Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia, are formulating an alternative plan to counter U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza. A high-level meeting in Riyadh, involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE, will discuss strategies, including a reconstruction fund and governance excluding Hamas. Egypt’s draft plan, favoring Gaza’s rebuilding over relocation, is gaining traction. The initiative, backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is expected to be presented at the Arab summit on February 27.

The National Consensus Commission, led by Interim Government’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, is set to begin its official activities today with a meeting with BNP. The discussion, scheduled for 3:00 PM at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, will focus on reports from six reform commissions formed by the interim government. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will lead the party’s delegation. The reform reports have already been shared with political parties for review ahead of the discussions.

In a remarkable environmental initiative, over 1,000 students planted 40,000 Hijol and Koroch trees in a single day at Tanguar Haor, Bangladesh’s second-largest Ramsar site. The tree plantation drive aims to protect 83 villages surrounding the 10,000-hectare wetland in Tahirpur and Madhyanagar upazilas from seasonal floods, according to the Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj. Students from five secondary schools and one higher secondary institution participated in the event, which also included a clean-up campaign. To create a sense of ownership and long-term commitment, each tree will be tagged with the name of the student who planted it—allowing them to track its growth in the future.

At least 15 people were injured in a violent clash between two groups in Muradnagar, Cumilla, over the scheduled visit of controversial Islamic speaker Gias Uddin Taheri. The incident took place on Friday afternoon in Ampal village, prompting authorities to deploy additional police forces to maintain order. Local sources reported that religious scholars and residents opposed to Taheri’s visit had announced a protest rally and demonstration on February 21 outside Suruj Fakir’s residence, where Taheri was set to appear. Following Friday prayers, as the protest rally began, supporters of Suruj Fakir allegedly attacked the demonstrators, leading to a full-blown clash between the two sides. Opponents claim their peaceful march was disrupted by violence, while event organizers argue that rumors of an attack on a shrine prompted Taheri’s supporters to intervene, resulting in injuries to 7-8 of their members.

BNP senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has expressed concerns that centrist politics may face significant challenges in the near future. He stated that a particular political party is advocating for local elections before holding the national elections, and some of its members are attempting to mislead the interim government. As a result, there is growing uncertainty about the future of centrist politics. Rizvi also remarked on Dr. Muhammad Yunus, calling him an internationally renowned figure and a victim of persecution under the Hasina administration. He believes Dr. Yunus will make just decisions. Rizvi further emphasized that people have been fighting for free elections for 17 years, and a national election should first establish a stable political environment. Only then should the elected government organize local elections, he asserted.

A case has been filed under the Arms and Explosives Act against former Law Minister Anisul Huq, former MP of Sylhet-5 Hafiz Ahmad Majumder, former Sylhet City Mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, former MP of Sylhet-3 Habibur Rahman Habib, and 473 others—all affiliated with the Awami League. The case was lodged by Sajib Ahmed, Religious Affairs Secretary of Sylhet District Jubo Dal. According to the complaint, on August 3, at around 4:00 PM, a demonstration was taking place in front of Sylhet Government Women’s College as part of the one-point movement against discrimination and in protest of student killings. The plaintiff, Sajib Ahmed, was participating in the protest when the accused allegedly marched from Rikabibazar and opened fire on the assembled students and citizens at Chouhatta, followed by detonating improvised explosive devices. Sajib Ahmed sustained injuries from the gunfire.

In a late-night raid on Thursday, a joint task force apprehended two members of a criminal gang in Dhaka’s Pallabi area, seizing a foreign-made pistol. The arrested individuals have been identified as Md. Hasan Mahmud (31) and Sabuj Howlader (28). Law enforcement recovered one foreign pistol, three empty magazines, 20 rounds of ammunition, a machete, and three iron hammers with bamboo handles from their possession. Several of their accomplices managed to escape upon sensing the presence of the authorities. A case has been filed against them under the Arms Act.

On Thursday at 9:00 PM Bangladesh time, billionaire Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), spoke on the phone with Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. US President Donald Trump was present during the conversation. Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Mexico, Mushfiqur Fazal Ansari, thanked their close friend, RH Griffiths, via a Facebook post for making this virtual conversation possible. He expressed excitement, stating that this meeting would mark the beginning of a new era for the development of SpaceX and Starlink technology in Bangladesh, opening vast opportunities for innovation, education, and economic growth. “I am thrilled to be a part of it from the start!” he wrote.

At 12:00 PM on Friday, customs officials at Sylhet Osmani International Airport seized eight gold bars, valued at approximately one crore taka, from a flight arriving from Dubai. The gold was discovered in empty seats of the aircraft. The total weight of the seized gold is 928 grams, with an estimated market value of one crore taka. Earlier, on February 6, two individuals were detained by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Customs Intelligence with gold worth around 21 crore taka.

The inauguration of the new phase of the “Alor Ishkul” program by the World Literature Center was held on Friday. The program was inaugurated by Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed, President and CEO of the Center. He stated that books are entirely a medium for thought and that not everyone reads them. However, those who do, although few in number, are the ones who change the world. Citing the example of Greek civilization, he noted that just over 400,000 people created Greek civilization in 150 years. He emphasized that such leadership must emerge from our population of 180 million. He also described intellect as a divine gift, infinite in nature.

Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed in a recent interview that he had once faced the threat of death in Pakistan. He shared that the issue arose when a Facebook user posted a drawing of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which enraged the Pakistani government. As a result, the Pakistani government filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg and decided to personally charge him. Although Zuckerberg did not see it as a direct threat to himself, he considers it a major issue for tech companies and freedom of speech. He emphasized the need for U.S. government protection for tech companies.

On Friday, the Gano Odhikar Parishad of Dhaka Metropolitan staged a fascism-resisting protest and mass rally demanding justice for the 1971 genocide and the banning of the perpetrators’ political activities. During the event, Gano Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur stated, “Our party will not compromise on the question of banning the Awami League. It is the misfortune of this nation that its brave sons create new history by fighting in the streets while only a few benefit. Why, even six months after the people’s uprising, must we take to the streets to ban the Awami League?” He also called for the reorganization of the advisory council.

The three-day District Commissioners (DC) conference will kick off on Sunday, February 16. The Chief Adviser of the interim government, Mohammad Yunus, will inaugurate the event. A press conference regarding the conference will be held at the Secretariat on Saturday at 4:00 PM. The conference will commence on Sunday at 10:30 AM, at the Shapla Hall of the Chief Adviser’s office. The DC conference will feature 34 sessions, including discussions, a courtesy meeting with the Chief Justice, orientation sessions, and a closing ceremony. During the conference, proposals from the District Commissioners (DCs) concerning various ministries and departments will be discussed and decisions will be made in the presence of advisers and secretaries. DCs serve as representatives of the government at the grassroots level.

Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a disturbing plan to seize Gaza and expel Palestinians from the region, sparking widespread protests globally. Arab and Muslim-majority countries, in particular, strongly rejected his proposal, voicing fierce opposition. In response, Egypt announced the organization of an Arab summit, while Pakistan and Saudi Arabia decided to convene an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the Gaza crisis. Saudi Arabia has confirmed the hosting of an urgent summit on February 20, which will bring together leaders from four Arab countries to discuss Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza. The summit will be attended by leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also participating. (Source: AFP)

As part of an ongoing prisoner exchange under the Gaza ceasefire, Israel will release 369 Palestinian detainees on Saturday in exchange for three Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Among the Palestinians set for release, 36 were serving life sentences, while 333 were detained after October 7, 2023. The exchange is mediated by Egypt and Qatar. Since the ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas has released 21 hostages, while Israel has freed 566 Palestinian prisoners. The war has left over 48,500 Palestinians dead.