BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman arrived at Barishal’s Bell’s Park field at 12:26 p.m. on Wednesday to address a large public rally organized by the party’s city unit. Supporters greeted him with continuous applause as he waved in response before beginning his speech. His visit marked his first appearance in Barishal in about twenty years, drawing significant enthusiasm among party leaders, activists, and supporters.

Crowds began gathering from 10 a.m., with participants arriving from Barishal and nearby districts. By 11:30 a.m., the field was filled to capacity. The rally featured placards of local candidates and the BNP’s election symbol, the paddy sheaf, as slogans echoed across the venue. Candidates from 19 constituencies across Barishal, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Barguna, and Bhola attended the event.

According to the report, Tarique Rahman last visited Barishal in May 2005 to attend a union-level representative conference of the party.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is set to officially announce its election manifesto this evening ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Hotel Sheraton in Banani, Dhaka. The announcement was confirmed by Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, the party’s Assistant Secretary General and head of its Central Publicity and Media Department.

According to the organizers, ambassadors from various countries, senior leaders of political parties, business figures, professionals, and senior media representatives are expected to attend the manifesto unveiling ceremony. The event marks a key step in Jamaat-e-Islami’s preparations for the national election.

The manifesto release is expected to outline the party’s political priorities and campaign commitments as it seeks to engage voters ahead of the national polls.

Police in Mirzaganj, Patuakhali arrested Anwar Hossain Babul Mallik, a local Awami League leader, on Tuesday. The arrest took place at Subidkhali Bazar as part of the ongoing Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2. Mallik, aged 60, serves as the joint general secretary of the Mirzaganj Upazila Awami League and is a resident of Chhailabunia village under Amragachia Union.

According to Mirzaganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Abdus Salam, the arrested leader was sent to Patuakhali district jail through the court. The police official stated that the operation would continue. The report described the Awami League as a banned organization in the area, and the arrest was carried out under that context.

Authorities have not provided further details about the specific allegations or the broader scope of the operation beyond confirming that it remains active.

At a public discussion titled 'Tarunyer Vabnay Agamir Bangladesh' held on February 3 at Comilla Town Hall, Dhaka University Chhatra Dal Joint General Secretary Abidul Islam Khan declared that Jamaat-Shibir has no opportunity to conduct politics openly in Bangladesh. He accused Shibir activists of initiating offensive slogans against Tarique Rahman at Dhaka University after July and criticized them for engaging in what he called 'obscene politics' against the late President Ziaur Rahman.

Khan further alleged that Jamaat-Shibir members committed atrocities during the Liberation War, including violence against women and collaboration in killings of Bangladeshis. He described them as internationally recognized collaborators and warned that their continuation of 'dirty politics' would bring consequences. The event also featured speeches by Dhaka University Treasurer Professor M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Professor Dr. Chowdhury Saima Ferdous as the chief discussant.

The remarks reflect ongoing political tensions between student groups aligned with major national parties and highlight the enduring sensitivity surrounding wartime history and political legitimacy in Bangladesh.

Workers and employees at Chattogram Port began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, demanding cancellation of the lease of the NCT terminal to foreign company DP World and withdrawal of mass transfer orders. The strike was announced a day earlier by the Port Protection Struggle Council, coordinated by Md. Ibrahim Khokon. Council coordinator Md. Humayun Kabir said the protest would continue until the government withdraws from the lease process. Since morning, no trucks or lorries have entered the port, and workers have refrained from duty.

The strike follows three consecutive days of eight-hour blockades organized by labor groups including the Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad and Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal. Port activities such as container handling, cargo delivery, and vehicle movement have come to a standstill, though unloading from large to small vessels at outer anchorage continues. Over a hundred ships are reportedly waiting offshore, many carrying Ramadan consumer goods.

Labor leaders and importers blame the government and port authority for the deadlock, while a shipping adviser stated the timing of the protest before Ramadan would be investigated for possible intent to raise prices.

The Bangladesh government has decided to hire a British law firm to represent it in an international arbitration case filed by S Alam Group founder Saiful Alam and his family. The case is being heard at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) under the World Bank. The firm will be paid an hourly fee of 1,250 US dollars. The decision was approved on Tuesday at a meeting of the government’s advisory committee on public procurement, chaired by Economic Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.

Following the meeting, Salehuddin Ahmed told reporters that the S Alam family had filed a case in London challenging the government’s actions related to alleged money laundering. He said the arbitration notice from ICSID required a formal response from Bangladesh and described the matter as complex. He confirmed that the government would appoint a British firm but did not recall its name.

The arbitration case was filed in October last year, alleging that Bangladesh’s seizure and punitive actions over alleged money laundering caused losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the S Alam family. The family claims protection as Singaporean citizens under international investment law and Bangladesh’s 1980 Foreign Private Investment Act.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has warned that postal ballots from expatriate voters for the 13th National Parliamentary Election may be canceled if they do not arrive in the country by tomorrow. According to the EC, nearly 300,000 ballots from overseas voters have already reached Bangladesh. The commission reiterated that ballots must reach returning officers by 4:30 p.m. on election day to be counted.

A notice on the EC’s Postal Vote BD app urged voters to promptly mail their ballots, emphasizing that any ballot arriving after February 5 may not reach the returning officer in time. The EC clarified that the voting process is entirely manual and that the mobile app is not connected to ballot submission or declaration forms. Once received, ballots are separated from declaration forms before counting to ensure anonymity.

The EC reported that 766,862 postal ballots were sent abroad, of which 524,080 were received by expatriates. A total of 467,707 overseas voters cast their ballots, and 297,350 have so far arrived in Bangladesh. The national election and referendum are scheduled for February 12.

Jatiya Ganotantrik Party (JAGPA) spokesperson Rashed Pradhan called for voters to show a 'red card' against corruption and extortion during an election rally in Garaya, Thakurgaon, on Tuesday afternoon. Speaking at an 11-party alliance Jamaat-e-Islami campaign event, he criticized Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, urging him to speak with restraint. Pradhan also expressed support for the alliance’s candidate Delwar Hossain, who is contesting under the 'scales' symbol, and pledged to gift the Thakurgaon-1 seat to Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, described as the future prime minister.

He recalled past incidents in the area following the verdict against Allama Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, noting that both Muslims and Hindus had joined protests at that time. Pradhan urged unity among voters on the upcoming 12th to ensure victory for the alliance’s candidate. The rally was presided over by union Jamaat leader Nurul Huda and attended by district Jamaat secretary Kofil Uddin and Khelafat Majlish president Abu Said.

Malaysia’s immigration authorities have deported 135 foreign detainees from the Pineapple Town Immigration Detention Depot in Johor state after they completed their prison sentences. The deportees include 112 from Myanmar, 11 from Indonesia, nine from Bangladesh, two from Sri Lanka, and one from Cambodia. They were sent back to their respective countries on Tuesday through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA-1 and KLIA-2) and the Pasir Gudang ferry terminal.

According to the immigration department, the deported individuals had served sentences under several laws, including the Torture Act (Act 574), the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234), the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155), and the Immigration Regulations 1963. All deportees have been placed on the immigration blacklist and are barred from re-entering Malaysia for a specified period.

The Johor Immigration Department stated that the repatriation program is conducted regularly to ensure that no foreign nationals remain in the country after completing their sentences.

In Madaripur’s Shibchar upazila, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) courtyard meeting for the Madaripur-1 constituency turned into a gathering of several Awami League leaders, despite restrictions on their participation. The event, held on Tuesday afternoon at the residence of former mayor and Awami League leader Awlad Hossain Khan, was organized by Shibchar municipal BNP in support of BNP candidate Nadera Akter. Awami League leaders present said they were acting under the direction of former chief whip Noor-e Alam Chowdhury Liton to support the BNP candidate.

The meeting saw participation from union chairmen, municipal councillors, and Awami League activists who publicly urged voters to support the BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” symbol. Nadera Akter, addressing the gathering as chief guest, pledged to address citizens’ problems directly if elected and outlined plans for family and agriculture cards and subsidies for disaster-affected farmers. The joint presence of Awami League and BNP figures on the same stage has stirred mixed reactions in local political circles.

The unusual cross-party support has generated new discussions and controversy in the region’s political landscape ahead of the national election.

The Election Commission of Bangladesh has suspended the election for the Sherpur-3 parliamentary constituency following the death of Jamaat-e-Islami’s district secretary and candidate, Nuruzzaman Badol. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud confirmed the decision to the media on Wednesday morning. Badol passed away early Tuesday, February 3, reportedly from kidney-related complications while under hospital care.

According to Bangladeshi law, if a candidate dies before a national parliamentary election, the election process in the concerned constituency must be suspended or canceled. Jamaat-e-Islami confirmed Badol’s death in a Facebook post, identifying him as the party’s nominated candidate for Sherpur-3.

The Election Commission’s suspension of the Sherpur-3 poll aligns with legal provisions ensuring fairness in the electoral process when a candidate’s death occurs before voting.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has canceled its earlier decision to deploy members of the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) at polling centers for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum. The revised directive, signed by EC Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monir Hossain on February 3, 2026, was sent to returning officers across the country.

According to the updated instructions, BNCC cadets will now assist only in maintaining order at the IT-supported postal ballot counting centers (OCV and ICPV) located in the offices of returning officers. The election is scheduled to be held on February 12, 2026. The EC’s decision modifies its previous plan that had included BNCC participation in broader election-related duties.

The change follows administrative adjustments ahead of the national polls, with the EC clarifying the limited scope of BNCC involvement in election operations.

The United States has deployed several warships off the coast of Haiti amid a worsening political crisis and rising gang violence. US military officials confirmed on Tuesday that the USS Stockdale, USCGC Stone, and USCGC Diligence have entered the Bay of Port-au-Prince. In a statement on social media, the US Embassy said the naval presence reflects Washington’s strong commitment to Haiti’s security, stability, and a brighter future. The deployment was ordered by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as part of Operation Southern Spear, a regional mission targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Haiti faces renewed political uncertainty as the term of its Presidential Transitional Council is set to expire on February 7. The country has not held elections since 2016, and former Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned in 2024 under pressure from escalating gang violence. Large parts of Haiti remain under the control of rival armed groups accused of murder, rape, and kidnapping.

The United States has also imposed new visa restrictions on several senior Haitian officials accused of supporting or being linked to armed gangs.

Indian authorities have ordered two British tourists to leave the country after they allegedly placed stickers supporting Palestine in various locations in Ajmer, Rajasthan. The couple, identified as Louis Gabriel D. and his wife Anushi Emma Kristin, were staying in Pushkar on tourist visas when intelligence officials received reports on January 21 that they were distributing 'Free Palestine' stickers. Following verification through CCTV footage and local sources, police questioned the pair and determined that their actions violated visa conditions.

Officials stated that engaging in political or ideological activities while on a tourist visa constitutes a clear breach of the Immigration and Foreigners Act. As a result, the couple’s visas were canceled and a formal 'Leave India Notice' was issued. District police later removed the stickers from public areas with assistance from local authorities.

Authorities reiterated that any political, protest-related, or ideological activities are strictly prohibited for foreign nationals visiting India on tourist visas.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced a major overhaul of cricket’s laws, introducing 73 amendments in a new edition released on Tuesday. The revised laws will take effect from October 1, 2026. Among the most notable changes, play will no longer stop at the fall of a wicket in the final over of a day in multi-day matches, including Tests. The new batter must immediately take the field if conditions permit. MCC explained that the previous rule gave an unfair advantage to the batting side and reduced the drama of the game.

Other key updates include stricter rules for boundary catches, allowing a fielder jumping from outside the boundary to touch the ball only once before completing the catch inside the field. Laminated bats will now be permitted in adult club cricket to reduce costs, with national boards deciding their level of use. The definitions of hit wicket, overthrow, and dead ball have been clarified, and captains will no longer be allowed to declare in the final innings.

Before implementation, the ICC Cricket Committee will discuss these changes to decide whether to include them in international playing conditions, while domestic adoption will depend on each country’s board.