Publishers have strongly criticized the Bangla Academy’s decision to hold the Amar Ekushey Book Fair from February 20, calling it unilateral, undemocratic, and self-destructive. In a joint statement sent to the media on Thursday, they alleged that the academy made the announcement without consulting any stakeholders. The publishers warned that starting the fair during Ramadan would lead to a shortage of visitors, impose inhumane pressure on stall workers, and cause certain financial losses for publishers.

According to the statement, 32 pavilion and 152 stall owners had already expressed written support for holding the fair after Eid-ul-Fitr. The publishers argued that organizing the event during Ramadan would turn it into a failed and tarnished festival, describing the decision as “a blow to an already wounded situation.” They urged the authorities to reconsider immediately and arrange the fair in a festive atmosphere after Eid.

The publishers further appealed to the government and Bangla Academy to acknowledge their concerns, warning that the organizers would bear full responsibility for any resulting crisis if the decision is not revised.

Bangladesh Bank officials have voiced disappointment that the central bank has not been granted autonomy during the interim government’s reform period. At a press conference held on Thursday, February 5, 2026, by the Bangladesh Bank Officers’ Welfare Council at the bank’s headquarters, officials also condemned recent comments by the finance adviser questioning their integrity, calling the remarks unjust, inappropriate, and offensive.

Council leaders, including President A.K.M. Masum Billah and General Secretary Golam Mostafa Shraban, stated that it is unfair to hold the central bank responsible for irregularities in the banking sector without granting it autonomy. They demanded that the bank’s accountability be placed under a parliamentary committee rather than the government. The officials also criticized the failure to amend the Bangladesh Bank Order and the Bank Company Act despite the presence of senior economic figures in the interim administration.

The council further urged the resolution of recruitment and promotion deadlocks, cancellation of all contractual adviser appointments made without transparent procedures, and greater focus from the governor on central bank affairs.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus emphasized replacing conventional training in government service with problem-solving-based programs to improve efficiency and eliminate corruption. He made the remarks on Thursday, February 5, at the state guesthouse Jamuna while receiving a report from the Governance Innovation Unit (GIU) on the performance and institutional evaluation of training institutes. Yunus said the goal is to ensure that citizens do not need to approach government offices, as services should reach them directly through technology-enabled automation.

He criticized outdated training systems that lack skilled personnel and modern methods, calling for performance-based incentives to motivate officials. Yunus instructed the development of high-quality training institutes with ranking systems and encouraged participation from private-sector employees. The GIU’s evaluation, initiated on September 10 under the National Training Council’s guidance with UNDP support, covered five institutions under the Ministry of Public Administration. The report included strategies to enhance quality and overcome institutional challenges.

Committees comprising academia, training representatives, and senior officials guided the process, which followed a learning-by-doing approach and incorporated international best practices and standards.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has announced that metro rail services will continue as usual during the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum. Director AKM Khairul Alam confirmed on Thursday that the metro will operate on election days to ensure smooth travel for Dhaka residents and facilitate voter movement, despite restrictions on other vehicles.

According to DMTCL, gates of metro stations located directly beside polling centers may remain closed, while all other gates will stay open. To maintain uninterrupted service, all staff leave has been canceled. Earlier, the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges issued a circular on February 2 imposing nationwide transport restrictions, including a ban on taxis, pickups, microbuses, and trucks from midnight February 11 to midnight February 12, and a 72-hour motorcycle ban from midnight February 10 to midnight February 13. Exceptions will apply for emergency and election-related activities.

The decision ensures that metro rail remains the only public transport operating normally during the election period, supporting voter mobility across Dhaka.

The government has issued a gazette recognizing 474 individuals severely injured in the July Uprising as 'July Fighters' under a revised classification. The announcement was made through a notification from the Gazette Branch of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs, published on February 5, 2026. According to the notice, the decision was made under the authority granted by Section 11(4) of the July Uprising Martyrs’ Families and July Fighters’ Welfare and Rehabilitation Ordinance, 2025 (Ordinance No. 30, 2025).

The gazette specifies that the recognized individuals fall under Class 'B' (severely injured) in the updated categorization. The order was issued with the approval of the competent authority, and the official list of names has been made available for public reference.

The publication of this gazette formalizes the government’s recognition of those injured during the July 2024 uprising, ensuring their inclusion in welfare and rehabilitation measures outlined in the 2025 ordinance.

Rabeya Islam Shampa, wife of slain Inkilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, along with the platform’s leaders and activists, staged a sit-in in front of the Chief Adviser’s residence, Jamuna, on Thursday, February 5. They demanded that the investigation into Hadi’s killing be conducted under the supervision of the United Nations. The protest began around 5 p.m., with key members including Abdullah Al Jaber and Fatima Tasnim Juma present at the scene.

Fatima Tasnim Juma told the media that Inkilab Mancha and Hadi’s widow were demonstrating to press for a UN-supervised investigation. She alleged that while the group had extended full cooperation to the government, administration, and political parties, they had not received reciprocal support. The protest follows the fatal shooting of Hadi on December 12 in Dhaka’s Paltan area, a day after the announcement of the 13th national election and referendum schedule.

Hadi was taken to several hospitals in Dhaka and later to Singapore, where he died on December 18. A murder attempt case filed on December 14 at Paltan Police Station was later converted into a murder case.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain stated that no election is ever perfect, emphasizing that the key issue is whether an election truly reflects public opinion. He made the remarks on Thursday, February 5, during a discussion with journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hossain expressed hope that the upcoming election would be held within a week, noting that although some people remain doubtful, he sees no reason for the election not to take place.

He added that understanding public sentiment does not depend solely on numbers, as it becomes evident through broader observation. Referring to the previous four elections, he said each had reflected public opinion to some extent. Drawing a comparison with India, Hossain mentioned that even in the world’s largest democracy, elections are not flawless and face certain issues.

Responding to a question about whether foreign diplomats had exerted pressure regarding the Awami League’s participation in the election, Hossain clarified that while some diplomats had inquired about the matter, none had applied any pressure.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has declared February 10, 2026, a general holiday for workers and employees in industrial areas across Bangladesh in view of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. As a result, workers in factories and industries will enjoy three consecutive days off on February 10, 11, and 12. The decision was approved at a meeting of the Advisory Council held on Thursday.

According to the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing, factories implementing the February 10 holiday may later require workers to work one additional day to compensate for the leave. The decision followed a request from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and was finalized during the council meeting.

The announcement aims to facilitate workers’ participation in the national election and referendum while allowing industrial operations to recover the lost workday afterward.

National Citizens Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam declared that Bangladesh’s government will be chosen solely by its people and that no foreign interference or dominance will be accepted. Speaking on Thursday at an election rally in Baroghopa, Kutubdia, Cox’s Bazar, organized to support the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance candidate, he asserted that Delhi’s influence over Bangladesh would no longer be tolerated.

Nahid Islam described those who adopted policies of extortion, land grabbing, and rehabilitation of fascists after August 5 as the country’s new oppressors, calling for resistance against them on February 12. He said the electoral struggle extended beyond the Cox’s Bazar-2 constituency, representing a national fight to free Bangladesh from domination, fascism, corruption, and exploitation.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher emphasized the need for a free, fair, and acceptable election, urging the government and Election Commission to act impartially. Speakers urged voters to support the “scales” symbol to build a new Bangladesh, while candidate Hamidur Rahman Azad pledged fair salt prices, sustainable embankments, and improved ferry services.

Bangladesh and the United States are set to sign a counter-tariff trade agreement on Monday, February 9, in Washington, D.C. The formal activities related to the signing will begin a day earlier, on February 8. Although the event will span two days, Bangladesh’s Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin and Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman will not attend in person.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, a five-member Bangladeshi delegation will travel to the United States to represent the country at the signing ceremony. A government order issued on February 3 appointed Additional Secretary and WTO Division Head Khadiza Nazneen as the delegation leader. Other members include Joint Secretaries Firoz Uddin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, Senior Assistant Secretary Sheikh Shamsul Arefin, and NBR Commissioner Rois Uddin Khan. The delegation is scheduled to leave Dhaka on February 6 and return around February 10.

Meanwhile, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin and Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman have departed for Tokyo to attend the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement signing program, taking place from February 4 to 6.

Sarowar Alam, an assistant programmer at the President’s Office, denied any involvement in the case filed over the hacking of the Jamaat-e-Islami chief’s X account. He made the statement on Thursday during a bail hearing before Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Jonaid. Police said he was shown arrested on Wednesday night under the Cyber Security Act in a case filed with Hatirjheel Police Station.

During the hearing, the investigating officer, SI Khondoker Saleh Abu Naim, sought to keep Alam in jail, while defense lawyer Md. Alamgir applied for bail, arguing that his client had been falsely implicated due to political vendetta. The prosecution lawyer, Abdur Razzak, opposed bail, alleging that Alam acted to create unrest and provoke voters by hacking the Jamaat chief’s account.

Alam told the court he was arrested from his home and had voluntarily handed over his mobile phone, laptop, and desktop to investigators. He insisted he had never imagined committing such an act and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

The six-day-long strike by workers and employees at Chattogram Port has been suspended for two days following successful discussions with the shipping adviser. The decision was announced on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at a press conference held at the port building by Humayun Kabir and Ibrahim Khokon, coordinators of the Chattogram Port Protection Struggle Unity Council. Workers will resume full operations from Friday morning, bringing relief to port activities that had been paralyzed for nearly a week.

During the meeting, labor leaders presented four demands, including cancellation of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) operation agreement, withdrawal of transfer orders for protesting employees, assurance against future legal actions, and removal of the current port chairman. The adviser accepted two of these demands and promised to consider the chairman’s removal. He also sought two days to consult the chief adviser regarding the NCT issue.

Union leaders warned that if the government does not withdraw from the NCT agreement within the given time, they will resume the strike from Sunday. The temporary suspension has restored confidence among traders and port stakeholders after days of disruption.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced that the interim government will hand over power to the newly elected administration within the shortest possible time after the results of the 13th National Parliamentary Election are declared. He stated that the process could take a maximum of three days, and the new government may assume office between February 17 and 18. The announcement was made on Thursday at a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, following a meeting of the Advisory Council chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

Shafiqul Alam explained that preparations are in place for a swift transfer of power once the election concludes. Newly elected members of parliament will take their oaths immediately after the results, and the handover process will begin promptly. He emphasized that the transition could be completed as early as February 15, 16, or by February 17–18 at the latest.

Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad dismissed rumors that the interim government would remain in power for 180 working days, calling such claims baseless and politically motivated.

A Dhaka court has granted bail to Mohammad Saroware Alam, an assistant programmer at Bangabhaban, in a case filed over the hacking of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s X (formerly Twitter) account. The order was issued on Thursday by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Junaid after a hearing. Saroware Alam was produced before the Dhaka CMM Court at 3 p.m., where the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Khandaker Saleh Abu Nayeem of Hatirjheel Police Station, sought to keep him in custody.

During the hearing, defense lawyer Md. Alamgir argued for bail, while prosecution lawyer Md. Abdur Razzak opposed it, citing specific allegations and a forensic report from the accused’s mobile phone. The prosecution claimed the act aimed to create unrest before the election and warned that the accused might abscond if released. Saroware Alam denied the allegations, asserting his innocence and cooperation with investigators, saying he voluntarily handed over his mobile and laptop.

The case was filed under the Cyber Security Act at Hatirjheel Police Station following the hacking incident involving the Jamaat chief’s X account.

Candidates of the Khagrachhari-298 parliamentary constituency have demanded that the army be deployed with magistracy powers three days before the election to ensure maximum security at 68 high-risk polling centers. The demand was made on Thursday at a press conference organized under the banner of the Khagrachhari Lawyers’ Association, where BNP candidate Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan read a written statement. Three other candidates—Mithila Roaja of Jatiya Party, Dinmoy Roaja of Ganoparishad, and Md. Nurul Islam of Insoniyat Biplob Bangladesh—were also present.

According to the statement, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have identified 121 of the 203 polling centers in Khagrachhari as risky, including 68 marked as “red” for being highly vulnerable. The candidates alleged that armed groups are intimidating voters, obstructing campaigns, and attempting to influence votes in favor of preferred candidates. They also claimed these groups disrupted past elections and are now trying to destabilize the upcoming polls.

The six-point demand includes increased mobile patrols in remote areas, strict security per polling center, community confidence-building, monitoring social media for rumors, and immediate legal action against offenders.