Dhaka, Jan 31 (IANS) As political tensions intensify ahead of Bangladesh’s February 12 elections, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) said that neither the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) nor Jamaat-e-Islami deserves public trust, accusing both parties of failing to meet people’s aspirations during their respective periods in power, local media reported.Addressing a campaign rally at Konabari College Field in Gazipur district on Friday, the IAB chief Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim criticised the …
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Dhaka, Jan 29 (IANS) Bangladesh must pursue calibrated and interest-based bilateralism to maintain a “dignified, equitable, and mutually beneficial” bilateral relationship with India and other South Asian neighbours, guided by the respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, and the principle of a “no-harm-to-each-other-or-to-a-third-party”, a report said on Thursday. Writing for Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, Humayun Kabir, Pre…
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 …
New Delhi/ Dhaka, Jan 29 (IANS) Bangladesh’s National Economic Council (NEC) has significantly downsized the health and education sector in the Annual Development Programme (ADP), according to a media report.In the tradition of reviewing the performance of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) at the mid-point of each fiscal year, the NEC downsized the ADP by about 12.5 per cent, to 208,935 crore taka (3.3 per cent of GDP) from its original budget allocation of 230,000 crore taka (3.7 per cen…
Dhaka, Jan 29 (IANS) As political disputes continue to mount ahead of February 12 elections, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Wednesday accused the radical Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, of promoting “fascist propaganda,” political hypocrisy, and deceptive narratives aimed at influencing voters in the upcoming polls, local media reported.Addressing a press conference in Dhaka, BNP Election Steering Committee spokesperson and advisor to the party chairperson, Mahdi Amin, said Jamaa…
Dhaka, Jan 28 (IANS) As the law and order situation in Bangladesh continues to deteriorate, experts warned that patronage from the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government is inciting organised mobs in the country, local media reported.The remarks were made during a dialogue organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) titled ‘Media Reform in Bangladesh: Between Freedom, Responsibility and Power’, on Tuesday, which brought together senior journalists, editors, academics, political leaders, …
Dhaka, Jan 27 (IANS) Expressing concern over violence and intimidation against women and minorities in Bangladesh, ahead of February 12 elections, women’s rights activists on Tuesday reiterated their long-standing demand for meaningful parliamentary representation. These demands included increasing the number of reserved seats for women, reforming the voting mechanism for those seats, and ensuring that political parties nominate more women candidates, local media reported.Addressing a press conf…
Dhaka, Jan 27 (IANS) As violence against the press continues to escalate in Bangladesh under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, at least 10 journalists were injured in an attack on members of the Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association (CRAB) in Narsingdi district, local media reported.The incident unfolded on Monday evening outside Dream Holiday Park in Madhabdi region of Narsingdi, as CRAB members were returning from their annual picnic.Citing police, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, T…
New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Bangladesh is entering a new phase of strategic challenges and opportunities in the aftermath of the July 2024 upheaval, as domestic transformations and global geopolitical turbulence converge to reshape the nation’s future. With its scheduled graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026, the country is preparing for a reset in its external relations, demanding reforms in domestic policy and governance to match the evolving realities.At home, a generati…
Dhaka, Jan 22 (IANS) Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has committed its most “disgraceful act” by permitting the use of anti-terror laws to arrest journalists across the country, resulting in pre-trial detention for months on “extraordinary”, often “outlandish charges”, including murder, a report highlighted on Thursday. Citing an independent New Delhi-based think tank, Rights and Risks Analysis Group, it said that by December 2025, the Yunus-led interim government had tar…