Shila Islam, 35, a leader of the banned Awami League and a union council member in Agailjhara, Barishal, died after an attempted hanging, according to the report. She was taken to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in critical condition on Friday night and was declared dead by the doctor on duty. Islam was the labour affairs secretary of the উপজেলা মহিলা আওয়ামী লীগ and a reserved female member for wards 7, 8 and 9 of Gaila Union.

Her father, Abdus Salam Hawlader of Seral village, alleged that her husband, Maruf Serniabath, had frequently beaten her after their marriage. He said that at about 3 p.m. on Friday, Maruf assaulted Islam at their rented home in Seral village. Islam then locked the door and attempted suicide by hanging, he alleged.

Neighbours broke open the door, rescued Islam and admitted her to Agailjhara উপজেলা Health Complex. As her condition deteriorated, she was transferred to Barishal Shabchim Hospital. Her husband is a union council member for ward 8 of the same union and was her second husband. Kotwali Model Police Station officer-in-charge Md Al Mamun Ul Islam said police were sent to the hospital and legal action would follow an investigation.

Abhijit Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), has been diagnosed with typhoid but said the ongoing movement demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation will not stop. In a video message posted on social media on Saturday, Dipke said he had been unwell for several days and was receiving treatment after medical test results confirmed typhoid.

Dipke thanked supporters he called “cockroaches” for continuing the movement peacefully across the country. He said their peaceful participation had kept the campaign going despite his illness. The report did not provide further details about his treatment or condition.

Congratulating supporters for expanding the movement, Dipke said he was confident that continuing the peaceful protests could secure Pradhan’s resignation. The report did not specify the movement’s next programme, schedule, or any response from the education minister.

Medical and public health specialists have advised people not to take antibiotics on their own when they develop a fever as dengue cases rise across Bangladesh. In a report published on July 25, they said ordinary fever should be treated only with paracetamol-type medicines. Headache, body and joint pain, and rash alongside fever may indicate dengue, and aspirin-type drugs should also be avoided in such cases.

The health directorate has identified 59 wards in Dhaka’s two city corporations as high-risk dengue areas. By July 23, dengue had caused 39 deaths nationwide and infected 12,020 people, while 10,911 patients had been discharged from hospital this year. Specialists stressed that people should seek testing and consult a doctor promptly when symptoms appear rather than becoming alarmed.

Doctors advised against buying medicines without a prescription. They said destroying Aedes mosquito breeding sites, removing standing clean water and preventing mosquito bites are key to dengue control. IEDCR said the Den-3 serotype is increasing the tendency for rapid complications such as dengue shock syndrome, which can quickly worsen a patient’s condition.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh is treating the semiconductor sector as a national priority and will be able to meet its industry goals by 2030. He made the remarks as chief guest at the opening of the two-day National Semiconductor Symposium and BEAR Summit at Novotheatre in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Saturday, July 25.

The summit is jointly organised by the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association and Silicon River Bangladesh. Policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and Bangladeshi experts living abroad are expected to participate in the event.

Rahman said the government wants to move the country forward by overcoming all obstacles and expressed hope for a self-reliant, technology-driven Bangladesh. The programme is scheduled to include 11 plenary sessions, seven strategic panel discussions and technology exhibitions over two days.

India’s satirical political group Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, celebrated the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to a report published on July 25. On Saturday, the group posted on X, “Long live student power.” After news of the resignation, CJP shared a video from Jantar Mantar showing its founder Abhijit Dipke and thousands of gathered protesters celebrating.

Since June this year, CJP had been holding a sit-in at Jantar Mantar, demanding Pradhan’s resignation over alleged question leaks and other irregularities in the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026, or NEET-UG 2026. The group also demanded an impartial investigation. In the video, Dipke described the resignation as democracy and called for compensation of 10 million rupees for each family of students who died by suicide in connection with the alleged leak.

Dipke also urged action against police officers involved in baton charges on protesters during the July 20 “Chalo Sansad” programme. Hours before resigning, Pradhan said on X that he had sent his resignation to the prime minister so that “anti-national forces” could not exploit the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country. The exam, initially scheduled for May 3, was postponed over leak allegations and held again on June 21.

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said any cases filed against recently former president Shahabuddin Chuppu would be examined, including whether they were motivated. He made the remarks on Saturday morning at a human rights consultation meeting at CIRDAP in the capital. The minister did not specify whether any such case currently exists.

He also addressed cases filed against eight people injured during the July movement in Chattogram. Asaduzzaman said those cases would be withdrawn if they were found to be false. His comments indicated that the status of those cases would depend on verification of their allegations.

The minister said extrajudicial killings had now fallen to zero. He also stated that rape cases would not be withdrawn, regardless of how prominent a political leader might be. The remarks covered the possible review of cases involving Chuppu, the potential withdrawal of false cases against the eight injured people in Chattogram, and the government’s stated position on rape allegations.

Three people, including BNP worker Riaz Uddin Tipu, were injured in cocktail explosions and gunfire linked to a dispute between two BNP groups over seized sand in Chhagalnaiya, Feni. The incident occurred around 1:30am on Friday night near the Shaheed Minar on the Chhagalnaiya-Karerhat road, beside the upazila parishad compound. On Saturday, Tipu filed a written complaint with police naming local BNP leader Alamgir Siddiqui and 14 others.

Tipu alleged that Siddiqui was illegally selling sand seized by the government at night and that he was called to the Shaheed Minar after raising the matter. He said people led by Siddiqui attacked him there, leaving him with a cocktail injury to the head, a gunshot wound to the leg and sharp-weapon injuries elsewhere. Siddiqui denied the allegation, saying he was resting because of illness and was not at the scene.

An unidentified witness said 25 to 30 helmeted people arrived in several microbuses before explosions and gunfire were heard. Police took Tipu to the upazila health complex, but accompanying people removed him before his treatment was completed. Police said no one was immediately detained, patrols have been increased, the complaint is under investigation and preparations are underway to file a case.

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned after widespread protests over irregularities in national-level examinations and an alleged leak of the medical admission test question paper. According to a report published on July 25, he submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi erupted in celebration as news of the resignation emerged.

The protests began over the NEET question-paper leak and spread to several cities across India in recent days. The issue became one of the most discussed matters in national politics, the report said. Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, posted on social media in support of the students, saying, “Long live the strength of students.”

CJP founder Abhijit Dip said from the Jantar Mantar stage that the protesters had succeeded. He said many people had believed nobody resigned under the current government, but the movement had made it possible. The report cited NDTV as its source.

Prime Minister’s political adviser and BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said he had not expected the president to resign. He made the remarks on Saturday after paying tribute at the graves of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia with 12 BNP leaders appointed to important positions in government, semi-government and autonomous institutions. Rizvi said media discussion and coverage of the issue had ultimately been followed by the resignation.

According to Rizvi, the president wrote in his resignation letter that his health had deteriorated and that he had become seriously ill. He said BNP knew only this information and would remain within those limits. Asked who would become the next president, Rizvi said the matter would be decided by the party’s top policymaking forum and executive committee, adding that he had no personal knowledge of it. He also said BNP had no official information regarding media discussions about the president.

Rizvi said the newly assigned BNP leaders had long been involved in party politics and were qualified for their posts. He expressed hope they would work with honesty, dedication and efficiency. He also referred to commitments on family, farmer and health cards, as well as programmes aimed at expanding employment opportunities for young people.

A total of 160 students from private universities, described as leaders of the July uprising and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, formally joined the National Citizen Party (NCP). The joining took place at a National Youth Power convention at 4 pm on Friday, July 24. The students, including conveners, member secretaries and other leaders of the July movement at different private universities, joined together under the leadership of Omar Faruk Jubo Raj.

National Youth Power president Tarikul, general secretary Farhad Sohel and organising secretary Rifat welcomed the new members with flowers. NCP central leaders present included Akhtar Hossain, Nusrat Tabassum, Hannan Masud, Gazi Salahuddin Tanvir, Mahin Sarkar and Nasir Uddin Patwary, along with other party leaders.

Speaking for the joining students were Omar Faruk Jubo Raj, Rabiul Alam Akamin, Badsha, Tajrian Mahmud and Mahmud Hasan Tuhin. They said they had begun a new political journey through the NCP to build a non-discriminatory, democratic and accountable state while carrying the spirit of the July uprising. A press release claimed Jubo Raj played an important role in organising private university students, leading the July movement and coordinating among universities.

Allegations of irregularities have emerged over the procurement and supply of answer sheets for the 2026 HSC examinations at the Cumilla Education Board. A report published on July 25 said answer sheets were made with cheaper, lower-quality paper than specified in the tender. Visits to several examination centres reportedly found 55-gram sheets being issued instead of the required 65-gram paper.

The Dhaka-based firm Gonolipi reportedly received a contract to supply 65-gram answer sheets but supplied sheets made with 52-gram paper. The allocation for purchasing the sheets was Tk 12.9 million, while the supplied quantity was valued at Tk 8 million to Tk 8.5 million, according to the report. It alleged that roughly Tk 4 million to Tk 4.5 million was misappropriated. Teachers at several centres said this year’s answer sheets were markedly poorer in quality than in previous years.

Gonolipi owner Mohammad Jasim Uddin and several committee members did not respond to contact attempts. Deputy Director Md Shahjahan said his responsibility was to receive sheets from the contractor. Board chairman Professor Ahsan Parvez said he had joined only days earlier and that the matter would need to be investigated.

Khelafat Majlis has decided to leave the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance. The decision was taken on Saturday at the third general session of the party’s central Majlis-e-Shura at the Diploma Engineers Institute auditorium. The decision was announced in a statement signed by central publicity secretary Engineer Abdul Hafiz Khasru after the meeting.

The party said the 11-party alliance was primarily an electoral understanding and that its effectiveness had effectively ended after the election. Khelafat Majlis nevertheless participated in some alliance programmes after the election. It has now decided to refrain from all programmes of the 11-party alliance.

After the 11-party divisional rally in Chattogram on June 13, Khelafat Majlis formally told the alliance not to use the party’s name or its leaders’ names on banners or promotional materials for future rallies. When its name was used at a rally in Rangpur, it was withdrawn following objections. The party said it would continue efforts to build a broader unity if needed for the country, nation and Islam.

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.