Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami condemned India’s government over its alleged role in allowing former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to conduct anti-Bangladesh activities and conspiracies while in India. In a statement issued Friday, August 7, the party’s secretary general, Mia Golam Porwar, described India’s conduct as outside diplomatic norms and a serious violation of international diplomatic rules.

Porwar said Bangladesh is committed to respectful diplomatic relations with India and other countries on the basis of equality, while respecting all states’ independence and sovereignty. He alleged that India had not acted on Bangladesh’s diplomatic requests to stop Hasina’s activities in Delhi and had continued to provide her shelter. He said Bangladesh’s interim government had written to India several times requesting her return, while alleging that a bilateral prisoner-exchange agreement was being ignored.

Jamaat called on India to revise its position and hand Hasina over to Bangladesh. Porwar also urged the current government to take effective steps, seek an Interpol Red Notice and request United Nations assistance. He said the public should remain vigilant and united against what he described as fascist conspiracies.

Nurul Haque Nur, state minister for expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment and president of Gono Odhikar Parishad, said lawmakers should receive a monthly salary of Tk5 lakh and ministers Tk10 lakh. He made the proposal on Friday at an event of the Bangladesh Government Officers and Employees Welfare Association at the National Press Club, arguing that higher pay could reduce corruption and strengthen representatives’ financial ability to perform their duties.

He said an MP’s basic salary is currently about Tk55,000, with total earnings of roughly Tk170,000, while a minister’s basic salary is about Tk105,000 and a state minister’s Tk92,000. According to Nur, representatives face requests in their constituencies for medical assistance, weddings and sports prizes that cannot be met from their current income.

Nur said representatives without substantial personal wealth may face temptation to collect money through undesirable means to meet social expectations. Citing Singapore and Malaysia, he called for respectable salaries and allowances for elected representatives. He also proposed that MPs use government vehicles during their terms and return them to the transport pool afterward, and stressed the need for effective implementation of labour law.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, is considering spending tens of millions of dollars to support Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan, according to a report published on August 7, 2026. The move follows its unsuccessful effort to defeat pro-Palestinian Democratic candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic primary. El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination and will face Rogers next November.

AIPAC’s main super PAC, the United Democracy Project, spent about $32 million attacking El-Sayed and backing its preferred candidate, but did not prevent his nomination victory. The report described the result as AIPAC’s most expensive defeat in a direct federal election. Citing The New York Times, it said the United Democracy Project held more than $80 million in reserves at the end of June, giving it capacity for another major campaign.

Pre-election polling cited in the report found that 49 percent of Michigan Democratic voters viewed AIPAC negatively, while 12 percent viewed it positively. It also said 64 percent of voters were less likely to support candidates accepting AIPAC donations. Pew Research Center figures cited in the article showed 60 percent of Americans held unfavorable views of Israel, including 80 percent of Democrats.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said initiatives would be taken to establish army camps in necessary areas to curb kidnappings in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar, and elsewhere in the country. He made the remarks on Friday while answering journalists' questions after laying the foundation stone for a new building at the 500-bed Cox's Bazar Medical College Hospital. He said the GOC would review the situation and that the government would ask the army to set up camps where needed.

Ahmed said he hoped the measure would effectively suppress or significantly reduce kidnapping, which he described as a heinous crime. He also alleged that efforts were being made from abroad to create instability in Bangladesh, referring to Sheikh Hasina, and said Bangladeshis would not accept such politics. He said those responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity had shown no remorse and had not sought forgiveness from the people.

Earlier, at 11 a.m., the minister inaugurated the Cox's Bazar Development Authority's Flat Development Project-01. He urged officials to plan tourism development while preserving nature, saying tourism should not be limited to constructing tall buildings. He called for tourism-friendly activities across Cox's Bazar's full 100-kilometre beach stretch and said some ecologically critical areas would be reviewed through surveys for tourism development.

BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party faces a “ruin” whenever it comes to power, arguing that it repeatedly inherits a damaged situation. He made the remarks on Friday, August 7, at a seminar titled “The Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy,” organized by the Television Editors Council at Hotel Holiday Inn in the capital.

Fakhrul alleged that the previous government conducted no gas exploration and instead created an import-dependent system. He said the power sector had been damaged through quick-rental power plants and that banks had been exhausted, leaving the government with difficult challenges in repairing them.

Calling democracy a culture, Fakhrul said sustainable democracy cannot be established unless it is reflected in people’s thinking and conduct. He urged tolerance of differing views, criticism of the government alongside time for it to work, and stronger institutional foundations for media outlets. In the keynote paper, Independent Television Chief News Editor Mostafa Akmal said political pressure, enforcement of digital laws and surveillance had prevented media from operating independently over the past decade and a half.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said central government spending on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign trips totalled Rs 557 crore 51 lakh 34 thousand 18 rupees and 56 paise from 2021 through July this year. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita provided the figures in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, responding to questions from AAP MP Sanjay Singh and CPI MP V Sivadasan.

The ministry said Modi’s bilateral overseas visits between January and July this year cost Rs 74 crore 58 lakh 93 thousand 797 rupees. During that period, he visited 13 countries: Malaysia, Israel, the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, Slovakia, Seychelles, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. The most expensive trip this year was his Norway visit in the second half of May, costing Rs 17 crore 46 lakh 50 thousand 390 rupees.

His February visit to Israel cost Rs 11 crore 92 lakh 25 thousand 938 rupees, according to the ministry. It said a France trip in February last year cost Rs 25 crore 59 lakh 82 thousand 902 rupees. The ministry said the figures reflected actual expenditure and did not account for inflation or changes in currency exchange rates.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman said Sheikh Hasina should return to Bangladesh in December, as she reportedly said she would, and go to prison through legal process over responsibility for genocide. He made the remarks on Friday morning at the Shailkupa উপজেলা Parishad auditorium in Jhenaidah, while addressing an exchange meeting titled “Agami Shailkupa” and a memorial for late artist Mustafa Monowar.

The minister said it could not be denied that Hasina had been involved in killing, enforced disappearances and genocide, and said she must return if she wants to face those truths. Addressing people who speak frequently about her return, he asked whether she had apologized to the public after so many alleged crimes or ever felt that wrongdoing had been committed.

Asaduzzaman also outlined his vision for a judiciary that poor and helpless people can trust. He acknowledged reported concerns including corruption, brokers and structural shortcomings, but said the judiciary’s biggest crisis was a lack of judges with humane values. The event was attended by the district commissioner, police superintendent, Shailkupa upazila executive officer and the upazila BNP general secretary.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is visiting Saudi Arabia, a trip described as significant as the region passes through a critical period. The report, published on August 7, 2026, says regional security is a top priority for Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Turkey and Pakistan both share borders with Iran, making instability in the region a direct concern for them.

Preparations for the initiative began in April, when the so-called R-4 countries—Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey—met in Riyadh for the first time. According to the report, Pakistan was assigned responsibility for mediating efforts to ease ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States.

The foreign ministers of the four countries have held several meetings over the past 24 hours, with the report suggesting that discussion points were largely finalized there. It says regional powers are moving toward cooperation by combining military capabilities, technology, energy resources and Saudi Arabia’s financial strength. The move is viewed as important in light of the Middle East situation following the Iran war.

US Vice President JD Vance has drawn renewed attention for using personal attacks, sarcasm and ridicule on social media when responding to critics. A report published on August 7, 2026 said Vance commented on conservative columnist Marc Thiessen’s physical appearance after Thiessen criticized his position on Iran. Responding to Thiessen’s post about burritos on university menus, Vance suggested that Thiessen may have taken burritos from a cafeteria more than once.

The report says Vance has long used direct and aggressive language against left-wing critics, journalists and conservatives in his own party, calling opponents “stupid,” “incompetent” or “shameful.” Kevin Kellems, communications director to former Vice President Dick Cheney, said such behavior was not fitting for the office. Jamal Simmons, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, suggested Vance may be positioning himself for support in the 2028 presidential election.

Vance’s aides and supporters defend the approach as candid politics, saying he speaks directly like ordinary people and challenges elite conventions. Vance has said social media lets him hear unfiltered public views. He previously removed the X app from his phone for a period as part of religious practice, saying time away made him more focused and productive. The recent Thiessen exchange indicates he remains active in confrontational online engagement.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman MP urged journalists to deliver truthful, objective and public-interest news at a meeting with reporters and media workers in Bagerhat on Friday morning. He spoke as chief guest at the event held in the Bagerhat Circuit House conference room and organised by the party’s Bagerhat district branch.

Rahman described journalists as a mirror of society and said they have an important role in serving the country and the nation. He said independent and responsible media are indispensable for national development, good governance and accountability. He also called for an environment in which journalists can publish the truth without fear, while urging people to remain cautious about misleading information and propaganda.

He said political parties, civil society and the media must work together to build Bangladesh as a just, humane and discrimination-free state. Journalists from print, electronic and online outlets attended the meeting, raising questions on local and national matters. Discussions covered media freedom, good governance, corruption prevention, development and public-interest issues. Bagerhat district Ameer Maulana Rezaul Karim chaired the event.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will visit Banshkhali in Chattogram on Sunday to meet people affected by recent severe flooding and hand over keys to newly built homes for 100 homeless families. Chattogram Additional Deputy Commissioner for General Affairs Mohammad Sharif Uddin confirmed the planned visit. The prime minister is also scheduled to visit three upazilas in Chattogram on Sunday.

District administration sources said 100 affected families have been identified, with 10 families selected from Banshkhali municipality and each of nine unions. Their homes are being rebuilt at government expense with funding from the Local Government Division, and construction is nearly complete. Each tin-roofed, tin-walled home measures 18 by 12 feet, has two rooms, and includes an attached five-by-five-foot toilet. RCC pillars, wood and tin are being used with flood risks in mind.

Preparations are under way at the event venue beside Baharchhara sea beach, including a stage, pandal, seating and security arrangements. A helipad has also been built. Local residents cited durable rehabilitation for flood-affected families, long-term coastal embankments and a marine drive road across the coast among their main demands.

US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, formed to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, is preparing what could be its first construction contract: a military base for 150 Moroccan troops, according to The Guardian. The contract has not been finalized, but Louisiana-based Arkel International has been assigned the construction work, the report published on August 7, 2026 said.

Trump created the Board of Peace in January and chairs it himself, with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in leadership roles. A board official said the body and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a group of Palestinian technocrats responsible for Gaza’s administration, were nearing completion of several construction contracts. One potential agreement concerns facilities needed by an International Stabilization Force.

The planned base would measure 100 meters by 120 meters and be located about one mile from the Israeli border, in an area largely under direct Israeli military control. A draft agreement indicated the 150-member base could be an initial phase toward a larger base for 5,000 personnel. The legal framework for the UN-approved force and the timing of Morocco’s deployment remain unsettled.

University of Chicago professor Robert Pape said US President Donald Trump has become trapped in an “escalation trap” over Iran, with very limited room to exit. In comments to Al Jazeera, Pape said US air and naval strikes may have delivered some immediate tactical successes but failed to achieve any long-term national objective. He argued that Iran has emerged from the conflict in a stronger position than before.

According to Pape, Trump faces two choices: accept Iran’s growing regional influence or intensify the conflict further. He said there is no third option beyond those two paths. His assessment frames the current situation as one in which military pressure has not produced the longer-term strategic outcome sought by the United States.

Pape warned that the limits of relying solely on air and naval power have already become clear. He said the situation could reach a point where Trump is compelled to consider a ground operation. With midterm elections approaching, Pape also suggested that Trump may seek a symbolic military victory.

Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Bagher Ghalibaf said US President Donald Trump has repeatedly engaged in performative talks, accusing Washington of pursuing a failed strategy to pressure Iran. In a post on X on Thursday, Ghalibaf said the United States had repeatedly threatened attacks, withdrawn those threats, and then returned with offers for negotiations.

Ghalibaf said efforts to create pressure through threats, broken promises and false information had failed. He called on the United States to acknowledge reality and honor its commitments. His remarks followed Trump’s announcement that he had suspended a planned large-scale military attack against Iran, citing requests from Tehran and several regional countries as well as diplomatic progress.

Trump said a possible agreement would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end Iran’s nuclear threat. Iran, meanwhile, said discussions with Oman on reopening the strait were nearing a final stage. While Trump voiced hope that the conflict could end quickly, Iranian officials reiterated that they were prepared for a long-term war.

US President Donald Trump has signed two new executive orders aimed at limiting birthright citizenship in the United States, according to a report published on August 7, 2026. The move came weeks after the US Supreme Court ruled that the constitutional right to birthright citizenship remains in place.

One order seeks to broaden existing exceptions to birthright citizenship. It proposes excluding children of foreign diplomats, children of invaders, people considered to be attempting to buy citizenship, and children born in certain specified US territories from the benefit. A second order directs relevant authorities to take action against “birth tourism,” in which foreign women travel to the United States to give birth solely to obtain US citizenship for their children.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said the Supreme Court had turned birthright citizenship into a “farce” and that his administration was taking fresh action. In January 2025, he issued an order limiting citizenship for children born in the United States to temporary visa holders and undocumented immigrants, but the Supreme Court declared that initiative unconstitutional in June, citing the Fourteenth Amendment. Legal experts said the new orders are also unlikely to survive in court.