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PremiumBangladesh news updates: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath as the head of an interim government on Thursday evening — mere days after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina amid deadly protests.
Meanwhile, Indian remains on alert amid developments in the neighbouring country. "The Bangladeshis had gathered at the border, but none were able to enter India as the border was completely sealed. They were later taken back by the BGB," a BSF official said.
Bangladesh is undergoing an unprecedented crisis as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power for 15 years, resigned and fled the country amid escalating protests. What began as a demonstration against a jobs quota system has rapidly escalated into a massive upheaval against her and her government. Over the past few tumultuous weeks, more than 300 people have lost their lives.
BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been released in a significant turn of events. Hasina arrived in India on Monday evening, but her plans regarding whether she will remain in Delhi or relocate elsewhere remain unclear.
Check all the Bangladesh news updates here on LiveMint.
Bangladesh News LIVE: Muhammad Yunus held a brief press conference after taking oath to laud those who had helped bring about the ‘rebirth of the nation’.
“I express all my appreciation and gratitude to these young people who made it happen and who are responsible for bringing about the rebirth of the nation," he said.
He stopped to fight back tears, describing the death of an “extraordinarily brave" young man who went up against the police during the crackdown.
Bangladesh News LIVE: More than 50 noted personalities from West Bengal wrote to Bangladesh president Mohammed Shahabuddin and PM Muhammad Yunus and urged them to ensure the safety of all sections of society. Among the signatories of the letter were filmmaker Aparna Sen, educationist Pabitra Sarkar and former Supreme Court judge Ashok Ganguly.
Bangladesh News LIVE: Sajeeb Wazed Joy blamed the Pakistani intelligence agency (ISI) for fueling the ongoing unrest in the country.
"I am quite certain given the circumstantial evidence; I suspect Pakistan ISI’s involvement. The attacks and protests were very coordinated, meticulously planned, and intentional efforts to keep inflaming the situation through social media. No matter what the government did to control the situation, they kept trying to worsen it," he told PTI.
Bangladesh News LIVE: Sajeeb Wazed Joy said on Thursday that his mother would return to the country as soon as democracy is restored. He added that it had not yet been decided whether she will be back as a "retired or active" politician.
“Yes, it is true that I had said she wouldn’t return to Bangladesh. But a lot has changed in the last two days following continuous attacks on our leaders and party workers across the country. Now we are going to do whatever it takes to keep our people safe; we are not going to leave them alone. Awami League is the largest and oldest political party in Bangladesh, so we cannot just walk away from our people. She will definitely return to Bangladesh once democracy is restored," he told PTI over the phone.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a congratulatory message as Muhammad Yunus took oath as the head of an interim government.
“My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development," he wrote on X.
Bangladesh News LIVE: Muhammad Yunus took the oath at the presidential palace in the capital Dhaka in front of political leaders, civil society leaders, generals and diplomats. More than a dozen members of his cabinet — titled as advisers rather than ministers — also took the oath.
They included top leaders of the Students Against Discrimination group that led the weeks-long protests, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud. Others included Touhid Hossain, a former foreign secretary, and Hassan Ariff, a former attorney general. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an award-winning environmental lawyer, and Asif Nazrul, a top law professor and writer, also were sworn in. Adilur Rahman Khan, a prominent human rights activist who was sentenced to two years in jail by Hasina's government, also took the oath as an adviser.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Sixteen other people have been included in the interim Cabinet led by Muhammad Yunus.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took the oath of office as head of Bangladesh’s interim government on Thursday. He now faces the daunting task of restoring peace in Bangladesh and preparing for new elections following weeks of violence in which student activists led an uprising against what was considered Hasina’s increasingly autocratic 15-year rule.
Likely that our High Commissioner will participate swearing-in of interim Bangladesh govt: MEA
Bangladesh news LIVE: The Border Security Force said on Thursday that 17 Indian road construction workers stranded in Bangladesh have been brought back safely. The men were employed by AFCONS Infrastructure Private Limited for construction of a 52-km-long four-lane road from Akhaura to Kishoreganj in Bangladesh. They were brought back through the international border in Tripura.
Bangladesh news LIVE: According to a report by Prothom Alo newspaper, Bangladesh student leaders Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud — who led the protests that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — will be part of the new caretaker government.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Nobel Laureate economist Muhammad Yunus has urged people to maintain calm and said that the it is their "first responsibility" to ensure that no attack is carried out against anyone in the country. He is set to lead the interim government in Bangladesh after violent protests unseated the Sheikh Hasina-led administration
Hundreds of Bangladeshi Hindus have tried unsuccessfully to flee to India this week. According to a Reuters report quoting locals, many living close to India have been trying to flee but face resistance from both sides. Both India and Bangladesh have stepped up border patrolling since the violence. About 300 Bangladeshis had assembled at a border point near India's Jalpaiguri district earlier on Thursday but eventually dispersed.
The publication also quoted Mohammad Rakibul Hasan — a local government official in the Thakurgaon district — to add that around 700-800 Hindus had tried to flee on Wednesday evening after some of their houses were attacked and looted.
“They returned home after we provided protection. Border guard troops are patrolling the area. Everything is fine now with no further reports of violence," he told Reuters.
Hundreds came to Dhaka's international airport to greet Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus on Thursday. Three days after a student-led uprising forced their autocratic premier to flee by helicopter, euphoric Bangladeshis with hopes for change are now seeing cities return to normalcy.
Meghalaya BJP vice-president Bernard N. Marak wrote to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday to request the setting up of a humanitarian camp to support Garo, Khasi and other tribals living in Bangladesh if they are allowed to enter India.
Bangladesh news LIVE: The Rashtra Sevika Samiti claimed on Thursday that efforts were being made to create confusion among people and instability in India amid the upheaval in Bangladesh. Organisation chief Shantha Kumari said that Hindus in the other country were being subjected to "extremely condemnable" atrocities since the elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was "brought down" --- including 'attacks against Hindu temples and the kidnapping of girls'.
"It is necessary for the Hindu society to take on such anti-India forces while remaining united and vigilant. Therefore, I appeal to the entire Hindu society and Rashtra Sevika Samiti volunteers that they make efforts to deal with this problem while remaining united," she said in a video message.
The Rashtra Sevika Samiti is a women organisation which parallels the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Bangladesh news LIVE: The Ministry of External Affairs said that it was up to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to "take things forward" in the coming days. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the MEA had no update to share about her future plans.
"The situation is evolving…It would not be appropriate for me to talk about her plans," Jaiswal said during a briefing on Thursday.
Meanwhile Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said via X that he had spoken to Britain's foreign secretary and discussed "the situation in Bangladesh and West Asia".
Bangladesh news LIVE: Members of the Hindu Jagran Manch staged a protest outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Kolkata over the issue of attacks on Hindus in crisis-hit Bangladesh.
Bangladesh news LIVE: The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that it was “monitoring the situation" after report about minority communities being attacked in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh news LIVE: The Awami League party does not figure in the interim government after Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday following weeks of violence that killed about 300 people and injured thousands. Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy however said that the party had not given up and was ready to hold talks with opponents and the interim government.
"I had said my family will no longer be involved in politics but the way our party leaders and workers are being attacked, we cannot give up," he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
A significant number of associates had come to India on August 5 along with Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana. Sources told ANI on Thursday that most of the members of the entourage have now started leaving India for their next destinations.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus returned to protest-hit Bangladesh on Thursday to take oath as the head of the interim government following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
"Bangladesh got independence for second time and people must strive to protect this. We have to form a government which assures safety to its citizens," he said after landing in Dhaka.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Muhammad Yunus landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday afternoon and was welcomed by military chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman and other officials. He will take office later in the day as Bangladesh looks to restore calm and rebuild in the wake of an uprising that ended the 15-year, increasingly autocratic, rule of Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Amid the ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh, former PM Sheikh Hasina will return to Bangladesh when democracy will be restored in the nation, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy told PTI on August 8.
Speaking to the news agency, Joy alleged that Pakistan’s ISI is fuelling unrest in Bangladesh. He added that the Indian government must “build up international pressure" for swift restoration of democracy in Bangladesh, PTI reported. (Read full story here)
Bangladesh news LIVE: Interim PM Muhammad Yunus will swear-in as Bangladesh's new leader as soon as Thursday evening, reported AFP.
The prospect of Yunus standing alongside military leaders was almost unimaginable a week ago, when security forces fired deadly rounds at protesters who took to the streets demanding that Hasina resign.
Later, the military agreed to student demands that Yunus to lead an interim government.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Bangladesh is unlikely to hold the general elections as soon after Sheikh Hasina was ousted. As of now, Interim PM Yunus Mohammed-led caretaker government may look to carry out constitutional reforms first to ensure future polls are tamper-proof, reported Bloomberg, referring to a former top diplomat.
Former Foreign Secretary Shamsher Chowdhury said the incoming interim government under Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus will want to restore law and order first and bring about changes in the system of government.
Bangladesh news LIVE: At least 450 people were killed within a month of a deadly protest which began as a student protest in Bangladesh. However, the moment spread widely and led to a tragic end of the autocratic rule of 76-year-old prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh news LIVE: 1971 War veteran Wing Commander Devender Jeet Singh Kler has expressed concern over the current situation of Bangladesh and he added that a student protest could not take this shape.
"The current situation in Bangladesh is heartbreaking. There is no control over anything. There is arson and riots. It's the mobs that are controlling everything. Who these people are backed by, is difficult to understand. A student protest cannot take this shape," he told ANI.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Amid huge chaos in the nation during ongoing protest and violence in Bangladesh, several residents across the country are forced to live together in groups and even guard the streets to avoid risk of robbery and looting by criminals, reported PTI
Security concerns have gripped the country since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on Monday as police observed a work abstention, citing fears for their safety amid reports of deadly attacks on security personnel.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed on Thursday said she was “heartbroken" by the loss of lives in her country. In a social media post on X, Saima Wazed also said that she could not "see or hug" her mother during such a difficult time.
Hasina resigned as prime minister and travelled to India on Monday following unprecedented anti-government protests.
"Heartbroken with the loss of life in my country Bangladesh that I love. So heartbroken that I cannot see and hug my mother during this difficult time. I remain committed to my role as RD," Wazed said in a post on X.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Trade between India and Bangladesh resumed through Petrapole land port in West Bengal and resumed Thursday morning amid tight security, reported PTI citing officials.
The two South Asian neighbours' trade came to a halt on August 5 following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was unwilling to leave her country amid raging protests. It was her family who convinced her that the political movement has turned into an angry mob, that will kill her.
"I was worried not because she was leaving Bangladesh, but because she didn't want to leave Bangladesh. We had to convince her. I said this is not a political movement anymore, this is a mob ... they are going to kill you," Joy told Deutsche Well.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Restoring normalcy to Bangladesh would not be an easy task for Interim PM Yunus. Over the past few weeks, clashes between protesters and security personnel cost the lives of more than 300 people, one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the South Asian nation’s history.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Before taking over the office on Thursday, Interim PM Muhammad Yunus congratulated the student protesters and said they had made “our second Victory Day possible," and appealed to them and other stakeholders to remain peaceful, while condemning any violence since Hasina’s resignation Monday.
Bangladesh news LIVE: Interim PM Muhammad Yunus to return to Dhaka, take office today. Before taking over the office, Yunis urged all parties to help the country rebuild after weeks of violence that killed hundreds of people in the country and affected thousands of people
Sheikh Hasina resignation LIVE: Nepal's Foreign Ministry expressed solidarity with the victims of violence in Bangladesh. The ministry expressed solidarity with the victims of violence emphasized the need for an orderly return to democratic processes.
"We call for calm and restraint by all and stress the importance of an orderly return to the democratic process. We are confident that the strong and resilient people of Bangladesh will be able to ensure a smooth transition towards peace and stability," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal said in a statement on Wednesday.
Hundreds of Bangladeshi nationals gathered at the international border with India in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Wednesday, seeking to crossover claiming that they were under attack in their country, officials said. The incident happened near Dakshin Berubari village in the Jhaportala border outpost area.
"The Bangladeshis had gathered at the border, but none were able to enter India as the border was completely sealed. They were later taken back by the BGB [Border Guard Bangladesh]," a BSF official told news agency PTI.
Muhammad Yunus, who is set to lead the Bangladesh's new interim government, has been acquitted from the prison sentence handed down by the labor court in a case over labour law violations. On January 1, a Dhaka court sentenced Yunus, and three others to six months in jail over labour law violations.
BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman, believed to be the man behind the 'India Out' campaign earlier this year, is set to return to Dhaka, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced according to Business Today.
Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman said, "I believe it might initially consist of around 15 members. However, one or two more individuals may be added."
Bangladesh's interim government will take oath on Thursday night, local media reported.
Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel-winning microfinance pioneer, is set to finalise new interim government members he will head after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation that ended her 15-year second stint in power. Here's a look at challenges Yunus is likely to face while leading the interim government.
“Heroic students made the impossible possible through struggle and sacrificing their lives. I pay respect to hundreds of martyrs," BNP chief Khaleda Zia said as she delivered her first public speech after over six and half years. She said, "said: “Students and youth are our future. A democratic Bangladesh based on merit, ability and knowledge should be built to realize the dream that the youth have shed their blood for. A prosperous Bangladesh without exploitation should be built based on human rights, social justice and equality."
In a statement issued by the Yunus Centre today, the professor said, "I congratulate the brave students who took the lead in making our 'Second Victory Day' possible and to the people for giving your total support to them. Let us make the best use of our new victory. Let us not let this slip away because of our mistakes."
"Our youth is ready to give this leadership in creating a new world. Let us not miss the chance by going into any senseless violence. Violence is our enemy. Please don't create more enemies. Be calm and get ready to build the country," he was quoted by Daily Star as saying.
Yunus will head the interim government in Bangladesh.
Spiritual leader Sadhguru posted on X, “The atrocities being perpetrated against Hindus is not just an internal matter of #Bangladesh. Bharat cannot be Maha-Bharat if we do not stand up and act at the earliest to ensure the safety of minorities in our neighborhood. What was part of this Nation unfortunately became neighborhood, but it is our responsibility to protect these people -who actually belong to this Civilization- from these shocking atrocities."
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sharma voiced the possibility of Bangladesh becoming a safe ground for terrorist activities in the future. "During the time of Sheikh Hasina, all terrorist groups from the north-east were removed from Bangladesh. For us, it will be a matter of concern; once again, Bangladesh must not become a safe haven for such terrorists. I hope the Indian government will stay in constant touch with whichever government is formed there." The Assam Chief Minister was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.
Former Sri Lankan Army Chief, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, told ANI, "Any of the countries will not be happy to see military rule taking place in the region. Democracy has to come. People's grievances must be taken care of and normalcy has to come in."
He said, "During the last month, we saw the student protests taking place. The way they were handling the student's protest was not very advisable...The situation got out of hand and the police couldn't control it...Police had to give up...Army had to take over because they had no other way out."
While it's confirmed that Nobel laureate economist Dr Muhammad Yunus will head the interim government in Bangaldesh, local media reported that the government will be formed once decisions regarding the other members are made.
