The government of Bangladesh has suspended the “Visa on Arrival” facility for all eligible countries, including Bhutan, with effect from January 15 to February 15, 2026. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade informed the general public that the Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Thimphu has officially conveyed that, said the Bhutanese Ministry in a formal notification. In view of this, all Bhutanese nationals intending to travel to Bangladesh during the above period are advised to apply for a visa in advance through the Embassy of Bangladesh in Thimphu prior to their travel, the notification reads. The Bhutanese Ministry advised all travellers to take note of this change and make necessary arrangements well in advance to avoid any inconvenience.  

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday raised serious concerns over the cancellation of candidates’ nomination papers on grounds related to dual citizenship, alleging inconsistency, selective enforcement and procedural overreach by election officials. The party also accused a rival political organisation of collecting voters’ personal data and alleged irregularities in the design and distribution of postal ballots, claiming these could undermine the fairness of the upcoming general election. At the same time, the BNP announced its support for a “Yes” vote in the referendum, describing itself as a pro-reform party and claiming credit for being the first to demand constitutional reforms. A four-member BNP delegation, led by Standing Committee member and Central Election Steering Committee Chairman Nazrul Islam Khan, placed the concerns before Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at a meeting at Nirbachan Bhaban. Other election commissioners and the EC senior secretary were present. Briefing reporters afterwards, Nazrul Islam Khan said the issue of dual citizenship had created widespread complications affecting candidates from multiple parties, not just the BNP. “The Constitution clearly states that once a person relinquishes foreign citizenship, he or she becomes eligible to contest elections,” he said. “The law requires an affidavit declaring citizenship status. There is no provision mandating submission of documentary proof of renunciation. Yet, in several cases, candidates have been disqualified on this ground.” He said some Returning Officers had declared candidacies invalid over the absence of such documents, while similar disqualifications were upheld during appeal hearings by the Election Commission. Nazrul Islam Khan noted that at least two Jamaat-e-Islami candidates had also lost their nominations on similar grounds, stressing that the review process must be applied equally to all contestants. “Over the past 15 to 16 years, many political activists were forced to stay abroad due to repression and some obtained foreign citizenship. Under the changed political circumstances, many have returned and formally relinquished that citizenship, making them constitutionally eligible to contest elections,” he said. “If such candidates are barred on technical or procedural excuses, it would be a gross injustice and would obstruct the competitive and fair election that the people are expecting.” He added that BNP candidates who had renounced foreign citizenship should not be deprived of their constitutional rights under any circumstances. On the referendum, Nazrul Islam Khan said the BNP would support a “Yes” vote. “BNP is a pro-reform party. We were the first to place reform proposals before the nation,” he said. Postal ballot concerns The BNP leader also alleged manipulation in the design of postal ballots, claiming that the party’s name and electoral symbol—the Sheaf of Paddy—had been placed along the fold line, making them less visible, while other parties’ symbols were positioned prominently. “We have clearly told the Commission that such a strategy must not be applied, particularly in overseas postal ballots, and that this anomaly must be corrected immediately,” he said. He further raised concerns over the distribution of postal ballots abroad, citing videos circulating on social media that purportedly show leaders of a particular political party handling large numbers of ballot papers in Bahrain. According to Nazrul Islam Khan, the Election Commission acknowledged the issue and said it had contacted the Bangladeshi ambassador in Bahrain, assuring that an investigation would be conducted and action taken if irregularities were found. Alleged voter data collection The BNP also alleged that a particular political party has been collecting voters’ national identity card details and mobile phone numbers across the country, calling the practice “unprecedented and suspicious”. “Such activities may be aimed at creating fake voters or influencing votes,” he said, adding that the collection of mobile financial service numbers could indicate the possibility of monetary inducements. The party urged the Election Commission to intervene, and the EC assured that necessary measures would be taken. Other members of the BNP delegation included Election Steering Committee Chief Coordinator Ismail Jabiullah, Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kajol and Dr Mohammad Zakaria. The Election Commission on December 11 announced the schedule for the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, to be held simultaneously on February 12, 2026. Of the 2,568 aspirants who submitted nomination papers for the 300 parliamentary constituencies, Returning Officers declared 1,842 nominations valid and 723 invalid, while the remaining applications were not examined during scrutiny. The EC began hearing appeals against the cancellations on Saturday and is set to dispose of a total of 645 petitions by January 18.

At least 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed in nationwide unrest, marking the first time authorities have acknowledged such a high death toll from a crackdown that has followed more than two weeks of protests, according to government officials. The unnamed official blamed what he called “terrorists” for the deaths of both protesters and security forces, but did not provide a breakdown of casualties. The unrest began on December 28 after the sharp fall in Iran’s currency and worsening economic conditions, and has grown into the biggest internal challenge to Iran’s clerical rulers in at least three years, amid heightened international pressure after Israeli and US strikes last year. On Monday evening, US President Donald Trump announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran, saying the levies would apply “immediately” to Iran’s trading partners that also trade with the United States. Tehran has not publicly responded, but China swiftly criticised the move. Iran exports much of its oil to China, with Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India among its other major trading partners, according to Trading Economics.  Trump has also said further military action is among the options he is weighing, having previously said the United States was “locked and loaded”. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday he believed Iran’s government would fall, describing what he called the regime’s “final days and weeks”.  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed Merz’s remarks, accusing Berlin of double standards and saying the German leader had “obliterated any shred of credibility”. Despite the scale of unrest and years of external pressure, Reuters reported there were no signs of fracture within Iran’s security elite. Authorities have sought a dual approach, describing protests over economic problems as legitimate while maintaining a harsh security response. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said officials were trying to listen to grievances even as they alleged some had sought to hijack protests.  Lawmaker Mohammadreza Sabaghian warned the government must address public dissatisfaction or similar events could return “with greater intensity”. Information has been difficult to verify amid communications restrictions. The UN human rights office said on Tuesday that phone services had been restored, but internet connectivity remained patchy after recent disruptions. US-based rights group HRANA said that by late Monday 10,721 people had been arrested, a figure Reuters said it could not independently confirm.  HRANA also reported that families gathered at Tehran’s Behesht Zahra cemetery on Monday, chanting protest slogans. Iranian officials have said they are keeping communication channels open with Washington.  White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that while airstrikes were among the options available, “diplomacy is always the first option” for Trump, adding that Iran’s private messages differed from its public stance. Araghchi said Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington but described them as incompatible with US threats.  He also said communications between him and US special envoy Steve Witkoff continued before and after the protests and remain ongoing.