Three people were shot and at least ten others injured during a violent clash between supporters of an independent candidate and those of the BNP’s paddy-sheaf symbol in Mollakandi Union, Munshiganj Sadar upazila, on Saturday noon. The incident occurred in Beherkandi and Munshikandi areas when both groups exchanged gunfire and exploded crude bombs, spreading panic in the locality. The injured, including Lijan Sarkar, Monir Hossain Sarkar, and Fahim Dewan, were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. According to local accounts, the violence erupted when supporters of independent candidate Md. Mohiuddin, represented by the football symbol, went to Munshikandi to campaign and were obstructed by followers of BNP leader and paddy-sheaf candidate Kamruzzaman Ratan. Assistant Returning Officer and UNO Masudur Rahman said army, BGB, and police personnel were patrolling the area and that the situation was now calm. Police officials stated that the two groups had a prior rivalry over local dominance. Authorities have deployed additional forces and pledged to identify and take action against those involved in the violence.

Three leaders of the Boalmari upazila unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Faridpur have been removed from their organizational positions for violating party discipline. The decision was announced in a notice signed by Faridpur district BNP convener Syed Modarres Ali Isha and member secretary A.K.M. Kibria Swapon, issued late Friday night. The expelled leaders are Boalmari BNP vice-president Shamsuddin Mia Jhunu, former organizational secretary Mojibur Rahman Babu, and Boalmari Matsyajibi Dal president Bishwajit Rajbanshi. The decision took effect on February 6. According to the notice, the disciplinary allegations were reviewed before the leaders were relieved of their posts. The district BNP also instructed party members to refrain from maintaining any organizational contact with the expelled individuals to preserve internal discipline. District BNP member secretary A.K.M. Kibria Swapon confirmed that the action was taken based on the allegations. The announcement underscores the party’s emphasis on maintaining internal discipline and organizational order within its local units in Faridpur.

At a panel discussion during the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, Ahmed Al-Zandani, an assistant professor at Ahmed Bin Mohammed Military College, stated that Israel occupies the center of the current international order, while Arab states remain on its periphery. He argued that Arab nations have little influence over global developments, describing their policies as reactive rather than proactive and their position as subordinate. Al-Zandani explained that the existing global structure emerged after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, when Arab regions became colonies. He said the United Kingdom played a decisive role in shaping this order by sending experts to study the region’s geography and ethnicity, leaving a lasting impact on Middle Eastern politics and structures. According to Al-Zandani, this historical legacy continues to distance the Arab world from the core of global decision-making, reinforcing its marginal position in international affairs.

A newly surfaced 2020 FBI document has reignited controversy by alleging that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was trained as a spy under former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. The document, classified as a confidential human source (CHS) report, claims that during intelligence collection on improper domestic and foreign influence in U.S. elections, a source provided multiple pieces of information linking Epstein to Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. According to the report, the source said they overheard several phone calls between Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz and Epstein, took notes, and later passed the details to Mossad. The source also alleged that Barak viewed current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “criminal” and that Epstein acted as a Mossad collaborator. Dershowitz was described as having cooperated with Mossad and maintaining close ties with Netanyahu. The document further mentioned that venture capital firm Day One Ventures, founded by Epstein’s former publicist Masha Bucher, was allegedly involved in technology theft in Silicon Valley. It also referenced long-standing ties between Jared Kushner’s family and Israel, though without detailed substantiation.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has introduced four methods to help voters easily access their polling center and voter number information ahead of the upcoming referendum and the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The announcement was made on Saturday, February 7, 2026, by EC Director (Public Relations) Md. Ruhul Amin Mallik through an official notice. According to the notice, voters can obtain their polling information using the Smart Election Management BD mobile app, the EC website (ecs.gov.bd), a hotline service, or SMS. The app allows users to search by national ID number and date of birth, while the website provides a similar search option along with Google Maps directions. Voters can also call the toll-free hotline 105 between 6 a.m. and midnight or send an SMS with the format “PC NID” to 105 to receive their polling details. The EC stated that these digital and telecommunication-based services aim to ensure quick and accurate access to polling information for all registered voters nationwide.

The United States Embassy in Dhaka has clarified that individuals staying in the country on a visitor visa are not permitted to work. The announcement was made on Saturday, February 7, 2026, through an official message from the embassy. It stated that those holding B1/B2 visitor visas may engage in limited business activities such as negotiating contracts or attending conferences, but they are not allowed to receive payment or work for any US employer while in the country. The embassy’s message emphasized the distinction between permissible business engagements and unauthorized employment under the visitor visa category. It reminded visa holders that the B1/B2 visa is intended for short-term visits, including tourism and certain business purposes, but not for earning income or performing paid work in the United States. The clarification aims to prevent misuse of visitor visas and ensure compliance with US immigration regulations by foreign nationals visiting the country.

A technology report published on February 7, 2026, describes how Google Maps continues to collect and store user location data even when location services are turned off. The article explains that activities performed through various Google apps still send information to Google servers, allowing the Maps timeline to record where and when users travel. Even deleting the timeline does not remove detailed location data from Google’s servers, which may later be used for targeted advertising. The report outlines several steps to reduce data creation, including regularly deleting activity from the Google Account’s ‘My Activity’ page and using alternative apps that prioritize privacy. It mentions that Waze, being owned by Google, faces similar issues, while Apple Maps offers better privacy but is limited to iPhones. Apps like HereWeGo and MapQuest are suggested as alternatives. It further advises users to manage smartphone settings carefully, review app permissions, and monitor the Google Maps timeline regularly to delete stored data. The article emphasizes that awareness and proper settings can help maintain privacy even while using Google Maps.

Fisheries and Livestock Ministry adviser Farida Akhter said destructive human activities are the main threat to the Halda River. She made the remarks on Saturday at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council in Dhaka during an inception workshop organized by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute and Nodi Kendra, Chandpur, for the 2025–26 Halda River natural fish breeding project. Akhter emphasized that fisheries and livestock work is not only economic or scientific but also deeply tied to religion, culture, and social behavior. She urged that research reports be written in Bangla for public understanding and called for women’s inclusion in socio-economic studies to reflect the realities of riverside communities. Akhter highlighted the need for immediate corrective actions where necessary, including removal of the Bhujpur rubber dam if found harmful, and warned against tobacco cultivation along riverbanks. She also stressed effective management of sluice gates and control of invasive sucker fish species. Akhter proposed a mid-term workshop in late 2026 or early 2027 to evaluate project progress and expressed optimism that coordinated efforts would ensure successful conservation and management of the Halda River.

A United States-based research organization, Sochchar, has forecast a close contest between BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman and Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Dr. Khaliduzzaman in the Dhaka-17 constituency. The findings were released on Saturday in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar by Sochchar President Dr. Shabbir Ahmad during the presentation of a survey titled “Election Survey: Constituencies of the Four Major Political Party Leaders.” According to the survey, 35 percent of voters in Dhaka-17 intend to vote for Tarique Rahman, while 32 percent favor Dr. Khaliduzzaman. About 15.1 percent of respondents declined to disclose their choice, 10.7 percent remain undecided, 3.7 percent plan to support other candidates, and 3.5 percent said they would not vote. The survey was conducted among 515 randomly selected voters, including 269 men and 246 women. The results suggest a highly competitive race in the constituency, with a significant portion of voters still undecided or unwilling to reveal their preferences.

Seven leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) in Brahmanbaria’s Sarail upazila have been expelled for supporting independent candidate Barrister Rumin Farhana, who is contesting with the duck symbol, instead of the BNP alliance-backed Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam candidate Maulana Junaid Al Habib, represented by the date tree symbol. The expulsion was confirmed in a notice signed by JCD central office secretary Md Jahangir Alam on Friday night. According to the notice, the expelled leaders violated party discipline by engaging in open campaign activities for a candidate expelled from the BNP, disregarding the alliance’s official nominee. Their primary memberships and all organizational positions were revoked. Earlier, more than fifty BNP and affiliate leaders in the same constituency had been expelled on similar grounds, and the Shahjadapur Union BNP committee was suspended. Former upazila JCD convener Jamal Hossain Laskar stated that supporting the alliance’s nominated candidate is mandatory under party rules, and action was taken based on verified information about the expelled members’ involvement with the independent campaign.

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb announced on Saturday that it accidentally distributed more than $40 billion worth of Bitcoin to customers while attempting to issue promotional rewards. The error occurred on Friday and immediately caused significant operational pressure on the exchange. Bithumb said it managed to recover 99.7 percent of the 620,000 Bitcoins mistakenly sent, valued at about $44 billion. Within 35 minutes of the incident, trading and withdrawals were restricted for 695 affected users. According to local media, the exchange had planned to give each participant at least 2,000 Korean won in cash as part of a promotional event. However, due to a technical glitch, selected users received at least 2,000 Bitcoins instead. Bithumb stated that the incident was not related to any external hacking or security breach and claimed that its system security and asset management remained intact. Following the incident, Bitcoin prices on Bithumb temporarily dropped 17 percent to 81.1 million won before recovering to around 104.5 million won later in the evening.

The Election Commission (EC) announced on Saturday, February 7, that a total of 309,110 postal ballots sent from across Bangladesh and abroad have reached the respective returning officers. According to the EC’s statement, 766,862 ballot papers were sent to expatriate voters in various countries, of which 527,033 were received by voters. Among them, 494,185 voters cast their votes, and 468,091 ballots were submitted through postal services. Out of these, 422,960 ballots arrived in Bangladesh, and 225,168 were received by returning officers. Within the country, 694,146 postal ballots were distributed to registered voters, including government employees, law enforcement personnel, and prisoners eligible for postal voting. Of these, 381,007 voters received their ballots, 321,695 cast votes, and 276,272 submitted them via post. Returning officers have so far received 83,942 of these ballots. The EC confirmed that a total of 1.533 million voters, both domestic and overseas, registered to vote by postal ballot for the upcoming national election and referendum scheduled for February 12.

The Bangladesh Army has identified Dhaka-14 and Dhaka-16 constituencies as highly risky among three constituencies in the capital, according to Mirpur Camp Commander Lieutenant Colonel S M Fuad Masroor. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur, he said 18 percent of polling centers in Dhaka-14, 16, and 18 have been marked as risky, with two of them categorized as highly risky. Fuad Masroor explained that polling centers have been divided into three categories—general, moderate, and highly risky—based on their vulnerability levels. The army is maintaining maximum alert to ensure voters can reach polling centers safely. Security measures are being implemented according to the risk classification, and the army will act as a striking force to maintain a peaceful election environment. He also urged journalists to verify information before reporting on any incidents of unrest or sabotage during the election period to prevent misinformation. The army will ensure the safety of both candidates and media workers, and any signs of risky situations should be immediately reported to law enforcement authorities.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has been deployed across coastal and riverine areas to maintain peace and order ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and Referendum 2026. Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq confirmed the deployment on Saturday, February 7, 2026. The force began its 28-day duty on January 18 and will continue until February 14, covering remote and critical coastal polling centers. According to the Coast Guard, members are operating under the Western Zone in Khulna-1, Khulna-6, and Pirojpur-3 constituencies, including Dacope, Koyra, and Mathbaria upazilas. They are stationed at 66 polling centers across 16 unions. Special intelligence surveillance, drone monitoring, and regular patrols are being conducted to ensure a festive and peaceful voting environment. The interim government has scheduled the referendum on the same day as the election to promote accountability and public welfare. The Coast Guard stated it remains vigilant to prevent violence, safeguard voters’ rights, and assist other law enforcement agencies in ensuring overall security and communal harmony in its operational areas.

BNP candidate for Dhaka-6, Ishraq Hossain, has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) expressing fears of polling center occupation and fake voters ahead of the election. On Saturday, he met EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed at the Election Building and demanded action against those involved, including a request to change a polling center after weapons and sticks were recovered there. Ishraq said police recovered 152 thick sticks from the Cosmopolitan School center in Sutrapur on February 4, a property owned by the rival political party Jamaat-e-Islami. He alleged that the local police officer delayed action by four hours, allowing firearms and more sticks to be removed. Citing this as a sign of bias and negligence, he demanded the officer’s replacement and relocation of the center to ensure fair voting. He added that although the Dhaka-6 environment remains relatively calm, the discovery of weapons and reports of fake voters in several holdings have raised concerns. Ishraq emphasized that his campaign seeks a peaceful and credible election.