Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has presented the Ekushey Padak to 18 distinguished individuals and the SAFF-winning women’s football team for their outstanding contributions in various fields. The ceremony was held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium at 11 AM. Award recipients include Mehedi Hasan Khan, Mahmudur Rahman, Shahidul Alam, Moinul Hasan, Niaz Zaman, Ferdous Ara, Nasir Al Mamun, Rokeya Sultana, Tanbin Islam, and Shabab Mustafa. Posthumous awards were received by representatives of the deceased honorees. The Ekushey Padak is awarded annually in memory of the martyrs of the Language Movement.

The Department of Narcotics Control has arrested two drug traffickers with 428 bottles of banned alcohol in Chuadanga’s Badrganj area. Two motorcycles used for smuggling were also seized. The arrestees, Abul Kalam (43) and Russell (25), were caught in an operation based on secret intelligence. Inspector Nazmul Hossain Khan confirmed the incident, stating that the alcohol was found in two cartons strapped to the motorcycles. The seized alcohol is reported to be highly toxic.

Two leaders, Saidur Rahman Mostak (45), a leader of the Khan Khanapur Union Awami League, and Saiful Islam Ershad (40), a leader of the district Chhatra League, have been arrested in Rajbari in connection with an attack and gunfire during a public uprising. They were detained in separate operations by the DB and Sadar police on February 19. According to DB officers, Shahin Fakir filed a case on October 2, accusing them of attacking students and citizens during the protest at Goalondo Mor. The two will be presented in court on Thursday.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has urged the nation to observe International Mother Language Day and Martyrs' Day on February 21 through discussions and prayers. In a statement, he recalled the sacrifices of students and youth in 1952, who protested against the ruling authorities to establish Bengali as the state language, resulting in the deaths of several students, including Dhaka University students. He emphasized the need to protect the Bengali language from foreign cultural influences and also stressed the importance of continuing the struggle for voting rights and civil liberties.

A massive fire broke out at a sales center of Guardian Publications in Bangla Bazar, Old Dhaka, causing the loss of books worth millions. The fire started at around 4 AM on Thursday. Nazmul Huda, General Manager of the publishing house, confirmed the incident. According to him, the fire was reported to the fire service at 5 AM, and firefighters managed to extinguish it by 7:30 AM. The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage for further details.

In recognition of outstanding contributions in various fields, the Ekushey Padak will be awarded to 18 distinguished individuals and the SAFF-winning Bangladesh women's football team this year. The Chief Adviser will present the awards at a special ceremony at Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Thursday at 11 AM. The event will be broadcast live on BTV. Established in memory of the martyrs of the Language Movement, the Ekushey Padak has been awarded annually since 1976 to prominent figures in literature, journalism, arts, education, research, economics, and other fields.

A delegation from Gano Odhikar Parishad is set to meet with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) today. The five-member team will be led by the party’s president, Nurul Haque Nur. This information was confirmed in a press release issued on Wednesday by Abu Hanif, a senior council member and media coordinator of the party.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 3 PM on Thursday at the Election Commission headquarters. However, it remains unclear how many Election Commission representatives will be present at the meeting.

A shocking incident in Shreepur, Gazipur, saw a police officer being dragged for nearly a kilometer by an auto-rickshaw after attempting to impound the unauthorized vehicle. The incident was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media. The arrested driver, 24-year-old Jony Ahmed, ignored repeated pleas from passengers to stop the vehicle while the uniformed officer clung to the rickshaw’s metal frame. Local residents and police eventually intercepted and detained the driver at a traffic jam. Authorities have confirmed that legal action will be taken against him.

Bangladesh police have arrested 532 individuals in the last 24 hours as part of ‘Operation Devil Hunt.’ Additionally, 1,151 others were arrested in connection with separate cases, bringing the total number of arrests to 1,683. The police headquarters reported that law enforcement recovered one foreign-made pistol, a magazine, steel machetes, rusted knives, a kirich (curved blade), and two Burmese daggers during the operation. Since the operation began on February 8, a total of 6,414 individuals have been detained, including several leaders and members of ruling party affiliates.

Two people were killed in a joint forces operation in the Basila area of Mohammadpur, Dhaka. At least five others were injured in the incident, which occurred around 1 AM on Wednesday. According to Abdur Rab, a wireless operator at Mohammadpur police station, the army was conducting routine patrols when armed assailants opened fire on them. The army retaliated, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. No military personnel were injured in the exchange, and the identities of the deceased have yet to be confirmed.

A leader of the ruling Awami League has been arrested while attempting to enter the Bangladesh Secretariat using an expired and invalid pass. The detained individual, Sagir Ahmed, is the secretary of the Uttara Thana Awami League and a close associate of former Education Minister Dipu Moni. The Deputy Commissioner of the Secretariat confirmed the arrest, stating that Ahmed tried to forcefully enter the premises using an expired vehicle pass. Following discussions with the Home Ministry, he was handed over to Shahbagh police station.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has issued traffic guidelines for International Mother Language Day on February 21. According to an official notice, the Central Shaheed Minar will be open to the public from 12:45 AM. Visitors paying tribute will not be allowed to carry bags, cartons, or flammable substances. Pedestrians must follow a designated route: entering via Palashi Crossing, Sculpture Crossing, and Jagannath Hall Crossing, and exiting through Romana Crossing and Doel Chattar. Additionally, from 6 PM on February 20, traffic movement will be restricted in Shahbagh, Nilkhet, Shahidullah Hall, Chankharpul, Palashi, and Bakshibazar to ensure smooth observance of the event.

During the recent border conference between the Border Security Force (BSF) of India and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the Bangladeshi delegation strongly demanded a complete end to border killings. Led by BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, the Bangladeshi representatives emphasized that criminals should be prosecuted under standard legal frameworks rather than being shot on sight, as such actions violate human rights. In response, the BSF claimed that they resort to gunfire only when under attack by organized criminal groups and expressed willingness to cooperate in preventing such incidents. The BGB also protested against India’s unilateral construction of barbed-wire fences without a joint survey. Unlike previous years, the BSF did not arrange a sightseeing tour of Indian attractions for the BGB delegation, and the conference duration was reduced from the usual five to six days to just four.

At a workshop on money laundering and tax evasion, top officials from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) revealed that banks are obstructing investigations by providing incorrect information, delaying reports, or outright refusing to share data regarding financial misconduct by oligarchs involved in bank and stock market fraud. Officials reported that a fraudulent pay order was created to legalize 5 billion taka belonging to the two sons of businessman S Alam. Upon discovery, details of the bank accounts were deliberately concealed. The director general of the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) remarked that Bangladesh has witnessed one of the largest banking frauds in history. Investigations found transactions amounting to 2.42 trillion taka linked to Alam’s company. Even with 10 computers and seven officials working for a month, data entry was incomplete. Furthermore, although the company earned 678.1 billion taka in bank interest, it was not reported in tax returns. Shockingly, despite being born in Bangladesh, Alam renounced his citizenship to acquire foreign nationality, allegedly for financial maneuvering.

A United Nations human rights report has revealed that during the July coup, state security forces and armed ruling party members used sexual violence to suppress female protesters. The report states, “Physical attacks on female protesters often targeted specific body parts such as the face, chest, pelvis, and buttocks, indicating an intent not only to cause pain but also to humiliate them based on their gender.” Additionally, it documents the use of derogatory slurs such as ‘prostitute’ and ‘whore’ against female demonstrators. The findings highlight systematic gender-based violence as a tactic to silence dissent.