Bangladesh | Pakistan

Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death in absentia on Monday for her deadly crackdown on student protesters last year, has been a dominant figure in the South Asian nation for half a century, a career rooted in bloodshed. Thrust into prominence with the assassination of her father, independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and much of her family in a military coup, Hasina early on fought for democracy, but her long reign as prime minister became marked by arrests of opposition leaders, crackdowns on free speech and suppression of dissent. She was found guilty of ordering lethal force by a tribunal in the capital Dhaka 15 months after resigning and fleeing to India in the face of a student-led uprising that killed hundreds or more. Students celebrate after the verdict on cases against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 17, 2025. — Reuters Joined rival to seek democracy before feud Despite criticism of her years in power, Hasina, 78, was credited with turning around t...

ISLAMABAD - Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, concluded his official visit to Bangladesh, alongside the port visit of PNS SAIF at Chattogram.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf on Thursday concluded his visit to Bangladesh, where he met with Dhaka’s senior military leadership and discussed regional maritime security and avenues to bolster defence cooperation, a statement from the Navy’s Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) read. According to the statement, the navy chief’s visit coincided with the PNS Saif warship being docked at Bangladesh’s Chattogram port. “This milestone visit symbolises a renewed chapter in fostering mutual respect, bilateral naval collaboration and contributing to strengthening maritime security cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh,” the statement said. During his visit, Admiral Ashraf called on Bangladeshi army chief General Wakeruz Zaman, navy chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, air force chief Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and the Principal Staff Officer Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan. “During the meetings, discussions on matters of mutual professional interest, reg...

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has opened an inquiry after former women’s captain Jahanara Alam accused former and serving officials of sexual harassment. The 32-year-old pacer, in an interview on a YouTube channel, accused officials including then selector and manager Manjurul Islam of sexual harassment during the 2022 Women’s World Cup in South Africa. Manjurul, who is currently in China, rejected the allegations as “baseless”. Describing an incident during the 2022 World Cup, Jahanara alleged that Manjurul “made inappropriate physical contact”, claiming he “often hugged or pressed female players to his chest” under the pretext of encouragement. “You can ask other girls in the team”, Manjurul said. “This is all false.” Manjurul, 46, a former left-arm seamer, played 12 Tests and 34 ODIs for Bangladesh between 1999 and 2004, before serving in various coaching and managerial roles. Jahanara took 48 wickets in ODIs, and 60 in T20s, across 135 white-ball matches for her country. She also named other BCB officials,...

Gunmen on motorbikes attacked a Bangladesh political rally, killing one person and wounding two others, including a candidate, officials said on Thursday, after parties began campaigning for landmark elections. Major parties opened their campaigns on Wednesday for the elections slated for February 2026, the first since a deadly uprising last year toppled the autocratic government of former ruler Sheikh Hasina. Campaigning turned violent almost immediately. The shooting took place at a rally on Wednesday for the powerful Bangladesh National Party (BNP) attended by hundreds in the port city of Chattogram, police said. Senior BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, “It was an attempt to destabilise politics and disrupt the election”. Major parties have unveiled their candidate lists, with the BNP saying this week that 80-year-old leader and three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia will run again, as well as her son, Tarique Rahman. The BNP are widely seen as the frontrunner in the polls. Police said the gunme...

Millions of supporters of Bangladesh’s Awami League will boycott next year’s national election, after the party was barred from contesting the polls, ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Reuters on Wednesday from her exile in New Delhi. Hasina, 78, said she would not return to Bangladesh under any government formed after elections that exclude her party, and plans to remain in India, where she fled in August 2024 following a deadly student-led uprising. An interim government headed by Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus has governed Bangladesh since Hasina’s ouster and has pledged to hold elections next February. “The ban on the Awami League is not only unjust, it is self-defeating,” Hasina said in emailed responses to Reuters. “The next government must have electoral legitimacy. Millions of people support the Awami League, so as things stand, they will not vote. You cannot disenfranchise millions of people if you want a political system that works.” Hopes Awami League will be allowed to contest Banglades...

ISLAMABAD - General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, NI, NI (M), Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), while on an official visit to Bangladesh, called on General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army, at Army Headquarters, Dhaka, a statement from ISPR said yesterday.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza is on an official visit to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, where he met with Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman at the Bangladesh Army Headquarters in Dhaka.

Pakistan and Bangladesh have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral defence and security cooperation, recognizing its importance in promoting regional peace and stability.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Bangladesh’s air and navy chiefs have vowed to improve defence and security collaboration, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday. Ever since a popular uprising in Bangladesh toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in August last year, there has been a thaw in ties between Islamabad and Dhaka, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement. According to the press release by the ISPR, during an official visit to Bangladesh, Gen Mirza held separate meetings with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen S.M. Kamrul Hassan. “Both sides expressed optimism about improving defence and security collaboration and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding military-to-military engagements and related initiatives,” the military’s media wing said. ...

A fire at a garment factory in Bangladesh and a chemical warehouse adjacent to it on Tuesday killed at least 16 people and injured several, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continued, an official said. “Sixteen bodies have been recovered from the second and third floors of the garment factory,” fire service director Tajul Islam Chowdhury said, adding that the number of deaths could rise as recovery operations were continuing. He said the cause of the blaze wasn’t immediately known. The fire broke out at around midday on the third floor of the seven-storey factory in the Mirpur area of the capital Dhaka, before spreading to a chemical warehouse storing bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide, Talha Bin Jashim, another fire department official said, citing witnesses. Grief-stricken relatives gathered in search of their loved ones, some clutching photographs. A relative mourns while holding a picture of a missing girl following a fire that broke out at a garment factory and a chemic...

South Africa’s lower order once again came to the rescue after a top order collapse, edging out Bangladesh by three wickets in a nail-biting finish in the Women’s World Cup in Visakhapatnam on Monday. Chasing 233, the Proteas were on the ropes at 78-5, but their tail refused to throw in the towel, showing the same grit that saw them turn the tables on India in their previous outing. A gutsy 85-run stand for the sixth wicket between Marizanne Kapp, who made 56, and Chloe Tryon, 62, steadied the ship and gave the chase a fresh lease of life. Both batters brought up their half-centuries, but their dismissals reopened the door for Bangladesh, who sniffed an upset. Then, Nadine de Klerk, South Africa’s player for a crisis, walked in and saw her side over the line. Her unbeaten 37 off 29 deliveries guided her side home with three balls to spare. “I am lost for words, actually. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but I’m happy we pulled this off,” said Tryon, who was named player-of-the-match. “We just wanted to stay calm ...

In flood-prone regions of Bangladesh, solar-powered “floating schools” ensure children do not miss class when rising waters cut off roads and villages. One of them is 10-year-old Safikul Islam. Each morning, he waits on the edge of his flooded village in Bhangura, western Bangladesh, for the solar-powered classroom that sails right to his doorstep. His home lies deep in Chalan Beel, a sprawling 26-square-kilometre (10 sq miles) wetland where seasonal floods often cut off roads and submerge entire villages. Students get off the boat-school, built by an NGO named Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, after the class, in Bhangura area of Pabna, Bangladesh, on September 25. — Reuters But for Islam and hundreds of other children, education floats. The initiative, launched in 2002 by architect Mohammed Rezwan using $500 of his scholarship money, has grown into a nationwide model run by the non-profit Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (SSS). Now, more than 100 boats serve as schools, libraries, and clinics. The project has educa...

Bangladesh kicked off their 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup campaign in style, cantering past Pakistan’s modest 129 with seven wickets and 18.5 overs to spare in Colombo on Thursday. Debuting opener Rubya Haider announced herself with an unbeaten half-century, steering the chase with the composure of a seasoned pro as Bangladesh barely broke sweat in pursuit of the below-par target. But it was their bowlers who set the tone. Lone seamer Marufa Akter struck with a double blow in her very first over — two wickets in successive balls — before a spin web tightened the screws on a hesitant Pakistan line-up. “We are thrilled to get a win under our belt in our first outing,” said Marufa. “There was a lot of support from my teammates. Special credit to our team analyst who fed me with some valuable input leading into the game. “We showed lot of energy on the field and we take lot of positives from this game.” With a rich spin arsenal at their disposal, Bangladesh never let Pakistan off the hook. Left-arm spinner Nahid...

India secured their place in the men’s Asia Cup final on Wednesday as Abhishek Sharma starred with 75 in a 41-run win over Bangladesh in Dubai. The holders posted 168-6 batting first after stumbling following a quick start, but their spinners helped stifle Bangladesh to 127 all out. The result means Sri Lanka are out of the tournament, with Thursday’s Super Four match between Pakistan and Bangladesh to decide who faces India in Sunday’s final. Abhishek has enjoyed a remarkable start to his T20 international career with 783 runs from 22 matches at a strike-rate of 197.72. The opener set up victory with another brilliant innings, striking six sixes and five fours in his 37-ball blitz, which ended with a run-out caused by a mix-up with captain Suryakumar Yadav. Both Abhishek and fellow opener Shubman Gill, who made 29, started cautiously before the two took on left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed, smashing 21 runs off the fourth over. Abhishek reached his fifty off just 25 balls after Gill fell to leg-spinner Rishad Hos...

Half-centuries by Towhid Hridoy (58) and Saif Hassan (61) powered Bangladesh to an exciting four-wicket win in the Super Four stage of the men’s Asia Cup against former champions Sri Lanka in Dubai on Saturday. Having been rolled over by Sri Lanka in the first round, Bangladesh got their act together after winning the toss and choosing to bowl first. Bangladesh required 10 runs off 10 balls with seven wickets in hand but the dismissal of Hridoy spiced things up. He was trapped leg before by Dushmantha Chameera in the 19th over, and Dasun Shanaka then struck twice in the last over to keep the contest alive. In the end, tail-ender Nasum Ahmed scampered a cheeky single to cover off the penultimate ball to see Bangladesh home. Their bowlers had set it up by limiting Sri Lanka to 168 for seven on a belter of a track and thanks to Hridoy and Hassan, Bangladesh crossed the line with one delivery to spare. Sri Lanka could have been bundled out for much less, but three spilt catches let them off the hook. In the end, ...

Sri Lanka won against Bangladesh with ease in their first Twenty20 International (T20I) encounter of the men’s Asia Cup 2025 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The Sri Lankan men’s side chased down the target in just 15 overs after restricting the Tigers to 139 in the first innings. Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka had won the toss in Abu Dhabi and elected to bowl in their first match of the Asia Cup. Bangladesh made one change to their playing eleven from their victory over Hong Kong, as left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam came in for the right-arm Taskin Ahmed. Bangladesh skipper Litton Das had top-scored with 59 as Bangladesh beat a spirited Hong Kong by seven wickets in their first match of the Asia Cup on Thursday. The eight-nation T20 tournament began on Tuesday with Afghanistan beating Hong Kong by 94 runs. Pakistan, India, Oman and UAE are in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Bangladesh form Group B. The top two teams from each Group will qualify for the Super Four stage. The top two teams will ...

Skipper Litton Das top-scored with 59 as Bangladesh beat a spirited Hong Kong by seven wickets in their first match of the Asia Cup on Thursday. Hong Kong posted 143-7 after Nizakat Khan made 42 in the T20 meeting in Abu Dhabi, where the minnows were invited to bat first. Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase to raise Hong Kong’s hopes of an upset, but Litton put on a stand of 95 with Towhid Hridoy, who made an unbeaten 35, to reach 144-3 in 17.4 overs. Litton reached his 50 in 33 balls but fell to medium-pace bowler Ateeq Iqbal before Towhid hit the winning run. It was Hong Kong’s second straight defeat in Group B, which includes Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan beat Hong Kong by 94 runs in the tournament opener. Hong Kong lost two early wickets before Nizakat paired up with Zeeshan Ali, who made 30, in a third-wicket stand of 41. Nizakat then got into another partnership of 46 with skipper Yasim Murtaza, who hit 28 off 19 balls, as the two counter-attacked. Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman bo...

Bangladesh has announced 500 new scholarships for talented Pakistani students in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to constitute a joint working group for the promotion of Interfaith Harmony between the two countries.