Tanks on Dhaka streets, mass arrests of..: Bangladesh Army ramps up security amid ongoing political turmoil due to...; will Muhammad Yunus step down?
(File/Representational)
Bangladesh Unrest: The Bangladesh Army has ramped up security arrangements in a bid to maintain law and order in wake of the ongoing political crisis plaguing the country. According to Bangladesh media reports, the army has rolled in tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) into Dhaka, while more than 10,000 people have been arrested since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime in August last year, including 2,188 arrests in last month. Tanks, APCs roll into Dhaka
As per a report by the Dhaka Tribune, soldiers are patrolling the streets in several regions of Bangladesh, including the country's capital Dhaka, in tanks, APCs, and armored jeeps, to maintain order amid a deepening political crisis across the South Asian country.
In a statement on April 17, Colonel Shafikul Islam, a staff colonel at the Directorate of Military Operations, Army Headquarters in Bangladesh, stated that 2,457 people had been arrested in the country during the past two months. Colonel Islam said the arrested accused were allegedly involved in various crimes, and were nabbed in a joint operation by the Bangladesh Army, the Bangladesh Police, and other law enforcement agencies. 2000 arrested in last 30 days
According to media reports, over 2,000 people were arrested between mid-April to mid-May in Army-Police joint operation. In a statement, Bangladesh Army's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the armed forces have arrested 258 people in a week-long operation from May 15-21.
Last year, the Sheikh Hasina government deployed the Bangladesh Army on the streets after anti-Hasina protests escalated in late July. However, even after Hasina's ouster, the army has maintained its presence in civilian areas as political unrest brews in the country leading to sporadic clashes and protests. Muhammad Yunus to step down?
Meanwhile, several reports claim that Bangladesh's Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus may step down in wake of the political turmoil, However, in a statement on Saturday, the Advisory Council quashed these rumors, asserting that Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, will not resign, nor is he leaving the country.
'The interim government will listen to the statements of political parties in this regard and clarify the government's position,' the Council said following an unscheduled meeting where three primary responsibilities–elections, reforms, and justice–assigned to the interim government, were discussed, according to the statement.
An Interim Government came to the helm in Dhaka in August last year after deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country and seek asylum in India following mass protests against her Awami League regime. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed as the Chief Adviser of the interim regime, which would oversee the country's affairs until a democratically-elected government was formed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Radical Outfit May Soon Contest Bangladesh Polls. How It Impacts India
Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and its student wing Chatra Shibpur have regained their political status, with the Supreme Court restoring their registration and allowing them to be listed with the Election Commission for fighting future elections. This follows the Muhammad Yunus government lifting a ban on the organisation soon after taking charge last year. The Jamaat has remained active in Bangladesh despite losing its registration in 2013 and being barred from elections. It is now trying to rebrand itself ahead of national elections after being accused of being involved in attacks on Hindus in the aftermath of Sheikh Hasina's ouster. Mr Yunus's critics have accused him of clinging to power with the Jamaat's support, which has used the students' movement in the country as a front to gnaw its way back into politics. Earlier, the court had overturned the conviction of ATM Azharul Islam, a key leader of the organisation who was sentenced to death in 2014 for rape, murder and genocide during the 1971 war for the liberation of Bangladesh. The Jamaat-e-Islami had supported Pakistan during the 1971 war - despite the torture and genocide that marred the erstwhile East Pakistan's history. The Pakistan Army, on the orders of the Pakistan government, had committed severe atrocities on citizens of Bangladesh during their liberation struggle, including mass rape and murder. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had cracked down on the Jamaat-e-Islami for their involvement in terror activities. But with Jamaat clawing its way back into Bangladesh's political space, there are severe implications for the neighbourhood, especially India, which shares the longest border with Bangladesh. With Pakistan trying to regain space in Bangladesh, the resurgence of the Jamaat gives it the necessary political space to find a way back in. The Jamaat-e-Islami's pro-Pakistan stand is in tune with Muhammad Yunus's assertion to build "stronger ties with Pakistan. This is why political analysts in Bangladesh imply that Yunus came to power with the support of the Jamaat, which was the force behind the students' uprising, while his critics argue that he wants to extend his stay in power with the backing of the Jamaat. There are other geo-political implications of the Jamaat's stand on various issues. For example, last month, Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami proposed the creation of an independent Rohingya state in a meeting with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) representatives in Dhaka. The delegation was led by Peng Jiubin, the Director-General of the Southeast and South Asian Affairs Bureau under the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. This comes amid a surge of Rohingyas into Bangladesh as Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) seize power along Myanmar's international borders, especially the Arakan Army, an EAO operating in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. What If Jamaat Succeeds? If the Jamaat is successful in convincing other countries and cobbling together some consensus, it would impact India's geo-political interest in the region. India has invested in the Sittwe Port and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), India's flagship connectivity initiative in Myanmar, which aims to enhance road and maritime links with Southeast Asia. It will also provide an alternative access route to India's northeastern region, contributing to economic development there. The project connects Sittwe Port in Myanmar to the India-Myanmar border via a 225-kilometre waterway to Paletwa, where an IWT terminal is being set up, followed by a road from there to the border in Zorinpui in South Mizoram. The Jamaat has also established a network through South Asian immigrant communities. Its stated motive of establishing an Islamic state goes against the ethos of pluralism, which seems to be receding from the ideological space in Bangladesh. A hardline Islamic state, if the Jamaat has its way, with close links to Pakistan on the eastern side, could lead to huge security worries for India. The Jamaat-E-Islami, while holding a pro-Pakistan stance, however, so far never won a majority but has played the role of Kingmaker. It has earlier been an ally of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which was the main opposition party in Bangladesh during the Sheikh Hasina regime. Of late, there have been issues where the BNP leadership and the Jamaat have disagreed. Among those is conducting elections by December 2025. The BNP has been firm on this demand, while the Jamaat has been comfortable with Yunus holding on for longer, as it gives the organisation more time to mobilise for elections. The Jamaat also has a larger motive in downplaying Bangladesh's freedom struggle and India's role in the 1971 war. The Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami that was one of the main players in the 2024 uprising against Sheikh Hasina, faced massive backlash for an article in its magazine Chhatra Sangbad for describing Muslim participation in the Liberation War as "a failure" and a "lack of foresight". It apologised later amid pressure, but the BNP students' wing condemned this line of thought and openly took a stance diametrically opposite to the Jamaat, which has always harboured pro-Pakistan sentiments. Many saw it as the Jamaat testing the waters over its effort to create an Islamic brotherhood.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Row Over Telangana Officer's 'Children Must Clean Toilets' Remark
New Delhi: Comments by a Telangana government official - Alagu Varsini, about Dalit students at state-run gurukuls and hostels made to do 'chores', i.e., clean their toilets and rooms and even make some of their own food - have triggered a row, with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi demanding her transfer and the National Commission for Scheduled Caste seeking details. The NCSC on Monday issued a notice to the Telangana Chief Secretary, K Ramakrishna Rao, and the Director-General of the police, Dr Jitender, asking about the 'derogatory' comments. Replies have been sought within a fortnight. Ms Varshini's sacking has also been demanded by her predecessor, Praveen Kumar, who told NDTV, in a deeply sarcastic note, that she could first "teach the Chief Minister and his children and grandchildren holistic habits". The BRS, meanwhile, has said that Ms Varsini's comments - about children "who don't belong to posh families', a comment seen as referring to Dalit kids - is "pushing children (from that community) into the same situation as they have been for generations" rather than helping. BRS leader K Kavitha ripped into the ruling Congress, whom she also accused of stopping grants of Rs 40,000 per month to hire four temp workers per school for cleaning tasks. This, she said on X, had been set aside when the BRS of ex-Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was in power. "The Congress government has also done away with having assistant caretakers in 240 schools, forcing children to take up the role of wardens and manage kitchens. Now the officer is forcing students to clean toilets! Her statements go against the very concept of establishing gurukuls... to protect students from marginalised communities from caste and class bias..." she said. Congress government's anti-poor attitude is reflected in this shocking behaviour by an official, at Social Welfare Gurukul Society. The evidence of which is available in the audio clip !! Each social welfare school was granted Rs 40,000 per month during the BRS rule for hiring… — Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) May 28, 2025 "This behaviour is discriminatory, exploitative, and violates basic principles of child rights and dignity. It only reflects (Chief Minister) Revanth Reddy' government's anti-poor and anti-Dalit attitude! I demand the government immediately take steps to remove the officer and start giving the required funds to run social welfare schools properly," the BRS leader wrote on X. The row over Ms Varsini's comments broke late last month after an audio clip surfaced in which she was heard saying "holistic education includes teaching sanitation and personal hygiene". Ms Varsini spoke to NDTV and said that her intention was, and remains, to ensure children in her care receive an all-round education, both from books and lessons on "self-care". #NDTVExclusive | "We aim to provide holistic education " : Alagu Varsini (@Alagu19066600), Secretary, Residential Institute Society on BRS leader Kavitha's 'anti-poor' charges against Congress government, saying "kids used to clean toilets"; Congress denies charges @umasudhir — NDTV (@ndtv) May 28, 2025 "... the children come to us when they are 10 years old and leave when they are 18. In that time we want to provide a holistic education, not just a bookish education. If they enter the system at nine or 10 years old, and I make them study for nine hours and send them back, then what will they learn about self-care or cleanliness? Is education only from books? I don't think so." Last week, Ms Varsini, who is Secretary of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society, called out the 'selective editing' of a speech that led to this row. The ruling Congress has hit back, meanwhile, at the BRS, accusing it of trying to undermine the development of the state and of being unable to digest the election defeat last year. #NDTVExclusive | "Kavitha not able to digest development" : Congress MP Mallu Ravi (@DrMalluRavi1) to NDTV's @umasudhir — NDTV (@ndtv) May 28, 2025 "This is a political comment by Kavitha," Congress MP Mallu Ravi told NDTV, referring to the BRS leader's X post. "I do not agree if students are washing or cleaning anything... but I don't know if this is happening. The idea is not to make students clean... it is to make them study well."
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Modi not likely to attend G7 summit this year, his first miss since 2019
Narendra Modi is unlikely to attend the G7 summit in Canada due to strained relations over Khalistan separatists and the unresolved Nijjar assassination accusations. Canada has not formally extended an invitation, and logistical issues, potential disruptions, and diplomatic tensions make Modi's attendance improbable. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not expected to attend the G7 summit taking place in Canada from June 15 to 17 this year, ToI reported on June 2. Canada, the hosts of the event this year, has not formally extended an invitation for the event in Alberta, but in any case, it is unlikely that Modi would have traveled to North America, particularly due to uncertainty regarding how the newly elected Canadian government will address India's concerns regarding the actions of Khalistan separatists.A spokesperson for the Canadian G7 declined to confirm whether Modi would receive an invitation, ToI's report (by Sachin Parashar) said. Should an invitation arrive at the last minute, India is likely to find it hard to accept due to logistical issues, potential disruptions from separatist groups, and the already strained relationsThis marks the first occasion since 2019, when France hosted the summit, that Modi will not be in attendance at this gathering of the world's most advanced economies, which has previously been seen as a testament to India's expanding global far, Canada has not officially released the names of the leaders invited to the summit, which will feature heads of government from major global economies. However, Canadian media reports indicate that Ottawa has extended invitations to the leaders of Australia, Ukraine, South Africa, and week, Sikh separatists urged the Carney administration to refrain from inviting the Indian Prime Minister, citing India's alleged lack of cooperation in the ongoing investigations into the assassination of separatist leader Hardeep Singh absence from the G7 summit underscores the persistent diplomatic hurdles between India and Canada. Tensions between the two nations have remained escalated following accusations linked to the killing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused the Indian government of involvement in the murder but failed to provide any supporting evidence, a claim that India has repeatedly denied. This diplomatic conflict led to a significant downturn in relations, resulting in both nations expelling each other's diplomats due to perceived hostile is optimistic that Carney will approach the situation more judiciously than Trudeau and has expressed its willingness to collaborate with Ottawa based on mutual respect and Delhi is pressing Canada to ensure the safety of Indian diplomats and to take decisive action against extremists and separatists engaged in anti-India activities. A bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit could have served as a valuable opportunity for the leaders to renew their commitment to restoring diplomatic Carney has not explicitly addressed the Nijjar situation, he has mentioned his intentions to use trade as a means to reset and Carney have both given hints that they would try and improve strained ties. Carney, however, still asserts that Canada is not to blame for the current bilateral situation.
