Senior leaders of the National Citizen Party, or NCP, are scheduled to take part in a march and rally in Ajmiriganj, Habiganj, on July 28 under the party’s announced programme. Ajmiriganj upazila NCP convener Kamal Ahmed said party convener Nahid Islam, chief organiser Sarjis Alam and chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, along with other central leaders, would participate.

The announced schedule calls for a march at 11am in Ajmiriganj upazila headquarters. Local leaders and activists, supporters and members of the public are expected to join the central leaders. At 12pm, the leaders are due to address a rally at the Ajmiriganj Central Shaheed Minar premises.

Party activists across the upazila have shown enthusiasm over the leaders’ visit, with groups from different unions preparing to join with processions. Local leaders said preparations to make the programme successful had been completed. Party sources said the rally may address the country’s current political situation, democracy, youth participation and the NCP’s future plans. Relevant authorities have taken necessary security measures, while organisers expect a large turnout.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has issued arrest warrants against 31 defendants, including Sheikh Hasina, in a crimes against humanity case over alleged killings at a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Square in Motijheel, Dhaka, on May 5, 2013. The order was issued on Monday by a three-member Tribunal-2 panel led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, according to a report published July 28. The case names 41 accused in total.

Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam presented two allegations at the hearing. The first concerned the killing of 32 people at Shapla Square on May 5, 2013. The second concerned killings on May 6 in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, including 20 people, and in other parts of the country. Prosecutors alleged that the then government directed security forces to remove unarmed Hefazat leaders and activists from Shapla Square and that police, RAB and Border Guard Bangladesh conducted a joint operation.

The report said the prosecution alleged the operation involved grenades, tear gas, shotguns and lethal weapons. It cited evidence of 32 Hefazat activists killed or missing around Shapla Square, 20 killed in Siddhirganj, five in Chattogram and one in Cumilla. The tribunal granted the prosecution’s applications and set August 16 for the next hearing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in the United States for a planned meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington on the Iran crisis and the broader Middle East situation. The report, published on July 28, says the two leaders are expected to hold an important meeting. Netanyahu’s office said discussions will cover Iran, regional security and initiatives to expand peace across the Middle East.

Before departing for the United States, Netanyahu said all items on the agenda would be discussed, but that Iran was the most important issue. He said ensuring Israel’s overall security and broadening peace in the surrounding region would be central goals. Netanyahu also said complex circumstances require moving forward with both firmness and wisdom, and described his objective as securing Israel’s safety and future.

Netanyahu called the trip highly significant and said it would be his eighth meeting with Trump since Trump was elected president for a second time. He said he had met Trump more often during the second term than any other national leader. Alongside the bilateral meeting, Netanyahu will attend the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 12 after a brief illness.

Bangladesh’s government is considering abolishing the Rapid Action Battalion, or RAB, and the Home Ministry has drafted a proposal to repeal the 2003 law linked to its formation. The report, published on July 28, 2026, says the proposal would amend the Armed Police Battalions Ordinance, 1979, to create a separate unit under Bangladesh Police called the Special Response Forces or Special Response Battalion. The bill has been prepared for the next parliamentary session.

A senior Home Ministry official said the proposal considered reports from the United Nations, the Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International and the Commission for the Prevention of Enforced Disappearances, as well as US sanctions and recommendations from political parties. The report cites allegations involving disappearances, killings, torture and human rights violations. A UN fact-finding mission recommended abolishing RAB on February 12, 2025, while Human Rights Watch made a similar recommendation on January 28 that year.

Under the draft, RAB’s assets, funds, records, liabilities and property would transfer to the proposed police unit. Existing personnel would be attached to the new unit until new rules are made. Investigations and trials involving members accused of murder, enforced disappearance or crimes against humanity would continue under applicable laws.

Abu Hossain, the elder brother of Abu Sayeed, described as the first martyr killed by police gunfire during the 2024 movement, has issued an open letter to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. In a Facebook post reported on July 28, 2026, he urged the prime minister to address obstacles affecting ordinary people’s daily lives and to ensure their basic rights.

Hossain called for controls on essential commodity prices, fair prices for crops, and adequate supplies of fertilizer used in agriculture. He also urged reductions in fuel and electricity prices, saying higher energy costs have affected daily life and raised agricultural production expenses. He said government-set crop prices had not been implemented, and farmers were unable to sell raw and dry paddy at the expected prices.

The post also raised concerns that excess vehicles, especially battery-powered rickshaws, have reduced the income of low-income people in Dhaka while contributing to congestion. Hossain proposed reducing imports of luxury goods and cancelling non-urgent projects to provide subsidies for electricity and fuel. He said the government’s success would be evident when ordinary citizens could say they are better off than under Sheikh Hasina’s rule.

Days of heavy rainfall have extensively damaged earthen and paved roads across municipal areas and several unions in Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur, disrupting public movement. Without waiting for government allocations, several local political and social figures have used personal funds to carry out temporary repairs aimed at easing residents’ hardship.

In Doail union, BNP leader Morshed Alam placed brick chips and debris on damaged roads in several localities. In Kamrabad, Jahangir Kabir repaired the damaged earthen road from Barabaria Bottola intersection to Kandarpara, while Ujjwal Sarkar continued work on roads, mosques, madrasas and homes. Palash Mia Faruk repaired rain-damaged roads in Pogaldigha. A damaged HBB road beside a community clinic in Gendarpara was repaired again on the initiative of Montu Doctor.

In Bhatara union, Achimul Islam filled a broken section of the Gabtali Bazar–Char Haripur road with soil to restore vehicle movement temporarily. Residents have sought permanent repairs to a repeatedly damaged road in Shimalapalli. Upazila Project Implementation Officer Shawkat Jamil said applications regarding several damaged roads have been received, but no allocation has yet been provided.

Allegations over two illegally built markets on district council land in Chuknagar, Khulna, have divided local traders and spilled into local BNP politics. The report says the markets were constructed during the Awami League administration in violation of law, allegedly generating crores of taka. The dispute has involved public confrontations, an expulsion from the party and hostile exchanges on social media.

In separate memorandums to the Khulna-5 lawmaker and the divisional commissioner, the Chuknagar Bazar Traders Association said a roofed market was built after a dilapidated dak bungalow on 56 decimals of state khas land was demolished in 2020. It alleged that 88 allocation letters were issued, mostly to relatives, family members and shop employees linked to two individuals, while 126 shops were built. The memorandum said shops were being offered for Tk15 lakh to Tk25 lakh.

One group of traders wants all illegal structures removed, while another says it paid large bribes for shop allocations and would be ruined by demolition. District council administrator SM Monirul Hasan Bappi said a court case over the markets is pending and would resolve the matter. He also said he had moved to collect overdue rents and would not tolerate irregularities or breaches of party discipline.

At an NCP July road meeting at Gangni bus stand in Meherpur on Monday night, party Chief Organiser for the South Hasnat Abdullah MP said fugitive Sheikh Hasina would not return despite saying she would. He said calling activists out by promising a return from abroad would leave them vulnerable to mob beatings. Abdullah also made allegations and comments concerning the education ministry, home minister, BNP and the administration.

Abdullah alleged that failures by the ministry and administration had been shifted onto innocent college teachers through transfers. He claimed the home minister’s wealth had increased 25-fold and said BNP did not seek neutrality but wanted to pursue occupation-based politics like the Awami League. Addressing officials, he called for proper discharge of state duties and urged an end to extortion in building the next Bangladesh.

Chief guest Akhtar Hossain said BNP and its allies no longer wanted reforms after the vote, despite earlier public demand for reform. He called for implementing a referendum verdict. National Women’s Power member secretary Dr Mahmudah Mitu also criticised BNP and said the public knew how to resist attempts to attack NCP members. Several other NCP leaders addressed the event.

Mohammad Junaid and members of his family were released after allegations that they were detained and harassed for distributing food and water as volunteers at the Kakaroch Janata Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The report, published on July 28, said their release followed complaints that they had gone missing, public criticism and efforts by lawyers. Junaid’s lawyer announced on social media that the entire family had been freed, and a family member confirmed it.

Junaid alleged that men in plain clothes, identifying themselves as Delhi Police personnel, detained him last Friday night while he was returning from Delhi’s RML Hospital after treatment for a dog bite. He said he was blindfolded, taken to an unknown place, deprived of his phone and held overnight. He was questioned the following morning about the funding for food and water distributed to protesters.

Junaid said the supplies came from public donations and food sent by well-wishers. He also alleged that his father, brother-in-law and sister’s father-in-law were detained and documents were seized. Meerut Police denied detaining any family member. APCR offered legal support and said it would go to court if unlawful action continued.

Umme Marufa has been appointed on a contractual basis as first secretary for press at the press wing of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, India. The Contracts and Foreign Appointments Wing of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification on Monday regarding the appointment. The notification was signed by Deputy Secretary Golam Rabbani.

According to the notification, Marufa’s appointment is conditional on ending employment ties with any other profession, business, government, semi-government, private institution or organization. She will serve as first secretary for press in the mission’s press wing in Kolkata under the stated contractual arrangement.

Her term will be one year from the date she joins the post, the order said. Other conditions of the appointment will be determined through a contract document. The appointment follows the resignation on July 22 of Tariqul Islam Bhuiyan, also known as Tariq Chayan, who had been serving as press secretary at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.

The Anti-Fascist Teachers’ Forum, operating under Dhaka University’s BNP-aligned White Panel, has demanded a ban on all activities of the Awami League-aligned Blue Panel and exemplary punishment for teachers accused of acting against students during the July mass uprising. The group submitted a memorandum to Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A B M Obaidul Islam on Monday, July 27. It alleged that the Blue Panel had damaged the university’s democratic and free-thinking environment over the past decade and a half.

The memorandum accused Blue Panel teachers of publicly opposing student protesters, supporting state repression and describing protesters as pawns of a treasonous conspiracy. It also alleged that some teachers supported the then prime minister, recommended shooting protesters on sight, and supplied CCTV footage to police and Chhatra League to identify and torture demonstrators. These are allegations raised in the memorandum.

The forum also criticized the university administration’s role during the uprising, alleging it failed to prevent an armed attack on students on July 15 and forced students to leave campus after announcing closure on July 17. It called for swift disciplinary action against teachers accused of human rights violations and of taking positions against students.

Inqilab Mancha members elected Abdullah Al Jaber as convener and Fatima Tasnim Juma as member secretary through direct voting at a general meeting on Sunday, July 27, at 7 p.m. The meeting also decided that the organization would retain the name of martyred Osman Hadi in the spokesperson position for as long as Inqilab Mancha exists.

Following the election, the newly elected convener and member secretary announced an eight-member partial committee, saying it was intended to make the organization’s activities more dynamic and organized. Rakibul Islam, also known as Roksan Rakib, was named organizational secretary, while Shohaib Bin Ahsan Siam became assistant organizational secretary. Rayhan Ahmed was appointed office secretary and Muhammad Omayer finance secretary.

Naim Ibn Jahir was named media and publicity secretary, with Habibur Rahman Misbah as assistant media and publicity secretary. A search committee was also formed to expand organizational activities and turn the partial committee into a full committee by assessing qualified and active members. G A Sabir will convene the committee, Mamunur Rahman Adnan will serve as member secretary, and its members include Asaduzzaman Asad, Hisham Ibrahim, Shanto Akter and Shakin Shahraj.

Two upazila executive officers in Faridpur’s Bhanga and Sadarpur have returned a combined Tk 10.08 million in unspent canal re-excavation funds to the government treasury. Bhanga UNO Mahmudul Hasan returned Tk 6,439,916, while Sadarpur UNO Sharif Shawon returned Tk 3.64 million, according to a report published on July 27. Both officials confirmed the matter on Monday night.

The funds were allocated under the prime minister’s special priority canal excavation programme. Bhanga received Tk 36,047,775 for re-excavating three canals, while Sadarpur received Tk 21,894,804 for four canals. Formal work in Bhanga began on February 4 in canal areas of Gharua and Manikdah unions.

The report said excavation work was disrupted and later stopped because canals became submerged during low rainfall in June and July. As the projects in the two upazilas were not completed properly, the remaining allocations were returned. Local lawmaker Shahidul Islam Khan Babul thanked the two officials, describing their actions as an example of transparency and accountability. The report also said the officials received praise from local residents.

Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan MP called on ulema to play a leading role in a movement to establish an equitable welfare state. He made the appeal as chief guest at a mufassir conference organized by the Dhaka division of Bangladesh Majlisul Mufassirin at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium on Monday afternoon.

Khan said respected Quranic interpreters should play a historic role with their highest wisdom at what he described as the most suitable time for Islam to achieve victory in the country. He urged them to seek the satisfaction of the Almighty through that role.

Special guest Maulana Abdul Halim called on ulema to put aside minor differences and work in unity in the struggle to establish an equitable state. Dr Khalilur Rahman Madani said the sole aim of mufassirs would be to bring the noble teachings of the Quran to every household. The conference, chaired by Dhaka division president Maulana Abdul Mannan Ansari, also heard from central leaders and other mufassirs, including Maulana Abdul Hamid and Professor Maulana Nurul Amin MP.

Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam said history written in blood can never be erased at a discussion marking the second anniversary of the July mass uprising at Jahangirnagar University. The event, titled “July: Legacy of Bloodshed,” was held Monday afternoon in the seminar room of Zahir Raihan Auditorium and organized by the university unit of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti. Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan chaired the meeting.

Nahid said young people had voted for change, but people change after gaining power. He alleged that the current government was not discussing state reform and did not seek to implement it through a referendum. He cited institutional reform, reducing economic inequality, ensuring democracy and building an independent foreign policy as commitments of the July uprising.

Narayanganj-4 lawmaker and NCP joint member secretary Abdullah Al Amin said universities should question those in power and bring the state to accountability. He said students should also hold representatives accountable if they stand against the public. General students attended the programme, where winners of a writing competition received prizes. Leaders from the NCP, Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, Jatiya Nari Shakti and Jatiya Jubo Shakti also spoke.