Bangladesh Bank will assist in reopening factories that were shut down following recent political changes, according to the central bank’s new Governor, Md. Mostakur Rahman. The announcement was made at an emergency press conference on Thursday afternoon, where bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan conveyed the governor’s directives. Rahman had joined the central bank earlier that morning and held a meeting with top officials before the briefing.

During the meeting, the governor emphasized active cooperation in reviving closed industrial units and pledged policy support to boost economic growth and employment. He praised the previous interim government’s efforts to maintain macroeconomic stability and said he would build on that foundation to restore economic momentum. The governor also highlighted the need for policy incentives and stronger coordination within the banking sector to facilitate industrial recovery.

Rahman further prioritized controlling inflation and stabilizing commodity prices within consumers’ purchasing power. He indicated that high interest rates hindering investment would be reviewed, and institutional governance would be strengthened through rule-based, non-discriminatory decision-making and delegation of authority to accelerate operations.

A temporary court at Dhaka’s Keraniganj Central Jail has completed the testimony of 303 witnesses in the explosives case filed over the 2009 Pilkhana BDR mutiny that left 74 people, including 57 army officers, dead. CID Inspector Abu Bakkar Siddique testified before the court of Acting Judge Md Mominul Islam of Dhaka’s Special Tribunal No. 1, after which defense lawyers cross-examined him. The next hearing has been set for April 2. Chief Public Prosecutor Md Borhan Uddin confirmed the progress, noting that 303 out of 1,345 witnesses have now testified.

According to the prosecution, the case involves about 822 accused, of whom 328 are on bail, 427 are in custody, and around 20 remain absconding. Approximately 60 accused have died. The witness testified about explosives seized near the armory warehouse at Pilkhana. Although 149 bail petitions were pending, no hearing took place on the day of testimony.

The explosives case, filed under the Explosives Act, remains under trial, while the related murder case concluded with verdicts at both lower and High Court levels between 2013 and 2017.

Police recovered the hanging body of a university student from a house in Dhaka’s Bashundhara residential area early Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as Mahamuda Akter Jerin, 27, a student of the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB). Her body was found hanging from a ceiling fan with a scarf at a rented flat on Road 2, Block C of the area around 12:45 a.m.

According to Sub-Inspector Abdul Wadud of Vatara Police Station, officers arrived at the scene after receiving information and found the body in the presence of other students. Police said, citing classmates, that Jerin had been suffering from depression and smoked regularly. They suspect she may have taken her own life due to mental distress, though other possible causes are being investigated.

The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy after completing legal procedures. Jerin was the daughter of Khorshed Ali and Johura Begum from Tatowari village in Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali district.

At least 20 people, including police officers, were killed in militant attacks across Pakistan’s northwestern region over the past two days, according to a police official on Thursday. The attacks occurred in various areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 15 police personnel and four civilians were reported dead. Two police officers were also abducted and remain missing. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for most of the assaults.

Violence has surged in recent months in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighboring Balochistan provinces. In response, Pakistan’s security forces launched operations targeting groups described as Indian-backed proxies. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that 34 militants were killed in these operations, including 26 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and eight in Balochistan’s Sambaza area. One of the dead was identified as an Afghan national.

ISPR added that further clashes in Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and North Waziristan districts resulted in additional militant casualties and recovery of weapons and ammunition.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of properties in the United Kingdom owned by former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury. The order was issued on Thursday, February 26, 2026, by Judge Md Sabbir Foyez of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court following a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Court officials confirmed the decision, which concerns immovable assets allegedly linked to money laundering activities.

According to the ACC’s submission, Chowdhury and his associates hold substantial properties in London and other UK locations. The commission argued that freezing these assets is necessary to support an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering. The court accepted the petition, scheduled a further hearing, and instructed that all legal procedures be followed.

The ACC’s investigation file indicates that a special task force comprising members of the ACC, CID, and NBR is examining the allegations. Documents such as property deeds, payment orders, and receipts have been recovered. The listed assets include high-value apartments in London’s Marylebone Square, Oval Village, Clarendon Road, and multiple units in Liverpool’s One Islington Plaza, as well as properties in Harrow, Slough, and Preston.

A massive explosion occurred at an LPG gas pump in the Kolatoli area of Cox’s Bazar city on Wednesday evening, leaving at least ten people burned. Six of the victims, identified as Abu Taher, Md Siraj, Abdur Rahim, Md Sakib, Motaher Hossain, and Abul Kashem, were admitted to the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH). Doctors said their conditions are critical, with burn injuries ranging from 20 to 90 percent of their bodies.

According to police and eyewitnesses, the fire started from a gas leak in one of the tanks at the pump. Workers initially tried to control the flames with sand and water, but a second explosion followed shortly after, spreading the fire further. The six most severely injured were transferred to CMCH for emergency treatment.

Earlier on Monday, a separate explosion in a residential building in Chattogram’s Halishahar area left nine people burned, five of whom later died. Four others remain in critical condition at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.

Police in Dhaka have arrested a 19-year-old man named Siam, also known as Imon, for the murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl Shahriar Sharmin Binti in Hazaribagh. The arrest took place on Thursday morning during a raid in Kathalbagan, only hours after the killing. At a press briefing at the DMP Media Center, Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam said the murder was planned after Binti rejected Siam’s romantic proposal.

According to police, Binti, a student of Rayerbazar High School, was attacked on Wednesday night near Haidar Hotel in Hazaribagh while returning from shopping. CCTV footage showed her walking with Siam before he stabbed her multiple times and fled. Locals took her to hospitals where doctors declared her dead. Police recovered the bloodstained knife and clothes used in the crime from Siam’s possession.

The suspect confessed to planning the murder out of anger after Binti refused to continue their relationship. Police have produced him in court and sought remand. A murder case has been filed, and investigators aim to submit the charge sheet quickly.

A local BNP leader in Morelganj, Bagerhat, has been accused of stopping the construction of a madrasa building after allegedly failing to receive a Tk 2 lakh extortion payment. Contractor S M Badiuzzaman filed a written complaint with Morelganj Police Station, prompting police to visit the site on Wednesday to investigate the allegations.

According to the complaint, the four-story building of Gulishakhali Fazil Madrasa was being built by contracting firm Messrs Osman Ali. The contractor claimed that Hafizur Rahman, publicity secretary of the Nishanbari Union BNP, and several associates demanded Tk 2 lakh. When he refused, they allegedly halted the work and threatened his workers. Hafizur Rahman denied the accusation, saying the construction was stopped due to irregularities.

Madrasa principal Maulana Abdul Bari stated that the construction was proceeding according to regulations and that the institution had no complaints. However, he acknowledged hearing that the contractor had suspended work following local demands for money.

A Dhaka court has ordered steps to issue an Interpol red notice for the arrest of fugitive corruption case accused Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, daughter of Sheikh Rehana. The order was given on Thursday afternoon by Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Foyez. Court bench assistant Md Riaz Hossain confirmed the directive. The Anti-Corruption Commission’s assistant director A.K.M. Mortuza Ali Sagar had earlier applied for the notice, which the court approved after a hearing.

According to the ACC’s petition, Tulip is accused of abusing power to obtain a flat from Eastern Housing Limited without payment, using her political connections and influence over Rajuk’s legal officials. The case alleges she unlawfully received the flat as part of a criminal conspiracy.

Investigators stated that Tulip left the country before the case was filed and has been attempting to destroy evidence. The court noted that since she is abroad, issuing a red notice through Interpol is necessary to ensure her arrest.

The High Court has granted bail to former Cox’s Bazar Member of Parliament Abdur Rahman Bodi in a murder case related to incidents that occurred between July and August. The court issued the bail order on Thursday afternoon, according to the report published on February 26, 2026.

Bodi, who previously represented the Cox’s Bazar-4 (Ukhiya-Teknaf) constituency, was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on August 20, 2024. At that time, RAB stated that he had been detained in Chattogram’s Panchlaish area in connection with an attempted murder case in Teknaf. Bodi was elected as an Awami League lawmaker in the 2014 general election but was later replaced by his wife, Shahin Akter, as the party’s nominee amid controversy over alleged involvement in drug-related activities.

The High Court’s decision marks a new development in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the former MP, who has faced multiple allegations over the years.

The United States has arrested a retired Air Force pilot accused of providing unauthorized training to Chinese military members. According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, 65-year-old Gerald Brown was detained in Indiana after returning from China, where he had been staying since December 2023. Authorities allege that Brown conspired with foreign nationals to train Chinese Air Force pilots in operating combat aircraft without the required State Department license.

Brown served 24 years in the US Air Force, leading sensitive nuclear weapons units, flying combat missions, and working as a fighter pilot and simulator instructor. After retiring in 1996, he worked as a cargo pilot and later as a defense contractor, training pilots on A-10 and F-35 aircraft. Investigators say he began discussions in August 2023 with Chinese citizen Stephen Su Bin, who previously served a prison sentence in the US for espionage, before traveling to China to begin training in December.

An FBI counterintelligence official said the arrest serves as a warning that the agency will hold accountable anyone who collaborates with adversaries to endanger US national security.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained a drug smuggler with 100 bottles of Indian Eskaf during an operation at the Shibganj border in Chapainawabganj early Thursday morning. The arrest took place in the Jaminnpur area under Telkupi Border Outpost (BOP) of Binodpur Union. The detainee was identified as Sakibul Hasan, 20, son of Monirul Islam from Jaminnpur. The operation was confirmed by Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kibria, commander of the 59 BGB Mahananda Battalion.

According to BGB, the raid was conducted based on secret information. During the operation, three other suspected smugglers managed to flee the scene. The arrested individual and the seized drugs were later handed over to Shibganj Police Station for further legal action.

The incident highlights ongoing anti-smuggling efforts by BGB along the Bangladesh-India border, particularly in areas known for cross-border drug trafficking.

An earthquake was felt across several parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, at 12:04 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The tremor occurred just 13 hours after a previous quake in the country. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Earthquake Observation and Research Center of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the quake measured 4.8 on the Richter scale.

Authorities reported that the epicenter was located in India’s Sikkim region, approximately 455 kilometers northwest of Dhaka. The report did not mention any casualties or damage. The event marks the second seismic activity within a short span, drawing attention to regional tectonic movements.

Further details on the impact or aftershocks were not provided in the initial reports.

Police in Gazipur’s Tongi area arrested Abdullah Al Mamun Hawlader, a 44-year-old candidate for the presidency of the Tongi West Volunteer Team, on Wednesday night. The arrest took place in the Uttar Auchpara Khan-para area following a police operation based on a tip-off. Authorities stated that Hawlader was wanted in a drug-related case and had multiple other cases filed against him at Tongi West Police Station.

According to police sources, a team from Tongi West Police Station conducted the raid around 10:30 p.m. after receiving confidential information about his location. Officer-in-Charge Md. Shaheen Khan confirmed the arrest and said that legal procedures were underway. After completing the necessary formalities, the accused would be sent to the Gazipur court on Thursday.

The arrest highlights ongoing law enforcement efforts in Gazipur to apprehend individuals with outstanding warrants, particularly those linked to narcotics cases.

A teenage girl named Rozina Sarker Pakhi from Naogaon’s Sapahar upazila died by suicide on Wednesday in a rented house near Kader Mondol Mor in Rajshahi city. According to police, she went live on Facebook and hanged herself from a ceiling fan. The incident reportedly followed emotional distress linked to her troubled relationship with an Indian youth.

Before her death, Rozina posted several emotional messages on her Facebook profile, indicating despair and a farewell to her friends. Police arrived at the scene after being informed and recovered her body. The Rajpara Police Station officer-in-charge confirmed the incident and said initial evidence suggested suicide.

Authorities are investigating whether the suicide was directly connected to her romantic relationship. The body has been sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.