Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the United Kingdom as the “Islamic Republic of Britain” while criticising recent British media coverage of Israel and the UK government’s policies. He made the remark on the Israeli podcast “Melekh Blitzar Haim,” broadcast on Thursday. Netanyahu cited British writer Randolph Churchill’s positive coverage of Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and said similar coverage would be difficult to find in Britain today.

Netanyahu also referred to a 2022 comment by US Vice President JD Vance about Britain possibly becoming the first nuclear-armed Islamist country. Raising Iran, Netanyahu said they were ensuring that another country like Iran would not emerge there. Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy, co-leaders of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, called the language dangerous and irresponsible amid fears caused by antisemitism, Islamophobia and social division. They said Netanyahu does not represent British Jews.

Former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell described the statement as overt Islamophobia. The report says UK-Israel tensions have increased since Labour took power in 2024. University College London associate professor Radwan Abuharb called the comments a new low in relations, while noting significant policy alignment between the countries on Iran.

International Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwat Bangladesh is set to hold a national ulema and mashayekh conference in the capital, calling for the Qadiani community to be declared non-Muslim by the state and for all its publications to be confiscated. The conference is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Engineers Institution auditorium in Ramna.

The organization’s president, Shaykh Allama Sajidur Rahman, and secretary general, Maulana Muhiuddin Rabbani, urged the public to make the event successful. In a joint statement sent to the media on Friday, they made a particular appeal to religious scholars, mashayekh, imams and khatibs to attend.

The leaders said building national unity was an urgent need to preserve the belief in Khatme Nabuwat and prevent what they described as Qadiani activities. They called the planned conference a historic and significant initiative and invited scholars and conscious citizens from all levels to participate. They also prayed that the gathering would strengthen efforts to protect religion, faith and Khatme Nabuwat, while reinforcing unity, brotherhood and religious consciousness among the ummah.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and the prime minister’s political adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said he had not received any instruction regarding the formation of a new Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal central committee. He spoke at a press conference in Nayapaltan, Dhaka, on Friday afternoon after the organisation’s president Rakibul Islam Rakib and general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir indicated they were leaving the body.

Journalists asked whether a new Chhatra Dal committee could be announced that day. Rizvi replied that no such direction or instruction had reached him. He said that if a decision of that nature had been made, it would come to him.

Rizvi said the party high command was undoubtedly speaking with the student leaders, but he could not say at that moment what had been discussed or what instructions had been given. He added that if anything reached a final stage or a new decision was made, journalists would be informed through a press series.

Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam Party expressed deep concern and strong anger over allegations that Friday azan broadcasts were stopped through loudspeakers at several mosques in Kolkata and that loudspeakers were removed from many mosques. Acting Amir Allama Abdul Qayyum Subhani and Secretary-General Maulana Musa bin Izhar made the comments in a joint statement sent to the media on August 14.

The leaders said allegations of removing mosque loudspeakers and obstructing the normal broadcasting of azan should not be treated lightly. They said any noise-pollution law should be enforced equally for everyone. They argued that administrative pressure, intimidation or discriminatory measures directed at the places of worship of a particular religious community would directly harm religious freedom and the rule of law.

The statement described azan as an important religious symbol for Muslims and said attempts to restrict it under the pretext of noise control would be unacceptable. The leaders called differing enforcement against places of worship of different religions a troubling double standard for a democratic state. They said lasting social harmony requires justice and equal rights, warning that deprivation of religious rights and discriminatory law enforcement cannot establish permanent peace.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to India remains unconfirmed despite an invitation as a special guest to the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. Indian media outlets have published conflicting reports on the possible trip amid sensitivities in Bangladesh-India relations over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s remarks while in India and Bangladesh’s request for her extradition.

The Tribune reported on Friday that Rahman would not visit India until Hasina is extradited to Bangladesh. It said he conveyed this directly to Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi at a meeting in Dhaka on August 10, and described the prospects for both a bilateral visit and BRICS participation as “fifty-fifty.” After the meeting, the high commissioner told journalists there was no issue that could not be resolved through discussions between the two countries.

NDTV, however, reported that preparations were under way for Rahman to visit New Delhi in the second half of next week. It said the trip, if realised, would be his first as prime minister and could include talks with Narendra Modi on trade, energy, border management and regional security. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry has not officially confirmed either outcome.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam said all local government elections, including those in five city corporations, will be completed within the current fiscal year. He made the statement on Friday morning while visiting the Victoria High School field in Sreemangal, Moulvibazar. He said the current government was advancing necessary activities to meet that goal.

The minister later held an exchange meeting with journalists at the Sreemangal Press Club. He provided Tk 50,000 in financial assistance for the club's development and said he would continue to focus on its advancement and the welfare of journalists. Attendees included Moulvibazar-4 lawmaker Haji Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, district council administrator VP Mizan Rahman, district BNP convener Faizur Karim Moyun, local leaders and journalists.

During the visit, Shahe Alam inaugurated a seven-storey housing project building for the Harijan community in Sreemangal municipality. He also initiated construction of a walkway at the Victoria High School field, inspected road construction in Mohajirabad, and planted a rose apple sapling. Later, he visited the municipality's long-troubled waste dumping site and sought updates on its current condition from relevant officials.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Kishoreganj on Sunday, his first trip to the district since taking office. The daylong programme has created a festive atmosphere across the district, with administrative preparations under way and BNP leaders and activists expressing enthusiasm. Planned events include family card distribution, honorariums for imams and muezzins, and several fisheries-sector activities.

After arriving by road, the prime minister will release fish fry into the Old Brahmaputra River at the Mirzapur Chairman Bari Ghat area of Pakundia. He will also distribute fry, exchange greetings with local residents, visit the Katiadi Carp Hatchery Complex, and attend the opening and prize-giving ceremony of National Fisheries Week 2026 at Achmita George Institution field.

The itinerary also includes inaugurating government development activities at the historic Sholakiah Eidgah ground and joining a tree-planting programme organized by Chhatra Dal. At Kishoreganj municipality's old stadium, he will launch family card distribution, grants, and honorariums for religious institution workers. Local representatives said preparations were complete, while district BNP leaders voiced hopes for action on transport, healthcare, agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure.

Islami Andolon Bangladesh Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman said the government has not delivered anything sufficiently encouraging after 180 days in office. He made the remarks on Friday afternoon as chief guest at a Shura session of Islami Andolon Bangladesh’s Dhaka North unit at As-Saeed Milonayeton in Bhatara, the capital.

Rahman said the government took office with major expectations and responsibility following the fall of fascism. He alleged that the mandatory 180-day period for implementing the July Charter had been completely ignored. He also said the required deadline for forming an upper house had not been observed.

According to Rahman, the failures he cited amount to a clear disregard and contempt for the public mandate. The session was chaired by Dhaka North president Principal Hafez Maulana Sheikh Fazle Bari Masud and conducted by acting secretary Engineer Murad Hossain. Central office secretary Maulana Lokman Hossain Jafri and central legal affairs secretary Advocate Shawkat Ali Howlader were among the special guests who spoke.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Gholam Parwar said any referendum verdict must be implemented in full if voters approve it, arguing that people cannot accept one part of their vote while rejecting another. He made the remarks as chief guest at Youth Conference-26, organized by Khulna Metropolitan Jamaat’s youth and sports department for International Youth Day 2026 at Khulna Press Club on August 14. He also urged young people to safeguard expectations for state reform following the July uprising.

Parwar said political culture must change to realize the uprising’s aspirations. He said a new Bangladesh should have no place for extortion, terrorism, looting, corruption, partisan control or attacks on dissent. He called on young people to help break syndicates involving extortion, intimidation, looting and drugs at district, উপজেলা, union and ward levels, while criticizing violence against women and children, rape, extortion and political terrorism.

He alleged that Chhatra Dal activists were involved in attacks and clashes at educational institutions and criticized alleged partisan appointments to public bodies. Parwar also said Jamaat had nominated Khulna Metropolitan Amir Mahfuzur Rahman for mayor in the Khulna City Corporation election and aimed to field councilor candidates in all 31 wards. A rally after the conference ended at Ferry Ghat intersection.

Jamaat-e-Islami central executive council member Advocate Motiur Rahman Akand said those who label the party “secret” and “dormant” will disappear, while Jamaat will continue to survive. He made the remarks on Friday at a unit representatives’ conference organized by Jamaat’s Sher-e-Banglanagar North police station unit at the National Archives auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka.

Akand said Jamaat had endured despite being banned four times and would continue to exist in the future. He also said only Awami League and “Indian agents” could call Jamaat anti-independence. He argued that political actors who sought to block opponents had disappeared into history, while people had rejected those who said they would not make concessions.

Referring to the trial of Allama Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, Akand said four judges delivered three verdicts in the case, describing it as a rare example in judicial history. He alleged that Jamaat leaders did not receive fair trials and were victims of judicial killing. He said the party would present alleged irregularities in those trials to the international community and parliament.

Indian social activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has called for a peaceful revolution in the country’s method of selecting political leaders. In a video message issued ahead of Independence Day, he urged the start of a “second independence movement” for India. Wangchuk said fundamental changes were needed to make India a developed and respectable state by 2047, and asked citizens to identify selfless, fearless, principled and capable women and men from their regions.

Wangchuk said he had used a recent period of illness to reflect on India’s future. Comparing India’s progress with several Asian neighbouring countries, he warned that the country could fall behind its development goals if its current course continues. He linked national progress to the strength of the education system, saying the country’s future would remain behind as long as education lagged.

He said India’s problems could not be blamed on one political party, arguing that governments led by different parties had treated dissent similarly. Wangchuk also raised concerns over elected representatives facing serious criminal allegations. He plans to consult people across Indian states and cities, meet individuals able to help devise a new map for political and institutional change, and encourage wider circulation and regional-language translation of his message.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian congratulated Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day, saying the interests and destinies of Iran and Pakistan are more closely intertwined than ever. In the message, published on August 14, he said this reality had doubled the need for closer coordination and cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad.

Pezeshkian described the anniversary as a valuable opportunity to recall the achievements of Pakistan’s great nation. He also called it a new juncture for deepening the long-standing and strategic relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Iranian president said the countries’ deep historical, cultural, civilizational and people-to-people ties were valuable assets for opening a brighter horizon in bilateral relations.

The president said Iran remained firmly determined to strengthen relations with Pakistan. He said Tehran was prepared to take more effective steps to reinforce bilateral ties and safeguard the common interests of both nations, based on mutual trust and respect and by using the extensive capacities already available between the two countries.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi described the late Begum Khaleda Zia as a “symbol” of the 1990 anti-autocracy movement and the struggle of students and the public. He made the remarks at a press conference held on Friday at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan, Dhaka.

Rizvi said BNP would hold special prayer gatherings on Saturday in Dhaka and across the country to mark Khaleda Zia’s birth anniversary. He said the gatherings would take place simultaneously at party offices in every district and upazila.

A special prayer gathering has also been arranged at the BNP central office in Nayapaltan. Rizvi further said another special prayer gathering would be held at 11 a.m. at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office. Leaders and activists from different levels of BNP attended the press conference.

Hard-right leader Nigel Farage won the by-election held in Clacton, United Kingdom, according to results announced shortly after 6 a.m. local time on Friday. Farage received 22,239 votes, while Count Binface, who finished second, received 9,455 votes. The vote was held on Thursday, and Farage defeated his rival by a wide margin.

Farage declared himself the winner before counting had finished while speaking to supporters on Friday, although he was not present for the official result announcement. His victory was widely expected because he had already been the constituency's MP. None of the country's main political parties fielded a candidate in the seat, according to the report.

Farage and Count Binface finished ahead of a range of independent candidates and candidates from marginal or less influential political parties. Counting took place at Clacton Leisure Centre, where candidates on stage were seen congratulating one another after the result. Many candidates received fewer than 100 votes. Turnout was 44 percent, compared with 59 percent in the constituency during the 2024 general election. Officials had said the long ballot paper could make counting take longer than usual.

Many mosques in Kolkata and adjoining areas did not broadcast the Friday call to prayer on August 14, according to the report, which said some worshippers were unable to join prayers properly. The report linked the situation to alleged removal of mosque loudspeakers and said fear and frustration had spread among Muslims. It also alleged that the BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had stopped road prayers.

An imam from Park Circus alleged that loudspeakers were being taken away and urged people to raise the national flag at home on Independence Day, August 15. At the Calcutta High Court, lawyer Kalyan Banerjee alleged that police assistance was used to remove loudspeakers from about 4,000 mosques without written notice, acting only on verbal instructions.

The state’s Additional Advocate General disputed the case’s basis, saying police had issued no such removal order and that no specific evidence or officer had been identified. The court sought detailed information on affected districts and mosques and asked whether sound rules for the call to prayer were being followed. The next hearing is scheduled for August 18, with the state directed to state its position beforehand. The chief minister said 4,200 mosques and 1,096 temples had their loudspeakers removed under 2020 guidelines.