Glimpses from Dhaka after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh.
The chaos and fear created by the deadly protests remained. Gangs of criminals have been looting and robbing homes in the absence of law enforcers over the last two days.
On Wednesday, August 14, 2024 victims and relatives of people injured and killed during the recent unrest joined a protest demanding justice at Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
New Delhi -- which has had a disastrous neighbourhood policy that has alienated almost all the States with which it has a land or sea border -- seemed to be unwilling over the past years to even consider that its unquestioning support of Sheikh Hasina was painting it into a corner, points out Mihir S Sharma.
The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre located in Dhaka's Dhanmondi area was damaged by the unruly mob, according to eyewitnesses.
Wazed said that the West has long championed Yunus, who was appointed as the head of Bangladesh's interim government on August 8, and was quick to support his government, leading him to believe that foreign involvement in the unrest is evident.
The Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights (CDPHR) on Friday presented a report on the state of minorities in Bangladesh following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
In the morning, school students in uniform were seen going to their institutions, many accompanied by guardians, the Daily Star reported.
Bangladesh's newly-appointed Home Affairs Ministry adviser has vowed to take swift legal action against those who attack or abuse minorities, stressing that there is no place for violence, conflict, or hatred in the country.
'My father died in the liberation struggle. Bangladesh is our Motherland. This is home,' says Monindra Kumar Nath, a Hindu who has lived his 74 years in Dhaka.
Hossain said they will "always try to maintain good relations" with India.
Several Bangladeshis, who have come to Kolkata either for medical treatment or education or other purposes, are now stranded in the city and concerned about the ongoing violence and abrupt change of regime in their country.
'The government is saying 88 Hindus have been killed, but it could be much more.' 'Their properties are being looted, their businesses have been ransacked. I am getting distress calls from there.' 'Muslims who believe in the philosophy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman are also under attack. Most of those who have fled Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina's fall are Muslims.'
The 15,000 Indians including 8,500 students are safe, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.
He made the remarks during a meeting with the leaders of various political parties and civil society representatives at Bangabhaban in the presence of the chief of three forces, the Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo reported.
The clashes erupted on Monday as activists of ruling Awami League's student front confronted the protestors who insist the existing quota system was largely debarring the enrolment of meritorious students in government services. Demonstrators accused the ruling party's student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League of attacking their "peaceful protests" with backing from police.
A senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader has blamed an 'ecosystem of former diplomats, bureaucrats, politicians, and think tanks' for creating a 'bogeyman' to mislead the Indian establishment into believing that Indo-Bangla relations would deteriorate without the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League.
Gen Sharma served as the Army chief from 1988-1990 and was a colonel when he took part in the 1971 war.
Cachar Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta claimed that it was "not deportation" but was just sent back in consultation with Bangladesh authorities.
The clashes broke out this morning when protesters attending a non-cooperation programme to demand the government's resignation faced opposition from the supporters of the Awami League, Chhatra League, and Jubo League activists.
The fundamental construct of India's neighbourhood policy still needs to be what Vajpayee postulated, Manmohan Singh embraced, and Modi energised. It's just that we need to junk domestic politics and excessive religiosity, while acquiring much humility and a renewed respectfulness towards our neighbours, recommends Shekhar Gupta.
The attackers were from well-known schools with Western curriculum for the children of the well-to-do in the city, not from any of the madrassas that are often termed as breeding grounds for militants.
The high commission of India in Dhaka and the assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna have been assisting in the voluntary return of Indian nationals, he said.
'The police had cautioned me that there could be some 'trouble' in Dhaka by the end of June.' 'Once brainwashed, these young people don't think twice about killing people, thinking such an act will pave the path for heaven.'
Muhammad Yunus proved that he was neither an armchair economist nor a slogan mongering political activist, but a doer destined to do what Mahatma Gandhi said -- to remove every tear from every eye, recalls Rup Narayan Das.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Ramakrishna Mission, a branch of the Kolkata-based Belur Math, at the heart of the Bangladeshi capital on the second day of his two-day visit.
'She delivers on promises, especially on security issues which is a core concern for India.'
Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque, however, did not disclose the identities of either of the detainees or where they were being kept.
The National Security Strategy document should flag all major issues concerning security strategy and provide guidelines to concerned departments to work out suitable action plans. Since the global and regional geopolitical canvas is dynamic, the NSS document should be deliberated at length before formulation and should be reviewed periodically, recommends Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Sheikh Hasina, who was elected for a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term this year, was always admired by her supporters as "Iron Lady", before the dramatic development that abruptly ended her 15-year-rule in Bangladesh.
13 of the 17 militants who were presumed to have plotted the attack were killed in encounters so far, said police.
Three students from United States universities, including Indian girl Tarushi Jain, were among 20 hostages hacked to death by suspected Islamic State militants in a terror attack at a restaurant in Bangladesh capital's high-security diplomatic zone.
Acting deputy vice chancellor of a private university has been arrested in Dhaka along with two others for sheltering militants who carried out Bangladesh's worst terror attack at a cafe in which 22 people were killed by suspected Islamic State militants.
A British national and a student of a Canadian University have been arrested for their alleged involvement in Bangladesh's worst terror attack at a cafe in Dhaka last month that killed 22 people, including an Indian girl.
The Dhaka police have identified 15 suspects in the horrific Avijit Roy murder case.
The government withdraws army from the university as demanded by agitators
Amidst the current political turmoil in Bangladesh, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday expressed confidence that the democratic traditions in this country will grow stronger with time and the youth will preserve democracy with their "constant vigil".
'The 1971 War was our greatest military victory.' 'It had so many stories of exceptional valour and leadership.'
Police said five terrorists who carried out the attack on Gulshan cafe on July 1 had taken shelter in the flat owned by Ahsan.
'Are we supposed to look the other way as Islamists go on a rampage against Hindus and the Hasina government pay lip service to secularism?' A revealing excerpt from Avishek Biswas and Deep Halder's book, Being Hindu In Bangladesh: The Untold Story.
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