Protests are continuing at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over an examination paper leak, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of India’s Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, said the movement would continue until the minister resigns. He alleged that the education minister bears the real responsibility for the NEET scandal and said resignation is the protesters’ only demand.

In an interview with NDTV, Dipke said talks could take place at Jantar Mantar or another neutral venue if the government wished, but not at ministers’ residences. He said the group did not want to repeat past experiences in which time was allegedly wasted in the name of discussions. The movement began on June 6 and gained momentum after Ladakh social activist Sonam Wangchuk joined an indefinite hunger strike on June 28. Dipke said protests on the same demand were also taking place in Mumbai, Jaipur, Bengaluru and other cities.

Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijit Deepake urged India’s central education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, to join protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and resign over the NEET scandal. In an interview with NDTV, Deepake referred to Pradhan’s earlier remarks against examination paper leaks and said a resignation letter would be ready for the minister to sign. He alleged that Pradhan bears the real responsibility for the scandal and said the minister’s resignation is the movement’s sole demand.

Continuous protests demanding Pradhan’s resignation have been underway at Jantar Mantar since 6 June. Deepake said demonstrations with the same demand are also taking place in Mumbai, Jaipur, Bengaluru and other cities. He said talks could take place at Jantar Mantar or a neutral venue if the government wished, but not at ministers’ residences, citing previous delays in the name of discussions. Ladakh social activist Sonam Wangchuk joined an indefinite hunger strike in support on 28 June, after which the movement gained momentum.

Specialist doctors have advised President Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu to undergo advanced treatment and take complete rest, according to responsible sources at Bangabhaban cited by Amar Desh. The president underwent physical examinations twice in recent days. CT scan and MRI reports identified neurological problems alongside heart-related issues. He again sought medical care after recently experiencing further physical problems.

Sources said Shahabuddin had already been suffering from heart disease and underwent bypass surgery in Singapore. He later had medical checkups in the United Kingdom after weakness and increased waist and back pain. On Thursday, he came to his office at Bangabhaban, signed four files and exchanged greetings with officials and staff. Bangabhaban employees said he has decided to resign from the presidency after considering doctors’ advice and discussing the matter with family members and close associates.

Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the interim government’s chief adviser, described AFP’s reporting during the July movement in an interview with Amar Desh. Alam, who was AFP’s Bangladesh bureau chief at the time, said the agency anticipated renewed protests after a High Court verdict on June 5 and began covering demonstrations centred on Dhaka University around July 7 or 8. He said international media coverage expanded after July 16, while protests spread on a wider scale in Dhaka on July 18.

According to Alam, broadband and mobile internet were shut down on the night of July 18. AFP was able to send video and photographs from July 19 through an existing VSAT connection. He said the office allowed journalists, freelancers and activists working for Reuters, The New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Netra News and AP, among others, to use its internet. He said an average of 50 to 60 people used the office’s five computers daily from July 19 to 24. Alam also said then state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat had threatened AFP over its reporting.

Delhi University has urged teachers and students not to join ongoing protests in the Indian capital over a medical examination paper leak. In a message posted on X on Thursday, the university said gatherings and demonstrations at Jantar Mantar are strictly regulated under directions from India’s Supreme Court. It warned that law enforcement agencies could take legal action against people participating in unlawful assemblies.

The university said the warning was issued with the safety of students and teachers in mind. It said involvement in such activities could disrupt students’ academic work and negatively affect their future professional prospects. The institution also cautioned against sharing or reacting to unverified, false or misleading information circulating on social media. Kakaroch Janata Party is continuing its protest at Jantar Mantar, while the Congress-led opposition alliance has joined in solidarity. The party and opposition groups have demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the paper leak.

An Amar Desh report published on July 24, 2026 recounts events of July 24, 2024 during the quota reform movement in Bangladesh. It says law-enforcement forces conducted a sweep operation and arrested students and members of the public. The report claims about 1,400 people were arrested nationwide that day, including 641 in Dhaka, and says the official death toll from July 17 to 24 exceeded 201. It also reports that six-and-a-half-year-old Ria Gop was shot while sitting with her father on a rooftop in Narayanganj and later died.

According to the report, coordinators Asif Mahmud, Abu Bakar Majumdar and Rashidul Islam Rifat were released blindfolded on July 24 after being taken away on July 19. Statements attributed to Asif and Abu Bakar describe pressure to suspend or end the movement and being held in confinement. The report also alleges that journalists and editors meeting the prime minister at the Prime Minister's Office under the Editors Guild banner called protesters terrorists, militants and saboteurs. It further mentions condemnation of the government's use of force by the United Nations, Amnesty International and the Pentagon.

People with disabilities in Bangladesh continue to face major barriers using public transport and urban infrastructure, according to the report. Wheelchair users Rini Islam and Haider Ali described difficulties using rickshaws, buses, CNG vehicles and other services, including refusals to carry wheelchairs. Visually impaired Raha Akhtar said she often lost her way at railway stations because braille signs and audio guidance were unavailable. Although the 2013 disability rights law requires public transport to be disability-friendly and reserves 5 percent of seats, inadequate infrastructure prevents many people from using it.

The DTCA-operated MRT Line-6 offers a 25 percent special fare discount on single tickets for passengers with disabilities, but it serves only a limited route. At a July 2 government meeting, officials said 500 upazila health centres and educational institutions were being made disability-friendly. New facilities are to include ramps, lifts and at least one special toilet. Disability advocates called for broader reforms, including accessible vehicle design, maintenance and participation of people with disabilities in infrastructure planning.

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and other student organisations have called for nationwide protests in India over an alleged baton charge on students demonstrating in Delhi. In support of the ongoing student movement, the groups announced a Friday programme titled “Stay Awake, Awaken the Country.” SFI all-India general secretary Srijan Bhattacharya announced the programme at a Wednesday press conference in Delhi, calling on people across the country to remain on the streets through the night in solidarity with the movement.

SFI said it had called a nationwide student strike for July 24 and urged other student and mass organisations to support it. The organisation also announced symbolic protests against police across the country on July 25 and 26 over alleged police abuse of students. It said Melody chocolates would be handed to police personnel as “return gifts” during those actions. SFI has also written to opposition members of parliament about what it describes as a crisis in the education system, citing the NEET paper leak, alleged irregularities in the UGC-NET examination, discrepancies in Class 12 results and questions about the National Testing Agency’s role.

Environmentalists and space experts have warned that proposed orbital data centers backed by major technology companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, could pose severe risks to Earth’s atmosphere. A petition has been filed with the US Federal Communications Commission seeking an independent review of the potential harm and calling for a pause on licenses for new space data-center projects, according to a report published on July 24, 2026.

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Earthjustice and DarkSky International jointly submitted the petition. They say emissions from satellite launches and atmospheric re-entry, including black carbon, rare metals, aluminum oxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury and chlorine gas, could accumulate in the stratosphere. Scientists fear this pollution could damage the ozone layer, increase exposure to ultraviolet radiation and worsen the global climate crisis. The report says the number of active satellites has risen from about 1,400 in 2015 to about 15,000 currently, while companies have not presented a satisfactory plan to address combined pollution, collisions and debris.

Media report says manipulated statistics that inflated Bangladesh's economic performance during the Sheikh Hasina era have not ended and similar practices continue under subsequent governments. The article describes suppression of nonperforming loan data, overstated export earnings, concealed GDP realities and repeated upward budget changes as routine during that period. An interim government formed a taskforce to reform the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and submitted recommendations, but those were not implemented; the current elected government also has taken no effective steps to carry out the reforms according to the report.

The report details the taskforce composition and aims: an eight-member expert group chaired by Hossain Zillur Rahman sought institutional changes to make BBS data more transparent and reliable, and members such as Dhaka University professor Moinul Islam said they submitted all necessary reform proposals. BBS officials quoted in the piece said ministerial approval is no longer required to publish some BBS data, but one director said he lacked detailed knowledge of the earlier taskforce. The article highlights specific data inconsistencies — population counts, GDP and per capita income, inflation figures, and export statistics — and cites international assessments questioning data adequacy and experts warning of planning and resource-allocation complications caused by unreliable statistics.

President Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu is preparing to resign from Bangabhaban and has a resignation letter ready, according to multiple Bangabhaban and government sources. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is cutting short his Thailand trip to return home; once he is back the resignation formalities before the Speaker could begin. The process could be completed today or tomorrow.

Government sources and the home minister have said the constitution allows a president to resign for health or other reasons and that such matters will be resolved under constitutional provisions. Officials at Bangabhaban and family members say the president has expressed intent to resign for "advanced treatment" and "full rest" after two CMH health checks in the past seven days found heart disease and neurological complications; specialists advised advanced care and rest. The constitution requires a signed resignation letter to be submitted to the Speaker and the Speaker serves as acting president until a new president is elected within 90 days.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is scheduled to return by a midday flight and will assume acting president duties if the presidency becomes vacant, allowing the resignation process to proceed promptly.

The Kakroach Janata Party (KJP) has called for nationwide protests across India today in response to an exam paper leak and to stand with people who suffered police violence. The call accompanies student-led actions after police baton charges on July 20, and various organizations including the Student Federation of India have announced a nationwide student strike and marches, with a planned Kolkata march from Sealdah to Dharmatala.

In a message posted on X, the Kakroach Party urged the general public and students to join Friday's programs and asked organizers to ensure students clearly voice their main demands from the front of each rally. The party also advised student groups and other allied organizations to cooperate closely to simplify permissions and logistical arrangements for the demonstrations.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) reported that it prevented an attempt by members of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) to push eight people into Bangladesh near pillar 152/1-S in Kushtia's Daulatpur area on the morning of Friday.

According to a press release sent on behalf of the commanding officer of the Kushtia battalion (47 BGB), at about 5:10am the patrol of Joypur BOP detected eight unidentified people (two men, four women and two transgender persons) being taken by members of the 146 BSF battalion from Char Meghna camp across the Mathavhanga river by swimming. The BGB patrol immediately blocked their entry and, after maintaining a firm position, the group returned to Indian territory by river, resulting in the alleged pushback attempt being foiled successfully.

The United States has announced new tariffs of 10 to 12.5 percent on imports from roughly 60 major trading partner countries, including Bangladesh, as part of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy reconfiguration. The final decision was published in the Federal Register and takes effect when a temporary 10 percent global tariff expires; goods in transit are exempt until July 28 at 12:01 a.m. EDT. About 99.4 percent of imports entering the U.S. market will be subject to the new tariffs, with exemptions for oil and gas, fertilizer, certain foodstuffs and sectors already under national security tariffs.

The tariffs are implemented under Section 301 of U.S. trade law, which the administration says provides a strong legal basis and has withstood prior legal challenges. The new schedule divides countries into three categories: a 10 percent rate for a group including Bangladesh, India and Mexico; a 10–12.5 percent rate for the EU, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland aligning with existing MFN rates; and a 12.5 percent rate for China and 38 other countries. The administration framed the move as targeting goods produced with forced labor and aligning trade partners with labor standards, while noting trade agreements with explicit anti-forced-labor provisions will not be exceeded.

Certain products and sectors remain exempt, including oil and gas, fertilizer, some sugar goods, pig iron, animal and seed products, specific chemicals, USMCA-qualified goods and items already covered under Section 232 national security tariffs.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi concluded a visit to Tehran following important bilateral meetings with Iran’s president Masud Pezeshkian, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and other senior officials, the Iraqi prime minister’s office confirmed on social media platform X. During the visit, Al-Zaidi signed several agreements on international road freight transport, maritime transport and to open a rail link between the two countries.

The announced rail connection will run from Iran’s Kermanshah and Khosravi through Iraq’s Khanaqin to the capital Baghdad. Al-Zaidi described the visit as a reflection of deep ties between the two countries and called it a “bridge of friendship” between their peoples. The report also notes that immediately before travelling to neighboring Iran, Al-Zaidi visited Washington, D.C. and Texas where he signed deals with Western oil companies aimed at reviving a pipeline that would avoid the Strait of Hormuz.