Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has seized two ships accused of smuggling fuel near Farsi Island, off the coast of Bushehr Province in the Persian Gulf. The IRGC Navy’s public relations office announced on Thursday that the vessels were captured following an operation in the strategically important waters around the small, barren island. According to the statement, more than one million liters of smuggled fuel were recovered, and 15 foreign crew members were detained and handed over to judicial authorities. The IRGC alleged that the ships were part of an organized fuel smuggling network active for several months. Intelligence surveillance and targeted operations led to their identification and capture. However, the statement did not disclose the ships’ origin or destination, nor the nationalities of the detained sailors. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf, as the United States has recently increased its military presence in the region and President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Iran. Meanwhile, Iran and the United States have agreed to begin indirect nuclear talks in Muscat, Oman, on Friday through regional mediation.

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.

Bangladesh and the United States are set to sign a counter-tariff trade agreement on Monday, February 9, in Washington, D.C. The formal activities related to the signing will begin a day earlier, on February 8. Although the event will span two days, Bangladesh’s Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin and Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman will not attend in person. According to the Ministry of Commerce, a five-member Bangladeshi delegation will travel to the United States to represent the country at the signing ceremony. A government order issued on February 3 appointed Additional Secretary and WTO Division Head Khadiza Nazneen as the delegation leader. Other members include Joint Secretaries Firoz Uddin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, Senior Assistant Secretary Sheikh Shamsul Arefin, and NBR Commissioner Rois Uddin Khan. The delegation is scheduled to leave Dhaka on February 6 and return around February 10. Meanwhile, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin and Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman have departed for Tokyo to attend the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement signing program, taking place from February 4 to 6.

The Global Sumud Aid Flotilla is set to embark for Gaza on March 29 from the port of Barcelona, Spain, in response to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. Organizers announced that this year’s mission will feature broader international participation than previous efforts. The announcement was made during a livestreamed press conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, where activist Sumeira Akdeniz Ordu confirmed that additional ships will join from Tunisia, Italy, and other Mediterranean ports. According to Ordu, the flotilla will include thousands of participants, among them over one thousand doctors, nurses, and health workers. The mission will also involve eco-builders skilled in sustainable infrastructure and war crimes investigators expected to document human rights violations in Gaza. Organizers emphasized that the flotilla’s goal extends beyond delivering humanitarian aid—it aims to raise global awareness against the blockade imposed on Gaza. The Global Sumud authorities stated that the initiative, involving citizens, human rights activists, and professionals from multiple countries, seeks to send a clear message of international solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Sarowar Alam, an assistant programmer at the President’s Office, denied any involvement in the case filed over the hacking of the Jamaat-e-Islami chief’s X account. He made the statement on Thursday during a bail hearing before Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Jonaid. Police said he was shown arrested on Wednesday night under the Cyber Security Act in a case filed with Hatirjheel Police Station. During the hearing, the investigating officer, SI Khondoker Saleh Abu Naim, sought to keep Alam in jail, while defense lawyer Md. Alamgir applied for bail, arguing that his client had been falsely implicated due to political vendetta. The prosecution lawyer, Abdur Razzak, opposed bail, alleging that Alam acted to create unrest and provoke voters by hacking the Jamaat chief’s account. Alam told the court he was arrested from his home and had voluntarily handed over his mobile phone, laptop, and desktop to investigators. He insisted he had never imagined committing such an act and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

The six-day-long strike by workers and employees at Chattogram Port has been suspended for two days following successful discussions with the shipping adviser. The decision was announced on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at a press conference held at the port building by Humayun Kabir and Ibrahim Khokon, coordinators of the Chattogram Port Protection Struggle Unity Council. Workers will resume full operations from Friday morning, bringing relief to port activities that had been paralyzed for nearly a week. During the meeting, labor leaders presented four demands, including cancellation of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) operation agreement, withdrawal of transfer orders for protesting employees, assurance against future legal actions, and removal of the current port chairman. The adviser accepted two of these demands and promised to consider the chairman’s removal. He also sought two days to consult the chief adviser regarding the NCT issue. Union leaders warned that if the government does not withdraw from the NCT agreement within the given time, they will resume the strike from Sunday. The temporary suspension has restored confidence among traders and port stakeholders after days of disruption.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced that the interim government will hand over power to the newly elected administration within the shortest possible time after the results of the 13th National Parliamentary Election are declared. He stated that the process could take a maximum of three days, and the new government may assume office between February 17 and 18. The announcement was made on Thursday at a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, following a meeting of the Advisory Council chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Shafiqul Alam explained that preparations are in place for a swift transfer of power once the election concludes. Newly elected members of parliament will take their oaths immediately after the results, and the handover process will begin promptly. He emphasized that the transition could be completed as early as February 15, 16, or by February 17–18 at the latest. Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad dismissed rumors that the interim government would remain in power for 180 working days, calling such claims baseless and politically motivated.

A Dhaka court has granted bail to Mohammad Saroware Alam, an assistant programmer at Bangabhaban, in a case filed over the hacking of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s X (formerly Twitter) account. The order was issued on Thursday by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Junaid after a hearing. Saroware Alam was produced before the Dhaka CMM Court at 3 p.m., where the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Khandaker Saleh Abu Nayeem of Hatirjheel Police Station, sought to keep him in custody. During the hearing, defense lawyer Md. Alamgir argued for bail, while prosecution lawyer Md. Abdur Razzak opposed it, citing specific allegations and a forensic report from the accused’s mobile phone. The prosecution claimed the act aimed to create unrest before the election and warned that the accused might abscond if released. Saroware Alam denied the allegations, asserting his innocence and cooperation with investigators, saying he voluntarily handed over his mobile and laptop. The case was filed under the Cyber Security Act at Hatirjheel Police Station following the hacking incident involving the Jamaat chief’s X account.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the expiration of the New START nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia marks a grave moment for international peace and security. In a statement issued on Wednesday, he said the treaty’s expiry at midnight on February 5 effectively removed legal limits on the world’s two largest nuclear powers for the first time in over half a century. Guterres noted that the US and Russia possess the vast majority of the world’s nuclear weapons and that their bilateral arms control frameworks have long served as a vital pillar of global stability. He recalled that agreements from the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks to New START had enabled the reduction of thousands of nuclear weapons, strengthening global security. Warning that the collapse of decades of progress comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and technological change, Guterres said the risk of nuclear use is now at its highest in decades. He urged both nations to return to negotiations and establish a new verifiable framework to restore limits, reduce risks, and reinforce collective security.

Candidates of the Khagrachhari-298 parliamentary constituency have demanded that the army be deployed with magistracy powers three days before the election to ensure maximum security at 68 high-risk polling centers. The demand was made on Thursday at a press conference organized under the banner of the Khagrachhari Lawyers’ Association, where BNP candidate Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan read a written statement. Three other candidates—Mithila Roaja of Jatiya Party, Dinmoy Roaja of Ganoparishad, and Md. Nurul Islam of Insoniyat Biplob Bangladesh—were also present. According to the statement, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have identified 121 of the 203 polling centers in Khagrachhari as risky, including 68 marked as “red” for being highly vulnerable. The candidates alleged that armed groups are intimidating voters, obstructing campaigns, and attempting to influence votes in favor of preferred candidates. They also claimed these groups disrupted past elections and are now trying to destabilize the upcoming polls. The six-point demand includes increased mobile patrols in remote areas, strict security per polling center, community confidence-building, monitoring social media for rumors, and immediate legal action against offenders.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul stated that either a person nominated by the President or the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) will administer the oath to members elected in the upcoming 13th National Parliament. He made the clarification on Thursday, February 5, during a briefing with journalists at the Secretariat. Nazrul explained that there are two options under the current arrangement. Former Speaker or Deputy Speaker cannot administer the oath. If the oath must be taken within three days of the election results being announced, the President will nominate a person on the advice of the Chief Adviser to conduct the ceremony. He added that the current Chief Justice could be such a nominee if willing. If the oath cannot be administered within three days for any reason, the CEC will then perform the duty. The 13th National Parliament election and referendum are scheduled to be held on February 12, according to the adviser’s statement.

A recently released set of documents from the U.S. Department of Justice concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reignited discussion around a 2017 interview with former Dutch banker Ronald Bernard. In that interview, Bernard alleged that some members of the global financial elite practiced ritualistic acts, including child sacrifice, as part of occult or Luciferian beliefs. He claimed to have been invited to a ceremony abroad that involved such practices, which he refused to attend. Bernard told Netherlands-based DVM TV that many high-level financial figures he knew followed what he described as Luciferian worship. He said he had visited places known as the 'Church of Satan,' where rituals involving nudity and alcohol took place, though he admitted uncertainty about their authenticity. His statements resurfaced after the new Epstein-related files hinted at links between several influential individuals and Epstein’s network. Epstein, who faced charges of child sex trafficking, was found dead in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial. The renewed attention to Bernard’s claims and the Justice Department’s disclosures has again raised questions about the extent of hidden crimes behind wealth and power.

Bangla Academy has confirmed that the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 will begin on February 20, rejecting publishers’ calls to postpone the event until after Eid-ul-Fitr. The decision was announced at a press conference held at the academy on Thursday, where officials said the fair’s organizing committee had unanimously agreed on the date. The academy also announced special arrangements for iftar and prayers during Ramadan. Director General Professor Mohammad Azam explained that the fair could not start on February 1 as in previous years because state approval was delayed. He said about 60 percent of preparations are complete, including stall construction, event management selection, and invitations to speakers. Stall rent has been reduced by 25 percent compared to last year, despite higher overall costs. A total of 527 returning and 24 new publishers have been selected for stalls, with over 100 institutions expressing interest in participation. Azam added that holding the fair after Eid would be impractical due to April’s heat and storms. He urged all publishers to join the fair, expressing optimism that it will be well-organized despite challenges.

The Bangladesh government has decided to reduce value-added tax (VAT) on liquefied petroleum (LPG) gas, aiming to bring down its market price. The decision was made on Thursday, February 5, during an advisory council meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam announced the decision at a press briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. According to Shafiqul Alam, the council approved a proposal to exempt the existing 7.5 percent VAT and 2 percent advance tax on local production and trading of LPG, while imposing a 7.5 percent VAT at the import stage. He stated that this adjustment would reduce the overall tax burden on LPG and consequently lower its retail price in the domestic market. The government expects that the revised VAT structure will ease consumer costs and stabilize LPG prices across the country, providing some relief to households and businesses dependent on the fuel.