Three murder case accused were allegedly released from Mymensingh Central Jail without bail, prompting the formation of a three-member investigation committee. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at Mymensingh Central Jail and came to light on Thursday. Senior Jail Superintendent of Mymensingh, Md Aminul Islam, said: “The jail officials mistakenly released the inmates. This was an unintended release.”The three released prisoners are Md Anis Mia, Rashedul Islam, and Zakirul Islam. Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (DIG Prisons) of Mymensingh Division, Mohammad Towhidul Islam said, three murder case accused were mistakenly released as their court summons were treated as bail papers; Deputy Jailer Zakaria Imtiaz has been temporarily suspended over the matter and a three-member investigation committee formed.

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to issue journalists’ election passes manually, reverting to the previous system, for coverage of the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the upcoming referendum. The move comes in response to demands from the journalism community, reversing an earlier plan to accept applications online. Senior Secretary of the EC, Akhtar Ahmed, announced the decision on Thursday during a briefing at the EC building in Agargaon, Dhaka. He clarified that journalists who have already registered online and received approval will retain their cards, and no new online registration will be required. Earlier, the EC had planned to provide journalists’ election coverage cards and vehicle stickers through online applications ahead of the parliamentary election and referendum.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Army Staff General Walker-uz-Zaman, at the Army Headquarters in Dhaka Cantonment. According to the verified Facebook page of the Bangladesh Army, the ambassador and the army chief exchanged greetings during the meeting. The discussion focused on the longstanding friendly relations between the Bangladesh and United States armed forces, as well as issues related to bilateral military cooperation, it said.

Md Asraful Alam Rasel, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Jhenaigati, Sherpur district, has been made an officer on special duty (OSD) at the Ministry of Public Administration. The decision was announced on Thursday in a notification, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Samiul Amin of the ministry. According to the notification, Rasel has been transferred and put on as OSD (Senior Assistant Secretary) and will be released from his present post this afternoon. Otherwise, his transfer will be treated as a stand released as per the order of the ministry. The order has been issued for the sake of the public interest.

The report, titled “Tax Policy for Development: A Reform Agenda for Restructuring the Tax System,” observes that the existing tax system is unnecessarily complex and inefficient, characterized by a narrow tax base, excessive reliance on manual administration, and heavy dependence on indirect taxation. It underscored that durable and credible revenue mobilization cannot be achieved through administrative action alone unless it is firmly grounded in a coherent and well-designed tax policy framework. The report identifies 55 priority policy issues across key tax segments, including direct taxes (32 issues), value-added tax (10 issues), and trade taxes (13 issues). The report cautions that when tax policy is incoherent, marked by narrow bases and distorted rate structures, even strong enforcement delivers limited revenue. Trade tax reformsOn trade taxes, the report stresses the need to gradually reduce reliance on tariffs and para-tariffs and shift toward domestic taxes such as VAT, personal income tax, corporate income tax, and property taxes.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Thursday said he was ready to sacrifice his life for the country if necessary but would not allow the people’s rights to be taken away. He made the remarks while addressing an election rally of the 11-party alliance in front of Petrobangla at Karwan Bazar in the capital. The Jamaat ameer alleged that extortion drives prices up fourfold from farmers to consumers, leaving farmers deprived of fair prices while everyone else suffers. He reiterated that the country’s situation would change following the 13th National Parliamentary Election scheduled for February 12, starting from February 13. Nothing can be achieved by force.”After the Karwan Bazar rally, the Jamaat ameer was scheduled to campaign in Mirpur in the afternoon and later at the Banani field.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer touched down in Beijing with a business delegation on Wednesday for a three-day visit. Starmer is seeking to strengthen political and business ties between the UK and China, as relations between the US and its allies become increasingly strained under Donald Trump. “It doesn’t make sense to stick our head in the ground and bury it in the sand when it comes to China: It’s in our interests to engage,” Starmer told reporters on the flight to China. “I have long been clear that the UK and China need a long-term, consistent and comprehensive strategic partnership,” he said. “I’m a pragmatist, a British pragmatist applying common sense,” said Starmer, the first prime minister to visit China since Theresa May in 2018.

Awami League must face the ongoing judicial process over the July uprising killings and seek apology if it wants to return to active politics, said Prof Ali Riaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser. With this mindset, there is no scope for making Awami League relevant in politics,” he said. We did not work based on whether someone was Awami League or BNP.”Explaining whether the absence of Awami League from the Consensus Commission made the dialogue less democratic, Ali Riaz said there was no practical way to involve the party. “The command Awami League had over bureaucrats does not exist for the interim government. Referring to the July movement, Ali Riaz said it was not a ‘revolution’ but an ‘uprising’.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman arrived in Rajshahi on Thursday to attend an election rally. He landed at Shah Makhdum Airport at around 12:30pm and reached the rally venue at the Madrasa Field shortly before 2:00pm. This marked Tarique Rahman’s first visit to Rajshahi as party chief. The Madrasa Field and surrounding areas were packed with BNP leaders, activists and supporters. After the Rajshahi programme, Tarique Rahman is scheduled to travel to Naogaon and later to Bogra, where he will address another rally in his constituency in the evening.

The Advisory Council has approved two major ordinances aimed at protecting women and children: the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and Educational Institutions Ordinance, 2026 and the Prevention of Domestic Violence Ordinance, 2026. Sexual harassment ordinance now covers digital and online conductThe new sexual harassment ordinance seeks to ensure a safe, dignified, and discrimination-free environment for all individuals in workplaces and educational institutions, regardless of religion, race, community, gender, gender identity, or place of birth. It provides a comprehensive definition of sexual harassment, covering physical, verbal, non-verbal, digital, and online conduct, as well as all unwanted and degrading gender-based behavior. Domestic violence ordinance reinforces family safetyThe Prevention of Domestic Violence Ordinance, 2026 aims to protect families and provide prompt protection, shelter, medical care, legal aid, and rehabilitation for women and children. Replacing the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2010, it broadens the definition of domestic violence to include physical, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse, including digital harassment.

The EC said both the RPO and the Referendum Ordinance prohibit using state authority, official position, or public resources to sway voters’ decisions. The EC said it will maintain strict oversight of government officials’ conduct in the run-up to polling day, particularly as the parliamentary election and referendum are being held simultaneously. “Referendum outcomes must reflect the will of the people, not the influence of the state,” an EC official said. The commission has instructed returning officers and field-level election officials to report any violations of the code of conduct involving government employees. The EC has repeatedly stressed that maintaining institutional neutrality is essential to preserving public trust in both the parliamentary election and the referendum.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Thursday expressed optimism that the security situation would improve with the gradual deployment of security forces, stating that political parties have so far shown restraint and tolerance while carrying out election campaigns. “We hope the coming days will look better with the gradual deployment of security forces. Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad, and Assistant Press Secretary Suchismita Tithi also spoke at the briefing, where the outcomes of the Council of Advisers’ meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, were shared. Alam said the government believes political parties are demonstrating adequate restraint and tolerance and are engaging in healthy election campaigns. “We believe there is still a sufficient level of tolerance among the political parties.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday issued warrants for the arrest of six people, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, in a case filed over ‘Jahaj Bari’ killings in the capital's Kalyanpur area. Earlier in the day, the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 submitted the chargesheet against eight people in the case, said ICT prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim. Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque, former DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia and former SB chief Monirul Islam were among the accused in the case. Of them, IGP AKM Shahidul Haque and DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia were in jail in another case. The case was filed with the International Crimes Tribunal accusing the then authorities of carrying out extrajudicial killings.

The government on Thursday promoted 40 assistant superintendents of police (ASPs) to the rank of the additional superintendents of police (Addl-SPs). The home affairs ministry has issued a gazette notification signed by its deputy secretary Md Mahbubur Rahman in this regard. The government has given the promotion to these assistant superintendents of police upon a recommendation by the departmental promotion committee of the ministry. The ministry has also instructed the newly promoted officers to join to the senior secretary of the ministry through the appropriate authorities, the notification said. According to the notification, the promoted Additional SPs are – Abdul Kader, AKM Doulat Akbar, Modhusudan Das, Md.

Some Haitians reportedly have already left Springfield, and others say they fear they could be forced to leave. Jacques said some people have already packed up and left Springfield, and he does not know where they went or where they will end up. TPS holders are not at risk of removal from the United States and cannot be detained by the Department of Homeland Security because of immigration status. Three years earlier, there were about 6,000 foreign nationals with approved TPS status in the Buckeye State, CRS data indicated. Instead, he believes they are staying at home as much as possible to avoid potential encounters with federal immigration authorities.