United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman on Thursday visited an army camp at the National Stadium in Gulistan in Dhaka and held coordination meetings with civil administration and law enforcement officials to review security preparations for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election and referendum scheduled for 2026. During the visit, the army chief inspected the army camp and exchanged views with senior military officials, representatives of the Dhaka metropolitan, divisional and district administrations, and members of various law enforcement agencies. At a meeting held at the National Stadium conference room, discussions focused on ensuring a peaceful, neutral and fair election through strong inter-agency coordination and comprehensive security management. Read More: British High Commissioner meets Army Chief  The army chief stressed the importance of professionalism, neutrality, discipline, patience and citizen-friendly conduct while performing election-related duties. He also observed the activities of army personnel deployed under the “in aid to the civil power” arrangement and provided necessary guidance on the ground. Senior military officials, including the General Officer Commanding of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, the GOC of the 9 Infantry Division and Area Commander of Savar Area, along with senior officers from Army Headquarters, Dhaka and Savar areas, were present during the visit. Senior officials from the civil administration, law enforcement agencies and representatives of various media outlets also attended the programme. According to ISPR, as part of efforts to strengthen coordination among all agencies involved in election duties, the army chief has been holding similar coordination meetings since January 22 across Dhaka, Chattogram, Cumilla, Rangpur, Bogura, Barishal, Jashore, Cox’s Bazar, Sylhet, Ghatail and Savar areas with senior military officials, divisional and district administrations and law enforcement agencies. Read More: Army Chief urges officers to perform election duties impartially

Army Headquarters on Thursday said around 100,000 army personnel have been deployed across the country to ensure a free, fair and uninterrupted environment for the national election, with the key objective of restoring voters’ confidence. Director of the Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters Brig Gen Dewan Mohammad Monzur Hossain shared the information  at a press briefing on Thursday at the Roller Skating Complex in the capital. He focused on the activities of the Bangladesh Army deployed under In Aid to Civil Power. He said that in previous elections, a maximum of 40,000 to 42,000 army personnel were deployed, mainly as striking forces stationed in far from pooling centres' areas. This time, for the first time, army patrols have been allowed to operate up to the premises of the polling centres. Army Chief urges officers to perform election duties impartially Monzur Hossain said the expanded deployment aims to ensure voters can travel to polling centres safely and without hindrance. Keeping the need for voter security in mind, the Army Chief has retained only the minimum necessary personnel at barracks and deployed the rest to support the conduct of a credible election. Brig Gen Monzur said due to a shortage of required vehicles, the army has sought support from the civil administration. Where requisitioned vehicles are unavailable, vehicles are being hired to ensure uninterrupted patrols.  He added that army personnel have been working tirelessly and conducting round-the-clock patrols to help rebuild public confidence. He further said maintaining law and order well ahead of the election is crucial for holding a fair election. Accordingly, army deployment was increased from 35,000 to 50,000 on January 10, 2026, and later expanded to 100,000 on January 20, 2026, he added. Alongside the Army, the Navy has deployed 5,000 personnel while the Air Force has deployed 3,730 members. The Bangladesh Army is operating in 62 of the country’s 64 districts and 411 upazilas and has set up a total of 544 temporary camps. Through regular patrols, joint operations and the establishment of check posts, surveillance has been strengthened and weapons recovery operations are ongoing.  

More than 273,000 Bangladeshi expatriates are yet to cast their postal ballots, with six days left before the February-12 national election and referendum, officials said. The Election Commission has sent the ballots to 767,188 registrant expatriates staying in 123 foreign countries through the postal services. Of them, 12,170 ballots couldn’t be supplied due the voters’ address related problems and the ballots finally returned back to Bangladesh.   Among the rest 755,018 postal ballots, 481,725 expatriates already completed their voting process, while 273,293 others have not yet to exercise their voting rights till 3pm on Thursday (February 05) in the upcoming elections, according to the statistics of the Election Commission. Even 228,973 expatriates still didn't receive the ballots in different countries. Most of the ballots that still have not been received might not return to the returning officers concerned within the stipulated time of 4:30pm on February 12 next, said EC officials. Over 4 lakh expats cast votes through postal ballot till Monday The EC, headed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, introduced the IT-supported hybrid postal balloting system with the combination of digital registration and manual balloting for the first time in the country for the expatriate Bangladeshis living in more than 120 foreign countries. “A total of 766,862 postal ballots reached different destinations throughout the world for Out-of-Country Voting (OCV) and of them, 526,045 ballots were already received by the registered expatriates in various countries,” said Brig Gen (retd) Saleem Ahmad Khan, Team Leader of the Election Commission’s OCV-ICPV project on Thursday. Among them, 447,346 ballots were already dropped in post offices or postal boxes by the expatriates in different countries. But the returning officers so far received only 120,802 ballots sent by the expatriates. Besides, the Election Commission is using the new postal balloting system for the government employees working outside their respective constituencies, the polling personnel and the people under legal custody inside Bangladesh. The Commission has sent a total of 760,898 ballots to different destinations under the In-Country Postal Voting (ICPV) since the distribution of the postal ballots. ‘We’ve taken risk of hybrid postal balloting with courage’, says CEC Nasir Of the ballots, 291,294 ones were received by designated voters, while 228,184 voters already cast their votes and the returning officers concerned received 29,244 returned postal ballots under IPCV. The Election Commission on December 11 last announced the election schedule to arrange the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026.

Tension and political excitement are running high in haor-dominated Sunamganj district ahead of the national election. To ensure smooth voting in the district’s five constituencies, the administration and the Returning Officer’s office have taken extensive security measures. According to the district election office, Sunamganj has a total of 664 polling centers and 4,250 polling booths, of which 451 centers have been classified as high-risk. For the first time, all polling centers in the district will be monitored through CCTV cameras while police personnel will be equipped with body cameras. A combined force of around 18,300 members from the army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Ansar has been deployed in the district. This includes 3,500 police, 12,000 Ansar, and 1,100 army personnel, with 24 BGB platoons assigned to the district’s 12 upazilas to ensure border and internal security. Read More: 21 BGB platoons to secure Bandarban during national election The election in Sunamganj is witnessing a multi-party contest alongside strong independent candidates. Particular attention is on Sunamganj-4 where expelled BNP leader Dewan Zainul Zakerin is running independently and Sunamganj-3, where some religious leaders have significant influence. Voters are also showing keen interest in casting ballots for both the parliamentary election and the referendum, scheduled on the same day. Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Dr Mohammad Ilias Mia said, “We are committed to conducting a free and fair election. Maximum security measures have been ensured so that voters can exercise their right to vote without fear.” Superintendent of Police ABM Zakir Hossain added that intelligence monitoring has been intensified and mobile patrol teams will remain active to prevent any disturbances in the election areas.

Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan, a candidate of Gono Odhikar Parishad for Feni-2 constituency, staged a hunger strike on Thursday morning outside the office of the Returning Officer demanding the withdrawal of officials accused of administrative bias. He started the hunger strike at the main gate of the Returning Officer’s office around 8:30am accompanied by a small group of party workers. The protest caused a brief disruption when several Additional Deputy Commissioner vehicles were temporarily blocked at the main gate and had to take an alternate route to enter the office. During the protest, Tariqul alleged harassment and threats by Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Jasim Uddin. BGB seizes Indian smuggled goods worth over Tk 1 crore in Feni He claimed that the electoral code of conduct was being severely violated in the Feni-2 constituency yet no effective action was being taken. He also accused Sadar AC Jasim Uddin of mistreating him and issuing various threats while the Returning Officer allegedly failed to intervene. He further alleged that billboards and colorful campaign activities are being allowed in a one-sided manner in favour of a particular candidate. He warned that if Jasim Uddin is not withdrawn within eight hours he would be compelled to announce more stringent protest measures.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Wednesday said his X account was hacked four days ago to circulate false information and the perpetrator has finally been identified and arrested. “After my account was hacked, a group started launching attacks chanting ‘tai re nai re’. Shamefully, even some senior leaders endorsed it. However, our cyber team quickly identified the accused and police arrested him. Truth can never be hidden,” he said. Shafiqur made the remarks while addressing an election rally organised by the 11-party alliance at Kurigram College ground. He said Jamaat-e-Islami does not want to establish a partisan government, even though it is the ‘largest party of the current era’.  “We do not want dynastic politics or group-based rule. We do not even seek victory for Jamaat. What we want is the victory of 18 crore people.” People no longer support family-centric politics: Jamaat Ameer Referring to the movement in Rangpur region in 2024, he recalled the role of Abu Sayed, saying his bravery had ignited the July movement. “He took three bullets to his chest, not his back. That is heroism. You are truly fortunate people,” he told the gathering. Dr Shafiqur said Abrar Fahad was the first to embrace martyrdom as an uncompromising fighter against authoritarianism, followed by Abu Sayed, Sharif, Osman Hadi and others. “Nearly 1,400 people have been martyred one after another. The bodies of these 1,400 heroes are now on the shoulders of this nation. Our rivers have turned red with their blood. We will never betray these martyrs,” he said. He also pledged that if Jamaat comes to power, development work would begin from Kurigram, which he described as one of the most backward districts in the country. Among others, NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, Kurigram district Jamaat Ameer Azizur Rahman Swapan, candidates from the four parliamentary constituencies of Kurigram, and senior leaders of Jamaat and the 11-party alliance were present at the rally.

After more than 20 years, BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman arrived in Barishal to join a major election rally that signals a renewed push by the opposition party in southern Bangladesh. Tarique Rahman arrived in the coastal city by helicopter from Dhaka on Wednesday, reaching the historic Bells Park ground at around 12:25pm. As he took to the stage, thousands of party leaders, activists and supporters welcomed him with sustained applause, chanting slogans and waving party flags. Standing on the stage, Tarique acknowledged the crowd by waving back, marking a rare and symbolically significant appearance in a region long viewed as politically important but electorally competitive. The Barishal rally is part of a wider election campaign, with the BNP chief expected to travel next to Faridpur to address another public meeting. Crowds gather at Bell’s Park Ahead of Tarique Rahman’s rally in Barishal Party leaders say the programme is aimed at energising grassroots supporters ahead of the upcoming national election. At the Barishal gathering, the BNP chairman will formally introduce candidates from all 21 parliamentary constituencies in the Barishal division, including nominees from BNP and its alliance partners. In Barishal district, the candidates are Zahir Uddin Swapan (Barishal-1), Sardar Sarfuddin Ahmed (Barishal-2), Zainul Abedin (Barishal-3), Md Rajib Ahsan (Barishal-4), Md Mujibur Rahman Sarwar (Barishal-5) and Abul Hossain Khan (Barishal-6). For Jhalokathi, Rafiqul Islam Jamal is contesting Jhalokathi-1, while Israt Sultana Elen Bhutto has been named for Jhalokathi-2. In Barguna, Md Nazrul Islam Molla will contest Barguna-1 and Md Nurul Islam Barguna-2. The Patuakhali candidates include Altaf Hossain Chowdhury (Patuakhali-1), Md Shahidul Alam Talukdar (Patuakhali-2), Md Nurul Haque (Patuakhali-3) and ABM Mosharraf Hossain (Patuakhali-4). Tarique to deliver election address on BTV In Pirojpur, the party has nominated Alamgir Hossain (Pirojpur-1), Ahmed Sohel Manzur (Pirojpur-2) and Md Ruhul Amin Dulal (Pirojpur-3). For Bhola, Andaleeve Rahman has been selected for Bhola-1, Md Hafiz Ibrahim for Bhola-2, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram for Bhola-3 and Mohammad Nurul Islam for Bhola-4.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday said the nation will face grave danger if voters fail to make the right decision in the election.  “This election is extremely important. Citizens must make the right decision at the right time, vote for good leaders and a capable party to move the country forward,” he said during election campaign at Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila municipal community centre. Fakhrul said a group is trying to mislead general people by exploiting religion and attempting to undermine the spirit of the Liberation War. Jamaat wants to push Bangladesh back, says Fakhrul Recalling his political journey, he said, “Before taking over as Secretary General, I never had to appear on a court premises. But for speaking the truth and standing for justice I have repeatedly faced harassment.” Local leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations attended the meeting.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has directed that anyone violating the election code of conduct during the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and 2026 referendum must be immediately brought under the law. The instruction came at a law and order consultation meeting organized by the Mymensingh divisional administration at the Mymensingh City Corporation conference hall on Monday. Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Goni presided over the event. Special guests included BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui NDC PSC and Additional IGP (Finance) Md Akram Hossain BPM, while Divisional Commissioner Farah Shammi NDC delivered the welcome speech. Bangladeshi expats cast 458,000 postal votes ahead of Feb-12 polls The adviser emphasized that no illegal activity will be tolerated during the elections. Election officials and law enforcement personnel were instructed to strictly follow the Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, the Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates, 2025, relevant ministry circulars, and Election Commission guidelines. He urged officers to provide continuous instructions to subordinates, hold regular briefings on election preparations, ongoing activities, and compliance with the code of conduct. Appointments of presiding, assistant presiding, and polling officers must ensure honesty, efficiency, and impartiality, while officials with a history of partisanship or irregularities must not be assigned electoral duties. Chowdhury highlighted the role of the Election Security App-2026, developed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre, in maintaining law and order. The app will link law enforcement, returning officers, and the Ministry of Home Affairs’ central control room to record complaints and enable prompt response. Officials must complete training on its use without delay. No scope for vote rigging in expatriate voting process:  EC Sanaullah He also instructed that polling stations be fully prepared, access routes kept smooth, and election materials, including ballot boxes, secured and delivered on time. Sharing his electoral experience, he said honest and efficient conduct by officials and law enforcement can ensure a free, fair, and festive election, describing it as a moral and ethical responsibility. The meeting was attended by deputy commissioners, police superintendents, upazila executive officers, election officers at all levels, and armed forces representatives from Mymensingh division.

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which assumed office amid high public expectations, is approaching the end of its tenure as the country moves closer to elections, that mark "the final step in the delicate political transition that has been under way for a year and a half," according to the International Crisis Group, the Brussels-based think tank.  “Bangladeshis had high expectations of the interim government, which remained popular for some time, though it has lost some of its lustre of late,” said Crisis Group's expert on Bangladesh, Senior Consultant Thomas Kean, in a Q&A published Monday on the ICG's website.  Chief of interim government Prof Muhammad Yunus and his cohort have chalked up major achievements, including stabilising an economy that had been teetering under Hasina and maintaining a fragile consensus on the course of the transition with the army and political parties, Kean said. Six international organisations to deploy 63 observers for Bangladesh elections Their signature achievement as regards reform has been to oversee drafting the July Charter. All the political parties agreed on the need for change, but not necessarily on which measures to take or in what order. It was nonetheless important for the interim government to seek buy-in from all the parties contesting the vote, since making these reforms will be the responsibility of the incoming government. Yunus and his cabinet succeeded, but with caveats. "After assuming office on August 8, 2024, Prof Yunus quickly outlined his agenda: initiate major political, economic and institutional change; prosecute those responsible for violence during the protests; and organise free and fair elections," said Kean. He said the government re-established the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) – a domestic judicial body first formed in 2009 to investigate crimes committed during the 1971 war – to try those allegedly responsible for serious abuses under Hasina’s regime. It also formed six reform commissions focused on areas considered critical, such as the constitution, election system and judiciary. These steps culminated in a ceremony in October 2025, when most of the country’s political parties signed the July Charter (so named after the month when the uprising against Hasina began), an agreement on a set of reforms the next government is expected to make. The interim government has not been without its critics, who argue that it has waged a vendetta against the Awami League, failed to restore security and been too accommodating toward far-right Islamist groups, among other things. But it has managed to shore up a cross-party political consensus (excluding the Awami League), helping it reach agreement on the July Charter. Its final task will be to make a smooth exit from Bangladesh’s political scene by ensuring credible, peaceful polls, then transferring power to a democratically elected administration. Up to 127 million Bangladeshis will go to the polls on 12 February, in the first national elections since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government fell in August 2024. For tens of millions of them, it will be the first chance in their lives to participate in a credible vote. The elections mark the final step in the delicate political transition that has been under way for a year and a half.  In the February election, the contest is expected to be closely fought between two blocs led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami. The BNP retains a strong organisational base but has been weakened by allegations of extortion, internal disputes over candidate selection, and a perception among many voters that it differs little from the Awami League. Party leaders have attempted to counter this image through disciplinary expulsions. The BNP may benefit from recent events, including the December 2025 return of acting leader Tarique Rahman from long exile and the death of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, which drew huge public crowds. However, Tarique Rahman lacks his mother’s broad appeal and faces lingering corruption allegations, leaving the party’s electoral prospects uncertain. He also mentioned that Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s largest Islamist party, has gained momentum since the 2024 protest movement and appeals to voters as a disciplined alternative to elite-dominated politics, particularly among younger people. It has also made significant gains in student politics. Jamaat has further strengthened its position through an electoral alliance with the National Citizen Party, though the deal has triggered internal dissent within the NCP. With the political landscape transformed and the Awami League sidelined, predicting the outcome of the 12 February election is difficult. Polling suggests the BNP holds a narrow lead, while Jamaat appears set to surpass its best-ever electoral performance, Thomas Kean said. Bangladeshi expats cast 458,000 postal votes ahead of Feb-12 polls  Kean said the biggest risks revolve around security in the run-up to and during the polls. "Historically, political violence in Bangladesh has tended to increase around competitive elections. Bangladeshi human rights groups have already documented an uptick since August 2024. Recent months have witnessed clashes between BNP and Jamaat partisans, and more could flare up in hotly contested districts," according to Kean. Given the stakes, managing a dispute over the outcome of the vote would be Yunus's biggest challenge yet, he added.