In Lalmonirhat’s Kaliganj upazila, Executive Officer (UNO) Shamima Akter Jahan became the focus of public debate after a verbal dispute with an event organizer over being addressed as “Apu.” The incident occurred during a phone call late at night following a picnic organized by the Royal Football Academy to mark its 10th anniversary. When the academy’s vice president Meherban Mithu explained the delay and addressed her as “Apu,” the UNO reportedly reacted angrily. A portion of the call later circulated on social media, drawing widespread attention.

Mithu said he used the term respectfully and apologized when the UNO expressed displeasure, after which the event was stopped. Shamima Akter Jahan denied reacting out of anger, stating that she only intervened because the event continued past midnight. The incident sparked mixed reactions online, with some arguing that “Apu” is a polite form of address and others emphasizing the importance of administrative discipline and official decorum.

The report also noted that Shamima Akter Jahan had previously faced controversy over alleged irregularities in development projects and unilateral decisions in education policy during her earlier postings.

A commotion broke out on Saturday at the Election Commission (EC) headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, during an appeal hearing concerning the validity of dual citizenship for parliamentary candidates. The incident occurred while the EC was hearing appeals related to the cancellation of nominations. Law enforcement intervened to restore order after tensions escalated among participants.

Witnesses said the disruption began when the commission paused the hearing for half an hour during legal explanations on dual citizenship. After the Chief Election Commissioner and other members left the stage, lawyers from opposing sides engaged in heated arguments. The situation intensified when BNP candidate Abdul Awal Mintoo from Feni-3 expressed anger, prompting objections from NCP candidate Abul Hasnat from Comilla-4. Mintoo was escorted away by lawyers, while his son Tabith Awal attempted to calm Hasnat.

Following the break, Hasnat lodged a complaint with the commission, alleging that Mintoo used abusive language and attempted physical aggression. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud described the incident as undesirable and advised filing a complaint with the election investigation committee.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Information and Broadcasting, has called for an end to unnecessary honking to control noise pollution. She made the remarks while inaugurating a motor rally against honking, jointly organized by the Department of Environment and Dhaka Metropolitan Police under the ‘Integrated and Participatory Project for Noise Pollution Control’. The event took place in Dhaka, where the adviser emphasized that both legal measures and behavioral change are needed to address the issue.

Hasan noted that the ‘Noise Pollution (Control) Rules 2025’ have been gazetted, assigning responsibilities to both the Department of Environment and the police to take immediate action against offenders. Several areas in Dhaka have already been declared silent zones, and monitoring will be strengthened there. She identified honking and fireworks as major sources of noise pollution and suggested designating specific areas for New Year fireworks. The adviser urged media professionals to promote awareness and called on youth to build a social movement against noise pollution.

The rally, themed “No more noise pollution, let healthy life prevail,” concluded a ten-day mobile court and campaign held at ten key points in Dhaka since January 5, supported by Green Voice volunteers.

The operations of the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal (PICT) in Keraniganj, Dhaka, have officially begun under the management of Medlog Bangladesh Private Limited, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based logistics company Medlog. The inauguration took place on Saturday morning, led by Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain, advisor to the Ministry of Shipping. He stated that upgrading the terminal to international standards would enhance domestic container movement and strengthen multimodal transport connectivity, opening a new chapter in the country’s port management and inland water transport.

Shipping Secretary Dr. Nurunnahar Chowdhury said the 22-year concession agreement would make cargo handling at the terminal more dynamic and positively impact the national economy. The partnership between the government and the private sector is expected to play a key role in achieving set goals. The terminal, built at a cost of about Tk 155 crore, had been incurring losses for a decade before the government decided to bring it under professional private management.

Under the concession signed last November, Medlog Bangladesh will operate, maintain, and modernize the terminal in partnership with the Chittagong Port Authority.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) issued a show-cause notice to its director M Nazmul Islam for making disparaging comments about cricketers. As of Saturday morning, January 17, 2026, he had not responded to the notice within the given deadline. It remains uncertain whether he will submit a reply at all.

The notice followed remarks Nazmul Islam made to the media after an event at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. He had previously made critical comments about player Tamim Iqbal as well. The BCB had set a deadline of 11 a.m. Saturday for his response, but no reply was received by that time.

The board is reportedly still uncertain about whether Nazmul Islam intends to respond, leaving the matter unresolved for now.

Professor Dr. Ali Riaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, has called on deputy commissioners (DCs), upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs), and election officials to help explain to citizens the importance of voting 'Yes' in the upcoming national referendum. He made the appeal on Saturday, January 17, at a views-exchange meeting held at the BIAM Foundation in Eskaton, Dhaka.

Dr. Riaz stated that the money looted from Bangladesh over the past 16 years could have made the education and health sectors self-reliant. Emphasizing the need for an independent and effective Anti-Corruption Commission, he said that ensuring a 'Yes' victory in the referendum was essential for positive national change. He also criticized the use of the presidency for partisan interests during the Awami League era, including the appointment of election commissioners based on individual decisions.

Riaz added that political parties have agreed to end one-person rule in state governance and urged members of parliament to work for their constituents’ rights rather than party loyalty.

Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser to the interim government for housing, public works, industries, local government, rural development, and cooperatives, said that the people's movement supports the 'Yes' vote, the July Charter, and a new Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Saturday morning at a public awareness meeting on the upcoming referendum, organized by the Cox’s Bazar district administration at the Public Library Hall. He emphasized that citizens should vote for their preferred candidates in the national election and also cast a 'Yes' vote in the February 12 referendum.

Khan stated that the sacrifices of the July martyrs and the contributions of the July fighters led to the birth of a new Bangladesh. To sustain this transformation, he said, a 'Yes' vote in the referendum is essential. He added that Bangladesh should be free from crossfire killings and secret detention centers, envisioning a non-discriminatory and fascism-free country where all ethnic groups enjoy equal rights.

The meeting was chaired by Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md. A. Mannan and attended by senior officials, teachers, students, civil society members, and professionals. Khan later inaugurated campaign vehicles for the referendum and told reporters that ordinary people support 'Yes' as a stand against fascism.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has decided to introduce a new design for postal ballots used within the country, while keeping the format for overseas postal ballots unchanged. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Ma’shud announced the decision on Saturday, January 17, following an informal meeting held the previous night. The redesigned domestic postal ballots will include only the final candidates’ names and symbols, removing the multiple symbols previously featured.

The move follows concerns raised by a delegation from the BNP, led by Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, who met the EC on Thursday to discuss complications with the current postal ballot design. The delegation proposed making postal ballots simpler and more similar to regular ballot papers, containing only the names and symbols of contesting candidates.

According to the EC, the redesign aims to make the voting process clearer and more accessible for domestic voters, while maintaining consistency for ballots sent abroad.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has alleged that a political party is looking for an opportunity to withdraw from the election. He made the remark on Saturday at a meeting with families of victims of alleged enforced disappearances, killings, and torture attributed to the Awami League, held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka.

Ahmed said their leader had planned to begin his first tour by visiting the graves of martyrs, including that of Abu Sayeed in Rangpur, and laying wreaths. However, the program was postponed at the request of the Election Commission in the interest of peace. He added that the Election Commission and another political party misinterpreted this decision as a sign of weakness, which he described instead as an act of courtesy.

He further accused the Election Commission and the unnamed political party of attempting to question the election process and seeking ways to withdraw through various tactics. Ahmed warned that those obstructing the path of democratic progress would not be spared.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu has warned that the country’s independence and sovereignty could be at risk if the upcoming national election is not conducted properly. Speaking on Saturday in front of the National Press Club, he said the February 12 parliamentary election is crucial for protecting democracy and national sovereignty. Dudu cautioned that failure to hold a fair election would bring severe consequences for the entire nation, not just the government.

He made the remarks during a protest organized by the Nationalist Alliance against gas price hikes and demanding the recovery of illegal weapons. Dudu said the government has less than a month left before the election and urged immediate steps to improve law and order so that voters can safely go to polling centers. He criticized the authorities for not taking adequate measures despite knowing the situation.

Dudu also linked recent killings in Dhaka and other areas to government negligence and called for the rapid recovery of both legal and illegal arms to ensure a credible election process.

A petrol pump employee named Ripon Saha, aged 30, was killed early Friday morning, January 16, in Rajbari’s Goaland Mor area when he was run over by a car while trying to stop it from fleeing without paying for fuel. CCTV footage later identified the car’s owner as former Jubo Dal leader Abul Hashem Sujon and his driver Kamal Hossain Sardar. Police arrested both men from their homes that night, and Ripon’s younger brother, Protap Saha, filed a murder case against them at Rajbari Police Station.

According to eyewitness Nazrul Islam, two men arrived in a private car around 4:30 a.m. and took fuel worth 5,000 taka. When asked for payment, they became aggressive and attempted to drive away. Ripon tried to stop them, but the driver reversed the car, fatally hitting him. Police said Sujon has multiple prior cases involving weapons and drugs and has served jail time. Local Jubo Dal leaders clarified that Sujon resigned from the party in 2019 and later joined Awami League politics.

Authorities are continuing the investigation into the murder and the suspects’ criminal background.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman stated that no conspiracy or propaganda can suppress his party. He made the remarks on Saturday at the Hall of Fame in the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka during a meeting with families of victims of enforced disappearances, killings, and torture.

In his speech as chief guest, Rahman said that for more than one and a half decades, families who lost loved ones have continued the anti-fascist movement despite abductions, killings, false cases, and harassment. He emphasized that BNP activists have never abandoned the streets, even when the movement’s intensity fluctuated. He cited examples of family members replacing disappeared relatives to continue protests.

The event was jointly organized by ‘Mayer Dak’ and ‘Amra BNP Poribar’. Senior BNP leaders including Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Salahuddin Ahmed, Tahsina Rushdir Luna, and Hummam Quader Chowdhury attended. The session was conducted by Sanjida Islam Tuli and Atiqur Rahman Ruman.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) has deployed 56 long-term observers across all 64 districts of Bangladesh. The observers began their fieldwork on Saturday morning after departing from Dhaka, marking the official start of the mission’s activities. The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Observer Inta Lase at a press conference held at Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka. The mission operates under an invitation from the Government of Bangladesh, with Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs, a member of the European Parliament, having inaugurated the mission on January 11.

According to EU officials, the observers will work in two-member teams to monitor key aspects of the electoral process at the regional level. They will meet voters, election officials, candidates, political party representatives, civil society observers, and youth activists in both urban and rural areas. The mission includes participants from EU member states as well as Canada, Norway, and Switzerland. Before deployment, the observers received detailed briefings on Bangladesh’s political, legal, and media environment.

The EU EOM will release its preliminary findings on February 14 in Dhaka, followed by a final report with recommendations after the election process concludes. The mission emphasizes neutrality and non-interference, adhering to international election observation principles adopted under UN auspices in 2005.

The central committee of the United People's Democratic Front (Democratic) has dismissed as false and baseless the social media reports claiming the party’s dissolution. At a press conference held on Saturday morning at the party office in Madhupur, Khagrachhari, central leaders clarified that the organization remains active and functional. Central General Secretary Amal Kanti Chakma stated that party president Shyamal Kanti Chakma (Taru) and former general secretary Miton Chakma left Khagrachhari with 20–25 followers after being accused of corruption, embezzlement, and other violations of party rules.

Amal Kanti Chakma further alleged that Shyamal Kanti Chakma and his followers took shelter with the Santu Larma-led Jana Samhati Samiti and later issued a fake statement on social media announcing the party’s dissolution. He emphasized that such a declaration was unconstitutional and made without the consent of most central committee members. The committee also denied allegations of maintaining any armed group.

Organizing Secretary Amar Jyoti Chakma said the departure of the president would not affect party activities, which will continue under acting president Samiran Chakma. The party also stated it would not endorse any candidate in upcoming elections.

Dhaka-13 parliamentary candidate and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish leader Maulana Mamunul Haque has submitted a written explanation to the Election Commission (EC) after receiving a show-cause notice for allegedly violating the electoral code of conduct. He appeared at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Saturday, January 17, 2026, to provide his statement. The commission will now review his explanation before deciding on further legal action.

The EC had issued the notice on January 14, citing that Mamunul Haque distributed leaflets with his followers in front of the EC building on January 13, an act reported by several media outlets. According to the commission, such activities within three weeks of the February 12 election day constitute a clear breach of clauses 3 and 18 of the “Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates, 2025.”

After submitting his response, Mamunul Haque told reporters that he had indeed distributed leaflets urging a “yes” vote in a referendum but denied conducting any campaign activities for his constituency, claiming his actions were misrepresented.