Top news of the day: Tarique Rahman sworn in as new PM of Bangladesh; Supreme Court says political leaders must ultimately foster fraternity in country, and more

Top news of the day February 17, 2026 Tarique Rahman sworn in as new PM of Bangladesh; Supreme Court says political leaders must ultimately foster fraternity in country, and more

Five days after the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Tuesday (February 17, 2026). The swearing-in of the new Prime Minister and his ministerial colleagues came hours after Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M Nasir Uddin administered the oath of parliament to the newly elected members of BNP in the parliament of Bangladesh – Jatiyo Sansad. As the new Prime Minister Mr. Rahman will lead a team of twenty-five cabinet ministers and twenty-four ministers of state, who were all administered oath by President of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) said political leaders must foster fraternity and high public office-holders should live up to the ideals of the Constitution while hearing a petition highlighting instances of Chief Ministers, senior bureaucrats and police officers making public statements that stigmatise entire communities, legitimise discriminatory governance and erode public confidence in the State’s commitment to equal citizenship. “We would like to impress upon all political parties to follow the principles of constitutional morality, values, mutual respect and self-respect. This is a more than 75-year-old mature democracy; we do not expect people to behave like this,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, heading a three-judge Bench, observed orally.

The Manipur police have evacuated 51 Kuki students from a school in the Naga-dominated Ukhrul district amid tensions between the two communities triggered by an assault case on February 7. In a statement issued late Monday (February 16, 2026) night, the police said the students were temporarily shifted from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Ramva in Ukhrul to a JNV in the adjoining Kangpokpi district. Exam centres for 18 of these students appearing for Class 10 and Class 12 board exams have also been shifted to the Kangpokpi JNV, officials said.

Over 1,000 anganwadi teachers and helpers continued their protest for the fifteenth consecutive day in Chennai on Tuesday (February 17, 2026), demanding that the State government regularise their services. “It has been 15 days of State-wide protests regarding our demand to be regularised. We are not asking for something new; it was a promise made in the DMK manifesto. We want it fulfilled,” said an anganwadi teacher from Chennai. Anganwadi teachers have been appointed on a temporary basis and receive a monthly salary of ₹15,000, while an anganwadi helper receives ₹6,000. They are entitled to dearness allowances, but no other benefits have been extended to them.

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) appeared before the Maharashtra Legislative Council’s privileges committee regarding his alleged remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. However, in the absence of the main complainant, the hearing has been rescheduled to March 10, said the committee’s chairperson, Prasad Lad. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare also appeared before the panel. Mr. Kamra and Ms. Andhare later informed reporters that their statements were not recorded during the hearing, as BJP leader Pravin Darekar, the main complainant, was absent.

Political and strategic considerations will overshadow economic ones in the choices that countries make going forward, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday (February 17, 2026).  Speaking at the Global Economic Cooperation 2026 summit organised by the Future Economic Cooperation Council, Mr. Jaishankar asserted that the world has entered a volatile and uncertain period, “possibly the most turbulent in living memory”.