The United States and Iran are set to begin their third round of nuclear discussions in Geneva today, focusing on finding a diplomatic solution to ongoing disputes over Iran’s nuclear program. The talks come as Washington has recently imposed new sanctions on Tehran and continues to expand its military presence in the Middle East, according to Al Jazeera.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Wednesday and met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who is mediating the indirect negotiations scheduled for Thursday. Before departing for Geneva, Araghchi stated that a fair and balanced agreement was within reach, emphasizing that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons and will not relinquish its right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Earlier, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of attempting to restart its nuclear program following American strikes on Iranian facilities. He reiterated that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons and said President Trump prefers a diplomatic resolution but retains other options.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has described the recent situation at Bangladesh Bank as the formal beginning of a government-backed 'mob culture'. In a verified Facebook post on Thursday morning, he expressed concern over the reported humiliation of the central bank’s governor and adviser, calling the incident unfortunate and unacceptable. He urged people from all political backgrounds to speak out against such disorder.

In his post, Dr. Rahman said that the country’s economy is already under severe strain due to corruption, extortion, and syndicates, and that continued misconduct at top state institutions like Bangladesh Bank could destroy what remains of the economy. He alleged that mobs are being created within state institutions to harass competent and patriotic officials.

He called on the government to immediately stop such activities and to ensure that appointments to key positions are made based on merit and patriotism rather than party loyalty.

Authorities in Gafargaon, Mymensingh conducted an eviction drive on Wednesday afternoon at the historic Saltia Bazar area, reclaiming government land valued at approximately Tk 25 crore. The operation was led by Assistant Commissioner (Land) Amir Salman Rony, who oversaw the demolition of illegal structures and unauthorized shop extensions built on public land.

The recovered land, located at the heart of the municipal area, will now be available for use by local residents and traders for market activities. The Gafargaon police and municipal authorities provided full support during the operation, ensuring the removal of all encroachments.

According to the Assistant Commissioner (Land), similar drives to remove illegal establishments and recover government property will continue in the future.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presented the Ekushey Padak 2026, one of Bangladesh’s highest civilian honors, to distinguished individuals for their outstanding contributions in various fields. The ceremony took place on Thursday morning at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka. The awardees include Farida Akhter Bobita for film, Professor Md. Abdus Sattar for fine arts, Marina Tabassum for architecture, Ayub Bachchu (posthumously) for music, Islam Uddin Palakar for theatre, Shafik Rehman for journalism, Professor Mahbubul Alam Majumdar for education, Tejas Halder Josh for sculpture, and Orthi Ahmed for dance. The band Warfaze received the award as a musical group.

The event was presided over by Prime Minister Rahman and attended by cabinet members, senior military and civil officials, and invited dignitaries. The Ekushey Padak is awarded annually to recognize exceptional contributions to national life and culture.

The ceremony highlighted the government’s continued recognition of excellence across diverse creative and professional sectors, reinforcing the importance of cultural and intellectual achievements in national development.

Khan Akram Hossain of Bagerhat, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War, has been acquitted. The verdict was delivered on Thursday morning by a five-member appellate bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury.

Previously, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 had sentenced Sheikh Sirajul Haque alias Siraj Master to death and Khan Akram Hossain to life imprisonment on August 11, 2015. The tribunal found Siraj guilty on five of six charges and Akram guilty on one of three charges. Following the tribunal’s decision, Akram appealed to the higher court seeking acquittal.

According to official records, Akram was born in 1955 in Morrelganj, Bagerhat, and later worked in the agriculture department until his retirement in 2011. The acquittal marks a significant development in the ongoing judicial review of war crimes cases from Bangladesh’s 1971 conflict.

Cambridge University has invested over £140 million from its £4.2 billion endowment fund into a portfolio that includes companies accused of involvement in Israeli human rights violations in Gaza. The revelation came after analysis of recent filings submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, reported by Middle East Eye. The investment was made by Cambridge University Investment Management in the ‘iShares ESG Select Screened S&P 500’ fund during the last quarter of the previous year.

Through this fund, the university indirectly holds shares in Palantir Technologies, Caterpillar, and GE Aerospace—companies accused of aiding Israeli military operations and forced evictions in Palestinian territories. Cambridge reportedly owns about £800,000 in Palantir shares and £900,000 in GE Aerospace shares, linking it to suppliers of Israeli defense technology and aircraft engines. The disclosure follows earlier criticism of the university’s lack of transparency and its delayed decisions on divesting from arms manufacturers.

The report noted growing ethical and legal pressure on Cambridge, especially as Norway’s sovereign wealth fund has already divested from Caterpillar over similar human rights concerns.

Pakistan’s security forces have killed at least 34 militants described as India-backed during operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released on February 26, 2026. The operations were carried out over several days based on intelligence reports targeting two groups identified as Fitna al-Kharij and Fitna al-Hindustan.

The ISPR said that on February 24, four separate clashes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resulted in the deaths of 26 members of Fitna al-Kharij, while eight militants from Fitna al-Hindustan were killed in an operation in Sambaza, Balochistan. One of the deceased was identified as an Afghan national. Additional operations were conducted in Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and North Waziristan districts, where further militants were killed after intense exchanges of fire.

Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the militants, according to the ISPR statement. The operations are part of Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts in its northwestern and southwestern regions.

A team of the Detective Branch (DB) police in Netrokona came under attack by smugglers during an operation in the border area of Kolmakanda upazila on Tuesday afternoon. The incident occurred in Terotopa village of Rangchhati Union, leaving six DB members, including two sub-inspectors and one assistant sub-inspector, injured. Local police later rescued the injured officers and detained 15 individuals allegedly involved in the assault. Authorities recovered 4.65 million taka, five Indian cows, five bottles of Indian liquor, 20 yaba tablets, an unregistered motorcycle, and a money-counting machine from the scene.

According to police and local sources, the detained group is part of an organized network engaged in smuggling Indian cattle, sugar, cumin, and cosmetics across the Kolmakanda border. The DB team, led by Sub-Inspector Abdul Jalil, launched the operation following intelligence about illegal cattle trading and money exchange at the home of Sarful Islam in Terotopa village. The smugglers reportedly incited locals to attack the officers with iron rods and sticks.

Police are preparing multiple cases over the incident, confirmed Additional Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) Hafizul Islam.

The once fast-flowing Karangi River in Bahubal upazila of Habiganj district has dried up, turning into a dead canal. The riverbed has lost navigability, creating an acute water shortage for residents of three unions who depend on it for agriculture and daily needs. The drying of the river has also endangered local biodiversity.

Farmers who previously relied on the river for irrigation during the Boro season are now dependent on mechanical irrigation systems. Environmentalists allege that no government initiative has been taken to restore the river’s flow, and that unplanned embankments built upstream in Chunarughat have worsened the water crisis downstream. Local farmers and residents report difficulties in farming, livestock rearing, and domestic water use.

Community representatives and social workers have called for immediate dredging to revive the river. The Bahubal Upazila Nirbahi Officer stated that discussions with the Water Development Board are underway to take necessary measures under government planning.

A case has been filed in Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar, over an armed attack on three journalists working for national and regional newspapers. The case, lodged on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, by journalist A K M Iqbal Faruk of Dainik Amar Desh and Dainik Purbodesh, names 11 individuals including alleged illegal sand miner and hill grabber Nazim Uddin, along with 14 to 15 unidentified others, totaling 26 accused. Chakaria Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Monir Hossain confirmed the filing.

The attack occurred on Sunday, February 22, 2026, in the Ichachhari area of Harbang Union while the journalists were documenting illegal sand extraction. The assailants, led by Nazim Uddin, allegedly beat and hacked the journalists, leaving them seriously injured and temporarily detained at the suspect’s house. Locals later rescued them and took them to hospital for treatment.

In response, local journalists held a human chain and protest rally in Chakaria town on Tuesday, demanding the immediate arrest of those involved. Police said no arrests had been made yet but efforts were ongoing to detain the named suspects.

Residents of Sreebardi municipality in Sherpur are facing severe hardship due to the absence of a designated dumping station. Household and market waste is being dumped into a leased private pond in the Purbo Chhonkanda area, as well as scattered along roads and open spaces. The situation has led to environmental pollution, foul odors, and health risks for nearby residents.

Local people complain that despite repeated objections, the municipality has not taken effective action. The pond used for dumping is surrounded by densely populated homes, causing unbearable stench and mosquito infestations. Environmental group Sabuj Andolon’s Sherpur unit criticized the worsening waste management, urging the establishment of an eco-friendly sanitary landfill.

Municipal administrator and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Monisha Ahmed stated that due to the lack of municipal land, waste is temporarily being dumped on rented private property. She added that under the upcoming “32 Municipality Project,” plans are in place to build a modern dumping station to resolve the issue.

River erosion has intensified in Jotpara area of Chauhali upazila in Sirajganj as the water level of the Jamuna River begins to recede. The erosion, reportedly caused by the movement of sand-laden bulkheads near the eastern embankment, has put a multi-crore taka river protection structure at serious risk. Locals have staged repeated protests demanding a halt to bulkhead operations to save their homes and farmland.

According to residents, continuous bulkhead traffic along the eastern bank has endangered around 500 households and large areas of cropland, as well as public institutions including the upazila complex, schools, and markets. In Bagutia Union, geo-bag dumping along a three-kilometer stretch has been damaged due to bulkhead movement close to the bank, threatening nearby villages.

Local authorities, including the Chauhali police and the assistant commissioner (land), have intervened to stop bulkhead movement after residents gathered to block them. Officials confirmed that bulkhead operations have been halted, though a few vessels remain stuck due to navigability issues.

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 begins today, Thursday, February 26, in Dhaka after multiple schedule changes and months of debate among publishers and organizers. The fair, organized by Bangla Academy, will run until March 15 and is being inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. This year’s event coincides with the holy month of Ramadan, prompting special arrangements including fair pricing for iftar, prayer facilities, and extended evening hours. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has implemented a three-tier security plan for the fairgrounds.

Earlier, the fair’s start date was shifted several times due to the national election and Ramadan. Publishers’ groups had protested the delays and even held a symbolic fair on February 1. Following negotiations led by the new cultural affairs minister and state minister, the fair was rescheduled with waived stall fees and no pavilions. A total of 549 publishing houses are participating across 1,018 units, including 87 little magazines and 63 children’s publishers.

Security measures include 24-hour police monitoring, special patrols, and traffic restrictions around the fair area. Organizers have also pledged to maintain a clean, smoke-free, and polythene-free environment throughout the event.

Bangladesh has imported fruits worth around Tk 5,000 crore during the ongoing Ramadan season, as local fruits are not in season. Despite a 30 percent increase in import volume compared to last year, retail fruit prices have risen by at least 30 percent per kilogram. Prices continue to climb daily by Tk 5 to Tk 8. Chattogram port data show large imports of apples, grapes, oranges, and dates, with total customs revenue exceeding Tk 2,500 crore.

Importers and traders attribute the high prices to heavy import duties of up to 136 percent, high transport and refrigeration costs, and additional port handling expenses. The Chattogram Fruit Traders Association argues that fruits are treated as luxury goods, urging the government to reduce duties during Ramadan when domestic supply is low. Port officials note that over a thousand refrigerated containers of fruits remain undelivered, which could ease prices once released.

Consumer rights advocates allege that market syndicates are manipulating supply to inflate prices, warning that without stricter monitoring, imported fruits will remain unaffordable for ordinary consumers.

The first session of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament is scheduled to begin on March 12, when President Md. Shahabuddin will deliver his address. According to cabinet sources cited by Amar Desh, the speech will emphasize alleged corruption, irregularities, and misrule during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-and-a-half-year tenure. It will also include descriptions of human rights violations and the July movement that led to the fall of Hasina’s government. The address will reflect the current BNP-led government’s election manifesto.

As per the constitution, the president delivers an address at the first session of a new parliament and at the first session each year. The Cabinet Division prepares the draft speech based on information from ministries, which is then approved by the cabinet. Officials confirmed that the draft for this session has been finalized and is under review. The speech is expected to be about 150 pages long, though the president will read only selected portions.

The address will also recount the context of the February 12 parliamentary election and the interim government’s assumption of power after Hasina’s ouster on August 5, 2024. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Law Minister Asaduzzaman declined to comment on the upcoming speech.