My students no longer ask whether writing sounds polished; they ask whether it sounds true and loyal to the materials at hand. When something sounds too polished, I suspect that something human has been removed: doubt, disagreement, slowness, accountability and the evidence of care. The ancient Greeks understood that harmony does not mean smoothness. They smooth the edges, manage the tension and deliver answers that do not require us to struggle. Professor Jan Burzlaff Jan Burzlaff is an Opinion Columnist and a Postdoctoral Associate in the Program for Jewish Studies.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital. Photo: CollectedDHAKA, Feb 21, 2026 (BSS) - President Mohammed Shahabuddin today paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the historic Language Movement marking the Amar Ekushey and the International Mother Language Day. The Head of the State paid homage by placing wreaths at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital at one minute past midnight tonight. President Shahabuddin reached the Central Shaheed Minar four minutes before the zero hour. On his arrival at the Central Shaheed Minar, the President was received by Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman paid homage by placing a wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar today. Photo : BSSDHAKA, Feb 21, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement, marking the great Martyrs' Day and the International Mother Language Day. He paid homage by placing a wreath at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city at 12:08 am today. After placing the wreath, Tarique Rahman, also chairman of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the Language Movement heroes. On the occasion, special prayer was offered seeking forgiveness for the martyrs of the 1952 Language Movement, 1971 Liberation War, 1990 Anti-autocracy Movement and 2024 July Uprising.

CHATTOGRAM, Feb 20, 2026 (BSS) - The Bangladesh Navy arrested 19 alleged smugglers and seized 1,140 sacks of cement from two engine-powered boats during anti-smuggling drives near Saint Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday. According to an ISPR release issued today, the Navy intensified patrols around Saint Martin's Island and adjacent maritime areas following reports of plans to smuggle cement to Myanmar by sea, evading government taxes. During a routine patrol by Navy ship Prottasha, the watch team spotted a suspicious vessel about 38 miles from the Saint Martin's lighthouse. Upon searching the vessel, Navy personnel recovered 450 sacks of cement, 250 sacks of pulses and chickpeas, 160 kilograms of ginger, and 360 bottles of energy drinks. The seized goods and the detainees were later handed over to the Navy's forward base on Saint Martin's Island for further legal action.

Photo : DMPDHAKA, Feb 20, 2026 (BSS) - Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sazzat Ali has urged business leaders to keep the prices of essential commodities at a tolerable level during the holy month of Ramadan. The DMP Commissioner said that alongside keeping commodity prices under control during Ramadan, no adulteration of food products should be allowed. Addressing business leaders, he urged them to extend full cooperation when magistrates from the Directorate of National Consumers' Rights Protection conduct market monitoring drives. Seeking the active support of the business community, the DMP Commissioner expressed hope that joint efforts would contribute to market stability and protect consumers' interests during Ramadan. Nazrul Islam, leaders of the Moulvibazar Businessmen's Association, representatives of the Directorate of National Consumers' Rights Protection, police officials of various ranks, and journalists from electronic and print media outlets.

Publish : 20 Feb 2026, 22:44India on Friday said they look forward to engaging with the new government in Bangladesh and taking things forward, noting that they want to strengthen multifaceted relations with Bangladesh. "We look forward to engaging with the new government in Bangladesh," Indian Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at a regular briefing in New Delhi. He said the recent letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi underlines India’s commitment to support a "democratic, progressive and inclusive" Bangladesh. The Indian prime minister congratulated the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, soon after his election victory. A warm welcome awaits you in India,” Modi said.

Local residents staged demonstrations after blocking the Dhaka–Rangpur Highway in Bogra on Friday, protesting the death of a woman in a road accident. Chameli Khatun, 35, wife of Juwel, died at around 2:00 am on February 19 while undergoing treatment, locals said. Another child, Neha, and e-bike driver Selim remain under treatment. Chameli’s death sparked anger among residents, who staged the protest at around 9:45 am. Later, the demonstrators withdrew the blockade at around 10:45 am after local lawmaker gave them assurance.

A schoolboy was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants while he was returning home after offering Taraweeh prayers in Nandigram upazila of Bogra on Thursday night. The deceased was identified as Milon Hossain, 17, a Class 10 student of Burail High School and son of Dilbar Hossain of Burail village under Burail union. Police and local residents said that Milon had gone out to offer Taraweeh prayers at a local mosque. According to local residents, an altercation reportedly took place earlier involving Milon’s neighbour and a youth. A group of people who were involved with the incident stabbed Milon to death, they added.

The US Supreme Court on Friday ruled Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs illegal -- a stunning political setback that blocks the signature policy of the president's economic agenda. The Supreme Court's three liberal justices joined three conservatives in Friday's ruling, which upheld lower court decisions that tariffs Trump imposed under IEEPA were illegal. "We urge the lower court to ensure a seamless process to refund the tariffs to US importers," the federation said. Constrained ambitionFor now, the European Union said it was studying the court ruling and will remain in close contact with the Trump administration. Striking down the emergency tariffs "would constrain the president's ambitions to impose across-the-board tariffs on a whim," said Erica York of tax policy nonprofit the Tax Foundation.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has refuted reports in the Indian media that SpiceJet has been barred from entering the country’s airspace over unpaid dues. Some dues may have accumulated.”He questioned why the issue, which he described as nearly a year old, had resurfaced in Indian media. “I don’t understand why Indian media have suddenly become vocal about an almost one-year-old matter. The CAAB official added that SpiceJet operated flights to Dhaka until 2022, after which it suspended services for commercial reasons. Any foreign carrier flying over Bangladesh must pay such charges.

No bigoted force to be allowed to bind nation in shackles of dependency: AzadState Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad at a meeting with followers of traditional religions at Badeshwari Temple in Boda Upazila of Panchagarh on Friday. Photo: BSSPANCHAGARH, Feb 20, 2026 (BSS) - State Minister for Water Resources ForhadHossain Azad today said the BNP government will ensure no evil or bigotedforce can ever again bind the nation in the shackles of dependency. The State Minister made these remarks while addressing an exchange meetingwith the Sanatan community at the Bodeshwari Temple in Boda upazila here. The State Minister further pledged that the government would provide all-outcooperation to ensure the community can perform 'Puja-Archana' in a secureand dignified environment. The meeting was attended by Bodeshwari Temple President Nitish Kumar MukulBakshi along with a large number of Sanatan community members and local BNPactivists.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday announced the schedule for Pakistan’s ODI tour of Bangladesh in March. The Pakistan national cricket team will arrive in Dhaka on 9 March for a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. All the fixtures will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS), Mirpur. The series will begin on 11 March with the second and third ODIs scheduled for 13 and 15 March respectively. All are day-night matches beginning at 2:15 PM Bangladesh Standard Time.

A fertiliser trader has been killed and three others, including his two sons, injured after an oil tanker ran them over and crashed into a roadside shop in Noakhali's Kabirhat Upazila. The accident occurred around 11am on Friday in the Transmitter area of Sundalpur union along the Sonapur–Kabirhat road, said Kabirhat Police Station chief (OC) Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan. Among the injured are Shafiqul's sons Saiful Islam, 23, and Saidur Rahman, 20, and a local trader, Sohag. Around 11am, he was sitting outside the shop talking to them about going to Kabirhat market when the tanker ran over them and rammed into Sohag’s adjacent shop. LOCALS BLOCK ROADSAfter the incident, locals blocked the Sonapur–Kabirhat road for nearly two hours.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has reappointed Professor Mia Golam Parwar as its secretary general as the party formed a new central committee for the next three years. In addition to reappointing Golam Parwar, the party constituted a 59-member Central Majlis-e-Shura and an 88-member Central Working Committee. The party formed the new central committee three months after Dr. Shafiqur Rahman was elected as Jamaat ameer on November 2 last year. Nurul Islam Bulbul (MP), Mohammad Selim Uddin, Dr. Shafiqul Islam Masud (MP), and Dr. Mohammad Rezaul Karim. The members are: Chief Election Commissioner Maulana ATM Masum, and commissioners Advocate Muazzam Hossain Helal, Abdur Rab, Mobarak Hossain, and Maulana AFM Abdus Sattar.

TMZ founder Harvey Levin is shedding light on the “more graphic and chilling” details of the latest alleged ransom note the outlet has received regarding the abduction of “TODAY” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie — the reward for which is now over $200,000, both from the FBI and private donors. … I think it’s very clear that whoever’s sending all of these notes to us, both the ransom notes and the people asking for the reward, they hear what’s going on, they read what’s going on. And it actually involves the media too, in terms of what the media puts out. Since then, multiple alleged ransom notes have been sent to local and national media outlets including TMZ. The FBI’s own offered reward of $100,000 for information leading to the discovery of Guthrie or conviction of her abductors, is separate.