US President Donald Trump said Washington is holding “very good talks” with Iran, despite repeated denials by Iranian officials that such direct discussions are taking place. In an interview with Fox News reported on August 5, 2026, Trump said Iran did not want to acknowledge the contacts and described the situation as somewhat frustrating.

Trump said the only important matter was effective action and asserted that Iran wanted to make a deal. He added that it remained to be seen what would happen. His remarks came amid continuing tensions between Iran and the United States, while Iranian officials have previously rejected claims that direct talks with Washington are underway.

The report does not provide details about the format of the alleged discussions, their participants, or any specific meetings. Trump said failure to reach an agreement would be very bad, but did not outline the possible terms of a deal, a timetable, or any formal next steps.

MP Nurunnisa Siddika has called for a universal commitment to implement the July Charter “at any cost,” describing the July mass uprising as an important chapter in Bangladesh’s history. In a statement issued on Wednesday, she said students and members of the public had expressed aspirations for justice, democracy, human dignity and a discrimination-free society through courage, sacrifice and selflessness two years earlier.

Siddika said more than about 1,500 people were martyred while taking part in the July mass uprising, while thousands of students and members of the public were injured. She said some lost hands, legs or their eyesight. She paid deep respect to those killed in the struggle for people’s rights, saying the nation remembers their sacrifices with respect. She also expressed sympathy for the injured and affected people and wished them a speedy recovery and welfare.

She said protecting the true dignity of the martyrs’ sacrifices requires sincere work to establish a just, accountable and humane state system. Siddika called for freedom of expression, human rights and justice for every citizen. She described government delay in implementing the public mandate for a discrimination-free state system as disappointing and urged unity, tolerance and mutual respect.

Prime Minister’s political assistant Rashed Khan faced chants of “fake, fake” as he began speaking at a state event marking July Uprising Day 2026 in Dhaka. The incident took place on Wednesday at the China-Bangladesh Friendship International Conference Center during a discussion meeting and reception organized by the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs.

Responding to the chants, Khan said the audience had expressed its reaction at the start of his speech and that he welcomed it. He described the freedom to express such reactions in a democratic Bangladesh as the country’s greatest achievement. He said the event was arranged to provide state recognition to July fighters and martyrs in the presence of the acting president.

Earlier, disorder also occurred over the screening of a documentary at the event. Some attendees alleged that the film shown during the reception for families of July martyrs and July fighters did not properly present important events of the uprising or the sacrifices of the martyrs. President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Bir Bikrom, was present at the programme.

Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders told Amardesh that they had made advance plans to implement the August 5 “March to Dhaka” during the anti-discrimination student movement. The report says the programme was initially announced from the Central Shaheed Minar for August 6 and was later moved forward to August 5 through coordinator Asif Mahmud.

Former Shibir secretary general Zahidul Islam said organisers mapped eight important locations in Dhaka around Ganabhaban, assigned responsibilities and formed separate coordination teams by division. Sources named coordinators for areas including Shahbagh, Science Lab, Uttara, Mirpur, Rampura and Tantibazar. He said the plan was for marches from different locations to converge at predetermined times and break the curfew.

According to the report, preparations to take the movement to a final stage intensified after July 15, and the programme date was advanced after violence on August 4. Leaders said activists were instructed to avoid arrest and reach Dhaka by motorcycle, CNG, rickshaw or on foot. Jamaat leaders also described arranging treatment for injured people, accommodation for activists and continued coordination through their network during internet shutdowns and curfews.

BNP leaders say marches entered Dhaka from eight major entry points on the morning of August 5, 2026, including Jatrabari, Shonir Akhra, Sayedabad, Postogola, Abdullahpur, Uttara, Ashulia and Gabtoli. They said the separate processions converged within hours into crowds moving toward Ganabhaban. According to the party, the mobilization followed organizational preparations beginning on July 20, when activists from around the country were instructed to remain at approaches to the capital rather than inside Dhaka.

Party leaders said their strategy changed after shootings and deaths involving students and members of the public on July 16. They argued that staying inside the capital created a high risk of arrest, so activists were directed to positions around Dhaka. Leaders from metropolitan BNP and affiliated organizations arranged accommodation in relatives’ homes, messes, student hostels and rented rooms for arrivals from multiple districts.

BNP leaders said then acting chairman Tarique Rahman coordinated politically from London through regular online communication. After a one-point demand was announced on August 3, organizers asked more activists to move urgently toward Dhaka’s entry points in anticipation of a possible March to Dhaka program. North city Chhatra Dal president Mehdi Hasan said a procession reaching Abdullahpur on August 5 grew as local activists and members of the public joined.

A Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance held a large public rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, demanding implementation of the referendum verdict. The gathering was organized to mark the second anniversary of the mass uprising and formally began on Wednesday at 10:30am with recitation from the Holy Quran.

A substantial presence of leaders and activists from the 11 parties was visible before the rally officially started. Many leaders had already arrived on the event stage ahead of the opening. The source described the event as a major public gathering.

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman was scheduled to address the rally as chief guest. Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis chief Maulana Mamunul Haque was to preside over the gathering, where senior leaders of the 11 parties were also expected to speak.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman formally opened the July Uprising Memorial Museum in the capital at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday. He said the museum would expose the face of fascism and described the day as a landmark in Bangladesh’s democratic history. According to the prime minister, the institution would help chart a new path toward building a new country.

In his address, Rahman referred to allegations of disappearances, killings, abductions and torture during more than a decade and a half of fascist rule. He said thousands of students, civilians, women and children were killed during the July-August uprising, while at least 30,000 people were injured. July fighters and relatives of martyrs recalled stories of courage and sacrifice at the event, which also included a documentary and cultural programme.

After the inauguration, the prime minister toured galleries, preserved artifacts, photographs, documents and memorabilia. Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury said the museum would be reserved for special guests and martyrs’ families on opening day before opening to the public on August 6. Tickets will be available online, priced at 50 taka for adults and 25 taka for children.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said August 5 would remain a landmark in Bangladesh’s democratic history and would chart a new path toward building a new country. He made the remarks on Wednesday at about 11 a.m. during the formal inauguration of the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum in the capital.

Rahman said people in the country had been subjected to enforced disappearances and killings during what he described as one and a half decades of fascist rule. He compared the 1971 Liberation War, which he said was fought to achieve independence, with the 2024 mass uprising, which he described as a struggle to protect the independence of the country and its people.

The prime minister said people had not forgotten the freedom fighters and would likewise never forget those killed while protecting independence in 2024. He said thousands had faced disappearance, abduction and torture during more than one and a half decades of anti-fascist movements, while millions had been displaced by attacks, persecution and false cases. He also said thousands of students, members of the public, women and children were killed in the July-August uprising, and at least 30,000 people were injured.

Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikrom criticized a documentary on the July mass uprising for omitting images of slain Abu Sayed and late BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Speaking as chief guest on Wednesday at a reception and discussion for July martyrs’ families and fighters at the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, he said a documentary without their images could not be considered a proper documentary.

He said the film contained many mistakes and that the relevant minister had repeatedly apologized. However, he said continued disorder at a national event was undesirable, comparing the situation to a parliamentary walkout. He said lawmaker Akhtar had tried to calm supporters, while stressing that mistakes should be corrected collectively and national events should demonstrate unity.

Ahmed said the incident had harmed the country’s image before foreign guests, who left before he could deliver an intended English-language speech. He called ensuring respect, treatment and rehabilitation for injured July fighters a sacred government duty. He also emphasized democracy, elections, freedom of expression and national unity, urging a non-discriminatory, democratic, just and humane Bangladesh built on patriotism, honesty and mutual respect.

At least 15 people were injured in repeated clashes between Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists in Chashara, Narayanganj. The violence occurred around noon on Wednesday at the Government Tolaram College intersection. Those reported injured included activists from Chhatra Dal and several Shibir leaders, including metropolitan president Amit Hasan.

Witnesses, students and police said the confrontation followed reciprocal provocative speeches by leaders of the two student groups during a meeting at the college auditorium marking the July mass uprising. The clashes later spread to College Road and Chashara. People from both sides were seen carrying sticks, iron pipes and bamboo, according to the cited sources.

The incident created panic in the College Road area, prompting traders to close shops and leave for safety, while traffic came to a halt. Police brought the situation under control about an hour and a half later. Both groups blamed each other for initiating the attack. Police said they would examine CCTV footage and investigate before taking action against those involved; no complaint or case had been filed by either side.

A report by Amar Desh says five areas of Dhaka—Jatrabari, Uttara, Mohammadpur, Mirpur and Rampura—became major hotspots during the July uprising. It said 320 of the 843 people listed by the government as July martyrs were killed in those locations: 115 in Jatrabari, 69 in Uttara, 62 in Mirpur, 42 in Mohammadpur and 32 in Rampura. The report was published on August 5, 2026.

The report said students led the movement demanding then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, joined by parents, workers, small traders and day labourers. It alleged that protesters remained on the streets despite gunfire and operations by police, RAB and BGB, as well as attacks by armed Awami League and affiliated activists. It also reported firing from RAB helicopters in Mohammadpur and Mirpur.

Citing police sources, the report said 789 cases were filed in Dhaka over the uprising, including 479 murder cases. Dhaka Metropolitan Police is investigating 597 cases, while PBI and CID are investigating 155. Charge sheets have been submitted in eight cases and final reports in 27. Police headquarters said investigators were reviewing evidence and digital materials to ensure impartial, lawful investigations.

Feni district Chhatra Dal staged a symbolic court and carried out symbolic executions at the Central Shaheed Minar in Feni, marking the second anniversary of the July mass uprising. The programme was held on the evening of Tuesday, August 4. It portrayed fugitive Sheikh Hasina, Nizam Uddin Hazari, Alauddin Nasim, retired General Masud Uddin, Shusen Chandra Shil and Swapan Miaji as accused persons.

Before the event, organisers held a photography exhibition focused on the July mass uprising. A mock courtroom was set up on the Shaheed Minar platform, featuring portrayals of a judge, prosecution lawyer, witnesses, law-enforcement personnel and defendants in the dock. After the prosecution presented testimony and photographs related to the Mahipal killings, the symbolic court announced death sentences against the named individuals.

In brief remarks, Feni BNP president Sheikh Farid Bahar alleged that Nizam Hazari and his followers had fired indiscriminately and carried out killings in Mahipal on August 4, 2024. He said demands had been made to recover illegal weapons used at the time and cancel licences, while alleging Hazari's weapons had not been surrendered. Bahar also criticised the lack of progress in the cases and said Feni killing cases had not yet gone to a tribunal.

In an opinion article published by Amar Desh on August 5, 2026, journalist Khaja Main Uddin describes Bangladesh’s August 5, 2024 political transition as a revolution rather than an ordinary change of government. He argues that the July movement drew strength from mass resistance to repression, injustice and the loss of civil rights. The writer says a technology-oriented younger generation used creative tactics and brought the movement to its conclusion without a single party or all-powerful leader directing it.

The article says the movement developed from long-standing democratic aspirations and public resentment of authoritarian rule. It identifies the Bangladesh Nationalist Party as a principal opposition force that sustained hopes for democracy, Jamaat-e-Islami as working in the final phase of the anti-Hasina movement, and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement as leading the final stage. According to the article, that student movement later became the National Citizens Party.

Main Uddin says the July Charter, prepared through political consensus, outlines democratic, institutional and constitutional reforms. Parties that signed it now face a test in implementing the July agenda, he writes. He adds that the vision of a Bangladesh free of inequality, corruption and remnants of fascism has not yet been realized, and warns that unresolved questions could return in another form if that vision is not achieved.

In an opinion article published by Amar Desh on August 5, 2026, editor Mahmudur Rahman reviewed what he described as Sheikh Hasina’s three departures from Bangladesh and her past returns. Marking the date as a day of liberation, he referred to her departure on August 5, 2024, and alleged that Delhi had been involved in each episode.

Rahman discussed Hasina’s return to Bangladesh in 1981, her trip to London during the 2007 one-eleven administration, and her subsequent return. The article contains his allegations and assessments about India, military figures from that period, political actors, Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. It also presents his view that the one-eleven period was intended to weaken the BNP and bring the Awami League to power.

The writer outlined three scenarios under which Hasina could return: an India-Bangladesh understanding, severe domestic disorder, or an India-aligned military coup. He argued that these possibilities were weak under current conditions. Rahman called for unity among the BNP, Jamaat, NCP and July movement participants, while urging political rivals not to turn competition into personal or party hostility.

In a commentary published by Amar Desh on August 5, 2026, writer Minar Rashid describes the July revolution as an expression of young people’s demand for equal rights, a discrimination-free society and democracy in Bangladesh. He argues that the 1971 independence war and the July revolution of 2024 are not opposing events, but complementary or successive struggles rooted in opposition to inequality.

Rashid says differences and political competition among forces supporting July are normal features of democracy, provided they do not become destructive to institutions, vindictive or violent. He cites BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi’s warning about divisions and argues that independent, morally credible and fearless people are needed to represent long-term national interests beyond party identities.

The article presents the revolution’s central achievement not as a change of government but as a mental and political awakening among a generation. It says Generation Z has demonstrated concern for the state, independence, justice and civic dignity. Rashid further argues that lasting and effective democracy would require political reform alongside moral and intellectual renewal.