Police in Gabtali, Bogura recovered the body of a truck businessman from near his home late Saturday night. The victim, Saiful Islam, aged 40, was a resident of Sondabari Purbo Para village under the municipality’s Ward No. 4. Locals discovered his body about 50 feet west of his house early Sunday morning and informed the police.

According to Gabtali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Anisur Rahman Anis, Saiful Islam was killed by slitting his throat and stabbing him multiple times with a sharp weapon. His body was sent to Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Police said preparations are underway to file a case and efforts are ongoing to arrest those responsible.

The report states that Saiful Islam had returned home late at night after settling business accounts with his partners at a local fuel station before being found dead hours later.

At least four people were killed in Mozambique when Cyclone Ghazni struck the southern coastal province of Inhambane on Saturday. The storm hit with winds reaching 215 kilometers per hour, according to meteorologists cited by AFP. The country’s national electricity company reported that fallen trees and broken power lines left more than 13,000 people without electricity, while water supply was disrupted in several districts of Inhambane.

A day earlier, the same cyclone caused severe destruction in Madagascar, where 41 people were killed, 427 injured, and about 16,300 displaced. The government there declared a national emergency, estimating damages at around 142 million dollars. Mozambique, which frequently experiences natural disasters, has seen the intensity of such events increase due to climate change.

Authorities in both countries are assessing the full extent of the damage as recovery efforts continue in affected areas.

Fifteen people were injured in a clash between two groups in Darichar Laxmipur village of Muladi upazila, Barishal, on Saturday, February 14. The conflict erupted after former union parishad chairman Kabir Mallik was not invited to the birthday celebration of his nephew, the son of union member Sakayet Mallik. The event had been organized for Sunday, but tensions rose when Kabir Mallik’s rival Jahangir Molla received an invitation while he did not.

According to local sources, Kabir Mallik became angry and ordered the removal of tents and materials set up for the event. The argument escalated into a violent clash, leaving 15 people injured. Four of the seriously injured, including Monir Mallik, Mizan Mallik, and Mezbaha Mallik, were sent to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for treatment.

Kabir Mallik denied involvement, claiming that his opponents attacked his supporters. Muladi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Arafat Jahan Chowdhury confirmed the incident, stating that police and army personnel brought the situation under control. No formal complaint had been filed as of the report’s publication.

After a three-day closure due to the 13th parliamentary election, referendum, and weekly holidays, import and export operations between Bangladesh and India resumed at Hili land port in Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur. The trade activities restarted on Saturday afternoon when Indian trucks began entering Bangladesh. Workers returned to their duties in the morning, and port operations gradually increased throughout the day.

According to port sources, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Indian cargo trucks carrying corn, spices, and fruits crossed the border and entered the Hili yard. The goods were unloaded and dispatched to various destinations across the country. Officials from Panama Port Limited, customs, and plant quarantine departments confirmed that all administrative, customs, and inspection activities had returned to normal. The Hili Importers and Exporters Group stated that traders had also resumed their business operations at the port.

The resumption of trade is expected to restore regular cross-border commerce and stabilize supply chains disrupted during the election-related closure.

Two alleged muggers were seriously injured in a mob beating while attempting a robbery in Bajbi Tatibari area of Duptara Union, Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj on Saturday, February 14. Police later recovered a pistol, a magazine, and four rounds of bullets from their possession. The injured were identified as Rabbi, 20, and Sabbir, 15, both sons of Jahangir Mia from Rajakanda area under Hossainpur police station in Kishoreganj. They had been living in a rented house in Bajbi Hajibari area.

According to police and local sources, the two tried to snatch cash from a rickshaw puller on the Gausia–Araihazar road by threatening him with a firearm. Locals chased and caught them after the victim shouted for help, leading to the mob beating. Police rescued the injured and admitted them to Araihazar Upazila Health Complex.

Following their information, police searched their rented house and found ammunition and a magazine. On Sunday morning, February 15, a Fire Service diving team recovered the pistol from a nearby pond. Police said legal action is underway.

Heavy rainfall on Friday caused severe flooding across New Zealand’s North Island, leading to one death, widespread power outages, and major road damage. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Otorohanga District, located about 180 kilometers south of Auckland, where many residents were evacuated from their homes.

According to the national weather service, a deepening low-pressure system over the island’s eastern region is expected to bring further heavy rain and strong winds through Sunday night, with conditions forecast to gradually improve by Monday. Reuters reported that extensive areas of the country were inundated following the downpour.

Otorohanga District Council said geotechnical teams assessed road stability overnight, while energy provider Powerco confirmed that around 2,452 homes and businesses remained without electricity. Images shared on social media showed semi-rural areas submerged, with sections of roads collapsing where floodwaters had receded.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 is scheduled to fix the date today for delivering the verdict in a war crimes case against former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman and four other accused. The case involves the shooting of Amir Hossain, who was hanging from a building ledge in Rampura, and the killing of two others during the July uprising. The three-member tribunal panel is led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, with Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired district judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as members.

On February 3, both prosecution and defense completed their arguments. Defense lawyer Sarwar Jahan Nippon sought acquittal for accused Chanchal Chandra Sarkar, while state defense lawyer Md Amir Hossain argued for the innocence of four absconding defendants. Prosecutor Mizanul Islam countered their claims. The prosecution earlier asserted that evidence, including witness statements and video footage, clearly proved the accused’s involvement and sought the maximum penalty.

The tribunal had framed charges on September 18 last year after the prosecution filed formal charges on August 7. Among the accused, former Rampura police outpost ASI Chanchal Chandra Sarkar is in custody, while the others remain absconding.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s women’s division secretary, Nurunnisa Siddika, has expressed deep concern, anger, and condemnation over a reported rape incident in Hatiya linked to voting activities. In a statement issued to the media on Sunday, she said the assault allegedly occurred because the victim voted for the Shapla symbol. The victim is currently receiving treatment at Noakhali General Hospital, where a medical board has been formed for her care, confirmed by emergency medical officer Dr. Mostafizur Rahman.

Siddika described the incident as a reflection of authoritarianism and an attack on constitutional rights, stating that no woman should face such violence for exercising her right to vote. She emphasized that politically motivated sexual violence undermines democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. On behalf of Jamaat’s women’s division, she presented three demands: an impartial and swift investigation, immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved, and assurance of the victim’s medical, security, and psychological support.

She also urged citizens, human rights groups, women’s organizations, and all political parties to unite against such brutality and defend women’s dignity and safety.

At least 32 people were killed and several others abducted when armed assailants attacked three villages in northern Nigeria’s Niger State on Saturday, according to local police and witnesses cited by Al Jazeera. The attackers, arriving on motorcycles, carried out violent raids across the villages, setting homes ablaze and kidnapping residents.

Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that suspected terrorists struck Tunga-Makeri village, killing six people, burning houses, and abducting several villagers. In Konkoso, resident Jeremiah Timothy told Reuters that the assault began with sporadic gunfire before the attackers set fire to a police station, leaving at least 26 people dead. Authorities said the attackers included groups linked to ISIL (ISIS) and local kidnapping gangs seeking ransom.

The attacks occurred near the Kainji forest along the Niger–Kwara border, an area known as a hideout for armed groups including Boko Haram and criminal gangs.

An attack took place at the campaign office of independent parliamentary candidate Saiful Islam Firoz in Kaliganj, Jhenaidah, leading to the filing of a case naming 20 accused individuals. According to the case statement, the incident occurred around 11 a.m. on Friday at the main election office located on Thana Road, where Firoz and his supporters were present. The attackers allegedly broke into the office, vandalized furniture, and injured several workers.

The case was filed on Friday night by Saiful Islam Firoz, the independent candidate for the Jhenaidah-4 constituency, at Kaliganj Police Station. Officer-in-Charge Jellal Hossain confirmed that the police had received the case. The accused include individuals aged between 22 and 59, whose names were listed in the complaint.

Police have acknowledged receipt of the case, but no further details on arrests or investigations were mentioned in the report.

Vegetable prices in Dhaka have surged sharply amid disruptions linked to the upcoming 13th parliamentary election and referendum. Limited movement of goods-carrying trucks and the closure of most wholesale markets have reduced supply, pushing up prices of onions, garlic, and vegetables. On Saturday afternoon at Karwan Bazar, traders reported that prices of some vegetables had more than doubled, with bitter gourd selling for Tk 180–200 per kilogram, up from Tk 90–100. New onions rose to Tk 60 per kilogram, while local garlic reached Tk 140.

Across the capital’s markets, vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, green chili, eggplant, and beans were selling at Tk 10–20 higher per kilogram than before the election period. Broiler and Sonali chicken prices also increased by Tk 10–20 per kilogram. Traders attributed the rise to transport restrictions and higher freight costs, which have risen up to double. Many wholesale outlets remained closed, and retail sales were low due to fewer customers.

Vendors expressed hope that once transport operations and wholesale markets resume normal activity, supply will improve and prices will ease. Other grocery items such as oil, sugar, lentils, and eggs have remained stable.

Loan disbursement through agent banking services in Bangladesh grew by about 46 percent over the past year, according to the latest quarterly report from Bangladesh Bank. As of December 2025, total loans under agent banking stood at Tk 35,023 crore, up from Tk 24,028 crore a year earlier. Deposits also increased by 18.51 percent to Tk 49,720 crore, while remittance distribution rose by 15.48 percent. Brac Bank led loan disbursement with 72.12 percent of the total, followed by City Bank, Bank Asia, Islami Bank, and Dutch-Bangla Bank.

Industry sources attribute the growth to easier loan procedures, lower interest rates, and the convenience of accessing services locally without visiting bank branches. Agent banking allows third-party outlets to provide nearly all banking services, including account opening, deposits, withdrawals, bill payments, and remittance collection. These outlets operate mainly in rural areas, where 84 percent of agents are based.

Despite the growth in transactions, the number of agents and outlets declined in 2025. The total number of agents fell to 15,327 from 16,021 the previous year, while outlets decreased by 747, indicating consolidation within the expanding service network.

Booker Prize–winning Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy has declined an invitation to the Berlin International Film Festival after expressing outrage at comments made by jury members regarding the situation in Gaza. In a statement on Friday, Roy said she was deeply hurt and disturbed by remarks from jury president Wim Wenders and others during a Thursday press conference, where they suggested filmmakers should stay away from politics.

The controversy arose when a journalist asked the jury about the German government's support for Israel and its stance on human rights. Wenders responded that filmmakers should not engage in politics, emphasizing that their work is for the public, not politicians. Roy condemned these comments as “conscience-less,” describing the Gaza situation as genocide by Israel against Palestinians. She argued that artists and filmmakers have a moral duty to speak out against such atrocities.

Roy’s 1989 film “In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones” was scheduled to be screened in the festival’s classics section from February 12 to 22, but she has now withdrawn her participation.

An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, has pleaded guilty in the Southern District Federal Court of New York to attempting to assassinate US citizen and Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The 54-year-old admitted before Judge Sarah Netburn that he hired a hitman in 2023 to kill Pannun, who resides in New York. Gupta told the court he paid $15,000 to someone he believed was a contract killer, who was actually linked to the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Pannun leads the US-based group Sikhs for Justice, which campaigns for an independent Khalistan state in India’s Punjab region.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, Gupta was arrested in June 2023 at Prague Airport in the Czech Republic and extradited to the United States. He has been convicted of conspiring to murder Pannun, with sentencing scheduled for May 29. Under US law, he faces 20 to 24 years in prison. FBI officials said Pannun was targeted for exercising his freedom of expression. The FBI also alleged Gupta worked with Indian intelligence officer Vikas Yadav, who remains at large.

The case has strained relations between Washington, Ottawa, and New Delhi, as the US and Canada accuse India of targeting their citizens of Indian origin. Indian officials deny the allegations, calling such actions contrary to national policy.

Police in Hatiya, Noakhali, have stated that no incident of rape occurred involving a mother of three in Chanandi Union. Assistant Police Superintendent Nurul Anwar confirmed this on Saturday night, February 14, after visiting the woman’s home and speaking with local residents. The statement followed allegations made the previous night that the woman had been raped and assaulted in her home over a dispute related to voting for the Shapla Koli symbol.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Abu Tayeb Md Arif Hossain, an additional police officer was sent to investigate after the complaint surfaced on social media. He said local inquiries found no evidence of rape, though a physical altercation had occurred in the Ashrayan Project area. The accused individual was reportedly hospitalized two hours before the alleged incident. Police said they would take further action if a written complaint was filed.

The local BNP unit formally protested, calling the allegations baseless and politically motivated. Former BNP president Alauddin Roni urged a fair investigation to uncover the truth. The alleged victim could not be reached for comment.