BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman announced a series of development plans during an election rally in Cumilla on Sunday night. Speaking at the Fultoli Digbaji field in Cumilla Sadar Dakshin after addressing gatherings in Feni and Chauddagram, he said the party would initiate a canal excavation project to support local agriculture. He also urged supporters to vote for the BNP’s symbol, the paddy sheaf, on February 12 to implement these plans.

Rahman outlined several proposed initiatives, including a family card program for rural women to provide essential goods, an agriculture card to supply farmers with free fertilizer, seeds, and pesticides, and employment opportunities for youth through new factories in export processing zones. He also promised training programs for workers to enhance overseas employment prospects and the establishment of rural healthcare services to address local medical shortages.

The rally, presided over by Cumilla South District BNP President Zakaria Taher, was attended by BNP parliamentary candidates from Cumilla and Chandpur districts. Rahman concluded by emphasizing collective effort in national development and reiterated his slogan, “We will work, build the nation, Bangladesh first.”

Awami League leader and former Bangladeshi minister Obaidul Quader has expressed deep frustration over his party’s current state while living in exile in Kolkata’s New Town. According to the report, Quader is eager to return to Bangladesh but sees no clear path back. He believes that major powers such as India and the United States no longer consider the Awami League significant, leaving the party politically isolated. Quader stated that the party’s downfall resulted from leaders neglecting their responsibilities and relying solely on Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.

The report adds that on January 23, party workers had hoped for Sheikh Hasina’s physical presence or a video message in Delhi, but only received an audio message focused on personal grievances against Dr. Yunus. Disheartened by the lack of direction, several exiled leaders are reportedly considering leaving India for Canada or Australia to live out their remaining years. They now feel politically irrelevant and abandoned by both allies and history.

The situation underscores the growing uncertainty among exiled Awami League leaders, who see little prospect of returning to political relevance or to their homeland.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman announced that if his party forms the next government, mosque imams and muezzins will receive a monthly honorarium and training support. He made the statement on Sunday night at a public rally held at H J Government Pilot High School field in Chauddagram, Cumilla, where he served as the chief guest.

Rahman emphasized that the BNP is an experienced political party with prior governance experience and is committed to fulfilling promises made to the public. He identified unemployment as a major national problem and pledged to create employment opportunities and provide training to make young people more skilled. He also promised priority support for marginal and medium farmers through the introduction of an “agriculture card” to ensure easier access to assistance.

The BNP leader further said that women working from home would receive microcredit facilities and that initiatives would be taken to export their products abroad. Urging voters to support the BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” symbol in the upcoming election, he said people want change, security, quality education, healthcare, and employment.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman stated that the people are the source of all political power for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He made the remarks on Sunday, January 25, 2026, while addressing an election rally at Feni Government Pilot High School field. Rahman emphasized that BNP’s politics is dedicated to the welfare of the people and urged voters in Feni, Lakshmipur, and Noakhali to support the party’s electoral symbol, the paddy sheaf.

Highlighting his plans for public welfare, Rahman announced two proposed initiatives: a ‘Family Card’ for working women and a ‘Farmer Card’ for agricultural workers. The Family Card would provide monthly government assistance to housewives, while the Farmer Card would ensure direct delivery of fertilizer, seeds, and pesticides to farmers, bypassing middlemen. He said these measures aim to reduce hardship and improve livelihoods.

The rally was presided over by Feni District BNP convener Sheikh Farid Bahar and conducted by member secretary Alal Uddin Alal. Several BNP leaders and parliamentary candidates from Feni, Lakshmipur, and Noakhali also addressed the event.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Bogura on Wednesday evening, January 28, after a 19-year absence. According to a district BNP source, he will address a public rally that night at the historic Altafunnesa playground. Rahman will stay overnight in Bogura Garden and on January 29 will conduct campaign activities across 21 unions of his Bogura-6 constituency, concluding with a visit to Bagbari in Gabtali.

Ahead of the rally, Bogura district BNP leaders inspected the Altafunnesa field on Tuesday afternoon to oversee preparations. District BNP President Rezaul Karim Badsha stated that the field is being readied for the event, which is expected to draw around one hundred thousand people. The announcement of Rahman’s visit has created a festive atmosphere in Bogura, with supporters and residents eagerly awaiting his arrival.

The rally marks Rahman’s first public appearance in Bogura in nearly two decades, signaling renewed political activity in the region as part of his campaign for the Bogura-6 parliamentary seat.

Authorities have clarified that reports claiming Bagerhat Chhatra League leader Jewel Hasan Saddam was denied parole to attend his wife and child’s funeral were inaccurate. Saddam, detained in Jashore Central Jail, was required under the 2016 parole policy to apply through the Jashore District Magistrate. His family instead submitted the application to the Bagerhat District Magistrate, who advised them to reapply in Jashore. No application was subsequently filed there, leading to the parole not being granted.

The incident followed the deaths of Saddam’s wife Kaniz Subarna Swarnali and their son Shehzad Hasan Nazif on January 23, 2026, which police said remained under investigation. Media reports and social media posts had suggested that Saddam was refused parole and saw his family’s bodies only at the prison gate, sparking public debate. Officials later stated that the misunderstanding arose from incomplete reporting and procedural confusion.

Legal experts cited in the report expressed differing opinions on whether a magistrate could exercise discretionary power to grant parole across districts, but officials maintained that the 2016 policy restricted such authority to the district of detention.

BNP National Standing Committee member and Cox’s Bazar-1 constituency candidate Salahuddin Ahmed declared that the Awami League and its election symbol, the boat, no longer exist, asserting that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself has buried them. He made these remarks on Sunday afternoon at an election campaign rally organized by the local BNP at Toitong High School field in Pekua upazila.

During his speech, Salahuddin described the BNP as the political force representing the people of Bangladesh, committed to protecting the country’s independence and democracy. He contrasted this with his opponents, whom he accused of lacking plans and misleading voters with religious rhetoric. He urged citizens seeking prosperity and progress to vote for the BNP’s paddy sheaf symbol.

Salahuddin also criticized those he described as subservient to India, claiming they have disappeared from Bangladesh’s political scene. He emphasized that the BNP has clear policies and programs for the nation’s development.

At least 20 people were injured in violent clashes between supporters of the BNP candidate and an independent candidate in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh-11 constituency on January 25, 2026. The incident began when supporters of independent candidate Alhaj Muhammad Murshed Alam, led by student leader Adi Khan Shakil, were campaigning with the deer symbol at Kana Market in the municipal area. They were allegedly attacked by supporters of BNP candidate Fakhr Uddin Ahmed Bacchu.

Following the initial attack, supporters of the independent candidate retaliated by vandalizing the BNP office in the upazila headquarters. In response, BNP supporters reportedly set fire to Shakil’s business establishment and the independent candidate’s office. The local fire service brought the blaze under control after about two hours. Among the injured were former Chhatra Dal president Matiur Rahman Milton, while four seriously wounded individuals were sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.

The violence disrupted traffic on the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway for nearly two hours before police and army personnel arrived to restore order.

BNP Standing Committee member and Cox’s Bazar-1 constituency candidate Salahuddin Ahmed delivered a sharp critique of the Awami League during an election campaign rally at Toitong High School field in Pekua upazila on Sunday, January 25, 2026. Speaking as the chief guest at the event organized by the local BNP unit, he claimed that the Awami League had brought about its own downfall and urged voters to support the BNP’s paddy sheaf symbol.

Ahmed described the BNP as the political force representing the people of Bangladesh, asserting that the party upholds the country’s independence and democracy. He accused rival groups of lacking clear plans and misleading the public with religious rhetoric, while emphasizing that the BNP has policies and programs aimed at national progress.

Several senior BNP leaders, including local and upazila-level representatives, attended the rally, underscoring the party’s coordinated campaign efforts in the region ahead of the upcoming election.

Hasnat Abdullah, the South Regional Chief Organizer of the NCP and a Jamaat-NCP alliance candidate, called on voters to support a 'yes' vote in the upcoming referendum on retaining 'Bismillah' in the Constitution. He made the remarks on Sunday, January 25, 2026, during a campaign rally at Saichapara High School field in Fatehabad Union of Debidwar, Cumilla. Abdullah said the referendum would include 'yes' and 'no' options and urged citizens to vote for change through the referendum process.

He emphasized that a 'yes' vote would represent support for a corruption-free country, an extortion-free society, and an independent and neutral Election Commission. Abdullah also encouraged his supporters to reach out to relatives and acquaintances living outside the area to seek votes and to prioritize local marriages within Debidwar during the campaign period. He described the upcoming election as one earned through sacrifice and urged voters to choose qualified and honest candidates.

Leaders from Jamaat and NCP, including Saiful Islam Shahid and Jahangir Alam, were present at the event, along with other local activists.

The Election Commission (EC) has reinstated the candidacy of two independent contenders for the Pabna-1 constituency in Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election. Following successful appeals, Khairun Nahar Khanam and Md. Tajul Islam’s nomination papers were declared valid. The decision was announced on Sunday, January 25, 2026, through a notice signed by EC Deputy Secretary (Law) Sannullah. The commission instructed the returning officer to include both names in the official list of valid candidates.

Earlier, elections in Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 were suspended on January 9 due to a Supreme Court order concerning boundary disputes. The suspension reduced the number of constituencies from 300 to 298. A subsequent Supreme Court ruling on January 15 removed the legal barriers, allowing the EC to issue a revised election schedule. Under the new timetable, nomination submissions closed on January 18, scrutiny took place on January 19, and appeals were heard between January 20 and 24. The final appeal decisions were made on January 25.

According to the updated schedule, candidate withdrawal ends on January 26, symbols will be allocated on January 27, and elections for Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 will be held alongside the national polls and referendum on February 12.

Bir Pratik awardee Lieutenant Colonel Hasinur Rahman testified before International Crimes Tribunal-1 that he was abducted twice during the Awami League’s one-and-a-half-decade rule. He said he was interrogated at the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence’s (DGFI) ‘Aynaghar’ facility about his writings on the 2014 election, the Awami League’s relations with India, and the then army chief General Aziz. According to his statement, interrogators told him he was abducted on Sheikh Hasina’s orders and threatened with disappearance if he did not comply.

Hasinur described being first abducted on July 9, 2011, while serving at Mymensingh Cantonment, and held blindfolded for 43 days. He was later court-martialed on what he called false charges and imprisoned for four years before being released. He said he was again abducted on August 8, 2018, and detained in a small, bloodstained cell under harsh conditions. He recounted physical torture, psychological abuse, and threats of death.

The tribunal recorded his testimony as the second witness in a crimes against humanity case against Sheikh Hasina and 12 current and former army officers. The hearing was adjourned for continuation of his incomplete statement.

A total of 683,122 postal ballots have been delivered to expatriate voters registered through the Postal Vote BD mobile app for Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election and referendum. The information was confirmed on Sunday by Salim Ahmad Khan, team leader of the OCV-SDI project on expatriate voter registration. As of 4 p.m. on January 25, all ballots had reached the respective countries where the expatriates reside.

According to the project data, 437,145 expatriate voters have received their ballots, and 353,739 have already cast their votes. Among these, 284,431 ballots have been submitted to local post offices or mailboxes abroad, while 16,274 have already arrived in Bangladesh. Salim Khan further 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 update marks a significant step in facilitating overseas participation in Bangladesh’s electoral process through digital registration and postal voting systems.

In Netrakona-4 constituency, comprising Madan, Mohanganj, and Khaliajuri upazilas, the Jamaat-e-Islami-led ten-party alliance has launched an aggressive campaign to secure victory for its candidate under the 'scales' symbol. The alliance’s candidate, Al Helal Talukder, a lecturer and organizational secretary of Mymensingh city Jamaat, is actively canvassing across the haor region. He stated that the alliance is receiving strong public support, particularly from youth seeking change, and expressed confidence in winning if the election is fair.

Opposing him, former state minister for home affairs and BNP heavyweight Lutfozzaman Babar is contesting under the 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, joined by his wife, Tahmina Zaman Shraboni, who previously led local BNP activities during Babar’s 17-year imprisonment. Babar has pledged to prioritize youth employment and combat drug abuse if elected, urging citizens to help law enforcement against drug dealers.

Political analysts cited in the report note that past BNP victories in this seat were largely due to Babar’s personal popularity. The main contest is expected between the Jamaat-led alliance and the BNP, though candidates from CPB, Workers Party, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh are also in the race.

Sarjis Alam, the northern regional organizer of the National Citizen Party (NCP), said that the concept of predetermined political heavyweights will no longer hold in Bangladesh. Speaking on January 25 during public meetings and door-to-door campaigns in various areas of Panchagarh’s Amarkhana Union, he predicted a landslide fall of so-called heavyweight leaders from major political parties in the February 12 election.

He stated that a wave of change has reached every household and that people are ready to vote against oppression, extortion, land grabbing, threats, abuse of power, and corruption. Sarjis also alleged that some local leaders and activists of the BNP were threatening voters, including a Jamaat worker, warning them not to vote for the 11-party alliance. He warned that those who try to intimidate voters would face a downfall worse than that of Sheikh Hasina.

Sarjis urged that citizens be allowed to vote freely, saying that the people of Bangladesh are no longer in the same position as before.