'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.'
A group of protesters stormed a book stall in Dhaka, Bangladesh, over the display of books by exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin. The incident prompted Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to order a probe into the "disorderly behaviour." The incident unfolded at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Monday, with protesters surrounding the stall and chanting slogans. Police intervened to restore order, but the protesters then encircled the police control room, keeping tensions high. Following widespread criticism, Chief Adviser Yunus ordered authorities to bring those responsible to justice. The Bangla Academy has formed a committee to investigate the chaos and attack on the publishing house.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday criticized the Waqf (Amendment) Act, calling it anti-constitutional and an attack on freedom of religion. He warned that the BJP-RSS will soon target the rights of other minorities, such as Christians and Sikhs. Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of succumbing to pressure from US President Donald Trump on the imposition of tariffs, citing a recent meeting between the two leaders. He also questioned PM Modi's recent meeting with Bangladeshi leader Mohammad Yunus, who has been critical of India's policies. Gandhi further advocated for a caste census in India, stating that Congress aims to break the barrier of 50% reservation.
A former Bangladeshi beauty queen, Meghna Alam, has been detained for allegedly setting up a honey trap for a former Saudi ambassador in Dhaka, in an attempt to extort USD 5 million. Alam, who runs a charity, was initially detained without charge under the controversial Special Powers Act. Her arrest sparked a media outcry and concerns by rights watchdogs. Alam denies the allegations, claiming the diplomat wanted to marry her. The Saudi embassy has not commented, but media reports suggest the envoy left Bangladesh as the scandal unfolded.
India's fresh restrictions on limiting access to Bangladeshi exports appear to be in response to Dhaka denying certain value-added items from the Northeast to enter that country through the land transit points.
A bench of the Bangladesh High Court ordered the release on bail of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested in November on charges of defaming the country's national flag. The two-judge bench granted the bail after a final hearing on their previous rule asking authorities why he should not be granted bail. Das, a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on November 25.
'India is using Hasina to warn the Yunus government because there is a ground support for the Awami League in Bangladesh.'
Bangladesh interim government's Law Adviser Asif Nazrul has condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's post on X commemorating Victory Day saying, "India was merely an ally in this victory, nothing more."
Helen said the US embassy in Dhaka will resume this week its consular service to expedite visa processing.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were among scores of world leaders who offered condolences to the people of India in wake of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
A Hindu leader in Bangladesh, Chinmoy Krishna Das, had his bail hearing in a sedition case postponed for a month due to the absence of a lawyer to represent him. The hearing was scheduled for December 3rd, but was adjourned to January 2nd, 2024. Das was arrested on November 25th for alleged sedition and has been denied bail since. The incident has sparked protests from his supporters and has highlighted concerns about the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. The postponement of the bail hearing further delays a decision on his release.
Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh will take oath on Thursday, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started interviewing eyewitnesses, including tourists, in connection with the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, south Kashmir. The attack, carried out by terrorists from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22. Initial investigations suggest that five to seven terrorists were involved, aided by local militants trained in Pakistan. Security forces are conducting massive operations to hunt down the terrorists in the dense jungles of the Pir Panjal range.
The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that it would not appoint a new special public prosecutor in the Khwaja Yunus custodial death case till October 14.
A large group of protesters vandalized and set fire to the residence of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka during a live online address by his daughter and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The incident occurred as Hasina was delivering a speech organized by the Awami League's now disbanded student wing Chhatra League, calling upon the countrymen to resist the current regime.
Bangladesh's interim government on Wednesday said it is 'consulting all stakeholders' to decide the fate of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, as authorities beefed up security around his residence in the wake of protests demanding his removal over comments that raised questions on prime minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation.
The move came against the backdrop of Turkiye backing Pakistan and its condemnation of India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.
From bhikshus of Ashokan 3rd century BC and medieval Sufis to Oxfam, Omidyar and Soros now, non-State actors have any real power only when they work in conjunction with a real State, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Yunus, 70, said he was relinquishing his post to prevent undue disruption of the bank's work.
Bangladesh's interim government on Sunday said it will seek Interpol's assistance in repatriating deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India, and other 'fugitives', to face trial for alleged crimes against humanity.
Yunus appeared in Food Court of Dhaka City Corporation over allegations that a sister concern of his Grameen Bank marketed contaminated yoghurt in market, officials said.
A court in Bangladesh on Thursday denied bail to a Hindu priest and a former International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) leader in a sedition case.
Moreover, the process to release those arrested between July 1 to August has started, and many have already been released, it added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Border Security Force (BSF), central agencies, and the BJP of fanning tension in Murshidabad by allegedly facilitating cross-border influx from Bangladesh. She also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep the Union Home Ministry under control. Banerjee has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of three people killed during the violence and directed the state chief secretary to initiate a probe into the role of the BSF.
The present government had removed the need for clearance from Dhaka for Pakistani heads of missions while issuing visas, Bangladesh high commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain told the business community here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday.
India has summoned Bangladesh's acting High Commissioner, expressing concern over recent statements by Bangladesh authorities that "portray India negatively" and hold New Delhi responsible for internal governance issues. The Ministry of External Affairs said India desires a positive relationship with Bangladesh, but these statements "vitiate the atmosphere" and are "responsible for persistent negativity." The statement comes after Bangladesh's interim government accused deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of "provocative" statements from India that led to unrest in Bangladesh.
Asserting that the situation was deteriorating, Rosario urged Yunus to resolve the crisis by giving it top priority and putting an end to the violence.
Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, whose experiment of poor men's banking in Bangladesh helped establish micro-credit movement across the developing world, will address the Indian Parliament in December this year.
He also said that there is improvement in the law and order situation in the country.
Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina has alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill her and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, the moment she was ousted from power.
The DG-level border talks between India and Bangladesh, scheduled to be held in Delhi next month, have been postponed following a change in plan by the neighbouring country, official sources said on Friday.
The interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus as the Chief Adviser has asked Bangladesh's envoys in India, Brussels, Canberra, Lisbon, and the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York to return immediately and report to the foreign ministry here as part of the latest reshuffle.
The Nobel laureate filed an application before the High Court.
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.
Arsonists torched a house belonging to a Hindu family with no political affiliation in northwest Bangladesh, a media report said on Wednesday, in the latest incident of targeted attacks on the minority community after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.
Professor Yunus is the first Sakal Person of the Year.
Nobel Laureate and chief architect of Grameen Bank Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh had 45-minute meeting with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday during which the two discussed micro-financing activity in Bangladesh and India.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is scheduled to visit Bangladesh next week for a foreign secretary-level meeting, amidst ongoing tensions between the two countries. The visit comes after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took power in Bangladesh, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister. The meeting will focus on a range of bilateral issues, including the potential extradition of Hasina and visa-related matters. Tensions between the two nations escalated further with the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh, leading to concerns from India regarding attacks on minorities in the country.
Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus today filed an appeal against the Bangladesh High Court verdict upholding his dismissal from the Grameen Bank, in a final bid to retain his position as head of the pioneering micro-finance agency he founded nearly three decades ago.
