Exiled opposition leader Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, praised the ongoing protests in Iran on Friday and called for larger demonstrations over the weekend. In a social media video message, he urged Iranians to move beyond street rallies and organize to seize and hold city centers. Pahlavi said he was preparing to return to Iran, believing that change was now very close.

Human rights activists warned that the Iranian government might shut down the internet to conceal its crackdown. According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights organization, at least 51 people have been killed so far. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi cautioned that security forces could prepare for mass killings under communication blackouts.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the protesters as vandals and insisted the Islamic Republic would not retreat, blaming the United States for the unrest. U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned possible new military actions against Iran, further heightening tensions.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced a hardline stance against the ongoing nationwide protests, declaring the protection of national security and the 1979 Islamic Revolution’s achievements as a “red line” that cannot be crossed. In a statement broadcast on state television on Saturday, the IRGC accused “terrorists and rioters” of attacking military and law enforcement bases, setting fire to public and government property, and killing several security personnel and civilians. The Iranian army, operating separately under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also vowed to use maximum force to defend national interests and infrastructure.

The protests, spreading for two weeks across Iranian cities, began over inflation and economic hardship but quickly turned political, with demonstrators calling for an end to religious rule. State media reported arson at a municipal building in Karaj and funerals for slain security members in Shiraz, Qom, and Hamedan. Human rights group HRANA said at least 65 people, including 50 protesters and 15 security forces, have been killed, while over 2,500 have been arrested.

US President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iranian leaders, expressing support for the “brave people of Iran.” Leaders of France, Britain, and Germany jointly condemned the killings and urged Iranian authorities to refrain from violence.

Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the newspaper Amar Desh, stated that a large portion of Bangladesh’s media failed to support persecuted journalists over the past 16–17 years due to fear, pressure, and opportunism. He made the remarks on Saturday at a meeting in Banani, Dhaka, where BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman met with editors and journalists. Mahmudur Rahman said he would not deliver a long speech but would instead mention names of journalists who, in his view, suffered injustice.

He cited the late journalist Ruhul Amin Gazi, who was imprisoned while suffering from cancer and denied treatment, and senior editor Abul Asad, who was jailed for years and unable to be with his wife during her illness. He also described the harsh prison conditions faced by 80-year-old Shafik Rehman and the imprisonment of journalist Kanak Sarwar for broadcasting Tarique Rahman’s speech live. Mahmudur Rahman said mainstream media remained silent in all these cases.

In his closing remarks, he addressed Tarique Rahman, asserting that the true history of Bangladesh’s media and liberation war had been distorted and promising to present a detailed account in the future.

Assistant Professor Hasan Mohammad Roman Shuvo of Chittagong University’s Law Department was detained on Saturday by representatives of the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (ChakSU). He was accused of maintaining regular contact with leaders of the banned Chhatra League, including its current branch president Rubel and secretary Iqbal Hossain Tipu. Information retrieved from his phone reportedly showed frequent communication and messages exchanged in November and December 2025. Roman was also alleged to have ties with Chhatra League leader Abrar Shahriar, who had previously made divisive statements about the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Student leaders from various organizations expressed anger over the incident. ChakSU’s Law and Human Rights Secretary Fazle Rabbi Tawhid questioned whether Roman was conspiring to destabilize the university ahead of elections. Leaders from the Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir criticized the administration for failing to act against those who supported the July uprising’s violence.

University Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Md. Kamal Uddin confirmed that Roman’s salary had been suspended following an earlier investigation and that a second inquiry was nearing completion. Further action would be coordinated with the proctor’s office.

The Election Commission (EC) has declared the nomination of independent candidate Syed A.K. Ekramuzzaman for the Brahmanbaria-1 (Nasirnagar) constituency invalid. The decision was made during a hearing held on Saturday at the EC headquarters in Agargaon. Ekramuzzaman, formerly an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Managing Director of RAK Ceramics, had submitted his candidacy as an independent.

Ekramuzzaman was expelled from the BNP after defying party decisions to contest the 12th National Parliamentary Election independently. He had previously contested the 9th and 11th parliamentary elections as a BNP candidate but was defeated. In the 12th election held on January 7, 2024, he won the seat as an independent candidate with 89,424 votes under the ‘Banana Stem’ symbol.

Later in 2024, Ekramuzzaman joined the Awami League and was appointed as an adviser to the Brahmanbaria District Awami League committee. The constituency has historically been dominated by the Awami League, with BNP never winning there. This time, BNP’s Nasirnagar Upazila President Abdul Hannan is contesting the seat.

Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the newspaper Amar Desh, has sharply criticized BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman, saying that he has been away from Bangladesh for 17 years and does not know what has happened in the country during that time. He made these remarks on Saturday, January 10, at a meeting and greeting event organized by the BNP with editors and senior journalists at a hotel in Banani, Dhaka.

In his speech, Mahmudur Rahman also referred to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, claiming that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not involved in the Liberation War and did not try to learn about it after returning to the country. According to him, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman relied on what Awami League members and the Indian side told him, which led to his failure.

Mahmudur Rahman warned Tarique Rahman that he was relying only on what his associates and new media allies were telling him, and that the real history of Bangladesh’s past 17 years was different. He said he would describe that history if invited to a future event.

The United States has temporarily suspended the issuance of Diversity Immigrant Visas (DV), according to an emergency announcement from the U.S. Department of State. The department stated that the measure was taken to ensure national and public security, and no new visas under the DV lottery program will be issued until further notice.

The State Department explained that the decision followed recent incidents, including a shooting at Brown University and the killing of a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where the main suspect had entered the U.S. through the DV program. Authorities said the suspension aims to review and strengthen the screening and verification process to prevent potential security threats.

Applicants who have already applied or have scheduled interviews will still be able to attend them, but even successful candidates will not receive visas until new instructions are issued. Existing valid DV visas remain unaffected, and there are no updates yet regarding the DV-2027 lottery. The suspension will remain in place until the program’s procedures are fully revised.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Tarique Rahman on Saturday afternoon. The meeting took place at the BNP chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. The information was confirmed by BNP Media Cell member Shairul Kabir Khan, and a video of the meeting was released on the party’s verified Facebook page.

The video showed Pranay Verma entering the BNP chairperson’s office and meeting Tarique Rahman. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed were also present during the meeting. The report did not mention the topics discussed or any official statements from either side.

The meeting marks a formal diplomatic engagement between the Indian envoy and the BNP leadership, though no further details about the discussions or outcomes were provided in the source.

Hasnat Abdullah, the chief organizer of the National Citizen Party (NCP) for the southern region and the Jamaat-led alliance candidate for Comilla-4 (Debidwar), stated that no good work can begin with wrongdoing. He made the remarks on Saturday, January 10, during a courtyard meeting held in Yousufpur Union of Debidwar upazila as part of an anti-Indian aggression march.

During the meeting, Abdullah urged local residents to avoid supporting those involved in past corruption, loan defaults, or legal cases in Debidwar. He emphasized that those preparing to seize polling centers or manipulate votes would not succeed, pledging to resist such actions with public support. Earlier in the day, he joined the anti-aggression march through several villages, including Nabipur Bazar, Egarogram, Muksair, Juktogram, and Pairangkul, accompanied by local NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists.

The event reflected the NCP’s ongoing campaign activities in Debidwar ahead of the upcoming election, focusing on anti-corruption and fair voting messages.

Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, the general secretary of the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party and candidate of the 11-party alliance for Barishal-3 (Babuganj–Muladi), stated that a free, fair, and acceptable election cannot take place without ensuring the safety of voters and candidates. He made the remarks on Saturday, January 10, during a post-meeting press briefing in Chandpasha, Babuganj, following a discussion on the electoral code of conduct with alliance leaders and activists.

Fuad alleged that despite submitting multiple complaints to the district administration and returning officer, no effective action has been taken. He claimed that law enforcement agencies are showing bias toward one political party and that plans are underway by that party’s activists to seize polling centers. He said his alliance has prepared a list of vulnerable centers and informed the authorities about alleged plans for armed demonstrations.

Calling on the government to act more decisively, Fuad suggested detaining individuals involved in violent or center-seizing activities under special powers laws for two to three months to reduce potential clashes and ensure a secure voting environment.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizens Party (NCP) and candidate for Dhaka-11, claimed that the Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP alliance is significantly ahead of the BNP in preparations for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. He made the statement on Saturday, January 10, after a meeting with the European Union (EU) election observation delegation at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka.

During the meeting, Nahid Islam said the NCP had informed the EU that it still lacked confidence in achieving a level playing field for the election. He alleged that signals were being given to favor a particular party, citing that nominations of several loan defaulters had been declared valid and that various violations of the electoral code of conduct were occurring. He expressed hope that the Election Commission would take strict action on these issues.

Nahid Islam added that despite security concerns, his alliance would continue its campaign activities on the ground, emphasizing that the Jamaat-NCP coalition was well ahead in election readiness compared to the BNP.

Law adviser and academic Professor Asif Nazrul claimed that he was the most targeted victim of cyberbullying in Bangladesh over the past 16 months. He made the statement on Saturday at a policy dialogue titled “Political Parties, Human Rights and Freedom of Expression,” organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka. Nazrul said that within the first four months alone, four dedicated videos were made to attack him personally.

Expressing frustration, he said he had been falsely labeled as both a supporter of Pakistan and India, and accused of having property in the United States. He described these campaigns as severe forms of cyberbullying against someone who values honesty. Addressing the issue of bail in July’s cases, Nazrul stated that 90 percent of the bail orders came from the High Court, and that responsibility for any errors lies with the judges, not the law ministry.

Nazrul further alleged that such attacks serve political and financial motives, claiming that targeting him benefits certain political agendas and online monetization. He urged everyone to engage in self-criticism as a moral practice.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman on Saturday addressed editors and journalists at a hotel in Banani, Dhaka, emphasizing that Bangladesh should not return to cycles of violence and revenge. He said the events of August 5, 2024, and other national tragedies must serve as lessons for the nation. Rahman expressed concern over press freedom, recalling incidents involving journalists Mahmudur Rahman and Ruhul Amin Gazi, and stressed the need for unity beyond political divisions.

He warned of a severe water crisis in Dhaka within 10–15 years due to pollution in major rivers and called for preventive health measures, women’s empowerment, and youth employment. Rahman announced plans for a “Family Card” to support women’s economic independence, the recruitment of 100,000 mostly female health workers, and modernization of vocational institutes to expand skilled overseas employment. He also proposed export incentives, IT park development, and international payment gateways for freelancers.

Rahman urged all political parties to prioritize citizens’ daily needs—health, education, safety, and jobs—and reaffirmed his commitment to democratic accountability. He said BNP would present its detailed plans to the public from January 22.

The Election Commission (EC) has declared the nomination of National Democratic Party–JAGPA vice president and spokesperson Rashed Pradhan valid. The decision came on Saturday, January 10, 2026, following a hearing on his appeal. Pradhan had earlier filed the appeal on January 6 after his nomination was rejected by the returning officer and Panchagarh Deputy Commissioner Kazi Md. Sayemuzzaman on January 3 due to an affidavit-related complication. He is contesting in both Panchagarh-1 and Panchagarh-2 constituencies in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

In his initial reaction, Rashed Pradhan expressed gratitude for the EC’s decision but voiced concern about the absence of a level playing field, citing the approval of loan-defaulter candidates from the BNP. JAGPA president Barrister Tasmia Pradhan, who attended the hearing in support of her brother, said she was present not as a party leader or lawyer but as family, emphasizing unity for the country as children of Shafiul Alam Pradhan.

The EC’s ruling restores JAGPA’s representation in two key northern constituencies ahead of the national election.

Independent candidate Dr. Tasnim Jara announced her intention to contest the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election from Dhaka-9 constituency using the football symbol. On Saturday, January 10, 2026, after an appeal hearing at the Election Commission, her candidacy was declared valid. She told reporters that her appeal had been accepted and thanked supporters at home and abroad for their encouragement during the past week.

Dr. Jara, who resigned from the National Citizen Party (NCP), had her nomination initially rejected by the Dhaka district returning officer on January 3. Following her appeal, the Election Commission reversed that decision, allowing her to run as an independent candidate. She expressed gratitude to those who supported her and said she would now apply for the football symbol, pending the commission’s approval.

With her candidacy restored, Jara plans to campaign with public support in the Dhaka-9 constituency, awaiting the Election Commission’s final decision on her preferred election symbol.