The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has accepted the testimony of Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi as evidence in the case concerning killings during the July uprising. The prosecution submitted the request on Wednesday before a three-member judicial panel led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, which approved it. The case involves seven accused, including suspended Awami League general secretary and former minister Obaidul Quader, all of whom remain absconding.

In his statement given to the investigating officer on June 18 of the previous year, Hadi described his background as a university teacher and activist involved in cultural movements. He recounted events surrounding the 2024 mass uprising, alleging violent suppression of protesters by ruling party affiliates and law enforcement. Hadi’s testimony also mentioned earlier quota reform movements and his views on systemic inequality.

The tribunal’s acceptance of Hadi’s deposition follows a similar decision by Tribunal-1, which had earlier accepted a statement by Badruddin Omar against Sheikh Hasina. The case continues under the jurisdiction of Tribunal-2, with all accused still at large.

A mobile court in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram conducted a market monitoring drive on Tuesday, February 18, 2026, and imposed fines totaling Tk 10,500 in eight separate cases. The operation took place at Mithanala Bazar, Sadar Union, and Mirsarai municipal market, led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Alauddin Kader.

The cases were filed under relevant sections of the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, for failing to display price lists and for selling goods underweight. Eight traders were fined, but no one received a jail sentence. During the operation, traders were cautioned to sell goods at fair prices with reasonable profit margins and to display price lists visibly, especially ahead of the upcoming Ramadan.

Officials from the police department, union parishad administration, and union land office were present during the drive, which aimed to ensure transparency and protect consumer rights in local markets.

A group of 12 to 13 masked assailants looted 40 goats from Al Baraka Agro Farm, located east of Nizampur Railway Station in Wahedpur Union of Mirsarai, Chattogram. The incident occurred around midnight on Tuesday, according to the farm authorities. The attackers first removed the CCTV hard disk before forcing the farm’s guard onto a pickup truck with the goats. After crossing the railway line, they released the guard and fled with the animals.

Farm owner and former student leader Abu Hena Kayser said the intruders also blindfolded and detained an employee named Nurul Afsar, taking CCTV equipment and several sacks of animal feed. He alleged that the same night, blank shots were fired at his fish project in Domkhali to spread fear, suggesting the same group might be involved in both incidents. The stolen goats were being prepared for sale ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, with an estimated loss of around six lakh taka.

Nizampur Police Outpost officer SI Zakir Hossain confirmed that police visited the scene and that an investigation is underway. Legal action will follow upon receiving a written complaint.

A Jamalpur court has sentenced two men to life imprisonment and fined each Tk 100,000 in connection with the abduction of rickshaw driver Majnu Mia. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday afternoon by Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of the Jamalpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1. The convicts are Sohel from Chandonpur village in Islampur upazila and Selim Islam from Distapara village in Birganj, Dinajpur. Selim was present during the verdict, while Sohel remains absconding.

According to the prosecution, Majnu Mia went missing on June 12, 2012, after leaving his home in Islampur with his rickshaw. Sohel abducted him and confined him in Gazipur. Later, the family received a phone call demanding Tk 50,000 as ransom. On June 17, Majnu’s father, Khalek Mia, filed a case with Islampur Police Station against unidentified persons. Police investigation later confirmed the involvement of Sohel and Selim, leading to the submission of a charge sheet.

The court delivered the judgment based on witness testimony and evidence. The prosecution was represented by Public Prosecutor Fazlul Haque, while Advocate Ismail Hossain defended the accused.

Former army chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan told the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that former Major General Ziaul Ahsan, accused in cases of enforced disappearances and killings, was a serial killer and that he had opposed Ahsan’s promotion. Bhuiyan made the statement on Wednesday during cross-examination by Ahsan’s lawyer, Aminul Gani Tito. The tribunal, led by Justice Golam Mortuza Mojumdar with two other members, is hearing the case.

Bhuiyan said Ahsan received one promotion from lieutenant colonel to colonel between 2012 and 2015, when he was army chief. He stated that most board members recommended Ahsan’s promotion out of self-interest, despite his own opposition. Bhuiyan added that Ahsan lacked the qualifications for promotion, having neither completed staff college nor commanded a battalion. He also claimed that Major General Momen, who presented his objections at the promotion meeting, was later reassigned to Bahrain as ambassador in what Bhuiyan described as a punitive posting.

The tribunal adjourned the incomplete cross-examination and scheduled the next session for February 23.

A prisoner named Md. Mamun Sheikh, aged 34, died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Wednesday morning. He was brought to the hospital’s emergency department from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj after falling ill. According to hospital authorities, duty doctors examined him and declared him dead at 10:35 a.m. The incident was confirmed by Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the hospital police outpost, who said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

Prison guards, including one named Robin, escorted Mamun Sheikh to the hospital under the direction of prison authorities. They could not immediately provide details about the case in which he had been imprisoned but said further information would be available later. The deceased’s father was identified as Md. Salam.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, and further details about the prisoner’s case are expected to be disclosed later.

A Dhaka court has again postponed the submission of the investigation report in the Bangladesh Bank reserve theft case, marking the 93rd delay. On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam set a new date of April 9 for the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to file the report. The CID failed to submit the report on the previously scheduled date, prompting the court to extend the deadline once more.

The case stems from the February 5, 2016 theft of 81 million US dollars from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The funds were fraudulently transferred using the SWIFT system and later moved to the Philippines. Investigators believe a hacker group, possibly aided by local collaborators, was involved in laundering the stolen money.

Following the incident, on March 15, 2016, Zobayer Bin Huda, Deputy Director of the Accounts and Budgeting Department of Bangladesh Bank, filed a case under the Money Laundering Prevention Act and the Information and Communication Technology Act. The CID continues to investigate the matter.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has begun the trial of Sajib Wazed Joy, son of Sheikh Hasina and ICT adviser, and former state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, in connection with alleged crimes against humanity linked to the July killings. The prosecution opened its introductory statement on Wednesday, marking the formal start of proceedings. The tribunal set February 25 for witness testimony, while Palak, who is under arrest, was brought from prison to the court. Formal charges had been framed against both accused on January 21.

According to the prosecution, three charges were brought against the two. The first alleges that Palak incited violence through social media posts between midnight and 1 a.m. on July 14, 2024, following Joy’s instructions, leading to attacks on protesters the next day. The second charge claims both ordered internet shutdowns and encouraged the use of lethal force, resulting in 28 deaths. The third accuses them of aiding killings in Uttara, where several victims, including a six-year-old, were reportedly killed.

Defense lawyers for both accused sought discharge, arguing insufficient evidence, while prosecutors maintained that the charges were based on credible proof to be demonstrated during trial.

Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) became tense again on the anniversary of the 2025 campus violence. Late on the night of February 17, 2026, unidentified youths vandalized the 'Bloodied KUET Corner' exhibition, which had been set up by injured students with university approval to commemorate the previous year’s attack. CCTV footage reportedly showed a group led by a student leader from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal entering the exhibition room at 12:32 a.m. and leaving five minutes later. The incident followed earlier unrest, including the blockade of the vice-chancellor’s residence and banners declaring him unwelcome on campus.

KUET’s Student Welfare Director, Professor B.M. Ikramul Haque, said the same group involved in the February 13 disturbance appeared in the footage and accused them of trying to destabilize the campus again. He announced a meeting to decide next steps. Vice-Chancellor Professor Maksud Helali said he had only been verbally informed about the commemorative program. Chhatra Dal leader Safwan Ahmed Ifaz denied involvement, claiming the exhibition space had been misused and that students had merely “freed” it.

The renewed unrest has raised concern among students and staff just weeks after the national election, with fears of further instability on campus.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized a large consignment of Indian Tapentadol tablets worth approximately Tk 3.12 crore from the border area of Haldegram in Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur. The operation was conducted early Tuesday night based on secret intelligence by patrol members of the Mymensingh Battalion (39 BGB) under the Haldegram Border Outpost. The seizure was confirmed in a press release issued by the battalion on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the report, smugglers attempted to bring the Indian Tapentadol (100 mg) tablets into Bangladesh through an innovative method. Acting on the tip-off, BGB personnel launched a raid around 4:30 a.m. When the smugglers realized the presence of the patrol team, they fled the scene, leaving the drugs behind. No arrests were made during the operation.

Lieutenant Colonel Md. Nurul Azim Bayezid, commanding officer of the 39 BGB Battalion, stated that BGB remains vigilant around the clock to protect the international border and prevent illegal activities. He added that strict measures against drug trafficking and illegal infiltration will continue.

Two drivers were killed in a head-on collision between an army truck and a passenger bus in Phulpur, Mymensingh, on Wednesday morning around 10:45 a.m. The accident occurred near Kakli Rice Mill at Balia Mor on the Mymensingh-Haluaghat road. The bus was heading toward Sherpur when the collision left seven to eight passengers seriously injured. The bus driver, who was critically hurt, died while receiving treatment at Phulpur Upazila Health Complex.

Army truck driver Sergeant Rezaul was rescued and taken to Tarakanda Upazila Health Complex, where he also died during treatment. According to Additional Superintendent of Police Abdullah Al Mamun, army personnel were returning from the Phulpur camp to Mymensingh when the crash occurred. Army, police, and fire service teams promptly reached the site to conduct rescue operations and clear the traffic congestion.

Authorities reported that traffic on the Mymensingh-Haluaghat road has since returned to normal, and legal procedures related to the incident are underway.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued nine fishermen alive after their fishing boat drifted in the deep sea near Saint Martin due to engine failure. The incident occurred about 10 nautical miles from the island, and the rescue was carried out by the Coast Guard ship Joy Bangla following an emergency alert through the 16111 hotline. The operation was confirmed by Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Siamandul Haque.

According to the Coast Guard, the fishing boat’s engine malfunctioned on Monday, leaving it stranded in the deep sea. Upon receiving the distress information, a special rescue operation was immediately launched. All nine fishermen were rescued alive along with their boat.

After the rescue, the fishermen were provided with food and primary medical care before being handed over to their boat owner. The Coast Guard emphasized the prompt response and coordination that ensured the safe recovery of the crew.

NCP-Dhaka North member Iqbal Hossain was reportedly abducted and tortured in Uttara under the leadership of individuals identified as Awami-linked figures Moyla Delowar and Kawser. The incident came to light on Wednesday morning. According to the report, Hossain was taken from Road 11 in Sector 10 of Uttara by a group led by Delowar, also known as Moyla Delu, and Kawser.

The abductors are described as members of a group associated with former Awami League Ward 54 councillor Yuvraj, who is also a suspect in a previous murder case. Police later rescued Iqbal Hossain unconscious from the ground floor of a house in the area. He is currently receiving treatment at Bangladesh Kuwait Maitree Hospital.

Authorities have not yet released further details regarding arrests or the motive behind the abduction, and the investigation appears to be ongoing.

Police in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, conducted a special operation early Tuesday morning and arrested one suspected drug trafficker with 150,000 yaba tablets. The operation began around 4 a.m. based on intelligence that a pickup truck was transporting a large consignment of yaba from the Morichya area toward the Cox’s Bazar–Chattogram highway. Officers set up a temporary checkpoint near Shikolghata Bridge and intercepted a pickup that attempted to evade police. After a chase, the vehicle stopped near Ramu Central Government Primary School, where one suspect, Md. Harun, 29, was detained with a sack containing the drugs.

Police reported that the seized sack contained 15 packets, each holding 10,000 yaba tablets. The pickup used for transport had no registration number. Law enforcement officials stated that preparations are underway to file a case under relevant narcotics laws. Additional Superintendent of Police (DSB) Alok Biswas confirmed the seizure, while Ramu Police Station’s Investigation Officer Md. Farid said efforts continue to arrest the remaining suspects.

Authorities are maintaining heightened vigilance in the area to prevent further drug trafficking attempts.

Police in Sitakunda, Chattogram, have launched an anti-drug operation, arresting three members of the same family from Kolabaria Adarsha village in Baraiahdala Union. The detainees are Mehedi Hasan Hridoy, 24, his father Bahar Uddin, 55, and mother Bibi Mariam alias Kohinur Akter, 45. Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a special raid on the night of February 17 and recovered 52 pieces of yaba from Hridoy, who was known locally as a top drug dealer. The family allegedly ran the operation under CCTV surveillance for a long time.

Sitakunda Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohinul Islam said initial information suggests the entire family was involved in drug trading and that Hridoy faces multiple criminal cases, including murder, robbery, and narcotics charges. Legal action is underway, and police have pledged to continue the anti-drug drive under a zero-tolerance policy.

Local residents, who had previously organized human chains demanding tougher action, expressed relief at the arrests and hope that continued enforcement and community awareness will help make the area permanently drug-free.