Bangladesh | Pakistan

Bangladesh has asked India to clarify its stance on exiled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s planned virtual address from New Delhi, warning that allowing political activities by a fugitive could hurt improving bilateral relations. The remarks were Bangladesh’s first official response to Hasina’s planned appearance at an August 5 event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi, marking the second anniversary of the student-led uprising that toppled her government. The issue comes as Dhaka continues to seek Hasina’s extradition from India, where she has lived since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024. Despite multiple cases against her, Hasina told Reuters in an interview that she plans to return to Bangladesh in December. “We are moving forward with India with a forward-looking approach. We don’t want that progress to be affected,” Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam told reporters late on Monday. “India has to be clear about its stance.” The FCCSA s...

MG JW will export 100 vehicles to Bangladesh during the current year

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Bangladesh reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors, including trade, education, social welfare and people-to-people exchanges, while underscoring the importance of strengthening collaboration on women’s empowerment within the Organization of.

Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be jailed if she returns from self-imposed exile in India, a senior official said on Monday, days after Hasina told Reuters she planned to go back in December and surrender to a court. Hasina faces a death sentence in Bangladesh and her party is banned following a popular uprising against her long rule in 2024, which the United Nations said killed 1,400 people. She has been living in New Delhi since August of that year. “Sheikh Hasina is a convicted criminal. If she surrenders, action will be taken against her as per the laws of Bangladesh,” Shama Obaed Islam, Bangladesh’s state minister for foreign affairs, told reporters. “She will have to go to jail and further proceedings will follow as per the provisions of the law.” The country’s war-crimes court sentenced Hasina in November to death in absentia for ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising. She has denied the charges from exile. Bangladesh is now governed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’...

Hasina faces a death sentence in Bangladesh, and her party is banned following a popular uprising against her rule

Flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains have killed at least 50 people in Bangladesh in the past week, officials said on Sunday, with tens of thousands displaced from their homes. Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation criss-crossed by rivers, is highly vulnerable to floods and landslides during the monsoon season, but scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. For the last few days, army and border guard personnel have been ferrying food, drinking water and other essential supplies by boat to communities cut off because of heavy flooding in the country’s southeastern districts. As many as 50 people have died in the worst-affected Chattogram district in the past week, including 29 who were buried by landslides, divisional commissioner Mohammed Ziauddin told AFP by phone. “Two individuals are still missing,” he said. Some 35,000 people have been forced to seek shelter in government-run centres, he added. Among those caught up in the disaster ...

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to visit Malaysia and China on his first trip abroad since assuming office, the foreign ministry said on Saturday, bypassing neighbouring India as his inaugural destination. Rahman will visit Malaysia on Sunday before travelling to China the following day, Dhaka’s state-run BSS news agency reported, citing foreign ministry officials. In Beijing, trade and infrastructure projects will be on the agenda, according to the officials. Those could include Chinese support for the long-delayed Teesta project, a plan to restore and manage a key Bangladesh river through dredging, embankment construction and irrigation. “The visits are being viewed as a major diplomatic initiative aimed at strengthening Bangladesh’s economic partnerships,” BSS reported, citing the foreign ministry. Malaysia has an estimated 800,000 Bangladeshi workers, more than a third of its foreign workforce. Bangladeshi land is largely encircled by India, but relations have been strained since a 2024 ...

Bangladesh and India have agreed to deepen ​cooperation along their shared border with improved intelligence sharing and coordinated patrols, according ‌to a joint statement released on Friday, amid strained relations over alleged undocumented migration. Dhaka has accused Indian authorities of attempting to force migrants across the border without due process, complicating efforts to stabilise ties following the 2024 ousting of Sheikh ​Hasina and India’s broader effort to identify and deport undocumented migrants. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s ​Border Security Force (BSF) described the discussions as “cordial, positive and forward-looking”, according to the statement ⁠released at the end of a four-day meeting of top border officials in New Delhi. ​The regular talks also covered “illegal, inadvertent and forcible crossing at border areas,” an increasingly contentious issue in ​recent months. Bangladesh and India share a more than 4,000-kilometre border, one of the world’s longest. India’s ruling Bh...

UNITED NATIONS: Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was elected president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for its 81st session (2026–2027) on Tuesday, defeating Cyprus’s candidate Andreas S. Kakouris in a tightly fought vote that underscores the continuing importance of regional consensus-building within the global body. Rahman secured 99 votes in the 193-member UNGA, while Kakouris received 91 votes. There were no abstentions. The required majority for the election was 96 votes. How the election works The president of the UNGA is elected annually by the 193 member states, with each country holding one equal vote. According to the UN’s Rules of Procedure, the election is conducted by secret ballot unless members agree otherwise, and a candidate must obtain a simple majority of those present and voting to win. While the process is formally competitive, it is shaped in practice by a long-standing principle of geographical rotation, under which the presidency alternates among regional gro...

A rare albino buffalo in Bangladesh — nicknamed “Donald Trump” for its distinctive blond tuft — has been ​spared from Eidul Azha sacrifice after a ‌last-minute government intervention, a Home Ministry official said on Wednesday. The nearly 700-kg animal had already been sold for ritual ​slaughter when authorities stepped in, citing security ​concerns after a surge of public interest ahead ⁠of Thursday’s festival. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed ordered the ​buffalo be spared, the buyer refunded, and the animal ​moved to the national zoo in Dhaka. “At the last moment, the decision was taken to spare the buffalo from sacrifice due ​to security concerns and the unusual level of ​public interest,” a ministry official said. What began as a routine ‌Eid ⁠purchase quickly turned into a nationwide curiosity after videos went viral. Crowds gathered at the farm, with visitors travelling from far afield to see its blond ​fringe and calm ​demeanour. Farm owner ⁠Ziauddin Mridha said the name came from his younger brother, ...

Hundreds of people in India’s border region with Bangladesh have fled to the frontier, police said Wednesday, after the government ordered the construction of detention centres for undocumented Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya refugees. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in West Bengal state in early May with a hardline policy to “detect, delete and deport” illegal migrants. India’s right-wing have long argued that illegal migration is a national security threat, and warned of changing demography in India’s border states. West Bengal government’s last week ordered the setting up of “holding centres” for “apprehended foreigners”, singling out both Bangladeshis and Rohingya. The decision has fuelled anxiety among West Bengal’s roughly 35 million Muslims, many of whom share linguistic and cultural ties with neighbouring Bangladesh. Indian police officer Shirshendu Pati, from the Swarupnagar Police Station about 10 kilometres from the Bangladesh bo...

An albino buffalo in Bangladesh returned to its farm after authorities stopped its planned sacrifice

ISLAMABAD - A high-level delegation of senior civil servants from Bangladesh visited the Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan on Tuesday and held detailed discussions on constitutional governance, judicial reforms, and institutional cooperation with Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan and other judges of the court.

Spinner Taijul Islam took six wickets to lead Bangladesh to a 78-run win over Pakistan in the second Test and clinch a famous 2-0 series win on Wednesday. Pakistan, who started the fifth day on 316-7 while chasing a record 437, were bowled out for 328 in the first session in Sylhet after Mohammad Rizwan hit a valiant 94. It was Bangladesh’s first Test series win at home against Pakistan and a second successive sweep after their 2-0 triumph on Pakistani soil in 2024. Wicketkeeper Rizwan kept Pakistan in the hunt for an unlikely win with a 166-ball stay after the visitors had slumped to 162-5 on day four. Rizwan put on an eighth-wicket partnership of 54 with overnight partner Sajid Khan, who made 28. Taijul broke through to dismiss Sajid for his 18th Test five-wicket haul and Shoriful Islam had Rizwan caught in the next over to end Pakistan’s resistance. Taijul took the final wicket of Khurram Shahzad to return figures of 6-120 and trigger Bangladesh celebrations. The left-arm spinner also took 3-67 during Paki...

Bangladesh are three wickets away from a famous Test series win at home after spinner Taijul Islam took 4-113 to rattle Pakistan despite a rearguard by the opposition batters on Tuesday. Pakistan ended day four on 316-7, needing another 121 runs for victory in what would be a record chase of 437 on the fifth and final day in Sylhet. Mohammad Rizwan, on 75, and Sajid Khan, on eight, were unbeaten at the close of play. Left-arm spinner Taijul struck key blows, including Babar Azam for 47 and Salman Agha on 71, to keep Bangladesh in the hunt for their first-ever Test series win over Pakistan at home. Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan plays a shot during the fourth day of the second Test cricket match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on May 19, 2026. — AFP Bangladesh, who won the opener of the two-match series, also closed in on back-to-back Test series victories over Pakistan —having whitewashed them 2-0 on Pakistani soil in 2024. Pakistan slumped to 162-5 and were h...

ISLAMABAD - A twelve-member delegation of Senior Civil officers from the Government of Bangladesh on Monday visited the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Islamabad, as part of a foreign study tour programme aimed at promoting professional exchange and enhancing cooperation in the fields of public administration and.

Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim hit a glittering century as Bangladesh set Pakistan an imposing target of 427 to win the second Test after another commanding day for the hosts on Monday. Bangladesh posted 390 all out in their second innings on day three with Mushfiqur, who made 137, and Litton Das, who hit 69, putting together 123 runs for the fifth wicket. The 39-year-old Mushfiqur rolled back the years as he scored his 14th Test century, surpassing Mominul Haque’s record of 13 for Bangladesh. Pakistan openers Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal survived the last two overs of the day without scoring before bad light ended play. The visitors will need a record chase to level the two-match series after Bangladesh won the opener. Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam plays a shot during the third day of the second Test match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet, Bangladesh on May 18, 2026. — AFP West Indies currently hold the record for the 418 they scored to beat Australia in Anti...

Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy struck a fluent half-century after the bowlers dominated to put Bangladesh firmly in command of the second Test against Pakistan on Sunday. Bangladesh, who lead the two-match series 1-0, closed day two on 110-3 in their second innings, leading by 156 runs in Sylhet. Joy, who fell for a duck in the first innings, responded with 52 off 64 balls before falling to pace bowler Mohammad Abbas. Tanzid Hasan fell cheaply for four off quick bowler Khurram Shahzad, who later took down Mominul Haque for 30 in the final over of the day, while captain Najmul Hossain Shanto remained unbeaten on 13. Earlier, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and speedster Nahid Rana took three wickets each to bowl Pakistan out for 232, giving Bangladesh a 46-run first innings lead. Babar Azam’s 68, which included 10 fours, was the only significant resistance from the visitors. Pace spearhead Taskin Ahmed removed overnight openers Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais early and spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz dismissed skipper Shan ...

Litton Das struck a century to rescue Bangladesh from a top-order collapse, as the hosts posted 278 in their first innings of the second and final Test against Pakistan on Saturday. Pakistan reached 21-0 at stumps in reply with Azan Awais on 13 and Abdullah Fazal on 8 in Sylhet. Batting at number six, Litton struck 16 fours and two sixes in his 159-ball 126, his sixth Test century, after Bangladesh had been reduced to 116-6 after lunch. Pakistan, trailing 1-0 in the two-match series after a 104-run defeat in Mirpur, opted to bowl and the decision immediately paid off. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy fell for a duck, edging Mohammad Abbas to second slip off the second ball of the match. Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas (3R) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto during the first day of the second Test cricket match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on May 16, 2026. —Photo by Munir UZ ZAMAN / AFP Debutant Tanzid Hasa...

Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has said that Pakistan and Bangladesh share deep-rooted commonalities, including religion, culture, and values.