Police in Chaugachha, Jashore, have arrested Arafat Hossain Rabbi, senior joint general secretary of Chaugachha Government College Chhatra Dal, over allegations of raping an 18-year-old second-year HSC student. He was detained around 9pm on August 1 following the student’s written complaint, and a rape case has been recorded against him.

According to the case statement, the student had approached Rabbi, described as her neighbouring maternal cousin, for help obtaining a national identity card. Despite the upazila election office being closed for a public holiday, he brought her to Chaugachha town around 9am. The complaint alleges that he misled her and took her to the home of Jahanara Begum in Niribili Para of municipal ward 4, where he raped her against her will.

The statement says the student became ill after the incident and returned home when she felt somewhat better, then informed her parents. She and her mother later submitted a written complaint at Chaugachha police station. Officer-in-Charge Mamunur Rashid PPM confirmed the arrest and said Rabbi would be sent to a Jashore court on Sunday, while other legal procedures remain under way.

Two 25-year-old men died in separate incidents in Matlab North upazila of Chandpur, with police initially viewing both deaths as suicides. In one case, Shadhin of Mulluk Majhirkandi village in Chengarchar municipality allegedly consumed poisonous tablets in an abandoned cattle farm on July 31 because of debt pressure. He was declared dead at a private hospital in Dhaka at about 10:30 a.m. on August 1 while receiving treatment.

Police said Shadhin made a voice call to his friend Ashraful after taking the tablets and asked him to repay his debt. Ashraful and Saikat rescued him and took him first to Matlab North উপজেলা Health Complex before he was referred to Dhaka after his condition deteriorated. His wife Ayesha, father Chalu Sarkar and relatives told police they had no allegations or suspicions against anyone and sought burial without an autopsy.

In the other incident, Sabbir Hossain was found hanging from a mango tree beside his home in Diglipar Par Pradhan Bari area at around 12:30 a.m. on August 1. Family sources said he had become mentally distressed following marital conflict and his wife leaving for elsewhere. Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Kamrul Hasan said police visited both scenes, investigations were under way and legal procedures would be followed.

A six-year-old madrasa student, Maria Akter Priti, died after being hit by a battery-operated autorickshaw while crossing a road in Purbadhala, Netrokona. The crash occurred on Saturday afternoon in the Nayapara, Thana Road area of উপজেলা সদর Union on the Purbadhala-Netrokona road. Priti was the daughter of Abul Kalam Azad of Pukuriakanda village and attended the infant class at Darul Ulum Nayapara Women’s Madrasa.

Police and local sources said Priti had gone to the madrasa on Saturday morning as usual. After classes ended, she saw her father standing on the other side of the road in Nayapara and attempted to run across. A moving battery-operated autorickshaw struck her, throwing her onto the road.

One wheel of the autorickshaw ran over her body, leaving her seriously injured. Local residents and relatives took her quickly to Purbadhala Upazila Health Complex, where the attending doctor declared her dead. Purbadhala police station officer-in-charge Abdullah Al Mamun said the body was handed to the family after necessary legal procedures, following an application from relatives who made no complaint.

In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, siblings Sama, Abdullah and Nada Musa celebrated strong Tawjihi results announced on July 24 after studying through war, displacement and uncertainty. Sama scored 97.5 percent, Abdullah 94.6 percent and Nada 94.4 percent in the examinations that shape Palestinian high school students’ academic futures. Because of physical disabilities, Abdullah and Nada could not attend private lessons, so their family arranged for teachers to visit their home.

Education Minister Amjad Barham said about 89,000 students from the occupied West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip took Tawjihi examinations this year, while 2,000 more sat them in 46 other countries. He said more than 106,000 Gaza students had taken the exams over the past three years, including 36,900 in 2026. More than 1,100 students due to sit this year’s examinations were killed by Israel, he said.

The UN said in November that more than 97 percent of Gaza schools had been damaged or destroyed over two years of war, with nearly 92 percent of education facilities needing full reconstruction or major rehabilitation. Teacher Hanaa al-Sayed held classes in Deir el-Balah at a school also sheltering displaced people. Tala Abu Sukkar, who lost several relatives during the war, scored 86 percent while living with her uncle.

Turkiye and Iraq have signed a one-year agreement to keep crude flowing through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, which runs from Iraq to Turkiye. Turkish state firm BOTAS and Iraqi state oil companies SOMO and NOC signed the deal on Saturday in Ankara, days after a decades-old bilateral arrangement expired the previous Monday. The agreement followed Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Ankara and his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan four days earlier.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the transit arrangement covers a daily capacity of 750,000 barrels and was agreed after a meeting with Iraqi Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair. He said efforts toward a new long-term pipeline agreement were continuing. The pipeline’s maximum capacity is about 1.5 million barrels per day, but flows have remained substantially lower in recent years.

According to Turkish data, the pipeline currently carries about 170,000 barrels per day, largely from fields in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Iraq has sought alternative export routes after Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted Gulf shipments. Baghdad and Ankara are also pursuing a broader framework covering oil, electricity, water resources and other cooperation, while Turkiye seeks eventually to carry crude from Iraq’s southern fields.

Israeli forces detained seven Palestinians, including two 16-year-olds, in overnight and predawn raids across the occupied West Bank on Saturday, according to Palestinian local sources. Separately, settlers allegedly assaulted a Palestinian man and his wife while they worked on their farmland in al-Zarqa, Beitillu, northwest of Ramallah, leaving both needing hospital treatment for injuries and bruising.

The detentions were reported in Tubas, Nablus and Bethlehem governorates. Forces detained one teenager in Tammun, four people in raids on Urif, Einabus and Burqa, another teenager in Wadi Fukin, and a man at the Container Checkpoint. Wafa security sources said troops also stormed dozens of homes in Asira ash Shamaliya and turned one house into a field interrogation centre.

Other reported incidents included the detention and beating of 11 workers near Hebron, vehicle damage and graffiti in Surif, and an alleged pepper-spray attack on three young men near Ramallah. Palestinian sources recorded more than 11,000 attacks by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank during the first half of this year. The UN says settlement outposts have no legal validity under international law.

The July Revolutionary Alliance will hold the First Conclave on July Revolution on Sunday at the BIAM Auditorium in New Eskaton, Dhaka. The event, scheduled to begin at 2:30pm, aims to preserve memories of the July mass uprising, pay tribute to its martyrs and outline a future path for a democratic and justice-based Bangladesh.

Organizers said relatives of martyrs, injured fighters, civil society representatives and leading figures from politics, media, culture, law and student leadership will attend. Listed guests include Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin, filmmaker and former cultural affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, and Bdjobs.com founder and CEO AKM Fahim Mashroor.

JRA Foundation Chairman Saleh Mahmud Raihan said the conclave’s main purpose is to remember the martyrs’ sacrifices and present specific proposals for building a new Bangladesh. Media representatives from print, electronic, online and multimedia outlets across the country have been invited to cover the programme, organizers said.

The National Professionals Alliance, or NPA, held a discussion titled “July Awakening of Professional Society” in memory of fallen revolutionaries and with a pledge to build a discrimination-free Bangladesh. The event took place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club in Dhaka. Member of Parliament and National Citizen Party member secretary Akhtar Hossain attended as chief guest, while NPA convener Navid Nowroz Shah chaired the programme.

Speakers described the July mass uprising as a milestone in the struggle for people’s rights, justice and a discrimination-free state. They said the professional community should play a leading role in building an efficient, accountable, humane and welfare-oriented state while upholding the sacrifices of those killed. Akhtar Hossain called for united participation by professionals in national development, good governance, job creation, a corruption-free administration and meeting public expectations.

Navid Nowroz Shah alleged that the current government was overlooking merit in appointments in several sectors in favour of partisan considerations. Representatives from professions including private employment, freelancing, development work, medicine, engineering, teaching, law, journalism, business and information technology pledged to work together for a modern, equitable and prosperous Bangladesh. The programme concluded after discussions and preparation of future work plans.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) held a symbolic march toward Petrobangla in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar on Saturday, carrying empty pots and pans to protest a proposed gas price increase amid an acute supply crisis. The Dhaka North unit warned that it would blockade the Petrobangla building if authorities moved to raise prices, preventing officials from entering or leaving. The march began at SAARC Fountain and ended at the gate of the Petrobangla building.

At the rally, NCP senior joint convener Ariful Islam Adib alleged that Petrobangla and Titas had become institutions of plunder. He said gas shortages were preventing families from cooking and warned of a broader movement seeking the resignation of the energy minister and other relevant people if the crisis was not resolved quickly. Abdullah Al Mansur said people would surround gas offices if the shortage remained unresolved by August 10.

Petrobangla has sought policy approval to propose a 67 percent price increase for gas used in electricity generation and a 51 percent increase for CNG used in transport. Its letter also mentioned higher distribution charges for six gas distribution companies. If approved, an application would be submitted to the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission, followed by a public hearing and decision.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said responsibility for deciding the party’s position on the presidential election has been entrusted to BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He disclosed the decision to journalists after a meeting of the party’s standing committee at the BNP chairman’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka, on Saturday night.

The announcement followed the resignation of President Sahabuddin Chuppu, who cited physical illness at the age of 76. The report said his early departure marked a new turn in Bangladesh’s politics. In the period after the 2024 uprising, he had been the final bearer of the constitutional continuity of the previous governing system.

Under Article 123 of the Constitution, a new head of state must be elected by members of parliament within 90 days of the presidency becoming vacant. BNP currently holds a single-party majority in parliament, and the report said its nominee is therefore set to become the next president.

A four-day cultural festival, July Jagaran Season 2, opened on Saturday afternoon at the National Museum’s main auditorium under the theme “July Through Children’s Eyes.” Organised by Saimum Shilpigosthi, the programme began with Quran recitation, July-themed songs and poetry recitation by child performers. The mother of July uprising martyr Anas formally declared the event open.

In her opening remarks, she remembered Anas and all martyrs, urging young people to uphold the vision of a new, discrimination-free country for which their children gave their lives. Saimum Shilpigosthi chairman Nurul Islam Saddam said the organisation supports healthy, ethical and truth-based culture. Special guest and lawmaker Nurul Islam Bulbul called for joint efforts to spread what he described as healthy cultural practice.

Vice chairman Sibagatullah Sibga said 133 children were martyred in the July mass movement and called on young people to play a leading role in building a new Bangladesh. AB Party secretary general Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad and cultural figure Tafazzal Hossain Khan also spoke. The event featured group and solo songs, poetry recitation and a special July Jagaran cultural performance by child artists.

Jamaat-e-Islami reserved-seat lawmaker Nazmunnahar Nilu said Bangladesh gained independence in 1971 but achieved political freedom through the 2024 mass uprising. She made the remarks on Saturday as chief guest at a women workers’ rally in the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club. The event was organised by the Bangladesh Sramik Kalyan Federation.

Remembering women’s contributions to the July movement, Nilu said the present state stands on the blood of 1,500 martyrs, including two women workers, during the events of “36 July,” or 5 August. She named fish seller Shahinur Begum, 57, and domestic worker Mosammat Liza, saying they were shot dead on their home balconies and describing the incidents as a brutal example of violence against women.

The rally demanded implementation of the July Charter and the referendum verdict, safe working conditions for women workers, fair wages and an end to workplace discrimination. Nilu called for respect for workers and said the state has responsibilities toward martyrs and injured people. Federation joint general secretary Rozina Akter chaired the gathering, attended by labour, political and media representatives.

Abdus Sattar, the Nilphamari district amir of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and a lawmaker for Nilphamari-1, alleged that the current government is moving toward the emergence of “new fascism.” He made the remarks while presiding over a public rally at Nilphamari DC Mor on Saturday afternoon, organized by the party’s district unit to mark the second anniversary of the July mass uprising.

Sattar said people could not be kept away from all political activities until the public verdict of a referendum was implemented and reforms under the July Charter took effect. He said the country’s people were prepared to make sacrifices again if necessary. He also claimed that various actions by the current government had created public concern.

He said people would not accept efforts to develop the state structure while ignoring elected lawmakers from opposition parties. Sattar called for elected representatives to be involved in national development and state administration, and for the country to be governed through democratic processes that give importance to public opinion. After the rally, participants held a protest procession through major roads in Nilphamari town, ending at Bazar Traffic Mor.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami central assistant secretary general Maulana ATM Masum criticised the current government at a rally in Bandarban town on Saturday afternoon demanding implementation of the July Charter. Speaking as chief guest, he alleged that the government had failed to provide treatment and proper recognition for fighters wounded in the July uprising. Jamaat later organised a mass procession through the town.

Masum said the government had not taken any visible official measures for treatment of injured July fighters and alleged that they were being mocked and ridiculed. He also claimed that despite 70 percent support for a yes vote, the government had disregarded the verdict and taken a position against the public. He alleged that it was following the Awami League’s path and seeking one-party BNP rule.

Saying public confidence in the government had eroded, Masum claimed democracy, human rights, peace and security were not safe under it. He pledged to continue supporting July movement fighters and warned against allowing anyone to become authoritarian. Central, district and municipal Jamaat leaders attended the rally, while Jamaat-Shibir activists and members of the public joined the procession.

Dhaka-12 lawmaker Saiful Alam Khan Milon said any conspiracy to erase the history and spirit of the July movement would be resisted with the people. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon, August 1, 2026, at the National Museum’s main auditorium in Shahbagh, Dhaka. Milon was chief guest at the unveiling of eight books on the July movement, organized by ICS Publications, the publication division of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Milon said attempts had begun to conspire around July and weaken its spirit. He identified efforts to place the July movement in opposition to the 1971 Liberation War as one such attempt, saying it was not beneficial for the country. He described July as a movement of ordinary people, involving teachers, students and people from diverse occupations.

Chhatra Shibir central president Nurul Islam Saddam paid tribute to those killed in the July movement and urged the government to quickly complete fair and impartial trials over various past incidents. He said the event aimed to present the movement’s history using accurate information and evidence, and to carry its memory to future generations through research, literature and intellectual practice. Eight books were unveiled at the event.