Page 16 - Bangladesh

Bangladesh clarifies Durga temple built without permission on Railway land

According to the Foreign Ministry, the local Hindu community installed a makeshift Puja Mandap on railway land during Durga Puja last year without prior permission

B'desh interim govt forms committee to probe allegations over last 3 polls

The interim government of Bangladesh has formed a committee to investigate allegations of irregularities, corruption and administrative involvement in the 2014, 2018, and 2024 general elections and make recommendations on ensuring fair elections in the future, a notification said. The five-member panel led by former high court justice Shamim Hasnain will submit a report by September 30 on allegations that the three elections were manipulated to secure victories for the then-ruling Awami League party by systematically depriving citizens of their voting rights, BD NEWS 24 quoted the cabinet division notification as saying on Thursday. The notification said the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental human rights were reportedly undermined during the elections, which faced widespread criticism both domestically and internationally. It said the committee would analyse reports from election observers, domestic and international monitoring bodies, civil society organisations, and media ..

India criticises Bangladesh for demolition of Durga temple in Dhaka

The MEA condemned the demolition of a Durga temple in Dhaka's Khilkhet by Bangladesh Railway, saying the interim government failed to protect Hindu religious institutions

Polls can't take place without govt's support: B'desh election body chief

The government plays a central role in the election process, the head of Bangladesh's Election Commission said on Saturday, asserting that holding polls is "not possible" without its support. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said that no matter "how independent" the top election body is said to be, "it is not possible to hold an election without the government's support." "We have to conduct the polls with the cooperation of the government," the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted him as saying. He added that the commission requires assistance from law enforcement agencies, the administration, and its officials to conduct the election. Nasir Uddin made the remarks after inaugurating a training programme in the capital. In response to a question, he said while there is no constant communication between the election commission and the government, contact is being maintained both "formally and informally". There are various channels of communication, and we are involved in man

China, Pakistan, Bangladesh hold inaugural trilateral ministerial meet

China, Pakistan, Bangladesh have held the inaugural session of their trilateral meeting of foreign ministry officials, Beijing's new strategic initiative to promote closer ties between two estranged South Asian countries in India's immediate neighbourhood. It is the second such trilateral that China has established in India's neighbourhood after its foreign ministers' mechanism with Pakistan and Afghanistan last month. On Thursday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Bangladeshi Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique and Additional Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Imran Ahmed Siddiqui attended the meeting held at the Chinese city of Kunming, capital of Southern Yunnan province. Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch participated in the first phase of the meeting via video link, a Chinese Foreign Ministry press release said here on Friday. In his address, Sun Weidong said Bangladesh and Pakistan are both good neighbours, good friends, and good partners of China, and ...

ADB, World Bank clear $1.5 bn loans to Bangladesh for reforms, climate push

The Asian Development Bank and the World Bank have approved loans worth USD 1.5 billion to help Bangladesh reform its banking sector, fight climate change among other projects, according to a media report on Friday. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 900 million loan, of which USD 500 million will support efforts to stabilise and reform the country's banking sector, while the remaining USD 400 million will promote climate-resilient and inclusive development initiatives, The Daily Star newspaper reported. The USD 500 million policy-based loan aims to strengthen governance, asset quality and stability within Bangladesh's banking system, the ADB said in a statement on Thursday. Separately, the ADB also approved a USD 400 million loan for the second phase of the Climate-Resilient Inclusive Development Programme (CRIDP) aimed at supporting Bangladesh's efforts to adapt to climate change, cut emissions and foster inclusive economic growth. Also on Thursday, the World Bank (W

Tripura BSF apprehend 5 smugglers; rescue cattle, seize contraband

The operation was conducted on June 14 at around 3:45 PM. All the accused were found to be residents of South Tripura and Gomati districts, the BSF confirmed

Nepal starts exporting 40 MW of electricity to Bangladesh via Indian grid

Nepal has begun exporting 40 MW of electricity to Bangladesh through an Indian transmission line. Nepal, India and Bangladesh signed a trilateral agreement on October 3, 2024 to export electricity produced by Nepal to Bangladesh via the Indian transmission line. A Nepalese official said the export of electricity to Bangladesh has started from Saturday midnight. As per the agreement, Nepal will export 40 MW of electricity from June 15 to November 15. The electricity will be transmitted to Bangladesh via India's 400-kV Muzaffarpur-Baharampur-Bheramara transmission line. Last year, Nepal exported electricity to Bangladesh on November 15, for a single day, as a token to implement the agreement. As per the bilateral agreement reached between Nepal and Bangladesh, Nepal will charge 6.4 US cents per unit of electricity. Bangladesh has agreed to import electricity from Nepal for the next five years.

Tagore's ancestral home vandalised in Bangladesh over parking dispute

Rabindranath Tagore's connection to Rabindra Kacharibari, now in Bangladesh, dates back to the 19th century, when his grandfather, Prince Dwarkanath Tagore, purchased the estate

In UK, Yunus says no direct communication with British PM

Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that he has had no direct communication with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in connection with the recovery of stolen money allegedly under the previous Hasina regime in Dhaka. Downing Street sources indicated that no formal meeting had been agreed during the Chief Adviser's visit to London this week. Yunus told The Financial Times' newspaper that the UK has a moral responsibility to assist Bangladesh in tracing and retrieving funds stolen by the previous regime and allegedly funnelled into Britain. I have no direct conversation with him, Yunus told the Financial Times' with reference to Starmer. I have no doubt he would support us. This is stolen money We need the support from the people of Great Britain, he said. The 84-year-old Nobel Laureate took over as the head of the interim government after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a massive student-led protest in Bangladesh in August last year

B'desh wanted good ties with India, but something always went wrong: Yunus

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that his interim government wanted good relations with India, but "something always went wrong". During an interaction with Chatham House think tank director Bronwen Maddox in London on Wednesday, Yunus addressed a wide range of issues including bilateral ties with India and the democratic roadmap for the country, starting with a July Charter next month. Maddox referenced an informal diplomatic note issued to India seeking deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition and sought an update on the matter. This will continue we want the whole process to be very legal, very proper We want to build the best of relationship with India. It's our neighbour, we don't want to have any kind of basic problem with them, Yunus said. But somehow things go wrong every time because of all the fake news coming from the Indian press and many people say it has connections with policymakers on the top," he said. "So, this is what makes Bangladesh v

66 illegal Bangladeshi migrants arrested in Northwest Delhi | Bangladeshi migrants | Delhi Police

In a coordinated crackdown on illegal immigration, Delhi Police has arrested 66 Bangladeshi nationals from Wazirpur JJ Colony and New Subzi Mandi. Why? Here’s how the operation unfolded.

Assam's new gun licence push could shift India's arms seizure map

Illegal gun seizures are rising steadily in North and East India even as Assam's new arms licence policy could alter demand dynamics near the Bangladesh border

Bangladesh protester found on Bengal voter list, BJP-TMC trade blows

A man seen in Bangladesh's 2024 protests is now on Bengal's voter list, sparking BJP-TMC clashes over infiltration, fake documents, and electoral fraud

B'desh Awami League concerned over Starmer's upcoming meeting with Yunus

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is going on a bilateral official visit to the United Kingdom from June 10 to 13, 2025

Yunus acted without consulting parties: Ex-Indian envoy on Bangladesh polls

The former envoy said the neighbouring country must have early elections and that the Bangladesh Army has yet to react to the announcement

People 'disappointed' with announcement of B'desh polls in April 2026: BNP

People are "disappointed" by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's announcement to hold elections in April 2026, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Saturday, asserting that April is not the "right time" to conduct polls. The party reiterated its demand for polls by December this year. "April is not the right time for polls in Bangladesh in any way, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists. His statement came a day after Yunus, during a televised address to the nation on the eve of the Eid-ul-Adha festival, announced that national elections would be held in the first half of April next year. Yunus' announcement was followed by an urgent virtual meeting of the standing committee of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP, presided over by the party's acting chairman and Zia's son Tarique Rahman from London. In a statement, the BNP said Yunus' address meant an unwarranted delay in arranging the election, adding that it ignored the nation's aspirations, caus

Bangladesh elections set for April 2026; Yunus rules out early polls

Yunus confirms Bangladesh elections for April 2026, dismissing BNP's call for early polls amid political unrest, reform delays, and growing tensions with India since Hasina's exile in 2024

Delhi Police deports 71 foreign nationals from Dwarka for illegal stay

The Delhi Police deported 71 foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis, Rohingyas from Myanmar, and Nigerians, who were found staying illegally in the country, an official said on Friday. In May alone, 71 such individuals -- 47 from Bangladesh, 17 Rohingyas from Myanmar and seven from Nigeria -- were apprehended by various police units of Dwarka and sent to a detention centre after being produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Different units and police stations, including Uttam Nagar and Chhawla, launched coordinated operations to identify foreign nationals illegally residing in the area. The police said the crackdown was initiated based on a tip-off regarding people overstaying in India without valid visas or having entered the country illegally. These persons were found residing or roaming in different areas of Dwarka district. The largest number of deportations, 38, was made by the Special Staff, followed by 24 by the Uttam Nagar police station. Th

Bangladesh unrest cuts India's medical tourism revenue by up to 35%

India sees sharp fall in Bangladeshi medical tourists in FY25 as regime change and visa curbs hurt Apollo and Manipal revenues; recovery expected only by FY26