Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr. Zahid Ur Rahman stated that the BNP embodies the spirit of July and the ideals of the Liberation War. He made the remarks on Thursday at a discussion organized by the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation (JSSF) at the National Film Archive in Agargaon, Dhaka, marking July Martyrs’ Day. He emphasized that the nation cannot forget the July martyrs and that Bangladesh should not return to a time when protests led to bloodshed.

Dr. Rahman said the current government, which came to power after the July events, was actively involved in that movement and continues to uphold the values of the Liberation War. He stressed that the government has a moral responsibility to support the families of the martyrs and the injured, noting that the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation is facing financial hardship and its staff have not received salaries for a long time.

He pledged to personally work toward resolving the foundation’s financial problems, calling the situation painful and shameful, and reiterated that gratitude alone is not enough without concrete action.

According to Sina Azodi, an assistant professor of Middle East politics at George Washington University, both Iran and the United States are strategically trying to make the other side concede first in the ongoing conflict. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Azodi explained that each side’s goal is interconnected, as both are escalating tensions to pressure the other into backing down and accepting their respective demands.

Azodi stated that Washington’s objective is to bring Iran back to the negotiation table and compel Tehran to accept US conditions. In contrast, Iran insists that the United States must first lift its naval blockade and fully implement the memorandum of understanding previously agreed upon between the two countries.

He added that both sides are also seeking to demonstrate that they are not retreating from their positions but rather hardening them, aiming to force the opponent to make concessions in the end.

National Citizens Party (NCP) convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam said it is the nation’s duty to build a just and equitable Bangladesh following the ideals of martyr Abu Saeed. He made the remarks on Thursday in Rangpur after visiting Abu Saeed’s grave, describing him as the spiritual leader of the July Revolution and the first martyr of that movement. Nahid Islam recalled that Abu Saeed’s sacrifice in 2024 sparked the student and public uprising that led to the revolution.

He stated that the July Revolution had three main demands—justice, state reform, and elections—but only elections have been held so far. Referring to the Abu Saeed murder case, he said the verdict has been delivered but not yet implemented due to an ongoing appeal. Nahid Islam alleged that Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death in the case, should be brought back to face justice. He also criticized the government for failing to implement the July Charter and the reform mandate supported by 70 percent of voters in a referendum.

Nahid Islam added that if the government sincerely pursues reforms, the NCP will fully cooperate to realize the revolution’s goals.

An alleged data breach from a Reliance Group server has led to the release of around 19,000 documents related to India’s Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant on the dark web, according to a Reuters report published on July 16, 2026. The ransomware group ‘World Leaks’ reportedly uploaded about 858,000 files from Reliance, including 14.3 gigabytes of material tied to the Tamil Nadu-based plant. Cybersecurity researcher Rakesh Krishnan told Reuters that the files have been accessible online since June 11.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) stated that the leaked data only concerns general infrastructure and public utility systems, not nuclear safety or reactor operations. Reliance confirmed the breach occurred through a third-party data service provider, Yotta, which detected suspicious activity on May 29 and later shut down the affected server. Yotta said it informed Reliance of a possible leak in late June and cooperated fully with the investigation.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth warned that publishing such infrastructure data on the dark web could pose security risks and criticized the Indian government’s silence on the issue.

The Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (ChakSU) organized a prayer gathering on Thursday after Asr prayers at the university’s central mosque, seeking forgiveness for the souls of all martyrs of the July uprising. The event was conducted by ChakSU’s Liberation War and Democratic Movement Secretary Monayem Sharif and attended by former Rangamati Science and Technology University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Atiar Rahman, Chittagong University Associate Professor of Philosophy Mozammel Haque, ChakSU Vice President Ibrahim Hossain Roni, General Secretary Saeed Bin Habib, and other leaders.

During the event, Professor Atiar Rahman emphasized the importance of revisiting the events of July to preserve their historical significance. He criticized past government subservience to foreign influence and recalled the role of student leader Osman Hadi in anti-imperialist movements. Rahman also reflected on the lack of faculty support during the uprising and mentioned past attacks on his residence. ChakSU Vice President Roni recounted the sacrifices of students in Chittagong and Rangpur on July 16, describing the day as one of courage and revolutionary spirit.

The gathering concluded with special prayers for the martyrs, the recovery of the injured, and the welfare of the nation.

Milestone College authorities have stated that Rubaiya Mehzabin Suhi, who recently gained attention on social media during the ongoing HSC examinees’ movement, is no longer a student of the institution. The college filed a general diary at Turag Police Station regarding the matter. The report was lodged by the college’s security officer, Muhammad Zahurul Islam, on behalf of the institution.

According to the diary, Suhi was enrolled in the English-medium science department for the 2024–25 academic year but was issued a transfer certificate with approval from the Dhaka Education Board due to disciplinary reasons. The college clarified that she currently has no right to use its identity. The report also mentioned that a recent video circulating online showed Suhi using the college ID while speaking about the HSC examination and question paper issues.

Milestone College claimed that Suhi’s use of its identity despite no longer being a student created public confusion and harmed the institution’s reputation. The college requested the police to take necessary legal action.

London-based defense analyst Alex Alfiraj Shears told Al Jazeera that Iran’s main strategic objective in its ongoing conflict with the United States is survival. He said Iran has demonstrated readiness to absorb significant losses and will not withdraw from retaliatory actions, as Tehran views the confrontation as a fight for its existence.

Shears explained that Iran’s second goal is reconstruction, while its third is to shift the regional balance of power in its favor. To achieve these aims, Iran must show it can maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as its most powerful bargaining tool. In contrast, Shears noted that the United States’ strategic objectives remain unclear.

He added that the large U.S. military presence in the Gulf continues to pose a serious threat to Iran. Shears also observed that for a leader like Trump, who presents himself as a skilled negotiator, it would be difficult to convince supporters before the midterm elections that the U.S. has won the war and that the conflict was not in vain.

A Dhaka court on Thursday, July 16, 2026, ordered Haridas Chandra Tarani Das, the entrepreneur behind a Ram Murti construction project, to be sent to jail after completion of his remand in a money laundering case. Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Joshita Islam denied his bail and accepted the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) request to keep him in custody. CID Inspector K.M. Rakibul Huda submitted the petition, stating that Haridas had been extensively interrogated and provided important information about the sources and transfers of funds in his bank and mobile financial accounts.

The CID informed the court that the information obtained from Haridas would assist in the ongoing investigation and that verification of the data was underway. Investigators argued that releasing him on bail could disrupt the probe. Defense lawyer Shyamal Kumar Roy sought bail, which the court rejected. The case was filed on July 12 by CID’s Financial Crime Unit over allegations of laundering Tk 9.35 crore through illegal currency transfers and hundi operations.

Haridas was arrested the same night from Gaibandha’s Palashbari area and remanded for four days on July 13 for interrogation.

National Citizen Party (NCP) convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam MP said the Prime Minister’s recent visit to China brought no achievement regarding the Teesta mega project. Speaking at a farmers’ rally and the launch of the National Farmers’ Power in Kurigram Sadar on Thursday, he alleged that the northern region has long suffered from development disparity and that the government deliberately reduced major development allocations because most opposition MPs represent the area.

Nahid Islam criticized the national budget for failing to address regional and economic inequality in northern Bangladesh, saying people are being deprived of their rights. He pledged to ensure voting and economic rights for the region’s residents. NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain highlighted farmers’ debt-related suicides, contrasting them with large-scale loan defaulters. Kurigram-2 MP Dr. Atik Mujahid said the district received only 0.22 percent of national development funds over 17 years, while Gopalganj got 5 percent, calling for equal development opportunities.

The event concluded with the announcement of a partial convening committee for the National Farmers’ Power, naming Said Uzzal as convener and agriculturist Golam Mortuza Selim as member secretary.

Police in Jorarganj, Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram, arrested Kamal Uddin, known as a key figure in an illegal Indian goods smuggling network. He was detained on Wednesday night in the Dakshin Alinagar area of Korerhat Union. Kamal, son of Aman Ullah from Amolighat, is accused of controlling cross-border smuggling operations involving Indian products. Local sources said he used Indian mobile SIM cards for communication and had two existing cases against him related to seized Indian goods.

Residents alleged that Kamal and several associates, including Imon, Janu Mia, Selim Uddin, and Faruk, have long operated along the hilly border with India’s Tripura state, using remote routes to bring in items such as sugar, clothing, cattle, and consumer goods. The area’s terrain reportedly allows smugglers to evade border patrols.

Police have intensified anti-smuggling operations in recent weeks, seizing Indian goods worth about 450,000 taka on June 24, 180 Indian sarees on June 28, and 19 Indian cattle on June 30. Authorities said further operations are underway to arrest others linked to the network.

The Eleven-Party Alliance held a rally and assembly at Shahbagh Square in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon to mark July Martyrs’ Day, demanding justice for the July massacre. The event was attended by families of martyrs and injured July fighters. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar presided over the rally, accusing the BNP of denying the July Revolution and betraying its revolutionaries. He alleged that BNP ministers and MPs had called the July Revolution unnecessary despite benefiting from it.

Speakers including Jamaat leaders, MPs, and representatives from allied parties criticized the BNP for rejecting the referendum results and failing to implement the July Charter. They claimed that nearly 70 percent of voters supported the charter, which aimed to build a just and discrimination-free Bangladesh. Several speakers urged the government to form a constitutional reform council and finalize the list of July martyrs, citing the UN’s figure of 1,400 victims.

The rally concluded with a procession from Shahbagh to the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) gate, where participants reiterated their demand for justice and implementation of the July Charter.

Former Israeli ambassador to the United States Alon Pinkas described US Vice President JD Vance’s public criticism of Israel as unprecedented in its intensity. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Pinkas said Vance accused Israel of undermining US policy by obstructing Washington’s talks with Iran, marking the first time a sitting American vice president has made such a charge in public.

Pinkas, now a columnist for The New Republic, noted that disagreements between Washington and Tel Aviv are not new, but the tone and openness of Vance’s remarks represent a striking departure from past diplomatic norms. He said the criticism reflects a clear divergence between the two allies’ current positions.

According to Pinkas, the growing differences over the Iran conflict are deeply troubling from Israel’s perspective and may indicate a structural shift in the foundation of US-Israel relations.

Bangladesh Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hasan paid a farewell courtesy call on Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman at the Army Headquarters on Thursday. During the meeting, the Bangladesh Army extended a guard of honor to the Navy Chief, and senior officers from the Army Headquarters were present. The discussion focused on strengthening mutual trust, professionalism, and inter-service cooperation between the two forces. The information was shared through the verified Facebook page of the Bangladesh Army.

Admiral Nazmul Hasan assumed the role of Navy Chief on July 24, 2023. He was commissioned into the Bangladesh Navy on July 1, 1986, and has served in various staff, instructional, and command positions. His previous roles include Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Operations), Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Personnel), Director of Naval Operations and Naval Intelligence, and Director General of the Civil-Military Relations Directorate at the Armed Forces Division.

The farewell meeting highlighted the continuity of cooperation between the Bangladesh Army and Navy as leadership transitions take place within the armed forces.

The government of Bangladesh has decided to resume celebrating National Youth Day on November 1 each year, as was done previously. The decision was approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat on Thursday. According to a press release from the Cabinet Division, International Youth Day will continue to be observed separately on August 12.

The proposal, initiated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, reverses an earlier interim government decision that had combined both observances on August 12. The ministry explained that holding both events during the monsoon season made it difficult to organize youth rallies, gatherings, and fairs, limiting participation and commercial success. Youth entrepreneurs also faced challenges in displaying and selling their products.

Under the new arrangement, National Youth Day will be celebrated with government funding, while International Youth Day will continue to be observed with support from government, non-government, and development partners.

Maulana A.H.M. Abdul Halim, Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, called on supporters not to betray the sacrifices of the July martyrs and to work sincerely toward realizing their ideals. He made the remarks on Thursday afternoon at a discussion meeting marking July Martyrs Day, organized by the Gazipur Metropolitan branch of Jamaat-e-Islami under the BRT flyover in Tongi’s Cheragali area.

The event was presided over by Professor Muhammad Jamal Uddin, Amir of Gazipur Metropolitan Jamaat, and conducted by youth secretary Neyamat Ullah Shaker. Central executive council member Muhammad Abdur Rab and several local Jamaat leaders also addressed the gathering. Speakers emphasized justice, accountability, and the establishment of a humane state as part of fulfilling the martyrs’ vision.

In his speech, Abdul Halim stressed the need for national consensus on constitutional reform and the formation of a new reform commission with participation from all political forces. The program concluded with special prayers for the martyrs, the injured, and the welfare of the nation.