A confidential directive from the Rajshahi Range DIG office has instructed police superintendents in eight districts to take strict measures against Awami League leaders and activists who are released on bail. The letter, signed on February 24, 2026, calls for re-arresting or showing 'shown arrest' in old or new cases if there is concern that influential or organizationally active individuals may resume political activities after release.

The directive emphasizes heightened vigilance toward active members of the Awami League and any banned or suspended organizations, while noting that those lacking organizational capacity or field-level influence need not be re-arrested for now. The letter, signed by DIG Mohammad Shahjahan, PPM (Bar), PhD, describes the matter as highly sensitive and urgent, instructing immediate implementation across Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna, Sirajganj, Bogura, and Joypurhat.

According to the document, the measure aims to maintain law and order and prevent potential political unrest. It also reiterates strict adherence to existing laws and regulations in providing VIP protocol and security.

Md. Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has alleged that activists from both the BNP and Awami League jointly attacked the motorcade of Abdul Hannan Masud, the newly elected Member of Parliament for Noakhali-6. The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the Chandandi Union’s Prokolpo Bazar area of Hatiya upazila, where Masud had gone to visit residents affected by post-election violence. Nahid made the allegation in a verified Facebook post on Wednesday night.

According to Nahid, local BNP activists initiated the attack, later joined by a group of Awami League-backed assailants, leaving several NCP members injured. He condemned the assault on an elected MP and criticized law enforcement officers present at the scene for failing to intervene effectively. Nahid described the incident as a sign of deteriorating law and order and said it undermined the government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.

He further demanded investigations into all post-election attacks in Hatiya and the immediate arrest of those involved in the violence.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will present the country's highest civilian honor, the Ekushey Padak 2026, to distinguished citizens at a ceremony in Dhaka. The event is scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium. Cabinet members, senior military and civil officials, and invited dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremony.

The Ekushey Padak recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in various important sectors of national life. It is one of the most prestigious state awards in Bangladesh, symbolizing national pride and recognition of excellence.

After the award ceremony, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the annual Amar Ekushey Book Fair, the country's largest cultural gathering, at the Bangla Academy and Suhrawardy Udyan premises later in the afternoon.

Police have arrested Zahidul Alam Jahangir, the suspended president of the Mithamain Upazila unit of the BNP, in connection with a case over cutting trees planted on an embankment in Kamalpur area of Kishoreganj’s Mithamain upazila. The arrest took place on Wednesday evening in the district town, confirmed by Kishoreganj Superintendent of Police Dr. S M Farhad Hossain.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Upazila Engineer Faizur Razzak filed a case with Mithamain Police Station over the incident. Following the filing of the case, the BNP central committee suspended Jahangir’s primary membership and all organizational posts. According to the report, Jahangir had been cutting down trees since August 5 to make access to his home easier, removing about 20 trees planted to prevent river erosion.

Local residents said the trees were cut in phases, with the last batch of 10 to 12 trees felled on February 21 using an electric saw. Each tree was estimated to be worth between Tk 20,000 and Tk 25,000.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued four abducted fishermen and arrested eight members of the notorious Jahangir gang, including its leader, during operations in Cox’s Bazar. The rescue followed a robbery incident on February 24 near Sonadia Char under Maheshkhali police station, where a fishing boat named “FB Mayer Doa-3” was attacked. Acting on information received through the emergency hotline 16111, Coast Guard units from Cox’s Bazar and Maheshkhali launched a joint operation.

During the operation, a suspicious fishing boat ignored a stop signal and attempted to flee. The Coast Guard fired five blank rounds and successfully intercepted the vessel. A search recovered three homemade firearms, four live cartridges, and six local weapons. Jahangir, the gang leader, and four associates were detained, and two fishermen held hostage were rescued alive. Based on further information, another operation at Laboni Point led to the arrest of four more gang members and the rescue of two additional fishermen.

The Coast Guard reported that all rescued fishermen were found alive, and the seized weapons were taken into custody for further investigation.

The Bangladesh women's football team played a closed-door match in Sydney against Western Sydney Wanderers FC as part of their final preparations for the upcoming AFC Women's Asian Cup. The match, held at the club’s home ground, allowed coach Peter Butler to test tactics, assess alternative players, and strengthen team coordination. Although the result was not disclosed, the game was described as highly competitive, boosting the team’s morale before the tournament.

Coach Butler had earlier expressed concern about inadequate preparation, as planned training camps and friendly matches in Thailand and the Philippines did not materialize. Instead, the players prepared domestically through the local women’s league, which he considered insufficient for the high-level competition ahead. Despite these challenges, the team is now focused on mental readiness and tactical improvement.

Bangladesh will begin their Asian Cup campaign on March 3 against defending champions China, followed by matches against North Korea and Uzbekistan. The team is currently undergoing recovery sessions at Valentine Sports Park before resuming training.

At least five people were injured on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, when two groups of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) clashed over the lease tender process for markets in Chengarchar municipality under Matlab North upazila of Chandpur district. The confrontation erupted around noon as both sides attempted to submit tender schedules for leasing local markets, including cattle and fish markets and several CNG stands. Police and joint forces intervened to bring the situation under control.

According to local BNP leaders, the dispute began when one faction allegedly obstructed the other from submitting tender schedules after the official deadline. One group accused the administration of bias in accepting tenders, while the other claimed they acted to prevent late submissions. Both sides reported injuries among their supporters, including Badruzzaman, Sayem, and Sofiullah. Police confirmed the altercation but said no formal complaint had been filed.

The upazila executive officer stated that all seven scheduled tenders were submitted and that any grievances could be pursued through legal channels.

Regional power dynamics in the Middle East are shifting as a new Sunni alliance, led by Turkey and Egypt, quietly advances. Israeli strategic analyses cited by the platform Mida and based on research from the Gatestone Institute suggest that this evolving coalition could redefine Israel’s geopolitical environment. The report notes that while global attention remains on Iran, a parallel Sunni diplomatic process is gaining momentum with potential long-term effects on Israel, the United States, and the wider region.

According to the analysis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is actively strengthening cooperation among Sunni-majority nations, aiming not only to resolve past disputes but also to build a coordinated political and strategic bloc centered around Israel. Erdoğan’s February 2026 visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, followed by hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Istanbul, are seen as key steps in this process. The report highlights a $350 million military framework agreement between Turkey and Egypt, covering joint arms production, intelligence sharing, and military exercises, with bilateral trade projected to reach $15 billion.

Strategically, Egypt’s control of the Suez Canal and its central role in North African and Mediterranean security could enhance the alliance’s effectiveness, potentially influencing maritime routes vital to Israel’s economy.

Bangladesh Bank witnessed internal unrest on Wednesday after news of the governor’s appointment cancellation. Governor Ahsan H. Mansur left his office around 2 p.m., and soon after, chaos erupted inside the central bank. Under the leadership of Additional Director Touhidul Islam, around 30 officials forced the governor’s adviser, Ahsan Ullah, to leave the premises.

Eyewitnesses reported that as Ahsan Ullah was leaving in his car, Touhidul Islam approached him aggressively while others tried to restrain him. Touhidul Islam was seen pointing fingers, shouting, and using abusive language toward the adviser, while some officials chanted slogans and attempted physical confrontation.

The incident highlighted visible tension within the central bank following the leadership change, though no official statement on the situation was mentioned in the report.

A youth wing activist of the opposition party was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Raozan, Chattogram, on Wednesday evening. The victim, Mujibur Rahman, 50, was a resident of East Gujra Union’s Ward 4 and a follower of newly elected MP Gias Uddin Quader Chowdhury. The shooting occurred around 6:30 p.m. inside a fruit shop at Olimiahat Bazar, where Mujibur was chatting before iftar. Witnesses said several attackers fired at him and fled immediately.

According to family members, Mujibur left home before iftar and was later found dead with three bullet wounds. His brother Abdul Aziz said he had an argument with some youths earlier that evening, which may have led to the attack. A medical officer at Raozan Upazila Health Complex confirmed that Mujibur died before reaching the hospital due to excessive bleeding.

Police have cordoned off the area and are working to identify and arrest the perpetrators. Local tension remains high following the killing.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has announced plans to modernize and strengthen Bangladesh’s border forces, emphasizing professionalism and patriotism among members. He made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon during a discussion marking National Martyred Army Day, attended by the Home Minister, Defense Adviser, chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, senior military officials, and the Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh.

Rahman paid tribute to the 74 people, including 57 army officers, who were killed in the 2009 Pilkhana tragedy, describing it as a deep wound in the nation’s history. He said the government would work to preserve the memory of the February 25–26 events with state honor and ensure long-term welfare for the families of the martyrs. He also recalled the historical roots of the border forces in the 1971 Liberation War and the reforms initiated by former President Ziaur Rahman.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to modernize the national security framework to align with global standards and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening national defense and supporting the families of fallen soldiers.

Police in Uzirpur upazila of Barishal recovered the body of Mobarak Hawlader, 60, from the Sandhya River two days after he went missing. The body was found floating near the house of Mosharraf Dafadar in Dakshin Shikarpur area on Wednesday afternoon. Locals discovered the body while collecting water spinach and informed the police, who later retrieved it and took it to the police station. Family members later identified the deceased.

According to police and family sources, Mobarak Hawlader, a resident of Mundpasha village and son of the late Wahed Hawlader of Baherchar, had returned to Bangladesh after years of working in Saudi Arabia. He had purchased land and built a home in his village, where he lived with his wife and children. Reports indicate he had been suffering from stroke-related illness for a long time.

Uzirpur Model Police Station’s officer-in-charge Md. Rakibul Islam said the cause of death is under investigation, and further legal procedures will follow.

At least 26 civilians were killed and 19 others injured in airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s ruling military junta in the country’s western and northwestern regions, according to local media reports cited by AFP on Wednesday. In the western Rakhine State, 17 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 14 injured when airstrikes hit Yoengu village near Ponnagyun town, about 33 kilometers northeast of the state capital Sittwe.

A resident of Ponnagyun said some of the injured were in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll could rise. In a separate attack in the northwestern Sagaing region, nine civilians, including two children, were killed and five others injured when military paramotors dropped three bombs on a site where locals were reportedly using Starlink devices for internet access.

Since the military coup in February 2021, clashes between the junta and ethnic armed groups have intensified. Human rights organizations report that more than 6,000 people have been killed and about three million displaced since the coup.

BNP lawmaker Mobashwer Alam Bhuiyan from Cumilla-10 constituency has instructed party activists to divorce their wives if they voted for the scale symbol, associated with Jamaat-e-Islami, during the 13th national election. He made the remarks last Tuesday at a gathering in Bagmara Bazar of Lalmai upazila. A one-minute-forty-four-second video of his speech has since circulated on social media.

In the video, Bhuiyan is heard saying that any wife who disobeys her husband or supports another party should be divorced. Addressing party members, he accused some BNP activists of hypocrisy, claiming they supported Jamaat financially and that some leaders’ wives also voted for Jamaat. He further criticized those who opposed him before the election but later sought to associate with him publicly.

Attempts to reach Mobashwer Alam Bhuiyan for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not answer phone calls, according to the report.

Awami League leader and former chairman Sohel Jahan Chowdhury of Eidgaon, Cox’s Bazar, was released on bail on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Shortly after his release, he met with Lutfor Rahman Kajol, the newly elected BNP Member of Parliament for Cox’s Bazar-3, presenting him with a floral garland. The meeting took place in the presence of another recently bailed individual, Firoz Ahmad, along with BNP and affiliated organization leaders. Photos of the encounter quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread discussion.

Local political observers noted that Sohel Jahan Chowdhury’s meeting with a BNP lawmaker could signal new political realignments within the upazila’s BNP circles. The event follows earlier controversy when, on January 28, Chowdhury publicly campaigned for the BNP’s election symbol, the paddy sheaf, across several areas of Eidgaon. The next morning, on January 29, he was detained from his home by a joint force.

The incident has drawn attention to shifting political dynamics in Eidgaon, where cross-party interactions are becoming increasingly visible.