Tanvir-Raihan | Daily Observer

National Election 2026

Campaign on to woo rural voters through road shows, music

Tanvir Raihan

As the country moves closer to a decisive 13th Jatiya Sangshad election, the contest for public opinion has reached deep into rural Bangladesh - not through fiery speeches or televised debates, but through song. From riverbanks to remote village courtyards, vote-focused campaign music set to catchy folk tunes and modern rhythms now echoes across the ...

Only a credible Feb 12 poll can ensure democratic transition: Analysts

Tanvir Raihan

As the country moves toward what many see as its most consequential political moment in decades, an unusual consensus is taking shape across ideological divides: the country's democratic future now rests almost entirely on the credibility of its next national election. With 2026 increasingly viewed as a decisive turning point, political thinkers, academics, journalists, and ...

Tea garden workers' woes in winter know no bounds

Tanvir Raihan

Biting cold with dense fog is felt in Srimangal during this winter. Tourists stroll along manicured paths, sipping tea at luxury resorts, and delighting in the crisp winter air. To them, Srimangal is a picture of serenity and beauty, a winter paradise.But beyond the picturesque hills lies a harsher reality as temperature plunged to 7°C, ...

Dream rail link stuck at the platform

Tanvir Raihan

For residents of northern Bangladesh, the proposed Sirajganj-Bogura railway line has long symbolised hope-of faster travel, stronger trade links and long-overdue regional integration. Touted as a "dream project," the rail corridor was expected to transform connectivity between Dhaka and the northwest. Yet more than seven years after its approval, construction has not begun, and the ...

GOP in turmoil over seat-sharing with BNP

Tanvir Raihan

With the 13th National Parliamentary Election looming, Gono Odhikar Porishod (GOP) is grappling with one of the most turbulent periods in its recent history. The party's leadership decision to negotiate a seat-sharing deal with the BNP, despite earlier resolutions to contest independently, has triggered widespread frustration among local leaders and activists, exposing deep divisions within the ...

BNP plans strict actions against rebel candidates

Tanvir Raihan

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has declared that it will take strict action against rebel candidates and party workers who defy party policies or undermine party nominated candidates. The party's top leadership is actively monitoring such activities and has devised measures to maintain discipline, cohesion, and electoral unity ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election.BNP ...

Firoza falls silent

The grief-stricken house in Gulshan echoes the legacy of Khaleda Zia

Tanvir Raihan

In the heart of Dhaka's Gulshan Diplomatic Zone, the residence known as Firoza stands in profound silence. Once the home and political sanctuary of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, the house now feels emptied of life following her passing. Guarded as it always has been, Firoza today is less a residence ...

Grief overflows beyond politics

After Khaleda Zia's burial beside her husband at Zia Udyan, thousands continue to gather in silent sorrow

Tanvir Raihan

By dawn, on Thursday, one day after the burial of Begum Khaleda Zia the air around Zia Udyan heavy with grief and mourning.Zia Udyan, where former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was buried on Wednesday afternoon after a massive funeral, continues to draw mourners in thousands-men and women united not by party ...

Seat-sharing rift threatens Islamist alliance

Tanvir Raihan

As Bangladesh heads toward its 13th National Election, an eight-party Islamist alliance that once projected unity through coordinated street protests is now confronting the toughest challenge of coalition politics: dividing parliamentary seats. Prolonged negotiations and competing ambitions have exposed growing internal tensions, raising doubts over whether the bloc can translate protest-era cohesion into a workable ...

8-party bloc moves toward consensus

Tanvir Raihan

As Bangladesh prepares for its upcoming national election, the eight-party political alliance has adopted a carefully calibrated electoral strategy aimed at preserving internal unity while maximizing its competitiveness at the polls. Rather than entering into a formal or written seat-sharing agreement, the alliance has decided to distribute constituencies through mutual understanding, a process that will be ...