The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has issued a circular to ensure the confidentiality of ballot papers and the security of election materials ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum. The directive, signed by Mohammad Monir Hossain, Deputy Secretary of the EC Secretariat’s Election Management-2 branch, was released on Thursday. It outlines procedures for verifying election materials, distributing them to polling centers, and maintaining strict confidentiality of official and brass seals. According to the circular, ballot papers supplied from the BG Press, Government Printing Press, or Security Printing Press must be checked against Form-5 to verify candidate names and symbols before being securely stored until distribution to presiding officers. The EC also instructed that official and brass seals, which carry security code numbers, be recorded and preserved confidentially at every stage. Assistant returning officers must document seal codes and impressions in distribution registers, while presiding officers must store seal details in designated envelopes within secure bags. The circular emphasizes that all election materials, including indelible ink, stamp pads, and seals, must be handled with utmost care to maintain transparency and prevent any breach of ballot secrecy.

The Bogura Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners Association has submitted a memorandum to the district commissioner accusing the district food controller of demanding bribes from rice mill owners. The complaint alleges that officials sought between Tk 400 and Tk 700 per ton of rice supplied to government warehouses, sparking widespread anger among mill owners. The memorandum, sent on December 28, details that during a December 9 meeting at the Bogura Food Building, the district warehouse officer instructed mill owners to pay the bribe. According to the document, when mill owners refused to pay Tk 600 per ton, tensions escalated. On December 23, the food controller allegedly summoned a local association leader to his office to demand his share and verbally abused him when he refused. The memorandum also accuses officials of harassment over security deposit withdrawals and corruption in paddy procurement through intermediaries. Copies were sent to senior food department officials seeking action. Association leaders called for an impartial investigation and punishment for those involved, warning that failure to act could disrupt future food procurement drives. The food controller denied any bribery or misconduct allegations.

Bangladesh remains undecided about hosting the 15th SAFF Championship scheduled for later this year. Although Dhaka is being considered as a key venue by SAFF authorities, no final decision has been made. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) and the SAFF Executive Committee must approve the hosting plan. The tournament, postponed last year, is expected to take place between September and October during the international window. A BFF meeting to finalize the decision was postponed from January 14 due to the arrival of the 2026 World Cup trophy in Bangladesh. BFF Vice-President and Marketing Committee Chairman Fahad Karim stated that the federation will hold the meeting after the trophy’s departure to decide whether Bangladesh will host the event. However, doubts have emerged over the feasibility of hosting the tournament in Bangladesh, as political issues could affect India’s participation. This uncertainty raises the possibility that the SAFF Championship venue may shift to another country. If Bangladesh secures hosting rights, it would mark the nation’s first time organizing the regional football event since 2018.

Former army chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan has given a statement to the International Crimes Tribunal’s investigation agency regarding enforced disappearances and killings during the Awami League’s fifteen-year rule. His testimony implicates dismissed former army officer Major General Ziaul Ahsan in the abduction and extrajudicial killing of hundreds of people. Chief Prosecutor Tazul Islam confirmed that Iqbal Karim will testify before Tribunal-1 in the crimes against humanity case against Ziaul. The court has set January 14 for an order following the formal hearing on charge framing. In his statement, Iqbal Karim described Ziaul’s conduct as increasingly unruly after assuming the post of Additional Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion, alleging that extrajudicial killings rose sharply under his watch. He also recounted internal military tensions involving security adviser General Tariq Ahmed Siddiq and other officers, as well as political influence over military appointments and operations during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure. The tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumdar with two other members, is currently conducting proceedings in the case against Ziaul Ahsan for crimes against humanity linked to disappearances and killings over the past fifteen years.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan stated that the government is prepared to be accountable on any issue and suggested forming a citizen-led commission to determine actions for environmental protection. She made the remarks on Friday at the opening of the two-day BAPA-BEN National Environment Conference held at the Krishibid Institution auditorium in Dhaka. Hasan explained that due to the government’s short tenure, it prioritized election-related reforms based on proposals from six commissions that led to the July National Charter. She emphasized that environmental issues were not neglected but that the government had only about one year to work amid various challenges. She also noted that the Public Administration Reform Commission recommended a separate environmental cadre, while the Constitutional Reform Commission proposed including the environment as a fundamental right, though these could not be implemented within the current government’s limited timeframe. The conference was chaired by BAPA President Professor Nur Mohammad Talukder, with concept paper presented by BAPA Vice-President and BEN founder Dr. Nazrul Islam.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman on January 9, 2026. According to BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan, the meeting took place around 7 p.m. at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan, Dhaka. The report described the meeting as a courtesy visit, without disclosing further details about the discussion or agenda. The BNP media cell confirmed the timing and location of the meeting but did not provide additional context or statements from either side. No further information was given about the topics discussed or any outcomes from the meeting.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department announced on Friday morning that a mild to moderate cold wave sweeping across 20 districts will continue for at least two more days. The lowest temperature recorded on Thursday was 6.9 degrees Celsius in Tetulia, Panchagarh. Meteorologist Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik stated that all districts in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions, along with Narsingdi, Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia, are currently experiencing the cold wave. According to the department, the cold conditions are expected to persist until at least mid-January, with possible variations in intensity and spread. On Wednesday, the season’s lowest temperature of 6.7 degrees Celsius was recorded in Badalgachhi, Naogaon. The number of affected districts decreased from 24 on Thursday to 20 on Friday. The synoptic report noted that a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal is moving northwestward and may cross the northern Sri Lanka coast around January 10. Its extension reaches the northern Bay of Bengal, while a subcontinental high-pressure ridge lies over West Bengal and adjoining western Bangladesh.

A total of 610 appeals have been submitted to the Election Commission (EC) challenging the returning officers’ decisions on nomination acceptance and rejection for the 13th National Parliament election. Of these, 600 appeals contest the rejection of nomination papers, while 10 challenge accepted nominations. On the final day of submission, 141 appeals were filed by 6:45 p.m. Many candidates were seen waiting at EC booths to submit their applications. The hearings will be conducted by Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasiruddin and his team in the basement of the Election Building in Agargaon. Proceedings will begin on Saturday and continue until January 18, with hearings held in two sessions daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The EC expects to hear about 70 appeals per day, following the order of submission. According to EC sources, most appellants are independent or political party candidates whose nominations were rejected. Returning officers had earlier canceled 723 nominations, leaving 1,842 valid candidates for the upcoming election.

BNP candidate Manjurul Ahsan Munshi has filed a petition with the Election Commission seeking cancellation of the nomination of National Citizens Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah in the Comilla-4 (Debidwar) constituency for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The petition, submitted on Friday, January 9, alleges inconsistencies in Hasnat’s affidavit, discrepancies in his asset statement, failure to submit his wife’s tax return, and lack of clear evidence regarding the source of his election expenses, which the petitioner claims constitute criminal offenses under election law. Separately, the Chamber Court suspended a High Court order that had earlier removed Manjurul Ahsan Munshi’s name from the list of loan defaulters, effectively preventing him from contesting the election. The Chamber Court order was issued by Justice Md Rezaul Haque following an appeal by Premier Bank authorities. The High Court bench of Justice A.K.M. Rabiul Hasan had previously stayed Munshi’s inclusion in the defaulter list. The final day for appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers is today, with hearings scheduled from January 10 to 18. Both candidates could not be reached for comment.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has suspended the Election Commission’s (EC) boundary-related gazette concerning Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies. The order, issued on January 5 by a bench led by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, halts the EC’s revised notification of December 24 that had reinstated earlier boundaries. However, the court clarified that this suspension does not obstruct the upcoming elections in these constituencies. The EC had originally published a final delimitation gazette on September 4, 2025, defining Pabna-1 as comprising the entire Santhia upazila and Pabna-2 as including Sujanagar and Bera upazilas. Following legal challenges by residents of Bera and Santhia, the High Court declared parts of the EC’s gazette unlawful on December 18, 2025, and directed the EC to restore the previous boundaries within 24 hours. The EC complied on December 24, but both the Commission and Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Barrister Mohammad Nazibur Rahman appealed the ruling. The Appellate Division’s suspension means the September 4 gazette remains in effect, keeping Santhia as Pabna-1 and Sujanagar and Bera as Pabna-2. The EC confirmed that reports of election postponement are incorrect.

The Pay Commission is set to hold its final meeting on January 21 to finalize recommendations for Bangladesh’s ninth national pay scale. The decision to hold the conclusive session was made during a full commission meeting on Thursday. A commission member, speaking anonymously, confirmed that all aspects of the pay scale will be finalized at that meeting, though another full session may occur beforehand due to limited time. According to a reliable commission source, the new pay ratio between the lowest and highest grades has been fixed at 1:8. This means if the lowest grade salary is 1 taka, the highest will be 8 taka. Three proposals have been submitted for the minimum salary—Tk 21,000, Tk 17,000, and Tk 16,000—with one expected to be finalized. The highest salary scale remains undecided as allowances such as housing and medical benefits are still under review. Once finalized, the ninth pay scale is expected to bring significant changes to the salary structure of government employees, according to the report.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Parwar said that voting is a sacred trust that must be given only to honest and capable individuals. Speaking on Friday, January 9, 2026, at several voter gatherings in Dumuria upazila under Khulna-5 constituency, he warned that entrusting votes to dishonest or corrupt people would make voters complicit in wrongdoing. He emphasized that every vote carries equal value, from a rickshaw puller to the president, and that this power should not be handed to those who misuse it for extortion or oppression. Parwar stated that if more than half of the 300 parliamentary seats were filled by honest and God-fearing individuals, justice-based governance could be established nationwide. He said twelve political parties, including six Islamic and six patriotic groups, are jointly contesting the upcoming election. Addressing concerns from minority communities, he assured that Jamaat’s rise to power would not harm Hindu religious or cultural rights, claiming that Islamic governance would bring welfare to all citizens. He urged voters to campaign door-to-door, encourage women’s participation, and reject parties that failed to ensure integrity over the past 54 years.

Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh’s central president, Muntasir Ahmad, stated that the brutal killing of Shaheed Osman Hadi was not an isolated incident but a reflection of ongoing impunity in the state. Speaking on Friday after Juma prayers at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, he warned that if the killers were not brought to justice even after one month, the interim government and the state could not avoid responsibility. Ahmad emphasized that the current state system stands on the sacrifices of July’s martyrs and fighters, and failure to ensure justice for Hadi would question the moral legitimacy of the state. He urged that if justice is denied, people would be compelled to return to the streets, and the state must bear that consequence. He further linked the culture of impunity from Felani to Abrar to Osman Hadi, saying it has endangered national sovereignty and independence under foreign dominance. The event, an anti-hegemony march and rally, was led by Secretary General Sultan Mahmud, with several central leaders present.

The Election Commission (EC) has clarified that reports claiming the postponement of elections in Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies due to boundary complications are incorrect. In a press note issued by the Press Information Department on Friday, January 9, the EC stated that no decision had been made to postpone the elections and requested the withdrawal or suspension of such reports. According to the source, on January 5, the Appellate Division suspended parts of the EC’s December 24 revised notification concerning the reinstatement of previous boundaries for the two constituencies. Following this, several media outlets reported that the elections had been postponed, citing Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud. He clarified that the elections themselves were not postponed, but the electoral activities would remain suspended until further orders from the court. The EC reiterated that the commission had not decided to postpone the elections and emphasized that only the court’s order temporarily halted related activities.

The Credit and Development Forum (CDF), a national network of microcredit organizations, has issued a statement defending the proposed Microcredit Bank Ordinance 2025 amid recent media debates. CDF described the ordinance as a positive and exemplary step, rejecting claims that it promotes profit-oriented banking or undermines microcredit principles. The organization said the proposed bank would operate as a social business, with investors barred from taking dividends beyond their initial capital. According to CDF, the ordinance aims to strengthen the microfinance structure by focusing on poverty reduction, employment generation, and support for small enterprises and cottage industries. The bank’s operations would include loans, insurance, remittance services, and access to domestic and foreign grants and credit. CDF clarified that NGOs would not be forced to convert into banks, and dual regulation would not occur because the Bangladesh Bank and Microcredit Regulatory Authority would oversee separate parts of operations. CDF also highlighted that 60 percent of the bank’s shares would be owned by poor members, ensuring empowerment and equitable benefit distribution. The group argued that the model represents a unique, socially driven approach compared to profit-based microcredit banks in Asia and Africa.