New York: On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, Ruposhi Chandpur Foundation Inc., New York organized an Iftar and prayer gathering. The event was held on Monday (March 9) at Queens Palace, where a large number of Bangladeshi expatriates and distinguished members of the community from various professions participated. The program began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a special prayer seeking the welfare and prosperity of the country and the nation.

In their speeches, the speakers highlighted the significance of the holy month of Ramadan and called for strengthening brotherhood, harmony, and social bonds among Bangladeshis living abroad. They encouraged everyone to work together in unity, inspired by the teachings of Ramadan. Leaders present at the event on behalf of the organization included President Raju Saha (Biplob), General Secretary Sohel Gazi, Convener Mohammad Nurul Amin, Member Secretary Faisal Patowari, Chief Coordinator A.B. Siddique Patowari, and Chief Patron S.M. Mahbubur Rahman Titu.

Also present were former President and Advisor Harun Bhuiyan, Mostafa Hossain Mukul, Babul Chowdhury, Faruk Hossain Majumdar, Mamun Miazi, Advisor Morshed Alam, Moniruzzaman Majumdar, Dr. Dhananjay Saha, Kabir Ratan, Khorshed Alam Khokon, Md. Monir Hossain, Nazmul Ahsan, Professor Shahadat Hasan, Mazharul Islam Chowdhury Musa, Zaman Tapon, Rafiqul Rahman Mia, Habib Khandakar, Dr. Jahangir Alam, Nur Mohammad, Humayun Kabir, along with other executive members of the organization.

It is worth mentioning that Ruposhi Chandpur Foundation regularly organizes various social and cultural activities among the Bangladeshi community in the diaspora.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday talked to Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Tarique Rahman on the phone about his party’s decisive victory in the national polls held on Thursday. ‘Delighted to speak with Mr Tarique Rahman. I congratulated him on the remarkable victory in the Bangladesh elections,’ Modi said in a statement shared on his social media handle ‘X’.

He said that he had conveyed his best wishes and support in his endeavour to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. ‘As two close neighbours with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, I reaffirmed India’s continued commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of both our peoples,’ Modi said in the statement.

Earlier in the day, the Indian prime minister conveyed congratulations to BNP chairman Tarique Rahman on his party’s decisive victory in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election. ‘I convey my warm congratulations to Mr Tarique Rahman on leading BNP to a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership,’ said Modi in another statement shared on ‘X’.

He said India would continue to stand in support of a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh. ‘I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals,’ he said.

After a landslide victory with over two-thirds of parliamentary seats, the International Crisis Group on Friday said BNP will need to announce a strong cabinet and hit the ground running if it is to deliver on its ambitious election promises and meet the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. ‘The BNP administration that is expected to take office in the coming days faces a number of daunting challenges, including boosting the economy, ensuring security and continuing the reform process,’ said Thomas Kean, Crisis Group’s Senior Consultant on Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Given the importance of this election in restoring faith in the democratic process among Bangladeshis, he said, it is also vital that any allegations of irregularities are taken seriously and the Election Commission handles them in a transparent manner in line with the law. The International Crisis Group is an independent organisation working to prevent wars and shape policies that will build a more peaceful world.

Kean said Bangladesh’s first ‘credible election’ in 17 years has been completed smoothly, with only isolated reports of violence or irregularities. The vote marks an important step towards the restoration of genuine democracy in Bangladesh, he said. The participating political parties, the interim government, the Election Commission and security agencies, not to mention the people of Bangladesh, deserve credit for their contributions to ensuring a safe and credible vote, Kean said.

The atmosphere was largely ‘festive, with voters appearing optimistic’ that the election would lead to lasting change in Bangladesh. ‘The turnout and strong support for a yes vote in the concurrent referendum on the July Charter – a series of reforms negotiated by all participating parties over the last year – reflect the credibility of both the election and reform process in the eyes of most Bangladeshis,’ Kean said.

The country’s largest islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has recorded its best ever performance, he said. Together with some leaders of the student-led National Citizen Party who have also secured parliamentary seats, it now has the numbers to form a strong opposition capable of holding the government accountable, Kean said.

China has congratulated Bangladesh Nationalist Party on taking the lead in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election held on Thursday. In a message, China also congratulated the people of the country for the smooth and successful JS polls.

‘Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on the smooth and successful 13th National Parliamentary Election and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for taking the lead in the election. We look forward to working together with the new government of Bangladesh and writing new chapters of China-Bangladesh relations,’ said the message shared by the Chinese embassy in Dhaka on Friday.

The United States has congratulated Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman for the party’s historic victory in the 13th National Parliament Election.

“Congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on a successful election and to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Tarique Rahman on your historic victory,” US Embassy in Dhaka said in its official Facebook post this morning.

“The United States looks forward to working with you (Tarique Rahman) to realize shared goals of prosperity and security for both our countries,” it added.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) clinched a landslide victory with over two-thirds majority in the 13th general elections held on Thursday amid festivity allowing the BNP-led alliance to form the next government. The massive victory has paved the way for BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman to lead the government as the Prime Minister for the first time.

The Election Commission (EC) announced the unofficial results of 297 parliamentary seats out of the 299 where elections were held in a free and fair manner. It, however, postponed announcement of results in two seats – Chattogram-2 and Chattogram-4. However, voting in Sherpur-3 constituency was postponed due to death of a Jamaat-e-Islami candidate. According to the unofficial results, the BNP bagged 209 seats alone while its alliance partners Gano Odhikar Parishad one, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) one and Gano Sanghati Andalon one.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secured 68 seats alone emerging as the main opposition party while its alliance partners National Citizen Party (NCP) won six seats, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis two and Khelafat Majlish one. Islami Andolon Bangladesh bagged one seat and independent candidates won in seven constituencies. Meanwhile, the United States of America (USA), China, India and Pakistan congratulated Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman for the party’s historic landslide victory in the 13th National Parliament Election.

According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in the parliamentary polls was recorded 59.44 percent while it was 60.26 in the referendum. The referendum witnessed 4,80,74,429 ‘Yes’ votes and 2,25,65,627 ‘No’ votes. Foreign observers and independent polls monitoring groups said the election was held in a free, fair and peaceful manner, maintaining the world standard.

Earlier, voting began at 7:30 am across 42,779 polling centres in 299 constituencies nationwide. A total of 12,77,11,793 voters were registered to cast their ballots, including 6,48,25,361 males, 6,28,85,200 females, and 1,232 from the third gender. A total of 50 political parties contested the polls with 2,028 candidates including 273 independent, while BNP fielded the highest number of candidates of 291. Besides, a total of 83 female candidates contested the polls.

According to the EC, some 800,000 officials, apart from those involved in maintaining security and law and order, were on election duties. They included 69 returning officers, 598 assistant returning officers, 42,779 presiding officers, 247,482 assistant presiding officers and 4,95,964 polling officers. Besides, About 15,000 officials are engaged in postal voting duties.

EC officials earlier said that of the security personnel deployed, 103,000 were army troops, 8,500 navy sailors and airmen, alongside 37,453 paramilitary BGB soldiers and 3,585 paramilitary Coast Guard members. The number of policemen on poll duty was 187,603, while RAB personnel number was 9,349. The highest number of law enforcement personnel was drawn from Ansar, with personnel numbering 5,67,868.

Some 55,454 observers from 81 local organizations monitored the elections while the number of foreign poll monitors was 394. Nearly 200 foreign journalists arrived in Bangladesh to observe the elections and the referendum. Of the international observers, 80 represent various international organizations, while the rest come from different countries, including independent European observers.

TUCSON, Arizona — Investigators have no proof that the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie is still alive but are holding out hope she’s “still out there,” a sheriff in Arizona said Thursday. Five days into the desperate search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

DNA tests showed blood found on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, the sheriff said. Authorities think she was taken against her will from her home in Tucson over the weekend.

“Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,” Nanos said at a news conference. The sheriff, however, acknowledged that authorities have no evidence she’s OK.

Investigators gave a more detailed timeline from the hours after she was last seen Saturday night, and said they are taking seriously a ransom note sent to a handful of media outlets. The note included a demand for money with a deadline set for Thursday evening and a second one for Monday if the first deadline wasn’t met, said Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix. The note also had details about a floodlight at Guthrie’s home and an Apple watch.

“To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,” Janke said. Authorities say any decision on ransom demands ultimately is up to the family.

A day earlier, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings released a message to her mother’s kidnapper, saying they are ready to talk but want proof their mom is still alive. However, there’s been no response to their plea so far, Janke said. Nancy Guthrie spent Saturday night eating dinner and playing games with family members before one of them dropped her off at her home in a well-to-do Tucson neighborhood that sits on hilly, desert terrain, the sheriff said.

About four hours later, just before 2 a.m. Sunday, the home’s doorbell camera was disconnected, Nanos said. But Guthrie did not have an active subscription so the company was unable to recover any footage. Software data recorded movement at the home minutes later, the sheriff said, acknowledging that the motion could have come from an animal. Then at 2:28 a.m. the app on Guthrie’s pacemaker was disconnected from her phone.

Guthrie was reported missing shortly before noon Sunday after she didn’t show up at a church. While she is able to drive and her mind is sharp, the sheriff said she does have difficulty walking even short distances. She also requires daily medicine that’s vital to her health, he has said.

A sheriff’s dispatcher said during the search Sunday that Guthrie has high blood pressure and heart issues, according to audio from broadcastify.com. Investigators searched in and around Nancy Guthrie’s home again for several hours Wednesday.

Authorities are bringing more resources and people into the investigation, and the FBI announced Thursday it was offering up to $50,000 for information. A day earlier, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can.

At least three media organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after a ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said. One note e-mailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN.

“When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,” she said in an interview aired Wednesday. The sheriff said investigators have believed from the beginning that Guthrie was targeted, but they don’t know whether that was because her daughter is one of television’s most visible anchors.

Savannah Guthrie has hosted “Today” — NBC’s flagship morning show — for more than a decade and had been set to co-anchor the network’s coverage of Friday’s opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics.

Guthrie’s three children say they’re “ready to talk” to whoever sent the notes. “We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us,” Savannah Guthrie said while fighting off tears.

With her voice cracking, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her. Guthrie was flanked by her sister Annie and her brother Camron.

“Mamma, If you’re listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,” Annie Guthrie said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday criticised Jamaat-e-Islami over its role during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, saying the party must clarify its position on the country’s independence.

“Jamaat leaders are currently making statements in television talk shows, online platforms and newspapers, but they should first explain their position during the country’s struggle for independence,” said Fakhrul while addressing a rally at Farabari High School ground in Thakurgaon.

“Where were you in 1971? Whose side were you on?” the BNP leader asked. He also alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami had assisted the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War and attempted to obstruct Bangladesh’s independence.

There is no scope to forget about 1971 and just as the people would not forget 2024, when the country regained its democratic system, he added. The country achieved independence through the Liberation War and that history must never be erased, said the BNP leader. After 15 long years, the country now has a real opportunity to hold a fair, free and credible election, he said.

The interim government currently in charge and those who are elected through votes will form the government—that is their objective, he said. If people participate spontaneously and cast their votes, the election would become historic and widely acceptable, he hoped.

Referring to his political future, Fakhrul said this might be his last election, and pledged to establish an airport and a medical college in Thakurgaon, if elected, along with creating employment opportunities to reduce unemployment.

He also said the female voters of the district will be given training under the guidance of Tarique Rahman so that they can earn from home. “We must train our women and youth and create jobs by making them skilled and educated.”

Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday, health officials said, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire in the enclave. Among the dead was a medic who rushed to help victims of a strike in the southern city of Khan Younis and was then killed by a second attack on the same location, health officials said.

Other strikes hit Gaza City in the north, where health officials said a 5-month-old boy was killed. The attacks come three days after Israel reopened Gaza’s main border crossing with Egypt, a big step envisaged by the US-backed truce deal.

“While we were sleeping in our house, the tank shelled us and the shells hit our house, our children were martyred – my son was martyred, my brother’s son and daughter were martyred … We have nothing to do with anything, we are peaceful people,” said Abu Mohamed Habouch, speaking at a funeral for his family.

Tents in Mawasi, a coastal area near Khan Younis crowded with Gazans displaced by the conflict, had been ripped apart by the strikes. Nearly all of Gaza’s population of over 2 million were forced to flee their homes during the war.

The Israeli military said it launched the strikes in response to Palestinian militants opening fire on Israeli troops operating near its armistice line with Hamas. It said an Israeli soldier was severely injured by the militant fire, which it described as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

A subsequent statement said one of the Israeli strikes had targeted a senior Hamas commander. A commander from Hamas’ smaller ally, Islamic Jihad, and his 11-year-old daughter were among those killed in strikes on Wednesday, according to relatives. The Israeli military later confirmed in a statement that it had killed an Islamic Jihad commander. Hamas said Israel’s actions undermined efforts to stabilise the ceasefire. In a statement, the group called for “immediate international pressure to halt violations.”

Palestinian patients preparing to cross through the newly opened Rafah crossing to Egypt were told that Israel had postponed the passage of patients through the border. Afterwards, Palestinian health authorities said that the group of patients was on their way to the border.

The Israeli agency that controls access to Gaza, COGAT, said the Rafah crossing remained open but it had not received the necessary details from the World Health Organization to facilitate crossings. The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

An Egyptian security source told Reuters that Israel had cited security issues in the Rafah area as the reason for the temporary closure, but those had since been resolved and work had resumed at the border. A spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said 46 people were set to cross to Egypt on Wednesday, but only 20 were able to travel to Egypt while the other 26 were returned to Gaza.

Reopening the crossing was one of the requirements under the October ceasefire that set out the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to stop fighting between Israel and Islamist Hamas militants.

Sixteen patients from Gaza and 40 of their escorts crossed into Egypt on Tuesday, Gazan medics told Reuters. A Hamas police source told Reuters that at least 40 people crossed from Egypt to Gaza late on Tuesday.

On Saturday, before the Rafah reopening, Israeli strikes killed more than 30 Palestinians in Gaza. The military said it launched those strikes after gunmen emerged from a tunnel in a Gaza area under Israeli control.

Israel handed back 54 bodies and 66 boxes of human remains of Palestinians on Wednesday, according to Gaza’s health authorities, with the fragile ceasefire set to move towards its second phase. Trump declared the start of the second phase in January, in which the sides would negotiate the shattered enclave’s future governance and reconstruction.

Key issues like the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the over 50 percent of Gaza they currently occupy and the disarmament of Hamas remain unresolved, while the fragile ceasefire has been marked by near-daily violence.

Since the October start of the truce, Israeli fire has killed nearly 560 people, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers in the same period, Israeli authorities say.

Pakistan’s banned separatist group the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for coordinated gun and bomb attacks that killed dozens of civilians and security personnel and triggered one of the deadliest security operations in Balochistan in years. The BLA is the strongest of a number of insurgent groups long operating in the province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, a mineral-rich region that is home to Beijing’s investment in Gwadar deep-water port and other projects. Here are facts about the group, which has also targeted Chinese interests.

The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan, a province located in Pakistan’s southwest and bordering Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the federal government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan’s rich gas and mineral resources. The group says Balochistan’s natural wealth belongs to its people and rejects federal control over resource extraction and security. Balochistan’s mountainous border region serves as a safe haven and training ground for the Baloch insurgents and Islamist militants.

Once considered a low-intensity insurgency, attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army have grown more frequent, coordinated and lethal in recent years. The group stunned Pakistan’s security establishment in 2022 when it stormed army and navy bases. In August 2024, militants carried out coordinated attacks across Balochistan, including highway assaults in which passengers were pulled from buses and shot after identity checks.

In March 2025, militants opened fire on the Jaffar Express passenger train after sabotaging railway tracks, briefly taking hostages and triggering a major security operation, officials and local media said. The BLA has deployed women suicide bombers, including in an attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi, and is designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States. Pakistan accuses India and Afghanistan of backing the militants, an allegation both countries deny.

The BLA often targets infrastructure and security forces in Balochistan, but has also struck in other areas – most notably the southern port city of Karachi. The insurgents target Pakistan’s army and Chinese interests, in particular the strategic port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, accusing Beijing of helping Islamabad to exploit the province. Militants have killed Chinese citizens working in the region and attacked Beijing’s consulate and language centre in Karachi. It has also attacked civilians, migrant labourers from other provinces, a shift officials say marks an escalation in tactics.

The BLA, separately, was also at the centre of tit-for-tat strikes last year between Iran and Pakistan over what they called militant bases on each other’s territory, which brought the neighbours close to war.

Balochistan is an important part of China’s $65 billion investment in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a wing of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative. It is home to key mining projects, including Reko Diq, run by mining giant Barrick Gold (ABX.TO), and believed to be one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines. China also operates a gold and copper mine in the province.

The decades-old insurgency has continued to keep the province of some 15 million people unstable and created security concerns around Pakistan’s plans to access untapped resources. It is Pakistan’s largest province by area, but smallest by population. Balochistan also has a long Arabian Sea coastline, not far from the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane. Hundreds of Baloch activists, many of them women, have protested in Islamabad and Balochistan over alleged abuses by security forces – accusations the government denies.