Customers of five merged banks can now withdraw up to Tk10 lakh for medical treatment and other urgent needs, following a Bangladesh Bank board decision on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Governor Mostakur Rahman chaired the meeting. The decision covers First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank and EXIM Bank.

Previously, the repayment scheme allowed withdrawals only for a depositor’s own medical treatment. The revised scheme also prioritises treatment needs for parents, children, siblings and spouses, while permitting withdrawals for other emergencies. A Bangladesh Bank official said customers may need money for matters such as a daughter’s wedding or treatment of a family member, which had not been covered under the earlier arrangement.

The interim government merged the five Shariah-based banks last year to form Sammilito Islami Bank. Under payments from the deposit insurance fund, Tk3,887 crore has so far been paid to 822,000 depositors, including Tk1,600 crore to 350,000 First Security Islami Bank customers. At the end of last December, the five banks had Tk170,500 crore in defaulted loans, equal to 87.43 percent of their total loans.

Bangladesh Bank has launched a new bank-intermediated digital payment framework to make foreign digital transactions more modern, secure and accessible. According to a circular issued by the central bank on Wednesday, authorised dealer banks will be able to provide outbound remittance services through partnerships with foreign digital payment service providers. The report was published on July 29, 2026.

The circular collectively describes foreign payment platforms and service providers as Cross-Border Digital Payment Service Providers, or CDPSPs. The framework will introduce Digital Value Accounts, or DVAs, which will function as digital wallets or stored-value accounts. These accounts will operate under a master DVA managed by the relevant bank.

Users will be able to use DVAs for foreign-currency spending related to personal travel, medical treatment, official visits and other travel purposes. Payments will also be allowed for membership fees, information technology services, visa fees, hotel bookings and other approved services, as well as online e-commerce transactions within prescribed limits. Bangladesh Bank said the facility can also be accessed against retention quotas and Resident Foreign Currency Deposit account balances, while banks must obtain prior approval before launching such services.

NCP southern region chief organiser and Cumilla-4 lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah said police cannot both serve as law enforcers and implement a party agenda. He made the remarks during an argument with police officers who stopped NCP leaders travelling to a rally in Habiganj on Wednesday. He said those wishing to engage in politics should do so openly under a BNP banner.

Hasnat alleged that police were blocking NCP leaders instead of detaining people who posed security threats. He asked officers under which law they were preventing him from proceeding. The National Citizen Party, or NCP, called Wednesday's protest over allegations of an attack during Tuesday's “July Padayatra”.

NCP central leaders and activists, led by convenor Nahid Islam, had set out for Habiganj to join the programme but were stopped at several points along the route, the report said. As of the latest update in the afternoon, they were stationed on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Kamaichhara in Bahubal upazila amid police barriers. Heavy rain began during the standoff, and NCP leaders remained there despite being soaked.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord Implementation Movement Committee has demanded a national commission to advance implementation of the accord, alleging a lack of visible action by the BNP-led government. At a discussion meeting held Wednesday at the National Press Club, representatives said no visible initiative had been taken during the government’s first five months in office.

The organization held the meeting under the title, “Five Months of the BNP-led Government: Assessment of Progress in Implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord.” Joint coordinator Zakir Hossain read a written statement saying the government had announced a 180-day programme after taking office. The committee welcomed that programme and had urged the government to place implementation of the accord on its priority list.

Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said full implementation of the accord and protection of indigenous peoples’ rights were necessary to fulfil the government’s pledge to build a multinational and pluralist “Rainbow Nation” under its 31-point programme. Revolutionary Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque alleged excessive militarization of the region in the name of security and called for an immediate commission involving stakeholders.

Police arrested Mobarak Hossain, also known as David Iman, described as the second-ranking figure in Chattogram's alleged Sajjad gang, at a checkpoint in Jhunjhumpur under Jessore Kotwali police station around 3 a.m. on Tuesday night. Three associates, Alis Tamal, Shafayat and Shamim, were also detained and later shown arrested. Jessore Superintendent of Police Syed Rafiqul Islam said detectives acted on secret information and handed Iman over to Chattogram police.

At roughly the same time, police launched a separate operation in Noakhali to arrest Rayhan Alam, described as the gang's killing squad chief, but he narrowly escaped. Chattogram district police superintendent Masud Alam said Rayhan remained under surveillance and expressed hope that he would be arrested soon. Police say Iman and Rayhan had jointly run the group's activities after the arrest of “Small Sajjad.”

Police and case records link Iman and Rayhan to allegations involving multiple killings, extortion and weapons-law cases, though the allegations have not been proven in court. Police sources said efforts to arrest Iman intensified after an allegation that he demanded extortion from a Chattogram businessman. He may be questioned in Chattogram in related cases, while police are examining the roles of his three associates. Sajjad Ali Khan denied involvement, saying a group was extorting people using his name.

Crude oil prices rose by more than 4% on Wednesday as renewed conflict in the Middle East heightened concerns that energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz could be disrupted. Iran said it had stopped three oil tankers in the strait, a waterway that normally carries about one-fifth of the world’s total crude oil and gas supply. The moves followed fresh regional tensions and increased market anxiety over the security of fuel shipments.

Oil-market volatility followed Tuesday’s airstrikes by US and Saudi warplanes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq. The US military said the groups had carried out more than two dozen drone attacks in recent days. US Central Command said the strikes targeted groups that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had directed to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. Centcom had earlier said Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at US forces in the Middle East were intercepted.

The incidents came after a three-day pause in nearly two weeks of reciprocal nighttime attacks between the United States and Iran. Brent crude had climbed from about $72 a barrel in early July to more than $100 last week before easing during the pause. President Donald Trump said this week that an agreement was possible, but the latest events underscored the fragility of efforts toward long-term peace.

The US Senate has passed a major sanctions bill aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia, creating scope for tariffs of up to 100% on countries importing Russian energy. The bill passed 86-12 and could raise concerns for India, one of the largest buyers of Russian crude oil. The report was published on July 29, 2026.

The measure was introduced in connection with the Ukraine war and was drafted by late US Senator Lindsey Graham. It provides for new sanctions against Russian individuals and institutions, as well as tougher trade action against countries dependent on Russian energy. Alongside India, the list includes China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.

India is currently the second-largest importer of Russian crude oil after China. Experts said tariffs of up to 100% on India could affect its exports and commercial relations with the United States. India has increased reliance on Russian oil as instability in West Asia, the Iran-US conflict and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have affected supplies from Gulf countries. The source also said a major India-US trade deal is under discussion and could be affected by new tariffs.

Law enforcement agencies imposed tight security in Bahubal upazila of Habiganj on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, amid rival programmes by the National Citizen Party (NCP) and BNP. Additional police and Border Guard Bangladesh personnel were deployed at key locations from noon. At about 5pm, a convoy carrying NCP convener Nahid Islam and other central leaders encountered police barricades after reaching the upazila boundary.

Local sources said additional personnel were positioned in Mushai, Kamaichhara, Mirpur Choumuhana and Titarkona. The convoy also included Akhtar Hossain, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam. In the Mirpur area, police restricted traffic by parking private vehicles across the road, affecting movement on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway.

Long-distance buses and other vehicles were stranded, causing a lengthy traffic jam and hardship for passengers. The NCP convoy, which had remained in the hilly Mushai area from 5pm, had not been able to proceed before evening. Local businesspeople and residents expressed concern, including over possible security risks from a prolonged stay. Law enforcement agencies gave no immediate official statement on the reason for the barricades or their next steps.

The Trump administration is preparing to end federal subsidies for prescription drug insurance plans under Medicare for US residents aged 65 and older, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, according to AFP from New York. The reported change would take effect in December this year and could significantly raise prescription drug costs for about 25 million older Americans.

Citing unnamed administration officials, the newspaper said the federal government had provided $3.6 billion in subsidies to prevent Medicare insurance premiums from rising. KFF, a nonprofit health policy organization, said the average monthly premium for a subsidized plan is about $36. Prescription drug costs are an important issue for many retirees and people on fixed incomes, and the decision could become a political issue before the US midterm elections in November.

People currently enrolled in subsidized plans will learn their new premium rates in the fall. An administration official told the Journal that premiums for about one-quarter of affected customers would fall or remain unchanged in 2027. Another 30% would see monthly increases of less than $10, while the remaining 45% would face monthly increases of $11 to $20.

The National Citizen Party, or NCP, called a protest in Habiganj on Wednesday over alleged attacks during Tuesday’s July march. Central leaders and party workers, led by convener Nahid Islam, set out for Habiganj but said they faced obstructions along the way. As of the latest report in the afternoon, they were staying on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Kamaichhara in Bahubal upazila amid heavy rain.

NCP leaders said their convoy was stopped in Sreemangal, Moulvibazar, shortly before 4 p.m. Chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said the convoy had been blocked at three locations by 5 p.m.: first by police, then by trucks with punctured tyres, and finally by a tractor placed on the road. Nahid Islam wrote on Facebook that the group had crossed a fourth barricade and was continuing toward Habiganj.

Sreemangal police investigation inspector Abdur Razzak said the convoy had been stopped for security reasons, but did not heed police advice and passed through Sreemangal. NCP had scheduled an emergency news conference at Habiganj Circuit House after Section 144 was imposed in Sreemangal, though its leaders had not yet arrived. Police said Section 144 was also in force in Habiganj municipal area, where Border Guard Bangladesh personnel and a magistrate were deployed.

A protest march and rally demanding the arrest of former president Md Shahabuddin Chuppu was held outside Islami Bank’s head office in Motijheel, Dhaka, on Wednesday afternoon, July 29. The Islami Bank Conscious Customers Forum organized the programme, accusing Chuppu of being an associate of S Alam and of involvement in alleged Islami Bank share manipulation and bank looting.

Speakers at the rally alleged that Chuppu had assisted irregularities, corruption and looting in the banking sector, including at Islami Bank, through the S Alam Group. They called for an impartial investigation into people involved in damaging the banking sector and their associates, and demanded exemplary punishment.

Protesters also sought the arrest of Chuppu, prosecution of those involved in alleged bank-looting incidents, and effective measures to protect depositors’ interests. During the programme, participants chanted slogans and called for the swift trial of people linked to corruption in the banking sector. The march later ended peacefully.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate and the party’s medical division amir, Dr SM Khaleduzzaman, criticised State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur in a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon. The report says Khaleduzzaman issued the remarks while commenting on Nur’s role in the ministry.

In the post, Khaleduzzaman wrote that Nurul Haque Nur should return to the “bikashprotha” of the past. He described the Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry as important, saying the fate of millions of expatriates and the country’s economic wheel depend on it.

Khaleduzzaman further said that having an inexperienced state minister in charge of such a ministry was a cruel irony for expatriates’ fate. The source does not include any response from Nurul Haque Nur or information about any subsequent action related to the Facebook post.

Tension gripped Chhagalnaiya in Feni after rival BNP groups announced programmes and counter-programmes following clashes over sand extraction. On Wednesday, Rapid Action Battalion and police personnel were deployed at key points in the municipal town to prevent untoward incidents. Public concern grew from the afternoon as security patrols and searches were intensified.

Armed law enforcement personnel were positioned at Zero Point, College Road, the Chhagalnaiya-Feni road and the Chhagalnaiya-Shubhapur road, among other locations. Around 5pm, several supporters of the Alamgir Siddique group who tried to gather on College Road dispersed after being stopped by RAB and police. Police said an argument and scuffle occurred between Officer-in-Charge Md Abu Taher, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Nadim Uddin and an associate, but no one was detained or arrested.

Earlier, allegations said upazila BNP leader Riaz Uddin Mazumdar Tipu was seriously injured in a clash, while four others were hurt trying to rescue him. Tipu filed a written complaint naming 14 people and 20 to 30 unidentified suspects. Hanif, a member of the Siddique group, was also injured, and both sides denied allegations of attacks against each other.

Road Transport, Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam said those who gave their lives in the July movement were the nation’s finest sons. He made the remarks on July 29 as chief guest at a discussion titled “Shashwata July,” organised by the Dhaka College unit of Chhatra Dal in Dhaka. The event commemorated martyrs and injured people from the July mass uprising and the past 17 years of anti-autocracy movements.

Alam said the movement succeeded because of unity between students and the public, alongside an active role by politicians. He said politicians stood with students and the public from beginning to end, risking their lives. He also claimed that current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman appointed him chief coordinator when the movement began, and that he worked diligently to accelerate it.

The minister alleged that some people not seen in the field during the July movement are now claiming its main leadership. He said voters had answered such claims through elections. Alam also said the public knows whose hands keep the state safe and who stands beside people during crises. Chhatra Dal leaders and activists, the Dhaka College principal, teachers, students and guests attended the event.

Police stopped a convoy of National Citizen Party (NCP) leaders travelling from Moulvibazar to Habiganj at the Cha-Kanya area of Sreemangal on Wednesday afternoon, amid political tensions and restrictions under Section 144. The convoy left Moulvibazar Circuit House shortly before 4pm and was halted around 4:30pm. A scuffle occurred between police and NCP leaders. Those in the convoy included NCP convener and lawmaker Nahid Islam, chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah and Mahmuda Mitu.

Witnesses said the convoy included about 10 microbuses, while more than 100 police officers were positioned on the main road. NCP leaders got out of their vehicles and spoke with senior police officials. Police told them not to enter Habiganj while Section 144 remained in force, while the NCP leaders called for the blockade to be lifted.

Tensions intensified after the NCP alleged that BNP, Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal activists attacked its members in Habiganj on Tuesday. Police said several journalists' vehicles were vandalised and some party activists were injured. The administration imposed Section 144 in Habiganj municipality from Wednesday morning. NCP suspended two planned July marches in Moulvibazar and announced a protest march and rally in Habiganj.