Internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi actress Bobita is set to receive the 2026 Ekushey Padak, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. The announcement was made at a press conference following an advisory council meeting on Thursday. Bobita expressed deep gratitude to the state and those who selected her, calling it a blessing to receive such recognition during her lifetime. She has been receiving congratulatory messages from fans and well-wishers across Bangladesh and abroad since the news broke.

Bobita began her film career under the direction of the late filmmaker Zahir Raihan, to whom she has dedicated her upcoming award. Over her career, she has acted in nearly 300 films and produced several under her banner “Bobita Movies.” She has previously won multiple National Film Awards, including Best Actress for “Noyonmoni,” “Boshundhora,” and “Badi Theke Begum,” and received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Bobita gained international recognition for her role in Satyajit Ray’s “Ashani Sanket.”

She stated that she would only return to acting if offered a story centered on her character and one that genuinely appeals to her.

Dr. Zubaida Rahman, wife of the BNP chairperson, extended humanitarian support to victims of a devastating fire in Dhaka’s Bhashantek area on Saturday, February 7, 2026. The fire destroyed homes and belongings, leaving many families in severe distress. She visited the affected site to oversee relief activities and distributed essential items to help families resume daily life.

Alongside distributing relief materials, a medical camp was set up to provide healthcare services to affected women, children, and the elderly. Experienced doctors conducted health checkups and supplied necessary medicines. The initiative aimed to address both immediate needs and health concerns of the victims.

Local residents reportedly felt relief and reassurance from the coordinated assistance and medical support. The effort, joined by BNP adviser Bir Muktijoddha Abdus Salam, Dr. Farhad Halim Donar, and local party members, was described as a humanitarian example in response to the sudden disaster.

Political scientist Professor Dilara Chowdhury has alleged that a neighboring country is attempting to sabotage Bangladesh’s upcoming 13th national election. Speaking at a seminar held on Saturday afternoon at the RAOWA Club in Dhaka’s Mohakhali, organized jointly by the Retired Armed Forces Officers’ Welfare Association and the RAOWA Research and Study Forum, she claimed that the neighboring country does not want a fair election in Bangladesh and urged citizens to remain vigilant.

During her remarks, Professor Chowdhury said that a few individuals involved in the July revolution had engaged in extortion, but that did not invalidate the broader movement, which she said had the participation of marginalized communities. She criticized the country’s elite class for allegedly siphoning money abroad and called for national unity, urging voters to choose honest candidates regardless of party affiliation.

Other speakers at the event, including Lt. Col. Modachher Hossain, Lt. Col. Hasinur Rahman, and Major (Retd.) Barrister Sarwar, discussed issues such as inequality, leadership, and the need for anti-hegemony declarations from political parties, emphasizing the demand for a fair election.

A controversy arose at Jahangirnagar University on Friday night, February 6, when a folk performance during the final night of the university’s winter festival featured a distorted recitation of Surah An-Nas. The performance, by singers Eshak Sarkar and Chhonia Sarkar, took place at the Chhobi Chattar around 11:30 p.m. The male performer partially recited the verse and made a comment linking it to dance, prompting discomfort among the audience. Two students went on stage to protest, calling the act offensive to religious sentiments. The artist immediately apologized, but tensions escalated when some organizers confronted the protesting students.

Following the incident, posts on social media claimed that the musical session was being shut down, which fueled further criticism on campus. A group of students later gathered at the Shaheed Minar and then staged a sit-in in front of the vice-chancellor’s residence around 2 a.m., demanding an investigation and action against those responsible. Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan assured students that the matter would be reviewed based on a preliminary report from the proctorial team.

Assistant Proctor Professor Abdur Razzak stated that the issue initially arose from the Surah reference, and that students protested from a moral standpoint. He added that the artist had apologized and the situation was brought under control.

BNP candidate for Moulvibazar-3 constituency, M Naser Rahman, announced that he will introduce a bill in parliament to ensure the rights of tea workers if elected. Speaking at an election rally on Friday evening at the Nach Mandir in Rajnagar Tea Garden, he said that under a BNP government, women from tea worker families would receive a family card providing essential goods worth about Tk2,500 per month. He also pledged to raise the daily wage of tea workers to Tk245, aligning with international standards.

Rahman recalled that tea workers’ daily wages had once been only Tk35, which was raised to Tk120 during the governments of former finance minister M Saifur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia. He criticized the current government for increasing wages by only Tk50 over fifteen years. Addressing the workers, he urged them to support the BNP’s symbol in the upcoming February 12 national election.

He emphasized that the BNP has always worked for tea workers and promised to continue efforts to improve their wages and benefits through legislative initiatives if elected.

BNP candidate for Dhaka-8, Mirza Abbas, has accused the Election Commission of failing to act responsibly. Speaking to journalists during a campaign event in the Shantinagar area of Dhaka on Saturday, February 7, he said that despite submitting several complaints, he has not received any response from the commission, which he described as very unfortunate.

Abbas alleged that a particular political party appears overly confident about winning the election, suggesting bias in the process. He stated that while the election is being presented as participatory, partiality is evident, which he termed as harmful. He questioned whether a false result would be used to enter parliament, calling such a scenario unacceptable.

He urged voters to overcome all conspiracies and exercise their voting rights properly on election day, emphasizing that the people alone should decide who they elect.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that Iran is prepared for both peace and war, as the date for the second round of indirect talks with the United States remains undecided. In an interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera, Araghchi confirmed that both sides have agreed to hold the next round of discussions but have yet to finalize the schedule. He emphasized that Tehran and Washington view the talks as urgent.

Araghchi highlighted that the word “urgent” is crucial, warning that any delay could allow hardline factions in Iran or the influence of the Israel lobby in Washington to derail the process. Addressing questions about the risk of war, he acknowledged that the possibility always exists but reiterated Iran’s readiness for either outcome.

He also reassured regional countries that if the United States attacks Iran, Tehran would target American forces stationed in the region, not neighboring states. Araghchi further noted that trust between the two nations remains fragile following last year’s war and that rebuilding confidence will take time.

BNP Central Election Steering Committee spokesperson and chairman’s adviser Mahdi Amin has alleged that a political party is preparing for planned election engineering. Speaking at a press conference at the BNP’s election office in Gulshan on Saturday, he said the involvement of that party’s leaders in the production of fake voting seals in Lakshmipur is clear evidence of the plan. He further claimed that a large number of burqas and niqabs are being made to misuse religious sentiments for casting fake votes.

Amin stated that a printing press owner arrested in connection with the illegal seals confessed in court that the seals were made under the instruction of a Jamaat-e-Islami leader. He urged the Election Commission to ensure the appointment of sufficient female polling officers, especially in women’s booths, and to verify voter identities by face as per law and regulations.

He also alleged irregularities in the appointment of election observers and called on the Election Commission and the government to ensure a level playing field for a free, fair, and neutral election.

A landmine explosion in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province has killed a 10-year-old boy and left his two younger brothers permanently disabled. The incident occurred in Khan Shaykhun when the children discovered a buried object resembling a toy, which detonated as they tried to unearth it. Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, rescued the injured and took them to a hospital 15 kilometers away, but the eldest boy, Mohammad, later died.

The family had returned home months earlier after spending five years in a displacement camp near the Turkish border, believing the area was safe following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. However, landmines and unexploded ordnance remain widespread across Syria, killing or maiming civilians almost daily. The International NGO Safety Organization (INSO) reported that more than 1,600 people, including children, have been killed or injured by mines since Assad’s fall.

Humanity & Inclusion estimates around 300,000 active explosive devices still scattered across Syria, making Idlib one of the country’s most contaminated regions.

A fire broke out at the election office of Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Maulana Md. Borhan Uddin in the Noakhali-3 Begumganj constituency late Friday night. The incident occurred in Dineshganj area of Rasulpur Union’s Ward No. 2 under Begumganj upazila. No casualties were reported, but furniture and a campaign autorickshaw were burned in the blaze.

According to local Jamaat sources, unidentified miscreants set fire to the office and fled the scene. The candidate, Maulana Borhan Uddin, condemned the attack, calling it a cowardly act intended to disrupt the democratic environment and spread fear among voters. He demanded a proper investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.

Begumganj Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Shamsuzzaman said police visited the site after receiving the report and that an investigation is underway to identify those involved and take legal action.

At least eight people have died and more than 64,000 have been displaced after severe flooding and landslides struck the Cagayan region in northern Philippines. The disaster occurred under the influence of Tropical Cyclone Basyang, also known as Penha, according to local media reports on Saturday. Four members of one family were killed in a landslide in Cagayan de Oro City, while four others died in Iligan and Agusan del Norte.

The storm caused widespread flooding across Western Visayas, Negros Island, Central Visayas, and Caraga regions. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 16,528 families had been moved to 480 evacuation centers, while others sought refuge with relatives. The Philippine weather bureau said Basyang weakened into a low-pressure area early Saturday after making landfall five times across Mindanao and Visayas.

Authorities also reported that 32 flights were canceled since Thursday due to the storm, leaving 7,737 passengers stranded at airports across the country.

A Bangladeshi expatriate worker was killed in Malaysia when a spider lift crane overturned and crushed him on Jalan Perak in Kuala Lumpur. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Friday while he was operating the crane to work on a roadside billboard. According to Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief ACP Mohamad Zamzuri Mohamad Isa, the victim himself was driving the crane.

Preliminary investigations found that the crane, which was being operated by remote control, became stuck on the pavement and toppled over. The worker was trapped underneath and died at the scene. The crane’s fall also damaged two nearby cars, though no passengers inside were injured.

Police are now searching for the company that owns the crane and are investigating whether it had proper authorization to operate in Kuala Lumpur.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the death of a woman from Naogaon district, Bangladesh, due to Nipah virus infection. The confirmation came through an official statement released on Friday. Following the detection of this new case in the Rajshahi division, authorities have increased surveillance in border areas. The patient, aged between 40 and 50, developed fever, headache, and breathing difficulties on January 21. Her condition worsened, leading to hospitalization on January 27. Laboratory tests on January 29 confirmed Nipah virus infection, and she later died while under treatment.

According to WHO, Bangladesh’s International Health Regulations National Focal Point informed the organization of the confirmed infection on February 3. Investigations found that the woman had no recent travel history but had consumed raw date palm sap before falling ill. The virus is primarily carried by fruit bats of the Pteropus species, which can contaminate sap with saliva or droppings during winter.

Since 2001, Bangladesh has recorded 348 Nipah virus cases, about half linked to drinking raw date palm sap, while others resulted from human-to-human transmission.

NESCO Rajshahi announced that electricity supply will be suspended for six hours in multiple areas on Sunday, February 8, due to tree branch trimming near 11/0.4 kV power lines. The outage will occur from 7:30 a.m. to 1:20 p.m., affecting Panchabati, Bospara, Shekherchak, Sagorpara, Moholdarpara, Shiroil Masterpara, Debesingpara, Debesingpara Ambagan, Bhadra, Upor-Bhadra, Shiroil, Sericulture, Baliapukur, Boro Bottola, Northern Mor, Sadhur Mor, Munnaper Mor, and surrounding neighborhoods.

The notice, signed by Subrata Kumar Das, Executive Engineer of NESCO Rajshahi Sales and Distribution Division-1, was issued on Thursday, February 5. The company stated that the temporary power suspension is necessary to safely remove tree branches close to electrical lines.

NESCO authorities expressed regret for the temporary inconvenience and assured residents that the maintenance work is essential for ensuring uninterrupted and safe electricity supply in the future.

Bangladesh is set to hold its parliamentary election on February 12, 2026, following the 2024 downfall of former autocrat Sheikh Hasina. The vote will coincide with a referendum on the July Charter. The two main contenders for the 300 parliamentary seats are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), leading a 10-party alliance, and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (JIB), heading an 11-party coalition that includes the National Citizen Party (NCP). The Awami League remains banned from political activity. Other participants include Islami Andolan Bangladesh and the Jatiya Party, both running independently.

BNP, led by Tarique Rahman, son of late Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has re-emerged as a major force since his return from exile in December 2025. Rahman has pledged inclusive governance and infrastructure development. Academic observers note the party’s renewed organization and growing public engagement. In contrast, Jamaat, led by Shafiqur Rahman, has sought to expand its base and counter concerns over its Islamist agenda by fielding a Hindu candidate for the first time.

Interim leader Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman are seen as key figures ensuring stability during the polls, while exiled Hasina continues to criticize the process from India.