Iran has called on the United States to conduct discussions on Tehran’s nuclear program without Israeli influence. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the negotiation process is continuing and that regional countries are trying to help make it successful. He emphasized that Iran is ready to cooperate in the talks. Larijani stated that the process should not be prolonged and that Iran’s missile program will not be part of the negotiations, arguing that including other issues could disrupt progress. He described the missile program as a domestic matter tied to national security and separate from the nuclear program. He also said the idea of reducing uranium enrichment to zero is not on the table, noting that Iran has already mastered the technology and uses enriched uranium for health research and medical purposes. Larijani accused Israel of interfering in the talks and destabilizing the Middle East, asserting that Iran’s discussions are solely with the United States and not with Israel.

Shameem Sayedee, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for the Pirojpur-2 constituency (covering Kaukhali, Bhandaria, and Nesarabad), expressed gratitude to his supporters and voters after losing the election. In a verified Facebook post from his account 'Shameem Sayedee', he congratulated all winning candidates and thanked those who voted for him or assisted in his campaign through rallies, meetings, labor, and advice. He acknowledged that he could not personally respond to all messages and calls of sympathy following the election. In his post, Sayedee stated that the affection of his supporters was invaluable and expressed optimism about the future. He urged everyone to remain active in their respective roles, learn from past mistakes, and strive for greater success ahead. He reaffirmed his commitment to stand by the people as he had done in the past. Following the post, many supporters reacted on social media, offering encouragement and best wishes for his future endeavors. Sayedee had lost the Pirojpur-2 seat by 8,288 votes to BNP candidate Ahmad Sohel Monjur Suman.

Following its landslide victory in the 13th parliamentary election, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is preparing to form a new government, with the swearing-in scheduled for Tuesday. Party sources indicate that Tarique Rahman, set to become prime minister for the first time, aims to combine the experience of senior leaders with the energy of younger figures. Discussions are ongoing at the party’s Gulshan office to finalize the cabinet list, with emphasis on efficiency, integrity, and public image. Analysts note that the cabinet is being designed to ensure administrative competence and a people-oriented outlook, prioritizing ministries such as finance, home, foreign affairs, local government, education, and health. Several young leaders, including Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Shama Obaid, and Dr. Reza Kibria, are being discussed for key roles, alongside veteran figures like Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan. BNP also plans to include leaders from allied movements in the new cabinet, reflecting its earlier pledge for a participatory national government. The final lineup will be revealed on the day of the oath ceremony, which observers see as the new administration’s first major political and administrative test.

Bangladesh Bank has issued a new directive warning against the use of sample notes or paper resembling real currency in social media and marketing campaigns. The central bank’s Department of Communications and Publications announced on Sunday that such activities are legally punishable and increase the risk of counterfeit currency circulation. The notice highlighted that videos and images on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have shown marketing content using large-sized sample notes similar to genuine ones. The bank stated that producing, using, or distributing paper resembling legal tender is a criminal offense under Section 489(E) of the Penal Code, 1860. It also warned that spreading false or misleading information through digital media could be punishable under Section 25 of the Cyber Security Act, 2023. The directive urged the public to remain cautious, avoid unauthorized promotional activities, and verify the authenticity of banknotes. Bangladesh Bank advised citizens to learn about the security features of real notes and ensure safe transactions by visiting its official website for detailed information on currency identification.

Imran Khan, the imprisoned founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former prime minister, has shown slight improvement in his eyesight, according to his sister Naureen Khanum. Citing medical reports, she said swelling around his eyes has reduced. However, she noted that concerns about his vision remain and called for his treatment to be conducted transparently under the supervision of his personal doctors. Earlier, on February 12, Imran Khan claimed that only 15 percent of the vision in his right eye remained. Following this, the Supreme Court ordered the formation of a medical team to examine him. A post on social media platform X confirmed that his eye examination took place on Sunday and no major complications were found so far. The Pakistani government had announced plans to move Imran Khan to a hospital soon, but this has not yet occurred. Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Asad Qaiser continue a sit-in protest inside Parliament House demanding his hospital transfer, with PTI-backed representatives staging demonstrations at Parliament Lodges and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to form a new government after winning 209 seats in the 13th parliamentary election, the highest in its history. Party chairman Tarique Rahman will become prime minister, and discussions are ongoing about the size and composition of his cabinet. According to party sources, the cabinet will combine experienced leaders from the 2001–2006 BNP government with first-time lawmakers, ensuring representation from different religious communities. The final structure and ministerial assignments are expected to be discussed at the BNP Standing Committee meeting tonight. Senior leaders such as Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury are likely to be included, alongside younger figures like Advocate Asaduzzaman Asad and Barrister Kaiser Kamal. Technocrat members and allies from joint movements, including Zonayed Saki and Nurul Haque Nur, may also join. Political analysts note that the cabinet is being designed to balance power with administrative efficiency and a public-oriented image. The BNP aims to prioritize capable and clean-profile individuals to address economic recovery, law and order, and administrative reform, according to the report.

Across Europe, labour and civic movements are intensifying campaigns to boycott Israeli goods in response to the war in Gaza. The movement gained visibility after a supermarket worker in Ireland refused to sell Israeli produce, prompting suspension and later reinstatement following union and public support. Similar actions have spread, with unions in Ireland, the UK, and Norway passing motions allowing workers to refuse handling Israeli products, and retail cooperatives in the UK and Italy removing some Israeli items from shelves. The campaigns are part of the broader Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for economic and cultural pressure on Israel until it complies with international law. Activists cite historical parallels with Ireland’s 1980s boycott of apartheid South Africa. Governments in Slovenia and Spain have since restricted imports from Israeli settlements, while Ireland’s proposed Occupied Territories Bill remains stalled amid alleged external pressure. Pro-Israel groups, including B’nai B’rith International and ELNET, are lobbying against such measures, warning of legal and economic risks. Leaked documents suggest Israeli ministries have funded legal efforts to monitor and counter BDS activities in Europe, underscoring the growing geopolitical and legal dimensions of the boycott debate.

The government has appointed Dr. Nasimul Gani, currently serving as the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs on a contractual basis, as the new Cabinet Secretary, also on a contractual basis. The appointment was officially announced on February 16, 2026, according to the report. Dr. Gani’s new role as Cabinet Secretary marks a transition from his previous position within the Ministry of Home Affairs. The report did not provide further details about the duration of his contract, the circumstances of the appointment, or any accompanying administrative changes. No additional information was included regarding the outgoing Cabinet Secretary or the broader implications of this appointment within the government structure.

The National Citizens Party (NCP) will sign the July Charter this evening at the state guesthouse Jamuna. The party confirmed the decision in a message on Monday, stating that the signing ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. The event follows earlier signings by the interim government’s chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and leaders of 25 political parties at the South Plaza of the National Parliament on October 17 of the previous year. Before agreeing to sign, the NCP had expressed reservations about the July Charter and presented three specific demands in a press conference held the day before the signing. The party called for the publication of the implementation order draft before the ceremony, issuance of the order by the chief adviser in line with the “sovereign will of the people,” and recognition of the July uprising as the source of legitimacy. It also demanded a referendum on the 84 proposed reforms and stated that if the people supported the charter, the next elected parliament would amend the constitution accordingly, to be titled “Constitution of Bangladesh, 2026.” The signing marks NCP’s formal alignment with the July Charter process after earlier hesitation regarding its legal foundation.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to meet Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Amir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim this evening. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Amir’s residence, ‘Rupayan Swapna Niloy,’ located on Siddheswari Road under Ramna Police Station in Dhaka. The information was confirmed through a press release signed by Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Central Publicity and Dawah Secretary Sheikh Fazlul Karim Maruf. According to the announcement, the meeting is described as a courtesy visit following the BNP’s victory in the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The event marks part of Tarique Rahman’s series of meetings with leaders of various political parties. On Sunday evening, he separately visited the residences of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman and National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam for similar courtesy meetings. The sequence of meetings indicates ongoing political communication between BNP and other parties following the recent election results, though no further details about the agenda were provided in the statement.

Final preparations are underway for the oath-taking ceremony of the 13th National Parliament members and the new cabinet led by BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman as Prime Minister. The event is scheduled for Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building in Dhaka. According to the Parliament Secretariat, all arrangements have been completed. President Mohammad Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the new cabinet members, while newly appointed Cabinet Secretary M. Siraj Mia will conduct the ceremony. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) confirmed that about 1,200 local and foreign guests will attend. Foreign dignitaries expected include Bhutan’s Prime Minister Shering Tobgay, India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Sri Lanka’s Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, and UK Under Secretary Seema Malhotra are also likely to attend. The ceremony breaks tradition by being held at the Parliament instead of Bangabhaban. BNP’s legal adviser stated that foreign ministers from SAARC countries have been invited. The event has generated significant political interest across Bangladesh.

A Youth Dal activist was seriously injured in an attack by unidentified assailants in Palashbari upazila of Gaibandha on Sunday night. The incident occurred around 9 p.m. in the Jundaha Bazar area of Barishal Union. The victim, identified as Kakon, 35, son of Miru Mondol from Durbolagari village, was attacked with sharp weapons while standing in the market area. Witnesses said several unknown men suddenly assaulted him and fled the scene immediately after the attack. Doctors reported that one of Kakon’s fingers was severed and both his legs were broken. Locals rescued him in a severely injured state and took him to Palashbari Upazila Health Complex. As his condition worsened, he was later transferred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Police said preparations were underway to file a case over the incident. According to local sources, the motive behind the attack and the identities of the attackers remain unknown. The Palashbari police officer-in-charge stated that legal action would be taken once a complaint is received. The incident has caused panic among residents, who have demanded the swift arrest of those responsible.

Demands are intensifying to appoint Dr. Reza Kibria, newly elected BNP lawmaker from Habiganj-1 (Bahubal-Nabiganj), as the finance minister in the new government. He won the 13th National Parliamentary Election with 111,999 votes. Local BNP leaders and residents argue that his background as an economist makes him a strong candidate for the post. The constituency has a history of producing national leaders, including late Dewan Farid Gazi, who served as Minister for Local Government and Cooperatives from 1973 to 1975, and Dr. Kibria’s father, Shah AMS Kibria, who was finance minister under the Awami League government in 1996. Shah AMS Kibria was killed in a grenade attack in 2005, an incident for which Dr. Kibria has blamed local Awami League leaders. Analysts believe this event influenced his shift to the BNP. Residents of Bahubal and Nabiganj expect that if Dr. Kibria becomes finance minister, long-neglected infrastructure and educational institutions in the area will see significant development, fulfilling his campaign promises.

The Israeli government has approved a proposal to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as state property, marking the first such decision since Israel’s occupation of the territory in 1967, according to the country’s public broadcaster Kan. The Palestinian Authority has strongly condemned the move, describing it as legally invalid and a violation of international law. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the main objective of Israel’s decision is to annex the West Bank and advance settlement expansion. The ministry declared on social media platform X that it rejects any attempt by the occupiers to convert Palestinian land into state property and denounced efforts to legitimize illegal settlements, land theft, and annexation. The ministry further stated that the decision contradicts United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which deems Israeli settlements in all occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, illegal under international law.

A 21-year-old youth named Sabbir from Urkirchar Union in Raozan remains missing three days after falling into the Halda River in Hathazari, Chattogram. The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday near Ramdas Munshir Hat in Madarsha Union’s Ward 7. According to police and local sources, a dispute between two groups of youths at a religious event escalated into an attack while one group was returning home by boat. During the assault, three people fell into the river; two swam to safety, but Sabbir went missing. Family members, local residents, and police confirmed that rescue operations have been ongoing since the incident. A six-member diving team from the district fire service continues to search the river, but no trace of the missing youth has been found. Sabbir’s relatives have been waiting by the riverbank, hoping for his recovery. Police officials stated that legal procedures are underway, and efforts to identify and punish those responsible for the attack are in progress.