Page 59 - Bangladesh

Two sides of political Islam

Depending on one's viewpoint, global political Islam is either at its strongest or weakest. But the real unwinnable wars are between Islamic states

Tiger Logistics, Bangladesh-based Sikder Group sign pact to increase trade

Homegrown Tiger Logistics (India) on Friday said it has signed an agreement with Bagladesh-based Sikder Group to establish a Joint Venture (JV) for global trade. Sikder Group handles the development and operations of the Mongla Economic Zone at Mongla Port, which is the second-largest seaport in Bangladesh, Tiger Logistics (India) said in an exchange filing. The development comes in continuation of the strengthening of connectivity between the two nations, as Bangladesh granted India permanent access to Chattogram and Mongla Port in April 2023. Recognising the increasing demand for international logistics, particularly between India and Bangladesh, the company aims to play a pivotal role in stimulating economic growth in the region. Tiger Logistics (India) Ltd announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PowerPac Holdings Limited, a concern of Sikder Group, Bangladesh, to formalise a strategic partnership and establish a joint venture (JV) in the logistics sec

Sheikh Hasina sworn in as prime minister of Bangladesh for fifth term

Sheikh Hasina was on Thursday sworn in as the prime minister of Bangladesh for the fifth term, days after her Awami League party won an overwhelming majority in the general elections boycotted by the main opposition BNP and its allies. President Mohammad Shahabuddin administered the oath of office to 76-year-old Hasina at a ceremony joined by politicians, foreign diplomats, civil society figures and senior civil and military officials. Following the prime minister, the new members of cabinet were sworn in by the president. Hasina's party won 223 seats in the 300-member Parliament. Major opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia boycotted the elections after their demand for a non-party caretaker government to oversee the January 7 polls was rejected.

B'desh votes for continuity as Hasina comes to power, but it needs change

The League's pitch to voters was simple: The party had helped the country post impressive growth numbers and should be allowed to keep doing so

Sheikh Hasina govt's 36-member new cabinet set to take oath today

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won the Gopalganj-3 constituency in a landslide victory, her eighth term as a Member of Parliament and fifth term as the PM

Bangladesh elections not free or fair, says US, UN also voices concern

A day after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party emerged victorious at the polls, the US and UN voiced concern over violence and reports of irregularities on the day of elections, with Washington noting that the polls were not free or fair and regretted that not all parties participated in the ballot. The US State Department, in a press statement Monday, said that Washington remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day in Bangladesh. The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated, the State Department said. While noting that Hasina's Awami League won a majority of seats in the January 7 parliamentary elections, the State Department said that Washington condemns violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it. We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to credibly .

India a great friend: Bangladesh PM Hasina after her election victory

Describing India as a "great friend" of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the two neighbours have resolved many problems bilaterally, a day after she won an overwhelming majority in the general elections and secured a record fourth straight term. The 76-year-old leader, who has been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009, won a fifth overall term in the one-sided election on Sunday, which witnessed a low turnout. "India is a great friend of Bangladesh. They have supported us in 1971 and also in 1975. They gave shelter to me and my sister and my other family members," she said, referring to her period in exile when she stayed in India for six years after the killing of her family members. In August 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his wife and their three sons were assassinated in their home by military officers. His daughters Hasina and Rehana survived the purge as they were abroad. "We consider India as our next-door neighbour. We had many

PM Modi speaks with Bangladesh leader Hasina, congratulates on poll victory

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday for securing a record fourth straight term in office and said India is committed to further strengthening its enduring and people-centric partnership with the neighbouring country. Hasina secured a record fourth straight term as the prime minister of Bangladesh as her Awami League party won two-thirds of the seats in the general election marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its allies. In a post on X, Modi said: "Spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her on her victory for a historic fourth consecutive term in the Parliamentary elections." "I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of elections. We are committed to further strengthen our enduring and people-centric partnership with Bangladesh," the prime minister said.

India a great friend since 1971, says Sheikh Hasina after election win

Sheikh Hasina's Awami League won 223 seats in the 300-member Parliament in the Bangladesh polls which concluded on Sunday amid a boycott call by the Opposition

Hasina gets 4th straight PM term as her party wins majority in B'desh polls

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday secured a record fourth straight term as her Awami League party won two-thirds of the seats in the general elections marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition BNP and its allies. Hasina's party won 200 seats in the 300-seat parliament while counting is still underway after the end of the day-long voting on Sunday. "We can call Awami League winner with the already available results but the final announcement will be made after the end of the counting of votes in the rest of the constituencies, an election commission spokesman told reporters. Hasina won the Gopalganj-3 seat for the eighth time since 1986. She bagged 249,965 votes while her nearest rival M Nizam Uddin Lashkar from the Bangladesh Supreme Party secured just 469 votes. The 76-year-old leader, who has been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009, secured a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term in the one-sided .

Bangladesh polls: PM Hasina's AL inching closer to victory amid boycott

Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina was re-elected to parliament on Sunday from the Gopalganj-3 constituency after a landslide victory in the general elections marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Hasina, 76, bagged 249,965 votes while her nearest rival M Nizam Uddin Lashkar from the Bangladesh Supreme Party secured just 469 votes, bdnews24 reported. Gopalganj Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Kazi Mahbubul Alam announced the result. She has won the Gopalganj-3 seat for the eighth time since 1986. Prime Minister Hasina, who has been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009, is set to secure a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term. The ruling Awami League candidates are leading in most of the seats, according to the results so far. Earlier, the counting of votes started after the polling ended in the general elections which registered low voter .

Bangladesh polls: Oppn to continue peaceful protests against Hasina govt

Leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which boycotted Sunday's general elections, said it plans to intensify its anti-government movement through a peaceful public engagement programme from Tuesday as it dubbed the polls as "fake." In the meantime, the country's main opposition party's leaders at various levels are performing their duties in monitoring the situation after the elections. The BNP led by former prime minister Khalida Zia and the newly-formed Amar Bangladesh Party claim that the low turnout at around 40 per cent was evidence that their boycott movement had been successful, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. BNP leaders said that peaceful democratic protest programmes will be accelerated, and the people's right to vote will be established through this programme. Quoting party sources, the report said that the BNP's high command has given a message to leaders and activists at all levels that even if they cannot stop the polling in the 12th national parliament .

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Bangladesh election commission app slowed down after cyber attack: Official

Bangladesh Election Commission on Sunday said hackers from Ukraine and Germany carried out a cyber attack on its app, slowing down its functioning during the 12th general election in the country, according to a media report. Speaking to the media, Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said that it had created a mobile application called "Smart Election Management BD" which provides real-time voting information. However, voters during the polls complained since Sunday morning that the EC app was not operating properly, the Dhaka Tribune website reported. After a probe, it was found that there was a cyber attack from hackers from Ukraine and Germany on the app. "A cyber attack has been carried out on the app 'Smart Election Management BD' of the Election Commission (EC) from Ukraine and Germany," he was quoted as saying in the report. Alam said that the EC app slowed down after the cyber attack from Ukraine and Germany. "Our team has been working round the

Bangladesh elections: Counting begins amid boycott by main opposition BNP

Bangladeshis on Sunday turned up in low numbers to cast their votes for the general elections likely to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fourth straight term, amid sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition party BNP and its allies. The turnout for the 12th national parliamentary election has only been 27.15 per cent as of 3 pm, Election Commission Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said. The voters' turnout was highest in (southwestern) Khulna division with 32 per cent of people casting their votes. The lowest turnout was reported from (northeastern) Sylhet division where the figure was 22 per cent during this time, an election commission spokesman said. Voting has been suspended at seven polling centres over irregularities, he said. The polls opened at 8:00 am and ended at 4 pm (local time). The usual election-day fervour was nowhere to be seen. Even in front of the election campaign booths, there was no presence of voters except the ruling party-backed supporte

A fire in Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh guts more than 1,000 shelters

A fire raced through a crammed camp of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's southern coastal district of Cox's Bazar, gutting more than 1,000 shelters and leaving thousands homeless, a fire official and the United Nations said on Sunday. The fire broke out around midnight on Saturday at Kutupalong camp in Ukhiya and spread quickly, fanned by strong winds, Shafiqul Islam, head of the Ukhiya Fire Station, told The Associated Press. No casualties were reported, he said. The fire was big, and it destroyed about 1,040 shelters in the camp, he said. We took about two hours to get the blaze under control, engaging 10 fire units from Ukhiya and other stations in the district. An Associated Press reporter at the scene said that thousands of refugees, including women and children, rushed to a nearby open field with their belongings as the fire started spreading aggressively during the early hours on Sunday. We are suffering from the cold severely, facing a difficult situation. Currently, we ar

Democracy should continue in Bangladesh, says Sheikh Hasina as polls begin

"My heartfelt thanks to the people of Bangladesh. There were many obstacles but the people of our country are very much aware of their voting rights and the need for polls, PM Hasina said

Polling underway in Bangladesh amid boycott by main Opposition BNP

Bangladeshis on Sunday began voting in the general elections expected to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the absence of the main Opposition BNP which is boycotting it. Voting began at 8 am local time and will continue till 5 pm. A total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to vote at Sunday's polls in more than 42,000 polling stations, according to the country's Election Commission. The voting is being held in 299 out of 300 constituencies. The election to one centre will be held later as a candidate died there. More than 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties are contesting in the election besides 436 independent candidates. Over 100 foreign observers, including three from India, will monitor the 12th general election, which is being held under tight security. The election commission said it expected the results to start flowing from early on January 8. Hasina, 76, has been in power since 2009 and her Awami League won the last election in December 2018.

At least 14 polling centres, 2 schools torched in B'desh ahead of elections

Bangladesh is set to hold elections on January 7

Bangladesh to hold elections on Sunday, PM Hasina expected to win

Bangladesh will go to the polls on Sunday in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to win a fourth straight term in the absence of the main Opposition BNP which on Saturday began a 48-hour nationwide strike against the "illegal government" amidst sporadic violence. A total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to vote at Sunday's polls in more than 42,000 polling stations, according to the country's Election Commission. More than 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties are contesting in the election besides 436 independent candidates. Over 100 foreign observers, including three from India, will monitor the 12th general election, which is being held under tight security. The election commission said voting will start at 8 am and will end at 5 pm. The results are expected to start flowing from early on January 8. Prime Minister Hasina's ruling Awami League is expected to win for a straight fourth time as the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of