Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir president Nurul Islam has demanded the immediate execution of the verdict in the July massacre case, which he said occurred under the rule of the Awami League government. Speaking on Thursday morning at the Rayerbazar Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard in Dhaka, he stated that the organization wants not only a symbolic verdict but its full implementation. The visit was part of a month-long program marking the second anniversary of the July uprising.

Nurul Islam alleged that the massacre began on 16 July 2024 with the killing of Abu Sayeed and that more than 1,400 people were killed, with over 800 bodies identified so far. He criticized the current judicial process, claiming that only ornamental verdicts had been issued against fugitives while no substantial rulings were seen for those arrested. He demanded swift justice for those responsible, including those who allegedly ordered and assisted in the killings.

The event concluded with prayers for the martyrs, attended by Shibir’s secretary general Sibgatullah and other central and branch leaders.

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiquur Rahman has alleged that efforts are underway to erase the legacy of the 'Chobbish' movement, comparing it to past attempts to undermine national struggles. Speaking on Thursday at the Diploma Engineers Institution auditorium in Dhaka during a discussion and prayer meeting marking July Martyrs’ Day, he swore that he would give his life but would not allow 'Chobbish' to be lost.

Rahman said the nation has repeatedly fought and sacrificed for victory, citing historical milestones such as 1947, 1952, 1971, 1990, and 'Chobbish' as proud chapters. He criticized attempts to diminish the significance of the 'Chobbish' movement, asserting that it gave rise to the current parliament and opposition leadership. He also condemned the formation of a constitutional amendment committee, calling it an effort to obscure the July referendum and the people’s verdict.

Rahman reaffirmed Jamaat-e-Islami’s commitment to justice, equality, and independence in foreign policy, emphasizing that the party seeks honest relations with neighboring India but rejects external dictates. He demanded state recognition for July martyrs and injured fighters through naming roads and installations after them.

Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stated that Sheikh Hasina, currently in India as a convicted fugitive, will be arrested and her court verdict executed if she returns to the country. He made the remarks on Thursday while speaking to journalists at the Secretariat. The minister added that any opportunity for appeal would be determined by the court, which would decide on the process and hearing.

Ahmed explained that Bangladesh has already communicated with the Indian government under the existing extradition agreement during the interim government period, seeking Hasina’s return. He said the government continues to press for her extradition to face justice. The minister emphasized that the legal process will guide any further steps, including potential appeals.

He also noted that the government’s efforts to bring her back are based on lawful procedures and existing bilateral agreements, reiterating that the judiciary will determine subsequent legal actions.

Major Mozzafar Hossain (retired), one of the key planners in the assassination of former President Ziaur Rahman, has been arrested after remaining a fugitive for 45 years. Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police detained him late Wednesday night in the Banani DOHS area of the capital. Following legal procedures, he has been handed over to the Bangladesh Army for completion of court-martial proceedings.

According to historical and case records, Ziaur Rahman was killed on May 30, 1981, in Chittagong Circuit House by a group of renegade army officers. Major Mozzafar Hossain and Captain Mosleh Uddin were among those directly involved. Mozzafar reportedly identified the president and fired the fatal shots before informing then GOC Major General Abul Manzoor of the killing. After the incident, several officers were arrested, but Mozzafar and another officer managed to escape.

Investigators said Mozzafar had lived in India between 1997 and 1998, using aliases to move across borders. His capture marks a major development in one of Bangladesh’s most discussed political murder cases, reopening a long-unresolved chapter of national history.

Tanzila Akter Tanu, a participant in the July Revolution, recounted her experience of being shot six times while protesting against injustice and authoritarianism. She described standing unarmed with other female students at Jatrabari’s Kutubkhali on August 4, when police opened fire. Despite severe injuries, she was rescued by an unknown person and later treated in hospital. Her story, shared with journalist Amanur Rahman, highlights the courage and sacrifice of women during the uprising.

Tanu said her main inspiration came from witnessing Abu Sayeed’s defiant stance in Rangpur on July 16, which symbolized resistance and erased her fear. She also recalled the deaths of fellow protesters Mir Mugdho, Farhan Faiyaz, and Yamin as further motivation. The long recovery period left her financially and emotionally strained, but she continues to view the revolution as a triumph over fear.

Reflecting on the movement’s outcomes, Tanu believes the revolution freed people from long-standing fear and repression. She urged the state to ensure rehabilitation and medical care for victims’ families and called on the new generation to build an equitable, corruption-free Bangladesh.

UK’s incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly preparing to appoint current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as the country’s next finance minister, according to a Financial Times report citing three sources. Burnham is expected to take office next week, with an official announcement on cabinet appointments likely on Monday.

Neither Mahmood’s spokesperson nor Burnham’s team provided immediate comment on the report. A spokesperson for Burnham told the Financial Times that they would not discuss potential ministerial appointments before the formal announcement. Mahmood, while not having extensive experience in economic affairs, is known for her firm stance on immigration issues.

In a recent interview, Burnham said he would thoroughly review the nation’s financial situation after forming the government and would not hesitate to take tough decisions if necessary, including possible tax increases depending on future conditions.

An eleven-party alliance, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, organized a colorful rally in Titas upazila of Cumilla to mark the second death anniversary of Abu Sayeed, the first martyr of the July 2024 mass uprising. The event took place on Thursday morning along the Gauripur-Homna road, drawing participation from leaders and activists of various social and professional organizations. After parading key roads, the rally concluded with a brief gathering on the Karikandi Bridge.

Speakers at the assembly said Abu Sayeed’s sacrifice would inspire unity against inequality. They prayed for the martyrs’ souls and urged all to work together to build a just, democratic, and discrimination-free Bangladesh upholding the spirit of the July movement.

Local leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami, the National Citizens Party, business and youth forums, labor welfare federations, and Islami Chhatra Shibir attended the rally, reflecting broad participation from different sectors of the alliance.

A dawn-to-dusk hartal is being observed on Thursday in Fatikchhari North upazila of Chattogram, demanding that the upazila headquarters be established at a logical location. According to the report, locals blocked parts of the Baraeiarhat–Khagrachhari and Gahira–Heyako roads by placing tree trunks and burning tires, while a truck was parked across the road at Chikonchhara. The strike was called by the Fatikchhari North Upazila Implementation Coordination Council.

Residents from Baganbazar, Dantmara, and Narayanhat unions joined the protest. Council coordinator Nurul Amin said they had previously held human chains, road blockades, press conferences, and submitted memorandums to press their demand, but resorted to the hartal after authorities failed to respond. Dantmara Union Parishad member Kamal Uddin stated that people from all walks of life supported the strike.

Fatikchhari’s Bhujpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Bipul Chandra Dey reported that the hartal was peaceful and no untoward incidents had been recorded, with police remaining on alert.

Home Minister Salauddin Ahmed stated that a vested group is attempting to exploit the ongoing student movement demanding the resignation of the education minister. He made the remarks on Thursday while speaking to journalists at the Secretariat, emphasizing that the government has taken the students’ demands seriously and already provided solutions.

According to the minister, the current movement is not limited to students alone, as some groups may be trying to embarrass the government. He highlighted that the education minister has announced measures to address concerns, including allowing students affected by heavy rain and flooding to take their exams later with the Chattogram division. The minister also assured that the issue regarding the physics question paper has been resolved.

Salauddin Ahmed added that even if others are behind the student movement, the government remains at the forefront in addressing the situation.

The Trump administration is considering imposing a $100,000 advance fee or bond on foreign nationals applying for U.S. permanent residency, according to reports on July 16, 2026. The U.S. State Department is reviewing the proposal, which aims to make immigration more difficult for low-income applicants. The policy could initially be tested in several countries, requiring applicants to deposit the amount, refundable upon obtaining U.S. citizenship.

Officials said the bond would serve as financial security to ensure that green card holders can support themselves in the United States. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told The Wall Street Journal that the review aligns with President Trump’s stance that immigrants must be financially self-reliant. Analysts believe the high bond amount is designed to discourage applicants from lower-income nations.

The proposal follows a series of Trump administration measures to restrict immigration, including visa suspensions for 75 countries and a blocked $100,000 fee plan for H-1B visa sponsors. A previous “Trump Gold Card” program requiring $1 million saw minimal participation, with only one approval out of 338 applications by May 2026.

On 16 July 2024, widespread protests broke out across Bangladesh following the death of Abu Sayeed, a student of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, who was shot by police during demonstrations demanding quota reform. The incident, described as an act of defiance, quickly spread across the country, with students from public and private universities, colleges, and schools joining the movement. Violent clashes occurred in Dhaka, Chattogram, and other major cities, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.

The protests were triggered by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s remarks on 14 July 2024, labeling quota reform activists as descendants of collaborators, which sparked outrage among university students. Demonstrations intensified after police and ruling party supporters attacked protesters at Dhaka University on 15 July. By 16 July, the movement had evolved into a nationwide anti-government uprising.

The government responded by closing educational institutions, imposing curfews, and shutting down internet and social media services. Despite these measures, the protests continued until Hasina reportedly fled the country on 5 August 2024, marking a turning point in Bangladesh’s political unrest.

On July 15, 2016, Turkey witnessed a failed military coup attempt marked by tanks on the streets, air raids, and a bombing of the parliament building. Citizens responded to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call and thwarted the coup within hours, leaving 253 people dead. The event triggered sweeping political, institutional, and foreign policy changes that continue to shape the country a decade later.

Following the coup, the government declared a state of emergency lasting until 2018 and launched the largest purge in Turkish history. Thousands of soldiers, judges, police officers, academics, and civil servants were detained or dismissed for alleged links to cleric Fethullah Gulen’s network, which authorities blamed for the coup. Critics argued the purge was used to silence dissent. In 2017, a referendum replaced the parliamentary system with a powerful presidential model, consolidating authority under Erdogan. International organizations reported declining judicial independence and press freedom, with Turkey ranking 163rd in the 2026 press freedom index.

The coup attempt also ended the military’s traditional political role, placing the armed forces firmly under civilian control. Turkey’s foreign policy became more security-focused, marked by operations in northern Syria and closer ties with Russia despite tensions with the United States and stalled EU accession talks.

Leaders of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir visited the Rayerbazar Martyred Intellectuals’ Cemetery in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area to pay tribute to the unidentified and unclaimed martyrs of the July uprising. The visit took place at 8 a.m. on Thursday as part of a month-long program marking the second anniversary of the uprising. The delegation included Shibir’s central president Nurul Islam, secretary general Sibgatullah, and other central leaders.

During the visit, the leaders offered prayers and held a special doa and munajat seeking forgiveness for the souls of the martyrs. The event was organized as part of the organization’s broader commemorative activities throughout July.

The observance reflects Shibir’s continued engagement in memorial events related to the July uprising, emphasizing remembrance and spiritual reflection on the sacrifices made during that period.

A nationwide student-led protest in Bangladesh has culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after five weeks of unrest. The movement began as a campaign against the 30 percent quota in government jobs reserved for descendants of freedom fighters. Abu Saeed, a 25-year-old student from a farming family, emerged as one of the key coordinators of the movement. His death from police gunfire during a demonstration sparked widespread outrage and mobilized citizens across the country.

The protests, initially focused on reforming the quota system, expanded into a broader demand for systemic change and Hasina’s resignation. Following the killing of more than two hundred demonstrators, including Saeed, the High Court revised the quota policy, reducing the allocation to 7 percent for the grandchildren of 1971 war veterans. However, the decision failed to quell public anger, leading to intensified demonstrations.

Hasina eventually left the country aboard a military aircraft, acknowledging the unstoppable momentum of the student and public uprising. The movement’s success underscored a national desire for democracy and human rights over economic progress under authoritarian rule.

The High Court has ruled that an unproven or ineffective divorce cannot be used as a reason to avoid paying maintenance or enforcing a dower decree for a wife and minor child. The judgment, delivered by Justice Abdur Rahman’s single bench, was made public on July 16, 2026. The court clarified that a child’s right to maintenance is an independent legal entitlement, not dependent on disputes between parents over divorce.

According to case records, a couple married in 2011, and the wife later filed a case seeking dower and maintenance for herself and their minor daughter. The husband claimed he had already divorced his wife but failed to prove it legally in Family Court, which then issued a decree in favor of the wife and child. When the husband filed a new declaratory suit claiming the divorce was effective and sought to halt execution of the decree, lower courts rejected his plea, leading to the High Court appeal.

The court emphasized that unless a competent court stays a decree, it remains enforceable. It reaffirmed that Family Courts hold exclusive jurisdiction over disputes involving marriage, divorce, dower, and maintenance.