Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh no longer a 'submissive country', says Yunus in farewell address

Outgoing interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Monday said his 18-month rule restored three core pillars of Bangladesh's external engagement - "sovereignty, national interests, and dignity", and it is no longer a "submissive" nation. In his farewell address to the nation, Yunus said that at the end of his regime's rule, "Today's Bangladesh is confident, active, and responsible in protecting its independent interests". "Bangladesh is no longer a country with a submissive foreign policy or dependent on the instructions and advice of other countries," he said in the televised address a day ahead of quitting power. He emphasised that his 18-month tenure had rebuilt the three "fundamental foundations" of the country's foreign engagement: "sovereignty, national interests, and dignity". Yunus' interim regime began in August 2024 and is set to conclude its unscheduled term with the swearing-in of a new government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday, which won a ..

Vote for stability: Time for India and Bangladesh to rebuild relations

BNP's landslide win opens a chance for political stability in Bangladesh and a reset with India, but reform delivery and minority protection will test the new mandate

Hasina's extradition from India 'depends on legal process': BNP chief

BNP chairperson and soon to be prime minister of Bangladesh on Saturday said extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina "depends on the legal process." The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader's comments at a press conference here came a day after one of his senior colleagues reiterated the party's firm stance on seeking Hasina's extradition from India to face trial. Rahman's BNP on Friday secured a sweeping victory with more than two-thirds majority in the landmark parliamentary elections held on Thursday. A massive student-led protest ousted Hasina's Awami League regime on August 5, 2024. Since then she has been living in exile in New Delhi as an Interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took charge three days later. After a trial in absential, Hasina, 78, was found guilty of crimes against humanity by the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in November 2025 and sentenced to death. Her aide and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also given a de

Strategic affairs experts say Bangladesh poll results are good news

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which secured a landslide victory in the general elections, on Friday reiterated its firm stance on seeking the extradition of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India to face trial. "The foreign minister has already persuaded the case for her extradition, and we also support it," Senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed said. "We always press for her extradition according to the law. This is between the foreign ministries of the two countries. We also asked the government of India to please send her back to face trial in Bangladesh," he added. Ahmed emphasised that Bangladesh seeks normal relations with all neighbours, including India, but only on equal terms. "We need a friendly relationship based on mutual respect, equality with all the countries, including India," he said. His comments came soon after the BNP's sweeping victory in the general elections held on Thursday. This is the first election since the mass uprising in August 2

After Tarique Rahman's Bangladesh election win, what changes for India now

Tarique Rahman's decisive win marks a political reset in Bangladesh after months of turmoil and India is now closely watching how the new leadership approaches security, trade and regional alignments

Bangladesh elections 2026: Tarique Rahman-led BNP wins majority in polls

Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party claimed victory in Bangladesh's 2026 elections as counting continued; PM Narendra Modi congratulated Rahman and said India looks forward to closer ties

Political scion Tarique Rahman set to lead Bangladesh after BNP win

Rahman, 60, is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the BNP who was assassinated in 1981

BNP heads for decisive victory in Bangladesh's parliamentary election

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday appeared headed for a decisive victory in the South Asian nation's general elections as counting progressed for the polls to elect a government that would replace the interim administration, which took charge after the collapse of the Awami League regime in August 2024. Multiple media tallies showed the BNP had won more than 151 seats in the 300-seat parliament. The Election Commission (EC) is yet to make a formal announcement. An EC spokesperson said the results in several seats were still being processed and were likely to be announced in a few hours. The election was seen as a direct contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami, in the absence of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina's now disbanded Awami League. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has been in place for 18 months. The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on the implementation of a complex 84-point reform packag

Bangladesh holds polls, referendum after 2024 upheaval, results on Friday

Bangladesh citizens on Thursday voted in parliamentary elections and a referendum on reforms nearly 18 months after the July 2024 student-led movement that ousted the Sheikh Hasina government

Bangladesh begins voting in crucial polls as 51 parties compete for power

The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements, deploying nearly 1 million security personnel -- the largest-ever in the country's electoral history

Bangladesh elections: All you need to know about key players, parties

The BNP, led by Tarique Rahman, and the Jamaat-e-Islami are seen as frontrunners, with the student-led NCP in distant third. The Awami League is barred from contesting

Bangladesh heads to polls on Feb 12: Why the outcome matters for India

Bangladesh votes on February 12 in its first election since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government; the outcome could shape political stability and ties with India

Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 yrs in jail for corruption

A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project. Dhaka Special Judge's Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years' imprisonment - five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported. The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol. The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm. Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years' imprisonment - two years in each case - while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in both cases. Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was ...

Sheikh Hasina slams Bangladesh's upcoming election from her exile in India

From her exile in India, Bangladesh's ousted leader Sheikh Hasina has slammed the country's upcoming election after her party was barred from the polls, remarks that could deepen tensions ahead of the pivotal vote next month. Hasina, who was sentenced to death for her crackdown on a student uprising in 2024 that killed hundreds of people and led to the toppling of her 15-year rule, warned in an email to The Associated Press last week that without inclusive and free and fair elections, Bangladesh will face prolonged instability. She also claimed that Bangladesh's interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus deliberately disenfranchised millions of her supporters by excluding her party - the former ruling Awami League - from the election. "Each time political participation is denied to a significant portion of the population, it deepens resentment, delegitimizes institutions and creates the conditions for future instability," she wrote. "A government born of ..

Sheikh Hasina seeks UN probe into B'desh unrest, calls for Yunus' removal

The Awami League leader also sought an iron-clad guarantee for the safety of religious minority groups, women and girls and vulnerable sections of the society

Campaigning begins in Bangladesh for first polls after Hasina's ouster

There are also concerns about the country's law and order situation, but the government says it will keep the voting peaceful

Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina urges unity in New Year message

Expressing hope for renewal, she added, May it wipe away the sorrows and afflictions of the past, correct mistakes and shortcomings, and become a memorable year for everyone

'A profound loss': Sheikh Hasina condoles death of former rival Khaleda Zia

The 78-year-old Awami League leader highlighted her role as Bangladesh's first woman prime minister and her contributions to the struggle to establish democracy

Khaleda Zia: From political widow to Bangladesh's 1st woman prime minister

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first woman PM, entered politics after her husband's assassination and went on to lead the BNP through protest, power and prolonged confrontation

Ties with India witness a downturn as Bangladesh navigates turbulent 2025

Bangladesh's ties with India witnessed a downturn as it navigated a turbulent 2025 marked by political instability, economic strain and alleged persecution of minorities, leading to a diplomatic tussle between the two neighbours. The relationship between India and Bangladesh hit a rough note after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests. She was sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal this year for her alleged role in a deadly crackdown during the agitation. Dhaka summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma five times over various issues, while India summoned Bangladesh's High Commissioner Reaz Hamidullah once to express concerns over security in Bangladesh. The transition, from what was widely regarded as an "India-friendly" Awami League government to Muhammad Yunus-led interim dispensation, significantly altered Bangladesh's diplomatic posture. Dhaka's engagement with Islamabad to deepen ties ..