BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday called on all to stand by persons with disabilities and special needs in their respective positions. He made the call while speaking at a wheelchair distribution programme organized by CSF Global on behalf of Dr Zubaida Rahman at Naz Garden in Bogra town. At the event, Dr Zubaida Rahman lauded CSF Global's initiative and emphasized the importance of planned political and social efforts to engage children and adolescents in health, education, and sports, helping them grow into responsible citizens. Before the wheelchair distribution, persons with special needs shared their views and performed songs. After the event, Tarique Rahman visited Baitur Rahman Central Mosque to offer Jummah prayers before departing for Rangpur.

Moyeen Khan seeks votes for ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ to restore democracyPhoto : BSSNARSINGDI, Jan 30, 2026 (BSS) - BNP standing committee member Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan today urged citizens to cast their votes in favour of the party's electoral symbol 'Sheaf of Paddy' to restore democracy in the February 12 national parliamentary election. Moyeen Khan, also the party-nominated candidate for Narsingdi-2 (Palash) constituency, made the remarks while addressing a courtyard meeting at Taltola village under Danga Union of the constituency. He called upon voters to vote for the Sheaf of Paddy in order to establish a liberal democratic system in the country. Among others present were Palash Upazila BNP President Abdus Sattar, General Secretary Saiful Haque, Senior Joint Secretary Bahauddin Bhuiyan Milton, Ghorashal Poura BNP President Alam Mollah. Earlier, Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan addressed another courtyard meeting at Bhurinda village under Danga Union.

Bangladesh Coast Guard Media Officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq confirmed the development on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard detained 128 Bangladeshi fishermen and seized five Bangladeshi fishing boats on November 16, 17, 19, and 30, 2025, on charges of fishing in Indian territorial waters. Following diplomatic efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides agreed to exchange the detained fishermen under a bilateral arrangement. At the same time, the Bangladesh Coast Guard received 128 Bangladeshi fishermen and five fishing boats from Indian custody. The returned Bangladeshi fishermen were formally reunited with their families at the Bangladesh Coast Guard Base Mongla at 11:00 am today, along with their fishing boats.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in two separate drives seized huge contraband drugs and arrested three alleged drug dealers from different places of Rangpur and Thakurgaon districts on Thursday afternoon. The arrestees were identified as Md Morsalin Mia, 19, and Md Rubel Mia, 22, both of village Dakur Khamar under Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat and Md Tauhid Islam Ratan, 30, of the Chitchilarong area under Sadar upazila of Thakurgaon district, reports BSS. The seized contraband drugs included 100 bottles of phensedyl-like ESKuf and 3,915 pieces of Yaba tablets, said a press release issued on Thursday afternoon. After filing two separate cases in these incidents, the elite force handed over the arrested persons and seized drugs to the Gangachara Model Police Station in Rangpur and Sadar Police Station in Thakurgaon respectively for further legal action.

Nearly six in ten respondents plan to vote “Yes” in the upcoming referendum, according to a nationwide survey conducted by research firm Innovision. The survey found that 59.5% of respondents intend to vote in favor of the proposal, giving the “Yes” camp a clear lead, although a sizeable share of the population remains either undecided or unaware of the referendum. While support for a “Yes” vote currently holds a clear majority, the survey suggested a gap in public outreach, with more than one-fifth of respondents unaware of the referendum. The undecided voters, accounting for nearly 12%, may also prove decisive as the vote approaches. Innovision said the survey was carried out as part of a primary social research initiative to gauge public sentiment on key governance issues.

Supporters of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens Party (NCP) show the strongest backing for a potential national referendum, according to a new survey released by research firm Innovision. Findings from Innovision’s Round 2 survey indicate that 71.3% of Jamaat supporters would vote “Yes” in a referendum, while 5.0% would vote “No” and 17.4% said they were unaware of the issue. Among NCP supporters, 70.2% expressed support for a “Yes” vote, with 6.4% opposed. Awami League supporters showed the weakest backing, with 45.8% favoring a “Yes” vote. The data suggests Jamaat and NCP supporters are more unified in their stance on the referendum, while higher levels of uncertainty among Awami League and BNP supporters could shape future political mobilization.

DHAKA, Jan 30, 2026 (BSS) - At least 16 countries have accepted Bangladesh's invitation to send a total of 57 election observers for the country's 13th general election and the referendum on the July Charter, both scheduled to be held concurrently on February 12. Among bilateral delegations, Malaysia will send the largest contingent with 14 observers, followed by Türkiye, which is dispatching 12 observers. Most notable observers from these countries include Mohammad Jalal Sikandar Sultan, chief election commissioner of Pakistan, and Deki Pema, chief election commissioner of Bhutan. "We have received confirmation of close to 400 election observers, so far, and we expect a few more countries to confirm the visits of their delegates very soon," said Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary and SDG coordinator, who is supporting the coordination of election observers. The European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) will be led by Ivars Ijabs, chief observer and member of the European Parliament from Latvia.

SEOUL, Jan 30, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Kim Jong Un vowed to "transform" North Korea with a drive to build public health facilities, leisure complexes and industrial plants over a third of the country, state media said Friday. "We are now standing on the starting line of our gigantic struggle for another year, aimed at transforming the regions," Kim said. Images released by state media showed Kim shovelling soil alongside other officials at a ceremony attended by an excited crowd clapping and waving North Korean flags. Photos showed a large, dramatic celebratory explosion that state media described as "thrilling". North Korea has long been criticised for prioritising the military and its banned weapons programmes over adequately providing for its people.

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Photo: BSSFENI, Jan 30, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman pledged to establish government-run medical colleges in all 64 districts of the country, announcing plans to set up such institutions in the remaining 31 districts, including Feni. There are already 33 government medical colleges in 33 districts, and the remaining 31 districts will have theirs," he said. The Jamaat Ameer also outlined plans to establish specialised hospitals in every district, saying medical colleges would serve as the foundation for developing these healthcare facilities. "We are committed to setting up specialised hospitals in every district, and medical colleges will play a key role in preparing the manpower needed for these hospitals," he said. The rally was chaired by Feni District Jamaat Ameer Mufti Abdul Hannan.

A nationwide survey has showed BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman leading the race for Bangladesh’s next prime minister, with public confidence in the fairness and safety of the upcoming February 12 election also on the rise. The People’s Election Pulse Survey (Round 3), conducted by Innovision Consulting between January 16 and 27, interviewed 5,147 respondents across all eight divisions via phone (CATI). It found that 47.6% of voters favored Tarique Rahman for prime minister, followed by Shafiqur Rahman of the Jamaat–NCP alliance at 22.5%, while 22.2% remained undecided. In parliamentary seat preferences, the BNP-led alliance leads with 52.8% support among decided voters, while the Jamaat–NCP alliance holds 31.0%. The survey also highlights notable voter shifts since 2024.

GSIMAL launched to promote media and AI literacy in Global SouthPhoto : CollectedDHAKA, Jan 30, 2026 (BSS) - The Global South Initiative for Media and AI Literacy (GSIMAL) was officially launched here today. The organisation aims to advance critical media and AI literacy as a "citizen right" and to address the unique challenges that the Global South faces in the age of embedded Artificial Intelligence (AI). She highlighted the growing confusion caused by AI-driven misinformation and stressed the need to treat media and AI literacy as a public-interest issue. Dr. Lee Guo from the University of Nebraska, Omaha, said the initiative would help empower voices from the Global South. GSIML aims to promote inclusive, ethical, and accessible AI and media literacy across the Global South.

Within an hour of lawmakers in Caracas voting to open the oil industry to private investment, the US Treasury Department issued a general license allowing US companies to trade with state oil firm PDVSA. Addressing oil industry workers, Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez hailed the reform as a "historical leap." - 'For the future' -Trump pressured Caracas to open up its oil fields to American investors after overthrowing his socialist arch-foe Nicolas Maduro in a deadly US raid on January 3. It modifies a law dating to 2006 that forced foreign investors to form joint ventures with state oil company PDVSA, which insisted on a majority stake. - New fields -The US Department of Energy has already unveiled a plan to develop Venezuela's oil industry and begun marketing Venezuelan crude.

A three-day "5th International Conference on Electrical, Computer and Telecommunication Engineering (ICECTE 2026)" was inaugurated at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) on Friday. Engineering education must contribute to sustainable development." The conference, organized by RUET's Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), features participation from both local and international researchers. Special guests included Emeritus Professor Dr Yoshinori Namihira of the University of the Ryukyus, Japan. The welcome speech was delivered by Professor Dr Ajay Krishna Sarkar, Technical Chair of the organizing committee and Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Novak Djokovic wiil face Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final after stunning reigning two-time champion Jannik Sinner early Saturday in a five-set marathon to move to the brink of history. The 38-year-old Serb rolled back the years to battle past Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a 1:32 am finish and plays top seed Alcaraz in Sunday's Melbourne title decider.