Law enforcement agencies have identified remote and high-risk polling centers in Gaibandha-5 constituency’s char areas and initiated special security preparations ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election. As part of these measures, the Bangladesh Army’s 66 Infantry Division has begun field exercises in the region to strengthen readiness.

According to administrative sources, the char areas of Fulchhari and Saghata along the Brahmaputra River have been marked as vulnerable due to poor communication links, isolation, and difficulty in delivering emergency assistance. The drills, directed by Major General Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, GOC of the 66 Infantry Division and Rangpur Area Commander, include troop deployment in remote centers, helicopter-based rescue and supply operations, and rapid response strategies to maintain law and order.

Officials stated that additional security layers will be established at high-risk centers during the election, with plans to use river and air routes for quick personnel and equipment delivery. The army’s preparatory activities will continue until the election to ensure peaceful voting and voter safety in the remote char regions.

In Godagari upazila of Rajshahi, local Awami League leader Sunandan Das Ratan was seen campaigning for the BNP candidate Major General (Retd.) Sharif Uddin in the Rajshahi-1 constituency. A 53-second video posted on Facebook by a former Chhatra League activist showed Ratan urging people to vote for the BNP symbol, saying, “We need an umbrella.” Ratan, a former assistant publicity secretary of the Godagari Awami League and a proposed vice president in 2024, confirmed the video was recorded during his campaign in Mohanpur Union.

Ratan, a retired customs officer accused of amassing illegal wealth, previously held local political positions under former MP Omar Faruk Chowdhury. He claimed his support for the BNP candidate was his personal decision, denying any current position in the Awami League. The video drew criticism from a banned Chhatra League member, who accused Ratan of betraying the party for personal gain. Local BNP president Abdus Salam Shawal said he was unaware of the matter and could not stop anyone acting independently.

The incident has stirred debate in Godagari politics, highlighting shifting loyalties ahead of upcoming elections.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has called on citizens to unite for a corruption-free, exploitation-free, and humane Bangladesh. Speaking as the chief guest at a large rally held on February 5, 2026, at the historic Madrasa ground in Rajshahi, he urged voters to cast their first vote in favor of 'yes' and the second for the party’s symbol, the balance scale, representing justice. He described the upcoming national election and referendum as a decisive moment for establishing a just state through people’s mandate.

Dr. Rahman emphasized that the 11-party electoral alliance’s candidates were selected based on honesty and competence, asserting that none of them were involved in bank robbery, extortion, loan default, or violence against women. He pledged that Jamaat would neither engage in corruption nor tolerate corrupt individuals. Outlining the party’s governance vision, he said that if Jamaat assumed state responsibility, the government would bear all educational expenses from primary to postgraduate levels, ensuring free education for every child.

The rally was conducted by local Jamaat leaders and attended by alliance candidates from multiple constituencies in Rajshahi.

Eight senior police officers have been transferred ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary election. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the order on Thursday, signed by Mahbubur Rahman, Deputy Secretary of Police Branch-1. The directive stated that the changes were made in the public interest and would take immediate effect.

According to the order, Additional DIG M A Jalil from Police Headquarters and Additional DIG Md Saifuzzaman Faruqi from the Special Branch have been reassigned to the Dhaka Range DIG office. Additional DIG Mohammad Belayet Hossain from the Khulna Range has been appointed as Additional Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police. Supernumerary SP Saheb Ali Pathan from Rajshahi’s Sardah has been made Deputy Commissioner of GMP, while Additional DIG Mohammad Jabedur Rahman from Sardah has been transferred to CID. S M Ashrafuzzaman has been moved to Industrial Police as Additional DIG, and Additional DIG Md Rashidul Hasan from Rajshahi Range has been attached to Rangpur PTC. The transfer order for Additional DIG Mohammad Robiul Hossain Bhuiyan to the Anti-Terrorism Unit has been canceled.

The ministry emphasized that the reshuffle was implemented immediately in the public interest.

Jamaat-e-Islami central Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher stated that if the 11-party alliance wins the upcoming election, it will mark the end of political vengeance in Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Thursday afternoon at an election rally held at Munshirhat High School field in Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla, where he was the chief guest. Dr. Taher urged voters to support the alliance’s symbol, the balance scale, for the sake of national development.

In his speech, Dr. Taher said that the past twelve elections were characterized by changes in power and that successive governments had engaged in corruption, which he described as the country’s number one problem. He called the current election a fight against corruption, oppression, and extortion, warning that one party was becoming increasingly authoritarian. The rally was chaired by Union Jamaat Ameer Maulana Zafar Ahmed and attended by several local and regional leaders from Jamaat, NCP, and Khelafat Majlish.

The event drew a large crowd of Jamaat and Shibir activists along with local residents, reflecting active grassroots mobilization ahead of the election.

Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for Thakurgaon-3 constituency, Mizanur Rahman, declared that those who doubt the party’s ability to govern Bangladesh are mistaken. Speaking at an election rally on Thursday afternoon at Katihar Bazar in Ranishankail, Thakurgaon, he said Jamaat possesses an ideological strength capable of guiding not only Bangladesh but the entire world.

Addressing rival BNP, Rahman criticized their principles and accused them of corruption and internal violence. He alleged that BNP supporters were tearing Jamaat posters but insisted that such actions could not erase the party’s symbol from people’s hearts. He urged the administration not to suppress Jamaat’s movement by removing campaign materials.

Rahman further stated that his political ideals are rooted in the teachings of the Prophet and cited a peaceful mass gathering in Dhaka as evidence of Jamaat’s discipline. He urged opponents to learn politics from Jamaat before seeking votes, emphasizing that the party’s ideology is based on moral and religious values.

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.