Anisur Rahman Khokon Talukder, Member of Parliament for Madaripur-3, reaffirmed his commitment to assist residents affected by river erosion in the region. Speaking on Friday afternoon at an emergency riverbank protection program along the Arial Khan River in Bashgari Union of Kalkini upazila, he said that both the BNP government and local representatives are working to curb erosion and stand by affected communities. He urged locals to pray for the success of emergency geo-bag placement to prevent further damage.

Talukder added that efforts would continue to build permanent embankments using concrete blocks to protect the union from future erosion. He mentioned that the current government and most MPs are vocal about protecting rivers, canals, and riverside communities, and that BNP leader Tarique Rahman is also active in ensuring public welfare. The event was attended by local BNP leaders, including the upazila president, general secretary, and other affiliated organization representatives.

The initiative highlights ongoing political and community engagement in addressing river erosion challenges in Madaripur district.

Bangladesh National Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikrom attended the state funeral of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The ceremony, held at the Grand Musalla, was marked by solemn prayers for the late leader. On behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh, the Speaker conveyed condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior leaders, signing the condolence book afterward.

Prior to the funeral, Speaker Ahmad met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf for a bilateral meeting. He condemned the killing of the Iranian leader and reaffirmed the historic friendship and cultural ties between Bangladesh and Iran. Ahmad also praised Ghalibaf’s constructive role in implementing the recently signed peace memorandum between Iran and the United States, expressing hope that it would bring lasting peace and stability to the region.

During his visit, Ahmad met Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, who sought Bangladesh’s assistance in developing cricket in Iran. The Speaker also invited Ghalibaf to visit Bangladesh and later gave an interview to Iran Radio’s Bangla section, discussing bilateral and regional issues.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended a memorial event in Dhaka honoring those killed in the July 24 uprising. The ceremony took place on Saturday morning, July 4, at the China Friendship Conference Center in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, where Rahman was present as the chief guest. The event was jointly organized by the July 24 Martyrs’ Family Society and the group Amra July Joddha to mark the second anniversary of the 2024 uprising.

According to the organizers, the commemoration is part of a broader nine-day program marking the second anniversary of the July uprising. The program, announced by the BNP’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, will begin on July 15 with a discussion at Dhaka University’s TSC auditorium and conclude on August 3 with a student rally at the Central Shaheed Minar. Tarique Rahman is also expected to attend the closing event as chief guest.

The memorial and related events aim to honor those who lost their lives during the uprising and to reaffirm the political movement’s commitment to their memory.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Istanbul on an official visit at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The visit aims to further strengthen relations between Pakistan and Turkey. Upon arrival at Istanbul Airport, Sharif was received by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Dr. Yousaf Junaid, and officials from Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

According to an official statement, Prime Minister Sharif and President Erdoğan will hold detailed discussions on all key aspects of Pakistan-Turkey relations. The talks will focus on expanding trade and investment, promoting regional peace and security, and advancing issues of mutual interest. During his stay in Istanbul, Sharif will address a business conference highlighting investment opportunities in Pakistan’s special economic zones, energy, information technology, and privatization sectors.

The conference will be attended by leading Turkish business figures, investors, and government officials, with the goal of enhancing economic cooperation between the two nations.

Police in Bhangura upazila of Pabna released Jubo League leader Ripon Sarkar late Friday night after detaining him earlier on suspicion of involvement in sabotage. He was freed around 10:30 p.m., following a protest led by Shafiqul Islam Sohel, joint convener of the upazila Chhatra Dal, who, along with about 200 villagers, surrounded the police station demanding Ripon’s release.

According to police and local sources, Ripon, president of Ward No. 1 (Patulipara) Jubo League in Par-Bhangura Union, was arrested from his village on Friday evening. The protesters were later dispersed by police, after which a discussion took place in the officer-in-charge’s room between police officials, the Chhatra Dal leader, and several local figures. Following the meeting, Ripon was released on a written bond under the custody of villagers.

The officer-in-charge, Shakiul Azam, stated that Ripon had been detained as a suspect but was released after no evidence of involvement was found.

Maulana Tajul Islam, the Jamaat-e-Islami chief of Kotchandpur upazila in Jhenaidah, has been temporarily relieved of his duties for three months. The suspension followed allegations that he gifted a bicycle, allocated under an Asian Development Bank (ADB) program, to his granddaughter through irregular means. The decision was announced on Friday at a Rukon conference held at Al Falah Center in Kotchandpur town by district Jamaat chief and Jhenaidah-2 MP Ali Azam Md. Abu Bakar. Retired teacher Azizur Rahman has been appointed as the acting upazila chief.

According to party sources, Tajul Islam presided over the first session of the conference but was absent in the second session, during which the suspension was declared. Newly appointed acting chief Azizur Rahman confirmed that the step was taken to protect the party’s image after negative media coverage regarding the misuse of government-distributed bicycles.

Reports of irregularities in the official bicycle distribution in Kotchandpur had recently surfaced in various media and social platforms, prompting the district Jamaat leadership to take immediate organizational action.

Member of Parliament for Patuakhali-2 (Baufal) Dr. Shafiqul Islam Masud said that those who criticize them are greeted with respect. He made the remarks on Friday, July 3, during a goat distribution event for underprivileged families organized by the Zakat Welfare Foundation in Adabaria area of Baufal upazila, where he served as the chief guest.

Dr. Masud emphasized that zakat is one of the key obligations in Islam, mentioned around 80 times in the Holy Quran, and urged everyone to be conscious and responsible in fulfilling it. He added that even the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) faced insults for preaching Islam, and that criticism should be met with gratitude and patience. He stated that speaking out against injustice, corruption, and drugs is more important than political compromises.

He described the Zakat Welfare Foundation as a trusted organization that had been active in Baufal before his tenure as MP and announced plans to expand its activities to every union in the upazila.

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqul Rahman stated that there will be no compromise on Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty. Speaking at a meeting with local journalists at the Netrakona District Circuit House on Friday morning, he emphasized that not even a grain of sand of the country would be surrendered. He said that alongside the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), all citizens must act as guardians of the nation.

Later, Dr. Rahman attended the Jamaat-e-Islami Netrakona district branch’s semi-annual members’ conference as the chief guest. He mentioned that his party had sent a notice to the government seeking discussion on border issues, but the government had not allowed such talks. He added that when the parliament session begins on the 7th, they will again raise the issue for discussion.

Dr. Rahman further said that if necessary, he would personally issue the notice to ensure the matter is addressed in parliament. He stressed that the parliament represents 180 million people, and a united voice from it would send a strong message of national unity to the world.

BNP Central Information Secretary and MP Azizul Bari Helal stated that anyone following the Awami League’s politics of occupation, extortion, and corruption would have no place in the BNP. Speaking on Friday at a farmers’ gathering in Khulna’s Rupsha Model Mosque auditorium, organized by the Bangladesh Rural Development Board to mark National Rural Development Day, he emphasized that the party would not take responsibility for any member involved in irregularities or misuse of the party name.

Helal accused the Awami League of establishing a culture of corruption and misappropriation over the past 17 years and warned that BNP members must not repeat those practices. He cited directives from acting chairman Tarique Rahman, declaring a zero-tolerance policy against such misconduct. Helal also urged the administration to take strict legal action against land grabbers and extortionists regardless of political affiliation.

Addressing rural economic issues, he noted that government agricultural loans and development funds often fail to reach genuine farmers, instead benefiting politically influential groups. He called for greater responsibility from officials to ensure that real farmers receive state support.

Barrister A.M. Mahbub Uddin Khokon, president of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association and MP for Noakhali-1, sharply criticized the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during a public event in Chatkhil on July 3, 2026. He described the ACC as an ineffective and corrupt institution, claiming that it flatters whichever government is in power while harassing ordinary citizens and favoring large business interests. He urged that the ACC’s character as a state body must change.

Speaking as chief guest at a seed, fertilizer, and tree distribution program organized by the local agriculture department, Khokon also called on the search committee responsible for appointing the ACC chairman and commissioners to select honest and impartial individuals free from nepotism or political loyalty. He linked the country’s economic difficulties to declining public trust in banks, leading to reduced reinvestment and rising unemployment.

Khokon further warned against corruption in road and development projects, instructing local officials to ensure transparency and quality. He emphasized public safety, agricultural fieldwork, and environmental balance through tree planting initiatives in his constituency.

The private university wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s student organization held a celebratory rally in Dhaka on Friday, thanking Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman for reducing the VAT rate on private universities, introducing free study opportunities for poor meritorious students, and initiating third-language education. The rally began in front of Prime Asia University on Kamal Ataturk Avenue and concluded after marching through Banani’s main roads.

Central Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Md. Rakibul Islam Rakib attended as chief guest, praising the historic role of private university students in national movements. The organization’s president Md. Abu Horaira and general secretary M. Rajibul Islam Talukder (Bindu) led the march, joined by leaders and students from around 50 to 52 private universities in Dhaka.

Speakers described the VAT reduction from 10% to 5% and new education initiatives as transformative for higher education, making it more inclusive and globally competitive. They also demanded the establishment of student unions in all private universities across the country.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi is closely observing developments related to Bangladesh’s Teesta mega project and possible discussions on purchasing Chinese J-10 fighter jets. He made the remarks during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, noting that India’s development cooperation with Bangladesh is based on mutual understanding and regular review.

The statement came as Bangladesh and China agreed to strengthen cooperation on Teesta and other transboundary river management. During his recent visit to China, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tareq Rahman declared the Teesta project a national priority and pledged to implement it at any cost. Chinese officials have stated that their cooperation with Bangladesh is not aimed at any third country. Meanwhile, China’s ambassador in Dhaka, Yao Wen, said discussions are underway to form a new platform for diplomatic and defense cooperation.

According to reports, India remains concerned about the Teesta project’s progress under Chinese involvement, while the long-pending Teesta water-sharing deal between Bangladesh and India remains unresolved due to opposition from West Bengal’s state government.

Iran has organized a large-scale farewell ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking the end of his nearly four-decade-long influence over the country’s politics, religious leadership, and regional geopolitics. The government is presenting the event as a demonstration of national unity, with President Masoud Pezeshkian describing the public turnout as a strong response to terrorism and oppression. The ceremony extends beyond Iran, with related events in Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala attended by senior Shia leaders and high-level delegations from countries including Russia, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Tehran aims to use the event to signal that the foundations of the Islamic Republic remain firm despite the leadership transition. The farewell serves as the first major test for the new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, providing a platform to establish his legitimacy. Military officials have stated that the massive participation demonstrates that the late leader’s path continues under new leadership.

Through this nationwide mobilization, Iran seeks to affirm institutional stability, public support, and the continuity of its political and religious unity.

Massive crowds have gathered outside the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran to pay their final respects to Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The complex opened to the public at 6 a.m. local time, but thousands had already lined up since dawn. The ceremony marks the beginning of a week-long mourning period across Iran and Iraq, with state-organized events allowing citizens to honor Khamenei and his deceased family members.

Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack during the early phase of the ongoing war, which also claimed several of his relatives. Iranian authorities expect between 15 and 20 million mourners to gather in Tehran over the next three days. Security has been tightened across the capital, with road closures and airspace restrictions. Foreign dignitaries from Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, China, India, and other nations have attended the ceremonies.

Following the Tehran events, Khamenei’s funeral procession will travel to Qom and later to Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala before his burial in Mashhad, his birthplace, on Friday. His son and current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Ali Khamenei is not attending due to security threats from Israel.

Thousands of residents gathered at the Chakpara border area in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj after Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel suddenly turned off their floodlights on Friday night. The incident occurred around 9:45 p.m., prompting locals to rush to the border and remain there until about 12:30 a.m. amid growing tension.

According to local accounts, the BSF switched off the lights on the Indian side, which led residents to suspect a possible push-in attempt. In response to loud protests and shouting from the Bangladeshi side, the BSF later turned the lights back on. Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, commanding officer of the 59th BGB Mahananda Battalion, confirmed that locals had gathered out of concern over potential cross-border movement and said that Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were maintaining a strict watch at the Chakpara border.

Authorities reported that the situation remained under control, though heightened vigilance continued along the border area.