A new survey by the US-funded International Republican Institute (IRI) indicates that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) would receive 30% of votes if the 13th national parliamentary election were held soon. The poll shows Jamaat-e-Islami with 26% support, the National Citizen Party (NCP) with 6%, the Jatiya Party with 5%, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh with 4%, while other parties collectively hold 8%. Conducted between September 13 and October 12, 2025, the survey interviewed 4,985 adults across 63 districts, excluding Rangamati, with a 95% confidence level and a 1.4% margin of error. The study also found that 69% of respondents support Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and 70% express satisfaction with the interim government’s performance. Moreover, 80% of participants believe the upcoming election will be free and fair, reflecting a generally positive public outlook toward the current political transition.

Four major student unions—DUCSU, RUCSU, CUCSU, and JUCSU—have jointly called for ensuring merit-based recruitment in all government jobs and an end to alleged harassment under the guise of police verification. In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the unions expressed deep concern over the exclusion of 13 candidates from the final gazette of the 17th Bangladesh Judicial Service (BJS) despite being recommended by the commission. The statement emphasized that these candidates had proven their merit through rigorous competition and should not be deprived of employment without evidence of criminal charges. The unions urged the Ministry of Law, the Judicial Service Commission, and the Public Service Commission to revise the gazette if no criminal proof is found, to make merit and qualification the sole criteria for recruitment, and to ensure transparency and fairness in the verification process. They also demanded that excluded candidates be given the opportunity to respond to allegations before any final decision is made.

A newly surfaced testimony from the National Independent Investigation Commission report on the 2009 BDR mutiny has revealed that a group of junior army officers attempted to break into an armory at the Sylhet SI&T training center the day after the Pilkhana massacre. Colonel Niamul Islam Fatemi of DGFI rushed to the scene and found officers attacking the armory door with tools, calling him a government agent. Senior officers intervened to protect him. The testimony, given by the 47th witness, also stated that Brigadier General Mamun Khaled advised Colonel Fatemi to contact Major General Tarique Siddique, then the Prime Minister’s military adviser, who said the army chief would not come. Later, Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury arrived by helicopter and calmed the officers after two hours of discussion. The 2009 BDR mutiny, in which 57 army officers were killed, remains one of Bangladesh’s darkest military tragedies.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s central secretary general Maulana Abdul Halim has reiterated his party’s firm stance on banning the Jatiya Party, accusing it of enabling Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year authoritarian rule. Speaking to reporters after inspecting the site of an eight-party divisional rally in Rangpur, Halim alleged that the Jatiya Party’s appeasement of the Awami League helped sustain Hasina’s power and undermined democratic elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024. He claimed that public sentiment has turned against the Jatiya Party, which he described as complicit in anti-democratic governance. Halim also discussed the government’s July Charter implementation order, emphasizing the necessity of a referendum to legitimize it. Although his coalition initially proposed holding separate referendums in November, they agreed to participate on a single day for national stability. He said the upcoming divisional rally aims to mobilize public support for a ‘yes’ vote, portraying the referendum as a milestone for preserving the nation’s new independence.

Following BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed’s statement that Tarique Rahman would soon return to Bangladesh, a video circulated on social media claiming to show Rahman at London’s Heathrow Airport preparing to travel home. However, fact-checking platform The Descent clarified that the video is not recent and has no connection to Rahman’s potential return. According to The Descent, the footage dates back to June this year, when Tarique Rahman welcomed his wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman, upon her arrival from Bangladesh at Heathrow Airport. The video resurfaced online after the political announcement, leading to widespread misinformation. The clarification underscores the growing challenge of misinformation and the importance of verifying viral political content before drawing conclusions.

The interim government of Bangladesh has declared BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia a Very Important Person (VVIP) due to her current health condition and political stature. The decision was made during a special meeting of the Advisory Council held at the State Guest House Jamuna, chaired by the Chief Adviser. The council prayed for Zia’s recovery and urged the nation to do the same. Officials stated that the VVIP status aims to ensure uninterrupted medical care, enhanced security, and logistical support for her treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. The government also mentioned the possibility of arranging advanced medical treatment abroad if necessary. Khaleda Zia’s family and party have been informed of the decision, which takes immediate effect. The move underscores her continued significance in Bangladesh’s political landscape despite her prolonged illness and limited political activity in recent years.

Golam Mortoza, the Press Minister at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, has requested the Ministry of Information to clarify his entitlement to secretary-level allowances. In a letter dated November 25, 2024, he stated that although he was appointed on a two-year contractual basis as Minister (Press) with the rank of secretary and a basic salary of 78,000 taka, he continues to receive allowances at the joint secretary level. Mortoza argued that this discrepancy has deprived him of benefits corresponding to his official rank. He attached copies of his appointment contract and the Finance Division’s opinion, urging that the allowances be recalculated and disbursed from his joining date. The letter, once circulated on social media, quickly went viral, sparking public discussion about bureaucratic benefits and rank-based entitlements in foreign missions.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been allowed to join the appeal against the High Court verdict that declared several provisions of Bangladesh’s 15th Constitutional Amendment, including the abolition of the caretaker government system, as unconstitutional. The Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed, granted his petition to be a party to the case. Earlier, the Supreme Court had permitted the appeal against the High Court’s ruling, which restored the referendum provision and invalidated certain clauses of the amendment for contradicting the Constitution’s basic structure of democracy. The High Court had observed that free and fair elections under a partisan government had failed to reflect the people’s will, emphasizing that democracy is a fundamental constitutional principle. The 15th Amendment, passed in 2011, abolished the caretaker government system, recognized Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the Father of the Nation, and made several other constitutional changes. The ongoing appeal seeks to annul the entire amendment.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain stated that the Bangladesh government will take necessary steps to send BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia abroad for medical treatment if her party or family formally decides to do so. Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, he clarified that the government has no objection to facilitating her treatment overseas once an official request is made. Hossain also mentioned that BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman has not yet applied for a travel pass to return to Bangladesh, but one would be issued if he requests it. The adviser added that the government has not received any formal communication regarding Tarique Rahman’s return to Dhaka. The remarks come amid ongoing discussions about Khaleda Zia’s health condition and possible medical treatment abroad.

The interim government of Bangladesh has declared former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia as a Very Very Important Person (VVIP). The announcement was made on Tuesday, November 2, through a press release from the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing following a special meeting of the Advisory Council at the State Guest House Jamuna. The meeting, presided over by the Chief Adviser, included prayers for Khaleda Zia’s recovery and called upon the nation to pray for her health. The decision took into account her current medical condition, ensuring uninterrupted hospital treatment, and possible arrangements for advanced treatment abroad if necessary. It also emphasized her security, travel convenience, and high national stature. Relevant agencies have been instructed to implement the decision immediately, and her family and political party have been informed of the development.

The Bangladeshi government has postponed a high-level training workshop focused on maintaining law and order ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election. The event, titled “Coordinated Role in Maintaining Law and Order for Fair Elections,” was scheduled to take place on December 3 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka. A notice issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, signed by Deputy Secretary Md. Shimul Akter, confirmed the cancellation. The workshop was expected to bring together top officials including divisional commissioners, police commissioners, DIGs, judges, district administrators, and election officers. Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed was to attend as chief guest, with Law Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul as special guest. The sudden postponement has raised uncertainty about coordination efforts for election-time law enforcement preparedness.

Bangladesh’s President has issued the 'Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedy Ordinance, 2025', introducing the death penalty and life imprisonment for those found guilty of enforced disappearances. The ordinance, gazetted by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division on December 1, establishes special tribunals at district and divisional levels to handle such cases. It classifies enforced disappearance as a non-bailable and non-compoundable offense. Government officials or law enforcement members who detain, abduct, or conceal a person’s whereabouts, resulting in deprivation of legal protection, will face severe penalties. If the victim dies or remains missing for over five years, the offender may face the death penalty or life imprisonment. The ordinance also prescribes punishment for destroying evidence or maintaining secret detention centers. Senior officers or commanders who order, permit, or fail to prevent such acts will be held equally accountable. Trials may proceed in absentia if the accused is a fugitive, and detainee information may be withheld temporarily for state security reasons.

Education Adviser Professor Dr. C.R. Abrar issued a stern warning to secondary school teachers who have suspended student examinations as part of their ongoing protests. In an interview with the national news agency BSS on December 1, he stated that such actions violate government service regulations and that those responsible will face disciplinary measures. Dr. Abrar criticized the teachers’ demand for promotion to the ninth grade, calling it unjustified since their employment terms placed them in the tenth grade. He emphasized that the ninth grade is reserved for BCS administration cadre officers and that any change would require inter-ministerial coordination. The adviser condemned the teachers for using students as leverage in their movement, labeling it unethical and harmful to students and parents. He reiterated the government’s firm stance that examinations must continue without interruption and instructed all teachers to resume exams immediately or face punishment under civil service rules.

BNP Standing Committee member Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain has urged the public not to believe rumors regarding the health condition of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, he stated that Khaleda Zia is receiving treatment as per the recommendations of her medical board and that any decision about taking her abroad for further treatment will depend solely on the board’s advice. Dr. Zahid confirmed that foreign specialists are also scheduled to examine her condition. He emphasized that all necessary preparations are in place, but no steps can be taken beyond the board’s guidance. He also acknowledged that the government is cooperating in her treatment and requested prayers from the people for her recovery, expressing hope that she will improve soon.

BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman has expressed deep gratitude to the people of Bangladesh and well-wishers worldwide for their prayers and support for party chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who remains under treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Rahman described the collective support of the nation as the source of his family’s strength and inspiration. He acknowledged the concern shown by foreign leaders, diplomats, and friends, as well as the affection and prayers of Bangladeshi citizens. Khaleda Zia’s condition is reported to be stable but shows little improvement, according to doctors who continue to monitor her closely. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other senior leaders visited the hospital late Monday night to discuss her latest condition with the medical team. Rahman called for unity, compassion, and solidarity during this difficult time.