A rally and discussion meeting commemorating the July movement of 2024 was held in Baksiganj, Jamalpur. Organised by July Oikya Baksiganj, the programme recalled the movement and paid tribute to those killed. The rally began from the Baksiganj উপজেলা complex at about 3:30pm on Tuesday.

The procession travelled through major roads of the উপজেলা and ended in front of Ulfatunnnessa Girls High School, where the discussion meeting took place. Chhatra Dal member secretary Md Bayezid Alamin chaired the event, while Gono Odhikar Parishad president Shahriar Ahmed Sumon moderated it.

Speakers included freedom fighter commander Nawshed Ali, municipal Jamaat president Abdul Matin, Sarkar Russell, Saad Ahmed Raju and Chhatra Shibir president Rezuanul Haque Siddique, along with leaders from political groups and July Oikya organisations. Family members of two martyrs killed during the July movement also attended. Speakers said the victims' sacrifice would remain memorable in the country's political history and stressed presenting the movement's history accurately to future generations. The programme ended with prayers for the martyrs and for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Jagannath University’s teachers’ organisation, the White Panel, has strongly condemned and expressed concern over a clash involving Chhatra Dal and Shibir at a discussion meeting marking the second anniversary of the July mass uprising. The condemnation was issued in a statement signed by White Panel president Professor Dr Md Azam Khan on August 4.

According to the statement, the university had arranged a discussion meeting, photography exhibition and prize-giving ceremony for “July Mass Uprising Day-2026.” University Grants Commission Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, along with the vice-chancellors of Dhaka Central University and Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology, attended the programme.

The White Panel alleged that shortly after the event began, several Jagannath University Central Students’ Union members and other students attempted to enter the auditorium without permission and display placards. It said the proctorial body and personnel assigned to maintain discipline tried to stop them, but they continued. The statement said the incident later led to scuffles and chase-counterchase, injuring several students.

Professor Mahmud Obaidul Haque, principal of Government Alia Madrasa in the capital, was injured during a clash involving Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir activists. He suffered a head injury and was admitted to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a bloodied condition. He was taken to the hospital at about 5:45pm on Tuesday, August 4, and remains under treatment.

Government Alia Madrasa teacher Ali Hasan said the principal was struck on the head while the clash between Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir was taking place. He was later rescued and quickly taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Inspector Md Faruk, in charge of the police camp at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said at least 17 injured people from different colleges and universities had been brought to the hospital. Some left after receiving primary treatment, while others remained under care. He also confirmed that the Government Alia Madrasa principal was receiving treatment after being injured in the clash.

Human rights organization Odhikar has voiced deep concern over several provisions of the “Prevention and Remedies for Enforced Disappearance Act, 2026,” approved by the cabinet on August 3. In a statement reported on August 4, the group said victims of disappearance and their families could face greater legal complications and risks if the law is passed in its current form. It urged the government to amend the legislation before presenting it to parliament.

Odhikar objected particularly to Section 14, which assigns police responsibility for investigating disappearance allegations against law-enforcement agencies. The organization argued that police investigations into an accused force would not likely be impartial or fair in Bangladesh’s context, potentially creating bias and facilitating impunity for law-enforcement personnel. It said police did not accept general diary complaints in disappearance cases during the previous fascist government.

The group also criticized Section 21, which allows up to five years of rigorous imprisonment for a complainant if an allegation is found false by a court following investigation. Odhikar said the provision could deter victims and families from seeking legal remedy. It called for an independent National Human Rights Commission or a special disappearance investigation commission to handle such inquiries.

Jagannath University history professor Mohammad Bilal Hossain has described a recent statement by the university’s Teachers’ Association as a “stained statement.” In a social media post on Tuesday, he criticized the association’s position and identified himself as its joint general secretary.

Hossain wrote that a Teachers’ Association was not formed to “serve someone’s purpose.” He questioned what response other than regret was possible toward a statement that, in his view, lacked even a minimum sense of justice. He also expressed regret over his own role in the association.

Earlier, the Jagannath University Teachers’ Association issued a statement on the university’s ongoing situation. It included various remarks concerning the security of teachers and students, the campus environment, and recent events. Responding after that statement, Hossain said an organization such as a Teachers’ Association should reflect a sense of justice and neutrality in its statements.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and parliamentary opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman extended greetings to Bangladeshis at home and abroad ahead of the historic August 5 “July Mass Uprising Day.” In a message sent to the media on August 4, he said the spontaneous student movement had eventually become a one-point movement seeking Sheikh Hasina’s fall.

He alleged that orders were given for indiscriminate firing on students and the public to suppress the movement. He said Sheikh Hasina left for India with senior party leaders and ministers and members of parliament in the face of the mass uprising on August 5, 2024. According to his statement, this ended more than 16 and a half years of dictatorship, oppression and fascist rule.

Rahman claimed that about 1,500 people were killed and around 30,000 seriously injured during the movement, with several thousand losing limbs or eyesight. He remembered Abu Sayeed, Mughdho and Wasim among those killed. He said the martyrs’ blood debt could be partly repaid by building a discrimination-free, fully democratic, humane Bangladesh based on good governance and social justice.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said the July student-public uprising was the final expression of 17 years of accumulated anger, deprivation and sustained struggle. Speaking to Amar Desh at the Secretariat on Tuesday, he said the mass uprising ended an authoritarian rule on August 5 and prompted hopes for a new Bangladesh.

Dulu said the movement began as a quota protest by general students but expanded into a wider mobilisation of the public, farmers, workers and other groups because of the government’s rigid and harsh response. He cited alleged repression, disappearances and killings of BNP activists, and said Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment and Tarique Rahman’s guidance contributed to sustaining the movement. He also described deaths linked to the movement in Lalmonirhat and among people from the district working in Dhaka.

The minister said state institutions had become fragile because of nepotism and corruption, making structural reform or “state repair” a central need. He referred to BNP’s 31-point reform proposal and said it would be implemented if the party received a public mandate. He also called for respect for those killed, treatment for people left disabled, political restraint, mutual respect and adherence to the public mandate.

Thirteen-year-old madrasa student Mohammad Arafat remains missing two weeks after he left his home in Chauddagram, Cumilla. Arafat, the son of Ali Haidar from Chandishkara village in Chauddagram municipality, is a fourth-grade student at Mahini Madrasa. His parents, Ali Haidar and Sultana Akter Simu, and other relatives are living in anxiety as they await his return.

According to the family, Arafat returned home from madrasa on the morning of July 23, changed his clothes and left saying he was going to play. Instead, he went to his maternal grandfather's home in Basantapur village. After learning there that his grandmother was in Chauddagram for treatment, he travelled to Feni and met a former teacher before setting out for home.

Family members said they did not previously know that he had gone to his maternal grandfather's home or to Feni. They began searching in different places after he failed to return by the night of July 23. A general diary has been filed with Chauddagram Model Police Station, and Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Arif Hossain said police are making their utmost effort to recover him.

Islami Chhatra Andolon Bangladesh condemned alleged attacks, clashes and violence involving activists of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir at educational institutions across Bangladesh. In a joint statement issued on the afternoon of August 4, central president Muntachir Ahmad and secretary general Sultan Mahmud called for an end to terrorist politics on campuses. They cited incidents at Dhaka College, Dhaka Alia, Begum Rokeya University and Jagannath University, among other institutions.

The organisation alleged that Chhatra Dal attacked Dhaka College branch vice-president Raisul Islam, other responsible activists and general students. It also alleged that Chhatra Shibir vandalised rooms of responsible activists at a Dhaka Alia hall. The leaders said educational institutions should be places for learning, morality and healthy political development, where attacks, domination and displays of weapons are unacceptable.

They said students had expected safe, peaceful campuses open to expression in the post-July period, but recent clashes, attacks and weapon displays had disappointed those expectations. The group demanded impartial investigations into all attacks, identification of those involved and exemplary punishment. It also urged all student organisations to act responsibly to ensure tolerance, mutual respect and a peaceful political environment on campuses.

National Citizen Party-NCP convener and opposition chief whip Md Nahid Islam alleged that educational institutions are again being turned into havens for violence, with attempts underway to seize halls, control campuses and establish dominance. He made the remarks on Tuesday at a discussion in Siraj Convention Center, Aftabnagar, marking the second anniversary of the July Revolution, organized by Jatiya Chhatra Shakti’s combined private university branch.

Islam said representatives of Jagannath University’s student union and Chhatra Shakti leaders had been attacked. He alleged that Chhatra Dal and what he called its violent groups were trying to take control of Dhaka College, Dhaka Alia Madrasa and other institutions. He also said that Alif, described as their brother, had his eye gouged out in Habiganj.

He urged the government to learn from the past, avoid conflict with students, allow them to study without disruption, preserve democratic practices in institutions and create employment. Islam praised private university students’ role in the July Revolution, calling for recognition and documentation of their sacrifices. He said the government had taken no initiative regarding private universities.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal president Rakibul Islam Rakib accused senior leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir of advising attacks while being occupied with alleged “women scandals.” He made the remarks in a Facebook post on Tuesday night, following clashes involving student groups at Jagannath University.

In his post, Rakib alleged that Shibir activists carried out an armed campus attack at night with a Jamaat parliamentary candidate and others, and held open armed displays. He questioned whether such conduct represented what he described as their Islamic and honest governance. The source presents these statements as Rakib’s allegations.

On Tuesday, activists of Chhatra Dal, Islami Chhatra Shibir and Chhatra Shakti clashed at Jagannath University. Several people were injured, including activists from the three student organisations, university students and several journalists. The source did not provide further details on the cause of the clashes or responses from the groups named in Rakib’s post.

Clashes and tensions involving Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir were reported on August 4 at Jagannath University, Dhaka Alia Madrasa, Dhaka College and Begum Rokeya University. The report said more than 150 activists from both sides were injured. At Jagannath University, violence spread around an event attended by the University Grants Commission chairman, while two cocktail explosions were heard during clashes at Dhaka College.

At Jagannath University, pushing followed an attempt to enter the event venue with placards, and confrontations later spread to several locations. Shibir and JAKSU representatives alleged Chhatra Dal attacked them, while Chhatra Dal alleged Shibir and JAKSU were trying to create instability. Shibir also alleged attacks on injured activists seeking treatment at National Medical College Hospital. The university administration condemned the incident, announced an inquiry committee and said police had been deployed.

About 50 people were reported injured at Dhaka Alia Madrasa, where police were deployed. At Dhaka College, at least 20 Shibir and 10 Chhatra Dal activists were reported injured after a dispute over event banners. At Begum Rokeya University, authorities barred outsiders and vehicles from campus and deployed additional police after earlier clashes and a Chhatra Dal sit-in.

The Bangladesh Jute Department will declare all of its offices 100% tobacco-free and install visible no-smoking signs, Director General and Additional Secretary Syed Md. Nurul Basir said on Tuesday. He made the announcement while chairing a discussion at the department’s meeting room on measures to ensure tobacco-free office environments under the Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) 2026. The event was organized by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.

The foundation said 35.3% of Bangladesh’s adult population uses tobacco and tobacco-related diseases cause about 200,000 deaths annually, citing Tobacco Atlas. It said around 40 million non-smokers face health risks from secondhand smoke. In 2024, health and environmental losses from tobacco use and production were about Tk87,000 crore, while government revenue was Tk41,000 crore.

Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury said smoke-free offices and public gathering places could protect non-smokers and encourage smokers to quit. Basir said tobacco has no positive aspect and harms users, families, colleagues and future generations. He called for active cooperation from officials and employees to implement tobacco-control law and ensure tobacco-free workplaces.

India has denied organising or endorsing former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s planned virtual address, scheduled for Wednesday in New Delhi. Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said Tuesday that the government had “no involvement whatsoever” and that the event was being arranged by a private media entity. Hasina is due to appear by videolink at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, alongside her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and other speakers.

Bangladesh had asked New Delhi to clarify its position, warning that political activity by Hasina and other Awami League leaders could harm bilateral relations. M Humayun Kabir, adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, met India’s high commissioner in Dhaka on Monday to protest the event and urged cooperation in preventing political activity from Indian territory.

Bangladesh on Tuesday barred local media from airing Hasina’s speech, citing laws restricting publication and broadcast of her statements and messages. The Awami League condemned the ban as an effort to intimidate journalists, while Hasina aide Abu Obaidha Arin said the event would proceed. Dhaka continues to seek Hasina’s extradition from India.

Bangladesh’s University Grants Commission (UGC) said it will give Chinese top priority in third-language education at universities. UGC চেয়ারম্যান Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed announced the initiative at a meeting at the UGC office on 4 August with a six-member delegation from the Chinese embassy in Dhaka and Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University. He said a programme to establish language centres at 30 universities will begin within three months.

The initiative aims to include a foreign or international language in curricula alongside Bangla and English. Ten universities currently have language centres, and 20 more will be added in phases, creating third-language learning opportunities at 30 institutions. Ahmed said language skills are essential as Bangladesh-China cooperation in education, trade, technology and development is expanding rapidly.

The meeting also discussed higher-education quality, graduate skills, employment-oriented education and a five-year higher-education transformation programme. Participants discussed expanding internships and scholarships in China for Bangladeshi students and increasing joint cooperation in technical and vocational education. The Chinese delegation said it would train Bangladeshi teachers to improve language proficiency under its Global Teachers Training Programme and plans teacher-training programmes for Bangladesh and other South Asian countries.