An attempted land grab in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet turned chaotic on Wednesday afternoon when alleged attackers fled, abandoning a vehicle and local weapons after being confronted by residents. Police later seized the items from the scene. The incident occurred in Chaughari village under Golapganj Sadar Union, sparking tension in the area.

According to police, officers from Golapganj Model Police Station recovered a Noah microbus and several homemade weapons with help from locals. London expatriate Javed Ahmed filed a written complaint alleging that influential locals brought outsiders to seize his family’s land during his absence. He stated that the land is under a court case and subject to a Section 144 order prohibiting such actions.

Local residents claimed the attackers ignored the court’s restriction and attempted to occupy the land, prompting villagers to gather and resist. Police said an investigation is underway based on the complaint, and efforts continue to identify and arrest those involved.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly condemned Iran’s recent attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, expressing full solidarity with the two Gulf nations. In a statement issued by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 9, 2026, the UAE described the assaults as hostile acts that clearly violate the sovereignty of both Bahrain and Kuwait and threaten their security and stability.

According to the statement cited by Al Jazeera, the UAE reaffirmed its commitment to stand by Gulf countries in protecting their sovereignty and security. The condemnation underscores the UAE’s position against actions that destabilize the Gulf region and its emphasis on collective regional security.

The statement reflects growing concern among Gulf states over regional tensions and reiterates the UAE’s call for respect of national sovereignty and stability within the Gulf Cooperation Council area.

Hundreds of snakes escaped from a breeding farm in Hengzhou city of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after floods triggered by Typhoon Maysak damaged the facility. According to Chinese media outlet Global Times, around 800 to 900 snakes fled into surrounding areas, causing widespread alarm. The flood began on July 6 when heavy rainfall broke a local reservoir dam, inundating the farm. Initial reports suggest most of the escaped snakes are nonvenomous.

Local authorities confirmed that one villager was hospitalized after a snakebite, while many snakes were swept away by floodwaters. Residents formed volunteer teams to capture snakes using fishing nets, but officials urged people not to attempt this themselves. The Hengzhou administration strengthened emergency medical services, increased antivenom supplies, deployed additional rescue teams, and set up temporary clinics for bite victims.

Public awareness campaigns through loudspeakers, WeChat groups, and home visits advised residents to avoid risky areas, especially at night. Local media also issued safety guidelines, warning against traditional but unsafe snakebite treatments and urging immediate medical attention.

Assistant teacher Nasrin Sultana of Rahanpur No. 2 Model Government Primary School in Gomostapur upazila, Chapainawabganj, has been temporarily suspended. The district primary education officer, Md. Saiful Islam, issued the order on Thursday under Section 39(1) of the Government Employees Act 2018. The suspension followed allegations that she threatened to set fire to the education office, was frequently absent, stole a school laptop, assaulted students, and disrespected the head teacher.

According to the office order, two departmental cases are already pending against Nasrin under the Government Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 2018, and she did not attend personal hearings. Officials said her irregular attendance and conflicts with colleagues disrupted the school environment. Assistant Upazila Education Officer A.K.M. Oliul Islam stated that Nasrin had threatened to burn the office and was caught on CCTV taking a laptop, which she later returned after a police report.

Nasrin Sultana denied all allegations, claiming she was being targeted with false information and asserting her honesty and dedication to teaching.

The Chattogram district administration has canceled all types of leave, including weekly holidays, for its officers and employees following five consecutive days of heavy rainfall that caused severe flooding, landslides, and waterlogging across the district. District Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah announced the decision during a press briefing at his office on Thursday, stating that 24-hour control rooms have been set up in every upazila and at the district office to coordinate rescue, relief, and monitoring efforts.

According to the district administration, around 450,000 people have been trapped by floodwaters, with Satkania upazila being the worst affected, as about 70 percent of its area is submerged. Large parts of Chandanaish, Lohagara, Banshkhali, and Boalkhali are also inundated. The administration has received 200 metric tons of rice and Tk 10 lakh from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, along with Tk 20 lakh from the Prime Minister’s Fund. About 8,000 people have already taken shelter in designated centers.

A total of 629 shelters have been prepared with food, clean water, and medical services, including special care for children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Emergency speedboats have been requested for Satkania, and coordinated rescue teams from government agencies and volunteer groups are operating in the field.

Police in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria, detained a 20-year-old woman named Sumaiya Akter on Thursday morning for allegedly attempting to abduct a five-year-old schoolgirl. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. at Tullapara Government Primary School in Kunda Union. According to school sources, Sumaiya introduced herself as the girl’s aunt and tried to take her from the classroom. The headteacher became suspicious and contacted the child’s mother, who confirmed that the woman was not a relative. The school authorities then handed Sumaiya over to Nasirnagar police.

Police stated that Sumaiya claimed to be from Kishoreganj district and is currently in police custody. Nasirnagar Police Inspector (Investigation) Sohel Shikder said legal action would be taken if the victim’s family or the school filed a written complaint.

The detained woman remains under investigation as police await a formal complaint to proceed with legal measures.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s reserved seat Member of Parliament Advocate Sabikun Nahar Munni expressed concern in parliament over widespread food adulteration in Bangladesh. Speaking during the 22nd day of the 13th National Parliament’s first budget session, she questioned the food minister about government measures to ensure safe and unadulterated food. Munni remarked that while drugs appear free from adulteration, food items, especially fruits during the current season, are often contaminated, leaving consumers uncertain about what is safe to eat.

In response, the food minister acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, noting that adulterated food contributes to serious health problems such as cancer and kidney disease. He added that the Prime Minister is highly concerned about the matter. The exchange highlighted growing parliamentary attention to food safety and public health risks linked to adulteration.

The discussion underscored the need for stronger government initiatives to monitor food quality and protect consumers from harmful substances in the market.

The Election Commission (EC) has issued the official gazette recognizing BNP candidate Sarowar Alamgir as the elected Member of Parliament for the Chattogram-2 constituency in the 13th National Parliament. The decision followed receipt of the High Court verdict declaring his candidacy valid. The EC stated that after publishing the gazette on Thursday, a letter will be sent to the Parliament Secretariat to arrange his oath-taking.

Earlier, Alamgir had won the February 12 election, but the EC withheld the gazette due to legal complications over his candidacy. Although the returning officer initially accepted his nomination, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Muhammad Nurul Amin appealed to the EC alleging loan default. On January 18, the EC upheld the appeal and canceled Alamgir’s candidacy, prompting him to file a writ petition in the High Court.

The High Court later suspended the EC’s decision and allowed Alamgir to contest under the BNP’s ‘sheaf of paddy’ symbol. The Appellate Division permitted his participation but ordered the result and gazette to remain pending until final judgment. With the latest High Court ruling, the legal barrier to publishing the result and taking oath has been removed.

At least eight Palestinians were killed and 17 others injured in fresh Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip within the past 24 hours, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The ministry reported that intense bombardment has made it difficult for rescue and civil defense teams to reach those trapped under rubble or lying on the streets, raising fears that the death toll could rise further.

The report stated that since the ceasefire agreement brokered by international mediators in October last year, Israeli forces have repeatedly violated the truce. Since then, at least 1,092 Palestinians have been killed and 3,507 injured in Israeli military operations. Despite the ceasefire, drone and missile strikes have continued in various parts of Gaza, deepening humanitarian distress and anger among local residents.

The ongoing attacks have heightened concerns over worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza as rescue efforts remain severely hampered by continuous bombardment.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, informed parliament that twelve Bangladeshi nationals have died so far in the ongoing Middle East war centered on Iran. The casualties include five in Lebanon, three in Saudi Arabia, two in the United Arab Emirates, and one each in Iraq and Bahrain. He shared the information during a parliamentary session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram.

The minister said that under the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board’s funding, a total of 186 people, including 12 women and eight children, have been brought back from Iran amid the conflict. He added that one of the deceased was buried abroad, while nine bodies have already been repatriated to Bangladesh. Families of the deceased received financial support of 35,000 taka for burial expenses and an additional 50,000 taka as special assistance.

Chowdhury also announced logistical improvements at airports, including new freezing ambulances in Dhaka, Sylhet, and Chattogram, additional trolleys at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, and wheelchairs for injured or ill workers. Plans are underway to establish a migrant lounge and medical corner at Sylhet Osmani International Airport.

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) conducted a mobile court operation at Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in Dhaka, fining two businesses a total of Tk 600,000 for selling substandard baby food and cosmetics. The operation, led by BSTI Executive Magistrate Sabekun Nahar, found that Almas Super Shop was selling baby food items such as chocolate, flavored drinks, and powdered milk without BSTI testing or clearance, resulting in a Tk 500,000 fine. Online-based Sofia’s Beauty House was fined Tk 100,000 for selling low-quality cosmetics.

According to a BSTI press release, the drive aimed to ensure safe and quality products and protect consumer health. BSTI officials Md. Safayet Hossain and Ahsan Habib Khan assisted in the operation. The agency stated that similar monitoring and mobile court activities are being conducted nationwide to safeguard consumers.

BSTI also urged consumers to purchase only BSTI-approved and quality-certified products, pledging to continue and strengthen such drives in the public interest.

The Ministry of Public Administration of Bangladesh has promoted 172 officers from the rank of deputy secretary to joint secretary. The order was issued on Thursday afternoon, July 9, 2026, following approval from the Prime Minister’s Office earlier in the day. The promoted officials have been appointed as special duty officers (joint secretary) under the ministry and are required to submit their joining letters either directly to the senior secretary or via email.

According to the ministry, the promotions include officers from the 24th and 25th batches of the Bangladesh Civil Service (Administration) cadre who had previously been left out. About 190 officers from the 24th batch were recommended for promotion, while 80 from the 25th batch were considered. The remaining officers from the 25th batch will be promoted later. The ministry also retains the authority to amend or cancel any promotion if adverse information about any officer emerges.

The ministry noted that the next phase of promotions for the 24th batch, to the rank of additional secretary, remains under review.

The verdict in the widely discussed gang rape case at Sylhet’s MC College dormitory will be announced on July 14, five years after the incident. The decision was set by Judge Swapan Kumar Sarkar of the Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal following the completion of arguments from both prosecution and defense. The case involves members of a banned faction of the student organization Chhatra League, accused of assaulting a newlywed woman after tying up her husband.

According to court sources, the case was transferred from the Women and Children Tribunal to the Speedy Trial Tribunal in May of the previous year, where testimony from 24 witnesses was recorded. The witnesses included the victim, her husband, the investigating officer, a magistrate, and medical experts. DNA tests matched evidence with six of the eight accused. The prosecution expressed some dissatisfaction over inconsistencies in the plaintiff’s testimony.

The case stems from a 2020 incident when the couple was attacked near MC College, and the woman was assaulted inside the dormitory. Police and RAB arrested the suspects within three days, and a charge sheet was filed in December 2021.

A second robbery within 24 hours occurred in the haor area of Itna upazila in Kishoreganj on Wednesday night. The incident took place near the Bogadubi canal adjacent to the Borshikura-Sherpur bridge in Badla Union. Victim Sadoranjan Das, a resident of Jatrabari village in Shalla upazila of Sunamganj, said he and two others were traveling by boat to buy ducklings in Damiha area of Tarail upazila when seven helmeted men armed with local weapons stopped their boat. The robbers allegedly took cooking utensils, engine parts, two mobile phones, and Tk 75,000 in cash.

A local guard, Ful Mia, said he heard cries for help from a boat and found two frightened men, later taking them to Borshikura market. Resident Rumel Mia added that locals pursued the robbers by boat, but they escaped toward Elongjuri Union under cover of darkness. Itna Police Station Officer-in-Charge Habibullah Khan stated that no written complaint had been received yet and that legal action would follow upon receiving one.

Iran’s state-run Fars News Agency has reported that a US airstrike struck the Ak Takeh Khan railway bridge in Golestan province, northern Iran. The bridge is part of a vital rail corridor linking Tehran with China, Iran’s largest trading partner. The incident reportedly disrupted a route that had been used to transport goods to Russia during periods when US sanctions complicated access to Iranian seaports.

According to the report, Iranian authorities plan to complete repairs on the damaged bridge quickly. The railway line crossing the bridge connects Iran with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan before reaching China, making it strategically important for regional trade and freight movement.

The report, citing Al Jazeera as a source, underscores the bridge’s significance for Iran’s overland trade network and its role in maintaining economic links amid geopolitical tensions.