Page 12 - Bangladesh

Bangladesh on alert as tribunal sets verdict date for deposed PM Hasina

The Bangladesh capital on Thursday woke up to heightened security vigil over the Dhaka lockdown call by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League, coinciding with a tribunal's planned announcement of a verdict date against her. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) is set to go ahead with its scheduled task, a prosecution team member of the special court briefly said. Authorities called up army troops, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police in riot gear to spread a security blanket in and around the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) complex, while their security vigil amid the Awami League prompted thousands to stay indoors. Witnesses and reports said Dhaka streets looked unusually empty, though many commuters stepped out of their homes and cautiously headed to workplaces and schools. However, many private institutions, including universities, preferred to operate online, fearing the outbreak of violence. "We are hearing all kinds o

Special Bangladeshi tribunal to deliver verdict against Hasina on Nov 17

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Thursday announced it would deliver the verdict against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina on November 17 in a case over crimes against humanity. The three-judge tribunal set Nov 17 for delivering the verdict, a journalist attending the tightly secured special court in the capital told PTI. Hasina, her home minister in the ousted Awami League government, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and then inspector general of police (IGP) or police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun were tried in the tribunal, where the ex-premier and Kamal were tried in absentia, with the court declaring them fugitives. The then police chief faced the trial in person but emerged as an approver, admitting his own role and describing the role of the two co-accused in taming last year's student-led street movement called July Uprising. Mamun appeared on the dock as the ICT-BD chair Justice Mohammad Golam Mortuza Majumder fixed the date.

Democracy key condition for my return to Bangladesh, says Sheikh Hasina

Ousted former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said her return home hinges on the restoration of "participatory democracy", lifting of the ban on the Awami League and the conduct of free, fair and inclusive elections. In an exclusive email interview to PTI from an undisclosed location in India, Hasina also accused the unelected Yunus administration of "endangering ties with India and empowering extremist forces". Contrasting her foreign policy with that of the current interim government, she said the broad and deep relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi should be able to withstand the "foolhardiness of the Yunus interlude. Hasina thanked the Indian government for providing her refuge and said she was immensely grateful to India's government and its people for their kind hospitality. The most important condition for my return to Bangladesh is the same condition that the Bangladeshi people require: a return to participatory democracy. The interim administration must resc

Bangladesh says Adani deal could be scrapped if irregularities found

Bangladesh's interim government has said that it will not hesitate to cancel an existing power contract with India's Adani group if any irregularities or corruption are proven. The 2017 power supply deal between Adani Power and Bangladesh had come in for scrutiny after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government last year. The contracts (generally) state that no corruption has occurred, but if proven otherwise, cancellation is possible, Energy Affairs Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan was quoted as saying by local media. The adviser was reacting to an interim report submitted by a National Review Committee, which was formed to review the power sector contracts by the Hasina regime. There was no immediate reaction from the Adani group on the adviser's comments. The National Review Committee, headed by retired High Court judge Moinul Islam Chowdhury, recently submitted its interim report on alleged corruption during deals inked under the Hasina regime. The committee is expected

Assam CM orders police action after Bangladesh anthem sung at Congress meet

This is a blatant insult to the people of India and aligns with recent assertions by certain Bangladesh citizens that the North-East will eventually belong to Bangladesh, Sarma said

Yunus warns of internal, external attempts to thwart Bangladesh polls

Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said he feared forces from home and abroad to thwart planned general elections over debarring deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League from contesting. Many forces from inside and outside the country will work to spoil the election. Many powerful forces, not minor ones, will attempt to thwart it. Sudden attacks may come, Yunus's press secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted him as saying at a high-level meeting on election preparedness. Chief Adviser Yunus, he said, told the meeting that the election will be challenging as various types of propaganda will be carried out in a planned manner from inside and outside the country. Yunus said AI-generated images and videos would also circulate online and on social media platforms, stressing immediate action to prevent the spread of such content. We must overcome them (obstacles), 85-year-old Yunus was quoted as saying. His comments coincided with Hasina's interview with

Bangladesh court to deliver verdict on Hasina's alleged crimes on Nov 13

Former PM Sheikh Hasina is facing trial for crimes against humanity for allegedly being part of torturing multiple people and orchestrating disappearances during the Awami League regime

Bangladesh garment exporters fear $1 bn losses after massive airport fire

The blaze, which erupted on Saturday in the airport's cargo import section, destroyed large volumes of imported raw materials, finished garments, and vital product samples

Major fire breaks out at Dhaka airport, flight operations suspended

There were no immediate reports of casualties; units from the Bangladesh Fire Service, Civil Aviation Authority, the Bangladesh Air Force and the Navy were jointly battling the fire

9 killed in fire at garment factory and chemical warehouse in Bangladesh

At least nine workers were killed and eight others injured on Tuesday in a fire that broke out at a garment factory and a chemical warehouse in Bangladesh capital, officials said. The devastating fire broke out at a chemical warehouse next to the garment factory, Talha Bin Jasim, an officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Wing, was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency. Nine bodies have been recovered from the first and second floors of the garment factory, Fire Service and Civil Defence Director (Operation and Maintenance) Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury told reporters. "We suspect that all of them have died after inhaling toxic gas, Chowdhury was quoted as saying by Bangla language daily Prothom Alo. He added that the fire was brought under control, and firefighters are conducting searches at the garment factory. The number might go up, Talha Bin Jasim said. He said they received the report of the fire at 11:40 am (local time), and the first team .

India ready to work with any govt in Bangladesh chosen by its people: Misri

India is firmly in favour of holding free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh at the earliest and it is ready to work with any government chosen by the people in the polls, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday. Misri also said that India has a stake in the peace, progress and stability of Bangladesh. The foreign secretary made the remarks while interacting with a group of visiting journalists from Bangladesh. "We will work with any government that emerges through the mandate of the people of Bangladesh," Misri said. Bangladesh's interim government has already announced that parliamentary elections in the country will be held in February next year. "I want to be very, very clear that India is firmly in favour of free, fair, inclusive and participatory elections in Bangladesh and it is in favour of these elections being held at the earliest possible time," he said. "We are encouraged by the fact that Bangladeshi authorities themselves have spoken about a timeframe

India rejects Bangladesh claim of its role in Khagrachhari clashes

India on Friday trashed as "false and baseless" a senior Bangladeshi official's claim of its involvement in violent clashes in Bangladesh. Following the clashes at Khagrachhari district in Chittagong Hill Tracts in southwestern Bangladesh last week, de-facto home minister Jahangir Alam Chowdhury alleged that the unrest was being fuelled by India. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India categorically rejects these "false and baseless allegations". "The interim government, which is unable to maintain law and order in Bangladesh, has routinely sought to shift the blame elsewhere," he said. "It would do well to introspect and conduct serious investigations into the action of local extremists committing violence, arson and land grab against the minority communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts," he added. Jaiswal was responding to a question on Chowdhury's remarks during a weekly media briefing. There has been a sharp downturn in India-Bangladesh relations a

Calcutta HC declares Bangladesh deportation of Birbhum residents illegal

The Calcutta High Court on Friday set aside the Centre's decision to deport Sonali Bibi and Sweety Bibi, residents of Birbhum district in West Bengal, along with their families to Bangladesh after terming them as "illegal immigrants". The court directed the Centre to ensure that the six deported citizens are brought back to India within a month. The court also rejected the central government's appeal to grant temporary stay on the order. In July this year, PTI had visited both families in the Paikar area of Murarai, Birbhum post the deportation of the suspects and reported on the plight of the members living on the Indian side of the border. A division bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra passed two orders in connection with a Habeas Corpus petition filed by Bhodu Sheikh who claimed that her daughter Sunali, who is currently nine months pregnant, along with her husband, Danesh Sheikh, and five-year-old son hailing from Murarai in Birbhum, were detained

25 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants held, including 23 from Kanpur Dehat

The Delhi Police has apprehended 25 Bangladeshi immigrants, including 23 from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur Dehat, an official said on Thursday. According to police, five are minors and 10 are women among the apprehended. All the accused had been residing in India for the last eight years without any legal travel or residential documents, they said. Police carried out the operation in Delhi following intelligence inputs, which led to the interception of two Bangladeshi nationals, identified as Hasan Sheikh (35) and Abdul Sheikh (37), both residents of Satkhira district in Bangladesh. "On interrogation, they revealed that several of their relatives and associates were living in Kanpur Dehat. Acting swiftly, the police team conducted a raid there and apprehended 23 more Bangladeshi nationals," a senior police officer said. All those arrested were found to be working as ragpickers, farm labourers, or engaged in casual occupations, the police said. They have been shifted to the MCD Communit

Mujib's blunders: Manash Ghosh's book reveals how Rahman lost plots

The Power and the Plot Behind His Killing, "covers the troubled years after the freedom struggle, popularly known as the Liberation War, against the genocidal Pakistan Army"

Bangladesh EC bars Sheikh Hasina, her family from voting in 2026 elections

The EC blocked the NIDs of Sheikh Hasina, including 10 members of her family, on February 16, the daily Jugantor reported

B'desh's Chief Adviser Yunus visits Dhakeshwari temple ahead of Durga Puja

Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday visited the Dhakeshwar National Temple to witness preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja and exchanged greetings with members of the minority Hindu community. He went around the temple premises and inspected the preparatory work ahead of the annual Hindu religious festival, state-run BSS news agency reported. Speaking at the function, he said that no government has the right to deny citizens their fundamental constitutional rights. "Whatever faith or ideology one follows, whether rich or poor, every person is first and foremost a citizen. All rights of citizens are guaranteed in the Constitution," he said. "We -- the entire nation is a broader family. The government is committed to ensuring equal rights and dignity for all citizens," The Daily Star newspaper quoted Yunus as saying. The interim chief's greetings came amid widespread concerns over repeated incidents of alleged attacks on members of the Hindu ...

Bangladesh buys more power from India, lifts fuel oil use as demand rises

Power imports, mainly from an Adani Power-run coal-fired plant in eastern India, rose 70 per cent in the seven months through July

Ex-envoys urge Centre to stay alert as turmoil grips India's neighbourhood

As Nepal plunged into chaos in the face of massive anti-government protests, various former Indian ambassadors said New Delhi must watch this unfolding situation "very closely," with some underlining that India's neighbourhood is "indeed in turmoil" which is not a healthy sign. They cited instances of public protests, largely led by youth, that had led to political upheavals and the toppling of governments in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in recent years. The Himalayan nation reeled under a grave political crisis with Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli resigning on Tuesday amid large-scale demonstrations in Kathmandu, and protesters setting on fire the Nepalese leader's private house in Balkot and attacking the residences of various former ministers. Violent protests by youths against a government ban on social media sites rocked Nepal on Monday, with police's use of force leaving at least 19 people dead and over 300 others injured. Veteran diplomat Venu Rajamony said what is happening in Ne

Hilsa prices to pinch pockets this Puja despite Bangladesh exports: Traders

The Md Yunus government in Bangladesh may have chosen to honour the commitment of culinary tradition and issue a notification to export hilsa to India ahead of the festive season, but fish importers in West Bengal aren't sure whether the move will broaden smiles of the average middle class waiting to savour the delight of Padmar Ilish' this Durga Puja. Fish traders on this side of the international border attribute dual factors of lower quantity of export from Bangladesh compared to previous years, as well as higher cost of imports, as reasons behind the high prices of 'rupali shosyo', which means 'silver crop'. Putting apprehensions of an export freeze on hilsa to rest, the Bangladesh government's notice on Monday stated that it has approved in-principle the conditional export of 1200 metric tonnes of hilsa to India this year, in keeping with its traditional Durga Puja gift to Bengalis in India. For this, the Md Yunus government has invited applications from interested exporters i