In the haor areas of Sunamganj, the 13th National Parliamentary Election campaign has lost its usual festive atmosphere due to a ban on posters. Previously, villages, markets, and streets would be covered with campaign posters, creating a celebratory mood despite environmental harm. This year, the Election Commission has prohibited the use of posters, banners, and non-biodegradable materials such as polythene and plastic, with the campaign period running from January 21 to February 10.

Residents in remote villages have expressed concern that without posters, low-income and elderly voters lacking smartphones are unable to access digital campaign information. Voters said they used to identify candidates through posters, but now struggle to do so. However, many citizens and environmentalists welcomed the cleaner surroundings, noting that walls, roads, and markets remain tidy.

Environmental expert Saiful Alam Chowdhury described the poster-free campaign as a timely step for environmental protection, though he acknowledged that the election’s festive spirit has diminished compared to previous years.

President Md. Shahabuddin has registered to cast his vote through postal ballot in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The confirmation came on Tuesday afternoon from K.M. Ali Newaz, Project Director of the Postal Vote Project and Additional Secretary of the Election Commission (EC). EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed stated that the President expressed his wish to vote by postal ballot, and necessary arrangements will be made through an app. After registration, the postal ballot will be sent to the head of state by mail.

According to the EC, the President had also voted by postal ballot in the previous 12th parliamentary election. This time, the Election Commission has introduced an IT-supported postal voting system, allowing eligible voters to register online and cast their votes through postal ballots.

The new digital registration process marks a modernization of the postal voting system, aiming to make participation more accessible for voters unable to attend polling stations in person.

In Barguna, members of the student organization Chhatra Dal held a human chain protest demanding the arrest and exemplary punishment of expelled Jamaat-e-Islami leader Md. Shamim Ahsan. The demonstration took place on Tuesday morning at Barguna Government College, following Ahsan’s negative remarks about the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU).

According to the report, the Barguna district unit of Jamaat-e-Islami has already taken disciplinary action against Shamim Ahsan. He was removed from all party responsibilities, his membership was suspended, and he was relieved of all election-related duties. The protest by Chhatra Dal was organized in direct response to his comments and sought legal accountability for his actions.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions between student and political groups in Barguna, with calls for further action against individuals making controversial statements about national student institutions.

Barguna district unit of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expelled its joint general secretary Shamim Ahsan from all organizational responsibilities and suspended his party membership. The decision was announced on Monday through a notice signed by district Jamaat Ameer Maulana Mohibullah Harun. Ahsan was also relieved of all election-related duties following his controversial comments about Dhaka University’s central student union (Daksu) during a campaign rally.

According to the notice, Ahsan made the remarks last Saturday while campaigning for Jamaat candidate Sultan Ahmed in Patharghata’s Katakhali area under Barguna-2 constituency. His comments, which spread widely on social media, sparked nationwide criticism and anger. The party stated that his remarks hurt current and former students of Dhaka University and damaged Jamaat’s image, violating its principles and ideals.

Confirming the decision, district Jamaat Ameer Mohibullah Harun described Ahsan’s comments as inappropriate and undesirable, adding that the expulsion was made following the district executive committee’s resolution.

In Nilphamari-1 (Domar-Dimla) constituency, activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are reportedly showing little involvement in the election campaign of their alliance partner Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s factional secretary general, Maulana Manjurul Islam Afendi. This lack of participation from BNP’s local leaders and workers has created negative reactions among local voters, according to the report.

Although BNP’s district committees and affiliated organizations have issued instructions for full participation in campaign activities across the two upazilas of the constituency, these directives have not been reflected in practice. Sources within BNP said that engineer Shahrin Islam Chowdhury, a cousin of Tarique Rahman, had long been active as a potential BNP candidate for this seat but was replaced when the party allocated the constituency to its alliance partner Jamiat. As a result, Tuhin, another BNP figure, contested from Nilphamari-2, leaving most of his supporters concentrated there and weakening the alliance’s campaign in Nilphamari-1.

Maulana Afendi stated that he is receiving strong public support and remains unconcerned about the situation.

Nasiruddin Patwari, the Dhaka-8 parliamentary candidate nominated by the 11-party alliance, has alleged that he was attacked by members of the student organization Chhatra Dal during the campaign for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The incident reportedly occurred around 11 a.m. on Tuesday in the Habibullah Bahar College area of the capital. Following the attack, Patwari and his supporters gathered at the Shantinagar intersection, where he claimed that eggs were thrown at him.

According to a statement from the NCP media cell, Patwari had attended an event at Habibullah Bahar College as an invited guest when individuals identifying themselves as Chhatra Dal members allegedly carried out the assault. The report did not mention any injuries or arrests related to the incident.

The alleged attack took place amid ongoing election campaigning activities in Dhaka-8, highlighting tensions surrounding the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has drafted the ‘CAAB Property Lease Regulations 2026’ to restructure the management of immovable assets under the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). The draft was sent to CAAB for feedback within three working days, a timeline the authority called unrealistic and hasty. CAAB formally objected to the ministry, citing the regulation’s complexity and its implications for airport operations, passenger services, national security, and international obligations. The ministry also published the draft on its website seeking public opinion.

In a letter signed by CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq, the authority warned that several clauses could conflict with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, potentially affecting Bangladesh’s international audits. CAAB argued that the draft may interfere with its legal jurisdiction under the Civil Aviation Authority Act 2017 and risk administrative and operational complications. The agency also opposed forming lease and monitoring committees lacking technical expertise and warned against open tenders for airside areas.

Separately, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Rajin Ahmed requested extending the public feedback period by at least three weeks, noting over 500 submissions and emphasizing that public consultation is a mandatory procedural requirement under government rules.

Hasnat Abdullah, the 11-party alliance candidate led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for Comilla-4 (Debidwar), warned that some groups are planning to seize polling centers and steal votes. Speaking at a courtyard meeting on Tuesday morning, January 27, 2026, at Wahedpur Ghoshaibari field in Subil Union, he urged supporters to guard polling centers after Fajr prayers and to hand over anyone attempting to capture centers to the police.

Abdullah said that preventing vote theft no longer requires political leaders, as those who joined the July movement will resist it. He claimed that the politics of vote rigging ended after Hasina’s departure and warned that anyone attempting to manipulate the election would face similar consequences. He also dismissed propaganda suggesting that a “yes” vote in the referendum would remove “Bismillah” from the constitution, urging voters to cast two votes—one for the Shapla symbol and one for “yes.”

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

A total of 766,862 expatriate voters registered through the Postal Vote BD mobile app have received their postal ballots for the 13th National Parliament Election and referendum, according to Salim Ahmad Khan, team leader of the OCV-SDI project. As of 10:30 a.m. on January 27, 493,920 expatriate voters had accepted their ballots, and 425,788 had completed voting. Additionally, 370,322 ballots were submitted to post offices or mailboxes abroad, while 21,508 ballots had already reached Bangladesh.

Khan stated that a total of 1,533,683 voters, both domestic and expatriate, registered through the Postal Vote BD app to participate in the election and referendum. The initiative aims to facilitate participation of overseas Bangladeshis in the national voting process through digital registration and postal ballot distribution.

The progress indicates a significant level of engagement among expatriate voters, reflecting the growing use of digital tools in Bangladesh’s electoral process.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman on Tuesday addressed an election rally at the Jashore Central Eidgah, organized in support of 11-party candidates and the upcoming referendum. He criticized what he described as double standards by a political group that promises welfare programs while allegedly assaulting women from rival parties. Rahman warned that such behavior would not be tolerated and questioned the legitimacy of those obstructing Jamaat’s activities.

During his speech, Rahman said that those creating such situations now would make women unsafe if they came to power. He urged that any breach of conduct by Jamaat members should be reported to the party rather than taking the law into one’s own hands. He further stated that the February 12 movement would be a “revolution by ballot,” calling for unity against corruption, extortion, and authoritarianism.

Rahman also emphasized youth empowerment through employment and training instead of unemployment allowances, and pledged transparency from elected representatives regarding their wealth.

The High Court has declared the nomination of BNP candidate Sarwar Alamgir for the Chattogram-2 constituency valid. The order was issued on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, by a bench comprising Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Md Asif Hasan. Alamgir had filed a writ petition on January 20 challenging the Election Commission’s earlier decision that had canceled his nomination.

Previously, the returning officer had declared Alamgir’s nomination valid during the scrutiny process. However, an appeal was later filed with the Election Commission by Jamaat candidate Muhammad Nurul Amin, alleging that Alamgir was a loan defaulter. After a hearing on January 18, the Election Commission accepted the appeal and canceled Alamgir’s candidacy.

With the High Court’s latest order, Sarwar Alamgir regains his eligibility to contest the election from Chattogram-2, reversing the Election Commission’s earlier decision.

The Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has announced a major decision to legalize more than half a million undocumented migrants living in the country. The move follows a historic agreement that will be formalized through a royal decree expected on Tuesday, January 27. It marks Spain’s largest regularization initiative for migrants in the past two decades.

Under the new policy, individuals residing in Spain before December 31, 2025, will be eligible to apply for legal status, provided they can prove continuous residence for at least five months. Successful applicants will receive a one-year temporary residence permit, renewable thereafter. The permit will grant them the right to work legally and access Spain’s healthcare and social security systems.

Human rights organizations have welcomed the government’s decision. Officials say integrating a large number of people into the formal economy will help curb labor exploitation and boost national economic growth, with expectations of a significant rise in GDP.

Palash Mahmud has voluntarily resigned from his position as senior joint member secretary of the National Citizens Party (NCP) Habiganj district committee. On Tuesday, he submitted his written resignation letter to the central committee’s convener and member secretary through the party’s official email and WhatsApp channels.

In his resignation letter, Mahmud stated that after carefully considering personal and political realities as well as the current situation, he felt it was not appropriate to continue his duties within the existing structure. He emphasized that his decision was not a reflection of distrust or disrespect toward the party or its leadership but was made to uphold responsibility and political decorum. He requested the central leadership to accept his resignation and relieve him of his duties.

Mahmud also expressed his willingness to continue contributing individually to democratic, just, and public-interest initiatives in the future. Copies of his resignation letter were sent to the district convener, district member secretary, Sylhet divisional organizational secretary, and the chief organizer of the northern region.

The Road Safety Foundation has called on political parties to include a 13-point commitment in their upcoming election manifestos to ensure safe and people-friendly public transport across Bangladesh. In a press release issued on Tuesday, the organization said that extortion and corruption under political patronage have prevented the establishment of a sustainable transport strategy, leading to increased traffic congestion and road accidents that disproportionately harm poor and middle-class families.

The foundation’s proposals include restructuring the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to oversee BRTA, BRTC, and DRCA, ensuring transparency and management reforms, and introducing company-based modern bus services through route rationalization in the capital. It also urged the enactment of a road safety law, mandatory use of modern technology in vehicles, withdrawal of expired vehicles, institutional driver training, and trauma care centers at accident-prone highway points.

Additional recommendations include safe road design for small vehicles, regular safety audits, forming a unified transport ministry, allocating funds in the national budget for awareness programs, and creating a Tk 700 crore trust fund to support road accident victims.

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury emphasized that security and human rights are complementary in prison administration during a ceremony at the Kashimpur Prison Training Center in Gazipur on Tuesday. Speaking as the chief guest at the closing parade of the 63rd batch of female prison guards’ basic training course, he said the state must ensure prisoners’ safety and fundamental rights while preparing them to return to society as reformed citizens.

He described prisons as sensitive and vital institutions within the criminal justice system, responsible for secure detention, crime prevention, offender correction, and social reintegration. The adviser underscored the importance of fairness, transparency, and accountability in prison management and urged new recruits to serve with honesty, professionalism, and patriotism. He also warned that corruption undermines state institutions and public trust, stressing that prison staff must act for public welfare rather than personal or political gain.

The adviser inspected the parade and distributed awards to top-performing female guards in various training categories, including drill, physical training, unarmed combat, and firing.