A heated phone dispute between Bahubal Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Saiful Islam and Upazila BNP President Ferdous Ahmed Chowdhury Toshar has stirred widespread discussion in Habiganj. The controversy began after the arrest of a young man named Masuk Mia, which led to a leaked audio recording of Toshar allegedly threatening and verbally abusing the officer. The recording, whose date remains unverified, spread rapidly on social media, with Toshar reportedly saying that police must consult him to work in Bahubal.

According to local sources, Masuk Mia, a member of the local Union Jubo League committee from the 2019 session, was arrested by police. Some BNP leaders claimed he was a BNP activist and unsuccessfully tried to secure his release. District BNP member Mokhlesur Rahman also reportedly called the OC, urging him to release Masuk, but the officer refused, causing discontent among some BNP members.

OC Saiful Islam confirmed receiving abusive calls from Toshar, while the BNP leader later went live on social media accusing the OC of corruption and misconduct, claiming he had informed the police superintendent verbally.

In Assam’s Dhubri district, hundreds of Bengali-origin Muslim families have lost both their homes and voting rights following government-led evictions. Bodiyat Jamal, a 42-year-old mason from Chirakutha village, has been living under a tarpaulin for seven months after his house was demolished in July 2025 for a power project. Recently, Jamal and his family’s names were removed from the final voter list after a special revision, despite his claim of being a registered voter for 24 years. Similar exclusions have affected many others in the area.

According to Indian media outlet Scroll, around 5,700 Muslims from Dhubri and Uriamghat were evicted and simultaneously removed from voter rolls. Election officials said the deletions occurred because displaced voters changed their permanent addresses. However, affected residents allege that authorities have made no effort to reinstate their names. Opposition parties submitted a memorandum on January 25, 2026, urging the chief electoral officer to include genuine displaced voters.

Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel stated that no voter would be removed “voluntarily” and that a separate process exists for those unable to register new addresses. Yet, displaced residents claim their names remain excluded from all lists.

Begum Selima Rahman, a member of the BNP Standing Committee and former minister, has been admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of United Hospital in Dhaka after suffering a heart attack. The incident occurred on the night of February 19, around 10 p.m., according to BNP Media Cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan, who confirmed the news.

Selima Rahman’s family and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have requested prayers from the public for her swift recovery. The report, published on February 22, 2026, stated that she remains under medical care in the hospital’s CCU. No further details about her current condition or treatment progress were provided in the source.

The hospitalization of a senior BNP leader has drawn concern within the party, as she holds a key position in its policymaking body. The situation underscores the party’s call for public support and well-wishes during her treatment.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Bangladesh, Dr. Abdullah Zafar H. Bin Abiya, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka on Sunday morning. The meeting was confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumman, who said the ambassador congratulated Tarique Rahman on assuming office as Prime Minister.

During the meeting, both sides discussed matters of mutual interest between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. The Prime Minister expressed optimism that the friendly relations between the two nations would reach new heights in the future. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and the Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir were also present at the meeting.

Earlier in the morning, the Prime Minister arrived at the Secretariat at 9:05 a.m. to begin official duties, where he was received by Chief Secretary A.B.M. Abdus Sattar.

On February 22, 2026, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman posted a message on his verified Facebook page early Sunday morning, writing that the future Bangladesh would be one of justice and ending with the slogan 'Inquilab Zindabad'. The post quickly spread across social media, drawing attention on International Mother Language Day.

According to the report, Dr. Rahman’s post came in response to a statement made the previous day by State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku. The minister had said that to truly embrace the Bengali language, the slogan 'Inquilab Zindabad' should not continue, arguing that it had no connection with Bengali identity. His remarks triggered widespread discussion online.

Before Dr. Rahman’s post, several others, including Hasnat Abdullah, Nasiruddin Patwari, and Sarjis Alam, had shared similar messages echoing the same slogan. The issue has since become a focal point of debate on social media surrounding national identity and political expression.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 begins recording witness testimony today, Sunday, in the war crimes case against Sheikh Hasina’s adviser on industry and investment, Salman F Rahman, and former law minister Anisul Huq. The two were sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the July Revolution. The tribunal’s three-member panel is chaired by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumdar, with Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired district judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as members.

The tribunal had earlier, on 12 January, framed formal charges and ordered the trial to begin, setting 10 February for the prosecution’s opening statement. Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam stated that the prosecution holds conclusive evidence against the accused, with 22 witnesses scheduled to testify. The prosecution will also present video, documentary, and live evidence to support its case.

Today’s hearing marks the first witness deposition in the case, signaling the formal progression of the trial process under the International Crimes Tribunal-1.

University students across Iran launched large-scale anti-government demonstrations on Saturday, marking the first major wave of protests since last month’s deadly crackdown. Rallies and sit-ins took place at several campuses in Tehran, including Sharif University of Technology, where hundreds of students marched peacefully with national flags. Verified videos showed chants calling for the end of dictatorship, reportedly directed at Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Pro-government supporters held a counter-rally nearby, leading to brief scuffles between the two groups. Similar protests were reported at Shahid Beheshti and Amirkabir universities, while students in Mashhad demanded freedom and rights.

The unrest follows last month’s economic crisis that escalated into nationwide anti-government protests, described as the largest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) claimed at least 6,159 people were killed, including protesters, children, and government personnel, while Iranian authorities reported over 3,100 deaths, mostly security forces and civilians.

Tensions with the United States have further complicated the situation. President Donald Trump said progress had been made in nuclear talks but warned that within ten days it would be clear whether a deal or military action would follow.

The tenure of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain ends today, Sunday, February 22, 2026. The government has not yet announced how the city corporation will be administered from Monday. Dr. Shahadat, who has been urging for a new city election, has expressed willingness to contest again if his party nominates him. According to the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, elections should have been held between November 22, 2025, and February 22, 2026, but that schedule was not maintained.

Following the new government’s swearing-in, the Ministry of Local Government expressed interest in holding elections for all city corporations, including Dhaka and Chattogram. Political parties such as BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, and Islami Andolon have begun preparing candidate lists for mayor and councillor positions. The ministry has also sent a letter to the Election Commission to initiate preparations.

Sources indicate the government may consider keeping Dr. Shahadat in office until the next election under Section 6 of the Local Government Act. Meanwhile, parties are finalizing their strategies, with Jamaat and its allies yet to decide whether to contest jointly or separately.

Awami-leaning journalists held a public demonstration in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday, marking their first open gathering since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government a year and a half ago. Led by Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) leaders Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu and Akhtar Hossain, participants formed a brief human chain and later paid tribute at the Central Shaheed Minar. They demanded reopening of the locked DUJ office and release of detained journalists, sharing photos and videos of the event on social media.

The demonstration came four days after the formation of a new government and amid reports that banned Awami League activists were reopening party offices and organizing small rallies. The July Revolutionary Journalists Alliance (JRJA) strongly condemned the event, accusing the participants of trying to reintroduce “Mujibism” and destabilize the country’s new democratic order. JRJA demanded the arrest of those involved, alleging many were accused in genocide cases.

The incident reflects renewed activity among Awami-affiliated groups despite ongoing bans on their political and organizational operations following the 2024 uprising that toppled Hasina’s 15-year rule.

The 30-year Ganges water-sharing treaty signed in 1996 between India and Bangladesh is set to expire in December 2026, and no formal renewal talks have begun. Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told parliament that discussions will start only after Bangladesh’s new government is formed. The agreement, originally signed by H. D. Deve Gowda and Sheikh Hasina, governs dry-season water distribution at the Farakka Barrage and has long symbolized bilateral cooperation.

Experts cited in the report warn that India may use the Farakka Barrage as diplomatic leverage, while Bangladesh seeks to link water, trade, and transit issues in negotiations. The political shift in Dhaka following Sheikh Hasina’s fall and the rise of a new BNP-led government has reshaped regional dynamics. West Bengal’s internal politics and environmental concerns over salinity and river flow further complicate renewal prospects.

Analysts suggest that failure to reach a new deal by December could intensify debates over sovereignty and regional economic interdependence, with both sides balancing strategic interests and domestic pressures.

The first session of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament is expected to begin in the second week of March, likely around March 12. According to multiple sources from Bangabhaban, the Parliament Secretariat, and both ruling and opposition parties, preparations for the session have been completed. The Secretariat has already informed the President’s Office, and the President may call the session soon under Article 72 of the Constitution. The session must be held by March 14, within 30 days of the publication of the election gazette on February 13.

The session will open without a sitting Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the previous Speaker resigned and the Deputy Speaker is in jail. A senior member or the Chief Election Commissioner may preside over the first meeting until a new Speaker is elected. The President will deliver his constitutional address at the opening session. Opposition leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami have pledged constructive participation, while government ministers have called for cooperative politics.

The first meeting will elect a new Speaker and possibly a Deputy Speaker, followed by the President administering the oath. Subsequent sittings will include condolence motions, the President’s speech, and presentation of ordinances issued since the last Parliament.

United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has drawn widespread condemnation from Arab and Muslim countries after suggesting that Israel has the right to expand its territory across much of the Middle East. In a televised interview with commentator Tucker Carlson, Huckabee, a self-described Christian Zionist, said it would be acceptable if Israel claimed land stretching from the Euphrates River in Iraq to the Nile River in Egypt. The ambassador later described his statement as hyperbolic, clarifying that Israel seeks only security within its current borders.

The remarks prompted sharp rebukes from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the League of Arab States. Saudi Arabia called the comments “extremist rhetoric” and demanded clarification from the US State Department. Egypt denounced them as a violation of international law, while Jordan labelled them “absurd and provocative.” The League of Arab States warned that such statements inflame regional and religious tensions.

Huckabee, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2024, has previously rejected the two-state solution and denied the existence of an Israeli occupation. His comments come amid ongoing disputes over Israel’s undefined borders and its occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories.

Hundreds of far-right protesters marched through Manchester on Saturday in a demonstration organised by Britain First, a political party calling for the deportation of migrants and Muslims from the United Kingdom. Chanting anti-immigration slogans and insults directed at Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the group was met by a much larger counterprotest of antifascist demonstrators carrying antiracist banners and Palestinian flags. Police flanked both groups as tensions escalated when the two marches converged in the city centre.

Several counterprotesters described the event as a reflection of growing racism in the UK. Ruby, a student from South London, said her grandparents from the Windrush generation now feel increasingly unwelcome, while others reported a rise in racial abuse. Members of Jewish Action for Palestine and other groups criticised police for allowing the far-right march to proceed, accusing authorities of protecting extremist groups.

Police said the day required extensive planning due to multiple simultaneous events, including a Ukraine rally and football matches, which stretched local resources and complicated crowd control efforts.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has stated that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro should be tried in Venezuela rather than in the United States, where he is currently being held following his abduction by the US military. In an interview, Lula said that restoring democracy in Venezuela should be the priority and insisted that the country’s issues must be resolved by its own people without foreign interference. He criticised the idea of one nation invading another to capture its president.

Lula’s remarks come as Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, works to release hundreds of political prisoners detained during Maduro’s presidency, which began in 2013. The Brazilian leader has openly condemned the abduction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a US military operation ordered by then-President Donald Trump on January 3. Maduro was flown to New York after a violent raid in Caracas and now faces US charges related to drug trafficking.

The Trump administration has justified its actions as part of anti-drug efforts, though US data does not list Venezuela among major drug producers. Trump has also expressed interest in Venezuelan oil reserves and invited US companies to exploit them.

The Iranian government has rejected international claims about the scale of killings during last month’s nationwide protests, insisting that “terrorists” were responsible for the deaths. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Tehran had released a list of 3,117 people described as victims of “recent terrorist operations,” including about 200 security personnel. He challenged critics to provide evidence disputing the figures, after US President Donald Trump claimed that 32,000 people were killed and said Iranians had “lived in hell” under the current establishment.

UN special rapporteur Mai Sato and 30 other human rights experts said more than 20,000 civilians may have been killed, though they noted that information remains limited due to heavy internet restrictions. The US-based HRANA reported documenting over 7,000 deaths and investigating thousands more. The experts urged Iran to reveal the fate of those arrested or missing and to stop executions linked to the protests, warning that the true scale of the crackdown remains unclear.

Meanwhile, tensions persist across Iran, with student clashes at Tehran’s Sharif University and teachers striking over the killing of children. Families continue to hold independent memorials for victims, defying official mourning events promoted as symbols of “unity and empathy.”