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

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman yesterday pledged to stand by the residents of Korail Slum and work to improve their living conditions, saying his politics is centred on improving the lives of ordinary people.

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.

The Supreme Court administration has imposed restrictions on the entry of litigants and other unauthorised individuals into the court premises, including courtrooms and the Supreme Court Bar Association building, citing growing security concerns and disruptions to judicial proceedings.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Accord Implementation Movement has urged all national political parties to include the full implementation of the CHT Peace Accord in their upcoming election manifestos.

An alleged criminal who had earlier escaped from jail was hacked to death by assailants in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi on Monday night.

Mithu Rajbonshi answered a call on his father’s mobile phone, only to hear an unknown voice tell him that his father, Gonga Choron Rajbonshi, had been shot by Border Guard Bangladesh personnel and was lying critically injured on the Rampura Bridge.

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.

Speakers at an event yesterday urged the Election Commission to take immediate steps to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities in the upcoming national election.

Around 500 shelters at a Rohingya camp in Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar were gutted in a fire yesterday.

A Dhaka court yesterday asked the Criminal Investiga-tion Department to submit a probe report by January 25 in a case filed over the killing of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.

Locals point to a long-running turf war between rival groups over control of the area