New Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, on his first day in office, laid out an ambitious reform agenda centred on institutional recovery, deregulation and broad-based economic participation. "The government's ability to deliver depends fundamentally on the strength and efficiency of its institutions," he said while speaking to reporters after assuming charge at the ministry. He said that state institutions are currently in a poor condition and require urgent attention.

Amir Khosru stressed that restoring professionalism, transparency and efficiency within public institutions would be the first priority. According to him, without these core elements, even the most ambitious economic programmes would fail to produce meaningful results. "We have to bring professionalism into the institutions. We have to ensure transparency. We have to ensure efficiency. This is the most important issue," he said, adding that in the absence of these qualities, no major initiative would work effectively.

The newly elected BNP government will take necessary steps to defer Bangladesh's graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status, according to newly appointed Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir. "We will take all required measures to defer the LDC graduation. Work on the matter has already begun," Muktadir told reporters at the Secretariat on his first day in office. Muktadir said the government is keen to defer the graduation timeline and will do whatever is necessary to that end.

The initiative has started from the Ministry of Commerce and will be pursued in coordination with the Economic Relations Division to expedite required communications and procedures. Referring to long-standing demands from business leaders, he said the issue is being treated with utmost priority. "There is no obligation to send a letter within the first week, but we have started working on it from today."

The International Cricket Council (ICC) put an end to speculation regarding Bangladesh's future in global tournaments, confirming that the Tigers will directly qualify for the 2028 T20 World Cup. Questions had arisen about Bangladesh's eligibility for the next edition after the team opted out of the ongoing tournament in India and Sri Lanka. However, an ICC press release issued on Wednesday (Feb. 18) clarified that Bangladesh's participation in the 2028 event, to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, has been secured based on their ICC T20I team ranking.

Twelve teams qualify automatically for the tournament, including the co-hosts and top performers from the current World Cup. While Australia failed to reach the Super Eight this year, their spot is guaranteed as a host nation. With nine spots filled (the Super Eight teams plus Australia), the ICC noted that with no upcoming T20 International fixtures scheduled before the March 9 cutoff, the qualification of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Ireland is effectively confirmed based on their current rankings.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday (Feb. 18) began the trial of Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and former ICT state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak in a crimes against humanity case over their alleged role in the July 2024 atrocities. A three-judge bench, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, opened the trial with the statement of chief prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam, who described Joy and Palak as 'masterminds' of the crackdown on student protesters.

The tribunal set February 25 to record prosecution witnesses' testimonies. Joy remains a fugitive, while Palak is currently in jail. According to the charges, Joy and Palak ordered a nationwide internet shutdown to prevent the world from seeing the atrocities committed during the protests. The prosecution alleged that protesters were traced down and shot with live ammunition, drones, and helicopters during the shutdown. The shootings were allegedly carried out by law enforcement personnel and Awami League activists under the direction of Joy and Palak.