Authorities have imposed Section 144 around the Chief Adviser’s residence in the Jamuna area of Dhaka on Friday afternoon, according to the DMP Commissioner. Six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed near Kakrail Mosque and Hotel Intercontinental to secure the state residence. The move follows escalating protests by government employees demanding publication and implementation of the ninth pay scale gazette.

Earlier in the day, demonstrators under the banner of the Government Employees Demand Implementation Unity Council began a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar before marching toward Shahbagh and Jamuna. Police initially blocked them at Shahbagh, later using tear gas, sound grenades, and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Despite several dispersal attempts, protesters regrouped and continued toward Jamuna, leading to further clashes and injuries.

The employees had previously observed work stoppages for several days, extending their strike duration from two to four hours nationwide. Their current demand centers on immediate publication and enforcement of the new pay scale effective from January 1.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, a partner in the 11-party alliance, announced its manifesto for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election at its central office in Purana Paltan on Friday. Party chief Allama Mamunul Haque presented the manifesto, pledging to build a new Bangladesh based on justice, integrity, and humane Islamic governance. The manifesto outlines 22 commitments across six priority areas, including balanced development, good governance, national security, foreign policy, education reform, and youth employment.

The party emphasized ending the culture of enforced disappearances, killings, and corruption, calling for state reform grounded in truth, justice, and accountability. It proposed a welfare-oriented state ensuring citizens’ basic rights to food, shelter, healthcare, education, and justice. The manifesto also supports a professional defense system, an independent foreign policy, and a unified moral education framework. It promises employment guarantees for youth and equal rights for women across all sectors.

Mamunul Haque described the manifesto as a moral duty rather than a political promise, asserting that a state built on piety, justice, and humane governance would ensure peace, prosperity, and security for all citizens.

Lebanese Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal met this week with top US military official General Dan Kane, following the cancellation of Haykal’s previously planned Washington visit. A spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that Kane met Haykal on Tuesday and Qatar’s defense chief the day before. The meetings reaffirmed the importance of the United States’ enduring defense relationships in the Middle East.

Haykal’s Washington trip, scheduled for November 2025, was canceled just hours before departure after US political and military officials withdrew from all planned meetings. Reports at the time indicated that influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham played a role in the decision. Graham had accused Haykal of failing to take effective steps to disarm Hezbollah and said their meeting was abruptly shortened after he questioned whether Lebanon’s military considered Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Last month, the Lebanese army announced completion of the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, implemented between the Israeli border and the Litani River region.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit three northern districts of Bangladesh on Saturday, beginning with Thakurgaon, followed by Nilphamari and Dinajpur. During the trip, he will attend election rallies and later visit the graves of his grandparents and aunt. The visit marks his first return to Thakurgaon in 23 years, and local BNP leaders and supporters are preparing for large gatherings at Thakurgaon Boys High School field, where the main rally will be held.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, whose constituency includes Thakurgaon, has urged party members and supporters to attend the event. Police have confirmed that security preparations are complete for the visit. Local residents and party activists have expressed excitement about seeing Tarique Rahman in person after nearly two decades, viewing his presence as significant for the region’s development.

Following the Thakurgaon rally, Tarique Rahman will travel to Nilphamari and then to Birampur in Dinajpur, an area connected to his mother’s memories. BNP Standing Committee member Dr. A Z M Zahid Hossain said public attendance at the rallies will demonstrate the people’s affection for the Zia family and Tarique Rahman.

In East London’s Bangladeshi community, conversations about Bangladesh’s upcoming February 12 national election have intensified as expatriates gain the right to vote for the first time. The election follows the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the installation of an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has banned Hasina’s Awami League from contesting. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, now led by Tarique Rahman, and the Jamaat-e-Islami in alliance with the National Citizen Party are among the main contenders. For many in Britain’s large Bangladeshi diaspora, the vote carries emotional and symbolic weight after decades of exclusion.

Despite new rights, participation remains limited. Only about 32,000 Bangladeshi citizens in the UK have registered to vote, compared with millions in Gulf countries. Complex registration procedures, lack of awareness, and technological barriers have discouraged many, particularly older voters. Younger British Bangladeshis often feel detached from politics in Bangladesh, focusing instead on life in the UK. Some, however, view the election as a chance for long-awaited change, while others question its legitimacy after the Awami League’s ban.

The diaspora’s mixed engagement underscores enduring ties to Bangladesh alongside evolving identities rooted in Britain.

Voters in Thailand will head to the polls on Sunday, February 8, 2026, in a snap election marked by political volatility and a fragile truce with Cambodia after deadly border clashes. The contest features Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party, aligned with the royalist conservative establishment, against the progressive, youth-led People’s Party. Pheu Thai, long a dominant force in Thai politics, is also seeking a comeback after its founder Thaksin Shinawatra’s imprisonment and the removal of two of its prime ministers by the courts.

The election will fill 500 seats in the House of Representatives through a mixed system, with 400 constituency and 100 party-list seats. For the first time in recent cycles, the appointed Senate will not participate in selecting the prime minister, who will require 251 votes in the House. Voters will also decide in a referendum whether to rewrite the 2017 constitution drafted under military rule. Polls show the People’s Party leading, followed by Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai trailing.

Analysts say no party is expected to win an outright majority, making coalition-building inevitable but potentially unstable. The vote is widely viewed as a test of whether Thailand can end decades of coups, protests, and judicial interventions.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said his party would ensure equal justice for all if it came to power. Speaking at an election campaign rally on Friday morning at Patahat RC College field in Mehendiganj upazila of Barishal, he stated that the same law would apply to both ordinary citizens and the president. He emphasized that Jamaat seeks victory not for itself but for all 180 million people of Bangladesh, aiming to build a fair and inclusive nation.

Rahman pledged that under Jamaat’s rule, no extrajudicial killings would occur, referring to frequent incidents before August 5. He criticized the Awami League for alleged oppression and inequality after independence, claiming that despite changes in government, the nation’s fate had not improved. He described Jamaat as the most oppressed political group, yet committed to speaking for public interest.

He added that the 11-party alliance was determined to establish a humane, discrimination-free Bangladesh and eradicate corruption. Several senior Jamaat and allied leaders attended the event.

Political dynamics in the Comilla-5 (Burichang–Brahmanpara) constituency have become increasingly complex ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election. Two candidates from the 11-party alliance are contesting: Jamaat-e-Islami’s Advocate Mobarak Hossain, a former Islami Chhatra Shibir leader, and Barrister Zubair Ahmed, joint secretary general of Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party. Observers note that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate, Haji Jasim Uddin, appears to be in a comparatively favorable position.

Both alliance candidates are actively campaigning, but their simultaneous presence has reportedly confused voters. Political analysts believe this split may benefit the BNP contender. Jamaat and AB Party leaders confirmed that only two constituencies nationwide—Comilla-5 and Sunamganj-3—feature both parties’ candidates under a mutual understanding within the 11-party coalition. Jamaat’s candidate expects AB Party to withdraw soon, while AB’s Zubair Ahmed insists he is running independently and is confident of victory.

The 11-party alliance, announced on January 15 in Dhaka, allocated 179 seats to Jamaat and three to AB Party. Local leaders say the overlapping nominations in Comilla-5 are part of the coalition’s agreed flexibility.

Norwegian authorities have opened an investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland on suspicion of aggravated corruption following disclosures about his connections with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move follows the release of U.S. Department of Justice documents showing years of communication between Jagland and Epstein, including emails suggesting Jagland stayed at Epstein’s residence. Norway’s white-collar crime unit, Okokrim, said it found reasonable grounds to investigate and has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to revoke Jagland’s immunity as a former head of an international organisation.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that Jagland’s immunity should not obstruct the investigation and announced Norway would propose its revocation to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. Jagland’s lawyer did not immediately comment but was quoted by local media as saying his client welcomed the inquiry and remained calm about its outcome.

The investigation comes amid broader scrutiny in Norway over ties between prominent figures and Epstein. The World Economic Forum also launched a review into its CEO Borge Brende’s past interactions with Epstein, underscoring growing pressure for transparency among Norwegian elites.

A three-way contest is unfolding in the Jessore-5 (Monirampur) constituency ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election, with the main competition expected between BNP’s expelled rebel candidate Shahid Md. Iqbal Hossain and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Gazi Enamul Haque. The BNP-led alliance’s official nominee, former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Rashid Ahmad, is reportedly trailing behind. Iqbal Hossain was initially nominated by the BNP but was later expelled after refusing to withdraw his candidacy when the seat was allocated to Jamiat as part of a joint anti-fascist movement arrangement.

Local reports indicate that most BNP activists in Monirampur are campaigning for Iqbal Hossain, while only a few support the official BNP symbol candidate. The constituency has about 375,000 voters, including roughly 100,000 religious minorities, many of whom are said to back Iqbal. His long-standing local presence and previous tenure as three-time mayor have strengthened his influence. Jamaat’s campaign, however, remains active, particularly among women voters.

Iqbal Hossain expressed full confidence in his victory, while Jamaat’s campaign committee stated they are on the path to success, identifying Iqbal as their main rival.

As the election date nears, campaigning in Barishal-2 constituency has become increasingly competitive, with candidates and supporters canvassing from morning to night. Voters say they prefer honest and capable candidates. Although eight contenders are running, the main contest appears to be between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami nominees, both striving to attract Awami League voters, whose support could determine the outcome.

BNP has nominated industrialist and education enthusiast S. Sarfuddin Ahmed Santu, but internal divisions have weakened his campaign. Several BNP leaders who were denied nomination have refrained from joining his campaign, and some have defected to Jamaat. This has created mixed reactions locally. Jamaat’s candidate, Master Abdul Mannan, is seen as honest though less popular, while BNP’s Santu remains widely known. Other strong candidates include JASAD’s Abul Kalam Azad Badol, a former local chairman.

Election officials report that law and order in Barishal-2 remains under control, with no incidents of political violence so far. The constituency, comprising Uzirpur and Banaripara upazilas, has 385,807 voters and 140 polling centers. Observers note that Awami League supporters’ voting direction could decide the final result.

Two days before Japan’s snap election, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly declared his full support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi through a message on Truth Social. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, took office in October and is hoping for a major victory in Sunday’s vote. Polls suggest her ruling coalition could secure a supermajority in parliament. Trump praised Takaichi as a strong and wise leader who loves her country and confirmed she will visit the United States on March 19.

Trump said the U.S. and Japan are moving toward an important trade agreement and cooperating closely on national security. His endorsement breaks with the usual U.S. presidential practice of avoiding involvement in foreign elections, though Trump has previously supported leaders such as Argentina’s Javier Milei and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Takaichi earlier welcomed Trump warmly in Japan and supported his Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

Polls indicate Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party has regained strength after past scandals and inflation challenges. Analysts suggest a strong mandate could allow her to advance economic and security reforms if her coalition achieves a two-thirds majority.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that his country will deliver a firm and equal response to any provocation from India. He issued the warning on Thursday during a special address in Azad Kashmir marking Kashmir Solidarity Day, according to The News. Sharif stated that Pakistan would respond directly from the front where any provocation originates.

In his speech, Sharif accused India of conducting terrorism in Pakistan through proxies following its defeat in the war last May. He said regional peace would remain impossible until India abandons what he described as its aggressive, expansionist, and hegemonic ambitions. The prime minister emphasized that Pakistan’s armed forces and security agencies would counter any India-backed terrorist activity with the same determination and skill shown in confronting enemy warplanes.

Sharif reiterated that Pakistan seeks peace based on equality and justice, describing the recent military success as both a demonstration of professional strength and a tribute to the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people.

Nasir Uddin Nasir, the central general secretary of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, has called on voters in the Cumilla-4 (Debidwar) constituency to elect Jasim Uddin, the Gano Adhikar Parishad candidate, who is contesting under the truck symbol. His appeal was made through a Facebook post on Thursday night, where he urged supporters of BNP, Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, Krishak Dal, and Sramik Dal, as well as the general public, to create a mass wave in favor of the truck symbol.

In his post, Nasir mentioned that Hasnat Abdullah, the Jamaat-led alliance candidate, is also contesting in the same constituency and described him as a young leader who emerged from the July mass uprising. He emphasized that true leadership is proven through competitive elections rather than uncontested victories and expressed hope for a strong contest between Hasnat Abdullah and Jasim Uddin.

Nasir further described Jasim Uddin as an important participant in the anti-fascist joint movement and reiterated his call to voters to support him in the upcoming election.

The interim government has asked the Election Commission (EC) for clarification on three specific legal and regulatory issues related to campaigning in favor of the ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum linked to the July Charter. According to official sources, the move aims to prevent confusion or crisis among political parties, voters, and the EC ahead of the vote. The government’s questions concern the permissible duration of campaigning, the possibility of setting up separate campaign booths on polling day, and whether separate polling agents can be appointed for the referendum.

In response, EC officials said they have provided explanations based on the Referendum Ordinance 2025 and relevant election regulations. The EC confirmed that both the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum will be held on February 12, with all campaigning to stop 48 hours before polling begins, meaning after 7:30 a.m. on February 10. The EC also clarified that no separate booths will be set up by the commission, though the government may establish its own campaign booths without official assistance, and no separate polling agents may be appointed for the referendum.

Under the Referendum Ordinance 2025 and the Representation of the People Order 1972, public officials may raise awareness about the referendum but cannot campaign for or against any side, as such actions are legally punishable.