Page 17 - Bangladesh

Bangladesh slams Tulsi Gabbard's remarks on persecution of minorities

The interim government of Professor Muhammad Yunus refuted US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard's remarks on the alleged persecution of minority communities in Bangladesh saying her comments were not based on any evidence or specific allegations. "They (Gabbard's comments) paint an entire nation with a broad and unjustified brush," the chief adviser's office said on a verified Facebook post at around midnight Monday. It said Gabbard's statement in an Indian TV channel was "misleading and damaging to the image and reputation of Bangladesh, a nation whose traditional practice of Islam has been famously inclusive and peaceful and that has made remarkable strides in its fight against extremism and terrorism". The US spy chief, now in India, earlier on Monday said the longtime unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others has been a major area of concern for the US government and President Trump and his ...

Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Yunus to visit China, meet President Xi Jinping

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is set to visit China later this month during which he will meet President Xi Jinping, the interim government said on Sunday, in a move expected to bolster Dhaka-Beijing ties. Yunus is set to visit China on March 26 and meet Xi on March 28, the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters here, hoping his visit will take Bangladesh-China relations to a new height, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. Issues related to bilateral interest will be discussed in the meeting between Yunus and Xi, Alam said. Dhaka wants to take its relations with Beijing to a new height aiming to turn Bangladesh into a manufacturing hub, he said. "They (China) think that this would be the most important visit by the Bangladeshi leader," Alam added. "On March 27, Yunus will address the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) conference focusing on the changing role of Asia in the world," he said. BFA is an initiative of 25 Asian countries and Australia to disc

UN chief Guterres pays visit to Bangladesh, highlights plight of Rohingyas

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called upon the international community to provide necessary financial and political support for Rohingya refugees and their host communities to avoid humanitarian disasters in Bangladesh, state-run BSS news agency said. Guterres, who is on a four-day visit from March 13 to Bangladesh, was addressing a joint press briefing in Dhaka, a day after he travelled to Cox's Bazaar on a mission of solidarity with the Rohingya refugees. The plight of more than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar remains uncertain over possible aid cuts in near future. After his visit to Cox's Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh to see the plight of Rohingyas in the crammed makeshift camps after being evicted from their homeland in Myanmar's Rakhine state, Guterres described humanitarian aid cuts by the United States and countries in Europe to Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya refugees are located, as a crime. On Saturday. He reiterated his

26,250 tonnes of rice from Pakistan arrives at Bangladesh port

MV Mariam arrived at the outer anchorage of Chittagong port on March 11 while it berthed at a port jetty on Friday

UN chief, Bangladesh's Yunus discuss domestic issues, Rohingya crisis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has discussed with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus the country's domestic issues and the Rohingya situation and expressed solidarity with Dhaka's reform and transition process. Guterres is in Bangladesh on a Ramadan Solidarity visit from March 13-16. Guterres travelled to Cox's Bazaar on a mission of solidarity with the Rohingya refugees and with the Bangladeshi people who have hosted them. He expressed appreciation for the close cooperation between the UN and Bangladesh, including its contributions to peacekeeping. The Secretary-General and the Chief Adviser discussed the situation of the Rohingya and Bangladesh's domestic issues. The Secretary-General expressed his solidarity with Bangladesh's reform and transition process, a readout of the meeting between Guterres and Yunus provided by the office of the Secretary-General's spokesperson said on Friday. The Secretary-General is back in Dhaka after having spent the day in Cox's Bazaa

India, Bangladesh conduct naval exercise and patrol despite strained ties

Bongosagar 2025 exercise took place this week, featuring Indian Navy's destroyer INS Ranvir and Bangladesh Navy's frigate BNS Abu Ubaidah

'Sheikh Hasina to return as Bangladesh PM', hints US Awami League leader

Mass protests over the quota system in Bangladesh forced Sheikh Hasina to resign in August 2024 and flee to India amid escalating violence. An interim government then took over the reins

Bangladesh seizes Sheikh Hasina's family's properties, freezes 124 accounts

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Ghalib issued the order on Tuesday following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)

Bangladesh to speed up rape probes as protests grow over assaults

Bangladesh's interim government of Muhammad Yunus on Sunday promised to quicken investigations into incidents of rapes and assaults on women amid growing such incidents prompting nationwide protests. Law adviser Asif Nazrul said the government planned to enact a law requiring police to complete investigation of rape cases within 15 days and trial in 90 days. The accused cannot be granted bail on the pretext of not completion of trial within 90 days. If there is any negligence on the part of the administration, specific provisions for punishment will be added to the law, he said. The government's comments came three days after an alleged brutal assault and rape of an eight-year-old girl by her sister's father-in-law in western Magura visibly sparked a nationwide outrage, prompting authorities to come up with the announcement. Bangladesh recently saw several incidents of rapes and attack on women on the street. In one such incident, two women were assaulted in the capital ahead of th

Commission on 2009 BDR mutiny seeks deposed Sheikh Hasina's testimony

A commission instituted by Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Saturday asked deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 14 others to submit their testimony as part of a re-investigation into the 2009 mutiny in the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) frontier force. The National Independent Investigation Commission on the 2009 BDR carnage has issued a public notice urging 15 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to testify as part of its ongoing inquiry, the state-run BSS news agency said. The notice stated that legal measures would be taken against those who will fail to cooperate adding that the special notice was issued expecting to complete the process of recording testimonies of the 15 people, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said. The 15 people included the then army chief retired general Moeen U Ahmed, his grand successor general Aziz Ahmed and several other former military and police officers and politicians belonging to Hasina's ousted Awa

2-front threat a reality, too early to take call on B'desh role: Army chief

In a veiled reference to China and Pakistan, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said there is a "high degree of collusivity," which must be accepted. "What it means, as far as I am concerned, the two-front threat is a reality," he said in response to a question on proximity between China and Pakistan during an interactive session at the India Today Conclave here. During the session, he fielded a broad range of questions about the army's preparedness for the future, lessons from ongoing conflicts, the situation in Bangladesh, and at the Line of Actual Control and the Line of Control. "Now, the second thing that you have brought out is collaboration or the relationship between our western neighbour and Bangladesh. "As far as I am concerned, since I have said that the epicentre of terrorism is in a particular country, they have a relationship with any of my neighbouring country, I should be looking worried, because as far as I am concerned, the terrorism route can be used from

China deepens ties with B'desh, extends loan repayment, duty-free access

The delegation headed by Abdul Moyeen Khan, a senior leader of the opposition Bangladesh National Party, visited China at the invitation of the ruling Communist Party of China

Bangladesh experienced 'paroxysm of violence' last year: UN rights chief

The anti-government protests, led by students, ended Hasina's over 15-year-old rule in August last year. Hasina fled to India following her ouster

Preserving records of atrocities committed by Hasina regime crucial: Yunus

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has called for the meticulous preservation of records documenting alleged atrocities committed under the administration of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. During a Sunday meeting with United Nations officials, Yunus emphasised that without a proper archival system it is difficult to know the truth and ensure justice", Dhaka Tribune reported. A statement issued by the chief advisor's press wing said the chief adviser during his conversation with UN Resident Coordinator Gwen Lewis and UN human rights expert Huma Khan cited the crackdown on demonstrators at Shapla Chattar, police brutality against protesters following the Delwar Hossain Sayedee verdict, and years of alleged extrajudicial killings. The UN officials, in response, reaffirmed their willingness to assist Bangladesh in documenting human rights abuses. This is a process of healing and truth-building, Lewis said, offering the UN's expertise in technical assistance and capacity-building. Yunu

B'desh situation deeply affects me, Yunus has a long way to go: Amartya Sen

Expressing deep concern over the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said his friend Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the neighbouring country's interim government, is taking significant steps but has a long road ahead to resolve the impasse. Sen said the situation in Bangladesh had deeply affected him and he was concerned about how the country would navigate the challenges. In an exclusive interview with PTI at his Santiniketan home in West Bengal's Birbhum district, Sen emphasised that Bangladesh, which has largely kept communal forces like Jamaat in check, should continue its admirable commitment to secularism. "The situation in Bangladesh affects me deeply because I have a strong Bengali sense of identity," Sen told PTI. "I have spent a lot of time in Dhaka and began my school education there. Aside from Dhaka, I often visited my ancestral home in Manikganj. On my maternal side, I regularly visited Bikrampur, particularly Sonarang. These places have deep

Nahid Islam-led student group launches political party NCP in Bangladesh

Nahid Islam, who recently resigned from Muhammad Yunus' interim government, is leading the National Citizen Party (NCP) and has promised to establish a "New Bangladesh"

Take action on networks helping illegal Bangladeshis: Shah to Delhi Police

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday directed the Delhi Police to take strict action against the networks that help illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas entering India, saying it is an issue of national security and should be dealt with strictly. Chairing a meeting to review the national capital's law-and-order situation, he said strict action should also be taken against police stations and sub-divisions that consistently perform poorly. Shah said it should be the Delhi Police's priority to eliminate interstate gangs in the city ruthlessly. Action must be taken with "top to bottom and bottom to top approach" in narcotics cases, and such drug networks should be dismantled, he said. "Strict action should be taken against the entire network that helps Bangladeshi and Rohingya intruders enter the country, get their documents made and facilitate their stay here. The issue of illegal intruders is also related to national security, and it should be dealt with strictly. They should be ...

USAID didn't use govt channel to finance political projects in B'desh: Exec

Md. Anwar Hossain said after the suspension of USAID funding, Bangladesh NGO sector is not in a deep crisis immediately; but in the long run it will have an adverse effect on NGO fundings

Want ties with India based on mutual respect: B'desh foreign adviser

Bangladesh wants good working relations with India based on mutual respect and shared interests, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain said on Monday. Hossain made the remarks while responding to a question on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent remarks on bilateral relations between the two countries. "Of course, Bangladesh will determine its stance. But at the same time, India also needs to decide what kind of relationship it wants with Bangladesh. This is a mutual matter, and there is nothing wrong in stating that, Hossain was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency. He said that Bangladesh has a clear stance on its relations with India, emphasising the importance of a good working relationship based on mutual respect and shared interests. We want a relationship built on mutual understanding, and there is no ambiguity in our position, he told reporters. Hossain also criticised ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's statements during her stay in India,

Bangladesh Air Force base in Cox's Bazar attacked by miscreants, 1 dead

A video circulating on social media platform X appears to show a confrontation between Air Force personnel and the alleged miscreants