BNP leader Abdul Kadir Bhuiyan Jewel pledged that, if his party wins power, primary healthcare will be extended to the union (local) level. Addressing the opening of a free medical camp at Chula Model High School ground in Gotashia Union, Monohardi, Narsingdi, Jewel said BNP would deploy MBBS doctors at union clinics, increase bed capacity at upazila health complexes, and implement a health card for every citizen. The free camp provided medical consultations and medicines to about 1,500 people, with services delivered by some 40 specialist physicians.

Adviser Mahfuz Alam was the target of an attempted assault by activists affiliated with the Awami League while leaving a seminar at Swansea University in London on Friday, witnesses reported. According to bystanders, members of the party lay down in front of a vehicle belonging to the Bangladesh High Commission and later threw eggs at the car. Police intervened promptly to control the situation and to move the vehicle to safety. The High Commission stated that Mahfuz Alam was not inside that particular car; he reportedly left the event by a different route in another vehicle.

Police have arrested the main suspect in the fatal shooting of prominent hardline activist Charlie Kirk, authorities disclosed Friday. Utah Governor Spencer Cox identified the arrested individual as 22-year-old Taylor Robinson. Local jail officials said Robinson is being held on preliminary allegations including premeditated murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and obstruction of justice. Formal charges have not yet been filed; the governor stated prosecutors are preparing an indictment that will detail the potential motives and charges in the coming days.

At least 65 people were killed across the Gaza Valley on Friday in a series of indiscriminate attacks, including 14 members of a single family, according to Gaza’s health authorities. The ministry reported that 48 people were killed in Gaza City and the northern areas alone on that day, with many more wounded. The strikes included air raids and a ground offensive involving tanks and infantry in Gaza City. Multiple multi-story buildings were destroyed in the attacks, which affected an area populated by nearly one million people. The report noted that roughly two years into Israeli military operations in Gaza, the death toll has reached approximately 63,000.

Officials have not yet announced the final results of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall council elections. After completing the manual counting of hall council ballots, election authorities began counting central council votes, prompting frustration among students and candidates over the delay. The university’s vice chancellor held an emergency meeting with the election commission and decreed that additional staff would be deployed to announce results overnight; however, that plan did not materialize. So far, vote counting has finished in 14 of the central council’s 21 halls. In a related development, Professor Mafrufi Sattar, a member of the election commission, resigned citing irregularities. AGS candidate Ferdous Al Hasan, backed by Islami Chhatra Shibir, claimed that the resignation was proof that the election’s credibility had been undermined.

Akhtar Hossain, secretary of the NCIP, has called for the drafting of a new constitution that clearly guarantees the rights of workers and the general populace. Speaking at a workers’ rally, he criticized the existing constitution for failing to protect labor and popular rights and said it has not delivered freedom to the people of Bangladesh. “We urge the government and political parties to formulate a new constitution that explicitly secures workers’ rights and the rights of the people,” Akhtar said. He argued that, despite the upheaval of 1971 and later movements, workers’ protections remain unfulfilled. Although a labor recommendation committee was formed, he noted, its proposals have not yet been implemented. Akhtar emphasized the risks workers face on the job and the absence of guaranteed safety and justice. “Workers drive the economy and the state, yet they remain deprived of fair treatment when accessing offices, courts and public services. Workers form the majority but are continually sidelined,” he said, calling for dignity, protection and enforceable rights for the nation’s labor force.

A large group of local residents blocked the highway on Friday afternoon to demand the withdrawal of the transfer order for Laksam Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Kawsar Hamid and his reinstatement at the workplace. Protesters, led by student activists and locals, staged a road blockade and held a demonstration. UNO Kawsar Hamid appeared at the site and appealed to the crowd to vacate the road, but protesters rejected her request. Overcome with emotion, the UNO began to cry and embraced several demonstrators, saying, “The love I have received from you all is the greatest treasure of my career. I want everyone in the upazila to be well.” She also explained the realities of government service, noting that transfers prevent permanent settlement in any one place and acknowledging both the support she received from colleagues, elected representatives and community leaders and the possibility that her work may have upset some people. “If I have unknowingly hurt anyone or treated anyone unfairly, I apologize,” she said. The demonstrators warned they would maintain the blockade and continue protests unless the transfer order was withdrawn. About two hours after the blockade began, at around 6:00 pm, the arrival of military personnel prompted the protesters to disperse.

BNP leader and freedom fighter Hasan Uddin Sarkar has called for greater emphasis on sports alongside education to combat drug abuse and promote a healthier society. Speaking at a friendly girls’ football match held at Tongi Pilot School and Girls’ College ground, Sarkar said, “To build a drug-free society, we must prioritize sports along with studies. Regular physical activity is essential for both mental and physical well-being.” The exhibition match featured Gazipur Haidarabad Sporting Club and Bogura Dupchachia Women’s Football Team. After a goalless draw in regulation time, the match was decided in a penalty shootout, where Gazipur Haidarabad Sporting Club clinched victory 3-2.

Archbishop Kevin S. Randall, the Vatican’s ambassador to Bangladesh, has expressed strong support for a transparent and credible electoral process as the country prepares for its national polls. Speaking at an interfaith dialogue, Randall said, “The Holy See stands with you as Bangladesh moves toward elections. We hope for a free, fair, just, and transparent process.” He stressed that the Vatican does not endorse any political party, system, or candidate, and that Bangladesh’s nearly half a million Christians—both Catholic and Protestant—will cast their votes in accordance with their conscience, just like all other citizens. Randall highlighted the importance of dialogue in promoting peace and solidarity in a world plagued by extremism and conflict. “We must have the courage to build bridges, to be good Samaritans, and to reach out to others in their time of need,” he said, recalling Pope Francis’s visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar and the Holy See’s support for Rohingya repatriation. Educationist and adviser C.R. Abrar added that Vatican-Bangladesh relations are rooted in shared values of peace, compassion, and mutual respect.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued eight strict directives aimed at safeguarding the professional reputation of government doctors and curbing undue influence of pharmaceutical companies inside hospitals. Key provisions include: Doctors are prohibited from prescribing on pads branded with private diagnostic centers, clinics, or pharmaceutical companies. Patients cannot be directed to purchase medicines or undergo tests outside the government hospital if those services are available in-house. Private seals cannot be used; only generic-name stamps without advertisements are allowed. Lists of company-supplied medicines cannot be placed on hospital desks. Representatives of pharmaceutical companies are forbidden from collecting prescriptions or personal patient data. Company representatives may only meet doctors on Mondays and Thursdays between 12:00 pm and 2:30 pm. Outside of these hours, legal action will be taken against violators. Representatives must display company-issued ID cards visibly during visits. The DGHS has warned that any breach of these directives will result in strict legal action against both the companies and the doctors involved.

BNP leader Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu said student union election results at one or two universities will have no bearing on the upcoming national election. “Thousands of student votes cannot compare to the will of millions in rural Bangladesh. The people are eagerly waiting to vote for BNP’s paddy-sheaf symbol under Tarique Rahman’s leadership,” he said. Dulu added that BNP leaders and activists have faced the harshest repression, arrests, enforced disappearances, and killings over the past 17 years, but people have not forgotten the injustices under Awami League rule. He expressed confidence that BNP would return to power with a sweeping victory.

Islami Chhatra Shibir President Zahidul Islam warned that if JUCSU results are not announced swiftly, Jahangirnagar University students will reclaim their rights just as they did in July. He accused the administration of attempting to derail the election through slow counting and “partisan political games.” “Our clear message: results must be declared promptly in line with students’ votes. Otherwise, the university administration—and even the interim government—will be held accountable,” Zahidul stated.

BNP leader Abdul Awal Mintoo has declared that Tarique Rahman will return to Bangladesh once the date for the 13th National Parliamentary Election is officially announced. Speaking to reporters, Mintoo emphasized that the outcome of university student union elections has no bearing on the upcoming national polls. “BNP is a large democratic party that firmly believes in the people’s right to vote and in democracy itself,” he said. Raising concerns about governance, Mintoo noted that questions about the government’s legitimacy cast a shadow over the election process. He criticized the deteriorating law-and-order situation, pointing to incidents of mob justice and politically motivated blame-shifting. While acknowledging that some BNP activists had been involved in misconduct, Mintoo said, “We have already expelled three to four thousand leaders and workers from the party for such activities.”

Student organization Islami Chhatra Shibir has stood by the family of journalist Tariqul Shibli, who passed away while covering the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election. The group handed over a cash grant of Tk 200,000 to his family. GS SM Forhad, speaking at the handover, remembered Tariqul as a dedicated reporter and shared the poignant words of the journalist’s elder child. “My son Ayat, who is four years old, told me during a long conversation, ‘Allah has taken my father and put him in a beautiful place. Since my father will not return, I’ll look after and care for my mother and little sister Azmine,’” Forhad said, expressing both sorrow and admiration for the child’s composure. He added that the organization will support the family as far as possible. The cheque was handed over in the presence of newly elected DUCSU president Sadiq Kayem and GS SM Forhad.

BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan declared the fall of what he termed “Awami autocracy” during a street rally in Sadurbazar, Palash upazila, Narsingdi. “Through the united movement of students and the people, we are free again. The Awami League, without accountability, looted hundreds of billions and bankrupted the nation,” he alleged.