Page 13 - Bangladesh

B'desh interim head Yunus calls cabinet meet amid rumours of exit: Report

Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Saturday called an unscheduled meeting of the advisory council to review a brewing unease involving his administration, political parties and the Army, according to media reports. The development comes hours after Yunus expressed his desire to step down as chief adviser, citing difficulties in working amid the failure of political parties to find common ground for change. "He is likely to sit with the Advisers (effectively ministers) shortly after the ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council) meeting," which is underway as scheduled, the UNB news agency reported, quoting an unnamed official familiar with the process. It did not give any further details. Yunus is expected to meet with the advisers before back-to-back meetings with former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami later on Saturday. According to the chief adviser's press wing, a BNP delegation would mee

Bustling Petrapole border belies faltering India-Bangladesh trade

Cross-border trade is quietly dwindling amid strained ties between the two neighbours

Bangladesh's interim leader Md Yunus mulls resignation: What we know so far

Disgruntled parties, military pressures and lack of consensus among leaders, pushes Muhammad Yunus to reconsider his role as Bangladesh's Chief Adviser

Bangladesh's interim govt chief Yunus mulls resignation: Report

Bangladesh's interim government chief Professor Muhammad Yunus mulls resignation as he finds it difficult to work because political parties failed to reach a common ground, BBC Bangla service reported at midnight on Thursday quoting student-led National Citizen Party CP party chief Nhid Islam. "We have been hearing news of sir's (Yunus) resignation since this morning. So I went to meet sir to discuss that issue . . . He said he is thinking about it. He feels that the situation is such that he cannot work," Islam told the BBC Bangla. The NCP convenor said Chief Adviser Yunus expressed his fear that he would not be able to work in the current situation of the country saying, I won't be able to work unless the political parties can reach a common ground". The leader of the NCP who visibly emerged with Yunus's blessings in February this year, said he told Yunus to stay strong for the sake of the country's security, and future and to meet the expectations of the mass uprising. Islam sai

Bangladesh on the brink: Why is Muhammad Yunus threatening to quit? | Sheikh Hasina

Muhammad Yunus, head of Bangladesh’s interim government, has threatened to resign amid rising political unrest and mounting pressure from the army and opposition.

Bangladesh cancels ₹180 crore defence deal with India amid rising tensions

Bangladesh cancels ₹180.25 crore defence deal with Indian PSU GRSE amid escalating diplomatic tensions and trade curbs between the two neighbouring nations

B'desh court grants bail to actress Nusraat Faria in attempt to murder case

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court Judge Mostafizur Rahman granted his bail following an application by the accused

Bangladesh's politics of belligerence returns with Awami League ban

The Awami League may be deeply unpopular at the moment, but it nevertheless can claim to represent the beliefs of a large part of the country

Talk to Dhaka: New Delhi should not ignore the new govt in Bangladesh

Prof Yunus' first priority should have been restoring economic stability and political calm. However, this has not been achieved

Bangladesh import curbs won't hurt Indian textile majors, say experts

Experts say India's ban on land-route textile imports from Bangladesh will likely boost domestic sourcing, with minimal disruption to large retail companies

Bangladeshi actor who played Sheikh Hasina in Mujib biopic arrested

Actor Nusraat Faria was detained at Dhaka airport over attempted murder charges linked to the 2024 student protests that led to Sheikh Hasina's ouster from power

Bangladesh seeks talks with India to resolve trade issues: Yunus adviser

Bangladesh's interim Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin said Dhaka hasn't received official word from New Delhi yet. 'Once we do, we will act and resolve any issues through talks,' he said

'India's port restrictions on Bangladesh imports to help domestic MSMEs'

Restrictions imposed by India on certain Bangladeshi goods will help the domestic ready-made garment industry, particularly MSMEs, to enhance their competitiveness, according to experts. On May 17, India restricted imports worth USD 770 million from Bangladesh, covering nearly 42 per cent of bilateral imports. Key goods like garments, processed foods, and plastic items are now limited to select sea ports or barred from land routes entirely. Ready-made garments, valued at USD 618 million, now face strict routing through only two Indian seaports. This severely limits Bangladesh's most valuable export channel to India. "Indian textile firms have long protested the competitive edge enjoyed by Bangladeshi exporters, who benefit from duty-free Chinese fabric imports and export subsidies, giving them a 10-15 per cent price advantage in the Indian market," think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. The port restrictions will help Indian MSMEs (micro, small, and medium ...

India curbs key Bangladeshi imports via land ports amid trade tensions

India imposes port restrictions on Bangladeshi imports after Dhaka blocks Indian yarn; relations worsen post Sheikh Hasina's exit, raising concerns over regional trade ties

Bangladesh's ex-PM Sheikh Hasina's son Joy takes US citizenship: Report

Sajeeb Wazed Joy took the oath of US citizenship at the US Citizenship Centre in Washington, DC and received his citizenship certificate on Saturday, the daily Bangladesh Pratidin reported

Bangladesh requested $762 million hike in financial support, says IMF

The International Monetary Fund said Wednesday that Bangladesh sought an increase of about USD 762 million in financial support amid significant macroeconomic challenges, bringing the total financial assistance for the country under various arrangements to about USD 4.1 billion. The IMF staff and the Bangladesh authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on the policies needed to complete the combined third and fourth reviews under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), Extended Fund Facility (EFF), and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). The staff-level agreement awaits IMF Executive Board approval and depends on prior actions, including tax reforms and full exchange rate liberalisation, the Fund said in a statement. Amid significant macroeconomic challenges, the authorities requested an augmentation of SDR (Special Drawing Rights) 567.2 million (approximately USD 762 million) in IMF financial support to Bangladesh under the ECF and EFF arrangements," IMF Mission Chief

Bangladesh defends Awami League ban as internal matter, cites security

Elections are entirely Bangladesh's internal matter, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus' top aide has said, adding the ban on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's party was necessary to protect national security and sovereignty. Yunus' Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam was reacting to concerns raised by India on the ban imposed on the activities of Hasina's Awami League. Bangladesh on Monday officially disbanded Awami League under an overnight revised anti-terrorism law. Elections are entirely our internal matter. We urge all to respect the sovereign will of our people in matters relating to elections, Alam told Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the state-run news agency, on Tuesday. The ban on activities of the Awami League is necessary to protect national security and sovereignty, Alam added. India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday said the ban on Awami League without due process is a concerning development. New Delhi also called for early holding of fr

Ousted Bangladesh PM Hasina's party Awami League barred from election

The move comes after the interim government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, banned all activities of the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act after days of protests

Bangladesh bans Ex-PM Hasina's Awami League under anti-terror law

Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Saturday evening banned deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League under an anti-terrorism law. The official gazette notification will be issued in this regard on the next working day, Yunus's office said, describing it as a statement of the council of advisers or the Cabinet. The statement said the council decided that the ban would remain effective until the completion of the trial of the Awami League and its leaders in Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal in the interest of protecting the country's security and sovereignty. It said the decision was also taken for the security of the leaders and activists of the July 2024 uprising that eventually led to the ousting of the Awami League regime alongside the complainants and witnesses of the trial in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). The meeting chaired by Yunus simultaneously amended the ICT law allowing the tribunal to try any political party, its front

Bangladesh court issues fresh arrest orders for Hindu leader Chinmoy Das

A Bangladesh court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of detained Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in four more cases, a day after the court took a similar action against him in a murder case. Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate SM Alauddin Mahmud issued the order after a virtual hearing, state-run BSS news agency reported. A former ISKCON leader, Das, was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25 last year in a sedition case over alleged defamation of the national flag. His bail petition was rejected by a Chattogram court, which sent him to jail the next day. His arrest sparked widespread protests, with his followers demonstrating in Dhaka and other places. The four cases on which the court took action on Tuesday include obstruction of police duties at the Kotwali police station and attacks on lawyers and justice seekers, according to Assistant Public Prosecutor Md Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury. "The court granted the plea to show him (Das) arrested afte