Page 41 - Bangladesh

Hasina's 'brutal dictatorship' destroyed institutions of Bangladesh: Yunus

Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Sunday alleged that Sheikh Hasina's "brutal dictatorship" destroyed every institution of the country during her decade-and-a-half-long reign when elections were "blatantly rigged." Briefing foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka for the first time, 10 days after assuming charge as the Chief Advisor of the interim government after Hasina's resignation and her fleeing to India, the 84-year-old Nobel laureate sought the support from the international community to rebuild Bangladesh after the Second Revolution following the mass uprising. Yunus assured the diplomats, including India's High Commissioner in Dhaka, Pranay Verma, that his administration will hold a free, fair and participatory election as soon as his government completes the "mandate" of carrying out "vital reforms." "The revolutionary students want us to carry meaningful and deep reforms, which will turn the country into a real and thriving democracy. The task is huge b

44 officers killed in violence during quota protests: Bangladesh police

At least 44 policemen were killed in the violence that hit Bangladesh during the massive quota reform protests that led to prime minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster, the police said on Sunday. Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India on August 5 following the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs. The media wing of the police headquarters said that 44 police personnel were killed in the conflict, leading Bengali-language newspaper Prothom Alo reported. The reported deaths of the police officers took place between July 20 and August 14, it said. The report said that 25 police personnel were killed on the day Hasina fled to India -- the highest number of policemen deaths recorded during the conflicts -- while 15 others died the previous day on August 4. Apart from this, two policemen died while undergoing treatment on August 20, one on August 21 and one on August 14. The highest toll was recorded in the constable-rank police personnel -- 21.

Bangladesh deposed PM Hasina, 33 others sued in 2013 'mass murder' case

An application was filed with a court in Bangladesh on Sunday to register a case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 33 others, accusing them of carrying out a mass murder by indiscriminately firing on a rally organised in 2013 by Hefazat-e-Islam here. Babul Sardar Chakhari, chairman of the Bangladesh People's Party (BPP), applied to the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Zaki-Al-Farabi, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. The application accused them of the "mass murder" during the rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel on May 5, 2013. The court recorded the plaintiff's statement and said it would pass an order on the issue later. With this, 76-year-old Hasina, who resigned from the premiership and fled to India on August 5 following a mass uprising, now faces 11 cases, including eight for murder, one for abduction, and two for committing crimes against humanity and genocide, in Bangladesh. Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence th

Educational institutions in Bangladesh reopen after a month of shutdown

Bangladesh on Sunday reopened all educational institutions, including universities, secondary schools and colleges, across the country after more than a month of closure due to violence centring the student-led protests that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The educational institutions in Bangladesh were closed indefinitely on July 17 to ensure the safety of students in the wake of clashes that erupted during the recent movement demanding reform of the job quota system. The Ministry of Education on Thursday issued a directive to reopen the institutions under its jurisdiction. All the educational institutions reopened on Sunday, after a month of closure. According to Somoy Television, a Bengali news channel based in Dhaka, All concerned have been asked to take necessary steps to resume academic activities in all the educational institutions from August 18 following the instruction of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, a notification signed by deputy secretary Mosammat ..

Another murder case filed against ousted Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina

A murder case was filed against Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday over the death of a college student during the quota reform protests in the country, the latest in the string of cases filed against her after her ouster. The case was filed against Hasina, former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel, and 32 others, including several Awami League leaders, in Chandgaon, bdnews24.com portal reported. An additional 40 to 50 unidentified people have also been made accused in the case, it said. This is the seventh case filed against Hasina following her ouster amid mass protests. Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5 after she was forced to resign following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs. Mohammad Parvez, the uncle of the deceased student Tanvir Siddiqui, brought the charges at Chandgaon Police Station early on Saturday morning, the report quoted the station chief Jahedul Kabir as saying. According to the

Interim govt committed to hold fair elections in Bangladesh: Yunus

The caretaker government in Bangladesh is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment for holding "free, fair and participatory elections," its head Mohammad Yunus assured the international community on Saturday. Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government, gave this assurance while addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit which was hosted by India in a virtual format. "You all are aware that Bangladesh witnessed a Second Revolution' on 5th August 2024, through a mass uprising spearheaded by our valiant students and joined by the masses," the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said, referring to the political turmoil in his country, the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India on August 5. Noting that the current interim government led by him was sworn in on August 8, Yunus said, "Our government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an ...

Voice of Global South summit: Yunus calls for redesigning financial system

Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of the Bangladesh government, on Saturday called for redesigning the financial system in the Global South to ensure wealth is shared by all and asserted that combining entrepreneurship with social business can create miracles. If we give an important place for social businesses, that is businesses which are created solely for fixing social and environmental problems, the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said, adding, that it can set a path to create a world of three zeros zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration, and zero unemployment. Yunus was addressing the Third Voice of Global South Summit' being hosted virtually by India. Pointing out that today's youth want jobs, just because they are prepared by an education system in all our countries to get ready for jobs with their creative capacities forgotten, Yunush, the pioneer in microfinancing in Bangladesh, called for redesigning the system. Our education system and financial system are built o

Muhammad Yunus sees sports as unifying force to solve social problems

Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, on Saturday said the power of sports should be used for social purposes like it was done during the Paris Olympics 2024. Paris 2024 and its partners have decided to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games a responsible event in economic, social and environmental terms. So, Paris 2024 joined forces with trade unions and employer organisations by signing a social charter together on June 19, 2019. A first for a major sporting event, this initiative guarantees a responsible and sustainable approach to the Games, according to the description on the Paris Olympics website. "I have been encouraging the power of sports to be utilised for social purposes. I am glad the Paris Olympics 2024 paid attention to it. Together with the Paris Olympics 2024, we created a new concept of Olympics social business Olympics," the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said. Yunus made these remarks while addressing the third Voice of Global So

Dhaka University students protest in solidarity with Kolkata demonstrators

Students at the prestigious Dhaka University in Bangladesh held a protest in solidarity with ongoing demonstrations over the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College in Kolkata in the neighbouring country. The protest, organised under the banner "Awaaz Tolo Nari" (Raise Your Voice, Women), on Friday, took place at the Raju Sculpture in Dhaka University, Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. "We are aware of the non-cooperative attitude of the medical college administration regarding the Moumita rape case in Upper Bengal. As women, we demand that the administration provide maximum legal assistance, strictly enforce the law, and announce the verdict promptly," Dhaka Tribune quoted Rahnuma Ahmed Niret, a student from the Department of Physics, as saying at the event. Anya Fahmin, a student of the Department of Anthropology, added: "Women worldwide face rape, and we fully support the ongoing movement for fair accountability in the RG Kar Hospital case in Kolkata.

Bangladesh interim govt committed to holding free and fair elections: Yunus

The caretaker government in Bangladesh is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which "free, fair and participatory elections" can be held, its head Mohammad Yunus assured the international community on Saturday. Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government, said while addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit which was hosted by India in a virtual format. "You all are aware that Bangladesh witnessed a Second Revolution' on 5th August 2024, through a mass uprising spearheaded by our valiant students and joined by the masses," the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said, referring to the political turmoil in his country and the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Noting that the current interim government led by him was sworn in on August 8, Yunus said, "Our government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which free, fair

Nearly 650 people killed in recent spate of violence in B'desh: UN report

Nearly 650 people have been killed in the recent unrest in Bangladesh between July 16 and August 11, the UN Human Rights Office has said in a preliminary report, suggesting a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions. According to the 10-page report titled Preliminary Analysis of Recent Protests and Unrest in Bangladesh, nearly 400 deaths were reported between July 16 and August 4 while around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new wave of protests between August 5 and 6, leading to the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The available public reports by media and the protest movement itself claimed that between July 16 and August 11, more than 600 people were killed due to the wave of violence following the Anti-Discriminatory Student demonstrations. The number of reported killings in revenge attacks since that time remains to be determined, the report, released on Friday in ...

Bangladesh crisis: India should junk victimhood and excessive religiosity

Bangladesh is just the latest example of disquiet in India's neighbourhood. We need to show renewed respect to our neighbours

Adani Power will continue to supply power to Bangladesh from J'khand plant

Adani Power on Friday said it will continue to supply power to Bangladesh from its 1,600MW Jharkhand plant, set up to supply 100 per cent electricity generated from the facility to the neighbouring nation. Earlier this month, the power ministry amended power import/export guidelines to enable electricity supply from plants set up as an export-oriented unit to sell power within India. The amendment provides that the government may permit connection of such generating station to the Indian grid (inter-state or intra-state grid) to facilitate the sale of power within India 'in case of sustained non-scheduling of full or part capacity or default notice issued by the generator for any default, including delayed payment under the PPA (power purchase agreement)'. Adani Power's 1,600 MW Godda plant is probably the only plant in the country which has been set up with a commitment of 100 per cent electricity supply to Bangladesh. In a statement, Adani Power explained the amendment to India's

Yunus expands his team as 4 more advisers join B'desh interim government

The interim government in Bangladesh led by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus was expanded on Friday with four more advisers joining his team. The new advisers are Wahiduddin Mahmud, an economist, Ali Imam Majumdar, former cabinet secretary, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, former power secretary, and Lt Gen Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. With these four, the strength of the members in the interim government's advisory council rose to 21. Yunus and 13 other advisers were sworn in on August 8, four days after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government amid an uprising over government job quota reforms. Two advisers were sworn in on August 11 and one a day after. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oaths to the four new advisers at Bangabhaban, the seat of the government. Wahiduddin Mahmud was an adviser to the 1996 caretaker government while Majumdar was appointed as special assistant to this interim government's chief adviser on August 12, the news portal said.

In call to PM Modi, Mohd Yunus assures protection of Hindus in Bangladesh

Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh, called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, assuring protection, safety and security of Hindus and all other minorities in his country. This is the first conversation between Modi and Yunus after he assumed the responsibility following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Modi said in a post on X that he reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He said, "Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh." The prime minister had in his Independence Day address on Thursday voiced concern over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. "As a neighbouring country, I can understand the concern

Another murder case filed against Bangladesh former PM Sheikh Hasina

A murder case was filed against Bangladesh's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday over the death of a teacher, the latest in the string of cases filed against her after her ouster. The case was filed against Hasina and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader in Bogura. Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5 after she was forced to resign following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs. Ninety-nine other local leaders and activists of her party were also sued in the case filed with Bogura Sadar Police Station over the murder of 35-year-old Selim Hossain, a resident of Palikanda village of Shibganj upazila, on August 4. On August 4, the day before Hasina resigned and fled the country in the face of a student-led mass uprising, Hossain joined students' protest in Bogura's Satmatha area. According to the complaint, Awami League (AL) leaders and activists attacked the protesters and hacked Hossain to death with sharp weapons. Hossain's ..

B'desh's interim govt vows swift action against people attacking minorities

Bangladesh's newly-appointed Home Affairs Ministry adviser has vowed to take swift legal action against those who attack or abuse minorities, stressing that there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred in the country. Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain's assurance came during a meeting with a delegation from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh at his office in the Secretariat on Thursday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. Bangladesh saw a spike in violence against members of Hindu communities following the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled to India on August 5 following massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. Hussain emphasised that Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony, where people of all religions have grown up together without any divisions. He said that no one would be spared if they attacked or abused minorities, and swift legal action woul

As cases mount, Bangladesh to decide on seeking Hasina's extradition

Hasina fled the country for India on Aug. 5 after a violent uprising against her led to nearly 300 people getting killed, including many students

Adani Power says committed to supplying electricity to B'desh amid protests

Adani Power's 1,600 megawatt (MW) Godda plant in Jharkhand state is the only one in India under contract to export 100% of its power to a neighbouring country

PM Modi raises concern of Hindus' safety in Bangladesh in I-Day speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hoped that the situation in violence-hit Bangladesh will return to normal soon even as he said 140 crore Indians are concerned over the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country. In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort in the national capital, Modi said India is committed to peace and that it will remain a well-wisher of Bangladesh in its development journey. Modi's remarks came amid mounting concerns in New Delhi over widespread incidents of attacks on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 following weeks of violent unrest. "As a neighbouring country, I can understand the concern regarding whatever has happened in Bangladesh. I hope that the situation there will become normal soon," Modi said. "In particular, the concerns of 140 crore countrymen is that the safety and security of Hindus and minorities there is ensured. .