Former U.S. President Donald Trump has labeled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator, criticizing his refusal to hold elections. Trump remarked that while the U.S. had previously provided financial and military aid to Ukraine, his administration has shifted its approach and initiated talks with Moscow. He noted that Zelenskyy’s presidential term had already expired and insisted that he should hold elections immediately; otherwise, Ukraine might cease to exist as a nation. Trump also expressed frustration over the U.S. spending $35,000 per soldier in the ongoing war.

The Gaza government has reported that Israeli attacks have destroyed 1,109 out of 1,244 mosques in the region—accounting for 89% of all mosques in Gaza. Among them, 834 mosques have been completely demolished, while 275 have become unusable. The destruction of religious and administrative centers, waqf properties, cemeteries, and mosques has resulted in financial losses exceeding $500 million. Additionally, 315 imams and religious speakers have been killed in the attacks, and 27 ministry employees have been detained by Israeli forces. An international initiative called the “Minarets Coalition” has been launched to rebuild the destroyed mosques and religious institutions.

At a workshop on money laundering and tax evasion, top officials from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) revealed that banks are obstructing investigations by providing incorrect information, delaying reports, or outright refusing to share data regarding financial misconduct by oligarchs involved in bank and stock market fraud. Officials reported that a fraudulent pay order was created to legalize 5 billion taka belonging to the two sons of businessman S Alam. Upon discovery, details of the bank accounts were deliberately concealed. The director general of the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) remarked that Bangladesh has witnessed one of the largest banking frauds in history. Investigations found transactions amounting to 2.42 trillion taka linked to Alam’s company. Even with 10 computers and seven officials working for a month, data entry was incomplete. Furthermore, although the company earned 678.1 billion taka in bank interest, it was not reported in tax returns. Shockingly, despite being born in Bangladesh, Alam renounced his citizenship to acquire foreign nationality, allegedly for financial maneuvering.

During a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of running a misleading campaign by blaming Ukraine for the ongoing war. Trump recently stated that Russia’s military invasion was triggered by Ukraine’s actions and that the war could have been avoided had Kyiv reached an agreement. Trump also questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy, citing his declining popularity, which he claimed is now at 4%. In response, Zelensky labeled Trump’s remarks as part of Russian propaganda. Meanwhile, reports indicate that the U.S. and Russia held discussions in Saudi Arabia on ending the Ukraine war—without Ukrainian representation. Zelensky also accused Trump of attempting to claim $500 billion worth of Ukraine’s mineral resources, equating it to selling off the country’s sovereignty.

Workers staged protests at the Adamjee Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Narayanganj after a female worker reportedly died due to being denied leave despite her illness. The protests subsided after the factory management declared a holiday. According to EPZ authorities, the worker, Lima Akter (30), fell sick and later passed away while receiving treatment at a hospital. However, fellow workers claim she felt unwell at work on February 18 and requested leave, which was denied. Forced to continue working, she collapsed and died at the factory around 9 PM.

Police have intervened in a protest march by private primary school teachers demanding nationalization of their institutions. The march, called ‘March to Jamuna,’ was planned to reach the Chief Adviser’s residence. Teachers set off from the National Press Club on Wednesday, following their previous day’s announcement. Protesters are demanding government benefits, including housing and medical allowances, full festival bonuses, and the nationalization of MPO-enlisted institutions. Police claimed that after discussions, the teachers agreed to halt their march and later gathered in a demonstration at Topkhana Road near the Press Club.

Hamas has offered a proposal for a permanent ceasefire in exchange for the release of all hostages in its custody. While Israel has not formally responded to the offer, its forces launched an attack in Gaza, killing three Palestinians. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 11 others were injured in the past 24 hours. Additionally, another Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli aggression, while two more bodies were recovered from the rubble.

The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been conducting secret drone operations over Mexico. According to CNN, MQ-9 Reaper drones are being used to monitor drug cartels and their hideouts, potentially as a precursor to targeted strikes. These drones have previously been deployed for attacks in Somalia, Iraq, and Syria. However, Mexico’s president has denied any violation of the country’s airspace, claiming the drones remained within U.S. international airspace. Meanwhile, the Mexican defense minister has suggested that these operations could involve espionage. Earlier, the U.S. president had directed the designation of several Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

To mark International Mother Language Day on February 21, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has unveiled a commemorative postage stamp, along with a first-day cover and a special postmark.

At the same event, another commemorative stamp, first-day cover, and postmark were released to celebrate the upcoming 7th National COMDECA 2025.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by Advisers Nahid Islam and Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdh, along with Postal & Telecommunications Secretary Muhammad Mushfiqur Rahman and Director General of the Postal Department S.M. Shahabuddin.

A court has ordered the seizure of 100 bighas of land, five houses, and two flats belonging to former DB Chief Harun-or-Rashid. Additionally, 10 bank accounts in his name, containing approximately 12.7 million BDT, have been frozen.

His brother Shahriar’s 30 bighas of land, 11 bank accounts, and shares in three companies have also been seized.

The ACC reported that Harun illegally accumulated over 1.7 billion BDT, while his brother amassed 1.3 billion BDT. They were allegedly attempting to transfer their assets, prompting the court to approve immediate confiscation.

Farmers in Rajshahi staged protests by dumping sacks of potatoes on the Rajshahi-Naogaon highway, condemning a 100% rent hike in cold storage fees. The protest was backed by local BNP leaders.

Previously, the storage cost was 4 BDT per kg, but owners have now increased it to 8 BDT per kg. Farmers have demanded a return to the original rate, stating they would rather discard their produce than pay the inflated fees.

BNP leader Shafiqul Haque Milon criticized the cold storage syndicate, vowing to dismantle their monopoly and ensure fair pricing for farmers.

A court has ordered the seizure of 65 bighas of land owned by Additional DIG Gazi Md. Mozammel Haque following an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) request. The land is valued at over 21.9 million BDT.

Additionally, 12 plots worth 27.6 million BDT, owned by his wife Farzana Mozammel, and 10 plots worth 7.98 million BDT, registered under his daughter Gazi Bushra Tabassum, have been seized. The court also froze 28 bank accounts belonging to the family, holding a total of 145.6 million BDT.

The ACC stated that an investigation is ongoing into their illegally acquired wealth, and immediate action was necessary to prevent asset transfers.

Following the removal of Cox’s Bazar Police Superintendent Rahmat Ullah over a drug-related scandal, seven more officers, including District Intelligence Branch OC Jahangir Alam, have been suspended and attached to the police lines. Investigations against them are ongoing.

Earlier, on January 6, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado was seized in Ramu Upazila with 490,000 yaba pills. A team led by OC Jahangir Alam and SI Samir Guha initially arrested four suspects but allegedly released three in exchange for 12 million BDT. The matter came to light through an investigative report by Jugantor, prompting police authorities to take disciplinary action.

The Ministry of Public Administration has appointed 33 Deputy Commissioners (DCs), who previously served as Returning Officers during the 2018 national elections, as Officer on Special Duty (OSD). A separate notification was issued on Wednesday detailing their new assignments. These officials, previously holding the position of Joint Secretary, have now been transferred to the Ministry of Public Administration. The move reflects ongoing administrative adjustments post-election.

The police in the Vairamara area of Kushtia have discovered the bodies of a married couple in their home. The body of the wife, 65-year-old Rabeya Khatun, was found lying under a blanket on the bed, with her head covered. Meanwhile, her husband, 75-year-old Farid Uddin, was found hanging from the rafters nearby. The bodies were recovered at 12 PM on Wednesday and sent to the morgue. The police suspect that the wife may have been strangled to death, as there are signs of neck injury. Farid Uddin, originally from Natore, lived with his second wife. Rabeya Khatun’s children from her first marriage also live nearby. The cause and motive of the deaths are yet to be determined, but the police suspect that the husband may have killed his wife.