DHAKA, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS) - The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an office order reconstituting the District Law and Order Committee, aiming to reinforce coordination among administrative authorities, law enforcement agencies, and key stakeholders to ensure peace and stability at the district level. The order, issued today by the Political Branch-2 of the ministry, outlines a strengthened structure and expanded mandate for the committee to address the overall law and order situation and criminal activities. Under the revised framework, the committee will regularly review incidents of crime and formulate as well as implement strategic plans to maintain normal law and order across the district. As per the new structure, the District Magistrate will serve as Chairperson, while the Additional District Magistrate will act as Member Secretary. Officials said the reconstitution is aimed at strengthening inter-agency collaboration and ensuring a proactive, coordinated response to law and order challenges at the grassroots level.

Police have recovered a touchstone idol of the Hindu deity Vishnu weighing approximately 137 kilograms from Porsha upazila of Naogaon district. On a tip-off, law enforcers conducted a drive on Wednesday night at the family graveyard of Rashidul Islam in Shitli village under Nitpur union of the upazila. Officer-in-Charge of Porsha Police Station Ziaur Rahman said that preliminary examination suggests the recovered artifact is a stone idol of Vishnu. An investigation is underway, and legal action will be taken against those involved,” the OC said. Authorities said the idol will be handed over to the Department of Archaeology following due legal procedures for detailed analysis and preservation.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister said the government would continue efforts to secure recognition of Bangla as an official UN language. “In time, we may consider whether the Amar Ekushey Book Fair could be organized as the Amar Ekushey International Book Fair,” he said, emphasizing the need to strengthen reading habits and increase research-based publications. ArrangementsA total of 549 publishing houses are participating in this year’s fair, 81 at Bangla Academy and 468 at Suhrawardy Udyan, comprising 1,018 units. The prime minister formally inaugurated the fair at 3:12pm. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was accompanied by his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has selected the Jamuna State Guest House as his official residence, citing enhanced security arrangements and its proximity to the Secretariat and other key government offices. Officials said the Prime Minister will move into the residence once the refurbishment work is completed. Chief Engineer Md Khalequezzaman Choudhury of the Public Works Department said the Prime Minister has formally expressed his intention to relocate to Jamuna. Renovation work will commence immediately after Prof Yunus vacates the residence. At present, the Prime Minister is conducting official activities from his residence in Gulshan.

State Minister for Water Resources Forhad Hossain Azad visits canal excavation site in Kaharol to boost irrigation capacity. Photo : BSSDINAJPUR, Feb 26, 2026 (BSS) - State Minister for Water Resources Forhad Hossain Azad today said as part of the government's river, canal and waterbody re-excavation programme, an initiative has been taken to excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals across the country. He made the remarks while briefing journalists after visiting an approximately 12-kilometre-long canal in the Balarampur Shahapara area of Kaharol upazila here. Forhad said once the canal in Kaharol upazila is excavated, about 6,000 bighas of land will come under improved irrigation facility. Moniruzzaman, Kaharol Upazila BNP leader and former Upazila Chairman Mamunur Rashid were present, among others.

Heavy rainfall in the month of Kartik last year caused severe devastation for betel leaf growers in the Rajshahi region. Following the 13th national election, betel leaf prices began to rise steadily. The largest betel leaf market in Rajshahi is held in Mochmoil under Bagmara upazila. Since ancient times, offering betel leaf and areca nut has been a gesture of respect and social etiquette in honoring guests. Betel leaf remains a major cash crop in the Rajshahi region, surpassing even mango in economic importance.

Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda are officially married. Sharing glimpses from the ceremonies, Rashmika posted an emotional note introducing Vijay as her husband. Vijay posted the same photographs with a heartfelt caption of his own. The wedding festivities included two distinct ceremonies — a morning Telugu wedding honoring Vijay’s heritage and an evening Kodava (Coorg) ceremony celebrating Rashmika’s cultural background. While Rashmika and Vijay shared select glimpses of the décor on Instagram Stories, their friends posted behind-the-scenes moments as well.

A directive issued by the Rajshahi Range police instructing officers to re-arrest leaders and activists of banned or suspended organizations even after they secure bail has sparked concerns among legal experts, who warn it may violate constitutional protections and established judicial norms. The directive also calls for close monitoring of such individuals and emphasizes adherence to existing laws and regulations in providing protocol and security. Legal and constitutional concernsSenior Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Saeed Ahmed (Raja) criticized the directive, saying no legal framework permits executive instructions to override judicial decisions granting bail. Arrests without specific evidence violate the Constitution, and there is no provision for re-arrest after bail,” he said. He said that the Rajshahi Range letter was seen circulating on social media.

Rezaul Karim Badsha, president of Bogra district BNP, has been nominated by the party to contest the by-election for Bogra-6, the seat vacated by BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. According to the Election Commission’s notification, voting for Bogra-6 will be held on April 9 from 7:30am. Tarique Rahman had contested both Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6 in the 13th National Parliamentary Elections on February 12 and won both seats. He later chose to retain Dhaka-17, vacating Bogra-6. In Bogra-6, he received 2,16,284 votes, while his nearest rival, Md Abidur Rahman of Jamaat-e-Islami, secured 97,626 votes under the scale symbol.

Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he had acquired a 25 per cent stake in Saudi-owned Spanish second-division club Almeria. "It has been a long-time ambition of mine to contribute to football," the statement quoted Ronaldo as saying. Almeria, who were last in the Spanish top flight in 2024, are third in the Spanish second division, one point out of the automatic promotion places. "Almeria is a Spanish club with strong foundations and clear potential for growth." Ronald, who also owns a stake in his Saudi club, last October became the first footballer included in Bloomberg's 'Billionaire Index'.

The Cyber Crime Unit of the 3 Armed Police Battalion (3 APBn) in Khulna has recovered 76 lost and stolen mobile phones from different parts of the country and returned them to their owners. The recovered mobile phones and cash were formally handed over on Thursday at the unit’s conference room. The Cyber Crime Unit, operating under the Operations and Intelligence Branch of 3 APBn, traced the devices from different regions across the country. Abul Kalam Azad said the Cyber Crime Unit, formed under the direction of Additional DIG M.M. The unit works on cases involving illegal arms recovery, drug seizures, lost and stolen mobile phones, and fraud conducted through Facebook and other online platforms.

An Aiden Markram special guided South Africa past West Indies in Ahmedabad on Thursday, and one step closer to the semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. After a record partnership Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd helped West Indies fight back from 83/7 to 176/8 in 20 overs. Put into bat, West Indies stepped out with a glory or bust attitude. West Indies struck 11 sixes and 15 fours in total, earning 126 runs in boundaries. It was one of the rare off days for South Africa in the field, as they dropped at least three regulation catches.

Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, the acting executive engineer of Zone-5 under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), has been temporarily suspended following allegations of negligence, misconduct and inefficiency in supervising road construction and renovation works in Mohammadpur. The suspension order, signed by DNCC Secretary Muhammad Asaduzzaman, was issued on Thursday. Mizanur Rahman faces accusations of irregularities, negligence of duty, misconduct, and inefficiency in road construction and repair work in the Mohammadpur area. The decision came a day after State Minister for Education, Boby Hajjaj, inspected several road construction and repair projects in Mohammadpur on Wednesday. Following the inspection, the DNCC took immediate action by suspending Mizanur Rahman pending further investigation.

Amid Bangladesh’s continued engagement, Myanmar’s Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Than Swe and Chairman of the United League of Arakan Twan Mrat Naing have congratulated recently appointed Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, which is seen positively by Dhaka. The head of the Arakan Army has sent a congratulatory letter to the Bangladesh foreign minister for the first time. The Myanmar foreign minister expressed firm commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation between Dhaka and Naypyidaw. "In your new capacity as the foreign minister of Bangladesh, I hope you will continue to work with us to find practical, sustainable and realistic solutions. The Arakan Army controls the other side of the Bangladesh border.

The Election Commission (EC) has directed to suspend all central and field-level programmes scheduled to mark the 8th National Voters’ Day on March 2 until further notice. The directive has been sent to the conveners of all committees formed to observe Voters’ Day, as well as to EC officials at the field level. According to the letter, all events planned at both the central and field levels in observance of the 8th National Voters’ Day have been suspended until further instructions are issued. “We were occupied with election-related activities and could not complete adequate preparations for Voters’ Day. Earlier, the EC had formed 570 committees nationwide to celebrate the 8th National Voters’ Day on March 2.