Bangladesh’s current BNP government says it is advancing plans to modernize, make employment-oriented and update the country’s education system under its election manifesto. A report published on July 27, 2026 said the two education ministries are targeting 40 projects and programmes this fiscal year alongside increased budget allocations. Prime Minister’s education adviser Mahdi Amin outlined the measures on July 18, marking the government’s first five months.

The education allocation for the current fiscal year is Tk136,606 crore, equivalent to 2 percent of GDP, compared with Tk87,206 crore, or 1.39 percent of GDP, in the previous year. Allocations include Tk46,734 crore for primary and mass education, Tk57,302 crore for secondary and higher education, and Tk18,457 crore for technical and madrasa education. Announced initiatives include free uniforms and jute schoolbags, free education for female students through honours level, smart classrooms, free Wi-Fi, mid-day meals and proposed education loans.

From the 2027 academic year, four new textbooks focused on sports, culture, technical education and joyful learning are planned for primary and secondary students. Education experts identified a reform commission, universal pre-primary education and greater research investment as major challenges. Amin said the government aims to implement all manifesto commitments gradually over five years.

National Citizen Party member secretary Akhtar Hossain MP said constitutional Article 51 cannot be invoked to prevent the arrest of former president Sahabuddin Chuppu. He made the remarks at the NCP’s July Awakening march and roadside meeting at Jibannagar Mukta Mancha in Chuadanga on Sunday night, July 27. The event was held with the stated aim of building a Bangladesh based on justice, democracy, rights and prosperity.

Hossain said no protection against Chuppu’s arrest remains under Article 51. He also alleged that the BNP had taken a position against the public and had not implemented what he described as a verdict in which 70 percent of people supported a yes vote in a referendum. He further alleged that the BNP was attempting to politicize everything, including the Election Commission.

NCP joint member secretaries Molla Mohammad Faruk Ahsan and Dr Mahmuda Mitu, joint convenor Sarwar Tushar, and local leaders attended the event. Several local Jamaat-e-Islami leaders were also present. An NCP July Awakening march and roadside meeting was held earlier on Sunday in Jhenaidah. Another such event is scheduled in Chuadanga at 3 p.m. Monday.

On July 27, 2024, Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police took Anti-Discrimination Student Movement coordinators Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah into custody. Earlier, Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Abu Baker Majumdar were taken from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital while receiving treatment. The report said the detentions added a new dimension to student protests demanding quota reform.

Then Detective Branch additional deputy commissioner Md Junaid Alam Sarkar said the five were held to collect information on recent clashes, vandalism and violence, and for their personal security. University teachers expressed concern and called for the students’ treatment and safety to be ensured. Human Rights Forum Bangladesh also urged maximum caution to stop harassment and torture of students.

Coordinators issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding the release of detained students, withdrawal of all cases and action against those responsible for violence. The report cited more than 736 cases nationwide and more than 7,000 arrests by July 27 night. They announced online and offline campaigning, document submissions to embassies and wall-writing from July 28.

India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded the resignation of Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down amid protests over an alleged NEET examination paper leak in Delhi. The report, published on July 27, 2026, says the issue has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari asked when AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal would seek Bains’s resignation on moral grounds. The BJP alleged paper leaks in the PSEB Class 12 English board examination, Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test and Agriculture Development Officer examination. It also raised allegations involving other recruitment examinations and names on an Excise and Taxation Inspection merit list. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring alleged six major paper leaks over the past four years and demanded accountability.

AAP rejected the opposition allegations as false and baseless. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said no paper leak had occurred in the state over the past four and a half years and promised full prevention in future. He said action was taken within 10 minutes after cheating attempts at two locations. AAP leader Baltej Pannu said candidates caught using digital devices faced immediate legal action, but no paper was leaked.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will travel to New York in the United States on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to sources at the Prime Minister’s Office. He is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 24. The trip will be his first visit to New York since taking office as head of government and his first speech at the UN General Assembly as prime minister.

Preparations for the New York visit have already begun. Sources said this year’s General Assembly session is particularly significant for Bangladesh because the newly elected president of the UN General Assembly, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, will preside over the 81st session. Besides his address, the prime minister will attend a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump.

The prime minister is also expected to join an interaction event organised by expatriate Bangladeshis, while meetings with several heads of government may take place on the sidelines. The visit is expected to be brief, with a stay of four to five days in New York. He is expected to leave the city on September 25 or 26. The delegation will be limited to no more than 35 people, sources said.

Police in Assam, India, arrested three Muslim youths over allegations that they organized a protest meeting and created a WhatsApp group in support of student demonstrations. The detainees were identified as Manjur Rahman, 23, Ashraful Islam, 21, and Abdul Kashem, 23. The report was published from কলকাতা on July 27, 2026.

According to the report, the three opened the group to support protests that had spread across India over alleged irregularities in the education sector and demands for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. They later applied to the local Laluk police station for permission to hold a peaceful gathering, but police did not grant permission.

Manjur and Ashraful are MCom students, while Kashem had completed a degree in pharmaceutical science and was teaching at a private school. Manjur’s father, Mojibur Rahman, said his son had not committed any unconstitutional act by attempting a peaceful protest. Ashraful’s father, Ayub Ali, alleged that the youths were being deliberately targeted because they are Muslim.

Bangladesh’s Law Commission has begun work on the proposed Criminal Offences Sentencing (Principles and Procedures) Act, 2026, aiming to strengthen the rule of law, transparency in criminal justice and rationality in sentencing. Justice Zinat Ara, chairperson of the Law Commission, announced the initiative at a seminar on the recommended draft bill at the Rangpur Chief Judicial Magistrate Court conference room on July 26.

Justice Zinat Ara said the state has a fundamental duty to uphold the rule of law, maintain order and ensure an effective justice system for resolving disputes. She said sentencing requires clear principles and procedures that take account of the type, nature and circumstances of offences. The commission is assessing the feasibility of the legislation and gathering views from relevant groups.

Judges, lawyers, law-enforcement members, media workers, NGO representatives and other stakeholders attended the seminar, chaired by Law Commission Secretary Syed Azad Subhani. Participants discussed provisions of the draft and proposed measures to improve it and increase its effectiveness. Organisers said the feedback would be reviewed for necessary additions and amendments before a final draft is submitted to the government, followed by efforts to introduce it in parliament as a bill.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari alleged that foreign-backed Islamist fundamentalist groups may have been involved in recent violence surrounding protests over an alleged NEET question-paper leak. Speaking to journalists on July 26, he said most people involved in the violence were not students but Jamaat-aligned fundamentalists. He said investigating agencies would examine whether foreign forces had supported them.

Clashes occurred last Friday between police and left-backed protesters at a demonstration over the alleged NEET paper leak. Police used baton charges and tear gas to control the situation. Adhikari had earlier told the assembly that none of about 70 people identified from the protest were students or connected to the anti-paper-leak movement. He also alleged that journalists were deliberately targeted during the protest and that attempts were made on their lives.

The administration has announced that the state’s newly enacted anti-gunda law will be applied against those accused of violence. Meanwhile, the central government is preparing to introduce a 2026 amendment bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday, proposing fast-track courts, two-month investigations, prison terms of five to 10 years, and fines up to 5 million rupees. CJP announced on Saturday that it was withdrawing its 36-day movement.

Organizers have announced plans for Shiva worship and Rudrabhishek near the historic Adina Mosque in Pandua, Malda district, West Bengal. They said a Shivling would be installed within 50 metres of the roughly 653-year-old monument on Monday. District authorities have strengthened security around the site amid the renewed dispute.

The issue gained fresh attention after BJP Rajarhat legislator Tarunjyoti Tewari described Adina Mosque as Adinath Temple during the West Bengal assembly's monsoon session. Archaeological department information says Sultan Sikandar Shah built the mosque in 1373. Some local groups cite Hindu imagery in its carvings and claims of excavated Shiva and Durga idols, while architectural historians generally attribute such carvings to reused materials from earlier structures.

The Adinath Shiv Mandir and Mela Committee said this year's rituals would remain at a nearby temple and any future claims over the monument would be pursued through courts. The monument is under the Archaeological Survey of India and protected by a 1958 law, police said, warning against unauthorized religious activity or alterations. A case over the mosque's historical identity and ownership remains pending, with no final ruling issued.

Rangpur-4 lawmaker and National Citizen Party member secretary Akhtar Hossain said university hall seizure politics would not be allowed to return. He made the remarks on Sunday afternoon at a discussion meeting under the banyan tree at ইসলামী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, where Jatiya Chhatra Shakti’s campus branch hosted an event on recalling the monsoon revolution and building a new political trend.

Hossain said the culture of hall seizures at universities had declined after 5 August, allowing ordinary students to speak about their rights and protest. He said Jatiya Chhatra Shakti would never engage in hall seizure politics. If anyone attempted to seize halls, he said, the organisation’s activists would be among the first to protest, adding that halls should remain with students and campuses should be safe for them.

He warned that incidents at several universities could again create fear and instability, urging responsible action to prevent the return of torture and restrictions on freedom of speech. Hossain also called for the arrest of recently resigned President Md Shahabuddin and an investigation into allegations he raised. NCP leaders Sarwar Tushar and Dr Mahmuda Alam Mitu, Jatiya Chhatra Shakti president Zahid Ahsan, teachers, students and participants in the July movement attended.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said a new president will be appointed within 90 days if the presidency becomes vacant, in line with the Constitution. Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a training programme for junior lawyers at the Chattogram District Bar Association auditorium on July 26, he said Article 123(2) makes the appointment a constitutional obligation and that the process will be completed within the stipulated period.

Asked whether action would be taken against outgoing President Md Shahabuddin (Chuppu), the minister said the government would decide after reviewing all matters. He said people should place trust in the head of government and the administration. In his address as chief guest, he claimed that $234 billion had been illicitly transferred abroad through documented channels from Bangladesh over the past 16 years.

Citing information from a Time magazine report, Asaduzzaman said about $16 billion was transferred abroad annually on average. He also alleged widespread looting in the name of development projects during the previous government. Referring to an LGED project in Pirojpur worth about Tk3,500 crore, he claimed paperwork showed completion but no work had been carried out in reality. He called for coordinated efforts by the judiciary, lawyers and state institutions against corruption and for rule of law and accountability.

The home minister said any allegation against Md Shahabuddin from before he became president would be treated as a matter of that period and proceed according to law. He made the remarks in response to a question at a press conference in his office at the Secretariat on Sunday. The report was published and updated on July 26, 2026.

Addressing reports of a telephone conversation between a former prime minister and the outgoing president, the minister said travelling to London was not necessary to speak with someone. He said communication was possible from anywhere in the world in the internet era and described a claim that such a visit was needed as unrealistic.

The minister said agencies coordinated to ensure that Rath Yatra and Ulto Rath were held smoothly and peacefully, with intelligence agencies also carrying out their duties. He said the government was making its highest effort to bring former IGP Benazir, who was arrested in Dubai, back to the country, and had sent documents requested by Dubai authorities. He also said police members fulfilling their responsibilities would be rewarded, while failures would draw reprimand.

A court ordered Amal Kanti Das, president of Bandarban municipal Awami League, sent to jail after rejecting his bail petitions in two cases linked to the July-August student-public movement. The report was published on July 26, 2026. Following required formalities, Das was taken to Bandarban District Jail under tight security.

Court sources said Das had previously secured High Court bail in several related cases. After that bail expired, he surrendered before the relevant court and sought fresh bail. Following a hearing, the court rejected his applications in two cases. Public Prosecutor Alamgir Chowdhury said the decision followed hearings in cases filed at Bandarban Sadar Police Station over the July movement.

The case documents list Das as the fourth and ninth accused, respectively. However, the prosecutor said his bail was granted in Bandarban Sadar Police Station Case No. 07, GR-98/2024 dated August 22, 2024, and Case No. 10, GR-101/2024 dated August 28, 2024, filed over the same incident. Sources also said the Anti-Corruption Commission is examining allegations concerning his assets and possible financial irregularities. His immediate response was unavailable, and the report said the claims remain allegations pending investigation or a final court decision.

Bangladesh Azad Party has filed a complaint with the prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal accusing former presidents Abdul Hamid and Shahabuddin Chuppu of crimes against humanity. The complaint was submitted on Sunday to the chief prosecutor’s office, according to the party. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Md Hasinur Rahman, the party’s convener, spoke to journalists after the filing.

Hasinur Rahman said many people had been killed and forcibly disappeared up to August 5, while the two former presidents had never protested. He alleged that they had given silent consent to those crimes. Munshi Borhan Mahmud, the party’s chief organizer, said the complaint had been filed against both former presidents.

Mahmud cited the Pilkhana killings, the Shapla massacre, judicial killings, enforced disappearances, murders and Aynaghar among events that occurred while the two men were heads of state. He alleged that the presidents of the period supported and protected what he described as a fascist government. He further alleged that they did not protest wrongdoing and benefited as part of the ruling power, and therefore could not avoid responsibility.

A federal appeals court based in Boston has refused to allow key provisions of President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening mail-in voting rules to take effect before the upcoming November congressional elections in the United States. On Saturday, the First US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s request by a 2-1 vote, leaving a lower-court injunction in place.

The US Justice Department had asked for the injunction to be temporarily lifted while litigation continued, arguing that relevant federal agencies had not yet finalized implementation policies and that the lawsuit was premature. The appeals court rejected that argument, saying states must prepare now as the September and November elections approach and face deadlines requiring coordination with federal authorities.

US District Judge Indira Talwani issued the injunction on June 25, finding that several parts of Trump’s March order likely exceeded presidential constitutional authority and interfered with state and congressional powers over elections. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia brought the case. The blocked provisions will remain suspended in those states through the November congressional election, though the administration may seek emergency relief from the US Supreme Court.