EU sends election observers to Bangladesh polls

The European Union has announced the deployment of an Election Observation Mission to Bangladesh to monitor the country’s parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 February 2026, following a formal invitation from Bangladeshi authorities.

Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving with the United Nations were killed and at least eight others wounded after a drone attack hit a UN base in Abyei, a disputed and volatile region of southern Sudan, authorities said on Saturday.

Maritime analysts are calling for deeper cooperation between India and Bangladesh to effectively manage unresolved jurisdictional complexities in the Bay of Bengal, even though a landmark UN tribunal ruling in 2014 formally settled the long-running maritime boundary dispute between the two neighbours.

Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has overtaken Tokyo to become the world’s largest city, with an estimated 41.9 million people living in its metropolitan area, according to a new United Nations assessment. Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka now ranks second with 36.6 million residents, reflecting one of the fastest urban population surges globally.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said she is listening to a wide range of stakeholders in Bangladesh and discussing how the Commonwealth can continue supporting its people at this important moment and in the years ahead.

A Bangladeshi man was shot dead near the Sylhet border on Saturday night, in what authorities say was an attack carried out by members of India’s Khasi community. 

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey will make her first official visit to Bangladesh from 20–24 November 2025. Her visit comes at a politically sensitive time, with Bangladesh navigating a transition under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

The UN General Assembly’s Third Committee has unanimously adopted a new resolution calling for intensified global efforts to ensure a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis. 

The International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity for her attempts to suppress the July Uprising.

At least four Bangladeshi migrants died after two boats carrying 95 people capsized off the Libyan coastal city of Al Khums on Thursday, the Libyan Red Crescent said on Saturday.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka, Pawan Badhe, to convey its `serious concern` over former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent interviews with Indian and international media outlets.

Bangladesh has been placed 13th in the latest Long-Term Climate Risk Index (CRI), underscoring the country’s persistent exposure to severe climate threats such as floods, cyclones, heatwaves, and storms.

Bangladeshi-origin communications strategist Zara Rahim has been appointed to New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s all-female transition team, which will help shape his incoming administration ahead of his inauguration on January 1, 2026.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly criticised Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent remarks regarding Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, calling them “incorrect,” “unhelpful,” and “inconsistent with diplomatic etiquette.”

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain has called on the Bahraini government to reopen visa facilities for Bangladeshi nationals, including businesspersons, professionals, and skilled and semi-skilled workers, in a bid to boost labour mobility, trade, and people-to-people engagement between the two nations.

Once a roaring symbol of life and prosperity in northern Bangladesh, the Teesta River now lies gasping for survival — its once vibrant waters replaced by endless stretches of parched sand.