Rubel Ahmed, a friend of former Bangladesh Chhatra League central general secretary Golam Rabbani, has confessed to his involvement in the murder of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi. His statement was recorded by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Mahbubur Rahman on Saturday, after which he was sent to jail. According to court sources, Rubel voluntarily agreed to give a confessional statement following his remand, and the court approved the recording upon request from CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdur Kadir Bhuiyan. Rubel was arrested by the CID with the help of the Detective Branch from Ati Noyabazar in South Keraniganj on January 21 and was placed on two separate remands totaling nine days. Hadi, known for his role in the July uprising and the movement to ban the Awami League, was shot on December 12 while campaigning in Bijoynagar and later died in Singapore on December 18. The case initially investigated by the DB police named 17 accused, including former ward councilor Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi and former Chhatra League activist Faisal Karim Masud. The DB’s charge sheet suggested political revenge as the motive behind Hadi’s killing. Following dissatisfaction from the complainant, the court later transferred the investigation to the CID.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has imposed new restrictions on sports journalists’ access to the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The decision has drawn strong protest and condemnation from two major journalist organizations, the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA). Both groups issued statements on Sunday expressing concern that the new rules would disrupt their daily professional activities. In its statement, the BSJA said the restrictions would hinder journalists’ work and limit their ability to promote cricket effectively. The association emphasized its willingness to cooperate on security matters but criticized the BCB for not consulting journalist bodies before making such a major decision. The BSPA also voiced deep concern, saying the new rules create an unfavorable environment for media professionals and urged the BCB to reconsider the decision immediately. The BSPA further suggested that dialogue and consultation with media stakeholders could lead to a more cooperative and mutually beneficial solution.

National Citizen Party (NCP) spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan criticized the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for not stating its position on alleged Indian aggression. Speaking at a street rally on Sunday at Shahjadpur BSCIC bus stand in Sirajganj, he said that while anti-hegemony forces once protested such acts, a major political party has remained silent. He urged voters to support anti-aggression candidates and announced that if the 11-party alliance came to power, it would arrange double training for army personnel. Bhuiyan, also chairman of the NCP election management committee, accused a nationalist party of nominating foreign citizens as candidates who would leave the country after elections. He pledged to build a corruption-free and well-governed Bangladesh, ensuring fair rewards for workers, and called for votes for Saif Mostafiz under the Shapla symbol. He further urged citizens to vote “yes” in a referendum to prevent authoritarian rule. Several NCP leaders, including Monira Sharmin, Tarikul Islam, Sakib Mahdi, and Yasin Arafat, were present at the event and visited the grave of Shaheed Abu Sayeed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country's negotiators are ready to discuss Moscow’s proposal to end the war with the United States. In a Saturday evening address, he stated that Kyiv is waiting for Washington’s response regarding the next meeting. His remarks suggested that the second round of talks among US, Russian, and Ukrainian officials, scheduled for Sunday in Abu Dhabi, might be postponed. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is prepared to work in any format to stop the Russia-Ukraine war and is ready for next week’s meetings. His comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff described his meeting in Florida with Russian Ambassador Kirill Dmitriev as “productive and constructive.” The first direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators under US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan were held in Abu Dhabi last week, with both sides agreeing to resume discussions on Sunday. Washington claims both sides are close to a deal, but Kyiv maintains that no consensus has been reached on key territorial issues in any postwar settlement.

The Additional District Judge Court No. 2 in Dhaka has delivered a final verdict in favor of Unilever Bangladesh in arbitration miscellaneous cases No. 436/2025 and 437/2025 filed by former distributors Masud & Brothers and Agrani Trading Corporation. The distributors had challenged the termination of their distributorships and sought injunctions against the termination notices and the appointment of new distributors in their respective areas. On January 29, 2026, the court dismissed the cases, finding no merit in the distributors’ applications. Before filing these arbitration cases, the distributors had previously filed two declaratory suits and two money suits in an incorrect legal forum, which were dismissed for lack of maintainability. During the hearing on February 28, 2026, Unilever Bangladesh presented its position, demonstrating that the termination was lawful and in accordance with the distributor agreements. The company also informed the court that the distributors had concealed key documents and provided misleading information in earlier proceedings. The verdict confirms that Unilever Bangladesh lawfully terminated the distributorships and can continue normal business operations through newly appointed distributors.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has alleged that its Amir, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s official X (formerly Twitter) account was hacked as part of a deep conspiracy. According to the party, hackers used the email address of a Bangabhaban official to gain access and post objectionable content intended to damage the Amir’s image. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, and the account was reportedly compromised at 4:37 p.m. before being detected around 5 p.m. Jamaat’s cyber team regained control shortly afterward and filed a general diary with the police that night. At a press conference held Sunday morning at the party’s central office in Moghbazar, Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Jubayer described the hacking as a deliberate attempt to malign the party and its leadership. He said the attack followed several days of hacking attempts targeting Jamaat’s social media pages. Cyber team members presented digital evidence showing that another senior leader’s account was also hacked at the same time. Jamaat leaders stated they will inform the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies, urging a full investigation into the use of the Bangabhaban official’s email and the broader cyberattack.

Senior Vice President of the Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal, Yasin Ali, has alleged that BNP supporters and their families are facing coordinated attacks across Bangladesh. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday at the BNP Election Steering Committee office in Gulshan, he claimed that a violent assault took place on January 21, 2025, in Jagannathpur Union of Comilla’s 14-Gram upazila. The attack allegedly targeted the family of Mizan Khan, a local BNP volunteer leader, leaving several relatives, including elderly and children, critically injured. Yasin Ali accused Jamaat-Shibir activists of orchestrating the assault under the direction of Jamaat candidate Abdul Mohammad Taher. He said around two hundred armed men carried out the attack with local weapons, aiming to kill the entire family. The injured were admitted to Comilla General Hospital and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for critical care. During the briefing, Yasin Ali condemned the incident, demanded the immediate arrest of those involved, and warned that continued violence would be resisted by mobilizing the public alongside BNP volunteers.

Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-4, presided over by Judge Robiul Alam, is set to deliver verdicts on Monday, February 2, in two separate corruption cases involving former prime minister Hasina and her niece Tulip Rizwana Siddiq. The cases allege fraudulent allocation of government plots in the Purbachal New Town Project. A total of 36 individuals, 18 in each case, are accused of irregularly obtaining 20 kathas of land through abuse of power and procedural violations. According to court and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) records, the first case was filed on January 13 last year by ACC Assistant Director S.M. Rashedul Hasan against Radwan Mujib Siddiq, Hasina, and Tulip, with a charge sheet submitted on March 10. The second case, filed the same day by ACC Assistant Director Afnan Jannat Keya against Azmina Siddiq, Hasina, and Tulip, also led to a charge sheet on March 10. Witness testimony concluded earlier this year, with 28 and 31 witnesses testifying in the respective cases. The court had framed charges on July 31 last year, and after closing arguments in January, fixed February 2 for verdicts in both cases.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed that India’s support for Palestine will continue. He made the statement on Saturday in New Delhi during a meeting with Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Varsen Agabekian Shahin, held on the sidelines of the second India-Arab foreign ministers’ meeting. According to The Hindu, Modi reiterated India’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and welcomed ongoing peace efforts, including the Gaza peace plan. A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said Modi highlighted the deep and historical ties between India and the Arab world, which have long inspired and strengthened bilateral relations. He also outlined a roadmap for future India-Arab partnerships, emphasizing commitments to enhance cooperation in trade and investment, energy, technology, healthcare, and other priority sectors for the mutual benefit of both sides. The meeting underscored India’s intention to maintain balanced engagement with Arab nations while supporting peace initiatives in the Middle East.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will announce new consumer-level prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for February 2026 on Monday, February 2. According to a BERC notice issued on Sunday, the updated prices will be declared at a press briefing scheduled for 3 p.m. at the commission’s office in the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Dhaka. The adjustment will be based on the Saudi Aramco-declared Saudi CP for February. In January, the price of a 12-kilogram LPG cylinder was set at 1,306 taka, up from 1,253 taka in December. The upcoming announcement will determine whether the February price increases or decreases compared to January. The new rate will remain effective for one month. The BERC’s monthly price adjustments are part of its regular process to align domestic LPG prices with international benchmarks, ensuring consistency with global market trends.

Tourist travel to Bangladesh’s only coral-rich island, Saint Martin, has been suspended for nine months following a government decision. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ended the current tourism season last Saturday, and from Sunday, no tourist vessels are allowed to operate to the island. Authorities said the restriction aims to preserve the island’s fragile environmental balance, limiting tourist access to only three months each year. Typically, tourists are permitted to visit Saint Martin from October 1 to March 31, but this year the period was shortened to January 31 due to environmental risks. Cox’s Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner Imran Hossain Sajib confirmed that Saturday marked the last day for tourist ships to travel to the island. He added that future changes would depend on government decisions. Saint Martin Union Parishad Chairman Foyezul Islam expressed concern that most island residents depend on tourism for their livelihood. He said the extended closure has caused disappointment among locals and suggested that a longer tourist season would help them sustain their income.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman alleged that a political party was trying to secure parliamentary seats through killings. He made the remark on Sunday afternoon at a roadside gathering in Sherpur’s Gopalakhila High School field after visiting the grave of Maulana Rezaul Karim, the slain Jamaat secretary of Sreebardi upazila, who died in recent election-related clashes. Dr. Rahman expressed grief over Rezaul’s death and urged supporters to respond through ballots on February 12. He criticized the administration for failing to arrest anyone despite a murder case being filed and called on officials to remain neutral. He also demanded a fair investigation and justice for the killing. The violence occurred on January 28 during an election manifesto event at Jhenaigati Mini Stadium, where BNP and Jamaat activists clashed over seating arrangements. Rezaul Karim later died from his injuries, and his wife filed a case naming 231 individuals, including BNP candidate Mahmudul Haque Rubel, but no arrests have been made so far.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced that the Islamic Republic will now classify all European Union military forces as terrorist groups. The declaration came after the European Union designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization in response to Tehran’s crackdown on nationwide protests. The announcement was reported by ABC News. Ghalibaf stated that the decision was made under Article 7 of Iran’s law governing reciprocal measures against foreign actions. As a gesture of solidarity, he addressed the parliamentary session wearing the uniform of the Revolutionary Guards. The move marks Tehran’s direct retaliation against the EU’s earlier decision. Earlier, the European Union had listed the IRGC as a terrorist organization following what it described as brutal repression of Iranian protesters. The reciprocal designation by Iran signals further deterioration in relations between Tehran and European governments.

Professor Ali Riaz, special assistant to the Chief Adviser, said the July Charter was formulated to prevent any future authoritarian rule in Bangladesh. Speaking on Sunday at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet, he stated that the nation had endured 16 years under personal dictatorship before the 2024 mass uprising brought temporary relief from fascism. He emphasized that the current constitution still allows the possibility of autocracy, and therefore the upcoming referendum must secure a 'Yes' victory to enforce the July Charter. Riaz explained that the July Charter, drafted through consensus among all political parties, aims to ensure democratic governance and constitutional accountability. He said a 'Yes' vote would enable joint formation of the caretaker government and Election Commission by the government and opposition, restrict unilateral constitutional amendments, and limit any individual to a maximum of ten years as prime minister. It would also guarantee judicial independence and prevent the return of fascism. Vice-chancellors from several universities in Sylhet region also spoke at the event, supporting the call for democratic reforms.

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated that the level of freedom currently visible on Facebook and other social media platforms was not present during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure. He made the remarks on Sunday afternoon at the World Trade Center in Chattogram after a meeting with law enforcement officials. Chowdhury cautioned that freedom does not mean spreading false information or creating confusion. Responding to a question, he said shutting down Facebook or the internet is no longer acceptable and that action would be taken against anyone attempting such measures. He emphasized that everyone should be able to write and express opinions freely. According to him, journalists previously operated under restrictions and lacked the courage to question the Home Minister, but that situation has now changed. Chowdhury also commented that the law and order situation in Chattogram surrounding the election remains stable, with the army, Border Guard Bangladesh, and police working in coordination to prevent any disorder.