The Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued nine fishermen who were stranded in the deep sea near Saint Martin after their fishing boat’s engine failed. The rescue took place on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, as confirmed by Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq. The incident occurred the previous day, about 10 nautical miles from Saint Martin, when the boat became adrift. The Coast Guard was alerted through the emergency service number 16111.

Following the alert, the Coast Guard vessel ‘Joy Bangla’ launched a special rescue operation in the area. All nine fishermen were found alive and brought to safety along with their boat. They were provided with food and medical assistance before being handed over to the boat’s owner.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq stated that the Coast Guard will continue similar rescue operations in the future to ensure the safety of fishermen at sea.

A court in Karnataka, India, has sentenced three men to death for the gang rape of two women, including an Israeli tourist, and the murder of a local youth. The verdict was delivered on Monday, February 16, 2026. The case stemmed from an incident in March of the previous year in Koppal district, where five tourists were attacked. The victims included two Indian nationals from Maharashtra and Odisha, an American tourist, an Israeli tourist, and the owner of a local homestay.

According to reports, the homestay owner had taken the tourists sightseeing when the accused—Mallesha (Handimalla), Saikumar, and Sharanbasavaraj—blocked their path on motorcycles, citing a financial dispute. The confrontation escalated into violence. The attackers allegedly threw three male members of the group into a canal and raped the two women. One man was killed on the spot after being hit with stones, while another drowned.

The court found the accused guilty of gang rape, murder, attempted murder, robbery, and extortion. Judge Sadananda Nagappa Naik imposed the death penalty under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and ordered life imprisonment for the rape convictions.

Law enforcement authorities have arrested Hedayet Ali Shah Fakir, chairman of Itakhola Union Parishad in Nilphamari Sadar upazila, who recently joined the BNP. He was a former vice president of the district Krishak League and had been wanted in multiple murder and sabotage cases. Police detained him from his home in Itakhola village on Tuesday afternoon under the leadership of Officer-in-Charge Zillur Rahman.

According to local sources and case records, Fakir was known as a close associate of former cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor during the previous autocratic regime. He was accused of attacking opposition agents during the 2018 national election, embezzling money from locals with false job promises, and aiding in the persecution of opposition activists. He was also named in the 2013 Ramganj Tragedy murder case and several cases related to violence and arson during the July 2024 mass uprising.

Police stated that Fakir is being interrogated for information on other violent incidents, and legal proceedings will follow through the court.

Police in Dhamoirhat upazila of Naogaon have arrested butcher Md. Entajul, 55, for allegedly slaughtering a dog and attempting to sell its meat as goat meat. Local residents detained him in the Nanai area on Monday night and handed him over to police. Another accused butcher, Dulu Mia, 57, remains at large. The incident occurred early Sunday when the two men reportedly slaughtered a dog in a potato field in the Mangalbari area and tried to sell about 25 kilograms of the meat at the local market.

According to eyewitnesses and police, locals discovered the act and the accused fled, leaving behind the meat. Police later recovered a dog’s head, skin, and the meat from the scene. A case was filed under the Safe Food Act against both suspects for attempting to sell dog meat as goat meat. Entajul was sent to court custody on Tuesday afternoon, while efforts to arrest the other suspect are ongoing.

Authorities said the investigation continues to locate the fugitive accused and ensure legal action under food safety laws.

A human chain was held on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in front of Parerhat Rajlaxmi Secondary School and College in Indurkani upazila of Pirojpur district. The protest was organized by teachers and students demanding justice for the knife attack on Mahiyuddin Mallik Nasir, the governing body president of the institution and former convener of BNP’s Pirojpur Sadar upazila unit, and his nephew Riaz Uddin Mallik Nipu.

Acting principal Mostafa Talukder called for the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved, noting that the attackers had not yet been identified by authorities. The participants urged law enforcement to bring the perpetrators under legal action without delay.

According to the report, the attack occurred late Sunday night, February 15, near Parerhat bus stand, leaving both victims seriously injured. They were rescued by locals and admitted to Pirojpur District Hospital. The incident has caused tension in the area, with residents demanding swift justice.

Unidentified assailants detonated a crude explosive device at the home of Mofizul Islam Munna Dhali, chairman of Ekhlaspur Union Parishad and a local leader of the Swechchhasebak Dal, in Matlab North, Chandpur. The incident occurred late Monday night, when a loud explosion was heard near his residence. Police later recovered two chocolate bombs, a burial shroud wrapped in polythene, and other materials from the scene. A note containing death threats directed at the chairman was also found, warning of severe consequences.

Police officials, including Assistant Sub-Inspector Moniruzzaman Monir and Officer-in-Charge Md Kamrul Islam, confirmed that the recovered items were being examined and that an investigation was underway to identify those responsible. They stated that the matter was being treated seriously, with additional patrols deployed in the area to maintain order. Local residents reported panic following the explosion, with many leaving their homes in fear.

Authorities said efforts to uncover the motive and apprehend the perpetrators are continuing, while the overall law and order situation remains stable under increased police surveillance.

At least six people were killed in a severe road accident in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Monday. The crash occurred in Naushahro Feroze district when a speeding car heading toward Karachi lost control and collided forcefully with a trailer. Rescue officials reported that the impact was so intense that the private car was completely crushed, killing all six passengers on the spot.

Rescue teams transported the bodies to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed their deaths. Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident. Following the collision, local authorities carried out emergency rescue operations and arranged to send the injured to hospitals. Traffic on the national highway was temporarily suspended during the rescue efforts.

The incident has once again highlighted the importance of road safety and controlling high-speed vehicles to prevent such fatal accidents in the future.

At least 14 people, including 11 security personnel and three civilians, were killed on Monday in two bomb attacks and a gunfight between police and militants in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Among the dead was a child. The incidents also left at least 25 others injured. The attacks occurred as Pakistani security forces were engaged in counter-insurgency operations along the Afghan border in the country’s southern and northern provinces.

According to a security official, one of the attacks took place in Bajaur district when a vehicle loaded with explosives was driven into the wall of a religious college, killing eight police and Frontier Corps members and injuring ten others. A child died when nearby houses collapsed. In a separate incident in Bannu city, a bomb planted in a rickshaw exploded near the Miryan police station, killing two civilians and injuring 17 others. Officials warned that the death toll could rise.

The violence followed an earlier ISIS-claimed suicide bombing this month at a Shia mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people and injured 169.

In Naogaon’s Sapahar upazila, a cooperative named Gram Janata Shramajibi Samabay Samiti Limited has been accused of absconding with deposits exceeding one crore taka from more than a hundred customers. The cooperative, which operated from Dighirhat Bazar, allegedly lured villagers with promises of high returns through a scheme called the 'Easy Investment Project.' Its office is now locked, and Managing Director Abdul Halim has been missing since the incident.

According to victims, Halim, along with relatives and eight staff members, collected deposits from local residents by promising extra profit on savings. When depositors recently sought their returns, Halim reportedly delayed payments and later disappeared with the funds. Victims such as Mokbul Hossain and Salma Begum said they had invested their savings and borrowed money, leaving them financially devastated.

Sapahar Upazila Cooperative Officer S.M. Jahangir Alam confirmed receiving complaints and said an investigation is underway. He added that legal action will follow under cooperative laws once the inquiry concludes. No police case or general diary has yet been filed, though affected customers have urged authorities to arrest the fugitive MD and recover their money.

A mobile court led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Shaikha Sultana conducted a special raid in Bashkandi Union of Shibchar upazila, Madaripur, on Monday, February 16, 2026. Acting on a tip-off, the team discovered a large quantity of counterfeit and adulterated goods inside a factory located in the house of Kalam Bepari. Two individuals, factory owner Ramzan Bepari (20) and fake cigarette seller Rasel Molla (30), were detained during the operation.

Following the raid, the court sentenced Ramzan Bepari to one month in jail and Rasel Molla to seven days. Approximately Tk 700,000 worth of adulterated food items, soft drinks, fake cigarettes, and raw materials were seized and destroyed on-site. Some confiscated products were publicly burned at the Shibchar municipal bus terminal to raise awareness among residents.

Executive Magistrate Shaikha Sultana stated that such operations would continue in Shibchar to protect public health and prevent the sale or production of harmful adulterated goods.

A journalist in Nageshwari, Kurigram, has alleged that he was verbally abused and threatened with death while filming a police anti-drug operation. The incident occurred on the night of February 15, when police led by Sub-Inspector Alok Roy raided an abandoned house in the BSC Mor area of Nageshwari municipality. Journalist Mutasim Billah Tanim, a local correspondent for the daily Gankontho, filed a general diary at Nageshwari Police Station on Monday night following the threats.

According to police sources, officers broke into the house after receiving no response for about half an hour and detained three individuals. They reportedly recovered cannabis, liquor bottles, yaba tablets, and heroin-use equipment. During the operation, the house’s alleged owner, Moslem Uddin, became enraged at the journalist for recording the event and issued threats.

Local leaders and journalist associations condemned the incident. Nageshwari BNP convener Golam Rasul Raja stated that his party opposes drugs, while Kurigram Journalists’ Union joint convener Babul Zaman demanded the arrest of the person who issued the threats. The local police chief said the matter is under investigation and legal action will follow.

A man named Nazim Uddin was seriously injured in an attack allegedly carried out by Ali Hossain and his associates in Naopara area of Durduaria Union, Lalpur upazila of Natore on Monday evening. The incident reportedly stemmed from a long-standing dispute between the two families. According to the complaint, the attackers arrived with local and firearms, verbally abused Nazim Uddin, and beat him when he protested. Family members who tried to rescue him said the attackers fired blank shots to create panic. Nazim was later taken to Lalpur Upazila Health Complex for treatment.

Nazim’s son, Nazmul Hossain, filed a complaint with Lalpur Police Station, alleging that around ten people were involved in the assault. Officer-in-Charge Mojibur Rahman said police visited the scene but found no evidence of gunfire, suggesting the attackers might have used firecrackers to cause fear. He confirmed that legal action would follow after investigation.

The police investigation is ongoing to determine the authenticity of the gunfire claim and identify those responsible for the attack.

At least two people were killed and three others were seriously injured in a shooting during a high school ice hockey game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States. The incident occurred on Monday, February 16, when local police received the first emergency call at 2:28 p.m. According to Al Jazeera, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said the suspected shooter is believed to have taken his own life after firing the shots.

Goncalves described the attack as possibly premeditated and linked to a family dispute, though authorities have not released details about the suspect or the victims. Investigators are examining what led up to the shooting. A Providence Journal report cited video footage capturing about 13 gunshots within six seconds, followed by another shot roughly 11 seconds later.

Witnesses said spectators and students dropped to the floor and sought safety as the gunfire erupted, before quickly evacuating the area. The incident has caused widespread panic in the community.

Police in Kaliganj, Jhenaidah, have arrested Palash Mia, a warrant-listed suspect in a mobile banking fraud case. The arrest took place around 11 p.m. on Sunday near the Kaliganj main bus stand after a local Jamaat leader, who had previously been defrauded, recognized him and, with the help of locals, detained him. Palash Mia, aged 30, is the son of Chan Mia from Par Dakhilpur village in Harinakundu upazila.

According to police sources, Palash Mia had been involved in fraudulent activities for a long time, using the mobile financial service bKash to deceive people and collect money illegally. In one instance, he allegedly withdrew 25,000 taka from the Jamaat leader through deception before going into hiding. Following the issuance of an arrest warrant in the fraud case, he remained a fugitive until his capture.

Kaliganj Police Officer-in-Charge Jellal Hossain confirmed that Palash Mia faced multiple fraud cases and was sent to jail through the court after his arrest.

Two separate fires broke out in Dhaka on Monday night, one at the timber market beside the TCB building in Karwan Bazar and another at a shoe factory on Agamasi Lane in Old Dhaka. Both incidents occurred around the same time and were brought under control shortly afterward by Fire Service and Civil Defence teams. No casualties were reported in either fire.

According to Fire Service sources, the Karwan Bazar fire began around 10:30 p.m., and ten units were dispatched to the scene. The blaze affected several floors of a five-storey building that housed diaper and wooden goods warehouses. Narrow access roads delayed firefighting efforts, and stored goods and furniture were damaged. The Old Dhaka fire started around 10:45 p.m. on the fourth floor of a seven-storey shoe factory building. Three units responded and controlled the fire by 11:35 p.m. The cause of both fires is under investigation.

Traffic in the affected areas was temporarily disrupted, and local residents assisted firefighters during the operations.