A fierce contest has emerged in the Habiganj-1 (Nabiganj and Bahubal) constituency ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election, following the withdrawal of Jamaat-e-Islami’s candidate Shahjahan Ali on January 20 for alliance reasons. The race now centers on BNP’s official nominee Dr. Reza Kibria and the party’s expelled rebel candidate Sheikh Sujat Mia. Other contenders include Maulana Sirajul Islam of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Badruddoza of Islami Front, and Kazi Tofayel Ahmed of JASAD, though they are considered less influential locally.

Dr. Kibria, son of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, is expected to benefit from his father’s strong local reputation. His wife, Simi Kibria, has been actively campaigning, drawing attention in the constituency. Meanwhile, Sheikh Sujat, a long-time BNP leader, has leveraged his local popularity and social media presence to appeal to voters despite being expelled from the party. Observers believe Jamaat’s withdrawal may have strengthened Sujat’s position by dividing Islamist support.

Local BNP activists are campaigning intensively for Dr. Kibria, while Sujat’s independent push continues to gain traction, setting the stage for a close electoral battle.

A large women's rally was held in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Saturday morning in support of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Dhaka-15 constituency candidate Dr. Shafiqur Rahman. Organized by the party’s women’s wing, the procession began at Faltpotti Mor in Mirpur-10, passed through the 10 Number Circle, and concluded at Kazipara. A significant number of women participated, chanting slogans urging voters to support the 'Dhal' (balance scale) symbol.

Before the march, leaders of Jamaat’s women’s division said Dr. Shafiqur Rahman had pledged to build a humane Bangladesh through victory in the upcoming election and to ensure dignity for women. They expressed hope that electing him in Dhaka-15 would help establish a just and welfare-oriented society. The leaders also called for the success of Jamaat and the 11-party alliance candidates nationwide.

At the rally’s conclusion, Jamaat central executive council member Mobarak Hossain thanked all participants for their involvement.

Authorities have declared all 127 polling centers in Cumilla-11 (Chouddagram) constituency as vulnerable ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election scheduled for February 12. The seat, where Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher is contesting, has been identified as sensitive due to previous incidents of electoral violence. Installation of CCTV cameras at these centers is reportedly nearing completion.

Across Cumilla district’s 11 constituencies and 17 upazilas, 934 of 1,491 polling centers have been marked as vulnerable and 227 as highly vulnerable. The classification follows a review of past national and local election violence. Recent clashes between BNP and Jamaat activists in Chouddagram left over fifty people injured, prompting heightened security measures.

Assistant Returning Officer and Chouddagram Upazila Executive Officer Nurul Amin stated that comprehensive preparations are underway, with deployment of executive magistrates, army, BGB, police, Ansar battalions, RAB, and judicial magistrates to maintain order during the polls.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman announced plans to transform Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, and Panchagarh into industrial regions if his party comes to power. Speaking at an election rally at Thakurgaon Government Boys High School field on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., he urged voters to support the BNP’s symbol, the paddy sheaf, to implement these development plans. Rahman also promised to reopen the Thakurgaon airport under a future BNP government.

He said that the February 12 election would restore the voting rights that had been taken away from the people. Criticizing the past 16 years of what he described as autocratic rule, Rahman stated that the regime had served only its own interests. He emphasized that the BNP seeks to form a government with public support and aims to make the country self-sufficient in food production.

The rally highlighted Rahman’s focus on regional industrialization, infrastructure revival, and democratic restoration as key elements of his party’s campaign message.

Leaders of the eleven-party alliance have become increasingly active in election campaigns ahead of Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th parliamentary election. Jamaat-e-Islami is participating through this alliance, fielding single candidates in most constituencies except a few open ones. Senior leaders from all allied parties are jointly attending rallies, public meetings, and door-to-door campaigns to support each other’s candidates. The alliance aims to secure victory for its nominees and form the next government.

According to Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim, the anti-fascist eleven-party unity represents the first step toward realizing the public aspirations of the July Revolution. He stated that all alliance candidates are considered joint nominees, with each party supporting others’ candidates across constituencies. Prominent figures such as Maulana Mamunul Haque of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah, and LDP President Col (Retd) Oli Ahmed have joined rallies alongside Jamaat leaders. Even parties without allocated seats, such as JAGPA, are actively campaigning nationwide for the alliance.

The alliance’s coordinated campaign, involving both male and female supporters, is expanding across the country as election day approaches.

The women’s division of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in Bagatipara, Natore, organized a large rally and street meeting on Saturday morning demanding justice and fairness. The event began at 10 a.m. from Bagatipara Pilot Field under the leadership of Ishrat Jahan Baby, secretary of the upazila women’s division. The procession marched through major roads of the upazila and concluded at Malanchi Railgate, where a street meeting was held.

The meeting was conducted by Shamsunnahar Ayesha, a member of the women’s division working committee, with Ishrat Jahan Baby as the chief speaker. Other speakers included Fatema Khanam, wife of Jamaat’s nominated candidate for Natore-1 constituency, and former vice-chairman of Bagatipara Upazila Parishad, Sabana Akter. Speakers emphasized that women are no longer behind in society and highlighted their essential role in establishing justice, good governance, and Islamic values.

They urged female activists to stand for truth and justice in the upcoming national election and to make the right choice through their votes. Around a thousand women participated peacefully, carrying banners and slogans to raise awareness about the importance of voting.

Independent candidate S M Mamunur Rashid Mamun has withdrawn from the electoral race in Nilphamari-4 (Kishoreganj-Saidpur) constituency to support the BNP nominee Abdul Gafur Sarkar. The announcement was made on Friday night at the Saidpur political district BNP office, where Mamun expressed solidarity with the BNP candidate. Party leaders and activists celebrated the decision by distributing sweets.

Mamun, who had initially sought BNP’s nomination but contested independently after not receiving it, said he decided to step aside for the party’s greater interest. He clarified that no one had pressured or enticed him to withdraw. Abdul Gafur Sarkar, the BNP’s district president and candidate, welcomed the decision, describing Mamun as a loyal BNP supporter who had corrected his earlier mistake.

The joining event was attended by several BNP leaders, including district general secretary Shahin Akhtar and former MP Shawkat Chowdhury. Nine candidates, including those from Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Party, are contesting in the Nilphamari-4 seat.

Thousands of women took to the streets in Borhanuddin upazila of Bhola on Friday, seeking votes for Mufti Maulana Fazlul Karim, the Jamaat-e-Islami and United Bangladesh Alliance candidate for the Bhola-2 (Borhanuddin-Daulatkhan) parliamentary seat. The rally followed a women’s gathering organized by the upazila unit of Jamaat-e-Islami at the local government high school field.

Fazlul Karim, speaking as the chief guest, pledged strong action against any harassment or violence toward women and promised that women would enjoy maximum security, dignity, and freedom if Jamaat came to power. Central LDP leader Mokfar Uddin Chowdhury, as special guest, criticized political mismanagement and called for peaceful coexistence, saying threats could not suppress the public. Other speakers, including district and upazila Jamaat leaders, urged women to play a more active role in religious and social activities.

Borhanuddin upazila women’s leader Laizu Begum also addressed the event, emphasizing women’s rights, moral education, and their responsibilities in building society. Female activists and supporters from various areas of the municipality and upazila attended the gathering.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman declared that Bangladesh will not be divided again on religious grounds, emphasizing merit-based opportunities for all. Speaking at an election rally in Habiganj on Saturday morning, he said the region’s tea gardens would be modernized and that people of all faiths—Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian—should live together peacefully and practice their religions freely.

Dr. Rahman stated that politics is a duty, not a profession, and condemned extortion and corruption, promising to end such practices permanently. He criticized past leadership for failing to improve citizens’ lives and pledged that if elected, his party would present annual income and expenditure reports to the public. He also demanded apologies from those who disrespected women.

The Jamaat leader further announced that if his party comes to power, its members of parliament would not accept tax-free cars or subsidized flats, opting instead to pay full prices. He attributed the country’s current problems of terrorism and corruption to previous rulers and called for an equitable society free from dishonest politics.

A child named Huzaifa, who was critically injured by gunfire from the Arakan Army along the Teknaf border, has died while undergoing treatment. His mother, Sabekunnahar, confirmed the death, which occurred at 9:50 a.m. on February 7, 2026, at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in Dhaka.

Huzaifa was wounded on January 11 when bullets fired from Myanmar’s Rakhine State struck him in the Teccibridge border area of Hwaikyang Union, Teknaf. Locals rescued him and first took him to the MSF hospital in Kutupalong, Ukhiya, before he was referred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Following a medical board decision, he was transferred on January 13 to the National Institute of Neurosciences in Dhaka with assistance from the Border Guard Bangladesh and hospital authorities.

The child’s death has cast a shadow of grief across the local community, with mourning continuing in his family and neighborhood.

In the upcoming parliamentary election for Dhaka-19 (Savar-Ashulia), BNP-nominated candidate Dr. Dewan Mohammad Salauddin Babu is conducting an energetic campaign and receiving strong voter response. Meanwhile, NCP candidate Dilshana Parul, backed by Jamaat-e-Islami and an 11-party alliance, is depending on Jamaat’s vote bank but has yet to mobilize a large portion of its activists on the ground. Field reports indicate that among eight contestants, the BNP candidate and former MP Babu currently enjoys a lead in public support.

Dr. Babu has pledged a 100-day priority plan focusing on eliminating drugs, extortion, and illegal occupation of footpaths, along with traffic control measures. He is contesting for the fifth time under BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” symbol. Dilshana Parul, a former Jahangirnagar University student leader, entered the race after Jamaat withdrew its own candidate but faces hesitation among long-time Jamaat workers due to the new election symbol.

Election officials said 38 of the 275 polling centers have been marked as risky, with additional security and CCTV already deployed. The constituency has 747,070 registered voters.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman declared that politics is not a profession but a duty, pledging to end extortion and corruption in Bangladesh. Speaking at an election rally in Habiganj on Saturday at 11 a.m., he criticized dishonest leadership for failing to improve people's lives and promised annual public disclosure of income and expenditure if elected. He demanded that those who insulted women apologize to the nation’s 180 million citizens.

Rahman blamed former ruling powers for spreading terrorism and corruption, saying that dishonest politics has perpetuated inequality despite sacrifices for a just society. He pledged to modernize Habiganj’s tea gardens and to prevent religious divisions, emphasizing merit-based opportunities for all citizens.

He further stated that if his party comes to power, its members of parliament would not accept tax-free cars or subsidized flats, opting instead to pay full price or use simpler means of transport if necessary.

BNP central vice chairman and Noakhali-4 candidate Md. Shahjahan announced that if the party wins the 13th national parliamentary election and forms the government, Noakhali Sadar and Subarnachar will be made free from drugs, terrorism, and extortion. He made the remarks on Friday evening at an election rally held at Adarsha High School field in Kadir Hanif Union under Noakhali Sadar upazila. Shahjahan urged voters in Noakhali-4 and across the country to support the BNP’s paddy sheaf symbol in the February 12 election.

The rally was presided over by Abdul Motaleb Apple and conducted by Mostafizur Rahman Palash, with the presence of BNP leaders including Barrister A.S.M. Sayem, Mahbub Alamgir Alo, and Md. Harunur Rashid Azad. Shahjahan, a former three-term MP, promised to prioritize infrastructure development, modern drainage systems, educational improvements, and upgraded healthcare facilities if elected.

He emphasized BNP’s commitment to civility, tolerance, and non-retaliatory politics, describing the party as popular among people of all professions and calling for prayers for the Zia family and himself.

Professors Mohammad Abdur Rab and Muhammad Mohiuddin Sarkar argue that Bangladesh’s economy, despite its potential, remains constrained by corruption, debt, and policy short-sightedness. They emphasize that remittances and the ready-made garment sector currently drive the economy, but structural weaknesses such as rising non-performing loans, foreign debt, and low tax-to-GDP ratios threaten long-term stability. The authors call for redefining economic strategies after the July revolution, focusing on sustainable development rather than GDP illusions.

They identify corruption as the root of most crises, noting its deterrent effect on foreign investment and its role in capital flight. The article highlights the need for governance reforms, transparency, and accountability in public spending. It also warns that unplanned foreign borrowing and export dependency could destabilize the economy as Bangladesh transitions from LDC status.

The authors propose an “economy of justice,” where fairness, honesty, and balanced resource distribution guide all policies. They urge reforms in taxation, banking, and trade diversification to ensure inclusive growth and long-term economic resilience.

Bangladeshi writer Maskawath Ahsan, in a column published on February 7, 2026, argues that Indian media’s repeated questioning of Bangladesh’s secularism is hypocritical given India’s own religious politics. He cites examples of Indian outlets such as The Week and Al Jazeera journalists asking whether Bangladesh might become a religious state if certain political alliances come to power. The article also mentions Indian politician Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s claim that an NCP–Jamaat victory would indicate an unfair election.

Ahsan contrasts these concerns with India’s internal developments under the Hindu nationalist BJP government, including the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy, anti-Muslim violence, and the construction of the Ram temple on the Babri Mosque site. He accuses Indian media and film industries of promoting Islamophobia through propaganda and selective narratives.

The author concludes that Bangladesh should focus on building an inclusive, humane state rooted in harmony among all religious and ethnic groups, while maintaining cultural sovereignty and resisting sectarian influence from India’s Hindutva politics.