Amid tightened nationwide security, Bangladesh on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) inaugurated a memorial museum at the official residence of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the victims of violence during the anti-government protests in 2024 that toppled her government.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the ‘July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum’ at Ganabhaban, prime minister’s official residence during Hasina’s regime, coinciding with the day she fled to India on August 5, 2024.

“The killers in the anti-fascist movement will be tried in a transparent, impartial and credible manner following the due process of law,” Mr. Rahman said in a brief address while unveiling the museum’s plaque.

“Justice for every crime is essential to ensure rule of law” Mr. Rahman said as the Interim government chief Muhammad Yunus stood beside him.

The Prime Minister announced that government institutions would be named after slain activists of the uprising and those who were killed during the rule of Hasina’s Awami League since 2009.

The 2024 mass uprising did not belong to any individual, group or political party, he said, adding, the true heroes of the uprising are the democratic people of Bangladesh.

Mr. Rahman toured the museum’s galleries and exhibitions featuring preserved artefacts, photographs, official documents, video footage and memorabilia related to the July Mass Uprising.

Speaking at the museum event, Mr. Yunus said the July Memorial Museum is not just an establishment but the beginning of a new chapter in Bangladesh’s history.

The July Memorial Museum will become the centre of “our history,” Mr. Yunus was quoted as saying by the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

“The path of a new Bangladesh will begin from here. If we lose our way, we will start from here,” Mr. Yunus said.

According to a February 2025 UN rights office report, up to 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year, the period dubbed as the ‘July Uprising,’ as Ms. Hasina’s government ordered a security crackdown on protesters.

Three days after Ms. Hasina fled to India following the widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs, Mr. Yunus took over as the chief adviser of the Interim government.

A special tribunal set up by Mr. Yunus’ government gave Ms. Hasina a death sentence in November 2025 on charges of “crimes against humanity” and “genocide.” His interim regime, under an executive order, also banned Ms. Hasina’s Awami League that has been in power for many terms since 1971. The decision was endorsed by Mr. Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government after the February 12 elections.

Family members of several July uprising victims shared their memories and reflections during the event, a report in Dhaka Tribune said.

Bangladesh is commemorating August 5 as the ‘July Mass Uprising Day’ with the government, political parties and socio-cultural organisations organising various programmes to honour the sacrifices of those, including students, who took to the streets against what they described as Ms. Hasina’s “misrule and autocracy,” according to the BSS.

Another Dhaka Tribune report said that a state ceremony marking the second anniversary of the July Mass Uprising descended into protests on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) after audience members accused the government of distorting the movement’s history through an official documentary, forcing ministers to apologise and promise immediate corrections.

The unprecedented disruption unfolded in the presence of Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, where families of those killed in July Uprising, injured protesters, students and political activists interrupted the programme with chants of “fake, fake” after the documentary was screened, it said.

The Daily Star said the National Citizen Party (NCP) member secretary and lawmaker Akhter Hossen alleged that the government-produced documentary shown at the state programme “deliberately omitted key events and presented an incomplete account of the movement.”

The NCP is led by those who spearheaded the 2024 street protest toppling the Awami League government.

“This was not a party programme; it was a state event. After attending, we felt that the documentary failed to present a complete picture of the July Uprising,” he told The Daily Star over the phone after walking out of the event.

According to Bengali daily Prothom Alo, at least 10 people sustained injuries after a scuffle and subsequent clash broke out between the leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir at the University of Barishal, in south-central Bangladesh, over a procession marking the anniversary of the July Mass Uprising.

Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal, commonly known as Chhatra Dal, is BNP’s student wing while Islami Chhatra Shibir, known commonly as Chhatra Shibir, is the student wing of right wing Jamaat-e-Islami.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh tightened a nationwide security vigil fearing violence as Hasina was set to deliver a virtual public address in New Delhi.

The authorities had, earlier this week, ordered a nationwide security alert fearing outbreak of violence coinciding with the anniversary, particularly directing police to take extra care for their own personnel and their vehicles.

Paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to enforce the vigil in southwestern Gopalganj, Ms. Hasina’s ancestral home district, and birthplace of her father and Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

However, there were no reports of any violence till Wednesday (August 5, 2026) evening.

According to media reports and analysts, there has been a sense of unease in Bangladesh since Ms. Hasina announced last month to return home by December.

The unease intensified as her party announced that she would appear virtually to meet the international press at New Delhi’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia on Wednesday (August 5, 2026).

Ahead of her public address, Sajeeb Wazed, her U.S.-based son and ICT affairs adviser of the ousted Awami government, in a social media post said, “The August 5 reminds us how an organised state, social system is grabbed by extremists under a unique design of some power greedy anti-Bangladesh quarters.”

Mr. Wazed said the day severely affected Bangladesh’s democratic continuity causing a protracted political unrest and a long-term crisis for different sectors of the state.

Mr. Wazed and Ms. Hasina both spoke virtually at the event.

Following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs, Ms. Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, an event that reshaped the country’s political landscape. Three days later, Muhammad Yunus took over as the chief adviser of the Interim government.

On November 17, 2025, the International Crime Tribunal, Bangladesh (ICT-BD) sentenced to death Mr. Hasina and home minister of her cabinet Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal after trial in absentia conserving their superior responsibility in committing crimes by their attempt to tame the protestors.

Earlier, Bangladesh prime minister’s information adviser Zahed Ur Rahman had warned media outlets that publishing or broadcasting Ms. Hasina’s speech would face strict legal actions, saying it would directly violate an active ban by the ICT-BD.

But ICT-BD chief prosecutor Aminul Islam said there was no blanket legal ban on broadcasting or publishing Ms. Hasina’s statements and said the tribunal restricted the Bangladesh media only from airing remarks that contain “hate speech” or undermined the special court’s dignity and image.

Bangladesh’s President Mohammed Shahabuddin. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Bangladesh completed polling for the general election and referendum for constitutional changes on Thursday (February 12, 2026). Polling started in 36,031 election centres at 7.30 a.m. and ended at 4:30 p.m. with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) accusing Jamaat-e-Islami, leader of an 11-party alliance, of intimidating voters in various locations. In total, 2,028 candidates are in the fray for the election that will pave the way for handover of power from the interim government to an elected administration.

Bangladesh election: Follow LIVE updates on February 12, 2026

Soon after the polling process, party symbols-bearing white ballot papers of the parliamentary election and pink ballots containing ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ votes for the referendum on ‘July Charter’ were being collected to be counted overnight. Credible early trends of the results are expected to trickle in by early morning of Friday (February 13, 2026), party sources said.

“The spontaneous participation of voters, the responsible conduct of political parties, the restraint shown by candidates, and the professionalism of all institutions involved in the electoral process collectively demonstrated that our commitment to democracy remains unwavering,” said Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, in a statement after the voting concluded. 

The election was preceded by allegations of voter influence that were levelled by the BNP against Jamaat after a leader of the Islamist party was caught in Saidpur airport in north Bangladesh with 74 lakhs taka on Wednesday. The BNP alleged that several other similar incidents had also come to light.

However Jamaat denied the allegation and said the incident was “stage managed” by security agencies. Both the BNP and Jamaat sent delegations to the Election Commission late Wednesday night to place their versions regarding the case before officials. Several incidents of violence, intimidation and voter influencing were reported from different parts of the country during the polling.

The BNP Election Steering Committee alleged that, in Khulna, Mohibuzzaman Kachi, a leader of the metropolitan BNP sustained injuries in a scuffle with Jamaat workers after he reportedly “opposed manipulating votes” inside the centre. The BNP steering committee’s spokesperson Mahdi Amin said “stronger and more comprehensive action could have prevented these incidents more effectively.”

Among top leaders, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the BNP voted at Thakurgaon in north Bangladesh. Party chairman Tarique Rahman is contesting from Dhaka 17 in Gulshan neighbourhood of the capital, Jamaat leader Shafiqur Rahman is contesting in Dhaka-15 in Mirpur locality. National Citizen Party’s Nahid Islam, who is being supported by the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, is contesting from Dhaka – 11 constituency.

An important contest is taking place in Dhaka-8 where the BNP’s strongman Mirza Abbas is being challenged by the NCP’s Nasiruddin Patowary. Dhaka-8 is the seat where young Islamist Sharif Osman Hadi of Inquilab Mancho was planning to contest before he was shot dead in December 2025. Mr. Patowary’s challenge is significant as he is being supported by the 11-party alliance. During the polling, Mr. Patowary had alleged that the supporters of Mr. Abbas had tried to intimidate him. Independent candidate Rumin Farhana in Brahmanbaria, and anti-Hasina uprising student leader Hasnat Abdullah from Comilla-4 are among the star high profile candidates.

This election has witnessed participation of 51 political parties, including Jatiyo Party that was an ally of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Ms. Hasina’s Awami League remains banned and was not in the field for the first time in Bangladesh’s history. According to the Election Commission, till 2 PM, poll percentage was around 47.91% with expectation of greater footfall during the closing minutes of the poll.

While brisk polling was witnessed in most parts of Bangladesh in the morning as well as in the concluding hours, low voting was reported from the Awami League’s strongholds of Madaripur, Shariatpur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Bagerhat, Thakurgaon, Jamalpur and multiple seats of Mymensingh district. In a statement sent to the media, Ms. Hasina, who is based in India, said “workers of the Awami League, and well-wishers and minority religious communities of Bangladesh were being intimidated over the past several days.”

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi reiterated its position on the need for a “free, fair, inclusive and credible election in Bangladesh”. Official Spokesperson of the MEA Randhir Jaiswal said the interim government of Bangladesh had invited India to send observers. “We have not sent our observers to Bangladesh.”

The election was part of the mandate given to the interim government led by Mr. Yunus that had taken charge after the overthrow of the Hasina government in August 2024. Though it was expected that the election would be held within a few months, the entire process was postponed as Bangladesh dealt with administrative uncertainty and a series of reforms.

On the first anniversary of the fall of Ms. Hasina’s government, Mr. Yunus announced that the general election would be held ahead of Ramzan in the first fortnight of February 2026. This announcement was followed by the launch of the ‘July Charter’, a set of principles that were adopted by the interim government in consultation with various political parties that envisages crucial changes to the existing constitution of Bangladesh. Mr. Yunus has announced that the interim government will hand over power ‘soon’ after the election result is announced and the incoming government will have the responsibility of implementing the changes in the constitution as mentioned in the July Charter.

Bangladesh Elections Vox Pop

Bangladesh Elections Vox Pop
| Video Credit:
The Hindu

Published – February 12, 2026 10:52 pm IST

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer joined Bangladesh’s Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin in signing the U.S.–Bangladesh Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. Photo: X/@USTradeRep.

The majority of incidents involving members of minority communities in Bangladesh during 2025 were “criminal in nature” and not driven by communal motives, the interim government said on Monday (January 19, 2026).

The statement issued by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus Press Wing came days after India, on January 9, pressed Dhaka to “swiftly and firmly” deal with attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and described as “troubling” the attempts to attribute the incidents to extraneous reasons.

New Delhi’s reaction had come against the backdrop of the killing of several Hindu individuals in Bangladesh in the last few weeks.

Citing a yearlong review of official police records, the interim government said a total of 645 incidents involving minority communities were recorded between January and December 2025 across Bangladesh.

Also Read | U.K. condemns ‘all acts of violence’ in Bangladesh, calls for credible elections

“While every incident is a matter of concern, the data presents a clear and evidence-based picture: the overwhelming majority of cases were criminal in nature rather than communal,” it said.

According to the statement posted on the Chief Adviser’s verified social media handle, of the 645 incidents, 71 were identified as having communal elements.

These included 38 cases of temple vandalism, eight of arson, one of theft, one murder and 23 other incidents such as threats to break idols, provocative social media posts and damage to worship pavilions.

Police cases were filed in 50 of these incidents, and arrests were made in an equal number, while other preventive or investigative measures were taken in 21 cases, the statement said.

The remaining 574 incidents were linked to criminal or social disputes unrelated to religion, including neighbourhood disputes (51), land-related conflicts (23), theft (106), prior personal enmity (26), rape (58) and 172 cases of unnatural death.

Police registered 390 cases in this category, filed 154 unnatural death reports and made 498 arrests, with additional measures taken in 30 incidents.

The interim government said the report “does not deny challenges, nor does it claim perfection; rather, it seeks to provide a factual, evidence-based picture of crime trends affecting minority communities within the broader national context”.

“While all crimes are serious and demand accountability, the data demonstrates that most incidents involving minority victims were not driven by communal hostility, but by broader criminal and social factors that affect citizens across religious and ethnic lines,” it said.

According to the 2022 census, the Hindu population in Bangladesh is approximately 13.13 million, which accounts for about 7.95% of the country’s total population. The Buddhist population is approximately 1.01 million (0.61%), Christians nearly 5,00,000 and other religions, including Sikh and Animist, approximately 2,00,000 (0.12%).

Earlier this month, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) in a statement alleged that as the date of the general elections draws nearer, communal violence is increasing at an alarming rate in the country. Parliamentary polls are scheduled on February 12.

The forum alleged that the violence is aimed at preventing minority voters from casting votes for candidates of their choice.

The Council said it has recorded 51 incidents of communal violence in December 2025 alone.

The interim government in the statement reiterated that ensuring safety and justice for all citizens, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and people of other beliefs, remains a constitutional and moral obligation.

On January 9, reacting to the recent spate of violence targeting Hindus in Bangladesh, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists.”

Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly, he said.

Also Read | Dhaka suspends visa service in India, seeks U.S. visa bond exemption

“We have observed a troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal rivalries, political differences, or extraneous reasons.

“Such disregard only emboldens the perpetrators and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among minorities,” Mr. Jaiswal said.

The relations between India and Bangladesh were strained after the interim government headed by Mr. Yunus assumed charge following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.

India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.

Published – January 19, 2026 03:37 pm IST

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus-led interim government on Saturday (December 13, 2025) ordered a nationwide security clampdown as fresh unrest gripped the country following the shooting of a right-wing cultural group’s youth leader.

Inquilab Mancha leader Sharif Osmann Hadi, also a candidate in the scheduled February 12 general elections, was shot on Friday (December 12, 2025) as he initiated his election campaign at central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area.

According to doctors, his condition is very critical.

“The government is going to start the second phase of Operation Devil Hunt to help ensure public safety and combat the growing threat of illegal arms,” Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told a press conference.

The interim government first launched the Operation Devil hunt in February this year, following protests over an attack on a former Minister’s private house in the northern suburb of the capital. The operation targeted alleged “henchmen” and supporters of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s now disbanded Awami League.

Home Adviser Chowdhury announced a reward of 50 lakh taka ($40,985.81) for information leading to the arrest of one of the suspects who shot Mr. Hadi. Meanwhile, police issued the suspect’s pictures, identifying him as Faisal Karim Masud.

He was one of the three motorcycle-borne assailants who shot Mr. Hadi in the head from close range in Bijoynagar, where the youth leader is contesting as an independent candidate.

Newspaper reports quoting Mr. Hadi’s associates said the assailants were acquainted with him and had accompanied him since Friday (December 12, 2025) morning, a day after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule.

Mr. Hadi was initially rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) following the shooting, from where he was shifted overnight to the specialised Evercare Hospital.

“His [Mr. Hadi’s] condition is critical. He has been provided a life support system,” DMCH Director Brigadier General Mohammad Asaduzzaman told reporters earlier.

Doctors at Evercare said on Saturday (December 13, 2025) that Mr. Hadi’s condition “remains static” but “not out of danger”, while the medical board formed for him preferred not to perform any surgery immediately, relying on medication and supportive treatment for now.

Chief Adviser Yunus ordered a manhunt for the suspects, and on Saturday (December 13, 2025) met Mr. Hadi’s family members, assuring them of all support for his treatment. “The whole country is praying for him, and everyone is trying to ensure that he receives the best medical care,” Mr. Yunus said.

Mr. Hadi was a frontline leader of last year’s student-led violent street protest dubbed the July Uprising, which toppled the Hasina-led Awami League Government on August 5.

Home Adviser Chowdhury said the government had taken steps to ensure special security for the “frontline fighters” of the July Uprising, adding MP candidates would also be issued firearm licenses if they wanted. He said that candidates who earlier handed over their licensed weapons to the authorities, would be returned their arms.

Meanwhile, critically ill former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, as well as the Jamaat-e-Islami, and student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) strongly criticised the attack on Hadi.

NCP chief organiser Hasnat Abdullah, Mr. Hadi’s close comrade during and after the uprising, said, “There would be no place for fascists [Awami League] in Bangladesh, regardless of the name or platform under which they operate.”

“We take an oath in Osman Hadi’s blood – they will not be given even an inch of space in this country,” he told a protest rally.

The Inquilab Mancha spearheads a campaign to arrest “all terrorists” of the disbanded Awami League from the central to grassroots levels and ensure security of the “July warriors”.

It was at the forefront of a campaign to disband the Awami League, which the Yunus-led interim government did in May this year, disqualifying it from contesting the polls.

Published – December 13, 2025 09:03 pm IST

interim head of the Bangladesh government, Muhammad Yunus. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ greetings came amid widespread concerns over repeated incidents of alleged attacks on members of the Hindu community and their places of worship after he came to power in August last year. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Dhaka:

Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in exile in India, called the South Asian nation’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus a “mobster” and accused him of unleashing “terrorists” and fostering “lawlessness” in the country. In response, Dhaka reaffirmed its commitment to bringing her back from India and stressed securing Ms Hasina’s extradition remains its top priority. 

Ms Hasina, who fled to India after her government was toppled in a student-led uprising on August 5, 2024, on Monday held a one-on-one interaction on Zoom with the widows of four policemen killed during last July’s student uprising. During the conversation, the ousted leader commiserated on their tragic loss and promised redressal upon her return.

“The killings were part of his meticulous conspiracy to throw me out of power,” she said, adding “I will return and avenge the deaths of our policemen.”

Accusing Mr Yunus of dissolving all inquiry committees, Ms Hasina alleged the interim government has “unleashed terrorists” to butcher people.

“They are destroying Bangladesh,” she said. Ms Hasina further claimed that she escaped an assassination attempt narrowly when her government was overthrown, stating, “By the grace of God, I was kept alive to do something good. I will return and ensure justice for all of you.”

The four policemen were killed when Ms Hasina tried to suppress the student-led protests last year in July-August. The moment which started as protests against a controversial quota system soon culminated in a call for her ouster.

In a teary address, Ms Hasina noted that nearly 450 police stations were also set on fire and said the killings were part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Mr Yunus, who has since accepted there was a “design and conspiracy” to remove Ms Hasina.

“The killings were part of his meticulous conspiracy to throw me out of power,” she said.

The former premier added that “mobster” Muhammad Yunus and others who caused these killings would be brought to justice “on Bangla soil”.

“This government that usurped power has to go. People have to ensure that. Human rights violations under him (Mr Yunus) have been unprecedented. We have to ensure the people put him out of power,” she added. 

Dhaka’s Response

Soon after Ms Hasina’s Zoom interaction, Bangladesh’s interim administration stressed that securing the former Prime Minister’s extradition from India remains their topmost priority. 

“This is the government’s top priority. We will continue our efforts to extradite Hasina to hold her trial in person,” said Mr Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam on Tuesday. 

Casting a shadow on the future of Ms Hasina’s  Awami League in Bangladesh, Alam said the people and political parties of Bangladesh will decide if the party should continue to exist in the country’s political landscape, but stressed that those allegedly involved in killings, enforced disappearances, and other crimes must face justice.

He also cited a report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which accuses Ms Hasina’s administration of committing crimes against humanity and said, “After the report of the UN and some reports of rights groups were published, pressure has mounted (on India to return Ms Hasina to Bangladesh).”

India Yet To Respond

Bangladesh’s Foreign Office has submitted a diplomatic note requesting Ms Hasina’s repatriation. New Delhi has acknowledged its receipt, but it has yet to provide any further response.