Islami Andolon Bangladesh’s Amir and Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim announced that his party would establish a corruption-free Bangladesh if it came to power. Speaking at an election rally organized by the Islami Andolon Barguna district branch at Amtali Municipality field on Friday morning, he said all necessary steps would be taken to bring smiles to the faces of the country’s 180 million people and ensure their freedom of movement.

During the event, Karim introduced Maulana Oliullah as the Islami Andolon candidate for Barguna-1 and Md. Mizanur Rahman Kasemi for Barguna-2, both contesting under the hand-fan symbol. He stated that if the hand-fan symbol candidates won, Barguna district would be developed as a model district. The rally was presided over by Barguna-1 candidate Maulana Mahmudul Hossain Oliullah and attended by several party leaders including Professor Mahabubur Rahman, Professor Ashrab Ali Akon, and Maulana Saiful Islam.

The gathering reflected Islami Andolon’s campaign focus on anti-corruption and local development ahead of the upcoming elections.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to announce its election manifesto for the 13th National Parliament election this afternoon. BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman will formally unveil the manifesto at 3:30 p.m. at the ballroom of Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka. The event will be presided over by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and conducted by Standing Committee member and Election Steering Committee Chairman Nazrul Islam Khan.

According to party sources, the manifesto emphasizes BNP’s previously declared 31-point agenda, the July Charter, and the aspirations of young voters. It will feature people-oriented initiatives such as family cards, health cards, and farmer cards. The document will also include commitments to restore democracy, ensure judicial independence, decentralize administration, protect human rights, and strengthen anti-corruption mechanisms. Guidance on economic and foreign policy directions will also be presented.

The event is expected to be attended by prominent citizens, foreign ambassadors, high commissioners, and representatives from international organizations and diplomatic missions in Dhaka.

Abdur Rashid Jitu, vice president of Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU), along with several elected hall leaders, has joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The announcement was made at a press conference held on Friday at the BNP central office in Naya Paltan, Dhaka. In addition to Jitu, multiple JAKSU leaders joined the BNP’s student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. Some elected representatives, including Maruf Hasan, Masud Rana Mintu, and Ripon Mondol, were absent from the joining event.

Those who joined the Chhatra Dal include Ibn-e-Shihab of Nawab Salimullah Hall, Rifat Ahmed Shakil of Al Beruni Hall, G.M.M. Raihan Kabir of A.F.M. Kamaluddin Hall, Amit Bonik of Rabindranath Tagore Hall, Bubli Ahmed of Nawab Faizunnesa Hall, Farhana Bithi of Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, Shahriar Nazim Riad of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall, and Shariful Islam of Shaheed Rafiq Jabbar Hall.

The JAKSU and hall elections were held on 11 September after a 33-year gap. In that election, the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed “Combined Student Alliance” won 20 of the 25 central positions, while independent and Bangladesh Democratic Student Union candidates secured the remaining five.

Authorities have imposed Section 144 around the Chief Adviser’s residence in the Jamuna area of Dhaka on Friday afternoon, according to the DMP Commissioner. Six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed near Kakrail Mosque and Hotel Intercontinental to secure the state residence. The move follows escalating protests by government employees demanding publication and implementation of the ninth pay scale gazette.

Earlier in the day, demonstrators under the banner of the Government Employees Demand Implementation Unity Council began a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar before marching toward Shahbagh and Jamuna. Police initially blocked them at Shahbagh, later using tear gas, sound grenades, and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Despite several dispersal attempts, protesters regrouped and continued toward Jamuna, leading to further clashes and injuries.

The employees had previously observed work stoppages for several days, extending their strike duration from two to four hours nationwide. Their current demand centers on immediate publication and enforcement of the new pay scale effective from January 1.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, a partner in the 11-party alliance, announced its manifesto for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election at its central office in Purana Paltan on Friday. Party chief Allama Mamunul Haque presented the manifesto, pledging to build a new Bangladesh based on justice, integrity, and humane Islamic governance. The manifesto outlines 22 commitments across six priority areas, including balanced development, good governance, national security, foreign policy, education reform, and youth employment.

The party emphasized ending the culture of enforced disappearances, killings, and corruption, calling for state reform grounded in truth, justice, and accountability. It proposed a welfare-oriented state ensuring citizens’ basic rights to food, shelter, healthcare, education, and justice. The manifesto also supports a professional defense system, an independent foreign policy, and a unified moral education framework. It promises employment guarantees for youth and equal rights for women across all sectors.

Mamunul Haque described the manifesto as a moral duty rather than a political promise, asserting that a state built on piety, justice, and humane governance would ensure peace, prosperity, and security for all citizens.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit three northern districts of Bangladesh on Saturday, beginning with Thakurgaon, followed by Nilphamari and Dinajpur. During the trip, he will attend election rallies and later visit the graves of his grandparents and aunt. The visit marks his first return to Thakurgaon in 23 years, and local BNP leaders and supporters are preparing for large gatherings at Thakurgaon Boys High School field, where the main rally will be held.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, whose constituency includes Thakurgaon, has urged party members and supporters to attend the event. Police have confirmed that security preparations are complete for the visit. Local residents and party activists have expressed excitement about seeing Tarique Rahman in person after nearly two decades, viewing his presence as significant for the region’s development.

Following the Thakurgaon rally, Tarique Rahman will travel to Nilphamari and then to Birampur in Dinajpur, an area connected to his mother’s memories. BNP Standing Committee member Dr. A Z M Zahid Hossain said public attendance at the rallies will demonstrate the people’s affection for the Zia family and Tarique Rahman.

In East London’s Bangladeshi community, conversations about Bangladesh’s upcoming February 12 national election have intensified as expatriates gain the right to vote for the first time. The election follows the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the installation of an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has banned Hasina’s Awami League from contesting. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, now led by Tarique Rahman, and the Jamaat-e-Islami in alliance with the National Citizen Party are among the main contenders. For many in Britain’s large Bangladeshi diaspora, the vote carries emotional and symbolic weight after decades of exclusion.

Despite new rights, participation remains limited. Only about 32,000 Bangladeshi citizens in the UK have registered to vote, compared with millions in Gulf countries. Complex registration procedures, lack of awareness, and technological barriers have discouraged many, particularly older voters. Younger British Bangladeshis often feel detached from politics in Bangladesh, focusing instead on life in the UK. Some, however, view the election as a chance for long-awaited change, while others question its legitimacy after the Awami League’s ban.

The diaspora’s mixed engagement underscores enduring ties to Bangladesh alongside evolving identities rooted in Britain.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has discovered a local firearm manufacturing factory in Sandwip, Chattogram, and arrested two craftsmen along with weapons and equipment. The detainees were identified as Md. Rashed, 40, from Amanullah Union, and Akbar, 43, from Rahmatpur Union. The operation was conducted jointly by the Coast Guard Station Sandwip and a Navy team on Wednesday night in the Amanullah embankment area. Officials recovered a single-barrel gun, two live cartridges, and various firearm-making tools during the raid.

According to Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq, the raid was carried out based on information about suspicious activities in the area. Legal proceedings are underway against the arrested individuals, and the seized weapons and tools have been taken into custody.

Reports indicate that due to the remote coastal nature of the region, small-scale workshops have long been used to conceal illegal firearm production. However, regular law enforcement operations have significantly reduced such activities in recent years.

Bangladesh’s Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Sunil Karmakar, who played a significant role in promoting the songs of philosopher and poet Jalal Uddin Khan. In a condolence message issued on Friday, Farooki said that philosophy and art in Bangladesh have long evolved together, with the nation’s people expressing both worldly emotions and philosophical reflections through song. He noted that the country’s intellectual heritage is best found in its music, enriched by thinkers such as Lalon, Hasan, Jalal Khan, and Shah Karim.

Farooki described Sunil Karmakar as a distinguished musician and spiritual artist from the Jalal Khan tradition. He recalled being inspired by Karmakar’s rendition of Jalal Khan’s songs many years ago and praised his mastery of multiple instruments, including the violin and dotara. The adviser added that the Ministry of Cultural Affairs had promptly extended support upon learning of Karmakar’s illness.

Farooki said the news of Karmakar’s passing deeply saddened him personally and marked an irreparable loss for Bangladesh’s cultural community.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said his party would ensure equal justice for all if it came to power. Speaking at an election campaign rally on Friday morning at Patahat RC College field in Mehendiganj upazila of Barishal, he stated that the same law would apply to both ordinary citizens and the president. He emphasized that Jamaat seeks victory not for itself but for all 180 million people of Bangladesh, aiming to build a fair and inclusive nation.

Rahman pledged that under Jamaat’s rule, no extrajudicial killings would occur, referring to frequent incidents before August 5. He criticized the Awami League for alleged oppression and inequality after independence, claiming that despite changes in government, the nation’s fate had not improved. He described Jamaat as the most oppressed political group, yet committed to speaking for public interest.

He added that the 11-party alliance was determined to establish a humane, discrimination-free Bangladesh and eradicate corruption. Several senior Jamaat and allied leaders attended the event.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) announced that from 9 a.m. today, the country will experience mainly dry weather with partly cloudy skies for the next 24 hours. Mild cold waves are currently sweeping across Moulvibazar, Panchagarh, Rajshahi, and Pabna districts, and these conditions may persist for a few more days. Light to moderate fog may form in river basin areas during early morning hours.

According to the BMD, both day and night temperatures across the country are expected to remain largely unchanged. The highest temperature recorded today was 31.6 degrees Celsius in Teknaf, while the lowest was 8.4 degrees Celsius in Sreemangal. In Dhaka, winds are blowing from the west-northwest at speeds of 8 to 12 kilometers per hour, with relative humidity measured at 68 percent at 6 a.m.

The department also reported that sunset in Dhaka will occur at 5:48 p.m. today, and sunrise tomorrow will be at 6:37 a.m.

Government employees have begun marching toward the Chief Adviser’s residence at Jamuna, demanding immediate publication and implementation of the gazette for the 9th pay scale based on the Ninth National Pay Commission’s report. The march started around 11 a.m. on Friday when participants broke through a police barricade near Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka. Protesters declared they would not return home unless the gazette was issued within the day.

Earlier in the morning, government workers gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka before setting out for Jamuna. Participants included members of the Government Officers and Employees Welfare Association, as well as staff from various government, semi-government, and pay-scale-covered offices. Demonstrators alleged that although a pay commission was formed during the interim government, the failure to publish the gazette constituted an injustice.

The protest reflects growing frustration among public servants over delays in formalizing the new pay scale, with demands centered on immediate government action.

Political dynamics in the Comilla-5 (Burichang–Brahmanpara) constituency have become increasingly complex ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election. Two candidates from the 11-party alliance are contesting: Jamaat-e-Islami’s Advocate Mobarak Hossain, a former Islami Chhatra Shibir leader, and Barrister Zubair Ahmed, joint secretary general of Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party. Observers note that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate, Haji Jasim Uddin, appears to be in a comparatively favorable position.

Both alliance candidates are actively campaigning, but their simultaneous presence has reportedly confused voters. Political analysts believe this split may benefit the BNP contender. Jamaat and AB Party leaders confirmed that only two constituencies nationwide—Comilla-5 and Sunamganj-3—feature both parties’ candidates under a mutual understanding within the 11-party coalition. Jamaat’s candidate expects AB Party to withdraw soon, while AB’s Zubair Ahmed insists he is running independently and is confident of victory.

The 11-party alliance, announced on January 15 in Dhaka, allocated 179 seats to Jamaat and three to AB Party. Local leaders say the overlapping nominations in Comilla-5 are part of the coalition’s agreed flexibility.

A three-way contest is unfolding in the Jessore-5 (Monirampur) constituency ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election, with the main competition expected between BNP’s expelled rebel candidate Shahid Md. Iqbal Hossain and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Gazi Enamul Haque. The BNP-led alliance’s official nominee, former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Rashid Ahmad, is reportedly trailing behind. Iqbal Hossain was initially nominated by the BNP but was later expelled after refusing to withdraw his candidacy when the seat was allocated to Jamiat as part of a joint anti-fascist movement arrangement.

Local reports indicate that most BNP activists in Monirampur are campaigning for Iqbal Hossain, while only a few support the official BNP symbol candidate. The constituency has about 375,000 voters, including roughly 100,000 religious minorities, many of whom are said to back Iqbal. His long-standing local presence and previous tenure as three-time mayor have strengthened his influence. Jamaat’s campaign, however, remains active, particularly among women voters.

Iqbal Hossain expressed full confidence in his victory, while Jamaat’s campaign committee stated they are on the path to success, identifying Iqbal as their main rival.

As the election date nears, campaigning in Barishal-2 constituency has become increasingly competitive, with candidates and supporters canvassing from morning to night. Voters say they prefer honest and capable candidates. Although eight contenders are running, the main contest appears to be between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami nominees, both striving to attract Awami League voters, whose support could determine the outcome.

BNP has nominated industrialist and education enthusiast S. Sarfuddin Ahmed Santu, but internal divisions have weakened his campaign. Several BNP leaders who were denied nomination have refrained from joining his campaign, and some have defected to Jamaat. This has created mixed reactions locally. Jamaat’s candidate, Master Abdul Mannan, is seen as honest though less popular, while BNP’s Santu remains widely known. Other strong candidates include JASAD’s Abul Kalam Azad Badol, a former local chairman.

Election officials report that law and order in Barishal-2 remains under control, with no incidents of political violence so far. The constituency, comprising Uzirpur and Banaripara upazilas, has 385,807 voters and 140 polling centers. Observers note that Awami League supporters’ voting direction could decide the final result.