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Outgoing interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Monday said his 18-month rule restored three core pillars of Bangladesh's external engagement - "sovereignty, national interests, and dignity", and it is no longer a "submissive" nation. In his farewell address to the nation, Yunus said that at the end of his regime's rule, "Today's Bangladesh is confident, active, and responsible in protecting its independent interests". "Bangladesh is no longer a country with a submissive foreign policy or dependent on the instructions and advice of other countries," he said in the televised address a day ahead of quitting power. He emphasised that his 18-month tenure had rebuilt the three "fundamental foundations" of the country's foreign engagement: "sovereignty, national interests, and dignity". Yunus' interim regime began in August 2024 and is set to conclude its unscheduled term with the swearing-in of a new government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday, which won a ..
BNP chairperson and soon to be prime minister of Bangladesh on Saturday said extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina "depends on the legal process." The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader's comments at a press conference here came a day after one of his senior colleagues reiterated the party's firm stance on seeking Hasina's extradition from India to face trial. Rahman's BNP on Friday secured a sweeping victory with more than two-thirds majority in the landmark parliamentary elections held on Thursday. A massive student-led protest ousted Hasina's Awami League regime on August 5, 2024. Since then she has been living in exile in New Delhi as an Interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took charge three days later. After a trial in absential, Hasina, 78, was found guilty of crimes against humanity by the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in November 2025 and sentenced to death. Her aide and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also given a de
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which secured a landslide victory in the general elections, on Friday reiterated its firm stance on seeking the extradition of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India to face trial. "The foreign minister has already persuaded the case for her extradition, and we also support it," Senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed said. "We always press for her extradition according to the law. This is between the foreign ministries of the two countries. We also asked the government of India to please send her back to face trial in Bangladesh," he added. Ahmed emphasised that Bangladesh seeks normal relations with all neighbours, including India, but only on equal terms. "We need a friendly relationship based on mutual respect, equality with all the countries, including India," he said. His comments came soon after the BNP's sweeping victory in the general elections held on Thursday. This is the first election since the mass uprising in August 2
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday appeared headed for a decisive victory in the South Asian nation's general elections as counting progressed for the polls to elect a government that would replace the interim administration, which took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024. Multiple media tallies showed the BNP had won more than 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament. The Election Commission (EC) is yet to make a formal announcement. An EC spokesperson said the results in several seats were still being processed and were likely to be announced in a few hours. The election was seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has been in place for 18 months. The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform packag
A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project. Dhaka Special Judge's Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years' imprisonment - five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported. The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol. The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm. Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years' imprisonment - two years in each case - while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in both cases. Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was ...
From her exile in India, Bangladesh's ousted leader Sheikh Hasina has slammed the country's upcoming election after her party was barred from the polls, remarks that could deepen tensions ahead of the pivotal vote next month. Hasina, who was sentenced to death for her crackdown on a student uprising in 2024 that killed hundreds of people and led to the toppling of her 15-year rule, warned in an email to The Associated Press last week that without inclusive and free and fair elections, Bangladesh will face prolonged instability. She also claimed that Bangladesh's interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus deliberately disenfranchised millions of her supporters by excluding her party - the former ruling Awami League - from the election. "Each time political participation is denied to a significant portion of the population, it deepens resentment, delegitimizes institutions and creates the conditions for future instability," she wrote. "A government born of ..
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 ..