An earthquake struck several regions, including Rajshahi, Joypurhat, and Thakurgaon, at 3:06 AM Thursday. The magnitude was recorded at 5.5, with the epicenter located 14 kilometers south of the Kodari area along the Nepal-China border. The quake lasted only a few seconds and was felt in neighboring areas, including Bihar and Siliguri. Prior to this, another earthquake had been reported on Wednesday at 2:55 AM, with its epicenter in Morigaon, Assam, measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale.

Shahjibazar Power Plant in Habiganj, which has three plants with a combined capacity of 490 MW, is only producing 30 MW of electricity. Among the remaining two plants, the 100 MW unit has operated for just 67 days in the past four years since its inauguration. The largest 330 MW plant suffered fire damage in 2022 and, due to delays in repairs, has not yet resumed production. Stakeholders are viewing this as a deep conspiracy, with daily losses amounting to 40 million BDT. Several officials from the Power Development Board have pointed out that former State Minister for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid is responsible for these losses.

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair concludes today (February 28) without an extension. The fair will be open from 11 AM to 9 PM on its final day. Dr. Sarkar Amin, Member-Secretary of the organizing committee, stated that logistical and religious considerations led to the decision. He emphasized that despite challenges, the fair was a success, serving as a cultural hub beyond book sales. The Bangla Academy is considering independently managing future fairs. The 2025 fair was inaugurated by Professor Muhammad Yunus, with Mostofa Sarwar Farooki as a special guest.

The Chattogram Port Authority has mandated that lighter vessels transporting imported goods from larger ships at the outer anchorage must leave the port area within 72 hours after loading. This directive aims to ensure smooth port operations, maintain market stability, and prevent artificial shortages. Non-compliance will lead to legal action under port regulations. Authorities cited security concerns and supply chain disruptions caused by vessels overstaying without valid reasons. The rule is particularly crucial for ensuring uninterrupted essential goods supply during Ramadan.

The National Citizens’ Party (NCP) is set to launch today (Feb 28) at Manik Mia Avenue, Dhaka, under the initiative of the National Citizens’ Committee and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Over 500,000 attendees are expected, with three-tier security in place. Families of July movement victims, political leaders, and diplomats will join. Nahid Islam, who resigned from the interim government, will serve as convener. Key leadership roles have been assigned. Separate booths for women, medical teams, and VIP arrangements are part of the event’s setup.

As Ramadan approaches, the prices of key essentials like lemons, eggplants, and cucumbers have surged, along with chicken, fish, and meat. Broiler and Sonali chicken prices have risen by Tk 10-20 per kg, while beef and mutton have also become costlier. Lemon prices have nearly doubled in two weeks. However, staple Ramadan items like dates, chickpeas, and molasses remain stable due to increased imports and lower tariffs. Meanwhile, a shortage of bottled soybean oil persists, frustrating consumers searching for supplies.

The passports of 22 former district commissioners (DCs), who were closely associated with Hasina’s regime and served in controversial elections, have been revoked. Sources confirm that following Hasina’s downfall, a nationwide administrative cleanup is underway, resulting in forced retirements and reassignments of such loyalists. As part of this effort, their passports were officially canceled through a directive issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Passport Department on February 25. Reports suggest that these officials were involved in electoral fraud due to their political allegiance.

Police have arrested five armed robbers while they were preparing for a heist in Ashulia, Savar. At a press conference, Additional Superintendent of Police Shahinur Kabir confirmed the arrests. He reported that a group of armed criminals was planning a robbery early in the morning at Baishmail area on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway. In a joint operation, the Dhaka District North Detective Branch (DB) and Ashulia Police Station arrested five individuals, while three managed to escape. The arrested robbers have been identified as Khair Hossain, Kabir Hossain, Imran Ali, Sumon Mia, and Saiful Islam.

A mobile court in Mymensingh has sentenced a warehouse manager to 15 days in jail for illegally hoarding 53 metric tons of edible oil. He was also fined Tk 80,000, with an additional Tk 10,000 penalty in case of non-payment. Executive Magistrate KM Rafsan Rabbi stated that the raid was conducted based on secret information about large-scale hoarding ahead of Ramadan. The owner of the warehouse was not found, so the manager was held responsible. Authorities have ordered that the seized oil be sold at fair market prices.

A total of 29 Bangladeshi fishermen, who were detained by the Arakan Army after mistakenly crossing maritime borders while fishing in the Naf River and the sea on February 11 and 20, have been brought back to the country. Teknaf Upazila Executive Officer Sheikh Ehsan Uddin confirmed that the return was facilitated by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). The Arakan Army had seized six engine-run fishing boats along with the fishermen. Hnila Union Parishad Chairman Md. Ali, along with the victims’ families, expressed gratitude to the BGB and others involved in securing their return. Concerned authorities are urged to strengthen patrols in the Naf River and nearby waters to ensure fishermen’s safety in the future.

Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser, has been invited to the launch event of the new political party, the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), which is being formed by young leaders of the recent mass uprising. On Thursday afternoon, a delegation led by coordinator Abdul Hannan Masud delivered the invitation letter to the Chief Adviser’s office. In a Facebook post, Masud wrote, “I handed over the invitation for the post-2024 new political party’s launch event and took his blessings.” Reports indicate that Nahid Islam has been appointed as the party’s convenor, while Akhtar Hossain will serve as the member secretary.

During a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Thursday, Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury urged the international community to apply pressure on Myanmar to facilitate the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. He highlighted that Bangladesh has provided shelter to 1.3 million Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds, but this has led to social and economic challenges, as well as rising criminal activities among the refugee population, posing risks to both national and regional security. In response, Grandi acknowledged the hardships faced by Rohingya refugees but noted that repatriation remains difficult due to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. However, he assured that efforts will continue to find a resolution.

On Thursday afternoon, Tangail Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman announced the arrest of four suspects involved in an armed robbery on four buses carrying picnic-goers in the Fulmali Chala area of Ghatail. The arrests were made on Wednesday during a day-long operation. The suspects, identified as Md. Ainal Haque (37), Md. Fazlu (41), another individual named Ainal Haque (37), and Nasir (35), allegedly robbed the buses on Tuesday night. The buses were carrying around 240 school students, teachers, and staff heading to a picnic spot in Natore. The robbers looted cash amounting to 1.5 lakh taka, 1.5 tolas of gold, ten smartphones, and other valuables.

A day after assuming office, newly appointed Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuz Alam held a meeting with ministry officials at the Secretariat on Thursday. He urged officials to implement structured plans to improve work efficiency and ensure timely completion of ongoing projects. Alam emphasized that effective collaboration is essential for the smooth operation of the ministry. He replaced Nahid Islam, who recently resigned from the position.

On Thursday morning, immigration police at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport arrested an Awami League leader from Habiganj while he was attempting to flee to Saudi Arabia. The arrested individual, Md. Amzad Ali (70), is the Senior Vice President of the Sadar Upazila Awami League. According to the police, an investigation revealed that Ali was involved in an attack on students and protesters during an anti-discrimination movement in Habiganj on August 2 last year.