Author: Priya Saha

New Delhi, June 8: The re-organisation of Bangladeshs militant outfit Hefazat-e-Islam (HeI) — as it announced a new 33-member committee under ‘Ameer Junaid Babunagari — could lead to a fresh headache for Dhaka and New Delhi. Though the new organisational restructure has been seen as a desperate attempt by HeI to keep itself afloat after most of its leaders were arrested, analysts told India Narrative that both India and Bangladesh must keep a close watch on the new leaders of the militant outfit especially since the development has been ‘directly aided and supported by groups in Pakistan.’ However, they hoped…

The national exchequer is losing as much as ₹1,200 crore annually because of zero duty import of refined edible oils from Nepal and Bangladesh besides hurting local manufacturers, apex association of edible oil manufacturers and trade, Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade (COOIT), said in a statement on Tuesday. In a letter written to different ministries – Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Finance Ministry, Ministry of Commerce and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) – COOIT said that considerable quantity of refined oils is being imported into India through road in tins,…

Dhaka: A boat carrying dozens of Rohingya refugees that set sail in February but had been adrift in the Andaman Sea with engine failure has landed on an Indonesian island after a voyage of more than 100 days, a human rights official said on Friday. The vessel sailed on February 11 from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh carrying 90 Rohingya refugees, most of them women and children, with the hope of reaching Malaysia. But the boat‘s engine failed four days after leaving Cox’s Bazar, where refugee camps house hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled neighbouring Myanmar. Rohingya refugees,…

Anisha Karmakar Staff Correspondent: Local extremists sending death threat to Anisha one after another. Sources said, Anisha Karmakar, a Bangladeshi national living in Sweden now, received a number of death threats in different modes especially in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The unidentified extremist group trying to assault her with death threat several times. She is receiving phone calls and sms which carrying out life hacking being a member of a minority Hindu community.According to family sources, Anisha Karmakar’s father and mother are members of international society for krishna consciousness (ISKCON). ISKCON has learned of all the incidents, including death threats,…

Jun 7th 2021WESTERNERS TEND to regard freedom of speech as a universal good. However, a forthcoming report by Justitia, a Danish think-tank, demonstrates that public support for freedom of expression varies widely among countries, just as legal restraints on speech do. In many countries, particularly authoritarian regimes, people say they want fewer controls. But perhaps surprisingly, in a handful of places poll respondents suggest they want less freedom than they currently have.The Economist TodayHand-picked stories, in your inboxA daily email with the best of our journalismThe report is based on a survey conducted in February of 50,000 people in 33…

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed a pledge by a shadow government in Myanmar to address discrimination and human rights abuses against minority Rohingya Muslims. Blinken said in a tweet Sunday that the pledge by the National Unity Government (NUG) is “an important signal to all those working for an inclusive, democratic future.” The NUG, set up by a group of ousted lawmakers in Myanmar, called last week for the Rohingya to help it overthrow the military government, promising the group citizenship in a future democratic state. “We invite Rohingyas to join hands with us and with others to…

The University of Dundee has become the second Scottish university to apologise to those who mayhave become a victim of racism while working or studying in the city. The principal said discrimination will not be tolerated after a survey by the university’s racial equality charter has revealed “prominent concerns” over racism and discrimination at the school. In a survey response to a statement about racism on campus, 24% of students from black and white minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds agreed they had experienced or witnessed some form of abuse while at the university. One white student told the surveyors : “This is…

Assam has launched an intensive drive to remove encroachments, mostly by Bangladesh-origin Muslims, from lands belonging to Hindu religious institutions like mandirs and xatras (Vaishnavite monasteries).On Sunday (6 June), state authorities 120 bighas of land belonging to an ancient Shiv mandir at Dhalpur village near Sipajhar in Darrang district that had been encroached on by Bangladesh-origin Muslims.Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had promised during the campaign for the assembly elections to remove all encroachments on lands belonging to religious institutions and the government.The state government had, in the past, too, removed hundreds of encroachers from government lands, including reserve forests.A…

New Secretary General of Hefazat-e-Islam Nurul Islam Jihadi announces the formation of a new central committee at a press briefing at Al Jamiatul Islamia Makhzanul Uloom Madrasa in Dhaka’s Khilgaon on Monday, June 7, 2021 Focus Bangla The Qawmi madrasah-based group’s central body was disbanded in April Embattled Hefazat-e-Islam has announced a new full-fledged 33-member committee with Junaid Babunagari as its chief (ameer) and dropping controversial leader Mamunul Haque.Hefazat leader Nurul Islam has been declared the secretary general of the committee.Nurul Islam Jihadi, central committee leader of the radical Islamist group, announced the names of the new committee on Monday…

THE banning of Hare Krishna Hindu sect in Bali has harmed the principles of diversity and freedom of religion. The forced closure of an ashram and the removal of hoardings displayed by the sect are clear violation of their constitutional rights.  The ban on Hare Krishna is contained in the Joint Decision on Restrictions to the Dissemination of Belief Systems not in Line with Balinese Religious Guidelines, which came into force on December 16, 2020. The two bodies issuing the joint decision are the Supreme Council of Balinese Hinduism and Balinese Customary Village Community.  One section of the joint decision states that Hare Krishna followers are banned from practicing religious rituals at…

A leading North East business organisation has hailed encouraging results from its first survey exploring business attitudes towards diversity, inclusion, and discrimination. The North East England Chamber of Commerce last autumn launched the Racial, Ethnicity and Discrimination (RED) commission to tackle the barriers created by racial inequality and discrimination and provide guidance for the region’s businesses. It urged businesses to take part in a bid to identify barriers and promote positive examples of good practices to encourage diversity and inclusion, while helping companies achieve increased economic performance and profitability. The Chamber said the information gathered has been encouraging and, although…

A home ministry order has empowered collectors in 13 districts of Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana, as well as the Secretary of the Department of Home in Haryana and Punjab, to grant a certificate of registration as an Indian citizen or of naturalisation to those belonging to six communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who may be residing under their jurisdiction. This has led to much debate, though CAA, 2019, was not the first legislation to use the specific names of these six communities from these countries, write FUZAIL AHMAD AYYUBI & IBAD MUSHTAQ. —— SINCE the past week, social…