In Saltha upazila of Bangladesh, political resignations within the ruling Awami League continue as another local leader steps down. Md. Emdad Fakir, general secretary of the Ballavdi Union unit of the labor wing of the Awami League, announced his resignation at a press conference held at his business establishment in Bauskhali on Saturday, November 22. Fakir, who is also a former president of Bauskhali High School, stated that he was leaving all posts within the Awami League and its affiliated organizations due to personal and family reasons. He further expressed admiration for the behavior and ideals of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and declared his intention to work as a BNP activist in the future. The move follows a series of similar resignations in the Saltha area, signaling growing internal shifts within local Awami League leadership.

Following Friday’s 5.7-magnitude earthquake, Bangladesh experienced two mild aftershocks on Saturday morning and evening, measuring 3.3 and 4.3 on the Richter scale. According to Md. Mominul Islam, acting director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), these tremors are aftershocks resulting from the earlier quake. He explained that the region’s weak soil composition caused the shaking to last longer than usual. Islam emphasized that the next 72 hours are critical for monitoring potential aftershocks, which typically register at least one magnitude lower than the main quake. He urged the public to remain calm and stay in safe areas during tremors. The expert also highlighted Bangladesh’s high vulnerability to earthquakes and called for stricter adherence to building codes, preservation of open spaces and parks, and widening of roads near buildings to mitigate future risks.

BNP Standing Committee member Dr. Abdul Moin Khan has accused the former Awami League government of undermining democracy by holding nighttime voting and forcibly staying in power. Speaking at a campaign rally in Kachua, Chandpur, ahead of the upcoming 13th national election, he alleged that the Awami League had destroyed the country’s education and economy while laundering billions abroad. Moin Khan urged citizens, especially young voters, to participate in the February election to ensure victory for BNP candidates. He claimed that the people of Bangladesh are eager for fair elections and will reject any attempts to derail the process. Referring to the August 5 mass uprising, he said Awami League leaders fled the country amid public outrage over repression, disappearances, and killings. The event was attended by BNP leaders including former state minister for education Dr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Haque Milan and other senior party figures.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman stated that his party’s ongoing demand for proportional representation (PR) aims to serve the people’s interest, pledging to implement it if Jamaat comes to power. Speaking to reporters in Chittagong on Saturday, he emphasized that he does not seek Jamaat’s victory but the victory of the people. Rahman criticized the absence of a level playing field in the upcoming election and urged all to work together to ensure fair conditions, warning that failure to hold elections in February could lead to a national crisis. He accused certain groups of exploiting public resources for personal gain while ordinary citizens saw little real development. Stressing unity among all communities, he declared an uncompromising struggle against corruption and injustice, vowing that Jamaat’s movement for true national liberation would continue until its goals are achieved.

The Bangladesh government has formally sent a letter to the Election Commission (EC) requesting that the upcoming 13th parliamentary election and a national referendum be held on the same day. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed the development on Saturday. The move follows Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s November 13 address to the nation, where he announced plans to organize both events simultaneously amid political disagreements over the legal basis of the July Charter and the referendum itself. The Cabinet Division sent the official letter a week after Yunus’s announcement, instructing the EC to prepare accordingly. Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin earlier stated that the EC would take further decisions once it received formal government directives. The EC is expected to announce the election schedule in early December, with voting likely in the first half of February.

Dhaka experienced another earthquake on Saturday evening at 6:06 PM, marking the third tremor in 36 hours. The quake measured 4.3 on the Richter scale. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding its epicenter: the Bangladesh Meteorological Department identified it as being in Dhaka’s Badda area, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) placed it 11 kilometers west of Narsingdi. Both agencies agreed on the magnitude but differed on the origin point, prompting renewed discussion among experts. The USGS also reported the quake’s depth at 10 kilometers below the surface. Earlier, on Friday morning, a stronger 5.7 magnitude quake struck with its epicenter in Madhabdi, Narsingdi, shaking large parts of Bangladesh and India, killing 10 people and injuring over 600. Another 3.3 magnitude tremor followed on Saturday morning in Narsingdi’s Palash upazila, before the latest quake hit Dhaka in the evening.

RAJUK Chairman Engineer Md. Riazul Islam inspected several earthquake-damaged buildings in Old Dhaka’s Armanitola, Mugda, and Badda areas following the November 21 tremor. During the visit, he expressed dissatisfaction with the owners of a building in Armanitola where three people died after a railing collapse, ordering submission of the building’s design within seven days and removal of risky portions. In Mugda, he inspected a leaning building and directed closure of ground-floor shops and submission of structural designs within a week. He also ordered the immediate removal of unauthorized street food stalls occupying sidewalks. At Alatunnessa School and College in Badda, cracks were found in columns of two buildings, prompting orders for design submission and possible demolition, with classes temporarily suspended. The chairman emphasized that the earthquake served as a warning and urged collective awareness to prevent future disasters. RAJUK officials accompanied him during the inspections.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir indirectly criticized Jamaat-e-Islami, saying the group failed to play a visible role in opposing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government over the past decade. Speaking at an event organized by the Islamic Foundation at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Dhaka, Fakhrul recalled that late President Ziaur Rahman had given Jamaat the opportunity to re-enter politics under the name Islamic Democratic League (IDL) before collaborating with BNP. He alleged that Jamaat members had infiltrated the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections disguised as members of the ruling Awami League’s student wing, the Chhatra League. Fakhrul contrasted this with BNP’s direct political struggle, emphasizing the party’s sacrifices, including false cases against 6 million supporters, the killing of 20,000 activists, and the disappearance of 1,700 leaders and MPs. He reaffirmed BNP’s commitment to establishing a democratic state.

A local BNP youth leader in Anwara, Chattogram, has filed a general diary with police after alleged defamatory posts appeared on Facebook against senior BNP figures. Mohammad Faruk, the Upazila Jubo Dal member secretary, lodged the complaint on November 20, citing misleading and offensive content shared from a fake page named 'BNP Media Cell' and personal accounts. The posts reportedly targeted BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Chattogram-13 candidate Sarwar Jamal Nizam. Party insiders claim the online attacks stem from frustration among supporters of Lion Helal Uddin, who was denied nomination for the same constituency. Helal’s followers have been accused of spreading misinformation and violating party discipline. Despite attempts to contact him, Helal did not respond. He and two others have also written to acting chairman Tarique Rahman demanding cancellation of Nizam’s nomination. Helal, previously expelled from a local BNP post in 2022, has a controversial past involving criminal allegations.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake that struck near Dhaka on Friday, with its epicenter in Madhabdi, Narsingdi, has left at least ten people dead and over 500 injured across Bangladesh. The quake, originating about 10 kilometers underground, was felt by nearly 70 million people, according to the US Geological Survey. Experts attribute the tremor to movement between the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates, warning that the region has been accumulating seismic energy for over 800 years. Professor Syed Humayun Akhter of Dhaka University cautioned that the quake indicates a potential for a much larger event, possibly between magnitude 8.2 and 9, as the locked plate segment has begun to release energy. A smaller aftershock of magnitude 3.3 was recorded in nearby Palash on Saturday. Authorities and seismologists are urging immediate preparedness measures, warning that a major quake could devastate densely populated Dhaka due to unplanned urbanization and structural vulnerabilities.

Bangladesh and Bhutan signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) following a bilateral meeting between Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay in Dhaka. The first MoU focuses on the recruitment of health professionals, signed between Bangladesh’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Bhutan’s Ministry of Health. The second MoU covers trade in international internet bandwidth and other telecommunication services, signed between Bangladesh’s Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Bhutan’s Royal Government. The signing ceremony was witnessed by both leaders after formal bilateral discussions at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon. Prime Minister Tobgay arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day for a two-day official visit, during which he paid tribute at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar and met with senior Bangladeshi officials. The visit aims to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation in health, digital connectivity, and trade.

Religious advisor Dr. A F M Khalid Hossain emphasized the importance of integrating religious teachings with modern education to build a morally strong society. Speaking at the annual gathering and certificate ceremony of Assunnah Model Madrasa in Chattogram, he warned that education without religion could lead people astray. Dr. Hossain also mentioned that the government is preparing for a free, fair, and festive national election in February 2026, promising a smooth transfer of power to the elected representatives. He urged the youth to take responsibility in shaping Bangladesh into an ideal state free from corruption, bribery, and exploitation. Other scholars and religious leaders, including professors from the University of Chittagong and Islamic institutions, also spoke at the event. The ceremony concluded with the distribution of certificates to students who passed the 2025 annual examination of the madrasa’s Hifz department.

Dhaka experienced another earthquake on Saturday evening at 6:06 PM, marking the third tremor in less than 36 hours. The latest quake measured 3.7 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter located about three miles from the capital and a depth of 6.2 miles. Earlier, on Friday morning, a stronger 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck with its epicenter in Madhabdi, Narsingdi, shaking both Bangladesh and parts of India. The initial quake caused significant damage, killing 10 people, including a child, and injuring over 460 others across five districts—Dhaka, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Gazipur, and Magura. A smaller 3.3 magnitude tremor was also recorded Saturday morning in Palash, Narsingdi. Authorities are assessing structural damage and continuing rescue and relief operations in affected areas. Residents remain on alert as aftershocks continue to be felt across the region.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has accused the government of showing negligence and weakness in addressing crime and terrorism across Bangladesh. Speaking after paying respects at the tomb of party founder Ziaur Rahman with the newly formed Rajshahi city BNP committee, Rizvi claimed that while there are no state-sponsored abductions or killings, terrorist activities continue unchecked. He linked the recent killing of Jubo Dal leader Kibria to the government’s failure to act decisively. Rizvi also expressed concern over the recent earthquake that killed ten people, blaming unregulated high-rise construction for increasing risks in Dhaka. Earlier, he visited BNP candidate Ershad Ullah in hospital after the latter was shot during campaign activities in Chattogram-8 constituency. Rizvi condemned the attack as an attempt on Ershad Ullah’s life and demanded immediate arrest and legal action against those responsible.

BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has stated that Bangladesh’s struggle to restore democracy is not yet over and called for unity among all political forces to ensure a free and fair election. Speaking at a discussion organized by Zia Parishad at the National Press Club, he emphasized that BNP and democracy are interdependent and one cannot sustain without the other. Khosru highlighted the historical role of Ziaur Rahman in the country’s independence, governance, and democratic reforms. He accused anti-democratic groups of conspiring to obstruct or delay elections to serve their own interests. According to him, the people of Bangladesh are waiting for a fair election expected in early February. He also criticized attempts to impose demands through coercion, urging all parties to present their agendas to the public through election manifestos rather than forceful means.