement on February 10, 2026, marking the formal start of proceedings. The first witness testimony is scheduled for February 22.

The prosecution has brought five charges against the two accused, including joint criminal enterprise and superior command responsibility. The allegations involve incitement, conspiracy, and assistance in mass killings and injuries of students and civilians in Rangpur and several areas of Dhaka between July and August 2024. A total of 22 witnesses are expected to testify, supported by video, documentary, and live evidence.

The tribunal had earlier framed formal charges on January 12, 2026. The prosecution claims both accused played direct roles in encouraging and facilitating violent crackdowns on protesters during the July revolution.

The Ministry of Public Administration has established a control room to coordinate with field administration during the upcoming 2026 parliamentary election and referendum. According to an office order issued by the ministry’s Administration-1 branch on Tuesday night, the control room will operate from February 10 to February 14, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day. The facility is located in Building No. 1, Room No. 1802, and can be reached via telephone number +8802226641118.

The order stated that the control room was set up to take necessary measures based on complaints and information received from field-level administration concerning the election and referendum. A total of 35 officials and employees from the ministry will perform duties on a roster basis to ensure continuous coordination and response.

The initiative aims to strengthen communication between the central ministry and local administrative units during the election period, ensuring timely action on field reports and maintaining administrative efficiency.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed dissatisfaction over what it described as unequal allocation of body cameras for law enforcement officers at polling centers and inadequate installation of CCTV cameras. At a press briefing held Tuesday afternoon at the party’s central office in Moghbazar, Assistant Secretary General and head of the central publicity and media department Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair demanded sufficient body cameras and CCTV coverage at every polling station to ensure fair, neutral, and violence-free elections.

Zubair alleged that some centers received over 100 body cameras while others got only 5 to 10, claiming the disparity appeared to favor certain political groups. He said the Election Commission had not provided clear information on how many of the 18,000 to 20,000 CCTV cameras mentioned were actually installed. He warned that the shortage of surveillance equipment could allow violence and hinder documentation of incidents.

He also reported threats against Jamaat polling agents and alleged a smear campaign involving fake photo cards and leaflets. Zubair urged the Election Commission and law enforcement to investigate these incidents and take immediate action against those responsible.