Muhammad Yunus

Khaleda Zia's funeral will be held on Wednesday, as Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday announced a three-day state mourning and a one-day general holiday following the death of the former prime minister. In a televised address to the nation, Yunus urged people to maintain discipline and order during the funeral prayers and the observance of mourning across the country. At the death of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, I declare three days of state mourning and a one-day general holiday tomorrow on the day of her Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayers), he said. Zia, the longtime chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) and a three-time prime minister, died earlier in the day in Dhaka after a prolonged illness. She was 80. I know that all of you are deeply saddened at this time. I hope that you will show patience during this time of mourning and cooperate with all those concerned who are involved in observing the formalities, including her Namaz-e-Janaza, he sai

Bangladesh's interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday described former prime minister Khaleda Zia as a great guardian whose role in the country's democratic journey would be remembered forever, as he expressed profound sorrow at her death. In a condolence message posted on his X handle, Yunus said he was deeply saddened and grief-stricken by the passing of Zia, noting that the nation had lost not just a political leader but a towering stateswoman who represented an important chapter in Bangladesh's history. With the passing of Zia, "the nation has lost a great guardian", he said. Zia, the longtime chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and a three-time prime minister, died at around 6 am local time after a prolonged illness at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. She was 80. Yunus said Zia's role in establishing democracy, nurturing a multi-party political culture and safeguarding the rights of the people will be remembered forever. "Through her uncompromising ..

Tarique's arrival in Bangladesh was seen as a major shift in the politics of the country, which is currently under an interim government under Chief Adviser and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus

Bangladesh's ties with India witnessed a downturn as it navigated a turbulent 2025 marked by political instability, economic strain and alleged persecution of minorities, leading to a diplomatic tussle between the two neighbours. The relationship between India and Bangladesh hit a rough note after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests. She was sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal this year for her alleged role in a deadly crackdown during the agitation. Dhaka summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma five times over various issues, while India summoned Bangladesh's High Commissioner Reaz Hamidullah once to express concerns over security in Bangladesh. The transition, from what was widely regarded as an "India-friendly" Awami League government to Muhammad Yunus-led interim dispensation, significantly altered Bangladesh's diplomatic posture. Dhaka's engagement with Islamabad to deepen ties ..

Bangladesh's newspaper Editors Council has accused a section of the interim government of allowing the recent spate of violence in the country after the death of Inqilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign in Dhaka. He was airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment but died of his injuries on December 18. The same evening, a mob set on fire the offices of two mass circulation newspapers, Daily Star and Prothom Alo. Over half a century-old progressive cultural groups, Chayanat and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, in the capital were also destroyed. They also lynched a Hindu factory worker in central Mymensingh. We clearly know an announcement came to demolish the Prothom Alo, Daily Star and the Chhyanat one or two days before the attacks. The people of the country know, and the government as well knows who gave the announcement, Editors Council President Nurul Kabir said at an event of the Broadcast Journalists Centre (BJC)

Bangladesh interim government's senior adviser on Tuesday said that the state will take responsibility of the family of the Hindu worker who was lynched on blasphemy charges last week. Education adviser C R Abrar met the bereaved family of 25-year-old Dipu Das, who was killed by a mob and his body set on fire on December 18 in Mymensingh. The state has taken the responsibilities of taking care of Dipu Das' child, wife and parents, Abrar said, calling the killing of the garment factory worker a brutal crime which has no excuse. Abrar said ahead of meeting the family, he held talks with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who asked him to convey to them the government's profound sorrow and deepest condolences. According to newspaper reports, Das' father Rabi Chandra Das demanded justice for his son's killing, describing the condition of the family to the adviser. Yunus's office, meanwhile, reconfirmed that financial and welfare assistance would be provided to Das' family, and relevant ...

Bangladesh interim government's finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday said Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has taken steps to ease strained ties with New Delhi while his administration was working to develop economic relations with India by separating economic interests from "political rhetoric." "The chief adviser is working to improve diplomatic relations with India, and he himself has also been speaking to various stakeholders on the issue," he told reporters after a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at his office. Asked if Yunus directly spoke to India, Ahmed said the chief adviser "has not" but he did speak to those associated with the matter. "Our trade policy is not driven by political considerations. If importing rice from India is cheaper than sourcing it from Vietnam or elsewhere, then it makes economic sense to buy the staple from India," he said. The adviser, an economist, however, expressed optimism that bilateral relations would not .

Yunus made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Sergio Gor, the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, at around 7:30 pm (local time)

Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, a 42-year-old leader, was shot in Khulna while preparing for a labour rally, amid unrest in Bangladesh after Osman Hadi's killing

Unidentified gunmen on Monday shot in the head a second leader of Bangladesh's violent student-led 2004 uprising in the country's southwestern Khulna city, days after the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. "The Khulna Division head of NCP (National Citizen Party) and central coordinator of the party's workers front, Muhammad Motaleb Sikdar, was shot a few minutes ago," NCP's joint principal coordinator Mahmuda Mitu said in a Facebook post. Mitu, a doctor, said Sarkar was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital in a critical condition. The Kaler Kantha newspaper, quoting hospital sources, said Sarkar was shot on the left side of his head, and he was bleeding profusely when he was brought to the facility, where the doctors started emergency treatment. The attack came days after Hadi, a prominent leader of the student-led protests last year that led to the ouster of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was shot in the head on December 12 by

Sheikh Hasina said that the killing of Osman Hadi was a reflection of the lawlessness under the present interim government

Ten people have been arrested in connection with the lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh, Chief Adviser of the interim government Muhammad Yunus announced Saturday. Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old garment factory worker, was lynched to death by a mob and his body set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Baluka in Mymensingh on Thursday. Of the 10, seven were arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) while three were arrested by the police as suspects in the case, Yunus said in a statement on X. The RAB and police conducted operations in various locations to arrest these individuals, he said. The arrests were made during operations at various locations, and the ages of those arrested ranged from 19 to 46. According to the police, Das was first beaten up by a mob outside the factory over blasphemy allegations and hanged from a tree. The crowd then left the body of the deceased on the side of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and later set it on fire. The police recovered the body and

Terming the incident an attack on freedom of speech and press freedom, the Executive Editor urged the government to conduct a proper investigation, identify those responsible and bring them to justice

Hadi, a likely candidate in the upcoming February 12 general elections next year, died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore after being shot almost a week earlier

Bangladesh has been rocked by protests and political tension after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a key leader of the July uprising and an election candidate, who succumbed to gunshot injuries in Sin

Bangladesh saw fresh unrest after Sharif Osman Hadi, a leader of Inquilab Mancha and a key face of the July uprising, died from gunshot injuries, triggering protests and political tension in Dhaka

Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of the July Uprising who was shot last week, died on Thursday while undergoing treatment at a Singapore hospital after fighting for his life for six days. Hadi, also a candidate in the scheduled February 12 general elections, was shot in the head by masked gunmen on Friday as he initiated his election campaign at central Dhaka's Bijoynagar area. The interim government of Muhammad Yunus on Monday sent Hadi to Singapore in an air ambulance for advanced treatment as doctors in Dhaka described his condition extremely critical. In a televised address to the nation late Thursday night, Chief Adviser Yunus announced Hadi's death and promised swift action to catch his killers. "Today, I came before you with very heartbreaking news. Sharif Osman Hadi, the fearless frontline fighter of the July Uprising and spokesperson of the Inqilab Mancha, is no more among us," Yunus said. He vowed to bring those involved in this brutal murder to justice quickly, say

The Awami League emphasised its legacy as an election-orientated party, noting that since its founding, it has participated in 13 national elections, winning nine and forming the government

A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to five years of imprisonment in a land scam case. Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge's Court-4 of Dhaka also handed down a seven-year jail term to Hasina's sister Sheikh Rehana, and a two-year term to her niece, British parliamentarian Tulip Siddiq, in the same case, The Daily Star newspaper reported. This is the fourth verdict involving Hasina in graft cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the report said. The ACC filed six separate cases between January 12 and 14 with its Dhaka Integrated District Office-1 over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Purbachal New Town project. According to the anti-graft body, Hasina, in collusion with senior Rajuk officials, unlawfully secured six plots, each measuring 10 kathas (7,200 square feet), in the diplomatic zone of Sector 27 of the Purbachal New Town project for herself and her relatives, including her son Sajeeb Wazed

Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party on Tuesday announced nationwide agitations and "resistance marches" till November 30 in protest against the death sentence handed to the former premier by what it described as an "illegal" tribunal. On November 17, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) sentenced 78-year-old Hasina to death along with then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on charges of committing crimes against humanity after a trial held in absentia. Hasina is currently in India, while Kamal is also believed to be hiding in the country. In a post on its official social media account, the Awami League alleged that the tribunal's verdict was part of a political "conspiracy" by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government to keep Hasina and the party "out of the election" scheduled for February next year. Rejecting the "illegal verdict of the illegal ICT tribunal" and demanding the resignation of Yunus, the party announced protests, ...