An anti-government strike shut down much of Bangladesh Wednesday, as opposition members protested a constitutional amendment they say will allow the ruling party to cling to power. Schools and businesses were closed throughout the country, and operations at Bangladesh’s main port in Chittagong were suspended. At least 20 people were injured Wednesday as security personnel […]
Police, Protesters Clash During Bangladesh Strike
Posted July 6th, 2011 at 6:15 am (UTC-5)
Police and protesters have clashed in several parts of Bangladesh as demonstrators took part in an anti-government strike. Thousands of security personnel were deployed across the country Wednesday. In a scuffle with opposition lawmakers in the capital, Dhaka, an official from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party suffered a head injury during. Home Minister Sahara […]
Bangladeshi Opposition Parties to Launch 2-Day Strike on Wednesday
Posted July 5th, 2011 at 11:40 am (UTC-5)
Bangladeshi opposition parties are preparing to launch a 48-hour strike against a government they accuse of clinging to power and undermining democracy. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies including the Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami say the strike will begin Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. local time. The parties have been protesting last month’s […]
Bangladeshis Protest Gas Deal
Posted July 3rd, 2011 at 2:55 am (UTC-5)
Officials in Bangladesh say police have arrested 50 protesters in the capital, Dhaka, during a strike called by the National Committee for Protection of Oil, Gas and Ports. The committee staged the six-hour general strike Sunday to demand that the government cancel a gas exploration deal signed last month with U.S. energy giant ConocoPhillips. The […]
Comments by India’s Singh Sting Bangladesh
Posted July 2nd, 2011 at 9:30 am (UTC-5)
Controversial comments by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made to newspaper editors and posted on his official website are sparking anger and dismay in neighboring Bangladesh. Bangladeshi newspapers printed the remarks Saturday, even as the prime minister’s office removed them for an official transcript. During the meeting with editors Wednesday, Mr. Singh said Bangladeshis are […]
Bangladesh Abolishes Caretaker Government for Elections
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 10:45 am (UTC-5)
Bangladesh’s parliament has repealed a constitutional provision for a caretaker government to take over power for three months while the country holds elections. The system had been in place since the mid-1990s to try to prevent election fraud, but lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Thursday to abolish it. The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted the vote. Politicians […]
Bangladesh Abolishes Caretaker Government for Elections
Posted June 30th, 2011 at 7:15 am (UTC-5)
Bangladesh’s parliament has repealed a constitutional provision for a caretaker government to take over power for three months while the country holds elections. The system had been in place since the mid-1990s to try to prevent election fraud, but lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Thursday to abolish it. The main opposition boycotted the vote. Earlier this month, […]
Bangladesh Jails 657 Border Guards for Mutiny
Posted June 27th, 2011 at 10:15 am (UTC-5)
A Bangladesh court has sentenced 657 border guards to up to seven years in prison for their involvement in a 2009 mutiny that left 74 people dead. A special court set up in the capital, Dhaka, to try the mutineers issued the verdicts Monday. Officials say 108 guards were jailed for the maximum seven years, […]
Son of Former Bangladeshi PM Jailed for Bribery
Posted June 23rd, 2011 at 10:40 am (UTC-5)
A Bangladeshi court has sentenced the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to six years in prison for money laundering. Arafat Rahman Koko was convicted of laundering through banks in Singapore $2.7 million in bribes from foreign companies. He was accused of accepting the money in exchange for helping the firms obtain government contracts. […]
