Mobile financial service provider Nagad paid Bangladesh Post 185.69 million taka as its revenue-sharing portion for fiscal year 2025-26, according to a report published on July 29. Bangladesh Bank-appointed Nagad administrator Md Motasim Billah handed over the cheque to Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam at an event held Wednesday at Dak Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The payment was nearly 50 million taka, or more than 34 percent, higher than in the previous fiscal year. The minister said Nagad was needed to prevent a monopoly in the market and should remain competitive and become more profitable. He urged journalists not to pay attention to rumours surrounding the company. Secretary Bilkis Jahan Rimi said work would be undertaken to expand cooperation between Bangladesh Post and Nagad.

Nagad said it has paid 946 crore taka in taxes to the government and 47 crore taka in revenue to Bangladesh Post since its launch. Operating under an agreement with Bangladesh Post since March 2019, the service allocates 51 percent of earnings to the postal department and 49 percent to Nagad Limited. Its FY2025-26 transaction volume rose 25.50 percent to 427,000 crore taka, while active customers exceeded 30 million.

India’s Supreme Court has cleared late former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in a coal allocation case, declaring closure of proceedings against him on Wednesday. The decision, reported on July 29, 2026, came about a year and a half after Singh’s death in 2024. The case concerned alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal mines in Odisha while the UPA government was in power.

Singh held the coal ministry portfolio at the time, while allegations were also raised against the then coal secretary. The report says the CBI questioned officials in the prime minister’s secretariat but was accused of not questioning Singh, an issue that was also raised before the court. Singh had rejected the allegations from the beginning. In 2015, the CBI submitted to the court information obtained after questioning him.

The Supreme Court said the trial court had no strong basis to reject the CBI’s closure report and take cognizance of the matter. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohanan announced the decision after accepting Singh’s challenge to summons issued by the trial court in 2015. Congress welcomed the ruling and demanded that the prime minister apologize to the country.

FIFA’s plan to bring private investment into the commercial operations of its major competitions has triggered sharp opposition across football. Published on July 29, 2026, the report says several European football federations could move toward boycotting future World Cups if the proposal is implemented. The dispute has created a major impasse around FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s new initiative.

FIFA recently announced it would create a new company, FIFA Forward Enterprises, to manage commercial activities for the World Cup, Club World Cup and other leading tournaments. It plans to sell up to 21 percent of the company to private investors and raise about $4.2 billion. FIFA says the money would be spent on development projects in its 211 member countries.

UEFA has opposed the plan, while several federations within its membership are preparing for an emergency meeting. They may discuss tougher measures, including a future World Cup boycott, if FIFA does not withdraw the proposal. CONCACAF, the English Football Association, the Asian Football Confederation, and authorities in Germany, Denmark and France have also voiced concern. La Liga president Javier Tebas called the proposal election campaigning, and former FIFA president Sepp Blatter criticized it.

Postal, Telecommunications and ICT and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam rejected rumors that Nagad is being sold and urged news outlets to verify information before publishing. He made the remarks on Wednesday at the inauguration of a franchise post office in Agargaon, Dhaka, and a ceremony where Nagad transferred part of its 2025-26 fiscal-year profit to the Directorate of Posts.

Nagad formally handed over Tk 18.57 crore to the Directorate of Posts. The minister said government management of the financial institution would continue to maintain market competition. He said the government aims to make state-owned institutions more efficient, profitable and public-oriented, while digital financial services help deliver safe, simple and affordable services to people.

Anam said franchise post offices, already operated in many countries, would help bring postal services closer to citizens in Bangladesh. He expressed hope that all post offices could eventually operate under the model. The government is also pursuing plans to turn more than 9,000 post offices into modern service centers. Postal and Telecommunications Division Secretary Bilkis Jahan Rimi said the partnership with Nagad has increased public confidence, government revenue and postal department income.

Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union, or JAKSU, held a sit-in on July 29 to press for implementation of 13 demands, including a teacher evaluation system. The programme began at 3pm in front of the university’s old registrar building. Key demands include research stipends for master’s thesis students, institutional access to international journals and online platforms, and an effective academic calendar.

JAKSU also called for faster publication of results, longer validity for institutional email accounts, opportunities for students to work as research assistants, and equipment-based certificate courses at the Wazed Miah Science Research Centre. Its demands further include addressing staff shortages in departments and the controller of examinations office, simplifying scribe approval for students with disabilities, answer-script re-evaluation, and special final-year honours examinations in exceptional circumstances.

Education and Research Secretary Abu Ubaida Usama said students’ demands had long been neglected and that results were taking six to 10 months despite an expected 75-day timeline. Co-Cultural Secretary Raihan Uddin said JAKSU had delivered the demands to all Academic Council members and urged reforms to create a student-friendly campus.

The Chattogram metropolitan unit of the National Citizen Party (NCP) held a protest march and rally against an attack on the party’s top leaders in Habiganj. The programme took place on Wednesday afternoon outside Chattogram Press Club in Jamalkhan as part of a centrally announced nationwide action. After the rally, participants marched through Cheragi Pahar and Momin Road.

NCP Chattogram metropolitan member secretary Arif Moin Uddin alleged that several youths led by Jubo Dal leader Shahed Boks tried to stop slogans during the programme. He said they identified themselves as activists of Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal. An argument and scuffle followed between the two sides. No statement from Shahed Boks was available.

Witnesses said police stood between the groups and separated them after tensions rose, while both sides exchanged slogans. Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Abu Zayed Nazmun Nur said police quickly reached the site and brought the situation under control, with no major untoward incident reported. Rally speakers condemned the Habiganj attack and demanded that those involved be identified within 24 hours and face exemplary punishment.

National Citizen Party (NCP) activists held a protest march and rally in Cumilla over an alleged attack on the party’s central leaders in Habiganj. The programme was held at Pubali Chattar in the city at 5pm on Wednesday, with participation from NCP activists from the Cumilla district, metropolitan unit and educational institutions, according to a report published on July 29.

The march began at Pubali Chattar, moved through major city roads and returned to the same location for a brief rally. NCP Cumilla metropolitan joint coordinator Masumul Bari Kawsar led the programme. Among those present were Kazi Md. Zayed, district committee member Abdus Samad, metropolitan Chhatra Shakti convener Mostofa Jihan, chief organiser Kazi Muhib and former organiser Abdullah Araf.

Speakers alleged that district BNP leaders and activists of its affiliated bodies carried out a planned attack on an NCP peaceful march in Habiganj. They claimed the central leaders’ vehicle convoy was damaged and several activists were injured, including a student whose eye was seriously affected. Protesters demanded the prompt arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved, as well as security for peaceful political programmes. Kawsar said NCP would be compelled to announce tougher nationwide protests if a fair investigation and justice were not ensured.

Three rocket-like objects were found while workers dug a trench for a municipal water pipeline beside the road of A S M Abdur Rab Government College in Ramgati, Lakshmipur. The discovery was made on Wednesday morning. Sub-engineer Rifat Hasan informed the local police station after the objects emerged from the soil, and curious residents gathered at the site.

Ramgati police officer Liton Dewan said three “rocket launchers” were found during the digging work for the water line. The report described them as objects resembling rockets, while noting that it was not yet clear what they contained.

Police recovered the objects and kept them in station custody. The report described a rocket launcher as a type of temporary firearm that functions as an unguided object.

US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran forcefully after allegations that Iran launched ballistic missiles targeting US troops in Jordan. In an interview with Fox News cited by Al Jazeera, Trump said US forces in the Middle East intercepted multiple ballistic missiles aimed at American personnel. The report was published on July 29, 2026.

Trump said troops had only minutes to respond during the missile attack but successfully intercepted the missiles. He said Iran would face a “big price” and warned that the United States would hit it hard. The article attributes a summary of Trump’s remarks to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst.

Trump also commented on joint US-Saudi air strikes in Iraq against Iran-aligned armed groups, saying the operations were coordinated with the Iraqi government. Calling Iran-backed militias “a cancer for the world,” he said his administration was considering further action against armed groups allied with Iran. The report said the incident raised concerns that tensions among the United States, Iran and their allies in the Middle East could intensify further.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said building a clean and green Dhaka is among the current government’s priorities, calling for visible progress in field-level work. He made the remarks on 29 July at a review meeting in the Local Government Division conference room at the Secretariat, covering tree planting, beautification, waste removal and bin replacement in areas under Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations.

Presentations at the meeting outlined the two city corporations’ overall progress, ongoing programmes and future work plans. Officials said non-governmental organisations and volunteer groups were being involved in a coordinated approach to urban cleanliness and greening. The minister said work should be planned so residents can experience the results of each initiative, and directed officials to accelerate ongoing activities.

He said pilot projects should be evaluated before new large projects are undertaken, with successful initiatives expanded gradually. He also ordered updated records of locations for tree planting, beautification, cleaning activities and waste-bin installation, with specific information preserved and submitted to the ministry. The minister stressed regular supervision and effective field monitoring to maintain continuity in the clean-city initiative.

Bangladesh Medical University held a video documentary screening and discussion on July Martyrs’ Day 2026, calling for a discrimination-free and anti-fascist Bangladesh. The event took place on Wednesday at the university’s Shaheed Dr Milon Hall. BMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A F M Siddiqui chaired the programme, while Dental Faculty Dean Dr Sakhawat Hossain Sayonth moderated it.

The vice-chancellor said the July movement showed that no government can endure for long through authoritarian and fascist conduct, attacks and repression. He said people who committed visible wrongdoing under the previous fascist period should not receive current benefits or opportunities. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Nazrul Islam described the July mass uprising as the result of a movement by all people of the country, rather than any individual or party.

Shafiqul Alam, father of martyr Wasim, said respect for the martyrs’ sacrifice requires building a discrimination-free Bangladesh and ensuring honesty, merit and qualifications are valued in employment. He also called for an end to an unethical practice of obtaining jobs with money. Participants held prayers for the martyrs and for the country’s development and prosperity.

Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam has described a Human Rights Watch report questioning the standards of International Crimes Tribunal trials as biased. Speaking to journalists at his tribunal office on Wednesday, he said no HRW representative had approached the prosecution or made necessary inquiries with the investigation agency. He said the report appeared to have been influenced by an accused person.

HRW published its report on Tuesday night, raising questions about the international standards of the tribunal’s proceedings. Responding to claims that prosecutors repeatedly brought similar allegations against defendants, Aminul Islam said statements and charges can be similar when separate cases concern killings at the same location. He said lethal weapons and shootings were used in a planned, similar manner across the country.

Aminul Islam said a prosecutor accused of seeking a bribe was removed immediately. He alleged that the person who made the offer had spoken with the prosecutor 24 times and may have intended to make the tribunal’s trials controversial. He also said 24 senior officials work at the investigation agency and questioned reports by HRW and other organisations that he said were issued without verification.

Former minister and former Awami League presidium member Abdul Latif Siddiqui has been arrested in a case over killings and crimes against humanity linked to a Hefazat-e-Islam gathering at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel on May 5, 2013. A Detective Branch police team arrested him from the Gulshan area of the capital on Wednesday, July 29. DMP media division Additional Deputy Commissioner Niaz Mehdi confirmed the arrest.

An arrest warrant had been issued against Siddiqui by the International Crimes Tribunal. The case alleges that a crackdown during the Hefazat-e-Islam gathering at Shapla Chattar resulted in widespread deaths, enforced disappearances, torture and crimes against humanity. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 40 others have also been named as accused in the case.

The tribunal has taken cognizance of the allegations and directed necessary legal action against the accused. According to lawyers and court-related sources, Siddiqui will be placed under subsequent legal procedures in line with the tribunal’s order. The investigating agency may seek permission to question him if necessary.

Iran-aligned armed group Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba has threatened retaliation after reported joint US and Saudi airstrikes across several Iraqi provinces. In a Wednesday statement cited in a report published July 29, 2026, the group said US and Saudi interests in the region would face serious consequences following what it described as deadly attacks.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iraqi government-recognized coalition of Shiite armed groups also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, said at least 20 of its fighters were killed and 32 wounded in overnight strikes. It said the attacks were carried out simultaneously in seven provinces, including Baghdad, Basra, Karbala, Kirkuk and Nineveh.

According to the coalition, several of its buildings, military vehicles and important equipment were severely damaged. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi convened an emergency security meeting to review the situation. The report said Nujaba's warning has raised concerns about a widening Middle East conflict and possible retaliatory attacks against Washington and Riyadh.

Two female Israeli soldiers died by suicide this week, bringing the number of active-duty Israeli military personnel who have died by suicide in 2026 to 16, according to a report published July 29. One soldier from the Bardelas Battalion, deployed on the Egypt-Israel border, died Tuesday morning at a military base in southern Israel after being taken to hospital in critical condition.

Another female soldier died by suicide on Sunday at the Glilot military base near Ramat Hasharon in central Israel, Haaretz reported. She was a member of Israel’s military intelligence division and held a confidential role. Israeli military police have opened investigations into the circumstances of both deaths, according to the newspaper.

Haaretz’s collected data also showed that nine additional regular and reserve personnel who took part in the Gaza war died by suicide while off duty. The newspaper had previously reported that 22 active-duty Israeli soldiers died by suicide in 2025, the highest annual total in 15 years. Concerns have grown over prolonged psychological pressure and military mental health, although the Israeli military has made no official comment on a direct link to the war.