Page 6 - Violence

B'desh forms committee to probe violence, delegation to visit affected area

Bangladesh government on Friday announced that a high-powered probe committee would soon be formed to investigate all incidents of violence in the three districts of Chittagong hill tracts. A high-level delegation will visit Khagrachhari and Rangamati on Saturday to address the violent situation from Wednesday, officials said. State-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency, quoting a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relation Directorate (ISPR), requested people to extend cooperation to law enforcement agencies in maintaining peace and harmony in the three hill districts and calming the ongoing tension. A statement from the Chief Adviser's office said the interim government has directed all forces to exercise restraint and ensure the safety of residents of the three hill districts following recent violence and fatalities. The ISPR statement also raised concerns about the potential for "severe riots" following recent clashes that resulted in at least four ...

Manipur violence: Schools closed; Assam Rifles deploys anti-drone systems

Manipur fresh clashes: Amid fresh violence that erupted in the state last week, the administration has closed all schools and college in the state; anti-drone systems have been deployed across Manipur

Fresh violence in Manipur: 5 killed in Jiribam, rockets fired in Bishnupur

Manipur violence: Ethnic conflicts have been disrupting Manipur for the past 18 months, but the situation has escalated significantly in the past five days following a new surge of violence

Raymond receiving large number of biz inquiries after B'desh crisis: CMD

Leading textiles and apparel company Raymond has received a "huge number of inquiries" from global firms after the crisis in neighbouring Bangladesh and is ready to grab this opportunity, its Chairman & Managing Director Gautam Hari Singhania said. Raymond, which has invested in its garmenting facility to become the third largest suit maker in the world, is ready to "take advantage" from the current situation, Singhania told PTI. Asked if he expects shifting of some garmenting business to India from Bangladesh, he said, "We are hoping so. We are seeing the inquiries. It obviously needs a little bit of time, but we are certainly seeing positive signs on that." India is better-placed with its end-to-end supply capabilities linking all stages as companies as Raymond are present in both fabric and garmenting business, which, in turn, will save time for international brands also on final delivery, he said. "Bangladesh does not have a fabric supply. India has got a great opportunity to .

Families in Bangladesh fight for justice against forced disappearances

In a dimly lit room in Dhaka, Baby Akhtar clutches a faded photograph of her husband, Tarikul Islam Tara, who vanished twelve years ago after allegedly being taken by Bangladesh's security agencies, a personal tragedy reflecting the broader nightmare of enforced disappearances that has haunted Bangladesh for over the last 15 years. I have been waiting for my husband for the last 12 years. My life and family have been ruined for no fault of mine. We want justice. We hope that the interim government will give us justice. I want my husband back, she said as tears rolled down her cheeks. The fate of hundreds like Tara remains shrouded in uncertainty following the recent ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose administration was accused of presiding over systematic enforced disappearances. With Hasina's departure, the interim government has taken a significant step by forming a commission to investigate these cases. However, for the families still waiting, the commission's

Here's why Bangladesh's new govt can't afford to let chaos, extremism reign

Any expression of concern about Bangladesh's path causes some, particularly in the country's active and vocal diaspora, to fume

Bangladesh garment industry faces crisis amid political unrest, floods

Bangladesh's garment industry, a vital economic pillar, is facing a severe crisis due to a volatile mix of political unrest, including violent protests, and catastrophic flooding, threatening to unravel years of rapid growth and global prominence. The textile and garment industry, which accounts for over 80 per cent of Bangladesh's total export earnings and contributes approximately 11 per cent to the nation's GDP, has been hit hard. This industry contributes significantly to export earnings and employs millions. Following the unprecedented anti-government protests, which reached a crescendo on August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country. She landed in India on August 5 and is currently staying there. The two-month-long anti-quota protests have led to widespread demonstrations, curfews, and violence. This unrest has not only disrupted factory operations but has also caused significant economic losses. Factories were forced to close, and with the peak se

Pak's anti-terrorism court rejects bail plea of Bushra Bibi in 12 cases

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has rejected the bail application of Bushra Bibi, the wife of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, in 12 cases related to the May 9 violence of last year which erupted when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder was arrested in an alleged corruption case. Anti-terrorism court (ATC) Rawalpindi Judge Malik Ejaz Asif on Monday after hearing the plea of Bushra Bibi, 49, said that a thorough investigation was required in her case and subsequently dismissed the bail application. The judge also ordered that the investigation in her case should be completed in seven days. Bibi was seeking bail in FIRs registered in various police stations in Rawalpindi. Khan and Bushra were present in the court along with dozens of other accused who have been named as suspects in the May 9 violence that left more than 100 people dead. The violence started after the Pakistan Rangers arrested Khan inside the premises of the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. The

Murder case filed against Bangladesh's ousted PM Hasina, six others

A murder case has been filed against Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six others over the death of a grocery shop owner during last month's violent clashes that led to the fall of her government, media reports said on Tuesday. The case was the first to be filed against Hasina, 76, after she resigned and fled to India last week following widespread protests against her Awami League-led government over a controversial job quota system. The case was filed by a well-wisher of the grocery store owner Abu Sayed, who was killed on July 19 in police firing during a procession in support of the quota reform movement in Mohammadpur, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. The other accused are Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, among others. Besides, several unnamed high-ranking police officials and government officials were also accused in the case,

B'desh interim govt urges protesters to surrender illegal firearms in a wk

Bangladesh interim government's Home Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain on Monday asked protesters to surrender by August 19 all illegal and unauthorised firearms, including the rifles looted from law enforcers during the recent violence, according to a media report. Hussain said that if those arms were not returned to nearby police stations, then the authorities would undertake a search and if anyone is found in possession of unauthorised weapons, charges would be lodged against them, The Daily Star newspaper reported. Hussain was talking to reporters at the Combined Military Hospital here after visiting the paramilitary Bangladesh Ansar members who suffered injuries during the mass protest that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina resigned and fled to India last week leaving the country in turmoil following deadly protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. Hussain said that around 500 people, including

B'desh interim leader Yunus urges people to emulate activist Abu Sayed

Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Saturday urged the people of the violence-hit country to emulate the way student activist Abu Sayed stood valiantly during the anti-government demonstrations that led to the toppling of Sheikh Hasina's government. Sayed, 25, of Rangpur's Begum Rokeya University, was among the first protesters to be killed in police firing on July 16 during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Bangladesh recently witnessed violent clashes between the police and mostly student protesters demanding an end to a controversial quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's War of Independence in 1971. The 84-year-old Nobel laureate, who was sworn in on Thursday as the head of an interim government, met with Sayed's family members in Rangpur's Pirganj upazila, The Daily Star newspaper reported. We have to stand the way Abu Sayed stood Abu Sayeed's mother is everyone's mother. We have to prote

Bangladesh's central bank Governor Abdur Talukder resigns amid protests

Talukder stepped down Friday and cited personal reasons for this departure

Protesters rally outside UN over violence against minorities in Bangladesh

HinduACTion, a Washington-based NGO, said that people from all walks of life showed up spontaneously

Will not stop until Hindus in B'desh get justice: US Congressman Thanedar

Alarmed at the sudden rise in violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar Friday said that he will not stop until the minority community gets justice. We need justice for the minority Hindus. These are heartbreaking activities. This has to stop, and I'm on top of it, Thanedar said in a video statement issued Friday. The attacks on the minority Hindus is totally unacceptable. I am in touch with the State Department and authorities across the world. I am on top of it. And we will not stop until all of these things are addressed," he said. Last year, Thanedar founded the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain American Congressional Caucus, to raise the voice of the Hindus and other religious minorities in the US and other parts of the world. In a statement, a day earlier, Thanedar urged the people and leadership of Bangladesh to put an end to the violence plaguing their country. I am especially concerned about reports of attacks targeting the country's Hi

Rise of anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi

Observing the recent rise in violence against the Hindus in Bangladesh, American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi urged the Secretary of State Tony Blinken to engage directly with the interim government to end this outbreak of violence, including the targeting of Hindus, and to bring those responsible to justice. In his letter dated August 8, a copy of which was released to the press on Friday, Krishnamoorthi said credible eyewitness reports of the anti-Hindu attacks in the New York Times, Times of India, BBC, and Reuters among other media outlets, demonstrate the scale of the attacks. I am writing to you regarding the fluid situation in Bangladesh and the rise of coordinated anti-Hindu violence in the wake of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation. Now that Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as Chief Adviser for the interim government, it is of utmost urgency that the United States engage with his government for both bringing the violence to an end and the perpetrators to ..

Bangladesh protests echo past student uprisings that sparked radical change

In Bangladesh, weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs turned into a broad uprising that forced the prime minister to flee the country and resign. The demonstrations began peacefully last month and were primarily led by students frustrated with the system that they said favoured those with connections to the ruling party. But it turned violent on July 15 as student protesters clashed with security officials and pro-government activists. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled this week after the unrest during which nearly 300 people died, including both students and police officers. Students or other young people have frequently played pivotal roles in popular uprisings that have brought down governments or forced them to change policies. Here are some other major cases: Gota Go Gama protests in Sri Lanka Like in Bangladesh, widespread protests in Sri Lanka in 2022 were able to bring down a government, and youth played a key role. Scattered demonstrations tu

Britain on alert for unrest despite anti-racism campaigners halting protest

British authorities said Thursday they were preparing for the possibility of further unrest, even as they applauded the efforts of anti-racism campaigners and police officers who largely stifled a threatened wave of far-right demonstrations overnight. Prime Minister Keir Starmer sounded the note of caution after a week of anti-immigrant violence that has scarred communities from Northern Ireland to the south coast of England. Starmer spoke to reporters at a mosque in Solihull, near Birmingham, where demonstrators shut down a shopping center on Sunday. It's important that we don't let up here, Starmer said. At an emergency meeting with law enforcement officers at his office, Starmer said on Thursday evening that police need to remain on high alert, Britain's Press Association reported. He credited strategic police staffing and swift justice for rioters in the courts for creating a deterrent that kept trouble at a minimum the night before. Police across the United Kingdom had braced

Why the collapse of a friendly govt in Bangladesh is bad news for India

Chaos at India's eastern doorstep is also a warning to the bigger economy: youth want employment

Setback from B'desh temporary, India's influence to remain: Shaurya Doval

India's influence and access in Bangladesh will remain strong irrespective of which government is in power there and any setback due to the ouster of its "friend" Sheikh Hasina would be temporary only, BJP leader and India Foundation founder Shaurya Doval has said. At the same time, Doval asserted, India has made it clear that it is a "big, friendly and giving" nation but also one that firmly protects its interests and no one should dare in Bangladesh to try to use their soil as a way to foster terrorism in India. In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Doval said Bangladesh also understands very well the importance of relations with India, no matter which regime is in power there. "Once these things stabilise, it should be business as usual and India will reforge its relations," he said. Long-running protests in Bangladesh reached a turning point earlier this week when Hasina had to flee to India after quitting as prime minister. Talking about the crisis in Bangladesh, Doval said,

Indian visa centres in Bangladesh shut down indefinitely amid turmoil

The political crisis in Bangladesh has seen massive protests against the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, forcing the 76-year-old leader to step down