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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 ...
Dinesh Trivedi, a former Union minister and veteran politician from West Bengal, is expected to be appointed India's next High Commissioner to Bangladesh, sources said on Sunday. Pranay Verma, who has been serving as India's High Commissioner in Dhaka, was on Friday appointed as the next ambassador to Belgium and the European Union. It is learnt that New Delhi has been considering appointing a political figure to the key diplomatic post in Dhaka amid efforts to reset bilateral ties after the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was formed in Bangladesh in February. The relations between India and Bangladesh witnessed a major downturn after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024. Trivedi, 75, served as the railway minister and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare during the UPA rule. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal and
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