Police recovered the hanging body of a university student from a house in Dhaka’s Bashundhara residential area early Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as Mahamuda Akter Jerin, 27, a student of the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB). Her body was found hanging from a ceiling fan with a scarf at a rented flat on Road 2, Block C of the area around 12:45 a.m.

According to Sub-Inspector Abdul Wadud of Vatara Police Station, officers arrived at the scene after receiving information and found the body in the presence of other students. Police said, citing classmates, that Jerin had been suffering from depression and smoked regularly. They suspect she may have taken her own life due to mental distress, though other possible causes are being investigated.

The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy after completing legal procedures. Jerin was the daughter of Khorshed Ali and Johura Begum from Tatowari village in Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali district.

After 18 months of inactivity, Awami League activists in Tongi, Gazipur, have raised the party’s banner and the national flag at their previously abandoned regional office in the New Market area. The event took place on Thursday morning, marking the first visible party activity at the site since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Witnesses reported that several unidentified party members entered the office, hoisted the flag, displayed banners, and then left.

Following the government’s fall, most Awami League leaders and activists went into hiding amid fears of arrest, while angry students and locals vandalized and set fire to the office. Since then, the building had remained deserted and was reportedly occupied by vagrants and drug users. Police confirmed they were aware of the new banners and were investigating who was responsible.

The reappearance of party symbols at the Tongi office signals a possible attempt by Awami League members to reassert their presence in the area after a prolonged absence.

The High Court has granted bail to former Narayanganj City Corporation mayor Selina Hayat Ivy in five separate cases. The order was issued by a bench comprising Justice K M Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher. Among the five cases, four were filed with Fatullah Police Station over the killings of bus driver Abul Hossain Miji, Abdur Rahman, Md Yasin, and Parvez. The fifth case, lodged with Sadar Model Police Station, involves allegations of assault and obstruction of government duties.

According to the case history, Ivy was arrested on May 9 of the previous year from Chunka Kutir in Deovogh, Narayanganj. She was subsequently shown arrested in multiple cases. Although the High Court had earlier granted her bail in five cases, the Appellate Division later stayed that order. On November 18, she was again shown arrested in five additional cases.

The defense team in the bail hearing included senior advocates Sara Hossain and Motahar Hossain Saju.

Shipping Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam stated that collecting fees through mutual agreement among bus owners and associations is lawful, but extortion through illegal means will not be permitted. He made the remarks on Thursday after a preparatory meeting at the ministry aimed at ensuring smooth waterway travel ahead of Eid.

The minister noted that last year’s Eid journeys by road and river went well and expressed the government’s intention to make this year’s travel experience even better. He added that special monitoring will be in place for five days before and after Eid to maintain normal movement of passengers on both road and water routes.

The comments came as part of broader preparations to manage increased passenger traffic during the holiday period and to prevent irregularities in fare collection and transport operations.

According to the official holiday schedule, the Bangladesh government has set five days of public holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr in 2026. If the moon for the month of Shawwal is sighted on March 20, Eid will be celebrated on March 21; otherwise, it will fall on March 22. Based on this, the government has declared March 19 to 23 as Eid holidays. Additionally, Shab-e-Qadr will be observed on March 17, followed by regular work on March 18.

After the Eid holidays, offices will reopen on March 24 and 25, before closing again for Independence Day on March 26 and the weekend on March 27–28. Employees who take casual leave on March 24 and 25 could enjoy a continuous 10-day break from March 19 to 28. Those taking an extra day off on March 18 could start their holidays from Shab-e-Qadr.

Educational institutions have already been closed since the beginning of Ramadan. Schools, colleges, and madrasas are scheduled to reopen on March 29 after the combined Ramadan, Eid, and summer vacations.

At least 20 people, including police officers, were killed in militant attacks across Pakistan’s northwestern region over the past two days, according to a police official on Thursday. The attacks occurred in various areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 15 police personnel and four civilians were reported dead. Two police officers were also abducted and remain missing. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for most of the assaults.

Violence has surged in recent months in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and neighboring Balochistan provinces. In response, Pakistan’s security forces launched operations targeting groups described as Indian-backed proxies. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that 34 militants were killed in these operations, including 26 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and eight in Balochistan’s Sambaza area. One of the dead was identified as an Afghan national.

ISPR added that further clashes in Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and North Waziristan districts resulted in additional militant casualties and recovery of weapons and ammunition.

The Shariatpur district administration has installed 120 modern AI-enabled CCTV cameras across the city to enhance public safety and improve law and order. Covering about 14 kilometers, the surveillance system aims to curb crime, monitor commodity prices, support anti-drug operations, and ensure overall civic security. Cameras have been placed along three major roads, key intersections, and commercial hubs including Palong, Angaria, and Monohor Bazar, as well as at educational institutions, hospitals, terminals, courts, and religious sites.

The initiative follows a series of recent crimes that raised public concern, including thefts, robberies, and a temple donation box looting incident on February 18. Cameras have also been installed along the Kirtonkhola River route to prevent riverine crimes. The district control room will monitor the feeds round-the-clock, with AI technology capable of detecting accidents, fires, traffic congestion, and suspicious movements. District Commissioner Tahsina Begum said the system was introduced after traditional operations failed to fully control incidents near schools and colleges.

Officials said similar smart surveillance systems will gradually be expanded to other municipalities in the district if effective results are achieved.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of properties in the United Kingdom owned by former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury. The order was issued on Thursday, February 26, 2026, by Judge Md Sabbir Foyez of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court following a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Court officials confirmed the decision, which concerns immovable assets allegedly linked to money laundering activities.

According to the ACC’s submission, Chowdhury and his associates hold substantial properties in London and other UK locations. The commission argued that freezing these assets is necessary to support an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering. The court accepted the petition, scheduled a further hearing, and instructed that all legal procedures be followed.

The ACC’s investigation file indicates that a special task force comprising members of the ACC, CID, and NBR is examining the allegations. Documents such as property deeds, payment orders, and receipts have been recovered. The listed assets include high-value apartments in London’s Marylebone Square, Oval Village, Clarendon Road, and multiple units in Liverpool’s One Islington Plaza, as well as properties in Harrow, Slough, and Preston.

A massive explosion occurred at an LPG gas pump in the Kolatoli area of Cox’s Bazar city on Wednesday evening, leaving at least ten people burned. Six of the victims, identified as Abu Taher, Md Siraj, Abdur Rahim, Md Sakib, Motaher Hossain, and Abul Kashem, were admitted to the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH). Doctors said their conditions are critical, with burn injuries ranging from 20 to 90 percent of their bodies.

According to police and eyewitnesses, the fire started from a gas leak in one of the tanks at the pump. Workers initially tried to control the flames with sand and water, but a second explosion followed shortly after, spreading the fire further. The six most severely injured were transferred to CMCH for emergency treatment.

Earlier on Monday, a separate explosion in a residential building in Chattogram’s Halishahar area left nine people burned, five of whom later died. Four others remain in critical condition at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.

Russia carried out overnight attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities, injuring at least 23 people including a child. The strikes occurred ahead of a scheduled meeting in Geneva between Ukraine and the United States to discuss ending the ongoing war. Kyiv’s military administration chief Tymur Tkachenkо reported that drones and ballistic missiles were used in the assault, urging residents to remain in shelters until air raid alerts were lifted.

Police in Kyiv said the attacks caused fires in non-residential buildings, shattered windows in a multi-story apartment, and set a two-story house ablaze. No deaths were reported. In the northeastern city of Kharkiv and a nearby village, 14 people were injured, while seven others were hurt in Zaporizhzhia where 19 apartment buildings, four houses, and other structures were damaged. Two more people were injured in Kryvyi Rih.

The assault comes as the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion four years ago, continues to devastate Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions. Washington has reiterated its desire for an end to the conflict.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that his country will not pursue nuclear weapons, citing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s religious decree banning weapons of mass destruction. Pezeshkian emphasized that this decree clearly means Tehran will not develop nuclear arms. His remarks were reported as Iran and the United States prepare for indirect negotiations in Geneva.

The report notes that Khamenei issued the religious ban on nuclear weapons in the early 2000s. Both sides are expected to focus on diplomatic solutions during the Geneva meeting, though Washington has recently imposed new sanctions on Iran and continues to expand its military presence in the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said before the talks that a fair and balanced agreement is within reach, reiterating that Iran is not building nuclear weapons but will not give up its right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Earlier, US Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of trying to restart its nuclear program following American strikes on Iranian facilities, warning that any attempt to rebuild nuclear arms would pose a problem for Washington.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has announced a complete ban on photography, videography, and any form of content creation at metro rail stations without prior permission. The directive, signed by DMTCL Director (Administration) A K M Khairul Alam on February 17, 2026, was published on the company’s website on February 25, 2026. The restriction applies to all areas of the metro system, including platforms, concourses, entry and exit points, inside trains, and related facilities.

According to the notice, creating short videos for YouTube or social media, live streaming, or conducting any commercial or personal shooting activities without authorization is strictly prohibited. Violations will result in administrative and legal action under applicable laws and regulations. The notice also states that those seeking to conduct commercial filming or photography within metro premises must apply through the designated approval process.

The directive aims to regulate content creation within the metro network and ensure compliance with operational and security policies set by DMTCL.

A local BNP leader in Morelganj, Bagerhat, has been accused of stopping the construction of a madrasa building after allegedly failing to receive a Tk 2 lakh extortion payment. Contractor S M Badiuzzaman filed a written complaint with Morelganj Police Station, prompting police to visit the site on Wednesday to investigate the allegations.

According to the complaint, the four-story building of Gulishakhali Fazil Madrasa was being built by contracting firm Messrs Osman Ali. The contractor claimed that Hafizur Rahman, publicity secretary of the Nishanbari Union BNP, and several associates demanded Tk 2 lakh. When he refused, they allegedly halted the work and threatened his workers. Hafizur Rahman denied the accusation, saying the construction was stopped due to irregularities.

Madrasa principal Maulana Abdul Bari stated that the construction was proceeding according to regulations and that the institution had no complaints. However, he acknowledged hearing that the contractor had suspended work following local demands for money.

Chandpur Science and Technology University has issued a recruitment notice for 11 positions across seven job categories, ranging from grade 3 to grade 20. The announcement, published on February 26, 2026, includes posts such as Registrar, Directors for Finance and Planning, PS to VC, Lab Assistants, Driver, and Office Assistants. Salaries vary by grade, with the highest scale at 56,500–74,400 taka and the lowest at 8,250–20,010 taka.

Applicants must apply online by submitting scanned copies of required documents and paying the application fee. Printed and attested copies must then be sent either in person or by post to the Registrar at the university’s temporary campus in Chandpur. The application fee is 200 taka for grades 1–4, 100 taka for grades 5–6, and 50 taka for grade 7. For underprivileged applicants, including ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and third-gender individuals, the fee is 50 taka for all grades.

The online application deadline is March 26, 2026, while postal or in-person submissions must reach by April 2, 2026. Further details are available on the university’s official website.

Lawyers in Barishal began a court boycott on Thursday morning to protest the arrest of Barishal District Lawyers Association president and former BNP city convening committee member Sadikur Rahman Linkon. The protesting lawyers demanded his immediate release and withdrawal of cases filed against other lawyers. Although some lawyers initially joined court hearings, they later left under pressure from BNP-leaning colleagues, causing severe disruption for hundreds of litigants.

To restore normalcy, the Metropolitan Sessions Judge held a meeting with three neutral lawyers at noon, but the outcome was not disclosed. Security forces were deployed in large numbers around the court premises from the morning to maintain order. Members of the Nationalist Lawyers Forum and other BNP-affiliated lawyers gathered in front of the Bar Association building to demonstrate.

The ongoing discussions between the judge and selected lawyers aimed to resolve the deadlock, but as of the latest report, no resolution had been reached.