New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended warm congratulations to Tarique Rahman for leading his party, the BNP, to a decisive victory in Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections. Taking to the social media platform X, PM Modi wrote, “I convey my warm congratulations to Mr. Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership.”He further said that …
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Dhaka, Feb 7 (IANS) A transnational campaign led by two Bangladeshi online activists based in the United States and France sparked violent attacks on major media houses and cultural institutions in Bangladesh recently, exposing the dangers of online incitement across borders. Journalists and observers warn that this marks one of the first instances where social media platforms from across borders were used to orchestrate mass violence in Bangladesh, raising concerns over platform accountability …
Dhaka, Feb 7 (IANS) At least 50 people, including several journalists, were injured after repeated clashes broke out between law enforcement personnel and Inqilab Mancha activists in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area, where police resorted to baton charges, tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse protesters, local media reported on Saturday.This comes as the journalists have been under constant threat after the interim government took over in Bangladesh. The attacks on media professionals have been…
Dhaka, Feb 4 (IANS) Bangladesh’s prominent economist Anu Muhammad accused the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of indulging in “activities against national interest” by advancing plans to sign a long-term concession agreement with UAE-based port operator DP World to run the country’s New Mooring Container Terminal at Chattogram Port, local media reported.He alleged that the interim government lacks both authority and jurisdiction to enter into such agreements, yet is moving ahead hastily an…
Dhaka, Feb 3 (IANS) For Bangladesh to develop as a democratic state, citizens must question whether a radical political party like Jamaat-e-Islami, with its regressive stance on women, has the right to remain registered and function within the country’s existing constitutional and legal framework, a report questioned on Tuesday. Until these fundamental questions are addressed, it added, entrusting such a party the responsibility of governing the state would be irresponsible. According to a rep…
Dhaka, Feb 2 (IANS) Bangladesh, led for decades by two women –former Prime Ministers Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League and late Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — stands in sharp contrast to the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami’s assertion that a woman cannot be a party chief or head of government – a stance widely seen as absurd and deeply regressive, a report said on Monday. Writing for Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily, Prothom Alo, Hasan Ferdous, an author a…
Dhaka, Feb 1 (IANS) As Bangladesh is set to hold elections on February 12, the interim government led by chief adviser Muhammad Yunus is, in effect, an election-time administration in terms of responsibility and mandate, with many believing that its activities should remain restricted to making preparations for the elections and conducting routine work. However, a series of decisions, initiatives, appointments, and contracts it announced have raised questions, as per a report. The include the fo…
Dhaka, Jan 29 (IANS) As campaigning for Bangladesh’s February 12 election got underway, certain political parties are openly claiming that voting against them would be equivalent to voting against Islam — a common pattern used to brand opponents as “anti-religion,” when political legitimacy is questioned, a report said on Thursday. It added that across Bangladesh, music education is being banned on religious grounds, while shrines are attacked, theatre faces threats, and textbooks are ar…
Dhaka, Jan 29 (IANS) Under Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus — globally recognised for pioneering microfinance for advancing women’s empowerment — the political representation of women in the country has not been institutionally safeguarded, a report said on Thursday. It added that, notwithstanding its reformist mandate, the interim government has not intervened decisively to safeguard or expand women’s presence in political decision-making, and this inaction risks …
Dhaka, Jan 28 (IANS) Although Bangladesh’s radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami signals when convenient that it will not implement Shariah if it comes to power, its leaders, including candidates for the February 12 general elections–openly advocate establishing Shariah law on television talk shows. Similarly, at the grassroots level, mid, lower-tier leaders and workers promote voting for the Jamaat electoral symbol ‘daripalla’ (balance scale) symbol as a religious duty, while some even presen…