Speakers at a seminar in Kanaikhali, Natore city called for the swift implementation of the July Charter in accordance with the referendum verdict. The event, titled “July Mass Uprising: Expectations, Achievements and Tasks Ahead,” was organised by the Natore district branch of an 11-party alliance on Saturday afternoon.

They said failing to implement the referendum verdict would amount to betrayal of thousands of martyrs and would not be accepted by the country’s people. The speakers urged the current government to respect public aspirations and take the necessary steps. Discussions also addressed the expectations, achievements and future tasks linked to the July mass uprising.

Former Rajshahi University pro-vice-chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Main Uddin attended as chief guest. Professor Shah Hossain Ahmed Mehdi presented the keynote paper, while Chittagong University vice-president Ibrahim Hossain Rony was the chief discussant. The seminar was chaired by Natore district Jamaat amir Professor Dr Mir Nurul Islam and attended by political and social representatives.

India’s Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. He announced his resignation in a letter posted on X on Saturday. Pradhan said the decision was not about personal prestige, but was taken in the interests of students, national unity and future generations.

He said the government acted quickly after allegations emerged over the NEET-UG examination held on May 3, 2026. The investigation was handed to the Central Bureau of Investigation, the examination was cancelled and a re-examination was announced. The government also decided that the test would be conducted entirely through a computer-based system from next year. Pradhan said coordinated efforts by the central government, state governments and district administrations enabled a re-examination for more than 2 million students.

He thanked students and parents for their cooperation in the June 21 re-examination. Calling the results released on July 16 satisfactory, he said many talented students from disadvantaged families performed well. Pradhan said he submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prevent disruptive forces from exploiting the situation, preserve national unity, avoid legal complications for students and allow them to focus on their studies.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief and opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman demanded implementation of the referendum verdict at an 11-party divisional rally in Sylhet on July 25, 2026. Speaking at the Government Alia Madrasa ground, he said about 70 percent of voters had backed “yes” in the referendum and warned against any delay or equivocation in carrying out the result. He urged Sylhet residents to prepare for a future movement and said a call for Dhaka would come.

Rahman accused the BNP of pursuing party-based appointments and nationalising corruption. He also called for Sylhet’s M A G Osmani Airport to be upgraded, completion of a six-lane road, an engineering university and a fully operational medical university. Opposition chief whip and NCP convener Nahid Islam likewise pressed the government to implement the referendum verdict and the July Charter.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis chief Mamunul Haque called for formation of a constituent assembly based on the referendum result, saying protest action would follow otherwise. Other alliance leaders criticised the government over elections, reforms, justice and implementation of the verdict. Labour Party chairman Dr Iran said the alliance would announce tougher programmes, while Jagpa leader Rashed Pradhan said a Dhaka rally could launch a one-point movement to topple the government.

Sarjis Alam, chief organiser for northern Bangladesh of the National Citizen Party (NCP), urged the BNP to value leaders such as Lutfuzzaman Babar. He made the remarks at a roadside gathering in Netrokona municipality on Friday after a “July March” organised around five demands, including implementing the public verdict of a referendum and protecting the border.

Alam said those who fought and spoke against Indian hegemony and suffered oppression should not be undervalued. He described Netrokona as the district of a “persecuted leader,” Lutfuzzaman Babar. According to Alam, Babar spent the past 16 to 17 years in prison and had also been sentenced to death.

Alam said Babar had acknowledged that he was the biggest beneficiary of the July student-public uprising, calling this an act of honesty and courage. Addressing the BNP, he argued that people who had been expected to become ministers were being kept only as MPs, while long-standing opponents of hegemony were gradually being sidelined. He said leaders tested in such struggles would be needed more in the future.

Khelafat Majlis has decided to refrain from all activities of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance, saying the coalition was primarily an electoral arrangement whose effectiveness ended after the election. The decision was made on Saturday at the third general session of its central Majlis-e-Shura at the Diploma Engineers Institute auditorium, according to a statement published on July 25.

A notice signed by central publicity secretary engineer Abdul Hafiz Khasru said the party had still participated in some alliance programmes after the election. It said Khelafat Majlis would now stay away from all programmes of the 11-party alliance. The statement did not cite any other immediate reason for the decision.

Khelafat Majlis said efforts to build a broader unity would continue if needed for the country, the nation and Islam. After a June 13 divisional rally of the 11 parties in Chattogram, the party formally asked the alliance not to use its name or its leaders’ names on banners or in publicity. Its name was later used at a rally in Rangpur but was removed following objections, party sources said.

Speakers at a Saturday workshop in a hotel in the capital called for political narratives to align with social values, arguing that interactive discussions and participatory exercises can help political workers build inclusive movements. The event, titled “Transformative Change Making and Political Strategy Making,” was organized by the Centre for Governance Studies with support from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Young women political activists from different political parties and student organizations attended.

CGS Executive Director Parvez Karim Abbasi stressed the need to expand women’s involvement in electoral politics and secure their fair position in democratic institutions. He said meaningful inclusion requires more than increasing numerical representation; women must actively participate in decision-making and democratic leadership. FES Bangladesh Program Adviser Sadhan Kumar Das outlined the organization’s work on democratization, political participation and social inclusion in Bangladesh.

FES Bangladesh Resident Representative Dr. Felix Gerdes led discussions on transformative political change, strategic thinking and coalition-building. Participants mapped political and social actors and considered how demands ranging from economic concerns to public services could connect with a broader democratic agenda. The workshop concluded with an interactive exchange emphasizing inclusive leadership and collaborative action.

The Bangladesh Professional Journalists Forum (BPJF) has demanded swift trials in the killings of 43 journalists, including Sagar-Runi, Asaduzzaman Tuhin, Golam Rabbani Nadim and Shelu Akand. The group also protested alleged torture, attacks and harassment of journalists across Bangladesh. The demands were made at a human chain outside the National Press Club on Saturday.

Former Dhaka Union of Journalists general secretary Jahangir Alam Pradhan called on the government to prioritize journalists’ safety. He urged action against those who obstruct journalists from carrying out professional duties and called for government initiatives to create a safe working environment. Participants observed a minute of silence in memory of slain journalists.

Dhaka Sub-Editors Council general secretary Jawhar Iqbal Khan said a longstanding culture of impunity in cases involving killings, torture and attacks on journalists poses a major threat to media freedom and democratic values. He said the failure to complete trials in many high-profile killings over the years was encouraging offenders. BPJF central committee president Kazi Shariful Islam Shakil chaired the event, while general secretary Md Roman Akand moderated it.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called for greater emphasis on research, innovation and productive activities instead of political debate. Speaking as chief guest at the opening of the 36th Annual Planning Conference 2026 at the Rural Development Academy in Bogura on Saturday, he said research outcomes must reach farmers to raise their incomes and further strengthen the rural economy.

Before the event, the minister visited an RDA-developed green technology exhibition and planted a lotkon sapling. He said research and innovation achievements do not receive adequate attention despite frequent discussions of politics. Technologies developed by researchers can play an important role in increasing farmers’ productivity, he said, urging the media to give wider coverage to such successes.

Alamgir said farmers’ main problem is not production but ensuring fair prices for their goods. He stressed more research to improve cold storage, preservation and marketing systems, alongside encouragement for private investment in those sectors. He also urged young people to pursue agriculture-based enterprises, preservation and marketing rather than focusing only on jobs, saying this would increase employment and benefit farmers.

Bangladesh-based Abul Khair Steel has received Guinness World Records™ recognition for the “Most Steel Rebars Produced in One Minute,” according to a report published on July 25, 2026. Under the stipulated Guinness verification process, AKS produced 52 steel rebars in one minute. Each rebar measured 108 metres in length, the report said.

The company attributed the record to the capability of what it described as the world’s fastest rebar rolling mill, advanced technology, skilled engineering and improved production management. Electric Arc Furnace, or EAF, technology is a core part of AKS’s production system and is used to produce 100% refined steel.

Abul Khair Steel Melting Limited Chief Executive Officer Imran Momin said the achievement was an international recognition of both AKS and Bangladesh’s manufacturing potential. The company also said it uses Zero Water Discharge technology to treat and reuse industrial water, alongside solar power, a Fume Treatment System for emission control, material recycling and an in-house power plant for energy management.

National Citizen Party convener and opposition chief whip Md Nahid Islam demanded that the Election Commission be reconstituted before local government elections, speaking on July 25, 2026 at an eleven-party alliance divisional rally at Sylhet’s historic Alia Madrasa field. The rally was organized around five demands, including implementation of a referendum mandate and easing public hardship. Islam said youth awakenings in different countries were a continuation of the July Revolution.

Islam welcomed reports that India’s education minister had resigned amid weeks of protests, praising protesting students and young people there. He alleged that the government formed after elections following the July Revolution had begun disregarding the people’s verdict and failed to respect students and youth. He warned BNP not to forget the July Revolution, youth protests, or the sacrifices of 1,400 martyrs.

He said the reform-versus-amendment debate had ended in the Consensus Commission and stated that BNP had previously agreed to a referendum and reforms. He cited severe gas shortages in Dhaka and increases in electricity, fuel, cylinder and vegetable prices. Organizers said a broader programme would be announced from a forthcoming grand rally in Dhaka.

A Dhaka court granted three days’ remand for questioning of alleged shooter Chanchal Molla in the shooting death of Jubo Dal worker Yusuf Ali, also known as Parvez, in Kafrul. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junayed issued the order on Saturday afternoon, July 25, 2026.

Investigating officer Yusuf Ali Bhuiya, a sub-inspector at Kafrul police station, produced Molla before the court and sought 10 days’ remand. After the hearing, the court approved three days. No lawyer appeared on behalf of the accused in court, according to the report.

The case alleges that at about 11pm on Friday, Molla and a fugitive armed associate shot Yusuf while he and others, including Kafrul BNP member secretary Md Hafizul Islam Babu, were talking. Yusuf later died while receiving treatment, while vegetable seller Nalam Sardar and pedestrian Md Monir Hossain were seriously injured. Locals detained Molla while he was fleeing, and police said they seized a foreign pistol and four rounds of ammunition. An Arms Act case was also filed at Kafrul police station.

Thousands of protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi celebrated on Saturday after news emerged that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned amid a continuing movement over alleged question-paper leaks. Demonstrators chanted that the “dictator” had been defeated, danced with national flags, embraced one another and described the resignation as a major success for their campaign.

Pradhan submitted his resignation to the prime minister on Saturday. He said the decision was not a matter of personal dignity and that developments over the past 10 days had deeply disturbed him. Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, led the gathering, waved the national flag and played A. R. Rahman’s rendition of Vande Mataram. Some participants danced to Chak De India, while others carried portraits and posters of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

Dipke said the resignation showed democratic movements could not be ignored, but declared that the protest was not over. He demanded 1 crore rupees in compensation for families of students who died by suicide after the paper leaks, an inquiry into police conduct during the July 20 protest, and action against those responsible. Student Ritika urged continued protests until education reforms are promised.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintu said there was no political motive behind the president’s resignation, stating that the president stepped down voluntarily and had the right to resign. He made the remarks on July 25, 2026, as chief guest at the oath-taking and inauguration ceremony for the new committee of the Feni Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mintu said national development and employment would not be possible without trade, commerce and investment. If businesses are given proper opportunities to operate, he said, jobs can be created for unemployed young people as well as educated and semi-educated people. He warned that failure to arrange employment for young people could increase terrorism and drug addiction, causing instability and disorder in society.

The minister said political and social stability must be ensured to secure economic prosperity and called for a favorable environment for investment. Describing drugs and teenage gangs as nationwide problems, he urged opportunities for young people’s physical and mental development. He also expressed hope for projects to address Feni’s Lalpul crossing, the Musapur regulator issue, and construction of a medical college.

A couple were killed in an alleged stabbing by their son in Kunirbil Ward No. 3 of Haildhar Union in Anwara, Chattogram. The incident occurred at about 2:30pm on Sunday. The victims were identified as Swapan Dasgupta, 65, and his wife Kalpana Dasgupta, 55.

Police arrested their son, Rimon Dasgupta, 42, in connection with the killings. Local union parishad member Mohammad Mojaher said Rimon had been addicted to drugs for a long time and had previously been kept at a drug rehabilitation centre.

Police recovered the bodies from the scene and sent them to a morgue for post-mortem examinations. Anwara police station officer-in-charge Junayet Chowdhury said officers quickly reached the location after receiving information and arrested Rimon. The investigation into the incident is continuing, police said.

Bangladesh’s High Court has directed the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate alleged share fraud involving former president Md Shahabuddin Chuppu and JMC Builders in relation to Islami Bank, according to Amar Desh. The report said Chuppu was allegedly involved in purchasing the bank’s shares through fraud as an owner and representative of JMC Builders.

Amar Desh reported that JMC Builders was owned by S Alam, while Shahabuddin Chuppu held rights to the shares. It also alleged that money used to buy the shares was looted from First Security Islami Bank, another Islamic bank described in the report as having been taken over by S Alam.

The report said Chuppu served as an Islami Bank director and later as vice chairman and held other important responsibilities as JMC Builders’ representative. It said Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit findings named Chuppu and other company members as accused. Based on that report, the High Court instructed the ACC to investigate the matter and take legal action against those responsible.