US says Bangladesh rights situation steadier under interim govt, but concerns remain
Bangladesh’s human rights situation has shown signs of stability following a change of government earlier this year, but significant concerns persist, the U.S. State Department said in its annual human rights report released on Tuesday. The report, published on the State Department’s website, noted that the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government after weeks of student-led protests paved the way for a Nobel laureate-led interim administration. Muhammad Yunus, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work with microfinance, was appointed “chief adviser” of the caretaker government. The protests in July and early August, sparked by grievances over governance and democratic freedoms, culminated in Hasina’s resignation and the dissolution of her cabinet. Since then, the report said, rights conditions have stabilised in the South Asian nation of 170 million people, although some abuses and restrictions remain. “Following certain events in August, the country’s human rights situation became more stable, though concerns remain,” the State Department said. It contrasted the current situation with that under the previous Awami League-led administration, where it cited “arbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests or detentions, severe restrictions on freedom of expression and the media,” as well as the “worst forms” of child labour. The report also noted “widespread reports of impunity” during Hasina’s tenure, with little accountability for security forces or political leaders accused of abuses. Since taking power, the Yunus-led interim government has arrested several members of the former ruling party accused of human rights violations. Authorities have pledged to investigate past abuses, lift restrictions on the press, and work towards credible elections. However, the State Department cautioned that Bangladesh still faces challenges, including ensuring judicial independence, preventing politically motivated arrests, and safeguarding freedoms of assembly and speech. Rights groups have urged the interim authorities to pursue systemic reforms, warning that stability could prove fragile without deeper changes. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the U.S. report. The caretaker government has said it is committed to restoring democratic institutions and “ending the culture of fear” in politics.
Stray dog mauls boy in Uttar Pradesh as India debates Supreme Court order on street dogs
An eight-year-old boy was mauled by a stray dog in Amroha district’s Gajraula Alipur area on Monday, local officials said, in an incident captured on CCTV that has reignited concerns over street dog attacks in India. The victim, identified as Ahad Saifi, was playing outside his home when the dog pounced and bit him on the arms and legs, officials said. Two motorcyclists passing by intervened and freed the boy from the animal’s grip. He was taken to a community health centre where he is receiving treatment. Residents said the same dog had attacked people in the area before. The incident occurred on the same day the Supreme Court ordered authorities in Delhi-NCR to remove all stray dogs from the streets and place them in shelters within eight weeks, with sterilisation to be completed during that time. The ruling has triggered mixed reactions nationwide. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised it as “inhuman” and “unscientific,” saying community care, sterilisation and vaccination could protect both public safety and animal welfare. Municipal authorities in Mumbai, which has faced rising complaints about street dogs, said they received 10,778 complaints from January to August 2025. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has expanded its “MyBMC” mobile app and website to allow residents to report stray dog incidents online and track the status of their complaints. BMC officials said they have sterilised and vaccinated 420,345 stray dogs between 2023 and 2025 under ongoing rabies prevention and population control programmes launched in 1994.
Three women attempt self-immolation outside Calcutta High Court over alleged cooperative fraud
Three women tried to set themselves on fire outside Gate ‘E’ of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, protesting alleged corruption and voter list manipulation by a cooperative society in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, police said. The women, identified as members of the Amgachhia Srishti Sangha Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Ltd., were stopped by police moments before one of them could ignite herself after pouring kerosene. Officers overpowered them and took them to SSKM Hospital for medical examination before moving them to Hare Street police station for questioning. According to police, the women alleged that despite depositing large sums of money with the cooperative, they had neither received their returns on time nor a refund. They claimed the society had for years enticed members with promises of high interest rates but failed to honour its commitments. The cooperative, established in 2017, held its latest election earlier this year. The women alleged that their names were deliberately omitted from the voter list despite an order from a Calcutta High Court division bench directing the publication of a fresh list. The society’s management allegedly ignored the court’s directive, they said. “This is a huge scam. There is an entire crime racket operating from within this cooperative, but we are getting no justice,” one of the women told reporters before being escorted away by police. The attempted self-immolation, which took place mid-morning, drew a large crowd outside the court complex and briefly disrupted normal proceedings as bystanders gathered at the scene. A senior police official said an investigation had been launched into the allegations and the events leading to the protest. “We will examine the claims made against the cooperative society and take action as per law,” the official said. The cooperative’s management was not immediately available for comment. Financial irregularities in rural and semi-urban cooperative societies have been a recurring issue in West Bengal, often leading to protracted legal disputes and protests by aggrieved depositors.
Severe overnight erosion sweeps homes into Ganges in West Bengal; dozens displaced
Several homes were swallowed by the Ganges River in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district after severe overnight erosion, forcing dozens of families to flee, local officials and residents said on Tuesday. The incident occurred late Monday in Samserganj’s Uttar Chachand and Madhya Chachand areas, where residents were asleep when a loud cracking sound alerted them to part of their houses collapsing into the river. Many escaped with only a few belongings, but cattle, trees and household goods were lost. No casualties were reported, but hundreds of families remain at risk as riverbank cracks spread to nearby houses and a riverside temple. Officials said the Ganges water level at the Farakka Barrage was flowing 7.10 feet above the danger mark early Tuesday, with upstream levels at 80.10 feet and downstream at 78.95 feet. Authorities had begun public announcements on Monday night urging residents along the Ganges and Bagmari rivers to move to safer ground as floodwaters entered several villages. Relief teams have reached the affected areas, but residents have called for immediate, stronger intervention to prevent further damage. Erosion along the Ganges is a recurring threat in Samserganj, where homes, temples and farmland have been lost to the river in previous years.
Udaipur Erupts in Protest Over Minor’s Rape — Citizens Demand Swift Justice
Udaipur, Rajasthan, witnessed a surge of public anger after the shocking rape of a minor. Outraged residents took to the streets, demanding immediate and severe punishment for the accused. Roads were blocked as protesters voiced their frustration, and attempts by police to lift the blockade only intensified tensions. The confrontation escalated, with clashes breaking out between demonstrators and security forces. The incident has triggered a wider debate about women’s safety, the vulnerability of children, and the urgent need for justice delivery without delay. Social activists stress that such crimes not only destroy lives but also erode the community’s sense of security. They urge stronger preventive measures, swift trials in sexual assault cases, and public awareness campaigns to ensure such incidents are never repeated.
U.S. designates Balochistan Liberation Army, Majid Brigade as foreign terrorist organizations
The United States on Monday designated Pakistan’s separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its affiliate, the Majid Brigade, as foreign terrorist organizations, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. Washington had already labeled the BLA a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” group in 2019. The latest move came shortly after Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, made his second visit to the U.S. in two months. The BLA has carried out frequent attacks on Pakistani security forces. In one of the most high-profile incidents in recent years, the group seized the Quetta–Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express in March, taking control of the train carrying more than 400 passengers, including army personnel. The Pakistani military later retook the train, but 21 civilians, four soldiers, and 33 insurgents were killed. The State Department said the BLA and the Majid Brigade have claimed responsibility for multiple attacks since 2019, including suicide bombings near Karachi airport and Gwadar port in 2024, as well as the March train hijacking that left 31 people dead. The move follows a recent U.S. designation of Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF), which carried out killings in Pahalgam. It also comes amid diplomatic tensions between Washington and New Delhi over U.S. calls to mediate in India-Pakistan ceasefire talks — a proposal rejected by India but endorsed by Pakistan, which even suggested nominating then-President Donald Trump for a Nobel Prize. The BLA continues to wage an insurgency across Balochistan province. Last Tuesday night, militants killed a Pakistani army major and two soldiers in Noshki district. In May, a BLA attack left 14 soldiers dead. The recent escalation has heightened concerns in Islamabad and among Pakistan’s military leadership.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee Seen Beside Modi on Day of Opposition’s EC Protest
On the day opposition parties marched to the Election Commission over alleged “vote theft” linked to the Statewide Integrated Register (SIR), senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Kalyan Banerjee was seen alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a government function in New Delhi. Banerjee, a six-term MP from Serampore, attended Monday’s inauguration of a newly built parliamentarians’ housing complex on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, where Modi formally opened 184 flats. Eyewitnesses said Modi greeted Banerjee with a smile, asking, “Kya Kalyanji, Kalyan hai to?” (“Mr. Kalyan, are you well?”), to which the MP replied affirmatively. Modi repeated the question, and Banerjee again responded positively. During a group photograph, Modi asked for chairs on the stage to be removed so everyone could stand together, personally moving one of them. Banerjee joined him in shifting the chairs, and in the final photograph the TMC MP stood next to the Prime Minister. The event was also attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Kiren Rijiju, among others. Banerjee said he missed the opposition’s Election Commission protest because he was occupied with a Supreme Court case the TMC has filed over the SIR issue, and had informed party leader Mamata Banerjee in advance. As a member of the House Standing Committee, Banerjee had overseen interior furnishing for the new housing project’s final phase. The appearance comes eight days after Banerjee resigned as TMC’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, a move accepted by Mamata Banerjee last week. His presence next to Modi has triggered speculation within TMC circles, with some questioning whether it was intended to exert pressure on the party. Banerjee’s associates deny this, noting he has publicly expressed regret over earlier critical remarks about the TMC chief and spoke to her several times in recent days. The optics of a senior TMC MP with Modi on a day the opposition staged a high-profile protest has added fresh fuel to political chatter in West Bengal.
IISER Kolkata dean quits after wife accused in PhD student’s suicide case, Researchers demand immediate arrest of accused woman
The dean of student affairs at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Kolkata has resigned after his wife, a faculty member, was accused of abetting the suicide of a 26-year-old doctoral researcher, officials and students said on Sunday. Research scholar Anamitra Roy, who was on the autism spectrum, died on Aug. 2, a day after attempting suicide inside a laboratory on the IISER campus in Kalyani, West Bengal. In a note recovered later, Roy alleged repeated harassment by fellow researcher Saurav Biswas and accused his supervisor, Anindita Bhadra, of ignoring his complaints. Bhadra’s husband, Ayan Banerjee, headed the institute’s anti-ragging committee in addition to serving as dean of student affairs – raising what students said was a conflict of interest. Student groups had demanded his removal from the post. IISER has now dissolved the anti-ragging panel and plans to reconstitute it, according to sources. “I also want an impartial probe,” Banerjee told reporters, adding he had stepped down “in the interest of fairness.” Roy’s note claimed his complaints to both his supervisor and the anti-ragging cell were not taken seriously. He expressed anguish over seeing those who mistreated him socialising normally with others, and said his request for an apology was ignored. Police in Nadia district have launched an investigation based on a complaint filed by Roy’s relatives, though no arrests have been made. IISER has set up an internal fact-finding panel in parallel.
Ex-vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar’s absence sparks concern, Sanjay Raut seeks answers
The unexplained absence of former Indian vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar from public view since his sudden resignation last month has prompted concern among opposition leaders, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut formally writing to Home Minister Amit Shah for clarity. In his letter, Raut said repeated attempts to contact Dhankhar had failed and there was no official word on his whereabouts or health. “From July 21 till today, there has been no information about the whereabouts of our (former) vice president. What is his current location? How is his health? There is no clarity on these matters,” Raut wrote. Dhankhar resigned as vice president on 21 July, the first day of Parliament’s Monsoon session – a move that surprised both government and opposition ranks. He also vacated his official residence soon after stepping down. Raut voiced fears for Dhankhar’s safety, saying “the nation deserves to know the truth” amid unverified rumours that the former vice president had been confined to his residence. He added that he may file a writ petition in the Supreme Court if the government fails to respond. Three senior opposition leaders – Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar and leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party – are said to have sought meetings with Dhankhar after his resignation but were unable to secure appointments. The Home Ministry has yet to comment on Raut’s letter.
Civil society group urges govt to block ICICI Bank minimum balance hike
A civil society forum has urged the Indian government to intervene in ICICI Bank’s decision to sharply raise minimum average balance (MAB) requirements for new savings accounts, calling the move “unjust and regressive.” In a letter to the finance secretary, the Bank Bachao Desh Bachao Manch said the private lender’s decision was detrimental to the government’s vision of inclusive banking and growth. Effective Aug. 1, the bank increased the MAB for new savings accounts by five times to 50,000 rupees in metro and urban areas, from 10,000 rupees earlier, according to its website. MAB in semi-urban branches was raised to 25,000 rupees from 5,000, and in rural branches to 10,000 rupees from 2,000. “This retrograde decision undermines the principle of inclusive banking,” forum conveners Biswaranjan Ray and Soumya Datta said in the letter, calling for an immediate withdrawal of the policy. Public sector banks typically maintain lower minimum balance thresholds and have waived them entirely for Jan Dhan accounts, a government-backed financial inclusion programme. Several state-owned banks have removed penalties for customers failing to maintain minimum balances. ICICI Bank did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
