Why A UK-Based Doctor Returned Home To Contest Elections In Bangladesh

Tasnim Jara, a 31-year-old doctor, returned from Britain to join Bangladesh's National Citizens' Party (NCP) but later quit over its alliance with Islamist groups. She is now contesting the parliamentary elections as an independent, driven by what she describes as a desire to build a "genuinely new political culture".

Jara said the July uprising had "opened a window" for people like her to enter politics and help reshape the system. That optimism, she said, dimmed when the NCP aligned itself with Islamist forces.

As voting concluded in Bangladesh's 13th parliamentary elections on Thursday, Jara told NDTV why this election matters to her and why it compelled her to return home.

One of the most talked-about candidates in this election, Jara's journey from the UK back to the bylanes of Dhaka has drawn wide attention.

Read | "Our Priority": Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami Chief To NDTV On India Ties

She said two factors pushed her into electoral politics. First, while her work as a doctor allows her to help many people, she believes it does not enable her to change the system itself. She wants to pursue lasting reforms in healthcare, education and governance. Second, she said she wants to challenge a political culture dominated by nepotism and corruption and replace it with transparency and accountability.

Jara said there is strong public enthusiasm for a different kind of politics, reflected in the response to her people-powered campaign. A campaign without large rallies or posters plastered across the city. She said voters connected with her door-to-door outreach and personal engagement.

Read | Killing Of Hindu Trader Sparks Minority Fears Ahead Of Bangladesh Polls

She added that the campaign holds particular significance for young Bangladeshis, as the election follows an uprising led largely by young people and women and marked by considerable sacrifice.

"We must make sure that we rebuild our institutions, and we never have to go back to a structure where authoritarianism can only be removed by people risking their lives or limbs," she said.

Jara is contesting as an independent candidate from Dhaka-9, where she faces stiff competition from BNP candidate Habibur Rashid. The constituency has 469,360 registered voters, with 12 candidates in the fray.

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NASA Successfully Tests Drag-Reducing Laminar-Flow Wing in Flight

NASA has successfully flown its 40-inch CATNLF laminar-flow wing model aboard an F-15B aircraft in January 2026. The test confirmed the drag-reducing design performs safely in flight. By maintaining smooth airflow over wings, the technology could improve fuel efficiency by up to 10 percent, lowering airline costs and reducing carbon emissions significantly.

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"Pak Will Have Advantage": India Coach's Stunning Take On T20 World Cup Clash

India were always mentally prepared to face Pakistan in the T20 World Cup league game and the neighbouring country's recent decision to end its boycott has only firmed up the team's focus on cricketing matters, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on Monday. "Yeah, first of all I think it's great that the game is back on," Ten Doeschate said about the match against the arch rivals. For Ten Doeschate, the players never had it in mind that they would get a walkover. "We kind of never changed the preparation that the game wasn't going to happen, we always had an impression that something would transpire and we would play, so it's not a big change in the way we go about things.

"I guess we got confirmation with the leg yesterday and early this morning that it started coming through that the game was going to go ahead and we'd like to have another chance to play against a quality side and it's good for the team," Ten Doeschate said.

Pakistan had earlier announced that it would skip the February 15 contest against India in Colombo citing government directives, but over the weekend the PCB conveyed to the ICC that the team would take part in all its scheduled matches, bringing an end to the uncertainty surrounding the marquee fixture.

Ten Doeschate said the Indian dressing room never allowed the off-field developments to affect its preparation.

"No, like I said, you know we kind of accepted that as a status quo and until we got there and they didn't show up we were assuming we were going to play," the former Netherlands captain told the media ahead of the game against Naimibia here on Thursday.

The South African-born coach reiterated that the players were consciously keeping away from the political discourse that has accompanied the contest.

"We're also trying to stay clear of all the politics. I've mentioned before about the sentiments of the country and the different politics between the two countries, but I think it's really important for us just to focus on the cricket side of things," he said.

Ten Doeschate, however, acknowledged that Pakistan could enjoy a logistical edge having already spent considerable time in Colombo.

"It's going to be a challenge going to Colombo where Pakistan have been for the last two weeks and we're fully focused on just bringing our best game to that fixture next week," he added.

India will play Namibia on Thursday here and Ten Doeschate believes that clarity over Pakistan's participation will allow both teams to approach the contest purely as a sporting rivalry.

With the ICC facilitating dialogue between the stakeholders to ensure the tournament proceeds smoothly, the focus now shifts firmly to the field where another high-voltage India-Pakistan encounter awaits.

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Video: Bengaluru SUV Driver Tries To Run Man Over, Drives With Him On Bonnet

Finding himself at the receiving end of abuse for 'blocking' an SUV driver's way in Bengaluru, a goods vehicle owner confronted him. Things escalated sharply from there, with the SUV driver trying to run the man over and then driving off at high speed with him on the bonnet, stopping only after several two-wheelers and cabs blocked the car.

A case of attempt to murder has been filed against the SUV driver, and he has been detained.

The First Information Report (FIR) states that Nanjunda, 36, a goods vehicle owner, was returning from Hoskote after purchasing flowers for his business on Wednesday and a relative, Manoj K, was at the wheel. Nanjunda said they had crossed Trinity Junction in the Halasuru area and were in the right lane with the indicator on as they wanted to turn right.

That's when a man driving a Maruti Suzuki XL6 began honking furiously. When he was told that they wanted to turn right, the driver reportedly drove alongside their vehicle and used expletives against Nanjunda.

Suresh, who was driving the Maruti Suzuki XL6, has been detained

When Nanjunda tried to confront the driver, identified as Suresh, at the next signal near HAL Airport Road (CB Road junction), he tried to flee. Nanjunda claimed he stood in front of the car to get him to stop, but Suresh tried to run him over, causing him to fall onto the bonnet.

A video shot from another car shows Nanjunda hanging on to the bonnet for dear life. As the XL-6 overtakes the car from which the video is being filmed, Nanjunda can be seen gesturing to Suresh and asking him to stop. Suresh doesn't even slow down, however, and the SUV overtakes a few other vehicles.

Several other people called out to Suresh, but he kept driving. A few cab drivers and two-wheeler riders intercepted and blocked the XL-6, finally bringing it to a halt near the ASC Centre and College.

Officials said a case of attempt to murder, among other sections, has been registered against Suresh, and he has been detained.

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James Webb Telescope Finds Galaxies Nearly as Old as the Early Universe

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed early galaxies that appear almost as old as the universe itself. By analyzing 31 galaxies at high redshift, researchers estimated stellar ages of around 600 million years—close to the universe’s age at that epoch. One galaxy may even seem older than the universe, posing a potential challenge to the standard Lambda-CDM cosmological model if confirmed.

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When Big B Spoke About Rajpal Yadav's Struggles At Ata Pata Laapata Event

A decade-old moment of admiration involving Amitabh Bachchan and Rajpal Yadav has resurfaced amid the latter's ongoing legal troubles.

What Amitabh Bachchan Said About Rajpal Yadav

At the music launch of Rajpal Yadav's film Ata Pata Laapata in 2012, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan made a special appearance. Speaking at the event, he said, "I feel very honoured that Rajpal has invited me here today and I have had the good fortune of working with him in the past."

He also acknowledged the struggles Rajpal had faced throughout his journey in the film industry and praised his dedication to his craft. 

Inside Rajpal Yadav's Decade-Long Legal Battle

Rajpal Yadav's legal troubles began in 2010, when he borrowed around Rs 5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. The film failed to perform at the box office, resulting in heavy financial losses and limited returns.

Unable to repay the loan, Rajpal faced mounting interest, penalties, and delayed payments, which eventually pushed the outstanding amount to nearly Rs 9 crore. In an attempt to settle the dues, he issued several cheques to the lender. These cheques were later dishonoured, leading to criminal proceedings under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

In April 2018, a magisterial court convicted Rajpal Yadav and his wife in multiple cheque bounce cases and sentenced him to six months in prison. The verdict was upheld by a sessions court in 2019, following which the matter reached the Delhi High Court.

Over the years, he was granted several extensions to repay the amount in instalments. While he made partial payments and offered repeated assurances, the court observed that he consistently failed to follow the agreed timelines.

The court noted that he was required to pay Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him and directed that the amount deposited with the Registrar General be released to the complainant. In October 2025, two demand drafts of Rs 75 lakh were submitted, but nearly Rs 9 crore remained unpaid.

In June 2024, the High Court temporarily suspended his conviction on the condition that he make sincere efforts to reach an amicable settlement. These efforts were later found to be ineffective.

On February 2, 2026, the Delhi High Court directed Rajpal Yadav to surrender before jail authorities by 4 pm on February 4, observing that his repeated breaches of undertakings deserved strong criticism.

On February 5, 2026, Rajpal Yadav appeared in person before the court. His counsel informed the judge that he was ready to submit a demand draft of Rs 25 lakh and follow a fresh payment schedule. Despite the offer, the court declined to reconsider its order, stressing that compassion must be balanced with discipline and that no special treatment could be given based on professional background.

Later the same day, Rajpal Yadav surrendered at Tihar Jail and began serving his six-month sentence. 

ALSO READ: Why Is Rajpal Yadav In Tihar Jail? Rs 9-Crore Cheque-Bounce Case Explained

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Nvidia GeForce Now for India Hands-On: Built to Impress

Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service has been available globally for a while. It sure makes a solid case for the continued need to invest in expensive gaming hardware for playing games. With the ongoing memory crisis, many could benefit from such a cloud gaming service, which is available in both free and paid tiers. But how does it work in India? We got a chance to try it out and came out impressed.

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