Six die during voting in six districts

Six people have died at polling centres in Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Manikganj, Brahmanbaria and Gaibandha during voting in the general election and referendum, reports bdnews24.com.Five of them died after falling sick while one died after allegedly being pushed during a...

At the end of voting Thursday

At the end of voting Thursday, counting begins at the Rowshan Ara Jalil Girl's High School centre in Brahmanbaria. — Focus Bangla

Trump orders Pentagon to buy coal-fired electricity

WASHINGTON, United States, Feb 12 (AFP): US President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon on Wednesday to buy electricity from coal-fired plants, in his latest bid to boost an industry that is a major contributor to climate change.Surrounded by coal miners...

Today's matches_2026-02-13

Postman reaches poll office 3 minutes before deadline

A postman has travelled nearly 57km, partly on foot and partly by rickshaw, to deliver postal ballots just minutes before voting ended in the Feb 12 election and referendum.The incident occurred in Mymensingh's Haluaghat Upazila, a border area, said Salim...

Elderly voters brave barriers to vote

Defying age, illness and physical barriers, elderly voters were seen turning out in notable numbers across the capital on polling day. Many arrived supported by family members, determined to exercise what they described as a fundamental constitutional right.While their presence...

BNP blames low turnout on social media campaigns

The BNP on Thursday thanked the Election Commission, the armed forces, the interim government, law-enforcement agencies, and everyone involved in the 13th parliamentary polls and the referendum for arranging a good election. But it expressed concern over the low voter...

Global media hail peaceful BD polls

International media outlets have described Thursday's parliamentary elections in Bangladesh as largely peaceful and mostly free of violence, as vote counting progressed following the country's first national election since the 2024 mass uprising.Global coverage framed the election as a significant...

First-time voters turn out in force

First-time voters turned out in large numbers across the capital on Thursday, many expressing enthusiasm and high expectations for political and institutional change. For these young citizens, the 13th national election represents more than a routine exercise in democracy -...

Deaths in Iran's crackdown on protests reach at least 7,000, activists say

DUBAI, Feb 12 (AP): The death toll from a crackdown over Iran's nationwide protests last month has reached at least 7,002 people killed with many more still feared dead, activists said Thursday.The slow rise in the number of dead from...

Iran sacks local TV boss for seeking Khamenei's death

TEHRAN, Feb 12 (AFP): Iranian authorities have dismissed a provincial television director after a reporter appeared to call for the death of the country's supreme leader.The incident happened during Wednesday's live broadcast of the 47th anniversary of the Islamic revolution...

Syria takes over al-Tanf base vacated by US troops

DAMASCUS, Feb 12 (Reuters): Syria's Defence Ministry said on Thursday that Syrian army units had taken control of the al-Tanf military base vacated by U.S. troops, following coordination between Syrian and U.S. authorities.Reuters, quoting two sources briefed on the matter,...

Protests dog Israeli president's last day in Australia

MELBOURNE, Feb 12 (Reuters): Pro-Palestine protesters rallied in Melbourne on Thursday on the final day of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's trip to Australia, following protests in the capital Canberra and violent clashes between protesters and police in Sydney.Herzog is visiting...

18-yr-old woman identified as suspect

OTTAWA, Feb 12 (Reuters): The suspect in a deadly school shooting in western Canada was an 18-year-old woman with mental health issues who killed her mother and stepbrother before attacking her former school, police said on Wednesday, but investigators did...

Kim chooses teen daughter as heir, says Seoul

SEOUL, Feb 12 (BBC): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has selected his daughter as his heir, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday.Little is known about Kim Ju Ae, who in recent months has been pictured beside her...

Move to rescue European economy

BRUSSELS, Feb 12 (AFP): EU leaders will converge on a Belgian castle on Thursday as the bloc seeks ways to punch its economic weight on the global stage-faced with threats from China and the United States, and hamstrung by its...

Erosion along Kushiyara River puts Jagannathpur road at risk

SUNAMGANJ, Feb 12 (UNB): Along the restless banks of the Kushiyara River in Sunamganj's Jagannathpur upazila, a vital road is fighting a losing battle against erosion, leaving thousands of residents anxious as commuters risking their lives every day.The Jagannathpur-Barafechi road,...

Houses built for homeless stolen in Gaibandha

GAIBANDHA, Feb 12: Some 76 vacant houses out of the 110 built to shelter the homeless and the landless in Chandipur village of Gaibandha's Gobindaganj were stolen, leaving only concrete-made poles behind.The houses, built under the former government's Guchchagram project,...

Use of chemical fertilisers deteriorates soil quality in Pabna

PABNA, Feb 12: The quality of soil in Pabna's arable land has been deteriorating due to the use of chemical fertilisers and the resulting situation include abnormal rise of phosphorus and reduction of pH and organic matter in the soil,...

'Perhaps my last vote,' says Faridpur octogenarian voter

FARIDPUR, Feb 12 (UNB): On a quiet morning at the Government Pilot High School polling centre in Bhanga upazila under Faridpur-4, an elderly voter stood out on Thursday for his emotional words.Suruj Khan, 80, arrived at the polling centre slowly,...

Syndicate profits from illegal Rohingya settlements established razing hills

COX'S BAZAR, Feb 12: A well-organised syndicate has allegedly been running a lucrative rental business by establishing illegal Rohingya settlements outside the registered refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar, cutting down hills to create makeshift housing.During a...

An evening in Riyadh

"Welcome to Riyadh!" said the young immigration officer after stamping my passport with a smile. Before stamping, he wanted to know about my profession. Learning that I am a journalist and writer, he also wished to see if I am...

Mental health crisis of youth

The sharp rise in mental health struggles among young people is a growing yet often overlooked emergency worldwide. Across every region, youth are reporting increased levels of stress, depression, anxiety and emotional exhaustion. What was once hidden within individuals has...

Reviving Bangladeshi cinema through Santao

Recently, Bangladeshi actress Ainun Nahar won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the dramatic film Santao. The term "Santao," widely used in northern Bangladesh, refers to continuous rainfall lasting seven days. The film offers a...

A poster-free election and a lesson for Dhaka

Bangladesh voted in a national election without the familiar scene of posters plastered all over the wall, electric poles, footbridges, roadside trees, and public transports. This phenomenon is a first in the history of national elections in the country. The...

Those responsible for low CPI ranking must be held accountable

That Bangladesh is world's 13th most corrupt country among the 182 states assessed by the Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) is disgraceful. Only more so because the improved ranking from 2006 to 2017 could not be maintained! The highest ever score...

Bangladesh-US trade deal: prospects and pitfalls

The signing of a trade deal with the United States at the fag-end of the interim government's tenure has understandably raised many eyebrows, particularly because of its non-disclosure clauses. The limited information released so far suggests a mixed picture-one that...

AI challenges Bangladesh's promise of inclusion

For more than a decade, 'Digital Bangladesh' was not merely a political slogan; it functioned as a practical framework for governance, service delivery, and socio-economic transformation. Internet connectivity expanded rapidly, government services became digitised, and millions of citizens-many of them...

13TH NATIONAL ELECTION & REFERENDUM 2026

Almost all establishments, including banks, offices and shops, remain closed

Almost all establishments, including banks, offices and shops, remain closed due to the long-awaited 13th parliamentary election scheduled for today. The photo was taken in the Paltan area on Wednesday. — FE Photo