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ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;The International Cricket Council (ICC), chaired by Jay Shah, has reportedly rejected a request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to shift Bangladesh&rsquo;s matches out of India for the upcoming ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup. Shah, who assumed charge as ICC chair in August 2024, previously served as secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the decision was conveyed to the BCB during a virtual meeting on Tuesday, where the ICC informed the Bangladesh board that it would not consider relocating the fixtures.&nbsp; The governing body is also understood to have warned that Bangladesh would have to travel to India to play the tournament or risk forfeiting points. However, the BCB has denied receiving any such ultimatum, stating that the ICC has relayed no formal communication to that effect. Neither the ICC nor the BCCI has issued an official statement on the outcome of Tuesday&rsquo;s meeting, which was convened after the BCB wrote to the ICC on Sunday requesting it to &ldquo;consider&rdquo; moving Bangladesh&rsquo;s matches outside India. Last week, the BCB said&nbsp;it had &quot;formally requested&quot; the ICC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-say-will-not-play-t20-world-cup-matches-if-in-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">shift their games to Sri Lanka</a>.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;The Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,&quot; a BCB statement read. The development comes less than a month before the 20-team T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held across India and Sri Lanka from Feb. 7 to March 8.&nbsp; Bangladesh, placed in Group C, are set to play their first three matches in Kolkata, against the West Indies on Feb. 7, Italy on Feb. 9, and England on Feb. 14, before facing Nepal in Mumbai on Feb. 17. The BCB&rsquo;s concerns reportedly stem from a recent decision by the BCCI to instruct IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-drops-bangladeshi-star-from-ipl-amid-political-pressure" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman,</a>&nbsp;who was bought at the December auction for INR 9.2 crore (about $1.02 million).&nbsp;The decision was confirmed to the media by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, though no reason was provided for the release. It remains unclear who was involved in the decision, as the IPL Governing Council is understood not to have convened to discuss the matter. Mustafizur was the only Bangladesh player selected at the 2026 IPL auction.

Cricket

Warns that Bangladesh would have to travel to India to play the tournament or risk forfeiting points.

Jay Shah-led ICC refuses to shift Bangladesh matches out of India: Report

DHAKA: A Bangladesh commission investigating disappearances during the rule of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina said Monday at least 287 people were assumed to have been killed.&nbsp;The commission said some corpses were believed to have been dumped in rivers, including the Buriganga in the capital, Dhaka, or buried in mass graves.&nbsp;The government-appointed commission, formed after Hasina was toppled by a mass uprising in August 2024, said it had investigated 1,569 cases of abductions, with 287 of the victims presumed dead.&nbsp;&quot;We have identified a number of unmarked graves in several places where the bodies were presumably buried,&quot; Nur Khan Liton, a commission member, told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;The commission has recommended that Bangladesh seek cooperation from forensic experts to identify the bodies and collect and preserve DNA samples from family members.&quot;&nbsp;In its final report, submitted to the government on Sunday, the commission said that security forces had acted under the command of Hasina and her top officials.&nbsp;The report said many of those abducted had belonged to the country&#39;s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, or the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), both in opposition to Hasina.&nbsp;In a separate investigation, police in December began exhuming a mass grave in Dhaka.&nbsp;The grave included at least eight victims of the uprising against Hasina, bodies all found with bullet wounds, according to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Md Sibgat Ullah.&nbsp;The United Nations says up to 1,400 people were killed in crackdowns as Hasina attempted to cling to power.&nbsp;She was sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity.&nbsp;&quot;We are grateful for finally being able to know where our brother is buried,&quot; said Mohamed Nabil, whose 28-year-old sibling Sohel Rana was identified as one of the dead in the grave in Dhaka.&nbsp;&quot;But we demand a swift trial for the police officials who shot at the people during the uprising.&quot;&nbsp;

Bangladesh

Bangladesh probe finds 287 people presumed killed during Sheikh Hasina’s rule, with bodies allegedly dumped in rivers or mass graves, as authorities seek forensic help and justice for victims.

Bangladesh says at least 287 killed during Hasina-era abductions

ISLAMABAD: As Bangladesh moves toward its next general election, voters are set to face more than just a choice of political parties. Alongside parliamentary polls scheduled for Feb. 12, the country plans to fundamentally reshape its governing structure through a referendum on the July Charter, a proposed reform framework that emerged from last year&rsquo;s student uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina&#39;s rule. The caretaker government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as chief adviser, has pledged to oversee a credible election while advancing political reforms demanded during the uprising. <div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">In the presence of the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government and Head of the National Consensus Commission, Professor Muhammad Yunus, representatives of political parties signed the July National Charter today, Friday, at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. Photos: CA&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/XDH322cRVE" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">pic.twitter.com/XDH322cRVE</a>&mdash; Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChiefAdviserGoB/status/1979247454882271664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote></div>It is within this transitional context that the July Charter &mdash; and the proposal to seek public approval for it through a referendum &mdash; has taken shape. The dual vote represents an unprecedented moment in Bangladesh&rsquo;s political history, with the Election Commission announcing in December that it would hold the referendum and the country&rsquo;s 13th parliamentary election simultaneously. What is in the July Charter Referendum?According to the National Consensus Commission (NCC), which drafted the document under the authority of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, the July Charter is a political reform blueprint reflecting demands raised by protest leaders, civil society actors, and political groups calling for systemic changes to prevent the concentration of power and strengthen democratic safeguards. Signed on October 17, 2025, by 24 political parties and the National Consensus Commission, the Charter contains over 80 proposals for reform, including almost 50 of constitutional nature, state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported. Central to the Charter is a plan to shift key appointment powers from the prime minister to the president, covering institutions like the National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh Bank, and various regulatory bodies. The reforms also propose limiting any prime minister to ten years in office and barring them from simultaneously leading their political party. The Charter advocates for reinstating a caretaker government system to oversee elections, a mechanism previously used but later abolished. It calls for establishing a bicameral parliament with a 300-member lower house and a 100-member upper house elected through proportional representation, whose approval would be required for constitutional amendments. Other proposals include amending Article 70 to allow lawmakers to vote independently on most issues, adopting an inclusive definition of Bangladeshi nationalism that recognizes the country&#39;s ethnic and linguistic diversity, and creating stronger checks on executive authority.Voters will face a single yes-or-no question encompassing the major reform areas rather than voting on individual provisions. Political oppositionDespite having signed the document, major political parties have raised objections. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, though a signatory, objected to at least nine provisions, including the proportional representation system for the upper house and presidential appointment powers. BNP has questioned both the timing and legality of the referendum, arguing that major constitutional reforms should be debated and enacted by an elected parliament rather than decided through a vote organized by an interim administration. &quot;The signed Charter does not include opinions and dissenting notes from political parties,&quot; BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at an Oct. 30, 2025, press conference, as reported by BSS. He called the process &quot;meaningless, a waste of money and time, a mockery, and a deception of the nation.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The consensus commission deceived the people and the political parties by excluding &quot;the notes of dissent&quot;. -Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Secretary General, BNP 29 October 2025 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ConsensusCommission?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">#ConsensusCommission</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MirzaFakhrul?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">#MirzaFakhrul</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BNP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">#BNP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JulyCharter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">#JulyCharter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BangladeshPolitics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">#BangladeshPolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/a0lw7X68pJ" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">pic.twitter.com/a0lw7X68pJ</a>&mdash; Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP (@bdbnp78) <a href="https://twitter.com/bdbnp78/status/1983518132645106098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">October 29, 2025</a></blockquote></div>Other opposition and left-leaning parties have raised similar objections, describing the move as constitutionally ambiguous and warning that Bangladesh&#39;s existing legal framework does not clearly provide for such a referendum. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami pushed unsuccessfully to hold the referendum before the election. &quot;Our number one demand is that the July revolution must be recognized. The July Charter must be given a legal basis. Without that legal foundation, there is no possibility of holding elections in 2026,&quot; Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman said at a rally at Paltan intersection, according to BSS. <div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Jamaat-e-Islami organizes mass rally held in the capital to meet its 5-point agenda A referendum must be held to include the PR System in the July National Charter, asserts Secretary General Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami&rsquo;s Secretary General and former Member of Parliament&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/htJBIuuNAa" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">pic.twitter.com/htJBIuuNAa</a>&mdash; Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (@BJI_Official) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJI_Official/status/1976974776741872109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote></div> The National Citizen Party refused to sign the Charter altogether, demanding clearer implementation plans. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has sought to distance himself from claims that the referendum is being imposed, stressing that the interim government does not intend to unilaterally rewrite the constitution and that any reforms would ultimately require parliamentary approval.&nbsp; During his speech at the 80th UN General Assembly, Yunus stated that his administration had chosen the &quot;hard path&quot; of &quot;reforms built through inclusion and sustained through consensus&quot; rather than simply using executive orders to bypass political processes.&nbsp; In his November 13, 2025, address to the nation, broadcast by BSS, Yunus&nbsp;noted that disagreements were mainly over whether reforms should be enshrined in the constitution or enacted through legislation. &quot;Despite global declines in foreign investment after the uprising, Bangladesh&#39;s foreign direct investment increased by 19.13% in the first year &mdash; a remarkable achievement contrary to global trends.&quot; Why it matters&nbsp;With political trust still fragile after last year&rsquo;s unrest, the July Charter referendum has become a focal point of debate over how Bangladesh should manage its transition back to elected rule.&nbsp; According to the Implementation Order gazette, an official government publication that formalizes legal and administrative directives, if voters approve the referendum, a Constitutional Reform Council will be formed from elected parliamentarians to complete constitutional reforms within 180 working days. &ldquo;The Council shall complete the constitution reform in accordance with the July National Charter and the results of the referendum,&rdquo; the BSS report stated. The interim government has said it will respect the referendum result, although implementation details remain unclear if voters approve the Charter while electing a parliament that opposes specific provisions. Election Commissioner, Md. Anwarul Islam Sarkar told BSS the commission is &quot;cent percent ready to hold the national election and referendum on the same day,&quot; adding that polling will run from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., an hour longer than usual, at 42,761 polling centers with 244,739 booths to accommodate dual voting for around 128 million voters.

Representatives of political parties signed the July National Charter at the South Plaza of the National Parliament in the presence of Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government and head of the National Consensus Commission. (Ph

Scheduled alongside Bangladesh’s February 2026 election, the referendum will seek citizens' approval for political and constitutional reforms drafted after last year’s uprising, sparking debate over legality, implementation, and opposition objections.

What's behind Bangladesh’s July Charter referendum

ISLAMABAD: A government-appointed commission in Bangladesh has concluded that thousands of enforced disappearances during the immediate past regime were politically motivated and involved senior officials, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported.&nbsp;The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances on Sunday submitted its final report to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka, finding that enforced disappearances were largely driven by political considerations and carried out at the highest levels of government.&nbsp;The report, titled Unfolding the truth: a structural diagnosis of enforced disappearance in Bangladesh, said 1,569 verified complaints of enforced disappearances were recorded, with 287 cases falling into &ldquo;missing and dead&rdquo; categories. The commission noted the actual number could be significantly higher.&nbsp;Commission members said evidence indicated the involvement of then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her security and defence adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, and then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan in multiple high-profile disappearance cases. In many instances, Hasina was identified as the direct order-giver behind the enforced disappearances.&nbsp;The inquiry found that 75% of the survivors were leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir, while among those still missing, 68% were linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), with the rest associated with Jamaat-Shibir.&nbsp;Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus described the report as historic and emphasised the need to address the atrocities and prevent such violations in the future.&nbsp;The findings come amid ongoing efforts by the interim government to provide justice for victims and reform institutions implicated in human rights abuses during Hasina&rsquo;s long tenure in office.

Adds 1,569 verified complaints of enforced disappearances were recorded, with 287 cases falling into “missing and dead” categories.

Bangladesh panel says disappearances during Hasina regime were 'politically motivated'

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh will host Pakistan men&rsquo;s cricket team for a full international tour in 2026, according to state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).&nbsp;The tour will feature three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), as many Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), and two Test matches.&nbsp;The T20Is and ODIs series will take place after the ICC T20 World Cup, while the two Tests will form part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.&nbsp;The exact schedule and match venues for all series are yet to be announced.&nbsp;The announcement came as part of a broader reveal of Bangladesh&rsquo;s packed home season, which will include four Tests, 12 ODIs and nine T20Is against various international opponents.&nbsp;As per the schedule, New Zealand will tour Bangladesh in April-May for three ODIs and three T20Is. Australia and India are also set to visit later in the year, in June and August-September respectively, with each team playing three ODIs and three T20Is.&nbsp;The home season will conclude with a two-Test series against the West Indies in October-November, preceded by a three-day warm-up match. In addition, Sri Lanka A will tour Bangladesh in May for two four-day matches and three one-day games.

The tour includes three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), as many Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), and two Test matches.

Bangladesh to host Pakistan for full bilateral cricket series in 2026

ISLAMABAD: A recent verification drive in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, has drawn public attention in India after an SHO (Station House Officer) reportedly told residents he could determine their nationality using a mobile phone, said an Indian media report Friday. The incident occurred on December 23, 2025, at Bhowapur slum, a settlement of roughly 50 shanties, in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, where SHO Ajay Sharma and his team conducted document checks. According to the Indian media report, Sharma asked a slum dweller to show his identity card. When the man identified himself as a resident of Araria district in Bihar, the SHO reportedly asked if he was from Bihar or Bangladesh. Sharma then told the man that he had a machine, a mobile phone, that could &ldquo;immediately&rdquo; detect if someone was an &ldquo;illegal.&rdquo; The phone was placed on the man&rsquo;s back, and Sharma remarked that it showed &ldquo;Bangladesh.&rdquo; The resident insisted he was from Bihar and that no Bangladeshi was present in the slum. A video clip of the incident that surfaced on social media has prompted widespread discussion. Sharma defended his actions, telling an Indian media outlet that he &ldquo;tried to put pressure on them so that they reveal their true identity&rdquo; and that no one was harassed. A senior police officer clarified that the verification was part of a routine foot march during the Christmas and New Year period, but added that no orders for such methods had come from senior officials. Journalist Mohammed Zubair highlighted the incident on X (formerly Twitter) on Jan. 1, questioning whether the police had a new device to detect citizenship.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 601px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006682102436413601&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=f953ae37638cf094fd17f8066aa73d6c72aa1f0a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>In response, the Ghaziabad Police Commissioner stated that these verification exercises are part of ongoing efforts to maintain law and order, and document checks are conducted to ensure accuracy.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 730px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006742625597247777&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=f953ae37638cf094fd17f8066aa73d6c72aa1f0a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>According to the media report, Commissioner J. Ravindra Goud said the video was under review and added, &ldquo;If any person is harassed by police, we will take action.&rdquo; The episode has sparked debate over police methods, citizen dignity, and the appropriateness of using technology in identity verification, particularly in vulnerable slum communities.

India

Police officer tells man that he has a mobile phone that can ‘immediately’ detect if someone is an illegal resident.

‘Are you Bangladeshi?’: Indian cop faces backlash over phone ‘citizenship scan’

DHAKA: Bangladesh bid farewell on Wednesday to former prime minister Khaleda Zia with a state funeral drawing vast crowds, mourning a towering leader whose career defined politics for decades.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Zia, the first woman to serve as prime minister in the South Asian nation of 170 million people, died on Tuesday aged 80.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Flags were flown at half-mast, and thousands of security officers lined roads as her body was carried through the streets of the capital, Dhaka, by a vehicle in the colours of the national flag.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">A sea of mourners gathered outside parliament and packed streets leading to it, many waving national flags as well as those of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), before prayers held over her coffin.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Retired government official Minhaz Uddin, 70, said he had never voted for Zia, but came to honour the three-time prime minister.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;I came here with my grandson, just to say goodbye to a veteran politician whose contributions will always be remembered,&quot; he said.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;Khaleda Zia has been an inspiration,&quot; mourner Sharmina Siraj told AFP, adding that &quot;it is difficult to imagine women in leadership positions anytime soon&quot;.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The 40-year-old mother of two said stipends introduced by Zia to support girls&#39; education &quot;had a huge impact on the lives of our girls&quot;.Foreign ministers from Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Bhutan were&nbsp;also in attendance, according to Bangladesh state media. Vowed to participate in February electionsDespite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia had vowed to campaign in elections set for February 12 &mdash; the first vote since a mass uprising toppled her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina last year. Zia&#39;s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely seen as a frontrunner, and her son Tarique Rahman, 60, who returned only last week after 17 years in exile, is seen as a potential prime minister if they win a majority. The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, declared three days of national mourning, with an elaborate state funeral beginning with prayers outside parliament around 2:00 pm (0800 GMT). Flags will be flown at half-mast, and a large deployment of security forces is expected across the capital, Dhaka. Yunus said Bangladesh had &quot;lost a great guardian.&quot; &quot;Through her uncompromising leadership, the nation was repeatedly freed from undemocratic conditions and inspired to regain liberty,&quot; he said in a statement. Zia&#39;s body will be interred alongside her late husband, Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1981 during his time as president. &#39;Unbreakable&#39;Rahman said in a statement that &quot;the country mourns the loss of a guiding presence that shaped its democratic aspirations.&quot; His mother, he added, &quot;endured repeated arrests, denial of medical care, and relentless persecution,&quot; but &quot;never stopped sheltering her family with courage and compassion.&quot; &quot;Her resilience... was unbreakable.&quot; Suffering from a raft of health issues, Zia was rushed to the hospital in late November, where her condition had gradually deteriorated despite treatment. Nevertheless, hours before her death, party workers had on Monday submitted nomination papers on her behalf for three constituencies for next year&#39;s polls. Zia was &quot;an uncompromising leader for all the people,&quot; said activist ABM Abdul Fattah, who joined mourners on Tuesday outside the Dhaka hospital where the former leader died. &quot;She always wanted to restore democracy by staying in this country and by safeguarding the people,&quot; he told AFP. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he hoped Zia&#39;s &quot;vision and legacy will continue to guide our partnership,&quot; a warm message despite the strained relations between New Delhi and Dhaka since Hasina&#39;s fall. Hasina, 78, sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity, remains in hiding in her old ally, India. Three-time prime minister Zia was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Hasina&#39;s government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment. Zia was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power. &quot;I pray for the eternal peace and forgiveness of Begum Khaleda Zia&#39;s soul,&quot; Hasina said, in a statement shared on social media by her now-banned Awami League party.

An aerial view shows mourners gathered for the funeral ceremony of Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia at the Parliament House premises in Dhaka on December 31, 2025 a day after her death. Bangladesh bid farewell on December 31 to Zia, the firs

Zia had vowed to campaign in elections set for February 12; her Bangladesh Nationalist Party is widely seen as a frontrunner.

Bangladesh mourns ex-PM Khaleda Zia with state funeral

DHAKA: Bangladesh&#39;s former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who many believed would sweep elections next year to lead her country once again, died on Tuesday aged 80, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party said. &quot;The BNP Chairperson and former prime minister, the national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, passed away today at 6 a.m. (0000 GMT), just after the Fajr (dawn) prayer,&quot; the party said in a statement. &quot;We pray for the forgiveness of her soul and request everyone to offer prayers for her departed soul,&quot; it added. Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia vowed in November to campaign in elections set for February 2026 &mdash; the first vote since a mass uprising toppled her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina last year. Zia&#39;s BNP is widely seen as a frontrunner. But in late November, she was rushed to the hospital, where, despite the best efforts of medics, her condition declined from a raft of health issues. During her final days, interim leader Muhammad Yunus called for the nation to pray for Zia, calling her a &quot;source of utmost inspiration for the nation.&quot; BNP&#39;s media chief, Moudud Alamgir Pavel, also confirmed Zia&#39;s death to AFP. Zia was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Hasina&#39;s government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment. She was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power. There had been plans earlier this month to fly her on a special air ambulance to London, but her condition was not stable enough. Her son, political heavyweight Tarique Rahman, only returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in self-imposed exile on Thursday, where he was welcomed back by huge crowds of joyous supporters. Rahman will lead the party through the Feb. 12 general election, and is expected to be put forward as prime minister if his party wins a majority.

Americas

BNP chairperson passes away; many believed she would sweep elections next year to lead her country once again.

Bangladesh ex-PM Khaleda Zia dies aged 80: Party statement

DHAKA:&nbsp;The heir to Bangladesh&#39;s longtime ruling family and a leader of its most powerful political party, Tarique Rahman, is set to return home after 17 years in exile and ahead of key elections. Rahman, 60, an aspiring prime minister who has lived in London since he fled Bangladesh in 2008 over what he called a politically motivated persecution, is due to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday. Acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), he is expected to take the reins from his ailing mother, 80-year-old former prime minister Khaleda Zia. Despite years of ill health and imprisonment, Zia vowed in November to campaign in the February 12, 2026, elections. But she was hospitalized soon after that pledge, and she has been in intensive care ever since. The elections will be the first since a mass uprising last year ended the 15-year hardline rule of&nbsp;Sheikh Hasina, who was at odds with the BNP. Since Hasina&#39;s fall from power, Rahman has been acquitted of the most serious charge against him: a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally.&nbsp; He had denied the charges. &lsquo;Fantastic day&rsquo;BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has promised Rahman will &ldquo;arrive among us on the soil of Dhaka&rdquo; on December 25, which he said will be a &ldquo;fantastic day.&rdquo; Rahman, often pictured beside his mother on BNP banners, has long been groomed for leadership. In June, he met in London with Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading the interim government until the February elections. Rahman, known in Bangladesh as Tarique Zia, carries a political name that has defined his life. His father, Ziaur Rahman, was an army commander. Ziaur Rahman gained influence months after a 1975 coup in which Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s father -- founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was murdered. &lsquo;Battle of the Begums&rsquo;That fuelled lifelong tensions between the Zia and Hasina families, dubbed the &ldquo;Battle of the Begums&rdquo;&mdash;&ldquo;begum&rdquo; meaning a powerful woman. Ziaur Rahman was assassinated when his son was 15. The younger Rahman grew up in his mother&rsquo;s political orbit, as Zia went on to become the country&rsquo;s first female prime minister, alternating her terms in power with Hasina. Rahman briefly studied international relations at Dhaka University before entering politics at 23, joining the BNP in its fight against military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad, according to his party. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&lsquo;Unnerves many&rsquo;&nbsp;</h2>Still, Rahman&rsquo;s career has been dogged by allegations of nepotism and mismanagement. A 2006 US embassy cable described him as the BNP&#39;s &ldquo;heir apparent&rdquo; who &ldquo;inspires few but unnerves many&rdquo;. Rahman was arrested on corruption charges in 2007 and claimed he was tortured in custody. Reports suggested his release was conditional on leaving politics.&nbsp; Freed later that year, he flew to London in 2008 for medical treatment and never returned. After Hasina swept to power in 2008, her government jailed tens of thousands of BNP members. In 2018, Rahman was again sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for allegedly orchestrating the 2004 attack on Hasina&rsquo;s rally -- a case the BNP called a bid to eliminate the Zia dynasty from politics. In Britain, he kept a low profile alongside his wife, a cardiologist, and their daughter. Since Hasina&rsquo;s ouster, Rahman emerged as an outspoken figure on social media and a rallying point for BNP supporters.

Since Hasina's fall from power, Rahman has been acquitted of the most serious charge against him: a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally. 

Bangladesh political heavyweight Tarique Rahman to end exile

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel in New Delhi has warned that India faces its &ldquo;greatest strategic challenge since 1971&rdquo; from developments in neighboring Bangladesh, pointing to the growing influence of Pakistan and China in Dhaka&rsquo;s political and security landscape, according to Indian media.&nbsp;The report, based on the 9th report of India&rsquo;s parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, says Bangladesh&rsquo;s evolving politics, weakening institutional structures, and resurgence of Islamist forces are reshaping the country&rsquo;s foreign alignment. It identifies the expanding footprints of China and Pakistan as core concerns for India&rsquo;s regional interests.&nbsp;The panel described the situation as a deeper, long-term strategic test with implications for India&rsquo;s national security and its policy in South Asia. It said the combination of internal shifts in Bangladesh and external influence could dilute India&rsquo;s traditional role in Dhaka and &ldquo;risk losing strategic space &hellip; not to war, but to irrelevance.&rdquo;&nbsp;According to the report, youth-led nationalist sentiment and &ldquo;renewed Islamist activity&rdquo; in Bangladesh, coupled with stronger ties with China and Pakistan, are among the factors causing concern for Indian policymakers.&nbsp;Indian authorities acknowledged to the committee that they are monitoring developments in Bangladesh &ldquo;on a priority basis&rdquo; and have continued diplomatic engagement with Dhaka&rsquo;s interim government amid the ongoing transition.&nbsp;The committee urged New Delhi to bolster cultural, economic, and political outreach to Bangladesh to counterbalance the influence of rival powers and maintain regional stability. It also recommended enhanced engagement through platforms such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. However, it noted obstacles to renewed cooperation unless broader security concerns are addressed.&nbsp;The report&rsquo;s release comes amid debates over Bangladesh&rsquo;s geopolitical orientation, with some Indian commentators warning of shifting public sentiment in Dhaka and increased strategic cooperation with Islamabad and Beijing.

The report says Bangladesh’s evolving politics, weakening institutional structures, and resurgence of Islamist forces are reshaping the country’s foreign alignment.

Articles tagged with "Bangladesh"