Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the government is working to build Bangladesh as a democratic, inclusive and exploitation-free state. Speaking as chief guest at the opening of the Bengal Delta Conference 2026 in Dhaka on Friday, he said strengthening democratic institutions, rebuilding the economy and improving living standards are the government’s main goals.

He said student-public movements, aspirations to restore democracy and expectations of political change had opened new possibilities for the country. He paid tribute to those killed and who struggled in the 1971 Liberation War, as well as people who died in the 2024 movement for restoring democracy. Citing global conflict, economic instability, corruption, money laundering and irregularities as pressures on the economy, he referred to measures on investment, jobs, banking and the rural economy. He also said efforts were under way to build broad consensus on constitutional reform through discussions with political parties.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmad has condemned a recent Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board circular directing Alia madrasas to form separate football teams for the Prime Minister’s Gold Cup Football Tournament 2026. In a statement published on July 24, he described the instruction to form girls’ football teams as part of an anti-Islam conspiracy. The circular asks institutions to include one male and one female student from Dakhil classes and one male and one female student from Alim levels, and submit lists to the board by July 30.

Ahmad said the instruction conflicts with the distinct character and religious values of Islamic education. He stated that Alia madrasas operate on Islamic ideals, Shariah rules and religious values. He called for the immediate withdrawal of the circular, an end to imposing such decisions on madrasas, and effective measures to protect the distinctiveness of the Islamic education system.

Amid speculation over a possible resignation by President Md. Sahabuddin, Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed returned to Dhaka from a shortened Thailand visit on July 24. Speaking to journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, he said he had no prior information about any resignation. He said that if the president resigns, the resignation letter would be submitted to the speaker and parliament would elect a new president within 90 days.

The speaker said he would serve as acting president if the presidential post becomes vacant or the president is unable to perform duties, until a new president is elected. The report cites Article 50(3) of the constitution, under which a president may resign through a written, signed letter addressed to the speaker. Under Article 54, the speaker carries out acting presidential duties when the post is vacant. The speaker had been due to return on July 26 but said he returned two days earlier after completing a medical checkup early, on personal work and doctors’ advice.

Rasheda Begum Hira, a member of parliament from a reserved seat, made a series of allegations against the Awami League and Hasina at a BNP exchange meeting in Chauddagram, Cumilla, on Thursday evening. She said people, frustrated by repression, had driven out Hasina, whom she described as a destroyer of democracy. The event was organised by the Chauddagram upazila and municipal BNP at Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam Hall in Chauddagram Bazar.

Hira alleged that the Awami League damaged the power, health and education sectors and destroyed the structure of the economy. She also alleged money was stolen from Bangladesh Bank and smuggled abroad, and said people suffered mental repression for the past 17 years because of one family’s greed. Upazila BNP president Md Kamrul Huda was the chief speaker, while local BNP, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal leaders also addressed the meeting.

Security analyst and researcher retired Major General Rokon Uddin argues that stability in the Chittagong Hill Tracts must be treated as a national strategic priority rather than only a regional security issue. In an article published on July 24, 2026, he calls on the new administration to pursue three goals together: protecting national sovereignty, ensuring effective security and delivering inclusive development. He says security operations may be necessary, but cannot substitute for a political settlement.

The article says many key provisions of the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord remain unimplemented, including effective land resolution, stronger local governance and resettlement of displaced hill families. It cites the Land Commission's limited effectiveness, continued temporary army camps, and dissatisfaction linked to unresolved issues. Uddin also identifies instability in Myanmar, activity by border-area armed groups, divisions between JSS and UPDF, and drug and arms trafficking as complicating factors. He stresses resolving land disputes, implementing the accord, building trust, strengthening governance, encouraging dialogue and supporting coexistence between hill communities and Bengali residents.

The US State Department summoned Malaysia’s ambassador in Washington, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakub, to explain Malaysia’s position and policy concerning Israel, Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama confirmed. After the summons, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the ambassador told the United States that Malaysia’s refusal to recognize Israel as a state was not a new decision, but a longstanding institutional and government position.

Hasan said Malaysia’s immigration policy gives no recognition to the state of Israel or Zionist rule, describing it as a policy followed for many years. He said a person holding both US and Israeli citizenship recently entered Malaysia using a US passport, but was instructed to leave quickly after checks identified the person’s Israeli citizenship. Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said any Israeli citizen found in Malaysian territory would be immediately deported. Malaysia’s Home Ministry has also opened an investigation into the Network School project following social-media allegations that several participants were Israeli dual nationals using passports from other countries to enter Malaysia, potentially violating immigration law.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said it would continue its protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, despite Sonam Wangchuk withdrawing his fast. Protesters are scheduled to meet representatives of India’s central government at Constitution Club in Delhi at 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday. The representatives attending from either side had not been formally announced.

CJP had requested a neutral venue rather than the residence of a central minister, and Constitution Club was selected accordingly. Its three demands are the education minister’s resignation, financial compensation for families of people who died by suicide over question-paper leaks, and withdrawal of FIRs filed against protesters. Party spokespersons said the protest would continue and their demands would be presented to the government. Crowds were increasing again at Jantar Mantar on Friday, while 17 Delhi Metro stations were closed for security reasons.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a late-night video address on Thursday amid an ongoing protest by the Kokroch Janata Party at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. He said a draft for a strict new law to prevent examination paper leaks had been submitted to him and would be discussed at Friday’s cabinet meeting. Modi said the draft includes provisions for fast-track courts and severe penalties, and that the government would seek to pass the bill in Parliament as soon as possible.

Modi said paper leaks cause severe mental distress for millions of students and their parents, and that arrests and other measures had been taken over the past two and a half months. He said examinations for about 2.2 million students were arranged and results released on July 19 to prevent the loss of an academic year. The CJP said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign. Environmental and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike in solidarity with the protest on Friday.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of repeatedly choosing repression over dialogue. In remarks reported on July 24, 2026, she said the government views students seeking accountability as “enemies of the country.” She said the state had used its power against the country’s future generation rather than responding with empathy.

Gandhi said a similar pattern had been seen in the treatment of farmers and rights activists. She described the use of repressive state power against future doctors, engineers, teachers, government officials and entrepreneurs as unforgivable. According to Gandhi, the crisis in India’s education system and the government’s tendency to avoid accountability are the main causes of student protests. She said students’ protests were natural because they face an uncertain and discouraging education system, and argued that repressive conduct rather than listening to their concerns and demands was making the situation more complicated.

A council office in Kanjarpara, under Teknaf upazila’s Whykong union, was attacked and extensively vandalised during a public hearing on the division of four unions in Teknaf. The incident occurred at about 3pm on July 23, leaving upazila government officials and local BNP leaders trapped inside the council building. Protesters then blocked the Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar highway, stopping vehicle movement.

Junaid Ali Chowdhury, joint convener of the upazila Jubo Dal and a union BNP leader, blamed banned Awami League, Jubo League and certain miscreants for the attack. Upazila BNP organising secretary HM Osman Gani demanded the arrest within 24 hours of those involved, citing video footage. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the blockade. Police failed to calm the situation, but Upazila Nirbahi Officer Anik Chowdhury later arrived and assured protesters that their demands would be met. The blockade was withdrawn at 7pm.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished activist and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk good health after Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike, according to a report published on July 24, 2026. In a message on X, Modi urged Wangchuk to follow doctors’ advice and return quickly to his normal weight. Wangchuk ended the fast on Friday at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon, where he had been fasting since June 28.

Wangchuk decided to withdraw the fast after the government assured that no legal action would be taken against peaceful protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, leaders of the Leh-Ladakh Apex Body, doctors and Wangchuk’s family members were present when he ended the fast. Nadda said the government was positively considering not filing cases against peaceful protesters and participants in the July 20 march toward Parliament. The Cockroach Janata Party said its peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar would continue until it secured the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Protests are continuing at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over an examination paper leak, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of India’s Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, said the movement would continue until the minister resigns. He alleged that the education minister bears the real responsibility for the NEET scandal and said resignation is the protesters’ only demand.

In an interview with NDTV, Dipke said talks could take place at Jantar Mantar or another neutral venue if the government wished, but not at ministers’ residences. He said the group did not want to repeat past experiences in which time was allegedly wasted in the name of discussions. The movement began on June 6 and gained momentum after Ladakh social activist Sonam Wangchuk joined an indefinite hunger strike on June 28. Dipke said protests on the same demand were also taking place in Mumbai, Jaipur, Bengaluru and other cities.

Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijit Deepake urged India’s central education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, to join protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and resign over the NEET scandal. In an interview with NDTV, Deepake referred to Pradhan’s earlier remarks against examination paper leaks and said a resignation letter would be ready for the minister to sign. He alleged that Pradhan bears the real responsibility for the scandal and said the minister’s resignation is the movement’s sole demand.

Continuous protests demanding Pradhan’s resignation have been underway at Jantar Mantar since 6 June. Deepake said demonstrations with the same demand are also taking place in Mumbai, Jaipur, Bengaluru and other cities. He said talks could take place at Jantar Mantar or a neutral venue if the government wished, but not at ministers’ residences, citing previous delays in the name of discussions. Ladakh social activist Sonam Wangchuk joined an indefinite hunger strike in support on 28 June, after which the movement gained momentum.

Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the interim government’s chief adviser, described AFP’s reporting during the July movement in an interview with Amar Desh. Alam, who was AFP’s Bangladesh bureau chief at the time, said the agency anticipated renewed protests after a High Court verdict on June 5 and began covering demonstrations centred on Dhaka University around July 7 or 8. He said international media coverage expanded after July 16, while protests spread on a wider scale in Dhaka on July 18.

According to Alam, broadband and mobile internet were shut down on the night of July 18. AFP was able to send video and photographs from July 19 through an existing VSAT connection. He said the office allowed journalists, freelancers and activists working for Reuters, The New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Netra News and AP, among others, to use its internet. He said an average of 50 to 60 people used the office’s five computers daily from July 19 to 24. Alam also said then state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat had threatened AFP over its reporting.

Delhi University has urged teachers and students not to join ongoing protests in the Indian capital over a medical examination paper leak. In a message posted on X on Thursday, the university said gatherings and demonstrations at Jantar Mantar are strictly regulated under directions from India’s Supreme Court. It warned that law enforcement agencies could take legal action against people participating in unlawful assemblies.

The university said the warning was issued with the safety of students and teachers in mind. It said involvement in such activities could disrupt students’ academic work and negatively affect their future professional prospects. The institution also cautioned against sharing or reacting to unverified, false or misleading information circulating on social media. Kakaroch Janata Party is continuing its protest at Jantar Mantar, while the Congress-led opposition alliance has joined in solidarity. The party and opposition groups have demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the paper leak.