Your helper

Monday, February 16, 2026

B'desh no longer a 'submissive country': Yunus in farewell address

Dhaka, Feb 16 (PTI): Outgoing interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Monday said his 18-month rule restored three core pillars of Bangladesh’s external engagement - "sovereignty, national interests, and dignity", and it is no longer a "submissive" nation. In his farewell address to the nation, Yunus said that at the end of his regime’s rule, “Today's Bangladesh is confident, active, and responsible in protecting its independent interests". “Bangladesh is no longer a country with a submissive foreign policy or dependent on the instructions and advice of other countries,” he said in the televised address a day ahead of quitting power. He emphasised that his 18-month tenure had rebuilt the three "fundamental foundations" of the country’s foreign engagement: "sovereignty, national interests, and dignity". Yunus’ interim regime began in August 2024 and is set to conclude its unscheduled term with the swearing-in of a new government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Tuesday, which won a two-thirds majority in general elections four days ago. BNP, led by its chairman Tarique Rahman, bagged a whopping 209 out of 297 seats in the crucial 13th Parliamentary elections held on February 12. "I call upon everyone, regardless of party, creed, religion, caste and gender, to continue the struggle to build a just, humane, and democratic Bangladesh. With this appeal, I bid farewell with great optimism," Yunus said. Yunus, who ran the country as the outgoing regime’s chief adviser, effectively the prime minister, said Bangladesh’s open sea was its great “strategic asset”, creating huge economic opportunities in the region for the South Asian nation. He emphasised the vast growth potential of broader regional cooperation encompassing Nepal, Bhutan, and “northeastern India”. "Our open sea is not merely a geographical boundary; it is a gateway to the global economy," he said, adding that connectivity was central to the country's next phase of development. Yunus said that his administration exhausted its efforts to “ensure democratic rights and values” and formulated some 130 new laws, amended other laws, and issued 600 executive orders, about 84 per cent of which have been implemented. He said that international port management companies, against which workers waged massive protests, and which critics said were against Bangladeshi interests, would raise the efficiency of the facilities to global standards. "We have come a long way in signing agreements with leading international port management companies to bring our ports' efficiency up to international standards. If we cannot increase efficiency, we will lag behind in economic achievements," he said. Earlier in the day, Yunus met with senior bureaucrats and participated in a photo session with all those serving at his office. Bangladesh's Chief of Army Staff Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman also paid a farewell visit to him. Yunus thanked the Army chief for the cooperation of the armed forces during the general election. On Sunday, Yunus held the last meeting of his advisory council or cabinet. Under Yunus's tenure, Dhaka's relations with New Delhi witnessed a significant downturn. India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh. The community has faced a series of attacks, some fatal, after the killing of radical youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi in December. Several foreign experts said Bangladesh earned little in foreign relations under Yunus' leadership, while ties with its immediate neighbour, India, saw their lowest ebb. Executive director of thinktank Centre for Policy Dialogue Fahmida Khatun said political strains with India under Yunus spilled into economic ties, “preventing the easing of tariff and non-tariff barriers that could boost bilateral trade”. Foreign relations analyst Mustafizur Rahman said under Yunus, relations with India became strained, while ties with Pakistan marked a sudden positive development without building a domestic political consensus on these shifts. “Whatever he (Yunus) said or called in his farewell address, his regime, apparently with a deliberate effort, divided further an already polarised Bangladesh, leaving behind a fragile political scenario, promoting far right elements,” security and political analyst Nasir Uddin said. PTI AR GRS GRS GRS(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/b-desh-no-longer-a-submissive-country-yunus-in-farewell-address-1827416

Muhammad Yunus Steps Down As Interim Chief; Tarique Rahman To Take Oath As Bangladesh PM

Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus has stepped down ahead of the newly elected administration formally taking charge, following the country’s 13th parliamentary elections. After congratulating the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on its decisive victory, Yunus officially handed over authority to BNP leader Tarique Rahman. His resignation marks the end of the caretaker administration formed after the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and clears the way for a full political transition as the elected government prepares to assume office. <h2>Yunus Steps Down After Election</h2> Muhammad Yunus had taken charge as Chief Adviser of the interim government following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League leadership. The caretaker administration was formed to oversee governance during a politically sensitive period and to conduct parliamentary elections. In a farewell address to the nation before transferring power, Yunus emphasised the importance of safeguarding democratic gains. According to reports, he stated that while the interim government was stepping down, the process initiated in Bangladesh to strengthen fundamental rights, freedom of speech and democratic institutions must not be reversed. Yunus returned to Bangladesh in August 2024 after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. In his address, he described that moment as a “day of great liberation”, claiming it marked the country’s release from what he characterised as authoritarian control. He credited the youth of Bangladesh with driving the political change that led to the formation of the interim administration. <h2>Tarique Rahman To Take Oath On February 17</h2> The swearing-in ceremony for the new government is scheduled for February 17. Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Tarique Rahman will take oath as the country’s next Prime Minister. India has received an invitation to attend the ceremony. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not expected to travel to Bangladesh for the event, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will represent India at the swearing-in. <h2>BNP Secures Clear Majority</h2> The BNP secured a commanding mandate in the 13th parliamentary elections. In the 300-member Parliament, 151 seats are required to form a government. The BNP won well above this threshold, confirming Tarique Rahman’s position as the next Prime Minister. The Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami alliance emerged as the principal opposition bloc. Voter turnout stood at approximately 59 per cent. Alongside the general election, a constitutional referendum linked to governance reforms was also approved. The transition concludes the interim administration’s tenure and formally restores elected political leadership in Bangladesh.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/muhammad-yunus-steps-down-as-interim-chief-tarique-rahman-to-take-oath-as-bangladesh-pm-1827414

Sunday, February 15, 2026

Trump Says Board Of Peace Members Pledged Over $5 Billion For Gaza Reconstruction

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that members of his newly created Board of Peace have pledged $5 billion to help rebuild the war-damaged Gaza Strip and have agreed to contribute thousands of personnel to an international stabilisation and police forces for the territory. Trump said the financial and security commitments will be formally disclosed when the board convenes for its first meeting in Washington on Thursday, Associated Press reported. "The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential International Body in History, and it is my honour to serve as its Chairman," Trump said in a social media posting announcing the pledges. He did not identify which member states would provide the reconstruction funds or deploy personnel for the proposed force. <h3>Indonesia Signals Readiness To Deploy Troops</h3> Indonesia’s military indicated Sunday that up to 8,000 troops could be ready by the end of June for possible deployment to Gaza under a humanitarian and peacekeeping mandate. The announcement represents the first clear commitment of manpower to the initiative. It remains uncertain how many of the board’s more than 20 members will attend Thursday’s session. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met Trump at the White House last week, is not expected to participate. Reconstruction of Gaza is expected to require vast resources. Estimates compiled by the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Union place the cost of rebuilding at approximately $70 billion. After more than two years of Israeli bombardment, much of the enclave has sustained extensive damage. A US-brokered ceasefire reached on Oct. 10 aimed to halt the more than two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas. Although large-scale fighting has subsided, Israeli forces have continued airstrikes and have frequently opened fire near areas under military control. Under the ceasefire terms, an armed international stabilisation force would be tasked with maintaining security and overseeing the disarmament of Hamas, a key condition set by Israel. So far, few governments have publicly committed to joining the proposed force. <h3 data-start="2502" data-end="2530">Expanded Role Beyond Gaza</h3> The Board of Peace was initially perceived as a mechanism focused on resolving the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, it has since taken shape with a broader stated ambition of addressing global crises, reflecting Trump’s wider effort to reshape elements of the post-World War II international framework. Several US allies in Europe and elsewhere have declined to participate, citing concerns that the initiative could function as an alternative to the UN Security Council. Trump confirmed that the board’s inaugural meeting will take place at the United States Institute of Peace, which the State Department said in December would continue under the name Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace. The building has been the subject of ongoing litigation filed by former staff and executives after the administration took control of the nonprofit institute last year and dismissed most of its workforce.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/trump-says-board-of-peace-members-pledged-over-5-billion-for-gaza-reconstruction-first-meeting-1827271

Hindus among four from minority communities elected to Bangladesh parliament

Dhaka, Feb 15 (PTI): Four candidates from minority communities, including two Hindus, won in the recent general elections in Bangladesh, with all being nominees of the BNP, which is set to form the government on Tuesday. Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and Nitai Roy Chowdhury are the two Hindu candidates who won on a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) ticket. They won from a Dhaka seat and western Magura constituency defeating their rivals fielded by the Jamaat-e-Islami. Roy is a member of the BNP’s highest policy-making standing committee while Chowdhury is one of prominent vice presidents of the party as well as a senior advisor and strategist for its top leadership. The third minority MP-elect is Saching Pru, a senior BNP leader and follower of Buddhist faith, representing Marma ethnic community in southeastern hill district of Bandarban, from where he was elected. The fourth minority candidate, Dipen Dewan, belongs to the Buddhist majority Chakma ethnic minority group, who won from a constituency in southeastern Rangamati hill district. However, his religious identity is obscure with many describing him as a Hindu. Hindus make up about eight per cent of the population in the Muslim-majority country of 170 million people. Dewan defeated an independent Chakma candidate as his nearest rival while Pru defeated a nominee of the student-led National Citizen Party, which was formed last year by the Students Against Discrimination, which led the mass protests against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. According to the Election Commission, 79 candidates, including 10 women from religious minority communities mostly Hindus, contested the election on Thursday. While 67 were nominated by 22 political parties, 12 ran as independent candidates. The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) fielded the highest number with 17 minority candidates. It was followed by left-leaning Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (BSD) with eight minority candidates, little-known Bangladesh Minority Janata Party (BMJP) with eight candidates and left-leaning Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASOD) with seven candidates. The BNP fielded six candidates and Jatiya Party nominated four candidates. The Jamaat-e-Islami nominated a minority Hindu candidate for the first time in its history. The largest Islamist party fielded veteran businessman Krishna Nandi from a southwestern Khulna constituency who lost but his participation as a Jamaat nominee was widely discussed. He finished as the runner-up in the Khulna-1 constituency conceding defeat to a BNP candidate. The number of Hindu MPs in the 2024 election was 17 and the same number of Hindus won in the 2018 election with most of them belonging to Hasina’s Awami League. Led by Tarique Rahman, the BNP swept to power with a two-thirds majority with 49.97 per cent votes and 209 seats in the Thursday's polls, results for which were declared on Friday. The Jamaat-e-Islami, which was opposed to the country’s 1971 independence from Pakistan, registered its best ever performance with 31.76 per cent votes and 68 seats. The National Citizen Party (NCP) secured the third-highest number of seats, six, and 3.05 per cent votes. PTI AR GSP GSP(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/hindus-among-four-from-minority-communities-elected-to-bangladesh-parliament-1827269

BLA’s Hostage Blow: 7 Pakistani Soldiers Held, 7-Day Ultimatum; Video Exposes Deep Military Crisis

Pakistan’s long-troubled Balochistan province has once again exposed the vulnerability of the country’s military establishment after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) released a video showing seven Pakistani soldiers in its custody. The soldiers were captured during “Operation Herof 2.0,” carried out by Baloch fighters between January 31 and February 6. The operation, according to the BLA, targeted Pakistani security forces across multiple locations in Balochistan, a province that has remained in open resistance against Islamabad for decades. <img src="https://ift.tt/bq2eZcV" width="720" /> <h3>BLA Holds Seven Pakistani Soldiers</h3> In its latest statement, the BLA declared that seven Pakistani military personnel are currently being held as prisoners. The group has issued a clear seven-day ultimatum to the Pakistani army to release Baloch fighters arrested during the same period or face the consequences. The warning is direct: if Islamabad refuses a prisoner exchange within seven days, the captured soldiers will be executed. <img src="https://ift.tt/7NVtUIe" width="720" /> <h3>Only Military Personnel Retained Custody</h3> The BLA further disclosed that a total of 17 government personnel were initially detained during the operation. However, ten administrative officials were released within 24 hours. The group stated that only uniformed military personnel were retained in custody. By freeing civilian officials while continuing to hold soldiers, the BLA appears to be deliberately framing the episode as a direct confrontation with Pakistan’s armed forces rather than with civilian institutions, reinforcing its narrative that its struggle is against what it describes as military domination in Balochistan. <img src="https://ift.tt/L9TaK6s" width="720" /> <h3>Soldiers Appeal For Negotiation Urgently</h3> In the one-minute-and-19-second video released by the BLA, out of the seven soldiers, two can be clearly identified. One is named Jameel, and the other identifies himself as Shams Tabrez, a Naik in the Pakistan Army from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Shams Tabrez displays his CNIC card and makes an emotional appeal to Pakistan’s military leadership, urging the army to negotiate with the BLA and accept the proposed prisoner exchange so that he and the other six captives can return home safely to their families. <h3>Video Embarrasses Pakistan Military Leadership</h3> The footage is deeply embarrassing for Pakistan’s military, an institution that projects itself as one of the strongest in the region but continues to struggle to assert control in Balochistan despite years of heavy deployments, intelligence operations, and enforced crackdowns. This is not the first time the BLA has cornered Islamabad through such tactics. <img src="https://ift.tt/52l7m0c" width="720" /> <h3>Past Captures Show Repeated Pattern</h3> In 2013, two Frontier Corps personnel were abducted in the Awaran district. After negotiations failed, they were killed. In 2015, six Pakistani soldiers captured in Mastung and Turbat met a similar fate when the state refused to meet demands related to the release of “missing” Baloch individuals. However, 2025 marked a rare and notable climbdown. When three soldiers were captured in Turbat, Pakistan reportedly engaged in backchannel negotiations and agreed to a prisoner swap without publicly acknowledging the exchange. The development was widely interpreted as evidence that even the country’s powerful military establishment is not immune to pressure when its own personnel are directly at stake. <h3>Military Faces Diplomatic Dilemma Now</h3> The current crisis once again puts Islamabad in a difficult position. Publicly, Pakistan’s military leadership maintains a hardline posture in Balochistan, branding separatists as terrorists. Yet, repeated hostage situations expose a ground reality that contradicts official narratives of “complete control.” <h3>Baloch Accusations Persist Against Security</h3> For years, Baloch groups have accused Pakistan’s security agencies of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and demographic engineering in the province. Islamabad has consistently denied these allegations. But recurring cycles of insurgency, retaliation, and prisoner exchanges suggest that the conflict remains far from resolved. With seven soldiers now in captivity and a ticking seven-day deadline, the coming days will test Pakistan’s military doctrine: whether it chooses negotiation, as in 2025, or reverts to force. <h3>Internal Resistance Challenges Nuclear Power</h3> Either way, the episode underscores a stark reality: despite its nuclear arsenal and regional ambitions, Pakistan continues to face internal resistance it has been unable to extinguish for decades.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/baloch-liberation-army-captures-seven-pakistani-soldiers-7-day-ultimatum-ab-1827219

Indian Student Found Dead In US Appeared 'Unusually Detached', Recalls Roommate

Baneet Sidd, the roommate of 22-year-old Indian student Saketh Sreenivasaiah, who was found dead in California, has shared an emotional message reflecting on the struggles faced by international students. Saketh, who had been missing since February 9, was found dead at Lake Anza on Saturday afternoon. In a post on LinkedIn, Sidd said authorities informed him that the case was being treated as a suicide. He described the news as deeply distressing, saying it had left the campus community “shaken to the core.” <h2>Who Was Saketh Sreenivasaiah?</h2> Originally from Karnataka, Saketh was pursuing a master’s degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His LinkedIn profile noted that he had completed his undergraduate studies at IIT Madras before moving to the United States for higher education. Reflecting on the weeks leading up to the incident, Sidd wrote that there had been subtle changes in Saketh’s behaviour. According to him, over the last two weeks, Saketh had been eating and sleeping less, interacting minimally, and largely surviving on snacks. He also recalled that on January 21, Saketh had invited him to visit Lake Anza. Sidd said he did not accompany him at the time and later realised that the same location became the site of his death. <h2>Saketh Appeared Detached</h2> In his post, Sidd recounted a recent conversation in which Saketh appeared unusually detached. He remembered Saketh saying he had stopped caring about what others thought and felt emotionally numb. At the time, Sidd said, he dismissed the remarks as casual or humorous, as Saketh was known for his light-hearted nature. Looking back, Sidd wrote that he now believes those words reflected a deeper sense of indifference. He ended his message by highlighting how challenging life can be for students living abroad, far from home and familiar support systems. Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the death.

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/indian-student-found-dead-in-us-appeared-unusually-detached-recalls-roommate-1827189

Saturday, February 14, 2026

Bangladesh's New Cabinet To Take Oath On Feb 17

Dhaka: Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath of office to the new cabinet of BNP chairman Tarique Rahman on February 17 at the National Parliament complex's South Plaza, a deviation from the tradition of the ceremony being held at the presidential palace, according to officials. "We have been informed that the President will administer the oath of office (to the new cabinet) on Tuesday at the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) complex," a Bangabhaban (presidential palace) official said on the condition of anonymity on Saturday. According to Prothom Alo and Ittefaq newspapers, the ceremony would be followed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin administering the oath of office to the newly elected parliament members instead of Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, as stated in the Constitution. According to the Third Schedule of the Constitution, the CEC is the third choice for the job in the absence of the outgoing parliament's speaker and deputy speaker. Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid said that in line with the Constitution, the President would administer the oath to the new cabinet at Bangabhaban. He, however, did not give a date for the ceremony. "If we are instructed or indicated that it will be held on a certain date and at a certain time, we will work accordingly. Even if it is tomorrow, we will have to prepare for tomorrow," the top bureaucrat said. The Constitution requires the cabinet oath-taking ceremony to be followed by the swearing in of new parliament members. Earlier on Saturday, one of Rahman's key aides, who did not wish to be named, said the existing scenario made things a little complicated. "The speaker of the last parliament is supposed to administer the oath of office to the MPs, but she resigned and is living in an undisclosed location while the deputy speaker is in jail," he said. In these circumstances, he said, the President might select someone to administer the oath and "the Constitution kept a provision for that". Meanwhile, the public administration issued a statement saying that Muhammad Yunus' interim government had scrapped Cabinet Secretary Rashid's contractual appointment, replacing him with Siraj Uddin Mia, who is currently serving as Chief Adviser Yunus' principal secretary. Rashid, however, told reporters that he resigned a few days ago and his resignation was accepted on Saturday. Yunus' interim government appointed Rashid, a retired additional secretary to the government, as the top bureaucrat on October 14, 2024, for two years.  (Disclaimer: This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

source https://news.abplive.com/news/world/bangladesh-new-cabinet-to-take-oath-on-feb-17-1827149