Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee may join an ongoing protest in Delhi alongside the Kokroach Janata Party, according to a report citing Hindustan Times. She is expected to travel to Delhi next Monday to express solidarity with protesting students. The report also says her Trinamool Congress is set to join the demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

In a post on X, Banerjee said she had stood firmly with students and their movement from the beginning. She described their struggle as one not only for justice over the NEET scandal, but also for protecting the future of every young person in the country. She added that the entire opposition camp and the country's people were standing with students and youth.

The report describes the Delhi action as one of the biggest student movements in recent times. Congress marched toward the prime minister's residence in New Delhi on Tuesday to protest police baton charges and water cannon use against students. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior Congress leaders participated. Political analysts said Banerjee's participation could also highlight Trinamool Congress's political position.

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned after widespread protests over irregularities in national-level examinations and an alleged leak of the NEET medical entrance examination paper. He submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, July 25, according to the report. Pradhan announced the decision in a social media post hours before a third round of talks.

Students led by the Kokroch Janata Party, or CJP, had protested for more than a month at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Pradhan’s resignation was among their key demands. On Saturday morning, the group said it would not take part in any discussions unless the government agreed to remove the education minister.

The protesters also demanded that no legal action be taken against participating students and that compensation be provided to families of students who died by suicide in connection with the NEET paper leak. The central government had reportedly assured protesters on Friday that it would accept the latter two demands, but had not stated a position on Pradhan’s resignation. Protesters celebrated at Jantar Mantar after the announcement.

Cockroach Janata Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media reels would not halt the student movement. In remarks reported on July 25, Ranka called for concrete action to meet students’ demands before making videos. He also demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and said the government had begun talking with students.

Ranka alleged that Delhi Police were preventing protesters from reaching the demonstration site at Jantar Mantar. Sharing screenshots of several messages on social media, he said authorities could not stop people from coming to Jantar Mantar, delivering food to protesters or assisting them. He further alleged that police were visiting restaurants and intimidating them to prevent food orders from reaching the site.

In a Saturday statement, CJP said Delhi Police’s authoritarian actions were increasing in and around Jantar Mantar. The party urged the administration to stop illegally detaining, harassing or obstructing citizens who wished to go there and to avoid creating an intimidating environment. Security was tightened in several parts of Delhi as participation grew in the CJP-led protest.

India’s Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi met students fasting for 23 consecutive days at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Saturday and criticised the central government. The students, protesting under the leadership of the “Cockroach Janata Party,” are demanding the dismissal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Gandhi told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that students want action rather than video messages or assurances.

Gandhi described Pradhan as a symbol of corruption and destruction in India’s education system. He said reports of a plan to move the minister from the education portfolio to another ministry would not be acceptable, arguing that protesters want him removed from the government altogether. Gandhi said the students would not be satisfied with any outcome short of the education minister’s removal.

Referring to alleged police attacks, pellet firing and baton charges against protesters, Gandhi demanded punishment for those responsible and said the prime minister should apologise to students allegedly abused at Jantar Mantar. AISA leader Neha Bora said discussions with Gandhi on India’s education system were productive. Bora, who has fasted with fellow activists for 23 days, also called for Pradhan’s immediate resignation.

Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu has decided to resign after serving three years and three months as Bangladesh’s president, ending his tenure during the BNP government. He administered oaths to heads of three different administrations: the Awami League, the interim government and the elected BNP government. Although he remained in office after the BNP’s victory in the 2026 election, his resignation came five and a half months after the BNP government was formed.

During the interim government, the BNP supported Chuppu’s continued tenure on grounds of constitutional continuity, and an effort to remove him was not implemented. Ten days after the BNP’s election victory, Chuppu said in an interview that the party and its senior leadership had stood by him during difficult times, describing BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman as sincere. The report says relations later became strained, while Bangabhaban sources said senior BNP figures conveyed a message asking him to resign.

Chuppu took oath as the country’s 22nd president on April 24, 2023. His political background and the legality of his appointment drew debate. His conflicting statements in 2024 over Sheikh Hasina’s resignation letter also triggered criticism. In a December 2025 Reuters interview, he said he felt humiliated by the government led by Muhammad Yunus.

BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party’s National Standing Committee, led by acting chairman Tarique Rahman, will make the final decision on Bangladesh’s next president. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon after Md Sahabuddin Chuppu resigned, prompting discussion over who will succeed him.

Citing multiple sources in the Parliament Secretariat and the ruling party, the report said the process for electing a new president will begin when the next parliamentary session starts. Discussions have begun within BNP over possible candidates. Names under discussion include Fakhrul, Standing Committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan, as well as acting president and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Professor Dr Anwarullah Chowdhury and Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani, who is serving on a contract basis, were also mentioned as possible candidates. Party policymakers said the nomination would be based on the decision of the prime minister and senior party leadership. Political analysts cited in the report said BNP’s parliamentary majority would make the party’s choice decisive in the presidential election.

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced a new nationwide programme in India to show solidarity with protesters allegedly subjected to police abuse. The party called for candlelight marches across the country on Sunday evening, according to a report published on July 25, 2026.

In a message posted on X, the CJP said student groups and other organisations should work together on a cooperative basis to secure permissions and make related arrangements for the programme. The report described the marches as an expression of support for protesters who were victims of police abuse.

A third round of talks between the Modi government and protesters is scheduled for Saturday. However, the CJP said there was no point in entering discussions unless the government agreed to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said in an X post that the party would not retreat from its demand for Pradhan's resignation, and that no further talks would be necessary if the government did not agree.

An opinion article by Syed Musa Reza, published in Amar Desh on July 25, 2026, portrays the funeral and mourning ceremony in Tehran for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a symbol of shifting power relations in the Middle East and global politics. The article says mourners chanted against the United States and Israel and demanded revenge for Khamenei’s death. It argues that the event conveyed institutional continuity and unity behind Iran’s current leadership.

Citing an analysis by Middle East Monitor, the article says large gatherings in Tehran, Qom and Karbala challenged assumptions that removing senior leaders through a “decapitation strategy” would collapse Iran’s state system and allied axis. It also interprets the attendance of senior leaders from Pakistan and Tajikistan as evidence that Global South states are making diplomatic choices based on national interests and regional realities.

The article references seven lessons identified by Russia’s state media outlet RT from a recent Persian Gulf conflict. These include the reduced impact of sanctions, cheaper military technologies, limits on sole naval control, asymmetric warfare, discussion of alternative energy-trade currencies, divisions in military alliances and the importance of strategic patience. It concludes that international politics is moving toward a multipolar balance of power.

The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a civilian nuclear agreement on Wednesday at the US Energy Department headquarters in Washington after nearly two decades of talks. The following morning, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords for the deal to take effect. He also said Saudi Arabia would not be allowed to enrich uranium under the agreement.

CNN reported that Trump had already been dissatisfied because Energy Secretary Chris Wright set the timing for the agreement’s announcement without informing him. White House officials said the agreement was not formally final because required documents had not been sent to Congress. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the deal depended on Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords, while the Energy Department said it coordinated every stage with the White House and State Department.

Conservative outlets including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal had questioned granting Saudi Arabia the benefits without normalization with Israel. Nonproliferation experts raised concerns about uranium enrichment and the absence of additional International Atomic Energy Agency inspections. Israeli sources suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened, but the White House denied Trump spoke with him. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Trump did not speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before or after announcing the conditions.

Ahead of a planned third round of talks with India’s central government on Saturday, the protesting Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said discussions would be meaningless unless the Modi government agreed to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In a Saturday morning post on X, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the party would not withdraw its demand for Pradhan’s resignation.

The second round of talks was held Friday at Constitution Club in New Delhi between CJP representatives and central ministers J. P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh. CJP presented three main demands: Pradhan’s resignation, assurance that protesting students would face no legal action, and compensation of one crore rupees each to families of students who died by suicide in the NEET paper leak case. The centre reportedly gave in-principle consent to the latter two demands.

Nadda said the meeting, lasting nearly two hours, also covered five proposals on examination reform, with the government due to communicate its final position at Saturday’s meeting. NDTV, citing government sources, reported that Pradhan’s resignation was unlikely. The government has announced fast-track courts, tougher penalties, a change of education secretary, dismissal of 47 National Testing Agency officials, and a commitment to fully restructure the agency.

Mohammad Kamal Uddin, known in Chattogram as a leader of Bangabandhu Soldiers League, attended a dinner at the state guest house Jamuna with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to a report published on July 25. A photograph of the two shaking hands prompted questions over how he was invited and whether his political background was properly vetted. The report says he is also known locally as “Bakery Kamal.”

A document obtained by the newspaper states that Kamal Uddin applied to attend the event as vice-chairman of Gono Dal, using a Dhaka address. He was invited after verification in Dhaka, the report says. Chattogram Police Commissioner Hasan Md. Shawkat Ali said the address used was in Dhaka and was not verified from Chattogram. Dhaka Metropolitan Police said it handled event security but did not select guests or issue invitations.

Unnamed security and intelligence sources said an internal review began after the matter became public. Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said local input could have provided relevant information on guests’ political and organizational identities. Kamal Uddin said he would send a statement, while the report says he did not deny involvement in Awami League-supported activities mentioned in questions put to him.

Martyr Sharif Osman Hadi, convener of Inqilab Mancha, was a leading figure in student-public protests demanding the resignation and arrest of President Md. Sahabuddin Chuppu after Sheikh Hasina’s fall and flight on August 5, 2024. The report says Chuppu remained in office while the speaker, chief justice and Baitul Mukarram khatib appointed under Hasina left the country.

Protests intensified after comments attributed to the president in a newspaper interview regarding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation letter. Hadi called for demonstrations, describing the remarks as a betrayal of revolutionaries’ blood. On October 23, 2024, he led thousands from Dhaka University, the Raju Sculpture and the Shaheed Minar toward Bangabhaban. Hasnat Abdullah, Nasiruddin Patwary and Sarjis Alam were among other movement leaders involved.

Protesters blocked roads in front of Bangabhaban and near Shapla Chattar, while Hadi issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the president to resign voluntarily. At a Shaheed Minar gathering the following day, he formally presented five demands, including the president’s resignation and reforms. Hadi was shot in Dhaka on December 12 last year and died in Singapore on December 18. The report says Chuppu resigned seven months and six days after Hadi’s killing.

A report published by Amar Desh on July 25, 2026 recounts violence surrounding the quota reform movement on July 25, 2024. It says hospitals across Dhaka were treating people with gunshot wounds and other injuries while morgues received bodies. The report makes strong political allegations regarding then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her government's response to the unrest.

The report says at least 867 injured people received treatment at public and private hospitals in Uttara between July 18 and 25, while 29 bodies were brought in. It says Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hospital received 265 injured people and eight bodies, and Uttara Adhunik Medical College received 263 injured people and 11 bodies. Citing Anjuman Mufidul Islam, it also says 21 unidentified bodies were buried.

According to the report, Hasina visited the Mirpur-10 metro station on July 25 and sought justice over vandalism. It says about 700 protesters and leaders of different parties were arrested that day, including Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and Andaleeve Rahman Partho. The report adds that Amnesty International expressed concern that day and alleged the government was using lethal weapons to suppress protests.

The protesting Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) is set to hold another round of talks with India’s Modi government on July 25, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over an alleged question-paper leak. The party has been staging continuous protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, with the demonstrations also spreading to other Indian cities.

On Friday, a two-member CJP delegation met central ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh. Party spokesperson Saurav Das said the delegation reiterated that it remained firm on its demand for the education minister’s resignation.

The CJP also demanded a public apology to protesters who it said were subjected to a police attack on July 20. It further sought compensation of one crore rupees for the families of people who died by suicide after the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test was cancelled on May 3. The two sides are scheduled to meet again on Saturday.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party and chief whip of the opposition in parliament, urged the head of government to ensure genuine employment rather than relying on card-based assistance. He made the remarks as chief guest at a July March roadside meeting in Tengapara Station Field in Mohanganj municipal town, Netrokona, at 7pm on Friday. The meeting was organised by Mohanganj উপজেলা NCP.

He questioned whether assistance cards would reach genuinely distressed people or party affiliates, saying social security programmes and government benefits had previously gone to partisan beneficiaries while poor people were excluded. He called for administrative oversight to ensure eligible people receive cards. Referring to 30 kilograms of rice provided to fishers during seasonal fishing restrictions, he said such support was insufficient to sustain livelihoods.

Islam called for a special government plan for the haor areas of Netrokona, Sunamganj and Kishoreganj, including development of fisheries and tourism. He also demanded implementation of the July Charter and reforms to police, courts and the constitution. He said his party would oppose the government on reasonable grounds while assisting it when national interests required, but warned that cooperation would not be possible if reforms were not implemented.