Latest news with #ICT
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Shoot them': Sheikh Hasina ordered firing on Bangladesh protesters in 2024
Former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, 'issued an open order' to 'use lethal weapons' on students protesting against her government's policies last year and shoot 'wherever they find them', her secret phone call recordings, accessed by Al Jazeera, have revealed. Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, resigned from office and fled to India on August 5 after weeks of bloody protests and brutal action by government forces killed nearly 1,400 people and wounded more than 20,000, according to the country's International Criminal Tribunal (ICT). The Al Jazeera Investigative Unit (I-Unit) had the recordings analysed by audio forensic experts to check for AI manipulation, and the callers were identified by voice matching. In one call, recorded on July 18 by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), Hasina told an ally that she had ordered her security forces to use lethal force. 'My instructions have already been given. I've issued an open order completely. Now they will use lethal weapons, shoot wherever they find them,' she said.. 'That has been instructed. I have stopped them so far … I was thinking about the students' safety.' Later in the call with Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the mayor of Dhaka South and a relative of Hasina, the former PM talks about using helicopters to control demonstrations. 'Wherever they notice any gathering, it's from above – now it's being done from above – it has already started in several places. It has begun. Some [protesters] have moved.' At the time, Bangladeshi security forces had denied firing on protesters from the air, but Shabir Sharif, an accident and emergency doctor at the Popular Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, told the I-Unit that shots were fired from a helicopter 'targeting our hospital entrance'. He added that doctors attended to student protesters with unusual bullet wounds. 'The bullets entered either the shoulder or the chest, and they all remained inside the body. We were receiving more of these types of patients at that time,' he said. 'When we looked at the X-rays, we were surprised because there were huge bullets.' Al Jazeera has not been able to verify what type of bullets were used. Dr Shabir Sharif [Al Jazeera] The calls may be presented by prosecutors as evidence before the ICT, which has charged Hasina, her ministers and security officials with crimes against humanity. Hasina and two other officials were indicted on July 10, and the trial is scheduled to begin in August. Hasina's surveillance network, the NTMC, recorded these conversations. The NTMC has previously been accused of spying on not just opposition figures but even Hasina's political allies. Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor for the ICT, said the former prime minister knew she was being recorded. 'In some cases, the other side [would say we] … 'should not discuss this over telephone'. And the reply was from the prime minister, 'Yes, I know, I know, I know, I know, it is being recorded, no problem.'' 'She has dug a very deep ditch for others. Now she's in the ditch,' Islam said. Student protests started peacefully in June 2024 after the high court reintroduced an unpopular quota system that reserved state jobs for the families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. Many students felt the system favoured supporters of the ruling Awami League party, which had led the freedom movement, and that many jobs in the civil service were not awarded on merit. On July 16, student protester Abu Sayed was shot dead by police in the northern city of Rangpur. His death was a turning point in the July uprising, leading to a national outcry and intensifying the protests. In one secret phone recording of Hasina's ally and economics adviser, Salman F Rahman, he is heard trying to get hold of Sayed's postmortem report. During the call, Rahman quizzes inspector general of police, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, wanting to know what had happened to the report. 'Why is it taking so long to get the postmortem report? Who's playing hide and seek? Rangpur Medical?' he asked, referring to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital, which was carrying out the autopsy on Sayed. Rangpur Medical College Hospital's Dr Rajibul Islam told Al Jazeera that police forced him to change Sayed's postmortem report five times to remove any reference to multiple bullet wounds. 'They wanted to write a report stating that Abu Sayed Bhai died due to injuries from stone-throwing … [whereas] he died from police bullets.' Twelve days after Sayed's death, his family were flown to Dhaka for a televised event with the prime minister. In all, about 40 families were gathered – all of them had relatives killed in the protests. 'Hasina forced us to come to Ganabhaban,' said Sayed's father, Maqbul Hossain, referring to the PM's residence. 'They forced us to come; otherwise, they might have tortured us in another way.' As the cameras recorded the event, Hasina handed out money to each family. She told Sayed's sister, Sumi Khatun: 'We will deliver justice to your family.' Khatun replied to the PM: 'It was shown in the video that the police shot him. What is there to investigate here? Coming here was a mistake.' In a statement to Al Jazeera, an Awami League spokesperson said Hasina had never used the phrase 'lethal weapons', and did not specifically authorise the security forces to use lethal force. 'This [Hasina's phone] recording is either cherry-picked, doctored or both.' The statement added that government efforts to investigate Abu Sayed's death were 'genuine'.
The Herald
3 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald
Hackers target Treasury, servers isolated as team assesses malware
The National Treasury says it identified malware on its infrastructure reporting and monitoring (IRM) website on Tuesday afternoon. The IRM servers were isolated for its staff to assess the magnitude of the compromise and to ensure the security of its systems. In light of Microsoft's recent warning of attacks on software globally, the Treasury said it has contacted the tech giant to check for and address potential vulnerabilities in its information and communication technology (ICT) environment. Despite this, the Treasury said its systems and websites continue to operate normally without any disruption. 'The National Treasury's ICT department processes more than 200,000 e-mails each day and facilitates more than 400,000 user connections through their websites daily,' it said. 'On average, the ICT team successfully detects and blocks about 5,800 security threats directed at Treasury systems every day, showcasing the department's commitment to maintaining a secure digital environment. These threats encompass a range of malicious activities, including phishing attempts, malware infections and spam attacks.' TimesLIVE
Al Jazeera
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Shoot them': Sheikh Hasina ordered firing on Bangladesh protesters in 2024
Former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, 'issued an open order' to 'use lethal weapons' on students protesting against her government's policies last year and shoot 'wherever they find them', her secret phone call recordings, accessed by Al Jazeera, have revealed. Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, resigned from office and fled to India on August 5 after weeks of bloody protests and brutal action by government forces killed nearly 1,400 people and wounded more than 20,000, according to the country's International Criminal Tribunal (ICT). The Al Jazeera Investigative Unit (I-Unit) had the recordings analysed by audio forensic experts to check for AI manipulation, and the callers were identified by voice matching. In one call, recorded on July 18 by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), Hasina told an ally that she had ordered her security forces to use lethal force. 'My instructions have already been given. I've issued an open order completely. Now they will use lethal weapons, shoot wherever they find them,' she said.. 'That has been instructed. I have stopped them so far … I was thinking about the students' safety.' Later in the call with Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the mayor of Dhaka South and a relative of Hasina, the former PM talks about using helicopters to control demonstrations. 'Wherever they notice any gathering, it's from above – now it's being done from above – it has already started in several places. It has begun. Some [protesters] have moved.' At the time, Bangladeshi security forces had denied firing on protesters from the air, but Shabir Sharif, an accident and emergency doctor at the Popular Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, told the I-Unit that shots were fired from a helicopter 'targeting our hospital entrance'. He added that doctors attended to student protesters with unusual bullet wounds. 'The bullets entered either the shoulder or the chest, and they all remained inside the body. We were receiving more of these types of patients at that time,' he said. 'When we looked at the X-rays, we were surprised because there were huge bullets.' Al Jazeera has not been able to verify what type of bullets were used. The calls may be presented by prosecutors as evidence before the ICT, which has charged Hasina, her ministers and security officials with crimes against humanity. Hasina and two other officials were indicted on July 10, and the trial is scheduled to begin in August. Hasina's surveillance network, the NTMC, recorded these conversations. The NTMC has previously been accused of spying on not just opposition figures but even Hasina's political allies. Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor for the ICT, said the former prime minister knew she was being recorded. 'In some cases, the other side [would say we] … 'should not discuss this over telephone'. And the reply was from the prime minister, 'Yes, I know, I know, I know, I know, it is being recorded, no problem.'' 'She has dug a very deep ditch for others. Now she's in the ditch,' Islam said. Student protests started peacefully in June 2024 after the high court reintroduced an unpopular quota system that reserved state jobs for the families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. Many students felt the system favoured supporters of the ruling Awami League party, which had led the freedom movement, and that many jobs in the civil service were not awarded on merit. On July 16, student protester Abu Sayed was shot dead by police in the northern city of Rangpur. His death was a turning point in the July uprising, leading to a national outcry and intensifying the protests. In one secret phone recording of Hasina's ally and economics adviser, Salman F Rahman, he is heard trying to get hold of Sayed's postmortem report. During the call, Rahman quizzes inspector general of police, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, wanting to know what had happened to the report. 'Why is it taking so long to get the postmortem report? Who's playing hide and seek? Rangpur Medical?' he asked, referring to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital, which was carrying out the autopsy on Sayed. Rangpur Medical College Hospital's Dr Rajibul Islam told Al Jazeera that police forced him to change Sayed's postmortem report five times to remove any reference to multiple bullet wounds. 'They wanted to write a report stating that Abu Sayed Bhai died due to injuries from stone-throwing … [whereas] he died from police bullets.' Twelve days after Sayed's death, his family were flown to Dhaka for a televised event with the prime minister. In all, about 40 families were gathered – all of them had relatives killed in the protests. 'Hasina forced us to come to Ganabhaban,' said Sayed's father, Maqbul Hossain, referring to the PM's residence. 'They forced us to come; otherwise, they might have tortured us in another way.' As the cameras recorded the event, Hasina handed out money to each family. She told Sayed's sister, Sumi Khatun: 'We will deliver justice to your family.' Khatun replied to the PM: 'It was shown in the video that the police shot him. What is there to investigate here? Coming here was a mistake.' In a statement to Al Jazeera, an Awami League spokesperson said Hasina had never used the phrase 'lethal weapons', and did not specifically authorise the security forces to use lethal force. 'This [Hasina's phone] recording is either cherry-picked, doctored or both.' The statement added that government efforts to investigate Abu Sayed's death were 'genuine'.
News18
11 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
Why Indian Cricket Fans Cannot Stop Talking About Karun Nair
Last Updated: England Vs India: Karun Nair was dropped from the squad in the fourth Test in Manchester which led to social media chatter. Karun Nair had asked the universe to give him one more chance. The 33-year-old batter got three in the five-match Test series between England and India before he was excluded from the fourth Test in Manchester. What went wrong? Nair's bat has not produced any big innings so far with 40 in the first innings of Lord's Test being his highest score so far in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy. With scores of 14(33), 40(62), 26(46), 31(50), 20(54) and 0(4) behind him, Nair was made to sit out while Sai Sudharsan returned to the squad. Were the selectors too harsh in their choice or made the right decision? Career End? Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif asserted that captain Shubman Gill should have backed Nair who is struggling to get going and score big for the country in all-whites. Kaif added that Gill may have missed an opportunity to making a tough decision as the pack leader. 'Today was Shubman Gill's chance to back karun who was down but deserved one more chance. He should have picked Karun Nair. Chance missed to earn the respect when it comes to making tough decisions as a leader (sic)." Users on X wondered if Nair's Test career, that saw a gap of eight years, may have come to an abrupt and cruel end. End of Karun Nair's test career. Don't know if it's harsh. But he certainly can't complain much having got 6 chances on great batting pitches and not being able to make it count even once. At 32-33, there's no likelihood for more chances now. 'Karun Nair is the only batter to finish his test career under 1000 runs despite a triple century," sports journalist Himanshu Pareek remarked. Fair or Unfair? 'Karun Nair was literally dropped from his State Ranji team, he had to go else where and restart his career from zero . People keep bringing his tweet up . Him representing ICT again after everything he went through is a W itself man, (sic)" an ICT fan expressed. Gill's tough call was the right one because of Nair's lack of contribution in the middle order, a user wrote. 'Out of all the batters only Karun nair hasn't scored enough runs he doesn't deserve that backing. I have seen this average players whine over another average player. Also Gill has earned a respect by taking tough call. Another tough call is to trust Anshul Kamboj." Gautam Gambhir, the Head coach, wasn't left out from the raging debate. 'Sai Sudharsan young talent made his debut and was dropped without reason. Then they brought in Karun Nair 3 dropped him after 3 matches and brought Sai back. If they wanted to play Sai again, why drop him in the first place especially in OS Tests. Gambhir has no idea in Tests," a fan wondered. Memes Some chose to exhibit their feelings via memes. You can see the exact moment, Karun Nair's heart breaks — Sank (@CricketIsSimple) July 23, 2025 Karun Nair : Dear Cricket give me one more rn: — Abhishek (@MSDianAbhiii) July 13, 2025 Day 1 India lost 14th toss on a trot, the probability of that being 16384/1. The visiting squad were asked to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiwal (58) and KL Rahul (46) provided India a solid start but failed to convert their starts into big scores. The duo put up an opening partnership of 94. KL was the first to depart in the 30th over when he edged one of Chris Woakes' deliveries. His partner, Jaiswal, joined him in the pavilion after about 10 overs as he too edged one and was removed by Liam Dawson. India may have ended the day with 264/4 on the scoreboard but Rishabh Pant's freak injury could be a serious cause of concern. Pant, batting at 37, attempted to reverse sweep Woakes' yorker when he was hit on his right boot. When the shoe came off, the visuals weren't pretty. Pant had a swollen and bruised foot and appeared to be in a lot of pain so much so that he had to be carted off the field at the Old Trafford Stadium. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 24, 2025, 10:33 IST News explainers Why Indian Cricket Fans Cannot Stop Talking About Karun Nair Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Islamabad unveils first digital women police station
Listen to article The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police have launched Pakistan's first fully functional "Online Women Police Station," ensuring round-the-clock protection for women, children and vulnerable segments of society, with immediate access to justice and safety through a single call on helpline 1815. According to a police spokesperson, the Online Women Police Station is equipped to handle domestic abuse, gender-based violence, and other crimes against women and children. A dedicated helpline (1815) has been established, where women can call without hesitation to report their complaints, seek legal advice, or receive immediate assistance, he said. Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said that the station offers facilities such as video calling and online chat support, eliminating the need for women to visit a police station for registration of First Information Reports (FIRs), which are now delivered directly to their homes. Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police has launched Pakistan's first fully functional 'Online Women Police Station,' ensuring round-the-clock protection for women, children and vulnerable segments of society, with immediate access to justice and safety through a single call on… — APP (@appcsocialmedia) July 23, 2025 IG Rizvi further said that the station operates with a First Responder Unit that reaches the complainant's location within five to seven minutes. In cases where immediate resolution is not possible, female investigation officers from the Online Women Police Station take prompt action to ensure justice is delivered, he added. The IG said that all call handlers, responders, and investigating officers for the 1815 helpline were female police personnel. Moreover, emergency calls made to the general 15 helpline are automatically redirected to 1815 using artificial intelligence, ensuring no distress call goes unheard, he told. Rizvi said the helpline operates 24/7 to guarantee that assistance is always just one phone call away for those in crisis. The initiative is also fully integrated with the AI-supported "Police Station-on-Wheels," which can be dispatched alongside first responders whenever needed, he added. The IG further said that the core objective of the Online Virtual Women Police Station is to provide rapid, dignified and technology-enabled solutions to gender-based crimes and ensure no victim was left unheard.
