DHAKA, Feb 3, 2026 (BSS) - Registered Hajj pilgrims under both government and private initiatives will be able to apply for visas from February 8 through the Saudi Nusuk Masar system, with the process continuing until March 20. As per Saudi directives, the pilgrims must complete health check-ups and receive prescribed vaccinations to obtain a fitness certificate, which is mandatory for performing Hajj. All registered pilgrims, including expatriate Bangladeshis, must collect the fitness certificate by March 20 after undergoing health examinations and vaccinations at designated centres. Only then can they apply for visas through the Nusuk Masar system. The notification has been issued in the public interest with approval of the competent authority.

File PhotoDHAKA, Feb 03, 2026 (BSS) - The prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) today filed formal charges in separate cases, including one filed over the killing of seven youths in an alleged staged shootout in Gazipur in 2016. Confirming the matter to the newsmen, prosecution Gazi MH Tamim said the prosecution has filed a formal charge against 10, including former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammad Javed Patwary and former IGP AKM Shahidul Haque, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah, former CTTC chief Md Monirul Islam and former head of detective branch (DB) Harun Ur-Rashid. According to case documents, law enforcement agencies detained the seven youths from different parts of the country and kept them confined in a house in Gazipur in October 2016. They were later shot dead in cold blood and falsely branded as militants. Tamim further said that a formal charge was also filed in a case against former minister Rashed Khan Menon and Qamrul Islam over their alleged role in crimes against humanity committed during the July Mass Uprising.

DHAKA, Feb 3, 2026 (BSS) - The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed a temporary ban on fireworks, lanterns and explosives in the capital to ensure peaceful observance of the holy Shab-e-Barat. According to a notice issued by DMP Commissioner SM Sazzat Alid, all types of fireworks, bursting of crackers, flying lanterns and gas balloons, as well as the buying, selling, transporting and use of explosives, will remain prohibited within the DMP areas. The restriction will be effective from 6:00 pm on February 3, 2026, until 6:00 am on February 4, 2026, the notice said. The DMP urged city residents to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and celebrate Shab-e-Barat peacefully, maintaining law and order and upholding the sanctity of the religious occasion.

DHAKA, Feb 3, 2026 (BSS) - The government will sell milk, eggs, beef and dressed broiler at affordable prices throughout the holy month of Ramadan. A meeting, chaired by Livestock and Fisheries Adviser Farida Akhtar, decided that dressed broilers, milk, eggs and beef will be sold through mobile sales centers for 26 days from the day before Ramadan to 25 Ramadan. Under the programme, dressed broiler meat will be sold at Tk 245 per kg, pasteurized milk at Tk 80 per liter, eggs at Tk 8 per piece and beef at Tk 650 per kg. Divisional Directors and District Livestock Officers will also take initiatives to market these products at affordable prices in divisional and district cities outside Dhaka in coordination with local administrations. The number of sales centres will be increased in phases by determining permanent spots for mobile sales in coordination with local entrepreneurs and stakeholders.

The Quakers had been on a three-game losing streak, not surpassing 70 points in any of its matchups. The Quakers quickly went to work, establishing a lead in the first minute and never looking back. Despite its resurgence, Penn once again took control of the game, driving its lead back up to 11 points. Down the stretch, the Quakers were able to capitalize at the free-throw line, while Cornell struggled to generate clean looks. Halfway through Ivy play, the Red sits seventh in the standings, two games behind Yale, which boasts a 5-2 Ivy, 16-4 overall record.

The sudden increase in the city’s Haitian population in recent years came with well-documented challenges. “Outside of these two incidents our contact with the Haitian community has been in large part as victims of crime,” Driscoll said. • Keket: Our reporters sat down with a local restaurant owner concerned that immigration enforcement fears could close her business. • How we got here: We have been reporting on the growth of the Haitian population in Springfield and its effect on the community for years. • VIDEO: What to know about Haitian immigration in Springfield• VIDEO: Haitian immigrant community grows in Springfield

"Perform your duties with complete impartiality and professionalism during the forthcoming parliamentary national election," he said. The Home Adviser was speaking as the chief guest at a Coast Guard medal distribution ceremony held at the BCG Headquarters in Agargaon. The adviser mentioned that 3,585 Coast Guard members have been deployed as part of nearly 9 lakh law enforcement personnel nationwide to support the Election Commission. Chowdury reaffirmed the government's commitment to the modernization of the Coast Guard, noting ongoing initiatives to procure bulletproof high-speed boats, surveillance drones, and ground control stations. Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Nasimul Ghani and Coast Guard Director General Rear Admiral Md Ziaul Hoque, among others, were present.

Reading time: about 1 minutesAmid unrest against ICE, Ithacans joined the hundreds of demonstrations across the country. (Nathan Ellison/Sun Staff Photographer)UNITED TOGETHER | Local organizations, including Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America and the Tompkins County Workers’ Center, host the rally. (Nathan Ellison/Sun Staff Photographer)ICY OUTCRY | Braving the numbing cold, Ithacans rally and hold their signs high up in the air. (Adelaide Chow/Sun Staff Photographer)SHUT DOWN | Many downtown stores closed as part of an anti-ICE national shutdown on Friday, Jan. 30. (Nathan Ellison/Sun Staff Photographer)Sunbursts is the Photography Department’s weekly photo gallery varying in content from recent happenings.

Katie IstominJade Dubuche Jade Dubuche is a member of the class of 2027 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Madeleine Naumoff Madeleine Naumoff is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Nathan Ellison Nathan Ellison is a staff photographer and a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. Benjamin Leynse Benjamin Leynse is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board and can be reached at bleynse@cornellsun.com.

The Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 represents one of the most significant public health reforms in the country’s history. It is a national public health imperative. Against this backdrop, strengthening tobacco control is not a policy choice but an urgent necessity. Yet this landmark public health achievement now faces its most critical test. In this context, hesitation, dilution, or reopening of settled provisions would serve only commercial interests -- at the direct expense of public health.

Bangladesh has finalized its National Action Plan (NAP) for the Global Compact for Migration (GCM). The soft adoption of the GCM NAP underscores Bangladesh’s strong commitment to safe, orderly and regular migration and to protecting the rights of migrants, said the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Bangladesh. It was finalized following a multi-stakeholder consultation on Monday. Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment's Senior Secretary and Foreign Affairs Secretary Asad Alam Siam co-chaired the consultation meeting.

A 4.1-magnitude earthquake was felt in different parts of Bangladesh early Tuesday. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and India’s National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said the tremor struck at 4:36am. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department also confirmed the incident, saying the epicentre was in Kalaroa of Satkhira and the quake originated at a depth of 150 kilometres. Mild tremors were felt in Satkhira, Khulna, Jashore and adjacent areas. No casualties or damage were reported immediately.

As Bangladesh aims to revitalize its economy and attract fresh investment, the push for regulatory reform is not just timely, it is most essential. Responding to mounting pressure from both domestic business leaders and international development partners, the interim government started to talk about an ambitious reform program. I believe at the heart of this effort should lie the proposal to establish a “Regulatory Reform Commission (RRC)”, a dedicated body tasked with overhauling archaic rules and processes that constrain economic activity. This mismatch between policy and progress reinforces the case for a permanent reform commission. A well-functioning Regulatory Reform Commission can deliver just that -- not merely by cutting red tape, but by making the economy more adaptive, inclusive, and competitive in a fast-changing world.

Former kitchen manager is new owner of Union DinerDaniel McCarthy and wife Lynda plan to keep things the same and keep regulars happy

DHAKA, Feb 3, 2026 (BSS) - A mild earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale was felt in Southwestern part of the country in the early hours of today. A notification signed by assistant meteorologist of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) Farzana Sultana said the earthquake struck at 4:36am on Tuesday. The earthquake had a geographic location of 22.84ø north latitude and 89.01ø east longitude. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismology Centre (EMSC) and India's National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the epicentre of the quake was 150 km below the surface. Mild tremors were felt in Satkhira, Khulna and Jashore and adjoining districts in the early hours of today.