Page 43 - Bangladesh

Bangladesh in limbo: A country of 170 mn, where students run the streets

One female student, who looked no older than 16, tried to ease traffic on a busy street with the zeal of an overachiever, shouting what were more pleas than orders to ever bhaiya, Bengali for brother

Bangladesh's inflation spikes 12-year high to 11.66% in July amid protests

Bangladesh's inflation in July reached a 12-year high at 11.66 per cent as it faced turmoil due to the massive student protest over a controversial job quota system, according to the country's bureau of statistics. The inflation was 9.72 per cent in June, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. Data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics on Monday showed that food inflation in July registered a record high of 14.10 per cent and non-food inflation at 9.68 per cent. This was 10.42 per cent and 9.15 per cent respectively in June. The previous high of the general inflation rate was 9.94 per cent last May, the report said. July was marked by country-wide protests by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement that began demanding quota system reforms in government jobs. A crackdown by the government on dissenters further provoked the protests as agitators soon began to demand the resignation of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India l

Centre allows power exporters to sell their electricity back in India

Move in wake of Bangladesh unrest; Adani Power's Godda plant primary beneficiary

Bangladesh's ousted PM Sheikh Hasina to face trial on murder charges

Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six others, including two senior ministers of her cabinet and the sacked police chief, would face trial on murder charges, court officials said on Tuesday. The murder case filed against 76-year-old Hasina is the first so far against her since she resigned and fled to India on August 5. She and six others over the death of a grocery shop owner during last month's violent clashes that led to the fall of her government. "In line with a case filed by a resident of (Dhaka's) Mohammadpur area, Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury has asked police to register it as an FIR," a court official said. He said that six others who were named in the case are: Awami League general secretary and former road transport minister Obaidul Quader, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and sacked inspector general of police (IGP) Abdullah Al Mamun, Dhaka's police commissioner Habibur Rahman, Additional IGP Harun-or-Rashid and additional joint commissioner

Indian FMCG enterprises resume operations in violence-hit Bangladesh

Indian FMCG companies with operations in violence-hit Bangladesh say their business in the neighbouring country is slowly returning to normalcy after being shut for about a week. Leading FMCG companies, including Marico, Dabur, Emami, Pidilite Industries, Britannia and Godrej Consumer Products, have operations in Bangladesh, which recently faced violent clashes leading to a regime change there. Besides, leading QSR chain Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd (JFL), a master franchisee of American pizza restaurant chain Domino's, also operates around 30 stores in Bangladesh. Marico, which has the biggest exposure in Bangladesh, has informed the bourses that its manufacturing operations in the country resumed at normal scale on August 11. "Operating conditions in the market have been gradually improving and a large majority of our retail sales force and distributors have been functioning since last week," the Mariwala-promoted FMCG maker said. In Bangladesh, Marico operates in personal care, baby

Want justice: Former Bangladesh PM Hasina in her 1st post-ouster statement

In first comment after ouster, she says those involved in Bangladesh violence should be investigated

How assets, vehicles at Bangladesh's 'Setu Bhaban' were reduced to ashes

During the protests, angry students set fire to the ministry building and vandalised government property and vehicles parked inside its premises

Yunus meets Bangladeshi Hindus, urges patience before judging his govt

Reaching out to the distressed Hindu community members at the famous Dhakeshwari Temple here, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday urged the people to exercise patience before judging his government's role. Yunus, who took charge as the Chief Advisor of the interim government on August 8 amid ongoing violence and vandalism, including against the minorities, also said each one's rights should be ensured and blamed "institutional decay" for the predicament that his country has fallen into. The meeting comes close on the heels of attacks on the minority Hindu population, vandalisation of their business and properties and devastation of Hindu temples hours in the violence that ensued for days following the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Dhakeshwari temple is one of the prominent shakti peethas. Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please, assist us. Exercise patience, and later .

Micro credit boss Muhammad Yunus may need to curb anathema to profit

Bangladesh's new interim government head Muhammad Yunus, now Chief Adviser, stresses ethical business practices and social entrepreneurship while addressing Bangladesh's economic revival

Murder case filed against former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, six others

Bangladesh crisis: A murder case has been registered against Sheikh Hasina and six others for their involvement in the death of a grocery shop owner on July 19

Murder case filed against Bangladesh's ousted PM Hasina, six others

A murder case has been filed against Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six others over the death of a grocery shop owner during last month's violent clashes that led to the fall of her government, media reports said on Tuesday. The case was the first to be filed against Hasina, 76, after she resigned and fled to India last week following widespread protests against her Awami League-led government over a controversial job quota system. The case was filed by a well-wisher of the grocery store owner Abu Sayed, who was killed on July 19 in police firing during a procession in support of the quota reform movement in Mohammadpur, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. The other accused are Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, among others. Besides, several unnamed high-ranking police officials and government officials were also accused in the case,

Marico resumes normal manufacturing ops at Bangladesh plants; stock up 3%

Marico Bangladesh update news: Marico said the manufacturing operations in the country resumed at normal scale on Monday

UN chief welcomes efforts to restore calm, organise elections in B'desh

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed efforts of Bangladesh's interim government to restore calm and organise parliamentary elections in the country, urging the inclusion of women as well as minority communities in the process. In a statement issued on Monday by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Guterres said he stands in full solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and calls for the full respect of their human rights. Guterres urged Bangladesh's interim government led by 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to continue to make every effort in the coming weeks to be inclusive, including by taking into account the voices of women, youth, and people across the country, as well as that of minority and indigenous communities, as the country moves towards parliamentary elections. "The Secretary-General welcomes efforts to restore calm and organise parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, with the support of an interim government, the statement ..

Resignations of Bangladeshi officials close to Hasina are legal: Yunus

The head of Bangladesh's interim government, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, says the high-profile resignations of authorities close to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are legal after student leaders who organised protests against Hasina's government issued ultimatums for them to quit. Legally ... all the steps were taken, Yunus, 83, told a group of journalists Sunday night. The country's chief justice, five justices and central bank governor have all resigned in the past few days, part of a dramatic transformation after weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs turned into a mass uprising. Hasina resigned and fled to India last week. Yunus said a key priority of the interim government is to restore the independence of the judiciary. He called former chief justice Obaidul Hassan "just a hangman. Syed Refaat Ahmed was appointed the new chief justice on Sunday after his name was proposed by student leaders of the protests. Students vow to cleanse the political

US will continue to monitor 'human rights' situation in B'desh: White House

The United States will continue to monitor the situation in Bangladesh, the White House said, emphasising that President Joe Biden is "consistent in speaking loud and clear" on human rights issues. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was responding to questions regarding calls from Hindu-American groups and Indian-American lawmakers seeking the US government's intervention in protecting the lives and properties of the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. "We are certainly going to continue monitoring the situation. I don't have anything else to add beyond that. But, when it comes to any type of human rights issues, the president (Joe Biden) has been very consistent in speaking loud and clear in public and also privately and he'll continue to do that, Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Monday. Over the past few days, hundreds of Hindu-Americans in various US cities have been holding peaceful ...

White House denies allegations of US involvement in Bangladesh crisis

The White House on Monday strongly refuted allegations that the United States interfered in the internal affairs of Bangladesh, leading to the resignation and fleeing of the country's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. We have had no involvement at all. Any reports or rumours that the United States government was involved in these events is simply false. That is not true, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Monday. Jean-Pierre was responding to media reports that quoted Hasina allegedly claiming that she could have stayed in power if she had surrendered the sovereignty of St Martin's Island and allowed America to dominate the Bay of Bengal. Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed, has denied that his mother ever gave such a statement. The recent resignation statement attributed to my mother published in a newspaper is completely false and fabricated. I have just confirmed with her that she did not make any statement either before or si

B'desh Army chief says soldiers will return after police resume operations

Bangladesh's Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said on Monday that soldiers will return to barracks once the police resume normal operations, as he met and reviewed the security situation with the interim government head Muhammad Yunus after police officers agreed to call off their strike and return to work. Bangladesh descended into chaos last week after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India in a military aircraft while the Army stepped in to fill the power vacuum. As the news of Hasina's departure spread, hundreds of people broke into her residence, vandalising and looting the interiors, providing dramatic expression to the anti-government protests that have killed more than 500 people in a fortnight. On Monday, General Zaman said that soldiers will return to barracks once police resume normal operations. He made the comments while responding to questions from journalists at an event here. He said there is improvement in the law and order situation in the countr

St Martin's island: How many military bases does US have around the world?

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has in the past alleged that a foreign country, possibly the US, was interested in setting up a military base in St Martin's island

Priyanka urges Bangladesh govt to ensure safety of Hindus, other minorities

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said news of continuous attacks on minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh was disturbing and expressed hope that the government there would ensure the safety of Hindus, Christians and Buddhists. The Congress general secretary said discrimination, violence and attacks on the basis of religion, caste, language or identity were unacceptable in any civilised society. "The news of continuous attacks on minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh is disturbing. Discrimination, violence and attacks on the basis of religion, caste, language or identity are unacceptable in any civilised society," Priyanka Gandhi said in a post on X. She expressed hope that the situation in Bangladesh would soon become normal and the interim government there would ensure the safety and respect for people following Hindu, Christian and Buddhist religions. Bangladesh's interim leader Mohammad Yunus on Saturday condemned attacks on minority communities in the violence-hi

Bangladesh: Why is St Martin's island in news and what Sheikh Hasina said

Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has brought up St Martin's Island in the past too, alleging that a foreign country was interested in setting up its military presence there