Students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) lifted a six-hour-long rail blockade on Tuesday evening after receiving assurances from the university administration. Train services on the Dhaka–Mymensingh route resumed around 5 p.m.

Earlier in the day, at around 11 a.m., defying the order to vacate dormitories, students gathered at Jabbar’s Mor and blocked the railway tracks, halting train operations. They also locked the offices of the university treasurer and Pubali Bank’s campus branch in protest.

In response to the unrest, the BAU administration has formed a six-member inquiry committee to investigate the recent attacks on students.

Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus is currently holding talks with representatives of seven political parties and organizations.

The meeting, which began at 5:10 p.m. Tuesday, includes participation from AB Party, Nagorik Oikya, Gonosonghoti Andolon, Gonodhikar Parishad, LDP, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Jatiya Gonofront, and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh.

Earlier, Dr. Yunus met leaders of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP to discuss the prevailing political situation and the upcoming elections.

Police have so far filed charge sheets in 34 cases linked to incidents during the July uprising across the country. These include 13 murder cases and 21 under other charges.

According to police headquarters, the murder cases were filed in Sherpur, Feni, Chandpur, Cumilla, Dhaka, and Kurigram, while the remaining 21 cases cover Bogura, Chapainawabganj, Sirajganj, Pabna, Naogaon, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, and multiple metropolitan areas.

In total, 1,390 individuals stand accused in the murder cases and 777 in other cases. Police said they are working to complete investigations into the remaining cases to bring perpetrators to justice.

The Appellate Division will tomorrow hear Dhaka University’s appeal against the High Court order postponing the DUCSU elections.

On Tuesday, Chamber Judge Justice Farah Mahbub upheld the stay order until Wednesday’s hearing. The High Court had earlier postponed the polls until October 30, but the chamber court suspended that order within an hour of DU’s appeal.

BNP leader Nargis Begum has said the party’s 16 years of street struggle has brought “temporary freedom,” but the ultimate goal remains a free and fair election.

Speaking at a fish release program, she said, “BNP seeks a neutral election that will pave the way for a democratic government. The roadmap has already been announced, but certain groups are trying to obstruct the process with excuses.”

She urged BNP members to stay united, avoid internal divisions, and remain vigilant against disinformation campaigns.

Environmental lawyer and adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has stressed that combating the climate crisis requires not just financial but also technological assistance.

“International support is crucial for climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh. However, even if aid does not come, we must fight on—for this is about our survival,” she said.

Hasan urged that, in absence of external help, Bangladesh must rely on the traditional knowledge of farmers, fishermen, and rural communities. She pointed to community-driven solutions in coastal regions, such as affordable desalination for water supply, while warning that long-term issues like Bhobadah and Beel Dakatia require sustained international intervention.

She added, “The people of Bangladesh have never abandoned one another in times of disaster. We have always seen extraordinary unity in the face of crises.”

Defying hall eviction orders for the second day, students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) continued their protests, blocking the Dhaka–Mymensingh rail route indefinitely from 11 a.m. today. Rail services have since been suspended.

The agitating students locked the university treasurer’s office and Pubali Bank branch gate while pressing their six-point demand. Their demands include:

Withdrawal of eviction orders by 2 p.m.

Uninterrupted access to dormitory facilities

Resignation of the proctorial body within 24 hours

A public apology from the vice chancellor over recent attacks, vandalism, and harassment

Punishment of teachers and outsiders involved in violence

Immediate issuance of combined degree certificates

BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy has declared that no conspiracy can halt BNP’s forward march, as the party’s power comes from the people.
Speaking at a meeting, he said, “We believe in democracy. Those defeated forces of the Liberation War and November 7 are still trying to derail elections.”

He dismissed reliance on public relations strategies, adding, “If elections are fair, the people’s verdict is guaranteed. Those who once thought staying away from elections would secure power are now busy justifying PR methods.”

Former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, testifying as a prosecution witness in the July killing case against Sheikh Hasina and two others, claimed that directives for RAB to abduct, detain, or kill individuals came directly from the Prime Minister’s Office via Tarique Siddiqui.

He alleged that ahead of the 2018 elections, then-IGP Javed Patwary instructed police to pre-fill 50% of ballot boxes the night before voting—officers involved were later rewarded with medals. After the 2014 elections, he said, police officers from the Gopalganj belt gained unprecedented influence.

Mamun further testified that RAB officers Alep Uddin and Mohiuddin Faruqi became notorious for abductions, torture, and killings. He claimed that from July 19 onward, nightly core committee meetings were held at Kamal’s residence, where decisions were made to detain opposition coordinators, who were later coerced into withdrawing movements and making public statements under duress.

BNP leader Nazrul Islam Khan has said the party demands elections not for the pursuit of power, but for restoring democracy and ensuring people’s rights.
Speaking virtually at a program in Kuala Lumpur, he stated, “Elections allow people to express their will, and BNP respects that verdict. True democracy is established through responsible governance, not merely by holding office.”

He reaffirmed BNP’s commitment to restoring democracy, protecting independence, and defending people’s rights. He also thanked members of the diaspora who, even under what he called Sheikh Hasina’s misrule, worked tirelessly to keep the party united.

Jatiya Party Secretary General Shamim Haider Patwary has said that it is now the responsibility of BNP to safeguard the Jatiya Party in the interest of democracy.
He noted that while many have called for banning the Jatiya Party, such demands have largely subsided. “We thank BNP for not falling into that trap,” he said.

Shamim warned that if the Jatiya Party were banned while restrictions also remained on the Awami League, the electoral field would be reduced to three dominant players—reshaping seat negotiations. “This could push BNP into becoming a political puppet,” he argued, adding that smaller parties would then demand more seats, threatening to boycott polls otherwise.

Calling for a necessary “cooling period” in politics, Shamim drew on the example of Ziaur Rahman, saying that after the August 21 grenade attack, there was a two-year political cooling phase. “Such a period is essential in Bangladesh today,” he stressed.

The High Court has declared unconstitutional the provisions of the 15th and 4th constitutional amendments that vested control over lower court judges with the President. From now on, supervision, transfers, promotions, and disciplinary authority over judges will rest with the Supreme Court.
Under the current amended Article 116, control of subordinate court judges was vested in the President. However, in the original 1972 Constitution, Article 116 entrusted such powers to the Supreme Court. The latest ruling restores that original intent, strengthening judicial independence.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited two injured opposition leaders in hospital on Tuesday. Around noon, he met Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP) President Nurul Haque Nur at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where Nur has been shifted from ICU to a cabin after health improvements. Fakhrul also visited Islami Bank Hospital to see Lutfur Rahman, President of the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA), who is undergoing treatment after being attacked by assailants.

The government is considering forming a third tribunal to fast-track trials of the July–August massacre cases, said International Crimes Tribunal advisory committee member Asif Nazrul during a visit Tuesday morning. He stressed that the government is giving the trials “highest priority” and is “satisfied with the pace of proceedings.” He was accompanied by adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman, and Chief Prosecutor Advocate Tajul Islam.

A Dhaka court has granted bail to Said Sheikh, a speech-impaired man arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Md Zakir Hossain delivered the order on Tuesday after a hearing. With no other charges pending against him, there are no further barriers to his release from prison.