Page 3 - Dhaka

India, Bangladesh announce reciprocal repatriation of fishermen in custody

India and Bangladesh on Thursday announced that they will kick-start a process of reciprocal repatriation of fishermen in each other's custody, a move that came amid strain in their bilateral ties. Shortly after Bangladesh said it will hand over 95 Indian fishermen to Indian authorities on January 5, India said it will release 90 Bangladeshi fishermen on the same day. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said mutual exchange of fishermen and their vessels has been worked out keeping in mind the primarily humanitarian and livelihood concerns of the fishing communities on both sides. "In recent months, several Indian fishermen have been arrested by Bangladesh authorities when they happened to inadvertently cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and entered Bangladesh waters," it said. The MEA said several Bangladesh fishermen have also been apprehended by Indian authorities in similar circumstances. "Earlier today, 95 Indian fishermen were handed over by Bangladesh authori

Hasina's son accuses Yunus govt of using judiciary for political witch hunt

Sanjeeb Wazed, son of deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has accused the Muhammad Yunus led interim government of weaponising the judiciary for carrying out a political witch hunt against the Awami League leadership. Wazed's allegations, as a long post on X, came two days after the interim government on Monday said it has sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi seeking Hasina's extradition from India. Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's (AL) 16-year regime. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for crimes against humanity and genocide. The judges and prosecutors appointed by the unelected Yunus led regime to conduct farcical trial process through International Crimes Tribunal makes it a political witch hunt that forsakes justice and

Total 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus, minorities in B'desh: Govt

A total of 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities have been reported in Bangladesh this year till December 8, and India's expectation is Dhaka will take necessary measures to ensure their safety, the government said on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh gave the information in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, citing data from minority and human rights organisations. In Pakistan, the number of cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan this year stood at "112 till October 2024," the MoS said. The corresponding figures for 2022 were 47 in Bangladesh and 241 in Pakistan, while in 2023 the figures were 302 in Bangladesh and 103 in Pakistan, according to the data he shared. The minister said the Indian government has urged "Pakistan to take steps to prevent religious intolerance, sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on minority communities and ensure their safety, security, and ...

India lodges strong protest with Dhaka over B'deshi leader's comments

India has lodged a strong protest with Dhaka over certain controversial comments by key aide of Bangladesh's interim government Mahfuj Alam. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Alam said India should recognise the uprising that forced the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign. "We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments," he said. "While India has repeatedly signalled interest in fostering relations with the people and the interim government of Bangladesh, such comments underline the need for responsibility in public articulation," Jaiswal added.

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

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

Foreign secretaries meet: India raises concern over minorities in B'desh

India on Monday expressed concerns over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh and its desire for a "positive, constructive and mutually beneficial" relationship with the neighbour as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held high-level talks with his counterpart in Dhaka. In the first high-level visit by an Indian official since August 5 when prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted and fled to India, Misri said he had a "frank, candid and constructive exchange of views" with Foreign Secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin here. "I conveyed our concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities. We also discussed some regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious and diplomatic properties," Misri told reporters. "I emphasized that India desires a positive, constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh," he said. Misri said their talks allowed both sides to take stock of bilateral relations. "We have always seen in the past, and we continue to

Mass Hindu migration from B'desh unlikely at present: Abhijit Banerjee

The current and evolving situation in Bangladesh is unlikely to trigger a fresh round of exodus of minority Hindus into India, Nobel laureate economist Abhijit Banerjee said. Historically, the academic explained, migration is mainly driven by social networks and economic opportunities, rather than persecution, even in the context of the crisis faced by minorities in Bangladesh. Speaking exclusively to PTI during his recent visit to the city to participate in a curtain-raiser event of the 16th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, where his latest title Chhaunk: On Food, Economics and Society' was launched, Banerjee said he felt India's "explicit political preference for Hindu migrants from Bangladesh" is what prompted the population to leave their homeland in the past, rather than the attacks on the community. "People always leave for another country where they have their families or to a richer nation where the economic opportunities are higher," the Nobel laureate said

Iskcon Namhatta centre in Bangladesh burnt down, says Radharaman Das

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Saturday alleged that its centre in Dhaka district in neighbouring Bangladesh was burnt down earlier in the day. Iskcon Kolkata vice president Radharamn Das told PTI that the targetted attack on members of the community and members of the Vaishnavite order goes on unabated as "vandals set ablaze idols inside the temple at the Namhatta property." He said in a post on X handle, "ISKCON Namhatta Centre burned down in Bangladesh. The deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan and all items inside the temple were burned down completely The centre is located in Dhaka. Early morning today, between 2-3 AM, miscreants set fire to the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple and the Shri Shri Mahabhagya Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which fall under the Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha, located in Dhour village, under the jurisdiction of Turag Police Station, Dhaka district." "The fire was initiated by lifting the tin roof at the back of the temple and using

Air India Express expands, defers Kolkata-Dhaka direct flight plans

Air India Express, the budget-carrier arm of Air India, is embarking on a significant expansion by increasing its fleet size and introducing new routes, as passenger growth remains robust. The airline, however, has deferred plans to launch direct flights between Kolkata and Dhaka, citing the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh. "You would recall we had announced our operational plan for Dhaka, which is a new and significant market for us. But because of the situation there, we have deferred those plans," Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, said. "As soon as the conditions are right, we will resume those plans," he said. The airline had initially planned to launch the Dhaka services in September with six weekly flights. Despite the deferment, Singh said the airline remains committed to expanding its presence in the eastern sector. He said its international service flights to and from Kathmandu would begin with the summer schedule, starting the end of March ...

Bangladesh interim govt head Muhammad Yunus says country is united

Dhaka Tribune reported that Yunus sought suggestions from all political parties so that Bangladesh could proceed towards the right path without any errors

Bangladesh freezes bank accounts of 17 ISKCON members for 'sedition'

Bangladesh's authorities have ordered freezing for 30 days the bank accounts of 17 people associated with ISKCON, including its former member Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested this week on sedition charges, media reports said Friday. The move comes after the Bangladesh High Court rejected a petition seeking a ban on International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), following the killing of a lawyer in a clash between the Hindu leader's supporters and security personnel. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) sent these directives to different banks and financial institutions on Thursday, suspending all types of transactions related to these accounts for a month, newspaper Prothom Alo said. The financial intelligence agency under the central Bangladesh Bank asked the banks and financial institutions to send information, including updated transaction statements of accounts related all businesses owned by these 17 individuals, within the next three working days, it said.

Bangladesh steps up security, arrests 6 for lawyer's killing amid protests

Police also detained 21 others for vandalism and assaulting police officers during the unrest

Bangladesh fast tracks payment to Adani Power ahead of November 7 deadline

The Gautam Adani-owned company reduced the power supply to Bangladesh to 700-800 MW this month, nearly half than earlier, after failing to secure its dues of $846 million

Petition seeking ban on deposed B'desh PM Hasina's Awami League withdrawn

A writ petition filed in a high court in Bangladesh seeking a ban on ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and several other parties was withdrawn on Tuesday. Leaders of the anti-discrimination students' movement, which led to the ouster of Hasina's 15-year regime on August 5, on Monday in a petition in Dhaka High Court sought the court's directions to prevent the Awami League and 10 other parties from conducting political activities in the country. Court officials and lawyers said three top leaders or coordinators of the movement -- Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah and Hasibul Islam -- decided not to proceed with the petition that also questioned the past three general elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024 which installed Hasina-led Awami League to power. The elections were staged amid allegations of massive vote manipulation or boycott by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia and several other parties. The moveme

India-Bangladesh DG-level border talks scheduled for November postponed

The DG-level border talks between India and Bangladesh, scheduled to be held in Delhi next month, have been postponed following a change in plan by the neighbouring country, official sources said on Friday. The bi-annual talks led by the heads of the Border Security Force (BSF) and its Bangladeshi counterpart the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were to be tentatively held between November 18 and 22 in the national capital, the first such meeting after the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. Sources told PTI that the Bangladeshi side informed about the postponement and indicated that they were working on "an early date" for the meeting to be held. Overall, it will be the 55th edition of the Director General (DG)-level talks between the two forces that also includes officials from the home and external affairs ministries, and anti-narcotics, Customs and some other federal agencies from both the countries that have a stake in border management. The last edition of thes

Three injured in rift between police, Hindu clan going to dip idol in Dhaka

At least three people were injured in a clash that broke out between police and Hindu community going to immerse idols following the conclusion of Durga Puja in an Old Dhaka locality, a media report said on Monday. The three people, including a police officer, were injured when miscreants threw bricks from the rooftop of Nur Super Market in Patuatuli area of Old Dhaka on the procession heading to immerse idols in the Buriganga river late Sunday night, The Daily Star newspaper said quoting an eyewitness. Following the attack, members of the Hindu community tried to enter the market but faced resistance from the police. Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge Md Enamul Hasan told the newspaper, The locals attempted to enter the market. For the sake of the market's security, we resisted them from entering, which eventually led to the clash." The officer further said that unable to control the situation, he informed the army and they arrived and dispersed the crowd. The situation is n

Committed to helping Bangladesh expand economic opportunities, says US

The US on Sunday assured Bangladesh's interim government of its commitment to helping the country expand economic opportunities, build institutional capacity, and uphold human rights. The US commitment came as a high-level US delegation met Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain. "We are committed to helping expand economic opportunities, build institutional capacity, uphold human rights, and mitigate climate risks with our partner, Bangladesh," the US Embassy in Dhaka posted on X after the meeting. The US delegation at the meeting was headed by Assistant Secretary for International Finance of the US Department of Treasury Brent Neiman. The delegation also included US State Department Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Donald Lu, The Daily Star newspaper said. "Great to meet the foreign affairs adviser at Padma House," said the embassy. Neiman also met Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed. After the meeting, the embassy said: We support Bangladesh's path towards renewed dynami

Bangladesh crisis: Hindus protest over demand for new minority law, justice

Hindu protesters in Dhaka and Chattogram carried signs demanding swift justice through a fast-track tribunal for those responsible for the attacks on the community

Families in Bangladesh fight for justice against forced disappearances

In a dimly lit room in Dhaka, Baby Akhtar clutches a faded photograph of her husband, Tarikul Islam Tara, who vanished twelve years ago after allegedly being taken by Bangladesh's security agencies, a personal tragedy reflecting the broader nightmare of enforced disappearances that has haunted Bangladesh for over the last 15 years. I have been waiting for my husband for the last 12 years. My life and family have been ruined for no fault of mine. We want justice. We hope that the interim government will give us justice. I want my husband back, she said as tears rolled down her cheeks. The fate of hundreds like Tara remains shrouded in uncertainty following the recent ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose administration was accused of presiding over systematic enforced disappearances. With Hasina's departure, the interim government has taken a significant step by forming a commission to investigate these cases. However, for the families still waiting, the commission's