Police in Rajapur upazila of Jhalakathi district arrested two alleged drug dealers, including Zayed Joya Khan, the 18-year-old son of former upazila vice-chairman and senior Awami League leader Afroza Akter Laizu. The arrests took place around 10:30 p.m. on Monday during a special operation in the Bagri Bazar area. The other detainee was identified as Md. Imon Hasan, 20, son of Md. Kabir Hossain of the same area.

According to police, the operation was conducted based on a tip-off, and the two were caught red-handed while trading drugs. Another suspect named Samir managed to flee the scene. Officers recovered six yaba tablets and 890 taka from Zayed, and two grams of cannabis from Imon. Rajapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Nazrul Islam said a case was filed under the Narcotics Control Act, and the detainees were sent to Jhalakathi court on Tuesday afternoon.

Police stated that efforts are ongoing to arrest the fugitive suspect.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, has described all electricity purchase agreements made during the previous Awami League government as anti-national and a threat to the country’s sovereignty. Speaking to reporters at his office in the Secretariat on Tuesday, he said the current BNP-led government will review all such contracts, including those with Indian and private sector entities, to ensure national interests are protected.

Mahmud stated that electricity and national sovereignty are inseparable, criticizing the former government for failing to safeguard sovereignty in power sector agreements. He emphasized that the BNP government’s policy focuses on enhancing domestic capacity rather than relying on foreign or private power imports. The minister confirmed that a committee has already submitted a report on the issue and that the government will prioritize renewable energy and affordable, uninterrupted electricity for citizens.

According to ministry sources, Bangladesh’s power generation capacity exceeds 28,000 megawatts, yet the country continues to import electricity from India’s Adani group under a costly deal that obliges Bangladesh to bear financial risks for any operational losses in India.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has formed a ‘Local Government Election Steering Committee’ ahead of the upcoming local government elections. Sargis Alam, the party’s chief organizer for the northern region, has been appointed as the committee’s chairman. The announcement was made through a press release signed by Sadia Farzana Dinar, a member of the NCP’s office cell, on Monday night.

According to the release, the committee was formed under the direction of NCP convener Md. Nahid Islam and member secretary Akhtar Hossain. Abdul Hannan Masud, senior joint chief coordinator and Member of Parliament for Noakhali-6, has been named the committee’s member secretary. Other members include Ariful Islam Adib, Alauddin Mohammad, Tahsin Riaz, and Advocate Monjila Jhuma. All divisional organizational secretaries will serve as ex-officio members, while central and district-level leaders will provide overall support.

After assuming his new role, Sargis Alam posted on social media encouraging potential candidates at all local levels to prepare for the upcoming elections.

The results of the Junior Scholarship Examination will be published on Wednesday, February 25, at 1 p.m., according to the Inter-Education Board Examination Controller Committee. The announcement was confirmed on Tuesday by Professor S M Kamal Uddin Haydar, Controller of Examinations at the Dhaka Board and convener of the committee. He stated that all preparations for the publication have been completed and that the Ministry of Education will officially release the results at the scheduled time.

This year, a total of 45,200 students will receive scholarships under two categories: talent pool and general. The scholarships will be distributed proportionally across education boards, with specific quotas also set at the upazila level for both categories. The distribution will follow the existing policy guidelines to ensure fair allocation among eligible students.

The announcement marks the completion of the evaluation process and sets the stage for the Ministry of Education to recognize meritorious students across the country through the scholarship program.

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have crossed 35 billion dollars for the first time in 39 months, according to data from Bangladesh Bank released on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The gross reserve stood at 35.04 billion dollars, while under the BPM6 calculation method, reserves were recorded at 30.30 billion dollars.

Central bank officials attributed the increase to stricter measures against money laundering, which have boosted remittance inflows through legal channels. As a result, dollar supply in banks has risen, prompting the central bank to purchase surplus dollars from the market. Since the beginning of the current fiscal year up to February 23, remittances through banking channels totaled 21.99 billion dollars, marking a 21.90 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

During this period, the central bank purchased 5.46 billion dollars from the market, contributing to the reserve growth. Officials noted that the higher supply of dollars relative to demand has strengthened the reserve position.

SAARC Secretary General Golam Sarwar stated that Bangladesh wants to make the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) more dynamic. He made the remark on Monday, February 23, after a courtesy meeting with the Foreign Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he briefed journalists about the discussion.

Sarwar explained that the meeting was primarily held to inform the minister about SAARC’s current situation. He said he briefed the minister on where SAARC currently stands and that the minister inquired about ways to make the organization more active. The discussion focused on SAARC’s present condition and how Bangladesh could play a leading role in shaping its future plans.

Earlier in the day, the Egyptian Ambassador Omar Mohiuddin Ahmed Fahmy, Singapore’s Chargé d’Affaires Mitchell Lee, and Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi also met the Foreign Minister at the ministry.

BNP leader and Chandpur-3 Member of Parliament Sheikh Farid Ahmed Manik declared that under Tarique Rahman’s future tenure as prime minister, there would be no place for extortion or thuggery in Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Tuesday, February 11, during a development coordination and monthly law and order meeting held at the Hajimchar Upazila Parishad conference room, where he served as the chief guest.

Emphasizing the importance of maintaining law and order, Manik instructed officials not to entertain any lobbying in cases involving social crimes such as drug abuse, gambling, extortion, and harassment. He urged strict legal action against offenders regardless of their identity and warned that no one involved in activities threatening public safety would be spared. The meeting, chaired by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amit Roy, was attended by senior administrative and BNP leaders, including the local police officer-in-charge and district BNP officials.

Participants at the meeting pledged to work uncompromisingly for public interest and law enforcement. Following the session, awards were distributed to top-performing educational institutions, teachers, and students as part of National Education Week, and Manik later met local traders and pedestrians in Algi Bazar.

Local Member of Parliament Md. Abdul Aziz has launched an initiative to protect the youth of Gurudaspur in Natore from the growing threat of drug abuse. During a monthly law and order meeting held at the Upazila Parishad auditorium on Monday at 11 a.m., he instructed the chairmen and members of six unions to prepare ward-based lists of drug users and dealers. The lists must be submitted to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) within seven days.

Abdul Aziz, who was the chief guest at the meeting, also directed that after the lists are prepared, the identified individuals and their guardians should be brought before the respective union councils. The meeting was presided over by UNO Fahmida Afroze, and several union chairmen, including Abdul Matin, Abdul Bari, Monirul Islam Dolon, Mizanur Rahman Suja, Md. Ayub Ali, and Mahbubur Rahman, expressed support for the MP’s call.

The initiative aims to strengthen local efforts against drug abuse and ensure community participation in identifying and addressing the problem.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair has expressed deep concern over what he described as attempts by the Awami League to reopen offices and resume political activities. In a statement released to the media on Tuesday, he urged the government to clarify its firm position on the matter and called on citizens to remain alert and cautious about the activities of the party, which he referred to as banned.

Zubair stated that the Awami League has no legal authority to conduct political or administrative activities and alleged that the party is trying to become active again by taking advantage of statements made by some BNP leaders before the last national election. He criticized what he called the ruling party’s lenient attitude, saying it was encouraging the Awami League’s expectations.

He further claimed that the Awami League’s attempts to reopen offices and chant slogans were creating fear and public resentment. Zubair urged the government to take immediate and effective measures to maintain peace, law and order, and ensure citizens’ safety.

Rangpur-4 Member of Parliament and NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain stated that the current government was formed through a mass uprising and a referendum. Speaking on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at a public reception and iftar gathering organized by an eleven-party alliance at Mofazzal Hossain Model Government High School field in Kaunia, he warned that the public would not stand by the BNP government if the July Charter directives and the referendum verdict were not implemented.

Hossain accused BNP activists of engaging in extortion and terrorism after the election and of refusing to take the oath of the Constitutional Reform Council. He emphasized that the referendum had clear public support and cautioned that any attempt to disregard its outcome would not be accepted by the people. The event was presided over by Kaunia Upazila Jamaat leader Abdus Salam Sarkar, with several local political figures in attendance.

The remarks underscored growing political tension over the implementation of the referendum results and the legitimacy of the current government’s mandate.

At an emergency press conference on February 24 in Banglamotor, NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud alleged that attacks were being carried out across the country to establish a reign of fear. He claimed that police had assaulted ordinary citizens and journalists, and criticized the Home Minister’s declaration that protests would not be allowed, calling it a threat to democracy.

Mahmud further stated that the BNP had appointed party administrators in six city corporations, describing the move as a danger to the formation of a new Bangladesh. He urged the government to announce a clear roadmap for local government elections and to set a timeframe for administrator appointments. NCP leaders, including Sarjis Alam and Abdul Hannan Masud MP, said the party had emerged as the third largest in the country and was preparing for local elections through newly formed committees.

The NCP leadership announced plans to contest local elections independently while remaining open to future coalition decisions if deemed necessary for national interest.

The government has decided to reopen the country's sick and closed industrial enterprises, following a directive from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary, Atikur Rahman Rumman, who said that relevant ministries have been instructed to work with private entrepreneurs to implement the plan. The initiative aims to create new employment opportunities across the country.

According to the directive, closed jute mills and sugar factories will be reopened while retaining existing workers and generating additional jobs. The move aligns with Prime Minister Rahman’s electoral pledge to revive non-operational industries and expand employment. Ashiq Chowdhury, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), confirmed that a committee led by the Ministry of Industries has already begun work on the initiative.

The reopening of these industries is expected to stimulate economic activity and strengthen collaboration between the government and private sector in industrial revitalization efforts.

European Union Election Observation Mission human rights analyst Ann Marlborough paid a courtesy visit to Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh, on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at the commission’s office. During the meeting, Marlborough briefed the commission on the EU’s observation activities during Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election and presented the mission’s preliminary post-election statement.

Discussions focused on election-related violence, human rights violations, and threats to democracy in developing countries like Bangladesh. Both sides emphasized ensuring transparency, security, and fairness in the electoral process, as well as protecting the voting rights of women, third-gender individuals, and ethnic minorities. The chairperson highlighted the expansion of the commission’s jurisdiction under the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance 2025, noting that the new legal framework would strengthen institutional capacity for human rights protection.

The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to enhance cooperation and partnership between the EU mission and the commission to advance human rights protection in Bangladesh.

Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Dr. AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad has described the 2009 Pilkhana killings as a premeditated massacre rather than a mutiny. Speaking on Tuesday morning at a discussion organized by Sushil Forum at the National Press Club to mark the 'Pilkhana Killing Day,' he claimed the incident was a deliberate act aimed at weakening Bangladesh’s army. Azad alleged that the then government orchestrated the event and that if the army had been allowed to act, the losses would have been less severe.

He further asserted that the killings were linked to earlier incidents in Roumari and Paduya and reflected an attempt to turn Bangladesh into “Sikkim.” Azad also referred to a statement allegedly made by a former Indian foreign minister in the Lok Sabha about taking revenge for those incidents. During the event, he prayed for the victims, expressed sympathy for the affected families, and called for justice and the release of those he said were unjustly detained.

The discussion was chaired by Sushil Forum president Md. Zahid and attended by journalist leaders, academics, and Jamaat members.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and opposition leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has termed the president’s behavior unacceptable. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, he alleged that the president concealed key facts regarding the events of August 5, 2024. Rahman claimed that the president’s current statements contradict what he told political leaders and later conveyed to the nation about the alleged resignation of the fugitive prime minister.

In his post, Rahman questioned whether the president would reconcile the differences between his earlier and current remarks, noting that millions of people had heard the original statements. He asserted that the nation is not naïve and that such conduct from the highest office of the state is unacceptable.

The comments reflect Jamaat-e-Islami’s dissatisfaction with the president’s handling of past political events, highlighting ongoing tensions between the opposition and the head of state.