Page 4 - India-bangladesh

Bangladesh court issues arrest warrant for Sheikh Hasina, sets Nov deadline

Bangladesh's interim govt has announced it will prosecute those responsible for deaths during recent mass protests against Hasina at country's International Crimes Tribunal

Deplorable, follows systematic pattern: India on attack on temple in B'desh

India on Saturday said it has noted with "serious concern" the reported attack on a Durga Puja pandal and theft at a revered Kali temple in Bangladesh, as it requested Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus, all other minorities and their places of worship in the neighbouring country. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the incidents as "deplorable events" and flagged that these follow a "systematic pattern of desecration" of temples and deities in Bangladesh. "We have noted with serious concern the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and the theft at the revered Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira," the MEA said. Bangladeshi daily "Prothom Alo" has reported an incident of a "crude bomb" allegedly thrown at a Durga Puja pandal in the Tantibazar area of Old Dhaka. Though the bomb caught fire, nobody was injured, the report said, adding that the incident took place on Friday night. Friday marked the ninth and last day of Navratri, th

Taking stock of B'desh: Visa woes slow Petrapole border's road to normalcy

Movement of people and trade between India and Bangladesh are limping back to normalcy 2 months after latter's political upheaval. The first of a two-part series is a ground report from Petrapole

Hilsa bonanza: Prized fish from Bangladesh back on plate as imports resume

Before the turmoil, Bangladesh exported an average of 5,000 tonnes of Hilsa to India annually, a practice that began in 1996

Ice has started to melt, says BNP leader after meeting with Indian envoy

Recently, in a political outreach, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, Pranay Verma, held a meeting with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir at the BNP office to discuss relations

Modi, Yunus to not meet at UNGA, Bangladesh foreign adviser will meet EAM

Bangladesh's Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain on Saturday said that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus will not be meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to media reports. Hossain, former foreign secretary of Bangladesh, said he would hold a bilateral meeting with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to advance the relationship between the two neighbours, The Daily Star newspaper reported. At a press briefing at the foreign ministry in the afternoon, Hossain said, Sorting out all issues, we want to further advance our relationship based on mutual respect and fairness. "Our meeting with Jaishankar is almost certain. We have to acknowledge that there is a certain level of tension in our relations with India. To resolve any issues, we can't simply deny their existence. We will definitely try to move past the tension and establish a working relationship," Hossain said, according to The Dhaka Tribune ...

What does India want from Bangladesh post Hasina ouster? Jaishankar reveals

Bangladesh faced civil unrest and violence last month following a student-led protest against the quota system in government jobs, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Want good relation with India but on basis of fairness and equality: Yunus

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said his country wants good relations with India and other neighbouring nations it should be on the basis of "fairness and equality". In a televised address, Yunus said after he took oath as the head of the administration, many foreign leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif, telephoned to congratulate him. "We want good relations with India and other neighbouring nations, but that relations should be on the basis of fairness and equality," he said. The 84-year-old Nobel laureate took oath as the head of the interim government on August 8 after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India following widespread protests against her government. Yunus said Bangladesh has already started high-level bilateral cooperation talks with India to deal with floods. "I have also taken the initiative to revive SAARC to enhance regional cooperation in South Asia, he ...

India-funded projects 'very important', to continue in B'desh: Interim govt

A top adviser of the interim government said Tuesday that India-funded projects are "very important" and will continue under the new administration in Bangladesh. Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed also said that Dhaka looks forward to "enhanced cooperation" with New Delhi during his meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma here, the state-run BSS news agency reported. "Already, the projects they (India) have with us are big projects, and we'll continue those, as those are not small projects and we'll take another big project for the benefits of ours...," the report quoted him as saying. "We'll not stop on whatever we have got, and we'll talk about those projects ...funding of the projects and also their implementation part," he added. The financial adviser's remarks come amid concerns about the timely implementation of projects funded under India's three lines of credit following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government last month after a mass ...

Friendless in neighbourhood: Repairing ties with B'desh must be a priority

With the possible exception of Bhutan, India is relatively friendless in South Asia at the moment. Does that matter? Perhaps not, given our sheer size

Could seek Sheikh Hasina's extradition: Bangladesh foreign affairs adviser

Sheikh Hasina had arrived in India on August 5, following an uprising led by students against her that turned violent

Bangladesh yearns for new political force post 'Monsoon Revolution'

After Bangladesh's recent political upheaval following Sheikh Hasina's ouster, the deeply polarised country is yearning for a new political force to emerge beyond the traditional Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party binary that aims to create a discrimination-free and more inclusive society. We have seen the BNP, Awami League, and Jatiya Party come to power and fail us for decades. It is time for someone new to lead our country, says 60-year-old Ahmed, a rickshaw-puller in Dhaka, echoing a sentiment shared by many in present-day Bangladesh. After unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Hasina, 76, resigned as prime minister and fled to India. The interim government led by 84-year-old Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus aims to reform Bangladesh's fractured institutions and restore public trust by ensuring a free and fair election, which, if successful, would mark a significant achievement in a nation with a history of electoral malpractice. Yet, people ar

B'desh wants cordial ties with India, but doesn't want interference: JeI

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami supremo Shafiqur Rahman has said his party seeks harmonious and stable ties with India but asserted that New Delhi needs to reconsider its foreign policy in the neighbourhood, as bilateral relations do not entail interfering in each other's internal issues. Rahman, who is the Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, stated in an interview with PTI that his party supports close relations between India and Bangladesh but also believes that Bangladesh should maintain strong and balanced relations with countries like the US, China, and Pakistan, by leaving behind the baggage of the past. Rahman, 65, contended that New Delhi's perception of Jamaat-e-Islami as anti-India is mistaken, asserting that Jamaat-e-Islami is not against any country; it is a wrong perception. We are pro-Bangladesh and are solely interested in safeguarding the interests of Bangladesh, and emphasised that this perception needs to change. The Jamaat-e-Islami suggested that it would have been ..

Decoded: How Farakka Barrage Pact determines India-Bangladesh water sharing

The purpose of the Farakka barrage is to divert water into the canal. It is carefully done using a system of gates on the main Ganga river

'We are equal citizens': Muhammad Yunus assures Bangladesh's Hindus

Addressing Bangladesh's Hindu leaders on the occasion of Janmashtami, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said that it was his interim government's responsibility to safeguard the rights of all citizens

India rejects reports linking Farakka barrage opening to Bangladesh floods

India on Monday trashed reports in Bangladesh that the opening of the Farakka barrage in West Bengal is causing floods in some areas in the neighbouring country. "We have seen fake videos, rumours and fear-mongering to create misunderstanding. This should be firmly countered with facts," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He said relevant data is shared with joint river commission officials concerned in Bangladesh on a regular and timely basis, and it was done this time as well. "We have seen media reports of the opening of Farakka barrage gates that will allow the flow of over 11 lakh cusecs of water downstream of the river in its natural course into the Ganga/Padma river," Jaiswal said. "This is a normal seasonal development that takes place due to increased inflow from heavy rainfall in the Ganga river basin catchment areas upstream," he said. The MEA spokesperson was responding to media queries on the matter. "It is to be understood that Farakka is o

'Fully secure': BSF denies claims of illegal entry from B'desh in Meghalaya

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday said the 443-km India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya is fully secure and denied claims of illegal entry by Bangladeshi nationals. The paramilitary force issued a statement after the media in the neighbouring country reported that Awami League leader Ishak Ali Khan Panna died of heart attack while climbing a hill in Meghalaya's Dawki in an attempt to flee his country. Dawki, in Meghalaya East Khasi Hills, is located close to Bangladesh. A BSF spokesperson told PTI, "There is no illegal entry of Bangladesh nationals in the area of responsibility of the Meghalaya Frontier BSF along the Indo-Bangla border. The story of Panna's death being circulated is entirely fabricated. Any attempt at illegal infiltration or activities that compromise the security of our nation will be dealt with firmly." The BSF increased vigil along the border following the August 5 violence in Bangladesh, successfully thwarting several illegal entry attempts and arresting

Bangladesh update: Sheikh Hasina facing 53 cases, growing extradition calls

Bangladesh's interim government last week revoked all diplomatic passports issued to Members of Parliament from Hasina's era, including that of the former prime minister

Bangladeshis not angry but hurt over Hasina's stay in India: Top BNP leader

A top BNP leader here said Bangladeshis are "not angry but hurt" over deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's stay in India, even as he urged politicians and security strategists in New Delhi to "rethink" their policy given the ground reality here. In an exclusive interview with PTI at his residence in Dhaka, Abdul Moyeen Khan, a former Cabinet minister of Bangladesh, also said his country shares a border with India on three sides and it is a big neighbour, so there is "no reason why India should not be our best friend". After unprecedented anti-government protests which reached a crescendo on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country, even as protesters had termed the fall of the government and her departure a "day of victory". She landed in India on August 5 and is currently staying there, even as her over two-week-long presence in India has given rise to speculation here. Khan said the current situation is of "consolidation" and coming back to normalcy. Th

Flood situation in B'desh not due to release of water from Indian dam: MEA

It also pointed out that data showing a rising trend has been supplied to Bangladesh up to 1500 hrs on August 21