Latest news with #Dhaka
Times of Oman
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Bangladesh NSA in Washington to brief US about progress on holding elections
Dhaka : Bangladesh's National Security Adviser (NSA) Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday met with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the State Department in Washington, DC, Bangladesh Chief Adviser's Press Wing said in a statement on Thursday. "They discussed the Rohingya issue, ongoing tariff negotiations between Bangladesh and the US, developments in South Asia, and the democratic transition in Bangladesh", the statement said. "Deputy Secretary of State lauded the leadership of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at a critical juncture for Bangladesh and reiterated continued US support for Bangladesh", it added. "Dr. Rahman separately met Assistant US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch and had fruitful discussions on the agreement between the two countries on reciprocal tariffs", the statement said. Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in a student-led uprising in August last year. Hasina fled to India, and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed. On June 14, Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, hinted at holding national elections in early February next year. However, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed concern over the ban on political parties in Bangladesh and stressed that the decision "unduly restricts the freedom of association, expression and assembly". He urged the Bangladesh's interim government to hold free and inclusive elections. Bangladesh's interim government earlier banned the activities of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and its affiliated organisations. Subsequently, in May, the Bangladesh Election Commission (EC) suspended the registration of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League as a political party. Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, has hinted at holding national elections in early February next year." The Chief Adviser said that he has announced that the elections will be held by the first half of February next year. If all preparations are completed, the elections could be held even in the week before the start of Ramadan in 2026," said a joint statement issued after the talks between Muhammad Yunus and Acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman in London.
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan hosts seven-member Bangladeshi delegation to boost academic ties
ISLAMABAD: A seven-member delegation from Bangladeshi universities is currently visiting Pakistan to deepen academic and scientific cooperation between the two countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's coordinating body for scientific collaboration said on Thursday. Pakistan and Bangladesh, once a single country before the bloody 1971 war, have slowly begun rebuilding ties after last year's political upheaval in Dhaka, which saw the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid, long viewed as critical of Islamabad and aligned with New Delhi. She fled to India by helicopter after her administration's downfall in August 2024, with Dhaka now seeking her extradition. The ties between India and Bangladesh's interim government have become frosty, creating space for Islamabad and Dhaka to re-engage after decades of limited contact. 'The forum brought together a seven-member Bangladeshi delegation comprising vice chancellors and senior representatives from leading universities, and vice chancellors from 15 top Pakistani universities, which are part of COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence,' the OIC-COMSTECH said in a statement, adding that academics from Bangladesh are visiting Pakistan from June 16-21. The visiting delegation termed their ongoing visit as 'historical, highly productive and promising' for academic collaboration between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Vice chancellors from Pakistani and Bangladeshi universities held discussions aimed at deepening academic and scientific cooperation, it added. The meetings focused on expanding collaboration in key areas including student and faculty exchange programs, scholarship opportunities, joint research initiatives apart from sharing academic expertise. The participants of the meeting also agreed that each university would appoint a focal person to ensure effective follow-up on commitments made during the visit. Bangladesh High Commissioner to Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan, the chief guest at the event, praised COMSTECH for offering scholarships, organizing the visit and facilitating meaningful academic exchanges between higher education institutions of the two countries. In May, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar agreed to strengthen bilateral relationship with Bangladesh and maintain high-level contacts with its leadership. Pakistan's government launched a new program in December 2024 through which it will provide fully funded scholarships to 300 Bangladeshi students. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Bangladesh Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus in New York last year at a ceremony hosted by the Bangladeshi leader to mark the completion of 50 years of Bangladesh's membership in the United Nations. Both sides had agreed to forge stronger ties and enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields during their meeting.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Bangladesh tighten grip on first Test against Sri Lanka
Bangladesh continued their dominance over Sri Lanka on the second day of the first test Wednesday, finishing at a commanding 484 for nine -- despite a few late breakthroughs by the hosts. The Tigers resumed on 292 for three overnight and turned the screws on a batting-friendly wicket, with Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto extending their record-breaking partnership. The 264-run partnership finally ended when Shanto fell for 148, deceived in the air as he attempted to drive one. Shanto's fluent innings was peppered with 15 boundaries and a six. Mushfiqur kept going with wicketkeeper Litton Das before finally falling for 163, a marathon knock that spanned nearly nine hours and 350 balls. Das piled on further misery for Sri Lanka with a brisk 90 off 123 deliveries, cashing in on tired bowlers and some loose fielding. He was particularly severe on the spinners, using his feet to good effect to lift the ball cleanly over the in-field. But he also survived some anxious moments. Pathum Nissanka grassed a sitter at short mid-wicket when he had just 14 to his name. Moments earlier, he had survived a run-out stemming from a mix-up. He eventually perished attempting a reverse sweep off debutant Tharindu Ratnayake, gloving it to Kusal Mendis behind the stumps. Bangladesh batting coach Mohammad Salahuddin said it was a "very good effort by the batsmen". "We were very impressed with the way Mushfiqur Rahim went about things. He had not scored a big one in a while but we knew it was just a matter of time before he scored a big one," Salahuddin said. "They (batsmen) showed character and we have almost scored 500 runs now. I hope our bowlers will be able to create opportunities bowling to attacking fields as we have got the runs on the board now. It will be an interesting day three." Sri Lanka's Milan Rathnayake said it was one of the "flattest wickets we have seen in Galle". "It was a tough wicket to bowl on but I thought we did a decent job," Rathnayake said. "When they were building the pressure and taking the attack on to us, it was important to stay calm and show character. I thought after tea we came back stronger to claim five wickets." With rain interrupting play shortly after lunch, only 61 overs could be bowled on day two. A persistent drizzle forced an early tea and fading light ended proceedings prematurely. Play will resume fifteen minutes early on Thursday to compensate for the lost time.
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Is Bangladesh ready for a 'credible' election?
Dhaka: Bangladesh's interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, recently met the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is expected to be the frontrunner in elections next year. Tarique Rahman, who has lived in exile in the United Kingdom for over 15 years, is the acting chairman of the BNP, a major party which his mother, ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, led for decades. The meeting in the UK capital London was held amid rising tensions in Bangladesh, which has been locked in a tense political limbo since an uprising culminated in former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation in August 2024. Reforms needed before elections The BNP wanted an election by December 2025, while the interim government had been aiming for April 2026, saying it needs time to implement a host of reforms. Yunus and Rahman have now agreed that polls could be held in February — if sufficient progress on reforms is made. These include constitutional reforms, changes to the electoral process and boosting judicial independence and press freedoms. Authorities also need to deliver justice for the victims of last year's mass protests, in which hundreds were killed, mostly by the security forces loyal to Hasina and her Awami League. Tasnim Jara, a leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP), newly formed by the student leaders of last year's protests, thinks that while the government has taken initial steps for an election, "institutional readiness remains uneven." "Key election infrastructure, such as an impartial election commission, a neutral civil administration, and an independent judiciary, requires urgent reform. A credible election will depend on whether the political parties can agree on a reform package soon and whether that package is visibly implemented in time," she told DW. While the agreement between the BNP and Yunus is a welcome development for many observers, they say that the restoration of law and order to allow for a credible election that includes all major parties remains a priority. Saimum Parvez, a special assistant to the BNP Chairman, thinks that "the dismal law and order situation, unchecked unruly mobs, and encouragement of depoliticisation" are the obstacles. "However, as common people of Bangladesh are usually enthusiastic about participating and engaging in electoral campaigns, it is possible to overcome these obstacles with community support," he told DW. The Dhaka-based political historiographer Mohiuddin Ahmed, however, was less optimistic. "Bangladeshi political parties don't behave peacefully during elections. They tend to use force whenever possible to control polling centers. Maintaining an orderly situation during the polls will be challenging if the administrations and police forces don't work properly," he told DW. Former government and security officials face criminal charges A UN fact-finding mission this year found that officials from Bangladesh's former government and security apparatus had systematically committed serious human rights violations against protesters last summer and that crimes against humanity may have been carried out. Hundreds of cases have been filed against Hasina and her allies since she fled to India on August 5, 2024. Her Awami League party claims that the cases are politically motivated. Observers say that the country's security forces have lost credibility since last year's crackdown, which has contributed to the deteriorating security situation. Naomi Hossain, a political sociologist and a professor at London's SOAS University, said that Bangladesh was tough to govern and that order had always been "difficult to achieve." "It is one reason why people put up with Sheikh Hasina so long — at least she wielded the power to maintain some semblance of order, violent and repressive though it was for anyone who wanted to dissent," Hossain told DW. She added that given the political vacuum since Hasina's ouster, it was "no surprise" that law and order was currently "a problem." "I think that the army is probably feeling the need to act with caution given the human rights violations they allegedly participated in last year. That means not being too heavy-handed with the mobs and Islamist gangs we see news reports about," she said. Military brought in to tackle lawlessness Bangladesh's interim government has empowered army officers with the rank of captain or higher to help police maintain law and order in the country. However, Tasnim Jara, a former doctor who is now a politician, told DW that the army's deployment had not resolved the crisis and only "exposed deeper issues." "State-sanctioned violence and repression over the past 16 years deeply undermined public trust and destabilized the foundations of governance," Jara said, calling for that legacy to be addressed. "Lasting stability will only come through institutional reform of the police and security agencies. We have yet to see these reforms," she added. Will the Awami League be able to take part in the election? The Awami League was banned last month pending trials by a special tribunal into the party and its leaders for alleged crimes against humanity and human rights violations. But observers, including Hossain, think Bangladesh's oldest party should be allowed to participate in the upcoming polls because it still enjoys broad support, despite the fact that many of its leaders are "credibly accused of numerous crimes." "The party is a huge national body and still seems to command a lot of support across the country, perhaps particularly in rural areas and among minority groups and women. Banning them serves no good purpose," Hossain told DW. She warned that such a move would likely lead to "a super-majority landslide" for the BNP, "who will then be empowered to behave exactly as the Awami League did when it won its super-majority back in 2008." Jara, on the other hand, thinks that before the Awami League can be allowed to participate in elections, its leaders must first be held accountable for their alleged human rights violations which include "enforced disappearances, torture, election rigging, and widespread killings." "A credible legal process must address these before any accused entity can participate. If justice is bypassed, it will destroy public trust and risk returning the country to the very repression people rose up against. No party can be above the law," she told DW.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
The Interview Muhammad Yunus: We dream of creating a new Bangladesh
Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News presenter and correspondent, speaks to Muhammad Yunus, interim leader of Bangladesh. The 84-year-old is perhaps one of the world's best-known Bangladeshis. Described as the banker to the world's poor, he gained international recognition as a Nobel prize-winning economist, who founded the Grameen microfinance bank, which delivered small loans to economically deprived people. It was a model applauded by many and is one which now operates across more than 100 countries worldwide. But it's also a model which was criticised by his political rival - Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who accused Mr Yunus of sucking blood from the poor. Her government made a series of allegations against him, including embezzlement, all of which he denies. And it was the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina's government last August that saw Muhammad Yunus thrust into the political spotlight. Student-led protests saw thousands take to the streets in an uprising against her Awami league government, which was accused of election rigging, human rights abuses and jailing critics. When Ms Hasina fled to neighbouring India, student leaders picked Muhammad Yunus to unite a divided nation. As well as promising to stamp out corruption, he's also faced the challenges of managing a refugee crisis on his doorstep and navigating cuts to foreign aid. So, after nearly a year in the job, how is he faring? The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Rajini Vaidyanathan Producer: Ben Cooper Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@ and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media. (Image: Muhammad Yunus. Credit: Reuters/Yves Herman)
