Bangladesh opposition presses for election roadmap, Yunus offers no clear response
Dhaka: Bangladesh’s political climate saw renewed intensity as the country’s top three political parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP), collectively pressed the interim government for a definitive election timeline. However, sources revealed that Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus offered “no specific response” during a crucial meeting held at his official residence.
The BNP reiterated its demand for national elections to be held between December 2025 and June 2026, and called for the removal of three members of the Advisory Council, student leaders Asif Mahmud and Mahfuj Alam, along with National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman. BNP leader Khandker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters that the party had submitted a written memorandum outlining their concerns and demands.
“We want justice, and an independent judiciary. The remaining trials will continue even if BNP comes to power,” Hossain stated, warning that delays in announcing an election roadmap could trigger fears of authoritarian resurgence.
BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury emphasized that reforms must be based on political consensus and that elections before December were “feasible.” Fellow member Salahuddin Ahmed echoed the demand for advisor resignations.
Chief Advisor Yunus later held separate meetings with Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP. Jamaat leaders reportedly supported Yunus' tentative election window while pressing for judicial action against Awami League members allegedly involved in the July uprising. They stressed a level playing field and inclusivity in the upcoming elections.
The NCP, meanwhile, proposed a comprehensive list of demands, including the reconstitution of the Election Commission, conducting local body polls before parliamentary elections, and parallel frameworks for reforms, justice processes, and constituent assembly preparations.
These high-level discussions occurred just days after Yunus publicly expressed frustration over ongoing protests and hinted at resigning. In a statement released Saturday, the interim administration warned that unrest was hampering governance and spreading confusion.
The Advisory Council reiterated its commitment to constitutional duties and warned that persistent obstruction, whether from internal dissent or foreign interference, could force the administration to reevaluate its course of action in consultation with the people.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated on the ground as government employees continued to lay siege to the Secretariat in Dhaka, protesting the proposed dissolution of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
In a bid to reassure the public, Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam stated that all major parties had endorsed the conduct of elections under Yunus' leadership.
“He is a man of his word. What he says, he does,” Shafiqul told the media, reaffirming the government’s commitment to holding elections between December and June as part of its promise to restore democratic governance.
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Slain Australia beach shooting suspect native of Hyderabad: T'gana police
Hyderabad/Melbourne (PTI): Sajid Akram, the 50-year-old slain suspect in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia, was an Indian citizen hailing from Hyderabad, Telangana Police revealed on Tuesday.
While he had migrated to Australia 27 years ago, Akram carried an Indian passport. Akram, along with his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, recently travelled to the Philippines on an Indian passport.
Akram, one of the two suspects in the mass shooting that has left 15 people dead and dozens injured, migrated to Australia in 1998 and had limited contact with his family here since then, the Telangana DGP's office said in a statement.
"Sajid Akram (50) is originally from Hyderabad, India. He completed his B.Com degree in Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in search of employment, approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998," it said.
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He married a European-origin woman before settling permanently in Australia. The couple have one son, Naveed (the second suspect who is in custody at a hospital in Australia) and one daughter, it said.
Naveed and Akram's daughter were born in Australia and are citizens of that country, the statement said.
On Tuesday, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett described the mass shooting as "a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State."
According to Australian authorities, the suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The older man, who was identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead.
The Telangana police said Akram visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and to meet his elderly parents.
It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father's demise, the statement said.
The family members have further expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation, police said.
"The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana," Telangana police said.
Telangana Police further said it has no adverse record against Akram during his stay in India before his departure in 1998.
The state police said it remains committed to cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts, as and when required, and urged the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts.
Quoting security sources, Australia's ABC News reported that Akram and Naveed travelled to the Philippines to receive "military-style training".
"Investigators are now examining the Akrams' ties to an international jihadist network, after discovering the pair travelled to Manila in early November," it said, quoting officials briefed on the investigation.
The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirmed the pair arrived in the Philippines from Australia on November 1, declaring the southern city of Davao - a hotbed for Islamic militants since the 1990s - as their destination, it said.
"They left the country on November 28, 2025, on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination," ABC News quoted the Philippines' Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval as saying.
Sandoval said Akram entered the country on an Indian passport, while his son, Naveed, entered on an Australian passport.
In the Philippines, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office and Press Officer for Malacanang Palace Claire Castro said that the National Security Council (NSC) is currently looking into reports that the father and son duo travelled to the country a month before the attack.
