Syeda Shamila Rahman Sithi, wife of late Arafat Rahman Koko, has joined the campaign in support of BNP chairperson and Dhaka-17 candidate Tarique Rahman ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election. On Sunday, she attended a courtyard meeting at the T&T Colony near Karail slum in the capital, accompanied by BNP International Affairs Secretary Barrister Nasir Uddin Ahmed Asim, Barrister Mehnaz Mannan, and local BNP leaders and activists. During the meeting, Shamila Rahman sought votes and prayers for Tarique Rahman, expressing optimism over the public response to the BNP’s electoral symbol. She stated that the party was encouraged by the people’s support and expressed confidence that BNP would form the next government through popular vote. Later, she visited a church near Badda New Market to exchange views with members of the Christian community about the election and current political situation. Party leaders present said BNP aims to ensure a free, fair, and participatory election involving people of all religions and communities.

Bangladesh Bank reported that remittance inflows rose sharply in January 2026, reaching USD 3.17 billion, a 45.10 percent increase compared to USD 2.185 billion in January 2025. Sector insiders attributed the surge to funds sent ahead of the upcoming national election and Ramadan, as many candidates and families transferred money from abroad. The data was published in the central bank’s latest report. From July 2025 to January 2026, total remittances amounted to USD 19.43 billion, up 21.80 percent from the same period of the previous fiscal year. Bankers explained that the decline in money laundering and increased use of formal channels have boosted remittance inflows, improving dollar supply and strengthening foreign exchange reserves. Bangladesh Bank has purchased USD 3.93 billion since July to maintain market balance. As of January 29, 2026, the country’s foreign exchange reserves stood at USD 33.18 billion, or USD 28.68 billion under BPM-6 standards. The central bank noted that higher remittance inflows and dollar purchases have contributed to the recent rise in reserves.

In Barishal-1 constituency, covering Gournadi and Agailjhara, supporters of the Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate with the 'hand fan' symbol alleged that BNP activists obstructed their campaign on Saturday evening in Khanjapur area of Gournadi upazila. The incident was streamed live on Facebook by candidate Russel Sardar Mehdi, showing a confrontation between his supporters and several youths who reportedly tried to stop the campaign. The situation escalated into a brief scuffle before the opposing group retreated. Supporters of the hand fan candidate claimed that followers of BNP’s 'paddy sheaf' candidate, Zahir Uddin Swapan, were behind the obstruction. They further alleged that the same group had previously attacked supporters of an independent candidate with the 'football' symbol and continued to disrupt election activities. The matter has been reported to local authorities. Candidate Russel Sardar Mehdi stated that no intimidation would deter his campaign and urged the administration to take firm action to ensure a level playing field as the February 12 election approaches.

A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of 46 bank accounts belonging to Awami League Joint General Secretary and former MP A F M Bahauddin Nasim, his family members, and related individuals. The order was issued on Sunday, February 1, 2026, by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Foyez. Court bench assistant Md Riaz Hossain confirmed the decision following a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). According to the ACC’s application, submitted by Deputy Director (Intelligence) Md Hossain Sharif, funds were allegedly being withdrawn and transferred from these accounts with attempts to move money abroad. The ACC stated that records reviewed during the investigation indicated that the accounts contained proceeds of corruption and abuse of power. The commission argued that transferring the funds could cause significant loss to the state, prompting the request to block all transactions. After reviewing the petition and hearing the matter, the court ordered the immediate freezing of the accounts to prevent potential financial damage to the state.

Bangladesh Women’s cricket team ended their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup qualifying campaign with a commanding seven-wicket victory over the Netherlands in Upper Mulpani, Nepal. The team, led by Nigar Sultana Joty, chased down the 103-run target with 20 balls to spare, finishing unbeaten in all seven matches of the qualifiers. Joty scored an unbeaten 50 off 44 balls, while Sobhana Mostary added 33 not out. Nahida Akter was named Player of the Match for her three wickets for 10 runs. Batting first after winning the toss, the Netherlands lost five wickets for just 23 runs under pressure from Bangladesh’s bowlers. Robin Rijke and Sania Khurana steadied the innings with a 78-run sixth-wicket stand, taking the total to 102 for six. Khurana remained unbeaten on 43, while Rijke scored 39. Bangladesh’s disciplined bowling and confident batting ensured a perfect record in the qualifiers. With this win, Bangladesh, the Netherlands, and Ireland have secured their spots in the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in England in June.

BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan has questioned the voter transfer data provided by the Election Commission (EC), claiming that an unusually high number of new voters have appeared in certain areas, including Dhaka city, over the past one to one and a half years. He made the remarks on Sunday, February 1, after a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) at the EC office in Agargaon, Dhaka. The BNP delegation met the CEC to raise several complaints ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election. Following the meeting, Nazrul Islam Khan told reporters that the EC had downplayed the extent of voter transfers, saying no constituency had more than two to three thousand transfers. However, BNP expressed dissatisfaction, insisting that the actual number was much higher and that the data provided to the EC was inaccurate. The party requested seat-wise voter transfer information from the EC. Nazrul Islam Khan also alleged that violations of the electoral code of conduct were not being properly addressed and raised concerns about the formation of so-called peace committees in some areas. He further noted that the EC had approved over 55,000 observers from 81 domestic organizations, some of which were relatively unknown.

BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku has urged voters not to vote for Jamaat-e-Islami, criticizing the party’s stance on women’s participation in the workforce. Speaking on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at an election meeting in Bhadraghat Bazar of Kamarkhand upazila, Sirajganj, Tuku referenced a statement by Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman that he said demeaned women working outside the home. He displayed the interview on his mobile phone before the audience and appealed to voters, especially women, to reject Jamaat. Tuku emphasized that rising commodity prices have made it necessary for both husbands and wives to earn to support their families. He said women now work in mills, factories, and fields, and criticized Jamaat for wanting to confine them indoors. He called on supporters to strengthen his hand and that of BNP leader Tarique Rahman, expressing hope that Rahman would become the country’s prime minister. Tuku also criticized the banned Awami League, claiming BNP activists had struggled for 17 years to restore voting rights and endured imprisonment and repression. Local BNP and volunteer leaders from Sirajganj district and Kamarkhand upazila were present at the event.

India’s new fiscal year budget has increased grant assistance to Bangladesh by 74 percent, allocating 600 million rupees for the 2027 financial year. According to The Hindu Business Line, citing India’s central budget documents, this marks a significant rise from the revised figure of 344.8 million rupees in the previous year. The report noted that despite domestic discussions about anti-India sentiment, New Delhi expanded its allocation to Dhaka. The budget also shows India halting all grants to Iran’s Chabahar Port, which previously received 4 billion rupees, reportedly due to U.S. sanctions pressure. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s grant rose by 50 percent to 1.5 billion rupees, and Bhutan remains the largest recipient with a total of 22.88 billion rupees. In contrast, allocations for Nepal, the Maldives, and Mauritius were reduced, with Mauritius facing the steepest cut of about 33 percent. Overall, India proposed 87.92 billion rupees in total foreign grants and loans, down 27 percent from the previous year’s revised figure, signaling a strategic and financial restructuring of its foreign aid program.

Bangladesh’s postal department-backed digital financial service Nagad recorded its highest-ever monthly transaction volume in January 2026, reaching Tk 40,301 crore. This marks the company’s largest single-month transaction since its inception seven years ago. The record-breaking figure came mainly from cash-in, cash-out, money transfers, payments, bill settlements, mobile recharges, and remittances. Nagad’s administrator, Md. Motasim Billah, congratulated all involved, noting that the company’s customer-centric approach and trust-building efforts have driven continuous growth. He said Nagad, as a digital transaction platform under the Bangladesh Post Office, is enhancing service quality and ensuring greater financial security for users. This has led to rising engagement from both new and existing customers. Previously, Nagad’s highest monthly transaction was Tk 34,705 crore in October 2025. The company handled Tk 3.8 trillion in total transactions in 2025, up from Tk 3.3 trillion in 2024, reflecting sustained expansion in Bangladesh’s mobile financial services sector.

A former Awami League leader in Bogura’s Shibganj upazila, Shahidul Islam Sarkar, has drawn widespread attention after appearing to campaign for the BNP’s paddy-sheaf symbol. Once an active supporter of the Awami League’s boat symbol, Shahidul is now seen seeking votes for BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman in the Bogura Sadar-6 constituency. Photos and videos of him holding BNP banners at a recent rally went viral on social media, triggering intense discussion and criticism. Shahidul previously served as chairman of Nishindara Union Parishad and was expelled from the Awami League for inactivity after earlier resigning under the pretext of family reasons. During the Awami League’s tenure, he coordinated campaigns for several party candidates in local elections and was accused of opposing the quota movement while financially supporting the ruling party. Following the fall of the Awami League government after the July uprising, he was briefly jailed in multiple cases and is now out on bail. Local BNP leaders have condemned his involvement, calling it opportunistic and damaging to the party’s image. Shahidul, however, claims the viral images were created using AI technology and insists he is a genuine BNP supporter.

BNP Standing Committee member and Dhaka-8 candidate Mirza Abbas said on Sunday that spreading falsehoods and confusion cannot win people’s votes. Speaking to journalists during a campaign visit to Khilgaon Bazar in Dhaka, he alleged that some parties assume victory without justification and questioned where their confidence comes from. Abbas claimed he has been personally targeted with provocative remarks, which he said violate the electoral code of conduct. He accused the Election Commission of bias for failing to act against defamation and misinformation despite formal complaints. Abbas also alleged that nearly half of the 280,000 voters in his constituency are missing or untraceable, urging the commission to cancel such votes to ensure a genuine result. He condemned a top leader of an anti-liberation party for making obscene comments about working women, asserting that Islam grants equal rights to women. Abbas further stated that while the media sometimes criticizes his party, BNP respects press freedom. He criticized a young political figure for using threatening language against the media, saying such behavior contradicts the spirit of the 1971 war.

BNP Standing Committee member and Dhaka-8 candidate Mirza Abbas said that spreading slander or deception cannot win people’s votes. Speaking to journalists during a campaign visit to Khilgaon Bazar in Dhaka on Sunday, he criticized certain parties for assuming victory in advance and questioned the source of their confidence. Abbas also held meetings at several nearby locations and planned further campaign events later in the evening. He described the election environment as unfavorable, alleging that the electoral code of conduct was being violated through targeted attacks and misinformation against him. Abbas accused the Election Commission of bias and negligence, saying no action was taken despite repeated complaints. He further claimed that half of the 280,000 voters in his constituency were missing and urged the commission to cancel such votes if they could not be verified. Abbas condemned a derogatory remark by a leader of an anti-liberation party about working women, reaffirming women’s equal rights in religion. He also defended media freedom and criticized attempts to intimidate journalists.

A joint operation by the army and police in Anwara upazila of Chattogram led to the arrest of listed terrorist Akter on Sunday, February 1, 2026. The operation took place around 7 a.m. at a community center in Bairag Union, where Akter was detained from his home. Authorities said the arrest followed the circulation of a viral photo showing Akter participating in an election campaign, which drew administrative attention. Law enforcement officials claimed to have recovered several weapons and items from Akter’s possession, including a local shotgun, a foreign revolver, two Chinese axes (one with a handle and one without), a machete, a bullet removal stick, four firecrackers, a torture whip, and 18,950 taka in cash. Attempts to contact the officer-in-charge of Karnaphuli Police Station, Md. Shahinur Alam, for further comment were unsuccessful. The arrest highlights ongoing joint security operations in the region targeting listed criminals and illegal arms possession, though no official statement on subsequent legal proceedings was available at the time of reporting.

Al Jazeera has reported that Israel has introduced a new plan to manage and control Gaza’s Rafah crossing, adding multiple layers of security and approval procedures. The proposed system will impose stricter surveillance on both entry and exit. Only residents who left Gaza during the war, representatives of the Palestinian Authority, and a limited number of humanitarian workers will be eligible to enter. Their names must be registered, reviewed by Egypt, and approved by Israel’s Shin Bet before passing through checkpoints managed by the Palestinian Authority and the European Union. Travelers will then undergo body searches, X-ray screening, and biometric verification at Israeli-controlled posts before crossing the ‘yellow line.’ The report adds that exiting Gaza will be relatively easier, prioritizing patients needing medical treatment abroad. Departing individuals will also require registration and Shin Bet approval through Egypt. Israeli officials will use facial recognition software from a command center to open gates for approved travelers. Gaza’s media office director, Ismail al-Thawabta, said around 80,000 Palestinians displaced during the conflict wish to return, while about 22,000 injured or ill people urgently need to travel for treatment.

Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury announced that the government plans to keep internet access open during Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th national parliamentary election. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, February 1, 2026, after a meeting with administrative and law enforcement officials at the World Trade Center in Chattogram, he said anyone attempting to shut down the internet would face legal consequences. He emphasized that the election would be conducted on a level playing field and that law enforcement agencies were well prepared to ensure a fair, festive, and peaceful vote. Chowdhury noted that maintaining law and order for 180 million people is a difficult task but expressed confidence in the readiness of the security forces, including the army, BGB, and police. He also highlighted the increased freedom on social media compared to previous years, stating that restricting Facebook or internet access is no longer acceptable. Addressing journalists, he encouraged them to report truthfully and independently so that citizens receive accurate information. He added that much of the current election-related violence stems from internal party conflicts and urged political groups to act more responsibly.