United News of Bangladesh

After a resounding victory in the 13th parliamentary election, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman will address a press conference this (Saturday) afternoon. The press conference will be held at 3:00pm in the ballroom of Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. This will be Tarique Rahman’s first press conference after returning to the country following nearly one and a half decades abroad and after the BNP’s sweeping victory in the 13th parliamentary election. Tarique Rahman wins both Dhaka-17, Bogura-6 seats According to the unofficial results, the BNP won 209 seats in the parliamentary polls. Tarique Rahman was elected from Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies. Members of the party’s Standing Committee will also remain present at the press conference.  

Economist Mahbub Ullah on Wednesday expressed optimism that Bangladesh’s will be participatory and credible ones, saying there is no reason for voter turnout to fall below 60 percent if the overall situation remains stable. “I think the voter turnout in this election will not be less than 60 percent; it may even be higher. Although it is often said that the 87 percent turnout in 2008 was the highest in Bangladesh’s history, that election was controversial. I hope there will be no such criticism about the upcoming election,” he said. Mahbub Ullah was speaking at a discussion on the national election held at city a hotel, organised by the Foundation for Strategic and Development Studies (FSDS). He said there is concern in some quarters that the absence of the Awami League from the electoral contest could reduce turnout. However, the large number of people leaving Dhaka to cast their votes suggests that the party’s absence is unlikely to have a negative impact on voter participation, he added. Noting that people across the country are eagerly awaiting a fair election, he said political parties will bear a major responsibility to accept the results once announced. “There are high expectations among the people regarding this election. The next government must ensure that it does not fail to meet those expectations in any way,” he said. Referring to what he described as institutional deterioration during the Awami League’s over one-and-a-half-decade rule, the former Dhaka University economics professor said reviving weakened state institutions, including the economy, judiciary and administration, will be the biggest challenge for the incoming government. He also urged the new government to safeguard Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty while pursuing a positive new beginning. Speakers at the programme expressed multifaceted concerns over the country’s economic outlook, saying the next government will face immediate and significant challenges. They stressed the need for prioritising a clear economic action plan. Grameen Bank Chairman Abdul Hannan Chowdhury said prolonged economic mismanagement over the past 17 years has left the economy fragile and distressed. “All parties have announced ambitious pledges in their manifestos. But the first priority should be economic restraint.” Investment Corporation of Bangladesh Chairman Abu Ahmed, however, said that despite mounting economic challenges, the economy could rebound quickly if the new government adopts sound policies. Bangladesh Polls: Electioneering ends as parties leave voters with promises Security analysts at the event underscored the importance of ensuring robust security measures both on election day and in the post-election period. They stressed the need to assess preparedness to address any untoward incidents nationwide, beyond just securing polling centres. Former Additional Inspector General of Police Mazharul Haque said adequate preparation is essential to maintain law and order after the announcement of results. “Even if the situation remains manageable on polling day, a lack of preparation could lead to disorder once results are declared.” Emphasising security in rural areas as well as urban centres, former ambassador M Shahedul Haque said that a form of ‘mafia-style control’ has emerged in villages following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. He said the rising incidents of violence and extortion in rural areas must be addressed to ensure a credible election. Expressing concern over possible post-election reprisals against minorities, Prof Sukomal Barua of the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies at Dhaka University said minority communities fear potential attacks after the results. He urged the government and law enforcement agencies to prevent any such incidents at all costs. Former Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Anwarullah Chowdhury and FSDS Chairman Major General (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar also voiced hope for a free, competitive and inclusive election.

BNP on Wednesday described the incident at Saidpur Airport involving the arrest of a Jamaat district leader with a large amount of cash as a political conspiracy to ‘obstruct BNP’s inevitable victory’. “A quarter is trying to create various obstacles to prevent the BNP’s inevitable victory. This morning, we saw media reports that police detained the Thakurgaon district Jamaat ameer at Saidpur Airport after he travelled from Dhaka with more than Tk 50 lakh in cash,” said BNP’s Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amid. Speaking at a press conference at the BNP’s Gulshan election office, he raised questions about the source and intended use of the money at a time when banking and financial transactions remain largely closed to prevent illegal election spending. “When all business activities across the country have remained closed for four consecutive days, it does not require an expert to understand what business purpose such a large amount of money could serve. This clear violation of the code of conduct shows the political and moral bankruptcy of a disconnected political group and its attempt to exert unethical influence,” Mahdi said. He claimed that such incidents point to attempts at unlawful financial influence and moral manipulation of voters, which he said contradict anti-corruption rhetoric of Jamaat.  “It is fair to ask those who speak of justice and campaign against corruption how buying votes with money is consistent with their anti-corruption stance.” “There is no scope to view the Saidpur Airport incident as an isolated incident. Similar illegal and unethical financial activities have also been observed in Dhaka-15, the electoral constituency of the Jamaat ameer, as well as in many other parts of the country, including Cumilla, Noakhali and Khulna,” the BNP spokesperson said. In the past, he said, the leaders and activists of Jamaat went door to door across the country collecting voters’ mobile financial service numbers and voter IDs. Mahdi, however, said religious-minded people have already rejected any attempt to send illegal money through bKash, Rocket or Nagad or to lure people with promises of ‘tickets to paradise’. “We call upon the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies to further strengthen monitoring across the country against any attempt to buy votes with money,” he said. Citing media reports, Mahdi alleged that activists of Jamaat are gathering locally made weapons, bamboo sticks, pipes and stamps in many parts of the country to spread fear among voters. He also claimed that incidents of violence, sudden attacks, arson, voters’ intimidation and distribution of money have been reported in different districts, and many people involved in creating disorder and engaging in unethical activities in the electoral field had already been arrested by law enforcement agencies. As an example, Mahdi said, a tragic incident occurred in Nandigram of Bogura-4, where Khalta Machhram Union BNP president Masud Rana was seriously injured in an attack by identified Jamaat cadres. As the news spread that Masud Rana lost vision in his eye, he said the BNP leader’s mother suffered a stroke and passed away. He strongly condemned the painful incident and demanded swift justice, calling upon the Election Commission, returning officers and law enforcement agencies across the country to treat each such incident with the highest priority and take necessary measures. Mahdi also urged them to strengthen monitoring across the country to prevent any attempt to buy votes with money. He also called for vigilance against fake voting, saying voter identity must be properly verified in accordance with electoral rules where necessary. Jamaat leader Belal Uddin hospitalised after arrest ‘with Tk 74 lakh’ The BNP leader appealed to all political parties to help ensure a peaceful election atmosphere free from violence, fraud and irregularities, stressing that people’s participation is essential for restoring democratic rights. He called upon the country’s voters to come to polling centres early; he said the upcoming vote should reflect the will and victory of the people of Bangladesh. Several members of the BNP’s central election steering committee, including Prof Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, Atikur Rahman Rumon and Zubair Babu, were present at the briefing.

Law enforcement agencies will reach any polling centre within five minutes if any untoward incident occurred on election day, said Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner ANM Bazlur Rashid on Wednesday. ANM Bazlur said this while speaking at a press conference held at his office around 12pm over the overall preparations for the 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum in the Rajshahi division. “We have deployed law enforcers in such a way and are monitoring through technology that the possibility of any unwanted incident is minimal,” he said. There are 39 parliamentary constituencies in the Rajshahi division with a total of 16,377,096 voters. There are 5,504 polling centres in the division, including 1,767 identified as important. A total of 218 executive magistrates and 39 judicial magistrates will perform duties during the election. Besides, 1,04,066 members of different law enforcement agencies have been deployed, including 10,000 army personnel, 4,123 BGB members, 13,796 range police, 2,405 Rajshahi Metropolitan Police personnel, 1,006 RAB members and 72,736 Ansar members. On average, 2,668 law enforcers will be deployed in each constituency. BGB seizes arms consignment at Rajshahi Border To ensure voters’ security and transparency at polling centres and prevent untoward incidents, CCTV cameras have been installed at 5,266 centres and 2,318 body-worn cameras have been arranged, he added. Rajshahi Range DIG Mohammad Shahjahan, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dr Md Zillur Rahman and officials of various government departments were present at the press conference.  

The distribution of ballot papers and other election materials to polling centres began Wednesday morning, ahead of voting in the Bangladesh national election and referendum, which is set to start at 7:30 am Thursday. Presiding officers in charge of polling centres are receiving ballot papers and other materials, according to reports sent by UNB correspondents of different districts including Sylhet, Gazipur, Lalmonirhat, Chapainawabganj, Barishal, Habiganj, Faridpur and Cumilla . Ballot boxes, indelible ink, stamps and other necessary equipment were handed to the presiding officers of each centre after 9am. Earlier Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasiruddin said  all electoral materials including ballot papers have already been distributed to the returning officers for the respective constituencies and the ballot papers are currently being distributed to the polling centers. Distribution of ballot papers and election materials from assistant returning officers’ offices will begin on Wednesday morning and is expected to reach the polling stations by evening, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said at a press briefing on Tuesday. On February 2, the Election Commission started sending ballot papers with candidates’ names and symbols to returning officers. Other election materials were also sent across the country in phases along with the ballot papers. The materials were preserved at the offices of the returning officers and are now being delivered to polling centres a day before voting. UNB Barishal correspondent reports: 36 candidates are contesting across six constituencies. Khairul Alam Sumon, Barishal’s Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner, said all measures have been taken to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful election. “The delivery of ballot boxes, ballot papers, and other election materials will be completed today. We will not compromise on a neutral election under any circumstances,” he added. Sylhet Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Md Sarwar Alam formally inaugurated the distribution process around 10:30am, handing over materials to assistant returning officers and presiding officers. In Gazipur, 935 polling centers in five parliamentary constituencies are receiving materials under strict security. Sazzad Hossain, Assistant Returning Officer and Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Gazipur Sadar Upazila, said all preparations have been completed to ensure a free and fair election. Under the leadership of presiding and assistant presiding officers, ballot papers, ballot boxes, and other materials have been sent to the centers. “We hope voting will be conducted peacefully tomorrow,” he added. A total of 127,298,522 voters (in 299 constituencies) are eligible to cast their ballots in this election. Of them, 64,620,077 are male voters, 62,677,232 are female voters and 1,213 are third-gender voters. CEC Nasir Uddin reaffirms commitment to peaceful, credible elections The country has a total of 127,711,899 voters (in 300 constituencies) –64,825,154 males, 62,885,525 females and 1,220 third-gender. Nearly 800,000 officials will be engaged in election duties in more than 42,600 polling stations in the 299 constituencies, while nearly another 800,000 security personnel will protect the polling stations. Meanwhile, some 50,000 observers from 80 registered domestic organisations will monitor the election, while nearly 500 foreign observers are expected to oversee the election.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman spent a busy Tuesday after wrapping up his election campaigning by remaining engaged in organisational and coordination activities. Throughout the day, Tarique spoke over the phone with party leaders, activists and candidates across the country to take updates on the overall situation in different constituencies, said BNP Media Cell member Atikur Rahman Rumon. Rumon said the BNP chief arrived at his office around noon, where he also spoke with several foreign journalists and carried out organisational work. “The BNP chairman is currently working from his Gulshan office. Since morning, he has been receiving updates from candidates across the country and speaking directly with party leaders and activists. He wanted to know about the overall situation nationwide,” Rumon said in the afternoon. He said Tarique remained busy throughout the day, while the party’s election messages were also sent across the country through SMS and voice calls. In the evening, Rumon said, the BNP chief is scheduled to attend an exchange-of-views meeting with foreign journalists at a hotel in Banani. Tarique Rahman is leading BNP in the 13th parliamentary election. In this election, BNP’s electoral symbol, the ‘Sheaf of Paddy’, is contesting 291 seats, while the party has reached seat-sharing arrangements with like-minded parties in nine constituencies. Key in your hands, use it wisely: Prof Yunus tells voters Tarique conducted continuous electioneering that began on January 22 from Alia Madrasah in Sylhet. He later addressed election rallies in Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj, Narsingdi, Narayanganj’s Mouchak, Chattogram, Feni, Cumilla’s Chauddagram, Sonagazi, Daudkandi, Narayanganj’s Sonargaon, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Uttara in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Bogura, Rangpur, Sirajganj, Tangail, Barishal, Faridpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari and Dinajpur, as well as 14 constituencies in Dhaka. Overall, Tarique Rahman addressed 41 public rallies across Dhaka and other parts of the country over nine days. He formally wrapped up his election campaign by visiting the graves of his parents at around 11:00 pm on Monday.

Bangladesh’s February-12 national election is expected to be one of the most closely watched polls globally this year, with international media monitoring not only the results but also the conduct of the electoral process, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has said. In a Facebook post, Shafiqur Rahman said global attention is focused on whether the election will be held in a free, fair and credible manner. Outlining his vision for the country’s political culture, he said he wants a Bangladesh where political debate is driven by policies and ideas, rather than muscle power, and where voters are able to exercise their franchise without fear or pressure. The Jamaat Ameer said Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is no longer a marginal political force, claiming the party has now emerged as a mainstream political actor. Through a free and fair electoral process, the party would accept and carry out whatever responsibility the people assign to it, he added. State responsibility a sacred trust, not for personal gain: Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said that if his party were elected to power, he would be prepared to work with all political parties in the national interest, with the aim of ensuring political stability and good governance. He also said the public has the right to know whether the party’s main political opponents would respect the people’s verdict if they fail to win the election, play a constructive role in opposition, and continue to serve the country regardless of the outcome.

Highlighting the importance of a participatory nature of election, Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Bangladesh Ivars Ijabs on Tuesday said the general atmosphere and expectations are very hopeful with a positive electoral environment in place. "We have emphasised the participatory nature of the electoral process which is very much desirable," he told reporters, stressing the importance of inclusion of all communities, minorities and also participation of women in the electoral process. He said most of their interlocutors have emphasised that there should be a new page in the history of Bangladesh and its democracy. "I would say the electoral environment is very positive. The general atmosphere is very hopeful," Ijabs said. He, however, said there are many issues that they have discussed and reiterated that they remain neutral without getting involved in any political process. "We are here not to comment on Bangladesh’s politics. We are here to check and observe the process." In terms of the security situation, the chief observer said their overall perception is that the situation is still under control of the authorities. They deployed 90 short-term observers (STOs) to observe the election day proceedings in all 64 administrative districts of the country. The short-term observers will observe opening of polling centres, voting, closing, as well as counting of the ballots and the tabulation of results. “The short-term observers will be present in cities, towns and villages in almost every constituency. Their observations and reports throughout the day will be a critical element of our impartial and fact-based assessment of these historic elections,” Ijabs told reporters. With a total of 200 observers deployed across the country, he said they are contributing to the transparency of these historic elections. "This large and dedicated mission attests to the European Union’s unwavering commitment to the democratic governance of Bangladesh,” said the chief observer. The deployment of short-term observers builds on the work of 56 long-term observers, who have been in Bangladesh since mid-January, observing the pre-election environment, including preparations by the election administration, campaign activities, voter education efforts, and who have engaged with electoral stakeholders across the political and civil society spectrum. A delegation of Members of the European Parliament is further reinforcing the mission, and 35 locally recruited short-term observers from the diplomatic missions of the EU Member States, as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland are also joining the mission. At full strength, the EU EOM will comprise more than 200 observers, drawn from all 27 EU member states, as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland. The EU EOM will present its preliminary findings in a statement at a press conference, on February 14, in Dhaka. Security, voter participation, level playing field: EU's 3 areas of focus in election A final report, including recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented to the authorities after the completion of the entire electoral process. Both documents will be public and will be made available on the Mission’s website. The EU EOM is bound by a code of conduct, which requires strict neutrality and non-interference. It undertakes its work in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, endorsed under UN auspices in 2005.

The curtain fell on Bangladesh’s election campaign on Tuesday morning as political parties wrapped up weeks of intense electioneering.  In the final hours, leaders made a series of promises and pledges, leaving voters to reflect on those ahead of the February-12 national  election. The restriction on campaigning came into effect at 7:30am as per the parliamentary election code of conduct for political parties and candidates’ rule, 2025. According to the code of conduct, any political party, candidate or any person on their behalf can’t carry out any sort of electioneering three weeks before the balloting day and the electoral campaign must be completed 48 hours before the balloting starts. The official election campaign by political parties and candidates started on January 22 after the allocation of election symbols on the previous day. The voting in Thursday's election will start at 7:30 am and continue till 4:30 pm without any break. The 13th parliamentary election and referendum will be held on February 12 in 299 constituencies across the country using transparent ballot boxes and ballot papers. Voting will be held in 299 seats instead of 300 as the Election Commission cancelled the election in Sherpur-3 following the death of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate. Ban on Vehicular Movement The EC imposed restrictions on the plying of motorcycles across the country three days before and after the national election. Motorbike movement will remain prohibited from midnight on February 10 until midnight on February 13, according to the EC directives issued on January 27. Besides, the movement of four types of vehicles —trucks, microbuses, taxi-cab and motorcycles — will remain suspended for 24 hours on election day. Meanwhile, the restriction was also imposed on the movement of vessels on Election Day. Besides, no candidate or their supporters will be allowed to set up election camps or conduct campaigns within 400 yards of any polling station. Candidates or anyone on their behalf cannot use any vehicles to bring voters to the polling station on the voting day. Law Enforcers’ Deployment Nearly one million members from the armed forces and different law enforcement agencies remain deployed across the country for seven days from February 8 (Sunday) to maintain law and order as well as contain violation of electoral code of conduct in the referendum and parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12. Besides, 1,051 executive magistrates were deployed throughout the country for the seven days from February 8 to 14 to prevent and punish the violation of the election code. A total of 970,948 security persons were deployed from February 8 for election duty, according to the statistics of the Election Commission. The security personnel include 100,003 Army personnel, 5000 Navy personnel, 3730 Air Force members, 37,453 BGB personnel, 3,585 Coast Guard members, 187,603 police members, 9,349 Rab members, 576,483 Ansar and VDP members, 1922 BNCC cadets and 45,820 Chowkidar and Dafadar. According to a recent government circular, the armed forces, BGB, Coast Guard, Rab, police, Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and Ansar Battalions would work as mobile and striking forces to maintain peace and order in the election areas. BGB, Rab, APBn and Ansar battalions would operate on district, upazila and thana levels, while the Coast Guard would be deployed in coastal areas. Outside the metropolitan areas, a team of 16–17 police and Ansar members will be deployed at each normal polling station, while 17–18 personnel will be posted at every vulnerable polling station, according to the EC. In metropolitan areas, 16 security personnel –police and ansar members-- will be deployed at a normal polling station and 17 personnel at each vulnerable polling station. In remote areas of 25 districts, a team of 16–18 police and Ansar members will be deployed at each polling station. 1M Cast Votes by Post The Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, introduced an IT-supported hybrid postal balloting system, combining digital registration with manual voting, for expatriate Bangladeshis living in more than 120 countries for the first time. The new postal balloting system is also being used by government employees working outside their constituencies, polling officials and individuals under legal custody within the country. More than one million people have already cast their votes through postal ballots. As of 8:00pm on Monday, a total of 1,031,269 voters including 511,757 expatriates cast their votes through postal ballots in the 13th parliamentary election. A total of 1,528,131 voters, including 767,233 expatriates under the Out-of-Country Voting (OCV) programme and 760,898 government officials, polling personnel and prisoners under the In-Country Postal Voting (ICPV) programme, were registered for postal voting.  A total of 127,298,522 voters (in 299 constituencies) are eligible to cast their ballots in this election. Of them, 64,620,077 are male voters, 62,677,232 are female voters and 1,213 are third-gender voters. The country has a total of 127,711,899 voters (in 300 constituencies) –64,825,154 males, 62,885,525 females and 1,220 third-gender. Bangladesh Election: Over one million vote through postal ballots Nearly 800,000 officials will be engaged in election duties in more than 42,600 polling stations in the 299 constituencies on Thursday next, while nearly another 800,000 security personnel will protect the polling stations. Meanwhile, some 50,000 observers from 80 registered domestic organisations will monitor the election, while nearly 500 foreign observers are expected to oversee the election. The Election Commission announced the election schedule on December 11 last year to hold the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026.

Nearly 35% of the 2,026 candidates contesting the 13th parliamentary election, or 707 individuals, have no publicly available income tax records, according to data from civil society organisation Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN). The findings were presented on Saturday at a press conference held by SHUJAN at the Jatiya Press Club, highlighting data on candidates contesting the election. Under Bangladesh’s election regulations, candidates must submit proof of filing income tax returns (ACK Receipt) along with their nomination papers. However, the disclosure of spouses’ or children’s tax information is not mandatory. SUJAN’s analysis showed that among political party candidates, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) nominees were the most compliant with tax rules, followed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidates, while independent candidates ranked third. Of the 1,319 candidates who did pay income tax, 479 (36.3%) paid Tk 5,000 or less. Meanwhile, 358 candidates (27.1%) paid more than Tk 1 lakh, and 116 candidates (5.7%) paid over Tk 10 lakh. An additional 132 candidates submitted only Tax Identification Number (TIN) certificates without filing returns. Regarding declared annual income, 832 candidates – about 41% – reported earning below Tk 5 lakh, while 95 candidates declared annual incomes exceeding Tk 1 crore. Compared with the 12th National Parliamentary Election, the proportion of candidates earning below Tk 5 lakh has declined slightly from 45% to 41%, while those earning above Tk 1 crore dropped from 8.77% to 4.59%. NBR extends income tax return deadline again SHUJAN data further shows that 741 candidates earn between Tk 5 lakh and Tk 25 lakh annually, 132 earn between Tk 25 lakh and Tk 50 lakh, and 71 earn between Tk 50 lakh and Tk 1 crore. A total of 155 candidates did not disclose their income in their affidavits. Among those earning more than Tk 1 crore, 51 are BNP nominees, 25 are independents, and five are from the Jatiya Party. The organisation also listed the top 10 highest-earning candidates. Leading the list is BNP candidate Zakaria Taher of Cumilla-8, with an annual income of around Tk 60 crore. Independent candidate Md Asadul Islam of Tangail-1 follows with about Tk 40 crore, while Zakir Hossain Patwari of Islami Andolan Bangladesh in Lakshmipur-1 ranks third with nearly Tk 19 crore. Other candidates in the top 10 include BNP’s Mirza Abbas (over Tk 9 crore), independent Salauddin Alamgir (over Tk 8 crore), BNP nominees Salahuddin Ahmed, Md Jasim Uddin, Kaiser Kamal, independent Shafikul Islam Rahi, and BNP nominee Redowan Ahmed, whose incomes range from Tk 4 crore to Tk 6.5 crore. SUJAN noted that income tax compliance has improved since the previous election, rising from 47.3% to 65.1%. Feb-12 election a mandate to restore people’s rights, rebuild nation: Tarique SHUJAN Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar cautioned that lax enforcement by the Election Commission could create complications and potential legal challenges. “There is a clear requirement to submit income tax returns,” he said. The written speech at the programme was presented by SHUJAN Central Coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarker. Treasurer Syed Abu Naser Bakhtiar Ahmed was also in attendance.