Latest news with #Yunus'
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bangladesh's Islamist party projects force with a big rally in Dhaka
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — 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 Hasina. An 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 Saturday. While 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 Bangladesh. Islamists demand free and fair elections The 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 election. Thousands 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 war. 'We are here for a new Bangladesh where Islam would be the guiding principle of governance, where good and honest people will rule the country, and there will be no corruption,' Iqbal Hossain, 40, told The Associated Press. 'We will sacrifice our lives, if necessary, for this cause.' Many of the young supporters in their 20s and 30s were also present. 'Under Jamaat-e-Islami, this country will have no discrimination. All people will have their rights. Because we follow the path of the holy book, Quran,' Mohidul Morsalin Sayem, a 20-year-old student, said. 'If all the Islamist parties join hands soon, nobody will be able to take power from us.' It 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 forces. Tensions between parties over Yunus' reforms Hasina, 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. The party had previously shared power with the BNP, and it had two senior Cabinet members under Zia in 2001-2006. After Hasina was ousted, tensions grew between parties over reforms agenda undertaken by the Yunus government, which is facing challenges to establish order in the country. The government has been criticized by Hasina's party and others for using force in a confrontation with protesters in a Hasina stronghold on Wednesday, where four people died. Their families complained that authorities did not conduct autopsies and hurriedly buried or cremated their relatives. Autopsies are part of an investigation in any violence. Yunus' office said the government was doing everything lawfully in Gopalganj, the district where the violence occurred. Jamaat-e-Islami has now established close ties 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 campaign. The 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
29-06-2025
- Business
- News18
‘Return To Work At Once': Yunus Orders Bangladesh's Tax, Customs Workers To End Strikes
The Bangladesh interim government instructed tax and customs workers to end their nationwide strikes or face strict measures. The Bangladesh interim government led by Muhammad Yunus on Sunday ordered the protesting tax and customs workers to return to work immediately and end their two-day nationwide strike that has brought tax operations to a standstill. Their strikes have brought tax operations to a standstill, including customs operations at major trade hub Chittagong Port, a report by news agency Reuters said. 'Officials and employees must return to work at once and refrain from activities that harm national interests. Otherwise, the government will be compelled to take strict measures to protect the people and the national economy," the statement released by his office said, without giving details of what such measures might entail. The protests broke out after the government, on May 12, ordered the dissolution of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and announced new revenue divisions. Officials said the restructuring is aimed at modernising tax administration, removing overlaps and boosting efficiency. But several department employees have raised concerns over job security and fear the move could undermine institutional autonomy. They have called for structural reforms and the resignation of the NBR chairman. A full nationwide shutdown began on Saturday to push their demands. Import-export operations must continue uninterrupted to protect the economy, the interim government of Muhammad Yunus said in a statement, adding that all jobs at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) were deemed essential services. Business leaders have voiced concern over the situation, warning that a prolonged deadlock could severely disrupt supply chains, squeeze revenue collection, and deal another blow to investor confidence already shaken by macroeconomic pressures. Yunus' administration, which came to power after student-led protests, later hijacked by Islamists, forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, has faced growing discontent in recent weeks. First Published:
Straits Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Bangladesh orders tax officials back to work as strike cripples port operations
Interim head of the Bangladesh government Muhammad Yunus attending the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan 23. PHOTO: REUTERS DHAKA - The Bangladesh government ordered tax and customs workers to return to work immediately on June 29 and end a two-day nationwide strike that has brought tax operations to a standstill, including customs operations at major trade hub Chittagong Port. 'Officials and employees must return to work at once and refrain from activities that harm national interests. Otherwise, the government will be compelled to take strict measures to protect the people and the national economy,' the statement said, without giving details of what such measures might entail. Import-export operations must continue uninterrupted to protect the economy, the interim government of Mr Muhammad Yunus said in a statement, adding that all jobs at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) were deemed essential services. The protests began after the government issued an order on May 12 dissolving the NBR and creating new revenue divisions. The government has said the changes are needed to modernise and streamline revenue collection, reduce overlaps, and improve efficiency. But many officials in the department fear job insecurity and a loss of institutional independence and are demanding reforms in the new structure and the resignation of the NBR chairman. They launched a full nationwide shutdown on June 28 to press their demands. Business leaders have voiced concern over the situation, warning that a prolonged deadlock could severely disrupt supply chains, squeeze revenue collection, and deal another blow to investor confidence already shaken by macroeconomic pressures. Mr Yunus' administration, which came to power after student-led protests forced then prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, has faced growing discontent in recent weeks. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
29-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Bangladesh orders striking tax officials back to work; port operations hindered
DHAKA - The Bangladesh government ordered tax and customs workers to return to work immediately on Sunday and end a two-day nationwide strike that has brought tax operations to a standstill, including customs operations at major trade hub Chittagong Port. 'Officials and employees must return to work at once and refrain from activities that harm national interests. Otherwise, the government will be compelled to take strict measures to protect the people and the national economy,' the statement said, without giving details of what such measures might entail. Import-export operations must continue uninterrupted to protect the economy, the interim government of Muhammad Yunus said in a statement, adding that all jobs at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) were deemed essential services. The protests began after the government issued an order on May 12 dissolving the NBR and creating new revenue divisions. The government has said the changes are needed to modernise and streamline revenue collection, reduce overlaps, and improve efficiency. But many officials in the department fear job insecurity and a loss of institutional independence and are demanding reforms in the new structure and the resignation of the NBR chairman. They launched a full nationwide shutdown on Saturday to press their demands. Business leaders have voiced concern over the situation, warning that a prolonged deadlock could severely disrupt supply chains, squeeze revenue collection, and deal another blow to investor confidence already shaken by macroeconomic pressures. Yunus' administration, which came to power after student-led protests forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, has faced growing discontent in recent weeks. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Mint
27-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
India bans import of jute, other items via land routes amid strained Bangladesh ties: Details here
India on Friday tightened trade restrictions on Bangladesh, announcing a ban on imports of certain jute products and woven fabrics through all land routes, citing strained relations between the two countries. These measures were announced in the context of the controversial statements made by Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh's interim government, in China. Under the new directive from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), imports will be allowed only through the Nhava Sheva seaport in Maharashtra, PTI reported. The goods under these curbs include jute products, flax tow and waste, jute and other bast fibres, jute, single flax yarn, single yarn of jute, multiple folded, woven fabrics or flex, and unbleached woven fabrics of jute. This effectively closes all land border crossings for these specific goods, a significant disruption for cross-border trade. Such port restrictions will not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India to Nepal and Bhutan, it added. The DGFT further said re-exports of these products from Bangladesh to India through Nepal and Bhutan will not be allowed. "Import from Bangladesh shall not be allowed from any land port on the India-Bangladesh border. However, it is allowed only through the Nhava Sheva seaport," the DGFT said, adding that "imports of certain goods from Bangladesh to India are regulated with immediate effect". The latest ban is not an isolated incident. Earlier in April and May, India announced similar curbs on imports from Bangladesh. On May 17, India imposed port restrictions on the import of certain goods like readymade garments and processed food items, from the neighbouring country. On April 9, India withdrew the transhipment facility it had granted to Bangladesh for exporting various items to the Middle East, Europe and various other countries except Nepal and Bhutan, the news agency reported. The new measures were announced after Yunus' comments that irked New Delhi. They also drew sharp reactions from political leaders across party lines in India. India-Bangladesh relations have deteriorated after Yunus failed to contain attacks on minorities, especially Hindus. Bangladesh is a big competitor of India in the textile sector. The India-Bangladesh trade stood at $12.9 billion in 2023-24. In 2024-25, India's exports stood at $11.46 billion, while imports were $2 billion. Bangladesh's perceived growing closeness with Pakistan and China and the implications of India's strained ties with its eastern neighbour were also discussed at a parliamentary committee meeting on Friday, according to the news agency.
