Page 5 - Muhammad Yunus

As Bangladesh reinvents itself, Islamist extremists see an opening

Demonstrators at a rally in Dhaka, the capital, warned that if the government did not give the death penalty to anyone who disrespected Islam, they would carry out executions with their own hands

High possibility of Yunus-Modi meet during Bimstec summit: B'desh official

There is a "high possibility" of a meeting between Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, a senior official said here on Wednesday. Modi will travel to Thailand on Thursday on a two-day visit, during which he will attend the 6th BIMSTEC Summit (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and hold talks with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Khalilur Rahman, the High Representative to the Chief Adviser for the Rohingya issue and other priorities, was quoted by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper as saying that Bangladesh has requested a meeting between the two leaders and "we have reasonable grounds to remain hopeful". He told reporters that there is a "high possibility" of the meeting, the paper added. The state-run BSS news agency also quoted an unnamed source as saying that talks between the two leaders will be held during the summit. In New Delhi, sources

Over 100K members of Awami League fled to India: Information advisor

Bangladesh interim government's Information Advisor Mahfuj Alam on Tuesday claimed that more than one lakh members of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League have fled to India, according to media reports. Alam made the remark during an Eid gathering in Dhaka attended by families of individuals allegedly disappeared or killed during Hasina's tenure, Bangladeshi news portal bdnews24.com said. Human rights group Mayer Dak organised the event in the city's Tejgaon area, said a press release. Criticising Hasina, Mahfuj said she used enforced disappearances and killings as a means of avenging her parents' assassination, state-run news agency BSS reported. The highest number of enforced disappearances occurred in 2013 and 2014 when people were fighting for their voting rights. The main objective behind these actions was to destroy the electoral system, he said. The adviser said that the government has already formed a commission to investigate into enforced disappearances. B

Yunus' 'ocean guardian' comment draws flak from Indian political leaders

The recent comments made by Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on India's northeastern states drew sharp reactions from political leaders across party lines on Tuesday, dubbing his remarks as "shameful" and "provocative". Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday shared a video clip on X of Yunus, in which he claimed that Bangladesh was the sole "guardian of the ocean (Bay of Bengal)," as India's northeastern states were "landlocked". He said this opens up a "huge possibility" and urged China to extend its economic influence to his country. These comments were purportedly made during his four-day visit to China. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday said this was a "very serious issue" and it concerns the "safety and security" of the nation. "It's a very shameful comment...he is mentioning regions of our country to move the China agenda. I feel India should take a tough stand on it. It endangers the safety and security of the nation," she told PTI Videos outside the ..

PM Modi sends Eid greetings to Bangladesh interim govt chief Yunus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sent a message to Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus wishing the people of the Muslim majority neighbouring country on Eid-ul-Fitr. As the blessed month of Ramadan comes to a close, I take this moment to extend warm greetings and felicitations to you and the people of Bangladesh on the joyous occasion of the festival of Eid al-Fitr, read the message, shared by Yunus' press wing. Modi wrote over the holy month, 200 million Indians of Islamic faith joined their brothers and sisters across the world in spending pious time in fasting and prayer. The Indian prime minister called the joyous occasion a time of celebration, reflection, gratitude and unity while it reminds us of the values of compassion, generosity and solidarity that bind us together as nations and as members of the global community. We wish for peace, harmony, good health and happiness for people across the world. May the bonds of friendship among our countries grow

'7 Indian states are landlocked': Yunus calls Bangladesh 'ocean guardian'

During his four-day visit to China, Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus signed nine bilateral deals on economic cooperation, infrastructure, and technical development

Trump admin to award women student leaders from Bangladesh protests

The Bangladeshi women will be receiving the 'Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award'. The names of the individual honourees have not been disclosed by the US State Department

Bangladesh benefits from ties with China, want it to enter new phase: Yunus

Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said it is important for his country to see China as a good friend and he expects ties between Dhaka and Beijing to enter a new phase as he wrapped up his four-day China visit on Saturday. Our relationship has been very strong over the years. Our business is very strong and we benefit from our collaboration with China, Yunus said. Hong Lei, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also the Chief Protocol Officer of the Chinese President Xi Jinping, sees off Yunus on Saturday at the Beijing Capital International Airport at the conclusion of his historic four-day official visit to China, a post on X by Yunus' official handle said. Yunus was conferred an honorary doctorate degree by Peking University (PKU) here on Friday. The Chief Adviser met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and sought stepped up investments from China to revive Bangladesh's flagging economy, hit by political and economic crisis. It's very

Case filed against ex-Bangladesh PM Hasina for plot to oust Yunus govt

Bangladesh police have filed a case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 72 others on charges of hatching a conspiracy to overthrow the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus by waging a civil war, officials and media reports said on Saturday. Yes, our Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed the case with Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on charge of conspiracy to topple the existing government, a police official said. The court took into cognizance the case and asked the CID to launch an investigation on Thursday. The CID filed the case after receiving information about an online meeting on December 19, 2024, where participants formed a platform called the "Joy Bangla Brigade" and discussed plans to re-install Hasina back to power through a civil war. Voice recordings of the conversation between former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the host, co-host, and other participating leaders and activists - hosted by Dr Rabbi Alam - revealed that the

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Yunus meets Chinese President Xi Jinping

China has signalled its desire to expand ties with Dhaka in a changed Bangladesh scenario, a day ahead of the scheduled talks between Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday in Hainan province, state-run BSS news agency reported. "President Xi Jinping attaches tremendous importance to your (Yunus') visit," BSS quoted Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang telling Yunus, hoping for the South Asian nation's prosperity under his interim administration. Ding said Beijing would extend full support to the Bangladesh government in terms of investment, trade and cultural ties, and people to people exchanges as they mark 50 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties. Yunus arrived in China on Tuesday, coinciding with Bangladesh's Independence Day, on a four-day visit to join the annual conference of China-led Boao Forum for Asia, an economic platform assumed as Beijing's efforts to run it as a parallel stage of the Western .

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Yunus urges China to cut interest on loans

Gearing up for his meeting with President Xi Jinping, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Thursday asked China to reduce interest rates for Chinese loans and waive commitment fees on Chinese-funded projects. Yunus, who met Chinese Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan, sought Chinese support in an array of developments, Bangladesh media reports said. He also called for a reduction of interest rates for Chinese loans from three per cent to 1-2 per cent to Bangladesh and sought a waiver of commitment fees on the Chinese-funded projects in Bangladesh. China is Bangladesh's fourth-largest lender after Japan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, with total loans disbursed since 1975 coming to USD 7.5 billion, according to a report in the Daily Star newspaper of Bangladesh. Yunus, who arrived in Hainan on Wednesday on a four-day visit, is due to meet President Xi on Friday. In his meeting with Ding

PM Modi’s letter to Muhammad Yunus: What did it say?

Amid growing tensions with Bangladesh, PM Modi has penned a letter to Mohammad Yunus. Watch to know what the letter contains.

PM Modi highlights 'spirit of 1971 war' in letter to Bangladesh's Yunus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pens letter to Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, speaks about shared history, bilateral ties, and Liberation War of 1971

B'desh request for Yunus-Modi meeting under consideration: House panel told

Bangladesh's request for a meeting between its interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit is under consideration, External Affairs minister S Jaishankar is learnt to have told a Parliamentary panel meeting here. At this year's first meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for External Affairs on Saturday, several MPs raised concerns on attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, asking what steps was India taking in this regard, sources said. They said Jaishankar informed the members that the interim government in Dhaka has claimed that the attacks on Hindus were "politically motivated" and not "minority targeted". Jaishankar briefed the MPs on ties with Bangladesh, the Maldives, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. He said he would speak about Pakistan and China separately at a later date. Jaishankar was also learnt to have told the meeting that SAARC was inactive because of Pakistan's approach and thus India is trying to .

Bangladesh won't ban Awami League, leaders may face trial: Muhammad Yunus

Reaffirming the administration's commitment to holding elections as planned, Yunus said the vote would not be delayed for any demands

B'desh approaches India for PM Modi-Yunus talks at Bimstec Bangkok Summit

Earlier in February, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Hossain on the sidelines of Indian Ocean Conference in Oman

Dhaka court orders to freeze 31 bank accounts related to Hasina, her family

A Dhaka court on Tuesday ordered the freezing of 31 bank accounts linked to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her family members and their associates over corruption allegations against them, according to media reports. According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), these bank accounts belonging to Hasina, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby and their related organisations hold a total of Tk 394.6 crore (INR 281.2 crore approximately), reports Prothom Alo. The organisations whose bank accounts have been ordered frozen include Bangladesh Awami League and Jatir Janak Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Trust, according to The Daily Star newspaper. Judge Md Zakir Hossain passed the order after ACC Deputy Director Md Monirul Islam, who is leading the inquiry team, submitted an application in this regard. In the application, the ACC said Hasina and others are trying to transfer the money from these accounts. S

Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Yunus to visit China, meet President Xi Jinping

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is set to visit China later this month during which he will meet President Xi Jinping, the interim government said on Sunday, in a move expected to bolster Dhaka-Beijing ties. Yunus is set to visit China on March 26 and meet Xi on March 28, the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters here, hoping his visit will take Bangladesh-China relations to a new height, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. Issues related to bilateral interest will be discussed in the meeting between Yunus and Xi, Alam said. Dhaka wants to take its relations with Beijing to a new height aiming to turn Bangladesh into a manufacturing hub, he said. "They (China) think that this would be the most important visit by the Bangladeshi leader," Alam added. "On March 27, Yunus will address the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) conference focusing on the changing role of Asia in the world," he said. BFA is an initiative of 25 Asian countries and Australia to disc

UN chief, Bangladesh's Yunus discuss domestic issues, Rohingya crisis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has discussed with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus the country's domestic issues and the Rohingya situation and expressed solidarity with Dhaka's reform and transition process. Guterres is in Bangladesh on a Ramadan Solidarity visit from March 13-16. Guterres travelled to Cox's Bazaar on a mission of solidarity with the Rohingya refugees and with the Bangladeshi people who have hosted them. He expressed appreciation for the close cooperation between the UN and Bangladesh, including its contributions to peacekeeping. The Secretary-General and the Chief Adviser discussed the situation of the Rohingya and Bangladesh's domestic issues. The Secretary-General expressed his solidarity with Bangladesh's reform and transition process, a readout of the meeting between Guterres and Yunus provided by the office of the Secretary-General's spokesperson said on Friday. The Secretary-General is back in Dhaka after having spent the day in Cox's Bazaa

'Sheikh Hasina to return as Bangladesh PM', hints US Awami League leader

Mass protests over the quota system in Bangladesh forced Sheikh Hasina to resign in August 2024 and flee to India amid escalating violence. An interim government then took over the reins