On Tuesday, massive crowds filled the streets of Dhaka with flags, placards, and chants to mark the first anniversary of the 2024 uprising that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina into exile.
The day’s events featuring rallies, concerts, and prayers are expected to culminate in the announcement of the 'July Declaration,' a roadmap for democratic reform under the leadership of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.
"Together, we will build a Bangladesh where tyranny will never rise again," Yunus said in a message to the nation a year after protests forced Hasina to flee to neighbouring India, as he paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives.
He pledged to hold free and fair elections by early next year and emphasized that trials for those responsible for the 'July killings' were already underway.
Despite the festive mood in many parts of the capital, some citizens expressed skepticism about real change. “Even after all the sacrifice, true democracy still feels far away,” said Sabbir Ahmed, a student from Jamalpur.
Security forces remained on high alert, with armoured vehicles patrolling key locations in anticipation of unrest, particularly from members of the now-banned Awami League.
In a rare open letter, former Prime Minister Hasina insisted she had never stepped down and vowed to rebuild the nation. “We will rise again,” she wrote, warning supporters not to let the anniversary serve only as a retrospective.
The upcoming 'July Declaration' has drawn support from major political parties, including the BNP, but critics remain cautious, warning that without legal and institutional support, the reforms could remain symbolic.
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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
Five years after Evergrande's debt crisis rattled global markets, founder Hui Ka Yan has been sentenced to life in prison, marking a dramatic new chapter in the downfall of China's former property giant.
South Korea estimates North Korea possesses between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, its defence minister said on Thursday, citing a range significantly higher than U.S. President Donald Trump's recent assertion that Pyongyang has 57 nuclear weapons.
Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has killed at least sixteen people and injured more than forty others, Ukrainian officials said, with fires reported across the city and Poland activating defensive air operations.
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