Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday declared that she is determined to return home in December to put the country on the "right track" as she is undeterred by the threat of imprisonment or a death sentence. Hasina made the remarks during an audio-only virtual press conference -- her first public media interaction since fleeing to India on August 5, 2024 in the face of a massive protest. Attendees were unable to see the former prime minister and heard only her voice. "I know, they may put me in jail or kill me," she said, adding "I will go back home to be with my people." The Awami League leader also described India as a "great friend" of Bangladesh and said it always stood by her country in times of difficulty. In her comments, Hasina delved into the prevailing political environment in her country and the challenges facing its people, asserting that her return is not about power but to put Bangladesh back on the track of development, secularism and ...
Bangladesh's economic engagement shifted towards China, the US and the Netherlands after Hasina's exit, while trade and investment ties with India weakened
Bangladesh has sought clarification from India over its position on deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's planned press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, coinciding with the second anniversary of her government's ouster, a minister here said on Monday. Addressing a media briefing, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam also said that Hasina's public political activities from Indian territory could have a negative impact on bilateral relations between the two countries. According to some media reports, Hasina, 78, is expected to join a private event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia (FCC South Asia) virtually on August 5 in New Delhi. Hasina's US-based son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, and Bangladesh Human Rights Watch general secretary Mahammad Ali Siddique are among those who would join the event. "Bangladesh wants India to make its position clear on the matter," Shama said, adding that Dhaka do
A parliamentary committee has said that illegal migration from Bangladesh continues to remain a matter of "serious concern", as it also recommended that a "dedicated bilateral mechanism" or a joint working group be set up between the two countries to monitor the progress of nationality verification and repatriation. The panel also noted that continued diligence is essential to "ensure that Indian nationals are not deported to Bangladesh in error". The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, said this in a report tabled in Parliament on Thursday. It is titled - "Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/ Recommendations contained in the Ninth Report of the Committee on the subject 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'". The panel noted that illegal migration from Bangladesh "continues to remain a matter of serious concern, particularly in the border states of West Bengal and Assam". The committee said it is aware tha
Exiled former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina says she will return from India in December to surrender despite facing a death sentence, saying she wants to face her fate on home soil
Bangladesh on Tuesday termed as "unsatisfactory" New Delhi's explanation involving the hassle of an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at Indira Gandhi International Airport. "The explanation provided by the Indian side over the incident was not satisfactory," the state-run BSS news agency reported, quoting a foreign ministry spokesperson. He said the incident involving Prime Minister's Adviser for Information and Strategy Zahed Ur Rahman was "unfortunate and regrettable". According to the official, Indian authorities were informed beforehand in due process through diplomatic channels that the premier's adviser would lead the Bangladesh delegation at a meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). BSS reported that Rahman was scheduled to lead the Bangladesh delegation before being prevented from proceeding through Delhi airport earlier this month. Dhaka's reaction came a day after the External Affairs Ministry said Rahman was permitted entry into India after reconfirm
Even during periods of geopolitical strain, trade through the land frontier has remained resilient
India shares a 4,096 km-long international border with Bangladesh, out of which about 860 km remains unfenced, including 174.51 km of the "not feasible for fencing" gap
The acting Indian envoy was summoned on Thursday afternoon, during which the protest was formally conveyed by Bangladeshi officials
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will host his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday for wide-ranging talks in a significant initiative to repair the bilateral ties following an over 18-month period of heightened diplomatic tension. Rahman's three-day trip to New Delhi from Tuesday is the first high-level visit by a senior member of the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The relations between India and Bangladesh witnessed major downturn after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August, 2024. The two sides initiated efforts to stabilise the relations after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, represented India at the inauguration of Tarique Rahman as the prime minister in Dhaka on February 17. Tarique Rahman became the prime minister following his party's landslide victory in the parliamentary .
About 3,100 incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities took place in Bangladesh from August 2024 till February 2026, according to data from human rights organisations, the government has informed Parliament. In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita also said the government of India continuously monitors incidents of attacks against minorities in Bangladesh, including on their homes, properties, businesses and places of worship. "As per available data from human rights organisations, about 3,100 incidents of violence against Hindu and other minorities have taken place across Bangladesh from August 2024 till February 2026," he said. India has consistently raised the matter of safety and security of the minorities with the authorities in Bangladesh at all relevant occasions, including at the highest level. The issue has also been discussed with foreign interlocutors. "It is the expectation
LNG is the primary feedstock for urea production, serving as an energy source and a key input in making the world's most widely used fertilizer
Earlier in the week, on Sunday, Bangladesh conducted drives to inspect the fuel stock situation, Bangladesh Energy Ministry said
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday attended the swearing-in ceremony of new Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, and said India stands ready to support Bangladesh's endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation. Separately, the speaker called on the new Bangladesh prime minister and conveyed the wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also handed over an invitation from Prime Minister Modi to Rahman to visit India, officials said here. "Glad to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka today. India stands ready to support Bangladesh's endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation," Birla posted on X. Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, said in a post on X, "Prime Minister Tarique Rahman conveys his greetings to India and PM Narendra Modi to the visiting India Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a courtesy meet following the swearing-in
Bangladesh wants to reset ties with India on a fresh footing now that ousted premier Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party no longer hold power, Humayun Kabir, adviser to BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, has said, asserting that the two nations should work together for "mutual benefit". Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday secured a sweeping victory with more than two-thirds majority in the landmark parliamentary elections held on Thursday. In an interview to PTI Videos on Saturday, Kabir stressed that the onus lies on India to recognise the changed political reality in Bangladesh after the BNP's resounding electoral mandate. "The change has to come from the mindset in India. Sheikh Hasina and Awami League don't exist in today's Bangladesh anymore. The people have given a clear verdict in favour of BNP," Kabir said. Kabir described Hasina, who fled to India after 2024's August uprising, as a "terrorist" responsible for the deaths of over 1,500 people. Kabir urged t
Bangladesh is central to India's security, bordering its sensitive northeastern states. For China, it's a significant node in its Belt and Road Initiative
Bangladesh's first election since Muhammad Yunus took charge as interim leader will test whether Gen Z-led protest movements can convert street momentum into stable, long-term political power
Bangladesh's key export-earning ready-made garments made from cotton and synthetic fibres imported from the US will enjoy zero reciprocal duty under a new trade deal
China has stepped up its investment and diplomatic outreach in Dhaka, most recently signing a defence deal to build a drone factory near Bangladesh's border with India
By next weekend, Bangladesh will have an elected government. This is India's moment to reboot broken ties by moderating the 'ghuspethiya' rhetoric in poll-bound West Bengal and Assam