Bangladesh has launched three days of mass political rallies beginning Thursday, as rival parties take to the streets of Dhaka in a show of strength ahead of upcoming elections following last year’s popular uprising.
The rallies mark a new chapter in Bangladesh’s turbulent political landscape, with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, now leading an interim government after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled into exile in August. At the time, protesters stormed her palace amid allegations of authoritarian rule.
Yunus has pledged to hold elections as early as December, or no later than mid-2026.
On Thursday, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the frontrunner in the anticipated elections, held a May Day rally in the capital.
“We are confident this will be the most memorable grand rally in recent times,” said BNP media officer Shairul Kabir Khan.
Several other groups are also staging demonstrations. The Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami mobilized supporters, while the Jatiya Party, once aligned with Hasina’s Awami League, held its first outdoor political event since its offices were attacked in October.
Friday will see the National Citizens Party (NCP) rally in Dhaka. The NCP emerged from the youth-led protests that helped oust Hasina. Party leader Nahid Islam briefly joined Yunus’s interim government before forming the NCP.
“Political programs help us build public engagement,” said Ariful Islam Adib, a senior party official. “This rally isn’t about showing strength, but we expect 20,000 to 30,000 attendees.”
On Saturday, Hefazat-e-Islam—a coalition of Islamic seminaries—will hold what it calls a “grand rally” focused on religious and cultural grievances.
“Our rally is a reminder to the government of the sacrifices we’ve made,” said Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque.
“We don’t care if it’s Muhammad Yunus in charge or someone even more prominent, we’ll take to the streets.”
Among Hefazat’s key demands is scrapping recent recommendations by the government’s Women’s Rights Commission aimed at eliminating gender discrimination—an indication of renewed hardline religious activism after years of suppression.
Former prime minister Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India, defying an arrest warrant issued by Dhaka on charges of crimes against humanity.
Kazakhstan will create six new nature conservation institutions to preserve biodiversity, aiming to increase protected territories to 12.5% of the national area.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov downplayed NATO’s new 5% defence spending target, saying it won’t have a major impact on Russia’s security and accusing the alliance of exaggerating the threat his country poses.
Germany will halt funding for Mediterranean migrant rescue missions, redirecting aid to conflict-hit regions like Sudan, in a move critics warn will worsen the humanitarian crisis at sea.
Kazakhstan’s industrial sector grew by 6.4% year-on-year in the first five months of 2025, driven by increased oil production and strong performance in manufacturing, according to Halyk Finance.
Europe’s top rights court ruled that French police discriminated against a man of African descent, marking a landmark case of racial profiling against France.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Congress to shut down the Voice of America, accusing the taxpayer-funded broadcaster of promoting radical leftist views and calling it a "total, leftwing disaster."
Kazakhstan will create six new nature conservation institutions to preserve biodiversity, aiming to increase protected territories to 12.5% of the national area.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov downplayed NATO’s new 5% defence spending target, saying it won’t have a major impact on Russia’s security and accusing the alliance of exaggerating the threat his country poses.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov’s first visit to Malaysia in 30 years sealed a raft of deals on energy, halal industry and tourism. Both nations say the trip launches a “strategic partnership” to match their fast-growing economies.
Germany will halt funding for Mediterranean migrant rescue missions, redirecting aid to conflict-hit regions like Sudan, in a move critics warn will worsen the humanitarian crisis at sea.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
Kazakhstan will create six new nature conservation institutions to preserve biodiversity, aiming to increase protected territories to 12.5% of the national area.
Kazakhstan’s industrial sector grew by 6.4% year-on-year in the first five months of 2025, driven by increased oil production and strong performance in manufacturing, according to Halyk Finance.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any future U.S. attack would trigger strikes on American bases in the region, marking his first public remarks since the Iran-Israel ceasefire.
Turkmen and Russian foreign ministers met in Ashgabat on 25 June and signed a bilateral cooperation program for 2025–2026, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening political and economic ties.
Kazakhstan's e-commerce sector has soared to 3.2 trillion tenge (around 6.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, marking a sevenfold increase since 2020, according to Deputy Prime Minister Serik Jumanğarin.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Congress to shut down the Voice of America, accusing the taxpayer-funded broadcaster of promoting radical leftist views and calling it a "total, leftwing disaster."
Kazakhstan will create six new nature conservation institutions to preserve biodiversity, aiming to increase protected territories to 12.5% of the national area.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov downplayed NATO’s new 5% defence spending target, saying it won’t have a major impact on Russia’s security and accusing the alliance of exaggerating the threat his country poses.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov’s first visit to Malaysia in 30 years sealed a raft of deals on energy, halal industry and tourism. Both nations say the trip launches a “strategic partnership” to match their fast-growing economies.
Germany will halt funding for Mediterranean migrant rescue missions, redirecting aid to conflict-hit regions like Sudan, in a move critics warn will worsen the humanitarian crisis at sea.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment