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Bangladesh's President Mohammad Shahabuddin is likely to resign soon, nearly two years ahead of his tenure, political sources and media reports said on Thursday. Shahabuddin was elected to the highest office by the past parliament and happens to be the only person still holding his constitutional position long after the violent July-August 2024 student-led street protest that toppled prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government. Hasina fled to India and has been living there since August 5, 2024. "It is likely that he (Shahabuddin) will resign soon," a senior leader of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) told PTI without further elaboration. However, reports carried by several mainstream Bangladeshi media over his resignation gained momentum in the past two days suggesting Prime Minister Rahman's government was no longer comfortable with Shahabuddin. Newspaper Prothom Alo quoted a high-level government source as saying that the ...
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met the visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and offered Beijing's support for the new government in Dhaka. On the final day of his five-day visit, Rahman met Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi told Rahman that China supports Bangladesh's new government in its smooth administration and stands ready to carry out high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Dhaka. Xi said China is willing to map out key cooperation with Bangladesh and tap into the potential for collaboration in green and low-carbon development, digital economy, information technology, artificial intelligence and other fields, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. Before meeting Xi, Rahman met Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China and discussed issues related to bilateral ties. On Thursday, Rahman held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, after which they signed 13 agreements. The two countri
Bangladesh on Tuesday termed as "unsatisfactory" New Delhi's explanation involving the hassle of an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at Indira Gandhi International Airport. "The explanation provided by the Indian side over the incident was not satisfactory," the state-run BSS news agency reported, quoting a foreign ministry spokesperson. He said the incident involving Prime Minister's Adviser for Information and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman was "unfortunate and regrettable". According to the official, Indian authorities were informed beforehand in due process through diplomatic channels that the premier's adviser would lead the Bangladesh delegation at a meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). BSS reported that Rahman was scheduled to lead the Bangladesh delegation before being prevented from proceeding through Delhi airport earlier this month. Dhaka's reaction came a day after the External Affairs Ministry said Rahman was permitted entry into India after reconfirm
Bangladesh on Monday summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner and conveyed its "deep disappointment" over an incident involving an adviser of the Prime Minister at the Delhi airport, according to media reports here. Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Policy and Strategy Affairs, and Information and Broadcasting, was stopped by immigration authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Sunday evening when his name was reportedly flagged during a routine security check, state-run BSS news agency reported. Citing a foreign ministry official, the news agency said that the ministry summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and expressed its "deep disappointment" over the incident. Separately, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said that the government was taking appropriate steps regarding the matter. "It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate, too," he told reporters. Citing diplomatic sources, the Prothom Alo newspaper reported th
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said around 4,800 illegal immigrants have been sent to Bangladesh from holding centres set up in the state's border districts, and around 836 such people are awaiting deportation from these facilities. Adhikari asserted that illegal immigration was a big issue, and said his government has already handed over land to the BSF to erect around 100 km of fencing, out of the 556 km required to secure the India-Bangladesh border. The land handover is a continuous process and is necessary for the security of the country, he said, adding that securing the international boundary is the state government's priority. "We have handed over to the BSF around 100 km stretch of land out of 556 km required for fencing, and prioritised the Chicken's Neck corridor in north Bengal," the chief minister said, while addressing a preparatory meeting for the BJP's special training camp. The 'Chicken's Neck', officially known as the Siliguri Corridor, is a
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the government will launch a "smart border" project in the next year to make the 6,000 km fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh impenetrable and ensure that the "conspiracy" to change the demography of the areas is defeated. Delivering the annual Rustamji Memorial lecture hosted by the Border Security Force (BSF) here, the minister also reiterated that the government will find each and every infiltrator from the country and send them outside India. K F Rustamji was the first director general of the BSF after it was raised in 1965. "I want to assure BSF troops that we will launch this smart border project in the 60th year of its raising and we will make the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders impenetrable," Shah said. The Modi government, Shah added, has decided to create a "strong security grid" along the Pakistan and Bangladesh fronts in the next one year. The "smart border" will be aided by technology, drones, radars and smart cameras which
Bangladesh's new government, headed by Tarique Rahman, has formally sought China's involvement and support for the Teesta River restoration project, a move that may cast shadow on New Delhi-Dhaka ties. The issues concerning the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP) was discussed in a meeting between Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday, according to state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency. The Teesta River flows from the eastern Himalayas through Sikkim and West Bangal before entering Bangladesh, where it is a key source of irrigation and livelihoods of millions of people. Expressing support for the new Bangladesh government, Wang was quoted saying by BSS news agency that China is ready to promote the alignment of the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Bangladesh's national development strategies and deepen cooperation in traditional areas like economy, ...
Bangladesh Police issued a nationwide security alert over possible militant attacks on key installations, including the parliament complex, officials and media reports said on Saturday. "The alert has been issued based on intelligence reports," a police headquarters (PHQ) official said, requesting anonymity. The official described the alert as "urgent and confidential". A PHQ letter warned of possible coordinated attacks targeting the parliament complex, places of worship, entertainment facilities, and military and police installations, with armouries seen as potential targets, Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported. The Daily Star and other newspapers said the alert was issued after the recent arrest of a banned militant outfit operative, Istiak Ahmed Sami alias Abu Bakkar, who was allegedly in contact with two dismissed military personnel. According to reports, the letter also included profiles of two alleged key planners behind the potential attacks, but did not name any ...