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.

HONG KONG (AP) — Jimmy Lai , the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media tycoon and a fierce critic of Beijing , was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison in the longest punishment given so far under a China-imposed national security law that has virtually silenced the city’s dissent. Lai was one of the first prominent figures to be arrested under the security law in 2020. “It signifies the total destruction of the Hong Kong legal system and the end of justice,” he said. Hong Kong ranked 140th out of 180 territories in the press-freedom index compiled by media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders in 2025, far from its 18th place in 2002. “Obviously, he has done nothing good for Hong Kong that could serve as a basis for his mitigation,” he told reporters.

That’s where Vonn went down. It happened there but it could have been in another.”Mandatory air bag inflated under Vonn’s racing suitWhen she came to a stop, Vonn’s skis were facing in opposite directions, still attached to her bindings. The mandatory safety air bag inflated under her racing suit during the crash, supplier Dainese confirmed to the AP. The air bag, which is triggered by a complicated algorithm when racers lose control, may have softened her landing. It was evident that the air bag had opened, because Vonn’s chest appeared puffed out when she was lying on the snow.

This shift helped keep marriage rates stable even as campus gender balances shifted. But that adjustment that helped college women maintain stable marriage rates has had spillover effects for non-college women. As college women increasingly partnered with these men, the pool of financially stable partners for non-college women shrank. In areas where most non-college men are employed, marriage rates for non-college women are higher, Chambers explained. Marriage trends reflect more than economic trends alone, and it remains unclear whether strong economic conditions would be enough to reverse them.

Reading time: about 3 minutesThe Student Assembly approved $50,000 in funding for the ALANA Intercultural Board at their Feb. 5 meeting and moved forward with six other funding requests from student organizations across campus. These funding requests will be filled through the Student Assembly’s Special Projects Fund, a resource designated to provide financial support for on-campus activities and student organizations. Kotlikoff and his administration are responsible for responding to Assembly proposals within 30 days, according to the Student Assembly charter. Although the unseated members will remain formally listed on the Assembly, the action strips them of their voting privileges, significantly limiting their ability to participate in Assembly decision-making. Unseated members must be voted back into the Assembly before they are able to vote on future motions.

Reading time: about 7 minutesThe Employee Assembly responded to a presentation by Cornell’s Committee on the Future of the American University and voiced concerns for staff welfare amid the University’s ongoing financial austerity measures in a meeting on Wednesday. The committee discussed goals to enhance the University’s undergraduate and graduate education, research and public outreach. And so thinking about the future of the American university, how do we fit into that narrative?”Kruser also raised concerns about staff welfare in Cornell’s Cooperative Extension program. Although several other members voiced similar concerns, E.A. Employee representatives will have an opportunity to submit topics for discussion and ask questions at the meeting.