Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has congratulated Tarique Rahman on taking oath as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The Saudi Press Agency reported the message on Wednesday, noting that the Crown Prince wished continued progress and prosperity for the people of Bangladesh. He also extended congratulations on the formation of a new government under Rahman’s leadership.

According to the report, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) formed a cabinet of nearly 50 members on Tuesday, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The new cabinet includes 25 full ministers and 24 state ministers who have taken oath. This follows the publication of the official gazette of the 13th parliamentary election results, where the BNP secured 209 of 297 seats, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami won 68 seats. The remaining seats went to various alliances, parties, and independent candidates.

The report also mentioned that around 150 of the elected members are first-time parliamentarians, marking a significant generational shift in the new legislature.

Newly appointed Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to begin his first official working day at the Secretariat today, accompanied by members of his cabinet. From early Wednesday morning, various administrative offices and the Prime Minister’s office were seen busy preparing to welcome him, with officials entering the premises carrying flower bouquets. Members of the Special Security Force (SSF) have been deployed inside the Secretariat to ensure security.

Officials confirmed that the Prime Minister’s office on the third floor of the Cabinet Division was cleaned and prepared on Tuesday afternoon. Nameplates have been installed in ministers’ and state ministers’ offices, and rooms have been newly decorated. According to the Cabinet Division, Tarique Rahman will first pay tribute at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at 10 a.m. before returning to the Secretariat to begin his duties.

He is expected to hold an introductory meeting with Cabinet Division officials, have lunch at the Secretariat, and chair a special cabinet meeting at 3 p.m., followed by a discussion with secretaries at 4 p.m. Newly appointed ministers and state ministers will also assume their responsibilities and brief journalists later in the day.

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.

Professor Dr. A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain has been appointed as the minister in charge of both the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare. The announcement follows his election as a Member of Parliament from Dinajpur-6, marking his first term in the national legislature and his first inclusion in the cabinet.

Party sources described his appointment as recognition of his long political experience and organizational skills. Dr. Hossain has been active in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), serving as a member of the chairperson’s advisory council in 2010, later becoming a central vice-chairman in 2016, and most recently being elected to the party’s standing committee on August 16, 2024.

Residents of Dinajpur-6, which includes Birampur, Nawabganj, Ghoraghat, and Hakimpur upazilas, expressed hope that he will contribute significantly to local development, social welfare, and the advancement of women and children’s rights.

Dr. Yusuf Zarif, a public policy expert, argues that Bangladesh’s secular intellectual class deliberately uses the terms “progressive” and “non-communal” to marginalize Islamic perspectives and promote anti-Muslim sentiment. Writing on February 18, 2026, he claims this group holds unchecked authority across institutions, discourages rational debate, and normalizes Islamophobia as a political activity. Zarif contends that despite some change since August 2024, structural bias against Islamic discourse persists, particularly in academia and media.

He further asserts that global and domestic elites, supported by Western-funded civil society organizations, have formed a coalition that undermines reform efforts following the August 2024 revolution. According to Zarif, this coalition resists governance reforms and seeks to suppress emerging political movements rooted in justice and Islamic values. He emphasizes that sustainable political competition requires moral commitment and accountability.

Zarif concludes that resolving Bangladesh’s political crisis demands cultural consensus recognizing Muslim identity as central to national character. He calls for alliances based on justice, good governance, and independence in policymaking to build a fair and accountable state.

Farmers in Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj are increasingly turning to sunflower cultivation due to its low production cost and promising profitability. Supported by the local agriculture department, around 10 bighas of land in areas such as Bara Ajaldi and Chandipasha have been brought under sunflower farming this year. The bright yellow fields have also become a local attraction, drawing visitors and nature enthusiasts.

According to the upazila agriculture office, sunflower farming is both easy and economically rewarding. It holds importance for oil production and has gained popularity for its aesthetic appeal. Farmers are receiving incentives and continuous guidance from agricultural officials, helping them achieve good yields. Local markets are offering favorable prices for sunflower seeds, increasing farmers’ confidence in the crop.

Officials noted that limited availability of oil extraction machines remains a challenge, slightly reducing farmers’ interest. They believe that ensuring adequate supply of such equipment could further expand sunflower cultivation in the region.

Allegations have emerged in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram that relatives of Sheikh Hasina’s military secretary have illegally cut down trees and occupied 12 acres of reserved forest land under the Chunati Range’s Satgar Beat. According to local residents, Anwar Kamal, a member of the South District Awami League and former district council member, along with his cousin Nazrul, cleared the forest area and sold trees without any legal action from forest officials.

Residents further claimed that tree felling continues in several areas near the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway, where more than ten fish projects and numerous betel leaf plantations have been established on forest land. They alleged that a powerful syndicate is destroying the environment by cutting trees and occupying forest areas. Field visits reportedly confirmed large-scale deforestation and land encroachment in multiple locations.

Chunati Range Officer Abir Hossain stated that the deforested area falls outside their jurisdiction, while South Forest Division Officer Mohammad Sohel Rana said legal action will be taken against anyone involved, including forest officials if found complicit.

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.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and newly elected opposition leader in parliament, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, began his official duties by cleaning streets in Mirpur’s Manipur area on Wednesday morning, a day after taking oath as the Member of Parliament for Dhaka-15 constituency. Starting from in front of Baitur Nur Mosque after Fajr prayers, he personally swept the streets, joined by local residents and party activists.

Speaking to journalists, Rahman said that as members of parliament and the constitutional reform council, they aim to bring positive change through reform and social cleanliness. He emphasized that the initiative symbolizes both environmental and moral purification, aiming to build a society with clean surroundings and minds. Rahman stated that each Jamaat unit will conduct similar cleaning activities after Fajr prayers, regardless of government funding, to make the area a model of cleanliness.

He added that he would continue the cleaning drive daily while in Dhaka and replicate it elsewhere during visits, calling for cooperation beyond political and religious divisions to create a peaceful and responsible society.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tareq Rahman took oath as the new prime minister on Tuesday, February 17, following his party’s sweeping victory in the national parliamentary election held on February 12. The election came nearly 17 months after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government through a mass uprising. Members of Rahman’s cabinet were also sworn in on the same day.

The formation of the new government received wide coverage in international media. Reuters described the event as a decisive shift in South Asian politics, while the Associated Press noted that Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and former president Ziaur Rahman, is the first male prime minister in Bangladesh in 35 years. Deutsche Welle called the BNP’s victory an “easy win,” and Al Jazeera, Dawn, The Hindu, and NDTV all reported on Rahman’s assumption of office, with NDTV describing it as the beginning of a new era in Bangladesh’s politics.

The reports collectively underscored the significance of the BNP’s return to power and the generational political transition represented by Rahman’s leadership.

Bangladesh Bank’s latest banking update report reveals a sharp rise in loan defaults, particularly among large borrowers. As of June last year, 48.2 percent of loans exceeding Tk 50 crore were classified as defaulted, compared to 17.1 percent during the same period in 2024. The report indicates that loan classification ratios have increased significantly across all lending categories between the 2023–24 and 2024–25 fiscal years, signaling mounting pressure on the banking sector’s loan portfolio.

The analysis shows that default rates stood at 16 percent for loans up to Tk 1 crore, 26.1 percent for loans between Tk 1 crore and Tk 10 crore, and 45.7 percent for loans between Tk 10 crore and Tk 20 crore. Sector-wise, business and trade loans had the highest default rate at 44.7 percent, followed by industrial loans at 35.9 percent and construction loans at 27 percent. The overall national default rate rose from 34.6 percent in June to 35.73 percent in September.

Bankers noted that the actual scale of defaults is now more accurately reflected, as previous underreporting during the former Awami League government has ceased. They warned that the default rate may continue to rise in the coming months.

Prices of key consumer goods have increased in markets across Bangladesh ahead of the upcoming Ramadan, with the highest jumps seen in dates, green chilies, bananas, cucumbers, and lemons. The Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) attributed the rise to reduced government monitoring and recent disruptions in product transportation, which created supply shortages. CAB’s senior vice president S.M. Nazrul Hossain said controlling the market is a major challenge for the new government, as unscrupulous traders often exploit the season.

Traders, however, blamed international price hikes and instability at Chattogram port for the increase, particularly in dates. Field visits to major Dhaka markets found Zahidi dates selling at Tk 280 per kg, up from Tk 180 last year, while green chilies rose by Tk 40 per kg. Imported fruits such as apples, oranges, and grapes also became costlier by Tk 20–60 per kg. Despite higher imports of fresh dates this fiscal year, prices remain elevated.

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) said the country has sufficient stocks of edible oil, sugar, onions, and lentils, urging authorities to curb extortion in supply chains and consumers to avoid panic buying to maintain market stability.

Engineer Lutfullah El Majed Babu, the newly elected Member of Parliament for Mymensingh-8 (Ishwarganj), has announced a strict stance against irregularities in market rent collection. On the evening of February 17, he posted on his verified Facebook account that anyone collecting rent outside the approved chart or beyond legal limits would face extortion charges. He instructed that all markets in Ishwarganj must display the official rent chart and directed that marginal farmers should not be charged more than five percent.

The post quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread discussion across Ishwarganj. Many users shared screenshots of the post, describing it as a bold and timely initiative. Within two hours, the post received over seven hundred comments, most of which welcomed the move positively. Commenters praised the MP’s commitment to transparency and accountability in local market operations.

The announcement has drawn significant local attention, with residents expressing hope that the directive will curb irregular rent practices and protect small traders and farmers from exploitation.

Former Bangladesh national football team captain and SAFF Championship winner Aminul Haque was sworn in yesterday as the state minister for youth and sports. The ceremony took place at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building. With this appointment, Aminul becomes the third footballer and athlete to join the cabinet, following Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin and Arif Khan Joy. He was appointed under the technocrat quota by Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman.

Aminul Haque’s football career spanned from 1992 to 2013, during which he captained Bangladesh to the 2003 SAFF title. After retiring, he joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 2014 and faced multiple legal and political challenges during the Awami League government. Despite not winning the 2026 general election from Dhaka-16, his party entrusted him with the ministerial role due to his experience and dedication.

The BNP government expects Aminul’s leadership and deep understanding of sports to help reform the national sports sector. His appointment has raised public expectations that he will bring the same success to sports administration that he once brought to the football field.

Bogura-2 constituency’s newly elected Member of Parliament Mir Shahe Alam was sworn in on Tuesday as the State Minister for the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. The appointment ended a long wait for ministerial representation from Bogura, creating a festive atmosphere across the district.

Mir Shahe Alam, who contested under the BNP’s ‘sheaf of paddy’ symbol, won the Bogura-2 (Shibganj) seat with 145,000 votes, defeating Jamaat candidate Abul Azad Mohammad Shahadatuzzaman, who received 93,000 votes. Known as a grassroots organizer, Alam serves as president of Shibganj Upazila BNP and vice-president of the district BNP. He was elected chairman of Shibganj Upazila Parishad in 2009. Earlier, the BNP alliance had nominated Mahmudur Rahman Manna of Nagorik Oikya, but later replaced him with Alam.

Bogura had not had a minister since 1991, when Advocate Mojibur Rahman served as state minister for finance. All seven BNP-nominated candidates in Bogura won in the recent election, including Abdul Mohit Talukdar from Bogura-3 and Morshed Milton from Bogura-7, both former upazila chairmen.