Police have recovered 35 crude bombs and bomb-making equipment from the Geneva Camp in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur. The operation was carried out in the afternoon, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Public Relations Department said in a statementA police officer involved in the raid said the bomb-making workshop was identified based on information provided by previously arrested suspects. The individuals who gave the information were reportedly also involved in making the bombs.
But I never issued any order to fire on unarmed civilians,” she said.Speaking about the trial, Hasina said she hadn’t been able to defend herself or appoint her own lawyers.She added her political opponents had gone after her in an attempt to “liquidate” her Awami League party as a political force.Leaked audio of one of her phone calls verified by BBC Eye earlier this year suggested that she had authorised the use of “lethal weapons” in July 2024. The audio was played in court during the trial.Hasina was formally indicted along with two others—former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Kamal, who is in hiding. Mamun pleaded guilty in July and has since turned state’s witness.Hasina’s legal counsels issued a statement on Monday saying they had filed an urgent appeal to the UN raising serious fair trial and due process issues at the ICT.The Awami League is already banned from standing in general elections due in February.The BBC interview also covered other serious allegations of abuses committed during Hasina’s 15-year rule, which will be heard in another case at the special tribunal. She denies charges of crimes against humanity in that case too.After Hasina was ousted from power, a number of secret jails were discovered holding prisoners who had been detained for years without any legal process. Many other critics and opponents of Hasina who had been abducted or held in these prisons are alleged to have been killed unlawfully.Asked who was responsible for this, Hasina said she “did not have knowledge” of them.She also denied her involvement in alleged extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances, which rights group say she was responsible for as the head of government.“This is denied in terms of my own involvement, but if there is evidence of abuse by officials, let us have it examined properly in an impartial, depoliticised process,” she said.Hasina and other senior members of her former government are also facing trial for corruption in a separate court, charges they deny.- bdnews24.com
Bangladesh have outplayed Ireland with both bat and ball to deliver a comprehensive win by an innings and 47 runs in the Sylhet Test. After declaring at 587/8 on Thursday, with a 301-run lead, the Tigers bowling attack tore into the visitors, leaving them teetering at 86/5. Nahid Rana (2-40) found the breakthrough by scalping Balbirnie as he built a steady 66-run partnership with McBrine, while Hasan Murad (4-60) caught McBrine in front of the stumps soon afterwards. Jordan Neill (36) and Barry McCarthy (25) put up a brave fight, but Murad struck again and Taijul took the final wicket to polish off the match. Ireland won the toss and chose to bat, but were restricted to only 286 in the first innings.
A Dhaka court has ordered authorities to send Dhaka University (DU) Chemistry Professor Ershad Halim to jail in a sexual harassment case initiated by a student. Halim was arrested late on Thursday night at his Shewrapara residence by Mirpur Model Police. Halim allegedly invited the student to his Shewrapara residence, where the student claims he was sexually harassed. The complaint said Halim called the student again, and due to the professor’s “homosexual behaviour”, the student initially refused to visit. “We immediately suspended [Halim] from all academic duties, and the complaint has been sent to the Sexual Harassment Cell.
He said the commission approved the action after receiving allegations of money laundering and reviewing the preliminary evidence from its investigation. According to the chargesheet, Khokon and Shahana allegedly channelled funds using seven accounts across City Bank, EXIM Bank, and Premier Bank through their company Sayeed Khokon Properties, moving the total sum through layering. The ACC said Shahana provided “false and misleading” information about her profession, income, and identity when opening the accounts. Her brother, then serving as mayor, allegedly colluded with the company’s manager Md Raju Ahmed to acquire this money as illicit assets through repeated transactions. The ACC said Khokon, Shahana, and Raju allegedly violated Sections 409, 420, and 109 of the Penal Code, Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, and Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.
The interim government’s decision to hold the referendum on the July National Charter on the same day as the national parliamentary election “does not meet the people’s aspirations”, says Jamaat-e-Islami. He said, “On behalf of the Jamaat-e-Islami, I would like to state very clearly that the chief advisor’s announcement of a referendum and a national election on the same day did not fulfil the people’s aspirations. The intention of the people was to propose amendments to the Constitution based on the legal basis of the July Charter and the reforms that were made before the national election. These must be presented to the nation before the general election. There is no answer to this.”The Jamaat leader said, “We, along with eight Islamic and patriotic parties, have been demanding that this vote be held before the national elections to resolve the crisis.
The Election Commission (EC) is going to hold internal discussions before forming an opinion on the proposal to hold the next parliamentary election and the referendum on implementing the July Charter on the same day in FebruaryOn Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin made the comment after talks with six political parties at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. He said: “Once we are formally informed of the matter, we will exercise our options and discuss it in the commission to arrive at an opinion. “I haven’t had the chance to hear his speech. Without knowing exactly what he said or what the proposal entails, it wouldn’t be right to make any remarks,” Nasir said. He added that the commission would deliberate and provide its opinion once the proposal is received formally.
Senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed has alleged that Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus “violated” the July National Charter in his televised address to the nation on Thursday. “In his speech, the chief advisor breached the signed July National Charter,” the Standing Committee member said in an immediate reaction after the broadcast. “He signed the National Charter, and with this address he has violated it. Also on Thursday, President Md Shahabuddin issued the July National Charter (Implementation) Order, setting out the questions to be put to the referendum. BNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has convened an emergency meeting of the party’s Standing Committee for the evening.
Police have arrested 43 workers of the Awami League and its affiliates in raids across Dhaka. In a statement released on Thursday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said its detectives made the arrests. The Awami League, whose activities have been banned, announced protest programmes across the country from Nov 10 to Nov 13 as the date for Hasina’s trial verdict approached. It also announced a “Dhaka Lockdown” programme for Thursday in response to the announcement of the verdict date. Sporadic incidents of crude bomb blast and vehicle torching took place in Dhaka and parts of the country amid the AL protest programme.
The question on which referendum will be held in FebruaryChief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has sought to put an end to the political debate by setting the date for the referendum on the same day as the parliamentary election. "These include the decision to hold a referendum on the Charter's constitutional amendment proposals and subsequently form a Constitutional Reform Council." Announcing the holding of the referendum, he said: "Considering all matters, we have decided that the referendum will be held on the same day as the next parliamentary election. Like the national election, the referendum will also be held on the same day in early February. On the day of the referendum, you will indicate your opinion on these four issues with a single question by voting “Yes” or “No”.
A group of people have vandalised and torched the Awami League’s central office in Gulistan. They entered the office chanting slogans against the Awami League after 1pm on Thursday, and vandalised it. Around 1 pm, a group marched into the office, vandalised and set fire to it. The Awami League’s central office in Gulistan was also looted and set on fire. Banners with the names of different “July Warriors” have been hung up there at different times.
A court has sentenced Rezaul Karim Reza to death in a case for killing his wife, Dr Jannatul Naim Siddika, after taking her to a residential hotel in Dhaka's Kalabagan. According to the case dossier, Reza and Jannatul met through social media in 2019. Since they eloped in secret from their families, they lived at different residential hotels at different times as husband and wife. On Aug 12, 2022, Reza took Jannatul to a residential hotel in Panthapath on the pretext of celebrating her birthday. Jannatul's father Shafiqul Alam filed a murder case with Kalabagan Police Station over the killing.
The central office of the Workers Party of Bangladesh at Topkhana Road has been attacked in the early hours on Thursday. In a press statement, the Workers Party Politburo protested the incident saying: "From 11pm to 12:30am, the Workers' Party central office was attacked and vandalised by government-backed mob criminals." The statement said that in the name of preventing the “lockdown programme” announced by the Awami League, more than 100 people attacked the Workers’ Party central office while chanting slogans supporting Dr Yunus and also Islamic slogans at 11pm on Nov 12. They demand a fair investigation and trial into the attack on the Workers' Party office and the release of office assistant Monir Hossain. Shahbagh Police Station OC Khalid Mansur said the leaders and activists of NCP were present at the scene, saw one suspect roaming near the Workers’ Party office and informed the police.
India's air force chief made the inaugural landing of a military transport aircraft at a new airbase capable of fighter jet operations close to the disputed Himalayan border with China, a defence official said on Thursday. The Indian Air Force and the defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The new airbase, the region's third such key station, is just 30km (19 miles) from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Mistrust persists between China and India despite the thaw, Indian analysts and officials say, with the Indian Army chief pointing this year to continued heightened troop presence and infrastructure build-up on the border by both sides. India and China share a poorly demarcated border that stretches 3,800km (2,400 miles) and has been disputed since the 1950s.
July Charter referendum to be held on same day as general election, says Chief Advisor YunusChief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has announced that the referendum to implement the July National Charter and the parliamentary election will be held on the same day in February next year. That is, the referendum will be held on the same day as the national elections, in the first half of February. The recommendation stated that the referendum could be held before the parliamentary elections or on the same day as the parliamentary elections after the order was issued. The BNP and some like-minded parties took a stand in favour of holding the referendum on the same day as the general election. On Thursday, the Advisory Council in a meeting chaired by Chief Advisor Yunus at his office approved the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order, 2025.
