The recent attack on former MP Sarwar Jamal Nizam during a funeral procession in Karnaphuli is another troubling sign of how far political rivalry in Bangladesh has spiraled out of control. What should have been a respectful gathering to mourn the dead turned into a violent clash that left six people injured, including a journalist. […]
A former Bangladesh member of parliament was attacked during a funeral procession Thursday morning in Karnaphuli, resulting in injuries to six individuals, including a journalist, according to local officials and eyewitnesses. Sarwar Jamal Nizam, 65, of Chittagong and a former lawmaker for the Chittagong-13 constituency, was reportedly targeted by political rivals while attending the funeral […]
Poverty is getting worse in Bangladesh. A recent study by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), conducted with the World Food Programme, found that the proportion of poor households rose from 24.73% in 2022 to 26.43% in 2024. Extreme poverty also increased—from 6.06% to 6.63%. This isn’t just a rural issue. Urban extreme poverty […]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus met Thursday on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit, offering a rare moment of diplomacy between the two neighbors at a time of regional flux and mutual anxieties about U.S. stability. It marked Modi’s first meeting with Yunus since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August […]
Myanmar has finally acknowledged that 180,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are eligible to return home. It’s a small step in the right direction, but not nearly enough to resolve a humanitarian crisis that has dragged on for nearly eight years. The burden of sheltering more than one million displaced people can no longer fall solely […]
The Bangladeshi government plans to formally appeal to the United States Trade Representative, contesting a new 37 percent reciprocal tariff on its exports as unjustified and based on inaccurate trade data, officials said Wednesday. Mahbubur Rahman, commerce secretary from Dhaka, said the decision came during an emergency inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat held hours after […]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief advisor to Bangladesh’s interim government are expected to hold their first official bilateral meeting during the Bimstec Summit in Bangkok, according to media reports published Wednesday. Prof. Muhammad Yunus, 84, of Dhaka, assumed leadership following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. The meeting, […]
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the imposition of a 37% tariff on imports from Bangladesh, a move that could significantly impact the South Asian nation’s economy. Bangladesh, the world’s 10th most populous country, has been in political turmoil since the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. The nation is currently governed […]
As Bangladesh stands at a political crossroads, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is sounding alarms over potential election delays. But while the timing of the next general election is a valid concern in any democracy, the BNP would do well to turn some of its attention inward. A party that has long accused others of […]
India’s recent decision to restrict medical visas for Bangladeshi citizens is proving to be a strategic misstep with far-reaching consequences. Once a reliable destination for affordable, high-quality healthcare, India is now ceding both economic opportunity and regional influence to China—a rival eager to fill the gap. For years, India issued thousands of medical visas daily […]
