The Election Commission has banned mobile phones within 400 yards of polling centres during the national election and referendum on Feb 12. Only presiding officers, police officers in charge of polling centres, designated Ansar members and two Ansar or VDP personnel using the Election Security 2026 app will be allowed to carry phones. Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said on Saturday that 25,700 of the country’s 43,000 polling centres have been equipped with body-worn cameras for police. The Election Commission also highlighted the full rollout of the Election Security app, which will be used exclusively by election officials and security personnel. In case of violence or unrest near polling centres, the app will instantly alert security forces, returning officers and the commission, enabling rapid response.

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Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has identified 37 polling stations in the capital as risky ahead of the upcoming election and referendum. There are a total of 2,131 polling stations in Dhaka city. Seven police personnel will be deployed at each risky polling station. In addition, 180 strike forces and 510 mobile teams will be on duty to ensure polling station security. Responding to a question on whether the special security arrangements indicate any threat, Sajjat said: “There is no threat.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has once again failed to submit the investigation report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, as the deadline was deferred for the 124th time on Tuesday. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam fixed April 1 as the next date for submission of the probe report after the investigating officer, Additional Superintendent of Police of the PBI Md Azizul Haque, failed to place the report before the court. On November 4, 2024 — more than a decade after the murders — the responsibility for the investigation was shifted from RAB to the PBI, which then began a fresh probe. Sagar Sarowar, news editor at Maasranga TV, and his wife, ATN Bangla senior correspondent Meherun Runi, were killed on February 11, 2012, in their rented apartment in the capital’s West Rajabazar. Runi’s brother, Nausher Alam, later filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station.

The Election Commission (EC) has decided that mobile phones will not be allowed within a 400-yard radius of polling stations during the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum on February 12. The total number of voters stands at 127,695,183, including 64,814,907 male voters, 62,879,042 female voters and 1,234 third-gender voters. The EC has published a final list of 42,761 polling stations across the country. A total of 244,649 booths have been set up, including 115,137 rooms for men and 129,602 rooms for women. As the referendum and parliamentary election will be held on the same day, the number of secret booths will be increased accordingly.

Supporters of an independent candidate for Lalmonirhat-1 (Hatibandha-Patgram), Shihab Ahmed, blocked the Burimari–Patgram highway on Sunday night after some miscreants attacked his convoy in Hatibandha upazila, leaving him injured. Witnesses said a group of miscreants suddenly attacked the convoy as it was returning from election campaigning around 10:30pm at Jorapukur area of Hatibandha upazila. Following the attack, hundreds of supporters took to the streets, staging demonstrations at various points along the Lalmonirhat–Burimari highway and halting traffic. Shihab Ahmed said: “We were returning peacefully after campaigning but as soon as we reached Jorapukur, we faced a premeditated and cowardly attack. Those involved in the attack will face strict legal action following investigation.”

Earthquakes are a wake-up call that natural hazards can rapidly transform into human-induced catastrophes when urban planning, governance, and environmental stewardship fail. In a rapidly growing city, seismic risk is a development and governance challenge. According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), poorly constructed buildings account for more than 70% of earthquake-related deaths worldwide. Studies by the Comprehensive Disaster Management Program (CDMP) estimate that over 60% of buildings in Dhaka are vulnerable to moderate seismic shaking. Protecting ecosystems, therefore, is not merely an environmental concern; it is a core component of disaster risk reduction.

Two people were killed after a pickup was hit by an unknown vehicle in Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj district early Monday. The deceased were pickup driver Sujan, 37, hailed from Baliadanga area in Rajarhat upazila of Jessore district and Isarul, son of Jiban of Dumuria upazila in Khulna. Dr Niloy, a doctor of the emergency department at Srinagar Upazila Health Complex, confirmed the deaths. Witnesses said the pickup was carrying raw materials from Jessore to Dhaka when it was struck from behind by an unknown vehicle, which fled the scene immediately after the collision. The damaged pickup is currently kept at Hansara Highway Police, said Station Station Officer Dewan Azad Hossain of Srinagar Fire Station.

The repeated delay in upgrading the Hili land port highway, coupled with rising costs, is a reminder of a persistent challenge in Bangladesh’s development: Turning plans into timely, concrete results. Its upgrade isn’t just about infrastructure but opening economic opportunities for local communities and the nation. Delays often lead to higher expenses, changes in contractors, as well as the true objective of the project being lost with the passing of time. Accountability is essential at every level; political will alone isn’t enough without strong project management and oversight. Ensuring projects stay on track is not just good governance -- it is a necessity for Bangladesh’s continued growth and development.

A major breakthrough in the ongoing T20 World Cup crisis appears imminent following a marathon five-hour meeting between the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in Lahore on Sunday. The emergency talks, facilitated by the PCB, primarily focused on addressing grievances lodged by the Bangladesh Cricket Board regarding “past injustices”. Insiders revealed that a formula has been devised to address these concerns, with the ICC responding positively to the proposals. Parallel to these developments, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is set to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within the next 24 to 48 hours. Naqvi will seek formal instructions regarding the national team's participation in the match against India, a decision that ultimately rests with the Prime Minister.

The recent incident in Dhaka, where journalists from an online news portal were briefly detained by members of the armed forces, is deeply troubling. That such a thing occurred at all, apparently due to a comment that was deemed unfavourable, is completely unacceptable to begin with, but it also begs the question: Where is the order that the armed forces are entrusted with ensuring? When members of the armed forces engage in intimidating journalists instead of engaging in dialogue, the effect is nothing less than chilling. Yet the recent actions echo those very behaviours. We expect -- and, indeed, must demand -- better from our armed forces.

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Campaigning by candidates contesting the 13th national elections and the referendum, scheduled for February 12, will officially end at 7:30am on Tuesday. Recently, the Election Commission cancelled the 13th national election in Sherpur-3 constituency following the death of a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate. A total of 51 political parties are participating in the elections with 2,034 candidates in total, including 275 independent candidates. On the other hand, National Citizen Party (NCP) has fielded 32 candidates with the water lily bud symbol. Among the independent candidates, 76 are contesting with the football symbol.