Sheikh Badrul Haque has been accused of instigating and leading an attack and vandalism against vehicles carrying central leaders of the National Citizen Party, or NCP, in Golapganj, Sylhet. The incident occurred on Thursday as NCP leaders were leaving a discussion meeting with family members of July uprising martyrs at the Golapganj municipal auditorium.

The report describes Haque as formerly linked to Awami League politics and currently known as close to Sylhet district BNP general secretary and Sylhet-6 lawmaker Emran Ahmed Chowdhury. He is also described as close to Golapganj municipal BNP president Moshikur Rahman Mahi. A video recorded during the incident circulated on social media, with claims that Mahi was seen beside Haque.

Golapganj municipal Jubo Dal joint convener Badal Ahmed was also accused of taking an aggressive role during the attack. Locals said they identified several others through video and still images. Law enforcement agencies had not formally announced any arrests or commented on the veracity of the allegations. Haque, Mahi and the other accused had not provided an immediate response.

The National Citizen Party, or NCP, held a torchlight march in Dhaka on Thursday night to protest attacks it said targeted party activities in Habiganj, Sylhet and other places. The march was also held after an attack on Alif Chowdhury, a leader of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, reportedly injured his eye. The procession began at Banglamotor and ended at the Shahbagh intersection.

Central NCP leaders led the march alongside leaders from the party's Dhaka north and south metropolitan units and various affiliated organizations. A large number of activists from the Dhaka north and south units took part. Marchers chanted a slogan demanding that Alif Chowdhury's eye be restored.

NCP leaders blamed BNP leaders and activists, as well as those from its affiliated organizations, for the attacks. The report said the protest addressed the alleged assaults on party programmes in Sylhet and other locations in addition to the incident involving Chowdhury in Habiganj. No further details about the alleged attacks or any response from those accused were included in the source.

National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam said Bangladesh, won through the blood of its people, would not allow any new autocrat or oppressor to remain in power. He made the remarks on Thursday as chief guest at the party’s “July March” programme in Kanaighat, Sylhet. He called for an end to violence, the establishment of democracy, protection of freedom of expression, employment, food security, state reform and justice.

Referring to an attack on a college student and “July fighter” in Habiganj, Islam questioned Tarique Rahman over the message conveyed by the incident. He said the teenager’s eye could not be restored and that they would not leave the streets until justice was delivered. Islam said he respected late president Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia, but would not accept terrorism, land grabbing or extortion carried out using their images.

On local government elections, Islam warned that attempts could be made to rig votes using armed groups and enforcers. He urged people to prepare to exercise their voting rights freely and support qualified candidates. He called for united work to elect NCP and Shaplakali-symbol candidates, and endorsed Golam Borhan Uddin Yusuf in Kanaighat.

Azan Ahmed Shawon, member secretary of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti in Fulbari upazila of Kurigram, was allegedly attacked by activists of Chhatra Dal on Wednesday evening at the Zero Point area of Fulbari town. Shawon, whose organization is the student wing of the National Citizen Party, was seriously injured and taken by colleagues to Fulbari উপজেলা Health Complex before being sent to Rangpur for advanced treatment.

Local sources said Fulbari upazila Chhatra Dal had arranged a show of strength that day over the formation of a full Kurigram district Chhatra League committee. Fulbari upazila NCP also called a protest march over an attack on central NCP leaders and activists in Habiganj. The alleged assault occurred as NCP members were returning after their march. In a Facebook post, Shawon named local Chhatra Dal leaders Hamidul, Adam Ali and Bijoy Chandra.

NCP convener Nazmul Ferdous Lavlu said Shawon's nasal bone was fractured and that a complaint was expected to be filed on Thursday. Chhatra Dal member secretary Bishnu Chandra Sen said he was not at the scene and later learned there had been pushing and shoving. Fulbari police station officer-in-charge Mahmud Hasan Naim said no complaint had yet been submitted by NCP and legal action would follow if one was received.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke criticised the Modi government over alleged police harassment during student protests linked to claims of a NEET examination paper leak. Speaking to journalists at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport in Maharashtra after a month-long protest in Delhi, Dipke said a broader mass movement would emerge if repression of protesters continued. He said India’s youth could ultimately change the government.

Dipke alleged that police used pellet guns to disperse the July 20 Sansad Abhiyan programme at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, injuring several students. He condemned such action against unarmed students and called for an impartial investigation and legal action against those responsible for ordering force. He also alleged police raids on the homes of student leaders and activists, threats of arrest, and harassment of family members.

The report says Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid the movement, though Dipke said student anger had not subsided. The Supreme Court instructed the Centre that pellet guns must not be used except in special circumstances. Opposition parties alleged excessive force, while the Centre denied it and the BJP described police action as maintaining law and order. CJP said it would pursue wider peaceful protests unless FIRs against students were withdrawn.

A report by Amar Desh said SM Rezaul Karim was confronted at a restaurant in the Anan Centre in the Elpot Land area of west London on Wednesday, July 30, 2026. The report said 10 to 12 people, led by former Chhatra Dal vice-president Shafiqul Islam Riblu, approached him there. It also stated that Karim had gone to London via India after leaving Bangladesh.

According to the report, video from the restaurant showed Karim facing questions over allegations involving enforced disappearances, killings, the missing cases of Ilyas Ali and Chowdhury Alam, deaths of students and members of the public, and corruption. The report said he remained seated and did not respond to the questions.

Chhatra Dal leaders said they went to the restaurant after receiving information about his presence and questioned him over the allegations. They said Karim later left with assistance from several people. The report also said former minister Hasan Mahmud had previously left the same location after being approached there.

Hefazat-e-Islam’s Noakhali branch has called for Hizb ut-Tawhid to be banned in Bangladesh. Its leaders made the demand on July 30 while inspecting preparations for a planned grand rally in Noakhali on August 1. They said the group’s activities, which they described as contrary to the Quran and Sunnah, should be permanently eliminated.

The programme is being organised jointly by Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Jamiatul Madarisil Qawmiyah and the Committee for Preventing Anti-Islamic Activities. Noakhali branch leaders described Hizb ut-Tawhid as holding a kufri ideology and alleged that it was conspiring to damage Muslims’ faith and beliefs. They also alleged that the organisation was targeting Noakhali and urged the head of government and relevant authorities to annul it through legislation.

The August 1 rally is scheduled for the district school field and is expected to include leading Islamic scholars and leaders of various Islamic organisations. Hefazat leaders said outreach, leaflet distribution and publicity campaigns were underway in Noakhali and neighbouring districts. They said they expected a large gathering of worshippers and members of the public, while calling on the administration to maintain normal law and order.

At least 10 people, including a police DSB branch member, were reported injured in an alleged attack on a National Citizen Party, or NCP, protest march in Phulbari, Kurigram, on the evening of July 30. The incident occurred beside Jame Mosque on Thana Road in the upazila town. The injured police member, Ferdous, was reported to have suffered an injury to his hand.

Witnesses said NCP activists organized the march to protest an alleged attack a day earlier on Azan Ahmed Shawon, upazila member secretary of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti. They alleged that activists from Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Sramik Dal had gathered on Thana Road with sticks and pipes and launched a surprise attack as the procession approached. Several NCP and affiliated organization leaders were named among those injured, while four seriously injured people were sent to Kurigram General Hospital.

NCP activists and local residents said they identified several alleged participants from video clips circulated on social media. Chhatra Dal upazila convener Rezaul Islam Reza said NCP activists had first attacked one of their workers and claimed four Chhatra Dal members were injured in the ensuing clash. District NCP said it would pursue legal action, while police said the situation was calm.

An opinion article, published by Amar Desh Online on July 30, 2026 and attributed to Middle East Monitor, alleges that Israel has drawn the boundaries of US policy on war, diplomacy and trade in the Middle East. It claims the United States has been drawn into conflict with Iran while US forces fight and taxpayers bear the costs, whereas Israel has no interest in joining the confrontation directly.

The article cites Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as saying that a limited conflict between Iran and the United States is most beneficial for Israel. It further alleges that while the United States uses air-defense missile stocks to protect regional bases, Israel is preserving its own interceptors. The piece suggests those systems could later be sold to the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states.

It also says Benjamin Netanyahu outlined Iran war objectives in a Fox News interview and cites Israeli officials discussing Israeli “red lines” with Washington. The article alleges that a Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation deal was made conditional on normalization with Israel. It additionally references a claimed delay in delivery of 50 F-35 aircraft, valued at $23 billion, promised to the UAE.

US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor met Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman in Dhaka on Thursday to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation. The meeting took place at the Padma State Guest House on the first day of Gor’s three-day visit to Bangladesh, after he arrived in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon. Officials said the two sides met with their delegations after 6 p.m., followed by about 20 minutes of private talks between Gor and the foreign minister.

Diplomatic sources said the roughly hour-long discussion covered the Dhaka-Washington strategic partnership, wider bilateral relations, regional security and global cooperation. In a verified Facebook post by the US Embassy in Dhaka, Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said the visit would further strengthen strategic partnership, regional security and economic cooperation. Gor said he was pleased to meet the foreign minister during his first Bangladesh visit and discuss working jointly to strengthen bilateral relations, adding that positive progress had occurred.

Gor is scheduled to visit Cox’s Bazar on Friday to observe conditions facing Rohingya refugees. On Saturday, the final day of the visit, he is expected to meet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Diplomatic sources said Bangladesh’s foreign-policy priorities, regional strategic position and the future of Dhaka-Washington relations may also receive attention during the trip.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam said the visas of 626 Bangladeshis in the United Arab Emirates were automatically cancelled. Bangladesh has sent the UAE government a list seeking visa renewals for 417 of them, while information on the remaining people will be submitted in phases. She disclosed the figures to reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday, July 30, 2026.

Islam said employers also bear certain responsibilities when visas are cancelled because workers lose their jobs. Bangladesh’s embassy is directly coordinating and communicating with the relevant companies. She urged expatriates to comply with the laws of both Bangladesh and their destination country, and advised them to avoid controversial Facebook posts on sensitive issues or politics and to refrain from destabilising activities.

The state minister said the government is moving to amend the 2013 migration law. It plans strict legal action against people involved in fraud, including provisions for up to seven years’ imprisonment for submitting false information or documents. The ministry has also begun coordinated work to reduce migration costs, curb broker fraud, and prevent irregular migration and human trafficking, establishing a separate migration wing at the Foreign Ministry for the first time.

Dhaka University’s syndicate has decided to send a recommendation for the permanent dismissal of sociology professor Dr Sadeqa Halim to the university tribunal. The decision was taken at a July 28 syndicate meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A B M Obaidul Islam, according to the university’s public relations office. The syndicate also decided to temporarily suspend Halim, with further action to follow the tribunal’s final decision.

University sources said the action followed an investigation report concerning allegations including taking a position against students during the July mass uprising. Halim said she had learned some details of the matter and that the investigation committee’s recommendation had been sent to the tribunal. She said she would not comment until a final tribunal decision is issued. Allegations of unteacherlike conduct in and outside classrooms and ethical lapses were also cited.

The syndicate also removed six professors from academic and administrative duties and temporarily suspended three teachers and one official. It formed a committee to review all university appointments from January 1, 2009, to June 30, 2024, and another to examine HEQEP research activities and fund use. A July memorial monument is due for foundation-stone inauguration on August 5.

India’s Lok Sabha passed an amendment bill on July 30, 2026, amid heated debate, granting “Vande Mataram” equal status with the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana.” The bill makes insult to the song a punishable offence. According to the report, it was the first bill passed in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing monsoon session.

The measure passed by voice vote after only two lawmakers spoke, while opposition amendments were rejected. DMK member K. Kanizha opposed it, calling it a “Hindutva agenda” behind nationalism. He said making all six verses mandatory and treating refusal to sing them as a criminal offence would polarize the country and run against secular principles.

BJP’s Sambit Patra said Congress had failed to give “Vande Mataram” appropriate respect during 76 years of rule. Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the Modi government was giving the national song its due honour. Existing law provides up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both for intentionally preventing or disrupting the singing of “Jana Gana Mana”; the amendment extends those provisions to “Vande Mataram.”

Kader Siddique, president of the Krishak Sramik Janata League, said the arrest of Latif Siddique was a conspiracy to weaken the BNP government. He made the remarks on Thursday, July 30, while speaking to journalists after visiting the grave of Khondkar Mohammad Abul Hasnat Kismat, a founding general secretary and former president of Mirzapur Press Club in Tangail.

Siddique claimed that if Latif Siddique had been involved in the Shapla Chattar incident, he would have been arrested when he went to jail on August 28 last year. He said Latif Siddique told a court that he had no involvement in the incident and was not a member of the Crescent Committee. Kader Siddique also claimed that remarks Latif Siddique made about Sajeeb Wazed Joy were presented differently and complaints were made to several then Awami League leaders.

He said they would seek bail for Latif Siddique. Kader Siddique added that Latif Siddique had been jailed at least 40 times for participating in movements during the Pakistan era and would serve prison time in Bangladesh if necessary. He said they expected justice, democracy, and security for people, lives, and property in the country.

The National Citizen Party, or NCP, demanded that the government cover all treatment costs for Habiganj district Jatiya Chhatra Shakti leader Alif Chowdhury and swiftly arrest those responsible for attacks. NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain made the demands at a news conference on Thursday afternoon after visiting Alif at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in the capital. He said Alif lost one eye in an attack during the party’s July march in Habiganj.

Hossain said Alif remained hospitalized after surgery and that doctors had said the damaged eye would never recover. He added that Alif was also seeing blurred vision in his other eye, creating concern that it could be affected as well. Hossain also alleged that an NCP motorcade was attacked in Sylhet about an hour before the news conference while returning after visiting graves of July uprising martyrs and meeting their family members.

The NCP alleged that Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and BNP activists attacked its programmes in Habiganj and protests in Kurigram, Dinajpur and Chattogram. Hossain accused the BNP government of following the Awami League’s path in attacks and repression against opponents. He sought compensation for Alif and his family, prosecution of identified attackers, and security for all opposition political activities.