The Chhatak Upazila Ulama Unity Council organized a human chain in Jaua Bazar, Sunamganj, on Wednesday afternoon demanding an end to the persecution of Muslims in India, protection of religious institutions, and a ban on ISKCON. The event, held at noon, was presided over by Maulana Mufti Abdus Sobhan, president of the council, and attended by teachers, clerics, worshippers, and local residents from various professions.

Speakers at the gathering called for immediate action to stop killings and oppression of Muslims in India, attacks on mosques and madrasas, and the killing of Bangladeshi citizens along the border. They also demanded an end to anti-Bangladesh conspiracies and provocative activities. The participants described ISKCON as a Hindutva organization and urged its prohibition.

Additionally, the speakers demanded the cancellation of the death sentence of Maulana Hafiz Naeem and the withdrawal of what they termed politically motivated cases against Islamic scholars.

A BNP leader in Lakshmipur’s Raipur upazila has accused a former Jubo Dal leader and his associates of demanding Tk 5 lakh in extortion. The allegation was made by Shahjahan Kabiraj, president of the BNP’s Ward No. 4 unit in Uttar Charbanshi Union, during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Several local BNP members were present at the event.

According to Shahjahan Kabiraj, former Jubo Dal leader Zakir Hossain, along with his brother Tofazzal and others, demanded money from him and others involved in land transactions. He claimed the group regularly extorts money from land buyers and sellers and obstructs land possession if payments are not made. Zakir Hossain denied the allegation, saying both parties had purchased land in the same area and that the dispute was over property, not extortion. Local BNP general secretary Imam Hossain Gazi also stated that the issue stemmed from a land dispute, not extortion.

Police confirmed that Zakir had filed a case against Shahjahan over the land issue, but no formal complaint regarding extortion had been submitted.

Bangladesh National Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is set to travel to Tehran to attend the state funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His visit comes at the invitation of Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, according to a source from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan confirmed that the state funeral and prayer ceremonies for Ayatollah Khamenei will take place from July 4 to 9 in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad. Speaker Hafiz Uddin will represent the Bangladesh government and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the ceremonies.

Ayatollah Khamenei was reportedly killed in a joint attack by the United States and Israel in February, the report added.

Nasiruddin Patwari, the chief coordinator of the National Citizens Party (NCP), is set to travel to Iran to attend the funeral and state mourning ceremony of the country’s supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to NCP sources, Patwari applied for a visa at the Iranian Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday, and the approval was confirmed on Wednesday. His travel schedule has not yet been finalized, but arrangements for flight tickets are currently underway.

In addition to Patwari, Speaker of the National Parliament Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and a delegation from Jamaat-e-Islami led by the party’s Nayeb-e-Ameer, Professor Mujibur Rahman, are also expected to attend the funeral and mourning events in Iran. The report did not specify the exact date of departure or details of the ceremonies.

The participation of multiple political figures from Bangladesh underscores the significance of the event and reflects diplomatic and religious ties between the two nations.

The Government of Bangladesh has sent 600 kilograms of Haribhanga and Amrapali mangoes as a goodwill gift to Manik Saha, Chief Minister of India’s Tripura state, and other key officials. The consignment, packed in 120 cartons, was delivered on Tuesday afternoon through the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria and reached the Agartala land port. Customs clearance was handled by Suayeb Trade International, a clearing and forwarding agent at the Akhaura port.

According to port sources, this mango exchange is part of an annual tradition in which the Prime Minister of Bangladesh sends mangoes to Tripura’s leadership. In return, the Tripura government sends Bangladesh’s Prime Minister the state’s famous ‘Queen’ variety pineapples. The mangoes were handed over to the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala for distribution to the intended recipients.

Suayeb Trade International’s proprietor, Rajib Bhuiyan, confirmed that the mangoes were cleared through customs and delivered to the Assistant High Commission, which will oversee their distribution among Tripura’s officials.

Iran has issued a strong warning to Israel after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had been “marked for assassination.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the statement, calling it a violation of respect toward Iran’s leadership and warning that any disobedience by Israel’s allies would be met with a firm response.

Araghchi referred to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying its terms were clear and open to all, and accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of promising to silence Israel’s “pets” in Tel Aviv. He added that if they defied their “master,” Iran would teach them a lesson. Katz’s earlier remarks, published in Israeli media, described Iran as a “bargaining merchant” seeking advantage through negotiations and vowed that Israel would never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.

Araghchi concluded that any threat against Iran’s people or leadership would be met with an immediate and powerful response, underscoring rising tensions between the two countries.

The National Implementation Committee on Administrative Reorganization (Nicar) has approved the formation of three new upazilas and one police station in Bangladesh. The decision was made on Wednesday morning during Nicar’s 121st meeting held at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. According to the approved proposal, the new upazilas are Fatikchhari North in Chattogram, Bangra in Cumilla, and Pagla in Mymensingh. Additionally, a new police station named Halda has been created by dividing Hathazari Police Station in Chattogram.

The meeting was attended by several cabinet members, including the ministers of local government, finance and planning, home, commerce, law, road transport, housing, and state minister for public administration, along with the cabinet secretary and the principal secretary to the prime minister. The approval marks a continuation of the government’s administrative restructuring efforts aimed at improving local governance and service delivery.

The newly approved administrative units are expected to enhance local administration and bring government services closer to residents in the respective areas, though implementation timelines were not specified in the meeting details.

Iran is completing final preparations in Tehran for the state funeral of its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israel airstrike on February 28. The ceremony will begin Saturday at the Grand Mosalla complex, where his body will lie in state for public tribute. Workers are finalizing decorations and security arrangements, while authorities have declared public holidays and restricted traffic across central Tehran.

According to officials, between 15 and 20 million people are expected to attend, making it the largest state funeral in Iran’s history. A separate event for foreign dignitaries will be held Friday, with representatives from about 30 countries expected. Iran’s foreign ministry said no formal invitations were sent to European nations, criticizing their stance on the U.S.-Israel war. The ceremony coincides with six months of nationwide protests over rising living costs.

After the Tehran events, Khamenei’s body will be taken to Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala before burial on July 9 in Mashhad. It remains unclear whether his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, will attend the main ceremony.

The Ghatail branch of the Bangladesh Nationalist Small Ethnic Group Party has formed a new convening committee. The committee was approved on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, by Tangail district branch president Advocate Jon Jetra and general secretary Pabitra Simsang. The announcement was made in Ghatail, Tangail.

According to the approved structure, Swapan Chandra Koch from Ghorarteki village has been appointed as the convener, while Parimon Barman from Dhalua Rasulpur village will serve as the member secretary. The committee consists of a total of 13 members. The formation marks an organizational step for the party’s activities in the Ghatail upazila area.

The report did not include further details about the committee’s plans or upcoming programs following its formation.

Former State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Advocate Dipen Dewan is set to return to his constituency in Rangamati on Wednesday, one month after resigning from his ministerial post. His personal assistant Md Al Amin confirmed the visit, saying Dewan will meet local BNP leaders and activists at the district party office and later attend various official and political programs in the area.

Dewan had resigned from his ministerial position on June 1, citing health reasons, only three months after taking oath as minister. Since his resignation, he had been staying at his residence in Dhaka and attended the national parliament’s budget session during that period.

Local party sources said his supporters in Rangamati are preparing to welcome him with a motor procession from Ghagra in Kaukhali upazila, reflecting enthusiasm among followers ahead of his return.

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman stated that a political crisis has emerged due to the government’s failure to honor the results of a referendum. He made the remarks on Wednesday morning during a citizens’ gathering and discussion meeting held in Dhaka-15 constituency, organized to address public suffering in the area.

Speaking on the national budget, Rahman said that the outcome was close to what he had anticipated. He emphasized that only through joint efforts of the government, opposition parties, and ordinary citizens could the country’s problems be resolved quickly. He also urged cooperation with law enforcement to improve public security and advised families to remain vigilant about their children’s movements and companions.

The event reflected ongoing political tensions and calls for collective responsibility in addressing governance and social issues in Bangladesh.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has accused current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being unable to govern independently, claiming he is controlled by far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, and ultra-Orthodox groups. In an interview with podcast host Mario Nawfal, Bennett said Netanyahu’s dependence on these figures has left him incapable of managing his own government.

Bennett, who leads the Bennett 2026 party, stated that he would never include individuals like Ben-Gvir or Smotrich in his cabinet, describing their remarks as foolish. He argued that Netanyahu can no longer restrain them because his political survival depends on their support. Bennett also said Israel’s international image has suffered due to the government’s actions and ministers’ repeated missteps, alongside a failure in public diplomacy.

He further criticized Israel’s prolonged conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, saying they contradict the country’s military doctrine. Bennett and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid have recently formed a coalition named “Together” aimed at unseating Netanyahu in the upcoming election.

Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizens Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam has warned that if the 'July Uprising Memorial Museum' is not reopened by August 5, the public will open it themselves. He made the statement on July 1 in Dhaka’s Rayerbazar after paying tribute at the mass grave of those killed in the July uprising.

Nahid Islam said two years have passed since the July uprising, yet the government has not fulfilled the promise of justice for the July massacre or the vision of a reformed, discrimination-free democratic Bangladesh. He urged the government to prove its support for the uprising. The NCP leader announced a 36-day program beginning July 1 to commemorate the uprising, with events planned in Dhaka and across the country.

He also paid tribute to the approximately 1,400 martyrs and 300 injured fighters of the July uprising, as well as students from various educational institutions who participated under the banner of the anti-discrimination student movement.

Pakistan’s Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik warned that any attempt by India to block or control Pakistan’s share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty would face severe retaliation. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Malik said that Pakistan would not tolerate interference with its water rights, responding to recent remarks by India’s Water Resources Minister C.R. Patil, who claimed India was ensuring no water flowed to Pakistan after suspending the 1960 treaty.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allocates six rivers between the two countries—three western rivers to Pakistan and three eastern rivers to India. India suspended the treaty following a deadly attack in Kashmir last year, which brought the two nations close to war. Pakistan argues that India is using water as a political weapon and warns that altering cross-border river flows would be considered an act of war.

Pakistan hosted an international conference on Tuesday to discuss water rights, with experts examining the treaty’s legal basis, regional security, and conflict prevention.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has initiated a new phase of Bangladesh’s independent foreign policy through his first official visits to Malaysia and China. The visits resulted in a Dhaka–Beijing joint declaration and several memoranda of understanding, marking what the article describes as a revival of the independent diplomatic path once shaped by former president Ziaur Rahman. The agreements include cooperation on defense, the Teesta project, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the Bangladesh–Myanmar–China economic corridor, alongside Bangladesh’s reaffirmation of the One China policy.

The report portrays the visits as a strategic move to strengthen Bangladesh’s sovereignty and reduce Indian influence, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in the July 24 revolution. It claims that India and the United States have expressed concern over Bangladesh’s growing ties with China, particularly regarding defense and economic cooperation. The article also references past efforts under Khaleda Zia’s “Look East” policy and suggests that the new government aims to revive regional connectivity through Chinese-backed initiatives.

According to the article, the Dhaka–Beijing partnership could elevate Bangladesh’s regional role and open new opportunities for trade and strategic collaboration if implemented effectively.