Former Netanyahu aide Mitchell Barak said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public rejection of a Gaza plan is primarily linked to the upcoming October election. Citing Al Jazeera, the report said Barak described the rejection as an election-focused political calculation rather than a final change in Netanyahu’s position. He said Netanyahu announced the rejection at a cabinet meeting while his far-right government did not have much time left in power.

Barak said the move was aimed at Netanyahu’s political base rather than Washington. He characterized the position as preliminary and argued that Netanyahu’s key bargaining tool before the election was his relationship with Trump, which Barak called the best relationship with any world leader. According to Barak, Netanyahu does not want to lose that relationship.

Barak said he still expects Israel to accept Trump’s plan sooner or later. He portrayed the rejection not as a permanent rupture with the United States, but as a matter of sequence and timing connected to the disarmament of Hamas. The report presents Barak’s assessment of Netanyahu’s motives and the possible future course of the plan.

The Bangladesh Police Service Association alleged that people described as covert allies of fascist forces, both inside and outside the police, are supplying false, motivated and misleading information to online activists and people it called nominal journalists at home and abroad. In a statement signed by its general secretary and Dhaka district police superintendent Shamima Parvin on Sunday, the association said unverified material was being exaggerated into fabricated stories on social media.

The statement said police morale had gradually been recovering after the August 5, 2024 uprising, with members returning to law-and-order and public-safety duties with renewed energy. It alleged that fugitive and socially isolated fascist forces, along with some self-interested groups, had then engaged in a planned campaign.

According to the association, the alleged misinformation has expanded from targeting individuals to maligning senior police officers and the head of the force. It said this was severely harming the morale of officers returning to duty and obstructing the work drive and effectiveness of a disciplined force. The association condemned the alleged campaign, arguing that efforts driven by personal, group or political interests do not constitute freedom of expression.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Allama Mamnul Haque said his party does not seek the government’s fall but wants to ensure that it does not become fascist. Speaking as chief guest at a citizens’ rally at Sadarpur উপজেলা Stadium field in Faridpur at 5pm on Sunday, August 9, 2026, he called for implementation of the July Charter and the referendum verdict. He said these measures would prevent any future emergence of fascism in the country.

Haque said no prime minister could become authoritarian or fascist if the judiciary remained independent. He said the July Charter should be respected in recognition of the young people who shed blood during the July mass uprising. His remarks linked judicial independence, the charter and implementation of the public verdict with preventing authoritarian rule.

Referring to members of the governing party who call the referendum illegal, Haque said that if the referendum were illegal, the government would also be illegal. He said the government would fail if it failed to implement the July referendum verdict. Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmad and leaders and activists from the 11-party alliance and Jamaat-e-Islami were among those present.

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman called for justice and a merit-based state at a 36 July celebration in Eskaton, Dhaka, on Sunday afternoon. Speaking as chief guest at the Shahid Abu Sayeed Convention Centre, he criticised a neighbouring country’s role and questioned its claim of friendship with Bangladesh while, in his words, giving space and a platform to a major “killer” of the country.

Rahman said the July movement sought to remove divisions and discrimination and build a united nation. Citing a United Nations figure, he said more than 1,400 people were killed in the movement, including 600 to 700 ordinary workers. He said young students, ordinary citizens, workers and religious scholars participated. He warned against the emergence of any new fascism, arguing that the same standard should apply to wrongdoing regardless of who commits it.

He alleged that honest, talented and committed patriots were being harassed and transferred, undermining public service. NDF president Professor Dr Md Nazrul Islam pledged efforts toward a just, merit-based and humane Bangladesh. The event honoured 11 individuals and institutions for contributions across health-related fields.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a proposed agreement concerning a Gaza ceasefire, according to the report. It says the decision has effectively derailed US peace efforts. The White House had announced and promoted the agreement with considerable importance on July 31. The article was published and updated on August 9, 2026.

The report says relations between Trump and Netanyahu have been deteriorating. It also claims that a phone call between them earlier in the year involved extensive insults. Describing Trump as a president who does not like losing respect, particularly on the world stage, the report characterizes Netanyahu’s position as a very dangerous game for the Israeli prime minister.

The article also says candidates targeted for seeking withdrawal of aid to Israel won Democratic primaries despite spending by the pro-Israel lobbying organization AIPAC. It argues that Democrats are moving toward Palestinian interests. It further says the president has full control over the Republican Party and that many Republicans could agree if he raised ending relations with Israel as an issue.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami met a Bangladesh delegation from the International Republican Institute, or IRI, at the party’s central office on Sunday afternoon. The meeting discussed findings and aspects of IRI’s recent nationwide survey, the latest political situation in the country, efforts to strengthen democracy, and the upcoming local government elections.

The meeting was part of an initiative by Sonja Gloeckle, senior director at the Center for Insights in Survey Research, who is visiting Bangladesh to brief political parties on survey findings about the recent post-election situation. IRI Bangladesh Resident Program Director John Fluharty, Technical Adviser Amitabh Ghosh and another Technical Adviser, Ruksana Haque, attended.

Jamaat was represented by Supreme Court senior lawyer and central working council member Shishir Mohammad Munir, as well as Ali Ahmad Mabroor, a member of the opposition leader’s foreign affairs advisory committee. IRI presented several recommendations aimed at strengthening democracy in Bangladesh. Munir also presented Jamaat’s experiences from previous elections, along with the party’s observations and recommendations for ensuring fair future national and local elections.

Bangladesh’s Cabinet Division has formed six committees to manage the swearing-in ceremony for the new president, according to an office order issued on Sunday. The Election Commission announced the presidential election schedule on August 6. The ceremony will be held at a date, time and venue set after approval from the prime minister.

The committees include a coordination committee led by Cabinet Division Secretary for Coordination and Reforms Farah Shammi. Additional Secretary Md Shamim Sohel will lead documentation and record preservation, as well as guest-list preparation and invitation printing. Additional Secretary Mohammad Khaled Hasan will head invitation distribution and receipt verification.

Additional Secretary Md Humayun Kabir will lead seating arrangements, while Additional Secretary Yasmin Begum will head reception arrangements. The committees may include officials and employees as needed, and must quickly convene meetings to prepare work plans. Subcommittee conveners will regularly update the secretary for coordination and reforms and seek necessary instructions. Under the Election Commission schedule, voting in the presidential election will take place on August 20.

Israel has rejected a proposed 15-point plan by US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” concerning the Gaza Strip, according to a report published on August 9, 2026. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas had been fully disarmed.

Netanyahu said Israel rejected the 15-point document and insisted that Hamas must be genuinely disarmed. He said Israel does not seek a nominal or “fake” neutralization of Hamas, but its actual dissolution. In his words, Israel’s objective is Hamas’s real dissolution rather than an imaginary one.

The Israeli prime minister said discussions with the United States are continuing. He stated that some American proposals are acceptable to Israel while others are not. His remarks further highlighted differences between Israel and the United States over an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas’s disarmament. Israel views Hamas’s disarmament as one of the principal conditions for withdrawing its forces from Gaza.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment will work jointly with the United Kingdom to prevent exploitation, irregular migration and human trafficking, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said. He made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook at the ministry on Sunday. The minister said the government is committed to building skilled human resources, ensuring safe and quality employment, and protecting migrant workers’ rights, dignity and overall welfare.

Chowdhury said UK support would be important to strengthen existing technical training centres and Institutes of Marine Technology, including training in green and digital skills. He also sought cooperation in English-language, technical and vocational training to develop workers meeting the needs of the UK labour market and international standards.

The minister stressed maintaining sustainable rehabilitation and social reintegration for returnee workers through the ongoing RAISE project, involving FCDO, ILO and the World Bank. He also highlighted the need for a joint working group to oversee migration and skills-development activities. Cook said the UK is interested in working with Bangladesh to develop skilled workers for international labour markets and raised concerns about safe, regular and reasonably priced labour migration from Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited the grave of Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi, the late amir of Hefazat-e-Islam, at Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Madrasa in Hathazari. He arrived at the madrasa premises at 5:50pm on Sunday, August 9, and recited Fatiha beside the grave. The prime minister also offered prayers seeking forgiveness for the deceased’s soul.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, and State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin were present. Prime Minister’s Defence Affairs Adviser ATM Shamsul Islam, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman, and madrasa principal Maulana Khalil Ahmad Qureshi also attended the visit.

After paying respects at the grave, the principal escorted the prime minister to the second floor of the madrasa, where he exchanged greetings with Islamic scholars. As he departed, students standing in rows on the field greeted him. The prime minister shook hands with the students.

Speakers at a Sunday seminar at the Juhur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club said the Chittagong Hill Tracts are not merely an administrative region in Bangladesh’s state thinking, but a crossroads of history, borders, security, national cohesion, development and geopolitics. The Chittagong Center for Regional Studies, Bangladesh organized the event on the region’s history, identity politics, constitutional position and responses to current challenges.

The seminar was chaired by the organization’s chairman Liaqat Ali Chowdhury. Its executive director, Professor Dr Mahfuz Parvez, presented the keynote paper, while lecturer Abdullah Al Mamun moderated. Panelists included retired Brigadier General S. M. Mahbub-ul-Alam, Kumar Sui Ching Pru Sain, a community leader from Khagrachhari, and Chittagong Hill Tracts and Rohingya specialist Nazmul Islam Chowdhury.

In the keynote, Parvez said the region cannot be understood in isolation because of the Rakhine crisis in Myanmar, Rohingya displacement, China-India competition, Bay of Bengal geopolitics and international NGO politics. He cited inter-group conflict, extortion, illegal weapons, cross-border links, drugs, human trafficking, information warfare, foreign influence and corridor politics as current concerns.

BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is reportedly close to securing the party’s nomination for Bangladesh’s next president. A senior BNP leader told Daily Wada that party chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had nearly finalised Fakhrul’s nomination. No formal party announcement on the decision has been reported.

Several senior BNP leaders told Daily Wada that the full authority to select the candidate rests with Tarique Rahman and that they had not been formally informed. However, a leader close to the prime minister confirmed that Fakhrul Islam’s name had been finalised, according to the report. Tarique Rahman had earlier been given responsibility for finalising the party’s presidential candidate.

BNP has begun formal preparations for the presidential election, collecting two nomination forms from the Election Commission on Sunday. Vice Chairman and parliamentary Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi collected them in Agargaon. The Election Commission set August 20 for the vote. The office became vacant after Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu resigned on July 24, while Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has been serving as acting president.

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman will travel to Gaibandha on Monday to attend several party programmes, according to the party’s central publicity department. In the morning, he will meet and exchange views with the families of Shibir leader Saifullah Bari and Jamaat worker Salauddin, who were killed in an attack in Saghatta on June 21.

The report describes the attack as having been carried out by ruling-party terrorists. Rahman will later speak as chief guest at a public rally scheduled for 10am at Bonarpara-Kazi Azhar Ali High School field in Saghatta upazila.

The gathering will demand justice for the killings and protest what organisers describe as a deterioration in law and order across the country. Special guests are expected to include Jamaat assistant secretary general Maulana Abdul Halim, central executive council member Principal Shahabuddin, Islami Chhatra Shibir secretary general Sibgatullah Sibga, and Gaibandha district amir Abdul Karim MP. Gaibandha-5 lawmaker and freedom fighter Abdul Warech will chair the rally.

National Students’ Power, the student wing of the National Citizen Party, has demanded that the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum be developed into an inclusive repository of sacrifices from people across the country. In a statement sent by its general secretary Abu Bakar Majumdar on Sunday, the group said the museum risks becoming an account of a specific political party’s history.

The organisation described the 2024 July mass uprising as a universal awakening of students and the public against fascism. It said the museum was meant to document repression during the previous 15 years of authoritarian rule while preserving the universal memories of the uprising. However, it alleged that no significant memory of the movement’s main platform, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has been retained there.

National Students’ Power also alleged that memorial items related to killings at the Indian border and the anti-Modi movement were removed. It said the museum largely presents Dhaka-centred events while overlooking contributions and memories from districts and marginal areas, as well as distinctive programme names that inspired the Gen-Z generation. The group urged that the museum not be used for narrow partisan interests.

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh presented a nine-point set of demands to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at a meeting in Babunagar Madrasa in Fatikchhari, Chattogram, on Sunday afternoon. The demands were raised during a meeting and exchange of views with the group’s ameer, Allama Muhibbullah Babunagari. They include legislation carrying the maximum punishment for insulting Allah, Prophet Muhammad, the Quran and Islam, and a call not to pass laws conflicting with the Quran and Sunnah.

The organisation also sought exemplary trials over killings at Shapla Chattar on May 5, 2013, during the 2021 anti-Modi movement, and in July-August 2024. It called for implementation of master’s-equivalent recognition for Dawra-e-Hadith qualifications from Qawmi madrasas, including their recognition in government recruitment notices for religious teachers. It further demanded compulsory Islamic religious education for Muslim students from primary through higher secondary levels.

Other demands include declaring the Qadiani community non-Muslim, banning Hizb ut Towhid, and stopping what it described as missionary activities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Hefazat also demanded withdrawal of cases it called false against religious scholars and continued clerical oversight of Tablighi Jamaat activities and the Tongi Bishwa Ijtema.