Bangladesh's convicted ex-PM Hasina's party announces nationwide protests till Nov 30
New Delhi/Dhaka (PTI): Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party on Tuesday announced nationwide agitations and "resistance marches" till November 30 in protest against the death sentence handed to the former premier by what it described as an "illegal" tribunal.
On November 17, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) sentenced 78-year-old Hasina to death along with then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on charges of committing “crimes against humanity” after a trial held in absentia. Hasina is currently in India, while Kamal is also believed to be hiding in the country.
In a post on its official social media account, the Awami League alleged that the tribunal's verdict was part of a political "conspiracy" by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government to keep Hasina and the party "out of the election" scheduled for February next year.
Rejecting the "illegal verdict of the illegal ICT tribunal" and demanding the resignation of Yunus, the party announced protests, demonstrations and "resistance marches across all districts and upazilas (sub-districts) until November 30".
The party said the "farcical" judgment had been “rejected with contempt” by citizens and described the tribunal proceedings as a “mockery of a trial”.
The Awami League said it was engaging with grassroots workers, political leaders and stakeholders to counter what it called “anti-state conspiracies,” and vowed to lead nationwide resistance against any attempts to exclude pro-liberation forces from the electoral process.
"A staged election... will not be allowed in Bangladesh. It will be resisted at any cost,” it said, adding that a “tough nationwide movement” would be announced soon.
Hasina’s Awami League government was toppled in a student-led violent protest termed as the ‘July Uprising’ on August 5 last year.
Three days later, Nobel Laureate Yunus flew from Paris at the call of the protesting students to assume the charge of the interim government as its chief adviser.
Hasina and the two others were accused of adopting brutal means to tame the protestors, while a UN rights office report said about 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 last year.
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TN govt reaffirms 21-yr age limit for liquor sales
Chennai (PTI): Seeking to curb rising alcohol consumption among minors in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has reinforced the legal age requirement of 21 for all liquor purchases and consumption.
The government has also ordered the closure of 717 liquor outlets across the state and warned of strict action against those who violate the new directives.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the agency which holds a monopoly on sales of liquor, will be shutting 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 outlets near bus stations.
A senior TASMAC official on Thursday said that the staff at liquor shops have been instructed to check identity proof, including Aadhaar card, for all customers whose age is in question.
The official also said that the state government is considering a reduction in operational hours.
Currently, the liquor shops across the state operate from 12 noon to 10 pm.
"They are weighing a proposal to move the closing time to 8 pm," he added.
At present, the TASMAC operates a total of 4,765 liquor shops across the state. After the closure of 717 shops, it would come down to 4,048 outlets.
In 2025, the revenue from liquor sales stood at Rs 48,344 crore, which is the second highest after the registration department.
