Bangladesh | Pakistan

Bangladesh recorded 194 child deaths due to measles in an outbreak that began last month, while the number of suspected child cases exceeded 28,000, the government data showed on Thursday. Between three and five children died from the disease every day for the past week. Five children died on Wednesday, including three in the capital Dhaka, and another five on Thursday. The government said it launched a robust nationwide vaccination programme since the outbreak began on March 15, the worst in the South Asian nation for decades. “Our target is to vaccinate 18 million children,” health department spokesman Zahid Raihan told AFP. “So far, we have covered a little over one-fourth of our target, and it may take another two weeks to see the impact of this vaccination programme.” Md Sajib and Afsin Meem lost their three-year-old son, their only child, on Tuesday, and a photograph of a relative carrying his tiny body along a road was shared extensively on news sites. “After noticing a rash on our son’s skin, we rushe...

Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed as head coach for the two-match Test series in Bangladesh next month, the Pakistan Sports Board (PCB) said on Saturday. The first of the two matches – part of the ICC World Test Championship — will be played at Sher-i-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from May 8 to 12, while Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will host the second Test, which will be played from May 16 to 20. Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title in 2017, has worked with the under-19 team as well as Pakistan Shaheens after his retirement. Since Australian Jason Gillespie quit as Pakistan’s red-ball coach in December 2024, Aaqib Javed and Azhar Mahmood temporarily guided the team led by Shan Masood, who will continue as captain in Bangladesh. Pakistan have named four uncapped players — Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori — to their 16-member squad for the Bangladesh series starting in Dhaka on May 8. Sarfaraz’s former teammate Umar Gul will j...

DHAKA: A self-proclaimed spiritual leader was beaten to death by a mob in Bangladesh on Saturday, officials said, in the latest violence fuelled by religious tensions in the country. Muslim-majority Bangladesh has seen a sharp rise in religious intolerance and mob violence since the 2024 uprising that toppled the government of former premier Sheikh Hasina. Shamim Reza Jahangir, believed to be in his 60s, died from his injuries after hundreds of people stormed his residence in Kushtia district and thrashed him with sticks, chief administrative official Touhid bin Hasan said. The mob was angered after an old video of the man resurfaced online on Fri­day. He had uttered remarks against the Holy Quran. “Sensing that something might happen, police went to the spot, and the administration tried their best. But an angry mob of more than 200 people attacked his residence,” bin Hasan said. Jahangir was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Police sources said that Jahangir had been briefly arres...

Bangladesh’s foreign minister met his Indian counterpart in New Delhi on Wednesday, the most senior visit by a Dhaka envoy since the 2024 revolution toppled India’s old ally, Sheikh Hasina. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is taking part in a “goodwill visit”, Bangladesh’s state news agency BSS said, but added that issues of “extradition, trade, water sharing and border security” would be discussed. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Dhaka in December to attend the funeral of former leader Khaleda Zia, the mother of the prime minister elected in February, Tarique Rahman. Jaishankar said he had been “pleased to host” Khalilur Rahman, saying in a statement that they had discussed “strengthening our bilateral relationship”, without giving further details. Relations have improved since Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, won a landslide election victory, taking over from the interim administration that had led the country of 170 million people since Hasina was ousted. ...

Bangladesh said it suspected measles killed at least 98 children in the past three weeks, official data showed on Sunday, with Dhaka ramping up vaccination efforts in the worst-affected areas. Last week, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed two senior ministers to travel across the South Asian nation of 170 million people in an effort to assess the scale of the crisis to help coordinate a response. Health ministry data released on Sunday showed that children aged between six months and five years old with suspected measles symptoms soared to 6,476. “Compared with past years, the number of affected children is higher, and the death toll is higher too,” Halimur Rashid, director at the Communicable Disease Control, told AFP, referring to the number in suspected cases. The largest number of suspected cases on record was in 2005 at 25,934, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data, though that number had significantly declined until this year. Rashid attributed the potential outbreak to “multifactorial c...

Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s entertainment venture JioStar has terminated its broadcast deals in Bangladesh for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, saying its local partner defaulted on payments, according to a document seen by Reuters. Bangladesh in January banned IPL broadcasts after one of its teams, Kolkata Knight Riders, dropped Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman at the Indian cricket board’s instruction, just as tensions rose between the two countries following the killing of a Hindu man in Bangladesh. Though Bangladesh is reviewing the ban and had on Saturday said any further steps will depend on the opinion of its sports ministry, the termination by JioStar means there will be no local broadcaster for the IPL season, even if the country were to change its stance. “The agreement stands terminated with immediate effect,” JioStar said in a letter dated February 17 to Bangladesh broadcaster TSports, which had sublicensed the rights from JioStar for IPL seasons from 2023 to 2027. The ...

Bangladesh clinched a three-match series against Pakistan 2-1 as the Green Shirts faced a narrow defeat in the third one-day international (ODI) match at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Sunday. Chasing a total of 291 runs, Pakistan’s batters fell short by 11 runs as a fighting 106-run knock by Salman Agha went in vain. Green Shirts lost early wickets as openers Sahizada Farhaan and Maaz Sadaqat went back to the pavilion after scoring just six runs each. Debutant Saad Masood scored 38 runs, while captain Shaheen Afridi added 37 runs to the scoreboard. Bangladesh’s Taskin Ahmed’s heroic 4-wicket haul was impressive as he also took the key wicket of Salman Agha, who was looking unswerving to outdo the winning mark. Mustafizur Rehman also grabbed three wickets, while Nahid Rana managed to secure two. Winning the toss, the visitors decided to bowl first in the series decider. Bangladesh’s openers provided a sturdy start to the innings with Tanzid Hasan scoring his maiden ODI century, which also...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Saturday it has officially reprimanded Salman Ali Agha for breaching Level 1 of its code of conduct during a One-Day International against Bangladesh. “Agha was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match’,” the ICC said in a statement. It stated that one demerit point has been added to Agha’s disciplinary record, for “whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period”. “The incident occurred in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings when, after being run out, Agha threw his batting gloves and helmet to the ground in an inappropriate manner,” the ICC noted. It added that Agha “admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Neeyamur Rashid Rahul of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing”. On-field umpires Adr...

Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 128 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the rain-affected second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday. Maaz Sadaqat was the stand-out performer of the game, blasting a rapid 75 for Pakistan before picking up three wickets. Chasing a revised target of 243 in 32 overs after a two-hour rain and hailstorm delay, Bangladesh collapsed for 114 in 23.3 overs despite a brief counterattack from Litton Das. Bangladesh had already been in trouble before the weather halted play. Tanzid Hasan fell early for one, caught at backward square leg off Shaheen Shah Afridi, while Saif Hassan departed for 12 after offering a catch to short mid-off off Mohammad Wasim Jr. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was bowled by Shaheen for a duck, leaving the hosts reeling at 27 for 3 in 6.3 overs when a sudden thunderstorm accompanied by hail forced the players off the field. When play resumed, Litton attempted to revive the chase with a series of boundaries, including two six...

Bangladesh pace sensation Nahid Rana claimed his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals to lead his team to a crushing eight-wicket win over Pakistan in their opening match on Wednesday. Rana returned figures of 5-24 to skittle out Pakistan for 114, a total Bangladesh overhauled in 15.1 overs of the 50-over contest in Mirpur to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Opener Tanzid Hasan hammered an unbeaten 67 off 42 balls and put on a second-wicket partnership of 82 with Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made 27, in a statement win. Saif Hassan fell early for four, while Litton Das remained unbeaten on three with Tanzid. Earlier, Nahid laid the platform for victory with his outstanding spell in his seven overs to bowl out Pakistan for their lowest ODI total against Bangladesh, eclipsing the previous 161 during the 1999 World Cup. The 23-year-old Nahid ripped through Pakistan’s top order, becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to dismiss the opposition’s top five batters in an ODI innings. Nahid removed ...

Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam was dropped from the squad for a One-Day International series against Bangladesh, despite scoring a century in his last ODI series. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-man squad on Wednesday that excluded Babar who made an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in November. He endured a torrid time at the Twenty20 World Cup, however, managing just 91 runs across four innings as Pakistan exited at the Super Eight stage. Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain the side for the three-match series starting next week in Dhaka. The PCB called up six uncapped players including Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain who played against the England Lions in Abu Dhabi before the series was called off due to the conflict in the Middle East. Pakistan squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Muhammad Ghazi ...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday that the Green Shirts would tour Bangladesh in March for a three-match One Day International (ODI) series. In a press release, the PCB said, “Pakistan men’s cricket team will tour Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, the Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed on Friday.” It said that the team would arrive in Bangladesh on March 9 and hold a training session the next day, ahead of the opening ODI against the hosts on March 11. The board added that the second ODI would be played on March 13, while the third and final match was scheduled for March 15. It added that all three matches would be played at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. “This will be Pakistan’s second tour of Bangladesh since July 2025. Pakistan last toured Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series in July, which the hosts won 2-1. Meanwhile, Bangladesh toured Pakistan for a three-match T20I series in May/June last year, which the Salman Ali Agha-led side won 3-0,” the PCB said. The ...

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has named a former commerce minister to steer the country’s troubled economy and kept the defence portfolio for himself as he formed his first cabinet. Rahman was sworn into office on Tuesday after a landslide election victory, taking over from the interim administration that had led the country of 170 million people since a deadly 2024 uprising that toppled the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina. The 50-member cabinet announced in a gazette notification issued late Tuesday includes Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, 76, a businessman and veteran lawmaker who has now returned to the finance ministry. Chowdhury is tasked with reviving growth after months of turmoil that rattled investor confidence in the world’s second-largest garment exporter. He had previously served in the cabinet of Rahman’s late mother, three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia, but was forced to resign in 2004. According to media reports, his resignation came after he had granted permission for Taiwa...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday conveyed heartfelt congratulations to Tarique Rahman following his swearing-in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister on Tuesday, marking a decisive political shift in the South Asian nation after his party’s sweeping parliamentary election victory. Rahman, 60, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman, takes office facing urgent challenges, including restoring political stability, rebuilding investor confidence, and reviving key industries such as the garment sector after the prolonged turmoil that followed the Gen Z-led uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024. An interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus ran the country through the transitional period leading up to the election. Breaking with tradition, the swearing-in ceremony was held under the open sky at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the national parliament building, instead of the Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence, where such events are usually organised. President M...

Long overshadowed by his parents and heir to one of Bangladesh’s most powerful political dynasties, the country’s new prime minister, Tarique Rahman has finally stepped into the spotlight. At 60, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) takes charge of the South Asian nation of 170 million, driven by what he calls an ambition to “do better”. A year-and-a-half after the deadly uprising that toppled previous prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s iron-fisted rule, the BNP won a “sweeping victory” in parliamentary elections on February 12. He was sworn in on Tuesday, leading a more than two-thirds majority in parliament. “This victory belongs to people who aspire to and have sacrificed for democracy,” he said in a speech. His rise marks a remarkable turnaround for a man who only returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile in Britain, far from Dhaka’s political storms. Widely known as Tarique Zia, he carries a political name that has shaped every stage of his life. He was 15 when his father, Pr...

Pakistan has received an invitation to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Bangladesh’s new prime minister scheduled to be held in Dhaka on Feb 17, the Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday.

• Bangladesh’s PM-to-be pledges to restore governance, economy; vows to fix ‘broken’ systems • Urges unity as BNP sweeps first polls since 2024 uprising DHAKA: Bangladesh’s prime minister-in-waiting Tarique Rahman on Saturday dedicated his party’s landslide election victory to the citizens who “sacrificed for democracy” during the deadly 2024 uprising and pledged to prioritise the restoration of economy and governance. Rahman, the 60-year-old scion of one of the nation’s most powerful political dynasties, called for national unity as he prepared to lead the South Asian nation of 170 million people following the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s sweeping success in Thursday’s vote. He will take over from an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has steered Bangladesh since a student-led uprising ousted Hasina in August 2024. “This victory belongs to Bangladesh, belongs to democracy,” Rahman said in his first speech since the vote. “This victory belongs to people who aspire to and have sac...

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Saturday expressed gratitude to President Asif Ali Zardari for his congratulations following the party’s decisive victory in Bangladesh’s general elections.

Bangladesh’s Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) party conceded defeat in elections on Saturday, despite earlier alleging problems with the vote count, clearing the way for nationalist leader Tarique Rahman to become prime minister. Election Commission figures showed Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had won a landslide victory in the elections on Thursday, the first since a deadly 2024 uprising ousted the iron-fisted rule of Sheikh Hasina. The success of BNP chief Rahman, 60, marks a remarkable turnaround for a man who only returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in exile in Britain, far from Dhaka’s political storms. Tarique Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in a car on his way to the mosque to attend Friday prayer, as results project BNP’s victory in the 13th general election, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 13, 2026. — Reuters Rahman, the scion of one of Bangladesh’s most powerful political dynasties, is expected to make a victory speech later on Saturday. His father, president...