Page 8 - Muhammad Yunus

Bangladesh moves to drop secularism from Constitution: What we know so far

The existing principles-nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism-were established in the 1972 constitution, drafted after Bangladesh's independence during the 1971 India-Pakistan War

B'desh Constitution reform panel wants to drop 'secularism', 'socialism'

The Constitution Reform Commission on Wednesday submitted its report to interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, proposing the replacement of the state principles of secularism, socialism and nationalism. The commission set up by the Yunus administration, after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister following a mass agitation led by students, also proposed a bicameral parliament for the country and a two-term limit on a premier's tenure. The three principles are among the four enshrined as fundamental principles of state policy in the country's constitution. Under the new proposals, only one -- democracy, remains unchanged. We are proposing five state principles -- equality, human dignity, social justice, pluralism, and democracy -- for reflection of the great ideals of the 1971 Liberation War and the people's aspiration during the 2024 mass upsurge, commission chairman Ali Riaz said in a video statement. The report kept democracy alone in the constitution's preamble alongsi

Bangladeshi court sentences ex-Army chief, 18 others to 12-yr imprisonment

A Bangladeshi court on Wednesday sentenced former army chief Harunur Rashid and 18 others to 12 years of imprisonment and also slapped fines worth more than Tk 4,500 crore for embezzlement and money laundering. The Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 sentenced former army chief Lieutenant General (Retd) Rashid and Rafiqul Amin, managing director of Destiny Multipurpose Co-Operative Society Limited to 12-year imprisonment each in a case lodged over embezzlement and money laundering. A court official said Judge Md Rabiul Alam simultaneously fined them Tk 4,515.57 crore (USD 1=Tk 120.93), an amount double to what they were accused of misappropriation involving the MLM company or network business firm. MLM companies sell products to family and friends and recruit other people to do the same. Rashid was recruited by the firm as a director years after his retirement from the army while he was granted bail as the hearing was underway since the trial began in 2016. The Destiny group chairman, Ras

UK PM urged to fire Hasina's niece Tulip Siddiq as Yunus calls for probe

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus urged the UK government to launch a thorough investigation into properties linked to Tulip Siddiq, UK's anti-corruption minister

Bangladesh's SC upholds HC verdict scrapping cases against Muhammad Yunus

Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Saturday said that its judgement of upholding a High Court ruling which scrapped five labour law cases against Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus had no legal weakness or interference, according to a media report. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam passed the order last month, dismissing a leave to appeal petition filed against the High Court judgment, state-run BSS news agency reported on Saturday. The full text of the judgment was published recently where the Supreme Court said there was no legal weakness or interference in the High Court judgment, the report said. Five cases were filed with the Labour Court in Dhaka against Yunus in 2019 when he was the chairman of Grameen Telecommunications. The cases were filed after the termination of employees under a proposed trade union act. In 2020, the Nobel laureate appealed to the High Court to quash the cases, after which the Court issued a ruling. Later, on October 24 l

An open letter to Prof Mohd Yunus: From revenge to responsibility

Hasina took away your bank, you've now served revenge. Here's the test: Now that you have public office, it implies public trust. Can you have it and do nothing? And if you would, what would it be?

Bangladesh's crime tribunal issues 2nd arrest warrant against Hasina

The warrants relate to two cases involving allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances

Bangladesh's EC to probe irregularities in Awami League-era elections

Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) has decided to investigate irregularities and shortcomings in all previous elections, including the three preceding elections that have been controversial during the Awami League-rule in 2014, 2018 and 2024. The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported that following a meeting, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin instructed all 10 regional election officers to examine the reasons behind the decline in the electoral system and submit detailed reports. The CEC issued written directives, asking regional officials to identify past irregularities and deficiencies and report their findings to the EC secretariat. The 2014, 2018 and 2024 national elections are widely regarded as some of the most controversial in the country's history. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and allied parties boycotted the 2014 election, resulting in one-sided voting and unopposed election of 153 candidates, an unprecedented ..

Pakistan FM to visit Bangladesh; Muhammad Yunus to reciprocate visit

Pakistan's Ishaq Dar will visit Bangladesh next month, the first such trip by a Pakistani foreign minister since 2012, signalling warming ties between Dhaka and Islamabad after Sheikh Hasina's ouster

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

Protesters in Bangladesh demand Proclamation of July Uprising by Jan 15

The "March for Unity" began Tuesday afternoon at the Central Shaheed Minar, with participants observing a minute of silence to honor those who lost their lives in the July protests

Yunus pays tribute to Manmohan Singh at Indian High Commission in B'desh

Professor Yunus visited the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and placed a floral wreath at the portrait of late PM Manmohan Singh

Bangladesh's interim govt to announce proclamation of July uprising

Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has announced that it has decided to prepare a proclamation of July uprising, a day after it distanced itself from a proposed declaration with an identical title by the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement that led to an upheaval four months ago. We hope within few days the proclamation will be prepared with the participation and consensus of all and presented before the nation, Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, told reporters in a midnight press conference. Addressing reporters in front of Yunus' official Jamuna residence, Alam said the declaration would be based on the views of all participating students, political parties, and stakeholders, including the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League regime on August 5. Alam said the government took the initiative to prepare the proposed ...

Could delay polls: BNP criticises Yunus' idea to lower voting age to 17

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday said that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus' suggestion to set the minimum voting age at 17 would put pressure on the Election Commission and could delay the election process. Yunus, 84, who was sworn-in to lead the interim government after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August, on Friday suggested that the minimum voter age should be lowered to 17 years, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. In a video message played in an election dialogue, Yunus said, To give their (youth) opinion on their own future, I think the voting age for them should be fixed at 17 years." BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, during a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club here, said the chief adviser's suggestion to lower the voting age to 17 means a new voter list would have to be prepared. "Now, people will fear that even more time will be wasted and further delays will occur, he was quoted as saying. Alamgir said there is a

Bangladesh targets Hasina with new corruption probe, extradition plea

The Anti-Corruption Commission said Thursday it will investigate Hasina and five other family members for allegedly misappropriating government land in Purbachal

Bangladesh 2024: Hasina's India refuge casts shadow over Dhaka-Delhi ties

Bangladesh faced an upheaval this year with the ouster of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a development that also cast a shadow over its traditionally strong ties with India. The relations could be strained further: Bangladesh now seeks her extradition from India. The removal of 77-year-old Hasina followed weeks of protests led by students over a controversial quota system in government jobs that escalated into a nationwide campaign calling for the end of her 16-year regime. In August, tens of thousands rallied against what they perceived as political repression. The military opted not to use lethal force against the protestors while Hasina hurriedly left Bangladesh for India just months after she had secured her fourth straight term as prime minister. The anti-government protests resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 people, including students, in confrontations between protestors and security forces, according to officials. The 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yun

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

Hasina's son claims Yunus using judiciary as tool 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 unelected Yunus led regime to conduct farcical trial process through International Crimes Tribunal makes it a political witch hunt that forsakes justice and mark

Ousted Bangladesh PM Hasina's son denies graft in $12.65 bn nuclear deal

Bangladesh's Anti Corruption Commission said on Monday it had launched an enquiry into allegations of corruption, embezzlement and money laundering in the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project

US NSA Sullivan, Bangladesh leader Yunus vows to protect human rights

HinduAction said that disturbing reports of brutal attacks against the Hindus continue to surface, particularly over the past two weeks, as desperate pleas for help pour in from those affected