Japan is witnessing a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment as mosque construction projects face growing resistance. In Fujisawa city, a planned mosque project in late 2025 sparked strong opposition, with over 32,000 people signing an online petition and raising about 1 million yen to halt construction. Despite meeting all legal requirements, the project triggered protests against the city government. Right-wing politicians and social media influencers have been accused of spreading anti-immigrant rhetoric and false claims linking mosques to crime or cemetery construction.

Japan’s Muslim population has grown to around 420,000, or 0.3 percent of the total population, with about 167 mosques nationwide as of 2025. Burial practices remain a major challenge, as 99.9 percent of bodies in Japan are cremated, leaving few options for Muslim burials. Attempts to establish private cemeteries since 1967 have faced local opposition, though some Buddhist monks have shared burial spaces, creating about ten Muslim cemeteries.

Experts cited by the East Asian Forum note that the lack of central government guidance and Japan’s refusal to identify as an immigrant nation have left local authorities struggling to manage integration and social harmony.

Major (retired) Mozzafar Hossain, convicted in the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman, was transferred on July 17, 2026, from Dhaka Cantonment to military custody at Chattogram Cantonment. The move followed his dramatic arrest by Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police in Banani DOHS after 45 years in hiding. Authorities said the transfer was made because the 1981 assassination and subsequent trial had taken place in Chattogram.

According to military sources, Mozzafar will first face trial for desertion before the previously declared death sentence for his role in the assassination is carried out under court-martial procedures. Investigations revealed he had fled to India after the killing and lived under aliases with alleged support from Indian intelligence until returning to Bangladesh in 1996. His arrest reportedly followed leads from the call records of retired Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury.

Security sources indicated that Mozzafar’s interrogation could help uncover deeper conspiracies behind the 1981 events. The government is considering forming a national investigation commission involving military and civilian agencies to pursue a comprehensive inquiry into the historical case.

Authorities are preparing a new case against former Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana for allegedly leaving the country without immigration clearance. The case, based on the 2013 Immigration Act, accuses them of illegally departing from Dhaka’s Bir Uttam AK Khandaker Air Base on August 5, 2024, using diplomatic and British passports without completing formal procedures. Investigators have completed their inquiry and may include those who assisted in the escape as co-accused.

According to the investigation, Hasina personally decided to flee to India amid the student and public uprising that forced her resignation. Audio evidence and testimonies from officials who accompanied her have been collected. Legal experts cited in the report said both sisters violated Bangladeshi and Indian immigration laws. Indian officials confirmed Hasina is under legal process in India and cannot leave voluntarily.

The current Bangladeshi government has requested Hasina’s extradition to enforce her death sentence handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal. Ministers have reiterated their commitment to bring her back and execute the court’s verdict.

Nasiruddin Patowary, chief coordinator of the Bangladesh Citizen Party (NCP), alleged that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) broke the dream for which Shaheed Abu Sayeed sacrificed his life. He made the remarks on Saturday evening at a street rally organized by the NCP in the Bottoli area of Phulbari municipality, Dinajpur. The event followed a procession that began at Dhaka Mor and ended at Bottoli after parading through several streets.

Patowary said that in 2024, Bangladesh’s youth united with new hopes for reform and justice, but two years later those expectations were shattered. He criticized BNP leaders for allegedly requesting police not to arrest Awami League members, despite earlier promises of accountability for various killings. Outlining NCP’s political goals, he pledged to work for employment for youth, safety for women, and protection for religious scholars and minorities, while opposing corruption and foreign compromise.

Other NCP leaders, including Akhtar Hossain, Sarjis Alam, MP Dr. Atik Mujahid, Dr. Abdul Ahad, Imran Chowdhury Nishad, and Shihab Hossain, also addressed the rally.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reiterated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested on war crimes charges if he visits New York in September to attend the United Nations General Assembly. In an interview published Saturday by The New York Times, Mamdani said he believes Netanyahu belongs in The Hague, describing him as a war criminal indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, he clarified that he will not pursue any changes to existing laws to achieve this.

Mamdani emphasized that as mayor he must uphold the rule of law and will act only within the limits of current city regulations. He confirmed that discussions are ongoing with the city’s legal department to determine what the law permits. During his election campaign, Mamdani had pledged to direct the New York Police Department to enforce ICC arrest warrants, naming both Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The report notes that the United States does not recognize ICC jurisdiction, and federal law restricts local governments from cooperating with the court or detaining foreign heads of state.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) chairman Colonel (retd.) Oli Ahmed declared that the Awami League has met its 'natural death' and will never return to Bangladesh’s political scene. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon while addressing a divisional rally of the 11-party alliance at Hemayet Uddin Eidgah ground in Barishal city.

During his speech, Oli Ahmed criticized communal violence in India, urging people not to be provoked by such incidents and to follow the teachings of the Quran. He emphasized that their alliance was formed with a shared goal to end corruption, extortion, and criminal dominance in the country.

The rally was attended by leaders from various parties within the 11-party alliance, including the National Citizen Party, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Amar Bangladesh Party, Bangladesh Labour Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party, Nezame Islam Party, and Bangladesh Development Party, along with central and local leaders and activists.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and opposition leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman declared that if the recent referendum fails, the government will also be considered a failure. Speaking on Saturday evening at the divisional rally of the 11-party alliance at Hemayet Uddin Eidgah ground in Barishal, he said the government cannot claim legitimacy from the same day’s vote while ignoring the referendum in which 70 percent of people reportedly supported change. The rally was organized to demand implementation of the referendum verdict, control of commodity prices, improved communication, and overall development of the neglected southern region.

Dr. Rahman accused the ruling party of betraying the nation by disregarding the referendum results and failing to ensure balanced development. He criticized poor infrastructure in Barishal and called for a six-lane highway from Bhanga to Kuakata, a bridge linking Bhola and Barishal, and a railway line for Barishal. He urged BNP to avoid conflict and instead work toward constitutional reform based on the referendum outcome.

Other alliance leaders, including LDP chairman Oli Ahmed and AB Party secretary general Asaduzzaman Fuad, also spoke, criticizing the government and calling for justice, anti-corruption measures, and regional development.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizens Party (NCP) and opposition chief whip, warned that his party would move from a mass movement to a mass uprising if the government failed to implement the July Charter. Speaking at an eleven-party alliance rally in Barishal Division on Saturday, he criticized the prime minister, accusing her of not fulfilling promises made regarding the charter and urged her to “reduce theatrics.” The rally demanded implementation of the referendum verdict, control of commodity prices, improved communication systems, and development of the neglected southern region.

Islam said the government was pushing the situation toward confrontation by ignoring the referendum’s outcome, in which he claimed seventy percent supported the charter. He also accused the ruling party of hypocrisy and criticized the BNP as anti-democratic, alleging it fought only for power and abandoned its earlier reform agenda. He further called for unity to protect Bangladesh’s sovereignty, create employment, and end corruption and extortion.

The rally was attended by Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman as chief guest, along with senior leaders from the eleven-party alliance.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Ameer Allama Mamunul Haque has accused the BNP and some members of the interim government of committing fraud involving the signing of the July Charter. Speaking as the chief guest at a citizens’ rally held on Saturday afternoon at the Kushtia District Shilpakala Academy auditorium, he alleged that BNP secretly inserted a clause into the charter without informing other political parties.

Haque stated that the July Movement began on May 5, 2013, at Shapla Chattar and ended on July 36, with BNP participating as a partner. He criticized BNP for now denying the July referendum and attempting to bypass the July Charter, warning that another revolution could occur to enforce its implementation. He further accused BNP of following the path of the fascist Awami League and said the people want the 69% referendum verdict implemented without delay or negligence.

The rally, organized to protest rising fuel and electricity prices, law and order deterioration, and to demand implementation of the referendum verdict, was chaired by Maulana Abdul Latif Khan, with several central and local leaders addressing the event.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and Prime Minister’s political adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has described the denial of promotion or recognition based on political considerations as an assault on humanity. Speaking at an event organized by the Bangladesh Cardiac Society in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, he said that for the past 17 years, many qualified individuals have been deprived of fair evaluation because of their political affiliations or family backgrounds.

Rizvi alleged that brilliant students and dedicated professionals, including doctors, were denied promotions or job opportunities for not supporting the ruling party. He argued that such discrimination has led to a loss of talent and hindered national progress, particularly in the medical sector. He cited examples of doctors who met all professional criteria but remained medical officers instead of being promoted to higher academic positions.

Expressing optimism, Rizvi noted that the current government has increased allocations for the medical and education sectors compared to the previous year and reduced treatment costs for serious diseases such as cancer, kidney ailments, thalassemia, and heart disease, which he said reflects accountability to the people.

Iran has suspended the implementation of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) due to what it describes as continuous US attacks and breaches of the agreement. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that Tehran took this step after the United States failed to uphold its commitments under the memorandum, effectively rendering it inactive.

According to Gharibabadi, Iran has halted all its obligations and implementation measures under the MoU in response. He emphasized that the country’s current priority is national defense amid an ongoing military situation, which he said makes it impossible to continue executing the memorandum.

The decision reflects Iran’s shift in focus toward defense activities as tensions rise, with the suspension marking a significant pause in the bilateral understanding originally established under the Islamabad framework.

Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka North launched a ‘July Graffiti Art’ campaign in Uttara, Dhaka, on Saturday to commemorate ‘36 July’. The event was inaugurated by Mohammad Selim Uddin, the party’s Dhaka North Ameer and mayoral candidate for DNCC. During the opening, he warned that weaknesses within the ruling party and disregard for public aspirations could lead to another mass uprising similar to that of July. He urged the government to remain alert to prevent such a situation and criticized attempts to rehabilitate ruling party narratives.

Selim Uddin stated that those opposing the July movement would be rejected by the people and that any distortion or disrespect of July’s history would not be tolerated. He emphasized that the success of ‘36 July’ came through mass participation and sacrifice, calling for the preservation of July’s memory and graffiti as part of the national heritage. Organizers announced related competitions, including ‘Smritite July’ from July 20–30 and a painting contest ‘Tulite July’ on July 25, with awards to be given on July 31.

Several local Jamaat and student leaders attended the inauguration, highlighting Uttara’s historical role in the July movement.

Electricity and Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said that only the worst elements of society join the Awami League, while decent people do not. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon at the inauguration of a weaving training center in Mirpur, Sirajganj. Tuku alleged that Awami League members were issuing threats and claimed the party had harmed the country since its inception. He stated that after 17 years of struggle against what he called fascist rule, democracy had been restored and people could vote freely.

The minister said that under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, the BNP achieved a landslide victory through a free and fair election and has now formed the government. He described Rahman as liberal and committed to national unity. Tuku urged party members to focus on public welfare and strengthening the organization rather than personal gain.

The event was chaired by Textile and Jute Secretary Sharifuddin Ahmed and attended by several officials, including the district commissioner, police superintendent, and local BNP leaders.

Bangladesh Labor Party Chairman Dr. Mostafizur Rahman Iran declared that his party would not abandon the ideals of the July uprising, emphasizing the movement’s goal to end the politics of money, muscle, and corruption. He made the remarks on Saturday morning at the party’s Barishal city office during a representative meeting organized by the district and metropolitan units.

Presided over by Barishal Metropolitan Labor Party President Md. Sohel Mahmud, the meeting featured Dr. Iran’s call for implementing the referendum verdict and continuing street activism to realize the spirit of July. He criticized the post-July political environment, saying that honest politicians were withdrawing from politics while opportunists, smugglers, and black market syndicates had taken over. He also noted that politics had become a profit-driven business due to the influence of bureaucrats and capitalists.

Dr. Iran urged party members to strengthen grassroots organization to build a just and principled Bangladesh. Several party leaders, including Vice Chairman Advocate Johra Khatun Jui and Youth Mission Convener Salman Khan Badsha, also addressed the event.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education of Bangladesh has introduced major revisions to the transfer and posting policy for government primary school teachers. The updated policy, issued on July 18, 2026, removes the previously criticized provision allowing undefined 'eminent persons' in transfer committees. Instead, the committees will now include two education enthusiasts or patrons. The national committee’s leadership has also been restructured, with the Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education replacing the ministry secretary as chair.

The revised policy retains the four-tier committee structure—upazila, district, divisional, and national—but adds seven new conditions to ensure transparency and discipline. These include minimum service requirements before transfer eligibility, restrictions on repeated transfers, and prioritization rules for teachers applying from the same school. Transfers will only occur against vacant posts, and female teachers will receive priority for placements near their permanent or spouse’s address.

Officials expect the new rules to reduce irregularities and lobbying in teacher transfers, as committees must now meet monthly to review and finalize applications.