Rasheda Begum Hira, a member of parliament from a reserved seat, made a series of allegations against the Awami League and Hasina at a BNP exchange meeting in Chauddagram, Cumilla, on Thursday evening. She said people, frustrated by repression, had driven out Hasina, whom she described as a destroyer of democracy. The event was organised by the Chauddagram upazila and municipal BNP at Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam Hall in Chauddagram Bazar.

Hira alleged that the Awami League damaged the power, health and education sectors and destroyed the structure of the economy. She also alleged money was stolen from Bangladesh Bank and smuggled abroad, and said people suffered mental repression for the past 17 years because of one family’s greed. Upazila BNP president Md Kamrul Huda was the chief speaker, while local BNP, Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal leaders also addressed the meeting.

An Enugu Air passenger aircraft left the runway while landing at Benin Airport in Nigeria on Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred at about 4 p.m. local time, according to the report. All 68 passengers aboard were safely rescued, and a major accident was avoided.

Airport sources said the aircraft went beyond the runway after landing, causing panic among passengers and airport officials. All passengers and crew members were subsequently evacuated safely from the aircraft.

Security analyst and researcher retired Major General Rokon Uddin argues that stability in the Chittagong Hill Tracts must be treated as a national strategic priority rather than only a regional security issue. In an article published on July 24, 2026, he calls on the new administration to pursue three goals together: protecting national sovereignty, ensuring effective security and delivering inclusive development. He says security operations may be necessary, but cannot substitute for a political settlement.

The article says many key provisions of the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord remain unimplemented, including effective land resolution, stronger local governance and resettlement of displaced hill families. It cites the Land Commission's limited effectiveness, continued temporary army camps, and dissatisfaction linked to unresolved issues. Uddin also identifies instability in Myanmar, activity by border-area armed groups, divisions between JSS and UPDF, and drug and arms trafficking as complicating factors. He stresses resolving land disputes, implementing the accord, building trust, strengthening governance, encouraging dialogue and supporting coexistence between hill communities and Bengali residents.

Iran said it carried out drone strikes on US military bases in Bahrain and Jordan, according to a report published on July 24, 2026. In a statement, Iran’s army said it targeted fuel tanks, equipment warehouses and soldiers’ accommodation at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

The statement also said aircraft hangars, maintenance facilities and housing areas at Al Azraq base in Jordan were hit. Iran’s military warned that any action against its interests would undermine regional security and economic stability. The report cited Al Jazeera as its source.

Iran has directly rejected a new US ceasefire proposal conveyed to Tehran by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, according to a Friday New York Times report. The proposal came amid nearly two weeks of fighting between the United States and Iran. The report said al-Zaidi brought the offer during a visit to Tehran after meeting US President Donald Trump at the White House. Details of the proposal were not disclosed, although Iranian officials described it as the only proposal currently available.

Iran rejected the offer because it did not include a specific solution to issues concerning control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, the report said. The New York Times said it could not independently confirm the matter with Iranian authorities. During his visit, al-Zaidi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed bilateral relations, regional political conditions, security and stability. Iranian officials said both governments called for greater cooperation in trade, energy, transport and regional issues.

US Central Command said US forces struck Iranian military and strategic targets for a 13th consecutive night. Iranian authorities said 53 people had been killed and at least 592 injured in the continuing attacks.

Continuous rainfall has reduced supplies of several vegetables in Khetlal upazila of Joypurhat, pushing market prices higher. The report, published on July 24, said prices for most vegetables rose by Tk15 to Tk20 per kilogram within a week. Visits to Itakhola Hat, Bottoli Hat and Thana Bazar Monjar Bazar found price increases at both wholesale and retail levels, with retail prices rising more sharply. At Itakhola market, eggplant sold for Tk100-120 per kg, bitter gourd for Tk80-100 and green chilli for Tk200-220.

Vegetable sellers said waterlogging in many fields has made harvesting difficult and reduced output, cutting supplies to markets. Buyers complained that prices for the same vegetables vary within the same market, alleging that some traders charge extra. Market-related sources expect prices to decline within the next few days if rainfall eases and vegetables can be harvested and supplied normally.

Eight Arab and Muslim countries condemned the entry of extremist groups and thousands of Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. In a joint statement issued Thursday, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates voiced concern over what they described as a large-scale entry led by extremist Israeli ministers under heavy Israeli police security. More than 4,000 settlers and members of hardline groups entered the compound on Tisha B’Av, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also entered under police protection.

The ministers said the actions were provocative, encouraged hatred and extremism, and hindered efforts to establish a just and lasting peace through a two-state solution. They described them as an illegal attempt to alter the historic and legal status of Jerusalem’s holy sites, stating that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or its Muslim and Christian holy sites. The eight countries called on Israel, described in the statement as the occupying power, to immediately lift all restrictions imposed on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Flood conditions have worsened in India’s Assam state, affecting more than 721,000 people across 11 districts, according to the latest report released Friday by Assam’s Disaster Reporting and Information Management System. Nearly 900 villages remain fully inundated. Six additional deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the seasonal flood death toll to 47. Sivasagar is the worst-hit district, with about 392,000 people affected. Charaideo, Jorhat and Dibrugarh are also among the affected districts.

Local authorities have opened 106 relief camps and 381 relief distribution centres. A total of 24,418 people are sheltering in the camps, while nearly 290,826 people are receiving assistance through distribution centres. Rescue and relief operations include 111 medical teams, 56 boats and an Indian Air Force helicopter. Authorities have moved 8,409 people and 35 animals to safer locations. Floodwaters have submerged about 24,897 hectares of cropland and affected 138,965 animals. Water levels in four rivers are above danger marks, while the Disang River has crossed its highest flood level.

The US State Department summoned Malaysia’s ambassador in Washington, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakub, to explain Malaysia’s position and policy concerning Israel, Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama confirmed. After the summons, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the ambassador told the United States that Malaysia’s refusal to recognize Israel as a state was not a new decision, but a longstanding institutional and government position.

Hasan said Malaysia’s immigration policy gives no recognition to the state of Israel or Zionist rule, describing it as a policy followed for many years. He said a person holding both US and Israeli citizenship recently entered Malaysia using a US passport, but was instructed to leave quickly after checks identified the person’s Israeli citizenship. Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said any Israeli citizen found in Malaysian territory would be immediately deported. Malaysia’s Home Ministry has also opened an investigation into the Network School project following social-media allegations that several participants were Israeli dual nationals using passports from other countries to enter Malaysia, potentially violating immigration law.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said it would continue its protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, despite Sonam Wangchuk withdrawing his fast. Protesters are scheduled to meet representatives of India’s central government at Constitution Club in Delhi at 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday. The representatives attending from either side had not been formally announced.

CJP had requested a neutral venue rather than the residence of a central minister, and Constitution Club was selected accordingly. Its three demands are the education minister’s resignation, financial compensation for families of people who died by suicide over question-paper leaks, and withdrawal of FIRs filed against protesters. Party spokespersons said the protest would continue and their demands would be presented to the government. Crowds were increasing again at Jantar Mantar on Friday, while 17 Delhi Metro stations were closed for security reasons.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a late-night video address on Thursday amid an ongoing protest by the Kokroch Janata Party at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. He said a draft for a strict new law to prevent examination paper leaks had been submitted to him and would be discussed at Friday’s cabinet meeting. Modi said the draft includes provisions for fast-track courts and severe penalties, and that the government would seek to pass the bill in Parliament as soon as possible.

Modi said paper leaks cause severe mental distress for millions of students and their parents, and that arrests and other measures had been taken over the past two and a half months. He said examinations for about 2.2 million students were arranged and results released on July 19 to prevent the loss of an academic year. The CJP said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign. Environmental and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike in solidarity with the protest on Friday.

A rare soldierfish was caught in a fishing net in the deep Bay of Bengal off Kuakata in Patuakhali. Idris, skipper of the Mayar Doa trawler, found the fish while catching hilsa, poa and other fish three to four days earlier. It was brought to the Sifat Fish market at Alipur fishing port on Thursday, where people gathered to view its bright red-pink appearance. The fish has been kept on ice because it is unfamiliar locally and its suitability for consumption has not been confirmed.

Experts said soldierfish have bright red or pink bodies, comparatively large eyes and hard, rough scales that can make them resemble an armored soldier. They generally move in groups and live around deep-sea coral reefs or rocky areas. Research assistant Bakhtiar Rahman said the fish belongs to the Holocentridae family and occurs in the Indo-Pacific and deep Bay of Bengal. Senior fisheries officer Apu Saha said such catches provide important information about marine biodiversity in the Bay of Bengal.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of repeatedly choosing repression over dialogue. In remarks reported on July 24, 2026, she said the government views students seeking accountability as “enemies of the country.” She said the state had used its power against the country’s future generation rather than responding with empathy.

Gandhi said a similar pattern had been seen in the treatment of farmers and rights activists. She described the use of repressive state power against future doctors, engineers, teachers, government officials and entrepreneurs as unforgivable. According to Gandhi, the crisis in India’s education system and the government’s tendency to avoid accountability are the main causes of student protests. She said students’ protests were natural because they face an uncertain and discouraging education system, and argued that repressive conduct rather than listening to their concerns and demands was making the situation more complicated.

A council office in Kanjarpara, under Teknaf upazila’s Whykong union, was attacked and extensively vandalised during a public hearing on the division of four unions in Teknaf. The incident occurred at about 3pm on July 23, leaving upazila government officials and local BNP leaders trapped inside the council building. Protesters then blocked the Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar highway, stopping vehicle movement.

Junaid Ali Chowdhury, joint convener of the upazila Jubo Dal and a union BNP leader, blamed banned Awami League, Jubo League and certain miscreants for the attack. Upazila BNP organising secretary HM Osman Gani demanded the arrest within 24 hours of those involved, citing video footage. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the blockade. Police failed to calm the situation, but Upazila Nirbahi Officer Anik Chowdhury later arrived and assured protesters that their demands would be met. The blockade was withdrawn at 7pm.

A joint operation in and around Nayapara Rohingya Camp in Hnila Union of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, recovered a locally made one-shooter gun, 16 rounds of cartridges and 22 yaba pills, according to the report. Seventeen people were detained, including Ziaur Rahman, described as an active member of the Dakait Saddam group and an accused in multiple murder cases. The operation ran from 2:30pm to 5:30pm on Thursday and involved about 230 personnel from district police, APBn, the Bangladesh Coast Guard, BGB, Ansar, RAB, the CiC office and the upazila administration.

APBn said the operation targeted illegal arms holders, drug traders, kidnappers, extortionists, warrant-listed accused and members of various criminal groups in the camp areas. Rahman was detained while allegedly trying to flee near a field in H Block of Nayapara camp, and the weapons and drugs were recovered based on information he provided. He has five regular cases involving kidnapping, kidnapping-related murder and ransom demands, the report said. Others detained included one warrant-listed accused, one drug-case accused and 14 people accused of online gambling. A mobile court sentenced five detainees to varying prison terms and ordered nine others to perform public welfare labour in different Rohingya camps.