The government of Bangladesh awarded 12 individuals and organizations on the occasion of National Jute Day, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to research, production, export, and entrepreneurship in the jute sector. This year, 12 awards were distributed across various categories, including jute seed production, research, jute-based product manufacturing, and exports. Nurul Islam received the award for best researcher in jute seed, jute, and jute-based product research.Md. Shahanur Alam Sentu was recognized as the best jute seed producer. Jute Mills Limited was honored as the best jute mill for jute-based product manufacturing, while Helal Ahmed of the same company received the best jute-based product exporter award.

Primary investigation found that two shell companies—Meghmala International Ltd in the name of Israt Jahan Mim and Meghmala Estate Ltd in the name of Morsalin Islam Sourdip—were established. Through these entities, loans of Tk200 million each, totaling Tk400 million, were taken from the Gulshan branch of First Security Islami Bank PLC in 2012 through fraud and forgery. The loan amount obtained through the fake companies was deposited in an account of Morsalin Islam Sourdip at the Dhanmondi branch of First Security Islami Bank PLC. Later, Tk400 million was debited from that account and deposited into another account titled “Union Bank (Proposed)” at the Banasree branch of First Security Islami Bank PLC. CID’s investigation further found that Morsalin Islam Sourdip purchased sponsor shares of Union Bank PLC during its inception using the fraudulently obtained loan money.

Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates were feted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday in honor of their 2025 MLS Cup championship. Messi was at the forefront as Miami players, coach Javier Mascherano and team co-owner Jorge Mas flanked Trump, who opened proceedings with comments on military action in the Middle East. "I shouldn't say this because I'm old, but I watched Pele play," Trump said. There's a lot more pressure put on you than anyone would know because you're sort of expected to win," Trump added. Inter Miami's global success is "not only because of Lionel Messi, but these men standing behind you have changed the culture of football in the United States of America forever," Mas said.

President Donald Trump said Thursday it would be a "waste of time" currently to consider sending US ground troops into Iran, NBC News reported, dismissing the Iranian foreign minister's warning that such a move would spell disaster for invaders. They've lost everything. They've lost their navy. Trump also indicated he is keen to see Iran's leadership structure removed and that "we want to go in and clean out everything" quickly. Trump said earlier he would "have to be involved" in the appointment of Iran's next leader after US-Israeli strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei when the conflict began on Saturday.

On this day in 2013, killers brutally murdered the brilliant 17-year-old -- a boy loved by everyone in the closely-knit port city of Narayanganj. Initial leads suggested that unraveling the mystery and booking the killers would be a matter of a few days. They rightly recalled that back in 2013, two of the killers gave confessional statements under Section 164, detailing the murder. After a decade of leads, arrests, and confessions, is it still too hard to press charges? If justice is not served after 13 years, Taqi’s soul will haunt the conscience of this nation forever.

Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked second among the world’s most polluted cities on Friday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 286 at 11:53am. The city’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’, indicating a serious health threat, according to the AQI report. The AQI, which reports daily air quality, informs residents how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health effects. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality usually deteriorates in winter and improves during the monsoon season.

Two people were killed and three others injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a microbus on the Dhaka–Barisal highway in the Kasba area of Gournadi upazila in Barishal on Friday morning. Two people, including the driver of the microbus, died in the accident while three others were injured. Police rescued the injured and sent them to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for treatment, he said. The vehicles involved in the accident have been seized, while the bus driver managed to flee the scene. Traffic on the Dhaka–Barisal highway remained disrupted for some time after the accident but returned to normal later.

A two-day training workshop organised by the BNP for its Members of Parliament (MPs) ahead of the first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad began on Friday. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said Tarique Rahman joined the training workshop with BNP lawmakers. The first session of the 13th parliament will begin at 11am on March 12 after President Mohammed Shahabuddin convened the session on February 23. BNP organized the workshop to prepare its MPs for the upcoming parliamentary session. On the first day, ministers, state ministers and advisers joined the morning session, while MPs from parts of Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka and Faridpur divisions attended the afternoon session.

Diplomatic sources have indicated that the United States expects Bangladesh to implement the trade agreement swiftly and effectively. Additionally, Washington anticipates arrangements for the repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals deemed illegal in the U.S., once their cases are resolved in American courts. Two days before the February 12 election, the interim government of Bangladesh signed a trade agreement with the United States. According to sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States has emphasized the repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals residing in the country illegally. Under former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, the United States has adopted a stricter stance on illegal immigration.

Bangladesh goalkeeper Mile Akter said the team gained lessons despite suffering a 5-0 defeat to tournament favourites and three-time champions DPR Korea in their second AFC Women’s Asian Cup fixture in Sydney on Friday. “Today (Friday) we played against a hard team,” Mile said after the match. The young goalkeeper impressed with a standout performance in the 2-0 defeat against China and retained her place between the posts for the clash against DPR Korea. Despite the tough results, the Bangladesh camp views the tournament as a valuable learning opportunity as they gain experience at the continent’s highest level. Bangladesh will wrap up their Group B campaign against Uzbekistan in Perth on Monday.

The best performers from the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 have made the Player of the Tournament shortlist. Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)8 matches, 11 wickets, 128 runsA big-hitting batter, Rachin Ravindra has proved valuable to his side with the ball as well at this T20 World Cup. The opening batter scored 383 runs in six innings to record the most runs scored in a single edition of a Men's T20 World Cup. Farhan also became the first player to score two centuries at an single edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup as he scored a hundred against Sri Lanka and Namibia. Van Schalkwyk began T20 World Cup 2026 with a four-wicket haul against India on February 7.

Ten people, including women and children, were burned in a gas leak explosion at a house in the Kamarpara area of Turag in the capital. Enayet’s nephew Sazed Matabbar said Rubel and Sonia live in the second-floor flat where the explosion occurred. Sazed said early in the morning, an explosion occurred in the second-floor flat. When someone tried to light a fire in the morning, the explosion occurred. Residential surgeon Shawon Bin Rahman said Sonia suffered 100% burns, Rubel 32%, Roza 18%, Habib 19%, Riya 32%, Enayet 45%, Delera 14%, Junayed 24%, Ayesha 12%, and Abul Kalam Rubel 7%.

Too often, it is those most vulnerable, most marginalized, who are forgotten when pledges are made. Nowhere is this more salient than with the pledges made to the disability community by all parties, including the BNP, before the elections. Commitments were voiced about accessibility, inclusion, and ensuring that persons with disabilities would no longer be left behind in Bangladesh’s development journey. It is imperative, therefore, that this community is not forgotten once again and the cycle of neglect, where they are only remembered before votes are cast, must end. Above all else, the government must start listening to the disability community itself, whose voices must guide the policies that affect their lives.

With the events in the Middle East after the Israel-US strikes on Iran, the fallout from the conflict was expected, and is reverberating across global energy markets. Bangladesh, heavily dependent on the region for the majority of its energy needs, now faces the prospect of shortages and rationing. That we are staring at this looming crisis underscores a deeper vulnerability: Bangladesh’s overreliance on imported fossil fuels. As long as our energy mix remains narrow and dependent on volatile global markets, any and all geopolitical shocks will result in instability when it comes to our domestic energy needs. Renewable energy, regional power trade, and investment in domestic gas exploration must be prioritized with urgency.

These digital production tools are now owned by a few international IT corporations and some multinational companies. A "new proletariat" is presently emerging as a result of the development of digital technology. Rather, they push compensation to a bottom-level price floor, reduce guaranteed hours, increase instability, restrict the scopes of work that employees can perform, and keep overall economic output high. Neo-imperialism and digital colonialismWhen domestic markets get filled up, capital seeks “colonies” to dump excess products and get low-priced materials. When a country’s digital systems are controlled by foreign companies, that country loses its capacity to freely implement policies of its choosing.