Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and opposition chief whip, condemned an attack on the convoy of NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary and chief organiser Sarjis Alam during the party’s July march in Habiganj. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, he demanded the swift arrest of those involved.

Islam alleged that local BNP leaders and activists carried out the surprise armed attack. He said several journalists and NCP leaders and activists were injured, and claimed the incident took place in the presence of law-enforcement personnel.

The NCP convener said attackers took the party’s media team microbus inside the Habiganj district circuit house and attacked it there. According to his post, they damaged the vehicle and took away mobile phones and cameras. Islam called for the immediate arrest of those responsible and for exemplary punishment.

The National Citizen Party alleged that local BNP leaders and activists attacked a convoy carrying its chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary and northern region chief organiser Sarjis Alam in Habiganj. The alleged incident occurred as they were returning to Moulvibazar after completing the “July March” programme in Habiganj.

NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan made the allegation in a post on his verified Facebook page on the night of July 28. He said journalists and several NCP leaders and activists were injured in the attack. He also described it as concerning that the incident took place in the presence of police.

Bhuiyan further alleged that an NCP media team microbus was taken inside the district circuit house and vandalised. He said the attackers took away several mobile phones and cameras from the scene. The report did not include responses from BNP representatives or police regarding the allegations.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a courtesy meeting with Uno Yoshimasa, special adviser to Japan’s prime minister, at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Secretariat on Tuesday, July 28. The talks focused on strengthening the Bangladesh-Japan strategic partnership and taking bilateral relations to a new level.

Rahman sought more active Japanese cooperation in human-resource development, skills enhancement and other sectors. He urged the Japanese delegation to pursue recruitment of skilled Bangladeshi health workers, agricultural labourers and drivers through Japanese-language proficiency. He also called for increased investment by Japanese companies in Bangladesh and stressed joint work to expand trade and economic cooperation.

The prime minister said the government would provide full support if Japan showed interest in establishing another industrial park similar to the one in Araihazar, Narayanganj. Participants also discussed the planned December 16 opening of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, progress on the ongoing Mass Rapid Transit project and other infrastructure cooperation. Ministers, advisers, Japanese aviation officials and Japan’s ambassador to Bangladesh attended the meeting.

The National Citizen Party, or NCP, alleged that its march in the Circuit House area of Habiganj town was attacked on Tuesday afternoon. The party accused local BNP leaders and activists of carrying out the assault. At least 10 NCP leaders and activists were injured, while several journalists’ vehicles were vandalised, according to the report.

Sarzis Alam, NCP’s chief organiser for the northern region, alleged that “terrorist forces” of Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal carried out the attack. In a video posted Tuesday night on NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary’s Facebook account, he said some people suffered broken hands and head injuries, while one worker was struck in the eye with a rod.

Sarzis said the district secretary was injured while trying to save a worker, and alleged that attackers took cameras and phones. He further claimed that seven or eight injured people faced another attack at the gate of the sadar hospital while being taken for treatment and were prevented from entering. He also alleged that police present during the attack took no action.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, BNP chairman and chief patron of Amra BNP Poribar, sent a gift for Saifa Nur Subha, the newborn daughter of injured July fighter Md Sujon. On July 28, an Amra BNP Poribar delegation visited Sujon’s home in Keraniganj, Dhaka, met his family and delivered the gift on the prime minister’s behalf.

The delegation was led by Engineer Ashraf Uddin Bakul, member of parliament for Narsingdi-5 and an adviser to the organisation. It included Advocate Nipun Roy Chowdhury, general secretary of Dhaka district BNP and a reserved-seat member of parliament, and Krishibid Mokhchedul Momin Mithun, member secretary of Amra BNP Poribar.

Delegation members inquired about the condition of newborn Saifa Nur Subha, as well as Sujon’s physical health and his family’s overall situation. Sujon was injured during the student-public uprising of 2024, according to the report. Other organisation members and local BNP leaders and activists were also present during the visit.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has suspended its pre-scheduled July marches in Kushtia’s Bheramara and Kumarkhali upazilas. NCP central organiser for the southern region Nayon Ahmmed confirmed the decision on Tuesday, July 28, saying the suspension was made centrally because of unavoidable reasons.

The cancelled events were part of the NCP’s “July March 2026,” organised under demands for implementation of a referendum, employment and border security. The party has been holding the 36-day programme since July 6 to mark the second anniversary of the July mass uprising.

In Kushtia, the march in Bheramara had been scheduled for 3pm on Tuesday, while the Kumarkhali event was set for 6pm. Neither programme will take place at its planned time. The NCP said a new schedule for the suspended marches in the two upazilas would be announced later.

The government will ensure justice over the incident at Shapla Chattar, Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said on Tuesday. He made the remarks at about noon during a regular press conference at the Secretariat on recent government activities, responding to a question. He said the government would not ignore the matter in any way.

The adviser said that whoever had violated the law would face justice. Referring to what he called the “disaster” at Shapla Chattar, he said that when the government takes necessary action over an incident, all violations of law involved must be tried. He said accountability should be established regardless of the reasons behind the event.

Dr. Rahman said people may remember how those involved were called, allowed to come, and that a “massacre” took place there. He said a proper trial would take place during the current government’s tenure and that there was no reason for obstacles. He also said Begum Khaleda Zia had expressed solidarity with the incident at the time.

Water Resources Minister and BNP joint secretary general Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anni said BNP’s 17-year struggle created the foundation for the July uprising. He made the remarks on Tuesday as chief guest at a discussion titled “Unity, Not Division, to Build a Just and Discrimination-Free Society” at the National Press Club in the capital. The event was organized by a group called Amra Bangladeshi.

Anni said BNP had formed alliances and carried out simultaneous movements, arguing that an uprising requires a foundation. He questioned the opposition’s role in earlier movements and criticized its claims regarding the uprising. He also cited BNP’s multiple candidates in some constituencies and weaknesses in expatriate voting, alleging that expatriate votes had been influenced and calling for monitoring to ensure fresh elections in relevant seats.

He said the government, only five months old, had not yet been able to resolve many problems, although the prime minister was making efforts and had taken programmes. Anni also referred to alleged theft and looting over the past 17 years, shrinking land and population growth. Lawmaker Shahadat Hossain Selim said he wanted unity rather than division.

West Bengal’s BJP government may move to withdraw cases filed against protesters demonstrating over an examination question-paper leak, according to senior state secretariat sources cited on July 28. The possible move follows separate announcements by the Assam and Bihar governments that they would withdraw all cases against participants in Friday’s protest. West Bengal had not formally announced a decision, though sources said a notification could be issued on Monday.

Violence occurred during a protest at Esplanade in Kolkata last Friday, held with support from the Cockroach Janata Party after a call by a left-wing student organization. Protesters demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged paper leak. At a Delhi press conference, CJP said it would resume protests unless arrested students were released and FIRs withdrawn.

Seven cases were filed at Kolkata’s Hare Street and Entally police stations under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026. Police said 16 people were arrested over alleged vandalism and 70 were identified over alleged attacks on police and media workers.

Construction of a road along the western side of the only playground at Burichong Ananda Pilot Government High School in Burichong municipality, Cumilla, has triggered controversy. In a report published on July 28, local residents alleged that the roughly 8-to-9-foot-wide road was built to ease access to Cumilla-5 lawmaker Haji Jasim Uddin’s home. They said part of the century-old field had been occupied in the name of field development and walkway construction, reducing its usable area.

School sources said the head teacher applied to the education secretary on June 11 seeking permission for a walkway and boundary wall, but no approval or written response had been received by the time of reporting. Head teacher Aminul Islam said the school was unaware of where the municipality was building boundary structures or walkways. Locals also alleged that the walkway reduced space by 15 feet around the field.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tanvir Hossain said a decision was made after a meeting with conscious citizens. Haji Jasim Uddin said the walkway was built for people to walk around the field and that no harm had been done to it. Locals called for an investigation into the road’s legality, the field’s actual boundaries and compliance with government rules.

The administration in Indian-controlled Kashmir has ordered simultaneous inspections and a comprehensive audit of books and digital archives in all government libraries and educational institutions. The July 28, 2026 report said the measure aims to identify and confiscate material deemed anti-state or as inciting terrorism. Authorities instructed institutions to review complete inventories of books, journals, reference works and digital materials.

The directive says material opposing India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity, or encouraging separatism, violence or extremism, cannot be collected, distributed or kept. The audit followed objections from BJP leaders to two books distributed recently to about 250 schools under the government-funded Samagra Shiksha project. BJP opposition leader Sunil Sharma alleged the books used the phrase “Indian-occupied Kashmir.”

Administrative chief Manoj Sinha suspended eight School Education Department officials and ordered an investigation into the matter and the authors. The publishers of the two disputed books were blacklisted, with instructions to withdraw their other books from the market. Local teachers, researchers and residents criticized the action as a threat to academic freedom and Kashmir’s history. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said banning books would not erase memories of Kashmiris’ history and struggle.

Prime Minister’s Information Adviser Dr Zahid Ur Rahman said there is no legal obstacle to trying resigned President Md Shahabuddin for earlier offences. He made the remarks at a news conference at the Department of Information in the Secretariat in the capital on Tuesday afternoon. Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed was also present.

Rahman said courts would independently decide any matter concerning the former president’s trial, and that the government had no scope to comment on the issue. He described the courts as fully independent and said every citizen has a constitutional right to obtain justice. The government respects that right, he added.

At the same briefing, Rahman addressed possible attendance by the prime minister at the BRICS summit in India. He said no decision had yet been made on the prime minister’s travel. Bangladesh is not a BRICS member, he said, but Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to attend this year’s summit in India.

Malaysia has reaffirmed that it will not recognize Israel as a state despite growing pressure from the United States, according to a report published on July 28. The country said its policy would not change even as members of the US Congress called for a review of security and economic relations with Kuala Lumpur.

Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the US State Department recently summoned Malaysia’s ambassador in Washington, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob. The ambassador clearly conveyed Kuala Lumpur’s position, Hasan said. He described Malaysia’s stance on Israel as neither new nor a response to recent events, saying successive Malaysian governments had followed the same official policy from the beginning.

Citing national news agency Bernama, Hasan said Malaysia’s immigration policy does not recognize the state of Israel or the Zionist ruling establishment. Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and maintains a ban on entry for Israeli passport holders as part of its solidarity with and support for Palestinian rights. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the policy on July 15.

Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin said the date for the country’s 23rd presidential election has not yet been fixed, although the Election Commission is prepared to hold it. He made the remarks to reporters on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after a meeting with acting Speaker of Parliament Barrister Kaiser Kamal.

The meeting between the Election Commission and the acting speaker began at about 11 a.m. and was held in connection with the upcoming presidential election. The chief election commissioner spoke to journalists at around 12:15 p.m. after the meeting. The report did not provide details of the discussions or a possible election schedule.

President Md Shahabuddin resigned on Friday, July 24. He formally submitted his resignation letter to the Speaker of Parliament. According to the report, his signed resignation letter was sent to the speaker under Article 50(3) of the Constitution. The meeting with the acting speaker took place following the resignation and ahead of the 23rd presidential election.

Prime Minister’s Information Adviser Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman said no decision has yet been made on whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will travel to India to attend the BRICS summit. He disclosed the information at a news conference at around noon on Tuesday.

Rahman said Bangladesh is not a member of BRICS. However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to take part in this year’s BRICS summit, which is to be held in India.

The report was published and later updated on July 28, 2026. While confirming that a decision remains pending, the adviser provided no further details about a possible visit, a response to the invitation, or Bangladesh’s potential representation at the summit.