Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar alleged that some people were misleading the prime minister and pushing the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, toward fascism. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon as chief guest at a large protest rally organized by Dhaka Metropolitan North Jamaat in front of the Cholera Hospital in Mohakhali, Dhaka. The gathering demanded implementation of the public verdict in a referendum and swift trials for those involved in killings during the July mass uprising.

Porwar said reforming the fundamental structure of the constitution was the only way to prevent a resurgence of fascism. He claimed that although BNP benefited from the July uprising, it had moved away from its spirit. He said BNP and other parties had signed 84 reform proposals in the July Charter but were now retreating from that commitment.

He also alleged efforts to rehabilitate fascism under the name “Reform Awami League” through legal amendments. Rally chair Mohammad Selim Uddin called on activists to be ready to protect votes and demanded an end to attacks on July movement activists. A procession later marched from the Cholera Hospital area to Tejgaon Tibet intersection, with thousands of activists participating.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held a mass procession in Hajiganj, Chandpur, demanding implementation of the July Charter, enforcement of the referendum verdict, and trials for those accused of involvement in the July genocide and human rights violations. The procession began after Asr prayers on Saturday, 1 August 2026, from the historic Hajiganj Boro Mosque field. More than a thousand party leaders, activists and supporters took part, according to the report.

Participants carried national flags and placards calling for the July Charter while chanting slogans. The procession travelled from the Boro Mosque field through Hajiganj Bazar on the Chandpur-Comilla regional highway and ended at West Bazar. A brief protest gathering was then held there.

Speakers included Chandpur district Jamaat assistant secretary Md Jahangir Alam Pradhan, Hajiganj upazila amir Maulana B M Kalim Ullah, deputy amir Maulana Mozammel Haque Poran and municipal amir Abul Hasanat Patwary, along with local leaders. They urged the government to quickly implement the July Charter and make the judicial process effective, saying the movement would continue if the demands were not met.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Professor Mujibur Rahman MP said the BNP could not be called a democratic party after allegedly disregarding the verdict of a referendum in which, he said, 70 percent of people voted. He made the remarks on August 1, 2026, at a rally held at Baitul Mukarram North Gate in Dhaka to mark the second anniversary of the July mass uprising.

Mujibur Rahman said a democratic party accepts public opinion and accused the BNP of pursuing partisan politics. He said Jamaat would continue its movement until the referendum verdict was implemented through the July Charter. He added that the party was pursuing its demands in parliament, but the struggle would move to the streets if the government did not accept the referendum result and implement the charter.

Other speakers, including Dhaka South Ameer Md Nurul Islam Bulbul MP and Mobarak Hossain, also called for implementation of the July Charter. Bulbul said people wanted constitutional reform rather than constitutional amendment. After the rally, participants marched from Baitul Mukarram North Gate through Paltan, the National Press Club and the High Court area before concluding in front of Matsya Bhaban.

All India Students’ Association president Neha said demands for Indian Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation will continue following alleged police repression of an anti-question-paper-leak protest in Delhi on July 20. She also called for the removal of Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and the release of arrested students, saying nationwide programmes would continue. In an interview with PTI, Neha said the campaign had expanded beyond exam paper leaks to demand accountability over policing and the central government’s conduct.

After a 23-day hunger strike, Neha said action against lower-level officials would not be sufficient, arguing that political responsibility lay with Shah and the police commissioner. She alleged that police used excessive force, including pellet guns, tear gas and baton charges, during a march towards Parliament. Delhi Police denied the allegations, while the central government said security personnel acted according to law.

The movement initially sought an investigation into alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and the resignation of then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Its first phase was suspended on July 25 after Pradhan resigned and assurances were given on several demands. A government bill aimed at preventing paper leaks and examination irregularities was later passed in the Rajya Sabha on July 30 amid an opposition walkout.

At a discussion marking the second anniversary of the July Revolution, National Citizen Party convener and opposition chief whip Md Nahid Islam said strong democracy is essential to ensure communal harmony. The event, titled “Harmony in July: Contributions of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Communities in the July Uprising,” was held at the DRU auditorium in the capital on August 1. He said the party still upholds the vision of a discrimination-free and inclusive society raised during the uprising.

Islam said people of all religions and communities participated in the uprising, which he described as secular in character from its beginning. He said at least nine people from minority communities were martyred. He accused the former fascist government of using minority communities as a political card and said minorities should maintain relations with all political parties rather than being linked to one party.

He urged the government to seriously consider the demands of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities and ensure justice for disappearances, killings, land grabbing and other attacks. Islam also said institutional reforms and an independent, impartial judiciary would benefit everyone. Leaders from Buddhist and Christian organizations, NCP representatives and leaders of various communities attended the meeting.

Mahmudur Rahman, editor of Amar Desh, called for a serious assessment of Bangladesh’s development as a nation over the past 55 years and for a clear definition of national identity. Speaking as chief guest at a University Teachers Link seminar at Dhaka University’s Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium on Saturday, he also urged efforts to free higher education from partisan influence and to help teachers develop students into human resources.

He said universities are not only institutions for distributing knowledge but can help shape the future of the state and nation. Rahman called for deeper research into the historical development of Bengali identity and Bangladesh’s national identity. He raised concerns that qualified people have been denied jobs and opportunities at universities because of political affiliation, and urged teachers’ organisations to work together for a merit-based environment.

Rahman said teachers could serve as a strong intellectual pressure group by preparing a clear national roadmap. Lawmaker Engineer Mardia Mumtaz called for regular training and classroom evaluation for university teachers. Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan described UTL’s work during its first year as encouraging.

Indian Muslim leaders have voiced deep concern after Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on Thursday. The measure makes deliberate disrespect for or obstruction of the national song Vande Mataram an offence, punishable by up to three years in prison, a fine, or both. It gives Vande Mataram legal status equal to the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.

In a statement released Friday, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board said the law runs counter to the Constitution, secularism and democratic values, and seriously harms citizens’ religious freedom. Its spokesperson, Dr S. Q. R. Ilyas, said any attempt to make Vande Mataram compulsory for people of all religions and communities was objectionable and contrary to fundamental constitutional principles.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani similarly called the bill contrary to the Constitution and religious freedom, describing it as an effort to divert attention from people’s real problems for electoral politics. He said Muslims do not object to anyone singing or reciting the song, but some sections do not align with Islamic belief and Muslims cannot be compelled to sing or accept it. The board said only its first two verses were adopted nationally after Constituent Assembly discussions.

Authorities and the BNP are making extensive preparations for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s planned visit to flood-affected areas of Banshkhali in Chattogram. The prime minister is scheduled to visit on Sunday, August 9. Security has been strengthened, while preparations are under way for possible visit locations and transport arrangements.

Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah, Superintendent of Police Masud Alam, and South Chattogram district BNP senior joint convenor Mishkatul Islam Chowdhury Pappa inspected the helipad area at Baharchhara sea beach. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ruhul Amin, Banshkhali police station officer-in-charge Md. Rabiul Haque, and other senior administrative officials also joined the inspection.

During the visit, officials reviewed the proposed venue, security arrangements, communications and overall preparations. Pappa said the prime minister was coming to stand beside people affected by flooding. He also said residents of Banshkhali were waiting to welcome the prime minister. Local enthusiasm has been reported around the planned visit, and authorities and relevant stakeholders are continuing preparations to ensure it is orderly and successful.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held a mass procession and brief rally in Ranishankail, Thakurgaon, demanding implementation of the July Charter and the referendum verdict. Organized by the party’s upazila unit on Saturday, the procession travelled through several streets in the town before ending at Shibdighi July Square, where leaders addressed the gathering.

Mizanur Rahman Master, former amir of Thakurgaon district Jamaat, spoke as chief guest. The event was chaired by Upazila Jamaat amir Vice Principal Rafiqul Islam. Speakers included upazila secretary Minnatullah Pathan, district Workers Welfare Federation president Matiur Rahman, upazila youth division president Mokarram Hossain and district Chhatra Shibir president Amir Ahmed, along with other organizational leaders.

Speakers said implementing the July Charter would close avenues for corruption, money laundering and irregularities. They alleged that a group opposed its implementation and did not want to accept the referendum verdict. Calling on the government to act immediately, they said 70 percent of people had supported reforms in the referendum and claimed that delays in implementing reform proposals had created public disappointment.

Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced on Wednesday that he is dissolving his Future Party, or Gelecek Partisi, and stepping back from politics. In a Turkish-language statement posted on X, Davutoglu attributed the move to Turkiye’s “dirty political climate,” saying it was not a surrender but a moral decision to distance himself and a call to rethink politics.

Davutoglu said corruption, favouritism and a lack of accountability were eroding moral values. He also criticised the normalisation of politicians changing parties and the appointment of government trustees, known as kayyum, instead of elected officials, calling these practices a blow to democratic ethics. He warned that the presidential system introduced in 2018 had opened the way to authoritarianism and removed checks and balances.

A former key adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Davutoglu was foreign minister from 2009 to 2014 and later prime minister. Political differences with Erdogan led to his replacement by Binali Yildirim in 2016. Davutoglu left the AKP in September 2019 and launched the conservative, pro-democracy Future Party that December. The party received 0.11 percent of votes in the 2024 elections.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal held a protest procession in the capital on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of the mass uprising. The rally protested what the organisation described as anti-national conspiracies by fallen fascists and political practices outside accepted norms. The procession began in Fakirapul, travelled through major roads in Dhaka, and ended in Kakrail. Central committee vice-president Kazi Zia Uddin Basit led the march.

Leaders and activists from different levels and units of Chhatra Dal joined the demonstration. Participants chanted slogans against the alleged anti-national conspiracies and called for maintaining a democratic environment and political decorum.

Basit said the organisation remained united on the streets to uphold the spirit of the mass uprising and resist all conspiracies against the country's independence, sovereignty and democracy. He also pledged that Chhatra Dal would remain vocal against what it termed anti-national activities and political conduct outside accepted norms. The procession concluded in Kakrail after passing through important city roads.

Public discontent is intensifying in Tunisia five years after President Kais Saied’s power takeover, driven by political repression, a worsening economy, deteriorating public services and prolonged electricity and water shortages. Thousands recently protested in the capital, Tunis, against what they described as Saied’s growing authoritarian rule and declining living conditions. Saied supporters held a counter-rally, calling opponents traitors and demanding their imprisonment.

Human Rights Watch Tunisia director Salsabil Chellali said criticism of the government has become effectively intolerable, alleging that opposition parties, civil society and media have been targeted and political rights curtailed. Many leading government opponents are either imprisoned or in exile. Most senior leaders of Ennahda are detained, including its 85-year-old leader Rached Ghannouchi, whose condition has not been disclosed since he reportedly fainted in prison last month.

A heatwave and wildfires have burned about 4,400 hectares, while rolling blackouts have left some areas without electricity for up to 12 hours. Researcher Hamza Meddeb said censorship makes people fearful of openly blaming the president. Analysts cited continued support for Saied’s government from the European Union, Algeria and Libya, while saying hopes for reforms have diminished.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's Barishal metropolitan unit held a rally and public procession in Barishal on Saturday, August 1, 2026, demanding implementation of the referendum's public verdict and the July Charter. The gathering began at 5:30 pm at Ashwini Kumar Town Hall premises and also protested rising commodity prices and deteriorating law and order.

Assistant Secretary General Advocate Muazzam Hossain Helal, the chief guest, called for swift implementation of the referendum verdict. He also demanded that Sheikh Hasina and her associates allegedly involved in the July killings be brought under the law and tried. Helal urged the administration not to be used for political interests and called for protection of constitutional and democratic rights.

Chairman Maulana Zahir Uddin Muhammad Babar alleged that the home minister had failed to play an effective role in improving law and order. He condemned attacks on July fighters during the second anniversary of the July uprising and demanded the rapid arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved. The procession travelled through major roads, including Sadar Road, Fazlul Haque Avenue and Girja Mohalla, before returning to the Town Hall premises.

DUCSU Vice President Sadiq Kayem said the public would not accept any betrayal of the spirit, sacrifices and popular aspirations of the July movement. He made the remarks as the main speaker at a July conference titled “Jagrat,” held on Friday night at Grand Deshpriyo Restaurant and Convention Hall in Kandirpar, Cumilla city. The event was organised by the Cumilla district unit of the National Doctors Forum.

Kayem said a group was making planned attempts to question the history, sacrifices and achievements of the July movement. He urged people across the country to remain alert to what he described as such activities. He also called for united efforts to uphold national interests and the aspirations of the people.

He said the nation would always remember with respect the sacrifices of those killed in the July movement and the contributions of those injured. Kayem called on people to play a responsible role in building a just, non-discriminatory and democratic Bangladesh guided by the movement’s ideals. National Doctors Forum Secretary General Professor Dr Mahmood Hossain addressed the conference as chief guest.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis adopted nine resolutions at a meeting of its central Majlis-e-Shura for the 2025–2026 session. The session was held on Saturday at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium in Ramna, Dhaka, and was chaired by party Ameer Maulana Muhammad Mamunul Haque. The report was published on August 1, 2026.

The resolutions called for restoring full faith and trust in Allah in the constitution and adding provisions to invalidate laws, rules and policies contrary to the Quran and Sunnah. They also demanded a death-penalty law for insults against Allah, Prophet Muhammad and Islam, implementation of the July Charter and referendum verdict, and international action over alleged persecution of Muslims in Palestine and India. The party reiterated its demand for international recognition of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state.

Other resolutions sought legal measures to declare the Qadiani community non-Muslim at the state level, stronger diplomatic action against alleged push-ins at the border, and steps to control prices and improve law and order. The session also urged Muslim unity for a peaceful movement to establish a caliphate. It condemned an alleged attack on an MCP programme in Habiganj and demanded arrests and punishment of those involved.