The world this week | Bangladesh boils again, Modi’s three-nation tour, and US blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers
From Pakistan accusing India of manipulating Indus waters to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning world leaders about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ‘plan’– a lot has happened in the world this week.
A protester reacts to the camera near the premises of the Prothom Alo daily newspaper which was set on fire by angry protesters after news reached the country from Singapore of the death of a prominent activist Sharif Osman Hadi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Bangladesh erupted into chaos once again this week, nearly one-and-a-half years after a mass uprising brought down the Sheikh Hasina government. India has been keeping a close eye on the developments across the border as Indian missions have faced increased hostilities by protesters. On the other side of the western border, Pakistan has accused India of undermining the Indus Waters Treaty, alleging variations in the flow of the Chenab River. Over in the Western hemisphere, US President Donald Trump’s address to the nation and his order to blockade all sanctioned Venezuela oil tankers were the biggest talking points. Meanwhile, the peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine once again failed to make any progress.
Protests erupt in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is once again in the grip of intense protests and vandalism by demonstrators akin to the scenes in July and August 2024 when the student-led agitation forced the then-prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to flee the country.
Protesters shout slogans in front of the premises of the Prothom Alo daily newspaper after news reached the country from Singapore of the death of a prominent activist Sharif Osman Hadi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
The ongoing protests were triggered by the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, an influential youth leader, who was shot at by unidentified assailants on December 12. The 32-year-old died on December 18 in Singapore, where he was undergoing treatment.
Who was Sharif Osman Hadi?
Hadi was a spokesperson for Inqilab Moncho, a political platform that emerged from the student protest movement of July 2024. He rose to national attention during the student-led uprising that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Hadi, who helped organise protests and communicate the demands of student groups calling for political reform during the 2024 demonstrations, was widely expected to contest the elections announced for next year.
What happened to Sharif Osman Hadi?
Hadi was shot on December 12 while campaigning in central Dhaka. He was travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw in the Paltan area of the Bangladeshi capital when a masked attacker on a motorcycle opened fire, hitting him in the head. Hadi, who was airlifted to Singapore on December 15, died in a hospital there on December 18.
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Reaction to Sharif Osman Hadi’s death
Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, declared a national mourning over the death of Hadi. Yunus described Hadi’s death as a major loss to Bangladesh’s democratic process and urged people to remain calm as protests spilt over to the streets since Thursday.
Violent protests across Bangladesh
Even as Inqilab Moncho and other outfits continued to call for restraint, protesters have been swelling on the streets of Dhaka and other cities. In Dhaka, mobs attacked and set fire to the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo on Thursday night, accusing them of being “pro-India” and “pro-Awami League”. The protesters also vandalised the partially demolished home of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh.
The residence of former Bangladesh President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is being vandalised as unrest erupts following the death of Osman Hadi, a key leader of the protests against Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka on Friday. (Photo: ANI)
Protests against India
The killing of Hadi came amid a rising anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh. In the past few days, protesters have targeted the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong and Rajshahi. The protesters have been demanding the extradition of Hasina, who has been in India since she was ousted from power. In November, a tribunal in Bangladesh had sentenced her to death, and the interim government there has formally sought her extradition.
Narendra Modi’s three-nation tour
Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook a significant three-nation tour to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman to deepen India’s strategic and economic footprint in the Middle East and Africa.
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Modi in Jordan
PM Modi was on a two-day trip to Jordan from December 15 to 16, the first full visit by an Indian prime minister in 37 years. The state visit also coincided with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Jordan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emplanes for Ethiopia after concluding his visit to Jordan. (@narendramodi/X via PTI Photo)
During PM Modi’s visit, India and Jordan signed several landmark agreements and proposals.
These include five MoUs in the areas of renewable energy, water resource management, cultural exchange, digital solution and twinning between Petra and Ellora.
India is Jordan’s third-largest trading partner. The two countries aim to enhance bilateral trade to $5 billion over the next five years.
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Jordan is a leading supplier of phosphates and potash fertilisers for India.
India and Jordan also agreed to cooperate in the fields of counter-terrorism and nuclear energy.
Jordan expressed willingness to join India-led global initiatives, including the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Global Biofuels Alliance, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
Modi in Ethiopia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Ethiopia for a two-day visit on December 16, his first to the country. The Indian PM was conferred with the ‘Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia’, the country’s highest honour, during his visit. PM Modi also addressed a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament, making it the 18th parliament worldwide that he has addressed.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred with Ethiopia’s prestigious honour ‘The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia’ by Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali. (@PMEthiopia X/ANI Photo)
India and Ethiopia signed eight MoUs, including those for establishing a Data Centre at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for debt restructuring under the G20 Common Framework.
Modi in Oman
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Oman on December 17-18 to mark 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. PM Modi was conferred with the ‘Order of Oman’, the highest civilian award of the Sultanate, by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Oman Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said. (PMO via PTI Photo)
India and Oman signed several key agreements, including on agriculture, education, and maritime heritage.
India and Oman also signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to provide zero-duty access for 98.08 per cent of Oman’s tariff lines and cover 99.38 per cent of India’s exports.
Pakistan accuses India of manipulating Indus waters
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday (December 19) accused India of consistently attempting to undermine the Indus Waters Treaty. According to Dar, Pakistan’s Indus Commissioner has written to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification on the matter.
A highway being built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) passes by the confluence of the Indus and Zanskhar rivers in the Ladakh region, India, September 17, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui)
What is Indus Waters Treaty
The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which was signed in 1960, is a water-sharing agreement between India and Pakistan, mediated by the World Bank. As per IWT, out of the six main rivers of the Indus system, the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) were allocated to India for unrestricted use, while the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) were primarily allocated to Pakistan. India placed the IWT in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025.
US orders blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers
The massive military buildup and months of pressure campaign escalated further this week, with the Donald Trump administration ordering “a total and complete blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
La Guaira’s seaport stands on the coast of Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
The announcement came days after the US seized a tanker carrying Venezuelan crude off its coast. The US has also demanded the return of “stolen” oil, land, and other assets, referring to the nationalisation of the Venezuelan oil industry in the 1970s.
Venezuelan oil
Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world, estimated at 303-304 billion barrels. Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, generated approximately $17.5 billion in oil sales in 2024. Venezuela uses a shadow fleet of oil tankers to bypass US sanctions.
Russia-Ukraine conflict set to drag into 2026
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022, is set to continue into 2026 as international efforts led by the US and EU have failed to bring it to an end.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would “certainly” achieve its goals in the offensive in Ukraine, including seizing the territories it claims are its own.
A Russian “Grad” self-propelled multiple rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian positions on an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Photo: AP)
A day later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said intelligence inputs suggest Russia is preparing to make 2026 a major year of war. Zelenskyy also warned world leaders that if Ukraine does not receive sufficient security guarantees, Putin could expand his aggression beyond Ukraine to attack a NATO country as early as 2026.
Where does the Russia-Ukraine war stand
Russia currently occupies approximately 20 per cent of Ukraine, including the critical logistics hub of Pokrovsk, which Moscow claims to have captured. Ukraine, on the other hand, continues to hold on to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, which it captured in 2024, though Russia has recaptured some of the territory.
According to various estimates, as of late November 2025, the human cost of the Russia-Ukraine war, including both military and civilian casualties, is around 1.5 million.
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A protester reacts to the camera near the premises of the Prothom Alo daily newspaper which was set on fire by angry protesters after news reached the country from Singapore of the death of a prominent activist Sharif Osman Hadi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) 
