BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to contest the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election from the Bogura-6 constituency. The announcement was made by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at a press conference held on Monday afternoon at the party chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. During the event, Fakhrul unveiled a list of 237 potential candidates across the country, adding that nominations for the remaining constituencies would be announced later, while some seats would be reserved for alliance partners. Earlier in the day, BNP’s highest policymaking body, the Standing Committee, held an emergency meeting chaired virtually from London by Tarique Rahman. The meeting focused on finalizing the party’s candidates and determining strategies amid the current political situation. According to the Election Commission, the national polls are expected in early February next year, with the election schedule likely to be announced in early December.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has unveiled a list of 237 potential candidates for the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections, notably excluding party leader Rumeen Farhana. Her name was expected for the Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail-Ashuganj) constituency, but the party has yet to announce any nominee for that seat. The list was officially presented on Monday evening at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office by Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Earlier, acting chairman Tarique Rahman led a meeting of the party’s standing committee to finalize the preliminary list. Fakhrul mentioned that after 16 years, Bangladesh is heading toward a democratic election scheduled for February. He also confirmed that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will contest from Dinajpur-3, Bogura-7, and Feni-1, while Tarique Rahman will compete in Bogura-6. Senior BNP leaders attended the press conference announcing the list.

In an interview aired on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s time in power is nearing its end. When host Norah O’Donnell asked if Maduro’s presidency was almost over, Trump replied, “Yes, I think so,” though he dismissed the idea of a full-scale war against Venezuela. He declined to comment directly on the possibility of a ground invasion, stating only that no immediate decision had been made.

Trump also denied recent media reports that Washington was planning military strikes on Venezuelan installations, labeling them speculative. Meanwhile, U.S. accusations against Maduro have intensified, with claims that he leads a criminal network known as the Cartel de los Soles, designated a global terrorist organization by Washington in July.

Human rights organizations and legal experts have questioned the legality of recent U.S. attacks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which reportedly killed over 64 people. The UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, condemned the actions and called for an independent investigation. Maduro, in turn, rejected U.S. allegations as false and indecent, accusing Washington of preparing for a new “endless war.”

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that under Donald Trump’s leadership, the United States officially ended its long-standing policy of changing foreign governments. Speaking before the “Manama Dialogue” security summit in Bahrain, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Gabbard emphasized that Washington’s interventionist “regime change” strategy had trapped the country in decades of costly and counterproductive conflicts.

She argued that efforts to impose American-style governance on other nations and interfere in foreign disputes produced more adversaries than allies, costing trillions of dollars, countless lives, and creating new security threats. Gabbard said President Trump took decisive steps to end this cycle and redirect US foreign policy toward restraint and pragmatism.

Her remarks echoed Trump’s own vision, particularly his Middle East policies and his efforts to withdraw troops from Afghanistan—a process completed under the Biden administration in 2021. However, Gabbard avoided commenting on Trump’s controversial Latin American operations.

According to Gabbard, Trump’s stance marks a “historic correction” in US diplomacy, ending decades of intervention that defined post-9/11 global politics.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has stated that only Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has the legitimate authority to issue the implementation order for the July National Charter, a constitutional reform framework. Speaking at a press briefing held on Sunday at the NCP’s temporary office in Banglamotor, Dhaka, Nahid Islam warned that if the order comes from President Md. Shahabuddin’s office, it will symbolically end the spirit and aspirations of the July Uprising. He emphasized that such an order from the presidency would have neither legal nor political validity, calling it a direct betrayal of the movement’s goals.

Nahid Islam argued that the President’s office holds no moral or constitutional right to enact the July Charter and that the authority rests solely with the interim government led by Dr. Yunus. He also criticized the ongoing debate between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami regarding the timing of the national referendum, calling it unnecessary and counterproductive. According to him, the real focus should be on the content, reform proposals, and legal structure of the July Charter, not the date of the referendum.

Turkish political commentator Levent Gültekin has alleged that Israel, along with its allies, seeks to dismantle strong Muslim states in the Middle East, with Iran and Turkiye being the next targets after Iraq and Syria. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Gültekin stated that Israel does not want any powerful Muslim nation to exist in the region and is pursuing a long-term plan to fragment them. Citing past actions, he claimed that Israel and its partners have already divided Iraq and Syria, and similar plots now focus on Iran and Turkiye.

He further emphasized that the ongoing hostility between the United States, Israel, and Iran has intensified recently. According to him, U.S. praise for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and their growing cooperation are strategic and concerning. Gültekin warned that despite global discussions about peace in Gaza, Israel’s broader goal remains the same—to reshape the Middle East and weaken its strongest Muslim nations. He concluded that Israel’s real objective in Iran is not regime change but dividing the nation into several smaller parts.

In a significant political development in Patuakhali’s Kalapara upazila, more than a hundred leaders and activists from the ruling Awami League have joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The joining ceremony took place on Sunday, November 2, at Champapur Union, where the new members were welcomed with flowers by central BNP Training Affairs Secretary A.B.M. Mosharraf Hossain.

The group was led by Matilal Bhatt, General Secretary of Champapur Union Awami League, and former Union Parishad member Rabindranath Roy. The event was attended by several local BNP leaders, including Upazila BNP President Haji Humayun Sikder, Vice Presidents Mizanur Rahman Tutu Biswas and Jahangir Alam Talukdar, and others.

Addressing the gathering, Mosharraf Hossain stated that the people of Champapur have long supported the Awami League but received nothing in return. He expressed hope that under the BNP, all residents could live in peace and equality. Welcoming the new members, he reaffirmed BNP’s commitment to standing by the people in their struggle for democracy and citizens’ rights.

This large-scale defection signals a shifting political landscape in Kalapara ahead of future national political movements.

The National Citizens Party (NCP) has raised serious allegations against Law Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul, claiming that he extended undue favor to a particular political party regarding amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO) and Article 20 of the 1972 Constitution. In an official letter signed by NCP’s member secretary Akhtar Hossain and sent on Sunday (November 2), the party questioned the adviser’s neutrality, emphasizing that as a state adviser, he must remain nonpartisan and avoid actions that suggest political bias.

The NCP argued that Dr. Nazrul’s alleged private assurances to one party undermine the impartiality of the interim government and weaken public trust. The letter outlined three key objections: the misuse of party registration through proxy candidacies, the erosion of voter accountability, and the artificial creation of multiparty representation that benefits dominant political forces. The NCP endorsed the positions of the Election Reform Commission and the Election Commission, urging a clear legal provision to bar any registered party from contesting under another party’s symbol. According to the NCP, such reforms would strengthen genuine pluralism, ensure political accountability, and safeguard the constitutional integrity of democratic processes in Bangladesh.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has launched a fierce attack on Donald Trump, saying his leadership has driven the United States “into darkness.” Speaking at a Democratic campaign rally in Virginia for candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, Obama described Trump’s administration as “a symbol of lawlessness and lack of reason.” He condemned Trump’s trade policies and deployment of the National Guard in American cities, calling them “disorderly and misguided.”

Obama also criticized Republican lawmakers for failing to restrain Trump despite knowing he was crossing the line. Comparing the Trump White House to a never-ending Halloween, he said, “It’s all tricks and no treats.” He mocked Trump for focusing on the Rose Garden and building a $30 million ballroom instead of addressing real issues. Obama urged Americans to protect “truth, empathy, and democracy,” warning that democracy fades when citizens stop caring.

National Citizens Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has declared that India cannot be considered a friend of Bangladesh while it continues to shelter former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday (November 2) at the NCP’s central office, Nahid accused India of indirectly supporting the “July massacre” by providing Hasina refuge. He emphasized that unless India changes its stance, Bangladesh–India relations will remain cold and distant.

Nahid also criticized different political groups, saying one faction is disrupting reform efforts while another is trying to delay the election. He stated that if the legal framework of the “July Charter” is established, holding a referendum on the election day would not be problematic. He stressed that his party supports the initial draft that proposed automatic inclusion of reform measures into the constitution after 270 days, warning that any deviation from it might lead them to reconsider their support.

Addressing the party symbol issue, Nahid alleged that the Election Commission is obstructing their activities instead of cooperating. He reiterated their preference for the “Shapla” (water lily) symbol and insisted it should have been approved a month earlier.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has strongly protested the circulation of fake and fabricated videos using the voice and image of its Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. According to a statement issued on Saturday night by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, certain miscreants are spreading edited and AI-generated videos through media platforms to mislead the public. These videos falsely claim that Mirza Fakhrul has announced the final list of party candidates for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The BNP has categorically rejected the authenticity of such content, calling it entirely baseless and imaginary. The party urged citizens, supporters, and nomination seekers not to be deceived by these edited or AI-manipulated videos designed to create confusion and tarnish the party’s image ahead of the national polls.

A major political controversy has erupted in West Bengal after BJP MP from Ranaghat, Jagannath Sarkar, stated during a rally in Nadia district that if the BJP wins the upcoming election, there would be “no barbed wire fence” between India and Bangladesh, and the “two Bengals would be one again.” His comment quickly drew sharp reactions from all quarters, with the Trinamool Congress accusing the BJP of irresponsibly using sensitive cross-border issues for political gain. Political analysts warned that such remarks undermine India’s diplomatic integrity and could strain bilateral ties with Bangladesh. The statement has also caused discomfort within the BJP itself, a party that has long emphasized border security and the issue of illegal infiltration. The timing of the remark, during the state’s ongoing voter list revision, makes it politically risky and potentially damaging for the party’s electoral strategy.

Bangladesh’s interim government is grappling with a severe financial crisis caused by declining revenue collection, the burden of repaying massive debts inherited from the previous Awami League government, and soaring inflation that has raised the cost of goods and services. Despite adopting austerity measures and cutting development spending, the government is increasingly reliant on borrowing, both from domestic sources and international development partners. Central bank data show that while government sector credit rose by 1.79% during July–August, private sector lending fell slightly, indicating a broader economic slowdown. Revenue collection remains below target despite a 21% year-on-year rise, leaving an 11% shortfall. With shrinking liquidity in banks and reduced business activity, the government’s borrowing space is tightening. Most loans are being used for operational expenses rather than production or job creation, raising concerns about long-term economic stability.

The long-anticipated verdicts in six corruption cases against fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, and other members of the Sheikh family are now uncertain after a surprising courtroom development. Former RAJUK member (Estate & Land) Mohammad Khurshid Alam, one of the accused, unexpectedly surrendered to a Dhaka court on October 29. His surrender, according to legal observers, could trigger a procedural delay, as the defense may now legally seek to recall witnesses for cross-examination under Sections 540 of the CrPC and 138 of the Evidence Act.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutors fear the move might be part of a calculated strategy to postpone the rulings expected by November. Trials had been nearing completion, with testimonies recorded in most of the six cases that involve alleged irregularities in RAJUK plot allocations to Hasina’s family during the Awami League’s 15-year rule. Despite the potential delay, ACC officials have emphasized that the trials will continue until completion. The courts have so far rejected Khurshid Alam’s bail plea and ordered his imprisonment.

The head of Israel’s military legal branch, Major General Efrat Tomer-Yerushalmi, resigned on October 31 after a video showing Israeli soldiers allegedly abusing a Palestinian prisoner was leaked. She admitted authorizing the video’s release in August 2024. Following the leak, criminal charges were filed against five soldiers. The incident triggered nationwide outrage, with right-wing politicians criticizing the investigation and protesters attacking two military bases when investigators arrived. Security camera footage released by N12 News shows soldiers escorting a prisoner while armed personnel stand nearby, though the events inside the room remain unclear. Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed an ongoing criminal investigation and that Tomer-Yerushalmi had been placed on forced leave. In her resignation letter, she stated she acted to protect the reputation of the military legal division, which she said had become a target of baseless slander during the conflict.