Mahmoodur Rahman, editor of Amar Desh, said on Thursday that several revolutionaries joining the government after the July mass uprising was the biggest mistake. Speaking at a discussion at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh in Dhaka organized by the National Engineers Alliance of Bangladesh to remember the martyrs of the July uprising, he argued that after a successful revolution revolutionaries should have stayed out of government and established the ‘July vision’ from outside.

He compared the July uprising to successful revolutions like Cuba’s and said some local revolutionaries erred by becoming part of the existing state apparatus. He called the choice of Dr. Muhammad Yunus as interim government head “perfect” for that moment, while noting he did not fully agree with all Yunus’s actions. He urged revolutionaries to form a revolutionary political force, create an ideological basis for state change, and maintain unity under the July revolution’s umbrella.

He said the July uprising’s three distinct features were that it was unarmed, wholly domestic, and had no single leader, and he urged fighters to remain united to keep the martyrs’ memory alive.

A young woman named Riya Ahir single-handedly stopped a moving police van near Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai, during heavy rain on Wednesday, a moment captured in viral photos and videos. The incident occurred amid ongoing student protests and quickly became a powerful symbol of the movement after the crowd applauded and chanted in support of her action.

Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that Riya’s intervention compelled police to release detained protesters, and the crowd’s reaction highlighted the scene’s impact. According to her Instagram profile, Riya Ahir is an actor, model and entrepreneur who runs a handcrafted fashion brand called “Riyasat” and has nearly 100,000 followers on social media.

The report linked the incident to wider student unrest and noted related political developments and restrictions elsewhere, while providing no further operational details about the protest’s next steps.

Protests demanding education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over exam paper leaks in New Delhi have intensified, with students staging peaceful marches and sit-ins in recent days. Demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and other sites have been met by police action, and multiple public interest litigations have been filed in the Delhi High Court alleging use of tear gas, baton charges and widespread physical abuse of protestors.

Petitioners say the police response was not isolated but a deliberate suppression by forces under the Home Ministry, and social media circulated videos purportedly show tear gas and officers in plain clothes assaulting demonstrators. Authorities have filed ten FIRs against unidentified individuals connected to the protests; journalists report Prime Minister Narendra Modi later ordered a fast-track court for those implicated in the paper leak scandal.

The protests continue with students pressing for accountability over the exam leak and broader reforms to an education system they say excludes many; courts will now consider the allegations of police misconduct in pending petitions.

ATM Azharul Islam, deputy emir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and MP for Rangpur-2, said in Rangpur on Thursday that President Shahabuddin Chuppu should have been removed long ago and that keeping him in office is a grave mistake by BNP. Speaking at his home in Badraganj, he demanded swift removal and legal action, arguing the presidency cannot remain above accountability if constitutional duties and public expectations are unmet.

Azhar warned the government cannot sidestep the implementation of the July referendum result and said ignoring the popular verdict will carry political consequences for the government. He threatened constitutional measures inside parliament and democratic movements outside if the result is not implemented swiftly. He also criticized BNP for following patterns of authoritarian governance he attributes to the current ruling party and called for strengthening democratic institutions.

Azhar said he will raise people's demands strongly in parliament and continue peaceful political programs to secure democratic rights and enforce the referendum's outcome.

Protesters in India demanding the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan have adopted an internet trend centering on Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland during demonstrations in July 2026. Gen-Z activists and social media users have turned the 25-year-old striker into a humorous focal point, dubbing him the "people's prince" and linking his online presence to pressure on political leaders amid the ongoing net question leak controversy.

The trend grew after a parody Instagram post using Narendra Modi's name invited Haaland to reply, joking that Modi would accept Pradhan's resignation if Haaland responded; the post drew thousands of comments. Comedians and users contributed memes and jokes, and protesters in Mumbai even mimicked Haaland's "Viking roar" celebration during street demonstrations, showing how internet culture is being used alongside slogans and speeches.

Observers note that frustrated young people are using memes and viral content to express anger and mobilize; the source attributes the reporting to The Telegraph India and links the phenomenon to the broader Gen-Z movement in India.

Students and young people from across India have travelled to Delhi to take part in the 'Kakroach Janata Party' mass protest against alleged exam paper leaks and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Many arrived by overnight trains or buses and some left home without informing their families; several teenagers from Mumbai and Prayagraj were observed at the protest site near Jantar Mantar on Monday.

Witnesses at Jantar Mantar described participants distributing cold drinks and aiding fellow protesters; a 15-year-old from Prayagraj said he ran away from home and did not bring a bag to avoid detection. A young woman at the protest concealed her identity with a mask, fearing opposition from family and villagers who support the ruling party. Protesters invoked figures such as Bhagat Singh and B.R. Ambedkar and displayed banners referencing Bhagat Singh's 1929 hunger strike, while chanting "Inquilab Zindabad."

Organisers and participants continued the demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Monday, with reports of police detaining a hunger-striking protester and social media posts about a missing student later saying she was found.

Deputy Speaker and Netrokona-1 MP Barrister Kaysar Kamal said many schools lack adequate student attendance despite government initiatives to improve primary education. He made the remark on Thursday at a reception in Kolmakanda upazila parishad hall for 94 students who received primary scholarship exam awards for 2025.
Kamal noted the government has provided free books, bags and shoes, increased teachers' pay and pensions, and taken other steps to modernise primary education, yet some schools with multi-storey buildings have only four or five students in classrooms. He emphasised the role of teachers in changing attitudes, urging them to care for all pupils as they would their own children and warning that a teacher shapes a child's lifelong mindset and responsibility.
At the event Kamal recalled the martyrs of the July mass uprising and said their sacrifice will be fulfilled when the nation raises children as humane citizens. He administered an oath to the scholarship recipients, who pledged to continue to grade eight and contribute as good citizens; 94 students were honoured, including 53 talent pool and 41 general grade scholars, with local officials, teachers, guardians and media present.

Deputy Minister of Water Resources and MP Farhad Hossain Azad recommended appointment of two members of July martyrs' families as office assistants in constituency inspection rooms in Boda and Debiganj, Panchagarh, the appointments announced on July 23, 2026.
According to the report, the appointments were made after the deputy minister directed that members of July martyr families be given priority when office assistant positions opened in the MP inspection rooms. One appointee joined as office assistant in the Boda Upazila MP inspection room from Sakoa union, the sister of July martyr Sumon, and the other joined in the Debiganj Upazila MP inspection room from Mareya union, the son of July martyr Abu Saeed.
The deputy minister also said he gives a monthly stipend of five thousand taka from his official remuneration to four of six July warrior families in the district, and that the appointments and financial support aim to honor sacrificial families and create employment opportunities for them. Local residents welcomed the initiative as a humanitarian example by the deputy minister.

A newly built girder bridge in Khanzapur union of Gournadi, Barishal, collapsed on Wednesday afternoon after its roof was poured that morning. The bridge was constructed under the Rural Infrastructure Development and Implementation Project at a cost of 3.9 million taka tendered in 2023–24; the work was later taken over by contractor Abul Khayer who finished construction in June 2026 but failed to complete handover on schedule. Local project implementation officer Khokon Chandra Das said he was not informed and did not attend the pouring, and that the contractor proceeded without notifying him.

Officials and the contractor give differing accounts: the project officer says he had instructed the contractor to notify him before pouring and alleged the contractor acted without permission; the contractor says the officer and an engineer inspected the bridge the previous morning, were told about the pouring, but did not attend and generally do not oversee pourings in the field. The contractor blamed heavy rain and failure of centering bamboo, claiming about 1.2 million taka in damage. The upazila executive officer said a show-cause notice was issued to the contractor and that if found guilty he could be blacklisted and ministry action taken; any PIO negligence would also be investigated.

Opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman urged the government to accept the referendum verdict delivered by nearly 70 percent of voters. He spoke on Thursday afternoon, July 23, at a rally organized by Jamaat’s Mirpur region under its Dhaka North city unit at Mirpur 10 in the capital. The gathering demanded implementation of the referendum result and the spirit of the July mass uprising, along with trials over the July killings and crimes against humanity. Rahman warned that disregarding the public verdict would carry consequences and said Jamaat’s struggle inside and outside parliament would continue until its goals were achieved.

Rahman alleged that justice over the July killings was no longer visible and urged the government to focus on the trials. He also called for state honors and titles for those killed, recognition of their contributions in textbooks and history, and official lists, treatment, and dignified support for injured and disabled people. Rally chair Mohammad Selim Uddin demanded implementation of the referendum verdict and prompt city corporation elections. Dhaka-14 lawmaker Barrister Ahmed Bin Quasem Arman urged the government to convene the constitutional reform council and implement the July Charter fully.

Abhijit Deep, head of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), criticized the Indian government, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi took 34 days to acknowledge the exam paper leak scandal. He called Modi’s silence shameful and accused the government of protecting Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan despite widespread protests and calls for his resignation. Modi had earlier announced the formation of a fast-track court to punish those involved, but the CJP rejected the proposal.

On social media, Modi stated that nothing is more important than protecting the future of young people and that those responsible would not be spared. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das dismissed the government’s move as a temporary fix, citing a history of impunity in past leak cases. Protesters vowed to continue demonstrations until the education minister resigns and systemic reforms are made.

Opposition parties expressed solidarity with the protesters, disrupting parliamentary sessions. Police used tear gas and batons against nearly 50,000 demonstrators in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, while protests spread to Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and other cities.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah is set to meet the ambassadors of India and China separately in Kathmandu this week, marking a shift in his diplomatic approach. Since taking office, Shah had avoided holding one-on-one meetings with foreign envoys, but he now plans to sit down individually with Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming. The meetings are expected to take place on the same day to signal equal importance to both neighboring countries.

According to The Kathmandu, Shah’s decision follows consultations with business and professional groups, after which he opted to increase direct engagement with foreign diplomats. The Prime Minister’s Office stated that the process is being initiated with India and China due to their significance in Nepal’s foreign policy.

The move reflects Shah’s effort to balance relations between India and China while adjusting his earlier stance of avoiding exclusive diplomatic meetings.

Abhijit Deepak, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, fell ill while protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. He announced on social media that despite high fever and body pain, he had continued the protest with painkillers but would take a short break. Deepak stated he plans to return to the protest stage by Thursday evening.

The protesters, including Deepak, are demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Deepak accused police of brutality after officers allegedly used batons and tear gas on demonstrators Wednesday night, while police claimed protesters had thrown stones and bottles as they moved toward Parliament Street.

Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a fast-track court to ensure strict punishment for those involved in the exam paper leak case. He said the government is committed to protecting the future of the country’s youth, a move that received full support from top NDA and BJP leaders.

National Citizen Party (NCP) South Region Chief Organizer and Cumilla-4 MP Hasnat Abdullah said that the recent disappearance in Mongla represents a dark chapter for the current government. Speaking at the NCP’s “July March” program in Mongla on July 22, he claimed that enforced disappearances have reemerged in Bangladesh after 2024, raising new concerns about human rights and the rule of law.

The incident involves Miraj Sheikh from Joymoni area of Mongla, who reportedly went missing after being taken away by individuals identifying themselves as Coast Guard members. The High Court has ordered that he be produced within 15 days. Abdullah criticized the government for failing to implement the promised disappearance commission and accused the ruling party of opposing its formation despite past victimhood claims.

He emphasized that such incidents are unacceptable and called for impartial investigations and legal action against those responsible. Abdullah also announced Molla Rahmatullah as the NCP’s mayoral candidate for Mongla Port Municipality during the event, which was attended by senior party leaders who stressed the need for state reform and accountability.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan has emphasized the necessity of establishing a proper authority to determine who qualifies as a journalist in Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Thursday at the Secretariat during the 34th meeting of the Press Accreditation Committee, which was also the first meeting of the newly formed committee.

In his directive speech, the minister advised committee members to ensure that every decision reflects the constitution, existing laws, and regulations. He urged them to act with foresight, wisdom, and inclusiveness so that decisions are widely accepted. Swapan also reminded members that as representatives of an elected government, they must work responsibly for all citizens, not from a partisan standpoint.

He further noted that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is politically sensitive and that even minor decisions could have significant political and social impacts. Therefore, he called for long-term thinking and careful judgment in decision-making. The meeting was chaired by Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmad and attended by senior ministry officials and committee members.