A Dhaka court has sentenced four young men to life imprisonment for their involvement in a gang rape case in Kamrangirchar. The verdict was delivered on Sunday by Judge Munshi Md. Moshiyar Rahman of the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4. Along with life imprisonment with hard labor, each convict was fined 100,000 taka.

The four convicts are Shahidul Islam (23), Saiful Islam (25), Nizam (24), and Monir Hossain alias Sentu (26). The court’s public prosecutor, Ershad Alam, confirmed the judgment and stated that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional one year of simple imprisonment for each convict.

The ruling marks the conclusion of the Kamrangirchar gang rape case, reinforcing the tribunal’s stance on strict punishment for crimes involving violence against women and children.

Sohel Rana, the owner of the collapsed Rana Plaza and a Jubo League leader, was temporarily released on parole from Kashimpur Jail on Saturday, February 21, to attend his mother’s funeral in Savar. The funeral took place at a madrasa mosque in the Savar municipal area, where police from Savar Model Police Station were present. During the event, Rana addressed those in attendance, asking for prayers for his late mother and forgiveness for his past mistakes.

According to his cousin Jahangir Alam, Rana’s mother, Marzina Begum, had been suffering from cancer for a long time and passed away on Friday night at a hospital in Dhaka. Following her death, a parole request was submitted, and Rana was brought to Savar by police around 6 p.m. He returned to prison around 7:30 p.m. after the funeral. The arrangement for his attendance at the funeral was kept confidential.

The brief parole release marked Rana’s first public appearance in nearly a decade, drawing attention due to his past involvement in the Rana Plaza tragedy.

Nearly a week after their abduction, 20 fishermen kidnapped by pirates in the Bay of Bengal remain captive. The abductors have demanded Tk 350,000 per fisherman, totaling Tk 7 million, through mobile communication with the boat owners. According to the Forest Department, negotiations are ongoing between the pirates and the owners over the ransom amount. The pirates have not set a payment deadline but have threatened severe consequences if the ransom is not paid soon.

The fishermen were abducted on the night of February 16 while fishing near the Dublar Char area, including Alorkol and Narikelbariya fishing villages, by the notorious Jahangir and Suman pirate groups. Following the incident, regular fishermen in the Sharankhola range of the eastern Sundarbans stopped fishing for safety reasons, leading to a severe fish shortage at the country’s largest dry fish production center and heavy financial losses for traders.

Fishing activities partially resumed on February 21, with the Forest Department instructing trawlers to stay close to shore and return daily due to ongoing security concerns.

A police officer named Shah Alam, aged 33, was stabbed during a bag search at a checkpoint in the Kutubkhali area of Dhaka’s Jatrabari on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. when four young men approached the checkpoint. Police became suspicious of one of their bags, and as officers attempted to search it, one of the men attacked Shah Alam above his left eye with a knife before fleeing the scene.

The injured officer was first taken to Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment. According to Jatrabari Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Raju, efforts are underway to identify the attackers. He added that the assailants also detonated a crude explosive device at the scene. Police have seized the bag involved in the incident, and a case is being prepared.

Authorities are continuing their investigation to locate the suspects and determine the motive behind the attack.

Bithi, wife of former Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director Shafiqul Rahman, confessed in court to charges of abusing an eleven-year-old domestic worker. Her statement was recorded on Saturday, February 21, 2026, by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ismail Hossain, who subsequently ordered her to be sent to jail. The confession followed her remand period, after which she voluntarily agreed to give a statement, confirmed by the complainant’s lawyer S.M. Piarul Islam Nasim.

According to the case, the child’s father, Golam Mostafa, had placed his daughter in the Rahman household in June of the previous year. He last saw her healthy on November 2, but later discovered severe injuries on her body when she was returned on January 31. The child alleged that Shafiqul Rahman, Bithi, and others had repeatedly beaten and burned her with heated utensils. Mostafa filed the case on February 1, leading to the arrests of Shafiqul, Bithi, and two others.

Earlier, both Shafiqul and Bithi were placed on remand, and several co-accused, including domestic workers, also gave statements or were sent to jail following interrogation.

Serious allegations of irregularities have surfaced in the construction of a road guide wall under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur. Locals discovered that banana trees were used beneath the brickwork of the wall instead of solid soil or concrete beams. The incident occurred at Char Kakir intersection in Ward 7 of Shiruyail Union and spread widely on social media, drawing strong criticism from residents.

According to local sources, the guide wall construction on the road from Sadekabad through Sipaikandi to Munshikandi began about six months ago and has faced complaints of slow progress and substandard materials. Contractor Alomgir Jamaddar denied ordering such work and promised to rebuild the section properly. LGED officials acknowledged possible irregularities during the election period and said the faulty section would be redone. District Executive Engineer Badal Chandra Kirtania stated that such negligence in government work would not be tolerated, while the Upazila Nirbahi Officer confirmed that necessary actions were being taken.

Authorities are investigating the incident, and corrective construction has been promised to ensure compliance with proper standards.

Five people were killed in a head-on collision between a CNG-run auto-rickshaw and a gas-carrying truck on the Kushtia bypass road on Saturday, February 21, 2026, around 2:30 p.m. The incident was confirmed by Abu Obaid, Officer-in-Charge of Kushtia Highway Police Station. Among the deceased were three women. The bodies were recovered and taken to Kushtia General Hospital.

The report, filed by the district correspondent in Kushtia, stated that the accident occurred in the afternoon when the two vehicles collided directly on the busy bypass road. Police immediately responded to the scene to manage the situation and transport the victims.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased or further details about the cause of the collision. The incident adds to ongoing concerns about road safety in the region, particularly involving small passenger vehicles and heavy trucks.

At least 50 people were killed when armed assailants attacked a village in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, late Thursday night. The gunmen, riding on motorcycles, stormed the village in the Bukuyum area, setting houses on fire and abducting several women and children. The assault continued until Friday morning, leaving widespread devastation across the community.

Hamisu A. Faru, a legislator representing southern Bukuyum, said the exact number of abducted individuals remains unclear as local officials are still compiling a list of the missing. A local resident, 41-year-old Abdullahi Sani, reported that villagers had alerted security forces a day earlier after spotting more than 150 motorcycles carrying armed men, but no action was taken.

The attack follows a similar incident last week in Niger State’s Borgu area, where at least 46 people were killed, including 38 in Konkoso village, marking another wave of deadly violence in Nigeria’s northwest.

The Islami Chhatra Shibir’s Chattogram North District branch has strongly condemned an armed attack on Md. Jihad, secretary of the organization’s Bauria Union unit in Sandwip upazila, while he was performing Tarawih prayers. In a joint statement issued to the media on Saturday, branch president Shawkat Ali and secretary Main Uddin Raihan expressed deep concern and protest over the incident, as confirmed by central publicity secretary Azizur Rahman Azad.

According to the statement, the attack was allegedly led by a local drug dealer and BNP leader known as ‘Yaba Jamal,’ along with several armed associates. The Shibir leaders described the assault as a violation of religious sanctity and basic human rights, claiming it stemmed from political vengeance. They said the attackers dragged Jihad out of the mosque and beat him brutally, questioning his political affiliation.

The organization demanded a neutral investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible and urged the local administration to ensure justice. They also wished for the quick recovery of the injured leader.

A homemade explosive device, locally known as a cocktail, was detonated at the house of Mohammad Ali, owner of Roman Jute Mill, in Nawapara village of Abhaynagar upazila, Jashore, early Friday night, February 20. The explosion occurred around 2 a.m., reportedly after Ali refused to pay extortion money demanded by a local criminal group. No casualties were reported as the house was unoccupied at the time.

Following the blast, members of the Abhaynagar army camp and local police visited the site. Mohammad Ali’s son, Rakibul Islam, said a known gang had been demanding money for some time and carried out the attack to intimidate the family. Ali’s nephew, Mohammad Sajib, described waking up to a loud noise and seeing smoke rising from the house. Police later recovered materials such as sticks and red tape from the scene.

Abhaynagar police inspector Zahidul Islam confirmed that evidence of a cocktail explosion was found and said an investigation is underway, with legal action in process.

Three people, including the driver of a CNG autorickshaw, were killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between a pickup van and the autorickshaw at Shahpur in Giasnagar area of Moulvibazar early Friday night. The accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. when a Moulvibazar-bound pickup van collided with a CNG autorickshaw heading toward Sreemangal.

According to Moulvibazar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Saiful Islam, autorickshaw driver Alinur and passenger Rehan died on the spot. Another passenger, Rubel Mia, who was seriously injured, was rescued by the Fire Service and taken to Moulvibazar 250-bed General Hospital, where he later died. Alinur was from Kalenga village in Kamalganj upazila, while Rehan and Rubel Mia were residents of Dargah Mahalla in Moulvibazar Sadar.

The bodies of the deceased have been kept at Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital. Police said legal procedures regarding the incident are ongoing.

British police continued searching the former Windsor home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Friday, a day after questioning him for 11 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public office linked to his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. The 66-year-old was released under investigation after his arrest, while officers also raided Wood Farm on the King’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where he currently resides. Unmarked police vehicles were seen entering the Royal Lodge grounds throughout the morning.

Thames Valley Police confirmed a full investigation into the alleged misconduct, which carries a potential life sentence if proven. The inquiry follows U.S. government document releases suggesting that Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential British government reports with Epstein while serving as a trade representative. The king issued a rare statement emphasizing that “the law must take its course.”

Other UK police forces, including London’s Metropolitan Police, are coordinating related investigations into Epstein’s activities, such as possible human trafficking through British airports. Authorities said no new sexual offence allegations have been made within their jurisdiction.

A local leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir was allegedly dragged out of a mosque and severely beaten during Tarawih prayers in Sandwip’s Bauria Union on Friday night. The incident occurred at Jamir Majhir Mosque in Ward No. 5, where 20-year-old Jihad, the union’s Shibir secretary, was attacked by several individuals identified as Jasib, Nirab, and Naeem. Witnesses said the assailants entered the mosque, pulled Jihad outside, and assaulted him with sticks and local weapons while chanting political slogans. Worshippers reportedly could not intervene due to the attackers being armed.

Colleagues of the injured claimed the attack was politically motivated, linked to Jihad’s support for the “Dhapipal” symbol in a recent election and internal ideological disputes. He was rescued in critical condition and admitted to Sandwip Upazila Health Complex, where doctors confirmed serious injuries and bleeding marks on his body.

Sandwip Police Station Officer-in-Charge Zayed Noor stated that police are monitoring the situation and will take legal action once a written complaint is filed, assuring that no perpetrator will be spared.

A young housewife named Arpita Rani Karmakar Sithi, aged 18, reportedly died by suicide in Jautdaibaki village of Lalpur upazila, Natore, on Friday, February 20, 2026. Police and local sources said the incident followed a family dispute over mobile phone use. During an argument, Arpita allegedly poured petrol on herself and set herself on fire. Family members rescued her in a severely burned condition and took her to Lalpur Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared her dead.

Arpita was the wife of Jagai Karmakar, a tea seller from the same village, and daughter of Asim Karmakar from Baneswar Mistri Para in Puthia upazila, Rajshahi. The couple had been married for about two years. According to her husband, disagreements arose because he believed her frequent phone use caused neglect of household duties. He took her phone away, which reportedly upset her deeply.

Lalpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mojibur Rahman confirmed that the body was recovered and a case of unnatural death (UD) has been filed. The body will be handed over to the family after autopsy, and legal steps will follow based on the investigation.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued 55 people, including women and children, and arrested five human traffickers during an operation in Baharchhara, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. The operation took place late Thursday night following intelligence that a group was preparing to traffic people by sea to Malaysia. A suspicious boat ignored a signal to stop and attempted to flee, but was later intercepted near the Kachhapia area of Baharchhara.

Upon searching the boat, the Coast Guard found the victims who had been detained for trafficking to Malaysia. Preliminary questioning revealed that an organized trafficking ring had been luring Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals with promises of better living conditions, high-paying jobs, and low-cost travel abroad. The Coast Guard confirmed that legal proceedings against the detainees are underway.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haq, the Coast Guard’s media officer, stated that the agency will continue similar operations to prevent human trafficking in the future.