The chief executive officer of the Bogura Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Md. Masud Rana, has been relieved of his duties following allegations of bias and involvement in irregularities related to the chamber’s election management. The decision was announced in a letter signed by the Election Conduct Committee Chairperson and Additional District Election Officer, Mosha. Asiya Khatun.

Earlier, rival candidates accused the election committee of favoring a particular panel by violating electoral codes. Selim Reza, the presidential candidate from the Selim-Ershad panel, held an emergency press conference demanding the dissolution of the current election committee and the formation of a new one. He alleged that the committee ignored complaints about rule violations, including unauthorized advertisements, voter gatherings, and irregularities in distributing voter ID cards.

Following these allegations, the election committee chairperson issued a show-cause notice to Masud Rana and removed him from his election-related responsibilities.

The results of the primary scholarship examination in Bangladesh will be announced on July 9, according to a decision made at a meeting of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. The Directorate of Primary Education confirmed that 82,500 students across the country will receive scholarships this year, and the scholarship amount may increase up to four times. The examination was held nationwide from April 15 to 18, with special schedules for the three hill districts from April 17 to 20.

According to ministry data, 80 percent of the scholarships are allocated for students of government primary schools, while 20 percent will go to students from private schools and kindergartens. Scholarships will be awarded in two categories—Talent Pool (merit-based) and General Grade. Results will be accessible online through the IPEMIS portal and via mobile SMS.

Scholarship recipients will receive financial support for three years, from grades six to eight. A proposal to increase the current stipend amount two to four times is under active government consideration to further encourage students.

Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran’s Mosalla area to mourn the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressing grief and chanting slogans calling for the destruction of America and revenge, according to a BBC report. Iran’s state television said the six-day state funeral ceremonies began on Saturday. Before Khamenei’s coffin arrived, large crowds had already assembled, many carrying red flags and placards symbolizing calls for vengeance.

The ceremony drew religious figures, government officials, and foreign dignitaries who paid their respects. Among them were Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Russia’s former President Dmitry Medvedev, and Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Representatives from Iraq, Armenia, Turkey, and Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman also attended.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Washington had given Tehran one week to bury the former leader, describing the gesture as an act of goodwill. Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 37 years, was killed on February 28 during the early stages of U.S. and Israeli attacks, with his burial taking place more than four months later.

At the July National Conference held on Saturday at the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Center in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, Abu Horaira, president of the private university wing of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, questioned whether Meher Afroz Shaon was more powerful than Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Speaking in the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, he accused Shaon of insulting the 'July warriors' and demanded justice for her remarks.

The event was organized jointly by the July 24 Martyrs’ Family Society and Amra July Joddha to commemorate the martyrs of the July uprising and mark the second anniversary of the '36 July' movement. The memorial meeting was presided over by Chief Whip of the National Parliament Nurul Islam Monir and attended by cabinet members, lawmakers, diplomats, military and civilian officials, and representatives of professional organizations. A minute of silence was observed in memory of the martyrs.

The student leader also highlighted the contributions of private university students to the movement during his speech.

Law enforcement officials in Satkhira seized drugs and Indian goods worth Tk 1.8 million and arrested one suspect. The operation was conducted by Bair-6 on Saturday morning in the Mathurapur area under Shyamnagar Police Station. The arrested individual was identified as Md. Abdul Majid, aged 36, son of Amjad Sheikh from Mathurapur village.

Authorities recovered 1,883 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup brands including Winserex, Escuf, and Fairdeal, valued at Tk 1,883,000. They also seized 1,500 strips of Indian Hist Mont medicine, 60 strips of Alpha-Kitozox medicine, and 320 bags of Indian Bappa cigarettes. The seized items were confiscated from a covered van during the operation.

A case has been filed against the suspect under the Narcotics Control Act at Shyamnagar Police Station following the seizure and arrest.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to hold a meeting to discuss the Iran deal, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. The two leaders spoke by phone, during which Netanyahu extended greetings to Trump on the occasion of US Independence Day on July 4.

During the call, Trump described the United States as the 'guardian of global freedom,' the statement said. Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that both leaders agreed to meet in the United States in the near future, although no specific date has been determined yet.

The announcement highlights ongoing coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv on Iran-related issues, but details of the planned meeting’s agenda or timing remain undisclosed.

Iran’s current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei did not attend his father’s funeral, sparking widespread discussion. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Paul Musgrave, an associate professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, suggested that security concerns likely influenced the decision. He said Iran feared that Israel might target the leadership again during a large public gathering such as a funeral.

Musgrave noted that Israel has previously used funerals or mourning events to strike political figures. He added that while Tehran’s security concerns are understandable, the long-term challenge for Iran is to ensure the Supreme Leader’s visible presence before the public. According to him, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly for several months, and the government must eventually demonstrate that he is actively leading the country.

Musgrave concluded that balancing security precautions with the need for public visibility remains a key political challenge for Iran’s leadership.

Russian officials said on Saturday night that Ukraine carried out a drone attack on an oil terminal at the port of St. Petersburg. Governor Alexander Beglov reported that the city faced a large-scale drone assault, with air defenses shooting down 72 drones. One drone reportedly crashed in the Peterhof area. The attack damaged an oil terminal in the Kirovsky district, but authorities later brought the situation under control, and no casualties were reported.

Local Telegram channels had earlier shared reports of a fire at the port’s oil terminal. Russia’s Defense Ministry separately claimed that its forces destroyed or downed a total of 389 Ukrainian drones across several regions, including Crimea, as well as over the Azov and Black Seas. Ukraine has not commented on the incident, and the Russian claims could not be independently verified.

The incident highlights the continuing escalation of drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides reporting frequent aerial attacks on infrastructure and military targets.

The United Arab Emirates has announced major changes to its entry and residency visa policies, according to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. The 14-day and 60-day entry visa options have been extended to citizens of six additional countries—Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya, and South Africa—beyond the previously eligible Indian nationals. The list of countries whose residents qualify for certain visa benefits has also been expanded to include Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Dubai visitors can now obtain single-entry tourist visas within 48 hours through approved agencies.

Dubai authorities have revised the property-based two-year residency visa rules, removing the previous minimum property value requirement of AED 750,000 for sole ownership. For jointly owned properties, each investor must hold a share worth at least AED 400,000. The UAE has also granted a 30-day grace period to visitors previously exempted from overstay fines due to airspace closures, requiring them to regularize their status or leave by July 9.

Additionally, Dubai is introducing a “smart medical visa” to streamline healthcare travel, while visa issuance for citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan has been temporarily suspended to prevent Ebola spread.

Mohammad Shahin Malu, a July Movement activist who was injured during the 2024 mass uprising, called for giving Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ten years to lead the country. He made the remarks on Saturday at the 'July National Conference 2026' held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Agargaon, Dhaka, marking the anniversary of the July-August uprising, mourning, and victory.

Speaking on behalf of injured families, Malu said that if people love their country, they should allow Tarique Rahman a decade to bring change, arguing that such time would encourage expatriates to return home for work. He alleged that the interim government had treated BNP-aligned victims of the July-August movement differently and claimed to have suffered personally for his loyalty to the party.

The conference was attended by Tarique Rahman as chief guest, along with senior government officials including the home minister, state minister for liberation war affairs, chief whip, and law minister, as well as political leaders and representatives from various sectors.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local residents stopped an attempt by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) to push an Indian citizen into Bangladesh through the Jimonal border area of Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat. The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Friday near the Nayabari area of Ward 3 under Patgram Union.

According to BGB and local sources, members of the BSF’s Bagdobara camp tried to push the Indian citizen across the border between pillars 818 and 819, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Rangpur Battalion 51 BGB’s Patgram Border Outpost. BGB patrol members and local residents intervened, prompting the BSF personnel to retreat and take the individual back into Indian territory.

No official statement from the BGB regarding the incident was available at the time of reporting.

The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has ordered an investigation into allegations of misappropriation of donation materials at the Badrinath Dham in India. The directive came on Friday following social media claims of financial irregularities, shortly after similar accusations surfaced regarding donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple. BKTC President Hemant Dwivedi said the committee is taking the matter seriously and has asked for written explanations from concerned officials and employees.

The allegations were raised by an organization named Bhairav Sena, which also demanded a fair inquiry into claims against the president’s personal assistant. Dwivedi denied that the accused individual was his personal secretary, clarifying that the person is a permanent government employee who previously served under three former presidents. BKTC CEO Sohan Singh Rangad confirmed that CCTV footage from the temple premises was reviewed but found to be unclear.

Rangad added that an internal committee has been proposed to conduct a detailed investigation. He warned that if wrongdoing is proven, strict disciplinary and legal action will be taken under the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act, 1939, and employee conduct rules.

Local residents of Ward No. 5 in Katiadi Municipality, Kishoreganj, organized a human chain and protest program on Saturday afternoon at Kadamtala area beside the Kishoreganj–Bhairab regional road. The event was held under the banner of the local Anti-Drug Committee and community members to demand action against the growing spread of drugs and gambling in the area.

Speakers at the protest, including committee leaders and local dignitaries, alleged that the rise of drugs and gambling has worsened law and order, leading to increased theft, robbery, and insecurity among residents. They said that despite changes in government and local representatives, criminal activities have not decreased. The speakers added that a community-based Anti-Drug Committee has been formed to combat the issue, and its members regularly detain drug users and dealers for handover to authorities.

Participants further claimed that those involved in drugs and gambling have no political identity but are being protected by an influential group. They urged the administration to take strict and effective measures to restore safety in the area.

Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan stated that the modern world is passing through a deep and multidimensional crisis rooted in ethnic, religious, linguistic, cultural, and geographical divisions. He emphasized that lasting solutions cannot come from dominance but through mutual respect, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence. He made these remarks on Saturday at a hotel in Dhaka while inaugurating the Al Ummah Foundation’s website and Al Ummah Journal.

The minister described the foundation’s initiative as timely amid global instability and division, expressing hope that it would serve as an open platform for intellectual exchange among people of diverse philosophies and ideologies. He said diversity in language, ethnicity, religion, and culture is a natural part of human civilization, and no group or ideology can realistically dominate the world. He added that history shows war and power displays have never provided lasting solutions, while free thought and mutual respect have advanced civilization.

Welcoming the initiative on behalf of the government, Swapan said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s administration supports peaceful coexistence, harmony, and an inclusive world order. He expressed hope that the Al Ummah Journal and website would enrich dialogue and understanding among different cultures and nations.

BNP leader and adviser to the party chairperson Aslam Chowdhury has drawn renewed attention in north Chattogram politics after unofficially securing the highest votes in the Chattogram-4 (Sitakunda) constituency during the national election. Despite this, his victory has become entangled in legal complications following an Appellate Division ruling related to loan default allegations. His legal team confirmed preparations are underway to take necessary steps under the law.

Chowdhury, a former joint secretary general of the BNP, was arrested in 2016 on sedition charges and later faced 76 cases under various laws. The BNP claims these were politically motivated, while state agencies have described them as part of legal procedures. After his release from prison in August 2024, he intensified organizational activities across northern Chattogram, which local observers say revitalized the party’s grassroots.

Supporters allege his long imprisonment severely affected his business ventures under the Rising Group, including steel, shipbreaking, and real estate operations. Analysts believe his current challenges include rebuilding organizational unity, balancing old and new leadership, and navigating ongoing legal processes that could shape the region’s political dynamics.