Latest news with #India-Bangladesh
India.com
22-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Asia Cup 2025 Uncertainty Deepens: BCCI Refuses To Attend Dhaka Meet, PCB Accused Of Political Pressure
Asia Cup 2025: The upcoming Asia Cup T20 tournament, scheduled for September 2025, is facing growing uncertainty due to strained diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan. Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, bilateral ties between the two nations have deteriorated, casting a shadow over regional sports events. India vs Pakistan Sports Ties Hit a Wall The deteriorating relationship between the two neighbours has already started impacting scheduled sporting events. On Sunday, the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash at the World Championship of Legends was cancelled after multiple Indian players withdrew from the tournament. In a further blow, reports suggest the Pakistan government may prevent its hockey team from participating in next month's Asia Cup in India. Cricket Asia Cup Schedule Yet to Be Announced India is the designated host of the Asia Cup 2025, but the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has yet to release the official schedule or venue. Although September remains the unofficial window, uncertainty looms large. A crucial meeting to finalise the tournament was initially planned for July 24 in Dhaka, but India refused to attend, citing diplomatic concerns. ACC Politics Deepens the Crisis The ACC, led by PCB chairman and Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, is reportedly putting 'unnecessary pressure' on India, according to an ANI source. The BCCI had formally requested a change in venue for the meeting but has received no response so far. The situation has now escalated beyond cricket, with officials blaming poor geopolitical judgement for the current impasse. Geopolitical Tensions Overwhelm Cricketing Agenda A Cricbuzz report quoted insiders who believe the ACC meeting has evolved into a geopolitical matter. Interim BCB head Aminul Islam has come under scrutiny for hastily agreeing to host the meeting. Taking time is part of the game in such situations,' the source said, suggesting a lack of diplomatic foresight may have worsened the crisis. India-Bangladesh Series Also Deferred Amid the confusion, BCCI and BCB have also mutually agreed to postpone India's tour of Bangladesh. Initially scheduled for August 2025, the series will now take place in September 2026, further signalling the uncertain future of subcontinental cricket. With tensions rising and no clear resolution in sight, the Asia Cup T20's fate now depends on diplomatic manoeuvring rather than sporting logistics. Until then, players and fans are left in limbo as cricket continues to be caught in the crossfire of geopolitics.
Malaysia Sun
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Malaysia Sun
"We would welcome holding of inclusive elections": MEA on Bangladesh
New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): India on Thursday reiterated that elections in Bangladesh, scheduled for April 2026 should be credible, democratic, peaceful, and all-inclusive. Responding to a query on Bangladesh general elections after former Bangladesh PM, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted in a student-led uprising in August last year, Ministry of External Affairs ofiicial spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in weekly media briefing said, 'You know our point of view. We have said that as a democracy we would welcome holding of elections, that is inclusive and includes everybody in its fold.' This comes after the recent agreement between the Chief Executive and a major political party on holding early elections and India welcomes such efforts to strengthen democracy in Bangladesh. Earlier in July, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus directed the law-enforcing agencies to complete all preparations by December for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Around 8 lakh law enforcement members will be engaged, and they will further be trained before the election, reports United News of Bangladesh (UNB). The Chief Adviser instructed to take preparation for bringing some 16,000 vulnerable polling stations throughout the country under CCTV monitoring network to ensure peaceful balloting in the upcoming national election. The measures that are being considered also include installation of cameras on the body of police members in the vulnerable polling stations, he added. Besides, this time the members of police and other forces will be deployed for seven days instead of the tradition of five days during the election in a bid to resist any sort of violence ahead of the vote and prevent the deterioration of law and order after the vote, said the press secretary. Jaiswal also stated that India follows developments in Bangladesh closely and takes cognizance of incidents like the recent violence in Gopalganj. The situation in Bangladesh is being monitored, and India will take action if required, he said. 'We want a positive and constructive partnership with the country. We have had engagements at the leaders' level. We also had Foreign Secretary visiting Bangladesh. We have had meetings between our External Affairs Minister and his counterpart, and you know there are several areas of cooperation between the two countries that are ongoing including development partnership. So, that is the context in which you must look at how we want to approach India-Bangladesh ties,' said the MEA spokesperson. At least four people were killed and dozens injured in violent clashes between law enforcement personnel and Awami League (AL) supporters in Gopalganj on Wednesday, following tensions over a rally by the National Citizen Party (NCP). The clashes were triggered after the violence broke out in the wake of a pre-scheduled NCP rally at Poura Park in Gopalganj town, which was opposed by AL supporters despite a recent government ban on all political activities of the Awami League. The Interim Government of Bangladesh has established a committee to investigate the acts of violence and deaths that occurred in Gopalganj on July 16, the Chief Adviser's press wing said in a statement on Thursday. The committee will be chaired by Nasimul Ghani, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs. He will be joined by two additional secretaries, one from the Ministry of Public Administration and another from the Ministry of Law and Justice, it added. This committee has been mandated to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit its findings to the Chief Adviser's Office within two weeks, the statement said. India and Bangladesh have several areas of cooperation, including development projects. India's High Impact Development Projects (HIDPs) in Bangladesh aim to enhance bilateral relations and promote economic development. On the issue of the upcoming first anniversary of the interim government of Bangladesh led by Muhammad Yunus, and on being asked about an update on India's High Impact Development Program in Bangladesh, Jaiswal said, 'We want a positive and constructive partnership with the country. ' He highlighted the several engagements which the neighbours have had in recent times. Jaiswal also spoke on Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry issuing a press release regarding Satyajit Ray's ancestral house, which India has taken note of. 'We follow all developments in our region closely and take cognizance of what is happening there, and accordingly we take action if required on our side. Regarding Satyajit Ray's building, yes, we have seen a press release issued by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry,' said Jaiswal. Earlier on Thursday, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a statement and posted on X, 'Detailed inquiry into archive/records in #Bangladesh reconfirm: the building being demolished in #Mymensingh district has no historical/familial link to iconic Bengali filmmaker #Satyajit Ray or his ancestors.' The Indian government expressed regret on Tuesday over the reported demolition of the ancestral property of celebrated filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh and expressed its willingness to extend cooperation in its restoration. 'We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished,' the Ministry of External Affairs said. 'The Government of India is willing to cooperate with the Government of Bangladesh for the repair and reconstruction of the ancestral property of Satyajit Ray,' MEA added. India had emphasised the significance of the property as a cultural landmark and urged reconsideration of the demolition plan. Jaiswal also mentioned that India is issuing medical visas to Bangladeshi citizens, but did not provide exact numbers. India has a well-established system for issuing medical visas, and the process is streamlined to facilitate travel for medical treatment. 'With Bangladesh, we have been issuing visas to Bangladesh for various reasons, for various travels, medical emergency included, students, so on and so forth. We are issuing substantial visas. Exact number... on that, I will have to come back to you,' said Jaiswal. (ANI)
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Mujib, Tagore, Now Ray: Culture Crackdown In Bangladesh Post Hasina Ouster?
The demolition of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Bangladesh's Mymensingh has yet again spotlighted the cultural shift in the neighbouring country after the Sheikh Hasina government was ousted and a new dispensation led by Nobel Laureate and economist Muhammad Yunus took charge. The months following the change of guard in Dhaka have seen India-Bangladesh ties nosedive. While India has flagged reports of attacks on Hindi minorities, Bangladesh has demanded that New Delhi stay out of its internal matters and extradite Sheikh Hasina. This comes after decades of close partnership between the two countries and is also significant against the historical backdrop of India's support in Bangladesh getting its freedom from Pakistan in 1971. Another transformation has followed the leadership change. Bangladesh appears to be shedding its past, its cultural history and its shared heritage with India. And in doing so, iconic cultural centres are being neglected at best, and destroyed at worst. Here are a few instances February 2025: A part of the ancestral house of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding president of Bangladesh and Sheikh Hasina's father, is demolished. This Dhaka residence is where the hero of the Bangladesh liberation movement was murdered along with nearly 50 members of his family and staff. June 2025: The ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore at Shahzadpur in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district was vandalised by a mob following a dispute between a visitor and a museum staff over a parking fee. The mob damaged the auditorium and attacked an official. The museum was temporarily closed, and a probe was initiated. July 2025: Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Mymensingh is being demolished. Bangladesh authorities argue that the structure, belonging to Ray's grandfather and litterateur Upendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury, is being demolished after "necessary approvals". According to an IANS report, officials from Dhaka's Department of Archaeology admitted that their repeated requests to protect the building went unheard. India has offered cooperation in repairing and restoring the historic structure. "Given the building's landmark status, symbolising Bangla cultural renaissance, it would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for its repair and reconstruction as a museum of literature and a symbol of the shared culture of India and Bangladesh," the Ministry of External Affairs said. A Shared Culture Before the Radcliffe Line hacked parts of Punjab and Bengal in 1947, setting off a bloody human migration, Bengal was partitioned in 1905 too. While the move was largely aimed at easing administration, it was seen as a 'divide and rule' attempt, and such was the backlash that the British were forced to reverse it. And then, the 1947 Partition happened. Millions of Bengalis left their homes, towns and families behind as they started life as refugees in Kolkata and several parts of the Northeast. Like their counterparts in Punjab, they could never forget their lost home. This longing transcended borders and also enriched a shared cultural heritage. Bengali music, literature and cinema have never been divided, nor have Bengal's cultural icons. The cultural centres in Bangladesh connected to Ray and Tagore are significant against this backdrop. Their neglect and vandalism imply an indifference to this cultural heritage and a distancing of a section of Bangladesh from these cultural icons, who once commanded equal admiration on both sides of the border. Amid reports about Ray's ancestral residence, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted on X, "The Ray family is one of the foremost bearers and carriers of Bengali culture. Upendrakishore is a pillar of Bengal's renaissance. Therefore, I believe this house is intricately tied to the cultural history of Bengal. I appeal to the Bangladesh government and all the conscientious people of that country to take steps to preserve this heritage-laden house. The Indian government should pay attention to this matter." Bangladesh vs History As Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka amid nationwide protests, an iconic image played on TV screens and phones across the world. A section of protesters toppled a golden statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Bijoy Sarani. It was an iconic sight. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not just Sheikh Hasina's father. Called 'Bangabandhu', he was the revolutionary who led Bangladesh to freedom. To destroy his statues and vandalise his ancestral residence goes beyond the public sentiment against his Prime Minister daughter. It signals a society's disowning of its history and a desperate attempt to distance itself from its liberation movement, based primarily on language. In fact, the protests that ousted Hasina were triggered by the Awami League government's policy to reserve 30 per cent of government jobs for descendants of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Most of these people were linked to the Awami League. Bangladesh has a huge unemployment problem and many of its young nationals were born in a free country. For them, the reservation for the 1971 veterans limited their opportunities. They protested, and when Hasina tried to crush this protest, it grew only stronger. Is Islamism Growing In Bangladesh? Reports of atrocities against minority Hindus have sparked a buzz that Islamic fundamentalism is gaining ground in Bangladesh after the Awami League government was ousted. The Jamaat-e-Islami, which supported Islamabad during the 1971 War of Liberation and was banned by Sheikh Hasina, has returned to the political landscape and is now eligible to contest elections. Bangladesh has a paradoxical constitution. It says that the state religion is Islam, "but the State shall ensure equal status and equal right in the practice of the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and other religions". It adds that the principle of secularism shall be realised by eliminating communalism, by abuse of religion for political purposes and by preventing discrimination on religious grounds. In fact, when Bangladesh became independent, it did not have a state religion. It was in 1988 when military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad pushed Parliament to recognise Islam as the state religion. In 2011, the then Sheikh Hasina government stressed secularism, but Islam remained the state religion. With the change of guard, Bangladesh is again at the crossroads. The National Consensus Commission, tasked with leading critical democratic reforms, discussed this issue too. About 38 political parties debated recommendations to change the terms of the Constitution from "secularism" to "pluralism". "Although most parties rejected the idea of pluralism, they recommended incorporating some form of protection for minorities," said Ali Riaz, the commission's vice president.
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Express Tribune
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Bangladesh warms up to China as India fumes
Listen to article Protests in Bangladesh that toppled the government last year triggered a diplomatic pivot, with Dhaka warming towards China after neighbouring India was angered by the ousting of its old ally Sheikh Hasina. One year since the protests, that realignment risks intensifying polarisation — and fears of external interference — as political parties in Bangladesh jostle for influence ahead of elections next year. For the caretaker government, seeking domestic consensus for overhauling democratic institutions in the country of 170 million people, it is another challenge to juggle. "India-Bangladesh relations have probably never experienced such intense strain before," said New Delhi-based analyst Praveen Donthi, from the International Crisis Group. There is deep resentment in Dhaka over the fate of fugitive ex-prime minister Hasina, who escaped a student-led uprising by helicopter in August 2024 and flew to New Delhi as thousands of protesters stormed her palace. Interim leader Muhammad Yunus said popular anger in Bangladesh had been "transferred over to India" because Hasina was offered sanctuary by New Delhi's Hindu nationalist government. Md Touhid Hossain, who heads Bangladesh's foreign ministry, said that "the relationship is now at the readjustment stage". Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus's first state visit was to China in March, a trip that saw him secure $2.1 billion in investments, loans and grants. Beijing has also courted leading politicians directly. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — the expected election frontrunner — said China is "keen" to work with the next elected government with "sincerity, steadfastness, love, and affection". Bangladesh has also moved closer to Pakistan, India's arch-enemy. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the trio had agreed to "cooperation programmes" including in trade, industry, education and agriculture.
Business Recorder
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
After the revolution, Bangladesh warms to Pakistan, China as India fumes
DHAKA: Protests in Bangladesh that toppled the government last year triggered a diplomatic pivot, with Dhaka warming towards China after neighbouring India was angered by the ousting of its old ally Sheikh Hasina. One year since the protests, that realignment risks intensifying polarisation – and fears of external interference – as political parties in Bangladesh jostle for influence ahead of elections next year. For the caretaker government, seeking domestic consensus for overhauling democratic institutions in the country of 170 million people, it is another challenge to juggle. 'India-Bangladesh relations have probably never experienced such intense strain before,' said New Delhi-based analyst Praveen Donthi, from the International Crisis Group. There is deep resentment in Dhaka over the fate of fugitive ex-prime minister Hasina, who escaped a student-led uprising by helicopter in August 2024 and flew to New Delhi as thousands of protesters stormed her palace. Interim leader Muhammad Yunus said popular anger in Muslim-majority Bangladesh had been 'transferred over to India' because Hasina was offered sanctuary by New Delhi's Hindu nationalist government. Hasina, 77, has defied extradition orders to attend her crimes against humanity trial, and has already been convicted in absentia for contempt of court with a six-month sentence. 'Readjustment' Md Touhid Hossain, who heads Bangladesh's foreign ministry, said that 'the relationship is now at the readjustment stage'. Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus's first state visit was to China in March, a trip that saw him secure $2.1 billion in investments, loans and grants. Beijing has also courted leading politicians directly. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – the expected election frontrunner – said China is 'keen' to work with the next elected government with 'sincerity, steadfastness, love, and affection'. India has long been wary of China's growing regional clout and the world's two most populous countries compete for influence in South Asia, despite a recent diplomatic thaw. Bangladesh has also moved closer to Pakistan, India's arch-enemy. In May, more than 70 people were killed in four days of missile, drone and artillery fire between the forces of New Delhi and Islamabad, sparked by a deadly militant attack on civilians in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The following month, officials from Dhaka and Islamabad met counterparts in China. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the trio had agreed to 'cooperation programmes' including in trade, industry, education and agriculture. Obaidul Haque, who teaches international relations at the University of Dhaka, said talks with Beijing had 'borne fruit', including alternative healthcare after once popular medical tourism to India was restricted. 'For example, China designated three hospitals for Bangladeshi patients when India made access difficult,' he said. 'Tread carefully' Bangladesh and Pakistan – which split in 1971 after Dhaka's independence war – began trade by sea last year, with direct flights also slated. That sparked worry in New Delhi. 'The current Indian political leadership, owing to its ideological foundations… are unwilling to accept Dhaka under a government they perceive as Islamist and hostile towards India,' Donthi said. 'The visible engagement between Dhaka, Islamabad, and Beijing enhances this perception further.' Reviving Pak-BD ties Both New Delhi and Bangladesh have imposed trade restrictions on each other. India, which encircles much of Bangladesh by land, has imposed multiple trade restrictions – including tightening rules on Indian imports of jute fibres, ready-made garments, plastic products and food. But trade between the neighbouring nations remains high, said Md Humayun Kabir, a former Bangladeshi ambassador to Washington, who has also served in India. But he urged caution, saying Dhaka should 'tread carefully forming alliances', and seek to strengthen 'multilateral relations' as a balance. 'Cooperation still exists between the countries, but the warmth is gone,' he said. 'Attempts to undermine' Separately, Bangladesh, the world's second-largest garment exporter, has also been caught in the global shakeup caused by US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Dhaka is proposing to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, with Yunus in June telling US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of his 'commitment to strengthening' ties. But in terms of regional tensions, analysts say little will change soon – and warn they have the potential to escalate. 'Things might change only if New Delhi is satisfied with the electoral process and sees somebody amenable to it come to power in Dhaka,' the Crisis Group's Donthi added. 'It is very unlikely that their position will change towards the current government in Dhaka,' he said. 'There may be attempts to undermine it rather than to collaborate.' afp
