The Indian Navy’s multinational maritime exercise ‘Milan 2026’ concluded on Wednesday in the Bay of Bengal after a week of operations. The large-scale drill involved 42 warships and submarines, 29 military aircraft, and naval units from 18 friendly countries. The closing ceremony was held aboard India’s indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant near the Visakhapatnam coast, under the theme ‘Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration.’

According to the Indian Navy, this year’s Milan exercise was the largest in its history, aimed at strengthening coordination, mutual understanding, and cooperation among participating navies. France, Germany, and the United States contributed maritime surveillance aircraft to the exercise. The initial ‘Harbour Phase’ featured bilateral meetings, an international maritime seminar, and expert-level discussions.

During the subsequent ‘Sea Phase,’ high-intensity operations were conducted, including integrated air defense, anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, communication drills, and cross-deck flying operations. Live firing exercises used naval guns and anti-aircraft weapons. Indian vessels such as INS Vikrant, Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, Nilgiri-class frigates, and the diving support vessel INS Nistar took part in the joint missions.

The Palestinian group Hamas has alleged that Israeli military operations are continuing across the Gaza Strip despite the formation of a peace board. In a statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the ongoing attacks indicate disregard for mediation efforts and the board’s activities. He claimed that destruction and killings against Palestinians have not stopped, adding that although the nature of attacks has changed, their objective remains the same.

According to Hamas, assurances from guarantor countries to implement a ceasefire have not produced effective results. The group reported that since the ceasefire took effect, at least 650 Palestinians have been killed, including 198 children and 85 women, while 1,662 others were injured. Hamas further stated that since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed and around 172,000 injured, with over 8,000 still missing.

The organization also claimed that about 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed. Preliminary United Nations estimates suggest reconstruction of the enclave could require around 70 billion US dollars.

Russia has returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine, according to a Moscow official cited on Thursday. In exchange, Ukraine handed over the remains of 35 Russian soldiers. The exchange reportedly took place near Kyiv, as confirmed by Russian mediator Vladimir Medinsky in a social media post.

The report, carried by AFP from Moscow, marks another instance of body repatriation between the two sides amid the ongoing conflict. Such exchanges are typically coordinated through intermediaries to ensure the return of fallen soldiers to their respective countries.

No further details were provided about the process or the conditions under which the exchange occurred.

Police in Faridganj upazila of Chandpur recovered the throat-slit body of Nurjahan Begum, wife of a Kuwait expatriate named Abul Kalam, on Thursday in Bhaterhrit village under Rupsa Uttar Union. The body was found in the toilet of her home and later taken to the Faridganj Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared her dead.

According to family members, Nurjahan’s daughter returned from college to find the house locked. After some time, she discovered the door open and found her mother’s body in the toilet. Local union council member Khorshed Alam said Nurjahan had taken loans from several NGOs, and representatives often visited to collect payments. He heard that some NGO workers had come to the house that morning, though their identities were not confirmed.

Faridganj Police Inspector (Investigation) Emdadul Haque stated that the body bore deep neck wounds and that legal procedures and autopsy were ongoing. Police have launched an investigation to uncover the motive behind the killing.

A total of 175 Bangladeshi nationals who had been detained or living in distress in Libya were repatriated to Bangladesh. The return was coordinated by the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, with assistance from the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The group arrived in Dhaka on Thursday, February 26, 2026, aboard a Buraq Air flight.

Among the returnees, 30 had been held at the Ganfuda Detention Centre in Benghazi, while 145 were impoverished, vulnerable, or ill individuals residing in Benghazi and nearby areas. All were irregular migrants who voluntarily chose to return home. Many had reportedly entered Libya through human traffickers while attempting to reach Europe by sea and faced abduction and abuse.

Officials from the ministries and IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport. IOM provided each person with travel allowances, food, basic medical care, and temporary shelter if needed. The ministries and IOM continue joint efforts to ensure the safe repatriation of other detained Bangladeshi citizens in Libya.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has issued a major revision to the results of the referendum held to implement the constitutional reform known as the July National Charter. According to an additional gazette signed by Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on February 26, 2026, both the 'yes' and 'no' vote counts have decreased compared to the previously announced results. The revised data show 47.22 million 'yes' votes and 21.96 million 'no' votes, totaling 76.62 million ballots cast, of which 7.43 million were invalid.

The EC explained that the total number of valid votes now stands at 69.18 million, with the 'yes' votes reduced by 974,680 and the 'no' votes by 111,495 from earlier figures. Interestingly, the number of invalid ballots increased by 12,559. Overall, total votes cast dropped by 1.07 million. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed attributed the discrepancies to clerical and transposition errors during manual data handling, which were later corrected based on field reports.

The referendum took place on February 12, 2026, alongside the 13th National Parliamentary Election in 299 constituencies, with voting in Sherpur-3 postponed due to a candidate’s death.

The leader of Myanmar’s Arakan Army, Twan Mrat Naing, has sent a congratulatory message to Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman. According to officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this is the first time the armed group has extended such greetings to a Bangladeshi foreign minister. The message expressed hope that under Rahman’s leadership, both sides would continue working together to find practical, sustainable, and realistic solutions to shared issues.

Twan Mrat Naing, who also chairs the United League of Arakan, wrote that the current goodwill between Bangladesh and Arakan could serve as a foundation for building a new kind of friendship. The message reflects a gesture of cooperation from the Arakan side at a time of political transition in Bangladesh’s foreign affairs leadership.

Earlier, Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Than Shwe had also sent congratulations to Khalilur Rahman the day after he was sworn in, marking continued diplomatic communication between the two neighboring countries.

A compromise meeting was held in Barishal on Thursday between judges and lawyers to ease the ongoing court deadlock following the arrest of Barishal District Lawyers Association president and former BNP convening committee member Sadikur Rahman Linkon. Lawyers had been boycotting all court proceedings since Thursday morning, demanding his release. The boycott caused a three-day disruption in court activities, leaving litigants in severe distress.

According to sources, the Metropolitan Sessions Judge met with three non-accused lawyers to discuss a resolution. Both sides reportedly agreed to pursue a settlement, with assurances that Linkon’s bail and related issues would be discussed with the Chief Justice. The Supreme Court has already issued show-cause notices to 12 accused lawyers. Joint security forces were deployed in large numbers around the court premises to maintain order amid heightened tension.

If Linkon’s bail and case withdrawal proceed as expected on Sunday, normal court operations are likely to resume, sources indicated.

Barrister Rumin Farhana, Member of Parliament for Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail-Ashuganj and two unions of Bijoynagar), has issued demi-official (DO) letters requesting the excavation of 15 canals in her constituency. The letters were sent on Thursday, February 26, 2026, to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and the Ministry of Water Resources, urging prompt action on the matter.

In the letter to the Disaster Management and Relief Minister, she sought excavation of canals including Bemalia Khal in Bijoynagar, Dagrisal Khal and Bhabanipur Khal in Ashuganj, and several others in Sarail. The letter to the Water Resources Minister requested excavation of canals such as Deora Boro Khal, Lakhou River, Jafar Khal, and others across Sarail, Ashuganj, and Bijoynagar. The initiative aims to improve water flow and benefit local farmers, fishers, and residents.

According to the letters, the canal excavation is expected to bring significant advantages to the local population by enhancing agricultural and livelihood conditions.

China will begin their title defense in the Women's Asian Cup on March 3 against Bangladesh in Group B, with the tournament starting in Australia on March 1. The Chinese team, nine-time Asian Cup champions and former FIFA World Cup and Olympic runners-up, are considered the strongest opponents in Bangladesh’s group. Bangladesh, ranked 112th in FIFA rankings, will be making their debut in the competition, while China currently holds the 17th position.

Chinese coach Ante Milicic stated that his team will approach the match with respect for Bangladesh, acknowledging their first-ever appearance in the Asian Cup. Since winning the 2022 title, China’s women’s team has struggled in major tournaments, exiting the 2023 World Cup in the group stage and missing the Paris Olympics. They also suffered an 8–0 defeat to England in a friendly last November.

Milicic said the team has worked hard to prepare for the upcoming tournament and is now focused on performing well in the main competition.

At least 14 people, including children, were injured after being bitten by several rabid dogs in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari district on Wednesday evening. Four of the victims, who were seriously injured, were sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. The situation worsened as the upazila health complex ran out of rabies vaccines, leaving the injured in distress.

According to locals, the dogs attacked people in different markets between 7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., spreading panic across the area. One of the dogs was later beaten to death by residents. Victims and their families complained that they had to buy vaccines from private pharmacies at high prices due to the unavailability at the hospital. The upazila health officer confirmed that the health complex had no vaccine stock and advised patients to seek treatment at the district hospital.

Local residents expressed deep concern over the sudden dog attacks and vaccine crisis, urging authorities to ensure immediate vaccine supply and take effective measures to control stray dogs.

Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizens Party (NCP) convener Md. Nahid Islam warned that no new autocracy would be allowed to emerge in Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Thursday afternoon at the first founding anniversary of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti held at the Krishibid Institute in Dhaka. Nahid Islam said students have always stood by the state and the people during national crises, but political parties repeatedly betrayed them after movements.

He recalled that students played a decisive role in the 1990 uprising against autocracy, yet their expectations were not fulfilled, and a similar pattern was visible after the 2024 uprising. Nahid accused the government of interfering in the judicial process, alleging that the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal was removed without cause and that witnesses were being pressured. He also criticized the appointment of a new Bangladesh Bank governor, claiming the previous one was ousted by mob pressure.

Nahid further alleged that election results were manipulated through engineering and that the ruling party was trying to control parliament and the judiciary. He warned that any attempt to establish a new dictatorship would be resisted.

The Bangladesh Army has announced a new round of high-level transfers involving six senior officers. The order was issued from Army Headquarters on Thursday, February 26, 2026, according to an army source. This follows an earlier reshuffle on February 22, when six other officers were reassigned to new positions.

Under the latest changes, Lieutenant General Mohammad Shaheenul Haque, Commandant of the National Defence College, has been appointed Quartermaster General, while Lieutenant General Md Faizur Rahman, the current Quartermaster General, will take over as Commandant of the National Defence College. Major General Nasim Parvez, Commandant of the Military Institute of Science and Technology, has been transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Major General Mohammad Hossain Al Morshed, GOC of the 19th Infantry Division, becomes Adjutant General, replacing Major General Hakimuzzaman, who will now serve as Commandant of MIST. Major General Md Kamrul Hasan, GOC of the 66th Infantry Division, has been posted to the Dhaka Cantonment Logistic Area.

The February 22 reshuffle included the appointment of Lieutenant General Mainur Rahman as Chief of General Staff and the transfer of Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hasan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as ambassador.

A man named Sheikh Sohel, 45, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Afil Gate area under Khanjahan Ali Police Station in Khulna on Thursday afternoon. According to local sources, Sohel was sitting at a motorcycle garage when attackers arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire, leaving him dead on the spot. He was the son of Bacchu Sheikh from the same area and was involved in internet service and fish farming businesses.

Police from Khanjahan Ali Station recovered the body and began an initial investigation, while a CID team collected evidence and verified information at the scene. Officer-in-Charge Hawlader Sanwar Hossain Mashum confirmed that Sohel was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants and that senior police officials were present during the investigation.

Authorities stated that the deceased was a member of the extremist group Purbo Bangla Communist Party and had multiple murder cases filed against him. The investigation into the killing is ongoing.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested Mohammad Al Said, the Project Implementation Officer of Sonagazi Upazila in Feni, along with his office assistant, for allegedly taking bribes. The arrest took place on Thursday at the local Project Implementation Office, where an eight-member ACC team conducted a raid and caught them red-handed with bribe money.

According to ACC Noakhali regional office Deputy Director Md Faruk Ahmed, the officials were detained with Tk 1 lakh in cash during the operation. He also stated that Mohammad Al Said had previously taken Tk 5 lakh from various projects in Sonagazi and demanded Tk 12 lakh in bribes for the construction of five bridges in the area.

The ACC official confirmed that the suspects have been detained, necessary paperwork is being processed, and they will be handed over to the police for further legal action.