Reading time: about 2 minutesHeading into the Ivy League Fencing Championships, senior epee Ketki Ketkar ’26 didn’t even know that she was competing to make program history. At the championships, which took place from Feb. 7-8, the Red competed against six other Ivy foes, with Ketkar finishing 8-1 in the epee category. On the second day, she finished with an impressive 4-1 record — good for an overall 12-2 record (85.7%). With the victory, Ketkar became the first individual champion for women’s fencing at any conference championship. Carvalho will represent the Red on the All-Ivy Second Team for sabre and Ketkar will be a part of the All-Ivy First Team for epee.

A meeting of the BNP parliamentary party was held today at the parliamentary party meeting room under the chairmanship of Tarique Rahman. Photo: BNP Media CellDHAKA, Feb 16, 2026 (BSS) – The newly elected members of parliament (MPs) from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have decided not to take duty-free cars and government plots. The decision was taken in the first meeting of the BNP parliamentary party after the MPs took oath at Sangsad Bhaban here today. “The meeting unanimously decided that the party MPs would not take government plots and duty-free cars,” BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan told reporters. Earlier, the newly elected MPs of BNP took oath at Jatiya Sangsad here.

12 platoons of BGB deployed in the National Parliament building area. Photo : BSSDHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) - Twelve platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in and around the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban area to ensure tight security ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the new cabinet, according to a BGB press release. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be attended by foreign guests, senior political leaders, government officials, diplomats and other distinguished personalities. BGB members have taken position at key entry and exit points surrounding the Parliament complex. The swearing-in ceremony will mark the formal beginning of the new government's tenure following the 13th national election.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has been elected as the leader of the parliamentary party. Photo: BNPDHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) - BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has been elected as the leader of the parliamentary party. He was elected parliamentary party leader in a meeting of BNP’s parliamentary party at the meeting room in Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at about 11.30 am today, BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan told reporters. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin administered the oath of office to the newly elected lawmakers at the Oath Room of Sangsad Bhaban at 10:43 am. Later, the meeting of the BNP’s parliamentary party was held.

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Pakistan's Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna here today. Photo : CA's Press WingDHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) - Pakistan's Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna here today, said the Chief Adviser's Press Wing. Chaudhary arrived here to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh's new cabinet led by BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

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Bangladesh Nationalist Party MPs take oath at Jatiya Sangsad, forming government after decisive election victory today officially. Photo : CollectedDHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) – All newly elected members of parliament (MPs) of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the 13th national elections took oath of office at Jatiya Sangsad (JS) here today. According to the official results, the BNP bagged 209 seats alone in the Jatiya Sangsad polls held on February 12. Besides, BNP’s political alliance Gano Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) and Gano Sanghati Andalon secured one seat each in the polls. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats alone emerging as the main opposition party while its alliance partners National Citizen Party (NCP) won six seats, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis two seats and Khelafat Majlish one seat.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma. Photo : CollectedDHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) - Nepal's Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma arrived in Dhaka to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected Government of Bangladesh led by BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman today. Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Dr Md Nazrul Islam and Nepal Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanashyam Bhandari welcomed Nepalese foreign minister and his delegation at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The visit reflected the cordial and longstanding ties between Bangladesh and Nepal, underscoring mutual commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across various sectors.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay. Photo : CollageDHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) - Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay will attend the oath-taking ceremony of BNP Chairman Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman in Dhaka this afternoon, reflecting the enduring friendship between the two countries. "At the invitation of the Government of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay will attend the Oath-Taking Ceremony of Tarique Rahman, the Prime Minister-elect of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on 17 February," said a press release issued by the Bhutanese embassy here this morning. It said that the Prime Minister's attendance at the Oath-Taking Ceremony reflects Bhutan's continued support and friendship with the people of Bangladesh. Bhutan and Bangladesh enjoy longstanding cordial ties of friendship marked by mutual trust, respect and confidence.

NABLUS, Palestinian Territories, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At an hour when Ahmad and Mohammed should have been in the classroom, the two brothers sat idle at home in the northern West Bank city of Nablus. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority's deepening budget shortfall is cutting through every layer of society across the West Bank. But nowhere are the consequences more stark than in its schools, where reduced salaries for teachers, shortened weeks and mounting uncertainty are reshaping the future of around 630,000 pupils. - 'Systemic emergency' -For UN-run schools teaching around 48,000 students in refugee camps across the West Bank, the picture is equally bleak. In the northern West Bank, where Israeli military operations in refugee camps displaced around 35,000 people in 2025, some pupils have lost up to 45 percent of learning days, Fowler said.

Trump says Cuba, a 'failed nation,' should make a deal with USABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - President Donald Trump on Monday said Cuba was a "failed nation" and called on Havana to make a deal with the United States, though he dismissed mounting a regime change operation. "Cuba is right now, a failed nation," the US leader told reporters aboard Air Force One. However, when asked if the United States would oust Cuba's government, as Washington did when it raided Venezuela and captured president Nicolas Maduro, Trump said: "I don't think that will be necessary." The island is facing major fuel shortages and blackouts as Trump intensifies the decades-long US embargo on the country and presses other countries to stop sending Havana oil. "It's a humanitarian threat," Trump admitted of the fuel shortages biting the country.

Maldives President arrives to join oath taking ceremony of new cabinetForeign Adviser M Touhid Hossain received Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Photo : MoFADHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) – Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu arrived in Dhaka today to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh’s new cabinet led by BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between the two countries. Foreign Adviser M Touhid Hossain received President Muizzu upon his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital. The Maldivian President is visiting Bangladesh to participate in the official oath-taking ceremony of the newly formed government following the 13th National Parliamentary Election held on February 12. His presence at the ceremony underscores the close and friendly bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the Maldives, reflecting continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest, diplomatic sources said.

× Expand Image courtesy of Hoover Public LibraryHoover Public Library will launch its annual Southern Voices Festival on Thursday, Feb. 19, with an artist talk and reception featuring Christina Renfer Vogel. The artist talk begins at 6 p.m. in the Library Theatre, followed by a reception. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Vogel holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Vogel has participated in artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and JSS in Civita in Italy. The evening marks the official opening of this year’s Southern Voices Festival, celebrating regional artists and creative voices.

DHAKA, Feb 17, 2026 (BSS) - The government has reduced the overall VAT on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in a move aimed at stabilising the market and keeping the essential commodity within consumers' purchasing capacity. Instead, a 7.5 percent VAT has been imposed at the import stage of LPG. This means that the tax will be collected only once at the import stage, eliminating multiple layers of VAT previously applied throughout the supply chain. Officials concerned believe that the decision will help maintain price stability in the LPG market, ensure uninterrupted supply, and provide relief to consumers, particularly middle- and lower-income households who rely heavily on LPG for cooking and other daily needs. The move is also expected to support industrial users by reducing cost pressures and enhancing overall market efficiency.