A group of Lebanese lawyers has filed a case against influential banker Antoun Sehnaoui after he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, according to a report published July 29. More than a dozen lawyers jointly took the legal action on Wednesday, alleging that Sehnaoui violated Lebanese law by meeting the Israeli leader.

Axios journalist Barak Ravid posted a photograph on X showing Sehnaoui seated at a restaurant table with Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu. The report said the dinner was held Monday in memory of late US Senator Lindsey Graham and was jointly hosted by former US representative Morgan Ortagus and Sehnaoui. Netanyahu and several US officials attended, while Sehnaoui-linked outlet This Is Beirut confirmed the dinner.

Lebanon's 1955 law bars citizens from contact or business agreements with Israelis or Israeli authorities, with penalties including up to 10 years in prison and treason charges. The prosecutor's office received allegations of contact with the Israeli enemy, violation of the Israel boycott law, treason and disrupting national security. Lawyers said the judiciary would investigate and that an arrest warrant could be issued. Lebanon's foreign ministry declined immediate comment.

NCP has filed a case over an attack on its march in Habiganj, naming Habiganj district Chhatra Dal president Shah Rajib Ahmed as the main accused. The case names 11 people and includes 100 unidentified accused. It was filed on Wednesday night in connection with Tuesday's attack.

Kamaischhara police outpost officer-in-charge SI Abhijit Roy confirmed the case on Wednesday night. He said 11 people were named and 100 unidentified people were accused in the case. According to Roy, Shah Rajib Ahmed was made the principal accused.

On Tuesday evening, NCP announced a protest programme after an attack on a convoy carrying its central leaders in Habiganj. BNP also announced a programme at the same time, creating tension in the town. Authorities decided to impose Section 144 to maintain law and order.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh expressed deep concern over clashes between NCP and BNP activists in Habiganj and called on all sides to sincerely ensure political coexistence. In a joint statement sent to the media on Wednesday, president Maulana Ubaidullah Faruq and secretary general Maulana Manzurul Islam Afendi urged responsible conduct from every political party.

The two leaders said intolerant political behaviour was not expected alongside the aspirations for a new Bangladesh that emerged through the July mass uprising. They said qualitative change in politics would not be possible without coexistence, and the desired transformed Bangladesh could not be built without such change. They urged parties to avoid discourteous and provocative conduct as well as violent reactions.

Jamiat said those in power must be especially cautious and responsible so opportunistic groups cannot use provocations to destabilise the country. The leaders also called on the administration to play a more vigilant and strict role in preventing political violence, including taking precautionary steps where tensions or disorder are anticipated. They urged restraint and peace from all sides and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

Kurigram district leaders of the National Citizen Party, or NCP, held a protest march and rally against an alleged attack on the party’s central leaders and activists in Habiganj. The programme began at 5pm on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, from the Victory Monument at College Mor and ended at Shapla Chattar after passing through key roads in the town. A brief protest gathering was held there.

Speakers said attacks on NCP central leaders in Habiganj would not suppress the movement. They alleged that the Tarique Zia government was following a path of fascism by using Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal. The speakers demanded that those involved in the attack be identified, arrested quickly and given exemplary punishment.

The march and rally were moderated by Mahmudul Hasan Jewel, senior joint convener of the Kurigram district NCP. Speakers included convener Mukul Mia, Jubo Shakti member secretary Tarikuzzaman Tamal and Chhatra Shakti member secretary Sadikur Rahman. Leaders from district NCP, affiliated bodies and upazila branches also attended.

Mufti Ruhul Amin, the former khatib of Baitul Mukarram who gave ousted Sheikh Hasina the title “Qawmi Janani,” appeared publicly after a long absence. He attended a Wednesday meeting in Dhaka at the office of Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jami'atil Qawmiya Bangladesh on countering propaganda against Qawmi madrasas and responding to the current situation.

According to the report, Amin fled after the August 5, 2024 student-public uprising, when then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina sought refuge in India. The Ministry of Religious Affairs later said in a press release that he had been removed from his position as khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque through due process.

The meeting, held on the instruction of Al-Haiatul Ulya chairman Allama Mahmudul Hasan, included representatives of six Qawmi education boards and was chaired by co-chairman Allama Sheikh Sajidur Rahman. Speakers called for proper investigations and legal trials for crimes, irregularities or unethical conduct, while expressing concern over efforts to question the entire Qawmi madrasa system, its students and teachers over isolated incidents. Amin was named a member of a central Qawmi Madrasa Monitoring Cell.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer and lawmaker Professor Mujibur Rahman said the public voted in a referendum for constitutional reform, not merely constitutional amendment. Speaking as chief guest at a seminar at the National Press Club on July 29, he alleged that the government had disrespected the majority by ignoring the referendum verdict. The event was organised by the Dhaka South unit of Bangladesh Adarsha Teachers Federation.

Rahman said BNP claims to have formed the government with 51 percent of votes, while nearly 71 percent supported constitutional reform in the referendum. He argued that those who did not take an oath as members of a constitutional reform council could not follow the July Charter word for word. He said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its struggle in parliament and on the streets until the referendum verdict is implemented.

He accused BNP of seeking to restore an old fascist culture, using party quotas in appointments and postings, and making partisan appointments at universities and financial institutions. Other speakers called for religiously grounded moral education, greater emphasis on Arabic, freedom from partisan influence in educational institutions, and an end to disparities between general and madrasa education.

Rangpur City Corporation Administrator Advocate মাহফুজ উন নবী চৌধুরী Don said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had asked officials to prepare plans for all development in Rangpur and identify existing problems for submission to him. He made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon after inaugurating repair work on nearly three kilometres of roads from Mahiganj Shaheed Minar to Gosaibari and on Kasaituli Road in the city.

The administrator said the prime minister was sincere about development and that unified support was needed. He said four roads in Rangpur city would be newly constructed at a cost of nearly Tk14 crore. If the work is completed properly within the scheduled time, he said, travel hardship for residents of the affected areas would be reduced.

He declared zero tolerance for irregularities and corruption in road work and asked city residents to give him time and trust as the administration seeks to ease problems gradually. City Corporation sources listed four projects, including 4,100 metres of work on the Terminal-to-Barabari Road costing Tk8.68 crore. Superintending Engineer Md Azam Ali and other corporation officials were present.

Golam Mohiar Khan Shiper, a 73-year-old freedom fighter and former leader of several Manikganj organisations, died while receiving treatment at Manikganj Sadar Hospital on Wednesday at about 1:30pm. He was a resident of Panjankhara village in Garpara union of Manikganj Sadar upazila.

Shiper had served as former convenor and general secretary of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society’s Manikganj district unit and was a life member of the organisation. He was also a former president of the district Jubo Dal and former commander of the Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad Manikganj district unit command.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister and Manikganj district BNP convener Afroza Khanam Rita expressed deep grief over his death. In a condolence message, she said Shiper had remained committed to the ideals of martyred President Ziaur Rahman and played an important role in the movement to restore democracy. His funeral prayers were held after Asr at Manikganj Government Boys’ High School field. He received a guard of honour before being buried beside his mother’s grave at the family cemetery in Garpara.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has called for investigations into enforced disappearances under the draft Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Act, 2026 to be handled by an independent institution rather than police. In a statement reported on July 29, TIB said the Home Ministry uploaded the draft on July 27 and set July 28 as the deadline for comments, describing the one-day consultation period as a farce. The group demanded at least two additional weeks for feedback.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the draft contains positive provisions, including recognition of disappearance as a distinct and continuing criminal offence and accountability for senior officials and those giving orders. However, he said the limited consultation period showed a lack of government willingness to gather views from victims and relevant stakeholders.

TIB questioned whether police could conduct impartial investigations given specific allegations that sections of police, intelligence, security agencies and law-enforcement forces were involved in most disappearance cases. It also raised concerns over provisions in Article 15, saying they could shield accused senior officials. The organisation urged revisions based on stakeholder recommendations and international best practices.

Ruling BNP has called a meeting of its standing committee, the party’s highest policymaking forum, for Saturday, August 1. BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan confirmed the development on Wednesday. The meeting will be held at the chairman’s political office in Gulshan, and committee members have been informed.

Khan said he had not yet received any instruction regarding the meeting’s formal agenda. As a result, the party has not specified which organisational or political matters will be officially taken up during the session. The report does not identify the expected participants or provide details of any planned announcement after the meeting.

Asked about possible agenda items, Khan said it was believed that the presidency issue could be discussed at Saturday’s meeting. The matter was presented as a possibility rather than a confirmed agenda item, with no final instruction reported. No further details were provided about the scope of a potential discussion or any decision the standing committee may make.

India’s Supreme Court has cleared late former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in a coal allocation case, declaring closure of proceedings against him on Wednesday. The decision, reported on July 29, 2026, came about a year and a half after Singh’s death in 2024. The case concerned alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal mines in Odisha while the UPA government was in power.

Singh held the coal ministry portfolio at the time, while allegations were also raised against the then coal secretary. The report says the CBI questioned officials in the prime minister’s secretariat but was accused of not questioning Singh, an issue that was also raised before the court. Singh had rejected the allegations from the beginning. In 2015, the CBI submitted to the court information obtained after questioning him.

The Supreme Court said the trial court had no strong basis to reject the CBI’s closure report and take cognizance of the matter. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohanan announced the decision after accepting Singh’s challenge to summons issued by the trial court in 2015. Congress welcomed the ruling and demanded that the prime minister apologize to the country.

Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union, or JAKSU, held a sit-in on July 29 to press for implementation of 13 demands, including a teacher evaluation system. The programme began at 3pm in front of the university’s old registrar building. Key demands include research stipends for master’s thesis students, institutional access to international journals and online platforms, and an effective academic calendar.

JAKSU also called for faster publication of results, longer validity for institutional email accounts, opportunities for students to work as research assistants, and equipment-based certificate courses at the Wazed Miah Science Research Centre. Its demands further include addressing staff shortages in departments and the controller of examinations office, simplifying scribe approval for students with disabilities, answer-script re-evaluation, and special final-year honours examinations in exceptional circumstances.

Education and Research Secretary Abu Ubaida Usama said students’ demands had long been neglected and that results were taking six to 10 months despite an expected 75-day timeline. Co-Cultural Secretary Raihan Uddin said JAKSU had delivered the demands to all Academic Council members and urged reforms to create a student-friendly campus.

The Chattogram metropolitan unit of the National Citizen Party (NCP) held a protest march and rally against an attack on the party’s top leaders in Habiganj. The programme took place on Wednesday afternoon outside Chattogram Press Club in Jamalkhan as part of a centrally announced nationwide action. After the rally, participants marched through Cheragi Pahar and Momin Road.

NCP Chattogram metropolitan member secretary Arif Moin Uddin alleged that several youths led by Jubo Dal leader Shahed Boks tried to stop slogans during the programme. He said they identified themselves as activists of Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal. An argument and scuffle followed between the two sides. No statement from Shahed Boks was available.

Witnesses said police stood between the groups and separated them after tensions rose, while both sides exchanged slogans. Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Abu Zayed Nazmun Nur said police quickly reached the site and brought the situation under control, with no major untoward incident reported. Rally speakers condemned the Habiganj attack and demanded that those involved be identified within 24 hours and face exemplary punishment.

National Citizen Party (NCP) activists held a protest march and rally in Cumilla over an alleged attack on the party’s central leaders in Habiganj. The programme was held at Pubali Chattar in the city at 5pm on Wednesday, with participation from NCP activists from the Cumilla district, metropolitan unit and educational institutions, according to a report published on July 29.

The march began at Pubali Chattar, moved through major city roads and returned to the same location for a brief rally. NCP Cumilla metropolitan joint coordinator Masumul Bari Kawsar led the programme. Among those present were Kazi Md. Zayed, district committee member Abdus Samad, metropolitan Chhatra Shakti convener Mostofa Jihan, chief organiser Kazi Muhib and former organiser Abdullah Araf.

Speakers alleged that district BNP leaders and activists of its affiliated bodies carried out a planned attack on an NCP peaceful march in Habiganj. They claimed the central leaders’ vehicle convoy was damaged and several activists were injured, including a student whose eye was seriously affected. Protesters demanded the prompt arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved, as well as security for peaceful political programmes. Kawsar said NCP would be compelled to announce tougher nationwide protests if a fair investigation and justice were not ensured.

Bangladesh Medical University held a video documentary screening and discussion on July Martyrs’ Day 2026, calling for a discrimination-free and anti-fascist Bangladesh. The event took place on Wednesday at the university’s Shaheed Dr Milon Hall. BMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A F M Siddiqui chaired the programme, while Dental Faculty Dean Dr Sakhawat Hossain Sayonth moderated it.

The vice-chancellor said the July movement showed that no government can endure for long through authoritarian and fascist conduct, attacks and repression. He said people who committed visible wrongdoing under the previous fascist period should not receive current benefits or opportunities. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Nazrul Islam described the July mass uprising as the result of a movement by all people of the country, rather than any individual or party.

Shafiqul Alam, father of martyr Wasim, said respect for the martyrs’ sacrifice requires building a discrimination-free Bangladesh and ensuring honesty, merit and qualifications are valued in employment. He also called for an end to an unethical practice of obtaining jobs with money. Participants held prayers for the martyrs and for the country’s development and prosperity.