Page 32 - Bangladesh

Bangladesh may hold next election in late 2025 or first half of 2026: Yunus

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Monday said the next general election in the country could take place by the end of 2025 or the first half of 2026. He, however, said the timing of the election will largely depend upon the political consensus and the extent of the reforms that must be carried out prior to it. "Broadly speaking, the election can be scheduled between the end of 2025 and the first half of 2026," he said in a televised speech to the nation on Vijay Diwas. Vijay Diwas commemorates the Pakistan military's surrender to Indian forces. India's historic victory led to the liberation of Bangladesh. Yunus said he has repeatedly appealed to all to hold the polls after completing all the major reforms. "However, if, due to political consensus, we have to hold the election on the basis of a flawless preparation of the voter list with minor reforms, then it may be possible to hold the elections by the end of 2025," United News of Bangladesh quoted Yunus as saying. "A

Uttarakhand CM Dhami recalls sacrifices of war veterans on Vijay Diwas

Vijay Diwas for the 1971 Liberation War is celebrated nationwide on December 16 to commemorate India's victory against Pakistan in the 13-day war

Hasina accuses Yunus of leading 'undemocratic group' with no public duty

Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday mounted another attack on the country's interim leader Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of leading an "undemocratic group" that has no responsibility towards the people. In a statement on the eve of the 'Bijoy Dibos', Hasina called Yunus a "fascist" and alleged that the main aim of the dispensation led by him is to suppress the spirit of the Liberation War and the pro-liberation forces. Bangladesh celebrates December 16 as 'Bijoy Dibosh' or Victory Day. On December 16, 1971, then Chief of Pakistani forces General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the joint forces of Indian Army and 'Mukti Bahini' after the 13-day war following which East Pakistan became Bangladesh. In a statement in Bengali, Hasina, who fled to India after resigning as the prime minister in August in the face of massive anti-government protests, said that "anti-national groups" had unconstitutionally captured power. "This ...

US envoy Garcetti reaffirms commitment to safeguard religious minorities

He added that religious minorities must be safeguarded regardless of their country of residence

Ousted PM Hasina involved in enforced disappearance: Bangladesh commission

An inquiry commission set up by the interim government in Bangladesh said in a provisional report that it has found ex-premier Sheikh Hasina's involvement in alleged incidents of enforced disappearance. The Commission for Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance estimated that the number of enforced disappearances would be over 3,500. The commission has found evidence of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's involvement as the instructor in the incidents of enforced disappearance, the press wing of the office of Chief Adviser (CA) of de facto Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus said in a statement on Saturday night. It said the deposed premier's defence adviser, Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre and sacked Major General Ziaul Ahsan, and senior police officers Monirul Islam and Mohammad Harun-Or-Rashid and several other senior officials were found to be involved in those incidents. The ex-military and police .

Time has come for US Congress to act on Bangladesh: Congressman Thanedar

Raising the issue of attacks over minority Hindus in Bangladesh, Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has said that the time has come for the US Congress to act. "The crowds of the majority have destroyed Hindu temples, Hindu deities and Hindus who are practising their religion in peace," Thanedar said on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday. "The time has now come for the United States Congress to act and the US government to act ... every possible tool in our hands needs to be used to ensure that such atrocities in Bangladesh against Hindus stop right away," he said. Thanedar has consistently raised the issue of alleged violence against Hindus in Bangladesh since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. "Since 1971, when Bangladesh got its freedom from Pakistan, there have been numerous occasions where minority Hindus have been attacked. More recently, we have seen a Hindu priest being arrested and his lawyer was murdered," he alleged. On Thursday, the

Treatment of minorities in Bangladesh matter of concern, says Jaishankar

The treatment of minorities in Bangladesh is a matter of concern for India and New Delhi hopes that Dhaka will take action for their safety, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The minister said India hopes that the new dispensation in Bangladesh will settle down to a mutually beneficial stable relationship with India. Jaishankar said treatment of minorities in Bangladesh has been a source of concern as there have been multiple incidents of attacks on them. "We have drawn their attention to our concerns. Recently foreign secretary visited Dhaka. This subject came up in his meetings. And it is our expectation that in its own interests, Bangladesh will take action for the safety of minorities," he said during the Question Hour. The minister said India has a good history of development projects in Bangladesh. "In fact when we speak about the neighbourhood first policy, almost every neighbouring country with the exception of Pakistan and China, we h

Bangladesh court keeps bail plea, denies early hearing for Chinmoy Das

Chinmoy's lawyer Rabindra Ghosh expressed disappointment and said that he is considering to move the bail prayer to the High Court

President Biden watching situation in Bangladesh very closely: White House

President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and the United States will hold the Bangladeshi interim government accountable for ensuring the protection of religious and ethnic minorities in the country, the White House has said. "The security situation in Bangladesh has been difficult following the ouster of the former prime minister. And we have been working closely with the interim government to enhance the capability of their law enforcement and security services to deal with the challenge," White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said at a news conference on Thursday. "We have been very clear in our engagement with all Bangladeshi leaders that protection of religious and ethnic minorities security to all Bangladeshis regardless of religion or ethnicity. We want to hold them to that," Kirby said in response to a question. Over the past few weeks, Indian Americans have held peaceful protests and marches in several cities, including

TMC raises Bangladesh issue in Parliament, demands statement from PM

Trinamool Congress on Thursday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak in Parliament on situation in neighbouring Bangladesh. The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha in the post-lunch sitting by TMC's Parliamentary Party leader Derek O'Brien, who sought permission to raise a point of order. He quoted Rule 251, and said he wanted the Prime Minister to come and give a statement on Bangladesh issue. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar however said it is not a point of order, and did not allow O'Brien to continue. The refusal was followed by TMC MPs breaking out into sloganeering in the House. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, TMC's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghose said a statement on the issue should be given in Parliament by the Prime Minister. "The Parliament is in session, it is a very sensitive matter on the situation in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister must come to Parliament and give a full statement on Bangladesh in Parliament," Ghose said. "Our party leader D

Bangladesh top court stays decision on making 'Joy Bangla' national slogan

Following the change of government, the state moved to suspend the High Court's ruling and on December 2 filed the leave to appeal petition with the SC seeking stay on the High Court verdict of March

Bangladesh lawyer to seek bail for spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das

The court dismissed the petition as Chinmoy Krishna Das did not authorize power to the lawyer Ghosh who submitted the plea

Must save minorities in Bangladesh, bring them back: Mamata to Centre

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the Centre must give protection to minorities in violence-hit Bangladesh, and bring back those willing to return. Banerjee also claimed that fake videos were being purposefully circulated, as certain sections were trying to foment communal tension. "We want protection for minorities in Bangladesh. The Union government must act. It should also bring back those who want to return to India," she told reporters here. The CM is on a two-day trip to Digha to review the construction of the Jagannath temple. Bangladesh's minority Hindus, who constitute about 8 per cent of the 170 million population, have faced attacks in 50-odd districts since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on August 5.

Delhi Police launches drive to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants

Delhi Police on Wednesday launched a drive for the identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the national capital, a day after the LG Secretariat ordered a crackdown on such persons. "The drive was conducted at various parts of Delhi including Kalindi Kunj, Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar areas. The local police officers conducted door-to-door verifications where they checked their Aadhaar cards and voter IDs," a police officer said. "Some of the residents were identified as suspects. They may be sent to the detention centre after the completion of legal process," the officer said. The Delhi LG Secretariat on Tuesday directed the chief secretary and police commissioner of Delhi to launch a two-month special drive to identify and take strict action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the national capital. Another police officer said cases may be registered if the immigrants are found to be staying illegally or involved in any illegal activity. Delhi h

US wants India, Bangladesh to resolve differences peacefully: Matthew Miler

The United States has said that it wants India and Bangladesh to resolve their differences peacefully. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miler said this at his daily news conference on Tuesday. "We want to see all parties resolve their disagreements peacefully," Miler said, responding to a question on the recent visit of India's foreign secretary to Bangladesh. During his visit early this week, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed New Delhi's "concerns" over the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh. "I have underlined India's desire to work closely with the interim government of Bangladesh. At the same time, we also had the opportunity to discuss certain recent developments and issues, and I conveyed our concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities," Misri told reporters in Dhaka at the end of his visit.

Pan-India protests condemn alleged atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh

Members of various Hindu organisations and civil society groups on Tuesday staged protests across India against attacks on community members in Bangladesh. While hundreds of people from various outfits, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), held a protest march at Delhi's Chanakyapuri, a similar rally was taken out in Lucknow condemning the attacks on Hindus in the neighbouring country. At Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, protesters marched to the deputy commissioner's office to show solidarity with the Hindus in Bangladesh, while in Jammu, a large number of protesters took to the streets demanding the intervention of the Centre and the United Nations in the matter. Similar protests, which coincided with world Human Rights Day, were also staged in Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Ranchi, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, among other places. In Delhi, security was stepped up outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Chankyapuri where a large number protesters gathered to raise the plig

Engaging with Dhaka: Foreign secretary Vikram Misri's visit suggests a thaw

This week's meeting may stabilise the temperature on frosty exchanges between New Delhi and Dhaka in the immediate post-Hasina phase

Bangladesh confirms 88 attacks on minorities, primarily targeting Hindus

Bangladesh on Tuesday acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, following the ouster of then-premier Sheikh Hasina in August. Interim government head Muhammad Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam also said that 70 people have been arrested in those incidents. He made the disclosure a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flagged regrettable incidents of attacks on minorities and conveyed India's concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meetings with the Bangladeshi leadership. A total of 88 cases have been filed in incidents related to minorities from August 5 to October 22, Alam told reporters. "The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in (northeastern Sunamganj, (central) Gazipur, and other areas," he said. He added that there might be cases where some victims were members of the previous ruling party. The government has so

Govt not allowing discussion on plight of Hindus in Bangladesh: Sena (UBT)

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Union government of not allowing a discussion in Parliament on the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. The saffron party's Hindutva is "politically transactional, selfish and hypocritical," it said. The BJP's espousal of Hindutva is restricted to creating fear in the minds of the Hindus by raising slogans such as 'Batenge to Katenge' (divided we perish) and talking about the Uniform Civil Code and amendment to the Waqf Board Act, said the editorial. "A discussion on atrocities on Hindus is not allowed in Parliament and the proceedings are being stalled by the BJP over George Soros," it claimed. Incidents of atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh after the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina goverment do not make the BJP uncomfortable, Saamana alleged, adding that as the BJP is not contesting polls in the neighbouring country, it is not bothered about the Hindus there. Hindu outfits are organising demonstrations in West Bengal, Himachal .

India raises concerns over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh; Dhaka denies claims

India’s Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, met Bangladeshi officials on December 9 including the country's interim Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. Watch the video to know what was discussed.