Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he would formally designate Qatar an “enemy state” if he returns to power. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, cited in a report published on August 2, 2026, Bennett claimed Qatar is currently more dangerous to Israel’s security than Iran.

Bennett said that not formally declaring Doha an enemy state so far was an “unforgivable mistake.” Comparing the perceived threats, he said Iran openly acknowledges that it wants to destroy Israel, while alleging that Qatar secretly financed “Nukhba” militants involved in the October 7, 2023 attack.

The former prime minister also alleged that Qatar-based Al Jazeera is conducting what he described as poisonous propaganda against Israel around the world. He expressed concern over Qatar’s international influence, claiming it has expanded its influence at leading universities in the United States. Bennett further claimed that this covert influence extends beyond foreign countries and educational institutions to Israel’s most sensitive security areas, including the prime minister’s office, and accused Qatar of seeking to weaken Israel from within.

Rajshahi University became a major centre of resistance during the anti-discrimination student movement, with events from July 16 to 20 reshaping the campus political landscape, according to the report. On July 16, students marched into the campus and clashed in pursuit and counter-pursuit with Bangladesh Chhatra League activists, who later retreated. About 1,500 female students joined the march near women’s halls. Participants said those days helped lay groundwork for the later national uprising.

Students besieged the administration building on July 17. Normal academic activities were effectively halted on July 18, when students announced five demands in protest over attacks on students elsewhere in the country. They held a symbolic funeral prayer for the vice-chancellor and administration, citing unmet demands and objections to the university administration’s role. Students also blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway during a “complete shutdown” protest.

After a nationwide curfew and army deployment on July 19, surveillance increased around campus and public programmes became difficult. Former coordinators cited fears of raids, intelligence monitoring and arrests. Movement participants said students reorganised from mess accommodations, while Rajshahi University and Rajshahi College students coordinated on legal assistance, security and communication with families.

Water Resources Minister Md Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie MP said the “36 July” was the result of united movements and struggles, whose foundation was built through 16 years of anti-autocracy activism. He made the remarks on Sunday at a discussion organised by Jagroto July Forum at the Central Kochi-Kachar Mela in Segunbagicha, Dhaka. The event was titled “The Martyrs’ Sacrifice, Our Responsibility and a New Bangladesh.”

The minister said the united efforts of students, teachers, poets, writers and people from all walks of life reached a successful conclusion when “fascist Hasina” fled on 5 August. He said students who gave their lives to establish people’s rights had left the nation indebted. He called for repaying that debt by ensuring political and economic empowerment and building a democratic Bangladesh based on equality, human dignity and social justice.

Chowdhury said Bangladesh should move forward by respecting differing views rather than pursuing conflict, adding that constructive criticism is democracy’s beauty. He said there could be no compromise on the July issue and recalled the prime minister’s commitment to implement the July Charter. State Minister Nurul Haque Nur MP attended as chief discussant, while State Minister Ishraq Hossain MP was a special discussant.

Bangladesh has hired a law firm in Dubai to pursue cancellation of former police inspector general Benazir Ahmed’s bail, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Sunday, August 2, 2026. He made the comments after an event at the Police Academy in Sardah, Rajshahi, while answering journalists’ questions.

The minister said he learned of the bail while seated on stage and immediately spoke with the home secretary. According to him, the home secretary then contacted Bangladesh’s UAE ambassador. He said the government had hired the law firm several days earlier specifically for this matter and instructed it to pursue cancellation of the bail.

Ahmed confirmed reports that Benazir Ahmed had been released. He said the former senior police official was granted bail on the condition that he would not leave the UAE. The minister said he had asked for a certified copy detailing the conditions and that the law firm had been directed to proceed with the cancellation effort. The government hopes to cancel the bail and bring him back as quickly as possible.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed said discussions are under way with the United Arab Emirates to bring former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed back to Bangladesh. Speaking to journalists at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel on August 2, she said the government hopes to return him soon and complete his trial.

Obaed said the two governments have remained in contact and exchanged documents. The UAE requested specific information from Bangladesh’s Home Ministry and Foreign Ministry, and Bangladesh has provided it, she said. Asked about reports that Ahmed had received bail in Dubai, she said the matter was being handled under UAE law and that Bangladesh’s government and Home Ministry would discuss possible next steps with Emirati authorities.

Police Headquarters spokesperson A H M Shahadat Hossain said it had no information confirming reports that Ahmed received bail in the UAE. In June, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament that Ahmed had been arrested and would be brought back quickly. On June 16, Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam said diplomatic channels were being used despite no extradition treaty, and that investigations were under way into about six to seven cases of crimes against humanity against Ahmed.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Discrimination Student Movement held its “prayer and student-public march” programme on August 2, 2024, with demonstrations reported in Dhaka and other parts of the country. Clashes involving students and members of the public, police, Chhatra League and Jubo League were reported in Uttara, Habiganj, Khulna, Lakshmipur, Narsingdi, Sylhet and Daudkandi in Cumilla. The report said two people were killed and more than 200 injured, including over 50 people shot.

In Dhaka, students from Qawmi madrasas marched after Friday prayers from Baitul Mukarram to Shahbagh, where other protesters joined them. Police fired tear gas and sound grenades during clashes in Uttara, where two people were shot, according to the report. At a procession at the Central Shaheed Minar, participants called for justice over the July killings, an end to mass arrests, reopening educational institutions and the government’s resignation.

A police constable, Suman Kumar Gharami, was killed during five hours of clashes in Khulna, while a passer-by was killed in Habiganj. Six released movement coordinators said a video announcing withdrawal of the movement had been forced while they were held by Detective Branch police. Organisers said they would begin another march from the National Press Club on August 3 if their demands were not met.

Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has announced a march toward Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on August 4 to protest the rollout of ethanol-blended E-20 petrol. The former Delhi chief minister made the announcement on Saturday during the “National Townhall Against E-20” programme.

Kejriwal said he had recently asked Indians to sign an online petition addressed to the prime minister, and that more than 200,000 people had already signed it. He said he would personally submit printed copies of the signatures at the prime minister’s residence at noon on August 4. He added that only 100 people would accompany him, describing them as people unafraid of police baton charges or imprisonment.

Questioning E-20 petrol’s safety, Kejriwal said the government could hold discussions and both sides could present evidence. Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra rejected the allegations and said Kejriwal should provide at least 100 examples of vehicles whose engines failed or were damaged due to E-20 fuel. Complaints have alleged engine damage and reduced mileage from petrol containing 20 percent ethanol.

Student Azharul Islam Piyas has described his experience of joining the July 18 “Complete Shutdown” programme against quota discrimination at the BNS Centre in Uttara. He wrote that students were holding a peaceful position near Rajuk Uttara Model College when police began firing rubber bullets and tear gas. Piyas said he witnessed numerous students being shot during the confrontation.

According to his account, Tamirul Millat Central Students’ Union vice-president M M Al Minhaj was shot in the eye and later returned to the protesters after receiving initial treatment. Piyas said he burned his hand after picking up and throwing back a tear-gas canister, and was hit in the back by a rubber bullet later in the day. He also saw his classmate Nahid with rubber-bullet injuries across his back.

Piyas wrote that he returned to campus while avoiding people he described as Chhatra League cadres who were beating suspected protesters toward Tongi. He then learned of the death of former Millat student Shakil Parvez and left the hall after an emergency administrative order. He said Uttara residents provided water, food, saline and other assistance to students.

Teachers finally recommended for assistant teacher posts at government primary schools withdrew their sit-in in Shahbagh, Dhaka, after the government announced October 4 as the date for joining and posting. They had demonstrated for several hours on Sunday on the road in front of Shahbagh police station before ending the programme.

The decision followed a new notice issued by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and discussions with relevant officials. At about 2pm, the recommended teachers announced the withdrawal, thanked the government, cleared the road and left Shahbagh.

Earlier in the day, the teachers had staged a sit-in in front of the National Museum, demanding joining and posting within August. Police barriers were placed in front of Shahbagh police station, temporarily halting traffic on the right side of the road from Shahbagh toward TSC. Final results for government primary assistant teacher recruitment were published on February 8, 2026, selecting 14,384 candidates. Their health examinations, including dope tests, and certificate verification were completed between February 22 and March 1.

In an opinion article published by Amar Desh on August 2, 2026, writer Kakon Reza compares India’s Gen-Z movement with Bangladesh’s 2024 July uprising. He argues that India’s government learned from Bangladesh’s experience by avoiding severe police repression and compelling Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. According to the writer, these steps prevented the Indian movement from becoming a wider revolution and brought it to a halt.

Reza contends that Bangladesh’s quota movement could have ended if its demands had been accepted. Instead, he writes, the then government’s obstinacy, violence and retaliatory conduct turned it into a revolution. He also says there were no student deaths from police gunfire in India’s movement, creating a markedly different environment from Bangladesh.

The article criticizes Bangladesh’s older political leadership, saying young people, students, young party activists and working youths were the principal force behind the 2024 movement. Reza argues that senior leaders were not key stakeholders in the uprising and warns that failing to understand the revolution’s significance and young people’s grievances could signal future danger.

An analysis published on August 2, 2026, revisits the August 2, 2024 “Drohojatra” and raises concern about slow justice two years after the July uprising. It says people gathered around the National Press Club seeking justice for those killed, including Abu Sayeed, and the release of detained students and citizens. The article describes that day as a turning point, when a one-point demand for Sheikh Hasina’s resignation was voiced.

Citing reported case data, the article says 1,865 cases linked to the July movement include 801 murder cases. By July 13, investigations had been completed in 101 murder cases, described as 14 percent. In Dhaka Metropolitan Police areas, reports had been submitted in 37 of 789 cases by July 21, 2026. It also cites an OHCHR report saying more than 1,400 people died and over 13,000 were injured.

The analysis criticizes intolerance and violence involving NCP activities in Habiganj, Sylhet, Kurigram and Bogura. It urges BNP, government and NCP leaders to prevent attacks in response to speech, maintain political tolerance, and accelerate implementation of reforms described in the July Charter.

A total of 14,384 candidates recommended for assistant teacher posts at government primary schools began a continuing programme in Shahbagh on August 2, demanding appointment and posting within August. They gathered in front of Dhaka University’s Central Library from the morning, then continued outside the National Museum in Shahbagh from about 11:30am despite rain. The government says they will join in October rather than August.

The candidates carried placards calling for appointment letters, swift recruitment and access to classrooms. In a notice issued Saturday evening, they demanded that joining and posting be ensured within August under recruitment rules, with a written government notification specifying the date published on the official website. They said they would not rely on verbal assurances or media statements and would continue their movement until their demands were met.

The final results were published on February 8, selecting 14,384 candidates. Candidates have held several Shahbagh sit-ins since April over delayed joining, with earlier incidents of scuffling with police. A notice from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education’s School-2 branch said candidates would join district primary education offices on October 1, receive appointment letters in due course, and then be posted and sent for training.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s future will be determined by its people rather than any outside power. In a message posted on X on Saturday, he praised Iranians as “heroes” for showing patience and courage amid continuing conflict, pressure and adversity involving the United States and Israel.

Pezeshkian said the public had maintained unwavering support for the country and resilience despite war, economic pressure and sustained hostile conditions. He said Iran had faced successive open wars, severe social and economic pressure, and persistent hostility from its adversaries. Despite those conditions, he said ordinary Iranians had stood beside the country like a strong wall.

Discussing the background to the current heightened tensions, Pezeshkian cited the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, 2024. Haniyeh was in Tehran at the time to attend Pezeshkian’s presidential inauguration ceremony. The president reiterated that no external force would shape Iran’s future, saying the country’s people would build it themselves.

Jamaat held a mass procession and rally in Tongi, Gazipur, on Saturday after Asr prayers, demanding implementation of the referendum’s public verdict, enforcement of the July Charter, and trials for those involved in the July killings. Organised by the party’s Tongi East and West police station branches, the procession began at Gazipura bus stand and moved through Gazipura, Ershadnagar, Hossain Market and Cherag Ali before joining a gathering at College Gate.

The rally was chaired by Tongi East unit amir Md Nazrul Islam and conducted by Nur Mohammad Mondol, amir of Jamaat’s Ward 54 unit. Metropolitan Jamaat assistant secretary Mohammad Afzal Hossain spoke as chief guest. Metropolitan youth affairs secretary Mohammad Niamat Ullah Shaker and Tongi West unit amir Mohammad Anwar Hossain Bhuiyan also addressed the gathering.

Afzal Hossain said two years had passed since the July movement and alleged that protesters against the government were being subjected to repression. He accused the current BNP government of following a path of fascism. He called for immediate implementation of the referendum verdict and July Charter, as well as trials over the July killings, warning that people would be compelled to take to the streets otherwise.

Jamaat’s Narsingdi district branch held a protest march and rally on Saturday afternoon, August 2, 2026, demanding the full implementation of the July National Charter. The rally took place at the city’s Shikkha Chattar. Party leaders and activists later marched through various streets before concluding in front of the Press Club, where district organiser Md. Ibrahim Bhuiyan delivered the closing remarks.

Speakers included Sadar upazila amir Mahfuz Bhuiyan, Shibpur upazila amir Mostafizur Rahman Kawsar, Palash upazila amir Abul Kashem Sikdar, general secretary Masud Karim and Madhabdi amir Aminul Haque. Other speakers and attendees included leaders from Raipura West, the city unit, Islami Chhatra Shibir and the Labour Welfare Federation.

The speakers said decisions made on implementing the charter before the election must be carried out quickly and fully. They alleged that the government had not taken an effective position over attacks on NCP leaders and activists in Savar, Sylhet and Habiganj. They also demanded trial of those responsible for an attack on an NCP worker in Habiganj and urged the prime minister to take necessary steps by August 5.