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Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Bangladesh's Islamist party projects force with a big rally in Dhaka
Jamaat-e-Islami supporters gathered in Dhaka before the upcoming elections. The party presented demands to the Muhammad Yunus administration for fair elections. Jamaat-e-Islami aims to become a significant political force. They are forging alliances and promoting anti-India sentiments. Sheikh Hasina is in exile facing charges. The UN reported many deaths during last year's anti-Hasina protests. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Bangladesh 's largest Islamist party rallied in the capital on Saturday to show their strength ahead of elections expected next year, as the South Asian nation stands a t a crossroads after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus said the next election would be held in April but his administration did not rule out a possibility of polls in February as strongly demanded by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies. Jamaat-e-Islami , which had sided with Pakistan during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, said earlier it would mobilize 1 million people on Hasina was in power from 2009 until she was toppled in student-led protests last year and fled to India, top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami were either executed or jailed on charges of crimes against humanity and other serious crimes in 1971. In late march in 1971 Pakistan's military had launched a violent crackdown on the city of Dhaka, then part of East Pakistan, to quell a rising nationalist movement seeking independence for what is today known as party on Saturday placed a seven-point demand to the Yunus-led administration to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election, the trial of all mass killings, essential reforms and proclamation and implementation of a charter involving last year's mass uprising. It also wants the introduction of a proportional representation system in the of supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami had spent the night on the Dhaka University campus before the rally. On Saturday morning, they continued to stream toward the Suhrawardy Udyan, a historical ground where the Pakistani army had surrendered to a joint force of India and Bangladesh on Dec. 16 in 1971, ending the nine-month was the first time the party was allowed to hold a rally on this ground since 1971. To many, the decision signaled a shift supported by Yunus' government in which Islamists are gaining momentum with further fragmentation of Bangladesh's politics and shrinking of liberal whose father was the independence leader and the country's first president, is a fierce political rival of Jamaat-e-Islami. The party is expected to contest 300 parliamentary seats and is attempting to forge alliances with other Islamist groups and parties in hopes of becoming a third force in the country behind the BNP, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and Hasina's former ruling Awami League party has a close connection with a new political party formed by students who led the anti-Hasina uprising. Both Jamaat-e-Islami and the students' National Citizen Party also promote anti-India Yunus-led administration has banned the Awami League and Hasina has been in exile in India since Aug. 5. She is facing charges of crimes against humanity. The United Nations said in February that up to 1,400 people may have been killed during the anti-Hasina uprising in July-August last year.
News18
5 hours ago
- News18
'Show Proof': Pakistan's Ishaq Dar Denies TRF Role In Pahalgam Attack In Resurfaced Video
Last Updated: In the video, recorded in Pakistan's parliament in April, Dar said that Islamabad does not consider TRF to be an 'illegal' group An old video of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has surfaced, showing him rejecting claims that The Resistance Front (TRF) was involved in the April Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. In the video, recorded in Pakistan's parliament in April, Dar said that Islamabad does not consider TRF to be an 'illegal" organisation. 'Alhamdulillah, we are a non-permanent member of the UNSC. We don't consider TRF illegal. Show the evidence that TRF carried out the Pahalgam attack or prove its ownership. We will not accept these claims, TRF had to be deleted from the UN press release," Dar can be heard saying. Pak Deputy PM Ishaq Dar rejected TRF involvement in the Pahalgam attack and said :'Alhamdulillah we are the non permanent member of UNSC…..we don't consider TRF as illegal…show the evidence that TRF has carried out the Pahalgam attack or show the ownership of TRF… We… — OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) July 18, 2025 He further added, 'We opposed the mention of TRF in the UNSC statement. I received calls from global capitals, but Pakistan would not accept it. TRF was deleted, and Pakistan prevailed." The video came to light shortly after the United States designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group on Thursday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had called TRF as a 'front and proxy" of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Pakistan-based UN-designated terror group. Both India and the US have linked TRF to the Pahalgam attack and LeT's infrastructure. The Pahalgam terror attack took place on 22 April and killed 26 civilians, almost all Hindus. Survivors said that the gunmen separated women and children and asked the men to recite the Muslim declaration of faith. It was one of the deadliest attacks in recent years and led to a sharp rise in tensions between India and Pakistan. Over the next four days, clashes between the two sides reportedly killed more than 70 people, in the worst standoff between the foes since 1999. TRF initially claimed responsibility for the attack but later withdrew the claim. India considers TRF a terrorist organisation and accuses Pakistan of supporting it. On Friday, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar welcomed the US designation, calling it a 'strong affirmation" of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. (With inputs from agencies) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels sign declaration of principles to end conflict in eastern Congo
Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels sign declaration of principles to end conflict in eastern Congo (Pic credit: AP) DAKAR: Congo and Rwanda-backed rebels on Saturday signed a declaration of principles in Qatar to end decades-long fighting and commit to a comprehensive peace agreement that would include the restoration of state authorities in key eastern cities controlled by the insurgents. Congo and the M23 rebels committed to "building trust" through various measures, including an exchange of prisoners and detainees as well as restoring state authority in all parts of the country, including rebel-held areas, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi, Qatar's minister of state, said at a briefing. It was not immediately clear if the declaration involves M23's withdrawal from cities it controls, as the two parties seemed to interpret the agreement differently. Bertrand Bisimwa, an M23 leader, said the declaration is "not a question of withdrawal but of mechanisms for empowering the state, enabling it to assume its prerogatives and obligations." However, Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said the declaration takes into account "the non-negotiable withdrawal" of the rebels, followed by the deployment of government forces and institutions. Both officials posted on X. Backed by neighboring Rwanda, the M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups fighting for control in Congo's mineral-rich east. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the UN has called the conflict in eastern Congo "one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth." Saturday's signing is the first direct commitment by both sides since the rebels seized two key cities in eastern Congo in a major advance early this year. A final peace deal is to be signed no later than Aug. 18, and it "shall align with the Peace Agreement between Congo and Rwanda," facilitated by the U.S. in June, according to a copy of the declaration seen by The Associated Press. M23 had been pushing for the release of its members held by Congo's military, many of them facing the death sentence. Congo had requested the withdrawal of the rebels from seized territories. "The Declaration of Principles signed today paves the way for direct negotiations towards a comprehensive peace that addresses the deep-rooted causes of the conflict," the Qatari minister said. The document touches on most of the highlights of the peace deal Congo and Rwanda signed on June 27, including the protection and safe return of millions who fled the conflict. Massad Boulos, a senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump who attended the Doha-led talks, said on Saturday: "It is time to find a final solution" to the conflict, reiterating that the most important article of the agreement is the affirmation of state control in rebel-held territories. "The issue requires dialogue, and following up on this dialogue and requires persistence," Boulos said. Another key issue the two sides will have to face is whether Rwanda will stop supporting the rebels, including the thousands of troops that the United Nations experts said are in eastern Congo. When Rwanda and Congo signed the peace deal in Washington, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said Rwanda agreed to lift its "defensive measures" - suggesting a reference to its troops in eastern Congo - once Congo neutralizes an armed group whose members Kigali accuses of carrying out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Analysts have said it is going to be difficult for the M23 rebels to withdraw from the eastern Congolese cities of Goma and Bukavu and that it would depend on concessions the Congolese authorities agree to make. There have also been doubts about long-lasting peace if justice for the victims of the war is not addressed.
