Mostakur Rahman, a professor in the Accounting Department at the University of Chittagong, is set to become the new governor of Bangladesh Bank. The appointment, reported by the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday afternoon, will replace Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, who currently holds the position.

Dr. Mansur had been appointed as governor by the interim government following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina administration. He had succeeded former governor Abdur Rouf Talukder at that time. The latest change marks another transition in the leadership of the central bank amid ongoing adjustments in the country’s financial administration.

The report did not specify when Mostakur Rahman will formally assume office or the reasons behind the leadership change at Bangladesh Bank.

Police in Muradnagar upazila of Cumilla have arrested a youth named Al Amin Molla on charges of abducting and raping the wife of an expatriate. The arrest took place on Tuesday evening from a rented house in the Ramdhanimura area, and the victim was rescued. The following morning, the accused was sent to the Cumilla Judicial Court. Two of his accomplices managed to flee during the operation.

According to the case statement, about one and a half years ago, the victim was married to an expatriate through family arrangements. On February 19, while she was traveling from her in-laws’ house to her father’s home, Al Amin allegedly abducted her and took her to his rented house, where he forcibly raped her. The next day, they reportedly registered a marriage through an affidavit at a Cumilla court.

Muradnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain Chowdhury said the arrest was made based on the victim’s family’s complaint, and efforts are underway to apprehend the two fugitives.

Two people were killed and one injured when a truck ran over a van in Fulbari upazila of Dinajpur on Wednesday morning. The accident occurred around 8 a.m. on the Dinajpur-Gobindaganj regional highway at Baliharpur area under Aladipur Union. Police confirmed that the deceased were van driver Ainul Sarkar, 53, of Rajarampur area in Shibnagar Union, and passenger Ruma Khatun, 22, of Baraihat area in Aladipur Union. Another passenger, Yasmin Akter, 45, was injured and is receiving treatment at the local health complex.

According to local sources, the victims were traveling by van from Baraihat to a factory in Rangamati when a Dhaka Metro-registered truck lost control and crushed the van. The truck driver and his assistant fled the scene after the incident. Police and fire service personnel later recovered the bodies and seized the truck.

Fulbari police said the bodies have been prepared for handover to families and a case under the Road Transport Act is being processed.

Officials and employees of Bangladesh Bank have warned they will begin a symbolic pen-down strike from Thursday if their demands, including withdrawal of show-cause notices and transfers of three officials, are not met. The announcement came Wednesday during a protest meeting held under the banner of the Bangladesh Bank Officers’ Welfare Council at the central bank’s 30-storey building. Council president A.K.M. Masum Billah declared that if the demands remain unfulfilled, they will escalate their movement to demand the resignation of Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur.

Speakers at the protest accused the governor of authoritarian behavior and ignoring repeated appeals from staff. They alleged that contractual appointments have increased while effective economic policies remain absent, and that the governor’s remarks have negatively affected the banking sector. Director and assistant spokesperson Shahriar Siddiqui and executive director Mofizur Rahman Khan Chowdhury both urged the governor to accept the employees’ legitimate demands.

If the issues are not resolved by Thursday, officials plan to hold further discussions on Sunday to decide their next course of action.

Four people were killed in a stabbing attack on Tuesday morning near Tacoma, Washington, when a man attacked multiple individuals outside a house on the Key Peninsula. The suspect was later shot dead by police officers. According to local authorities, deputies from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched at 8:41 a.m. after reports that the suspect had violated a no-contact order.

Deputies obtained a copy of the order but found it was not yet effective because the suspect had not been formally served. As they proceeded to deliver it, the suspect began stabbing people outside the residence. Witnesses reported seeing the attack around 9:30 a.m. The first deputy arrived within minutes, and the suspect was shot at 9:33 a.m. and pronounced dead at the scene.

Three victims died at the location, and a fourth succumbed to injuries at a hospital. The Pierce County Force Investigation Team is investigating both the stabbing and the police shooting.

Erosion has begun along the eastern bank of the Jamuna River in Jotpara area of Chauhali upazila, Sirajganj, as water levels start to recede. The erosion, reportedly caused by the movement of sand-laden bulkheads, has put a Tk 107 crore embankment built in 2016 by the Tangail Water Development Board at serious risk. Local residents have staged repeated protests demanding a halt to bulkhead movement to protect the riverbank and the upazila headquarters.

According to the report, over 500 homesteads and farmlands, as well as the upazila parishad, educational institutions, union councils, and local markets, are under threat. The area remains geographically isolated due to poor communication and recurring river erosion. Residents claim that unrestricted bulkhead traffic is the main cause of the current erosion.

Authorities have intervened to stop bulkhead movement after locals gathered to block the river route. Police and administrative officials confirmed that operations were halted, though a few bulkheads remain stranded due to navigability issues.

A Dhaka court has sentenced former Dhaka South Jubo League president Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat to 20 years in prison for amassing illegal wealth. The verdict, delivered by Judge Md Zakaria Hossain of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-6 on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, includes two separate 10-year sentences under different sections, along with a fine of 2 million taka. In default of payment, Samrat will serve an additional one year of imprisonment. The court also issued an arrest warrant as Samrat remains absconding.

According to court sources, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on November 12, 2019, accusing Samrat of acquiring 29.48 million taka in unexplained assets. The ACC submitted its charge sheet on November 26, 2020, and the court framed charges on July 17 of the previous year. All 21 witnesses listed in the charge sheet testified before the court. Samrat was previously arrested during an anti-casino drive in October 2019 and later released on bail in August 2022.

The judgment concludes a long-running corruption case that began over six years ago, marking a significant development in the ACC’s ongoing anti-graft efforts.

Bengaluru police detained 18 individuals on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals and later transferred them from Karnataka to West Bengal, according to a report published on February 25, 2026. The group includes women and children. Police sources cited by Anandabazar said the detainees were behaving suspiciously and lacked valid documents. They were taken to West Bengal on Tuesday afternoon, but their next destination remains unclear.

According to the report, except for the children, the detainees had been working as migrant laborers in Bengaluru for a long time. Police began questioning them after their recent activities raised suspicion. When asked to show legal papers, they failed to produce any. After being brought to Howrah station, authorities did not disclose where they would be taken next.

Police officials have not provided further details about the investigation or the detainees’ legal status, leaving uncertainty about the next steps in the case.

A section of the M A Goni Road in Burichang, Comilla, collapsed only 18 days after partial repair work was completed. The road repair project, costing Tk 18 crore, has drawn allegations that the contractor used substandard materials and ignored tender conditions. Locals reported that minimal bitumen was used, and no retaining wall was built along parts of the road. Some sections were resurfaced over old carpeting, and the new layer was thinner than required.

The repair work began about two months ago, covering the stretch from Shashongachha to Burichang. Residents claimed that the contractor’s team worked at night using poor-quality pitch, which easily peeled off. In some areas, the carpeting was only 20–25 millimeters thick instead of the specified 50 millimeters. Contractor Mohammad Abul Hossain attributed the collapse to soil displacement and promised repairs, while the Roads and Highways Department’s executive engineer Khondaker Golam Mostafa said the work was ongoing and any irregularities would be investigated.

Authorities have pledged to redo the damaged sections and take action if negligence is confirmed.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested a Tk 14,000 crore soft loan from Bangladesh Bank to address a severe cash shortage ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. The appeal was made during a meeting with Governor Ahsan H. Mansur, attended by deputy governors and BGMEA leaders. BGMEA Vice President Shihab Udduja Chowdhury said the funds are needed to cover two months of wages and bonuses for workers, and the governor responded positively to the proposal.

BGMEA cited multiple challenges, including political instability, labor unrest, the 2024 movement, election-related uncertainty, and tariff issues, which have led to seven consecutive months of negative export growth. The association also urged the release of pending export incentives worth about Tk 5,700 crore to improve cash flow. Bangladesh Bank data show that Tk 2,500 crore in incentives has been disbursed so far in fiscal year 2025–26.

BGMEA proposed that the loan be repayable over 12 months with a three-month grace period, a 7% interest rate, and expansion of the pre-shipment credit refinancing scheme to Tk 10,000 crore until 2030. The group warned that delays in payments could trigger unrest and urged swift government action to protect workers and sustain the industry.

At least 23 inmates escaped from a prison in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, after armed men attacked the facility. The incident occurred amid widespread unrest following the death of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera. During the assault, one prison guard was killed. Authorities have since recaptured most of the escaped prisoners, but 23 remain missing.

The violence erupted after Oseguera’s death during a military operation, sparking clashes across at least 20 of Mexico’s 32 states. In these confrontations, at least 25 members of the National Guard were killed. In Puerto Vallarta, members of the CJNG gang blocked roads, attacked police stations, and set vehicles on fire.

Tensions in Puerto Vallarta have eased in recent days, with the CJNG gang reopening previously blocked roads. However, the search for the remaining escaped inmates continues as authorities work to restore full order in the city.

Farmers under the Aricha Kashadah Irrigation Project in Shibalaya, Manikganj, are facing fears of an irrigation crisis during the peak Irri-Boro cultivation season. The concern arises after large sandbars emerged in the Jamuna River, obstructing water flow to the project area. The project, launched on December 1, 1979, by Shahid President Ziaur Rahman under a canal excavation program, initially irrigated 1,500 acres using 20 power pumps. Currently, only three pumps remain operational, barely sustaining the system.

The project, which has supported around 2,000 farmers across 12 villages for 46 years, provides low-cost irrigation with iron-free river water, preserving soil fertility. Despite government investments of about 210 million taka for canal re-excavation and infrastructure upgrades, siltation and riverbed rise have severely reduced water availability. Farmers and local leaders warn that without dredging the newly formed sandbars, Boro cultivation could halt, leading to food shortages in the area.

Shibalaya Upazila Executive Officer Monisha Rani Karmakar said the site has been inspected and priority projects will be initiated in consultation with the agriculture department to address the crisis.

Severe rainfall in Brazil’s southeastern Minas Gerais state has caused devastating floods, killing at least 23 people and leaving more than 40 missing, according to local authorities. The worst-hit area is Juiz de Fora municipality, where 18 deaths have been confirmed. Rescue teams are searching for survivors trapped under mud and debris, while nearby Ubá city reported seven additional fatalities. At least 440 residents have been displaced as floodwaters and landslides destroyed homes and infrastructure.

Juiz de Fora’s mayor, Margarida Salomão, said the city experienced over 180 millimeters of rain in just four hours, triggering at least 20 landslides. She described the event as the most tragic day of her administration. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pledged full government support, emphasizing humanitarian aid, restoration of essential services, and assistance for displaced families.

The national meteorological agency warned that rainfall may continue in the coming days, potentially complicating ongoing rescue and relief operations across the affected regions.

Two more victims of the gas explosion in a residential building in Chattogram’s Halishahar area have died, bringing the total death toll to five. The incident occurred early Monday when accumulated gas in the kitchen of a third-floor apartment at Halima Manzil exploded. The latest victims, Md. Sakhawat Hossain, 46, and his sister-in-law Ashura Akter Pakhi, 35, died Tuesday night while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka. Doctors said the remaining four burn victims are in critical condition.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sakhawat’s brother Samir Ahmed Suman, 40, and his 16-year-old son Safayat Hossain Shawon died from their injuries, following the death of Sakhawat’s wife, Nurjahan Akter Rani, 40, on Monday. All five deceased were members of the same family. The explosion severely injured several others, including two children and another brother of Sakhawat.

Authorities have not yet provided further details on the cause of the gas accumulation or the current condition of the survivors.

The verdict in the illegal wealth case against former Dhaka South Jubo League president Ismail Hossain Chowdhury, known as Samrat, is scheduled to be delivered today, Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the Dhaka Special Judge Court-6, presided over by Judge Md Zakaria Hossain. Court bench assistant Fakir Zahidul Islam confirmed the schedule. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Nure Alam concluded arguments on February 9, after which the court fixed the date for the verdict. As Samrat remains absconding, no self-defense hearing was held.

According to court sources, witness testimony in the case concluded on February 2, with all 21 witnesses listed in the charge sheet testifying before the court. The ACC filed the case on November 12, 2019, accusing Samrat of acquiring illegal assets worth Tk 29.48 million. Following investigation, the charge sheet was submitted on November 26, 2020. The court framed charges on July 17 last year and issued an arrest warrant after canceling Samrat’s bail due to his absence.

Samrat was previously arrested in Cumilla on October 6, 2019, during the anti-casino drive and was released on bail on August 22, 2022.