The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the BNP, met with party chairperson Tarique Rahman on Monday at his political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. The meeting took place on the eve of Rahman’s scheduled swearing-in as prime minister on Tuesday. During the meeting, Jubo Dal leaders presented him with flowers and extended heartfelt congratulations on what they described as a historic moment. According to the report, the Jubo Dal leaders expressed optimism that Rahman’s leadership would rebuild democracy, strengthen nationalist ideals, and fulfill public expectations. They also prayed for his good health, long life, and success as a statesman. Among those present were Jubo Dal president Abdul Monayem Munna and general secretary and newly elected member of parliament Nurul Islam Noyon. The event underscored the youth wing’s support for Rahman’s upcoming assumption of office and its expectation of renewed political direction under his leadership.

Four months after the formal signing of the July National Charter, the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), led by young leaders of the mass uprising, signed the document on Monday evening at the state guesthouse Jamuna. The signing took place in the presence of Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus. NCP Convener Nahid Islam and Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain signed on behalf of the party. Also present were National Consensus Commission Vice President Professor Ali Riaz, Commission Member Badiul Alam Majumdar, and the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Monir Haider. Dr. Yunus said the nation had expected NCP to join the charter, and with their signature, the July National Charter reached completion. He thanked the party for its participation and urged vigilance in building a humane Bangladesh through the charter’s implementation. Nahid Islam stated that NCP’s elected members would take their parliamentary oath the next day, marking two simultaneous commitments to the people and the charter. The signing signifies the final endorsement of the July National Charter, completing a key step in the country’s ongoing political transition.

The coordinated platform of election observer organizations, Voice Network, has stated that widespread post-election violence across nearly all divisions of Bangladesh is undermining the success of the recently held fair and peaceful parliamentary election. The observation came on Monday in Dhaka during the presentation of its preliminary report on the national election and referendum, delivered by the organization’s chairman, Professor Dr. Jasim Uddin. According to the report, the 13th National Parliamentary Election was comparatively fair, peaceful, and acceptable. However, incidents of violence, deaths, and looting reported in about 40 districts have tarnished the overall electoral environment. The report urged the Election Commission, interim government, and winning political parties to act responsibly to address the situation. Observers noted irregularities, including obstruction to their work in 8 percent of polling centers, inadequate facilities for elderly, sick, and pregnant voters, and partiality in 15.5 percent of centers. The report also cited procedural ambiguities in vote counting and tabulation, limited observer access, and restricted media coverage, which affected transparency and public confidence in the results.

Sheikh Bashiruddin, adviser to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, has stepped down from his position as chairman of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. On Monday, he submitted his resignation letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, which has been forwarded to the Chief Adviser’s Office for approval. A farewell reception for him is scheduled to be held at Biman’s headquarters, Balaka, on Monday evening. Sheikh Bashiruddin was appointed chairman of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on August 26 of the previous year through a ministry notification. He succeeded Muid Chowdhury, the former chairman of Biman and a former adviser to the caretaker government. In addition to his role in the aviation ministry, Sheikh Bashiruddin also serves as an adviser to the Ministry of Commerce. The resignation marks the end of Sheikh Bashiruddin’s tenure of less than a year at the national carrier, pending formal approval from the Chief Adviser’s Office.

Arsenal delivered a dominant performance in the FA Cup fourth round, defeating third-division side Wigan Athletic 4-0 at home. The London club sealed the result within just 16 minutes, scoring all four goals between the 11th and 27th minutes. With this victory, Arsenal advanced comfortably to the next round and kept their pursuit of titles alive in all four competitions this season. Midfielder Eberechi Eze provided assists for the first two goals, finished by Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli. Wigan’s defender Jack Hunt then inadvertently scored an own goal, before Gabriel Jesus added the fourth to end any remaining suspense. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made several key saves to preserve a clean sheet, notably stopping efforts from Joe Taylor and Rafael Rodriguez. Although Victor Gyökeres struck the crossbar in the second half, Arsenal’s first-half surge proved decisive. The win marked the first time since the 1992–93 season that Arsenal scored four goals within the opening 30 minutes of an FA Cup match.

The High Court has postponed for two weeks the hearing on a writ petition challenging the legality of the ordinance and administrative actions that dissolved the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and created two new divisions named Revenue Policy and Revenue Management. The bench of Justice Rajik Al Jalil and Justice Anwarul Islam announced the decision on Monday, February 16, after five days of hearings, without issuing any rule. NBR’s counsel Barrister Omar Faruk confirmed the decision, noting that the court will observe the new parliament’s stance once the government is formed. The writ was filed by Tanvir Ahmed, a joint secretary of the Cabinet Division, who argued that the new rule requiring secretaries to have VAT and tax experience reduces his eligibility for promotion. He also claimed that the changes to the Rules of Business were unconstitutional and beyond the advisory council’s authority. A previous bench had dismissed a similar petition in August, citing non-presentation. The government issued the ordinance on May 12 of the previous year, sparking protests among NBR officials under the banner of the NBR Reform Unity Council. Although amendments were later made, the protests continued until June 29, when the movement was withdrawn following government warnings and reports of anti-corruption investigations.

Seventy-three fishermen who had been detained by the Arakan Army in Myanmar were repatriated to Bangladesh through the Teknaf border in Cox’s Bazar on Monday, February 16, 2026. Among them, 66 are Bangladeshi nationals and seven are residents of Rohingya camps. The handover took place at the zero line of the Naf River, followed by official reception at Teknaf Jetty Ghat. Local administration, union council representatives, and law enforcement agencies verified their identities before initiating the process of returning them to their families. According to official sources, the fishermen had unintentionally crossed into Myanmar waters while fishing in the Bay of Bengal at various times in 2025, leading to their detention by the Arakan Army. They were held in different camps under the group’s control inside Myanmar. In response, security forces in the Cox’s Bazar region coordinated efforts on humanitarian grounds to secure their release through sustained communication and negotiation. Lieutenant Colonel Md Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan of the Teknaf Battalion (2 BGB) described the return before Ramadan as a positive humanitarian development and confirmed that efforts continue to bring back the remaining detained fishermen.

Afghanistan has announced that it will assist Iran if the United States launches a military attack and Tehran requests help. Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid made the statement on Sunday, February 15, emphasizing that Afghans would show solidarity with Iran. He added that Afghanistan does not support war and prefers peaceful solutions through dialogue. The spokesperson noted that Iran has recently shown restraint, and Afghanistan hopes no conflict will erupt between Washington and Tehran. The statement comes as instability spreads across the Middle East, with the United States deploying the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships in preparation for a possible strike on Iran. Another carrier is reportedly heading to the region. Several Middle Eastern countries are attempting to prevent a potential war, fearing that a large-scale conflict would cause severe economic and humanitarian damage across the region.

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman visited the residence of Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Amir and Charmonai Pir, Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, on Monday evening at 7:15 p.m. The meeting took place at Karim’s residence on Bailey Road in Dhaka as part of a series of courtesy visits by the BNP leader. According to the report, Tarique Rahman had earlier paid courtesy visits on Sunday evening to Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and later that night to NCP Convener Nahid Islam at their respective residences. Islami Andolan Bangladesh had fielded 257 candidates out of 300 constituencies in the recent election. In Barishal-5, BNP’s Mojibur Rahman Sarwar was unofficially elected with 131,431 votes, while his closest rival, Islami Andolan’s Mufti Faizul Karim, received 93,528 votes. The series of visits marks continued political engagement among opposition and Islamist party leaders following the election results.

England defeated Italy by 24 runs in a high-scoring Group C match on February 16, 2026. Batting first, England posted 202 for 7 in 20 overs, led by Will Jacks’ unbeaten 53 off 22 balls. Tom Banton added 30, while Sam Curran contributed 25 from 19 deliveries. For Italy, Grant Stewart and Krishan Kalugamage took two wickets each. Chasing 203, Italy stumbled early, losing three wickets for 22 runs. However, Justin Mosca’s 43 off 34 balls steadied the innings before Ben Menetti’s 60 from 25 balls and Grant Stewart’s 45 from 23 nearly turned the game around. Despite their efforts, Italy were bowled out for 178. England’s Jamie Overton and Sam Curran each claimed three wickets, sealing the win. With this result, England became the second team from Group C to qualify for the Super Eight stage, while Italy earned praise for their competitive batting display against a strong English bowling attack.

Afghanistan defeated the United Arab Emirates by five wickets in a T20 World Cup match held in Delhi on February 16, 2026. The match was marked by Rashid Khan’s historic achievement of becoming the first cricketer to claim 700 wickets in T20 cricket. Rashid reached the milestone when he dismissed UAE batter Muhammad Arfan, finishing with one wicket for 24 runs. Afghanistan successfully chased down UAE’s total of 160 for nine, reaching 162 for five in 19.2 overs. UAE’s innings was anchored by Shoaib Khan’s 68 and Alishan Sharafu’s 40, while Azmatullah Omarzai starred with the ball for Afghanistan, taking four wickets for 15 runs. In reply, Afghanistan lost an early wicket but were steadied by Ibrahim Zadran’s 53 off 41 balls. Omarzai later contributed an unbeaten 40 off 21 balls to secure victory with four balls remaining. Junaid Siddique and Muhammad Arfan took two wickets each for UAE. Omarzai was named player of the match for his all-round performance, as Afghanistan celebrated both the win and Rashid Khan’s record-breaking feat.

Bangladesh A women’s cricket team advanced to the semifinals of the Rising Stars Asia Cup after a hard-fought three-wicket victory against hosts Thailand in Bangkok. Thailand batted first and were bowled out for 103 runs, with Fahima Khatun and Sharifa Khatun taking two wickets each for Bangladesh. In reply, Bangladesh reached the target with one ball to spare, sealing their place in the semifinals from Group B. Thailand’s innings was anchored by Nannapat Koncharoenkai’s 34 and Nannthan Chantam’s 24, while Onnicha Kamchomphu and Phannita Maya added quick runs late in the innings. Bangladesh’s chase was shaky, losing four wickets for 54 runs. Opener Shamima Sultana scored 26, while Lata Mondal’s 30 and Farzana Yasmin’s late 23 off 15 balls guided the team to victory. With this win, Bangladesh A confirmed their semifinal berth and will face Malaysia in their final group-stage match, aiming to finish the group phase unbeaten.

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Bay of Bengal, about 222 kilometers southeast of Cox’s Bazar, on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 5:55 p.m. Bangladesh time. The event was reported by the volcano and earthquake monitoring website Volcano Discovery, which described it as a shallow quake occurring at a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the seabed. According to the report, no information has yet been received about anyone feeling the tremor. The earthquake’s location in the Bay of Bengal places it offshore, away from major population centers, which may explain the lack of felt reports. The incident was noted by local media as part of routine seismic monitoring in the region. Authorities or monitoring agencies have not issued any further statements or warnings related to the event, and no damage or casualties were reported at the time of publication.

Police in Feni recovered parts of a stolen truck from the house of a local Jubo Dal leader on Monday, February 16, in Chharaitakandi village under Sonagazi upazila. The recovery followed the arrest of Md. Yunus alias Dalim, 40, from Dakshin Char Chandia village during a joint operation by EPZ and Sonagazi Model police stations. Based on Dalim’s information, police found the truck parts at the residence of Imam Hossain Probir, the member secretary of Sonagazi upazila Jubo Dal. The truck had been reported stolen from Chattogram’s Patenga area on February 8, and its owner, Md. Harun, filed a case at the local EPZ police station on February 15. Following the recovery, Jubo Dal’s central office issued a press release signed by Assistant Office Secretary Minhajul Islam Bhuiyan, announcing the expulsion of Imam Hossain Probir from the party for breaching organizational discipline. Police confirmed that the recovered truck parts and the arrested suspect were transferred to the EPZ police station for further investigation.

Local residents of Saint Martin Island in Cox’s Bazar have alleged that rows of keya trees were cut down along the southern beach area of Ward 9, apparently to facilitate illegal land occupation. The incident, reported on February 16, 2026, has triggered anger and concern among locals, though no one has publicly identified those responsible. Union Parishad Chairman Foyezul Islam confirmed hearing about the tree cutting and said a beach worker was sent to inspect the site, with further action to follow after investigation. Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) district president H.M. Ershad condemned the act as alarming, emphasizing that keya trees serve as a natural coastal defense protecting sand dunes, homes, and marine biodiversity. Local residents described the destruction as unacceptable and urged authorities to act swiftly to protect the island’s forest cover. The Department of Environment’s Cox’s Bazar office director, Jamir Uddin, stated that an initial investigation has begun and the matter is being treated with high importance.