Latest news with #MohammedYunus
United News of India
a day ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Senior BNP leader says elections should be held in December 2025, and not April next year
Dhaka, June 7 (UNI) Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam, reiterating his party's stance on the national polls, said that elections should be held in December 2025, and the proposed April 2026 date is not viable for holding polls. Citing adverse weather, Ramadan, and public examinations as his reasons, the BNP leader said: "The time (April) is not the right time for elections in Bangladesh. There is a risk of extreme heat, storms, and rain. Ramadan… and public examinations will also be taking place. It seems that not much thought has been given to this timeframe." Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus had announced April 2026 as the date for holding the national polls, which the party described as a "disappointing" decision, The Daily Star reported. The party claimed that the 84-year-old CA's decision was aimed at "appeasing a select group of political parties", alluding to the hardline Islamic fundamentalist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party, who said that no polls can be held until "justice" is not delivered to the "martyrs" of the July Uprising. "BNP has been demanding elections by December, which reflected the peoples' expectations. We believe elections can be held in December, and that would be the most suitable time for the nation," he added. Upon the announcement by CA Yunus, the BNP Standing Committee noted that he did not provide any clear justification as to why holding the election by December would not be feasible, and instead touched upon topics like construction of ports and foreign policy issues – subjects that did not fall under an interim government's ambit. "The BNP has repeatedly said that it wants elections as soon as possible. We had hoped that Dr Muhammad Yunus would announce the election date by December. But undoubtedly, not only the BNP, but the entire nation has been disappointed by the announcement of elections in April," he told reporters. UNI ANV RN
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
The Dangerous Threesome: Bangladesh, China and Pakistan
India is increasingly wary of the growing instability in Bangladesh under interim adviser Mohammed Yunus, especially after threats to the Siliguri Corridor and controversial remarks from a former Bangladeshi general about occupying India's Northeast. Tensions are further fueled by internal discord in Bangladesh over the Rakhine Corridor, renewed ties between Dhaka and Islamabad, and China's military buildup near the strategic corridor. To assess whether Bangladesh now poses a military threat and to unpack the significance of the Chittagong and Rakhine corridors, we are joined by veteran journalist Syed Badrul Ahsan, regional expert Prof. Sreeradha Datta, and Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma
India.com
26-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
India fortifies Siliguri Corridor with Rafale and S-400 to repulse any threat from China or Bangladesh, silent warning to...
(File) New Delhi: The growing alliance between China and Bangladesh has raised concerns in India. India has taken significant steps to rein in China and Bangladesh. Recently, Chinese military officials inspected an old airbase in Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh, which is just a short distance from India's Siliguri Corridor. This corridor, often referred to as the 'Chicken's Neck', is extremely important for India as it connects the northeastern states to the rest of the country. The sharp statements against India by the Chief of Bangladesh's interim government, Mohammed Yunus, have added fuel to the fire. Yunus government is increasing its friendship with China and Pakistan, deepening India's worries. In view of the increasing threat, India has enhanced its military strength in the Siliguri Corridor. A few days ago, the Indian Army conducted a military exercise near it. Meanwhile, reports have emerged that the Russian-made S-400 Triumph air defense system has been deployed, which can simultaneously destroy multiple aerial threats at a range of up to 400 kilometers. Additionally, a squadron of Rafale fighter jets equipped with Meteor missiles and advanced electronic warfare systems has been stationed at Hashimara Airbase. BrahMos cruise missile regiments and Akash missile systems are also deployed in the area, capable of responding immediately to any threat. Last year, the incident of a Bangladeshi Bayraktar TB2 drone flying near the India-Bangladesh border made India more alert. The Indian Army has warned that if any aircraft or drone enters Indian airspace, it will be destroyed immediately. Bangladesh has purchased 12 TB2 drones from Turkey and is now planning to buy Pakistan-China manufactured JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, which is a matter of concern for India. The Siliguri Corridor/ Chicken's Neck is a stretch of land around the city of Siliguri in West Bengal. It measures 20–22 kilometres at the narrowest section. This corridor connects the seven states of northeast India to the rest of India.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Trade diplomacy: on India-Bangladesh trade-related tensions
In an escalation of bilateral trade-related tensions, India recently announced restrictions on readymade garments and other specified commodities from Bangladesh. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade's announcement targeting Bangladesh's vital apparel sector sent an unmistakable signal that deteriorating political relations have now spilled over into economic ties. By specifically denying Bangladeshi goods access to India's northeast market, New Delhi has delivered a pointed message to Mohammed Yunus, Bangladesh's interim leader, who during his visit to China in March 2025 had invited Chinese access to India's northeast through Bangladesh, describing the northeast as landlocked. While India's discomfiture about Bangladesh-China discussions regarding India's northeast is understandable, this trade restriction may hurt Bangladeshi businesses, largely dependent on garment export, but will do little to aid New Delhi's strategic interests. Bangladesh's recent political turmoil stems from protests against its former elected government, and the interim leadership — struggling with resistant bureaucracy and ongoing instability — has blamed New Delhi due to its perceived close ties with the previous administration led by Sheikh Hasina. The Yunus-led administration's warming up to Pakistan, and its ban on the Awami League — actions that go against its promises to the international community — have worsened relations. The imperative for New Delhi must be to come up with a deft outreach to other political parties in Bangladesh as they prepare for elections. While Mr. Yunus had announced that elections will be held later this year, there is still no clarity on the date. New Delhi must, in consonance with the rest of the international community, advise the regime to conduct elections quickly. A political gesture of this nature while engaging with multiple stakeholders in Bangladesh's polity is more appropriate than using restrictive moves related to trade, as this would only heighten the anti-India sentiment being fanned by some elements in Bangladesh after the Awami League government's exit. Such radical elements, many of whom have little investment in the restoration of democratic processes, could also create fresh law and order problems that could lead to security issues in the northeast. India should carefully lay out its response keeping in mind that while it has to communicate its displeasure to the Yunus government, it also has to maintain working relations with this administration till a popularly elected government takes charge in Dhaka.
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Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Best of BS Opinion: Patching roads, not rerouting paths
Have you ever noticed there's a kind of optimism in repair work? The street is cracked, the foundation crumbles. The older cement pieces long gave way, cracked, uneven, almost forgotten. But someone is out there laying new bricks, hopeful that the next layer will hold. Today's stories speak to that quiet but persistent hope, of fixing broken systems, salvaging old promises, and forging ahead on damaged ground. Whether in politics, trade, law, or narrative, the road forward is uneven but we need to build anyway. Let's dive in. Take Bangladesh. In the name of reform, its interim government is simply laying old bricks with new slogans. Mohammed Yunus's regime, born out of street protests against Sheikh Hasina, is now banning her party and splintering the democratic space even further. The economy teeters as investor confidence shrinks and India slams the trade door shut. And yet, New Delhi's own diplomacy has been marked by inconsistency, first embracing Hasina's iron grip, now sulking in silence, highlights our first editorial. Rebuilding trust will take more than strategic silence; it'll need a path paved with honesty, accountability, and open dialogue. Closer home, a university professor is under arrest for suggesting that we match symbolic applause with real protections. Ali Khan Mahmudabad's case exposes how easily our institutions treat cautionary critique as hostility, notes our second editorial. The irony? His words about unity have been twisted into grounds for criminal charges, while louder, divisive voices walk free. In the government's zeal to control the narrative, it has cracked the very bricks it claims to protect. Meanwhile, India's trade tools are turning on their own. As Laveesh Bhandari writes, Quality Control Orders, designed to filter out subpar imports, are becoming stealth weapons against competition. Rather than lifting domestic capability, they're shielding big players, bruising small ones, and denying consumers the variety and affordability they deserve. And if we peek into insolvency law, the cracks run deep. Rajeswari Sengupta unpacks the Bhushan Power and Steel case, where the Supreme Court's liquidation order has thrown five years of resolution into the bin. Instead of building faith in the system, institutional lapses have left investors watching their bricks crumble. Even storytelling isn't immune. Chintan Girish Modi's review of The Storypreneur's Playbook by Nitin Babel and Prateek Roy Chowdhury, offers a hero's journey for entrepreneurs, but one where most of the heroes are men, and the path feels too clean, too narrow, for today's complex terrain.
