Facing a one-point demand from the anti-discrimination student movement for the government's resignation, Sheikh Hasina has resigned from her position as Prime Minister. After resigning, at around 2:30 PM, a military helicopter departed with Sheikh Hasina. Her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, was with her. It has been reported that the helicopter left for India.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), issued a strong statement today condemning the violent actions of Bangladeshi security forces against student protesters. The protests, driven by economic grievances and opposition to the government’s public sector employment quota system, have been met with severe repression.
In a recent speech, Tarique Rahman, the acting chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), delivered a strong critique of the current administration under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, focusing on issues of national security, governance, and the state of democracy in Bangladesh. He accused the government of failing to protect the country's borders, specifically mentioning the situation at Saint Martin's Island and the ongoing tensions along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
In a significant address to the nation on Wednesday, BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman delivered a compelling speech, calling for widespread non-cooperation with what he described as the "fascist Hasina's illegal government." Rahman's speech, which touched on various aspects of civic life, urged citizens to unite in an effort to establish a participatory, democratic, and constitutional government through the vote of the people.
The Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh, Kazi Habibul Awal, has officially declared the schedule for the upcoming national parliamentary elections in a live televised address from the Election Commission's office. This announcement, made on Tuesday night, has heightened existing political tensions, with concerns that the declaration, without addressing opposition demands, may exacerbate the situation.
A member of the police and an opposition political leader were killed while over a hundred, including opposition activists, law enforcers, and journalists, were injured in hours-long clashes during anti-government grand rallies in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka Saturday evening, flaring the prevailing political tensions in the country ahead of the national elections scheduled to be held in January 2024. The diseased policeman has been identified as Amirul Parvez, a constable of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit. On the other hand, the opposition leader killed during Saturday's violence has been identified as Shamim Mia, a leader of the main opposition political party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) associate organization, Jubo Dal, in the capital Dhaka's Mugda area. The clashes first occurred in Dhaka's Kakrail area and rapidly spread to other parts of the mega city of nearly 20 million people. Police fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets targeting the opposition protesters. In retaliation, the opposition political activists threw stones and brickbats at the law enforcers and set many vehicles on the streets, including motorbikes, on fire.
London– In a video address to the nation on Thursday, BNP Deputy Chairman Tarique Rahman called upon the people of Bangladesh to unite for a massive gathering scheduled for October 28, stressing the importance of their collective action in bringing about political change. Tarique Rahman began by emphasizing the diverse cross-section of society that should rally together, stating, "We call upon the power of Bangladesh, the power of democracy, farmers, workers, youth, students, teachers, and people of all classes and professions to make the October 28 general meeting a resounding success at any cost."
The United States on Wednesday announced a new visa policy to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections, restricting visas for any Bangladeshi individuals undermining the democratic election process. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller revealed the announcement at the Department of State’s daily briefing in Washington.
After the sudden withdrawal of special security facilities and permanent police escort, this is the first time the US Ambassador to Dhaka, Peter D. Haas, has participated in any of the foreign ministry's demands. Yesterday, he attended a lunch-cum-diplomatic briefing at the State Guest House Padma at the invitation of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.
In a shocking turn of events, PTI chief Imran Khan, who was present at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for two hearings on Tuesday afternoon, was arrested from the court’s premises in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Islamabad police released a statement quoting Inspector General (IG) Akbar Nasir as saying that Imran had been arrested in relation to the case which alleges that the PTI chief and his wife obtained billions of rupees from a real estate firm for legalizing a laundered amount of Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.
Dr. Mostafa Faisal Parvez (Bangladesh) was elected to the position, effective May 1st, 2023, for an initial term of three years. The election results were announced immediately after the conclusion of the second session of the Assembly. Dr. Faisal was the Director of the Asian Region of IIFSO in 2019. He is currently the president of the Asian Youth Association and coordinator of the International Division of the Yeni Dunya Vakfi, a renowned civil society NGO in Turkey.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and World Bank Group President David Malpass commemorated 50 years of partnership between Bangladesh and the World Bank at the institution’s headquarters today. The partnership has helped lift millions of Bangladeshis out of poverty and supported the country’s economic growth and development. The World Bank has provided Bangladesh with $2.25 billion of financing over the last year to improve regional connectivity, boost disaster preparedness to address inland flooding, transition to green and climate-resilient development, strengthen environmental management and green investment, and help the micro-enterprise sector become less polluting and more climate-resilient.
Preparations for Eid ul-Fitr celebrations are in full swing across New York City. About three hundred Eid prayers are scheduled to be held this time. If it is not raining, the Eid congregation is contained in the nearby school playground or on the nearby main road. Most New Yorkers celebrate Eid on Friday, April 21, 2023.
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