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☆ Myanmar Border Guards Flee to Bangladesh Amid Clashes With Rebels
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Ruma Paul and Sudipto GangulyDHAKA (Reuters) - At least 95 Myanmar border guards, some of them wounded, have fled to Bangladesh over the last few days as fighting intensifies between rebel forces in Myanmar and the junta regime, officials in Bangladesh said on Monday. Members of the Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) entered Bangladesh with their weapons and 15 of them had bullet wounds when they crossed the border, Shariful Islam, a spokesman for Border Guard Bangladesh, said on Monday, adding that the wounded received treatment at different hospitals. Bullets and mortar shells from across the Myanmar border landed on Bangladesh territory on Monday, killing at least two people, a government official in Cox's Bazar said. Panic has gripped the refugee camps in Myanmar with many waiting to cross over to Bangladesh as supply chains have been cut off due to the ongoing conflict, according to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Some of the Rohingya Muslims want to flee here as they are living in constant fear without basic needs," Rohingya refugee Oli Hossain said.

Persons: Ruma Paul, Sudipto Ganguly, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Rahman, Mohammad Shamsud Douza, Oli Hossain, Nick Macfie Organizations: Sudipto Ganguly DHAKA, Myanmar Border Guard Police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Locations: Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bangladesh's, Cox's Bazar, Islam, Bandarban, Bazar

☆ Bangladesh Welcomes Biden Letter on Support for Economic Goals
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said the U.S. is willing to work with Bangladesh to help the South Asian nation achieve its economic goals, nearly a month after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sworn in following an election boycotted by the opposition. Biden made his comments in a letter to Hasina, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters on Monday, adding through this letter ties between the two countries will advance further. Hasina and her party won a fourth straight term in the Jan. 7 election, which the main opposition dismissed as a sham. "We welcome the letter written by President Biden. "The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh's ambitious economic goals and partnering with Bangladesh on our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific," Biden said in his letter, provided to reporters.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sheikh Hasina, Biden, Hasina, Hasan Mahmud, Mahmud, Ruma Paul, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S . State Department, Reuters, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP Locations: DHAKA, U.S, Bangladesh, United States, Dhaka didn't, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Bangladesh opposition vows to continue protests despite 'autocratic' crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) join in a rally at Naya Paltan area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 28, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Bangladesh’s main opposition party said on Wednesday it would continue its anti-government protests despite what a rights group called an "autocratic crackdown" ahead of a general election in January. At least four people, including a policeman, have been killed and hundreds injured in violent protests across the country in the past few weeks, police said. In order to end this misrule and lawlessness, the ongoing movement must be accelerated and the victory of the people must be ensured,” senior BNP official Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said. “Diplomatic partners should make clear that the government’s autocratic crackdown will jeopardise future economic cooperation,” the rights group said in a statement quoting Bleckner.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Sheikh Hasina, ” Abdul Moyeen Khan, ”, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Hasina, “, League’s, Julia Bleckner, Khaleda Zia, Ruma Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Reuters, Police, Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch, “, Thomson Locations: Naya Paltan, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asia

Rohingya traditionally take to sea in October, at the end of the rainy season, on journeys fraught with danger. Of 3,572 Rohingya who have left on 34 boats this year, 31% of them were children, data showed. In 2022, one of the deadliest years for the Rohingya at sea, a fifth of the about 3,705 people who fled were children. "Children making the boat journeys was not a trend before," said Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh's refugee relief and repatriation commissioner based in Cox's Bazar. With little hope of settling in Bangladesh or being accepted elsewhere, they feel they have no choice but to take to sea, Rahman said.

Persons: Riska, Chris Lewa, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Rahman, taka, Mohammed Taher, Ruma Paul, Sudipto Ganguly, Krishna N, Das, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Malaysia, Thomson Locations: Sabang, Aceh province, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bangladeshi, Cox's Bazar, Arakan, Southeast Asia, Indonesia's Aceh, South Asia, Dhaka, Mumbai

The death toll from Bangladesh's outbreak in 2023 is 1,476 as of Nov. 12, with 291,832 infected, official data showed. "These seasonal pattern changes are creating the ideal situation for breeding of Aedes mosquito. Dengue is common in South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season as the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads the disease, thrives in stagnant water. "This year we have seen different symptoms for dengue fever," physician Janesar Rahat Faysal told Reuters. "I had to deal with two dengue patients, my sister and my niece.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Kabirul Bashar, Bashar, Janesar Rahat Faysal, Sirazus Salekin Chowdhury, Ruma Paul, Sudipto Ganguly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Mugda Medical College and Hospital, REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Hospitals, Jahangirnagar University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, South Asia

REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Global fashion retailers including H&M (HMb.ST) and Gap (GPS.N) are committed to raising purchase prices for Bangladesh-made clothing to help factories there offset higher workers' wages, a U.S.-based association representing more than 1,000 brands said. Asked if they would raise purchase prices by the 5-6% that costs will rise, Stephen Lamar, chief executive of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), told Reuters: "Absolutely". "We also renew our pleas for the adoption of an annual minimum wage review mechanism so that Bangladeshi workers are not disadvantaged by changing macroeconomic conditions." Low wages have helped Bangladesh build its garment industry, which employs about 4 million people. Retailers in the United States and Europe are the main buyers of Bangladesh-made clothes.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Stephen Lamar, Lamar, Sheikh Hasina, Hasina, Krishna N, Ruma Paul, Miral Organizations: The Civil Engineering, REUTERS, Labour, American Apparel & Footwear Association, Reuters, International Labour Organization, Abercrombie & Fitch, Bangladesh, Retailers, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, DELHI, U.S, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, United States, Europe

[1/5] Garment workers come out of a factory during lunch hours at the Ashulia area, outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 8, 2023. A panel of factory owners, union leaders and officials agreed to the increase unanimously, said Siddiqur Rahman, the owners' representative. "We continue to recommend that the government of Bangladesh adopt an annual minimum wage review mechanism to keep up with changing macroeconomic factors," the letter said. In addition to the wage increase, the government has said that workers would be given a 5% annual increment. Babul Akter, president of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, urged global brands to pay more, saying: "There could be some problems for the owners to cope with the increased salaries."

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Siddiqur Rahman, Rahman, Inditex, Hugo Boss, Fazlul Hoque, Hoque, Levi Strauss, Armour, Sheikh Hasina, Akter, Abdus Salam Murshedy, Murshedy, Krishna N, Ruma Paul, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Reuters, Inc, Knitwear Manufacturers, Association, Labour, Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Puma, Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, Envoy Group, Walmart, Hasina's Awami League, Das, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, DELHI, China, Zara, Ukraine, New Delhi

☆ One killed as garment workers clash with police in Bangladesh over pay rise - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Security forces remain vigilant in front of the garment factories, following clashes between garment industry workers and police over pay, at the Ashulia area, outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Nov 8 (Reuters) - One female worker was killed and several others were injured in Bangladesh on Wednesday during clashes between police and stone-throwing garment workers who are demanding a bigger pay rise, police said. Following a week of deadly clashes between garment industry workers and police over pay, the Bangladesh government on Tuesday said that the minimum wage would rise by 56.25% to 12,500 taka ($114) a month from Dec. 1, the first increase in five years. Police said they used teargas and rubber bullets to break up protests by hundreds of workers who rejected the new pay rise and took to streets in the garment hub of Gazipur, on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka. Low wages have helped Bangladesh build its garment industry, with some 4,000 factories employing 4 million workers, supplying brands such as H&M and GAP.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Ashraf Uddin, Ruma Paul, Sudipto Ganguly Organizations: Security, REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Police, GAP, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Gazipur

REUTERS/Mohammad... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreDHAKA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Bangladesh's main opposition party will boycott the next general election if Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not make way for a neutral government to conduct the poll, two party leaders said, amid a crackdown on opposition politicians and deadly protests. "The intensified crackdown on opposition party leaders and protesters over the weekend signals an attempt at a complete clamp-down on dissent," said Yasasmin Kaviratne, Amnesty's regional campaigner for South Asia. Hasina's main rival and two-time premier, BNP leader Khaleda Zia, is effectively under house arrest for what her party calls trumped-up corruption charges. Shakil Ahmed, an assistant professor at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, said street violence had become "regular in Bangladesh during the transfer of power". Reporting by Krishna N. Das in New Delhi and Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, Hasina, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Zahir Uddin Swapon, Yasasmin Kaviratne, Khaleda Zia, BNP's, Tarique Rahman, Shakil Ahmed, Krishna N, Ruma Paul, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Reuters, Amnesty, Police, Jahangirnagar University, Das, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mohammad, DHAKA, United States, Canada, India, South Asia, New Delhi

☆ Two killed in anti-government protest in Bangladesh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called for the blockade of roads for three days in response to clashes between party supporters and police on Sunday in which one policeman was killed and more than 100 people were injured. The party has been calling on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign to allow elections scheduled for January to be held under a neutral caretaker government. A police official in the central district of Kishoreganj, where the clashes took place, said two protesters were killed and dozens of people, including 15 policemen, were injured. “Clashes erupted when they attacked us," said the police official, who declined to be identified, adding it was not clear how the two were killed. Accusations of vote-rigging and the suppression of the opposition, denied by the government, marred elections in 2014 and 2018.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, “, General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Hasina, Ruma Paul, Robert Birsel Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, United, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, DHAKA, Kishoreganj, United States

☆ Opposition activists held over policeman's death in Bangladesh protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Unidentified miscreants set a public bus on fire during a countrywide strike from dawn to dusk called by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), protesting against the alleged police attacks on their Saturday rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 29, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Bangladesh police said on Sunday they arrested two opposition activists over the death of a policeman in violent protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The officer was beaten and bludgeoned to death on Saturday by a mob, photos and videos showed, as tens of thousands joined demonstrations in the capital Dhaka, led by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). A police source said one of the two arrested was a BNP youth leader while the other's affiliation was unconfirmed. The BNP did not comment on the officer's death but called on supporters to block streets for three days from Tuesday in protest at the detentions.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Sheikh Hasina, bludgeoned, Mirza Alamgir, Habibur Rahman, Asaduzzaman Khan, Mizanur Rahman, Critics, Hasina, Ruma Paul, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rights DHAKA

☆ Opposition Activists Held Over Policeman's Death in Bangladesh Protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh police said on Sunday they arrested two opposition activists over the death of a policeman in violent protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The officer was beaten and bludgeoned to death on Saturday by a mob, photos and videos showed, as tens of thousands joined demonstrations in the capital Dhaka, led by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). "We'll ensure toughest punishment for those who were involved in the killing," Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner Habibur Rahman told reporters. A police source said one of the two arrested was a BNP youth leader while the other's affiliation was unconfirmed. The BNP did not comment on the officer's death but called on supporters to block streets for three days from Tuesday in protest at the detentions.

Persons: Sheikh Hasina, bludgeoned, Mirza Alamgir, Habibur Rahman, Asaduzzaman Khan, Mizanur Rahman, Critics, Hasina, Ruma Paul, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Sunday, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP Locations: DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dhaka

☆ Bangladesh opposition protest turns violent amid calls for PM to resign
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wave party flag during a rally at Naya Paltan area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 28, 2023. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as clashes erupted when tens of thousands of supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) gathered in the capital Dhaka, chanting slogans against the government. Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruq Hossain told reporters one officer had been killed and 41 others were injured in clashes with protesters. Hundreds of opposition party activists have been arrested, BNP leaders said. "I came to protest the enforced disappearances, murders, and oppression that we have suffered for the past 15 years.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Sheikh Hasina, Faruq Hossain, Hasina, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Arif Khan, jailing, Washington, Ruma Paul, Mike Harrison Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, REUTERS, Rights, Police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Security, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Naya Paltan, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rights DHAKA

☆ Bangladesh trains collide, killing 17, wounding scores -police
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A general view of derailed compartments of train after two trains collided in Bhairab, about 80 kilometres northeast of the capital Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Piyas Biswas Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - At least 17 people were killed and scores injured on Monday after two trains collided in eastern Bangladesh, police said. A passenger train crashed into a freight train in Bhairab, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) northeast of the capital Dhaka. The freight train smashed into the passenger train from behind, crumpling two coaches, he said. "Initial reports suggest the freight train broke the signal, leading to the tragedy," Hossain said.

Persons: Piyas Biswas, Anowar Hossain, Hossain, ” Mohammad Masud, Ruma Paul, Bernadette Baum, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, Piyas, Rights, Dhaka Railway Police, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Bhairab, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rights DHAKA

☆ Bangladesh gets first uranium shipment from Russia for nuclear power plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The south Asian country is building the first of two nuclear power plants in collaboration with Russian state-owned atomic company Rosatom. Ninety percent of the project is financed through a Russian loan repayable within 28 years with a 10-year grace period. "Today is a day of pride and joy for the people of Bangladesh," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said during a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Russian Embassy in Bangladesh called a "nuclear fuel delivery ceremony" in a Facebook post. Due to U.S. sanctions on Moscow, Bangladesh in December denied entry to a Russian ship carrying equipment for the plant. Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sheikh Hasina, Rafael Grossi, Sergei Lavrov, Ruma Paul, Richard Chang Organizations: Bangladeshi, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Russian Embassy, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, Bangladesh, Russian, U.S, Washington, Moscow, Ukraine

Lhonak Lake in Sikkim state overflowed on Wednesday, causing major flooding that authorities said had impacted the lives of 22,000 people. The latest flooding was exacerbated by water released from state-run NHPC's Teesta V dam, local officials said. As of Thursday evening, 98 people were missing, 17 of whom were army personnel, state chief secretary V.B. "Due to bad weather conditions we cannot have air service towards the northern part of the state," Rai told Reuters. [1/4]An area affected by the flood is seen in this undated handout image released on October 4, 2023, in Sikkim, India.

Persons: V.B, Pathak, Prabhakar Rai, Rai, G.T, Dhungel, Subrata Nag Choudhury, Jatindra, Tanvi Mehta, Krishn Kaushik, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Ruma Paul, Rajendra Jadhav, YP Rajesh, Robert Birsel, Michael Perry, Kim Coghill, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: NEW, Authorities, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics, Disaster Management Authority, Reuters, India Army, REUTERS Acquire, Army, National Disaster Management Agency, Nature Communications, YP, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, KOLKATA, India, Sikkim, Asia's, Bangladesh, Chungthang, Mangan, Gangtok, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Siliguri, West Bengal, Pakistan, Peru, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, New Delhi

☆ Bangladesh dengue deaths top 1,000 in worst outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A nurse provides treatment to a dengue-infected patient at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsDHAKA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The death toll from Bangladesh's worst dengue outbreak on record has topped 1,000 this year, official data showed, with hospitals struggling to make space for patients as the disease spreads rapidly in the densely-populated country. The current death toll is nearly four times more than the whole of last year, when Bangladesh recorded 281 dengue-related deaths. However, a lack of proper prevention measures has allowed the dengue-carrying mosquito to spread all over Bangladesh, said Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist and zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University. “From 2000 to 2018, dengue is only happening in Dhaka city, but in 2019 it is transferred into different cities.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, “, …, ” Sanwar Hossain, Kabirul Bashar, ”, Abdullah, Ruma Paul, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, Hospital, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Jahangirnagar University, “, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rights DHAKA, Mugda, South Asia

☆ Hundreds of shops gutted in market fire in Bangladesh
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DHAKA, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A huge fire gutted several hundreds shops at a market in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, but there were no casualties as the blaze swept through the area in the early hours of Thursday, before stores opened. It took six hours for military forces and firefighters to contain the blaze, which spread quickly in the Mohammadpur market due to the large amount of flammable items such as cooking oil and plastics, officials said. Fire service official Shahjahan Sikder said there were no casualties in the fire, which was likely caused by an electric short circuit. [1/5]Firefighters work after a fire broke out at the Mohammadpur Krishi Market in, Dhaka, Bangladesh September 14, 2023, in this picture obtained from social media. In April, a fire in a shopping complex in Dhaka injured several firefighters and burned down some 5,000 stores.

Persons: Shahjahan Sikder, Ruma Paul, Miral Organizations: Firefighters, REUTERS Acquire, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, Dhaka, Bangladesh

☆ Bangladesh grapples with record deadly outbreak of dengue fever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Bangladesh is grappling with a record deadly outbreak of dengue fever, with hospitals struggling to make space for patients as the disease spreads rapidly in the densely-populated country. Hospitals, especially in capital Dhaka, are struggling to find space for the large number of patients suffering high fever, joint pain and vomiting, health officials said. There is no vaccine or drug that specifically treats dengue, which is common in South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season, when the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the deadly virus thrives in stagnant water. This year's deaths already top the previous record of 281 from last year, with the number of people infected just behind the 62,423 cases of 2022. "This is the reason why we saw such a high number of dengue cases in July.

Persons: Zahid Maleque, Kabirul Bashar, Yasir Arafat, Ruma Paul, Tom Hogue Organizations: Reuters, Jahangirnagar University, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dhaka, South Asia, Asia

☆ Bangladesh police clash with opposition supporters calling on PM to resign
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DHAKA, July 29 (Reuters) - Bangladesh police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at stone-throwing opposition party supporters blocking major roads in the capital Dhaka on Saturday to demand the prime minister’s resignation. The main opposition party, in disarray since its leader Khaleda Zia was jailed in 2018 on graft charges, has held bigger protest rallies in recent months, including one on Friday, drawing tens of thousands of supporters amid anger over the cost of living. They were only trying to ease the traffic flow,” said Faruq Ahmed, a spokesman for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. [1/5]Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attack armed vehicles of police at Shonir Akhra area, during their sit-in rallies on the main entry points of the capital Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 29, 2023. Concern flared after accusations of vote-rigging and suppressing the opposition marred elections in 2014 and 2018.

Persons: Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina, ”, Faruq Ahmed, “, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Hasina, jailing, Ruma Paul, Giles Elgood Organizations: Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Police, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, Dhaka, Shonir, Bangladesh, United States

☆ Bangladesh opposition holds protests to demand resignation of PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir HossainDHAKA, July 28 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of supporters of Bangladesh’s main opposition party rallied in the capital on Friday to demand Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and call for general elections to be held under a caretaker government. This can only be achieved through a free and fair election, which is not possible under the current regime," senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan told Reuters. BNP supporters joined the rally in Dhaka from different parts of the country amid allegations of obstructions by police. The opposition and rights groups have criticised the government for cracking down on anti-government protests. Concern flared after accusations of vote-rigging and the targeting of the political opposition marred national elections in 2014 and 2018.

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Sheikh Hasina’s, Khaleda Zia, Hasina, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Sana Ullah, Mirza Abbas, Khaleda, Sheikh Hasina, Ruma Paul, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, Bangladesh Awami League, REUTERS, Reuters, Hasina’s Awami League, Thomson Locations: Naya Palton, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mohammad Ponir Hossain DHAKA, Chittagong, United States

☆ S&P lowers Bangladesh's rating outlook to negative on liquidity risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DHAKA, July 25 (Reuters) - S&P Global Ratings on Tuesday lowered Bangladesh's long-term rating outlook to negative from stable, citing risks the country's external liquidity position could deteriorate in the next year while foreign exchange reserves remain under pressure. "Lower generation of current account receipts than we expect, a higher overall current account deficit than we forecast, or a failure to materially boost foreign exchange reserves would indicate downward pressure on the rating," S&P said. "This would cause either more uncertainty and more costs to weigh the growing risks of uncertainty in repayment," he said. Moazzem said measures were needed particularly in subsidy management and energy imports, which are the main weaknesses in the foreign exchange reserve situation. "The government needs to take bold actions in these regards including substituting importing energy by exploring gas and substituting energy import for power, agriculture by solar based and other renewable energy measures," he added.

Persons: Khondaker Golam, Moazzem, Ruma Paul, Juby Babu, Jacqueline Wong, Lincoln, Jamie Freed Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bengaluru

☆ Four dead as boat sinks in Bangladesh's Buriganga river
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 16 (Reuters) - At least four people died after a boat carrying 20 people sank in Bangladesh's Buriganga river near the capital Dhaka on Sunday, a fire service official said. Most of the passengers were believed to have swum ashore as the water bus sank close to the bank, according to fire service official Anwarul Islam. Four bodies have been recovered and the rescue operation is ongoing, police official Sahabuddin Kabir told Reuters. Hundreds of onlookers gathered at the site as rescuers in multiple boats scanned the river with flashlights, according to a Reuters witness. Reporting by Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Writing by Shubhendu Deshmukh; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sahabuddin Kabir, Ruma Paul, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Andrew Cawthorne, Emelia Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bangladesh's Buriganga, Dhaka

Ali's comments came after sources said the airline was close to a deal to buy 10 Airbus A350 widebody planes, marking its first order with the French planemaker. It was not clear whether the deal would be finalised in time for the Paris Airshow, which opens on Monday. "Every country has both Airbus and Boeing in their fleet. We didn't have an Airbus in our fleet," Ali said, as the airline looks to break its reliance on the U.S. planemaker that typically dominates widebody orders. The 51-year-old airline has a fleet of more than 20 mostly Boeing planes, over half of which are widebodies, and some Dash-8 turboprops.

Persons: Mahbub Ali, Ali's, Biman, Ali, Ruma Paul, Tim Hepher, Aditi Shah, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed Organizations: Bangladesh Airlines, Airbus, Boeing, country's, Reuters, Paris Airshow, Thomson Locations: DHAKA, PARIS, Britain, Malaysia, Thailand, Canada, Dhaka, Paris

SINGAPORE, June 7 (Reuters) - Bangladesh is facing its worst electricity crisis since 2013, a Reuters analysis of government data shows, due to erratic weather and difficulty paying for fuel imports amid declining forex reserves and value of its currency. Bangladesh, the world's second-largest garments exporter behind China supplying global retailers including Walmart, H&M and Zara, has been forced to cut power for 114 days in the first five months of 2023, a Reuters analysis of power grid data showed. Supply was short of demand by as much as 25% early on Monday, the data showed. Over 40% of the 7.5 GW of power plants running on diesel and fuel oil could not operate because they lacked fuel, according to the operator. Power imports by the energy hungry nation, which has very little renewable capacity, held steady at less than 10% of total supply, the data showed.

Persons: Bangladesh Taka, Ruma Paul, Matthew Chye Organizations: Walmart, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Power, Power Grid Co, Reuters Graphics, Oil, Reuters, Bangladesh, U.S ., Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Bangladesh, China, Zara

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