Warms up ties with China, Pakistan, tilts away from India

Italian deputy defence minister reaffirms support ahead of February 12 election and referendum

Following the merger of the health ministry’s two divisions yesterday, health authorities will now reorganise services at directorate and field levels to improve coordination and service delivery, officials said.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday said his party wants to build multi-storey buildings and hand over registered flats to long-time residents of Korail slum if it returns to power.

Activists of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami clashed in the capital’s Mirpur area yesterday over election campaigning, leaving several people injured.

As political parties prepare to unveil their election manifestos, migration experts have urged them to include clear and strong commitments to reform Bangladesh’s labour migration sector.

Police have disclosed the “real identity” of the man arrested in connection with six murders in Savar over the past seven months.

Police have arrested three people, including an army personnel, in connection with the abduction of Hasan Sikder Mehedi and assaulting his gunman, Mahbub Alam, who later died at Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

The University of Asia Pacific (UAP), which announced an indefinite closure on Monday, remained shut yesterday amid ongoing student protests over a controversial Facebook post, the subsequent termination of two faculty members, and demands for the vice-chancellor’s removal.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday announced a series of policy commitments at its “Policy Summit 2026”, outlining proposals on governance, taxation, social security, employment, education and healthcare, while pledging zero tolerance for corruption if it comes to power.

The BNP yesterday presented its eight priority social policies as immediate deliverables under its broader 31-point “state repair” plan, pledging reforms to make governance accountable, services accessible and opportunities equitable.

Even in Bangladesh’s fluid political scene, Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar stands out for his frequent shifts in loyalty.

Even after the deadline for nomination withdrawal ended yesterday, dozens of rebel BNP candidates remain in the race, while Jamaat-e-Islami-backed nominees have rivals from within their alliance in at least seven constituencies.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said the upcoming election would decide whether Bangladesh remains on a liberal democratic course or slips into the grip of what he described as extremist and anti-state forces.

305 aspirants withdrew candidacy, EC says

DNCC drafts house rent guidelines for the capital, incorporating 16 directives

Order issued following Jamaat application citing law-and-order concerns

Speakers at a discussion yesterday said political parties in Bangladesh must include clear commitments to ensure good governance in the power and energy sector in their election manifestos.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus yesterday directed authorities to recover weapons looted from the police before the upcoming national elections, stressing that the arms must be retrieved as quickly as possible by any means.

The United States sent back 36 Bangladeshi nationals yesterday.