A delegation from the Commonwealth Observer Group, led by Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, met with Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam at the Police Headquarters in Dhaka on Tuesday. The meeting focused on security issues related to the upcoming national parliamentary election. The group’s head noted that 25 observers from the Commonwealth would participate in monitoring the election and inquired about security measures for the observers during the election period.

During the discussion, the IGP outlined the police’s comprehensive preparations to maintain law and order during the election. He detailed risk-based security planning, cyber monitoring, and the use of modern technology to ensure safety. Baharul Alam emphasized that all necessary security measures had been taken following directives from the Election Commission and the Ministry of Home Affairs to protect foreign observers and journalists. Senior police officials were also present at the meeting.

The meeting underscored coordination between law enforcement and international observers ahead of the national election, highlighting Bangladesh’s efforts to ensure a secure electoral environment.

The Ministry of Defense of Bangladesh has issued an order granting government benefits to 141 officers of the armed forces who were deprived of service rights between 2009 and August 4, 2024. The order, signed by Secretary Md. Ashraf Uddin on February 5, 2026, covers officers from the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force who faced dismissal, forced retirement, or suspension during that period. The directive includes provisions for retrospective promotions, payment of arrears, and other applicable allowances.

According to the order, 110 officers were from the Army, 19 from the Navy, and 12 from the Air Force. The government formed a committee to review their cases after receiving applications from the affected officers. Following the review, the authorities approved the restoration of their due benefits. Specific officers, including Lt. Gen. Md. Aminul Karim, Lt. Gen. Sina Ibne Jamali, Brig. Gen. Abdullahil Aman Azmi, and others, were granted financial compensation and promotions. Some officers were also recommended for flats under the Jolsiri housing project.

The decision marks a formal resolution of long-standing grievances among retired officers who alleged discrimination and injustice during the previous regime.

The global footballers’ union FIFPRO has called on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to eliminate disparities between men’s and women’s football by ensuring equal conditions, rules, and prize money. The appeal comes ahead of the Women’s Asian Cup, set to begin in March 2026 in Australia. In December last year, FIFPRO sent a letter to the AFC signed by players from seven of the twelve participating teams, requesting that 30 percent of the prize money be distributed directly among players.

FIFPRO also submitted a four-point framework aimed at accelerating professionalism in women’s football. According to its report titled “Opportunities of the AFC Women’s,” the upcoming tournament could generate around 82.4 million US dollars, marking a new milestone for women’s football in Asia. The report highlights that many female players in the region still face low pay and limited access to medical and professional support.

FIFPRO’s Asia-Oceania Secretary General Shoko Suji stated that the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup could serve as a defining opportunity to set new standards for valuing and supporting female athletes.

Bangladesh will hold general elections on February 12, 2026, to choose its next government, 18 months after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced from office by a student-led uprising. Hasina, who ruled from 1996 to 2001 and again from 2009 until her exile in August 2024, left power following a deadly crackdown on protesters that killed about 1,400 people. Since then, an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has governed the country.

The 2026 vote is considered one of the most consequential in Bangladesh’s 55-year history. The Awami League, Hasina’s party, has been suspended from contesting, leaving 51 of 59 registered parties fielding candidates. Major contenders include the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman, the Islamic Jamaat-e-Islami allied with the National Citizen Party (NCP), and newer centrist groups such as the NCP and Amar Bangladesh Party. Nearly 5 million first-time voters are expected to participate among the 56 million aged 18 to 37.

Bangladesh’s political history has been marked by alternating rule between the Awami League and BNP, military interventions, and disputed elections. The upcoming polls will test whether the country can transition from years of repression and unrest toward a more inclusive democratic process.

Leqaa Kordia’s family has demanded her release after the 33-year-old was hospitalised following a seizure while in immigration detention in Texas. For over 12 hours, her relatives and lawyers said they received no information about her condition or whereabouts. Kordia, who has been detained for nearly a year, was among protesters targeted by immigration officials after participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations at Columbia University in 2024. She remains the only person from that group still in custody.

Amnesty International joined calls for her release, arguing that she has been arbitrarily detained for exercising her right to free speech. Her lawyers said federal judges twice ruled she was eligible for bond, but immigration officials blocked her release through discretionary stays. The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that Kordia was detained for overstaying her student visa, though its earlier statement linked her arrest to pro-Palestine advocacy.

Kordia’s family and advocates have described deteriorating health and poor conditions at the Prairieland Detention Facility, where she is held far from her family in New Jersey. Supporters say her case highlights broader concerns about the treatment of pro-Palestinian activists under current immigration policies.

After more than a week of negotiations and meetings, Pakistan has agreed to end its boycott of the T20 World Cup match against India, concluding one of cricket’s most significant crises. The decision came after Pakistan’s government ordered the team to play on February 15, following a series of discussions involving the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The dispute began when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed the Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their Indian Premier League squad amid political tensions between India and Bangladesh. In response, Bangladesh withdrew from the World Cup citing security concerns and requested its matches be relocated to Sri Lanka. After the ICC rejected this request and expelled Bangladesh, Pakistan backed Bangladesh and announced a boycott of its match against India in solidarity.

Following multiple rounds of talks, the ICC agreed that Bangladesh would not face penalties for refusing to play in India and promised to host an ICC event in Bangladesh between 2028 and 2031. This resolution prompted Pakistan to end its boycott and confirm participation in the high-profile fixture.

Bangladesh and the United States have signed a trade agreement establishing a 19 percent tariff rate, announced on Monday. The deal includes exemptions for certain textiles and garments made with US materials. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said Washington committed to a mechanism allowing some Bangladeshi apparel using US-produced cotton and man-made fibre to enter the US market with zero reciprocal tariff. The White House confirmed that Bangladesh will grant preferential market access for a wide range of US industrial and agricultural goods.

Under the agreement, Bangladesh will also ease non-tariff barriers by accepting US vehicle safety and emissions standards, recognising Food and Drug Administration certifications, and lifting restrictions on remanufactured goods. The two nations highlighted commercial deals involving aircraft procurement, $3.5 billion in US agricultural purchases, and $15 billion in energy product imports over 15 years. The accord followed nine months of negotiations that began in April last year.

The reduced tariff is expected to help Bangladesh’s apparel sector, which accounts for over 80 percent of export earnings, remain competitive with India, whose tariff rate now stands at 18 percent. The announcement comes days before Bangladesh’s national election under its interim government.

An Al Jazeera Arabic investigation has reported that Israel’s use of prohibited thermal and thermobaric weapons in Gaza has caused thousands of Palestinians to vanish without trace. The program, aired on Monday, detailed how Civil Defence teams documented 2,842 cases of people who “evaporated” since the war began in October 2023, leaving behind only blood or small fragments. The report cited forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts, including that of Yasmin Mahani, who lost her son in an August 2024 strike on Gaza City’s al-Tabin school.

Experts interviewed in the investigation explained that thermobaric and vacuum bombs generate extreme heat exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius, capable of vaporizing human tissue. Fragments of U.S.-made GBU-39 bombs were reportedly found at sites where bodies disappeared. Legal analysts said the use of such indiscriminate weapons violates international law and implicates both Israel and its Western suppliers.

Despite international court actions earlier in 2024, including an ICC arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister, the report said attacks and blockades have continued. Legal scholars described the global justice system as having failed Gaza, while victims’ families continue to search for remains of their loved ones.

In Kushtia, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, owner of Subarna Agro Food Products Limited and described as an Awami League-aligned rice trader, has canceled all staff leave for February 12, 2026, the day of the national parliamentary election. A notice issued at the company stated that no employee would be granted leave on election day and that absence would result in salary deductions for that day.

When asked about the notice, Jinnah claimed he did not issue it and said that employees had done so. He did not respond when questioned about his signature on the document. The report notes that Jinnah is known to be close to Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif.

The directive has drawn attention because it coincides with the national election day, raising questions about workers’ ability to participate in voting, though no official reaction was mentioned in the report.

The army-led joint forces have taken strict measures to prevent the use of Rohingyas in acts of sabotage or violence during the upcoming national parliamentary election in Cox’s Bazar and southern Chattogram. Lieutenant Colonel Tanvir Ahmed of the Ramu 10 Infantry Division shared the information at a media briefing held on Tuesday, January 10, at the Cox’s Bazar Cultural Centre. He said the forces are focusing on restricting Rohingya movement outside camps, repairing barbed-wire fences, setting up checkpoints, and conducting special patrols to avert any unwanted incidents.

Tanvir Ahmed added that army striking forces will be deployed at remote polling centers in four constituencies of Cox’s Bazar. In case of irregularities or conflicts inside or outside polling centers, the army will coordinate with police, RAB, and BGB to take direct control of the situation. He assured that voters will be able to cast their votes without fear.

Earlier, Lieutenant Colonel Sutfa Zaman reported that between February 3 and 9, joint forces conducted 46 operations in Cox’s Bazar and southern Chattogram, seizing firearms, sharp weapons, and drugs, and detaining 1,149 Rohingyas living illegally outside camps.

With just one day left before the national election, former MP Mujibur Rahman Nixon Chowdhury, currently absconding, released a 10-minute-7-second video message on social media targeting BNP candidate Shahidul Islam Babul in the Faridpur-4 constituency. The video was uploaded on February 10 at 3:39 p.m. from a Facebook account named Shafiqul Islam Azad. The timing of the post, coming amid heightened campaign activity, drew immediate public attention and mixed reactions.

In the video, Nixon Chowdhury, identifying himself as a nephew of Hasina, claimed that the “illegal Yunus government” had filed 72 cases against him to keep him away from his supporters. He accused Babul of using false cases and police harassment to intimidate and recruit his followers. Chowdhury urged Babul to focus only on his party’s votes. The video was widely shared by his supporters after publication.

Political analysts and voters expressed concern that such a message, released at the final stage of the campaign, could disrupt the fair electoral environment. No response from BNP candidate Shahidul Islam Babul was reported.

Pakistan secured a 32-run victory over the United States in their second T20 World Cup match, recovering strongly after a close contest against the Netherlands. Batting first after losing the toss, openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub gave Pakistan a flying start, adding 54 runs before Ayub fell for 19. Farhan powered the innings with a 73-run knock off 41 balls, supported by Babar Azam’s 46 and Shadab Khan’s quick 30, taking Pakistan to 190 for nine in 20 overs. For the United States, Shadley van Schalkwyk claimed four wickets for 25 runs.

In reply, the United States managed 158 for eight in their 20 overs, falling short of the target despite half-centuries from Shubham Ranjane (51 not out) and opener Shayan Jahangir (49). Spinner Usman Tariq led Pakistan’s bowling with three wickets for 27 runs. The result marked a sweet revenge for Pakistan, who had been eliminated by the United States in the previous T20 World Cup.

The win gives Pakistan added confidence ahead of their upcoming clash against archrival India on February 15 in Colombo.

A Chhatra Dal leader from Bhabaniganj municipality in Bagmara upazila, Rajshahi, has been expelled for violating organizational discipline. The expelled leader, Mustafizur Rahman (Milon), also known as Milon Parvez, was removed from the organization following a decision announced on Monday in a press release signed by Central Chhatra Dal Office Secretary Md. Jahangir Alam. The statement said the expulsion was based on specific allegations of breaching party discipline.

Earlier that night, a post appeared on Mustafizur Rahman’s Facebook account containing a photo from an election rally of a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate, accompanied by a message expressing support for that candidate. About three hours after the post was made, Chhatra Dal announced his expulsion.

Mustafizur Rahman claimed that someone else had used his Facebook name to make the post and denied any direct involvement in the matter.

A severe traffic jam stretching about seven kilometers has formed on the Dhaka-Tangail highway between Elenga and Rabna Bypass due to an influx of vehicles during the election holiday period. The congestion began on Tuesday morning and worsened in the afternoon as more vehicles entered the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge route, leaving thousands of northbound travelers stranded for hours.

Many passengers, unable to find public transport, resorted to traveling in open trucks and pickup vans. Reports have also surfaced of transport operators charging extra fares, citing a shortage of public buses. Highway police attributed the situation to the continuous public holidays for the election, which prompted a large number of people to travel to their hometowns.

The prolonged gridlock has caused significant distress for homebound passengers from northern Bangladesh, with authorities struggling to manage the heavy traffic flow along the major highway corridor.

Two parliamentary candidates in Fatikchhari, Chattogram, withdrew from the election at the last moment, each extending support to rival party nominees. On Tuesday, February 10, Ganadhikar Parishad candidate Rabiul Hasan Tanzim, who was contesting with the truck symbol, announced his withdrawal at a press conference and declared support for BNP candidate Sarwar Alamgir. Tanzim said his decision followed a political understanding between Ganadhikar Parishad and the BNP.

Separately, on Monday night, independent candidate Advocate Ahmad Kabir Karim, who was running with the football symbol, announced his withdrawal in favor of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami nominee Principal Nurul Amin. Karim stated that he stepped aside voluntarily for the greater interest and urged his supporters to vote for the balance scale symbol.

The withdrawals came just before the election, reshaping the local contest in Fatikchhari as both candidates aligned themselves with major opposition parties.