Two people were killed in separate road accidents in Dhaka’s Shyampur and Mugda areas late on Monday, February 15. Police said Abdur Rahim, 46, was hit by an unidentified truck while crossing the road near Postogola Bridge in Shyampur. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he died around 2:45 a.m. His body was sent to the hospital morgue for autopsy.

In another incident the same evening, Nayon Moni, 46, a garment worker, died after being struck by her staff bus in front of Mugda Hospital. Her husband said she had just stepped off the bus and was crossing the road when the accident occurred. Police recovered the body and sent it for autopsy at Dhaka Medical College morgue. The driver and the bus involved were later detained.

Both victims were from outside Dhaka—Rahim from Sirajganj and Nayon Moni from Shariatpur. Their families have since received the bodies after post-mortem examinations.

In the 13th National Parliamentary Election, deposits of 35 out of 48 candidates in six constituencies of Noakhali district were forfeited for failing to secure one-eighth of the total votes cast. The results were confirmed by the district returning officer and Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shafiqul Islam after voting took place peacefully on February 12, 2026.

According to the district election office, deposits were forfeited by five candidates in Noakhali-1, two in Noakhali-2, five in Noakhali-3, five in Noakhali-4, ten in Noakhali-5, and eight in Noakhali-6. In these constituencies, BNP candidates won in five seats, while the National Citizen Party (NCP) secured victory in one. The forfeited candidates represented parties such as Islami Andolan, Jatiya Party, JSD, and others, as well as several independents.

The official results were announced on the night of the election day, with the election office confirming that the process was conducted in a fair and orderly environment across all polling centers.

The Taliban government has introduced sweeping reforms in Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical market to improve drug quality and boost domestic production. The move follows a November announcement to end long-standing dependence on medicine imports from Pakistan after deadly border clashes. Importers were given three months to find alternative legal sources, but traders report major challenges in ending old contracts and completing customs procedures.

Pharmacists in Kabul say prices of several medicines have risen while some drugs are unavailable, causing hardship for patients. Transport costs have surged by up to 30 percent as imports shift to routes through Iran and other countries. The Health Ministry cites counterfeit Pakistani medicines as a key reason for the reform and says new supply links are being built with Iran, India, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Turkey, China, and Belarus. Local firms now produce about 600 types of medicines, including antibiotics.

Experts caution that Afghanistan remains dependent on imported raw materials and faces high energy costs and limited infrastructure, making full self-sufficiency unrealistic in the short term. Doctors warn that the transition is complicating treatment and delaying patient care.

A Dhaka court has issued a travel ban on Sony Rangs Electronics Limited Managing Director Ekram Hossain, his father Sachimi Ogawara Hossain, and brother Binash Hossain, who serves as the company’s Deputy Managing Director. The order was passed on Monday by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez following a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

According to the petition filed by ACC Deputy Assistant Director and investigating officer Md. Al Amin, the accused are suspected of illegally transferring approximately fifteen to twenty thousand crore taka abroad. A confidential inquiry reportedly revealed that the family holds extensive movable and immovable assets both in Bangladesh and overseas and were allegedly attempting to relocate those assets.

The court deemed the travel restriction necessary to prevent the transfer of assets and to preserve evidence related to the alleged offenses. The order was confirmed by court bench assistant Riaz Hossain.

Muhammad Asadullah, a journalist for Amar Desh and central joint convener of the National Youth Power under the National Citizens Party (NCP), has been arrested, prompting his family to allege a politically motivated conspiracy. His wife, Naima Akter Rima, said police detained him last Friday without prior notice, claiming an old case was deliberately revived to humiliate him socially and politically. The family insists the arrest is part of a planned campaign of harassment rather than a routine legal process.

According to the family, the incident followed an attack by local political activists who smeared color on Asadullah and his father after the election. They allege the arrest was retaliation for protesting that assault. The family also reported threats from influential local ruling party leaders after Asadullah’s sister posted on social media, leaving them fearful for their safety.

Police stated that Asadullah was arrested under a 2024 cheque dishonor case in which he was a convicted and warrant-listed accused. However, they did not explain why the warrant had not been executed earlier. Asadullah is currently held in Pabna District Jail, and his family has appealed for his protection and a fair trial.

BNP Secretary General and Standing Committee member Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited Bangladesh Medical University on Monday, February 16, to check on the health condition of the party’s Health Affairs Secretary and prominent urologist Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, who is currently under treatment. During the visit, Fakhrul spoke with the attending doctors and was briefed about Rafiqul Islam’s physical condition and progress.

Present at the time were several senior faculty members and administrators of the university, including Professor Dr. Shamim Ahmed, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Registrar Professor Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, and other specialists from the Urology and Surgical Oncology departments. Earlier, on Sunday, BNP Standing Committee member Dr. A. J. M. Zahid Hossain had also visited the ailing leader.

Dr. Rafiqul Islam was admitted to the hospital on February 14 after falling ill. A 19-member medical board was formed on February 15 to oversee his treatment.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of land worth Tk 5.29 crore owned by Nasrin Islam, wife of NASA Group chairman Nazrul Islam Majumder and a director of EXIM Bank, in Cumilla. The order was issued on Monday by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez. Court bench assistant Riaz Hossain confirmed the information.

According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), its assistant director Muhammad Shihab Salam filed the petition seeking confiscation of the property. The petition stated that Nasrin Islam allegedly abused her power to acquire assets worth Tk 20.26 crore beyond her known income through bribery and corruption. Investigators found that she was attempting to sell or transfer her movable and immovable assets before the case’s resolution.

The court ruled that the properties must be seized immediately under Section 14 of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, and Rule 18 of the Anti-Corruption Commission Rules, 2007, to prevent potential loss to the state.

Former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who resigned in 2025 amid violent anti-corruption protests, has re-entered active politics ahead of the March 5 parliamentary election. The 73-year-old communist leader, who has served four terms as prime minister, is campaigning to regain a parliamentary majority through his Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML). His campaign officially begins Monday, with Oli portraying the election as a contest between forces of destruction and those of nation-building.

Oli faces a strong challenge in his constituency from 35-year-old rapper-turned-mayor Balendra Shah, who presents himself as a symbol of youth aspirations. The former leader’s resignation followed deadly unrest in September 2025 that left at least 77 people dead after protesters set fire to government buildings. Oli later denied ordering police to open fire, blaming “anarchist forces” for the violence.

Analysts describe Oli’s leadership style as authoritarian and personality-driven. His political future now hinges on whether he can overcome rising young leadership and return to power in a strategically vital nation between India and China.

A local BNP leader in Fatullah, Narayanganj, has been accused of printing and selling fake 'Family Cards' based on the party’s election manifesto and collecting money from women. The accused, identified as Russell alias Jilani, allegedly sold the cards under the name 'Jisan Traders' with his wife. On Monday, anger erupted in Kashipur Union’s Narsingpur area when buyers, mostly women, realized they had been deceived after failing to receive promised goods. They protested and surrounded the leader’s house.

According to reports, Russell and his wife distributed around 300 cards across several localities, charging Tk 50 each. Buyers were told they could purchase Tk 1,725 worth of goods for Tk 1,285 monthly using the cards. Fatullah BNP president Shahidul Islam Titu clarified that although the 'Family Card' was mentioned in the party’s manifesto, no official program had begun, and he urged authorities to act against those involved. Narayanganj Sadar Upazila Executive Officer S.M. Faiz Uddin Ahmed said the matter would be investigated promptly.

Local women expressed frustration, saying they were misled into believing the cards were government-backed and were left waiting in vain for the promised goods.

A pedestrian named Ikhlas Khan, aged 30, died early Monday while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital following a motorcycle collision in Gopalganj. The accident occurred on Sunday evening on the Gopalganj-Tekerhat road in the Gandhiyashur area of Gopalganj Sadar upazila. Two others were injured in the incident.

According to Gopalganj Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Anisur Rahman, Ikhlas Khan was crossing the road when a speeding motorcycle hit him. The motorcycle driver Abdullah Kazi, 18, and passenger Isanur Kazi, 16, both from Jaduput village in Kashiani upazila, were also injured. Locals rescued the injured and took them to Gopalganj Medical College Hospital. As Ikhlas’s condition worsened, he was transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he died at around 4 a.m. Monday.

The motorcycle driver Abdullah Kazi, who sustained serious injuries, is being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while passenger Isanur Kazi remains admitted at Gopalganj Medical College Hospital.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inaugurated a new housing project in Pyongyang for the families of soldiers killed while fighting on Russia’s side in the Ukraine war. State media released photos on Monday showing Kim visiting the newly built apartments with his daughter. The initiative is presented as a tribute to the fallen soldiers, described as martyrs, and as a move to strengthen internal unity while reaffirming support for Russia.

According to South Korean and Western intelligence sources cited in the report, North Korea has sent thousands of troops to fight for Russia, with Seoul estimating around two thousand North Korean soldiers killed. Analysts suggest Pyongyang is receiving financial aid, military technology, and supplies of food and fuel from Moscow in return. The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim praised the fallen as heroes who sacrificed their lives for sacred national values.

Although Monday’s report did not directly mention Russia, it follows Kim’s recent pledge of unconditional support for all policies and decisions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

BNP-affiliated student organization leader Nasir Uddin Nasir stated on Monday, February 16, that the allegation of sexual assault against a woman in Noakhali’s Hatiya, reportedly for voting for the Shapla symbol, was deliberately fabricated. In a Facebook post, he demanded that NCP leaders Hannan Masud, Asif Mahmud, and Sadik Kayem publicly apologize to the nation for spreading false information.

Nasir cited statements from local police, doctors, and eyewitnesses indicating the allegation was baseless. He noted that the accused was admitted to a hospital at 10:28 p.m. on February 13, making it impossible for him to be present at another location at the same time. Nasir criticized the use of such a sensitive issue for political purposes, calling it irresponsible and harmful to social stability. He also mentioned that Noakhali district Jamaat leader Ishaq Khondaker suspended a related program, which he said clarified the situation further.

Nasir urged all involved, including NCP and Jamaat-linked groups, to admit their role in spreading misinformation and to refrain from exploiting sensitive issues for political gain.

Encroachment on the banks of the Bankkhali River in Cox’s Bazar began immediately after the February 12 election, with individuals reportedly using the name of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to justify their actions. Witnesses said the process started on the night of the vote and that more than 50 tin structures have already been built along the river. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), responsible for river management, has sent letters to 15 government offices requesting urgent intervention to stop the illegal occupation.

Cox’s Bazar port officer Md. Abdul Wakil Sarkar confirmed that those previously evicted are now reoccupying the riverbank, and legal measures are being taken. Former city JCD joint secretary Shafayat Munna stated that the occupiers used BNP banners and posters to build illegal structures, which were later removed under the direction of newly elected MP Lutfur Rahman Kajol. Kajol urged police to arrest the encroachers and clarified that the BNP has no connection with the incident.

The BIWTA has also requested immediate action from the district administration and law enforcement agencies to prevent further encroachment.

The Chamber Court of the Appellate Division has suspended a High Court order that directed all government and private lower secondary and secondary schools to remain closed throughout the month of Ramadan. The suspension order was issued on Monday, February 16, 2026, by Justice Farah Mahbub of the Appellate Division’s Chamber Court.

During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Barrister Anik R Haque represented the state, assisted by Assistant Attorney General Maria Tanzima. The High Court had earlier, on Sunday, February 14, 2026, ordered the closure of all government and private lower secondary and secondary schools for the entire month of Ramadan.

With the Chamber Court’s suspension of the High Court directive, the earlier order to keep schools closed during Ramadan will remain inactive until further judicial proceedings clarify the matter.

Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus delivered a farewell speech to officials and employees at his office on Monday, February 16, 2026. Following the address, he participated in a photo session with the staff, marking his departure from the current role before the new administration takes office. The information was confirmed by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.

The interim government led by Professor Yunus assumed responsibility on August 8, 2024. Its tenure concludes with the swearing-in of the new government on Tuesday, February 17, following the thirteenth national parliamentary election. In that election, the BNP-led alliance secured 212 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance won 77 seats.

The transition signals the end of the interim administration’s term and the beginning of preparations for the incoming government to assume office.