Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam stated that 246 additional recommendations from various state reform commissions have been selected for implementation. Of the total 367 recommendations, 37 have already been implemented and 14 partially applied. The new recommendations include 82 labor-focused, 71 from the Women’s Commission, 37 local government-related, 33 health-related, and 23 media-related proposals. Another 316 recommendations remain under review.

Syed Muhammad Foyzul Karim of Shaykhe Charmonai criticized widespread extortion, looting, occupation, and oppression across Bangladesh. “We did not risk our lives on the streets to witness such a Bangladesh. No government institution has been left untouched—even the judiciary has been occupied. Abu Saeed did not allow us to accept this,” he said in Netrokona. Karim urged citizens to resist extortion and oppression, asserting that if they could stand against Sheikh Hasina’s bullets and tanks in the past, they could confront injustice today.

GOP leader Rashed Khan raised concerns over interim government appointments, reacting to Advisor Asif Mahmud’s statement that those involved in politics or elections should not serve in an election-period government. “I fail to understand why individuals planning to contest elections are acting as interim government advisors. Previously, it was stated that advisors could not engage in politics or elections. Now, references to an election-period government appear. Has the interim government been replaced by a caretaker model?” Khan questioned.
He stressed that advisors assume responsibilities to ensure free and fair elections and should not resign prematurely. Any dereliction of duty, he said, should be met with accountability and potential dismissal.

Nationalist Freedom Fighters Party president Ishtiaq Aziz Ulfat warned that India, the Awami League, and Jamaat are the three main adversaries of Bangladesh. “They exploit any opportunity to lean on others’ shoulders, and everyone must remain vigilant,” he said. Ulfat condemned Jamaat for opposing Bangladesh’s independence, collaborating with Pakistani forces, and betraying mothers and sisters during the war.
He further criticized alleged corruption in the Freedom Fighters’ committees, claiming that almost half of the country’s committees were compromised by Awami League affiliates and fake freedom fighters. He implicated current Joint Convener Syed Munibur Rahman and Secretary Sadek Ahmed Khan in these irregularities.

At an event marking August 14 as “First Independence Day” from British colonial rule, speakers claimed that the creation of Pakistan in 1947 freed Bengali Muslims from the dominance of Hindu zamindars.

Retired Colonel Hasinur Rahman Bir Protik asserted that before 1947, Bengali Muslims were oppressed farmers, forbidden from wearing shoes, carrying umbrellas, or attending school without a dhoti. He said Pakistan’s creation liberated them from such feudal control.

Shamsuddin Preeti added that the independence milestones of 1947, 1971, and the political movements of 2024 are interconnected, describing them as mutually reinforcing rather than contradictory.

BNP leader Barkat Ullah Bulu praised former President Ziaur Rahman, saying that after Hazrat Umar (RA), he was the most upright and capable Muslim head of state. Bulu emphasized that the BNP is a liberal democratic party that respects opposing views and upholds multi-party democracy. “Our leader, the martyred president, believed in pluralistic democracy. BNP consistently advocates and practices democratic principles. For long periods, we were denied political and democratic rights,” he said.
Highlighting reform, Bulu stressed that no attempt to delay national parliamentary elections under the guise of reforms would be tolerated by the public. He also noted that former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia never compromised with injustice in her political career, and upcoming elections will be no exception. Bulu underscored that the Bangladesh Army has always acted as a force for independence, citing student movements against inequality as a notable example.

Bangladesh Chhatra Dal (JCD) President Rakibul Islam Rakib has revealed that Dhaka University teachers have admitted certain groups, including Islami Chhatra Shibir, are covertly controlling socio-cultural organizations—similar to tactics allegedly used by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

Rakib said the DU administration will form a committee to determine the nature of student politics in residential halls, seeking opinions from 23 student organizations and the wider student body.

He emphasized that ending clandestine political operations will be included in the reform framework and demanded justice for alleged BCL-linked violence. He also accused the “Dhaka University Parliament” Facebook group of engaging in harassment and defamation against female students, faculty members, and movement leaders.

The DU administration has reportedly committed to providing updates by Saturday on banning secret politics, finalizing hall-level political structures, and advancing cases against BCL members.

Wahidur Rahman Majumdar, Joint Convener of BNP’s Chauddagram unit in Cumilla, has stirred debate after calling for a change to the popular slogan “My Vote, My Choice” to “My Vote Will Go to BNP.”

In a local rally, Wahidur declared, “In Chauddagram, we will no longer implement the old slogan. My vote will go to BNP, to the paddy sheaf.”

His remarks drew immediate criticism from party leadership. Chauddagram BNP Convener Kamrul Huda suggested Wahidur may have spoken emotionally, while Cumilla South BNP Convener Zakaria Taher Suman reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the people’s right to vote freely, stating they will investigate the statement.

BNP leader Hummam Quader Chowdhury has claimed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina could have executed his father, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, with a single bullet, but instead sought to dismantle his political legacy.

Speaking on the controversial International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), Hummam said,
"We fought for years to prove whether the ICT was truly a court at all."
He accused officials of shifting positions—telling locals it was an international tribunal to avoid following domestic law, yet calling it domestic when foreigners questioned the lack of international standards.

Hummam labelled the tribunal as politically motivated and demanded justice for those responsible for his father’s execution.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has alleged that former party Nayeb-e-Ameer, Allama Delwar Hossain Sayedee, died on August 14, 2023, in the prison cell of PG Hospital due to medical negligence.

In a statement, he accused doctors and hospital authorities of failing to provide proper treatment and claimed that Sayedee’s family members were denied the chance to see him in his final hours. He further alleged that authorities barred funeral prayers in Dhaka despite demands from thousands of followers, leading to the burial taking place in Pirojpur instead.

Rahman paid tribute to Sayedee’s “lifetime of service,” prayed for his death to be accepted as martyrdom, and vowed to continue his mission.

The government has appointed five Dhaka University professors as Senate members for a three-year term, representing the academic community.

The appointees are Professor (Retd.) Dr. Sadrul Amin (English), Professor Dr. Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan (Islamic History & Culture), Professor Dr. Morshed Hasan Khan (Marketing), Professor Dr. Kamrul Hasan (Physics), and Professor Dr. Samina Luthfa (Sociology). The appointments were confirmed by the Ministry of Education.

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir President Zahidul Islam declared that their panel for the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election will include women students and members from all religious communities.

He criticized the past 16 years of student politics for creating an atmosphere of fear, which has driven many to call for a ban on campus politics—something Shibir respects but seeks to change. Shibir aims to replace “fear-based politics” with a healthy, student-friendly approach, Zahidul added, urging all student groups to avoid smear campaigns and focus on constructive agendas.

Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader has vowed to stand up for the people “even at the cost of my life,” pledging to protest injustice and oppose government wrongdoing despite the risks. “The people have no joy on their faces, and those who benefit from the current system will not want elections,” he said.
Quader declared the party would now pursue clear, pro-people politics, resisting any attempt to hand over its electoral symbol, the plough, to another group. He compared the party’s current plight to that of the BNP when it was “the oppressed,” saying, “We too are now oppressed, and we too will win the people’s support.”

BNP Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu has accused those delaying the election process of attempting to restore dictatorship and reintroduce fascism. He stressed that elections must be held on schedule, regardless of ongoing processes such as war crimes trials and the recovery of laundered money.

BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed has called for a thorough investigation into whether any advisor of the interim government is linked to the Gulshan extortion case. “The matter must be clarified before the public,” he said, warning that a lack of investigation would raise further questions about the advisors. He also urged political parties to avoid making misleading statements ahead of the upcoming national election, adding, “Those who attempt to sabotage or boycott the election will be eliminated from national politics.”
The controversy stems from the arrest of former BAGSAS joint convener Jane Alam Apu, whose alleged confessional statement claims a late-night meeting with Advisor Asif Mahmud in front of a Gulshan hotel.