Bangladesh - The African Mirror

Mar

2024

Bangladesh building fire kills 46, injures dozens

A massive fire in Bangladesh that raged through a six-storey building home to restaurants where many families with children were dining has killed at least 46 people and injured dozens, the health minister said. Fire authorities said a gas leak or a stove could have caused Thursday's blaze in the capital, which spread quickly after breaking out in a biryani restaurant, and was only brought under control following two hours of effort by 13 units of firefighters. Hospitals were treating 22 people with burns, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen told reporters. "All 22 people ... are in critical condition," Sen,…

Jan

2024

By RUMA PAUL and SUDIPTO GANGULY

Bangladesh poll booths burn on election eve, as train arson kills four

WORLD

POLLING booths were set ablaze in Bangladesh on the eve of the general elections, while four people, including two children, were killed in a train fire that the government described as arson targeting democratic values. Friday's fire broke out at about 9 p.m. (1500 GMT), injuring eight passengers as it spread to four compartments of the Benapole Express headed for the capital, Dhaka. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has asked people to shun the poll and called a two-day nationwide strike from Saturday. "The timing of this tragedy, just a day before the election ... shows an absolute…

Jul

2021

By RUMA PAUL

Bangladesh factory owner arrested over fire that killed 52 workers

WORLD

THE owner of a food-processing factory in Bangladesh was arrested for murder yesterday over a fire that killed 52 people who were trapped inside the building, police said. The six-storey factory outside the capital Dhaka was built without permission, according to police who said it had no emergency fire exits and lacked adequate safety measures. Some workers managed to reach the roof and were rescued after the building caught ablaze on Thursday, but many could not escape, said police, adding that one of the doors leading from the stairs to the roof was locked. The arrested man owned private firm…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

Bangladesh arrests sex trafficking suspects who lured women on TikTok

WORLD

NAIMUL KARIM POLICE in Bangladesh have arrested seven suspected members of a sex trafficking gang that used video-sharing app TikTok to contact and lure young women and girls before selling them for sex in neighbouring India, an official said on Friday. A video of a Bangladeshi woman being tortured and sexually assaulted went viral on social media last week, prompting the investigation by police, who said the traffickers had enticed the women with promises of well-paid jobs across the border. "These girls are mostly from lower-income groups. They are told they'll become stars in India. They are also promised jobs…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Anchorwoman: Bangladesh’s first trans newsreader hopes to foster acceptance

LGBT+

NAIMUL KARIM BANGLADESH'S first transgender news anchor hopes her regular appearances on national television will help other trans people gain greater acceptance in a country where they often face discrimination and live in poverty. Tashnuva Anan, a rights activist who previously worked with NGOs supporting transgender people and migrants, read her first daily news bulletin for a private television channel on Monday, International Women's Day. "This could be revolutionary and create a new dimension in people's thinking," said Anan, 29, who received several weeks of intensive training at Boishakhi TV after being selected for the job in auditions. "The biggest…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Police in Bangladesh launch all-woman team to fight digital abuse

WORLD

NAIMUL KARIM BANGLADESHI police have launched an all-woman unit to tackle a rise in online abuse and harassment targeting women, the country's police chief said, as authorities seek to address growing public concern about gender-based violence. Police hope the unit will encourage more women to come forward to report digital abuse including so-called revenge porn, the hacking of their social media accounts and online threats from blackmailers. "We have different teams working with cyber crime in the police... but many (women) don't want to approach these areas, that's why we have created an all-woman team," said Benazir Ahmed, inspector general…