Two top leaders of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) have termed the rejection of the referendum mandate as political deception. In a joint statement on Wednesday, July 15, JSD President A S M Abdur Rob and General Secretary Shahid Uddin Mahmud Swapan made the remark following the formation of a constitutional amendment committee in the National Parliament.

The statement said that, in light of the July uprising, the people’s sovereign aspirations, and the national charter and referendum, fundamental reform of Bangladesh’s state system has become an inevitable demand. The leaders criticized the government for forming a parliamentary committee for so-called amendments instead of implementing the people’s mandate for a constitutional reform council. They argued that the constitution is a document of the people’s sovereign consent, not of any government or parliamentary majority, and that ignoring the direct mandate undermines the people’s sovereign decision.

The JSD demanded the immediate formation of a representative constitutional reform council to implement the referendum-approved mandate and warned that the government would bear responsibility for any future political, constitutional, or legal crises arising from ignoring the people’s verdict.

Thirteen people were killed in a severe wildfire that broke out last Thursday in Spain’s southern Andalusia region, with authorities confirming that twelve of the victims were foreign nationals. The confirmation came after autopsies were completed on Tuesday. According to officials, the victims included seven from the United Kingdom, three from Belgium, one from France, and one from the United States, while the remaining victim was a Spanish citizen. All were adults, comprising eight women and five men.

The blaze began in the southeastern province of Almería, a Mediterranean coastal area popular among foreign residents. Strong winds and extreme heat helped the fire spread rapidly through forests and dried vegetation, turning once-picturesque villages into deserted zones. Authorities said the fire, one of Spain’s deadliest in recent years, burned about 7,000 hectares of land and was likely sparked by a fallen power line. The fire has since been brought under control, and residents began returning home on Sunday.

Officials noted that Spain has faced increasingly intense and prolonged heatwaves in recent years, creating conditions that make wildfires more frequent and destructive.

Continuous monsoon rains and hill runoff have triggered intense 'Aphal' waves across the haor regions of Sunamganj, causing widespread damage to homes, schools, and health facilities. Residents in areas such as Tahirpur, Bishwambharpur, and Dharmapasha reported collapsing houses and eroding homesteads. Local victims described losing land and income, with fishermen unable to work and families struggling without government aid.

Experts noted that the destructive waves, once common later in the season, are now appearing earlier due to reduced navigability and deforestation of protective vegetation. Teachers reported that education has been severely disrupted, while communication breakdowns have hindered access to healthcare. Local officials confirmed that several villages are at risk, and emergency measures including sandbag barriers and shelters have been activated.

Authorities have launched a special repair team under each Upazila Executive Officer and opened 1,311 shelters. A new project named CRILIP, with a budget of Tk 1,100 crore across five districts, is set to begin in fiscal year 2026–27 to protect haor residents from future 'Aphal' damage.

Students in Uttara resumed road blockades on Wednesday afternoon demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon. The protest began around 1:30 p.m. in front of the BNS Center, halting traffic toward both Dhaka and Gazipur. Police were present with water cannons but avoided confrontation. The students said they would continue their movement until all demands were met.

Their three-point demand includes postponing HSC and equivalent exams until flood and waterlogging conditions improve, arranging retests for students who missed exams on July 13 due to bad weather, and the resignation of the education and primary education ministers. The minister had earlier apologized for his remarks about examinees and announced a retake of the July 13 physics exam.

In parliament, Milon explained that heavy rain disrupted several exams and that retests would be arranged for affected subjects. He said the ministry was monitoring the situation closely and had already suspended exams in flood-affected areas such as Chattogram. Despite his assurances, student protests have continued in Dhaka.

A meeting of the cabinet committee formed to review and finalize the draft of the Cyber Security (Amendment) Act 2026 was held on Wednesday at the Secretariat in Dhaka. The session took place in the conference room of the Posts and Telecommunications Division and was chaired by Fakir Mahbub Anam, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Science and Technology, and convener of the committee.

The meeting discussed various sections of the draft law, focusing on strengthening cyber security, protecting citizens’ rights, and ensuring a safe digital service environment amid rapid technological changes. Participants exchanged views on necessary amendments and recommendations to make the law more effective and relevant.

Following the discussion, several suggestions were made to make the draft more practical and up to date. The committee decided to hold another meeting after incorporating these recommendations to finalize the draft law.

England, led by coach Thomas Tuchel, reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals after defeating Norway 2–1. Their next challenge is against Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the reigning world champions under Lionel Scaloni, who have displayed dominant passing and pressing football throughout the tournament. The semifinal will take place at Atlanta Stadium, where England are preparing four key tactical approaches to counter Argentina’s strengths.

The first strategy emphasizes high pressing from the start, using forwards like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham to disrupt Argentina’s buildup. The second plan focuses on exploiting the wings through pacey players such as Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon, as Argentina’s zonal marking can struggle against diagonal crosses. The third approach urges England to finish the match within 90 minutes, avoiding extra time or penalties where Argentina and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez excel. The final plan highlights physical intensity and mental readiness to absorb Messi’s attacks without overcommitting defenders.

The match is being billed as a tactical duel between Tuchel’s strategic planning and Scaloni’s unbeaten system, with global anticipation over who will prevail.

Suspicious transaction reporting in Bangladesh’s financial sector increased by 74 percent in the 2024–25 fiscal year, according to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU). The agency’s annual report, presented by BFIU head Ikhtiar Uddin Mohammad Mamun at Bangladesh Bank, recorded 30,199 suspicious transaction reports compared to 17,345 in the previous fiscal year. Mamun attributed the rise partly to changes following the government’s fall and said banks now report more freely without fear.

The report shows that banks remain the dominant source of suspicious transaction and activity reports, accounting for over 95 percent of total submissions in 2024–25, up from 92 percent the year before. Banks filed 28,755 reports, nearly 80 percent higher than the previous year and more than double the figure from 2022–23. The BFIU also facilitated 1,314 information exchanges among domestic agencies, including police, CID, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the National Board of Revenue.

In contrast, cash transaction reporting declined to 19,454 cases in 2024–25 from 23,900 the previous year, indicating a shift in reporting patterns within the financial system.

Seven Iranian soldiers were killed and several others injured in a U.S. strike on a military barracks in Bambur, Iran, according to a statement from the Iranian army released on July 15, 2026. The statement said that thirteen missiles hit the facility, which housed the 388th Brigade, causing casualties among its members.

The Iranian army reported that the attack targeted a guesthouse, a guard post, and residential buildings within the base. Tehran condemned the strike as a cowardly act of aggression and warned that a strong response would be delivered at an appropriate time.

The statement did not provide further details about the timing or nature of the planned response, nor did it mention any U.S. justification for the attack.

A fire that broke out early Wednesday at the fabrics warehouse of Ananta Apparels Limited in Adamjee Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, has been brought under control. According to Md. Miron Mia, Senior Station Officer of Adamjee Fire Service and Civil Defense, firefighting operations are still ongoing to fully extinguish the blaze.

The fire started around 4 a.m. on Wednesday. No casualties have been reported so far. Twelve units of the fire service were deployed to control the fire after receiving the report of the incident.

Authorities stated that the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage will be determined after an investigation is completed.

More than 30 civilians have been killed in a recent United States strike on southern Iran, according to Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani. She shared the information on social media platform X, expressing condolences to the victims’ families and pledging full government support for those affected. Mohajerani described southern Iran as the heart and soul of the country and said the government would stand by its people during this difficult time.

The report noted that Iran and the United States have been engaged in a series of retaliatory attacks in recent days. In response to the latest US strike, Iran has withdrawn from a previously signed agreement with Washington. Iranian authorities accused the United States of violating and effectively dismantling the deal by imposing new naval blockades on Iranian ports.

Iran has also declared that it will take control of the entire Strait of Hormuz under wartime conditions, signaling a further escalation in regional tensions.

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has announced the court-ordered seizure of assets worth Tk 760 billion belonging to Sheikh Hasina and ten industrial groups, both domestically and abroad. BFIU chief Ikhtiaruddin Md Mamun disclosed the information on Wednesday during the release of the unit’s annual report at Bangladesh Bank’s headquarters. Of the total amount, Tk 570 billion was frozen within Bangladesh, while Tk 190 billion in foreign assets was also seized.

Mamun stated that efforts are underway to recover assets that were allegedly stolen from the country, expressing optimism about providing positive updates by the end of the year. He emphasized that the BFIU does not consider political affiliations when freezing bank accounts, noting that any suspicious transactions, including those involving members of the interim government, would be investigated.

The announcement highlights the BFIU’s ongoing drive to curb illicit financial flows and recover misappropriated wealth, signaling a broader effort to strengthen financial transparency and accountability in Bangladesh.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for unity beyond political divisions to address Dhaka’s long-standing waste and civic problems. Speaking as chief guest at a Dhaka North City Corporation seminar titled “Waste management of the city is everyone’s responsibility” on Wednesday, he said the capital’s condition cannot be improved by any single person or institution alone.

He noted that Dhaka ranks among the world’s least livable cities and cited poor coordination between RAJUK, WASA, and the power department as major obstacles. Fakhrul emphasized the need to bring the city corporation under a stronger governance structure to ensure control over other agencies. He also highlighted severe water shortages, river pollution, and weak medical waste management, urging restoration of the Buriganga, Turag, and Shitalakshya rivers.

Drawing from his experience as a former municipal chairman, Fakhrul stressed that awareness and civic responsibility must start from families and schools. He expressed a personal desire to see Dhaka clean and green again and urged citizens to take ownership of their city’s cleanliness.

The Comilla Education Board has relocated the HSC examination center of Comilla Government Women’s College to Bhasha Sainik Ajit Guha College after Monday’s incident where students had to wade through waist-deep water to attend exams. On Wednesday morning, 987 students from the women’s college entered the new center to continue their examinations.

Ajit Guha College Principal and Acting Officer Mohammad Shariful Islam said that 579 students from five other institutions were already taking exams at the college, and the newly added 987 students joined them. He added that teachers and scout teams were deployed for security, with full cooperation from the education board, district administration, city corporation, and police.

Comilla Education Board Chairman Professor Md. Ahsan Parvez stated that no other exam centers faced similar issues and assured that the board would remain more cautious in the future to protect students’ interests during adverse conditions.

Argentina and England are set to face each other in the World Cup semifinal, with Argentina reportedly developing a detailed tactical plan to counter England’s midfield strength. According to Argentine sports outlet TyC Sports and analyst Bruno Di Stefano, the key to stopping England lies in neutralizing defensive midfielder Declan Rice, who is seen as the central link in England’s build-up play.

The analysis suggests that applying high pressure on Rice when he receives the ball under pressure or with his back to goal could disrupt England’s rhythm. Forcing England into long passes would break their usual smooth midfield transitions, reducing the effectiveness of attackers like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The strategy also emphasizes early aggression, quick wing play from defenders Nahuel Molina and Nicolás Tagliafico, and exploiting England’s potential fatigue from a long tournament.

Di Stefano concludes that rather than directly marking Kane or Bellingham, cutting off their supply through Rice would be Argentina’s best chance to secure a spot in the final.

An Israeli airstrike in the central Gaza Strip killed four members of the same family early Wednesday, according to the Wafa news agency. The attack targeted a house in Deir al-Balah, resulting in the deaths of 33-year-old Omar Sami Ahmed Abu Qasem, his wife Asma Ghazi Abu Qasem, their daughter Habiba Omar Sami Abu Qasem, and another person whose identity has not yet been confirmed.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that since Israeli attacks began in October 2023, more than 73,000 people have been killed and over 173,000 injured in Gaza. Thousands more are feared to be trapped under the rubble as bombardments continue across the enclave.

The latest strike adds to the mounting civilian toll in Gaza, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis amid continued Israeli military operations.