Dhaka

November 10, 2024 3:25 PM

Bangladesh: Political Tension Rises as Awami League Announces First Street Program since August 5

In Bangladesh, political tension has risen in Dhaka amidst Awami League (AL) announcing its first street programme after the fall of Sheikh Hasina-government on August 5, this year. On Saturday, the AL on its verified Facebook page announced to observe the Noor Hossain Day and urged party men to come to the Shaheed Nur Hossain Square in Dhaka's Zero Point at 3:00 pm on Sunday. However, tension has mounted after the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement announced a rally to counter programmes ann...

October 29, 2024 7:26 PM

Bangladesh: UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk arrives in Dhaka

The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, arrived in Dhaka early this morning on a two-day official visit. During the visit, Turk will hold a number of meetings with top government officials and civil society representatives. The high commissioner is scheduled to meet with Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh, said a press release disseminated by the UN Resident Coordinator office in Dhaka. The UN HR chief will also hold meet...

October 28, 2024 6:20 PM

Bangladesh: Writ filed seeking restrictions on political activities of Awami League, ten others

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, a writ petition seeking restrictions on the political activities of 11 political parties, including the Bangladesh Awami League (AL), was submitted to the High Court on Monday. The other ten parties mentioned in the petition are the Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Alternative Bangladesh, Tariqat Federation, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party, Jatiya Party (Manju), Demokrati Dal, Marxist-Leninist (Barua), and the Socialist Party of Bangl...

October 16, 2024 8:12 PM

Bangladesh: Interim Government scraps eight national holidays introduced by Sheikh Hasina

In Bangladesh, the interim government led by Prof. Muhammad Yunus announced the cancellation of eight national holidays introduced by Sheikh Hasina, including the birth and death anniversaries of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, observed on March 17 and August 15, respectively. The announcement was made on Wednesday through a post on the verified Facebook page of the chief adviser to the interim government. The other holidays cancelled include “Historic March 7” Day, the birth anniversary of Sheikh...

September 21, 2024 7:16 PM

Bangladesh: Ethnic tensions rise in Chittagong hill tracts, 4 killed

In Bangladesh, ethnic clashes between indigenous Chakma and Bengali residents raised tensions in Chittagong hill tracts districts. At least four ethnic minority men were killed and scores were injured in the hill districts of Khagrachhari and Rangamati. Hundreds of ethnic families left their houses and businesses for the safer places to save their life. At least 50 shops and dozens of houses were burnt in Khagrachhari. According to media reports, the situation is very tense as the attacks saw ...

September 5, 2024 2:29 PM

Bangladesh: five-member Election Commission resigns saying the situation in the country has changed

In Bangladesh, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Thursday announced the resignation of the five-member commission. He made the announcement at a press conference held at the Nirbachan Bhaban, Dhaka, a month after the fall of the Awami League government in the face of a student-led mass upsurge. The chief election commissioner said the he and the election commissioners have decided to resign as the situation in the country has changed. They submitted their resignation letters t...

August 22, 2024 6:03 PM

Bangladesh floods maroon nearly three million people, kill two

Relentless monsoon rains and flooding have stranded nearly three million people in Bangladesh and killed two, submerging vast areas and damaging homes and infrastructure, officials from the country's disaster management ministry said on Thursday. Reuters TV showed Bangladesh residents evacuating with their belongings by boat and other makeshift transportation as knee-deep water entered their homes. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) has warned that with the rains continuing, water...

September 16, 2024 4:25 PM

Bangladesh: police rejoin duties to control traffic after a week

In Bangladesh, after a work abstention for a week, members of the police have started to return to their workplaces on Monday. There were attacks on many police stations across Bangladesh following the fall of Awami League led government. Since then, police members were abstaining from work, citing safety concerns. Students were seen managing traffic on the roads in Dhaka and other parts of the country in the last few days. Police officers, who had been on strike, called off their strike after...

September 16, 2024 4:25 PM

Sheikh Hasina’s son denies that his mother made any resignation statement, calls it ‘completely false and fabricated’

Sajeeb Wazed, son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has strongly refuted recent social media reports claiming his mother's resignation. Wazed emphatically denied the authenticity of a statement attributed to Hasina, describing it as "completely false and fabricated." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Wazed said, "The recent resignation statement attributed to my mother published in a newspaper is completely false and fabricated. I have just confirmed with her that she did not ...

August 8, 2024 4:14 PM

Nobel laureate Yunus arrives to lead Bangladesh, calls for law and order

Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus returned home to strife-torn Bangladesh on Thursday, to lead a new interim government after weeks of tumultuous student protests forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to neighbouring India. Speaking to reporters upon his arrival at Dhaka's airport, Yunus called for law and order, adding that "hatred and unruliness are the enemies of democracy". Yunus is set to be sworn in as chief of a team of advisers at the official residence of Pr...