The Coast Guard detained Hafiz Ullah, a former vice president of Teknaf Upazila Awami League, with 4,500 yaba pills in the Inani area of Cox’s Bazar. The operation was conducted at 10am on Friday near the Inani Marine Drive after the Coast Guard Station Inani received secret information. Hafiz Ullah, 66, was identified as a resident of Dailpara in ward No. 3 of Teknaf Sadar Union.

According to Lieutenant Commander BN Suman Al Mukit, media officer for the Coast Guard East Zone, personnel searched a passenger bus travelling from Teknaf to Cox’s Bazar during the special operation. They detained Hafiz Ullah and recovered the yaba pills. The seized pills were estimated to be worth about Tk22.5 lakh.

Hafiz Ullah is the son of the late Toiyom Golal and previously served as vice president of the Teknaf Upazila Awami League. The Coast Guard said procedures for further legal action regarding the seized drugs and the detained alleged drug dealer were under process.

Bangladesh’s e-commerce sector is facing a deep crisis as businesses scale back, consumer confidence weakens, investment declines and operating costs rise, a report published on July 25, 2026 said. Market contraction has pushed many companies toward layoffs, reduced operations or closure, while interest among new entrepreneurs has also waned. Daraz and several other platforms have reportedly reduced operations and closed delivery hubs amid continuing losses.

Analysts cited a high dollar rate, higher fuel prices and prolonged inflation as factors raising delivery and logistics expenses while reducing purchases of luxury and discretionary goods. Policy uncertainty, falling international investment, digital fraud and distrust among customers were also identified as pressures. A merchant said Daraz decided to permanently close 16 of more than 100 hubs from June 14, while alternatives were not retained for several hubs outside Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers Association said customers are owed Tk531 crore by 32 e-commerce companies, with 18 yet to return money. Experts called for transparent transactions, stronger consumer protection, policy support, easier loans and digital technology to lower logistics costs, saying businesses should prioritize sustainability over expansion.

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee may join an ongoing protest in Delhi alongside the Kokroach Janata Party, according to a report citing Hindustan Times. She is expected to travel to Delhi next Monday to express solidarity with protesting students. The report also says her Trinamool Congress is set to join the demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

In a post on X, Banerjee said she had stood firmly with students and their movement from the beginning. She described their struggle as one not only for justice over the NEET scandal, but also for protecting the future of every young person in the country. She added that the entire opposition camp and the country's people were standing with students and youth.

The report describes the Delhi action as one of the biggest student movements in recent times. Congress marched toward the prime minister's residence in New Delhi on Tuesday to protest police baton charges and water cannon use against students. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior Congress leaders participated. Political analysts said Banerjee's participation could also highlight Trinamool Congress's political position.

The murder trial of Mahbub Alam Shaheen, a Bogura BNP leader, lawyer and transport businessman, is nearing completion seven years after his killing, according to the report published July 25, 2026. Shaheen was attacked and killed in the Nishindara suburb area of Bogura city on the night of April 14, 2019. His wife, Akhtar Jahan Shilpi, filed the murder case at Bogura Sadar police station two days later.

Case records say a group of eight or nine people attacked Shaheen with sharp weapons around 11 p.m. in the Upashahar Bazar area. The prosecution alleges the killing was premeditated and linked to a dispute over control and dominance of a transport owners’ organisation. His wife said he had received death threats for several days over conflict involving the district motor owners group.

Police submitted charges against principal accused Aminul Islam and 14 others on January 30, 2020. Charges were framed against 14 accused in 2024, while testimony from 23 of 24 witnesses has been completed. Public Prosecutor Advocate Abdul Bached said the case awaits testimony from investigating officer Ambar Hossain, who is serving on a United Nations peacekeeping mission.

A severe wildfire spreading across Europe damaged NASA’s Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex in Robledo, Spain, prompting the evacuation of all staff on Friday. The facility, about 65 kilometres west of central Madrid, is one of NASA’s three global deep-space communications centres. The incident raised concerns that communications with distant spacecraft could be disrupted.

NASA said the fire passed through the MDSCC area and that the extent of possible damage will be assessed once conditions are safe. A NASA spokesperson confirmed the location of the complex and the safe evacuation of personnel in a statement to AFP. The agency said the safety and wellbeing of its employees remain its highest priority.

The MDSCC is part of NASA’s Deep Space Network, which communicates with spacecraft exploring distant regions of the galaxy. Its other two centres are located in Canberra, Australia, and Goldstone, California, in the United States. NASA said support for space missions is continuing without disruption through those facilities. The agency also expressed sympathy for families and residents affected by the wildfire in surrounding areas.

A 48-year-old man, Babul Mia, died after being electrocuted while attempting to take an illegal electricity connection in Baroruhi village of Bishkakuni ইউনিয়ন, Purbadhala upazila, Netrokona. The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. on Friday. Babul Mia was the son of Jaher Ali of the same village.

Local sources said the rural electricity authority disconnected electricity at his home around three months earlier because he had not paid an outstanding bill of Tk6,000. He allegedly tried to reconnect the supply himself on Friday night and became entangled in an electric wire, sustaining serious injuries.

Family members took him to Purbadhala উপজেলা Health Complex, where the duty doctor declared him dead. Union Parishad member Anwar Hossain confirmed the incident. Police prepared an inquest report after visiting the scene. The body was handed to relatives after legal procedures, following a written application from the family and in the absence of any complaint.

US President Donald Trump said China and Russia have pledged not to provide weapons to Iran, warning that any such supply would be “very bad.” In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping gave him the assurance during a recent meeting in Beijing, stating that China would neither provide nor sell weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran under any circumstances. Trump said the commitment also covered Chinese companies.

Trump also claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a similar assurance that Russia would not sell weapons to Iran, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. He said China and Russia were the major countries most often discussed in connection with Iran, but that he did not believe either was involved. Trump said supplying Iran with weapons would not be in their interests.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he believed Xi and Putin would keep their promises. Asked about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s earlier statement that Russia and China were “helping” Iran, Trump said he was not sure they were doing so. He added that both leaders had sufficient reasons to honor their commitments and would not want him to be disappointed in them.

Border Guard Bangladesh said it foiled an alleged attempt by India’s Border Security Force to push six people illegally into Bangladesh through the Maheshpur border in Jhenaidah. The incident occurred early Saturday in the Samanta BOP area under Maheshpur Battalion, 58 BGB, according to the force.

BGB sources said members of the Singamora camp of India’s 59 BSF Battalion tried at about 5:10am to send six unidentified people through a gate adjacent to border pillar 55/MP. The group included four men and two women. A BGB patrol from Samanta BOP spotted them before they could enter Bangladesh.

The alleged push-in attempt failed after BGB intervention, the force said. The six people were reported to be staying about 30 yards inside Indian territory from the zero line. BGB said it had formally informed BSF about the incident. Assistant Director Munshi Imdadur Rahman of Maheshpur Battalion said BGB was maintaining maximum vigilance at the border to prevent illegal entry and push-ins and to help preserve peace and order in the area.

Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu has decided to resign after serving three years and three months as Bangladesh’s president, ending his tenure during the BNP government. He administered oaths to heads of three different administrations: the Awami League, the interim government and the elected BNP government. Although he remained in office after the BNP’s victory in the 2026 election, his resignation came five and a half months after the BNP government was formed.

During the interim government, the BNP supported Chuppu’s continued tenure on grounds of constitutional continuity, and an effort to remove him was not implemented. Ten days after the BNP’s election victory, Chuppu said in an interview that the party and its senior leadership had stood by him during difficult times, describing BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman as sincere. The report says relations later became strained, while Bangabhaban sources said senior BNP figures conveyed a message asking him to resign.

Chuppu took oath as the country’s 22nd president on April 24, 2023. His political background and the legality of his appointment drew debate. His conflicting statements in 2024 over Sheikh Hasina’s resignation letter also triggered criticism. In a December 2025 Reuters interview, he said he felt humiliated by the government led by Muhammad Yunus.

Police detained a Chhatra Dal leader with cannabis in Nalchity, Jhalakathi, on Friday night, according to the report. Adnan Rubel, 28, a member of the municipal Chhatra Dal convening committee, was taken into custody from the town’s Sabujbag area while allegedly consuming cannabis. In a separate operation that night, police also arrested Hasibur Rahman, 35, with 20 yaba pills.

Police said Rubel was brought to the police station after being detained in Sabujbag. Family members reportedly sought his release, but police did not release him, citing a zero-tolerance policy against drugs. Rubel is the son of Abdus Sattar Hawlader of the area.

Nalchity police arrested Rahman at a checkpoint in the Kalijira area on the Jhalakathi-Barishal regional highway and recovered the yaba pills, police said. A case under the Narcotics Control Act was filed against him. Officer-in-Charge Md Touhiduzzaman said cases were filed against both men and they were sent to court on Saturday afternoon. District Chhatra Dal convener Syed Ali Hasan said organizational action would follow if allegations against any member are proven.

BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party’s National Standing Committee, led by acting chairman Tarique Rahman, will make the final decision on Bangladesh’s next president. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon after Md Sahabuddin Chuppu resigned, prompting discussion over who will succeed him.

Citing multiple sources in the Parliament Secretariat and the ruling party, the report said the process for electing a new president will begin when the next parliamentary session starts. Discussions have begun within BNP over possible candidates. Names under discussion include Fakhrul, Standing Committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan, as well as acting president and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Professor Dr Anwarullah Chowdhury and Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani, who is serving on a contract basis, were also mentioned as possible candidates. Party policymakers said the nomination would be based on the decision of the prime minister and senior party leadership. Political analysts cited in the report said BNP’s parliamentary majority would make the party’s choice decisive in the presidential election.

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced a new nationwide programme in India to show solidarity with protesters allegedly subjected to police abuse. The party called for candlelight marches across the country on Sunday evening, according to a report published on July 25, 2026.

In a message posted on X, the CJP said student groups and other organisations should work together on a cooperative basis to secure permissions and make related arrangements for the programme. The report described the marches as an expression of support for protesters who were victims of police abuse.

A third round of talks between the Modi government and protesters is scheduled for Saturday. However, the CJP said there was no point in entering discussions unless the government agreed to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said in an X post that the party would not retreat from its demand for Pradhan's resignation, and that no further talks would be necessary if the government did not agree.

BRAC Bank’s branch distribution network recorded Tk50 billion in growth in current account savings account, or CASA, deposits during the first six months of 2026. The bank said the achievement reflects growing customer confidence in BRAC Bank and the capacity of its distribution network.

The report said BRAC Bank has maintained notable deposit growth in recent years, with the latest milestone continuing that trend. The bank attributed its business expansion to relationship-based banking and customer-centric services, while describing the branch distribution network as a key contributor to the result.

BRAC Bank held an event to celebrate the achievement, attended by Managing Director and CEO Tareq Refat Ullah Khan, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Branch Distribution Network Sheikh Mohammad Ashfaque, Senior Zonal Head Taher Hasan Al Mamun, regional heads, branch managers and other senior officials. Khan said customer trust and the dedicated efforts of the branch distribution network were behind the result. He said the bank remains committed to strengthening customer relationships through improved banking experiences and sustaining its growth trajectory.

An opinion article by Syed Musa Reza, published in Amar Desh on July 25, 2026, portrays the funeral and mourning ceremony in Tehran for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a symbol of shifting power relations in the Middle East and global politics. The article says mourners chanted against the United States and Israel and demanded revenge for Khamenei’s death. It argues that the event conveyed institutional continuity and unity behind Iran’s current leadership.

Citing an analysis by Middle East Monitor, the article says large gatherings in Tehran, Qom and Karbala challenged assumptions that removing senior leaders through a “decapitation strategy” would collapse Iran’s state system and allied axis. It also interprets the attendance of senior leaders from Pakistan and Tajikistan as evidence that Global South states are making diplomatic choices based on national interests and regional realities.

The article references seven lessons identified by Russia’s state media outlet RT from a recent Persian Gulf conflict. These include the reduced impact of sanctions, cheaper military technologies, limits on sole naval control, asymmetric warfare, discussion of alternative energy-trade currencies, divisions in military alliances and the importance of strategic patience. It concludes that international politics is moving toward a multipolar balance of power.

The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a civilian nuclear agreement on Wednesday at the US Energy Department headquarters in Washington after nearly two decades of talks. The following morning, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords for the deal to take effect. He also said Saudi Arabia would not be allowed to enrich uranium under the agreement.

CNN reported that Trump had already been dissatisfied because Energy Secretary Chris Wright set the timing for the agreement’s announcement without informing him. White House officials said the agreement was not formally final because required documents had not been sent to Congress. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the deal depended on Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords, while the Energy Department said it coordinated every stage with the White House and State Department.

Conservative outlets including Fox News and The Wall Street Journal had questioned granting Saudi Arabia the benefits without normalization with Israel. Nonproliferation experts raised concerns about uranium enrichment and the absence of additional International Atomic Energy Agency inspections. Israeli sources suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened, but the White House denied Trump spoke with him. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Trump did not speak with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before or after announcing the conditions.