BNP leader Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram has accused certain political parties of trying to sabotage elections by pushing for a proportional representation (PR) system.

Speaking at rallies in Bhola-3 constituency, Hafiz claimed these parties lacked public support and feared winning few seats. “They are attempting to impose a system unfamiliar to Bangladeshis,” he said.

Hafiz also blamed Sheikh Hasina for “destroying” the country over 17 years and reducing Bangladesh to a submissive state to neighbors. He emphasized the BNP’s commitment to restoring democracy and welcomed steps toward a free, fair, and participatory election under a neutral government.

The National Hindu Grand Alliance has demanded government-declared public holidays on Ashtami, Nabami, and Dashami during the upcoming Durga Puja.

Spokesperson Palash Kanti Dey noted that although the festival spans five days, only two are currently recognized as public holidays. “This prevents many from celebrating with their families or properly observing religious rituals,” he said.

The alliance also called for strengthened nationwide security, government-funded CCTV installations at all temples, army patrols across the country, and the formation of a central monitoring cell to oversee Puja security.

The Armed Police Battalion (APBn) has officially resumed responsibility for security inside Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Air Force personnel, who were temporarily deployed, will now return to their respective units.

The decision was made in a high-level meeting at the Chief Adviser’s Office on Wednesday. Following the Ansar mutiny in August 2024, nearly a thousand Ansar members abruptly abandoned their duties, prompting authorities to deploy Air Force personnel instead.

Reports also suggest disputes arose between APBn and Avsec, with APBn alleging that their office space on the airside was forcibly cleared. Police records confirm a diary entry on the matter.

The meeting finalized six key decisions, including that all agencies must operate under the sole authority of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB), with APBn and Avsec carrying out their respective security responsibilities.

BNP leader Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu has assured Hindu community leaders in Natore that party activists will resist any attempts at conspiracy surrounding the upcoming Durga Puja.

He alleged that a section always tries to spread propaganda during Puja festivals. “Under Tarique Rahman’s directives, BNP leaders and activists will thwart all conspiracies, stand by every community, and protect lives and property,” Dulu said.

The National Olama Mashayekh Aima Parishad staged a protest demanding the cancellation of government directives to appoint music teachers in primary schools. Instead, they called for mandatory recruitment of religious teachers.

At a rally near Baitul Mukarram Mosque’s north gate, leaders warned of strong movements against the interim government if their demands were ignored. Advisor Fazlul Karim of Islami Andolon Bangladesh stated that the process of appointing music teachers began under Sheikh Hasina’s government and was now being implemented. “If religious teachers are not appointed, we will achieve this through tougher movements,” he said.

The Bangladesh Air Force and the United States Pacific Air Forces have successfully concluded their six-day joint exercise titled Operation Pacific Angel 25-3.

According to the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), the drill began on September 14 and ended on Thursday at BAF Base Zahurul Haque under the Armed Forces Division’s directive and Air Force management.

Air Vice Marshal Javed Tanvir Khan, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, delivered the closing remarks and joined participants from both nations for a group photo. The ceremony was attended by US Embassy representatives, senior US Pacific Air Force officials, participants from both countries’ air forces, and top officers from Bangladesh’s three armed services.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has filed a case against Salman F Rahman and 27 international gateway (IGW) operators, accusing them of embezzling Tk 568 crore. The case was lodged on Thursday night at Gulshan Police Station by BTRC Senior Assistant Director Tawfiq-ul Islam.

According to the complaint, the accused violated licensing terms and contractual obligations by forming the IGW Operators Forum and engaging in fraudulent financial practices. The case has been filed under Sections 73, 74, and 76 of the Telecommunications Act, as well as Sections 420 and 406 of the Penal Code.

Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has emphasized that Bangladesh cannot rely on fossil fuels for long and must urgently transition to clean, affordable energy solutions.

Speaking at a virtual conference with Anthropocene Institute Chairman Carl Page, Yunus said, “It is time for Bangladesh to seriously consider large-scale solar power as a key alternative.”

Carl Page highlighted floating barge-based nuclear reactors as another option, describing them as cost-effective, low-maintenance, and capable of powering Bangladesh’s industrial growth for decades. He added that nuclear energy is no longer taboo for major development financiers like the World Bank, citing Indonesia’s adoption of similar technologies.

Yunus confirmed that the interim government has already drafted a new national power policy aimed at accelerating solar energy expansion.

Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, chief of the Election System Reform Commission, has revealed that two reform commissions have suggested a mixed system—constituency-based elections for the lower house and proportional representation for the upper house.

He stressed that while both systems have strengths and flaws, adopting them together is necessary. “Only through consensus can we hold free and impartial elections, paving the way for a functioning democracy,” he said.

Authorities at Qazi Hasanuzzaman & Ajiullah Hafizia Madrasa in Raipur, Lakshmipur, have dismissed two teachers—Ataur Rahman and Sharif Hossain—for severely beating a child student.

The victim, Mahmud Hasan, was hospitalized after sustaining injuries from repeated caning. According to relatives, Mahmud was beaten six times by Sharif Hossain for failing to recite lessons, and again the next day, 12 times by Ataur Rahman, leaving him unconscious.

Mahmud later told family members that the teachers threatened to kill him if he revealed the incident to his mother.

BNP leader Shamsuzzaman Dudu has accused Sheikh Hasina of conspiring from India to destabilize Bangladesh and obstruct elections, suggesting that she seeks a covert return to the country.

“Her plot will not succeed,” Dudu said, adding that steering the country toward elections would foil all conspiracies and restore normalcy by returning voting rights to the people.

He alleged that Hasina clung to power for 16 years through force, and claimed her associates siphoned off the nation’s wealth, leaving banks empty.

At least 79 Palestinians were killed and 228 injured in the latest Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, bringing the total death toll since October to 65,141 and injuries to 165,925.

Officials warn that the actual numbers are much higher, as many remain trapped under rubble with limited rescue capabilities.

In the last 24 hours, Israeli forces also shot dead nine Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid, injuring 33 others. Since May 27, such incidents have killed 2,513 people and injured over 18,414.

Malnutrition and hunger continue to claim lives—four more, including a child, died in the past day, raising the starvation death toll to 435, among them 147 children.

Singapore’s non-resident High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Derek Loh, met with a BNP delegation in Dhaka on Thursday.

BNP was represented by Standing Committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Salahuddin Ahmed, along with organizing secretary Shama Obaid. Loh was accompanied by Chargé d’Affaires Mitchell Loh and Desk Officer De Ern from the Singapore High Commission.

Discussions reportedly focused on strengthening bilateral ties and mutual interests.

Jamaat-e-Islami on Friday began a three-day program in seven divisional cities, demanding proportional representation (PR) in the upcoming national elections along with four other conditions.

Party leaders were assigned to lead programs in each city, including Nayeb-e-Ameer Prof. Mujibur Rahman in Barishal and Secretary General Prof. Mia Golam Porwar in Rangpur.

The five-point charter includes:

Elections in February under the July roadmap

PR system for both parliamentary chambers

Guaranteed level playing field

Visible justice for government “atrocities, killings, and corruption”

A ban on Jatiya Party and the Awami League-led 14-party alliance

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) pushed 16 Bangladeshi nationals into Bangladesh territory through the Shitlmath border in Naogaon early Friday.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained them shortly after and confirmed they were Bangladeshi citizens from Pabna. The group included seven men, four women, and five children. They have been handed over to Patnitala police for legal action.