A total of 39 Bangladeshi nationals, including one woman, were deported from the United States and arrived in Dhaka today (2 August). They were flown back on a special military aircraft (C-17), which landed at 6:45am at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, an officer of the Immigration Department of the Special Branch (SB) of police confirmed to The Business Standard.

Upon their arrival, the returnees were provided with transportation assistance by Brac, while food support was arranged by the expatriates’ welfare desk, Brac Migration Programme said in a press release. Several of the deportees alleged that they were kept in handcuffs throughout the long flight from the US.

“We are not criminals. We simply sought asylum. But we were treated like dangerous prisoners,” said one of the returnees.

Commenting on the deportation, Shariful Hasan, associate director of Brac Migration Programme and Youth Platform, said, “From what we have learned, most of them had sold their homes or taken heavy loans to finance the journey — some spending as much as Tk30 to Tk40 lakh — trying to reach the US in an irregular approach through Mexico or various South American countries.”

Upon reaching the US, they applied for asylum, but their applications were rejected by the courts and immigration authorities, Shariful said, adding that the US administration later decided to deport them.

The Bangladesh Army on Thursday said that they had taken major Sadikul Islam Sadek into custody over the allegation of training Awami League men, adding that they would take necessary actions if Sadek was found guilty in the investigation. Brigadier General Md Nazim-ud-Daula, director, Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters, disclosed the information in response to a question at a press conference at the Officers Mess at the Dhaka cantonment over some media reports and social media posts which claimed that serving Major Sadikul was training Awami League people to create instability in the country.

‘We have taken Sadek into custody. We are investigating into the allegations. If he is proved guilty in the investigation, necessary actions would be taken against him,’ said Nazim. Replying to a question over the fighter jet crash on Milestone School and College killing at least 34 people, mostly students, he claimed that a Bangladesh Army team reached the spot first within two minutes after the incident as there was an army camp within 150-200 yards from the spot.

‘There were criticisms that bodies were concealed and teachers beaten. If any children’s bodies were concealed, parents would have come and said that their children were missing,’ he said, posing a question why the Bangladesh Army would conceal bodies and what they would benefit from concealing bodies.

Brigadier General Nazim said that all the allegations against army were rumors. Asked about the home adviser’s remarks that the army opened fire during the Gopalganj violence and the army gave protection to the National Citizen Party, he said that army used force as there was a possibility of killing leaders of a political party.

‘A high-powered government investigation committee was formed headed by a justice over the Gopalganj violence,’ he added. Remarking that the army did not give special attention to any political party, he said that the army would come forward when any citizen’s life would be at stake.

Asked about Kuki-Chin National Front buying arms from the Arakan Army in the absence of army camps along Myanmar borders in Bandarbans and KNF’s dominance in the area, he said that it was nothing abnormal about the link between the KNF and the Arakan Army considering the Arakan Army’s situation.

‘The Arakan Army and the KNF are from similar groups with allied intentions. I would not be surprised if the KNF bought arms from the Arakan Army,’ he said.

Denying the allegations of KNF control in these areas, he said that the area was under the Bangladesh Army control.

At the press briefing, Colonel Md Shafiqul Islam, colonel staff at the Army Headquarters’ Military Operations Directorate, said that they had arrested 813 people, including listed and identified crime suspects, members of teenage gangs, and robbers, and other crime suspects in the past four weeks, raising the total number of arrestees to 16,459 so far during the interim government’s tenure.

The army officer said that the Bangladesh Army had recovered 37 illegal arms and 179 rounds of bullets in the past four weeks. Thus, the army has recovered 9,729 arms out of the 12,119 looted ones and 2,87,033 rounds of bullets out of 3,90,975 looted ammunitions during the government’s tenure.

Bangladeshi companies witnessed huge responses from buyers at the ‘Texworld NYC 2025’, and the representatives of the companies were busy during the show with trade inquiries from USA and other countries. Texworld NYC, Apparel Sourcing, and Home Textiles Sourcing – the largest textile and apparel sourcing shows on the East Coast – concluded successfully at the Javits Centre in New York City, USA, from July 23 to 25, said a press release on Friday.

The event hosted over 424 international exhibitors from 26 countries and emphasized ethical sourcing, sustainable fabrics, and innovation across the textile, apparel and home textile industries. This summer’s exhibition featured a wide array of global exhibitors from major sourcing regions, offering attendees direct access to premium apparel and textiles.

From cutting-edge materials to sustainable sourcing solutions, the show floor was designed to empower industry professionals with the resources and connections needed to succeed in today’s fast-evolving global market.

Three Bangladeshi companies – 24/7 Sourcing Private Limited, GenXt International and Just James BD Ltd – took part in the exhibition, showcasing the country’s strengths in fashion apparel and denim. Their participation underscored Bangladesh’s expanding footprint in the global textile industry, driven by a strong focus on innovation, quality and cost-effective manufacturing.

Bangladeshi exhibitors presented a diverse range of fashion products and joined leading manufacturing nations such as Pakistan, China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Vietnam and Sri Lanka on the global stage.

Bangladesh’s presence at Texworld NYC Summer 2025 reaffirmed its potential as a competitive and reliable sourcing destination, with a strong focus on sustainability, innovation, and high production standards.

Rakib, CEO of 24/7 Sourcing Pvt Ltd, said he was happy with the fair and glad to meet many buyers. Rizvana Hredita, CEO of GenXt International, also shared that the fair went well and they were pleased with the buyer response.

The 25th annual Colombian Day Parade was held on Sunday, July 27, between 69th Street and 89th Street in Jackson Heights. Attendees of all ages showed off their Colombian pride. Numerous Queens residents were on hand for this celebration of Colombian independence. There were also local elected officials present for the event, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assemblymembers Catalina Cruz and Larinda Hooks, District Leader Hiram Monserrate and New York State Court Judge Gary Miret.

For Ramos, the parade reaching a milestone of 25 years was very important. “My dad helped found this parade 25 years ago,” Ramos said. “We have been working very hard to increase visibility for the Colombian community and to celebrate our heritage. This is a great way to end our month of celebration here in Jackson Heights.”

Over the course of the quarter-century of the parade’s existence, the Colombian Day Parade has grown to become one of the largest Hispanic parades in the New York metropolitan area.

Former New York Governor and current New York City Mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo served as the grand marshal of this year’s parade. He was chosen for the role in large part based on his history of public service to the city and the state as a whole.

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.

Bangladesh-born US Georgia State Senator Sheikh Rahman has called on the country’s interim government to implement essential reforms and strengthen key institutions ahead of the upcoming national election to ensure meaningful and lasting changes.

While acknowledging Bangladesh’s significant development, the senator emphasised that critical challenges persist.

He urged the government to implement minimum reforms and ensure exemplary punishment for the individuals responsible for misgovernance and corruption under previous administrations.

“Law enforcement still remains unsatisfactory and corruption is deeply entrenched across various sectors. Unless these issues are addressed, genuine development will remain out of reach of the people,” he told UNB in Dhaka recently.

Senator Sheikh Rahman visited Bangladesh on a personal trip to see his 97-year-old mother and celebrated Eid-ul-Azha at his birthplace in Sararchar village of Kishoreganj for the first time in 45 years. He left Bangladesh for the US on Wednesday, July 2.

In addition to his personal engagements, Senator Sheikh Rahman held several meetings in Dhaka and Gazipur with Bangladeshi and US officials, as well as members of the business community.

Advocacy Reforms

On the political front, Senator Sheikh Rahman stressed that holding elections alone is not enough without structural reforms. “Reforms in law enforcement and the judiciary are essential. Reports of political harassment, including some from my own hometown, are deeply concerning,” he said.

Referring to various reports about illicit financial outflows from Bangladesh, Senator Sheikh Rahman urged the government to sign the bilateral agreements to trace and recover the stolen assets.

He also suggested utilising multinational organisations, of which Bangladesh is a member, to support efforts in tracking and repatriating the illicit funds.

“Core reforms must be implemented before the elections. Remaining reforms can be addressed by the next elected government,” he added.

Senator Sheikh Rahman emphasised the need for a long-term commitment to democratic governance. “Bangladesh must ensure smooth and transparent transfers of power — not just for one election, but consistently over the next 25 to 30 years,” he said.

The senior US politician, a member of the Democratic Party, urged Bangladeshi politicians, bureaucrats and business leaders to act with integrity. “State institutions need to be strengthened. Nepotism must be stopped. Only competent and ethical individuals should be entrusted with national responsibilities,” he said.

Concern Over the Rohingya Crisis

Senator Sheikh Rahman has expressed his grave concern over the ongoing Rohingya crisis, terming it a major humanitarian issue in Bangladesh. Though he was interested in visiting the Rohingya camps to witness the situation firsthand, the senator said that the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had not yet responded to his request.

“This Rohingya crisis remains urgent, particularly due to declining external funding. If the Bangladesh government seeks my support, I’m ready to raise the issue with the US government, especially about the US funding,” he said.

Call for Environmental Responsibility

The senator emphasised the need for raising civic responsibility and environmental awareness among Bangladeshi people.

“Wherever I go out, I see trash scattered at most of the places. Citizens must take their own initiatives to keep their surroundings neat and clean. A cleaner environment improves quality of life and boosts tourism. Bangladesh has enormous potential, and I’m very interested in promoting its tourism even in the US if environmental conditions improve,” he said.

Family Reunion

All of Senator Rahman’s family members, relatives, and friends gathered during his visit to his birthplace in Sararchar village and at his residence in Dhaka. They held a reunion at a community center in Dhaka, where they shared food and enjoyed each other’s company. The senator described the trip as “a very memorable and the best visit,” noting that it was a special occasion for his entire family to reunite after many years.

Legislative Support

In April, the Georgia State Senate passed a resolution introduced by Senator Rahman recognising the 2024 student-led movement in Bangladesh advocating for civil service quota reforms and broader democratic demands.

The resolution extended best wishes to the interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, for its commitment to reform.

Md Owasim Uddin Bhuyan, Communication student at University of Texas

The enduring charm of Hindi cinema continues to shape the pulse of the Bollywood movie industry. August brings a compelling blend of drama, action, romance, thrillers, and comedy to theatres. With fresh talents stepping in beside fan-favourite stars, the slate promises to engage audiences nationwide. Let’s delve into the top 10 Bollywood releases that are set to release in August 2025, ablaze with storytelling brilliance.

Directed by Shazia Iqbal, this stirring tale blends romance with realism. The screenplay, co-written with Rahul Badwelkar, picks up the thread from Dhadak (2018) but walks a more confronting path. The first instalment reimagined the 2018 Tamil movie ‘Pariyerum Perumal’ through a contemporary lens. This time, the narrative roots are in caste, love, and survival in modern India.

Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri headline the romantic saga with quiet intensity. Saurabh Sachdeva and Zakir Hussain lend depth to the supporting roles.

The soundtrack features a diverse lineup, including Shreyas Puranik, Rochak Kohli, Javed-Mohsin, and Tanishk Bagchi.

Zee Studios, Cloud 9 Pictures, and Dharma Productions jointly back the project.

Produced by Ritu Mengi under the Samrat Cinematics banner, this political biopic boasts Ravindra Gautam as the director. The script, penned by Dilip Bachchan Jha and Priyank Dubey, draws directly from ‘The Monk Who Became Chief Minister’.

Anant Joshi takes on the challenging role of Yogi Adityanath with measured restraint. The ensemble, Paresh Rawal, Dinesh Lal Yadav, Pavan Malhotra, Garima Vikrant, Rajesh Khattar, and Sarwar Ahuja, brings layered performances.

It maps the extraordinary rise of a boy from the hills to political power. Moments of solitude, spiritual awakening, and ideological clarity shape his path. The narrative explores the making of a public figure who reshaped governance in India’s most populous state.

Veteran filmmaker Suneel Darshan makes a graceful comeback with a family-centric drama. Alongside Dipan Bhatt and Parasnath Gupta, he shapes a story built on emotion and timeless values.

The cast features fresh faces Aayush Kumar, Natasha Fernandez, and Akaisha Vats, backed by seasoned names like Jeetu Verma and Dolly Bindra.

The story revolves around a triangular love story, layered with sensitivity and human connection. Set in today’s world, the film balances youthful romance with an old-school soul.

Nadeem and Sameer deliver a music album steeped in melody and meaning.

The project is produced under Shree Krishna International.

A gripping tale of six lives consumed by drug addiction, each drawn in by pain, desperation, or fleeting joy. But their downfall doesn’t end with them; it shatters the lives of those who love them.

Director Prem Dhiraal handles the theme with raw honesty and also steers the score of the movie. Rahul Pahade’s writing gives each character a unique, haunting reason for their downfall.

Prem Dhiraal leads a cast that includes Avinash Arora, Shakti Veer Dhiraal, Ashwin Thakur, and Dhanashree Gadge.

The production credit goes to Dhanraj Harde under Dhiraal Entertainment.

Umesh Shukla directs this heartfelt journey with writing support from Sanjay Grover and Divyanshu Rawat.

At its centre is Heer, a young chef with big dreams and bold flavours. She leaves India behind to carve her path in London’s high-pressure kitchens. But chasing ambition in a foreign land brings more heat than expected.

Prit Kamani and Divita Juneja lead the ensemble, joined by Gulshan Grover and Ashutosh Rana. Meghna Malik and Sanjay Mishra add weight to this flavourful story.

With a soundtrack crafted by Tanishk Bagchi, this drama is set to stream on Netflix. Backed by Creative Strokes, Divisa, Indo-UK Film Co., and Merry Go Round Studios spearhead the film production.

A silent procession of professionals was held in Dhaka on Friday, protesting attempts to undermine the country’s democratic environment and tarnish the image of Tarique Rahman, hailed as a symbol of youth pride.

The procession, organised by the Bangladesh United Professionals Council, began from the Jatiya Press Club and marched through Kadamful Fountain, Topkhana Road and Purana Paltan before returning to the Press Club.

It was led by Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, convener of the council, and journalist Kader Gani Chowdhury, its member secretary.

Speaking during the event, Dr Zahid said democracy in the country is under threat from “conspirators operating from the shadows.”

“These elements are the main obstacle to restoring democratic governance,” he added.

Kader Gani Chowdhury said the people of Bangladesh have been struggling for nearly two decades to reclaim their voting rights, yet that right remains elusive.

He alleged that “agents of fascism” still hold influential positions within the administration and called for their removal.

Gani also demanded the repeal of all repressive laws, including the Cyber Security Act, and an end to what he described as the “politics of character assassination” and conspiracy against national leaders.

A wide range of professionals and prominent citizens took part in the procession.

Among them were Bangladesh Open University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ABM Obaidul Islam, senior lawyer Subrata Chowdhury, National University Pro-VC Professor Dr Lutfur Rahman, corporate leader Syed Alamgir, and educationists, physicians, engineers, agriculturists and journalists.

Bangladesh Railway will operate four special trains to transport leaders and supporters of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami to Dhaka for the party’s scheduled rally this Saturday. According to railway officials, the party rented the trains through official procedures, and ticket fares will be collected from all passengers.

The special trains will operate between July 18 and 19 on the Dhaka–Chattogram, Dhaka–Mymensingh, Dhaka–Rajshahi, and Dhaka–Sirajganj routes.Farid Ahmed, general manager of Bangladesh Railway’s west zone, said ticket fares for the special trains would be higher than usual as they would operate non-stop and exclusively carry Jamaat supporters.

Jamaat-e-Islami is set to hold its rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on July 19, pressing a set of seven demands, including the introduction of a proportional representation system in the upcoming national election.

At least three cases, including two with the Gopalganj sadar police station and the other with the Kashiani police station, were filed against 1,329 people between Thursday night and Friday over allegations of attacking police and vandalising their vehicles and felling trees to create obstructions on Wednesday centering the National Citizen Party rally. The death toll from the violence in Gopalganj over NCP rally on Wednesday reached five as a rickshaw puller hit by bullet died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital early Friday.

The government, meanwhile, extended the curfew over Gopalganj district till 6:00am on Saturday and it might be extended further while the joint forces arrested 90 more people since Thursday night. The Wednesday violence in Gopalganj erupted as security forces personnel and Awami League and its banned student body Bangladesh Chhatra league members got locked into clashes after the latter attacked NCP leaders in their motorcade.

The interim government on May 12 banned all activities of the Awami League and its affiliated, allied, and like-minded organisations until the completion of the trials involving them at the International Crimes Tribunal. Ramjan Munshi, 32, a resident of Thana Para, Gopalganj town, son of Akbar Munshi, died at about 1:45am on Friday, according to DMCH officials.

Asked about the death in a gunshot injury, DMCH director Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman acknowledged the death but did not provide details. According to DMCH officials, Ramjan Munshi was admitted to the DMCH at about 4:30pm on Thursday. They said that the body was sent to the DMCH morgue for autopsy. While talking to New Age in front of the morgue, the victim’s brother Hira Munshi said that his brother received a bullet injury in the chest at Chowrangi Mor on Wednesday.

‘We first got him admitted to Gopalganj Sadar Hospital and later shifted him to Dhaka Medical College,’ he said.

According to police, two cases were filed with the Gopalganj sadar police station but none of them were filed in connection with the killing of five people. Gopalganj sadar police station inspector for investigation Abdullah Al Mamun told New Age that a case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 on Thursday night against 575 people, including 75 named for beating police members with the intention to kill and vandalising a police vehicle at Ulpur under sadar upazila, on Wednesday.

‘Police filed another case with the sadar police station on Friday against 404 people, including 54 named persons under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009,’ the inspector added.

Gopalganj district assistant superintendent of police for Muksudpur Circle Md Abdul Based said that Kashiani police sub-inspector Alimul Huda Jony filed a case against 300-350 people, both named and unnamed, on the allegation of obstructing the highway near Sampan Highway Restaurant by felling trees on the road. He, however, also said that they had arrested 90 people, including 66 in Muksudpur and 24 in Kashiani area, over the Wednesday violence since Thursday night.

‘We will continue our drive to arrest the accused,’ he added.

Earlier, the joint forces arrested 25 people and the number of arrestees rose to 115 so far. The Inter Services Public Relation directorate in a statement on Thursday said that the Bangladesh Army was compelled to use force at one point in self defence in Gopalganj on Wednesday as attackers threw a huge number of crude bombs and brick bats at them.

At about 7:30pm on Wednesday, a group of unruly people took away the bodies of the deceased from the Gopalganj District Hospital. They prevented doctors from carrying out autopsy of the bodies, said the chief adviser’s press wing on Thursday.

In the Wednesday violence in Gopalganj, a police vehicle was torched, upazila nirbahi officer was attacked, cocktails were exploded, brick bats were hurled, and the NCP rally venue and motorcade were attacked.

The police fired rubber bullets, hurled sound grenades, and lobbed tear gas shells while members of the Bangladesh Army opened fire in the air to disperse Awami League activists and to save the NCP leaders.