Zahidur Rahman, a student of Electronics and Communication Engineering at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the university authorities with three demands. Speaking at a press conference at Khulna Press Club on Wednesday, he warned that if his demands are not met, he will begin a sit-in protest in front of the university’s administrative building and pursue legal action through the High Court. Zahidur, who was allegedly tortured by Chhatra League activists in 2022, seeks justice and institutional accountability.

According to local sources, Zahidur was assaulted for a Facebook post about former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on September 11, 2022, and later jailed for 52 days under what he described as a fabricated case. After returning to KUET following the 2024 student uprising, he requested justice, prompting the administration to form an inquiry committee. Based on its report, disciplinary action was taken against 13 students, including expulsion of 10.

Zahidur’s demands include public release of the investigation report, dismissal and criminal prosecution of implicated officials, and compensation with assurance of an uninterrupted academic career.

Bangladesh Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has collected DNA samples from the remains of 114 unidentified victims buried at Rayerbazar, Dhaka, following the July mass uprising. The report was formally handed over on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at the state guesthouse Jamuna to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. The initiative was conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, with support from the Home and Health Ministries. Between December 7 and 27, 2025, nine families provided DNA samples, leading to the identification of eight martyrs, all confirmed to have died from bullet wounds.

To ensure transparency and international standards, CID engaged forensic expert Dr. Morris Tidball Binz for technical guidance. CID urged families of those missing during the July–August uprising to contact its hotline for further identification efforts. During the handover, Chief Adviser Yunus thanked all involved, describing the initiative as a moral and humanitarian step toward truth and justice for families of the disappeared.

CID officials noted that on-site DNA testing enhanced police capabilities, while the Chief Adviser emphasized that the effort symbolizes the nation’s commitment to uncovering truth and restoring dignity to the victims.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has warned the Election Commission that Bangladesh will suffer if the upcoming national election is arranged or manipulated. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission office in Agargaon on Wednesday, January 7, he said his party had proposed installing CCTV cameras at polling centers to ensure a fair election.

Dr. Taher alleged that the returning officer had approved nomination papers of candidates from one party despite 12 or 13 of them holding dual citizenship, calling it discriminatory behavior by the administration. He also claimed that one candidate was receiving excessive protection, undermining a level playing field, and accused another party of distributing various cards in violation of the electoral code of conduct. He clarified that Jamaat had not submitted any list of SPs or DCs and denied holding any formal meeting with Tarique Rahman, describing a recent encounter as a condolence visit.

The meeting was attended by a six-member Jamaat delegation and four election commissioners along with the Election Commission secretary.

Vote counting for the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU) election is ongoing, with results from 26 of 39 centers officially announced by the Election Commission. According to the latest tally, Shibir-backed vice president candidate Riazul Islam is leading by 351 votes over his rival, AKM Rakib, who is supported by the Chhatra Dal panel. Shibir-backed candidates are also maintaining strong leads in the general secretary (GS) and assistant general secretary (AGS) positions.

In the results so far, Riazul Islam has received 3,364 votes, while AKM Rakib has 3,013. For the GS post, Shibir’s Arif has 3,487 votes compared to Khadijatul Kubra’s 1,379. In the AGS race, Shibir’s Masud has 3,103 votes, followed by Atikul Rahman Tanzil with 2,677. The long-awaited JAKSU election was held on Tuesday after several delays and suspensions.

Out of 16,445 registered voters, 66 percent cast their ballots. The election included 8,479 female and 8,170 male voters, with 190 candidates contesting across 39 centers and 178 booths for both central and hall unions.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy visit to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Wednesday. The meeting took place at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. The report described the encounter as a formal courtesy meeting between the ambassador and the opposition leader.

The article did not provide details about the topics discussed or any statements made during the meeting. It focused solely on the occurrence of the meeting and its location. The report was published on January 7, 2026, by the newspaper Amar Desh.

No further information was included regarding the duration of the meeting, participants, or any follow-up engagements between the Chinese embassy and the BNP leadership.

The Government of Bangladesh has issued a new amended ordinance to ensure legal protection and inheritance rights for families of persons who have been missing due to enforced disappearance. The Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs published the ordinance in the official gazette on Tuesday, and it took immediate effect. The ordinance grants tribunals the authority to declare the property of a person missing for at least five years as distributable among legal heirs if the person has not returned alive.

According to the amendment, titled the 'Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026,' the tribunal can issue such orders after verifying the authenticity of applications submitted by heirs. The amendment also removes the requirement for prior approval from the commission for the spouse or dependents of a disappeared person to initiate legal proceedings. The new provision modifies Section 23 of the 2025 ordinance, overriding the seven-year rule under Section 108 of the Evidence Act, 1872.

Until specific regulations are formulated, the tribunal will determine the procedure for such applications independently.

NCP candidate for Panchagarh-1, Sarjis Alam, stated at a press conference in Panchagarh on Wednesday that a discrepancy in his election affidavit was due to a typing mistake by his lawyer. He explained that his income was mistakenly listed as 2.8 million taka instead of 0.9 million, calling it an unintentional error that was later corrected through proper legal procedures. The returning officer, he said, declared his candidacy valid as the major information in the affidavit was accurate.

During the briefing, Alam accused propaganda pages linked to the Awami League of spreading misinformation and fake content about him on social media. He urged the government and the Election Commission to take legal action against such disinformation. He also alleged that BNP grassroots activists were threatening NCP supporters and their families, warning that such intimidation and misuse of power could undermine the fairness of the upcoming election.

Alam called on the media to maintain professionalism and neutrality before the election, emphasizing that transparent journalism is essential for a fair electoral process.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher has alleged that district commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police (SPs) are engaging in discriminatory behavior. He made the remarks on Wednesday after meeting with the Election Commission (EC), speaking to journalists about the issue.

Taher stated that field-level administration officials, particularly DCs and SPs, are not maintaining neutrality and are acting in a biased manner in various situations. He said such conduct is obstructing the creation of a fair electoral environment. During the meeting, the Jamaat delegation urged the Election Commission to ensure administrative neutrality and to create a level playing field for all political parties.

The allegations highlight Jamaat’s concerns about fairness in the electoral process and the role of local administration in maintaining impartiality during elections.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that law enforcement agencies will be deployed across Bangladesh for seven days surrounding the upcoming parliamentary election and referendum. According to a circular issued on Wednesday, security forces will remain in the field from February 8 to 14, covering four days before the vote, election day on February 12, and two days after.

The ministry’s circular stated that each polling center is expected to have between 13 and 18 members of law enforcement on duty. More than 700,000 personnel will be engaged in maintaining election security. Among them, around 550,000 will be Ansar and VDP members assigned to polling centers, while over 90,000 will come from the armed forces. Additional forces from the police, RAB, BGB, and Coast Guard will also participate.

The deployment aims to ensure a secure environment during the national election and referendum period, as outlined in the ministry’s directive.

Dr. Reza Kibria, the BNP-nominated candidate for the Habiganj-1 (Nabiganj-Bahubal) constituency, has been issued a show-cause notice over alleged violations of the electoral code of conduct. The notice was confirmed on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, by Abu Hasnat Mohammad Arefin, the district commissioner and returning officer. It had been issued earlier on Monday, January 5, instructing Kibria to provide a written explanation regarding specific allegations and to clarify why legal action should not be taken against him.

According to election authorities, the notice was prompted by accusations that several provisions of the electoral code were breached. Kibria has been directed to submit his written response by January 14. Officials stated that further action may be taken if his explanation is found unsatisfactory after review.

The case remains under examination by the election authorities, who will determine subsequent measures based on the adequacy of the candidate’s response.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee member Dr. Abdul Moin Khan said the 2008 national election was meticulously organized by various powerful forces. Speaking on Wednesday at a memorial meeting for Begum Khaleda Zia organized by the Nationalist Alliance at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, he questioned how a popular party like the BNP could win only 30 to 35 seats out of 300 if the process had been fair.

Moin Khan alleged that a section of actors at the time sought to depoliticize Bangladesh, but he asserted that the people are now alert and will not allow any domestic or foreign power to control the country’s politics. He described Begum Khaleda Zia as immensely popular, noting her multiple electoral victories as proof of public support. He added that from 2008 to 2025, she endured false cases and attacks but remained steadfast.

He further stated that the events of August 5, 2024, marked a victory for truth, showing that those who harmed the country were defeated and that Khaleda Zia’s integrity was vindicated in the eyes of the people.

Vote counting for the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JnUSU) election is ongoing, with results from 23 of 39 centers officially announced by the Election Commission. According to the latest figures, Shibir-backed candidate Riazul Islam is leading the vice president race with 2,819 votes, while his rival, AKM Rakib from the Chhatra Dal-backed panel, has received 2,691 votes. Shibir-supported candidates are also maintaining strong leads in the general secretary and assistant general secretary positions.

In the general secretary race, Shibir’s Arif has secured 2,980 votes, ahead of Khadijatul Kubra with 1,239 votes. For assistant general secretary, Shibir’s Masud has 2,656 votes, followed by Atikul Rahman Tanzil with 2,350 votes. The long-awaited JnUSU election was held on Tuesday after several postponements. Out of 16,445 registered voters, 66 percent cast their ballots across 39 centers and 178 booths.

The election included 190 candidates contesting for positions in both the central and hall unions, with 8,479 female and 8,170 male voters participating.

BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman held a meeting with leaders of Gulshan Thana BNP and its affiliated organizations on Wednesday afternoon at the BNP chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. The meeting was part of his preparations to contest the upcoming 13th parliamentary election from the Dhaka-17 constituency.

The session was attended by key party figures including Dhaka-17 election coordinator Abdus Salam, BNP chairperson’s adviser Dr. Forhad Halim Donar, Jubo Dal president Abdul Monayem Munna, Dhaka North BNP joint convener Mostafizur Rahman Segun, Dhaka North Jubo Dal president Sharif Uddin Jewel, member secretary Sazzatul Miraj, Chhatra Dal general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir, and Gulshan Thana BNP member secretary Md. Shahjahan. Leaders and activists from Gulshan Thana BNP and its associate bodies were also present.

The meeting focused on organizational coordination and election preparedness within the Dhaka-17 constituency, signaling the party’s early mobilization efforts for the upcoming national polls.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the government’s proposal for dialogue aimed at resolving the ongoing political crisis. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced the decision on Tuesday near Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where party founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan remains imprisoned. The statement was reported by Geo News.

Gohar Ali Khan said PTI never refused talks but questioned how discussions could proceed without meeting Imran Khan. He noted that party representatives visit every Tuesday but have been denied access to Khan for over a month. PTI Secretary General Barrister Salman Akram Raja stated that no dialogue could progress without the founder’s participation, while PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar urged the government to create a suitable environment for talks. Earlier, the Prime Minister’s political adviser Rana Sanaullah said political progress was impossible without building trust at the highest level.

Imran Khan was ousted from power in April 2022 through a no-confidence motion and has been in jail since August 2023 facing multiple cases, including corruption and terrorism charges.

Rashed Pradhan, vice president and spokesperson of the National Democratic Party (JAGPA), said that fifteen years after the killing of Felani at the border, justice has still not been served. Speaking at a rally in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar-Paltan area on Wednesday, he alleged that the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) killed 34 Bangladeshis in 2025 without accountability. He called for a firm response to such incidents, claiming that India’s border guards only understand the language of bullets.

Pradhan also criticized the Indian government for what he described as false allegations of Hindu persecution in Bangladesh and questioned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s relationship with Delhi. He urged voters to support Islamic and patriotic alliances in upcoming elections to end what he termed Indian dominance and aggression. The protest was organized by JAGPA to mark Felani Murder Day and was attended by party leaders including Iqbal Hossain, Asadur Rahman Khan, Syed Shafiqul Islam, and others.

The event reflected JAGPA’s continued opposition to Indian influence and its demand for stronger national policy on border security and sovereignty.