Secret documents recovered from Ganabhaban identify Ariful Islam Adib as a key coordinator of information about the July-August 2024 student-led uprising for international media, according to a report by Amar Desh published on August 8, 2026. Adib said that after the government shut down the internet on July 18, he used mobile communication to share information with journalists from BBC, Reuters, AFP, Al Jazeera and Netra News. At the time, he worked for a national daily and had recently become central general secretary of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad.

A copy of a document obtained through a source linked to the museum said information on the student movement was circulated through Md Ariful Islam to BBC, AFP, Al Jazeera and Netra News. The report said field-level reports were sent directly to Sheikh Hasina and that the documents were recovered after crowds entered Ganabhaban on August 5, 2024.

Adib said law enforcement agencies targeted him, sought information about him at his workplace and tried to forcibly disappear him on July 22, 24 and 26. He said he stopped staying at home after July 22 and returned after the government took oath. Ganabhaban has since been converted into the July Uprising Memorial Museum.

Prime Minister’s political adviser and BNP senior joint secretary general Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is taking strict action when there is negligence in government work. He made the remarks on Saturday at the Dhaka Reporters Unity’s CRAB hall in the capital, during the launch of a book on the prime minister’s five-month development journey and a discussion titled “Future Bangladesh.”

Rizvi said those who neglect their duties face firm measures regardless of whether they are members of the bureaucracy, civil servants or political figures. He said the prime minister is travelling across Bangladesh to oversee whether election promises are being implemented, while encouraging those working for public welfare.

According to Rizvi, the book compiles statistics and events related to the government’s five months in office. He cited family cards, farmer cards, canal excavation and a promise to introduce health cards. The book also offers a brief account of steps taken to address the gas shortage, he said. Rizvi added that it describes initiatives aimed at expanding public welfare, public interest measures and the social safety net.

The US Senate passed a Russia sanctions bill by an 86-11 vote that, if enacted, would allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest buyers of Russian oil or natural gas. Published on August 8, 2026, the report identifies India, China, Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia as the current top five importers.

The bill is named in honor of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, described as a strong supporter of Ukraine who had pressed for further sanctions on Russia over the nearly four-year war. His sister, Darlene Graham, who succeeded him in the Senate, said the measure would strike Russian President Vladimir Putin “in the right place.”

The legislation proposes tougher sanctions on Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects. It would also cover oil tankers, under old and new flags, that Moscow uses to evade existing US restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues. Countries importing less than 15 percent of their needed natural gas from Russia and actively reducing those imports could receive relief. The House is scheduled to consider the bill on August 31.

A report published on August 8, 2026 says several Bangladeshi public universities have taken or are considering action against teachers and officials accused of supporting repression, incitement or anti-movement positions during the July movement. It describes cases at Dhaka, Jahangirnagar, Rajshahi, Jagannath, Chittagong, ইসলামী, Begum Rokeya and Barishal universities, while critics say many accused individuals remain in their posts.

At Dhaka University, six professors were relieved of academic and administrative duties, while a recommendation for the permanent dismissal of Dr Sadeqa Halim was sent to the university tribunal. Jahangirnagar University completed proceedings against 21 teachers and two officials, including compulsory retirement for one person and demotions or salary reductions for others; students described the penalties as inadequate. At ইসলামী University, punishments imposed on 19 teachers and 11 officials or employees were later waived.

The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced two Begum Rokeya University teachers to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment, and the university said permanent dismissal would follow receipt of the judgment copy. Rajshahi University received a list of about 300 teachers for review. Jagannath and Chittagong universities said further action would depend on investigations or reconstituted inquiry committees.

Right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriyela was sworn in as Colombia’s president on Friday, taking office at age 48. The inauguration was held in the southwestern city of Cali rather than the capital, Bogota, breaking with tradition. Cali has long been one of the main centers of conflict between the government and armed groups. Espriyela won the election after pledging tougher action against armed groups, cuts of up to 40 percent in public spending, and a revival of the country’s oil and gas industry.

The choice of Cali as the inauguration venue was presented as a clear departure from outgoing left-wing President Gustavo Petro’s strategy of seeking peace through talks with armed groups. Espriyela has criticized Petro’s policy as a failure from the outset. After taking the oath, he said no strategy or activity that undermines the country’s stability would be allowed.

Espriyela also pledged to eradicate narcoterrorism and said that the path of dialogue had completely ended. Addressing Colombian businesspeople, he said his government would be their partner in investment in Colombia. He added that his administration would work to further strengthen the capacity of Ecopetrol, the state-owned oil company.

Private University Students Alliance of Bangladesh, or PUSAB, says it emerged from the 2015 movement against a 7.5 percent VAT imposed on private university students. In a report published on August 8, 2026, the organisation said it was formed to create a national platform for protecting student rights, developing leadership, participating in policymaking and improving education. PUSAB claims it now has organisational activities at about 100 private universities across Bangladesh.

The group said its members participated in the 2015 anti-VAT movement, the 2018 quota reform and road safety movements, and the July 2024 mass uprising. According to PUSAB, it supported the July movement through information dissemination, zonal coordination and digital operations involving members at home and abroad. It also alleged that its members faced repression, abductions and attempts to identify key coordinators.

PUSAB currently calls for stronger quality oversight of private universities, lower education costs and a separate government budget allocation for private higher education. Its proposals include full funding opportunities for financially disadvantaged meritorious students, increased research grants and scholarships, and student-friendly administrative reforms. The organisation aims to produce at least 20,000 skilled graduates by 2030.

An opinion article published by Amar Desh on August 8, 2026 calls for Bangladesh to advance the sovereignty-focused ideas associated with Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi on his birthday. The writers portray Hadi as a defender of national sovereignty and argue that concerns over borders, shared rivers, cyber security and economic self-reliance have become more acute in his absence.

The article says Hadi advocated a legal cell to present evidence of border killings before international human rights courts, economic self-reliance for border communities and a stronger approach to water rights under the 1997 international river convention. It cites reported figures from think tanks, IWMI and other bodies on border instability, reduced river flow, cyberattacks and reliance on foreign software.

The writers also highlight proposals attributed to Hadi, including support for domestic cottage and heavy industries, promotion of local culture, greater state backing for researchers, protection of blue-economy interests and a domestic technology-based digital defence cell. Framing the issue around the 2026-27 fiscal year, the article urges readers not to compromise on national sovereignty and to strengthen what it describes as Hadi’s unfinished vision.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam, along with central party leaders, visited the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum in the capital on Saturday morning. The delegation toured different sections of the museum.

During the visit, the leaders examined memorabilia, photographs, documents and historical artifacts from the period of the July mass uprising. The reported visit focused on materials preserved at the museum relating to the movement.

The NCP leaders stressed the importance of preserving the memory of the sacrifices made by those killed and injured during the July movement. They also emphasized the need to present the history of the movement to the new generation.

Many Awami League leaders and activists who went to India after losing power amid a mass uprising in Bangladesh remain there two years later, BBC Bangla reported. Several told the outlet they are preparing to return to Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina’s call. Speaking at Delhi’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club on Wednesday, Hasina said she wanted to return by December, though she gave no details on when or how such a return would occur.

BBC Bangla said at least 70 presidium members, former lawmakers and senior leaders of affiliated organisations of the banned party are living in West Bengal, mainly Kolkata and nearby areas. The report also said about 40 police officers of different ranks are there. Party sources said roughly 200 leaders, police and military officers had previously stayed around Kolkata, while more than a thousand grassroots and mid-level activists had been in Kolkata, Siliguri and Tripura.

Those interviewed said they live in rented homes and receive financial help from relatives or friends. They described maintaining political contacts and online activity through Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp. Former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said he and party colleagues were prepared to return and face legal proceedings.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not accept any pressure intended to force it into submission. Speaking on Friday in the third and final part of a televised address marking the second anniversary of his swearing-in as president, he said the Islamic Republic would continue to defend its rights and maintain its military and defence capabilities.

Pezeshkian said Iran would fight if others sought to compel it to submit. “We will not retreat, and we will not bow our heads,” he said. He also questioned why Iran should follow the path desired by Israel when it is able to defend its rights.

The president’s remarks stressed Iran’s stated commitment to preserving its rights and defence capacity. The address was the concluding segment of his televised message for the anniversary of his inauguration. The report did not provide details of any new policy measures, negotiations or reactions from other parties.

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Banshkhali, Fatikchhari and Hathazari in Chattogram on Sunday, August 9. In Banshkhali, he is expected to speak with people affected by recent severe flooding and hand over keys to new homes for 100 families left homeless. He will also attend a programme on rehabilitation of flood-affected people in Hathazari and address a rally there.

District administration sources said 100 affected families have been identified, with 10 families selected from Banshkhali municipality and each of nine unions. Their homes have been built with government funding from the Local Government Division, and construction is nearly complete. Each 18-foot by 12-foot tin house has two rooms and an attached five-foot by five-foot toilet. RCC pillars, wood and tin were used in consideration of flood risks, and the homes are described as disaster-resilient.

The district commissioner inspected the venue and houses under construction, reviewing security, stage and pavilion work, seating and overall arrangements. In Fatikchhari, Rahman will make a courtesy call on Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh chief Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari. In Hathazari, he will visit a madrasa and graves of two former Hefazat leaders; authorities said additional security measures have been arranged.

Amar Desh, citing intelligence and police headquarters sources, reported allegations of a planned multi-pronged campaign of sabotage in Dhaka and across Bangladesh, purportedly directed by fugitive Sheikh Hasina from India. The report said intelligence officials believed the plan was finalized during two meetings at a Delhi residence on July 24 and 31. The newspaper explicitly said it could not independently verify the information.

According to the report, the alleged plan could involve cocktail explosions, attacks and arson targeting vehicles, targeted killings, bomb attacks, and attempts to turn professionals’ and teachers’ demands into broader anti-government action. It alleged involvement by banned Awami League and Chhatra League activists, underworld criminals and JMB. It also described concerns that disguised actors could enter clashes between Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir at public universities to intensify violence.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the overall law-and-order situation remained under control and investigations were underway after bombs were recovered in Motijheel and Ashulia. Police, RAB and border forces have increased surveillance and intelligence activity, the report said. On August 1, police headquarters issued an urgent alert to strengthen security for government vehicles. Police spokesperson AHM Shahadat Hossain said extra security measures may be adopted when intelligence requires them.

Bangladesh’s interim government was formed on August 8, 2024, after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 and a three-day period without a government, according to the report. Muhammad Yunus returned from Paris that afternoon and was sworn in as chief adviser at about 8 p.m. Sixteen additional advisers also took oath, while three student advisers joined the new administration.

The report says the government pursued state reforms, accountability for the July killings, improvements in law and order, and economic recovery. It formed about 11 reform commissions, held extended dialogue with political parties and produced the July National Charter. It also says the government banned Chhatra League and Awami League activities and advanced cases involving Sheikh Hasina and others.

A parliamentary election and referendum on reform were held on February 12, 2026, followed by the interim government’s transfer of power to an elected administration on February 17. Former press secretary Shafiqul Alam claimed a 90 percent success rate in decision-making and implementation. Yunus said in his farewell address that 130 new laws and amendments and about 600 executive orders had been issued, with roughly 84 percent implemented.

Saiful Haque, general secretary of Bangladesh’s Revolutionary Workers Party, said the Indian government is using a “Hasina card” to keep Bangladesh under pressure. He made the remarks on Friday at a July martyrs’ remembrance rally organised by his party at the Central Shaheed Minar in Chashara, Narayanganj. He said India’s Bangladesh policy was defeated through the 2024 mass uprising, but Indian policymakers had not learned from it.

Haque said India had adopted a dual strategy after Bangladesh’s elected government took office in February. According to him, the Modi government was sending messages of brotherhood while also beginning to use the Hasina card against Bangladesh to exert pressure. He said the martyrs of the July-August uprising sacrificed their lives for a non-discriminatory, democratic and humane society, not to advance the narrow agenda of any particular force or group.

He also alleged that economic and social inequality, job dismissals and unemployment had increased over the past two years, while livelihoods remained insecure. Haque said a new pay structure had been introduced for government officials and employees, but no national minimum wage board had yet been formed for workers. He urged the government to strengthen domestic institutions, including Bapex, to reduce foreign dependence in energy policy.

Mohammad Junaid Malik, known for supplying food to student protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for 35 days, has begun supporting job-seeking students protesting in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The 30-year-old LLB student from Ghaziabad is arranging food and other necessities for demonstrators who have been protesting for two weeks over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. Malik said breakfast and regular meals were being organized for the protesters.

Malik said the effort was collective rather than his alone, with his full volunteer team arriving in Ranchi from Delhi and more people expected to join. He also said vegetarian biryani was planned for distribution in the evening. Citing persistent rain, he warned that waterlogging at the protest site could increase mosquito breeding and the risk of disease. He urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to consider the students’ demands seriously and resolve the matter quickly.

The protest reached its 14th day on Friday, with six demonstrators on an indefinite hunger strike and one hospitalized after his condition worsened. Five more people, including two women, joined the fast on Tuesday night alongside JLK M leader Devendra Nath Mahato, who had been fasting for six days. Protesters formed an 11-member delegation, but said they had received no formal invitation despite the chief minister saying talks remained open.