Police in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, arrested a woman named Ayesha Begum with 70,000 yaba pills during a raid on February 18 in the Khuniapalong Union’s Chadirkata area. The operation was conducted based on information that a fugitive accused, Abdullah, had stored a large quantity of yaba with the help of his sister for sale. The raid took place at the residence of Ziaur Rahman in the same area.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) Alok Biswas, officers recovered 50,000 pills from a chicken coop on the north side of the house and another 20,000 pills from under dry bamboo leaves on the south side. Ayesha Begum, a resident of Ward 5 in Khuniapalong Union, was detained at the scene.

Ramu Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam Bhuiya stated that legal proceedings under the Narcotics Control Act are underway in connection with the seizure.

A Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activist, Mohammad Delwar Hossain Chowdhury, 60, was hacked to death by unidentified assailants in Barishal Sadar upazila’s Raypasha-Karapura union on Wednesday night. His body was found in a roadside ditch near Shibpasha Badamtala Bridge. Police from Barishal Metropolitan Airport Station recovered the body and sent it to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Local residents said they discovered an abandoned bicycle and scarf on the road, prompting a search for the owner. Shortly afterward, they found a body floating in the nearby ditch and informed police. According to local BNP leaders, Delwar was an active party worker who had disputes with several individuals in the area. They suspect the killing may have stemmed from those conflicts.

Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Mizanur Rahman stated that Delwar was struck on the left side of his head with a sharp weapon and that a murder case is being prepared as part of an ongoing investigation.

The trial of the murder case of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in Chattogram again drew attention for its slow progress after the plaintiff, Jamal Uddin, father of the slain lawyer, fell ill during cross-examination. Despite his illness, the 76-year-old continued to answer questions while seated in the courtroom. The hearing took place on Wednesday at the Chattogram Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal, which set the next hearing date for March 9.

According to court sources, the day had been scheduled for cross-examination by the defense. Defense lawyers for several accused sought additional time, which the court granted. One accused, Rajib Bhattacharya, who had previously confessed, cross-examined the plaintiff himself with court permission. The court also allowed time requests from other defense lawyers. Strict security was maintained at the court premises, and one accused, Chinmoy Krishna Das, appeared virtually from jail.

The prosecution’s lawyer, Assistant Public Prosecutor Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, said repeated time petitions from the defense were delaying proceedings. The testimony phase began on February 2, with 50 witnesses listed in the charge sheet.

Four electric transformers were stolen in a single night in Tarash upazila of Sirajganj, causing widespread concern among local electricity users. The thefts occurred on Monday night in Dobila village of Magurabinod Union, where three transformers were taken from poles on the land of Abu Yusuf Master and another from a nearby field belonging to Abdul Majid. The incidents left residents without power and forced them to bear heavy costs for replacement transformers.

According to the Tarash Palli Bidyut Samiti, customers must pay the full price of stolen transformers under existing rules, which has become a major burden for poorer households. Locals have begun chaining transformers to poles to deter thefts and have sought police help to identify the culprits. Abu Yusuf Master said the theft has severely affected irrigation for Boro rice cultivation.

Tarash Palli Bidyut Samiti’s DGM Azizul Haque urged public awareness to prevent further thefts and advised victims to file police cases. He noted that thieves typically remove valuable copper wires, leaving behind the metal casing and oil, and suggested monitoring scrap shops to catch the culprits.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan and 25 others for alleged loan fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering involving about Tk 1,325 crore. The case was announced at a press briefing at the ACC headquarters in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, on Wednesday afternoon by ACC Director General (Prevention) Md Akhter Hossain. According to the ACC, the accused colluded to violate banking rules and credit risk management guidelines to approve and disburse loans under the name of Bashundhara Multi Food Products Limited.

The complaint states that loans were approved without proper collateral, stock reports, or verification of repayment capacity. Of the Tk 575 crore funded loan, Tk 503.12 crore was allegedly transferred to various Bashundhara Group accounts and used for purposes including salary payments at East West Property Development (Pvt) Ltd. The transactions were allegedly intended to conceal the illegal origin and ownership of the funds.

The case was filed under sections of the Penal Code, the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Money Laundering Prevention Act. A joint investigation team led by ACC Deputy Director Md Jahangir Alam includes officials from the ACC, CID, Customs, VAT, and the National Board of Revenue.

RAB-12 in Bogura has arrested three suspected drug traffickers and seized a large quantity of narcotics from a passenger bus on the Rangpur-Dhaka highway. The operation, conducted Tuesday night near the Nabil Highway Restaurant in Sonka area of Sherpur upazila, led to the recovery of 60 bottles of Phairdeal, 2 bottles of Eskaf, and 29 kilograms of cannabis. The detainees were handed over to Sherpur police station.

According to RAB-12 company commander Firoz Ahmed ATC, the first suspect, Mamunur Rashid, was traveling from Dinajpur to Dhaka with the drugs when he was apprehended. In a separate operation Wednesday morning near a filling station in Hamchapur village, two others—Sumon Mia from Cumilla and Saiful Islam from Nilphamari—were caught transporting 29 kilograms of cannabis from Cumilla to Thakurgaon. Cases have been filed against all three under the Narcotics Control Act.

RAB stated that both operations were based on secret intelligence and aimed at curbing drug trafficking along the Rangpur-Dhaka highway corridor.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has accepted the testimony of Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi as evidence in the case concerning killings during the July uprising. The prosecution submitted the request on Wednesday before a three-member judicial panel led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, which approved it. The case involves seven accused, including suspended Awami League general secretary and former minister Obaidul Quader, all of whom remain absconding.

In his statement given to the investigating officer on June 18 of the previous year, Hadi described his background as a university teacher and activist involved in cultural movements. He recounted events surrounding the 2024 mass uprising, alleging violent suppression of protesters by ruling party affiliates and law enforcement. Hadi’s testimony also mentioned earlier quota reform movements and his views on systemic inequality.

The tribunal’s acceptance of Hadi’s deposition follows a similar decision by Tribunal-1, which had earlier accepted a statement by Badruddin Omar against Sheikh Hasina. The case continues under the jurisdiction of Tribunal-2, with all accused still at large.

A mobile court in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram conducted a market monitoring drive on Tuesday, February 18, 2026, and imposed fines totaling Tk 10,500 in eight separate cases. The operation took place at Mithanala Bazar, Sadar Union, and Mirsarai municipal market, led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Alauddin Kader.

The cases were filed under relevant sections of the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, for failing to display price lists and for selling goods underweight. Eight traders were fined, but no one received a jail sentence. During the operation, traders were cautioned to sell goods at fair prices with reasonable profit margins and to display price lists visibly, especially ahead of the upcoming Ramadan.

Officials from the police department, union parishad administration, and union land office were present during the drive, which aimed to ensure transparency and protect consumer rights in local markets.

A group of 12 to 13 masked assailants looted 40 goats from Al Baraka Agro Farm, located east of Nizampur Railway Station in Wahedpur Union of Mirsarai, Chattogram. The incident occurred around midnight on Tuesday, according to the farm authorities. The attackers first removed the CCTV hard disk before forcing the farm’s guard onto a pickup truck with the goats. After crossing the railway line, they released the guard and fled with the animals.

Farm owner and former student leader Abu Hena Kayser said the intruders also blindfolded and detained an employee named Nurul Afsar, taking CCTV equipment and several sacks of animal feed. He alleged that the same night, blank shots were fired at his fish project in Domkhali to spread fear, suggesting the same group might be involved in both incidents. The stolen goats were being prepared for sale ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, with an estimated loss of around six lakh taka.

Nizampur Police Outpost officer SI Zakir Hossain confirmed that police visited the scene and that an investigation is underway. Legal action will follow upon receiving a written complaint.

A Jamalpur court has sentenced two men to life imprisonment and fined each Tk 100,000 in connection with the abduction of rickshaw driver Majnu Mia. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday afternoon by Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of the Jamalpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1. The convicts are Sohel from Chandonpur village in Islampur upazila and Selim Islam from Distapara village in Birganj, Dinajpur. Selim was present during the verdict, while Sohel remains absconding.

According to the prosecution, Majnu Mia went missing on June 12, 2012, after leaving his home in Islampur with his rickshaw. Sohel abducted him and confined him in Gazipur. Later, the family received a phone call demanding Tk 50,000 as ransom. On June 17, Majnu’s father, Khalek Mia, filed a case with Islampur Police Station against unidentified persons. Police investigation later confirmed the involvement of Sohel and Selim, leading to the submission of a charge sheet.

The court delivered the judgment based on witness testimony and evidence. The prosecution was represented by Public Prosecutor Fazlul Haque, while Advocate Ismail Hossain defended the accused.

Former army chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that former Major General Ziaul Ahsan, accused in cases of enforced disappearances and killings, was a serial killer and that he had opposed Ahsan’s promotion. Bhuiyan made the statement on Wednesday during cross-examination by Ahsan’s lawyer, Aminul Gani Tito. The tribunal, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mojumdar with two other members, is hearing the case.

Bhuiyan said Ahsan received one promotion from lieutenant colonel to colonel between 2012 and 2015, when he was army chief. He stated that most board members recommended Ahsan’s promotion out of self-interest, despite his own opposition. Bhuiyan added that Ahsan lacked the qualifications for promotion, having neither completed staff college nor commanded a battalion. He also claimed that Major General Momen, who presented his objections at the promotion meeting, was later reassigned to Bahrain as ambassador in what Bhuiyan described as a punitive posting.

The tribunal adjourned the incomplete cross-examination and scheduled the next session for February 23.

A prisoner named Md. Mamun Sheikh, aged 34, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Wednesday morning. He was brought to the hospital’s emergency department from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj after falling ill. According to hospital authorities, duty doctors examined him and declared him dead at 10:35 a.m. The incident was confirmed by Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the hospital police outpost, who said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

Prison guards, including one named Robin, escorted Mamun Sheikh to the hospital under the direction of prison authorities. They could not immediately provide details about the case in which he had been imprisoned but said further information would be available later. The deceased’s father was identified as Md. Salam.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, and further details about the prisoner’s case are expected to be disclosed later.

A Dhaka court has again postponed the submission of the investigation report in the Bangladesh Bank reserve theft case, marking the 93rd delay. On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam set a new date of April 9 for the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to file the report. The CID failed to submit the report on the previously scheduled date, prompting the court to extend the deadline once more.

The case stems from the February 5, 2016 theft of 81 million US dollars from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The funds were fraudulently transferred using the SWIFT system and later moved to the Philippines. Investigators believe a hacker group, possibly aided by local collaborators, was involved in laundering the stolen money.

Following the incident, on March 15, 2016, Zobayer Bin Huda, Deputy Director of the Accounts and Budgeting Department of Bangladesh Bank, filed a case under the Money Laundering Prevention Act and the Information and Communication Technology Act. The CID continues to investigate the matter.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has begun the trial of Sajib Wazed Joy, son of Sheikh Hasina and ICT adviser, and former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, in connection with alleged crimes against humanity linked to the July killings. The prosecution opened its introductory statement on Wednesday, marking the formal start of proceedings. The tribunal set February 25 for witness testimony, while Palak, who is under arrest, was brought from prison to the court. Formal charges had been framed against both accused on January 21.

According to the prosecution, three charges were brought against the two. The first alleges that Palak incited violence through social media posts between midnight and 1 a.m. on July 14, 2024, following Joy’s instructions, leading to attacks on protesters the next day. The second charge claims both ordered internet shutdowns and encouraged the use of lethal force, resulting in 28 deaths. The third accuses them of aiding killings in Uttara, where several victims, including a six-year-old, were reportedly killed.

Defense lawyers for both accused sought discharge, arguing insufficient evidence, while prosecutors maintained that the charges were based on credible proof to be demonstrated during trial.

Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) became tense again on the anniversary of the 2025 campus violence. Late on the night of February 17, 2026, unidentified youths vandalized the 'Bloodied KUET Corner' exhibition, which had been set up by injured students with university approval to commemorate the previous year’s attack. CCTV footage reportedly showed a group led by a student leader from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal entering the exhibition room at 12:32 a.m. and leaving five minutes later. The incident followed earlier unrest, including the blockade of the vice-chancellor’s residence and banners declaring him unwelcome on campus.

KUET’s Student Welfare Director, Professor B.M. Ikramul Haque, said the same group involved in the February 13 disturbance appeared in the footage and accused them of trying to destabilize the campus again. He announced a meeting to decide next steps. Vice-Chancellor Professor Maksud Helali said he had only been verbally informed about the commemorative program. Chhatra Dal leader Safwan Ahmed Ifaz denied involvement, claiming the exhibition space had been misused and that students had merely “freed” it.

The renewed unrest has raised concern among students and staff just weeks after the national election, with fears of further instability on campus.