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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman -File photoDHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will handover Bangla Academy Literary Award-2025 to nine distinguished personalities for their significant contributions to the fields of Bangla literature at the inaugural ceremony of Amar Ekushey Book Fair tomorrow. The fields of Bangla Academy Literary awards cover poetry, fiction, essays, research, children’s literature, translation, science and the Liberation War. The recipients of the Bangla Academy Literary Award-2025 are: Mohan Raihan in poetry, Nasima Anis in fiction, Syed Azizul Haque in essays, Hasan Hafiz in children’s literature, Ali Ahmad in translation, Mustafa Majid and Israel Khan in research, Farsim Mannan Mohammadi in science, and Moidul Hasan in Liberation War. The awards were finalized following recommendations by the Bangla Academy Literary Award-2025 Proposal Committee and in accordance with the decision of the Bangla Academy Literary Award Committee.

NEW YORK, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday, blaming Israel for two-thirds of the deaths. It was the second consecutive annual record for press deaths and the deadliest year since the CPJ began collecting data more than three decades ago. Over three-quarters of all the fatalities in 2025 were in conflict settings, the CPJ said in its report. More than 60 percent of the 86 members of the press killed by Israeli fire in 2025 were Palestinians reporting from Gaza, it added. The number of journalists killed in Ukraine and Sudan also increased in 2025 compared to a year earlier.

“Advance tickets for the Eid journey will be sold from March 3 to March 9 and all tickets will be sold online,” a BR spokesman said emerging from a decision making meeting at Railway Bhaban. He said that the BR has decided to operate five pairs of special trains in addition to the regular ones on the occasion to evade congestions in railway carriages and ease the travel. According to the BR decision tickets for trains operating in the western and eastern zones will be released at different times. “The return advance tickets too will be sold 10 days ahead of the scheduled journey,” he said. The five special train pairs will run on specific routes which wwere named as Chandpur Eid Special (1 and 2) on Chittagong-Chandpur route, Teesta Special (3 and 4) on Dhaka-Dewanganj route, Sholakia Eid Special (5, 6, 7 and 8) on Bhairabbazar-Kishoreganj and Mymensingh-Kishoreganj route and Parbatipur Eid Special (9 and 10) on Joydebpur-Parbatipur route.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday formally adorned the rank badge on newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir at his office in the Cabinet Division of the Bangladesh Secretariat. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Home Secretary Monjur Morshed Chowdhury were present at the ceremony, said Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. He said the Prime Minister congratulated the new police chief and wished him success in carrying out his responsibilities. Earlier on Tuesday, the government appointed Additional Inspector General of Police and chief of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) Md Ali Hossain Fakir as the new IGP. Ali, a member of the 15th batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service (Police) cadre, replaced Baharul Alam, who had been serving as IGP on a contractual basis since November 20, 2024.

Photo: BSSDHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS) – Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026, the country's largest annual month-long literary event, will begin tomorrow with the theme “Multidimensional Bangladesh.”Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the fair as the chief guest at 2:00 pm. Preparations at the Bangla Academy premises and at Suhrawardy Udyan in front of the academy are nearly complete. This year, the organizers aim to make the fair environmentally conscious and transform it into a “Zero Waste Book Fair.”The fair will be polythene-free and smoking-free. Three institutions will receive the ‘Munier Choudhury Memorial Award’ for the best artistic book design published at the 2025 fair. A new award titled the ‘Sardar Jayenuddin Memorial Award’ is being introduced this year.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the 2009 Pilkhana massacre, in which 57 army officers were killed, was a sinister attempt to undermine Bangladesh’s sovereignty. I believe the tragic incident at Pilkhana was an evil attempt to foil our sovereignty,” he said while addressing a views-exchange meeting with the family members of the 57 army officers killed in the BDR carnage. Referring to the Pilkhana incident, the Prime Minister said weaknesses in the country’s national security structure were exposed through it. Three representatives of the slain army officers’ families also spoke at the event and shared their pains and agonies over losing their loved ones 17 years ago in the brutal massacre. Jatiya Shaheed Sena Dibas was observed on the day, marking the Pilkhana carnage in which 74 people, including 57 army officers, were killed at the then Bangladesh Rifles headquarters in Dhaka on February 25–26, 2009.

US President Donald Trump.Photo: CollectedWASHINGTON, United States, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The US Justice Department said Tuesday it had sued the state of New Jersey and its Democratic governor, seeking to overturn an executive order limiting where federal immigration agents can operate. In a lawsuit filed Monday, the Justice Department argued Sherrill's order was unconstitutional and interfered with the federal government's enforcement of immigration laws. Trump's mass deportation efforts have drawn national scrutiny following fatal shootings of two US citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January. On Monday, a former immigration official told members of Congress that training for federal agents was "deficient, defective and broken." Still, the Justice Department in its lawsuit said the New Jersey order "poses an intolerable obstacle to federal immigration enforcement."

Govt take up plans to free city dwellers from mosquito menace: Health MinisterHealth and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain today visited Dholpur area of the capital to inspect the effectiveness, testing and ongoing activities of mosquito control insecticides used by the Dhaka South City Corporation. Photo: BSSDHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS) - Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain today said the government has undertaken various plans to free the city dwellers from the mosquito menace. Calling for public cooperation alongside government efforts, the health minister urged city residents to remain vigilant and keep their surroundings clean, particularly by removing stagnant water from residential areas to prevent mosquito breeding.

Ali Hossain Fakir formally took charge as the head of Bangladesh Police on Wednesday. Photo : BSSDHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS) - Newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md. Ali Hossain Fakir formally took charge as the head of Bangladesh Police on Wednesday morning. Prior to the appointment, Fakir served as Additional Inspector General (IG) of the Armed Police Battalion (APBN). He also served as Commandant of RRF Sylhet and Commander of 3 APBN Khulna, 5 APBN Dhaka, and 7 APBN Sylhet.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday alleged that President Mohammed Sahabuddin violated his oath by publicly disclosing important and sensitive state matters in a recent newspaper interview. In the interview, published in a daily, the head of state discussed various issues concerning the period of the interim government and revealed a number of significant and sensitive topics. Jamaat claimed that by bringing such matters into the public domain, the President breached his constitutional oath and failed to safeguard entrusted state secrets. In a statement issued on Wednesday (Feb 25), Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar expressed deep concern over the matter. He alleged that President Sahabuddin, in his recent interview, violated his oath by publicly disclosing internal and confidential matters of the state and demonstrated failure in protecting entrusted state secrets.

The Home Minister made the remarks after laying wreaths at the Banani Military Graveyard in the capital on the occasion of National Martyred Army Day, marking the anniversary of the 2009 Pilkhana carnage. Responding to a question from journalists about the government's position regarding a fresh investigation into the 2009 BDR carnage, the Home Minister clarified that no new commission would be formed. "I made a remark earlier that we would form a commission to reinvestigate the BDR carnage without going through the report of the national independent commission formed during the interim government. Referring to the Pilkhana carnage cases, he noted that several appeals are currently pending before the Appellate Division. BDR carnage took place on February 25-26 in 2009 at the headquarters of the BDR paramilitary force in Pilkhana, Dhaka.

The Editors Council has strongly urged the newly elected government to withdraw what it described as false and harassing cases filed against journalists, saying the issue must be treated with the highest priority to ensure media freedom and professional safety. The council said the situation has severely disrupted journalists’ normal professional activities and undermined the independent environment of the media. The Editors Council said it had repeatedly and politely requested the interim government to withdraw the false and motivated cases and to take effective measures to stop the harassment of journalists. It added that the interim administration had assured the council that the cases would be reviewed and that steps would be taken to withdraw those found to be false and harassing. The statement was signed by Nurul Kabir, President of the Editors Council, and Dewan Hanif Mahmud, General Secretary.

Kaniz Fatema, a member of the BNP chairperson’s advisory council and wife of BNP leader Zainul Abedin Farroque, has passed away. Family members said she died at 10:40am on Wednesday while undergoing treatment in the ICU at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka. She had fallen ill ahead of the election and was admitted to the hospital on February 17. She will be laid to rest at the family graveyard following a funeral prayer at her residence in Yarpur, Senbagh, Noakhali, at 11am on Thursday. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed deep shock at her death, prayed for the eternal peace of her soul, and conveyed condolences to the bereaved family.

State Minister for Youth and Sports M Aminul Haque ‍addressing a view exchange meeting with the managing directors and chief executive officers of the country's leading banks and financial institutions at National Sports Council in Dhaka. Photo: BSSDHAKA, Feb 25, 2026 (BSS) -The State Minister for Youth and Sports M Aminul Haque today urged the banks and financial institutions of the country to play an active role in the overall development of the country's sports arena and ensuring the professionalism of players. He made the remark at a view exchange meeting with the managing directors and chief executive officers of the country's leading banks and financial institutions at the conference room of the National Sports Council. Mahbub-ul-Alam, Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the State Minister said that the role of the private sector, especially banks and financial institutions, along with government efforts, in developing sports fields is immense. They also expressed their determination to work shoulder to shoulder to elevate the country's sports arena to a world standard.