Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have increased to 30.11 billion dollars, according to Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and Spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan. The announcement was made on Monday, February 23, 2026, in Dhaka. The central bank attributed the growth to its purchase of dollars from commercial banks through auctions.

Officials explained that the rise in reserves was supported by a significant increase in remittance inflows through formal banking channels, which boosted the supply of dollars in the market. In January 2026, Bangladesh received 3.17 billion dollars in remittances, the third-highest monthly total in the country’s history and 45.41 percent higher than the same month in 2025, when 2.18 billion dollars was recorded.

A senior central bank official noted that the increased dollar supply prompted the bank to buy dollars through auctions to prevent a sudden drop in the exchange rate. This approach has allowed the central bank to strengthen reserves while maintaining currency stability.

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Taskeen Ahmed has alleged that extortion in Bangladesh has increased by 20 to 50 percent during the interim government period. Speaking at a press conference at the DCCI office in Motijheel, Dhaka, he said the rise followed the fall of the Awami League government. When asked who was involved, he mentioned individuals linked to the ruling party, police, and revenue officials among those engaged in extortion.

The press conference, titled “Expectations from the Newly Formed Government to Address the Current Economic Situation,” outlined DCCI’s concerns and recommendations. Ahmed urged the government to identify those responsible for extortion and corruption, warning that businesses might shut down if the situation persists. He called for strong government action to restore law and order, ensure transparency in public administration, and support non-willful loan defaulters with working capital.

He further advised reducing dependence on bank loans by listing quality companies on the capital market and creating a green channel for profitable state-owned enterprises. DCCI also demanded disclosure of trade-related clauses in the tariff agreement with the United States.

One person was killed and ten others injured in a clash between two rival groups in Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj on Monday, February 23, 2026. The violence erupted in Komlapur village over a long-standing dispute for local dominance between the groups led by Anwar Munshi and Nur Islam, both reportedly linked to BNP politics. The deceased was identified as Nilu Munshi, 50, son of Anwar Munshi.

According to police and local sources, the conflict began when Anwar Munshi’s sons attacked Nur Islam near a hospital gate, injuring him. In retaliation, Nur Islam’s supporters attacked Anwar Munshi’s house, leading to a violent confrontation involving both sides. At least eleven people, including women, were injured. Severely injured victims were taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, where Nilu Munshi was declared dead by doctors.

Muksudpur Police Officer-in-Charge Abdullah Al Mamun confirmed the incident and said police, army, and RAB personnel were deployed to maintain order. The area remains tense following the clash.

A youth leader named Anwarul Islam Babu, aged 40, was arrested in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha after a raid at his home uncovered a large quantity of Tapentadol tablets. The operation was conducted late Sunday night around 11:30 p.m. by a team from the Department of Narcotics Control led by Sub-Inspector Jewel Islam. Officers found 2,850 tablets hidden in a plastic bag inside a drawer in Babu’s bedroom. Following the seizure, he was taken into custody.

Authorities confirmed that a case was filed under the Narcotics Control Act at Gobindaganj Police Station. Officer-in-Charge Mozammel Haque stated that Babu was sent to Gaibandha District Jail through the court on Monday. In response to the incident, the local unit of Jubo Dal expelled Babu from his position as member secretary of the Sapmara Union Jubo Dal, citing activities contrary to party ideals.

The arrest and expulsion mark a disciplinary move by the party amid ongoing enforcement actions against illegal drug possession in the region.

A powerful winter storm has begun striking the northeastern United States, placing about 59 million people under weather alerts. The storm has caused widespread travel disruption, with more than 5,000 flights canceled and around 600 delayed across the country, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. New York City has issued a travel ban, while several states including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have declared states of emergency.

FlightAware reported that the highest number of cancellations occurred at New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) and LaGuardia airports. JetBlue Airways said it had already canceled 776 flights and warned passengers of significant disruptions and cancellations through February 24. The National Weather Service forecast that the storm would affect the U.S. Northeast and much of the Canadian Maritimes from Sunday evening through Monday.

Forecasters described the system as potentially the strongest “nor’easter” in nearly a decade, warning of heavy snowfall, strong winds, and coastal flooding across affected areas.

Bangladeshi singer Mainul Ahsan Nobel was arrested again on Monday, February 23, 2026, in connection with a fraud case following a court order. Police detained him from the Bottola area of Siddhirganj in Narayanganj after allegations that he lured a young woman with a promise of marriage, confined her, and attempted to create objectionable photos. Demra Police Inspector (Investigation) Murad Hossain confirmed the arrest, stating that Nobel is currently in custody and will be sent to court after legal procedures.

According to the case filed by complainant Anannya Shabnam on August 13 of the previous year, Nobel and the woman had been engaged with family consent. The complaint alleges that during a visit to Nobel’s Demra residence, he confined her in a studio room, attempted to force physical contact, and recorded objectionable images and videos, later threatening to release them online. The court issued arrest warrants on February 2, 2026, against Nobel, his wife Israt Jahan Priya, his mother Nazma Hossain, and his assistant Munem Shah Soumik.

Nobel had previously faced multiple cases. The last known arrest occurred on May 19, 2025, in another case involving rape and assault allegations, after which he was released on bail.

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has demanded visible improvements in law and order and a complete end to extortion to keep Bangladesh’s trade and economy functional. At a press conference on February 23 in Motijheel, DCCI President Taskin Ahmed warned that business leaders might shut down operations if the government fails to act. He described widespread extortion affecting factories and transport, saying the situation has become increasingly complex and burdensome for businesses.

DCCI highlighted that corruption and informal transactions have sharply raised business costs and discouraged new investment. The organization presented four key demands: effective improvement of law enforcement, elimination of extortion, corruption-free public institutions, and investment-friendly financial policies. It also called for refinancing non-willful loan defaulters and lowering bank interest rates. Ahmed urged reform of the tax system through automation and separation of the National Board of Revenue, and emphasized activating the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority’s single-window system to ease business processes.

The chamber expressed concern over unemployment affecting about 2.6 million people and stressed technical education to strengthen the private sector. It also urged review of a recent U.S.-aligned trade agreement and prioritized development of 30 sectors, including leather and light engineering, to boost export diversification.

Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said that Bangladesh’s market situation remains satisfactory and that positive changes in market management will be visible soon. He made the remarks on Monday afternoon after an unannounced visit to Mohammadpur Town Hall kitchen market in Dhaka, where he inspected product prices and supply conditions. The minister stated that there is adequate supply of goods and that legal action will be taken against those manipulating prices ahead of Ramadan.

Muktadir emphasized that several plans have been adopted to make the market stable and consumer-friendly, though implementation will take time. He noted that ten monitoring teams from the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection are working regularly, as it is not feasible to deploy inspection teams simultaneously across all markets in Dhaka. The minister urged media cooperation and reminded traders to act ethically during Ramadan, avoiding excessive profit-taking.

He added that the ministry’s efforts through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh have kept import-dependent markets stable, with some product prices even lower than last year. A recent assault on a consumer rights official has led to a filed case, and legal proceedings are underway.

An armed man was shot and killed early Sunday after attempting to illegally enter former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, according to the Secret Service. Officials said the suspect, identified as Austin T. Martin of Cameron, North Carolina, breached the secured perimeter carrying a shotgun and a container of fuel. No security personnel were injured, and Trump was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the incident.

Authorities reported that Secret Service agents ordered Martin to drop his items, but he allegedly pointed the shotgun before being shot. The FBI has launched an investigation, collecting evidence from the scene and reviewing whether the weapon was purchased en route from North Carolina. Law enforcement confirmed that Martin had no prior criminal record and no link to previous attacks targeting Trump.

Following the incident, Secret Service Director Sean Curran visited the site and announced steps to strengthen security vigilance. The Mar-a-Lago estate remains under tight two-tier protection involving both local police and Secret Service agents.

A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of 41 bank accounts belonging to former acting mayor of Gazipur City Corporation Asadur Rahman (Kiran) and his family. The accounts reportedly hold a total of 3,725,934 taka. The order was issued on Monday by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Foyez, according to court bench assistant Md Riaz Hossain.

The Anti-Corruption Commission’s Deputy Director, Alomgir Hossain, filed the petition seeking to block the accounts, citing that unusually large and suspicious sums were deposited under the names of Kiran and his family members. The petition stated that the funds were allegedly obtained through misuse of power, irregularities, and corruption during Kiran’s tenure.

The court was told that there was a risk the money could be withdrawn and transferred abroad or concealed. After a hearing, the judge approved the request to freeze the accounts pending further investigation.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan announced that the government will introduce a farmer card as soon as possible, similar to the existing family card. He made the statement on Monday after an inter-ministerial meeting on the farmer card held at the Secretariat, chaired by the Prime Minister.

The minister said that the decision to issue farmer cards had been made earlier in principle, and the meeting discussed its implementation. He added that a pilot project would begin soon to distribute the cards. According to him, farmers will receive all production-related benefits through the card, and the initiative aims to prevent middlemen from taking undue advantage.

Swapan further noted that the smart farmer card will gradually be provided to all farmers across the country, ensuring that agricultural support reaches the intended beneficiaries directly.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has begun a four-day hearing against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte on charges of crimes against humanity. The proceedings, which started on Monday, aim to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to initiate a full trial over alleged extrajudicial killings carried out during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. The 80-year-old former leader faces three cases linked to at least 76 killings.

Prosecutors allege that the crimes occurred between 2013 and 2018, when Duterte served as mayor of Davao City and later as president of the Philippines. Independent estimates suggest that up to 30,000 people may have been killed during his six-year anti-drug drive. Although ICC judges declared Duterte physically fit, they granted his lawyers’ request to excuse him from appearing in person.

Despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC in 2019, the court ruled it retains full jurisdiction over crimes committed between 2011 and 2019. Judges have 60 days after the hearing to decide whether to proceed with a formal trial.

China has called on the United States to unilaterally withdraw tariffs following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated some of former President Donald Trump’s imposed duties. The court, in a six-to-three decision on Friday, ruled that Trump lacked the authority under the 1977 law to impose sudden tariffs on multiple countries. The verdict has had a significant impact on global trade. In response, Trump expressed anger and announced a new 10 percent global import tariff under a different legal authority, later raising it to 15 percent, effective Tuesday for up to 150 days with some exemptions.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said Monday it is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the ruling’s impact and urged Washington to remove the tariffs, warning that trade wars have no winners and protectionism leads nowhere. The Chinese Foreign Ministry added that it is closely monitoring potential U.S. actions such as trade investigations and will safeguard its interests.

The ruling is seen as a major setback for Trump, whose economic policies were often upheld by the judiciary. The decision has also unsettled global trade systems, prompting the European Union and other nations to review the developments.

Nine members of the same family, including three children, were burned in a gas line explosion at a residential flat in Halishahar, Chattogram, early Monday morning. The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. on the third floor of a six-story building named Halima Manzil in the H Block area. The fire spread rapidly throughout the flat, injuring all nine occupants. Two units of the Fire Service brought the blaze under control, and the injured were taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Doctors reported that four of the victims are in critical condition and preparations are underway to transfer them to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

Fire Service Deputy Director Jasim Uddin stated that the exact cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed. However, it is suspected that accumulated gas from a line leakage may have triggered the blast.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the explosion while ensuring medical support for the injured family members.

A 23-year-old female police officer was killed and at least 25 others were injured in an explosion in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, according to Ukrainian officials who described the incident as a terrorist attack. The blast occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday when police responded to a report of theft and vandalism at a shop. Two explosives hidden in a trash bin detonated—one as the first patrol arrived and another when a second team reached the scene.

The deceased officer was identified as Viktoria Shpylka, who had served since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Eleven of the injured were hospitalized, including six law enforcement officers in critical condition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said one suspect had been detained in connection with the attack.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stated that the attacker was a Ukrainian woman. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that police and security forces arrested a 33-year-old woman from the Rivne region. Authorities are investigating whether others were involved.