The body of a five-year-old child, Ibrahim Khalil Naim, was recovered from a pond in Nangalkot, Comilla. The child's family has alleged that he was murdered. Naim, son of expatriate Mohammad Ali, went missing around 11 AM. Locals searched for him and made public announcements via loudspeakers. His body was found floating in the pond at 3 PM, and he was rushed to the Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. The grieving mother claims her son was suffocated and then thrown into the pond, as there were visible injury marks on his body. The local police chief has stated that legal action will be taken if a formal complaint is filed.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has presented the Ekushey Padak to 18 distinguished individuals and the SAFF-winning women’s football team for their outstanding contributions in various fields. The ceremony was held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium at 11 AM. Award recipients include Mehedi Hasan Khan, Mahmudur Rahman, Shahidul Alam, Moinul Hasan, Niaz Zaman, Ferdous Ara, Nasir Al Mamun, Rokeya Sultana, Tanbin Islam, and Shabab Mustafa. Posthumous awards were received by representatives of the deceased honorees. The Ekushey Padak is awarded annually in memory of the martyrs of the Language Movement.

The Department of Narcotics Control has arrested two drug traffickers with 428 bottles of banned alcohol in Chuadanga’s Badrganj area. Two motorcycles used for smuggling were also seized. The arrestees, Abul Kalam (43) and Russell (25), were caught in an operation based on secret intelligence. Inspector Nazmul Hossain Khan confirmed the incident, stating that the alcohol was found in two cartons strapped to the motorcycles. The seized alcohol is reported to be highly toxic.

A massive fire broke out at a sales center of Guardian Publications in Bangla Bazar, Old Dhaka, causing the loss of books worth millions. The fire started at around 4 AM on Thursday. Nazmul Huda, General Manager of the publishing house, confirmed the incident. According to him, the fire was reported to the fire service at 5 AM, and firefighters managed to extinguish it by 7:30 AM. The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage for further details.

In recognition of outstanding contributions in various fields, the Ekushey Padak will be awarded to 18 distinguished individuals and the SAFF-winning Bangladesh women's football team this year. The Chief Adviser will present the awards at a special ceremony at Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Thursday at 11 AM. The event will be broadcast live on BTV. Established in memory of the martyrs of the Language Movement, the Ekushey Padak has been awarded annually since 1976 to prominent figures in literature, journalism, arts, education, research, economics, and other fields.

A shocking incident in Shreepur, Gazipur, saw a police officer being dragged for nearly a kilometer by an auto-rickshaw after attempting to impound the unauthorized vehicle. The incident was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media. The arrested driver, 24-year-old Jony Ahmed, ignored repeated pleas from passengers to stop the vehicle while the uniformed officer clung to the rickshaw’s metal frame. Local residents and police eventually intercepted and detained the driver at a traffic jam. Authorities have confirmed that legal action will be taken against him.

Gunmen have shot and killed a police officer tasked with providing security for a polio vaccination team in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Pakistan remains one of the few countries still combating polio, and vaccination drives have been targeted by militants for years. Due to its location near conflict-prone areas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen repeated attacks on polio workers and their security personnel. Despite heightened security measures, assailants arrived on motorcycles and opened fire before fleeing the scene.

Bangladesh police have arrested 532 individuals in the last 24 hours as part of ‘Operation Devil Hunt.’ Additionally, 1,151 others were arrested in connection with separate cases, bringing the total number of arrests to 1,683. The police headquarters reported that law enforcement recovered one foreign-made pistol, a magazine, steel machetes, rusted knives, a kirich (curved blade), and two Burmese daggers during the operation. Since the operation began on February 8, a total of 6,414 individuals have been detained, including several leaders and members of ruling party affiliates.

Two people were killed in a joint forces operation in the Basila area of Mohammadpur, Dhaka. At least five others were injured in the incident, which occurred around 1 AM on Wednesday. According to Abdur Rab, a wireless operator at Mohammadpur police station, the army was conducting routine patrols when armed assailants opened fire on them. The army retaliated, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. No military personnel were injured in the exchange, and the identities of the deceased have yet to be confirmed.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has issued traffic guidelines for International Mother Language Day on February 21. According to an official notice, the Central Shaheed Minar will be open to the public from 12:45 AM. Visitors paying tribute will not be allowed to carry bags, cartons, or flammable substances. Pedestrians must follow a designated route: entering via Palashi Crossing, Sculpture Crossing, and Jagannath Hall Crossing, and exiting through Romana Crossing and Doel Chattar. Additionally, from 6 PM on February 20, traffic movement will be restricted in Shahbagh, Nilkhet, Shahidullah Hall, Chankharpul, Palashi, and Bakshibazar to ensure smooth observance of the event.

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.