A Dhaka University student and a journalist were allegedly assaulted by police during an anti-drug operation at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on the night of February 23. Witnesses said anthropology student and leftist student leader Nayeem Uddin was beaten after questioning police actions, and his mobile phone was reportedly seized. Several journalists covering the operation were also injured. The operation was led by a Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer, and the incident occurred in front of DC Masud, according to students.

The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) strongly condemned the attacks in a statement issued by Vice President Sadiq Kayem. DUCSU said Banglanews24 multimedia journalist Tofayel Ahmed was seriously injured while performing his duty, and Nayeem Ahmed was beaten without provocation. The statement described the attacks as violations of law and human rights, stressing that unprovoked use of force is unacceptable in a lawful state.

DUCSU demanded that the responsible police officers be identified and punished. It also urged authorities to ensure that no student, journalist, or citizen faces harassment during future anti-drug or similar operations.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 is set to hear testimony for the fourth day in the trial of two top leaders of the banned Chhatra League, accused of crimes against humanity committed during the July Revolution. The accused are the organization’s president, Saddam Hossain, and general secretary, Sheikh Wali Asif Enan. The hearing will take place before a three-member judicial panel led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, with judges Md Manjurul Basid and Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.

In addition to these two, five other accused are facing trial in the same case: banned Awami League general secretary and former minister Obaidul Quader, joint general secretary A.F.M. Bahauddin Nasim, former state minister for information and broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, Jubo League president Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, and general secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil. The tribunal had formally framed charges on January 22, and the prosecution began presenting its case on February 17. So far, three witnesses have testified against the accused.

The ongoing proceedings mark a continuation of the tribunal’s effort to address alleged crimes committed during the July Revolution period.

Bangladesh Land Minister Md. Mizanur Rahman Minu stated that the government aims to eliminate bribery and corruption in public service delivery, assuring that action will be taken upon receiving complaints. He made the remarks on Tuesday morning while speaking to journalists after visiting the Land Service Call Center and Citizen Care Center at the Land Bhaban in Tejgaon, Dhaka.

During the visit, the minister emphasized that land services will be made more citizen-friendly and acknowledged that working in the ministry is challenging but requires collective effort. State Minister for Land Barrister Kaiser Kamal, who was also present, said that those responsible for the ministry over the past 17 years had made it controversial both nationally and internationally. He declared a zero-tolerance policy against bribery and corruption within the ministry.

The statements reflect the ministry’s renewed commitment to transparency and accountability in land administration, signaling stricter oversight and reform efforts in service delivery.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that the decision on whether local government elections will be held under party symbols will be made by the Parliament. He made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon after administrators of six city corporations, including the two in Dhaka, formally joined the Local Government Ministry.

The minister said that city elections would be held first where the current term has ended, adding that political administrators would perform better than bureaucrats. He also clarified that the government has no plan to appoint political administrators in municipalities.

The statement came during an official event marking the assumption of duties by newly appointed city administrators, highlighting the government’s approach to managing local governance transitions.

A total of 45,200 students are set to receive junior scholarships this year, according to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE). The results of the scholarship examination are expected to be published on February 25, as confirmed by Kamrun Nahar, Assistant Director of DSHE’s Planning and Development Wing. The scholarships are divided into talent pool and general categories, distributed across education boards.

The junior scholarship examination was held from December 28 to January 5, with 315,160 students who passed eighth grade in 2025 participating. The Dhaka Education Board is processing the results. Talent pool recipients will receive an annual one-time payment of 560 taka and a monthly stipend of 450 taka, while general scholarship recipients will get 350 taka annually and 300 taka monthly for two years.

Under the board-wise quota, Dhaka board will award 3,635 talent pool and 7,790 general scholarships, while other boards including Rajshahi, Chattogram, and Dinajpur will distribute varying numbers of awards based on their allocations.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, and former MP Jahangir Kabir Nanak are being named as accused for the first time in the explosives case linked to the 2009 BDR tragedy. Chief Public Prosecutor Md. Borhan Uddin confirmed the development on Tuesday morning, stating that witness testimonies have mentioned the names of several Awami League leaders, including former ministers and MPs. Legal provisions allow their inclusion, and action is expected on February 26.

The explosives case, filed under the Explosives Act, currently lists around 800 accused and 1,200 witnesses, with testimony from about 300 already recorded. Witness statements reportedly contain information implicating Sheikh Hasina and others. The case remains at the testimony stage, and about 200 accused have been granted bail since August 2024.

The related murder case from the 2009 BDR mutiny saw 152 sentenced to death and 160 to life imprisonment in 2013. The High Court upheld 139 death sentences, and the case is now pending in the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.

A devastating fire broke out on Monday night in Santa village under Pailgaon Union of Jagannathpur upazila, Sunamganj, destroying five residential houses. The incident occurred around 9 p.m. at the home of Arju Mia. Preliminary estimates suggest losses exceeding 2.5 million taka, including cash, gold ornaments, and furniture. The affected families have been left homeless, with scenes of grief prevailing in the area.

According to local sources, the fire originated from the kitchen stove of Shahid Mia’s house and quickly spread through electrical wires to nearby homes. Houses belonging to Shahid Mia, Arju Mia, Ajid Mia, Ansar Mia, and Rupan Mia were completely burned down. A fire service unit from Jagannathpur rushed to the scene, but locals managed to bring the blaze under control before their arrival.

Jagannathpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shafiqul Islam said police responded immediately after receiving the report. Initial investigation indicates the fire started from a kitchen stove, and further inquiry into the incident is ongoing.

Four members of the same family, including a woman and a child, were burned in a gas line explosion early Tuesday in Daudkandi municipality’s Baldakhal area of Comilla. The incident occurred on the ground floor of a three-storey building. The injured were identified as Monowara (60), Jil Haque (37), Umme Humayra (30), and Huram (2). They were admitted to the emergency department of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 6 a.m.

According to hospital sources, Monowara sustained burns on 2 percent of her body, Jil Haque 54 percent, Umme Humayra 65 percent, and the child Huram 6 percent. Locals reported that the building, owned by Peer Hossain, had an illegal gas connection, and a group collected rent for the gas each month. Fire Service Inspector Md. Ershad Hossain said a team was dispatched at 5 a.m., but the victims had already been sent to Dhaka. Preliminary investigation indicated the explosion resulted from a gas leak.

Daudkandi municipal administrator Md. Redwan Isam stated that the gas line leakage issue will be investigated.

In a reflective essay published on February 24, 2026, writer Shubho Karmakar from Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, described Bangladesh as standing at a technological crossroads where artificial intelligence (AI) has become deeply embedded in daily life. From students to professionals, people are using AI tools without fully understanding their implications. While AI has made knowledge more accessible, Karmakar cautioned that excessive reliance on it may erode human creativity, individuality, and critical thinking.

The article emphasized that machines can organize information but cannot replicate human experience, emotion, or social understanding. Overdependence on AI, the writer argued, risks turning people into passive users who lose their intellectual independence. Karmakar also warned of privacy threats, as AI systems may misuse personal data, leading to cybercrime and data breaches. He urged users to verify information, maintain self-awareness, and treat AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human intellect.

The writer concluded that protecting freedom of thought and nurturing human intelligence are essential in the AI era, especially for the younger generation who are most engaged with technology.

President Md. Shahabuddin has convened the first session of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament for March 12 at 11 a.m., fulfilling the constitutional requirement to begin within 30 days of election results. The February 12 election, held under an interim government, gave the BNP-led alliance a two-thirds majority with 212 of 297 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami–led alliance secured 77. The session will open with the election and oath of the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker, followed by the President’s address and presentation of ordinances issued by the outgoing interim government.

Analysts and parliamentary sources expect the session to be vibrant and contentious, with disputes over the Constitutional Reform Council’s oath-taking and post-election violence likely to dominate early debates. Both ruling and opposition parties are preparing for active participation, with the opposition training its members on legislative procedures and planning to raise issues such as price hikes, traffic congestion, and governance reforms.

Opposition leaders, including Jamaat-e-Islami’s Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, have pledged constructive engagement, while government members anticipate an end to boycott politics and a more functional parliament representing public interests.

Eighteen months after the July 2024 uprising, investigations into related cases in Chattogram have seen little progress, according to victims’ families. Relatives allege that inquiries have slowed further since the new government took office, with no official follow-up or communication. Police confirmed that among 151 cases filed, only one has reached the reporting stage, while the rest remain under investigation.

Families of those killed, including students Wasim Akram, Faisal Ahmed Shanto, Omar Nurul Absar, and Mahbubul Alam Masum, expressed frustration over the lack of justice and government contact. They said that during the interim government, officials and students had visited them, but since the new administration assumed power, even phone calls have stopped. Police and court sources reported that the cases involve more than 21,000 named and 30,000 unidentified accused individuals.

The victims’ families say they have received neither financial assistance nor rehabilitation. Many now doubt whether justice will ever be served, as investigations remain stalled and no visible progress has been made.

Advocate Tajul Islam has been removed from his position as Chief Prosecutor of the reconstituted International Crimes Tribunal, and Advocate Aminul Islam has been appointed as his replacement, according to a government notification issued on Monday. The change comes amid ongoing trials related to the July genocide and crimes against humanity, prompting discussions about the continuity and pace of the tribunal’s proceedings.

During his one and a half years in office, Tajul Islam led significant progress in the prosecution of July genocide cases, resulting in multiple convictions, including death sentences for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. Under his leadership, 24 formal charges were filed, 21 trials are ongoing, and three verdicts have been delivered. Tajul expressed confidence that the new prosecutor would continue the pursuit of justice and emphasized the need to prevent future atrocities.

New Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam, previously a lawyer for Khaleda Zia, pledged to uphold the aspirations of the July movement and ensure fair trials. He stated that under the elected government, the tribunal’s work would proceed with greater momentum.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh is set to amend postal ballot regulations following experiences from the recently held 13th parliamentary election. According to EC sources, the changes will remove the voter declaration form and the provision for multiple envelopes. These elements were found to compromise ballot secrecy, as the declaration form contained both the postal ballot number and the voter’s national ID, potentially revealing voting choices.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Mashud confirmed that the EC is considering dropping the declaration form, noting that voter identity is already verified through registration with a photograph. He also said the number of envelopes used in postal ballots will be reduced. EC officials explained that, unlike regular ballots cast in secret booths, postal ballots could expose voter preferences due to the attached declaration form.

Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (SUJAN), welcomed the move, calling the declaration form unnecessary and a risk to voter privacy. He described the reform as a positive step toward protecting electoral confidentiality.

A Dhaka University student and student leader was allegedly beaten by police during an anti-drug operation at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Monday night. Witnesses said the incident occurred when anthropology student Naeem Uddin questioned police actions, prompting an officer to remark, “You’re arguing too much,” before assaulting him and seizing his phone. Several journalists, including Banglanews24 multimedia journalist Tofayel Ahmed, were also reportedly injured while covering the raid.

Student organizations and eyewitnesses condemned the incident, calling it a violation of human rights and demanding disciplinary and legal action against the involved officers. Leaders from various student groups said police cannot act as judges on the street and must be held accountable for unlawful behavior. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Shahbagh Police Station officials did not provide immediate comments, and the university administration has yet to respond.

Journalists and students have urged an impartial investigation into the assaults, emphasizing the need for accountability to prevent further abuse of power by law enforcement.

Newly elected Member of Parliament Akhtar Hossain from Rangpur-4 (Kaunia-Pirgacha) constituency and member secretary of the National Citizens Party (NCP) pledged to fulfill all his election promises despite his alliance not forming the government. Speaking as the chief guest at a large public reception and iftar gathering at Pirgacha Government College field on February 23, he said he would visit government offices to secure development projects for his constituents.

Hossain sharply criticized the BNP, accusing its defeated candidate Emdadul Haque Bhorsa of instigating violence and looting in Haragach. He said his party rejected politics of hatred and sought to work inclusively for all. He also praised Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and urged attention to small infrastructure projects in northern Bangladesh to improve accessibility for rural residents.

The event, organized under the leadership of local Jamaat-e-Islami representatives, featured speeches from leaders of Jamaat, NCP, Islami Chhatra Shibir, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis. Before the reception, Hossain attended a meeting with the Pirgacha Upazila administration, visited a late Jamaat leader’s grave, and inaugurated a local road.