Five persons were detained over suspected involvement in the killing of journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhinat Chandana Chowrasta area in Gazipur city on Thursday evening. Shahin Khan, officer-in-charge of Basan police station under GMP, confirmed the detention of five suspects but withheld their identities to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.

According to local sources, those identified in CCTV footage include Ketu Mizan of the Chandana Chowrasta area, his associate Shah Jamal, and others known as Bullet and Sujan. They are reportedly well-known extortionists and muggers in the locality. The incident has cast a shadow of grief and anger among journalists, professionals, and the general public, who are demanding swift justice and the immediate arrest of the killers.

CCTV footage also captured a scuffle between one Badsha Mia, and a woman. Badsha is currently hospitalized and claimed the women involved took Tk 30,000 from him. He said he did not know them beforehand. Tuhin’s first namaz-e-janaza took place after Friday prayers near Eidgah field at Chandana Chowrasta. Photo: Dhaka Tribune

Meanwhile, Tuhin’s elder brother Selim expressed the family’s loss, saying his brother’s wife Farida Akter and their two young sons, five-year-old Towkir Hossain Taiki and three-year-old Abdullah Al Fahim, have been left orphaned. “Why was my brother killed? Who will now take care of them?” he asked, urging for justice and arrest of the perpetrators.

In response to the murder, local residents staged protests in Chandana last night, demanding the arrest of those responsible. Additionally, the Gazipur Journalists’ Union organized a human chain and rally in front of Gazipur Press Club on Friday morning, reiterating the call for the swift apprehension of those involved.

Speakers at the human chain, including Gazipur Journalists’ Union President Delwar Hossain and prominent journalists Fazlul Haque Morol, Majharul Islam, Masud Rana, and others, condemned the deteriorating law and order situation in Gazipur. They emphasized the urgent need to identify and bring to justice the extortionists and robbers who operate with impunity, as well as their supporters. The accused, they said, were clearly identified in CCTV footage, and failure to arrest them is a serious administrative lapse.

Tuhin’s first namaz-e-janaza took place after Friday prayers near Eidgah field at Chandana Chowrasta, followed by the second janaza in the afternoon at the family graveyard in their native village, Bhatipara in Fulbaria Upazila of Mymensingh, where he will be laid to rest.

Taherul Haque Chauhan, additional commissioner (crime) for GMP, said police are working with multiple teams focusing on the case. “Several suspects have been identified, and operations to arrest them are ongoing. We hope to detain those responsible soon,” he said, adding that the full picture of the crime will emerge once the culprits are in custody.

Asaduzzaman Tuhin’s murder has sent shockwaves across Gazipur, highlighting the urgent need for stronger law enforcement to ensure the safety of journalists and citizens alike.

Anthem of Laksam’s song ‘Mayar Shohor Laksam’ has been released. The lyrics and music of the song are written by writer and journalist Shibbir Ahmed. The song was released on YouTube on Thursday, August 7. The author himself collected and created the video of the song.

The video of the song features scenes of important structures in Laksam such as educational institutions, administration, lakes, rivers, people, and markets. The video also includes images of the Dakatiya River and the famous Laksam Junction, known for its ‘Koto Laksam Koto Bati’. The video shows scenes of Laksam’s traditional Nawab house, Laksam High School, Faizunnesa Government College, as well as mosques and temples.

The song’s writer, Shibbir Ahmed, has expressed hope that the lyrics and melody of the song will touch the hearts of the people of Laksam. He described the song he wrote as a ‘Laksam song and this song will be the Anthem of Laksam’. He said that the song depicts the history and traditions of Laksam in simple language.

It is worth mentioning here that Shibbir Ahmed is the son of Laksam. He was born and raised in this city. The streets of this city are full of the writer’s memories.

YouTube link of the song:

A one-on-one meeting was held between BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and US Chargé d’Affaires to Bangladesh Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson in July last in London. Tarique Rahman’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and the US Embassy in Dhaka confirmed the meeting, according to a private television channel.

Humayun Kabir described the meeting as “very good” and said it lasted for a couple of hours.

“The ambassador exchanged pleasantries with Tarique Rahman and got to know him personally,” he added.

The discussion focused on BNP’s views regarding the upcoming national election, the party’s vision for future governance and its international outlook. They discussed fundamental issues—what kind of country the BNP wants to build if it wins the next election, what the party’s position is on the electoral framework and how it sees its role internationally, Kabir said.

He emphasised that the discussions were fully aligned with the interests of Bangladesh’s people. “There is nothing that conflicts with the interest of the people of this country,” he noted.

Kabir said Tarique Rahman’s approach to foreign policy will be shaped by the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and the spirit of the July Uprising.

“His foreign policy will prioritise the people’s interest and be rooted in what they have fought for,” he said.

According to Kabir, the meeting took place in two phases. In the first phase, Ambassador Jacobson enquired about Tarique Rahman’s well-being and discussed how he has been guiding his party over the past 17 years while living abroad.

Bangladesh have achieved their biggest-ever leap in the FIFA Women’s World Ranking, climbing 24 places to reach 104th, up from 128th. This dramatic rise follows their historic qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 — the first time Bangladesh have reached the continental finals.

In the latest rankings released by FIFA, the Bengal Tigresses earned 1179.87 points — the highest gain among all nations in this cycle, with a net increase of +80.51 points. The improvement reflects the team’s consistent performances, especially against higher-ranked opponents, during the Asian Cup qualifiers held in Yangon, Myanmar.

Coached by Englishman Peter Butler, Bangladesh emerged as group champions, defeating host nation Myanmar (ranked 55th at the time), Bahrain (ranked 36 places higher), and Turkmenistan. The team maintained a perfect winning record throughout the campaign, showcasing tactical discipline, defensive strength, and attacking flair.

With this boost, Bangladesh are now ranked 19th among AFC (Asian Football Confederation) nations. Within the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), they are now third, only behind India (63rd) and Nepal (87th) — a significant milestone that highlights their growing stature in regional football.

The qualifiers marked a turning point for Bangladesh women’s football, with the team demonstrating resilience and a growing maturity on the international stage.

Their rise in the rankings signals a strong step forward for South Asian women’s football and sets high expectations for their Asian Cup debut.

Meanwhile, Spain — runners-up in the recent UEFA Women’s Euro — have reclaimed the top position in the global standings, pushing the United States down to second. However, Bangladesh’s 24-place climb remains the most remarkable gain in this update.

With momentum on their side, the Tigresses now look ahead to making a bold statement in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

The police arrested former Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur vice-chancellor Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah at Mohammadpur in Dhaka on Thursday. A team of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested Kalimullah at about 12:15pm in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, the metropolitan police’s DB joint commissioner for south and administration, Mohammad Nasirul Islam, said.

‘The case is connected with corruption in the university during his tenure as a vice-chancellor,’ he added.

Kalimullah was later produced before the court of Dhaka metropolitan senior special judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib, who sent him to jail, court officials said. Kalimullah, a professor in the Department of Public Administration of Dhaka University, served as BRUR vice-chancellor between June 1, 2017 and June 9, 2021.

The Anti-Corruption Commission on June 18 filed the case against five people including two BRUR vice-chancellors, Kalimullah and Professor Dr AKM Nur-un-Nabi, for their alleged involvement in embezzling Tk 4 crore from a development project of the university in Rangpur.

A journalist was hacked to death by between six and seven people at Eidgah market in the Gazipur city’s Chandana chowrasta under Bason police station area on Thursday night, reportedly for sharing a video report on extortion. Md Asaduzzaman Tuhin, a district correspondent of a Bangla daily Dainik Pratidiner Kagoj, was killed at about 8:00pm on Thursday.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Rabiul Islam said that the police had recovered the body from the spot on information and sent it to the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital for autopsy. He, however, claimed that he could not know the cause of the murder immediately, but the process for taking legal actions was under way.

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today announced that she has been named co-chair of Congress’s Bangladesh Caucus. She will join longtime co-chair Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC-02).

“I am blessed to represent one of the largest Bangladeshi American communities in the United States, a key segment of our vibrant district,” said Congresswoman Pou. “Bangladeshi Americans make immeasurable contributions to our state and nation’s mosaics and I will use this new position to build public awareness of the richness of Bangladeshi culture and history. Congressman Wilson is a voice of great moral authority for international freedom and I look forward to working with my friend to advocate for our Bangladeshi neighbors.”

“The Bangladesh caucus is an important initiative in Congress to show support for Bangaladeshi-Americans, and work productively on the U.S.-Bangladesh bilateral relationship. I am grateful to relaunch this initiative as Co-Chair,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

“Congratulations to my Congresswoman Nellie Pou on becoming Co-Chair of the Congressional Bangladesh Caucus excited to work together to strengthen U.S.-Bangladesh ties!” said Paterson Second Ward Councilman Shahin Khalique.

“As a proud Councilmember of Bangladeshi descent in the City of Paterson, I am honored to witness that Congresswoman Nellie Pou – who represents New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District and the largest Bangladeshi community in the state – has become the Co-Chair of the Congressional Bangladeshi Caucus. This milestone reflects not only her deep commitment to diversity and inclusion, but also her steadfast support for our community as we strive for greater representation and equity. I am hopeful that, under her leadership, critical issues such as immigration reform, support for small businesses, educational equity, and cultural recognition will receive the attention they deserve. As we continue to build bridges between communities and government, I look forward to working alongside her to uplift the voices and aspirations of Bangladeshi Americans throughout the district,” said Paterson Councilman-at-Large MD Forid Uddin.

The police recovered the body of former Bangladesh army chief M Harun-Ar-Rashid from the guest house in Chittagong Club in Chattogram city on Monday. Harun-Ar-Rashid went to Chattogram on Sunday to appear before a court in a case and stayed at the guest house, said the police quoting his family.

Getting no response from the room of the guest house for a long time on Monday morning, the club authorities informed the matter to the police, said assistant commissioner of Chattagram Metropolitan Police (Kotwali zone) Mohammad Mahfuz.

The Election Commission (EC) will publish the final voter list for the upcoming national elections on 31 August. Prior to that, a draft version will be released on 10 August, said a press release issued today (4 August) signed by EC Secretariat Director (Public Relations) Md Shariful Alam.

According to the release, the supplementary voter list — comprising newly registered voters born on or before 1 January 2007 and added to the database by 30 June 2025 — will also be made public on 10 August. This list will include updates such as the removal of deceased voters.

Following the release of the supplementary list, applications for the inclusion of eligible voters, deletion of names of deceased or ineligible individuals, transfer of voter records, and correction of any errors must be submitted by 21 August. The final voter list, incorporating all verified changes, will then be published on 31 August, said the Election Commission.

Pratim Ranjan Bose:

Exactly one year later, Bangladesh witnessed an even more venomous attack on civil liberties – this time by the protestors who are now in power. They have formed a political party, the National Citizen Party (NCP), with full backing from the administration. They act as the de facto rulers of the country, despite having no track record of winning elections.

According to official reports, at least four Awami League supporters died and nine were injured in Gopalganj. Unofficially, the toll is believed to be higher. Gopalganj is Sheikh Hasina’s electoral constituency, her hometown, the burial ground of her father and Liberation War hero Mujibur Rahman, and the strongest bastion of the Awami League. Officially, the incident began when League supporters allegedly tried to prevent NCP from holding a rally there. The reality, however, appears completely different.

Since the fall of the Hasina government, the NCP and its close ally Jamaat-e-Islami have been targeting Mujibur Rahman’s legacy. In February, they demolished the Dhaka house where Mujibur Rahman had lived and was assassinated in 1975. At their insistence, the Yunus administration criminalised the Awami League, equating it with terror groups, and misused state power to harass its activists. This is in addition to open threats and harassment directed at anyone who dared to raise questions even remotely favoring the League or its ideological anchor, Mujibur Rahman.

Over the last two weeks, NCP leaders, activists, and their support groups made provocative social media remarks, suggesting they intended to destroy Mujibur’s memorial in Gopalganj. They hyped their planned visit, calling it the “March to Gopalganj,” echoing the “March to Dhaka” on August 5, 2024, which had aimed to oust Hasina.

Awami League supporters in Gopalganj were kept in the dark about what was being planned. The heavy police deployment in support of the NCP rally only heightened tensions. An anxious Gopalganj, fearing a state-sponsored attack on their ideological roots, blocked the roads to the rally venue. NCP leaders arrived, escorted by large contingents of police and army.

What happened next is history. People resisted what they perceived as an assault. Police and army opened fire, killing several with impunity. In one video, someone is heard instructing police to aim directly at people. Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin posted a video on Facebook showing police taking a youth named Ramzan into custody. He was allegedly carrying firearms. Ramzan was later found dead, a bullet piercing his chest—an extrajudicial killing.

The NCP leaders left unharmed, under army protection. But the issue didn’t end there. Law enforcement launched a massive crackdown against Awami supporters in Gopalganj. A former July 2024 protestor, now a minister in charge of rural affairs, posted photos of himself overseeing operations remotely. He vowed to destroy the Awami League’s support base in Gopalganj.

If Obaidul Quader and others were condemned in 2024 for insensitive remarks, yesterday’s events in Gopalganj revealed an even more shameful display of state muscle. Senior NCP leaders took to social media demanding that the administration “teach Gopalganj a lesson,” or else threatened to do it themselves. The Yunus administration’s silence in the face of NCP’s power play is unprecedented in recent Bangladeshi history.

Wednesday’s violence is merely the consequence of a year-long trend. Back in July 2024, mainstream media and intelligentsia were openly critical of the Awami League and Hasina. Social media was overwhelmingly anti-Hasina, with expatriate bloggers leading the charge.

More importantly, Western human rights watchdogs and media outlets were critical of the Hasina government. According to accounts from Jeffrey Sachs and others, the U.S. played a role in engineering regime change in Bangladesh.

Since then, the Western media has gone soft on the Yunus administration. Human rights concerns have faded. Social media is still dominated by the anti-Hasina, anti-Awami League cabal, while Bangladeshi mainstream media has lost its edge. Awami League activists and sympathisers are facing persecution, and 266 journalists are under criminal investigation – many on fictitious murder charges.

Except for a handful of Dhaka-based commentators, mostly using social media, critical voices have vanished. In 2024, opposition to the Awami League was visible on the ground, even if not in Parliament. Today, that space has been lost due to the directionless politics of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – the League’s historical rival.

The BNP, led by a figure in London, was expected to rise after Hasina’s fall. But in the past year, they have shown little political engagement and more involvement in petty extortion. They speak of democracy, yet endorsed NCP dictated ban on the Awami League. They hope for League supporters’ votes against Jamaat in the next election, but do not criticise NCP-Jamaat combine for orchestrating events like Gopalganj. They demanded elections by December, only to backtrack without explanation.

This vassal-like behavior has deprived Bangladesh of its historic balance between Left and Right. The microscopic Left was traditionally closer to the Awami League; BNP represented the center-right. At the far right stood Jamaat and other Islamist groups. With the League out, and NCP positioning itself between BNP and Jamaat, the balance has tilted decisively toward the Islamists – who now expect to make significant gains in the next election.

The Jamaat-Islamist combine is pushing to erase the League and Mujibur Rahman’s legacy from the ideological landscape – a development that may ultimately backfire on the BNP as well.

Pratim Ranjan Bose is an independent columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect ALBD.WORLD views.