BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said the party, BNP, will move forward being inspired by the principles of 1952, 71, 90 and 2024. He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at an Iftar program organized by the NGO Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) in Thakurgaon. “The government is only 15 days old, yet we are steadily moving towards our goals,” Mirza Fakhrul said, announcing the start of implementing his electoral promises in the district. Mirza Fakhrul said a team has already arrived to implement the Thakurgaon Medical College project as announced by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Parliament members from Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Dinajpur, government and NGO officials, politicians and dignitaries were also present.

A woman, identified as Hanufa Begum, died after being hit by a train in the Mohakhali area of the capital on Friday afternoon. According to OC Zainal Abedin of Dhaka Railway Police Station, when Hanufa Begum was crossing the railway line near Nakhalpara. She was hit by the Chilahati-bound train and died on the spot. The victim, a resident of Nakhalpara, was later taken by her family after completing legal formalities. Police have filed a case of accidental death in connection with the incident.

Several houses were swallowed by sudden river erosion along the Kushiyara River at Fatehpur village in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet on Tuesday, triggering panic among local residents. Within minutes, five to seven houses collapsed into the river along with trees and household belongings. The houses belonging to Abul, Muslim, Abul Khayer, Harun, Abdul and Kaher were among those lost to the river, locals said. A technical team will soon visit the affected area to assess the situation and determine necessary interventions. The latest erosion has heightened fears among residents living along the Kushiyara River, many of whom now worry that further sections of the riverbank could collapse without warning.

VIENNA, Feb 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The UN nuclear watchdog called on Iran to cooperate with it "constructively", stressing "the utmost urgency" of its request to verify all its nuclear material, according to a confidential report seen by AFP on Friday. "The director general calls on Iran to engage the agency constructively in order to facilitate the full and effective implementation of safeguards in Iran," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report said. "The agency's loss of continuity of knowledge over all previously declared nuclear material at affected facilities in Iran needs to be addressed with the utmost urgency," it said.

It wounded two or three children and two or three women," he told AFP, standing in front of rows of tents. Because of fear, everyone left," he told AFP. - 'Great suffering' –Back near the border, returnees sat in the open air after fleeing the violence. "There should be peace and reconciliation on both sides, because people are in great suffering," he told AFP. But if there is no peace on the border, then we will leave," he told AFP.

SAN FRANCISCO, United States, Feb 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - OpenAI announced Friday a massive $110 billion funding round valuing the ChatGPT maker at $730 billion, with SoftBank, Nvidia and Amazon each making multi-billion-dollar commitments as the artificial intelligence company races to meet surging global demand. The investment round - one of the largest in Silicon Valley history - includes $30 billion from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, $30 billion from chip giant Nvidia, and $50 billion from Amazon, with additional investors expected to join as the round progresses. The eye-watering level of funding reflects the soaring costs of computing power and lingering questions about whether OpenAI and other AI companies can generate sufficient revenue to cover those costs. In the announcement, OpenAI cited a series of remarkable user metrics pointing to a breakneck pace of AI adoption. The announcement comes as OpenAI's arch-rival Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, continues to gain ground and grab headlines for its well-regarded Claude AI models.

Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, former interim government sports adviser and spokesperson for the National Citizens Party (NCP), has stated that he is willing to accept punishment if any allegations of corruption against him are proven in connection with the ban on cricketer Shakib Al Hasan from playing for Bangladesh. Responding to complaints filed by supporters of Shakib with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Asif Mahmud said a group had formed a mob and submitted allegations claiming that preventing the cricketer from playing amounted to corruption. Earlier, speaking at the iftar event, the NCP spokesperson said the party aims to foster a new political culture by addressing citizens’ concerns. On Thursday, a group of Shakib’s supporters submitted a complaint to the ACC against Asif Mahmud. According to ACC sources, 20 to 30 individuals gathered at the commission’s office around noon, chanting slogans in support of Shakib before filing the complaint.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Feb 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Saudi Arabia and Qatar are engaged in efforts to halt deadly fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Friday. "Saudi Arabia, in coordination with Qatar, is making efforts to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan," said the source, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, also spoke with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, according to a Saudi statement. In October, a truce was brokered by Qatar and Turkey after deadly clashes killed more than 70 people on both sides. Gulf heavyweight Saudi Arabia recently intervened to mediate the release of three Pakistani soldiers captured by Afghanistan.

BNP to move forward imbued with ideals of ‘52, 71, 90 and 24’: Mirza FakhrulBNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today spoke as the chief guest at an Iftar programme in Thakurgaon. Photo : BSSTHAKURGAON, Feb 27, 2026 (BSS) – BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the party-BNP will move forward being inspired with the principles of 1952, 71, 90 and 2024. “The government is only 15 days old, yet we are steadily moving towards our goals,” Mirza Fakhrul said, announcing the start of implementing his electoral promises in the district. Mirza Fakhrul said a team has already arrived to implement the Thakurgaon Medical College project as announced by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Parliament members from Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Dinajpur, government and NGO officials, politicians and dignitaries were also present.

Local media reported that US Border Patrol agents dropped him off five days earlier at a restaurant. Shah Alam, described as almost blind and unable to speak in English, was found dead four miles (six kilometers) away. Border Patrol agents "seemingly abandoned him in the cold far from his home without telling his loved ones," alleged Chuck Schumer, the top US Senate Democrat. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan also called for answers and labeled the death "deeply disturbing and a dereliction of duty" by immigration agents. US Border Patrol arrived at the detention center before Shah Alam was released from custody, the sheriff's office said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan today spoke at a memorial programme organized by the Barishal Press Club. Photo : BSSBARISHAL, Feb 27, 2026 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan today said the media will define the boundaries of accountability while the state will ensure freedom within those limits. Speaking at a memorial programme organized by the Barishal Press Club, he said, "Journalistic institutions must define the profession themselves. Barishal Press Club President Asinul Islam Khasru presided over the programme while General Secretary SM Zakir Hossain conducted it. Several senior officials and media personalities, including Barishal Range DIG Manjur Morshed Alam and former National Press Club General Secretary Elias Khan, attended the event.

Mamdani meets Trump to ask for $21 bn funding for NYC homesWASHINGTON, United States, Feb 27, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - New York Mayor ZohranMamdani met President Donald Trump on Thursday to urge him to release $21billion in federal grants to build 12,000 affordable housing units andinfrastructure. Mamdani posted an image of himself at the White House presenting Trump with amock newspaper front-page that read: "Trump to city: Let's build". The amount includes funding for affordable housing units and infrastructurein a Queens neighborhood, including parks, schools and health centers,according to a statement from Mamdani's office. "I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon," Mamdaniwrote in a post on X after Thursday's talks. Following the meeting, Mamdani said Trump had also agreed to the release of aColumbia University student detained by federal immigration agents earlier inthe day.

Prices of most essential commodities have remained stable, with several key items witnessing a decline ahead of Ramadan, offering relief to consumers. Potatoes are being sold at Tk 15 to Tk 20 per kg, and onions at Tk 40 to Tk 45 per kg. Chickpeas are now being sold at Tk 80–100 per kg, down from Tk 100–110 at the beginning of Ramadan. Market visits indicate that mutton is now being sold at Tk 1,200 per kg, down from Tk 1,250–1,300 before Ramadan. Beef prices remain unchanged at Tk 800 per kg, a rate that has remained stable for several weeks ahead of Ramadan.

The Trump administration has since tightened the decades-old US embargo, threatening tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba. The US Treasury has said it may allow limited oil sales for humanitarian and commercial purposes, but shortages remain severe. The fuel crisis has triggered long daily blackouts, disrupted hospital services, closed schools and halted waste collection across the island. Cuban economist Ricardo Torres says the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” strategy is aimed at regime change, exploiting internal crisis to weaken the socialist system from within. Former US ambassador to Cuba Jeffrey DeLaurentis says the revolution’s survival may depend on whether other countries step in with tangible support.

The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) staged a protest procession demanding justice for those involved in incidents of rape and violence committed across the country, including in Narsingdi, and warned of building mass resistance if justice is not delivered. The protest procession began at 1:45pm on Friday from the central mosque of Dhaka University. He warned that the current government must declare a zero-tolerance policy against “this killer Hasina” and her associates, referring to Sheikh Hasina. Ducsu General Secretary SM Farhad, addressing the prime minister, said that if he wishes to remain in power, he must become serious about taking action against extortionists and rapists. If he does not, and if leaders at every level of his party continue to shelter them, the protest from the Raju Sculpture will spread to the grassroots.