An oil-carrying train derailed early Thursday, February 19, 2026, at Amnura in Chapainawabganj while en route from Khulna to the Amnura Power Plant. Following the incident, a relief train from Ishwardi arrived at the site around 10 a.m. but also derailed shortly after beginning rescue operations, causing further complications.

According to Amnura Railway Station Master Hasibul Islam, the relief train was later recovered through the efforts of railway officials. He confirmed that the rescue work for the derailed oil train is still ongoing. The double derailment has suspended rail communication between Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj and disrupted several train schedules.

Railway authorities are repairing the damaged track and working to remove the derailed train. Normal train operations on the route are expected to resume once repairs are completed. Passengers have experienced travel difficulties since the morning due to the sudden disruption.

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has inaugurated the country’s first Election Lab, dedicated solely to election-based research. The initiative, led by the Department of Political Studies, was formally launched on February 19, 2026, at the Social Science Building by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A.M. Sarwaruddin Chowdhury. The lab aims to conduct systematic and empirical studies on elections, voting behavior, and electoral processes. The Vice-Chancellor expressed hope that the lab would help improve future elections through data collection and analysis.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by university officials, including Treasurer Professor Dr. Md. Ismail Hossain and department faculty members. Election Lab Director Professor Dr. Md. Shahabul Haque stated that the lab seeks to produce reliable research outcomes through scientific analysis of election-related data and to strengthen democratic practices. Following the launch, a seminar titled “Analysis of the 13th National Parliamentary Election Results” was held, where teachers and students discussed voting trends, political significance, and overall impacts.

The lab was approved on February 1, 2026, to unify prior departmental research on electoral surveys and candidate data. It is supported by the development and civic organization Impact Initiative.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has imposed restrictions on carrying or consuming iftar and other food items inside metro trains and stations during the holy month of Ramadan. Passengers will only be allowed to carry a 250-milliliter water bottle for drinking during iftar time, and empty bottles must be disposed of in designated bins. The directive, signed by DMTCL Director (Administration) A.K.M. Khairul Alam on February 16, also instructs passengers to avoid spilling water and to maintain cleanliness.

The notice includes a revised metro rail schedule to align with Ramadan office hours. Starting Thursday, February 19, trains will operate under the new timetable until the day before Eid-ul-Fitr. The first train from Uttara North to Motijheel will depart at 6:30 a.m. and the last at 9:30 p.m., while the first train from Motijheel to Uttara North will leave at 7:15 a.m. and the last at 10:10 p.m.

The directive reiterates that similar restrictions were in place in previous years, maintaining consistency in Ramadan operations for the metro service.

All schools, colleges and madrasas across Bangladesh have closed from Thursday, February 19, in observance of the holy month of Ramadan. The Ministry of Education’s Secondary and Higher Education Division and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education issued separate revised notifications on Wednesday night confirming the closure. The decision extends to all government and private primary, lower secondary and secondary institutions.

According to the revised schedule, the holiday will continue until March 26. As March 26 falls on a Thursday, the following Friday and Saturday weekly holidays will allow teachers and staff to enjoy an extended break. Earlier, under a notification issued on January 19 by the Technical and Madrasa Education Division, madrasas had already been closed from February 15 to March 26.

Classes in all affected institutions are scheduled to resume on March 29, following the end of the holiday period.

The government has decided to keep all public primary schools closed during the holy month of Ramadan. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education issued a gazette notification releasing the revised holiday list and academic calendar for the 2026 school year. According to the updated schedule, schools will remain closed from February 19 to March 26, covering 26 days for Ramadan, Sri Sri Harichand Thakur’s appearance day, Shab-e-Qadr, Jummatul-Wida, Eid-ul-Fitr, and Independence and National Day.

The revised calendar also sets the total number of annual holidays at 67 days, excluding weekly holidays on Fridays and Saturdays. The notification specifies that schools cannot be closed for official visits or receptions, and students must not be made to stand on roads to greet visiting dignitaries. Schools may open during holidays if necessary for admission or examinations. Head teachers must take reserved leave with approval from the upazila or thana education officer.

The directive further instructs schools to observe national days such as February 21, March 26, Bengali New Year, and December 16 with due respect.

The Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) has released the schedule for the written examinations of the 50th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS). According to a notice published on Wednesday on the BPSC website, the exams will begin on April 9 and continue on April 12, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 across eight divisional cities: Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh. The first day will feature the Bangla paper, a three-hour exam worth 100 marks.

The notice stated that written tests for compulsory subjects will follow the announced schedule, while the timetable for post-specific subjects will be released later. Details regarding exam halls, seating arrangements, and other important instructions will be published in due course on the BPSC and Teletalk Bangladesh Limited websites.

Candidates can access the full schedule, including dates and times for compulsory subjects, directly from the BPSC website.

The Ministry of Education has officially announced that all government and private secondary and lower secondary schools in Bangladesh will remain closed during the holy month of Ramadan. The revised holiday schedule was released on Wednesday, confirming that schools will close from Thursday and reopen after March 26. As March 26 falls on a Thursday, teachers and staff will enjoy holidays until March 28.

Earlier, the High Court had ordered schools to remain closed for the entire month of Ramadan following a writ petition. However, an appeal against that order led to a stay, creating confusion among students and parents about the holiday schedule. The ministry’s new announcement resolves that uncertainty.

Before this decision, educational institutions had already been closed for five consecutive days due to the 13th national election, a referendum, and the Shivratri observance. Classes had resumed on Monday. Meanwhile, madrasa holidays for Ramadan and Eid will continue until March 28, and colleges will reopen on March 29 according to their respective calendars.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education of Bangladesh has announced a holiday for all government primary schools starting Thursday, February 19, and continuing until March 26. The decision was detailed in a circular issued on Wednesday, February 18. The ministry stated that the holiday period covers several important religious and national occasions, including the holy month of Ramadan, the appearance day of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, Shab-e-Qadr on March 17, Jummatul Wida on March 20, Eid-ul-Fitr on March 21, and Independence and National Day on March 26.

According to the official notice, the extended closure aims to accommodate observances of multiple religious and national events occurring in close succession. The announcement applies specifically to government-run primary schools across the country.

The ministry’s circular provides clarity for students, teachers, and guardians regarding the academic schedule during this period, ensuring alignment with national and religious observances.

The crescent moon marking the start of the holy month of Ramadan 1447 Hijri was sighted in Bangladesh on Wednesday evening, February 18, 2026. Following the sighting, the National Moon Sighting Committee announced that fasting will begin on Thursday. According to the decision, the holy night of Lailatul Qadr will be observed across the country on the night of March 16.

The announcement came after a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee held at the Islamic Foundation’s Baitul Mukarram office in Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad MP, the new Minister for Religious Affairs and Chairman of the committee. The decision was based on reports from district administrations, the Islamic Foundation’s offices, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, and the Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO).

Senior officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Islamic Foundation, and other government agencies attended the meeting, confirming the start of Ramadan across Bangladesh from Thursday.

The Ministry of Education has issued a new policy titled 'Financial Transparency and Accountability Policy for Educational Institutions' to curb financial irregularities and strengthen transparency and accountability across the country's educational institutions. The directive, released on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, by the Secondary and Higher Education Division, states that no institution may collect re-admission fees from enrolled students under any circumstances.

According to the policy, private institutions including schools, school and colleges, higher secondary colleges, and degree colleges at the higher secondary level may only charge tuition fees as specified in the 'Tuition Fee Policy 2024'. Institutions are prohibited from creating new categories of fees or collecting money beyond approved heads. All income and expenditure must follow existing government financial regulations, and accounts must be jointly operated by the head of the institution and the governing body president.

The policy further requires that all fees and donations be deposited through scheduled banks, preferably state-owned ones, or via government-approved payment gateways such as the Sonali Payment Gateway. Any financial irregularities will make both the governing body president and the institution head jointly responsible under prevailing regulations.

A long traffic jam has formed on the Narayanganj section of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, stretching from Signboard to Langalbandh Bridge. Police reported that the congestion intensified on February 18, 2026, as truck movement on the Asian Highway in the Madanpur area increased sharply following the end of election holidays. The combination of heavy truck traffic and morning office-hour vehicles caused severe delays around Kanchpur Bridge and nearby areas.

Passengers and drivers said it is taking nearly twice the usual time to cover a few kilometers. Commuters described being stuck for hours, with some reporting physical discomfort from sitting in stationary vehicles. Truck drivers noted that several parts of the Asian Highway in Madanpur are badly damaged, forcing them to drive slowly and worsening the backlog.

Kanchpur Highway Police Traffic In-Charge Bishnupada Sharma stated that multiple teams are working to manage the situation. He attributed the congestion to the sudden increase in industrial and freight transport activity and the poor road conditions in parts of the Asian Highway.

Colleges across Bangladesh have started their holidays for the holy month of Ramadan from Wednesday, February 18, 2026. According to the Ministry of Education’s official holiday calendar for government and private colleges, institutions will remain closed from February 18 to March 25, combining Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, and summer vacations. Colleges will also observe a one-day closure on March 26 for Independence and National Day, followed by the regular weekend on March 27 and 28. Classes are scheduled to resume on Sunday, March 29.

The calendar further outlines a 10-day break from May 24 to June 5 for Eid-ul-Azha, a 10-day holiday from October 18 to 29 for Durga Puja, Bijoya Dashami, Prabarana Purnima, and Laxmi Puja, and an 11-day winter vacation from December 17 to 31. Additionally, three discretionary holidays have been reserved for institutional heads to allocate as needed.

Meanwhile, primary and secondary schools will begin their Eid-ul-Fitr holidays on March 8, as the High Court’s earlier order to keep schools closed throughout Ramadan has been suspended, maintaining the previously set schedule.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) announced that from February 19, the first day of Ramadan, the capital’s metro rail service will operate under a new schedule aligned with Ramadan office hours. According to a directive signed by DMTCL Director (Administration) A.K.M. Khairul Alam, passengers will be allowed to carry a maximum of 250 milliliters of water for iftar during travel.

Under the revised schedule, trains from Uttara North to Motijheel will run from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., while trains from Motijheel to Uttara North will operate from 7:15 a.m. to 10:10 p.m. The directive details varying headways throughout the day, ranging between 5.5 and 20 minutes depending on the time period. Passengers are instructed to dispose of used bottles in designated bins and are prohibited from consuming any other food inside trains or stations.

The notice also states that schedules for Fridays, Saturdays, and other public holidays will remain unchanged during Ramadan.

Dhaka University has revised the 2024 honours third-year examination schedule for its seven affiliated government colleges in the capital. The change was announced on Sunday, February 15, in a notice issued by Acting Controller of Examinations Himadri Shekhar Chakraborty. The revision followed recommendations from the interim administrator of the seven colleges and the principal of Dhaka College.

According to the notice, the previously scheduled February 15 examination will now be held on Saturday, February 28, starting at 10:30 a.m. Additionally, due to the holy month of Ramadan, all ongoing examinations from February 19 onward will begin at 10:30 a.m. instead of the earlier scheduled time. The new timing applies to both the 2024 honours third-year and master’s final examinations.

Earlier, students had requested a postponement of the February 15 exam, citing difficulties returning to Dhaka from different parts of the country after the election holidays. The seven colleges under Dhaka University include Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Begum Badrunnesa Mohila College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Government Bangla College, and Government Titumir College.

An editorial from Amader Desh Online on February 15, 2026, argues that Bangladesh urgently needs an independent and permanent National Education Commission to ensure sustainable improvement in its education system. The article highlights that despite completing a political milestone through the 13th National Parliament election, the nation’s true progress depends on classroom outcomes. It notes that frequent policy changes, declining quality, and confusion over curricula have created instability, while low budget allocations—around 1.76% to 2% of GDP—fall far below UNESCO’s recommended 4% to 6%.

The piece stresses that most education spending goes to infrastructure and salaries, leaving little for research, teacher training, laboratories, or digital content. It calls for a commission composed of diverse experts, including educators, psychologists, and technologists, to design reforms that integrate coding, AI, and data science from early education. The Bangladesh Student Welfare Trust has also advocated for such a commission, emphasizing its potential to align national education with global standards.

The article concludes that political will is essential for implementing the commission’s recommendations, warning that indecision could cost future generations.