Bangladesh marks anniversary of Hasina's ouster with pledges for a stronger democracy
Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his past work developing microcredit markets, spoke as the nation commemorated the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to neighboring India. But the event was held amid growing frustration over the interim administration's failure to restore order and bring political bickering under control.
Yunus, flanked by senior leaders of major political parties, announced a road map aimed at national unity, democratic reforms and inclusive governance. A student group that led the anti-Hasina movement had formed a new political party, National Citizen Party, and campaigned for the declaration.
Senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and the Jamaat-e-Islami party were present Tuesday. Zia is Hasina's archrival, and her party is the main contender for power in the next election, expected early next year.
The Yunus-led administration has banned the former ruling party, which had governed Bangladesh for 15 years since 2009. Hasina remains in exile. She faces trial for crimes against humanity over the hundreds of deaths during the student-led uprising.
On Tuesday, leaders of the major political parties failed to agree on an exact schedule for the election. Yunus had said it would be held in April, but Zia's party wants it in February. The Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party say they have no objection to giving Yunus more time.
The presence of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, the country's largest Islamist party, was especially visible Tuesday on the streets of the capital, Dhaka. The supporters of its student wing carried the flags of Bangladesh and Palestine.
Bangladesh is at a crossroads, with bickering political parties struggling to find a way forward with inclusive politics. The rise of the Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist forces has drawn attention since Hasina's ouster.
Yunus has promised an internationally acceptable election, but his critics say the election could be questionable without the Awami League party as it still has a significant support base.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump hikes tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases
President Donald Trump punished India by signing an executive order doubling tariffs on the South Asian democracy for continuing to purchase Russian oil amid the deadly war in Ukraine. Starting August 27th, India will face an additional 25 percent tariff if it continues to buy oil from Russia, making the total tariff rate a crushing 50 percent. After years of cozying up to Vladimir Putin, Trump is now calling Russia an ' extraordinary threat ' to the US as the country repeatedly ignores his deadline to end the Ukrainian invasion. Previously, Trump gave the Kremlin until this Friday to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, or the US would begin implementing massive tariffs on Russia's main trading partners. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday for three hours. The Kremlin described the meeting as 'a very useful and constructive conversation.' The pair reportedly discussed ending the Ukrainian war as well as developing strategic cooperation between the United States and Russia. But while Trump touted 'great progress,' there was no indication Putin was willing to end his furious campaign to take Ukraine. Trump previously imposed a 25 percent tariff last week on India citing unfair trade barriers. After Wednesday's executive order, the total tariffs on goods coming from India will rise to 50 percent – the highest levies on any US trading partner. When asked why the president did not place an additional tariff on China for their purchase of Russian oil, the White House did not respond at the time of publishing. Over the last eight months, India imported approximately 1.75 million barrels daily from Russia, which is up one percent from the same period last year. However, Trump did tease a threat to impose similar 25 percent tariffs on other large importers of Russian energy. Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X , 'I completely understand and applaud President @realDonaldTrump's decision to hit India with an additional 25 percent tariff ... because India insists on purchasing Putin's oil to prop up his war machine, allowing the bloodbath in Ukraine to continue.' 'President Trump has put the world on notice that if you continue to buy Putin's oil, you are no longer going to be allowed to have access to the American economy without substantial tariffs,' Graham added. Nikki Haley, Trump's former United Nations ambassador and rival for the 2024 Republican nomination, agreed that India shouldn't be buying oil from Russia but warned Trump against burning a relationship with a strong ally. Trump's tariff bombshell lands just 48 hours before Trump's make-or-break Friday ultimatum to Putin—demanding Russia agree to Ukraine ceasefire talks or face a mammoth sanctions blitz.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Trump drops the hammer on India with crushing 50% tariffs in massive trade war punishment
President Donald Trump punished India by signing an executive order doubling tariffs on the South Asian democracy for continuing to purchase Russian oil amid the deadly war in Ukraine. Starting August 27th, India will face an additional 25 percent tariff if it continues to buy oil from Russia, making the total tariff rate a crushing 50 percent. Trump coupled his new order with a threat to impose additional tariffs on other countries that purchase Russian fossil fuels. The executive order is a key part of the administration's increasingly muscular strategy to pressure the Kremlin to resolve the three-year war in Ukraine. After years of cozying up to Vladimir Putin, Trump is now calling Russia an ' extraordinary threat ' to the US as the country repeatedly ignores his deadline to end the Ukrainian invasion. Previously, Trump gave the Kremlin until this Friday to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, or the US would begin implementing massive tariffs on Russia's main trading partners. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday for three hours. The Kremlin described the meeting as 'a very useful and constructive conversation.' The pair reportedly discussed ending the Ukrainian war as well as developing strategic cooperation between the United States and Russia. But while Trump touted 'great progress,' there was no indication Putin was willing to end his furious campaign to take Ukraine. Trump previously imposed a 25 percent tariff last week on India citing unfair trade barriers. After Wednesday's executive order, the total tariffs on goods coming from India will rise to 50 percent – the highest levies on any US trading partner. A statement from India's Ministry of External Affairs said that its energy imports help ensure the 'security of 1.4 billion people,' while indicating it did not intend to stop purchasing Russian oil. 'These actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,' the statement says. China is the largest buyer of Russian oil and energy products in the world. Turkey is also a significant buyer, but the two countries have not faced additional tariffs so far. When asked why the president did not place an additional tariff on China for their purchase of Russian oil, the White House did not respond at the time of publishing. Over the last eight months, India imported approximately 1.75 million barrels daily from Russia, which is up one percent from the same period last year. However, Trump did tease a threat to impose similar 25 percent tariffs on other large importers of Russian energy. In his Wednesday executive order, the president directed administration officials to 'determine whether any other country is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,' and then decide if they should face economic punishments. Trump's congressional allies praised the president's drastic moves. Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X, 'I completely understand and applaud President @realDonaldTrump's decision to hit India with an additional 25 percent tariff ... because India insists on purchasing Putin's oil to prop up his war machine, allowing the bloodbath in Ukraine to continue.' 'President Trump has put the world on notice that if you continue to buy Putin's oil, you are no longer going to be allowed to have access to the American economy without substantial tariffs,' Graham added. Nikki Haley, Trump's former United Nations ambassador and rival for the 2024 Republican nomination, agreed that India shouldn't be buying oil from Russia but warned Trump against burning a relationship with a strong ally. Trump's tariff bombshell lands just 48 hours before Trump's make-or-break Friday ultimatum to Putin—demanding Russia agree to Ukraine ceasefire talks or face a mammoth sanctions blitz. The crackdown signals Trump is serious about wielding his tariff power to try to bend world leaders to his demands. Switzerland also looked like it would be a loser in Trump's trade war with its president reportedly ending her visit to Washington on Wednesday without a deal to lower its tariff rate.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
India refiners wait for government order on Russian oil purchases, sources say
NEW DELHI, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Indian refiners are awaiting government directions on whether to continue buying Russian oil after the United States decided to impose fresh 25% tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi's energy ties with Russia, four industry sources said. The new duties, aimed at penalising India for its Russian oil imports, come on top of existing tariffs Washington has levied to fix its trade deficit with the South Asian nation. India said the latest U.S. action is "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable." "So far, we have not been told anything by the government, so we will not stop Russian oil imports," said an official from a private refining company. India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, relies on Russian oil for more than a third of its oil needs. While state refiners have paused imports of Russian oil, private companies Reliance Industries ( opens new tab, Nayara Energy, and HPCL Mittal Energy (HMEL) continue to lift Russian oil. U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised India's Russian oil purchases, arguing they help fund Moscow's war in Ukraine. If forced to cut Russian imports, Indian refiners are expected to turn to suppliers in the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Saudi Arabia, India's third-largest oil supplier, has already raised its official selling prices for Asia. "In anticipation of higher Indian demand, they have kept the prices very strong," said a refining official in India, adding, the markets expect imposition of new tariffs to disrupt existing trade flows in favour of Middle Eastern crude. The additional tariffs are set to take effect in 21 days. Trump's executive order allows for modifications if Russia or India "align sufficiently with the United States on national security, foreign policy, and economic matters."
