Page 6 - Muhammad Yunus

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

Commission on 2009 BDR mutiny seeks deposed Sheikh Hasina's testimony

A commission instituted by Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Saturday asked deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 14 others to submit their testimony as part of a re-investigation into the 2009 mutiny in the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) frontier force. The National Independent Investigation Commission on the 2009 BDR carnage has issued a public notice urging 15 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to testify as part of its ongoing inquiry, the state-run BSS news agency said. The notice stated that legal measures would be taken against those who will fail to cooperate adding that the special notice was issued expecting to complete the process of recording testimonies of the 15 people, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said. The 15 people included the then army chief retired general Moeen U Ahmed, his grand successor general Aziz Ahmed and several other former military and police officers and politicians belonging to Hasina's ousted Awa

Got no official response from India on Hasina's extradition request: Yunus

Bangladesh interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that Dhaka had sent "formal letters" to India seeking deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's extradition but received "no official response" from New Delhi. In an interview with UK-based Sky News, Yunus said Hasina will stand trial for "crimes against humanity", the state-run BSS news agency reported. Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 last year, when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's 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". "A trial will be taking place. Not only against her, but also all the people associated with her - her family members, her clients or associates," Yunus said. Bangladesh has issued two arrest warrants for her. Yunus said they had sen

Preserving records of atrocities committed by Hasina regime crucial: Yunus

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has called for the meticulous preservation of records documenting alleged atrocities committed under the administration of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. During a Sunday meeting with United Nations officials, Yunus emphasised that without a proper archival system it is difficult to know the truth and ensure justice", Dhaka Tribune reported. A statement issued by the chief advisor's press wing said the chief adviser during his conversation with UN Resident Coordinator Gwen Lewis and UN human rights expert Huma Khan cited the crackdown on demonstrators at Shapla Chattar, police brutality against protesters following the Delwar Hossain Sayedee verdict, and years of alleged extrajudicial killings. The UN officials, in response, reaffirmed their willingness to assist Bangladesh in documenting human rights abuses. This is a process of healing and truth-building, Lewis said, offering the UN's expertise in technical assistance and capacity-building. Yunu

B'desh situation deeply affects me, Yunus has a long way to go: Amartya Sen

Expressing deep concern over the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said his friend Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the neighbouring country's interim government, is taking significant steps but has a long road ahead to resolve the impasse. Sen said the situation in Bangladesh had deeply affected him and he was concerned about how the country would navigate the challenges. In an exclusive interview with PTI at his Santiniketan home in West Bengal's Birbhum district, Sen emphasised that Bangladesh, which has largely kept communal forces like Jamaat in check, should continue its admirable commitment to secularism. "The situation in Bangladesh affects me deeply because I have a strong Bengali sense of identity," Sen told PTI. "I have spent a lot of time in Dhaka and began my school education there. Aside from Dhaka, I often visited my ancestral home in Manikganj. On my maternal side, I regularly visited Bikrampur, particularly Sonarang. These places have deep

Yunus invites Musk to visit Bangladesh, launch Starlink satellite service

The statement shared by the Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh on X reads, 'Chief Adviser invites Elon Musk to visit Bangladesh and launch Starlink in 90 working days.'

BNP leader Babul Mia beaten to death in front of wife in Bangladesh

A BNP leader was beaten to death in front of his wife by his rivals in Dhaka, police said. Mohammad Babul Mia, the former vice-president of BNP's Kulla union unit, was killed when he and her wife were harvesting mustard near Akshirnagar Housing of Dhamrai upazila on Friday afternoon, Daily Star Bangladesh reported. Babul's wife Yasmin Begum said villagers had a long-standing dispute over Akshirnagar Housing, a real estate business. "Although my husband was not involved in the matter, local criminals Afsar, Arshad, and Monir had been threatening both of us for days," she alleged. "They beat him with sticks and SS pipes, seriously injuring him. They even gouged out both his eyes. When I and some locals tried to intervene and take him to a hospital, they stopped us. Only after he became unconscious did they leave the place," she said. Babul was later taken to Savar Enam Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Dhamrai Police Statio

Reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh 'exaggerated': BGB chief

The chief of Bangladesh's border guarding force on Thursday termed the reports of attacks on minorities in his country as "exaggerated", asserting that authorities have taken steps for their protection. Addressing a joint press conference along with chief of India's Border Security Force (BSF) Daljit Singh Chaudhary, Director General of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said the Bangladeshi delegation has raised objection with regard to fencing at some places along the Indo-Bangladesh border and it was hopeful that the issues would be resolved in the future. Chaudhary, on his part, said infiltration along the international border has come down substantially after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, 2024. On the issue of minorities, Siddiqui said, "Attacks on minorities in Bangladesh are exaggerated. We got several requests from minorities as they were afraid but BGB convinced them that we will help". The BGB chief said

Sheikh Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh, calls Muhammad Yunus 'mobster'

Sheikh Hasina has vowed to return to Bangladesh, accusing Muhammad Yunus of encouraging lawlessness, while Dhaka prioritises her extradition amid rising tensions

Hasina's extradition is Bangladesh interim govt's top priority: Spokesman

Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus' office on Tuesday said the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India was Dhaka's top priority. This is the government's top priority, Chief Adviser Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam said in a media briefing, adding that Dhaka would continue its efforts to extradite Hasina to hold her trial in person. He said it was up to the people and political parties of Bangladesh to decide if her fascist Awami League would be able to carry on politics but those allegedly involved in killings, enforced disappearances and other wrongdoings must be brought to justice. The spokesman said the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' (OHCHR) fact finding report, released last week, revealed that Hasina committed crimes against humanity during her tenure. After the report of the UN and some reports of rights groups were published, pressure has been mounted (on India to return Hasina to Bangladesh), the

Deposed Bangladesh PM Hasina blames Yunus for lawlessness in country

Deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina has accused Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus for the lawlessness in the country and said he has unleashed terrorists on its people. The 16-year-long Hasina's Awami League regime was toppled in a students' uprising on August 5, 2024 when she fled Bangladesh for India. He (Yunus) dissolved all inquiry committees and unleashed terrorists to butcher people. They are destroying Bangladesh, Hasina said during a virtual interaction with widows and children of slain police officers killed during the July-August violent anti-government protests in 2024. During the conversations, which appeared on social media on Tuesday, Hasina is seen consoling the mourning family members saying she was expecting to return home and avenge the killings. I will return and avenge the deaths of our policemen, she said and added that when her government was toppled, she too narrowly escaped death, by the grace of God, who definitely kept her alive to do .