DHAKA, Feb 4, 2026 (BSS) - BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas today said people from all walks of life regardless of their religious identity should come forward to build a beautiful and peaceful Bangladesh. "In Bangladesh, there are no minorities or majorities. All are equal citizens with equal rights," said Mirza Abbas, also the BNP nominated candidate for Dhaka-8 constituency. He made the remarks while exchanging views with members of the Christian community at St. Mary's Cathedral in Kakrail of the city. He later carried out door-to-door campaign in the Kakrail area. Mirza Abbas said that the time for election campaigning is very limited, noting that campaigning within just 21 days is a first-time experience in his long political career. He added that in the past he had not received any complaints from the Christian community. He assured them that if they ever need support in the future and remember him, he will stand by them. Mirza Abbas further said that although St. Mary's Cathedral and several other religious institutions were not previously included in his constituency, recent boundary delimitation has brought them under the Dhaka-8 constituency. He said that although people of different religions live in Bangladesh, the Christian community is comparatively small in number. However, the Christian community in the country lives a peaceful and harmonious life and has no conflict with others.  He thanked the leaders of the Christian community for their role in maintaining peaceful coexistence. Mirza Abbas said that they should not underestimate themselves thinking their number of votes is small. Even a single vote is extremely important and can inspire others to cast their votes. He called upon people of all communities including the Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others to vote in his favor and requested them to encourage their acquaintances to participate in voting as well. Expressing gratitude to the organizers for inviting him to the programme, Mirza Abbas expressed hope that he would emerge victorious with the combined votes of Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian communities of the Dhaka-8 constituency.  

By Md Aynal Haque RAJSHAHI, Feb 5, 2026 (BSS)- As the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election approaches, political tensions are steadily rising across the Rajshahi region.  Although candidates from various parties are contesting in Rajshahi’s six constituencies and the surrounding areas, voters say the main fight will largely be between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.   In Rajshahi-1, the election campaign of the sheaf-of-paddy candidate, retired Major General Sharif Uddin, began campaign in Jhumarpara in Badhair Union today. From village lanes and courtyards to roadsides, people’s eyes reflected hope and their voices carried a call for change.  Shaking hands and listening attentively to people’s grievances, he said this struggle is not for power, but for human rights and dignity.   Meanwhile, during an election campaign in Dhurail Union of Mohanpur Upazila on Wednesday morning, BNP candidate Advocate Shafiqul Haque Milon said that if the BNP comes to power, its future foreign policy will be based on standing eye to eye with others.  Emphasizing that Bangladesh will not bow its head to anyone, he said the fallen government had surrendered everything to India, putting Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty at risk.  BNP, he asserted, would follow the policy of friendship with all, domination by none.  He added that BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman has pledged to build the Padma Barrage for the development of the country and Rajshahi, noting that India’s Farakka Barrage has turned the northern region into a semi-desert.  To reverse this, canal excavation and dredging of the Padma River would be undertaken to ensure water flow.   In Rajshahi-3 (Paba–Mohanpur), considered a key constituency in Rajshahi politics, electioneering around the scales symbol has intensified ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election.  Reporting a strong response during campaigns, the Jamaat candidate Abul Kalam Azad said, “In the future, Bangladesh will be governed on the basis of the July Charter. The referendum is not just a vote—it is a vote to change Bangladesh’s next hundred years and to break the long-standing chains of servitude.”  He made these remarks on Wednesday evening at Nawhata College Mor, during the inauguration of a campaign vehicle for the ‘Yes’ vote under the slogan “Vote Yes in the Referendum for Change.”    The formal inauguration of the campaign vehicle will be conducted by Rana Islam, the younger brother of July mass uprising martyr Ali Raihan.  In his inaugural speech, Professor Abul Kalam Azad said the referendum was organized to amend the constitution and to build a Bangladesh based on justice and fairness. In the past, constitutional amendments had bound the country in chains of subjugation; this referendum, he said, would pave the way for an independent, just, and humane Bangladesh.   In Rajshahi-4 (Bagmara), the electoral picture is becoming clearer day by day. Based on ground realities, voter response, and statistical analysis, political observers believe there is a strong possibility of a clear and landslide victory for the scales symbol this time. Jamaat-e-Islami–nominated MP candidate Dr. Abdul Bari Sardar recently said in a video message that people do not want unrest; they want peace. Local voters do not see his confidence as mere political rhetoric; having long stood by ordinary people through medical services, he has earned wide acceptance in the area.  In Rajshahi-5 (Durgapur–Puthia), leaders of the Rajshahi District and Durgapur–Puthia Upazila committees of the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) submitted a memorandum to BNP-nominated candidate Professor Nazrul Islam Mondal after an exchange of views. BAPA and the Bangladesh Poribesh Network (BEN) jointly gathered grassroots proposals and recommendations through conferences, and called for the inclusion of climate and environmental issues in party election manifestos nationwide, as well as in constituency-specific manifestos of candidates. In Rajshahi-6 (Charghat–Bagha), Jamaat-e-Islami’s scales-symbol parliamentary candidate, Principal Nazmul Haque, said that corruption is Bangladesh’s foremost problem and that the country has lagged behind because of it.  If Jamaat-e-Islami is elected, he said, the first priority will be to eliminate corruption—Insha’Allah.