Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that journalists have a duty to identify political mistakes and guide leaders toward the right path. He made the remarks on Friday at the Thakurgaon Press Club’s Anisul Haque Auditorium while exchanging greetings with the newly elected executive committee.

Mirza Fakhrul emphasized that politicians are not above criticism and that the media must ensure accountability by presenting the truth to the public. He expressed concern that journalists often face attacks and harassment for publishing factual reports. Referring to government election pledges, he mentioned that two new upazilas have been approved in Thakurgaon and related activities have already begun. He urged responsible leadership and effective management in the new administrative units.

He called on journalists to value work over individuals, highlight good performance, and report fearlessly against irregularities, corruption, and anti-public activities. He expressed hope that the new press club committee would strengthen public trust through objective and responsible journalism.

An anti-drug awareness rally and assembly organized by the youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami took place in Banshkhali, Chattogram. The event began on Friday morning at Jaldi Miar Bazar and concluded at Jaldi GS Plaza Market premises. Jamaat MP Maulana Zahirul Islam attended as the chief guest and stated that a network in the past had severely damaged the country through drug trafficking.

During his speech, Zahirul Islam said that a national consensus has now formed against drugs, yaba, and both online and offline gambling. He added that effective legislation on these issues would soon be enacted in the National Parliament. The MP emphasized that around 30 percent of the country’s youth population represents the main force for building the future of Bangladesh and urged them to play an active role in resisting drugs and gambling.

The event concluded with a special prayer for national welfare and the establishment of a drug-free society. Local Jamaat leaders, youth representatives, religious scholars, teachers, lawyers, public representatives, and people from various professions attended the gathering.

A man named Abul Hasan Sheikh, aged 60, was allegedly hacked and beaten to death in Rupsha upazila of Khulna on Thursday night. The incident occurred around 7:45 p.m. at Jabusa intersection, reportedly due to previous enmity. Police have detained a youth named Rubel in connection with the killing.

According to police and local sources, Rashidul Islam, son of deceased Mojibur Rahman, along with three to four unidentified accomplices, attacked Abul Hasan Sheikh with hammers and sharp weapons. The victim was admitted to the surgery unit of Khulna Medical College Hospital at 9:10 p.m. in critical condition. His health deteriorated, and he died around 12:15 a.m. while being taken to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

Rupsha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdur Razzak Mir said a police team visited the scene, and the victim’s brother Hossain was asked to file a case. Police stated that efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest the remaining suspects.

Representatives from various countries gathered in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His coffin was placed alongside four others, including a small one containing the body of his 14‑month‑old granddaughter, Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, according to CNN.

Iranian state media reported that Khamenei and several family members were killed on February 28 in a joint U.S.–Israel attack. The other coffins beside him contained the remains of his son‑in‑law Mesbah‑ul‑Huda Bagheri, his eldest daughter Sayyeda Bushra Hosseini Khamenei, and his daughter‑in‑law Zahra Haddad Adel, wife of current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. All coffins were draped in Iran’s national flag, and a photograph of the young granddaughter was placed before her small casket.

The ceremony drew international attention as global representatives offered condolences, underscoring the scale of loss within Iran’s most influential political family.

An 18-year-old youth named Mahidul Islam died in a tragic accident while celebrating a football victory with friends in Chattogram. The incident occurred around 8 a.m. on Friday at the playground of Begumjan High School in the Halishahar area. After the match, Mahidul hung from the iron goalpost bar, which suddenly broke and fell on his chest. He was taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Mahidul was originally from Kanopdia in Bauphal upazila of Patuakhali and lived with his brother-in-law in the Kolshi Dighi Par area of Chattogram city, working as a painter. His brother-in-law, Md. Robiul, said Mahidul had gone to play football with friends that morning and the accident happened during their post-match celebration.

Assistant in-charge Sohel Rana of the Chattogram Medical College Hospital police outpost said the body would be handed over to the family after completing legal procedures.

The Bangladesh Army has established a new unit called the Second Bangladesh Battalion, comprising four companies named after the first four caliphs of Islam: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. Two additional companies have been proposed, to be named after Fatima and Ayesha, but these have not yet been approved. The decision has drawn attention from Indian media outlets, which have described the naming as highly sensitive and ideologically significant.

Indian news platforms such as Aajtak Bangla and Navbharat Times have framed the move as a shift from Bangladesh’s earlier practice of naming army units after war heroes of the 1971 Liberation War. Reports suggested that the change could indicate a move away from the country’s secular foundations. Some Indian outlets, including Northeast News, interpreted the naming as a sign of growing Islamisation within the Bangladesh Army.

The reports also noted that several Indian Army units carry names linked to Hindu deities and symbols, such as Bhairav Battalion, Brahmastra Corps, Sudarshan Chakra Corps, and Vajra Corps, reflecting religious and mythological associations within India’s own military structure.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Amir and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman MP, declared that there will be no compromise on the nation’s independence and sovereignty. Speaking as chief guest at a meeting with journalists at the Netrakona Circuit House conference room on Friday morning, he said no aggression would be tolerated on any part of the country’s territory. He added that, if necessary, citizens would stand alongside the Border Guard Bangladesh to defend the borders.

Addressing the issue of drug control, Dr. Rahman said the government had introduced a bill in Parliament to regulate narcotics, but Jamaat demanded complete eradication instead of mere control. He argued that drugs were destroying society and the younger generation. Referring to a parliamentary discussion, he mentioned that a member alleged the largest drug consignment entered through the home minister’s constituency and called for effective action if the claim proved true.

The meeting was chaired by Netrakona district Jamaat Amir Maulana Sadeq Ahmad Haris and attended by several central and local Jamaat leaders and activists.

Iran and Oman have finalized a joint mechanism to manage navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He stated that the arrangement will proceed without any role for the United States. The agreement, based on Article 5 of the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding, has now entered the implementation stage, with Tehran coordinating with other Gulf countries along the strait’s coast.

Ghalibaf accused Israel of attempting to undermine the agreement but expressed confidence that Iran’s regional defense capabilities are sufficient to prevent any new conflict. On the same day, Iran’s acting defense minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, warned that any violation of the ceasefire would prompt an immediate and necessary response from Iran.

He further cautioned external powers not to exploit the situation in the region through the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that Iran would take appropriate measures if ceasefire conditions were breached.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) prevented an alleged push-in attempt by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) at the Kachurgul border in Juri upazila of Moulvibazar early on Friday, July 3. According to the report, BSF tried to send ten people, including two men and eight women, into Bangladesh without valid documents. With assistance from local residents, BGB detained the group during the early morning hours.

Lieutenant Colonel Ataur Rahman, commanding officer of the 52 BGB Battalion in Beanibazar, confirmed the incident. He stated that after verifying their identities, no valid Bangladeshi citizenship papers were found. The individuals were subsequently sent back to India through the same border point. The BGB official added that the force remains vigilant and continues to work tirelessly to protect the border.

The incident underscores ongoing border vigilance in the Moulvibazar region, where BGB maintains regular patrols to prevent illegal crossings and ensure national security.

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB) have arrested four suspects in connection with a murder in the capital’s Adabor area following a minor dispute. The arrests were made within a day of the incident through analysis of CCTV footage, technology-based tracking, and intelligence operations. The detainees—Ripon, Nirab, Majnu Mia, and Mizanur Rahman—were captured in a raid at Sahebnagar in Mymensingh’s Ishwarganj upazila. Police also recovered a switch-gear knife allegedly used in the killing.

According to investigators, the conflict began on June 29 during a World Cup football match between Brazil and Japan, when an argument broke out over whistle blowing. The tension escalated over the following days, leading to a mediation meeting on July 1 at Adabor’s Nabodoy Housing area. The meeting turned violent, leaving local BNP leaders Abul Bashar and Saddam Hossain critically injured. Bashar later died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, while Saddam remains under treatment.

Authorities said multiple law enforcement agencies are continuing operations to identify and arrest others involved. Additional police have been deployed in the area to maintain order.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Bangladesh National Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed held a meeting in Tehran on Friday morning. The discussion focused on strengthening parliamentary cooperation, addressing issues of mutual interest, and enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries.

During the visit, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed also paid courtesy calls on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with other senior officials. The Bangladeshi delegation is in Iran to attend the funeral and state mourning ceremonies of the late Ayatollah Khamenei.

The delegation, led by Speaker Ahmed, includes several members of parliament and political representatives from Bangladesh. They arrived in Tehran on Thursday and were received at the airport by Iranian Deputy Speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei.

Public anger is reportedly intensifying in Iran following the funeral and memorial events for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Abbas Aslani, a senior research fellow at Tehran’s Center for Middle East Strategic Studies, told Al Jazeera that the ceremonies could spark demands for revenge against the United States and Israel. He noted that the official slogan for the event, 'We must awaken,' signals that Iran’s policies and continuity remain unbroken despite the assassination.

Aslani described the burial as a deeply emotional moment for ordinary Iranians bidding farewell to their leader, while also serving as a potential rallying point for calls for retaliation. He emphasized Khamenei’s steadfastness in resisting external and international pressure and credited him as the architect of Iran’s defense and resistance systems, as well as a key figure in preserving national independence.

The report suggests that the funeral could become a focal point for renewed unity and heightened anti-Western sentiment within Iran.

Eight students from Abdulpur Government College in Lalpur, Natore, were initially unable to sit for their Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations despite paying the required form fees. The issue came to light through media reports on Thursday. Upon learning of the incident, Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Ehsanul Haque Milon contacted the Rajshahi Education Board chairman and directed immediate action to ensure the students could take their exams.

According to the complaint, the college’s office assistant, Amit Kumar Sarkar, had collected the form fees but failed to deposit them properly, resulting in the students not receiving their admit cards. The minister ordered a swift investigation and legal action against those responsible. Following his instructions, the Rajshahi Education Board completed the students’ form submissions on Friday, allowing them to join the exams from Saturday as regular candidates.

Police later arrested the accused office assistant, and a three-member investigation committee headed by Associate Professor Abdullah Al Mahmud was formed. The ministry also addressed a similar case in Bogura, ensuring the affected student could sit for the exam after corrective measures.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum has accused the BNP of denying the spirit of the July uprising after coming to power. Speaking as the chief guest at a Jamaat-e-Islami members’ training camp in Dhaka’s Jatrabari zone on Friday, he expressed anger that the government did not organize any state program on the second anniversary of the July mass uprising. He alleged that the government was betraying the blood of the July martyrs and called on it to clarify whether it still believes in the July spirit.

Masum warned that no government that betrays the nation can survive and urged the authorities to implement the July Charter in line with the referendum’s verdict. He said the government would be forced to honor the martyrs by implementing the charter. The event was presided over by Jamaat’s Dhaka South Nayeb-e-Ameer Abdus Sabur Fakir and attended by several central leaders.

Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair also criticized the government, saying it was showing fascist tendencies by not tolerating democratic criticism.

Police in Chattogram have uncovered that the killing of 25-year-old Md. Azad in the city’s Forest Gate area stemmed from a dispute over drug use. Investigators said the murder was planned, and Azad’s friend Isha, also known as Babu, has confessed under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. He was presented before a Chattogram court last Thursday, which ordered his detention following the confession.

According to police, Isha admitted his involvement and stated that he, Azad, and another person were taking drugs together when an argument broke out. The dispute escalated, leading to Azad being shot from behind. Isha also tried to hide his clothes to destroy evidence. Police have identified two other suspects and are conducting raids to arrest them, though their names have not been disclosed for investigative reasons.

The incident occurred last Wednesday afternoon when Azad was shot while walking along a busy road. He was taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Police said further arrests could reveal the weapon’s source and the full background of the murder.