Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman said the July revolution remains unfinished and must be completed. He made the remarks on Sunday as chief guest at the first session of the Bangladesh Conference at the Institute of Diploma Engineers auditorium in the capital. The discussion was titled “July Revolution and Bangladesh-oriented Thought: Theoretical Perspective.” He described the revolution as an ongoing process.

Rahman said weakness in the rural economy has pushed people toward Dhaka in search of employment, making the capital unsuitable for living. He called for increased employment in agriculture and maximum priority for the production sector. Strengthening agriculture, he said, would keep the rural economy active and reduce migration to Dhaka driven by a lack of work.

He also said agriculture and manufacturing are essential to expanding employment and strengthening the economy. Citing Vietnam’s per capita income of more than $5,000, he said Bangladesh should first aim to reach Vietnam’s position. In the keynote paper, Professor Dr. Md. Saidul Islam proposed an integrated state philosophy combining Bangladesh’s history, Islamic ethics, modern democracy and the spirit of the July revolution, calling it Bangladesh-oriented thought.

Iranian army spokesman General Abul Fazl Shekarchi said the United States has failed to weaken Tehran and has not achieved its objectives in the Strait of Hormuz. In remarks reported on July 26, 2026, he described the current situation as chaotic and undesirable for Washington, and said the United States was seeking a “new strategy.”

Shekarchi also said the possibility of Washington withdrawing from the war depended on permission from “Zionists.” The report presented the remarks as the Iranian military spokesman’s position and did not include a US response to his claims or an independent assessment of them.

Separately, Axios, citing two sources familiar with the matter, reported that President Donald Trump on Friday instructed the US military not to launch new attacks, pausing strikes that had continued in Iran for nearly two weeks. After authorizing air strikes for 13 days, Trump did not approve plans for new attacks on Friday. It remains unclear whether the pause is temporary or signals a broader policy shift.

Israel has intensified military activity, arrests, movement restrictions and expansion of illegal settlements and military outposts across the occupied West Bank, according to a report published July 26. Near Nablus, Israeli forces were raiding homes in the village of Tal belonging to Palestinians accused in the killing of two Israeli soldiers. Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya said the operation was intended to temporarily seal the homes as an initial step toward demolition.

Four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed in clashes southwest of Nablus last Friday. Palestinian sources said the violence began after settlers attacked Tal, near the illegal Havat Gilad settlement, while the Israeli military gave a different account. International human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Israel's policy of demolishing homes of accused attackers, describing it as collective punishment and a clear violation of international law.

WAFA reported that Israeli forces detained at least 80 Palestinians from areas including Nablus, Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem and Tulkarem. Local sources said settlers set fire to the Al-Rahma Mosque in Qusra; Israeli authorities made no immediate comment. Analysts cited in the report said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is relying on hard-right supporters before elections due in three months.

Former food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar is in jail over an alleged wheat import scandal, while former secretary Ismail Hossain was sent into compulsory retirement by the interim government, the report says. Russia-based Mia Sattar, founder chairman of National Electric Group and an alleged key intermediary, remains untraced. The report alleges that nearly 1.1 million tonnes of wheat were imported from Russia through the group between 2022 and before August 2024.

According to the report, the imports, worth about Tk4,000 crore, arrived through Chattogram port under government-to-government arrangements. It alleges that National Electric Group was appointed as a commission agent despite rules barring intermediaries in such deals. ACC assistant director Afnan Jannat Keya said the investigation is nearing completion and documents sufficient to file cases against import-linked entities have been collected and reviewed.

National Electric Group managing director Amiruzzaman Sohel denied links to Rooppur, Bapex and wheat imports. Its public relations officer Nur Nabi Siddique Swin also said allegations of low-quality wheat had not been proven. The report additionally cited Ukrainian letters alleging stolen wheat shipments and warning of possible commercial sanctions risks, which it said the interim government addressed through diplomatic channels.

Members of the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch took three quota reform movement coordinators—Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Abu Bakar Majumdar—from Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in the capital on July 26, 2024. At about 11:30pm, the DB acknowledged holding them, saying they had been brought in for their security and would be asked whether they had information about violence.

Nahid’s family alleged earlier that afternoon that people in plain clothes identifying themselves as law enforcement personnel first took Nahid, then Asif and Bakar. The report said Nahid had previously been taken from Nandipara in Khilgaon on July 19 and left in Purbachal on July 21. Asif and Bakar were also reportedly taken that day and left in separate areas on July 24.

Then-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told journalists the three coordinators were feeling unsafe and that the DB had taken responsibility for protecting them. The report also described nationwide arrest operations and “block raids” surrounding the movement, stating that 9,121 people were arrested in 11 days, including 2,536 in Dhaka.

Hundreds of people protested in Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street on Saturday against Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The demonstration was organized by the left-wing Hadash party and allied groups, according to the report. Israeli police arrested nine people during the protest.

Demonstrators opposed Israeli military control in the West Bank and attacks by Jewish settlers. Mothers Against Violence said more than 200 people took part and alleged that police used force against protesters. Police said the protest was unauthorized and that action was taken because participants disrupted public order and blocked roads.

The protest followed clashes in Tal town near Nablus the previous day, in which four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. Local sources said settlers entered the area and tried to attack Palestinian homes, prompting clashes with residents. The Israeli government then ordered a major military operation in the West Bank. Israeli forces detained about 50 Palestinians in Tal and searched numerous homes, while a Palestinian prisoners’ organization described the operation as collective punishment.

Israel's military has begun a process to demolish the homes of Palestinians accused of involvement in the killing of two Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank. Military sources said raids were under way at the suspects' homes in Tal village, near Nablus, following the incident last Friday. The report was published on July 26, 2026.

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya said the operation was intended to temporarily seal the houses as an initial step toward demolition. Destroying the homes of Palestinians accused of deadly attacks is a longstanding Israeli policy. International human rights organizations have strongly criticized the measure, describing it as collective punishment and a clear violation of international law.

Four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed in violent clashes southwest of Nablus last Friday involving Palestinians, Israeli forces and illegal settlers. Palestinian sources said the violence began after settlers attacked the besieged village of Tal, near the illegal Havat Gilad settlement. Local and security sources said settlers fired at Palestinians trying to protect their homes. The Israeli military gave a different account, saying troops were deployed after reports of an attack on Israelis visiting the area.

The prosecution has filed formal charges against 19 people in a crimes against humanity case over the killing of Asahabul Yamin in Savar, near Dhaka, during the July Revolution. The charges were submitted to the registrar of the International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday morning.

According to the prosecution, 19 people were made accused after a lengthy investigation. It said the formal charges were filed after reviewing the investigation agency’s report. The report’s headline identifies former MP Saiful among those accused.

Seven accused are in custody in the case: former Dhaka district additional superintendent of police Mohammad Abdullahil Kafi, former additional superintendent of police for Savar Circle Mohammad Shahidul Islam, ASI Mohammad Ali, Nayek Sohel, Mizanur Rahman, Zakir Hossain and constable Masud Mia. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for today.

Iranian and Omani deputy foreign ministers held talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday on managing the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the discussions were constructive and had made progress, with safe navigation through the waterway among the issues addressed.

Baghaei said both sides exchanged views on common principles and procedures for managing secure maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz while respecting the sovereign rights of the two coastal states. He added that technical and political discussions between Iran and Oman were continuing.

CBS News, citing two regional sources, also reported progress in the talks between the two countries. The sources said that although the situation was moving in a positive direction, diplomacy would need more time before an agreement could be reached. The report cited Middle East Eye as its source.

Acting President Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed paid tribute to the martyrs at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar, Dhaka. He laid flowers at the memorial altar at 11:40am on Sunday, July 26.

A smart contingent from the three armed services presented the acting president with a guard of honour during the ceremony. The tribute took place at the altar of the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar.

After laying the flowers, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed stood silently for some time in remembrance of the martyrs. He later signed the visitors’ book at the memorial.

At least 1,185 Palestinians, including at least 250 children, have been killed in violence by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023, according to the report. The article, published and updated on July 26, 2026, said violence against Palestinians in the territory has increased alarmingly.

International observers reported that at least 12,652 Palestinians have been injured in the continuing attacks. Israeli forces have also detained more than 24,000 Palestinians during raids at different times, the report said.

As of July 1, 2026, 9,299 Palestinians were held in Israeli prisons, according to the cited figures. Human rights groups expressed concern that 3,244 of those detainees were being held without formal charges or trial. The United Nations and international human rights organizations criticized the lack of accountability for violence in the West Bank, alleging that accused Israeli settlers rarely face legal action and that punishment of Israeli soldiers involved in Palestinian deaths is extremely rare.

Uganda’s Olara Otunnu joined the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general as the seventh candidate on Saturday. The UN said Otunnu, 75, was presented to member states following his nomination by Uganda. He is seeking to succeed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who will leave office on December 31. The new secretary-general is due to take office on January 1, 2027.

Otunnu served from 1997 to 2005 under then Secretary-General Kofi Annan as an under-secretary-general and special representative for children and armed conflict. He has also been Uganda’s ambassador to the UN and briefly served as the country’s foreign minister. In Uganda’s 2011 election, he ran for president for the opposition Uganda People’s Congress but lost to longtime leader Yoweri Museveni.

Other candidates include Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Senegal’s Macky Sall. The Security Council’s 15 members will hold their first secret, anonymous straw poll on July 30. A candidate needs nine required votes and must avoid a veto by the five permanent members before the name is sent to the General Assembly for formal approval.

The Department of Shipping has ordered the closure of the Lighthouse Sea Beach tourism spot beside the lighthouse in Kutubdia, Cox’s Bazar, citing risks to navigation. The South Dhurung Union Parishad formally inaugurated the site in December last year. A letter issued six months after authorities were notified prohibited operating any tourism spot in front of the lighthouse because the navigation system was considered risky.

The site had rides, tourist boats, lighting and shops intended to provide recreation for visitors. Tourist numbers are already low during the monsoon because of poor weather. Visitors who come to see Kutubdia’s historic lighthouse, as well as devotees visiting Kutub Sharif Darbar, had also visited the tourism spot, according to the report.

Shopkeepers Nurul Islam and Md Akil said the site had created an income opportunity and warned that sales would disappear without tourists and gatherings. Union Parishad Chairman Alauddin Al Azad said about Tk 10-12 lakh from parishad funds had been spent on road repairs, security, lighting, children’s attractions, rides and tourist boats outside the protected area. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Mizanur Rahman said he would discuss the matter with higher authorities.

Severe congestion persists on the Lohagara section of the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway despite road widening, according to a report published on July 26, 2026. Numerous hawker shops, illegal CNG auto-rickshaw and Laguna stands have developed on both sides of Bottoli Motor Station. Roadside markets in Thakurdighi, Padua, Bottoli Station and Chunati are also adding to delays for passengers using the route.

Various unauthorized three-wheelers, including Lagunas, Magic vehicles, tomtoms, nasimons, battery-run rickshaws and auto-rickshaws, are operating on the highway. The report says three-wheelers remain in use despite a High Court directive banning them from highways. It also cites allegations that many vehicles lack valid documents, while illegal stands and such traffic contribute to accidents and congestion.

Lohagara traffic in-charge Hasanuzzaman cited uneven road edges, vehicles stopping indiscriminately and two weekly cattle markets as causes of congestion. Dohazari Highway Police said at least 400 to 500 CNG auto-rickshaws operate daily on the Lohagara stretch. Officer-in-Charge Salah Uddin Chowdhury said regular drives are being conducted against prohibited vehicles in Lohagara, Chandanaish and Satkania.

A formal charge sheet has been submitted to a tribunal against former MP Saiful Islam and 18 others over the killing of student Shaikh Ashabul Yamin in Savar. An application for arrest warrants against fugitive accused was filed on Sunday morning, according to the report published on July 26, 2026.

The case concerns allegations that Yamin was killed after being thrown from a police armored personnel carrier, or APC, in Savar during the July movement. The report describes the incident as a killing of the student by throwing him from the armored vehicle.

Shaikh Ashabul Yamin was a fourth-year student in the Computer Science and Engineering department at the Military Institute of Science and Technology in Mirpur. While 19 people have been named as accused, the report does not identify the other defendants or state how many are fugitives.