Bangladesh’s joint forces are set to begin a nationwide operation aimed at maintaining law and order ahead of the upcoming national election. Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazl Md. Sanaullah announced the initiative on Sunday during a special meeting organized by the Cox’s Bazar district administration. He said the operation will focus on three primary objectives and that a circular from the Ministry of Home Affairs is expected to be issued soon.

According to Sanaullah, the first goal of the operation is to recover illegal weapons and prevent their misuse during the election period. The second objective is to arrest identified criminals and bring them under legal action. The third is to ensure compliance with the electoral code of conduct, with joint forces intervening in major violations while routine committees handle minor issues. He also instructed law enforcement agencies to seal Rohingya camps and strengthen surveillance along land and sea borders to prevent criminal activities.

The Election Commission has already held meetings with all force chiefs, and all headquarters have been informed about the operation’s scope and directives.

NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain said the party plans to contest the upcoming national election in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami to build a corruption-free and reformed Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Sunday after a meeting between NCP representatives and senior officials of the US Embassy at the party’s temporary central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka. Hossain explained that the NCP and Jamaat share similar reform goals, which led to a natural alignment between them.

During the meeting, the NCP delegation briefed the US officials on the political and law-and-order situation, including recent killings and the lack of a level playing field. Hossain said the US representatives viewed the people’s democratic choices positively. He added that the NCP aims to maintain Bangladesh’s long-standing friendly relations with the United States while safeguarding national interests in foreign policy.

Hossain also mentioned that seat-sharing discussions within the alliance are ongoing and final decisions will be announced soon. The NCP expects to cross the electoral threshold with support from its 11-party coalition.

A court in Habiganj has granted bail to Mahdi Hasan, the member secretary of the district branch of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. He was brought to court under strict security on Sunday after being arrested on charges of obstructing police duties and issuing threats. The bail was approved by Judicial Magistrate Abdul Mannan following a hearing, with two guarantors and a bond of 200 taka.

According to local sources, advocates M.A. Majid and Abdul Malek filed the bail petition on Mahdi’s behalf. His arrest followed an incident on January 2, when police detained a student named Nazmul Hasan Noyon, an active member of the same movement. Mahdi went to the police station to seek his release, during which his remarks reportedly angered the police. He was arrested the next day, January 3.

Following Mahdi’s detention, protests were reported in Habiganj, Dhaka, and other parts of the country. He was formally charged with obstructing police work and making threats before being presented to the court.

NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain described the Election Commission’s decision to allow the Jatiya Party to contest in the upcoming polls as an 'agency game'. Speaking to reporters on Sunday at the party’s temporary central office in Banglamotor after a meeting with senior officials from the US Embassy, he urged the commission not to permit the Jatiya Party, which he said had created autocracy, to take part in the election. He alleged that the commission was exploiting legal loopholes to facilitate the party’s participation.

NCP joint convener Sultan Mohammad Zakaria said the United States viewed positively the alliance between NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami, which he described as 'natural allies' sharing common reform and justice goals. He detailed that a four-member NCP delegation had earlier met US Embassy officials to discuss election preparations, political risks, and possible technical assistance from the US side.

Zakaria added that the hour-long discussion also covered mutual cooperation as development partners and that the US diplomats appreciated NCP’s stance against dominance and for ensuring justice after the election.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced that the party’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, will formally assume the position of chairman within the next few days. He made the statement on Sunday evening during an exchange with journalists in Sylhet, following visits to the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal and Shah Paran.

Mirza Fakhrul stated that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will begin its election campaign from Sylhet, describing the upcoming election as crucial for the nation. He said that citizens have long been deprived of their voting rights. Referring to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, he remarked that she made a dignified exit through democratic struggle and expressed hope for building the democratic Bangladesh she had envisioned.

Addressing other political parties, Mirza Fakhrul urged them to make use of the current opportunity, emphasizing that democracy and democratic culture cannot be established overnight. He also expressed determination to form a democratic parliament.

A total of 2,568 candidates submitted nomination papers for Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election. After four days of scrutiny, the Election Commission (EC) announced on Sunday that 1,842 candidates were declared valid while 726 nominations were rejected for various irregularities. The rejected candidates include Jatiya Party faction chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud and independent candidate Tasnim Zara. Appeals against acceptance or rejection can be filed from January 5 to 9 at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, with hearings scheduled between January 10 and 18. Voting is set for February 12.

The EC cited reasons such as false or missing affidavit information, concealment of cases, loan default, dual citizenship, and inconsistencies in voter signatures for independent candidates. In Dhaka, 63 nominations were rejected, though all BNP candidates were declared valid. Several candidates, including from BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and smaller parties, said they would appeal the decisions. Regional officials confirmed that scrutiny was completed across most constituencies by Saturday.

The appeal process may alter the final list of candidates before the February election, depending on EC rulings.

Masud Saeedi, Jamaat-e-Islami’s nominated candidate for the Pirojpur-1 constituency and former chairman of Jhalokathi’s Jianagar Upazila Parishad, alleged that India is continuously conspiring to prove Bangladesh a failed state. He made the remarks on Sunday afternoon while addressing a gathering of associate members at the Jamaat-e-Islami office in Nazirpur Upazila, Pirojpur. Saeedi said that those who shed blood in July must not be betrayed, and vowed to build a united and new Bangladesh despite any conspiracies.

He urged all political parties to remain united on national issues following the recent mass uprising, emphasizing that ideological differences should not divide the country’s interests. Saeedi stated that Jamaat-e-Islami seeks a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Bangladesh and called for collective efforts to restore social harmony through the creation of a welfare-oriented state.

The event, presided over by Nazirpur Upazila Jamaat Amir Maulana Abdur Razzak, was attended by several local Jamaat leaders, including former upazila amirs and departmental heads.

The Election Commission (EC) has instructed all political parties and independent candidates contesting the upcoming national parliamentary election not to exceed the prescribed size of election symbols during campaign activities. The directive, issued through the EC’s verified Facebook page on Sunday, limits the length, width, and height of campaign symbols to a maximum of three meters. The EC also prohibited the use or display of live animals as election symbols, emphasizing that such practices are completely forbidden.

According to the election schedule, the scrutiny of nomination papers concluded on Sunday. Appeals against returning officers’ decisions can be filed from January 5 to 9, with resolution scheduled between January 10 and 18. The deadline for withdrawal of candidacy is January 20, and final candidate lists with symbol allocations will be published on January 21. Campaigning will begin on January 22 and continue until 7:30 a.m. on February 10, while voting is set for February 12.

The EC’s directive aims to ensure uniformity and discipline in campaign displays ahead of the national election.

Top business leaders of Bangladesh held a meeting with BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday at the party chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. The meeting brought together prominent figures from major trade and business organizations across the country.

Among those present were former FBCCI president Mir Nasir Hossain, BCI president Anwar-ul Alam Chowdhury, BKMEA president Mohammad Hatem, former BTMA president Matin Chowdhury, and MCCI president Kamran T Rahman. Also attending were BSMA president Moinul Islam Swapon, BAB president Abdul Hai Sarkar, Transcom Group and ICC Bangladesh CEO Simeen Rahman, and Uttara Motors Corporation Limited chairman Matiur Rahman, along with heads of other leading business groups.

The report did not specify the agenda or outcomes of the meeting, focusing solely on the participants and venue details.

In Kurigram-3 (Ulipur) constituency, the nomination paper of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Barrister Mahbubul Alam Salehi was canceled on Sunday by District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Annapurna Debnath. The decision followed earlier suspension of his nomination over dual citizenship allegations. Salehi appeared at the returning officer’s office within the given deadline with required documents, but officials reportedly declared the nomination invalid without reviewing them, prompting protests from his supporters.

Witnesses said the cancellation announcement was made hastily, ignoring requests to verify the submitted papers. Around 200 to 250 Jamaat activists demonstrated outside the district administration office following the decision. Salehi told reporters that he was denied a fair opportunity to present his documents and alleged that the move might be politically motivated. Local lawyer Khaja Moin Uddin and Kurigram Press Club’s general secretary Mahfuzur Rahman also criticized the process.

Assistant Commissioner Abu Bakkar Siddique, acting officer of the district returning office, stated that inconsistencies in the submitted nomination led to its rejection, adding that the candidate could appeal within the legally prescribed timeframe.

Mahdi Amin has been appointed as the spokesperson for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) central election management committee. The announcement was made on Sunday in Dhaka’s Gulshan area following a committee meeting chaired by Nazrul Islam Khan, who stated that Amin will now conduct regular briefings on behalf of the committee. Mahdi Amin also serves as an adviser to the party’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman.

Earlier, the first meeting of the committee on managing the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election was held at the BNP’s election office on Gulshan 90 Road. The committee, formed last Thursday night, consists of 41 members. Nazrul Islam Khan, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, was appointed chairman, while Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was named member secretary. Md. Ismail Jabirullah was assigned as the chief coordinator.

The formation of the committee marks a key organizational step for the BNP as it prepares for the upcoming parliamentary election, with Mahdi Amin now responsible for communicating the committee’s activities to the public.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has rejected a defense request to have foreign experts examine a phone conversation between former law minister Anisul Huq and former prime minister’s adviser on industry and investment Salman F Rahman. The call record was presented by the prosecution in a case alleging that the two incited violence and imposed a curfew to kill students and civilians during the July uprising. The three-member panel, led by Justice Md Golam Murtuza Majumdar, issued the order on Sunday and scheduled the next hearing on the defendants’ discharge petition for Tuesday.

During the hearing, defense lawyers argued that foreign specialists should verify the authenticity of the call recordings to ensure fairness. The tribunal chairman ruled that the law does not permit such examination and dismissed the request. The court also discussed a pending application to appoint foreign lawyers, instructing the defense to first obtain approval from the Bar Council.

Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam opposed further delays, accusing the defense of prolonging proceedings. The tribunal granted the defense two final days to prepare, setting January 6 for the next hearing.

Members of Bangladesh’s Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances have concluded that most abductions were politically motivated. The commission submitted its final report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday at the state guesthouse Jamuna. The report stated that 1,913 complaints were received, of which 1,569 met the definition of enforced disappearance, including 287 categorized as “missing and dead.” The commission found evidence linking former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her defense adviser Tariq Ahmed Siddiq, and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan to several high-profile disappearance cases.

Commission member Nabila Idris said the total number of victims could range between 4,000 and 6,000, as many cases remain unreported. The report noted that 75 percent of those who returned alive were Jamaat-e-Islami activists, while 68 percent of those still missing were affiliated with the BNP. The commission also identified the Baleshwar River in Barishal as a major site for killings and body disposals.

Chief Adviser Yunus praised the commission’s work, calling it historic and urging that the findings be made accessible to the public. He directed further mapping of extrajudicial killing sites and recommended institutional reforms to prevent future abuses.

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, known as a close ally of Nicolás Maduro, has been sworn in by the country’s Supreme Court after the United States removed Maduro from power. The court itself remains loyal to Maduro’s political movement, and his supporters continue to occupy key positions in the state apparatus. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier claim that the United States would run Venezuela, the report notes that Maduro’s allies still hold real control over the government.

Rodríguez has stated that Venezuela will defend itself, while Trump has expressed hope that she will cooperate with Washington, particularly regarding expanded U.S. access to Venezuela’s oil resources. Although U.S. troops are not currently present in Venezuela, Trump has not ruled out that possibility. The depiction of Maduro’s detention by the United States serves as a warning to his remaining loyalists.

The report adds that while Maduro’s allies remain in office on paper, their actual ability to resist U.S. pressure is uncertain, leaving questions about the country’s true sovereignty.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazl Mohammad stated that no indirect or covert instructions for malpractice have been or will be given in the election process. Speaking on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at a meeting in Ukhiya Upazila Parishad auditorium, Cox’s Bazar, he urged election officials to remain neutral, fearless, and law-abiding in performing their duties. He emphasized that the commission’s directives are based on transparency, impartiality, and firmness.

He described the upcoming election as an opportunity to restore the image of political institutions, the Election Commission, administration, and police. Warning officials to stay alert against individuals posing as friends with malicious intent, he cited the killing of Osman Hadi as a cautionary example. He also noted that political parties are largely following the code of conduct better than in previous elections, with no major incidents except the one in Dhaka.

The commissioner instructed strict measures to prevent Rohingyas from leaving camps during the election and announced that joint forces will soon launch operations to recover illegal weapons and curb terrorism. He also called on political parties to promote awareness about the referendum among voters.