Latest news with #Dhaka-based
Canada News.Net
3 days ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Bangladesh youth rally turns violent, leaving several dead
DHAKA, Bangladesh: At least four people were killed and several injured on July 16 when violence broke out during a rally organized by Bangladesh's youth-driven National Citizen Party (NCP) in the southern town of Gopalganj, according to local news outlets. The gathering marked the first anniversary of student-led protests that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India in August 2024. Since then, frustration has grown over stalled political reforms and rising unrest. Interim leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who took charge following Hasina's departure, condemned the violence in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that NCP supporters, journalists, and police were attacked during what was intended to be a peaceful rally. Vehicles were vandalized and participants assaulted, he added. "Blocking young citizens from peacefully commemorating their movement is a disgraceful breach of fundamental rights," Yunus wrote, accusing Hasina's Awami League and its affiliated student wing of inciting the attacks. News reports varied slightly in casualty counts: BBC News Bangla confirmed four deaths, while Prothom Alo, a Dhaka-based daily, reported nine injuries. Authorities have imposed a curfew in response to the unrest. Neither police nor local hospital officials responded to media inquiries. Meanwhile, the Awami League claimed on Facebook that one of its members was killed by army gunfire during the confrontation.
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Pakistani Taliban recruiting actively in Bangladesh, but intel agencies clueless
After years of wreaking havoc in Pakistan, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – a jihadist terrorist group – now appears to be recruiting and expanding its footprint to Bangladesh. The activities of the TTP in Bangladesh, which shares an over 4,000-km-long border with India, might come as a concern to New Delhi. What makes the situation graver is that the Bangladeshi security and intelligence establishment seems oblivious to the is evidence of at least two Pakistani Taliban recruits from Bangladesh travelling to Afghanistan via Pakistan. One of them was killed in April in an encounter with the Pakistan Army in comes even as Malaysia detained 36 Bangladeshi nationals in June for their alleged ties to militant networks. The TTP mainly operates in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of the rise in activities of the TTP come even as Bangladesh sees home-grown jihadi groups getting a boost after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime in August July, Bangladesh's Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) arrested two individuals, Shamin Mahfuz and Md Foysal, for alleged links to the TTP, according to Dhaka-based The Daily authorities are focused on containing the threat through intelligence-driven operations, said the ATU, established by Bangladesh Police in 2017, targets such threats using advanced intelligence arrests follow a May report by Bangladeshi digital outlet The Dissent, which revealed that at least eight Bangladeshi nationals are currently active in Afghanistan as TTP of them was reportedly killed by the Pakistan army in April, though news of his death only surfaced in Bangladeshi media in Bangladesh's security establishment seems unaware of these Rahman Chowdhury, who identifies himself as a human rights activist and a political analyst on X, wrote on Tuesday, "I am wondering about the possible number of active members of the Pakistan-based banned militant group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Bangladesh. Yet, various officers of ranks like DIG and Police Commissioner from the Yunus-led interim government's administration have repeatedly stated that there are no militants in the country...""Bangladesh authorities arrested a man from Gaibandha for being associated with Pakistan-based terrorist organisation. A rare good job in recent time... (sic)," Soumik Saheb, who identifies as a human rights activist, took a dig at the country's security establishment and the with two arrests and reports of Bangladeshi nationals actively joining the Pakistani Taliban, more arrests could is no stranger to extremist violence – a 2016 Islamic State-linked attack in Dhaka killed 22 civilians and triggered nationwide crackdowns on militant TERROR GROUP LEADER ARRESTED AGAINOn July 14, the ATU arrested Shamin Mahfuz in Narayanganj, following his alleged involvement with the TTP. A former leader of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and founder of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya in 2019, Shamin has a significant militant detained in 2014 for Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) recruitment and in 2023 by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit with explosives, he faces 10 cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Explosives Act, and Arms November 2005, JMB marked a grim chapter in the nation's history by carrying out its first-ever suicide was released on bail in October 2024. He allegedly collaborated with Nathan Bom of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), a Bandarban-based separatist group, to establish militant training camps in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Shamin and Nathan Bom were close friends at Dhaka University, according to The Daily Star report. Bangladesh police escort Shamin Mahfuz (second left) and his wife (second right) after his arrest in the capital Dhaka in 2023. (Photo: AFP) advertisementA Dhaka University graduate and former teacher at Bangladesh Open University, Shamin, known as "Sir" in militant circles, was expelled from a cadet college for ties to Islami Chhatrashibir. He is currently under a five-day remand for questioning.2 BANGLADESHI TTP Recruits TRAVELLED TO AFGHANISTANMeanwhile, on July 2, Md Foysal, 33, was arrested at his shop, Bhai Brothers Telecom, in Savar city, based on intelligence linking him to the TTP, The Daily Star also allegedly travelled to Afghanistan via Pakistan in October 2024 with Ahmed Jubair, a Bangladeshi national who was killed in a Pakistan Army operation in Waziristan in April to Foysal's reported confession, he and Jubair were recruited by Imran Haider, an aeronautical engineer who he met in Afghanistan, a central figure in mobilising Bangladeshi youths for militant ideology online and preparing for jihad.A case was filed on July 5 under the Anti-Terrorism Act naming Foysal and five others — Imran Haider, Rezaul Karim Abrar, Asif Adnan, Zakaria Masud, and Md Sanaf Hasan — for these remains in jail pending further investigation, the Dhaka-based daily arrests align with regional efforts to curb militancy, as seen in Malaysia's detention of 36 Bangladeshi nationals in June for alleged militant network ties, according to Malaysian outlet New Straits to Reuters, all of them had gone to Malaysia to work in factories or in sectors like construction and services. The network recruited Bangladeshi workers and used social media and messaging platforms to spread extremist ideologies, per police intelligence quoted by network also reportedly raised funds using international fund transfer services and e-wallets to send to the IS group in Syria and Bangladesh. Five were charged with being part of a terrorist organisation, while 15 will be deported to Bangladesh. Another 16 remained in custody pending further probe, the Reuters report of the crackdown and arrests of two terrorists, the presence of TTP-linked operatives in Bangladesh is a troubling development for a nation already grappling with political turmoil. It might also be of concern for India.- EndsMust Watch
India Today
16-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Dasheri, Langra, Haribhanga and diplomacy: The many flavours of mango
Amid Dhaka's strained relations with New Delhi, Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh's interim government, sent 1,000 kg of Haribhanga mangoes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gesture came about a month after PM Modi extended Eid al-Adha greetings to Yunus and the people of Bangladesh. The gift might be a signal of continuity as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who's now in self-imposed exile, too sent mangoes. Mangoes, a fruit that is native to the Indian subcontinent, have played a juicy role in diplomacy, including one involving China's Mao Zedong and consignment of Haribhanga mangoes – a premium variety from northern Bangladesh – was dispatched to PM Modi last weekend, according to the Dhaka Tribune. Not just the Prime Minister, the mangoes will also be shared with PMO dignitaries, diplomats, and other Dhaka-based newspaper added that the interim government is also sending mangoes to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, continuing the long-standing relationship between Bangladesh and the state. Last Thursday, Yunus sent 300 kg of Haribhanga mangoes to Tripura CM Manik Saha, said the Dhaka Hasina would send mangoes and Hilsa fish to CMs of Bengal and some Northeast states due to their proximity to the mangoes were routed to India through the Akhaura land gesture is significant against the backdrop of India-Bangladesh tensions since Hasina's August 2024 ouster. Her seeking asylum in India following student-led protests stirred anti-India sentiments in Yunus government, too, has shown signs of leaning toward China, with Beijing ramping up investments and loans under its Belt and Road this move by Yunus mirrors Hasina's balancing act, tiptoeing between Indian and Chinese this is not the first time mangoes have been used as a diplomatic gift. It's been in practice for decades, especially in the Indian subcontinent. Here are the instances when mangoes sweetened ties between MANGO DIPLOMACY IN THE 1950sIn the 1950s, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru leveraged mangoes as a diplomatic tool to foster goodwill with foreign reportedly gifted mangoes to dignitaries during their state visits to India. When travelling abroad, Nehru carried mangoes as gifts.A report in The Indian Express narrates a notable instance from 1955 when Nehru gifted eight saplings of Dasheri and Langra mangoes to then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. The saplings were meant for planting in Guangzhou's People's mangoes were a return gift for Zhou, who, in November 1954, had showered Nehru with a slew of exotic and precious gifts, that included a pair of spotted deer, a pair of red crested cranes, and 100 goldfish, according to the reports suggest that Nehru also gifted mangoes to Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev during his 1955 visit to instances established mangoes as a soft power tool in India's early MANGO GIFT TO MAO ZEDONGIn August 1968, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mian Arshad Hussain gifted a crate of mangoes to Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong during a diplomatic reported by the BBC, Mao, uninterested in the fruit himself, redistributed the mangoes to factory gift arrived at a time when Mao was seeking to reassert his authority amid factional struggles, and the mangoes became an unexpected propaganda at Beijing's Tsinghua University, where Mao sent one mango, preserved it in formaldehyde and created wax replicas for display across the weren't common in China replicas were paraded in processions, with one factory even placing a mango replica on an altar, where workers paid daily BBC notes that a worker ignorant of the fruit's significance was executed for comparing a mango to a sweet imagery also appeared on posters, badges, and household gesture seemingly strengthened Pakistan-China ties, as Pakistan sought to counterbalance India's regional influence, particularly after the 1965 India-Pakistan UL-HAQ'S GIFT OF MANGOES TO INDIRA GANDHIIn 1981, Pakistan's military ruler Zia ul-Haq sent mangoes to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a goodwill gesture, as per a report in the news agency the gesture did not resolve deep-seated conflicts between India and Pakistan, it was seemingly a gift that Indira Gandhi appreciated, as per mangoes gifted by Zia to Indira Gandhi was known as Anwar Rataul in Pakistan and Rataul in India. Named after a Uttar Pradesh village, it sparked a cultural tug-of-war between the two nations over its activist and mango aficionado Sohail Hashmi told PTI that soon after the gift, mango enthusiasts and experts said Ratauls only grew in India and what was gifted to Indira were "fakes". Hasmi said farmers from Rataul presented their case to Gandhi, asserting the mango's Indian roots.'The mango is called Rataul because it was developed here,' Hashmi told PTI. 'Some people who migrated to Pakistan took cuttings and began cultivating the variety in Multan.'Though both countries claim it, its role as a diplomatic gift between two arch-rivals shows how important mangoes have been in India-Pakistan diplomacy since the TIES WITH THE USDuring his visit to India in March 2006, US President George W Bush reportedly expressed a keen desire to taste Indian mangoes. At the time, a nearly two-decade-long ban had barred Indian mango exports to the interest prompted a deal with then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, leading to the launch of the "mango initiative".As a result, Indian mangoes re-entered the American market. On April 27, 2007, a shipment of 150 boxes arrived at New York's John F Kennedy Airport in what The New York Times called "probably the most eagerly anticipated fruit delivery ever".US officials reportedly said the export marked the commitment of both nations to deepen trade relations and create fresh economic opportunities for their SHARIF TO NARENDRA MODIIn July 2015, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sent a box of mangoes to PM Modi, as well as then-President Pranab Mukherjee, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, in a gesture aimed at fostering goodwill, The Dawn Modi and other recipients acknowledged the gift, it did little to ease tensions between India and the decades, mangoes have served as a form of diplomatic currency across Asia, especially within the Indian subcontinent. Though such gestures may not have notably eased India-Pakistan tensions, Yunus' continuation of Hasina's tradition might be a signal from Bangladesh to India.- EndsMust Watch
Malaysia Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- Malaysia Sun
Bangladesh factories hit pause as 35% US tariff looms
LONDON/NEW YORK CITY: Garment manufacturers in Bangladesh are facing growing uncertainty as some suppliers to Walmart have placed orders on hold in response to a proposed 35 percent U.S. tariff on Bangladeshi textiles, multiple factory owners told Reuters. Correspondence seen by Reuters confirms that at least one supplier, Classic Fashion, has advised manufacturers to pause production until the tariff situation becomes clearer. The disruption comes just weeks before the August 1 deadline for the proposed tariff hike, announced by President Donald Trump. Iqbal Hossain, managing director of Patriot Eco Apparel Ltd, said an order for nearly 1 million swim shorts had been halted this week. "As we discussed please hold all below Spring season orders we are discussing here due to heavy tariff percent imposed for USA imports," Faruk Saikat, assistant merchandising manager at Classic Fashion, wrote in an email seen by Reuters. Saikat clarified that Classic Fashion made the decision, not Walmart directly. The retailer did not respond to a request for comment. Bangladesh, the third-largest apparel exporter to the U.S., relies heavily on the garment sector, which accounts for 80 percent of export earnings and about 10 percent of the country's GDP. Factory owners fear a sharp drop in orders if the 35 percent tariff goes into effect, saying the cost burden would be impossible to absorb. "If the 35 percent tariff remains for Bangladesh, that will be very tough to sustain, honestly speaking," said Mohiuddin Rubel, managing director at Denim Expert Ltd in Dhaka. His firm supplies jeans to H&M and other brands. Rubel added that while some clients may ask him to cover part of the cost, it wouldn't be financially viable. Manufacturers already absorbed part of a 10 percent blanket tariff imposed by the U.S. on April 2. "Only probably the big, big companies can a little bit sustain (tariffs), but not the small and medium companies," Rubel said. Since Trump returned to office, retailers have been front-loading orders in anticipation of new tariffs. Levi's said this week that it already has 60 percent of the inventory needed for the remainder of 2025. According to U.S. International Trade Commission data, U.S. clothing imports from Bangladesh totaled US$3.38 billion in the first five months of 2025, a 21 percent increase from the same period last year. Another Dhaka-based garment factory owner said a spring 2026 order of trousers for Walmart was delayed by a U.S. importer who asked to wait one more week before confirming the deal. Hossain said he may seek more European buyers if the 35 percent tariff goes into effect—even if it means cutting prices to stay competitive.
Business Recorder
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Some Walmart garment orders from Bangladesh on hold due to US tariff threat
LONDON/NEW YORK: Suppliers to Walmart have delayed or put on hold some orders from garment manufacturers in Bangladesh, according to three factory owners and correspondence from a supplier seen by Reuters, as US President Donald Trump's threat of a 35% tariff on the textile hub disrupts business. Bangladesh is the third-largest exporter of apparel to the United States, and it relies on the garment sector for 80% of its export earnings and 10% of its GDP. The factory owners all said they expected orders to fall if the August 1 tariffs go into effect, as they are unable to absorb that 35% rate. Iqbal Hossain, managing director of garment manufacturer Patriot Eco Apparel Ltd, told Reuters an order for nearly 1 million swim shorts for Walmart was put on hold on Thursday due to the tariff threat. 'As we discussed please hold all below Spring season orders we are discussing here due to heavy Tariff % imposed for USA imports,' Faruk Saikat, assistant merchandising manager at Classic Fashion, wrote in an email to Hossain and others seen by Reuters. Classic Fashion is a supplier and buying agent that places orders for retailers. 'As per our management instruction we are holding Bangladesh production for time being and IN case Tariff issues settled then we will continue as we planned here.' The hold was not decided by Walmart, Saikat told Reuters, but by Classic Fashion itself. Walmart did not respond to a request for comment. Bangladesh is currently in talks with the United States in Washington to try to negotiate a lower tariff. Trump in recent days has revived threats of higher levies on numerous nations. 'If the 35% tariff remains for Bangladesh, that will be very tough to sustain, honestly speaking, and there will not be as many orders as we have now,' said Mohiuddin Rubel, managing director at jeans manufacturer Denim Expert Ltd in Dhaka. Rubel, whose company produces jeans for H&M and other retailers, said he expects clients will ask him to absorb part of the tariff, but added this would not be possible financially. Manufacturers have already absorbed part of the blanket 10% tariff imposed by the US on April 2. 'Only probably the big, big companies can a little bit sustain (tariffs) but not the small and medium companies,' he said. Retailers have front-loaded orders since Trump returned to the White House, anticipating higher tariffs. Jeans maker Levi's , which imports from Bangladesh, said on Thursday it has 60% of the inventory it needs for the rest of 2025. US clothing imports from Bangladesh totaled $3.38 billion in the first five months of 2025, up 21% from the year-earlier period, according to US International Trade Commission data. Another Dhaka-based garment factory owner said an importer with whom he was negotiating a spring 2026 order of trousers for Walmart asked him on Thursday to wait a week before the order would be confirmed due to the tariff risk. Hossain said he may look for more orders from European clients to make up for lost orders if the US 35% tariff gets implemented, even if he has to cut prices to stimulate demand.
