BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman will return to Bangladesh within weeks, said senior leader Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain.
He reiterated that elections will take place in February, warning against “fallen autocrats plotting to steal people’s rights.”

Calling demands for Proportional Representation (PR) unconstitutional, Zahid stressed that the constitution cannot simply be discarded. “We must act in line with people’s aspirations, not emotions,” he added.

DUCSU VP candidate Abdul Kader announced that his first initiative, if elected, will be to enforce a “one bed, one student” system in dormitories.
“Currently, students must run after so-called local patrons just to get a hall seat, while administrations stay silent. We will end this culture,” he said.

Kader also promised clear policies on hall politics, saying students have shown strong support. He criticized the placement of polling centers away from dormitories, calling it a tactic to discourage student turnout.

Vice President candidate Abu Sadiq Kayem has accused the Election Commission of gross negligence, claiming it failed to act on numerous complaints.
“They talk about ensuring campus safety, yet allow outsiders inside. How can that be safe?” Sadiq asked.

He pledged to institutionalize DUCSU with a fixed annual calendar, ensure merit-based faculty recruitment instead of political favoritism, and push for new dormitories to resolve the chronic housing crisis.
“We will guarantee food and health security, and deliver on the promises students had when they first enrolled,” he vowed.

Adviser Asif Mahmud has accused several groups of conspiring to delay the upcoming elections despite previously demanding polls in December or at various times.
“They had hoped to bring back the Awami League under the guise of an ‘inclusive election,’ but since the February polls exclude fascist forces, they’ve lost their composure,” he said.

Mahmud stressed that the government is moving forward with its three key agendas: reform, justice, and democratic transformation. The implementation of the July Charter is nearing completion, and with national consensus, elections will be held at the scheduled time.
“With the cooperation of political parties, civil society, and spontaneous public participation, we can ensure a fair and meaningful election this time,” he added.

Kader Siddiqui Bir Uttam, president of Krishak Sramik Janata League, collapsed during an extended party meeting in Sakhipur, Tangail, on Saturday.

Witnesses said he fainted while listening to speeches after delivering his welcome address. Party leaders rushed him home, where doctors provided primary care. Siddiqui remains under medical observation at his residence.

Hefazat-e-Islam has strongly condemned the exhumation and burning of Nural Pagla’s body in Rajbari, calling it “disgraceful and unacceptable.”

In a statement, the Islamist group accused local authorities of failing to prevent the violence, despite repeated appeals from residents against the controversial shrine built in Kaaba’s likeness and Nural Pagla’s self-proclaimed messianic claims.

Hefazat warned that failure to protect religious sentiments of Muslims risks further unrest, while accusing leftist and progressive circles of “hypocrisy and silence” when Islamic values are attacked.

Farmers in Roumari upazila, Kurigram, are facing an acute shortage of urea, TSP, and DAP fertilizers, leading to repeated demonstrations and confinement of dealers and agricultural officers.

Police eventually intervened to restore order. According to officials, fertilizer allocation for the Aman season is far below actual demand. Allegations have surfaced that local dealers, in collusion with some agriculture officials, have diverted fertilizer to private retailers at inflated prices.

The Upazila Agriculture Officer admitted to supply shortages but assured that steps are being taken to resolve the crisis soon.

Gono Odhikar Parishad leader Rashed Khan has expressed grave concern over the deteriorating health of former student leader Nurul Haque Nur.

Rashed said Nur is now experiencing short-term memory loss, frequent nosebleeds, and difficulty maintaining balance. “When I visited him Saturday morning, he could barely sit upright. His jaw and nose remain fractured, and his condition shows no improvement,” Rashed reported.

He alleged that despite government assurances, efforts to take Nur abroad for advanced treatment are being obstructed by “a section within the ruling party.”

Police have arrested nine people, including controversial businessman Selim Pradhan, in connection with running a shisha bar in Gulshan.

Selim, notorious from the 2019 casino crackdown, was detained Saturday from his Baridhara-based establishment. Previously, he was arrested mid-flight to Thailand in 2019, and large sums of foreign and local currency, liquor, and wildlife products were seized from his home and office.

After serving several prison terms, including an 8-year sentence for corruption, Selim was released on bail in October 2023. Recently, he emerged in politics as chief adviser of the newly formed Bangladesh Republic Party.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has condemned the exhumation and burning of the body of “Nural Pagla” in Goalanda. In a statement, Jamaat said the act, allegedly carried out by a so-called “Iman-Aqidah Protection Committee,” was both inhumane and un-Islamic.

The group emphasized that even if Nural Pagla had controversial claims during his lifetime, accountability rests with God alone. Jamaat also criticized attempts to link the party with the incident, calling it “deeply regrettable and malicious.”

Environmental activist and adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has called for political unity to combat illegal stone extraction. Speaking on Friday, she said, “No matter which government is in power, with people’s support, encroachment and looting can be stopped.”

She clarified that while stone extraction does not fall directly under her ministry, she has taken responsibility because of its environmental impact. Rizwana also revealed that dredging will be carried out on 17 kilometers of the Turag River.

Abdullah Ibn Hanif Arian, contesting for the Science and Technology Secretary post in the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) election, announced Saturday he is withdrawing his candidacy.

Citing poor health, academic pressure, and personal commitments, Abdullah said he could not continue campaigning. He pledged moral support to his friend and fellow candidate, Ahad Bin Islam Shoaib. Abdullah, recently elected president of Dhaka University’s IT Society, said he considers student-led clubs more impactful than partisan politics.

A religious procession in Chattogram marking Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) turned tragic Saturday when two participants died in a stampede. The deceased were identified as Saiful Islam (13) and Ayub Ali (60).

Police said both victims collapsed due to heat and were trampled in the crowd. The rally, organized by Anjuman-e-Rahmania Ahmadia Sunnia Trust, was led by Pakistani religious leader Pir Allama Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah. The procession began in the morning and was scheduled to conclude with prayers at Jameya Ahmadia Sunnia Alia Madrasa field.

Tension is mounting at Chittagong University (CU) after remarks by Jamaat leader and MP candidate for Chattogram-5, Sirajul Islam. Speaking Thursday evening in Jobra village, he claimed, “Chittagong University was built on our ancestral property. We are the landowners, and no one has the right to interfere with us. This university stands on our chest, and if it does not show us respect, we will mobilize the people to take necessary action.”

His comments enraged students, who view the remarks as provocative. Adding fuel to the debate, CU Shibir office secretary Habibullah Khaled said the recent clashes between students and locals stemmed from “misunderstandings,” and blamed “outsiders” for violence.

However, the CU branch of Islami Chhatra Shibir rejected both Sirajul’s comments and Khaled’s explanation, accusing local BNP student leaders of being directly involved in the clashes.

Pakistan’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, paid a courtesy call on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The meeting took place on Saturday morning at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan. Discussions centered on strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing mutual cooperation between the two nations.

BNP leaders Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Shama Obaid were also present during the meeting.