Asif Mahmud, head of the National Citizens Party (NCP) election management committee, has criticized Tarique Rahman’s recent remarks to Reuters suggesting that Sheikh Hasina’s children could return to politics if the people desired. He made the comments on Saturday during a press conference at the NCP central office.

Mahmud argued that if the public had wanted Sheikh Hasina’s children to reenter politics, there would have been no need for an uprising or the loss of 2,400 lives. He said the people did not want the BAKSAL system in 1975 and claimed that bringing Sheikh Hasina back into politics was a mistake by Ziaur Rahman, a decision that cost both Zia and Khaleda Zia for decades. He accused some political leaders of being blinded by power and said Tarique Rahman was repeating the same mistake.

Mahmud also alleged that the BNP had taken an anti-people stance by opposing the July Charter and lacking any concept of proportional representation in its manifesto. He further accused the Election Commission of issuing show-cause notices to NCP candidates over minor issues.

A group of armed robbers attacked the home of Khan Ashikuzzaman, a local correspondent for Amar Desh in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat, early Friday night. The assailants held the journalist and his wife hostage at gunpoint, looting cash, gold ornaments, important documents, and journalism equipment. The robbers also threatened to kill him if he continued his journalism work and used a chemical spray to render the couple unconscious before fleeing.

According to Ashikuzzaman, the incident occurred around 3 a.m. on February 6 when six to seven armed men broke into his tin-shed house in Sundarban Union. They took about 4,000 taka, one bhori of gold, national ID cards, a Green Television microphone boom, and a Vivo V-29 mobile phone. The couple was later rescued unconscious by neighbors and admitted to Mongla Upazila Health Complex.

Ashikuzzaman filed a written complaint with Mongla Police Station against unidentified robbers. Assistant Superintendent of Police Md. Refatul Islam said police visited the scene and legal action is underway.

Rail communication between Sylhet and the rest of Bangladesh resumed on Saturday evening after being suspended for about six and a half hours due to an engine failure on the Sylhet–Chattogram-bound Paharika Express at Magurchhara in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar. The disruption began around 12:30 p.m. when the train’s engine broke down and ended at 6:30 p.m. after the disabled train was towed to Sreemangal station.

According to Kulaura station master Md. Ruman Ahmed, the breakdown caused severe schedule disruptions for four trains: the Dhaka-bound Parabat Express, Dhaka-bound Jayantika Express, Sylhet-bound Paharika Express, and Chattogram-bound Paharika Express. A replacement engine from the Jayantika Express was initially sent, but the coupling hook detached after being connected.

After the stranded Paharika Express was finally moved to Sreemangal station, normal rail operations between Sylhet and the rest of the country were restored, easing the travel disruption that had affected multiple routes for much of the day.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman announced that his party aims to enhance farmers’ financial well-being and create employment for the unemployed through agro-based industrialization. Speaking as the chief guest at an election rally on Saturday at Birampur Government College field in Dinajpur, he said BNP’s politics goes beyond raw agricultural production and focuses on ensuring fair prices for farmers. He pledged to establish processing centers, storage facilities, and export-oriented industries in the region to reduce waste and boost exports.

Rahman highlighted Dinajpur’s fertile soil and hardworking people, emphasizing the potential of its renowned Kataribhog rice and lychees in global markets. He criticized the previous government for neglecting farmers and increasing production costs without ensuring fair returns. He promised that a BNP government would prioritize agriculture and protect farmers’ rights.

He also mentioned plans for equitable water distribution under the Teesta Master Plan and long-term agricultural and environmental protection. Rahman urged unity to build a democratic, agriculture-friendly, and development-oriented Bangladesh ahead of the February 12 national election.

Police in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj recovered a foreign-made pistol, two magazines, and two rounds of ammunition from a mango orchard. The operation took place on Friday night in the Kaliganj Khochpara area of Binodpur Union, owned by a local named Al Kesh. The recovery was confirmed on Saturday evening by Shibganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Humayun Kabir.

According to the officer, the weapons were found inside a yellow and blue tissue shopping bag during a special police operation. He stated that the operation was part of heightened intelligence activities ahead of the upcoming election, as Shibganj is a border area. No one was arrested during the raid.

Police have initiated legal proceedings regarding the recovered firearms, and the matter remains under investigation.

A special team of the army-led joint forces arrested Mehedi Hasan, also known as Dipu, a close associate of top criminal Subrata Bain, from a house in North Badda, Dhaka, on Friday. Police reported that 11 sophisticated foreign firearms, 394 rounds of ammunition, eight magazines, 32 cartridges, a rifle, knives, walkie-talkies, and a laptop were recovered from a flat in Dipu’s three-storey house. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Gulshan Zone Deputy Commissioner Rownakul Alam confirmed the arrest and said a court granted five days of remand under the Arms Act.

According to police, Dipu had been evading arrest since Subrata Bain’s capture in May 2025 during a joint forces operation in Kushtia. After Bain’s imprisonment, Dipu allegedly took control of the underworld network, extorting money in Badda, Bhatara, and Gulshan areas through threats and illegal arms trade. Police also linked him to two murders in 2025 and said he managed Bain’s weapons stockpile.

Police added that Dipu had been on the wanted list for years and frequently changed locations to avoid capture. Joint forces are now conducting operations to arrest his remaining associates.

Independent candidate and BNP dissident Taiful Islam Tipu has alleged that minority voters in the Natore-1 (Lalpur-Bagatipara) constituency are being threatened and intimidated ahead of the upcoming national election. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday at his campaign office in Walia, Lalpur, Tipu claimed that a group is deliberately trying to influence the election by scaring minority voters and discouraging them from going to polling centers.

He further alleged that his campaign activities have been repeatedly obstructed, citing a recent clash in Kachua area where 13 of his supporters were reportedly injured. Tipu accused his rivals of using firearms to create panic and claimed that one of his workers named Khalil was detained. Calling on the administration and Election Commission, he urged immediate legal action to ensure the safety of minority voters and prevent violence.

To ensure a free and fair election, Tipu presented six proposals, including arresting those threatening minority voters, recovering illegal weapons, setting up law enforcement camps in risky areas, and stopping arbitrary arrests of innocent people and political activists.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman alleged that a political party is intimidating and misleading people to prevent them from voting freely. He made the remarks on Saturday during an election rally in Nilphamari district, emphasizing that any wrongdoing against voters would face legal action.

Rahman said that those who once deprived Bangladeshis of their right to vote and freedom of speech have fled the country, but one of their associates remains active domestically. He accused these groups of taking on different forms before and after the country’s independence and of now being involved in conspiracies in various places.

His comments come as part of the BNP’s campaign efforts, where he reiterated the party’s stance on protecting voters’ rights and ensuring accountability for any intimidation or manipulation during the election process.

Three individuals, including Molla Shahnewaz Dolon, joint general secretary of the banned Jubo League in Bagerhat, were arrested during a joint forces operation in the Nagerbazar area late Friday night. Police reported seizing eight cans of foreign beer from their possession. The arrests were confirmed Saturday by Masum Khan, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Sadar Model Police Station.

The other two detainees are Madhusudan Dam, general secretary of the district Puja Celebration Council, aged 49, and Md. Miraj, aged 42, all residents of Nagerbazar. Law enforcement stated that the operation took place at Dam’s residence, and the detainees were later handed over to the Sadar Model Police Station. Both Dolon and Dam have multiple cases pending against them related to alleged attacks on anti-government protesters on August 4 of the previous year.

According to police, the arrests were part of a regular drive against illegal arms and drugs in Bagerhat. The detainees were scheduled to be sent to court on Saturday.

Popular Islamic scholar Mizanur Rahman Azhari has questioned the police’s aggressive behavior following an alleged attack on Inquilab Mancha activists. In a Facebook post on Saturday, February 7, 2026, he referred to a video showing police beating students and asked why such excessive force was used. The incident reportedly occurred on Friday, February 6, during a protest by Inquilab Mancha members.

Azhari criticized the police for what he described as unnecessary brutality, saying the situation could have been handled with restraint. He recalled that a police officer had previously been praised for dispersing a crowd without violence. Expressing disappointment, he said it was shameful and painful that students seeking justice were subjected to such treatment. He urged members of uniformed forces to act with greater professionalism, restraint, and humanity.

Azhari also condemned the police’s behavior at the protest, calling it aggressive and excessive, and expressed hope for more responsible conduct from law enforcement in the future.

AFM Reza Faez Mia, the general secretary of Bhanga municipal Awami League and former mayor of Bhanga municipality in Faridpur, announced his decision to join the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday night. The announcement came during an election courtyard meeting at BNP candidate Shahidul Islam Khan Babul’s ancestral home in Nurpur, where Reza Faez Mia urged voters to support the BNP’s paddy symbol.

According to the report, Reza Faez Mia, who resides in the United States and is known as a cousin-in-law of Sheikh Hasina, had been the subject of speculation regarding his political shift for some time. On Friday night, he joined the meeting via video call and exchanged greetings with the BNP candidate and local leaders.

During the call, his remarks were broadcast over loudspeakers by Upazila BNP president Alhaj Khondkar Iqbal Hossain Selim. Reza Faez Mia pledged his support for Shahidul Islam Khan Babul and called on all attendees to vote for the BNP candidate.

Rock legend Ayub Bachchu has been posthumously awarded the 2026 Ekushey Padak, Bangladesh’s highest civilian honor, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Bangla band music. The announcement came seven years after his death, moving his wife Ferdous Akhtar Chandana, who expressed her emotions on social media on Thursday evening.

Chandana stated that the award is not only an honor for Ayub Bachchu as an artist but also a state recognition of Bangla band music. In her post, she reflected on Bachchu’s lifelong dedication to music and expressed gratitude to the jury board and all involved in granting the honor. She emphasized that Bachchu’s presence endures across Bangladesh and among Bangla-speaking communities worldwide.

The government announced the names of the 2026 Ekushey Padak recipients for contributions in various fields, including actress Farida Akhter Bobita, Ayub Bachchu, nine distinguished individuals, and one band.

The National Committee to Protect State-Owned Sugar Mills has announced a program to besiege the Ministry of Industries on March 31, demanding the reopening of six state-owned sugar mills that were closed during the Awami League government. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the National Press Club, where the committee also declared protest programs at all closed and operational sugar mills until March 26. The committee issued an ultimatum to the interim government to reopen the mills, end corruption, and modernize the industry.

At the event, central convener Kamruzzaman Firoz presided over the session, while joint convener Nur Rahman Palash read the written statement. Labor leaders and representatives from various federations and organizations, including the National Democratic Workers Federation and the Sugar and Food Industries Corporation, were present. Firoz recalled that in November 2024, a decision had been made to modernize and reopen the six mills following a meeting between national leaders and Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Although an ordinance was later issued to reopen them, the Finance Ministry withheld funding and suspended sugarcane processing activities.

The committee’s announcement signals renewed pressure on the government to act on earlier commitments to revive the state-owned sugar industry.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has claimed that attempts were made to tarnish his character because of his strong stance in favor of women. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon while addressing an election rally at Sylhet Government Alia Madrasa field ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election. Rahman said his social media account had been hacked and alleged that those responsible had been caught, yet continued to speak against him.

During his speech, Rahman reiterated his commitment to ensuring voting rights for expatriate Bangladeshis, arguing that their contributions through remittances make them deserving of full electoral participation. He criticized those who questioned the need for expatriates to vote, emphasizing their economic importance to the nation.

Earlier the same day, Rahman also addressed election rallies in Habiganj’s New Field and Moulvibazar’s Kulaura, continuing his campaign activities ahead of the upcoming election.

Masuma Hadi, sister of slain Sharif Osman Hadi, declared that protests will continue until justice is served for her brother’s killing. Speaking at a rally held on Saturday in Nalchity, Jhalokathi, at Osman Hadi’s birthplace, she said the trial must take place in Bangladesh and vowed not to return home without justice. She also called for building a new Bangladesh inspired by Hadi’s ideals.

Masuma Hadi alleged that attempts to contact the interim government had failed. Condemning the police use of water cannons and tear gas during a peaceful sit-in near the Jamuna, she urged the United Nations to assist in ensuring a fair investigation into the killing. She further expressed concern that such actions by the administration before the election could undermine public confidence in a fair vote.

According to Inquilab Mancha, several people were injured when police dispersed a procession toward the Jamuna on Friday. The group reaffirmed that their struggle would continue until justice is achieved.