Page 2 - Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Rahman to meet EAM, Goyal on Wednesday

Talks between India and Bangladesh to focus on reviving stalled projects, boosting investments and potential visit of Bangladesh PM amid efforts to repair strained ties

Jaishankar to host Bangladesh FM for talks on bilateral ties in Delhi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday for wide-ranging talks in a significant initiative to repair the bilateral ties following an over 18-month period of heightened diplomatic tension. Rahman's three-day trip to New Delhi from Tuesday is the first high-level visit by a senior member of the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The relations between India and Bangladesh witnessed major downturn after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August, 2024. The two sides initiated efforts to stabilise the relations after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, represented India at the inauguration of Tarique Rahman as the prime minister in Dhaka on February 17. Tarique Rahman became the prime minister following his party's landslide victory in the parliamentary .

Bangladesh conducts emergency measles vaccination amid deadly outbreak

Bangladesh is conducting emergency measles-rubella vaccinations while trying to contain an ongoing outbreak that has killed more than 100 children in less than a month. The government, in partnership with the World Health Organisation, the UN children's agency and the Gavi vaccine alliance, began working to vaccinate children aged 6 months to 5 years old in 18 high-risk districts on Sunday and will expand nationwide in phases from next month, a joint statement said. A UNICEF official said the agency was deeply concerned about the sharp rise in cases, which was putting the youngest and most vulnerable children at serious risk. "This resurgence highlights critical immunity gaps, particularly among zero-dose and under-vaccinated children, while infections among infants under nine months, who are not yet eligible for routine vaccination, are especially alarming," said Rana Flowers, the agency's representative in Bangladesh. More than 900 cases of measles have been confirmed among 7,500

Govt examining request from Bangladesh for supply of diesel, says MEA

The inputs were shared by the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiwal during a weekly presser

Gen-Z revolts in South Asia show toppling leaders is just the start

New governments in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka face test of turning protest wins into real reforms

JioStar ends IPL broadcast deal in Bangladesh after local partner defaults

Though Bangladesh is reviewing the ban and had said any further steps will depend on opinion of its sports ministry, termination by JioStar means there will be no local broadcaster for the IPL season

Why Bangladesh PM Rahman's post on 1971 genocide puts revisionism to rest

Tarique Rahman's Genocide Day post names Pakistan's role, signalling a shift in Bangladesh's narrative amid Yunus-era revisionism and evolving ties with Islamabad

Datanomics: Bangladesh at 55 - stagnation, inflation, and other issues

As Bangladesh marks its 56th Independence Day, slowing growth, rising inflation and a widening trade deficit underscore mounting economic challenges

Delhi Police busts cross-border arms smuggling racket; 10 arrested

The Delhi Police on Wednesday said they have busted an arms smuggling module with links to Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and arrested 10 people. A cache of sophisticated foreign-made weapons, including sub-machine guns and automatic pistols, along with 200 live cartridges, has been recovered from the accused, they said. According to police, a total of 21 firearms were seized during the operation, comprising high-end automatic weapons and pistols sourced from multiple countries. Among the recovered weapons are a Czech Republic-made sub-machine gun and a range of pistols of different international makes. The seized arms include PX-5.7 pistols, which are generally used by special forces, Stoeger pistols manufactured in Turkey, PX-3 pistols from China, Shadow CZ pistols from the Czech Republic, as well as Beretta (Italy), Taurus (Brazil) and Walther (Germany) pistols, officials said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the module was part of a well-organised cross-border network

Pakistan world's most polluted country, followed by Bangladesh: Report

Pakistan is the most polluted country in the world, followed by Bangladesh and Tajikistan while India is at the sixth spot, according to the 8th World Air Quality report. The 2025 edition of the report published by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, is based on analysis of data from monitoring stations across 9,446 cities in 143 countries, regions and territories. The data has been sourced from more than 40,000 regulatory monitoring stations and low-cost sensors managed by a wide array of contributors, including government agencies, universities, non-profit organisations, private enterprises and engaged citizen scientists around the world. While China is at the 20th position amongst the most polluted countries in the world, the USA is at the 120th spot and the UK is at the 110th spot. According to the report, only 13 countries or territories -- French Polynesia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Barbados, New Caledonia, Iceland, Bermuda, Reunion, Andorra, Australia, Grena

South Asian industries pivot to solar, cut reliance on gas amid Iran crisis

In India and Pakistan, once key customers for the Persian Gulf's LNG exports, industries have been rapidly shifting away from both gas and grid power to make use of cheap, abundant solar energy

Declare 1971 Pak atrocities on Bengali Hindus as genocide: US lawmaker

US Congressman Greg Landsman has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives seeking to recognise the atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army and its allies, Jamaat-e-Islami, against Bengali Hindus on March 25, 1971, as "war crimes and genocide". Landsman, a Democrat Congressman from Ohio, moved the resolution in the US House of Representatives on Friday, and it has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The resolution states that on the night of March 25, 1971, the Government of Pakistan imprisoned Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and its military units, in conjunction with radical Islamist groups inspired by the ideology of Jamaat-e-Islami, began a general crackdown throughout East Pakistan code-named ''Operation Searchlight'' that involved widespread massacres of civilians. It said that on March 28, 1971, United States Consul General in Dacca, Archer Blood, sent a telegram to Washington titled ''Selective Genocide'', in which he wrote, ''Moreover, with support

3,100 attacks against minorities in Bangladesh since Aug 2024: Centre

About 3,100 incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities took place in Bangladesh from August 2024 till February 2026, according to data from human rights organisations, the government has informed Parliament. In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita also said the government of India continuously monitors incidents of attacks against minorities in Bangladesh, including on their homes, properties, businesses and places of worship. "As per available data from human rights organisations, about 3,100 incidents of violence against Hindu and other minorities have taken place across Bangladesh from August 2024 till February 2026," he said. India has consistently raised the matter of safety and security of the minorities with the authorities in Bangladesh at all relevant occasions, including at the highest level. The issue has also been discussed with foreign interlocutors. "It is the expectation

India, Bangladesh urea firms shut operations as war disrupts LNG flow

LNG is the primary feedstock for urea production, serving as an energy source and a key input in making the world's most widely used fertilizer

From school closures to WFH: How Asia is tackling oil supply crunch

Countries across Asia are imposing fuel curbs, remote work and price caps as oil supply disruptions from the West Asia conflict trigger price volatility and threaten energy security

India to supply 5000 tonnes of diesel to Bangladesh amid fuel concerns

Earlier in the week, on Sunday, Bangladesh conducted drives to inspect the fuel stock situation, Bangladesh Energy Ministry said

Bangladesh closes universities to save electricity, fuel amid energy crisis

Authorities said the decision applies to all public and private universities across the country

B'desh court seeks Interpol red notice for arrest of UK MP Tulip Siddiq

A court in Bangladesh's capital on Thursday ordered authorities to request that Interpol issue a red notice for the arrest of a British lawmaker on charges of corruption in a private real estate project. Tulip Siddiq, a former British minister and an MP from Hampstead and Highgate in London, faces charges of corruption in Bangladesh as the country's Anti-corruption Commission pursues a case against her. Siddiq has already been sentenced to six years in jail in Bangladesh in three other corruption cases all involving her powerful aunt, the country's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina was ousted in 2024 in a student-led mass uprising that ended her 15-year rule, and has been in exile in India since August 5, 2024. Siddiq earlier rejected all allegations against her, termed the verdicts as a "complete farce," and said she is a British citizen, not a Bangladeshi national. The commission said that Siddiq, using her connection with Hasina, influenced a process to award land to

Bangladesh bars SpiceJet from using its airspace over pending dues

Bangladesh has barred SpiceJet from using its airspace as the budget carrier is yet to repay pending dues, according to sources. With the Bangladesh airspace not being available, the airline is taking longer routes for some of its flights from Kolkata, including to Guwahati. When contacted, a SpiceJet spokesperson on Thursday said the airline was in regular dialogue with the relevant authorities on operational and procedural matters, including navigation-related charges. "These are routine industry issues and we are working constructively towards an early resolution. Our flight operations remain unaffected, and we continue to operate our scheduled services in line with regulatory requirements," the spokesperson said in a statement. While specific details were not disclosed, the sources said Bangladesh has banned the airline from using its airspace due to non-payment of dues. Details about the nature of dues could not be immediately ascertained. An email sent to the Civil Aviation

B'desh PM Tarique Rahman chairs first cabinet meeting, sets 180-day agenda

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday chaired the first meeting of his newly formed cabinet, which set a 180-day priority plan with a focus on controlling commodity prices, maintaining law and order and stabilising supply chains. Rahman, the 60-year-old chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as the 11th prime minister on Tuesday after leading his party to a forceful victory in the 13th Parliamentary polls held on February 12. The first meeting of the new cabinet was held at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said it is customary for a newly formed government to hold a session on its first day in office. The government has set a 180-day priority plan, with initial focus on controlling commodity prices, maintaining law and order, stabilising supply chains, and ensuring uninterrupted gas and electricity supply, Ahmed was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper. He ad