Bangladesh | Pakistan

The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has issued a tender to purchase 100,000 tonnes of rice for supply to Bangladesh, it emerged on Monday. After decades of troubled relations, Islamabad and Dhaka have seen improved ties and increased bilateral engagement since the August 2024 ouster of ex-premier Sheikh Hasina. The deadline for submission of price offers is 11:30am on November 28, according to the TCP tender issued on November 20, which was seen by Dawn. The tender invites “separate sealed bids” from companies, partnerships and sole proprietors for buying 100,000 tonnes of long grain white rice (IRRI-6) “for export to Bangladesh in the shape of break bulk cargo” through Karachi ports. Price offers have to be valid for 21 working days after submission. The rice must be available for shipment within 45 days after the contract award. The bids shall be submitted for a minimum quantity of 25,000 tonnes, or multiples thereof, and a maximum quantity of 100,000 tonnes, +/- 5 per cent MOLSO (5pc variance margin)...

Pakistan Shaheens defended a modest 125 to beat Bangladesh ‘A’ in a nerve-shredding Super Over thriller and successfully defend their Asia Cup Rising Stars title at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on Sunday night. In a final that swung wildly in the space of 40 minutes, Pakistan were bowled out for 125 after yet another top-order meltdown, only for their spinners to rip through Bangladesh ‘A’ and leave them reeling at 53 for 7. A gritty 43-run eighth-wicket stand between Rakibul Hasan and SM Meherob threatened the unthinkable, before three huge sixes in the 19th over from Abdul Gaffar Saqlain took the game to a Super Over. Ahmed Daniyal lean-bowled both batters in the first four balls of the Super Over to restrict Bangladesh to just six. Ripon Mondol, Bangladesh’s hero with the ball in the main game, started superbly with two yorkers but Saad Masood’s flicked four off the third legitimate delivery sealed a famous victory for Pakistan Shaheens. Earlier, Shaheens’ batting woes resurfaced...

Pakistan on Friday said that the recent death sentence for former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina was an “internal matter” for the country and that its people were fully capable of solving their own issues. A Bangladesh court had sentenced Hasina to death on Monday, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. The ruling came months ahead of parliamentary elections expected to be held in early February. Addressing his weekly press briefing today, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said several queries were received regarding the development, on which he said: “This is an internal matter of Bangladesh. The people of Bangladesh are fully capable of addressing their issues in accordance with their own democratic and constitutional processes.” Hasina 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 kil...

At least five people, including a child, were killed and around 100 injured when a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday, the government said, with buildings damaged in many areas including the densely populated capital Dhaka. Tremors were felt in eastern states in neighbouring India that border Bangladesh, but there were no immediate reports of major damage there, authorities said. View this post on Instagram Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, said the injured included students from Dhaka University, factory workers in the city of Gazipur and residents of Narsingdi, the epicenter of the earthquake. His statement gave no details of how the five died. Police said earlier three people had been killed when the railing of a six-storey building collapsed during the earthquake. Several of the injured taken to hospital from Narsingdi, about 40 kilometres east of Dhaka, were in a critical condition, health adviser Nurjahan Begum told reporters. Dhaka residents rushed out of th...

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday said that Pakistan had moved past “bitter memories” and urged the forging of a new future with Bangladesh amid the recent warming of ties between the two countries. 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. Fazl is currently on a visit to the country and called for stron­ger ties, telling a large religious gathering that a shared “unity of faith was a stronger bond between the two nations that cannot be abolished”. Addressing a gathering of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam members today at Dhaka’s Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre as the chief guest with several other Bengali political parties in attendance, Fazl said: “Pakistan wants Bangladesh’s prosperity and stability, has forgotten the bitter memories of the past.” He reiterated that the people of Pakista...

A Bangladesh court sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death on Monday, concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. The ruling comes months ahead of parliamentary elections expected to be held in early February. Hasina’s Awami League party has been barred from contesting and it is feared that Monday’s verdict could stoke fresh unrest ahead of the vote. The International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes court located in the capital Dhaka, delivered the guilty verdict amid tight security and in Hasina’s absence after she fled to India in August 2024. View this post on Instagram Hasina, 78, defied court orders that she return from India to attend her trial about whether she ordered a deadly crackdown against the student-led uprising that ousted her. She called the guilty verdict and death sentence in her crimes against humanity trial “biased and politically motivated”. “The verdicts announced against me hav...

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...