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It has been less than a month since Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh’s prime minister. Since then, the country has been in turmoil as an interim government tries to regain power after the dramatic ouster of a powerful leader.
Amid reports of attacks on minorities, Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the interim government, told the nation in a recent televised address, Bangladeshi citizens will not be discriminated againstbased on their religion or political beliefs. Some Bangladeshi civil society groups have been urging foreign, particularly Indian media to refrain from exaggerating and sensationalising sporadic incidents of such attacks, as they argue this could worsen the situation of religious minorities.
Our correspondent Kallol Bhattacharya, who went to Dhaka to report on the emerging developments and political contours, reports. The festival of Janmashtami is being celebrated Bangladesh in trouble Lifting of ban on Jamaat-e-Islami BangladeshAn agreement between its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir and “all affiliated organisations” was another significant development last week.
Our colleague spoke to key political figures and policy experts whose views help us better understand the country’s expectations. In an interview with The HinduBangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said India should extradite former prime minister Hasina. “Now we need to rapidly resume relations with India. We always wanted a functional relationship with India,” he said, adding: “Unfortunately, there has been no direct communication with the Indian side so far.” Policy analyst Major General ANM Muniruzzaman (retired), who heads the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), said India should talk to all parties in Bangladesh,
At a time when the country is grappling with major political changes, A serious human tragedy was witnessed in the fire The factory started operating on August 25 at one of the biggest tyre factories in Bangladesh. Located in the industrial town of Narayanganj near Dhaka, Rupshi’s Gazi Auto Tyre Factory, owned by Golam Dastagir Gazi, chairman of the once powerful Gazi Group, is well-known in the region, Kallol Bhattacharjee writes in this spot report.
Neighbourhood matters
Voting in Sri Lanka: National Security Adviser three weeks before Sri Lanka’s crucial election Ajit K. Doval meets major presidential candidatesBesides political leaders representing the island nation’s Tamil and Muslim minorities, others were also present in Colombo.
As part of our pre-election ground reports from different parts of the island, we spoke to: Malaiyaha (Hill Country) Tamils of Sri LankaWhose Indian ancestors were brought to this island by the British two centuries ago. What are their electoral aspirations?
Relations with Pakistan: More than 60% of Indians and more than half of Pakistanis surveyed believe that there cannot be friendly relations between the two countries in this decade. This has been stated in a new survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Research (CPR)-C Voter. The report highlights the perspectives of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis on a range of political, economic and foreign policy issues, reports Suhasini Haidar.
As far as Pakistan is concerned, The era of “constant dialogue” is overForeign Minister S. Jaishankar said at a recent book release, sharing New Delhi’s view of the relationship at this point in time. The government also confirmed receipt of a letter last week. Invitation from Pakistan India has left for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Islamabad on October 15-16. However, the Ministry of External Affairs said that no decision has been taken yet on whether India will participate in it or not and at what level it will be.
The top 5 stories we’re reading this week:
1. Retired diplomat TS Tirumurthi writes India’s neighbourhood watch, past and present
2. Pakistani and Indian scholars Farhan Hanif Siddiqui and Ajay Gudavarthy have jointly written this article. ‘A silent democratic response in South Asia’
3.Pavel Durov prophet of secrecy By G. Sampath
4. war and Peace: On India and Russia-Ukraine Peace Initiative
5. Bus to Kiev: Conversation with Dinakar Peri about his journey from Poland to Ukraine
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