Bangladesh news Highlights: Khaleda Zia passes away a day after her nomination for election was filed

Bangladesh unrest Highlights:: Dhaka rejects India’s concerns over attacks on minorities amid nationwide unrest, visa suspensions, protests in India, and BNP leader Tarique Rahman’s return ahead of elections.

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia dies at 80 after prolonged illness. (File Photo)

Bangladesh News Highlights:: Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose archrivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined the country’s politics for a generation, has died, BNP said in a statement Tuesday. She was 80. She had faced corruption cases she said were politically motivated, but in January 2025, the Supreme Court acquitted Zia in the last corruption case against her, which would have let her run in February’s election. Her passing comes at a time of a political and social upheaval in Bangladesh, with protests, violence, atrocities against minority Hindus, and international scrutiny on the rise in the nation.

Bangladesh Protests: Days after India described attacks on minorities in Bangladesh as a “matter of grave concern”, Dhaka on Sunday said such remarks were factual and ignored the country’s long history of communal harmony. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) last week expressed concern over what it termed “unremitting hostilities” against minorities in Bangladesh, following the lynching of two Hindu men. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had specifically condemned the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, who was beaten to death by a mob over allegations of blasphemy on December 18, after which his body was set ablaze. Addressing media queries, Jaiswal said India was troubled by continued violence targeting minorities, including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists.

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Tarique Rahman returns to Bangladesh: Tarique Rahman, the son of former Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman and ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, return to Bangladesh last week after a 17-year exile. He went out of Bangladesh after conviction in multiple corruption cases. Rahman is also the acting chairman of Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and his return before the February 12 General Elections has boosted the workers’ confidence. On Saturday, December 27, Rahman applied for his name to be included in the voter list, which has now been approved.

Live Updates

Dec 30, 2025 08:37 AM IST

Bangladesh News Today LIVE Updates: Khaleda Zia's nomination as BNP candidate from Feni-1 seat for elections filed a day ago

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, passed away a day after her nomination was filed as the party’s candidate in the Feni-1 constituency for the 13th national parliamentary election scheduled for February. The documents were submitted at the district returning officer’s office at around 1:15 pm on Monday, reported Prothom Alo.

Dhaka South City BNP convener and Khaleda Zia’s election coordinator, Munshi Rafiqul Alam, widely known as Majnu, also filed his nomination as a BNP contender from the same constituency. After Zia's death, Alam is BNP's sole candidate from the seat.

Khaleda Zia’s nomination was handed over by her election coordinator Munshi Rafiqul Alam, along with BNP vice-chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo and the chairperson’s adviser Zainul Abedin, popularly known as VP Zainul.

Dec 30, 2025 08:32 AM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Bangladesh envoy urgently recalled to Dhaka

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, M Reaz Hamidullah, returned to Dhaka late Monday night after receiving what was described as an urgent summons from the foreign ministry, according to media reports, against the backdrop of apparent strain in bilateral relations.

Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported that the decision was taken in light of recent developments affecting ties between Bangladesh and India, prompting the envoy’s immediate recall from New Delhi.

Citing a senior but unnamed official from the foreign office, the report said Hamidullah complied with the directive and arrived in the capital on Monday night.

Dec 30, 2025 07:32 AM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Khaleda Zia, former Bangladeshi prime minister and arch rival of Sheikh Hasina, dies at 80

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's former Prime Minister, has passed away at 80. She was a key figure in the country's politics, known for her rivalry with Sheikh Hasina. Read more

Dec 30, 2025 12:03 AM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Bangladesh’s student-led party NCP forms alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami

Bangladesh’s student-led outfit National Citizen Party (NCP) has formed an alliance with Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of elections scheduled for February 12, 2026.

The development comes as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to the country and filed his nomination papers for the polls on Monday.

(Read full report)

Dec 29, 2025 08:18 PM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Bangladesh uprising 'guru' distances himself from NCP over Jamaat alliance

The main leader of last year's violent uprising that toppled the then government in Bangladesh, Mahfuz Alam, on Sunday distanced himself from his disciples under the National Citizen Party (NCP) banner over their move to forge an electoral alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami.

In a Facebook post, Alam declined to be a "part of this NCP", as a rift in the party over the alliance issue yielded a memorandum signed by 30 of its senior leaders expressing their stance against the move and two ranking ones announcing their resignation.

The fierce 2024 violent street campaign, dubbed the July Uprising, was carried out under the banner of the Students against Discrimination (SAD), and a large offshoot of the platform in February this year emerged as the NCP with interim government chief Muhammad Yunus' blessings.

- PTI

Dec 29, 2025 06:12 PM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: BNP's Tarique Rahman's nomination papers filed

Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman submitted his nomination papers on Monday for the upcoming elections.

The papers were filed around 12:00 pm on Monday at the office of the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner in Segunbagicha, the Daily Star reported.

Abdus Salam, BNP chairperson's adviser, accompanied by Professor Dr Farhad Halim Donar, chief adviser of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), submitted the nomination on Rahman's behalf.

Rahman will contest the February 12 election from the Dhaka-17 constituency. Today is the final day for the submission of nomination papers for the 13th National Parliamentary Election.

Speaking at a briefing, Salam expressed gratitude to all, saying city residents warmly welcomed Rahman after 17 years in exile. He added that they expect the people of Dhaka-17 to spontaneously cast their votes for him in the February 12 election.

- PTI

Dec 29, 2025 04:39 PM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Owaisi condemns lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh, hopes strong action by Yunus

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday condemned the lynching of a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, in Bangladesh and expressed hope that Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim government, would take action against the perpetrators.

He also said Pakistan's ISI and elements from China who are against India are present in Bangladesh, and hence it is important to improve relations with the neighbouring country.--PTI

Dec 29, 2025 03:24 PM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Student outfit NCP forms alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami for February elections

The student-led outfit National Citizen Party (NCP) -- which was formed by youth leaders who played a pivotal role in the 2024 July Revolution that led to the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina -- has formed an alliance with Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami.

At least 30 senior leaders of the NCP have openly opposed the alliance announced on Sunday, with several resigning in protest, news agency Reuters reported.

The NCP was formed by Gen-Z activists. As per the group, its aim is to free the South Asian nation from ‌decades of dominance of Hasina's Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The student-led outfit lagged far behind the BNP and Jamaat in a recent opinion poll. The Awami League was banned in May, this year.

The Jamaat had not been allowed to contest any elections since 2013, after a court declared its registration as a political party conflicting with Bangladesh's secular constitution. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus revoked all the restrictions on the party in August 2024.

Dec 29, 2025 02:16 PM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman to contest Bangladesh elections

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has signed nomination papers to contest the 13th general election in Bangladesh. He will contest the Dhaka-17 and the Bogra-6 constituencies, reported Dhaka Tribune, citing BNP sources. Tarique is contesting the elections at a time when the nation is undergoing a massive upheaval with protests, violence, atrocities against minority Hindus, and the ouster of the former government last year.

Dec 29, 2025 01:07 PM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Owaisi condemns Hindu lynching, highlights incidents in India

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi says his party condemns the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das and Amrit Mandal. "Bangladesh was created on secular Bangla nationalism, and there are 20 million minorities who are not Muslims who live in Bangladesh... I sincerely hope that the tensions don't escalate between India and Bangladesh, and whatever is happening in Bangladesh in terms of what happened to the sad incident of Dipu Chandra Das and Amrit Mandal is contrary to their own constitutional mandate, and I hope that Md Yunus will ensure that all the minorities living in Bangladesh are protected."

#watch | Hyderabad, Telangana: AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi says, "As far as our party is concerned, we condemn what happened to Deepu Chandra Das and Amrit Mandal, and we support whatever steps the Government of India is taking to ensure that the relationship with Bangladesh… pic.twitter.com/4YPK75Dnb2
— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2025

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"But at the same time, please understand that we cannot forget what is happening in our country. On December 24, a labourer from West Bengal was lynched in Odisha's Sambalpur. A tribal boy doing MBA in Uttarakhand was beaten up, Angel Chakma. He died... So these are all clear examples of how when the rule of law breaks and majority-run politics overtakes everything, these lynching happen, which we have to condemn," Owaisi said.

Dec 29, 2025 12:11 PM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Shia Law Board slams atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh

The All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) has condemned the atrocities against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, saying Islam prohibits the killing of any innocent person, reported news agency PTI. AISPLB in a statement said those doing so in the name of religion should refrain from it.

The statement was issued during the AISPLB’s annual convention held at Lucknow’s Bara Imambara on Sunday, which saw participation from Ulema and Muslim scholars from across India, as well as from Bangladesh and Nepal.

Dec 29, 2025 11:21 AM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: BSF rejects Bangladeshi claim of Sharif Osman Hadi's killers fleeing to India

India has rejected media reports in Bangladesh, claiming that two of the suspects in student leader Sharif Osman Hadi's murder had entered India. Meghalaya BSF chief Inspector General OP Upadhyay was quoted by news agency ANI as saying that the claims are "completely false, fabricated, and misleading". He said the claim isn't backed by any evidence.

Dec 29, 2025 11:01 AM IST

Bangladesh protests LIVE Updates: Tarique Rahman gets Election Commission's nod to be included as voter for Feb 12 polls

The Election Commission of Bangladesh has given its nod to include BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in the country’s voter list ahead of the national election and referendum slated for February 12, 2026. EC Director (Public Relations) Ruhul Amin Mallik was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune that the commission had approved Tarique Rahman’s enlistment as a voter.

A day earlier, on Saturday, Tarique Rahman and his daughter Zaima Rahman completed the formalities required for National Identity Card (NID) registration and voter enrolment. Tarique Rahman visited the Election Commission’s National Identity Wing at Agargaon, where his photograph was taken and biometric information collected as part of the process.

Both Tarique Rahman and Zaima Rahman were registered as voters in the Dhaka-17 constituency, under DNCC Ward No. 19 in the Gulshan area, using the address of House No. 196 in Gulshan-2.

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