He expressed the opinion in a joint statement following his meeting with BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman in London on Friday, according to National Security Advisor Khalilur Rahman. During the “very cordial” meeting, Tarique proposed that the elections be held before Ramadan next year, a timeline that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia also supports, said Khalilur. “The chief advisor said that he had announced elections would be held by the first half of April next year. The chief advisor also thanked the BNP leader for the fruitful discussion, he said. Briefing journalists after the meeting, Advisor Khalilur said the Election Commission would soon announce the official date for the vote.

A fire has burnt down 11 homes in Chattogram's Banshkhali Upazila. The blaze broke out late on Thursday night in West Manikchhari Headpara in Shilkup. According to the Fire Service Control Room, the fire started around 2:00am. Two units from the Banshkhali Fire Station responded and managed to extinguish the flames by around 3:15am. The fire, believed to have originated from an electrical short circuit, caused an estimated loss of at least Tk 600,000 and left 11 families homeless, according to the Fire Service.

An Air India plane with more than 200 people on board crashed near the airport in India's western city of Ahmedabad, the airline and police officials said on Thursday, without specifying whether there were any fatalities. The plane was headed to London's Gatwick airportin the UK, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a civilian area near the airport. "At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates," Air India said on X. Visuals showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances.

Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with registration letters VT-ANB flies over Tokyo, Japan, Apr 27, 2025 in this picture obtained from social media. Photo: ReutersAir India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with registration letters VT-ANB flies over Tokyo, Japan, Apr 27, 2025 in this picture obtained from social media. The Air India plane that crashed in the city of Ahmedabad is more than a decade old. It first flew in late 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014. The widebody 787 planes, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service, have never had a fatal crash until the Air India incident.

India calls attack on Rabindra Kachhari Bari an act of ‘extremists’India has strongly condemned the vandalism of Rabindra Kachhari Bari in Sirajganj, calling it “part of a broader pattern of attempts by extremists” to wipe out Bangladesh’s cultural heritage. A Kachhari Bari served as the office and trade house for Zamindars, or feudal landlords. Afterwards, a group of agitated people attacked and vandalised the auditorium of the Kachhari Bari. In that discussion, a British-Bangladeshi businessman alleged that while Sheikh Hasina faces trial in Bangladesh, India was sheltering her. He asked whether Yunus could apply pressure on India through the US, the UK or other countries.

"He also added that high interest rates are making borrowing difficult to maintain business operations.Bankers echoed similar views, stressing that private sector entrepreneurs are refraining from undertaking new investments or expanding existing businesses, resulting in a slowdown in large-scale bank loan disbursements. However, actual credit growth has already fallen below this target.In February, during the announcement of the monetary policy, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur said that the policy interest rate would remain at 10 percent until inflation declined. Accordingly, once inflation was under control, the rate would be lowered.The central bank data shows that private sector credit growth began to decline after political unrest erupted in July last year, triggered by the movement for quota reform in government jobs.The Awami League government was toppled on Aug 5 last year, and from that month onwards, credit growth in the private sector began to fall. In July, the month the protests began, credit growth was at 10.13 percent. In September, growth fell to 9.20 percent -- the lowest in three years.

Onlookers and firefighters stand at the site of the crashed Air India Express passenger plane in Mangalore, May 22, 2010. REUTERS/StringerOnlookers and firefighters stand at the site of the crashed Air India Express passenger plane in Mangalore, May 22, 2010. MAY 2010An Air India Boeing 737 flight from Dubai overshot the runway at the airport in the southern city of Mangaluru and crashed into a gorge, killing 158 people on board. APRIL 1993An Indian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed during takeoff in the western city of Aurangabad and killed 55 people on board. JANUARY 1978All 213 passengers of an Air India flight were killed when the captain lost control of the plane after take-off and plunged it into the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India's financial hub.

Bangladesh has confirmed 15 new Covid-19 cases over the past day, bringing the total number of infections this year to 240. Chattogram reported four cases from 53 tests, while one case was identified in Brahmanbaria from three samples. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Bangladesh has tested over 15.72 million samples, returning more than 2.05 million cases of positivity. In 2023, as many as 37 people died due to Covid-19 after 1,368 had died in 2022. Earlier, the DGHS issued precautionary measures in response to a surge in cases of new sub-variants of Covid-19 in several neighbouring countries, including India.

Yunus sends condolences to Modi after Air India crash near Ahmedabad kills hundredsChief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and injuries in the crash of an Air India jet near Ahmedabad. The airline confirmed that the Dreamliner was carrying 232 passengers and 10 crew members. Among the passengers were 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese citizens. The plane went down near the Ahmedabad BJ Medical College hostel. Indian media report that at least five hostel students were among the dead.

“I have no direct conversation with him,” the chief advisor said. UK government officials confirmed to the FT that Starmer had no plan to meet Yunus at present and declined to comment further. The chief advisor said an objective of his trip to London was to bring out “more enthusiastic support” from the UK. Tulip Siddiq, a Labour MP who is part of Starmer’s government, is also the niece of ousted prime minister Hasina. The chief advisor said his trip to the UK was “just the beginning” and he was planning further visits.

BJP MP Sambit Patra on Thursday urged the international community to condemn the reported vandalism of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral residence in Bangladesh and further slammed the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh government. But this is Rabindranath Tagore's topic, so the BJP takes it very seriously and sensitively. According to media reports, a mob vandalised the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district on Wednesday, leading authorities to form a three-member committee to investigate the incident. Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral house was attacked... Rabindranath Tagore created many of his literary works while living in this mansion, PTI reported.

A Boeing sign sits on a building near Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, US, Apr 22, 2025. REUTERSA Boeing sign sits on a building near Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, US, Apr 22, 2025. It was not clear what caused the crash, as air disasters can occur for a number of different reasons. The widebody 787 planes, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service, have never had a fatal crash until the Air India incident. GE Aerospace said it has activated its emergency response team and would support the investigation, but did not specify if the Air India aircraft was equipped with its engines.

A family member cries upon hearing the news of her brother who died when the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit DaveA family member cries upon hearing the news of her brother who died when the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. The man told Indian media how he had heard a loud noise shortly after Flight AI171 took off. -Air India… — Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025"We are working closely with all authorities and extending full support to the families on the ground," Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of the group, posted on X. The last fatal plane crash in India, the world's third largest aviation market and its fastest growing, was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm.

Addressing a press briefing, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra condemned the behaviour of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government over the incident. Story continues below Advertisement Remove Ad“…The behaviour of the Bangladesh interim government of Muhammad Yunus is not appropriate. “Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was no ordinary figure. #WATCH | Delhi | On the attack on Rabindranath Tagore's house in Bangladesh, BJP MP Sambit Patra says, "... The behaviour of the Bangladesh interim government of Muhammad Yunus is not proper.

The vandalism of Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home in Bangladesh has sparked regional outrage with economist and Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council member Sanjeev Sanyal calling it “the complete erasure of Bengali Hindu identity.”The attack occurred at Kachharibari in Shahjadpur, Sirajganj — a site where Tagore composed many of his most enduring works. According to local reports, a mob broke windows, destroyed furniture, and shouted slogans against the Nobel laureate, while one of the estate’s directors was assaulted. Tagore’s estate is not just a heritage site but a symbol of Bengali literary identity. Its desecration has reignited long-simmering concerns about cultural erasure in Bangladesh, particularly of Hindu-linked historical landmarks. ...... this is how it ends, the complete erasure of Bengali Hindu identity.... https://t.co/hxKmrGrA1A — Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) June 12, 2025Reacting to the incident, a user noted the recent demolition of actress Suchitra Sen’s ancestral home, tweeting: “The new regime in power is emulating Pakistan in every way.”Advertisement“This was expected,” one post read.