Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, dies at 80

DHAKA, Dec 30 (Reuters) – Khaleda Zia, who became Bangladesh’s first female prime minister in 1991 and went on to develop a bitter rivalry with Sheikh Hasina as they spent decades trading power, died on Tuesday after a long illness. She was 80. Her opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said that she died after a […]

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Bangladesh rejects India’s deliberate portrayal of minority situation

Bangladesh has rejected recent remarks by the spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs regarding the situation of minority communities in the country, calling them deliberate. At the same time, Dhaka has urged various Indian quarters to refrain from spreading misleading narratives about minorities. SM Mahbubul Alam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of […]

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Muhammad Yunus welcomes growing Bangladesh-Pakistan engagement

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus today (28 December) welcomed the growing interactions between Bangladesh and Pakistan, and emphasised the importance of increased visits as well as cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges among South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) member states. He highlighted the need for boosting Bangladesh-Pakistan trade and hoped that both countries […]

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B’desh Govt serious about ensuring free, fair polls: Touhid

Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain said that the government is serious and fully committed to ensuring a free, fair and credible election, stressing that people have long been deprived of their fundamental right to vote. “The government will provide all necessary cooperation to the Election Commission to ensure a conducive voting environment. Political parties must […]

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Bangladeshi politician’s threat targeting India’s northeast deepens row

By Biman Mukherji Dhaka’s already strained relationship with New Delhi has come under fresh pressure after a Bangladeshi opposition leader threatened to shelter separatists targeting India’s sensitive northeast region in retaliation for what he claimed to be election interference. Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), warned at a rally […]

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UNHCR welcomes China’s USD 2.5 million support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the People’s Republic of China’s USD 2.5 million contribution to provide liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to meet the cooking needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The contribution from the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund will enable UNHCR to supply cleaner cooking energy to approximately 458,000 refugees, or 94,000 […]

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Dhaka summons Indian envoy over ‘anti-election activities’ by fugitive political figures

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (14 December) summoned the Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to convey Bangladesh’s concerns over what it described as anti-election activities involving fugitive political figures currently staying in India. According to a press release issued by the ministry, Bangladesh expressed serious concern over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s continued public […]

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Are India and Bangladesh sidestepping Hasina’s exile to improve frayed ties?

By Maria Siow Bangladesh’s national security adviser recently made a low-profile visit to New Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart, in what many in Dhaka saw as a sign that the neighbours might reset ties following months of tensions over the self-exile of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in India. The meeting was the […]

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Bangladesh will hold the first national elections since 2024 mass uprising in February

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s next national elections would be held on Feb. 12, eighteen months after former Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina was ousted through a mass uprising following weeks of violence that left hundreds dead and thousands injured, the chief election commissioner said Thursday. A.M.M. Nasir Uddin confirmed the date in a televised address to the nation. […]

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