Bangladesh Coast Guard Director General Rear Admiral Mohammad Ziaul Haque announced that 200 Coast Guard members have been deployed to 22 polling centers in the Meghna coastal area of Chandpur ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election. He made the statement on February 9, 2026, after inspecting a joint election drill involving the Coast Guard, Naval Police, and local police at Bahadurpur Government Primary School field in Matlab North upazila.

Ziaul Haque said the force is fully prepared to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful election. He noted that law enforcement agencies will use apps, cameras, and drones to maintain order. Nationwide, 3,585 Coast Guard members in 100 platoons are stationed across coastal and riverine areas from January 18 to February 14, covering 332 polling centers in 69 unions across districts including Narayanganj, Chandpur, Khulna, Chattogram, and Bhola.

The Director General expressed confidence that their presence has built public trust and will help create a festive environment during voting in coastal regions.

Tobacco cultivation has been completely stopped this year in the Manikchhari section of the Halda basin, according to a press release from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock issued on Monday. Last year, 11 farmers cultivated tobacco on about 20 acres in the area, but coordinated efforts by district and upazila administrations and the Department of Fisheries ensured full compliance with the government ban.

Experts cited excessive pesticide use and tobacco farming in the Halda basin as major causes of water pollution in the Halda River, the country’s only natural carp breeding ground and a declared fish heritage site. They expect the ban to have a positive impact on the conservation of fish resources and biodiversity. The ministry had amended the existing heritage gazette on November 5, 2025, officially prohibiting tobacco cultivation in the basin.

Following the decision, local authorities informed farmers about the government directive and advised them to avoid planting tobacco seedlings, which are usually sown in December and January. The Department of Agricultural Extension is now encouraging alternative crops such as mustard, maize, and vegetables. The ministry’s adviser Farida Akhter has instructed intensified monitoring to prevent any resumption of tobacco farming.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh will use advanced drone technology for the first time to monitor security and law and order during the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum scheduled for February 12. Drones from the Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will provide live aerial surveillance of polling areas. A letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Shahidul Islam requested the armed forces’ Principal Staff Officer, and the heads of BGB and RAB, to take necessary measures for the operation.

According to the EC’s plan, each of the three forces will deploy their own drones. The live video feed will be transmitted directly to the EC Secretariat’s Law and Order Coordination Cell, while the Air Force feed will also be displayed at the Chief Adviser’s Office. The EC believes this system will help quickly assess ground realities and support timely decision-making during the election.

The EC’s latest data shows Bangladesh has 127,711,739 registered voters, including 64,825,361 men, 62,885,200 women, and 1,232 transgender voters.

The Government of Bangladesh has declared a general public holiday on Thursday, February 12, when the 13th National Parliamentary Election and a national referendum will be held. According to a notification from the Ministry of Public Administration, all government, semi-government, autonomous, private offices, and educational institutions will remain closed on election day. However, several essential services and specific personnel are exempt from the holiday to ensure public convenience and smooth election operations.

Hospitals, fire service, electricity, gas, water, and emergency telecommunication services will continue to operate. Media organizations, including newspapers, online news portals, and television channels, along with their staff, are also exempt. Law enforcement agencies such as police, Ansar, RAB, and the army deployed for election duties will remain active. Election officials including returning officers, presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and polling officers will perform their duties as scheduled.

The Election Commission Secretariat and its field offices will remain open throughout the day to manage election activities, while teachers and bank employees assigned to polling duties will also work despite the general holiday.

Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Vice President and student leader Sadiq Kayem has submitted four demands to the Election Commission. In a Facebook post on Monday afternoon, he stated that the demands include withdrawing the decision to ban mobile phone use within 400 yards of polling centers and ensuring reasonable mobile access for voters and officials.

The other demands are to revoke the decision not to deploy BNCC at polling centers, ensure a level playing field for all political parties and candidates, and maintain complete neutrality of the administration and law enforcement agencies to guarantee a free, fair, and impartial election. In response, the Election Commission reportedly assured that it would issue a new circular canceling the mobile phone ban and reconsider the BNCC deployment decision, along with taking appropriate measures regarding the remaining demands.

The exchange highlights ongoing discussions between student representatives and the Election Commission over election management and fairness measures ahead of upcoming polls.

Former Bangladesh Army Chief General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan testified that during his tenure, individuals linked to India’s intelligence agency ‘R’ regularly visited the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) office and operated from one of its seven meeting rooms. He stated that these visitors, reportedly under the patronage of retired Major General Tariq Siddiqi, provided DGFI with lists of people they identified as militants. Bhuiyan made these remarks on Monday while giving testimony before International Crimes Tribunal-1 in a case against Ziaul Ahsan concerning enforced disappearances and killings.

In his statement, Bhuiyan explained that as army chief he had multiple sources of information, including the Army Security Unit, the Directorate of Military Intelligence, and discussions with officers from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). Through these channels, he learned that some junior officers were being misled and drawn into wrongful activities. He cited three specific incidents involving officers who admitted to killings during their service, describing his efforts to confront and counsel them about their actions.

The testimony highlighted Bhuiyan’s concerns about external influence and ethical lapses within military and law enforcement ranks, as presented in the tribunal proceedings.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has directed authorities to ensure uninterrupted telecommunications across the country during the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the national referendum scheduled for February 12. The instruction, issued by Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Shahidul Islam, was sent to the secretaries of four key ministries: Local Government, Road Transport and Highways, Power, and Posts and Telecommunications. The EC emphasized that no road repair or development work should disrupt critical transmission connections during this period.

According to the EC’s letter, fast and uninterrupted communication is essential for election operations. It instructed that any highway or road development work before or after the election must be coordinated with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to prevent damage to underground optical fiber or vital telecom lines.

EC Secretariat sources said the decision aims to maintain live drone feeds, ensure continuous data exchange from polling centers, and prevent accidental internet or phone disconnections. Over 120 million voters are expected to participate in both the election and the referendum on February 12.

The July Revolutionary Journalist Alliance (JRJA) has announced plans to besiege the Election Commission (EC) if a recent directive banning journalists from using mobile phones within 400 meters of polling centers during the 13th National Parliament election and referendum is not withdrawn by 5 p.m. today. JRJA General Secretary Israfil Farzi declared that the EC’s order constitutes a direct interference with citizens’ rights and an attack on press freedom.

In a statement, Farzi described the restriction as unjustified, discriminatory, and contrary to the principles of free media. He argued that mobile phones are essential tools for journalists in the digital era, enabling real-time reporting and public access to information. Preventing their use, he said, amounts to deliberate control of news flow and undermines transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

The JRJA warned that if the EC fails to revoke the ban within the deadline, journalists will proceed with the planned siege, holding the commission fully responsible for any resulting situation.

Journalists will be allowed to use mobile phones inside polling centers during the upcoming 13th National Parliament election and referendum in Bangladesh. The decision was confirmed after a meeting between the Election Commission’s Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and Kazi Zebel, president of the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED), at the Election Commission building in Agargaon on Monday.

Kazi Zebel said the Election Commission assured that the restriction on mobile phone use would not apply to journalists, recognizing the importance of mobile phones in their professional duties. The assurance came after RFED expressed concerns that such restrictions could hinder transparency and press freedom. The Commission also promised to issue an official notification soon.

Earlier, on Sunday, the Election Commission had issued a circular prohibiting anyone, including voters, from carrying mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centers, a move that drew protests from several journalist organizations.

The Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) held a meeting with the Election Commission (EC) on February 9, 2026, representing four crore young voters who regained their voting rights after sixteen years. After the meeting, DUCSU Vice President and student leader Sadiq Kayem declared that the successors of the July Revolution would not allow any form of election engineering or backdoor power grabs in Bangladesh.

Kayem criticized the EC’s recent directive banning mobile phone use within 400 yards of polling centers, calling it authoritarian and undemocratic. He said the decision would hinder public participation and noted that the commission assured them the order would be withdrawn and replaced. He also expressed concern over excluding the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) from election duties, describing the force as professional and disciplined, and said the EC promised to reconsider the issue.

Kayem further questioned the administration’s role in attacks and threats against candidates, especially women, urging law enforcement to act responsibly to ensure a free, fair, and participatory election where democracy ultimately prevails.

Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam of the International Crimes Tribunal stated that the ongoing trial over the July killings will not be affected by any change in government. Speaking to reporters at the tribunal premises on Monday, he emphasized that the trial is a responsibility of the state and not linked to political transitions. He assured that even if a new political government takes office, the judicial process will continue.

Tajul Islam described the July killings as crimes committed against the people of Bangladesh, asserting that the state is obligated to ensure justice. He expressed optimism that an elected government would provide better support to the tribunal, possibly by increasing the number of tribunals to overcome existing limitations. He reiterated that all political parties and citizens are united in their commitment to justice for the atrocities, including killings, torture, and enforced disappearances during July and August.

He further noted that those who come to power in the future are also citizens of Bangladesh and remain bound by the national pledge to complete the trials, leaving no scope for political influence over the judicial process.

Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and head of its central publicity and media department, has called for the immediate withdrawal of the Election Commission’s decision to ban voters from carrying mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centers. In a statement to the media on Monday, he described the decision as unjust and urged the Commission to reverse it without delay.

Zubair argued that the restriction, imposed ahead of the upcoming national parliamentary election and referendum, undermines voters’ freedom and security rather than protecting them. He stated that the measure amounts to unnecessary control over citizens and called on the Election Commission to reconsider its stance.

He further warned that if the decision is not withdrawn, Jamaat-e-Islami, along with the public, would surround the Election Commission office to compel the withdrawal of what he termed an unfair decision.

A Dhaka court has again postponed the submission of the investigation report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi. Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam fixed April 1 as the new date after the Police Bureau of Investigation’s Additional Superintendent of Police, Md Azizul Haque, failed to submit the report on the scheduled day. The prosecution’s Sub-Inspector Rafiqul Islam Russell confirmed the development.

The case, filed by Runi’s brother after the couple’s killing on February 11, 2012, has seen repeated delays and transfers among investigative agencies. Initially handled by Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police, it was later moved to the Detective Branch, then to the Rapid Action Battalion, and finally to the Police Bureau of Investigation following High Court orders. In 2024, the High Court directed the formation of a four-member high-level task force led by the PBI chief to complete the probe within six months.

Among the accused, Tanvir Rahman Khan is on bail, while Palash Rudra Pal remains absconding after securing bail. The rest are in custody.

Hasnat Abdullah, the NCP’s chief organizer for the southern region and a candidate representing an 11-party alliance in Cumilla-4 (Debidwar), has alleged that the Election Commission’s decision to ban mobile phones at polling centers is part of a conspiracy to steal votes. He made the remarks on Tuesday at an election rally held at Bhaisherkot Eidgah field in Debidwar upazila.

During his speech, Hasnat argued that prohibiting mobile phones on election day would prevent citizen journalists from exposing irregularities. He said that in July, only a few media outlets were allowed to report freely, while mobile journalists played a key role in delivering real news to the public. He demanded that the Election Commission withdraw the mobile ban to ensure transparency and free news coverage.

The rally was conducted by expatriate Masud Parvez Sohag and attended by local leaders from NCP and Jamaat, including Jahangir Alam, Saiful Islam Shahid, and Professor Shahidul Islam.

The ongoing strike at Chattogram Port, called to protest the leasing of the NCT terminal to a foreign company and disciplinary actions against workers, has been suspended until February 15. The Port Protection Struggle Council announced the suspension late Sunday night through a press release signed by coordinators Humayun Kabir and Ibrahim Khokon. The statement said the decision was made to help stabilize market prices ahead of the 13th national election and the upcoming Ramadan. Workers were instructed to return to work from 8 a.m. Monday.

The council noted that workers felt reassured after the government’s shipping adviser and BIDA chairman declared that the port would not be leased to foreign entities during the current administration. However, concern spread among workers after the port authority temporarily suspended 16 strike leaders and canceled their housing. Following the withdrawal of the blockade, container handling and cargo transport resumed, restoring normal operations at the port.

According to port officials, vessel movements and cargo deliveries have returned to normal, bringing relief to the country’s import and export sectors after nine days of disruption.