Nine people, including six female skiers and three professional guides, were killed in a massive avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, described as the most deadly avalanche in the United States in 45 years. The victims were on a three-day backcountry skiing expedition under the supervision of experienced guides when the avalanche struck on Tuesday morning as they prepared to return. A snow layer the size of a football field collapsed suddenly, burying them within seconds.

Rescue teams faced severe wind and near-zero visibility, delaying operations. Six people were rescued alive, but nine others could not be saved. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether negligence played a role. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office reported that the site remains dangerous, with one person still missing.

The tragedy has cast a shadow of grief over the community. Psychologist Sara Boylen said the incident has caused deep emotional trauma for mountain enthusiasts, turning a place of peace into one of loss.

At least five people have been killed in a severe snowstorm that struck Austria, causing widespread power outages and transport disruptions. Officials reported that one person died in the northern city of Linz, while four skiers were killed in avalanches in the Tyrol region. Three of them died near the St. Anton ski resort, and another was killed in Nauders, where one more person was injured.

The storm has brought up to 16 inches of snowfall since Thursday, prompting warnings in southeastern Austria, particularly around the city of Graz. This winter season’s avalanche death toll in the country has now reached 21. Vienna International Airport was temporarily closed on Friday morning, and afternoon services were also affected.

According to the national automobile association ÖAMTC, several major highways near Vienna were closed for hours. Power companies reported outages in southern and eastern regions, including Styria, where about 30,000 homes lost electricity.

Thousands of migratory birds have flocked to Jobai Beel in Sapahar upazila of Naogaon, creating a lively natural scene even after winter’s end. The wetland, located about nine kilometers west of the upazila headquarters, has become a safe haven for birds arriving from home and abroad in search of food and warmth. According to the Jobai Beel Biodiversity Conservation and Social Welfare Organization, 44 bird species have been recorded this season, including 26 migratory and 18 native species, totaling around 2,258 birds.

The organization’s president, Sohanur Rahman Sabuj, noted that while the number of species has increased, the total bird count has declined from about 11,000 the previous year. Local residents said that as water levels recede after the monsoon, small fish, snails, and insects become abundant, attracting diverse bird flocks. Nature enthusiasts have called on authorities to protect the birds from hunters.

Visitors and bird lovers have urged the government to declare part of Jobai Beel a protected area and develop it as a traditional tourist center to ensure safe bird habitation year-round.

The Someshwari River flowing past Madhyanagar upazila in Sunamganj is rapidly losing navigability, turning into sandbars and threatening the survival of the 150-year-old Madhyanagar market. Once a major rice trading hub, the market now faces stagnation as boat transport has become nearly impossible during dry months. Traders report that goods must be unloaded and reloaded multiple times, increasing both time and costs, while irrigation now depends on deep tube wells due to reduced water flow.

Local traders and boatmen said that from mid-Poush to Chaitra, parts of the river dry up completely, halting large boat movement for three to four months. Business leaders warned that without dredging, the market’s economic importance will vanish. Farmers and traders are already suffering from higher transport costs and reduced trade volume. The Sunamganj district farmers’ association and local business groups have long demanded river dredging to restore navigability.

According to the Water Development Board’s Sunamganj office, a plan to dredge 19 rivers, including the Someshwari, is under consideration. The project awaits approval before dredging can begin.

Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie MP announced that a nationwide canal excavation program will begin soon, aiming to be completed within 180 days. Speaking at a meeting with district administration and Water Development Board officials at the Lakshmipur Circuit House on February 20, 2026, he said the initiative will include Lakshmipur. The minister explained that a new project for excavating the Bhulua River and re-excavating the Rahmatkhali Canal in Greater Noakhali has been planned to address long-standing waterlogging problems in Lakshmipur.

Annie stated that feasibility studies are underway to address erosion along the Meghna River and Rahmatkhali canal banks. He emphasized that the government intends to implement the project according to plan to relieve residents from chronic waterlogging issues. During his three-day visit to his home district, he also discussed maintaining law and order, controlling commodity prices during Ramadan, and ensuring healthcare services at the district hospital.

Local officials, including the deputy commissioner and police superintendent, greeted the minister with floral tributes at the Circuit House before the meeting.

Bangladesh’s Water Resources Minister Md. Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee announced that the government will begin a nationwide canal excavation program within the next 180 days. He made the statement on Thursday, February 19, following an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The initiative aims to address long-standing waterlogging and irrigation challenges across the country.

The minister noted that canal excavation was a major success during the presidency of Ziaur Rahman, but years of neglect have led to increased waterlogging, loss of navigability in water bodies, and disruption in agricultural irrigation. He said the issue was prioritized in the election manifesto, and the Prime Minister has emphasized its importance since before the election.

Four ministries—the Water Resources, Local Government, Agriculture, and Disaster Management ministries—will jointly prepare an action plan. The next meeting, scheduled for next week, will finalize the program’s timeline and implementation framework. The government expects the initiative to reduce waterlogging, improve irrigation systems, and boost agricultural productivity.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintu announced his commitment to adopting eco-friendly policies aimed at building a pollution-free Bangladesh. Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat on Wednesday, his first day in office, he said the goal is to ensure that citizens can breathe clean air. He emphasized that the environment is an important sector with many opportunities for work, but it requires time and dedication.

Mintu was elected from Feni-3 (Sonagazi, Daganbhuiyan) constituency in the 13th National Parliamentary Election, securing 157,425 votes. His appointment marks the first time in 36 years that Feni district has a full minister since Zafar Imam, excluding former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who was elected from Feni-1 multiple times. With the formation of the BNP government following the 13th election, residents of Feni have once again gained ministerial representation.

The minister’s remarks signal the new administration’s focus on environmental governance and sustainable policy implementation under his leadership.

Allegations have emerged in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram that relatives of Sheikh Hasina’s military secretary have illegally cut down trees and occupied 12 acres of reserved forest land under the Chunati Range’s Satgar Beat. According to local residents, Anwar Kamal, a member of the South District Awami League and former district council member, along with his cousin Nazrul, cleared the forest area and sold trees without any legal action from forest officials.

Residents further claimed that tree felling continues in several areas near the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway, where more than ten fish projects and numerous betel leaf plantations have been established on forest land. They alleged that a powerful syndicate is destroying the environment by cutting trees and occupying forest areas. Field visits reportedly confirmed large-scale deforestation and land encroachment in multiple locations.

Chunati Range Officer Abir Hossain stated that the deforested area falls outside their jurisdiction, while South Forest Division Officer Mohammad Sohel Rana said legal action will be taken against anyone involved, including forest officials if found complicit.

Widespread allegations have emerged in Sitakunda, Chattogram, that large areas of farmland are being filled with sand extracted from the sea under the pretext of establishing factories. Locals claim that during the national election on February 12, when the administration was occupied, a group destroyed hundreds of acres of arable land. Residents accuse individuals linked to industrial interests of cutting soil from croplands and using excavators to raise the land by 40–50 feet. Despite repeated media reports, locals say no visible administrative action has been taken, fueling anger in the community.

In Syedpur Union’s Paschim Syedpur area, locals allege that sea sand is being used to fill farmland for future industrial projects. Advocate Hossain Ashraf warned that such activities are disrupting agricultural production and threatening environmental balance. Similar complaints have surfaced in Bashbaria Union’s Magpukur area, where a company named Automation Engineering has reportedly begun filling about 100 acres, raising concerns about waterlogging and risks to nearby institutions. The Upazila Nirbahi Officer stated that the matter will be investigated and legal action taken if violations are found.

Residents are demanding immediate measures to stop illegal land filling and protect the coastal environment, warning of severe long-term impacts on agriculture and biodiversity.

A leak has developed in the rubber dam built on the Chilai River in Boglabazar Union of Doarabazar upazila, Sunamganj. The rupture in the dam’s rubber bag has caused water to escape, preventing water retention upstream. As a result, irrigation across about 1,200 hectares of Boro farmland has been severely disrupted, leaving hundreds of farming families in Bogla and Banglabazar unions deeply concerned about their crops.

Local farmers reported that falling water levels have rendered irrigation pumps ineffective, causing farmland to crack due to lack of moisture. They have urged authorities to urgently repair the damaged rubber bag to restore normal irrigation. Boglabazar Union Parishad Chairman Mohammad Milon Khan said the leakage has put 1,200 hectares of farmland at risk and that he has contacted the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) for immediate repair. BADC’s Assistant Engineer for irrigation, Kazi Hosne Ar Rafi, confirmed that the issue is under their attention and that repair work will begin soon.

The damaged dam poses a serious threat to the ongoing Boro season, with potential impacts on local food production and farmers’ livelihoods if repairs are delayed.

Unregulated brick kilns continue to operate across Netrakona district, posing serious threats to agricultural land, public health and the environment. According to local sources, 32 brick kilns are currently active this year, but only four have environmental clearance. Despite mobile court fines imposed on six kilns earlier in the season, no closures have been enforced, allowing illegal operations to persist.

Officials from the Department of Environment and the district administration confirmed that Netrakona has 40 kilns across nine upazilas, with 28 running without permits. Each kiln employs 300 to 400 workers, providing jobs for 10,000 to 12,000 people and producing up to 10 million bricks per site. Environmental activists have expressed concern over pollution and the lack of compliance with regulations. Department officials cited legal complications as a reason for delays in shutting down illegal kilns but said enforcement drives would continue.

District authorities stated that joint mobile courts are regularly fining violators and that further action will be taken if specific complaints about illegal soil extraction from government or river lands are received.

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Bay of Bengal, about 222 kilometers southeast of Cox’s Bazar, on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 5:55 p.m. Bangladesh time. The event was reported by the volcano and earthquake monitoring website Volcano Discovery, which described it as a shallow quake occurring at a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the seabed.

According to the report, no information has yet been received about anyone feeling the tremor. The earthquake’s location in the Bay of Bengal places it offshore, away from major population centers, which may explain the lack of felt reports. The incident was noted by local media as part of routine seismic monitoring in the region.

Authorities or monitoring agencies have not issued any further statements or warnings related to the event, and no damage or casualties were reported at the time of publication.

Local residents of Saint Martin Island in Cox’s Bazar have alleged that rows of keya trees were cut down along the southern beach area of Ward 9, apparently to facilitate illegal land occupation. The incident, reported on February 16, 2026, has triggered anger and concern among locals, though no one has publicly identified those responsible.

Union Parishad Chairman Foyezul Islam confirmed hearing about the tree cutting and said a beach worker was sent to inspect the site, with further action to follow after investigation. Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) district president H.M. Ershad condemned the act as alarming, emphasizing that keya trees serve as a natural coastal defense protecting sand dunes, homes, and marine biodiversity. Local residents described the destruction as unacceptable and urged authorities to act swiftly to protect the island’s forest cover.

The Department of Environment’s Cox’s Bazar office director, Jamir Uddin, stated that an initial investigation has begun and the matter is being treated with high importance.

The temperature in Dhaka rose slightly on Monday, February 16, 2026, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. The morning temperature increased to 17.8 degrees Celsius from 16 degrees recorded on Sunday. The department’s 7 a.m. forecast indicated that daytime temperatures in Dhaka and surrounding areas may rise slightly during the day.

The forecast, issued at 6 a.m., reported 73 percent humidity in the capital. It also stated that the weather in Dhaka and nearby regions is expected to remain dry until noon, with temporary cloudiness. Winds from the north or northwest may blow at speeds of 5 to 10 kilometers per hour. Sunset in Dhaka is expected at 5:54 p.m., and sunrise on Tuesday at 6:31 a.m.

The department’s overall outlook suggested that both day and night temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged across the country, with generally dry conditions prevailing.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast potential cyclonic activity and multiple heatwaves in the country over the next three months. According to its three-month climate outlook issued in early February, hailstorms and thunderstorms may occur toward the end of February and several times through April. The department also warned that by the end of this period, Bangladesh could experience three to five mild or moderate heatwaves and one to two severe heatwaves, with temperatures ranging from 36°C to 41.9°C.

The forecast further indicates that sea conditions may become rough several times before April, with two to three low-pressure systems likely to form, one of which could intensify into a depression or cyclone. Overall rainfall is expected to remain normal, though both day and night temperatures may stay above average during this period.

The outlook suggests that the transition from winter to spring will bring increased weather variability, requiring close monitoring of heat and storm developments across the country.