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Seasoned diplomat Pranay Verma, who is currently serving as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, was on Friday appointed as New Delhi's next ambassador to Belgium and the European Union (EU). His appointment to Brussels came weeks after India and the EU finalised an ambitious free trade agreement following summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of the influential bloc. Verma, a 1994-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, had assumed charge as the high commissioner to Dhaka on September 21, 2022. "He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a brief statement. The government is yet to announce Verma's replacement in Dhaka, a position considered crucial for New Delhi. While there was speculation that New Delhi might appoint a political figure to Dhaka to help rebuild ties, no final decision has been made on who will fill the role. The relations between India and Bangladesh witnessed major ..
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday for wide-ranging talks in a significant initiative to repair the bilateral ties following an over 18-month period of heightened diplomatic tension. Rahman's three-day trip to New Delhi from Tuesday is the first high-level visit by a senior member of the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The relations between India and Bangladesh witnessed major downturn after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August, 2024. The two sides initiated efforts to stabilise the relations after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, represented India at the inauguration of Tarique Rahman as the prime minister in Dhaka on February 17. Tarique Rahman became the prime minister following his party's landslide victory in the parliamentary .
Bangladesh is conducting emergency measles-rubella vaccinations while trying to contain an ongoing outbreak that has killed more than 100 children in less than a month. The government, in partnership with the World Health Organisation, the UN children's agency and the Gavi vaccine alliance, began working to vaccinate children aged 6 months to 5 years old in 18 high-risk districts on Sunday and will expand nationwide in phases from next month, a joint statement said. A UNICEF official said the agency was deeply concerned about the sharp rise in cases, which was putting the youngest and most vulnerable children at serious risk. "This resurgence highlights critical immunity gaps, particularly among zero-dose and under-vaccinated children, while infections among infants under nine months, who are not yet eligible for routine vaccination, are especially alarming," said Rana Flowers, the agency's representative in Bangladesh. More than 900 cases of measles have been confirmed among 7,500
The Delhi Police on Wednesday said they have busted an arms smuggling module with links to Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and arrested 10 people. A cache of sophisticated foreign-made weapons, including sub-machine guns and automatic pistols, along with 200 live cartridges, has been recovered from the accused, they said. According to police, a total of 21 firearms were seized during the operation, comprising high-end automatic weapons and pistols sourced from multiple countries. Among the recovered weapons are a Czech Republic-made sub-machine gun and a range of pistols of different international makes. The seized arms include PX-5.7 pistols, which are generally used by special forces, Stoeger pistols manufactured in Turkey, PX-3 pistols from China, Shadow CZ pistols from the Czech Republic, as well as Beretta (Italy), Taurus (Brazil) and Walther (Germany) pistols, officials said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the module was part of a well-organised cross-border network
Pakistan is the most polluted country in the world, followed by Bangladesh and Tajikistan while India is at the sixth spot, according to the 8th World Air Quality report. The 2025 edition of the report published by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, is based on analysis of data from monitoring stations across 9,446 cities in 143 countries, regions and territories. The data has been sourced from more than 40,000 regulatory monitoring stations and low-cost sensors managed by a wide array of contributors, including government agencies, universities, non-profit organisations, private enterprises and engaged citizen scientists around the world. While China is at the 20th position amongst the most polluted countries in the world, the USA is at the 120th spot and the UK is at the 110th spot. According to the report, only 13 countries or territories -- French Polynesia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Barbados, New Caledonia, Iceland, Bermuda, Reunion, Andorra, Australia, Grena
US Congressman Greg Landsman has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives seeking to recognise the atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army and its allies, Jamaat-e-Islami, against Bengali Hindus on March 25, 1971, as "war crimes and genocide". Landsman, a Democrat Congressman from Ohio, moved the resolution in the US House of Representatives on Friday, and it has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The resolution states that on the night of March 25, 1971, the Government of Pakistan imprisoned Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and its military units, in conjunction with radical Islamist groups inspired by the ideology of Jamaat-e-Islami, began a general crackdown throughout East Pakistan code-named ''Operation Searchlight'' that involved widespread massacres of civilians. It said that on March 28, 1971, United States Consul General in Dacca, Archer Blood, sent a telegram to Washington titled ''Selective Genocide'', in which he wrote, ''Moreover, with support
About 3,100 incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities took place in Bangladesh from August 2024 till February 2026, according to data from human rights organisations, the government has informed Parliament. In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita also said the government of India continuously monitors incidents of attacks against minorities in Bangladesh, including on their homes, properties, businesses and places of worship. "As per available data from human rights organisations, about 3,100 incidents of violence against Hindu and other minorities have taken place across Bangladesh from August 2024 till February 2026," he said. India has consistently raised the matter of safety and security of the minorities with the authorities in Bangladesh at all relevant occasions, including at the highest level. The issue has also been discussed with foreign interlocutors. "It is the expectation