Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon said Bangladesh’s history will be presented accurately in new textbooks and that no distortion of history will be tolerated. He made the remarks on Friday afternoon as chief guest at a teachers’ gathering and discussion at Monohorpur High School field in Kachua upazila of Chandpur.

Milon said work is under way to prepare new textbooks as part of efforts to implement joyful, technical and life-oriented education. Books are being prepared for grades six through eight, with emphasis on technical and life-oriented learning. He said 3.1 billion quality new textbooks would be distributed simultaneously across the country in January 2027.

The minister also highlighted sports and cultural activities for students’ overall development. He said each upazila would form its own sports team, while regular sports competitions would be held in all 64 districts and at five divisional levels. Sports and family values have been included in the new syllabus. Chandpur Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Ziaur Rahman and other local and education officials addressed the event.

RAB-6’s CPC Special Company arrested Nazim, also known as Nadim, and his associate Masud Rana in Khulna’s Labanchara area, recovering a foreign pistol, ammunition and a magazine. RAB described Nadim as a notorious criminal and extortionist. The report was published on the night of July 24, 2026.

According to RAB-6 sources, the special operation was conducted in the Islampura area under Labanchara police station at 11:50 a.m. on Friday following secret information. The two men were detained during the operation. RAB later searched Nadim’s residence and said the weapons and ammunition were recovered at his indication.

The seized items included one foreign pistol, four rounds of live ammunition, one empty cartridge case and one magazine. RAB said the evidence was seized legally in the presence of witnesses. It said the process of filing a case against the two accused under the Arms Act was under way. After the case is filed, they will be handed over to Labanchara police station along with the recovered weapon and other evidence.

Bangladeshi President Md Sahabuddin resigned on Friday, according to the source, drawing coverage from Reuters, the BBC, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, the South China Morning Post, Moneycontrol and WION. Al Jazeera cited a statement from the president’s press secretary saying Sahabuddin was leaving office after being diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy. Reuters reported that the 76-year-old president, who took office in April 2023, formally resigned despite a term stated to run until April 2028.

International reports also focused on the political context surrounding the departure. BBC and the South China Morning Post said pressure on Sahabuddin grew after discussion of Sheikh Hasina’s possible return to Bangladesh. Moneycontrol linked the resignation to alleged secret contact and a recently disclosed phone conversation with Hasina, while the cited reports described health as the stated reason.

The reports said the parliamentary speaker will perform presidential duties until a successor is elected. Under the constitution, a new head of state must be chosen by members of parliament within 90 days of the vacancy. They said Sahabuddin submitted his written resignation to Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed after the speaker returned from medical treatment in Thailand.

Rangpur-1 (Gangachara) lawmaker Raihan Siraji visited areas affected by severe erosion along the Teesta River in Rangpur on Friday afternoon. He toured Char Kacharipara in Nohali Union and Brief Bazar and Minar Bazar in Ward No. 2 of Gangachara upazila. During the visit, he spoke with affected families, heard their accounts of hardship, and called for swift, effective measures to stop the erosion.

Siraji said the homesteads of seven families had already been swallowed by the river, while several villages were under threat because of the intensity of the erosion. Without urgent action, he said, a wider area could be lost to the river. He added that the river, once about one kilometre from homes, had reached their doorsteps, prompting many families to move their houses to safer locations.

The lawmaker said there was no alternative to placing geobags to curb erosion. He claimed that urgently placing about 20,000 geobags along the riverbank could protect several villages, hundreds of acres of farmland and important structures. He also discussed the progress, quality and effectiveness of erosion-control work with relevant officials and directed them to complete it quickly and properly.

The National Citizen Party, or NCP, has demanded the arrest and prosecution of former president Mohammad Shahabuddin. The demand was made by the party’s Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain at a press conference held on Friday evening at the party’s temporary central office. Hossain said Shahabuddin, also referred to as Chuppu, should be arrested immediately and brought under trial.

Hossain said the narrative presented in Shahabuddin’s resignation letter was irrelevant. He argued that, although illness was cited, the way the resignation letter was framed could create room for a “safe exit” for Shahabuddin. The NCP opposes any such safe exit, Hossain said, and maintains that he must face trial for the offences the party says he committed.

The NCP leader described Shahabuddin as an accomplice of fascism and a fascist. He said that if Shahabuddin is not brought to trial, justice for those who gave their lives in the 2024 mass uprising would remain incomplete. Hossain urged the government to act promptly, arguing that following Shahabuddin’s resignation there is no legal basis for immunity from liability.

Mohammed Shahabuddin formally resigned as Bangladesh’s president on Friday afternoon, citing illness and an inability to continue carrying out his duties. Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad confirmed the resignation at a news conference. Despite leaving office, Shahabuddin will receive lifetime pension payments and several state-provided privileges under the existing law governing presidential remuneration and benefits.

Under The Presidents (Remuneration and Privileges) Act, 1975, amended through May 2016, a president who serves for more than six months or completes a full term receives a monthly pension equal to 75 percent of their last salary until death. As a former president, Shahabuddin will also be entitled to a personal assistant, an attendant and a government-determined annual allowance for official expenses.

The law also provides free use of government vehicles for official events, a government telephone connection at his residence with bills paid within prescribed limits, medical facilities equivalent to those of a minister and a diplomatic passport. He may stay free at government circuit houses or rest houses while travelling domestically. If he has retired from another government post, he may choose either that retirement benefit or the presidential benefit.

A Dhaka court ordered one day of jail-gate questioning for arrested accused Rakibul Hasan in a Pallabi police case against Satkhira-4 lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam and four others. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ripon Hossain issued the order on Friday afternoon, July 24. Prosecution division SI Saiful Islam confirmed the decision.

Investigating officer Md Rakibul Huda of the Pallabi zonal team had sought five days of remand. The application said questioning was needed to uncover the case’s main facts, arrest those involved, and recover viral videos involving MP Nazrul and complainant Obaidur’s niece. The court did not grant remand and instead directed that Rakibul be questioned at the jail gate.

According to the complaint, Obaidur রহমান was attacked on July 14 amid allegations involving an improper relationship and suspicion over leaked videos. He alleged that he was beaten with sticks and that Aminur attempted to kill him by strangulation. Aminur Rahman was previously sent to jail in the case. The other accused are Masum Billah and Motassim Billah. The court ordered an investigation report by August 28.

Two people, including an auto-rickshaw driver, were killed and at least five others injured in a three-vehicle collision on the Dhaka-Barishal highway in Uzirpur, Barishal. The crash involving a passenger bus, an auto-rickshaw and a truck occurred near Saju Pump in the Joyshree area at about 5:30 pm on Friday, July 24. Two of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.

Police and local sources said a BMF Paribahan passenger bus travelling from Dhaka to Barishal suffered brake failure and lost control, striking an auto-rickshaw before hitting the rear of a truck parked beside the road. The bus’s front section was badly damaged, while the auto-rickshaw was completely wrecked.

Residents took the injured to Uzirpur উপজেলা Health Complex, where doctors declared auto-rickshaw driver Mosharraf Hossain Bali, 61, dead. Md Selim Hawlader, 50, later died while receiving treatment at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital. Three people were sent there in serious condition. Police seized the vehicles, and legal action is under process.

Mahmudur Rahman, editor of Amar Desh, called for preserving the memory of the July Revolution while opening Mufachchir Ahmad Fayezi’s solo calligraphy exhibition at the National Museum in Dhaka on July 24. Speaking as chief guest, he described July as a major chapter in Bangladesh’s history and said the revolution remained ongoing. He also referred to the fall of recently resigned president Sahabuddin Chuppu.

Rahman said young people had fought the weapons of fascism with ink, pens, graffiti and slogans. He paid tribute to those killed and injured during the movement, and alleged that a group was trying systematically to erase, discredit and demean the July Revolution. He said Fayezi’s artwork presented the revolution’s story of courage.

In his remarks, Rahman recalled accounts involving a child who called Abu Sayeed her brother, as well as Anas, Yamin and Nafis. He said July’s history should be communicated through speeches, literature, drama, cinema and visual art. He also called for stronger calligraphy practice and further research and discussion on contributions from Bangladesh’s Muslim ruling era.

Spain declared a wildfire emergency for the first time on July 24 as severe heatwaves across Europe fuelled major fires and large-scale evacuations. France also requested emergency assistance from the European Union to tackle fires along its Atlantic coast. Authorities in affected countries have moved residents from extensive areas to safer shelters as they work to contain the blazes and protect lives.

In France, officials ordered the evacuation of the entire tourist-frequented Cape Ferret peninsula after flames and thick smoke reached close to residential areas. About 63,000 residents have been evacuated, with a large share rescued by sea. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said a fire that began in the Saumos area near the peninsula's northern end had nearly blocked the only main road out.

The fire, described by Nunez as France's worst of the year, has burned about 10,000 hectares and damaged at least 80 homes, including 50 destroyed completely. In Spain, more than 10,000 residents were evacuated from towns in mountainous areas west of Madrid. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the emergency declaration would make coordination among agencies and overall control of the situation easier.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish said former president Md Sahabuddin’s resignation should have occurred much earlier and does not end his accountability. In a joint statement published on July 24, the party’s amir, Maulana Mamunul Haque, and secretary general, Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmad, called for an impartial and transparent investigation into allegations against him, followed by action under the law.

The leaders said Sahabuddin had lost the moral and political legitimacy to remain president after the fall of the then government through the July mass uprising. They said political parties and participants in the uprising had demanded his resignation from that time. They also alleged that the BNP initially did not support the resignation demand for political reasons, and that he was compelled to resign only after the party changed its position.

The statement alleged inconsistencies in Sahabuddin’s remarks about Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, saying these raised questions about his neutrality and constitutional responsibilities. Khelafat Majlish also cited allegations of misuse of state power, constitutional violations and involvement in controversial activities. It urged legal measures against all those involved in past abuses of power, use of state institutions for partisan interests and deprivation of people’s rights.

Mawlana Mamunul Haque, writing in an article published on July 24, 2026, examines Bangladesh’s political debate over the July Charter and a referendum. He says opposition political parties are primarily demanding implementation of the referendum verdict, alleging that the current government is not interested in carrying it out and is instead seeking to obstruct or derail it. The article says its first part will cover the process from drafting the July Charter to holding the referendum, alongside the author’s position on why July is their struggle.

Haque argues that the political change of July-August 2024 is more accurately described as a mass uprising than a full revolution. In his account, the government formed after the fall of the previous administration did not declare itself a revolutionary government and instead maintained continuity with the earlier state structure. The National Citizen Party, which he identifies as a leading organization of the July movement, first raised the demand for a July Charter.

The interim government later initiated the charter process through the National Consensus Commission. The commission reviewed proposals from six reform commissions and held three rounds of dialogue over 72 days with 33 political parties. Unresolved disagreements were preserved as notes of dissent, while agreed matters formed the July National Charter, reflecting goals of preventing fascism and eliminating inequality.

Several student organisations demonstrated in Kolkata on Friday, backed by the Kakaroch Janata Party, to protest alleged question paper leaks in India. Police and security forces used batons and fired tear-gas shells to disperse protesters at Dorina Crossing in the Dharmatala, Esplanade area, according to a senior official cited in the report.

Protesters blocked the Dorina Crossing area and were reported to have thrown shoes and water bottles at police personnel on duty. Police were unable to fully remove the demonstrators from the area despite the baton charge and tear-gas firing, and the protesters continued their demonstration.

Police said a section of the protesters identified themselves as supporters of the Kakaroch Janata Party. According to the police account, they had cancelled their own gathering after failing to obtain permission for a separate protest march. The group later joined left-wing workers at the tail end of the procession in Dharmatala, police said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said mutual respect, harmony and human love are the true lessons of religious practice. He made the remarks on Friday as chief guest at a discussion meeting for the 2026 Sri Sri Jagannathdev Ulto Rathjatra festival at Dhakeshwari National Temple in the capital. He said genuine believers never disrespect the faith of others and that people of all religions seek closeness to the Almighty in their own ways.

The minister said religious figures from different faiths have worshipped the Almighty through different paths. Whether called Allah, God or Bhagwan, genuinely devout people respect the love of God held by followers of other religions, he said. He described Rathjatra and Ulto Rathjatra as symbols of a distinctive bond between people and divine love, alongside prayers and worship in Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and other faiths.

Swapan urged people to remain alert to attempts by individuals and groups to use religious sentiment for political interests and create division. He said the government would not accept divisions based on religion, race, language, or hill and plains. Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam inaugurated the festival and attended the meeting chaired by Nitai Swami Maharaj, head of Swamibagh Ashram and general secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh.

A legal analysis published on July 24, 2026, examines whether Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s expulsion of Satkhira-4 lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam automatically ends his parliamentary membership. Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Ahmed A. Khan argues that, under the straightforward reading of existing law, expulsion by itself does not vacate an MP’s seat.

The analysis says Article 70 of the Constitution covers resignation from a party and voting against it, but does not mention expulsion. Article 66, concerning conviction for an offence involving moral turpitude and a prison sentence of at least two years, also does not apply to an internal party disciplinary decision. It cites earlier cases involving expelled lawmakers Abu Hena and Abdul Latif Siddiqui, while noting that Bangladesh has no authoritative ruling on this precise question.

The author says the Election Commission could consider an argument based on Articles 12(1)(b) and 12(8) of the Representation of the People Order, but that would require an expanded interpretation. If a dispute is properly raised, the Speaker must refer it to the commission within 30 days under the 1980 law and Rule 178. The commission’s decision would be final.