Page 10 - Bangladesh

Bangladeshi court jails 1971 war veterans, professor on terrorism charges

A Bangladeshi court on Friday sent 16 people, including several 1971 Liberation War veterans, to jail under the tough Anti-Terrorism Act, a day after a mob allegedly disrupted their scheduled public discussion in the capital. Magistrate Farzana Haque ordered them to be sent to jail after they were produced in court nearly 24 hours after their detention. Police had initially detained them for their protection from public unrest on Thursday. Dhaka police after midnight Thursday said the detainees were being charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009 without further elaboration. The initial case document submitted in the court suggested at least six of the 16 arrested were in their 70s. "For the sake of a proper investigation, which is yet to be completed, and the identity and address of the accused is yet to be verified, it is absolutely necessary' to keep the accused in custody," read the police application submitted in court. According to media reports, former minister and 1971

Bangladesh EC calls upcoming election 'most risky' in history amid unrest

Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) on Friday described the national election scheduled for February next year as the "most risky in the country's electoral history, urging officials to brace for unpredictable challenges amid political uncertainty and social unrest. The remarks came a day after it unveiled a roadmap for the election, which has drawn mixed reactions from political parties. "The upcoming general election will undoubtedly be the most risky in Bangladesh's electoral history, Election Commissioner M Anwarul Islam Sarker said at a training programme for election officials, which was also attended by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin. "We may have to confront challenges that we do not yet know, he said. Unveiling the roadmap for the general election, Bangladesh's top electoral body had said the poll schedule would be announced at least 60 days before the voting date. Another election commissioner, Abdur Rahmanel Masud, echoed Sarker's concern, saying tha

Pakistan foreign minister meets Bangladesh party leaders to strengthen ties

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held back-to-back talks with leaders of various political parties of Bangladesh, hours after his arrival in Dhaka to boost bilateral ties. Dar, also the deputy prime minister of Pakistan, on Saturday met with the leaders of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh's largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami. He also met with the leaders of student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), floated recently with interim government chief Professor Muhammad Yunus's blessings. A six-member BNP delegation led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir held a meeting with Dar at the Pakistan Embassy in Dhaka. Shama Obayed, one of the BNP delegates, said their discussions focused on deepening bilateral ties. Obayed added that the talks also covered reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), while Pakistan expressed its wish to see fair elections in Bangladesh. The meeting was .

Not aware of any anti-Bangladesh activities by Awami League in India: MEA

India on Wednesday said it was not aware of any anti-Bangladesh activities in the country by the Awami League party led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. New Delhi's comments came after Bangladesh's interim government said that the opening of its offices by the Awami League in Indian cities could adversely impact bilateral ties. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said New Delhi is not aware of any anti-Bangladesh activities by purported members of the Awami League in India or of any action that is contrary to Indian law. "The government does not allow political activities against other countries to be carried out from Indian soil," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "The press statement by the Interim government of Bangladesh is thus misplaced," he said. "India reiterates its expectation that free, fair and inclusive elections will be held at the earliest in Bangladesh to ascertain the will and mandate of the people," he added. In its statement, Dhaka said on Wednes

Interim govt committed to holding polls in Feb 2026: Bangladesh adviser

Bangladesh's interim government is "unwavering" in its commitment to hold general elections in February next year, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul has said, according to media reports on Wednesday. "The government is moving forward with all preparations for the election," Nazrul was quoted as saying by the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). "The polls will be held in February, and the government's stance on this remains unwavering," he said after a meeting at the Cabinet Division on Tuesday. The law adviser's comments came amid growing speculation over the elections, following statements by National Citizen Party leaders who dismissed the possibility of polls taking place in February next year without key reforms and the completion of trials initiated by the interim government. Commenting on the issue, Nazrul said that political parties making statements about the timing of the elections is part of the political process. "You have always seen this. Traditionally in Bangladesh, s

Statsguru: How India, Bangladesh fared after a year under Yunus' rule

Despite worsening diplomatic ties and rising anti-India sentiment under Mohd Yunus' rule, India's trade with Bangladesh has seen unexpected growth, led by imports

India bans jute product imports from Bangladesh via all land routes

India on Monday banned imports of certain jute products and ropes from Bangladesh through all land routes with immediate effect, amid strained relations between the two countries. However, according to a notification of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), these imports are allowed through the Nhava Sheva Seaport. "Imports from Bangladesh shall not be allowed from any land port on the India-Bangladesh Border," it said, adding, "Import of certain goods from Bangladesh to India is regulated with immediate effect." The products included in the list are bleached and unbleached woven fabrics of Jute or of other textile bast fibre; twine, cordage, rope of jute; and sacks and bags of jute. Earlier on June 27, India prohibited imports of a number of jute products and woven fabrics from Bangladesh through all land routes. Those imports are, however, allowed only through Nhava Sheva seaport in Maharashtra. The curbs were imposed on items such as jute products, flax tow and waste

Bangladesh to hold general elections in first week of Feb 2026: CEC

Bangladesh's poll body chief on Saturday said general elections would be held in the first week of February 2025 but ensuring it in a free, fair and impartial manner remained a major challenge. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, however said the exact date would be disclosed two months before the schedule was announced. People have lost confidence in the election system, the Election Commission and the administrative machinery involved in the electoral process, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) quoted Uddin as saying at a function in northwestern Rangpur district. Uddin said his office, however, was working tirelessly to restore this lost trust. The CEC's comments come four days after interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced that the polls would be held in February next year. Yunus had made the announcement coinciding with the first anniversary of the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League regime on August 5. Uddin feared t

Reckoning in Dhaka: A year since the coup, Bangladesh is in a shambles

An indecisive "interim" government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is increasingly prey to non-democratic Islamists, who envisage a Bangladeshi caliphate. None of this augurs well for the country

Year after uprising, Bangladesh struggles to find political stability

Abdur Rahman Tarif was talking to his sister Meherunnesa over the phone when the voice on the other end of the call suddenly fell silent. In that moment, Tarif knew something bad had happened. He rushed home, dodging the exchange of fire between security forces and protesters on the streets of Dhaka. When he finally arrived, he discovered his parents tending to his bleeding sister. A stray bullet had hit Meherunnesa's chest while she was standing beside the window of her room, Tarif said. She was taken to a hospital where doctors declared her dead. Meherunnesa, 23, was killed on Aug 5 last year, the same day Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country in a massive student-led uprising, which ended her 15-year rule. For much of Bangladesh, Hasina's ouster was a moment of joy. Three days later, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over the country as head of an interim government, promising to restore order and hold a new election after ..

A year after bloody revolt, Bangladesh still far from political stability

Abdur Rahman Tarif was talking to his sister Meherunnesa over the phone when the voice on the other end of the call suddenly fell silent. In that moment, Tarif knew something bad had happened. He rushed home, dodging the exchange of fire between security forces and protesters on the streets of Dhaka. When he finally arrived, he discovered his parents tending to his bleeding sister. A stray bullet had hit Meherunnesa's chest while she was standing beside the window of her room, Tarif said. She was taken to a hospital where doctors declared her dead. Meherunnesa, 23, was killed on Aug 5 last year, the same day Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country in a massive student-led uprising, which ended her 15-year rule. For much of Bangladesh, Hasina's ouster was a moment of joy. Three days later, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took over the country as head of an interim government, promising to restore order and hold a new election after .

'Crimes against humanity': Bangladesh tribunal begins Sheikh Hasina's trial

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Sunday commenced the trial of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in absentia over crimes against humanity related to the violent suppression of the 2024 student-led protests. The interim government-appointed Chief Prosecutor, Tajul Islam, in his opening statement, described Hasina as the "nucleus of all crimes" and called for the maximum penalty. The prosecution also named Hasina's two top aides -- former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullaah Al Mamun -- as the co-accused in the case. The ICT commenced the proceedings against Hasina on several charges, with the major one being killings and tortures to tame last year's Students Against Discrimination (SAD)-led violent street campaign that eventually toppled her Awami League government on August 5, 2024. While Hasina and Kamal are being tried in absentia, Mamun is in custody and has agreed to be the approver in the case. T

Bangladesh secures 20% US tariff rate, Yunus says 'diplomatic victory'

Bangladesh's relative competitiveness in apparel exports remains unaffected, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser's Press Wing said

Bangladesh govt sets up probe panel to investigate Dhaka jet crash

The commission will be led by former secretary AKM Zafar Ullah Khan and has been asked to submit its report within four weeks

Bangladesh offers to buy 25 jets from Boeing to sway Trump on tariffs

Dhaka last week also signed an initial agreement with US wheat growers to import 700,000 tonnes of the grain annually over five years

Yunus thanks India, global teams for treating Dhaka plane crash victims

The international medical teams are currently in Dhaka to provide specialised healthcare services to victims of the recent plane crash at Milestone School and College

S&P affirms Bangladesh's sovereign credit rating, warns of US trade risks

S&P Global Ratings affirmed Bangladesh's B+ sovereign rating with a stable outlook, citing improved forex reserves but warning of US tariffs and policy unpredictability

Grief, angst continue as toll in jet crash on school rises to 32 in B'desh

Grief and angst continued to grip Bangladesh on Wednesday, two days after a jet crashed on a school building as the death toll climbed to 32 with most victims being children. The F-7 BGI aircraft, a training fighter jet manufactured in China, experienced a mechanical fault moments after takeoff and crashed into a two-storey building of Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara area on Monday. Thousands of students on Tuesday protested in Dhaka demanding accurate information on casualties and compensation for the families of those killed in the Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash into the school. On Wednesday, as scores of others with burn wounds continued fighting for lives at different hospitals in the capital, authorities of the Milestone School, on which the jet had crashed, formed their own committee to ascertain the accurate death toll and number of their wounded students and teachers. Doctors said a nine-year-old boy, identified only as Nafi, succumbed to his wounds

Govt to send burn-specialist team to Dhaka to treat air crash victims

The deployment of the medical team comes as part of India's response to the recent fighter jet crash in the Diabari area of Bangladesh's Dhaka

Why are China’s ageing F-7 fighters under fire? Bangladesh jet crash

A Bangladesh Air Force jet crash has reignited questions about the safety of Chinese-made F-7 fighter aircraft. Is it time to retire these ageing jets? Watch!