India-bangladesh Ties

Hasina's extradition unrelated to extension of her Indian visa: B'desh govt

Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Thursday said deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's reported extension of visa was unrelated to Dhaka's request for her extradition to stand trial. We have requested India to return Sheikh Hasina as a Bangladeshi citizen. Her status in India has no relevance to this request. It is not a matter of our consideration, a foreign office spokesman told journalists in a weekly media briefing. Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 last year when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's (AL) 16-year regime. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for crimes against humanity and genocide. The interim government on Tuesday said it has revoked the passports of Hasina and 96 others over their alleged involvement in enforced disappearances and the J

For extradition, offender gets protections: Ex-official on Hasina's arrest

ICT issued an arrest warrant against Hasina and 10 others, including her former Defence Adviser Major General (retired) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and former IGP Benazir Ahmed

Bangladesh releases 95 Indian fishermen in reciprocal repatriation

Bangladesh on Sunday handed over to India 95 Indian fishermen while New Delhi released 90 Bangladeshi fishermen. The process of reciprocal repatriation of fishermen in each other's custody came amid frosty ties between the two countries. The decision to release the fishermen was announced by New Delhi and Dhaka on Thursday. The exchange of the fishermen was coordinated by the Indian Coast Guard and the Bangladesh Coast Guard. The Bangladeshi side handed over 95 fishermen and four fishing vessels to the Indian Coast Guard, according to an official statement. The Indian Coast Guard released 90 Bangladeshi fishermen including 12 rescued from sunken fishing boat "Kaushik", it said. "Idian fishermen are being handed over to West Bengal State fisheries authorities at South 24 Parganas post repatriation from Bangladesh," the Indian Coast Guard said in the readout. In recent months, several Indian fishermen have been arrested by Bangladesh authorities when they happened to inadvertently

Bangladesh cancels scheduled judges' training in India amid strained ties

Bangladesh's interim government on Sunday cancelled a planned training programme for 50 judges and judicial officers in India, scrapping a previous notification. The notification has been cancelled, a law ministry spokesman said without elaborating. The Daily Star newspaper, however, reported the cancellation came in compliance with a directive from Bangladesh's Supreme Court. The cancellation order came a day after the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported that 50 lower judiciary judges would undergo a one-day training programme from February 10 at the National Judicial Academy and the State Judicial Academy in Madhya Pradesh. The trainee judges selected under the programme were district and sessions judge or its equivalent officers, additional district and sessions judge, joint district judge, senior assistant judge and assistant judge. The Indian government was supposed to bear all the expenses for the training programmes. India and Bangladesh have witnessed strained

50 Bangladeshi judicial officers to undergo 10-day training in India

The diplomatic row between Dhaka and New Delhi notwithstanding, as many as 50 Bangladeshi judicial officers will undergo 10 day training at state-run academies in India, according to a media report on Saturday. The Law Ministry has given permission to 50 judicial officials of subordinate courts to undergo training at the National Judicial Academy and State Judicial Academy at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh with no cost to Bangladesh. The Law Ministry has given permission in the wake of the Supreme Court's advice, Prothom Alo newspaper said here. These judicial officers will participate in the training from February 10 to February 20. Assistant Judges, Senior Assistant Judges, Joint District and Sessions Judges, Additional District and Sessions Judges, District and Sessions Judges and officers of equivalent rank have been nominated for the training. A circular signed by Abul Hasanat, Deputy Secretary (Training) of the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamen

Pakistan FM to visit Bangladesh; Muhammad Yunus to reciprocate visit

Pakistan's Ishaq Dar will visit Bangladesh next month, the first such trip by a Pakistani foreign minister since 2012, signalling warming ties between Dhaka and Islamabad after Sheikh Hasina's ouster

India, Bangladesh announce reciprocal repatriation of fishermen in custody

India and Bangladesh on Thursday announced that they will kick-start a process of reciprocal repatriation of fishermen in each other's custody, a move that came amid strain in their bilateral ties. Shortly after Bangladesh said it will hand over 95 Indian fishermen to Indian authorities on January 5, India said it will release 90 Bangladeshi fishermen on the same day. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said mutual exchange of fishermen and their vessels has been worked out keeping in mind the primarily humanitarian and livelihood concerns of the fishing communities on both sides. "In recent months, several Indian fishermen have been arrested by Bangladesh authorities when they happened to inadvertently cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and entered Bangladesh waters," it said. The MEA said several Bangladesh fishermen have also been apprehended by Indian authorities in similar circumstances. "Earlier today, 95 Indian fishermen were handed over by Bangladesh authori

'Won't hurt India's interests, but...': Bangladesh Army chief on Northeast

Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman characterises India-Bangladesh relations as a 'give-and-take relationship' while describing China as 'a partner in our development'

Influx from B'desh not by Hindus but 'majority community' members: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that the influx from Bangladesh into the state in recent months is mostly by the "majority community" of the neighbouring country and not by the minority Hindus there. Those who are entering India illegally are workers of the textile industry in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, which are in bad shape following the crisis there, and they want to go to Tamil Nadu to join the same sector, he claimed. The southern state is ruled by the DMK, a constituent of the INDIA bloc. "The situation in Bangladesh has led to the collapse of the textile industry in that country. The workers, who are majority there but a minority in our country, are trying to cross the border," the chief minister said during an interaction with journalists here. They are trying to enter the country to go to the textile industries in Tamil Nadu, and "owners of these industries are incentivising them to come to get cheap labour," he said. The Hindu minorities in th

Yunus pays tribute to Manmohan Singh at Indian High Commission in B'desh

Professor Yunus visited the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and placed a floral wreath at the portrait of late PM Manmohan Singh

Bangladesh 2024: Hasina's India refuge casts shadow over Dhaka-Delhi ties

Bangladesh faced an upheaval this year with the ouster of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a development that also cast a shadow over its traditionally strong ties with India. The relations could be strained further: Bangladesh now seeks her extradition from India. The removal of 77-year-old Hasina followed weeks of protests led by students over a controversial quota system in government jobs that escalated into a nationwide campaign calling for the end of her 16-year regime. In August, tens of thousands rallied against what they perceived as political repression. The military opted not to use lethal force against the protestors while Hasina hurriedly left Bangladesh for India just months after she had secured her fourth straight term as prime minister. The anti-government protests resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 people, including students, in confrontations between protestors and security forces, according to officials. The 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yun

US NSA Sullivan, Bangladesh leader Yunus vows to protect human rights

HinduAction said that disturbing reports of brutal attacks against the Hindus continue to surface, particularly over the past two weeks, as desperate pleas for help pour in from those affected

'No comment': Govt confirms getting Hasina's extradition note from B'desh

Bangladesh's interim government on Monday said it has sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi seeking the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina from India, a move that may further strain the ties between the two countries. India confirmed receiving the 'note verbale' or diplomatic communication from the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi but refrained from making any comment on it. Bangladesh's de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain said Dhaka wants Hasina back to face the judicial process. "We have sent a note verbale to the Indian government saying that Bangladesh wants her back here for the judicial process," Hossain told reporters in Dhaka. In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: "We confirm that we have received a Note Verbale from the Bangladesh High Commission today in connection with an extradition request." "At this time, we have no comment to offer on this matter," he said in response to a question. Hasina, 77, has bee

Bangladesh asks India to send back deposed PM Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka

Bangladesh's interim government said on Monday that it has sent a diplomatic note to India to send back deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka. Hasina, 77, has been living in exile in India since Aug 5 when she fled the country amid the student-led protests that toppled her 16-year regime. Dhaka-based International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for "crimes against humanity and genocide". We have sent a note verbale (diplomatic message) to the Indian government saying that Bangladesh wants her back here for the judicial process, Foreign Affairs Adviser or de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain told reporters at his office. Earlier in the morning, Home Advisor Jahangir Alam said his office has sent a letter to the foreign ministry to facilitate the ousted premier's extradition from India. We have sent a letter to the foreign ministry regarding her extradition. The .

B'desh commission finds India's 'involvement in enforced disappearances'

An inquiry commission formed by Bangladesh's interim government has said that it has found India's "involvement in alleged incidents of enforced disappearances during deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's regime, the state-run news agency BSS reported on Saturday. The Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha quoting the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance said, The Indian involvement in Bangladesh's system of enforced disappearances is a matter of public record." The report said that according to the five-member commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, there was a persistent suggestion in law enforcement circles that some Bangladeshi prisoners might still be languishing in Indian jails. "We recommend the Ministries of Foreign and Home to extend their best efforts to identify any Bangladeshi citizens who may still remain incarcerated in India. It is beyond the jurisdiction of the commission to follow this trail outside Bangladesh," the commission said. The commission said

Total 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus, minorities in B'desh: Govt

A total of 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities have been reported in Bangladesh this year till December 8, and India's expectation is Dhaka will take necessary measures to ensure their safety, the government said on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh gave the information in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, citing data from minority and human rights organisations. In Pakistan, the number of cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan this year stood at "112 till October 2024," the MoS said. The corresponding figures for 2022 were 47 in Bangladesh and 241 in Pakistan, while in 2023 the figures were 302 in Bangladesh and 103 in Pakistan, according to the data he shared. The minister said the Indian government has urged "Pakistan to take steps to prevent religious intolerance, sectarian violence, systemic persecution and attacks on minority communities and ensure their safety, security, and ...

India lodges strong protest with Dhaka over B'deshi leader's comments

India has lodged a strong protest with Dhaka over certain controversial comments by key aide of Bangladesh's interim government Mahfuj Alam. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Alam said India should recognise the uprising that forced the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign. "We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments," he said. "While India has repeatedly signalled interest in fostering relations with the people and the interim government of Bangladesh, such comments underline the need for responsibility in public articulation," Jaiswal added.

Govt closely monitoring situation amid attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

India on Thursday said it is concerned over incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and asserted that the primary responsibility to protect their life and liberty rests with the interim government in Dhaka. The comments by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in Rajya Sabha came days after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri travelled to Dhaka and conveyed New Delhi's concerns on the matter to the top political brass of Bangladesh's interim government. India continues to monitor the situation related to the minorities in Bangladesh closely, he said, adding, the government in that country has reportedly arrested 70 people and filed 88 cases in connection with violence involving minorities. "India's concerns regarding the need to ensure safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities in Bangladesh have been conveyed and reiterated to the authorities of the Interim government of Bangladesh on various occasions, includi

Cong MPs show solidarity with Bangladesh minorities via handbag messages

Several Congress MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest in Parliament premises on Tuesday, demanding justice for Hindus and Christians facing atrocities in Bangladesh. The MPs protested with handbags which had 'Stand with minorities of Bangladesh' written on it. They raised slogans urging the government to ensure justice for minorities in Bangladesh. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi was seen carrying a cream-coloured handbag to Parliament on which it was written "Bangladesh ke Hindu aur Isaiyon ke saath khade ho" (stand with the Hindus and Christians of Bangladesh). This comes a day after she expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine, carrying a handbag with 'Palestine' emblazoned on it. Several Congress MPs led by Priyanka Gandhi had staged a protest in Parliament premises on Monday also, demanding justice for Hindus and Christians facing atrocities in Bangladesh. Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour on Monday, Priyanka Gandhi had sought the governmen

'India didn't defeat Pak': Bangladesh leaders react to Modi's 1971 war post

On Vijay Diwas, PM Modi honoured Indian soldiers whose sacrifices secured victory against Pakistan in the 1971 war, leading to the liberation of Bangladesh