DHAKA, Feb 8 (BSS) - The Election Commission (EC) today urged the people not to pay heed to rumours and misinformation spreading on social media regarding the postponement of the 13th upcoming national parliamentary election and referendum. The information was revealed in a press release issued by the Bangladesh Election Commission today. In this regard, the EC further clarified that the national parliamentary election and the referendum will be held on February 12 across 299 parliamentary constituencies of the country, excepting Sherpur-3 .

DHAKA, Feb 08, 2026 (BSS) - Ahead of the 13th National Assembly elections, a website has been launched featuring the election manifestos of major political parties that have contested parliamentary elections since 1991, as part of an important research project. The website, created under the research project titled ‘Political Party Manifestos in Bangladesh Elections’, has preserved and published the manifestos, published by various parties in all national elections held after 1991. The purpose of the website is to help researchers, journalists and ordinary citizens review and analyze the promises and policies made by various political parties in their election manifestos in the elections held since 1991. For this purpose, an easily accessible and information-based platform has been created by collecting the manifestos published during different elections. In a parliamentary democratic system, citizens elect their representatives to the legislature through national elections.

Photo: CollectedMUMBAI, India, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook scoredquick fifties but Nepal took regular wickets as England made 184-7 on Sundayin their opening Group C match of the T20 World Cup in Mumbai. It could have been so much better for the Nepalis but Will Jacks smashedthree spectacular sixes off the final over from Karan KC. The all-rounder's late cameo of 39 not out off 18 balls took England to thehighest total of the tournament so far and left Nepal with a target of 185 topull off a huge upset. Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel said he would have bowled anyway and his spin-heavy attack successfully squeezed the England batters for most of the 20overs until the late onslaught from Jacks. For Nepal, Airee with 2-23 and Yadav, who took 2-25, were the pick of thebowlers.

A G2G contract for the purchase of Hydrographic and Oceanographic Survey Ship 'HMS Enterprise' was signed between Bangladesh and the UK at the Bangladesh Navy headquarters today. Photo: ISPRDHAKA, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS) - A Government-to-Government (G2G) contract for thepurchase of Hydrographic and Oceanographic Survey Ship 'HMS Enterprise' wassigned between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom (UK) at the Bangladesh Navyheadquarters here today. Chief of the Navy Staff of Bangladesh Admiral M. Nazmul Hassan was present atthe contract signing ceremony. "HMS Enterprise" is a modern hydrographic survey ship of the Royal Navy ofthe United Kingdom. Later, the United Kingdom Navy decommissioned theship in 2023.

Educational institutions across the country will observe a five-day consecutive holiday surrounding the 13th national parliamentary election and referendum. February 11, the day before the election, and February 12, election day, have been declared holidays for educational institutions by executive order. In addition, February 15 has already been listed as a holiday in the annual academic calendar on the occasion of Sri Sri Shivaratri, resulting in a continuous five-day break. Meanwhile, the government has declared February 11 and 12 as holidays for officials and employees of all government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices, as well as for teachers and staff of educational institutions across the country. A special holiday was also announced on February 10 for workers and employees in industrial areas through an executive order issued on January 25.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam has arrived in Pakistan amid escalating tensions surrounding the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, reported Geo News on Sunday. During his visit, the BCB chief is also scheduled to meet Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi before returning to Dhaka. Subsequently, the BCB formally requested the ICC to relocate its tournament matches outside India. Following Bangladesh’s firm stance, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the competition, citing logistical constraints. The ICC meeting is expected to address the growing impasse among member boards and assess its potential impact on the tournament.

Using modern technology, the RMP Cyber Crime Unit was able to identify andrecover a total of 75 lost mobile phone sets. Based on general diaries filed at the respective police stations, the Cyber Crime Unit conducted technical investigations to trace and recover thephones. The Police Commissioner later formally handed over the recovered mobile phones to their actual owners. The recipients of the recovered mobile phones expressed their gratitude to the RMP for this initiative. According to them, this people-friendly and technology-based effort not only helped recover lost mobile phones but also strengthened public trust and confidence in the police.

DHAKA, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS) - A mini truck hijacked by armed robbers in the early hours of Saturday was recovered within an hour and a half following a swift response coordinated through the National Emergency Service 999. He informed the emergency service that the vehicle was fitted with a GPS tracker accessible to the owner. Upon receiving the call, 999 immediately contacted the vehicle's owner and alerted Gazipur Metropolitan Police Control Room, Gazipur District Police Control Room, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Control Room. The mini truck was eventually recovered from beneath the Charsindur Bridge in Muktarpur Union, Kaliganj. The rapid recovery highlights the effectiveness of coordinated action between the 999 emergency service and police units across multiple jurisdictions.

The government has imposed nationwide restrictions on vehicle movement ahead of the 13th national election and referendum scheduled for Thursday. Under the restrictions, motorcycle movement will be completely banned across the country for three consecutive days, starting from 12am on Tuesday. In addition, all types of vehicle movement will be suspended nationwide from 12am on Wednesday until 12am on Thursday, the day of voting. This restriction will be in force for 24 hours, from 12am on Wednesday to 12am on Thursday. District magistrates or metropolitan police commissioners will have the authority to tighten or relax the restrictions further, depending on local conditions.

"DP World expressed its appreciation for the negotiation progress achieved thus far. Despite the positive feedback on the process, Ashik Chowdhury noted that DP World has requested additional time to review the Draft Concession Agreement. The primary entities involved in this project-specific partnership are the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and DP World, he added. Ashik Chowdhury, however, said that improving Bangladesh's port efficiency and infrastructure is important for successful LDC graduation and attracting foreign investment. Ashik Chowdhury stressed that deep national interest issues, such as port development, should be mandatory and require political consensus.

DHAKA, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS) - Team Aparajeyo lifted the CCDM T20 Challenge Cupafter cruising to a five-wicket win over Team Agrani in the final game todayat Cricketers Academy Ground. The eight-team tournament saw Aparajeyo won six matches from seven in thegroup phase two move to the final while Agrani won five. Team Odommo also wonfive but Agrani edged out them with better run rate to confirm the finalagainst Aparajeyo. Tawsif Ahmed (18) and Safayet Ifty (20) showed somefight to steady the innings but Agrani bowlers hit back by dismissing theduo, further reeling Aparajeyo to 69-4. When Agrani appeared to be in control, Touhid and Rifat shared a 70-runpartnership for the fifth wicket, to dash their hopes.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday said that the state has been ruined by corrupt people and a responsible government must be formed to restore it. The BNP leader urged people to participate in a proposed referendum, stating that it would reveal who truly supports reforms. Mirza Fakhrul outlined BNP’s promises and said, “Through your vote, I want to work for Thakurgaon. Our leader, Tarique Rahman, has stated that the first step will be to provide family cards to five million mothers. “Within one and a half years, one million unemployed people will get job opportunities,” Fakhrul said.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has directed authorities to take action to prevent forgery and use of fake skills training certificates in order to protect Bangladesh’s reputation in the global labour market. He said that while there is strong global demand for Bangladeshi workers, the reputation of the country’s workforce is being harmed due to forged certificates and fraudulent practices in skills training. He made the remarks on Sunday while presiding over a meeting of the Governing Body of the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka. Warning that skills development initiatives would fail if employers lose confidence, he stressed that all forms of certificate forgery must be stopped. Emphasizing the importance of building the country’s brand image, the Chief Adviser said employers should be able to say with confidence that workers coming from Bangladesh will perform well.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen met with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today. Photo: US EmbassyDHAKA, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS) - US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensenmet with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today and discussedissues of bilateral relations. "Excellent meeting with the Advisor for Foreign Affairs Md. Touhid Hossain. We had a productive discussion on key elements of our bilateralrelationship," Christensen said according to the US embassy here.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed a ban on all types of meetings and gatherings in and around the residence of the chief adviser, Jamuna, as well as the Bangladesh Secretariat area. In a public notice issued on Sunday, DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali stated that the decision was taken to maintain law and order and ensure the security of the chief adviser. The ban will come into effect from Monday (February 9), and will remain in place until further notice.The restricted area covers the government residence of the chief adviser, Bangladesh Secretariat and its adjoining areas, as well as nearby locations including the InterContinental Hotel intersection, Kakrail Mosque crossing, Officers’ Club crossing, and the area between Minto Road crossing.