Dhaka, Sep 3: Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor to Bangladesh’s interim government, warned of conspiracies to derail the next year’s national election.
He also reaffirmed that polls will be held as scheduled in the first half of February 2026, with power to be handed over to the elected government in the country, local media reported.
Yunus made the remarks on Tuesday evening following a meeting with leaders of seven political parties and the radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam at his official residence, Jamuna, in Dhaka.
“Those who do not want the interim government to reach the stage of election will obstruct the process in every possible way,” Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted Yunus as saying during the meeting, Bangladesh’s newspaper The Daily Star reported.
“Their utmost effort will be to foil the election and create such a situation that the election cannot be held. Some signs of these are already visible,” the chief advisor added, cautioning that “more will follow.” “We have to be more vigilant,” he told the leaders.
“The election will be held in the first half of February. We will transfer power to an elected government,” Yunus stressed.
Leaders of the political parties including Amar Bangladesh(AB) Party, Ganosamhati Andolan, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Nagarok Oikya Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Jatiya Gono Front, and radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, attended the meeting.
Following the meeting, AB Party Chairman Mojibur Rahman Monju raised concerns over governance and law enforcement in Bangladesh.
Referring to the recent violent clashes in Chittagong University involving students and locals, Monju said, “The Chittagong University incident revealed a lack of coordination between the government and law enforcement agencies. Unless this is fixed, doubts about the election will persist.”
“He (Yunus) himself said there is no one in his team with experience in conducting a neutral election. We recommended appointing those with such experience, even on a contractual basis.
The chief advisor has said any election is a challenge, and there is no alternative to facing it together,” Monju further added.
Additionally, LDP Secretary General Redwan Ahmed urged that the Yunus administration must ensure neutrality during the upcoming polls.
Earlier this week, Yunus held separate meetings with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party (NCP) at his official residence, amid major differences among the political parties over the timing of the polls and implementation of reforms.
“There is no alternative to election. If anyone thinks of any other alternative, that would be disastrous for the nation,” Press Secretary Alam quoted Yunus as saying.
Reports suggest that both Jamaat and NCP called for the implementation of the July Charter before holding the election, while BNP insisted that the election must take place within the announced timeframe, leaving no room for delay.
Bangladesh has been gripped by uncertainty over the next general elections since the democratically elected government of Awami League, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was overthrown during violent protests last year. (IANS)

Jalalabad, Sep 3: The United Nations has warned of an exponential rise in casualties from a major earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, with the Taliban claiming that the death toll reached 1,400 on Tuesday.
The powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck several provinces, causing extensive damage and flattening villages.
The rough terrain is hampering rescue and relief efforts, forcing Taliban authorities to air-drop dozens of commandos to evacuate the injured from places where helicopters cannot land.
Aid agency Save the Children reported that one of its teams walked for over 12 miles to reach villages cut off by rock falls, carrying medical equipment on their backs with the help of community members.
The third major earthquake since the Taliban seized power in 2021, this is the latest crisis to beset Afghanistan, which is reeling from deep cuts to aid funding, a weak economy, and millions of people forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan.
The casualty rate is expected to be rather exponential, as the walls of wooden and mud homes collapse, causing injury or death.
The UN has dispatched at least 25 assessment teams to the region, deploying essential items such as blankets and solar lamps to areas that can be reached.
Humanitarian experts say that immediate priorities include emergency shelter, critical medical supplies, drinking water, and emergency food aid.
The UK has pledged 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) to be split between humanitarian agencies rather than going to the Taliban government, which it does not recognize.
The European Union is sending 130 tons of emergency supplies and providing 1 million euros ($1.16 million).
Other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, India, and China, have pledged disaster relief support.
Earthquake victims are bearing the brunt of opposition to the Taliban government, especially their restrictive policies on Afghan girls and women, including a ban on them working for NGOs.
Donor countries had already scaled back their funding, and the US gutted aid to Afghanistan earlier this year due to concerns that money was going to the Taliban administration.
More than 420 health facilities had closed or were suspended due to the “massive reduction” in funding, with 80 of them in the eastern region, the heart of Sunday’s quake. (AP)

DIER AL-BALAH, Sep 3: Gaza City, the largest city in Gaza, has been declared a combat zone by Israel as part of a campaign to push Hamas into submission.
Parts of the city are already considered “red zones,” where Palestinians have been ordered to evacuate ahead of expected heavy fighting. This has left residents on edge, with Israeli bulldozers razing the ground in occupied neighbourhoods and Israeli leaders supporting the mass relocation of Palestinians from Gaza.
A small fraction of Palestinians, around 14,840, have left their homes in the city as of Monday, most to flee south.
A fraction of them, about 2,200, have moved to new places within Gaza City after being displaced by Israeli attacks. Many of the people in the city moved back to the north during a ceasefire in January, hoping to find their homes intact.
Leaving Gaza City is nearly impossible for some, including medical workers, older and sick people, who have been displaced five times since the war began. They have been displaced five times within the city and twice to the south, in Rafah and Khan Younis.
Dire conditions persist throughout Gaza, with overflowing tent camps and increased prices of basic goods. For example, Iman El-Naya, from Khan Younis, fled Gaza City three months ago, describing the beach, everywhere, and lack of hygiene as crowded and difficult to access.
Shorouk Abu Eid, a pregnant woman from Gaza City, said that the arrival of more people from the north is creating an even more tragic situation, with no privacy or peace of mind. (AP)

BEIJING, Sep 3: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held bilateral talks in Beijing on Wednesday, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The two leaders met at the Diaoyutai state guest house after attending a major military parade in Beijing. After a bilateral meeting between Russian and North Korean delegations, they held a one-on-one meeting. Putin invited Kim to visit Russia again, following his last visit in 2023.
Putin praised the bravery and heroism of North Korean soldiers who fought alongside Moscow’s troops to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region.
South Korean assessments show that North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to Russia since last year and sent large quantities of military equipment to fuel Putin’s three-year invasion of Ukraine.
Kim said that cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has “significantly strengthened” since the two countries signed a strategic partnership pact in June last year during a summit in the North Korean capital.
He stressed that if there is anything he can do for Russia and the people of Russia, he will consider it as a fraternal duty and will be prepared to do everything possible to help.
Observers are waiting to see if Kim possibly meets Xi Jinping bilaterally or holds a private trilateral meeting with Xi and Putin, although none of the three countries have confirmed such an event. (AP)

KYIV, Sep 3: Russia fired over 500 drones and two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight, targeting civilian infrastructure, particularly energy facilities.
The attacks, which injured at least five people, targeted western and central Ukraine.
Despite US President Donald Trump’s attempts to stop the fighting, Russian aerial assaults and the Russian army’s drive to crush Ukrainian defenses along the 1,000-kilometer front line have not abated in recent months.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accepted Trump’s proposals for a ceasefire and face-to-face peace talks with Putin, but the Kremlin has raised objections.
Zelenskyy described the strikes as “demonstrative” and urged tougher sanctions on Russia.
He also visited Denmark for talks on military aid and diplomatic support for Ukraine. (AP)

China unveils advanced arms at military parade

BEIJING, Sep 3: China has showcased a range of new weapons at a massive military parade, including laser weapons, nuclear ballistic missiles, giant underwater drones, and fifth-generation aircraft. The giant LY-1 laser weapon, mounted on an eight-wheeled HZ-155 armoured truck, can effectively damage enemy optical sensors and is considered a significant advancement in naval warfare. Laser warfare is considered the new military domain, with India’s integrated air defense weapon system (IADWS) being praised for its high-power laser-based Directed-Energy Weapons (DEW) system.
China also displayed a new type of DF-5C liquid-fuelled intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles, which has an estimated range of more than 20,000 kms and advantages in defense penetration and precision. The PLA’s first air-launched nuclear missile, the JL-1, has been unveiled atop a military truck, significantly smaller than the JL-3 submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile. These missiles, along with the DF-61 and DF-31, represent the “first concentrated display” of the PLA’s “land, sea, and air triad strategic nuclear forces”, constituting a “strategic ace for safeguarding national sovereignty and defending national dignity.”
The PLA Rocket Force has displayed its new DF-26D, a variant of the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads and reportedly has a range of up to 5,000km. China has unveiled its fifth-generation combat planes on active duty for the first time in the grand parade, with all five models flying in several arrowhead-shaped groups. This marks the maiden public performance of the J-20S, the world’s first and only model of twin-seat stealth jet; the J-20A, an upgraded single-seat variant of the J-20 baseline configuration; and the J-35, the first radar-evading combat plane in the Navy.
In addition to these strategic missiles, the parade showcased the CJ-1000 vehicle-mounted supersonic cruise missile, the YJ-18C ship-launched cruise missile, and the YJ-21 air-launched ballistic missile. Four new types of hypersonic strike missiles were also displayed, highlighting the Navy’s ability to carry out ultrafast, long-distance precision strikes on hostile ships and land targets. (PTI)

14 killed in Balochistan suicide attack post-BNP rally

KARACHI, Sep 3: A suicide bombing has killed 14 people and injured 35 others in Quetta, Pakistan, following a public rally organized by the Balochistan National Party (BNP). The explosion occurred near Shahwani Stadium, shortly after the rally ended, marking the fourth death anniversary of Sardar Attaullah Mengal. The blast occurred 15 minutes after the meeting ended, and the bomber allegedly detonated his explosives-laden jacket in the parking area. BNP chief Akhtar Mengal remained unhurt, while other party leaders, including Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Asghar Khan Achakzai, and Mir Kabeer Muhammad Shai, were unharmed. Former BNP MPA member Mir Ahmed Nawaz Baloch and the party’s central labour secretary Musa Jan were injured, along with several party workers and supporters. Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly act by the enemies of humanity” and urging security to be strengthened. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. (PTI)

Assailants kill 6 in Pakistan’s KP ambush

PESHAWAR, Sep 3: At least six people were killed in a passenger vehicle ambush near Mahora, Afghanistan, in northwestern Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The attackers managed to flee, but the victims have not yet been identified. The bodies of the deceased have been transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. On Tuesday, security forces successfully thwarted a terror attack on the headquarters of a paramilitary force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The attack occurred in Bannu district when terrorists from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attempted to breach the Federal Constabulary (FC) headquarters by ramming an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall. Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorism since the TTP ended its ceasefire deal with the government in November 2022. (PTI)

Telangana students in UK crash: 2 dead, 5 critical

LONDON, Sep 3: Two students from Telangana have died in a two-car road collision in Essex, UK, while five others sustained serious injuries. Chaitanya Tarre, 23, died on the spot, while Rishi Teja Rapolu, 21, succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Two other men from east London were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and released on bail. The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK condoled the death of the students, who were believed to have been on their way back from a Ganesh Visarajan celebration with their peer group. NISAU UK expressed deep sadness at the tragic accident and expressed their heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones. Several other students remain in hospital and under urgent medical care. The group is working closely with the Telangana community and consular authorities to provide support following the tragic accident. (AP)