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February 16, 2026 13:49 UTC

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the member states of his so-called “Board of Peace” have pledged more than $5 billion (€4.2 billion) ‌ for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Reconstruction of Gaza is expected to cost $70 billion, according to United Nations, World Bank and European Union estimates, after more than two years of war. The US-brokered October 10 ceasefire calls for an armed international force to provide security and disarm Hamas, but few nations have expressed interest. Trump is also urging Hamas to move ahead with full disarmament under his postwar plan for Gaza. Disarmament is an important part of the second phase of the US-mediated ceasefire plan that was agreed in October between Israel and Hamas.

February 16, 2026 13:44 UTC

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Monday dismissed speculations that its president Aminul Islam has left the country permanently following the recent general election. Board officials clarified Aminul Islam is currently in Australia on a personal visit to meet his family and is scheduled to return. Adding to the speculation is the fact that Aminul was a resident of Australia before assuming the BCB presidency. The national team recently opted out of the ongoing T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, citing security concerns in India. The BCB had requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka, a plea that was ultimately rejected.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

Iran’s foreign minister has arrived in Geneva ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States, Iranian state television said Monday, as Washington keeps up pressure on the Islamic Republic. Tehran and Washington restarted negotiations this month after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June. “The foreign minister has arrived in Geneva at the head of a diplomatic and expert delegation to take part in the second round of nuclear negotiation,” Iran’s state-run IRIB wrote on its Telegram channel. Iran’s deputy foreign minister told the BBC that Tehran would consider compromises on its uranium stockpile if Washington lifts sanctions that have crippled the Islamic Republic’s economy. On February 6, Araghchi led the Iranian delegation in indirect talks with Witkoff and Kushner in Muscat.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain formally left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday following his final meeting with ministry officials. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and other officials saw him off. Speaking to journalists before leaving, Touhid said he would return to his previous routine. I will do some writing so that I can talk to you again,” he said. Reflecting on his tenure, he added: “A year and a half has passed — with both good and bad times.”After the meeting, he joined ministry officials outside the building for a photo session before departing.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC





The Bangladesh Bank Officers Welfare Council, an organization of Bangladesh Bank officers and employees, has protested the initiative to issue digital bank licences in a hurry during the process of forming a newly elected government. He alleged that the governor had previously served as chairman of a bank belonging to the same group on whose behalf the digital bank licence is being sought. As a result, central bank officials believe that there is a conflict of interest. In such a situation, the need to issue a new digital bank licence in the interest of a particular group should be reviewed in depth. The organization has called for the newly elected government to postpone the relevant board meeting without taking any hasty decisions before assuming office.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) was signed during a programme held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 5:05pm on October 17 in 2025 . Following the endorsements of various political parties, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser and chairman of the National Consensus Commission, appended his signature to the accord. While most major political parties in the country supported the charter, the National Citizen Party (NCP) initially refrained from signing. Questions soon arose on social media regarding the NCP’s initial abstention and its subsequent decision to endorse the agreement. Responding to these queries, NCP joint convener Sarwar Tushar stated, “With the ‘Yes’ vote prevailing in the referendum, a legal basis has now been established.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has invited Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari, ameer of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, to attend the cabinet swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Tarique Rahman made the invitation via a phone call to Babunagari on Monday, the BNP media cell confirmed. After securing a single-party majority in the 13th National Parliament elections, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is moving forward to form the next government. The newly elected members of parliament are scheduled to take oath Tuesday morning, followed by the cabinet members in the afternoon.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

The announcement was signed by Md Emadul Haque, director (deputy secretary) of the Public Relations Wing-1, Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat. Invitation letters for the oath ceremony are being issued. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin is expected to administer the oath to the MPs at 10 a.m., while Cabinet Secretary Dr. Nasimul Ghani will conduct the ceremony. Lawmakers from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party (NCP), Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Khelafat Majlish, Gano Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Ganosamhati Andolon, and independent MPs will follow. Following the MPs’ oath, the BNP will hold a parliamentary board meeting to elect its parliamentary leader.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

In 2014, satellite imagery revealed Dhaka as a city with patchy “heat islands” -- pockets of high temperatures, mostly concentrated in industrial areas such as Tejgaon. He argues that in a city as dense as Dhaka, we must adopt advanced adaptation strategies. If we continue to perceive this heat as merely "for some time," we are missing the signal. The choice is between a tough structural correction today and an alienable capital tomorrow. Md Mahbuber Rahman has been a Research Grantee in 2025 at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

Because this document, sold to the nation as a reciprocal tariff agreement, is not a partnership. It is a paternity suit. India’s calibration: The art of saying noConsider, finally, the agreement India concluded with the United Kingdom in July 2025. Bangladesh has always been exquisitely sensitive to American tariff policy. It can accept the paternity suit as an inheritance and govern within its constraints, administering the terms of its own subordination.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Monday said false and misleading information is being circulated in its name regarding allegations of fake votes in the 13th parliamentary election. TIB clarified that in its field-level research, conducted through a random sampling method, data were collected from 70 selected constituencies. Among those, information regarding incidents of one or more fake votes was found in 21.4% of the constituencies. “However, interpreting this finding to mean that 21.4% fake votes were cast nationwide is “completely incorrect, baseless and misleading,” the TIB said. TIB requested that media outlets that have already misrepresented or incorrectly presented the information publish appropriate corrections without delay.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

Leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra Dal on Monday extended floral greetings to Tarique Rahman at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan ahead of his swearing-in as prime minister. Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir visited the office in the capital to convey their congratulations. The two leaders expressed confidence in Tarique Rahman’s leadership, describing him as the guardian of the student community within the party. Nasir said Tarique’s leadership would play a vital role in rebuilding democracy, strengthening nationalist ideology and fulfilling people’s aspirations. They also wished him success in his tenure and prayed for his good health and long life.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

Flooding and fierce winds have pushed Madagascar’s death toll from Cyclone Gezani to 59, with more than a dozen people still unaccounted for, the country’s disaster agency said on Monday. A previous report had put the death toll at 43. Most of the fatalities were reported in the port city of Toamasina on the east coast, formerly known as Tamatave, Madagascar’s second? Another 15 people remain missing nearly a week after the cyclone struck, according to Bnrgc. Gezani made landfall last week with winds topping around 250 kilometers per hour, prompting the government to declare a national emergency.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Monday to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh’s newly elected government led by BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, underscoring Kathmandu’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Dhaka. Minister Sharma will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:15pm by a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Kathmandu. During the visit, the Nepalese Foreign Minister will be accompanied by senior officials of his ministry. Earlier on Friday, Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushila Karki congratulated BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on his party’s electoral victory. The Prime Minister extended her heartiest congratulations to Tarique Rahman on leading the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to a remarkable victory.

February 16, 2026 13:14 UTC