Anju Ghosh, a famous Bangladeshi film actress, joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in presence of the party's state president Dilip Ghosh in Kolkata on Wednesday. 
&nbsp; 
During the event, Ghosh was handed over a BJP flag. 
&nbsp; 
The actress, however, refused to answer queries as to whether she was still a Bangladeshi citizen or has been given any such status by the Indian authorities. 
&nbsp; 
In mid-April, there was a huge furore after Bangladesh actor Ferdous Ahmed was seen campaigning for Trinamool’s Raiganj constituency candidate, Kanaia Lal Agarwal. 
&nbsp; 
The Central government cancelled Ferdous's visa and blacklisted him. 
&nbsp; 
In 1989, her film 'Beder Meye Josna' made a record of being the highest grossing film in Bangladesh film history.

Anju Ghosh, a famous Bangladeshi film actress, joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in presence of the party's state president Dilip Ghosh in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Anju Ghosh, a famous Bangladeshi film actress, joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in presence of the party's state president Dilip Ghosh in Kolkata on Wednesday. During the event, Ghosh was handed over a BJP flag. The actress, however, refused to answer queries as to whether she was still a Bangladeshi citizen or has been given any such status by the Indian authorities. In mid-April, there was a huge furore after Bangladesh actor Ferdous Ahmed was seen campaigning for Trinamool’s Raiganj constituency candidate, Kanaia Lal Agarwal. The Central government cancelled Ferdous's visa and blacklisted him. In 1989, her film 'Beder Meye Josna' made a record of being the highest grossing film in Bangladesh film history.

Bangladeshi actress Anju Ghosh joins BJP

New Zealand beat Bangladesh by two wickets at the Oval on Wednesday as they made it two wins from as many games at the World Cup.

The Black Caps, losing finalists four years ago, achieved a seemingly modest target of 245 thanks mainly to Ross Taylor's 82.

But they lost three wickets for 27 runs before Mitchell Santner (17 not out) and Lockie Ferguson (four not out) saw them to a victory achieved with 17 balls to spare.&nbsp;

Earlier, fast bowler Matt Henry took four for 47 in a Bangladesh total of 244 that featured Shakib Al Hasan's 64.

Henry finished with figures of 4-47 to follow his three wickets against Sri Lanka as Bangladesh -- sent in to bat -- lost their last six wickets for just 65 runs.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan hit a fighting 68-ball 64 with seven boundaries in his 200th one-day international but no other batsmen cashed in on good starts.

Once Shakib was caught by wicketkeeper Tom Latham off the bowling of Colin de Grandhomme in the 31st over, the innings fell apart.

New Zealand vs Bangladesh match in numbers:
<img alt="Match 9" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8cec1255-146a-415f-a991-de74f9af42a4" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/match%209.jpg" />
Mohammad Mitun (26), Mahmudullah (20) and Mosadeek Hossain (11) all failed to build a significant innings.

Tailender Mohammad Saifuddin hit a 23-ball 29 with a six and three boundaries before Henry and Trent Boult (2-44) mopped up the tail.

Earlier, openers Tamim Iqbal, who made 24, and Soumya Sarkar, who scored 25, gave Bangladesh a solid base, putting on 45 runs for the first wicket.

But Henry made the breakthrough for&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealand, bowling Sarkar in the ninth over.

That brought Shakib to the crease, much to the appreciation of a large contingent of Bangladeshi supporters.

Iqbal was out shortly afterwards, caught by Boult off the bowling of Lockie Ferguson, to leave Bangladesh 60-2.

Mushfiqur Rahim rebuilt the innings with Shakib, putting on exactly 50 for the third wicket before he was run out for 19.

Both&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealand&nbsp;and Bangladesh won their first matches at the World Cup, taking place in England and Wales.

New&nbsp;Zealand&nbsp;crushed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets at Cardiff while Bangladesh beat South Africa.

New Zealand beat Bangladesh by two wickets at the Oval on Wednesday as they made it two wins from as many games at the World Cup. The Black Caps, losing finalists four years ago, achieved a seemingly modest target of 245 thanks mainly to Ross Taylor's 82.

New Zealand beat Bangladesh by two wickets at the Oval on Wednesday as they made it two wins from as many games at the World Cup. The Black Caps, losing finalists four years ago, achieved a seemingly modest target of 245 thanks mainly to Ross Taylor's 82. But they lost three wickets for 27 runs before Mitchell Santner (17 not out) and Lockie Ferguson (four not out) saw them to a victory achieved with 17 balls to spare. Earlier, fast bowler Matt Henry took four for 47 in a Bangladesh total of 244 that featured Shakib Al Hasan's 64. Henry finished with figures of 4-47 to follow his three wickets against Sri Lanka as Bangladesh -- sent in to bat -- lost their last six wickets for just 65 runs. Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan hit a fighting 68-ball 64 with seven boundaries in his 200th one-day international but no other batsmen cashed in on good starts. Once Shakib was caught by wicketkeeper Tom Latham off the bowling of Colin de Grandhomme in the 31st over, the innings fell apart. New Zealand vs Bangladesh match in numbers: Mohammad Mitun (26), Mahmudullah (20) and Mosadeek Hossain (11) all failed to build a significant innings. Tailender Mohammad Saifuddin hit a 23-ball 29 with a six and three boundaries before Henry and Trent Boult (2-44) mopped up the tail. Earlier, openers Tamim Iqbal, who made 24, and Soumya Sarkar, who scored 25, gave Bangladesh a solid base, putting on 45 runs for the first wicket. But Henry made the breakthrough for New Zealand, bowling Sarkar in the ninth over. That brought Shakib to the crease, much to the appreciation of a large contingent of Bangladeshi supporters. Iqbal was out shortly afterwards, caught by Boult off the bowling of Lockie Ferguson, to leave Bangladesh 60-2. Mushfiqur Rahim rebuilt the innings with Shakib, putting on exactly 50 for the third wicket before he was run out for 19. Both New Zealand and Bangladesh won their first matches at the World Cup, taking place in England and Wales. New Zealand crushed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets at Cardiff while Bangladesh beat South Africa.

New Zealand beat Bangladesh by two wickets in Cricket World Cup

Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes spoke of his respect on Tuesday for the way his players handled themselves after the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-gather-in-christchurch-for-remembrance-service-after-mass-shooting-206390&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwievKek29HiAhVZ7XMBHYTNCxMQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw38z3lHbChpcpXJvtFtHlAL">Christchurch mosque attacks</a> earlier this year.

The team narrowly escaped the attacks that killed 51 people in New Zealand in March during their tour of the country.

Rhodes is preparing his side to face <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-world-cup-2019-new-zealand-beat-sri-lanka-by-10-wickets-223464">New Zealand</a> at the Oval on Wednesday after they beat South Africa in their opening World Cup match.

"I have got so much respect for the players, the way that they have handled themselves after that event, the way that they have got themselves through it all," he said at his pre-match press conference.

"They are just celebrating Eid now, the end of Ramadan. That's been tough for many of the boys.&nbsp;The experience they went through, they went through together on that coach, and I think it somehow gelled them and I think that they have actually got solace from each other," Rhodes said.

"There's a lot of smiley faces at the moment, and going back to that day in<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/christchurch-mosque-attack-bangladesh-cricket-team-was-about-to-go-inside-safe-but-mentally-shocked-203418&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiA_Jy229HiAhUJp48KHbA_BvYQFjACegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1dIR3CAH9iGY534mEIMymF"> Christchurch,</a> I was thinking, how do we get a team back together after. But they have done it," he added.

Rhodes said Bangladesh did not want to get carried away with their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bangladesh-beat-south-africa-by-21-runs-in-cricket-world-cup-223723">victory against South Africa</a>.

"We know the people back home are delighted and obviously jumping up and down with what we've done in beating South Africa," he said.

"But the team and the staff, they know that the task is going to be tough against some of these teams, and New Zealand are just one of those sides where they gave us decent hiding this winter, and we're hopeful that we are in better shape,'' Rhodes said.

"The answer is, we are in better shape, taking them on this time around. But they are a tough opposition, like many of the top four or five teams in the world, and it will be difficult," added Rhodes.

Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes spoke of his respect on Tuesday for the way his players handled themselves after the Christchurch mosque attacks earlier this year.

Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes spoke of his respect on Tuesday for the way his players handled themselves after the Christchurch mosque attacks earlier this year. The team narrowly escaped the attacks that killed 51 people in New Zealand in March during their tour of the country. Rhodes is preparing his side to face New Zealand at the Oval on Wednesday after they beat South Africa in their opening World Cup match. "I have got so much respect for the players, the way that they have handled themselves after that event, the way that they have got themselves through it all," he said at his pre-match press conference. "They are just celebrating Eid now, the end of Ramadan. That's been tough for many of the boys. The experience they went through, they went through together on that coach, and I think it somehow gelled them and I think that they have actually got solace from each other," Rhodes said. "There's a lot of smiley faces at the moment, and going back to that day in Christchurch, I was thinking, how do we get a team back together after. But they have done it," he added. Rhodes said Bangladesh did not want to get carried away with their victory against South Africa. "We know the people back home are delighted and obviously jumping up and down with what we've done in beating South Africa," he said. "But the team and the staff, they know that the task is going to be tough against some of these teams, and New Zealand are just one of those sides where they gave us decent hiding this winter, and we're hopeful that we are in better shape,'' Rhodes said. "The answer is, we are in better shape, taking them on this time around. But they are a tough opposition, like many of the top four or five teams in the world, and it will be difficult," added Rhodes.

Christchurch attacks 'gelled' Bangladesh ahead of the World Cup, says coach Rhodes

Bangladesh defeated South Africa by 21&nbsp;runs after posting their highest one-day international score in their campaign opener of Cricket World Cup 2019 on Sunday at the Oval stadium.&nbsp;

South Africa kept losing wickets on regular intervals and failed to reached the set target of 331 runs.&nbsp;

Bangladesh's pacers Mohammad Saifuddin and Mustafizur Rahman thrashed the opponent with their brilliant bowling.&nbsp;

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and fielded, but his decision backfired badly as Bangladesh put his lethargic bowling attack to the sword.

In the first innings, Mushfiqur made 78 from 80 balls and Shakib's 75 came from 84 balls as the pair combined in a 142-run partnership.

That was Bangladesh's highest World Cup stand and set the stage to beat their previous highest ODI total of 329 for six against Pakistan in 2015.

Thrashed by a 104 runs in their first match against England on Thursday, South Africa, deprived of key batsman Hashim Amla due to a head injury suffered in that loss, will have to score 331 to avoid a second successive defeat.

Tamim Iqbal was fit to open the batting after a wrist injury, but it was Soumya Sarkar who hit the first boundary, his flick off Lungi Ngidi bringing a huge roar from Bangladesh fans who made up the majority of the crowd at the Oval, the south London headquarters of Surrey.

Those green-shirt clad Bangladesh supporters were back on the feet as Tamim and Soumya, who hit five fours in six balls at one point, brought up their fifty partnership in just seven overs.

After conceding 27 in two overs, the barrage took its toll on Ngidi, who fielded a Tamim shot and petulantly threw at the stumps, forcing the Bangladesh opener to fend it away in self-preservation.

Moments later, Ngidi trudged from the pitch, reportedly suffering from a tight hamstring.

In his first over, South Africa's Andile Phehlukwayo broke the partnership with 60 on the board when he induced an edge from Tamim that was held by wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock.

Soumya had made a dazzling 42 in 30 balls when his aggression got the better of him with a miscued hook off Chris Morris that was well caught by the diving de Kock.

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How good were these two with the bat earlier? 
 
Their 142-run stand was Bangladesh's highest ever in Cricket World Cups!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RiseOfTheTigers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RiseOfTheTigers</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvBAN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://t.co/P25KwPosqI">pic.twitter.com/P25KwPosqI</a>
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketworldcup/status/1135239916844195840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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With part-time bowlers Aiden Markram and JP Duminy filling in for the absent Ngidi and Dale Steyn sidelined again by a shoulder injury, South Africa's bowling attack was hardly threatening as Shakib reached his fifty with ease.

Du Plessis was visibly frustrated, gesticulating angrily as Shakib and Mushfiqur took their partnership past a hundred runs.

Imran Tahir delivered a desperately needed breakthrough on his 100th ODI appearance, the 40-year-old spinner breaking the 142-run stand when he bowled the sweeping Shakib.

Mushfiqur perished after a risky slog off Phehlukwayo to leave Bangladesh on 250 or five in the 43rd over.

But after going six overs without a boundary, Bangladesh finished their innings with a flourish thanks to powerful stroke-play from Mahmudullah (46 not out) and Mosaddek Hossain (26).

Bangladesh defeated South Africa by 21 runs after posting their highest one-day international score in their campaign opener of Cricket World Cup 2019 on Sunday at the Oval stadium.

Bangladesh defeated South Africa by 21 runs after posting their highest one-day international score in their campaign opener of Cricket World Cup 2019 on Sunday at the Oval stadium. South Africa kept losing wickets on regular intervals and failed to reached the set target of 331 runs. Bangladesh's pacers Mohammad Saifuddin and Mustafizur Rahman thrashed the opponent with their brilliant bowling. South Africa captain Faf du Plessis won the toss and fielded, but his decision backfired badly as Bangladesh put his lethargic bowling attack to the sword. In the first innings, Mushfiqur made 78 from 80 balls and Shakib's 75 came from 84 balls as the pair combined in a 142-run partnership. That was Bangladesh's highest World Cup stand and set the stage to beat their previous highest ODI total of 329 for six against Pakistan in 2015. Thrashed by a 104 runs in their first match against England on Thursday, South Africa, deprived of key batsman Hashim Amla due to a head injury suffered in that loss, will have to score 331 to avoid a second successive defeat. Tamim Iqbal was fit to open the batting after a wrist injury, but it was Soumya Sarkar who hit the first boundary, his flick off Lungi Ngidi bringing a huge roar from Bangladesh fans who made up the majority of the crowd at the Oval, the south London headquarters of Surrey. Those green-shirt clad Bangladesh supporters were back on the feet as Tamim and Soumya, who hit five fours in six balls at one point, brought up their fifty partnership in just seven overs. After conceding 27 in two overs, the barrage took its toll on Ngidi, who fielded a Tamim shot and petulantly threw at the stumps, forcing the Bangladesh opener to fend it away in self-preservation. Moments later, Ngidi trudged from the pitch, reportedly suffering from a tight hamstring. In his first over, South Africa's Andile Phehlukwayo broke the partnership with 60 on the board when he induced an edge from Tamim that was held by wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock. Soumya had made a dazzling 42 in 30 balls when his aggression got the better of him with a miscued hook off Chris Morris that was well caught by the diving de Kock. How good were these two with the bat earlier? Their 142-run stand was Bangladesh's highest ever in Cricket World Cups!#RiseOfTheTigers | #SAvBAN | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/P25KwPosqI — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 2, 2019 × With part-time bowlers Aiden Markram and JP Duminy filling in for the absent Ngidi and Dale Steyn sidelined again by a shoulder injury, South Africa's bowling attack was hardly threatening as Shakib reached his fifty with ease. Du Plessis was visibly frustrated, gesticulating angrily as Shakib and Mushfiqur took their partnership past a hundred runs. Imran Tahir delivered a desperately needed breakthrough on his 100th ODI appearance, the 40-year-old spinner breaking the 142-run stand when he bowled the sweeping Shakib. Mushfiqur perished after a risky slog off Phehlukwayo to leave Bangladesh on 250 or five in the 43rd over. But after going six overs without a boundary, Bangladesh finished their innings with a flourish thanks to powerful stroke-play from Mahmudullah (46 not out) and Mosaddek Hossain (26).

Bangladesh beat South Africa by 21 runs in Cricket World Cup

Bangladesh faced a major blow as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/world-cup-south-africa-aim-to-bounce-back-against-injury-stricken-bangladesh-223395#experienced-iqbal-unfit-along-with-mustafizur-mahmudullah-223390">Tamim Iqbal's wrist injury</a> leaves him uncertain for his side's opening <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/world-cup-south-africa-aim-to-bounce-back-against-injury-stricken-bangladesh-223395#bangladesh-vs-south-africa-223383">fixture against South Africa</a> in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

The 30-year-old left the field immediately after he was struck a blow on his left wrist during his team's practice session on Friday.

According to Bangladesh Cricket Board officials, Tamim had a precautionary X-ray which showed no fracture, but bruising and swelling might just rule the left-hander out of Sunday's game.

The board further said all-rounder Saifuddin, who is recovering from a back problem is expected to take painkillers to make himself available for the game, ICC reported.

"It's too early to say anything specific but we will have an X-ray and if there is a fracture, then he won't be available. But if that is not the case, then we can hope he will be available for the opening game," selector Habibul Bashar had said before the X-ray scan.

Tamim will undergo another test on Sunday. Based on the result, a decision on his availability will be taken.

The left-hander was forced to miss the warm-up match against India due to pain in his thigh muscle. Tamim's absence will hurt Bangladesh as he has been prolific run-scorer in the top-order.

Bangladesh is already worried about the fitness of Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman and Mahmudullah, who are suffering from hamstring, calf and shoulder issues respectively.

Bangladesh will begin its World Cup campaign against South Africa at The Oval, London on June 2.

Bangladesh faced a major blow as Tamim Iqbal's wrist injury leaves him uncertain for his side's opening fixture against South Africa in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

Bangladesh faced a major blow as Tamim Iqbal's wrist injury leaves him uncertain for his side's opening fixture against South Africa in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. The 30-year-old left the field immediately after he was struck a blow on his left wrist during his team's practice session on Friday. According to Bangladesh Cricket Board officials, Tamim had a precautionary X-ray which showed no fracture, but bruising and swelling might just rule the left-hander out of Sunday's game. The board further said all-rounder Saifuddin, who is recovering from a back problem is expected to take painkillers to make himself available for the game, ICC reported. "It's too early to say anything specific but we will have an X-ray and if there is a fracture, then he won't be available. But if that is not the case, then we can hope he will be available for the opening game," selector Habibul Bashar had said before the X-ray scan. Tamim will undergo another test on Sunday. Based on the result, a decision on his availability will be taken. The left-hander was forced to miss the warm-up match against India due to pain in his thigh muscle. Tamim's absence will hurt Bangladesh as he has been prolific run-scorer in the top-order. Bangladesh is already worried about the fitness of Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman and Mahmudullah, who are suffering from hamstring, calf and shoulder issues respectively. Bangladesh will begin its World Cup campaign against South Africa at The Oval, London on June 2.

Tamim Iqbal to miss Bangladesh's first Cricket World Cup match

World Cup: South Africa aim to bounce back against injury-stricken Bangladesh

Bangladesh's injury woes continued with opener Tamim Iqbal suffering a wrist injury while batting in the nets ahead of their opening <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-am-a-fast-bowler-thunders-andre-russell-after-startling-pakistan-in-their-world-cup-opener-223332">World Cup</a> match against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-were-better-than-us-in-all-facets-of-the-game-says-faf-du-plessis-after-defeat-in-world-cup-2019-opener-223068">South Africa</a> at The Oval here on Sunday.

The experienced left-handed batsman was immediately rushed to the dressing room along with physio Thian Chandramohan after being hit on his left wrist during the practice session.

He is expected to undergo a precautionary X-ray.

"It's too early to say anything specific but we will have an X-ray and if there is a fracture, then he won't be available," selector Habibul Bashar said.&nbsp;

"But if that is not the case, then we can hope he will be available for the opening game,"&nbsp;Bashar said.&nbsp;

Tamim is Bangladesh's batting mainstay, having played at the 2007 World Cup. He played an important role by blasting two fifties during their tri-series ODI win in Ireland earlier this month.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-kl-rahul-hit-tons-as-india-beat-bangladesh-in-world-cup-warm-up-222416">Bangladesh </a>is already sweating over the fitness of some of their key players such as Mohammad Saifuddin (recovering from a back problem), Mashrafe Mortaza (hamstring), Mustafizur Rahman (calf) and Mahmudullah (shoulder).&nbsp;

Spin-allrounder Shakib Al Hasan had also suffered a back spasm recently but is likely to be fit for the opening match.

Bangladesh's injury woes continued with opener Tamim Iqbal suffering a wrist injury while batting in the nets ahead of their opening World Cup match against South Africa at The Oval here on Sunday.

Bangladesh's injury woes continued with opener Tamim Iqbal suffering a wrist injury while batting in the nets ahead of their opening World Cup match against South Africa at The Oval here on Sunday. The experienced left-handed batsman was immediately rushed to the dressing room along with physio Thian Chandramohan after being hit on his left wrist during the practice session. He is expected to undergo a precautionary X-ray. "It's too early to say anything specific but we will have an X-ray and if there is a fracture, then he won't be available," selector Habibul Bashar said. "But if that is not the case, then we can hope he will be available for the opening game," Bashar said. Tamim is Bangladesh's batting mainstay, having played at the 2007 World Cup. He played an important role by blasting two fifties during their tri-series ODI win in Ireland earlier this month. Bangladesh is already sweating over the fitness of some of their key players such as Mohammad Saifuddin (recovering from a back problem), Mashrafe Mortaza (hamstring), Mustafizur Rahman (calf) and Mahmudullah (shoulder). Spin-allrounder Shakib Al Hasan had also suffered a back spasm recently but is likely to be fit for the opening match.

World Cup 2019: Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal faces injury scare ahead of campaign opener against South Africa

Bangladesh coast guards on Thursday stopped 58 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-stops-84-rohingyas-from-perilous-sea-journey-219586">Rohingya refugees </a>from making a potentially dangerous journey to Malaysia by sea and arrested two suspected traffickers, an official said.

Acting on a tip-off, a patrol ship challenged a fishing boat near Saint Martin's, a small Bangladesh island in the Bay of Bengal, and found the Rohingya on board, coast guard Lieutenant Josel Rana said.

"We've found 58 refugees and detained two human traffickers on the boat," he told AFP.

About 740,000 Muslim minority Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since a brutal military crackdown in the Buddhist-majority nation began in August 2017.

Thousands of refugees attempt to flee the camps each year in pursuit of better opportunities in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand.

So far this year, law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh have rescued over 400 Rohingya refugees from coastal villages as they were waiting to board boats bound for Malaysia.

But this is the first time in 2019 that Rohingya refugees were rescued at sea, raising concerns that the situation in Bangladesh's overcrowded camps -- home to nearly one million -- is worsening.

"Such incidents will continue as desperation among the refugees is on the rise," said Emdadul Haq, a professor at the private North South University in Dhaka. Rana said most of the refugees picked up by the coast guard were from the Kutupalong camp -- the largest refugee settlement in the world.

Most attempts the journey before March when the sea is calm before the monsoon season sets in, but experts say traffickers are now convincing the refugees to attempt the trip even in rough waters.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said the vulnerability of Rohingya to trafficking has increased enormously as livelihoods, support networks, and other fundamental systems are disrupted.&nbsp;

Bangladesh coast guards on Thursday stopped 58 Rohingya refugees from making a potentially dangerous journey to Malaysia by sea and arrested two suspected traffickers, an official said.

Bangladesh coast guards on Thursday stopped 58 Rohingya refugees from making a potentially dangerous journey to Malaysia by sea and arrested two suspected traffickers, an official said. Acting on a tip-off, a patrol ship challenged a fishing boat near Saint Martin's, a small Bangladesh island in the Bay of Bengal, and found the Rohingya on board, coast guard Lieutenant Josel Rana said. "We've found 58 refugees and detained two human traffickers on the boat," he told AFP. About 740,000 Muslim minority Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since a brutal military crackdown in the Buddhist-majority nation began in August 2017. Thousands of refugees attempt to flee the camps each year in pursuit of better opportunities in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. So far this year, law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh have rescued over 400 Rohingya refugees from coastal villages as they were waiting to board boats bound for Malaysia. But this is the first time in 2019 that Rohingya refugees were rescued at sea, raising concerns that the situation in Bangladesh's overcrowded camps -- home to nearly one million -- is worsening. "Such incidents will continue as desperation among the refugees is on the rise," said Emdadul Haq, a professor at the private North South University in Dhaka. Rana said most of the refugees picked up by the coast guard were from the Kutupalong camp -- the largest refugee settlement in the world. Most attempts the journey before March when the sea is calm before the monsoon season sets in, but experts say traffickers are now convincing the refugees to attempt the trip even in rough waters. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said the vulnerability of Rohingya to trafficking has increased enormously as livelihoods, support networks, and other fundamental systems are disrupted.

Bangladesh picks up 58 Malaysia-bound Rohingya at sea

A police officer and two others were injured in a powerful blast claimed by the Islamic State in Bangladesh's capital.

The explosives that lead to the blast in a police pick-up van in Dhaka's Malibagh on Sunday night might have been planted, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said on Monday.

"We think it (the explosive) was kept in the car and not hurled at the police," he said while talking to reporters after visiting the injured at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

"Based on primary investigation, we think it was an improvised bomb, but it was more powerful than the usual ones used here," he said.

An assistant sub-inspector and two others were injured in the explosion.

He said police have yet to identify the culprits.

Meanwhile, US-based SITE Intelligence Group said that IS has claimed responsibility for the blast targeting the police van in Dhaka.

Terming the incident as an act to spread fear, the DMP chief said: "If they (the attackers) wanted, they could have killed our police officials."

"Attacking a police vehicle or checkpost is a move to break down the police's morale and its initiative to oust terrorism from Bangladesh, he said.

The government has consistently ruled out the presence of the dreaded terror group in the Muslim-majority nation though experts have been maintaining that series of brutal attacks on minorities and secular activists had the hallmarks of ISIS group.

Bangladesh launched a crackdown on Islamist militants following the July 2016 terror attack in which terrorists stormed a Dhaka cafe and killed 22 people, including 18 foreigners, by firing indiscriminately. The ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

In nationwide raids since then, the security forces have killed around 100 terrorists and detained several others.

A police officer and two others were injured in a powerful blast claimed by the Islamic State in Bangladesh's capital. The explosives that lead to the blast in a police pick-up van in Dhaka's Malibagh on Sunday night might have been planted, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said on Monday.

A police officer and two others were injured in a powerful blast claimed by the Islamic State in Bangladesh's capital. The explosives that lead to the blast in a police pick-up van in Dhaka's Malibagh on Sunday night might have been planted, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said on Monday. "We think it (the explosive) was kept in the car and not hurled at the police," he said while talking to reporters after visiting the injured at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. "Based on primary investigation, we think it was an improvised bomb, but it was more powerful than the usual ones used here," he said. An assistant sub-inspector and two others were injured in the explosion. He said police have yet to identify the culprits. Meanwhile, US-based SITE Intelligence Group said that IS has claimed responsibility for the blast targeting the police van in Dhaka. Terming the incident as an act to spread fear, the DMP chief said: "If they (the attackers) wanted, they could have killed our police officials." "Attacking a police vehicle or checkpost is a move to break down the police's morale and its initiative to oust terrorism from Bangladesh, he said. The government has consistently ruled out the presence of the dreaded terror group in the Muslim-majority nation though experts have been maintaining that series of brutal attacks on minorities and secular activists had the hallmarks of ISIS group. Bangladesh launched a crackdown on Islamist militants following the July 2016 terror attack in which terrorists stormed a Dhaka cafe and killed 22 people, including 18 foreigners, by firing indiscriminately. The ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. In nationwide raids since then, the security forces have killed around 100 terrorists and detained several others.

Three injured in powerful blast claimed by Islamic State in Bangladesh

Hundreds of Bangladeshi fishermen staged a protest in the country's south on Sunday, police said, after the government imposed an unprecedented two-month long fishing ban on the Bay of Bengal.

Carrying placards and banners, the fishermen marched to Cox's Bazar city from coastal villages days after the government's 65-day long fishing embargo came into effect.

"This is wrong. This is an injustice. No other country in the world has ever imposed such a long ban," said union leader Kolim Ullah through a loudhailer during the protest.

Ullah said the ban has hit the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh's coastal districts, home to about 20 million people, most of whom depend either directly or indirectly on fishing.

"The embargo has especially hit the poor fishermen hard. They don't know any other work," he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-launches-trafficker-crackdown-after-mediterranean-deaths-219202">Bangladesh</a> imposed the ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal last week in an effort to replenish depleted stocks.

The junior minister for fisheries, Ashraf Ali Khan, said the ban would run from May 20 to July 23, and that navy and coast guard vessels would patrol the bay to prevent boats from putting to sea.

Bangladesh frequently slaps seasonal bans on fishing in deep seas and coastal rivers, but authorities said this was the longest-ever imposed for shallow waters near the coast. It covers all types of fishing boats.

Ullah said the protesters submitted a memorandum to the administrator in Cox's Bazar demanding the ban be shortened to one month and the government stop foreign fishing vessels from entering Bangladeshi waters.

As part of compensation measures, the Bangladesh government has announced it will provide free rice for nearly half a million families of badly affected fishermen.

But SM Nazrul, another union leader, said the aid is promised only for the registered fishermen, while "the number of unregistered fishermen is eight times more than the registered ones."&nbsp;

Fishermen have also threatened to march towards the capital Dhaka if the embargo is not shortened.

"The ban is slapped on just before Eid," said fisherman Mohammad Rafique, referring to the largest Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.&nbsp;

"How will we celebrate Eid when we don't have a penny in the pocket?"

The ban has also hit Rohingya refugees, nearly a million of whom have fled a military crackdown in Myanmar and found shelter in squalid camps near Bangladesh's Teknaf and Ukhia fishing towns.

The refugees are not permitted to work outside the camps but thousands have secretly found work in the sea-going fishing trawlers owned by Bangladeshis.

"Thousands of Rohingya work as crew members in a bid to find a better life. This ban would throw these<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-stops-84-rohingyas-from-perilous-sea-journey-219586"> Rohingya </a>back on the streets," Abdus Salam, a boat owner in Shamlapur fishing village, told AFP.

Every year Bangladesh imposes a weeks-long ban on the fishing of Hilsa -- a popular Herring-like staple -- and has created six sanctuaries in its network of coastal rivers to allow spawning.

The bans have boosted the Hilsa catch by more than 150 per cent since 2004 and turned it into a $2 billion industry.

Hundreds of Bangladeshi fishermen staged a protest in the country's south on Sunday, police said, after the government imposed an unprecedented two-month long fishing ban on the Bay of Bengal.

Hundreds of Bangladeshi fishermen staged a protest in the country's south on Sunday, police said, after the government imposed an unprecedented two-month long fishing ban on the Bay of Bengal. Carrying placards and banners, the fishermen marched to Cox's Bazar city from coastal villages days after the government's 65-day long fishing embargo came into effect. "This is wrong. This is an injustice. No other country in the world has ever imposed such a long ban," said union leader Kolim Ullah through a loudhailer during the protest. Ullah said the ban has hit the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh's coastal districts, home to about 20 million people, most of whom depend either directly or indirectly on fishing. "The embargo has especially hit the poor fishermen hard. They don't know any other work," he said. Bangladesh imposed the ban on fishing in the Bay of Bengal last week in an effort to replenish depleted stocks. The junior minister for fisheries, Ashraf Ali Khan, said the ban would run from May 20 to July 23, and that navy and coast guard vessels would patrol the bay to prevent boats from putting to sea. Bangladesh frequently slaps seasonal bans on fishing in deep seas and coastal rivers, but authorities said this was the longest-ever imposed for shallow waters near the coast. It covers all types of fishing boats. Ullah said the protesters submitted a memorandum to the administrator in Cox's Bazar demanding the ban be shortened to one month and the government stop foreign fishing vessels from entering Bangladeshi waters. As part of compensation measures, the Bangladesh government has announced it will provide free rice for nearly half a million families of badly affected fishermen. But SM Nazrul, another union leader, said the aid is promised only for the registered fishermen, while "the number of unregistered fishermen is eight times more than the registered ones." Fishermen have also threatened to march towards the capital Dhaka if the embargo is not shortened. "The ban is slapped on just before Eid," said fisherman Mohammad Rafique, referring to the largest Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr. "How will we celebrate Eid when we don't have a penny in the pocket?" The ban has also hit Rohingya refugees, nearly a million of whom have fled a military crackdown in Myanmar and found shelter in squalid camps near Bangladesh's Teknaf and Ukhia fishing towns. The refugees are not permitted to work outside the camps but thousands have secretly found work in the sea-going fishing trawlers owned by Bangladeshis. "Thousands of Rohingya work as crew members in a bid to find a better life. This ban would throw these Rohingya back on the streets," Abdus Salam, a boat owner in Shamlapur fishing village, told AFP. Every year Bangladesh imposes a weeks-long ban on the fishing of Hilsa -- a popular Herring-like staple -- and has created six sanctuaries in its network of coastal rivers to allow spawning. The bans have boosted the Hilsa catch by more than 150 per cent since 2004 and turned it into a $2 billion industry.

Bangladesh fishermen protest two month fishing ban

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sounded an alert about plans of terrorist outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) making permanent bases within 10 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border in the eastern states of Tripura, Assam and West Bengal.

A gazette notification, issued by the MHA Joint Secretary Piyush Goyal on Thursday, said the terror outfit has also plans of "spreading its network in south India with an overarching motive to establish Caliphate in the Indian subcontinent."

The notification said the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Indian or Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen Hindustan are in the list of 41 terror organisations, already banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The JMB and its sister formations such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan have committed acts of terrorism, promoted acts of terrorism and have been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of youths for terrorist activities in India, the notification said.

The terror outfit was also found involved in recruitment and raising funds for terrorist activities, procurement of explosives, chemicals and assembling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), it said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had earlier confirmed involvement of JMB cadre in Burdwan bomb blast on October 2, 2014 and Bodh Gaya blasts on January 19, 2018.

The Assam police also found involvement of the JMB in five cases and arrested 565 JMB suspects, it said.

In January, the MHA added Al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, Islamic State of Iraq, Sham- Khorasan (ISIS-K) and the Khalistan Liberation Force among the list of terrorist organisations banned under the UAPA.

In March, a suspected terrorist belonging to the JMB was arrested by the Tripura police from a rented house at Arundhatinagar here.

Director General of Tripura Police Akhil Kumar Shukla had earlier said the suspected JMB terrorist, identified as Nazir Sheikh, hailed from Murshidabad district of West Bengal and had links with many other terror outfits in India.

He was interrogated by a joint team of NIA, military intelligence and officials of the special branch of the Tripura police.

India and Bangladesh share 4,156-km-long border with Bangladesh, that passes through five states -- West Bengal (2,217 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (180 km).

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sounded an alert about plans of terrorist outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) making permanent bases within 10 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border in the eastern states of Tripura, Assam and West Bengal.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sounded an alert about plans of terrorist outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) making permanent bases within 10 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border in the eastern states of Tripura, Assam and West Bengal. A gazette notification, issued by the MHA Joint Secretary Piyush Goyal on Thursday, said the terror outfit has also plans of "spreading its network in south India with an overarching motive to establish Caliphate in the Indian subcontinent." The notification said the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Indian or Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen Hindustan are in the list of 41 terror organisations, already banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The JMB and its sister formations such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan have committed acts of terrorism, promoted acts of terrorism and have been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of youths for terrorist activities in India, the notification said. The terror outfit was also found involved in recruitment and raising funds for terrorist activities, procurement of explosives, chemicals and assembling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), it said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had earlier confirmed involvement of JMB cadre in Burdwan bomb blast on October 2, 2014 and Bodh Gaya blasts on January 19, 2018. The Assam police also found involvement of the JMB in five cases and arrested 565 JMB suspects, it said. In January, the MHA added Al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, Islamic State of Iraq, Sham- Khorasan (ISIS-K) and the Khalistan Liberation Force among the list of terrorist organisations banned under the UAPA. In March, a suspected terrorist belonging to the JMB was arrested by the Tripura police from a rented house at Arundhatinagar here. Director General of Tripura Police Akhil Kumar Shukla had earlier said the suspected JMB terrorist, identified as Nazir Sheikh, hailed from Murshidabad district of West Bengal and had links with many other terror outfits in India. He was interrogated by a joint team of NIA, military intelligence and officials of the special branch of the Tripura police. India and Bangladesh share 4,156-km-long border with Bangladesh, that passes through five states -- West Bengal (2,217 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (180 km).

Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh planning to set up permanent bases in eastern states: MHA

Diplomatic tension between Bangladesh and Pakistan intensified on Monday as Dhaka halted issuing the visa to its nationals, sources reported to WION. Pakistani nationals are not being issued a visa for the past seven days now, sources said. Visa section of Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad is also closed since last Monday.

Bangladesh, Pakistan diplomatic row intensifies over visa restriction

Jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia is trapped between life and death as her health has massively deteriorated over the last week due to unhealthy environment, according to her Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Demanding the immediate release of the 73-year-old three-time former prime minister, the BNP standing committee member Jamiruddin Sircar said that due to the loneliness and lack of proper treatment, Zia is suffering from various ailments including heart disease.

She is lodged in a 200-year-old prison in Dhaka since February last year, serving a 10-year jail term in two graft cases.

"Khaleda Zia is trapped between life and death. Keeping Khaleda in jail, depriving her of bail, is contrary to the Constitution and human rights since her conviction in any of the case had not been finally disposed off by the Supreme Court," Sircar was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.

The former parliament speaker asked the government to allow her to receive proper treatment at a hospital of her choice.

"The government had assured it would make proper arrangement for Khaleda Zia's treatment, but not enough initiatives were taken yet.

"It is a bad sign that they are not letting Zia out for treatment, even in this worsening condition," Sircar said, adding that she is at serious risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

He also claimed that the cases against Zia are "politically motivated".

BNP Vice Chairman and one of Zia's personal physicians AZM Zahid Hossain, said: "Zia is suffering from high blood sugar... And always needs to be on insulin. She has a sore tongue, which is not healing due to the high blood sugar. Her left shoulder and elbow joint have become insensitive.

"According to her doctors, Zia is a special care patient. It is important to ensure all the facilities needed for her personal care".

The committee claimed that the government has decided to hold trials of the pending cases against her at Dhaka Central Jail in order to prevent her release from jail.

Last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accused Zia of "faking" her illness in jail to avoid appearances in court where graft cases are pending against her.

The Bangladesh government, citing security reasons, last week set up a new makeshift court adjacent to a prison outside Dhaka to try Zia who is facing several criminal and graft cases.

She was sent to jail in February last year by a local court on charges of embezzling foreign donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, during her premiership between 2001 and 2006.

Rehman, a military ruler-turned-politician, was the founder of the BNP.

Jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia is trapped between life and death as her health has massively deteriorated over the last week due to unhealthy environment, according to her Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia is trapped between life and death as her health has massively deteriorated over the last week due to unhealthy environment, according to her Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Demanding the immediate release of the 73-year-old three-time former prime minister, the BNP standing committee member Jamiruddin Sircar said that due to the loneliness and lack of proper treatment, Zia is suffering from various ailments including heart disease. She is lodged in a 200-year-old prison in Dhaka since February last year, serving a 10-year jail term in two graft cases. "Khaleda Zia is trapped between life and death. Keeping Khaleda in jail, depriving her of bail, is contrary to the Constitution and human rights since her conviction in any of the case had not been finally disposed off by the Supreme Court," Sircar was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune. The former parliament speaker asked the government to allow her to receive proper treatment at a hospital of her choice. "The government had assured it would make proper arrangement for Khaleda Zia's treatment, but not enough initiatives were taken yet. "It is a bad sign that they are not letting Zia out for treatment, even in this worsening condition," Sircar said, adding that she is at serious risk of sudden cardiac arrest. He also claimed that the cases against Zia are "politically motivated". BNP Vice Chairman and one of Zia's personal physicians AZM Zahid Hossain, said: "Zia is suffering from high blood sugar... And always needs to be on insulin. She has a sore tongue, which is not healing due to the high blood sugar. Her left shoulder and elbow joint have become insensitive. "According to her doctors, Zia is a special care patient. It is important to ensure all the facilities needed for her personal care". The committee claimed that the government has decided to hold trials of the pending cases against her at Dhaka Central Jail in order to prevent her release from jail. Last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accused Zia of "faking" her illness in jail to avoid appearances in court where graft cases are pending against her. The Bangladesh government, citing security reasons, last week set up a new makeshift court adjacent to a prison outside Dhaka to try Zia who is facing several criminal and graft cases. She was sent to jail in February last year by a local court on charges of embezzling foreign donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, during her premiership between 2001 and 2006. Rehman, a military ruler-turned-politician, was the founder of the BNP.

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia's health massively deteriorated: BNP

Bangladesh authorities prevented 84 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar from attempting a perilous boat journey to Malaysia, officials said Saturday.

Police in Pekua said 67 Rohingya Muslims from Kutupalong -- the largest refugee settlement in the world -- were stopped as they waited to board a fishing trawler. They included 31 women and 15 children.

On Saint Martin's, a small Bangladesh island in the Bay of Bengal, the country's coast guard stopped 17 other Rohingya and five Bangladeshi traffickers before they could board a rickety fishing boat.

Fayezul Islam Mondol, the regional coast guard commander, said they were acting on a tip-off.

About 740,000 Muslim minority Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since a brutal military crackdown began in August 2017.

They joined another 300,000 Rohingya already living in overcrowded camps in the Cox's Bazar area following previous bouts of violence.

Thousands of refugees attempt to flee the camps each year in pursuit of better opportunities in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand.

They frequently spend their life savings to embark on dangerous boat journeys they believe will improve their lives, but many fall prey to international human trafficking gangs.

Most attempt the journey before March, when the sea is calm before the monsoon season sets in, but experts say traffickers are now convincing the refugees to attempt the crossing even in rough waters.

"This is a very alarming situation," Jishu Barua, an aid worker specialising in trafficking, told AFP.&nbsp;

Bangladesh authorities prevented 84 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar from attempting a perilous boat journey to Malaysia, officials said Saturday. Police in Pekua said 67 Rohingya Muslims from Kutupalong -- the largest refugee settlement in the world -- were stopped as they waited to board a fishing trawler.

Bangladesh authorities prevented 84 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar from attempting a perilous boat journey to Malaysia, officials said Saturday. Police in Pekua said 67 Rohingya Muslims from Kutupalong -- the largest refugee settlement in the world -- were stopped as they waited to board a fishing trawler. They included 31 women and 15 children. On Saint Martin's, a small Bangladesh island in the Bay of Bengal, the country's coast guard stopped 17 other Rohingya and five Bangladeshi traffickers before they could board a rickety fishing boat. Fayezul Islam Mondol, the regional coast guard commander, said they were acting on a tip-off. About 740,000 Muslim minority Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since a brutal military crackdown began in August 2017. They joined another 300,000 Rohingya already living in overcrowded camps in the Cox's Bazar area following previous bouts of violence. Thousands of refugees attempt to flee the camps each year in pursuit of better opportunities in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. They frequently spend their life savings to embark on dangerous boat journeys they believe will improve their lives, but many fall prey to international human trafficking gangs. Most attempt the journey before March, when the sea is calm before the monsoon season sets in, but experts say traffickers are now convincing the refugees to attempt the crossing even in rough waters. "This is a very alarming situation," Jishu Barua, an aid worker specialising in trafficking, told AFP.

Bangladesh stops 84 Rohingyas from perilous sea journey

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-rescue-dozens-of-rohingya-being-trafficked-to-malaysia-218629&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwik1LqLlaDiAhVt63MBHRnZBiMQFjAEegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw25m7a90_VHZuksvA79G65o">Bangladesh authorities</a> have launched a crackdown on suspected people-smugglers masquerading as "travel agents" after dozens of Bangladeshis drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, officials said Thursday.

About 60 people died last week when a boat full of would-be migrants capsized while trying to cross from Libya to Italy, in a case that has put the spotlight on the desperate struggle of young unemployed Bangladeshis to find work abroad.

Fourteen Bangladeshis were among 16 people rescued by Tunisian fishermen, while Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said 39 Bangladeshis were unaccounted for.

Families of those who died said the so-called "travel agents" took money from youths in exchange for a passage to Libya and the promise of a sea crossing to Europe.

Authorities sealed off 23 travel agencies in northeastern Sylhet district after it was found many were working for international trafficking networks, Momen said.

"We will take stern action against these agents," he told reporters.

Five mobile courts set up on the back of trucks ordered jail terms for nine suspected traffickers and another 29 were fined, said Sylhet government administrator Kazi Emdadul Islam.

Magistrate Nasirullah Khan said the crackdown will continue against the "greedy and illegal travel agents" who prey on unemployed young men.

"We want to ensure no mother would ever lose her child again," he said.

Tens of thousands of young Bangladeshi men have attempted the perilous Mediterranean crossing in recent years, and the number of traffickers catering to them has mushroomed.

While the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-arrests-poet-for-hurting-religious-sentiments-218789&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjNx5CglaDiAhXJvI8KHaUgDmcQFjAIegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw09zKOHJVAqnVMyKyx7xOiS">Bangladesh </a>economy has grown at an annual clip of 6-7 per cent through the decade, there are still not enough jobs and many young men try to reach Europe and North America on death-defying illegal routes.

Growing unemployment is fuelling desperation to escape, said Professor Jalal Uddin Sikder, a migration expert at the University of Liberal Arts in Dhaka.

"Low paid jobs are available but these young men want better-paid jobs in the West," he told AFP.

"But many do not survive the long, tiring journey through the desert and across the seas, while some get sold as slaves even before they reach the Libyan coast", the&nbsp;Professor added.

Bangladesh authorities have launched a crackdown on suspected people-smugglers masquerading as "travel agents" after dozens of Bangladeshis drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, officials said Thursday.

Bangladesh authorities have launched a crackdown on suspected people-smugglers masquerading as "travel agents" after dozens of Bangladeshis drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, officials said Thursday. About 60 people died last week when a boat full of would-be migrants capsized while trying to cross from Libya to Italy, in a case that has put the spotlight on the desperate struggle of young unemployed Bangladeshis to find work abroad. Fourteen Bangladeshis were among 16 people rescued by Tunisian fishermen, while Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said 39 Bangladeshis were unaccounted for. Families of those who died said the so-called "travel agents" took money from youths in exchange for a passage to Libya and the promise of a sea crossing to Europe. Authorities sealed off 23 travel agencies in northeastern Sylhet district after it was found many were working for international trafficking networks, Momen said. "We will take stern action against these agents," he told reporters. Five mobile courts set up on the back of trucks ordered jail terms for nine suspected traffickers and another 29 were fined, said Sylhet government administrator Kazi Emdadul Islam. Magistrate Nasirullah Khan said the crackdown will continue against the "greedy and illegal travel agents" who prey on unemployed young men. "We want to ensure no mother would ever lose her child again," he said. Tens of thousands of young Bangladeshi men have attempted the perilous Mediterranean crossing in recent years, and the number of traffickers catering to them has mushroomed. While the Bangladesh economy has grown at an annual clip of 6-7 per cent through the decade, there are still not enough jobs and many young men try to reach Europe and North America on death-defying illegal routes. Growing unemployment is fuelling desperation to escape, said Professor Jalal Uddin Sikder, a migration expert at the University of Liberal Arts in Dhaka. "Low paid jobs are available but these young men want better-paid jobs in the West," he told AFP. "But many do not survive the long, tiring journey through the desert and across the seas, while some get sold as slaves even before they reach the Libyan coast", the Professor added.

Bangladesh launches trafficker crackdown after Mediterranean deaths

A U.N. official on Tuesday (May 14) has urged Myanmar to grant aid workers "predictable, sustained access" to Rakhine state, where fighting between government troops and rebels has displaced nearly 33,000 people since late last year, saying lack of aid has cost lives.

'People are dying': U.N official urges Myanmar to grant aid access to Rakhine state

Police in southern Bangladesh arrested a prominent poet on Tuesday after he was accused of hurting the religious feelings of the country's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-actress-apologises-for-atheist-comments-211128">minority Christian community</a>, police said.

Henry Sawpon, a Christian himself, was detained in Barisal, south of the capital Dhaka, after a priest filed a case against him for a series of defamatory writings about the clergy.

"He was arrested under the country's digital security law for hurting religious sentiments of the Christian community," Barisal Metropolitan Police commissioner Shahabuddin Khan told AFP.

Sawpon, whose poems and rhymes are regularly published in leading Bangladesh newspapers and magazines, was sent to jail after a court rejected his bail application.

Police said Sawpon had posted slanderous remarks against Barisal's Catholic fathers on his Facebook profile since 2016. He also accused the city's Bishop of embezzling funds.

Days before his arrest, Sawpon told local media that two unidentified men entered his home after midnight and threatened to kill him if he did not stop writing against his community.

The poet faces a maximum 14 years in jail if found guilty under the controversial digital security law which was passed last year and has been slammed as "draconian" by media rights groups in Bangladesh and abroad.

Rights groups expressed concern that the law would be used to curb freedom of expression and a crackdown on dissent.

Last August top journalist and activist Shahidul Alam was arrested during massive student protests in the capital Dhaka for making "false" and "provocative" statements on Al Jazeera and Facebook Live.

He is being investigated for allegedly violating Bangladesh's already stringent internet laws enacted in 2006.

Christians make up less than one percent of Bangladesh’s 165 million people, but have lived for centuries mostly in harmony with the local Muslim majority.&nbsp;

They have played a prominent role in the country’s history and even today, schools and hospitals run by Catholic missionaries provide a lifeline for poor communities.

Barisal's Christian community is one of the oldest in the Muslim majority nation.

Police in southern Bangladesh arrested a prominent poet on Tuesday after he was accused of hurting the religious feelings of the country's minority Christian community, police said.

Police in southern Bangladesh arrested a prominent poet on Tuesday after he was accused of hurting the religious feelings of the country's minority Christian community, police said. Henry Sawpon, a Christian himself, was detained in Barisal, south of the capital Dhaka, after a priest filed a case against him for a series of defamatory writings about the clergy. "He was arrested under the country's digital security law for hurting religious sentiments of the Christian community," Barisal Metropolitan Police commissioner Shahabuddin Khan told AFP. Sawpon, whose poems and rhymes are regularly published in leading Bangladesh newspapers and magazines, was sent to jail after a court rejected his bail application. Police said Sawpon had posted slanderous remarks against Barisal's Catholic fathers on his Facebook profile since 2016. He also accused the city's Bishop of embezzling funds. Days before his arrest, Sawpon told local media that two unidentified men entered his home after midnight and threatened to kill him if he did not stop writing against his community. The poet faces a maximum 14 years in jail if found guilty under the controversial digital security law which was passed last year and has been slammed as "draconian" by media rights groups in Bangladesh and abroad. Rights groups expressed concern that the law would be used to curb freedom of expression and a crackdown on dissent. Last August top journalist and activist Shahidul Alam was arrested during massive student protests in the capital Dhaka for making "false" and "provocative" statements on Al Jazeera and Facebook Live. He is being investigated for allegedly violating Bangladesh's already stringent internet laws enacted in 2006. Christians make up less than one percent of Bangladesh’s 165 million people, but have lived for centuries mostly in harmony with the local Muslim majority. They have played a prominent role in the country’s history and even today, schools and hospitals run by Catholic missionaries provide a lifeline for poor communities. Barisal's Christian community is one of the oldest in the Muslim majority nation.

Bangladesh police arrests poet for hurting religious sentiments

Twenty-three teenage Rohingya girls were rescued after being brought from refugee camps to the capital Dhaka to be sent to Malaysia by air, Bangladesh police said Sunday.

Dhaka police also arrested four<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-jails-three-rohingya-extremists-for-10-years-214161"> human traffickers including a Rohingya couple</a> and recovered over 50 Bangladeshi passports from them on Saturday.

Police spokesman Mokhlesur Rahman said they raided a residence in the northern part of the city and found the teenagers hiding in a room behind a tailoring shop.

"They were promised jobs in Malaysia and brought from refugee camps in Cox's Bazar," he told AFP, referring to the Rohingya settlements in Bangladesh's southeastern coastal district.

The girls -- aged between 15 and 19 -- could have been potential victims of forced prostitution, the official said.

"We have filed cases against the four arrested persons and sent the girls back to their camps in Cox's Bazar," Rahman said.

Abul Khair, local police chief of Ukhiya, where Kutupalong, the largest refugee camp in the world, is situated, said he received the girls and would send them to their homes in the camps.

Some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims fled a brutal military clampdown in Myanmar in August 2017 and arrived in Bangladesh to join another 300,000 already living in the refugee camps.

Desperate for a better life and an economic future, the refugees including in particular teenage girls easily fall prey to human traffickers roaming in the overcrowded camps.

Thousands of the refugees have risked their lives travelling to Malaysia and Thailand -- mainly by boat -- when the Bay of Bengal is calm before monsoon season sets in at the end of May.

Bangladeshi authorities have stopped over 300 Rohingya this year alone from attempting such perilous boat journeys on rickety fishing boats.

Many have also attempted to fly to Malaysia and Middle Eastern countries by procuring Bangladeshi passports and travel documents.

Jishu Barua, an aid worker specialised in human trafficking prevention, said he dealt with 100 cases of human trafficking in the camps in the last six weeks.

"But this figure represents only a small portion of what is actually going on," he told AFP.

Twenty-three teenage Rohingya girls were rescued after being brought from refugee camps to the capital Dhaka to be sent to Malaysia by air, Bangladesh police said Sunday.

Twenty-three teenage Rohingya girls were rescued after being brought from refugee camps to the capital Dhaka to be sent to Malaysia by air, Bangladesh police said Sunday. Dhaka police also arrested four human traffickers including a Rohingya couple and recovered over 50 Bangladeshi passports from them on Saturday. Police spokesman Mokhlesur Rahman said they raided a residence in the northern part of the city and found the teenagers hiding in a room behind a tailoring shop. "They were promised jobs in Malaysia and brought from refugee camps in Cox's Bazar," he told AFP, referring to the Rohingya settlements in Bangladesh's southeastern coastal district. The girls -- aged between 15 and 19 -- could have been potential victims of forced prostitution, the official said. "We have filed cases against the four arrested persons and sent the girls back to their camps in Cox's Bazar," Rahman said. Abul Khair, local police chief of Ukhiya, where Kutupalong, the largest refugee camp in the world, is situated, said he received the girls and would send them to their homes in the camps. Some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims fled a brutal military clampdown in Myanmar in August 2017 and arrived in Bangladesh to join another 300,000 already living in the refugee camps. Desperate for a better life and an economic future, the refugees including in particular teenage girls easily fall prey to human traffickers roaming in the overcrowded camps. Thousands of the refugees have risked their lives travelling to Malaysia and Thailand -- mainly by boat -- when the Bay of Bengal is calm before monsoon season sets in at the end of May. Bangladeshi authorities have stopped over 300 Rohingya this year alone from attempting such perilous boat journeys on rickety fishing boats. Many have also attempted to fly to Malaysia and Middle Eastern countries by procuring Bangladeshi passports and travel documents. Jishu Barua, an aid worker specialised in human trafficking prevention, said he dealt with 100 cases of human trafficking in the camps in the last six weeks. "But this figure represents only a small portion of what is actually going on," he told AFP.

Bangladesh rescues 23 Rohingya girls from traffickers

Rohingya violinist Amir Ali, 75, from a wealthier family, learned to play violin as a child after developing an obsession with an instrument owned by one of his uncles and forging a makeshift copy out of bamboo. Later, he bought his own in Bangladesh.

Rohingya violinist finds solace in music

A total of 12 suspected Rohingyas from Bangladesh were arrested in Mizoram for entering the state without valid travel documents, a police officer said on Monday.

Eight women and four boys from Bangladesh were taken from a house to Bawngkawn police station here on Sunday, Deputy Inspector of Police (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said.

It is suspected that they were victims of human trafficking.

Khiangte said the arrested people had some mobile phones without SIM cards in their possession. An investigation is on to find out their identities.

The 12 people were found in the residence of a woman who claimed that her cousin who lives at Tahan in Myanmar had asked her favour to keep the 'guests' before being taken to the neighbouring country.

In late April, eight Rohingya women were detained at India-Myanmar border Vairengte town for trying to enter Mizoram illegally and were pushed back.

They had claimed that they were from Kutupalong refugee camp at Sabulara in Bangladesh and were abducted by a group of men on April 19 and brought them to Mizoram by truck.

More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 2017 after a military crackdown, triggering a massive refugee crisis.&nbsp;

A total of 12 suspected Rohingyas from Bangladesh were arrested in Mizoram for entering the state without valid travel documents, a police officer said on Monday.

A total of 12 suspected Rohingyas from Bangladesh were arrested in Mizoram for entering the state without valid travel documents, a police officer said on Monday. Eight women and four boys from Bangladesh were taken from a house to Bawngkawn police station here on Sunday, Deputy Inspector of Police (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said. It is suspected that they were victims of human trafficking. Khiangte said the arrested people had some mobile phones without SIM cards in their possession. An investigation is on to find out their identities. The 12 people were found in the residence of a woman who claimed that her cousin who lives at Tahan in Myanmar had asked her favour to keep the 'guests' before being taken to the neighbouring country. In late April, eight Rohingya women were detained at India-Myanmar border Vairengte town for trying to enter Mizoram illegally and were pushed back. They had claimed that they were from Kutupalong refugee camp at Sabulara in Bangladesh and were abducted by a group of men on April 19 and brought them to Mizoram by truck. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 2017 after a military crackdown, triggering a massive refugee crisis.

12 suspected Rohingyas held in Mizoram

Reports claimed that Cyclone Fani to reach Assam & Bangladesh by today...

Cyclone Fani to reach Assam, Bangladesh by today

Cyclone Fani has left 14 people dead after it left a trail of destruction across Odisha and West Bengal.

Cyclone Fani kills at least 14 as it moves to Bangladesh

Ahead of cyclone Fani hitting the coast, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-fani-to-hit-10000-villages-52-towns-massive-evacuation-underway-215467">Odisha government informed overnight </a>on Thursday&nbsp;that nearly one million people were evacuated in the last 24 hours from vulnerable districts.

The state government said at least 3 lakh people from Ganjam and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/cyclone-fani-and-why-it-is-so-powerful-215425">1.3 lakh from Puri district</a> were evacuated.

Meanwhile, India's Metrological Department said cyclone Fani is likely to move north-northeastwards and the cross Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri on Friday.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/cyclone-fani-inches-closer-to-odisha-54-ndrf-teams-deployed-215404/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

IMD said the cyclone on Friday&nbsp;afternoon is likely to have maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph.&nbsp;

Landfall is very likely to continue till noon and afternoon of Friday, the IMD said.

After landfall the cyclone is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a "Severe Cyclonic Storm" with wind speed of 90-100 Kmph gusting to 115 kmph by early morning of Saturday, the IMD added.&nbsp;

"It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on May 4th evening as a "Cyclonic Storm" with wind speed of 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph.

The IMD has forecast thunderstorm, dusty winds and light rainfall in several places along the Odisha coast as cyclone Fani begins to enter the area.

The authorities have made elaborate plans including positioning 4,000 specialised personnel as part of 81 NDRF teams have been deployed to deal with the 'extremely severe' cyclone 'Fani'.

Twenty-eight fully equipped teams have also been deployed in and around Puri in Odisha which is likely to be hit hard.

Ahead of cyclone Fani hitting the coast, the Odisha government informed overnight on Thursday that nearly one million people were evacuated in the last 24 hours from vulnerable districts.

Ahead of cyclone Fani hitting the coast, the Odisha government informed overnight on Thursday that nearly one million people were evacuated in the last 24 hours from vulnerable districts. The state government said at least 3 lakh people from Ganjam and 1.3 lakh from Puri district were evacuated. Meanwhile, India's Metrological Department said cyclone Fani is likely to move north-northeastwards and the cross Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri on Friday. IMD said the cyclone on Friday afternoon is likely to have maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. Landfall is very likely to continue till noon and afternoon of Friday, the IMD said. After landfall the cyclone is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a "Severe Cyclonic Storm" with wind speed of 90-100 Kmph gusting to 115 kmph by early morning of Saturday, the IMD added. "It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on May 4th evening as a "Cyclonic Storm" with wind speed of 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph. The IMD has forecast thunderstorm, dusty winds and light rainfall in several places along the Odisha coast as cyclone Fani begins to enter the area. The authorities have made elaborate plans including positioning 4,000 specialised personnel as part of 81 NDRF teams have been deployed to deal with the 'extremely severe' cyclone 'Fani'. Twenty-eight fully equipped teams have also been deployed in and around Puri in Odisha which is likely to be hit hard.

Cyclone Fani likely to make landfall in afternoon, at least 1 million evacuated in Odisha

Bangladesh security forces on Monday killed at least two people suspected of belonging to an Islamist militant group behind a deadly cafe attack in Dhaka in 2016, police said after a raid at a tin-shed hideout in the capital.

Police cordoned off the area after receiving information about the presence of suspected members of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, a home-grown militant group that killed 22 people in the cafe attack.

"When our forces knocked on the door, the residents of the house fired at our people instead of opening it," Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of the legal and media wing of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), told reporters. "Then members of the RAB responded. There is still huge amount of explosives and our special force are trying to remove it."

Khan said three people, including the owner of the house, had been detained for questioning.

Bangladesh launched a crackdown on militancy after the cafe attack as part of what Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina calls a "zero tolerance" policy.

Militants attacked the cafe in July 2016, taking 22 hostages, mostly foreigners, who were killed over 12 hours.

Bangladesh security forces on Monday killed at least two people suspected of belonging to an Islamist militant group behind a deadly cafe attack in Dhaka in 2016, police said after a raid at a tin-shed hideout in the capital.

Bangladesh security forces on Monday killed at least two people suspected of belonging to an Islamist militant group behind a deadly cafe attack in Dhaka in 2016, police said after a raid at a tin-shed hideout in the capital. Police cordoned off the area after receiving information about the presence of suspected members of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, a home-grown militant group that killed 22 people in the cafe attack. "When our forces knocked on the door, the residents of the house fired at our people instead of opening it," Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of the legal and media wing of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), told reporters. "Then members of the RAB responded. There is still huge amount of explosives and our special force are trying to remove it." Khan said three people, including the owner of the house, had been detained for questioning. Bangladesh launched a crackdown on militancy after the cafe attack as part of what Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina calls a "zero tolerance" policy. Militants attacked the cafe in July 2016, taking 22 hostages, mostly foreigners, who were killed over 12 hours.

Bangladesh kills two suspects linked to 2016 Dhaka cafe attack

It was after Mohib Ullah scored his first political victories that the death threats began in earnest. On a recent morning, the Rohingya refugee leaned back on a plastic chair in the Bangladesh camp where he lives and translated the latest warning, sent over the WhatsApp messaging app.

"Mohib Ullah is a virus of the community," he read aloud, with a wry chuckle. "Kill him wherever he is found."

The 44-year-old leads the largest of several community groups to emerge since more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar after a military crackdown in August 2017.

In the refugee camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, a nascent civil society is emerging among the Rohingya, who spent decades under apartheid-like restrictions in Myanmar.

Some campaigners are seeking justice for alleged atrocities in Myanmar, a small cadre of women are raising their voices for the first time, and others are simply working to improve life in the new city of tarpaulins and bamboo that, after the latest influx, is home to more than 900,000 people.

Mohib Ullah himself was invited to Geneva last month, where he told the United Nations Human Rights Council the Rohingya want a say over their own future.

But the political awakening has been accompanied by a surge in violence, with militants and religious conservatives also vying for power, more than a dozen refugees told Reuters. They described increasing fear in the camps, where armed men have stormed shelters at night, kidnapped critics and warned women against breaking conservative Islamic norms.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA, which sparked the 2017 crisis with attacks on security posts, is resurgent in the camps, refugees say, alongside several other armed groups. The group is also known as Harakah al-Yaqin - the movement of faith.

"In the daytime, the al-Yaqin guys become normal people," said one young woman, who like other refugees requested anonymity to speak about the group without fear of reprisals. "They mix with everyone else. But at night it's like they have a kind of magical power."

Dialogue, and threats

Reuters conducted dozens of interviews with UN staff, diplomats, Bangladeshi officials and researchers about the forces competing for influence in the world's largest refugee settlement.

While some are hopeful the stateless Rohingya are beginning to find a political voice, there are also fears that a turn to violence threatens to make solving the refugee crisis through dialogue impossible and could bring more instability.

"Refugee camps in many parts of the world are becoming recruitment grounds for terrorists," said Mozammel Haque, the head of Bangladesh's cabinet committee on law and order. "God forbid, if something like that happens, this will not only affect Bangladesh but the whole region."

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay did not answer calls seeking comment. Zaw Htay said during a press conference in January that Myanmar had complained to Bangladesh over what he said were ARSA bases inside Bangladesh.

The frontline in the struggle for the Rohingyas' future are the bamboo huts where refugees take shelter from the heat and dust of the camp to voice their views. In the makeshift office of his group, the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, or ARSPH, Mohib Ullah convenes an open meeting each morning.

"We couldn't gather more than five people in Myanmar, so when we have this kind of huge gathering it makes us very happy," said 57-year-old Abdul Fayez, one of several dozen refugees gathered cross-legged on the floor at a recent meeting.

ARSPH made its name documenting alleged atrocities the Rohingya suffered in Myanmar. Mohib Ullah went from hut to hut to build a tally of killings, rape and arson that has been shared with international investigators.

Last year it won a victory with a campaign for the refugees to have more say in the process of issuing identity cards, calling a general strike in the camps in November that forced Bangladeshi officials and UN staff to meet ARSPH leaders.

It now says its main goal is to give the Rohingya a voice in international talks on their future.

But not everyone agrees with ARSPH's approach. Hardliners in the camps argue for a more assertive stance in talks on the terms under which the refugees might return to Myanmar.

"We are flexible, we want to negotiate," said a senior leader of ARSPH, who requested anonymity. "But we fear we may be harmed because of this." ARSA was among Mohib Ullah and ARSPH's antagonists, the leader said.

Mohib Ullah was involved in local politics back in Myanmar, drawing accusations from opponents that he worked too closely with the hated government. "If I die, I'm fine. I will give my life," Mohib Ullah told Reuters.

Night terrors

Bangladesh security forces patrol the perimeter of the camps to stop refugees slipping out. But, especially at night, the warren-like interior is run by violent men, refugees told Reuters.

In at least some parts of the camps, those men claim affiliation to ARSA, said more than half a dozen refugees. UN officials and NGO workers monitoring the group's activities say it is unclear how many of those men are under orders from the group's leadership. But some of them have asked wealthier refugees and shopkeepers to pay regular taxes, saying the money will be used to fight back in Myanmar, refugees said.

One refugee, who volunteers as an aid worker in the camps, told Reuters he had witnessed a kidnapping in January by men he believed to be from ARSA.

Men with wooden sticks moved swiftly into an area of the camps known as Jamtoli and took away a man who refused to attend one of the group's meetings, he said. "They just carried him off like a goat to the slaughter."

Reuters was unable to corroborate the incident or find out what happened to the man, but five refugees from the same area said men they knew had been involved in ARSA attacks inside Myanmar were now involved in kidnappings in Jamtoli.

Reuters was unable to reach ARSA for comment.

Researchers for Fortify Rights have also gathered testimony that ARSA had abducted at least five Rohingya refugees in recent months, the campaign group said on March 14.

A posting from a Twitter account previously used by the group called the Fortify Rights report "shallow, shoddy, and not aptly verified" and denied allegations that ARSA was involved in criminal activity.

Police have recorded an escalation in violence in the camps in recent months, said Iqbal Hossain, additional superintendent of police in Cox's Bazar.

"So far we have not found any link to any militant groups," said Hossain, adding there were just 992 officers policing the camps.

In response to Reuters' questions about reports of ARSA involvement in the violence, the UN refugee agency cited police reports that found most violence and threats in the camps were carried out by "criminal elements or related to personal vendettas".

Two UN officials and several researchers working regularly in the camps told Reuters ARSA was behind at least some of the violence, however, citing sources among the refugees.

"You didn't listen"

ARSA launched three attacks across the border in Myanmar early this year, according to state media there, and in February vowed to continues its armed campaign.

ARSA propaganda portrays the group as ethnic freedom fighters and does not emphasise a religious agenda. But some refugees and a report by an international NGO seen by Reuters say its members, together with Islamic leaders, have promoted ultra-conservative religious practices.

Four women told Reuters they had received threats for going out to work for aid groups in the camps, where many have begun doing paid work for the first time in their lives.

Three said men from ARSA, backed up by religious leaders, issued the threats. Fortify Rights also said it had gathered testimony linking ARSA to the threats against women working. ARSA on Twitter denied that, insisting it "has no activities/objectives except for defending Rohingyas' legitimate rights".

UN officials and aid workers discussed the threats at a series of meetings of the "protection sector working group" in Cox's Bazar, according to minutes.

"There is a complex combination of factors that have contributed to the threats and restrictions on women in refugee camps, which we are all seeking to address," the UN refugee agency said.

Mohammed Kamruzzaman, an education sector specialist at Bangladeshi aid group BRAC, told Reuters that 150 of its female teachers had stopped coming to work in late January after receiving or hearing about the "violent threats".

One woman in her late 30s told Reuters she had received a phone call in late January telling her she must immediately quit her job at BRAC. Two nights later a group of about 10 men, dressed in black and wearing masks barged into her shelter.

"They said, 'We told you not to go out and work, you didn't listen'," she said. "One of them beat me with a stick on my back."

Another young woman, who was also threatened, summed up the divide in the camps.

"We are just doing something good for our community," she said. "Some people support them, but many feel like us. They put superglue over our mouths."

It was after Mohib Ullah scored his first political victories that the death threats began in earnest. On a recent morning, the Rohingya refugee leaned back on a plastic chair in the Bangladesh camp where he lives and translated the latest warning, sent over the WhatsApp messaging app.

It was after Mohib Ullah scored his first political victories that the death threats began in earnest. On a recent morning, the Rohingya refugee leaned back on a plastic chair in the Bangladesh camp where he lives and translated the latest warning, sent over the WhatsApp messaging app. "Mohib Ullah is a virus of the community," he read aloud, with a wry chuckle. "Kill him wherever he is found." The 44-year-old leads the largest of several community groups to emerge since more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar after a military crackdown in August 2017. In the refugee camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, a nascent civil society is emerging among the Rohingya, who spent decades under apartheid-like restrictions in Myanmar. Some campaigners are seeking justice for alleged atrocities in Myanmar, a small cadre of women are raising their voices for the first time, and others are simply working to improve life in the new city of tarpaulins and bamboo that, after the latest influx, is home to more than 900,000 people. Mohib Ullah himself was invited to Geneva last month, where he told the United Nations Human Rights Council the Rohingya want a say over their own future. But the political awakening has been accompanied by a surge in violence, with militants and religious conservatives also vying for power, more than a dozen refugees told Reuters. They described increasing fear in the camps, where armed men have stormed shelters at night, kidnapped critics and warned women against breaking conservative Islamic norms. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA, which sparked the 2017 crisis with attacks on security posts, is resurgent in the camps, refugees say, alongside several other armed groups. The group is also known as Harakah al-Yaqin - the movement of faith. "In the daytime, the al-Yaqin guys become normal people," said one young woman, who like other refugees requested anonymity to speak about the group without fear of reprisals. "They mix with everyone else. But at night it's like they have a kind of magical power." Dialogue, and threats Reuters conducted dozens of interviews with UN staff, diplomats, Bangladeshi officials and researchers about the forces competing for influence in the world's largest refugee settlement. While some are hopeful the stateless Rohingya are beginning to find a political voice, there are also fears that a turn to violence threatens to make solving the refugee crisis through dialogue impossible and could bring more instability. "Refugee camps in many parts of the world are becoming recruitment grounds for terrorists," said Mozammel Haque, the head of Bangladesh's cabinet committee on law and order. "God forbid, if something like that happens, this will not only affect Bangladesh but the whole region." Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay did not answer calls seeking comment. Zaw Htay said during a press conference in January that Myanmar had complained to Bangladesh over what he said were ARSA bases inside Bangladesh. The frontline in the struggle for the Rohingyas' future are the bamboo huts where refugees take shelter from the heat and dust of the camp to voice their views. In the makeshift office of his group, the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, or ARSPH, Mohib Ullah convenes an open meeting each morning. "We couldn't gather more than five people in Myanmar, so when we have this kind of huge gathering it makes us very happy," said 57-year-old Abdul Fayez, one of several dozen refugees gathered cross-legged on the floor at a recent meeting. ARSPH made its name documenting alleged atrocities the Rohingya suffered in Myanmar. Mohib Ullah went from hut to hut to build a tally of killings, rape and arson that has been shared with international investigators. Last year it won a victory with a campaign for the refugees to have more say in the process of issuing identity cards, calling a general strike in the camps in November that forced Bangladeshi officials and UN staff to meet ARSPH leaders. It now says its main goal is to give the Rohingya a voice in international talks on their future. But not everyone agrees with ARSPH's approach. Hardliners in the camps argue for a more assertive stance in talks on the terms under which the refugees might return to Myanmar. "We are flexible, we want to negotiate," said a senior leader of ARSPH, who requested anonymity. "But we fear we may be harmed because of this." ARSA was among Mohib Ullah and ARSPH's antagonists, the leader said. Mohib Ullah was involved in local politics back in Myanmar, drawing accusations from opponents that he worked too closely with the hated government. "If I die, I'm fine. I will give my life," Mohib Ullah told Reuters. Night terrors Bangladesh security forces patrol the perimeter of the camps to stop refugees slipping out. But, especially at night, the warren-like interior is run by violent men, refugees told Reuters. In at least some parts of the camps, those men claim affiliation to ARSA, said more than half a dozen refugees. UN officials and NGO workers monitoring the group's activities say it is unclear how many of those men are under orders from the group's leadership. But some of them have asked wealthier refugees and shopkeepers to pay regular taxes, saying the money will be used to fight back in Myanmar, refugees said. One refugee, who volunteers as an aid worker in the camps, told Reuters he had witnessed a kidnapping in January by men he believed to be from ARSA. Men with wooden sticks moved swiftly into an area of the camps known as Jamtoli and took away a man who refused to attend one of the group's meetings, he said. "They just carried him off like a goat to the slaughter." Reuters was unable to corroborate the incident or find out what happened to the man, but five refugees from the same area said men they knew had been involved in ARSA attacks inside Myanmar were now involved in kidnappings in Jamtoli. Reuters was unable to reach ARSA for comment. Researchers for Fortify Rights have also gathered testimony that ARSA had abducted at least five Rohingya refugees in recent months, the campaign group said on March 14. A posting from a Twitter account previously used by the group called the Fortify Rights report "shallow, shoddy, and not aptly verified" and denied allegations that ARSA was involved in criminal activity. Police have recorded an escalation in violence in the camps in recent months, said Iqbal Hossain, additional superintendent of police in Cox's Bazar. "So far we have not found any link to any militant groups," said Hossain, adding there were just 992 officers policing the camps. In response to Reuters' questions about reports of ARSA involvement in the violence, the UN refugee agency cited police reports that found most violence and threats in the camps were carried out by "criminal elements or related to personal vendettas". Two UN officials and several researchers working regularly in the camps told Reuters ARSA was behind at least some of the violence, however, citing sources among the refugees. "You didn't listen" ARSA launched three attacks across the border in Myanmar early this year, according to state media there, and in February vowed to continues its armed campaign. ARSA propaganda portrays the group as ethnic freedom fighters and does not emphasise a religious agenda. But some refugees and a report by an international NGO seen by Reuters say its members, together with Islamic leaders, have promoted ultra-conservative religious practices. Four women told Reuters they had received threats for going out to work for aid groups in the camps, where many have begun doing paid work for the first time in their lives. Three said men from ARSA, backed up by religious leaders, issued the threats. Fortify Rights also said it had gathered testimony linking ARSA to the threats against women working. ARSA on Twitter denied that, insisting it "has no activities/objectives except for defending Rohingyas' legitimate rights". UN officials and aid workers discussed the threats at a series of meetings of the "protection sector working group" in Cox's Bazar, according to minutes. "There is a complex combination of factors that have contributed to the threats and restrictions on women in refugee camps, which we are all seeking to address," the UN refugee agency said. Mohammed Kamruzzaman, an education sector specialist at Bangladeshi aid group BRAC, told Reuters that 150 of its female teachers had stopped coming to work in late January after receiving or hearing about the "violent threats". One woman in her late 30s told Reuters she had received a phone call in late January telling her she must immediately quit her job at BRAC. Two nights later a group of about 10 men, dressed in black and wearing masks barged into her shelter. "They said, 'We told you not to go out and work, you didn't listen'," she said. "One of them beat me with a stick on my back." Another young woman, who was also threatened, summed up the divide in the camps. "We are just doing something good for our community," she said. "Some people support them, but many feel like us. They put superglue over our mouths."

In Rohingya camps, a political awakening faces a backlash

At least 290 killed and more than 500 injured in a series of blasts, took place yesterday on the eve of Easter.

Bangladesh's PM kin dead in Sri Lanka blasts

Bangladesh has ordered some 27,000 schools to set up committees to prevent sexual violence, an official said Sunday, after a teenager who accused a teacher of sexual harassment was burned to death.

The killing of 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi has sparked outrage across the South Asian nation of 165 million people and put police action in the case under the spotlight.

Protesters in the capital <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bangladeshis-protest-after-sexually-assaulted-girl-burned-to-death-212060">Dhaka staged demonstrations for an 11th day</a> on Sunday, seeking "exemplary punishment" for the killers of the girl.

Police say she was lured to the rooftop of the Islamic seminary she attended in Feni, south of the capital, where her attackers ordered her to withdraw a police complaint against the head of the school.&nbsp;

When she refused, she was doused in kerosene and set on fire.

Rafi died in hospital on April 10 after suffering 80 per cent burns. At least 20 people, including the head teacher, have been arrested.

Activists say the murder has exposed a "culture of impunity" surrounding sex crimes against women and children, and that fact that those who report harassment often suffer a backlash.

Amid nationwide protests, the Bangladesh government has ordered more than 27,000 schools and colleges to form a five-member committee to prevent sexual violence, an official said.

"The committee will be led by female teachers. They will take steps to prevent sexual harassment and take up any complaints," the director of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Shahedul Khabir Chowdhury, told AFP.

He said the committees were being formed by an order from the country's high court, which in 2009 laid down a set of guidelines to prevent sexual harassment of women and children at workplaces, schools and on the streets.

Rafi went to police in late March to report the harassment and a leaked video shows the local police station chief registering her complaint but dismissing it as "not a big deal".

Police said at least five of those under arrest, including three of Rafi's classmates, tied her up with a scarf before setting her on fire. They had planned to pass off the death as a suicide.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed that all those involved will face action and police say they are investigating why more was not done to protect Rafi.

More than 100 protesters at the country's elite Dhaka University held hands to form a human chain as part of continued demonstrations over the grisly murder.

"I joined the protest because Nusrat Rafi's murder was a wake-up call for all our women," Dhaka University student Antara Labiba told AFP.

"I am also a victim of sexual harassment. I think most women in Bangladesh face sexual harassment in their families, schools, markets and workplaces," she said.

The Manusher Jonno Foundation, a non-government group, says there have been at least 39 cases of children under 18 being raped in Bangladesh since April 2.

Another eight have been subjected to sexual harassment, the group says.

Bangladesh has ordered some 27,000 schools to set up committees to prevent sexual violence, an official said Sunday, after a teenager who accused a teacher of sexual harassment was burned to death.

Bangladesh has ordered some 27,000 schools to set up committees to prevent sexual violence, an official said Sunday, after a teenager who accused a teacher of sexual harassment was burned to death. The killing of 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi has sparked outrage across the South Asian nation of 165 million people and put police action in the case under the spotlight. Protesters in the capital Dhaka staged demonstrations for an 11th day on Sunday, seeking "exemplary punishment" for the killers of the girl. Police say she was lured to the rooftop of the Islamic seminary she attended in Feni, south of the capital, where her attackers ordered her to withdraw a police complaint against the head of the school. When she refused, she was doused in kerosene and set on fire. Rafi died in hospital on April 10 after suffering 80 per cent burns. At least 20 people, including the head teacher, have been arrested. Activists say the murder has exposed a "culture of impunity" surrounding sex crimes against women and children, and that fact that those who report harassment often suffer a backlash. Amid nationwide protests, the Bangladesh government has ordered more than 27,000 schools and colleges to form a five-member committee to prevent sexual violence, an official said. "The committee will be led by female teachers. They will take steps to prevent sexual harassment and take up any complaints," the director of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Shahedul Khabir Chowdhury, told AFP. He said the committees were being formed by an order from the country's high court, which in 2009 laid down a set of guidelines to prevent sexual harassment of women and children at workplaces, schools and on the streets. Rafi went to police in late March to report the harassment and a leaked video shows the local police station chief registering her complaint but dismissing it as "not a big deal". Police said at least five of those under arrest, including three of Rafi's classmates, tied her up with a scarf before setting her on fire. They had planned to pass off the death as a suicide. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed that all those involved will face action and police say they are investigating why more was not done to protect Rafi. More than 100 protesters at the country's elite Dhaka University held hands to form a human chain as part of continued demonstrations over the grisly murder. "I joined the protest because Nusrat Rafi's murder was a wake-up call for all our women," Dhaka University student Antara Labiba told AFP. "I am also a victim of sexual harassment. I think most women in Bangladesh face sexual harassment in their families, schools, markets and workplaces," she said. The Manusher Jonno Foundation, a non-government group, says there have been at least 39 cases of children under 18 being raped in Bangladesh since April 2. Another eight have been subjected to sexual harassment, the group says.

Bangladesh puts anti-sexual harassment units in schools after girl's murder

A schoolgirl was burned to death in Bangladesh on the orders of her head teacher after she reported him for sexually harassing her, police said Friday.

The death of 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi last week sparked protests across the South Asian nation, with the prime minister promising to prosecute all those involved.

Rafi was lured to the rooftop of the Islamic seminary she attended where her attackers asked her to withdraw the sexual harassment complaint she had filed with police.

When she refused, she was doused in kerosene and set on fire.

Police said Friday that one of the 17 people arrested in connection with her death had accused the school's principal of ordering the attack.

The teacher "told them to put pressure on Rafi to withdraw the case or kill her if she refused", senior police superintendent Mohammad Iqbal, who is leading the investigation, told AFP.

Rafi had gone to the police in late March to report the sexual harassment, and a leaked video shows the local police station chief registering her complaint but dismissing it as "not a big deal".

Iqbal said at least five of those under arrest, including three of Rafi's classmates, had tied her up with a scarf before setting her on fire.

"The plan was to pass the incident off as a suicide. But it fell through after Rafi managed to come downstairs while on fire because the scarf burnt and freed her hands and feet," he said. &nbsp;

Rafi suffered burns to 80 per cent of her body and died in hospital on April 10.

But she recorded a video before her death, repeating her allegations against the principal.

"The teacher touched me, I will fight this crime till my last breath," she said. She also identified some of her attackers.

Rafi's brother Mahmudul Hasan Noman said people close to the principal had also put pressure on the family to withdraw the case against him.

"They told us that it was a conspiracy against him and that it was fabricated," he told AFP.

The case has caused outrage in Bangladesh, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowing that "none of the culprits will be spared legal action."

Rights groups say the number of rape and sexual assault cases has increased in Bangladesh because authorities have failed to prosecute attackers.

"The horrifying murder of a brave woman who sought justice shows how badly the Bangladesh government has failed victims of sexual assault," Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

"Nusrat Jahan Rafi's death highlights the need for the Bangladesh government to take survivors of sexual assault seriously and ensure that they can safely seek a legal remedy and be protected from retaliation," she added.

The local Manusher Jonno Foundation, a non-governmental group, says at least 39 children under the age of 18 have been raped in the country since April 2.

Another eight have been subjected to attempted or sexual harassment, the groups say.

A schoolgirl was burned to death in Bangladesh on the orders of her head teacher after she reported him for sexually harassing her, police said Friday. The death of 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi last week sparked protests across the South Asian nation, with the prime minister promising to prosecute all those involved.

A schoolgirl was burned to death in Bangladesh on the orders of her head teacher after she reported him for sexually harassing her, police said Friday. The death of 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi last week sparked protests across the South Asian nation, with the prime minister promising to prosecute all those involved. Rafi was lured to the rooftop of the Islamic seminary she attended where her attackers asked her to withdraw the sexual harassment complaint she had filed with police. When she refused, she was doused in kerosene and set on fire. Police said Friday that one of the 17 people arrested in connection with her death had accused the school's principal of ordering the attack. The teacher "told them to put pressure on Rafi to withdraw the case or kill her if she refused", senior police superintendent Mohammad Iqbal, who is leading the investigation, told AFP. Rafi had gone to the police in late March to report the sexual harassment, and a leaked video shows the local police station chief registering her complaint but dismissing it as "not a big deal". Iqbal said at least five of those under arrest, including three of Rafi's classmates, had tied her up with a scarf before setting her on fire. "The plan was to pass the incident off as a suicide. But it fell through after Rafi managed to come downstairs while on fire because the scarf burnt and freed her hands and feet," he said. Rafi suffered burns to 80 per cent of her body and died in hospital on April 10. But she recorded a video before her death, repeating her allegations against the principal. "The teacher touched me, I will fight this crime till my last breath," she said. She also identified some of her attackers. Rafi's brother Mahmudul Hasan Noman said people close to the principal had also put pressure on the family to withdraw the case against him. "They told us that it was a conspiracy against him and that it was fabricated," he told AFP. The case has caused outrage in Bangladesh, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowing that "none of the culprits will be spared legal action." Rights groups say the number of rape and sexual assault cases has increased in Bangladesh because authorities have failed to prosecute attackers. "The horrifying murder of a brave woman who sought justice shows how badly the Bangladesh government has failed victims of sexual assault," Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "Nusrat Jahan Rafi's death highlights the need for the Bangladesh government to take survivors of sexual assault seriously and ensure that they can safely seek a legal remedy and be protected from retaliation," she added. The local Manusher Jonno Foundation, a non-governmental group, says at least 39 children under the age of 18 have been raped in the country since April 2. Another eight have been subjected to attempted or sexual harassment, the groups say.

Bangladesh girl burned to death on teacher's order: Police

Asian rice exporting hubs saw tepid activity this week, with prices for the staple from top exporter India dipping on lower demand, while Bangladesh mulled a review of its ban on exports of the grain.

India's 5 per cent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $377-$380 per tonne, down from last week's $387-$390.

Demand from African buyers was weak as they have ample inventories, said Nitin Gupta, vice president, rice business at Olam India.

Aggressive selling of old inventories by China at lower prices has also weighing on prices, he added.

The country's rice exports for April-February dropped 9.4 per cent from a year earlier to 10.57 million tonnes, as leading buyer Bangladesh trimmed its purchases due to a bumper local harvest, a government body said.

On Thursday, Bangladesh's commerce minister said a long-standing ban on rice exports will be discussed after strong pleas from traders to lift the restriction.

"If we have surplus, we can allow rice exports," Tipu Munshi told reporters after a meeting with the rice traders association.

Bangladesh, traditionally the world's fourth biggest rice producer, banned overseas shipments of some common rice varieties in May 2008 following a spike in domestic prices. It banned all rice exports a year later.

In 2017, the country was forced to massively increase imports to shore up domestic reserves after floods wrought havoc on local crops and pushed domestic rice prices to record highs, but domestic stocks have since greatly improved.

In Thailand, the world's second-largest exporter, the benchmark 5-per cent broken rice prices eased slightly to $393-$411 a tonne, free on board Bangkok, from $405-$410 last week.

"Overseas buyers have turned to rice from India and Vietnam because their prices have been more competitive compared to ours," a trader said.

However, concerns over domestic supply in the country have kept prices steady recently, traders said.

"The harvest of the last crop was completed last month and there is no new supply except unsold rice from the mills, this meant prices remain stable with a tendency to rise even though there is no demand," a Bangkok-based rice trader said.

Rates for Vietnam's 5 per cent broken rice stood flat for a fifth week at $360 a tonne, as supply begins to wane, traders said.&nbsp;

However, prices were still at their highest since mid-January, with traders hoping for fresh demand from China.

Asian rice exporting hubs saw tepid activity this week, with prices for the staple from top exporter India dipping on lower demand, while Bangladesh mulled a review of its ban on exports of the grain.

Asian rice exporting hubs saw tepid activity this week, with prices for the staple from top exporter India dipping on lower demand, while Bangladesh mulled a review of its ban on exports of the grain. India's 5 per cent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $377-$380 per tonne, down from last week's $387-$390. Demand from African buyers was weak as they have ample inventories, said Nitin Gupta, vice president, rice business at Olam India. Aggressive selling of old inventories by China at lower prices has also weighing on prices, he added. The country's rice exports for April-February dropped 9.4 per cent from a year earlier to 10.57 million tonnes, as leading buyer Bangladesh trimmed its purchases due to a bumper local harvest, a government body said. On Thursday, Bangladesh's commerce minister said a long-standing ban on rice exports will be discussed after strong pleas from traders to lift the restriction. "If we have surplus, we can allow rice exports," Tipu Munshi told reporters after a meeting with the rice traders association. Bangladesh, traditionally the world's fourth biggest rice producer, banned overseas shipments of some common rice varieties in May 2008 following a spike in domestic prices. It banned all rice exports a year later. In 2017, the country was forced to massively increase imports to shore up domestic reserves after floods wrought havoc on local crops and pushed domestic rice prices to record highs, but domestic stocks have since greatly improved. In Thailand, the world's second-largest exporter, the benchmark 5-per cent broken rice prices eased slightly to $393-$411 a tonne, free on board Bangkok, from $405-$410 last week. "Overseas buyers have turned to rice from India and Vietnam because their prices have been more competitive compared to ours," a trader said. However, concerns over domestic supply in the country have kept prices steady recently, traders said. "The harvest of the last crop was completed last month and there is no new supply except unsold rice from the mills, this meant prices remain stable with a tendency to rise even though there is no demand," a Bangkok-based rice trader said. Rates for Vietnam's 5 per cent broken rice stood flat for a fifth week at $360 a tonne, as supply begins to wane, traders said. However, prices were still at their highest since mid-January, with traders hoping for fresh demand from China.

India rice rates dip as demand slows, Bangladesh to review export ban

The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday observed the historic Mujibnagar Day, in a befitting manner.

The day marks the formation of Bangladesh`s first government in 1971, after leading a nine-month War of Liberation.

High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali presided over a meeting that discussed the significance of the role played by the first government in leading the independence struggle against Pakistan and gathering International support for Bangladesh.

"The liberation war stands out as the most glorious chapter in the history of our independence struggle against Pakistan," said Muazzem Ali.

"This has been our pride and I feel proud to be associated with this unforgettable part of our history," he added.

The High Commissioner paid tribute to the country`s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and to four other leaders, Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Capt. Mansur Ali and AHM Kamruzzaman.

On this day in 1971, Bangabandu was named the first president of Bangladesh, while he was in jail in a West Pakistan prison.

Vice president Syed Nazrul became the acting president in his absence.

The messages issued by President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion were also read during the meeting.

A special prayer was offered for the progress and development of the country.&nbsp;

The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday observed the historic Mujibnagar Day, in a befitting manner. The day marks the formation of Bangladesh`s first government in 1971, after leading a nine-month War of Liberation.

The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday observed the historic Mujibnagar Day, in a befitting manner. The day marks the formation of Bangladesh`s first government in 1971, after leading a nine-month War of Liberation. High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali presided over a meeting that discussed the significance of the role played by the first government in leading the independence struggle against Pakistan and gathering International support for Bangladesh. "The liberation war stands out as the most glorious chapter in the history of our independence struggle against Pakistan," said Muazzem Ali. "This has been our pride and I feel proud to be associated with this unforgettable part of our history," he added. The High Commissioner paid tribute to the country`s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and to four other leaders, Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Capt. Mansur Ali and AHM Kamruzzaman. On this day in 1971, Bangabandu was named the first president of Bangladesh, while he was in jail in a West Pakistan prison. Vice president Syed Nazrul became the acting president in his absence. The messages issued by President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion were also read during the meeting. A special prayer was offered for the progress and development of the country.

Bangladesh High Commission observes Mujibnagar Day in Delhi

Malaysia began a public inquiry on Wednesday into the discovery of mass graves and suspected human trafficking camps in the jungles near its border with Thailand, which prompted a regional crisis in 2015, and accusations over obstruction of justice.

The dense jungles of southern Thailand and northern Malaysia have been a major stop-off point for smugglers bringing people to Southeast Asia by boat from Myanmar, most of them Rohingya Muslims who say they are fleeing persecution, and Bangladesh.

In January, the government had said it would set up a panel to inquire into claims that authorities mishandled an investigation into 139 mass graves and more than 12 campsites suspected to have been run by migrant-smuggling gangs.

Three police from a jungle infantry unit described finding the first of the campsites in January 2015, during a patrol in a heavily-forested region on the Malaysian side of the border.

The officials found an area filled with tents and structures made of wooden sticks, some as high as two storeys, said one of them, Mat Ten.

"These makeshift houses were surrounded by barbed wire and there were people living inside," he told the panel.

The men's testimony confirmed media reports and rights groups' statements that authorities had known about the camps four months before going public in May 2015.

In a report last month, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission and rights group Fortify Rights said authorities had destroyed one of the camps a day after its discovery, wiping out evidence that could have aided police investigations.

The human rights commission was set up by Malaysia's parliament but the government is not bound by its findings.

Mat Ten said he returned with a team of 10 police to survey the site the day after the first visit, but they were interrupted after a woman they believed to be acting as a lookout alerted others at the camp, who fled.

Six Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who were left behind were detained and handed over to immigration authorities, said Mohamad Mossadique Azni, the officer who led the raiding team.

The discovery of similar camps and graves on the Thai side of the border triggered a regional crisis in 2015.

A Thai crackdown on the camps prompted traffickers to abandon thousands of migrants in overloaded boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

The hearings continue on Thursday.

Malaysia began a public inquiry on Wednesday into the discovery of mass graves and suspected human trafficking camps in the jungles near its border with Thailand, which prompted a regional crisis in 2015, and accusations over obstruction of justice.

Malaysia began a public inquiry on Wednesday into the discovery of mass graves and suspected human trafficking camps in the jungles near its border with Thailand, which prompted a regional crisis in 2015, and accusations over obstruction of justice. The dense jungles of southern Thailand and northern Malaysia have been a major stop-off point for smugglers bringing people to Southeast Asia by boat from Myanmar, most of them Rohingya Muslims who say they are fleeing persecution, and Bangladesh. In January, the government had said it would set up a panel to inquire into claims that authorities mishandled an investigation into 139 mass graves and more than 12 campsites suspected to have been run by migrant-smuggling gangs. Three police from a jungle infantry unit described finding the first of the campsites in January 2015, during a patrol in a heavily-forested region on the Malaysian side of the border. The officials found an area filled with tents and structures made of wooden sticks, some as high as two storeys, said one of them, Mat Ten. "These makeshift houses were surrounded by barbed wire and there were people living inside," he told the panel. The men's testimony confirmed media reports and rights groups' statements that authorities had known about the camps four months before going public in May 2015. In a report last month, the Malaysian Human Rights Commission and rights group Fortify Rights said authorities had destroyed one of the camps a day after its discovery, wiping out evidence that could have aided police investigations. The human rights commission was set up by Malaysia's parliament but the government is not bound by its findings. Mat Ten said he returned with a team of 10 police to survey the site the day after the first visit, but they were interrupted after a woman they believed to be acting as a lookout alerted others at the camp, who fled. Six Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who were left behind were detained and handed over to immigration authorities, said Mohamad Mossadique Azni, the officer who led the raiding team. The discovery of similar camps and graves on the Thai side of the border triggered a regional crisis in 2015. A Thai crackdown on the camps prompted traffickers to abandon thousands of migrants in overloaded boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. The hearings continue on Thursday.

Malaysia begins inquiry into discovery of mass graves, human trafficking camps

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