News Analysis India

Tag: Bangladesh

  • 11 months on, mother-daughter duo in Bangladesh jail after crossing border to see tantric

    By PTI

    KRISHNAGANJ: Efforts were being made to bring back a woman and her daughter lodged at a jail in Bangladesh for nearly a year after they got caught while crossing the international border to visit a tantric, officials in West Bengal’s Nadia district said on Monday.

    Shobha Khatun, a student of Class 9 who lives in Burnpur Kulopara in Krishnaganj block near the border, suddenly fell ill around 11 months back and her symptoms were strange, her father Mansur Ali Mandal said.

    The villagers told the family that some evil spirit got hold of Shobha and they should take her to a tantric in the neighbouring village of Benipur, which is in Bangladesh, to get her out of the evil eye, he said.

    A few Indian villages in this area are outside the barbed fence, including Burnpur Kulopara.

    There are no physical barriers between such villages and Bangladesh except a few small pillars, demarcating the two countries, officials said.

    As Shobha and her mother Golebibi crossed the border, they were apprehended by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel, they said.

    Since then, the mother-daughter duo is lodged in a jail in the neighbouring country.

    District police officials said efforts were being to bring them back and the Bangladesh Government is cooperating with the Indian authorities.

    Recently, the Bangladesh authorities contacted Indian officials to verify their identities, official sources said.

    The Indian authorities have already verified their identities and they might be brought back within 10 days, the sources said.

    The BSF will soon fix a date in coordination with the BGB for their handover at the Gede border checkpoint, they said.

    A teary-eyed Mansur Ali, a daily wager, now waits near the border to get back his wife and daughter.

  • Bangladeshi man held for killing wife over illicit relationship in Noida

    By PTI

    NOIDA: A Bangladeshi origin man staying illegally in India was arrested on Sunday for allegedly strangulating one of his wives in Noida over suspicion of her illicit relationship, police said.

    According to police, the accused, around 40, had also procured an Indian passport and two Aadhaar cards using residential addresses in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

    The deceased was the third wife of accused Babul Miyan, with the first two being in Bangladesh and West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district, where he had first stayed after crossing into India around a decade ago.

    “Babul Miyan worked as a daily wage worker and his wife Fatima Bibi had a relationship with a local construction work contractor.

    On August 4, when Babul returned from a trip to Bengal, he found Fatima and contractor Sajid at his home in Sarfabad,” a police spokesperson said.

    “Later, he confronted Fatima inside Sajid’s home and an argument ensued.

    He pulled his wife to the bed and strangulated her to death with a ‘chunni’ she was wearing and fled the spot,” the police official said.

    After the incident, the accused ran away to Rajasthan and from there he took a train to go to West Bengal and wanted to escape further to Bangladesh but did not get a visa, the police said.

    “He returned to Noida on September 10.

    He was staying in a rented accommodation in Gejha village here.

    He was arrested on Sunday near the Sector 52 metro station on the basis of a tip-off,” the spokesperson said.

    The local Sector 49 police station team also recovered an Indian passport, two Aadhaar cards, besides a debit card of Punjab National Bank (PNB) from the accused, the official said.

    An FIR has been lodged against him and further legal proceedings are underway, the police added.

  • NIA takes over case of three Bangladeshi infiltrators propagating ‘Jihadi terrorism’

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Friday took over a case related to three Bangladeshi nationals infiltrating into India and propagating ‘Jihadi terrorism’, a spokesperson for the agency said.

    The case was initially registered at STF police station Kolkata, West Bengal, on July 10.

    The NIA re-registered the case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Foreigners Act following a Union Home Ministry order, and requisite action for expeditious investigation has been initiated, the spokesperson said.

    The NIA said the case was related to Bangladeshi nationals — S K Shabbir, Joseph, and others — who illegally entered India.

    The agency alleged they were sympathisers or members of terrorist organisations.

    “They had hatched a conspiracy along with their unknown associates to wage war by recruiting, motivating vulnerable Muslim youth against Government of India as well as neighboring Bangladesh to establish a ‘Caliphate’, by removing democratically elected government by means of criminal force,” the NIA said.

    It said they were propagating their ideology and hatred in society by following, sending and sharing various ‘Jehadi’ (holy war) texts, posts and videos through a “Facebook profile named as sekh Sabbir”.

  • Indo-Bangla power project set to get first consignment of fuel from Kolkata port: Official

    The 1,320-MW Rampal Power Plant is being built by BIFPC, the joint venture between India #39;s NTPC Ltd and Bangladesh Power Development Board.

  • India, Bangladesh facing new narco-terrorism threat with new drug smuggling routes: Report

    The drug smuggling route from Myanmar now uses Manipur and from there to Silchar and Tripura and finally into Bangladesh.

  • MHA invites citizenship applications for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh in 13 districts

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has issued a notification under the 2009 rules of the Citizenship Act, 1955 asking non-Muslims belonging to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship.

    The fresh order is in no way connected to the Citizenship Amendment Act passed in 2019 as the rules under it are yet to be framed by the government.

    The Union home ministry on Friday night issued the notification for immediate implementation of the order under the Citizenship Act 1955 and Rules framed under the law in 2009.

    This benefit is extended to minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who fulfil all conditions applicable to any foreign citizen seeking citizenship by naturalisation after a minimum of 11 years of residency in India.

    Under the CAA, the period for this category was cut to five years.

    “In exercise of powers conferred under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the central government hereby directs that powers exercisable by it for registration as citizen of India under Section 5, or for grant of certificate of naturalisation under section 6 of the Citizenship Act 1955 in respect of any person belonging to a minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, residing in the districts mentioned and the states mentioned below,” the fresh notification said.

    People who are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship are those currently living in the districts of Morbi, Rajkot, Patan and Vadodara of Gujarat, Durg and Balodabazar in Chhattisgarh, Jalore, Udaipur, Pali, Barmer and Sirohi in Rajasthan, Faridabad in Haryana and Jalandhar in Punjab.

    “The application for registration as citizen of India or grant of certificate of naturalisation as citizen of India under the said rules (Citizenship Rules, 2009) shall be made by the applicant online,” the notification said.

    In 2016, the central government had in a similar step sought applications from members of these minority communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh living in 16 districts in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

    The district magistrates of the districts and home secretaries of the seven states were allowed to receive and process the applications of these refugees for two years by the home ministry.

    In 2018, the said notification was extended for an indefinite period or till further order.

    With Friday night’s order, the total number of districts where such facility is available has gone up to 29 districts in nine states.

    The home ministry said the verification of the application is to be done simultaneously by the collector or Secretary (Home) at the district-level and the state-level and the application and the reports thereon shall be made accessible simultaneously to the Centre on an online portal.

    The collector or the secretary will make enquiries as considered necessary for ascertaining the suitability of the applicant and for that purpose forward the application online to such agencies for verification and comments.

    The instructions issued by the Centre from time-to-time in this regard shall be strictly complied with by state or union territory and district concerned, it said.

    “The comments of the agencies referred to in clause (C) are uploaded online by such agencies and accessible to the collector or the secretary, as the case may be, and the central government,” it said.

    The collector or the secretary on being satisfied with the suitability of the applicant, will grant him the citizenship of India by registration or naturalisation and issue a certificate of registration or naturalisation, as the case may be, duly printed from an online portal and signed by the collector or the secretary in the form as prescribed in the said rules, the notification said.

    The collector or the secretary shall maintain an online as well as physical register, in accordance with the said rules, containing the details of the person registered or naturalised as a citizen of India and furnish a copy thereof to the central government within seven days of such registration or naturalisation, it said.

    “This order shall come into force on the date of its publication in the official gazette and shall remain valid until further orders,” the notification said.

    When the CAA was passed in 2019, there were widespread protests in different parts of the country and communal riots erupted in Northeast Delhi in early 2020 after clashes between those opposing and supporting the law.

    According to the CAA, Indian citizenship will be given to non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan — Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian — who had come to India till December 31, 2014.

  • Four Bangladeshi nationals involved in over 100 burglaries across India held: Police

    The accused have confessed to have committed more than 100 burglaries across the country, including in Faridabad, Jodhpur, Aurangabad, Gulbarga, Vapi, Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai, the police said.

  • Indian Army to participate in military exercise in Bangladesh from April 4-12

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Indian Army will participate in a four-nation military exercise in Bangladesh from April 4 to 12 which is being organised to mark the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of that country’s liberation war, officials said on Thursday.

    A 30-member Indian Army team comprising officers, junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and soldiers from the Dogra regiment will participate in the exercise ‘Shantir Ogroshena’ (front runner of peace), they said.

    Besides armies of Bangladesh and India, the exercise will be participated by Royal Bhutan Army and Sri Lankan Army, the defence ministry said.

    “The theme of the exercise is ‘Robust Peace Keeping Operations’. Military observers from the US, UK, Turkey, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore will also be in attendance throughout the exercise,” it said.

    The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh and the birth centenary of Rahman.

    In reflection of close ties, India is also hosting a number of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1971 war that led to liberation of Bangladesh.

    Around 93,000 Pakistani troops had surrendered before the joint forces of the Indian Army and the “Mukti Bahini” on December 16, 1971 that paved the way for the birth of Bangladesh.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh on March 26 and 27 during which he attended the golden jubilee celebration of independence of that country.

  • India, Bangladesh want stability, love and peace instead of terror and unrest in world: PM Modi

    By PTI
    DHAKA: India and Bangladesh want stability, love and peace instead of instability, terror and unrest in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he underlined that the two friendly neighbours want to see the world progressing through their own development.

    Prime Minister Modi made the remarks while speaking to the Matua community members after offering prayers at their temple in Gopalganj’s Orakandi – the birthplace of Hindu mystic figure and community’s spiritual guru Harichand Thakur.

    “Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own development. Both the countries want to see stability, love, and peace instead of instability, terror, and unrest in the world,” Modi said.

    Modi said he was waiting for this opportunity for many years and during his visit to Bangladesh in 2015, he had expressed desire to visit Orakandi, which has come true now.

    This place is a pilgrimage site for the spiritual relationship between India and Bangladesh, he said.

    “I was speaking to some people here. They were saying who could have thought that India’s Prime Minister would visit Orakandi,” Modi said, adding that he was feeling the same emotions as felt by the Matua community members in India after coming to Orakandi, from where Harichand Thakur disseminated his pious message.

    ALSO READ | PM Modi’s first foreign trip in over a year and the importance of a village 180 km from Dhaka

    Orakandi is the abode of Hindu Matua community, a large number of whom are residents of neighbouring West Bengal.

    Prime Minister Modi announced that India will upgrade one girls’ middle school and set up a primary school in Orakandi.

    Analysts said Modi’s planned temple visits carry a political significance at the time of the ongoing assembly elections in West Bengal.

    The Prime Minister was accompanied by BJP MP from West Bengal Shantanu Thakur during his visit to Orakandi.

    The Matua community’s vote may determine the winner in some seats in the elections to the West Bengal state assembly, the first phase of which began on Saturday.

    Modi said the Matua community celebrates ‘Baroni Shanan Utshab’ every year on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Harichand Thakur and a large number of devotees from India come to Orakandi to participate in this festival.

    “To make this pilgrimage easier for citizens of India, efforts will be made on behalf of the Government of India,” he said.

    “We are also committed to grand events and various works reflecting the glorious history of the Matua community in Thakurnagar (West Bengal),” Modi said.

    “I have always been very close to the family members of the Thakurbari,” he added.

    “The way India and Bangladesh governments are working towards strengthening their ties, Harichand Thakur and Thakurbari have been doing this for ages.

    This place symbolises the spiritual tryst of India and Bangladesh,” he said.

    In his address, Modi said that it was important for both India and Bangladesh to come together and fight common challenges.

    He said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, India and Bangladesh proved their capabilities.

    ALSO READ | PM Narendra Modi offers prayer at centuries-old Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Bangladesh

    “Both nations are facing this pandemic strongly and fighting it together.

    India is working by considering that it is its duty that the ‘Made in India’ vaccine reaches the citizens of Bangladesh,” Modi added.

    He said India is moving forward with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas’, and Bangladesh is its co-passenger in it.

    “Bangladesh is presenting a strong example of development and change in front of the world and India is your co-passenger in these efforts,” he added.

    Last time when Prime Minister Modi visited Bangladesh in 2015, he offered puja at Dhakeshwari temple in the national capital.

    Bangladesh has taken extra security measures for the Indian premier’s visit in the wake of protests by few leftist and Islamist groups.

    In 2016, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) said their latest vital sample statistics report found the country’s total population to be 15.89 crore by the end of 2015 with the number of Hindus at 1.70 crore in the Muslim-majority nation.

  • PM Modi leaves for Bangladesh on two-day visit, first foreign tour after pandemic

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Bangladesh on Friday on a two-day visit during which he will take part in a wide range of programmes aimed at furthering cooperation between the two countries.

    ALSO READ | Matua outreach among PM agenda on first trip abroad post pandemic

    “PM @narendramodi emplanes for Dhaka.During his Bangladesh visit he will take part in a wide range of programmes aimed at furthering cooperation with our friendly neighbour,” the PMO tweeted, sharing a picture of Modi boarding the aircraft.

    PM @narendramodi emplanes for Dhaka.During his Bangladesh visit he will take part in a wide range of programmes aimed at furthering cooperation with our friendly neighbour. pic.twitter.com/X5qzwvjFNF
    — PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 26, 2021

    The prime minister had on Thursday said he will hold substantive discussions with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during the visit, as he expressed happiness that his first foreign tour after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic will be to a friendly neighbouring country with which India shares deep ties.