South Asia

Dhaka, March 9 (IANS) Outraged by the brutal assault of an eight-year-old girl in Magura, citizens across Bangladesh took to the streets on Sunday, demanding justice and stricter measures to curb violence against women and children, according to local media reports.

The horrifying incident has sparked widespread protests in various parts of the country, with students and civil society groups raising their voices in anger.

According to reports, the tragic incident occurred on Wednesday when the young victim was raped at her sister's house in Magura. The child, who sustained critical injuries, was initially treated in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital before being transferred to CMH Hospital for advanced care, reports the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star.

So far, Magura police have arrested four individuals in connection with the assault.

In response to the incident, teachers and students of Dhaka University staged a protest rally on campus earlier on Sunday. The demonstration, organised by the University Teachers' Network, began at 11:00 am at the foot of the iconic Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture, with the rally commencing at 11:45 am.

In Rajshahi, hundreds of students from Rajshahi University boycotted their classes and examinations, blocking the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway for nearly half an hour. The students demanded swift action and harsher punishments for perpetrators of sexual violence to ensure women's safety.

Protests also erupted at the Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia, where students blocked the Khulna-Kushtia highway near the university's main gate. The demonstration followed a protest march that started from the university's Botatola area at noon, reports the country's leading daily, The Dhaka Tribune.

The students called for the death penalty for those accused of such heinous crimes.

Meanwhile, Save the Children, which has been actively working for child protection in Bangladesh for over five decades, condemned the Magura incident. The organisation voiced deep concern over the rising violence against women and children in the country.

In a statement, Save the Children highlighted the alarming statistics, revealing that 2,362 women and girls have faced violence this year alone, including 1,036 children. The organisation called on the government to ensure swift justice for the Magura survivor and to strengthen protective systems to prevent such incidents.

Shumon Sengupta, Country Director of Save the Children in Bangladesh, stressed the need for systemic reforms.

"We demand justice for the victim of this horrific crime. Authorities must ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to trial. With nearly 40 per cent of violence victims being children, urgent reforms are necessary to safeguard their well-being, particularly that of young girls," Sengupta said.

She emphasised that prevention begins with changing societal mindsets to prioritise child protection. Sengupta further added that establishing strong protective mechanisms at the family and community levels is crucial to preventing violence, abuse, and exploitation.

In a significant legal development, a Bangladesh court has directed the immediate removal of all images of the Magura survivor from social media, according to local media.

The High Court bench, comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury, issued the directive on Sunday after taking note of a media report on the matter. The court instructed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to ensure the prompt removal of the content.

Lt General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Home Affairs Advisor to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, assured that the government is committed to ensuring the accused faces justice. He stressed that those responsible for such heinous crimes will not be allowed to evade accountability.

The protests reflect growing frustration among citizens who are demanding immediate reforms to improve safety for women and children, along with stricter enforcement of laws to prevent such crimes in the future.

--IANS

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Seoul, March 9 (IANS) Tens of thousands of people gathered in South Korea's capital city, Seoul, on Sunday to rally for or against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol a day after his surprise release from detention.

Sarang Jeil Church, led by conservative activist pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, held a Sunday service outdoors near the presidential residence in central Seoul. Around 4,500 people had gathered as of noon, reports Yonhap news agency, citing an unofficial police estimate.

"With President Yoon's release, the impeachment trial has become meaningless. It's over," Jeon said. "In the event the Constitutional Court does something funny, we will exercise the people's right to resist and get rid of them with a single slash."

On Saturday, Yoon was released from the detention centre where he had been held since mid-January over his failed martial law bid in December after a court ruled that his detention was invalid.

Even in the absence of physical detention, Yoon still has to stand trial on charges of leading an insurrection and is awaiting the verdict of the Constitutional Court on whether to uphold or dismiss his impeachment.

Conservative civic group Angry Blue was scheduled to hold a separate rally opposing Yoon's impeachment at Bosingak Pavilion at 1 p.m. before marching along Jongno 3-ga street.

An opposing rally by a group of activists calling for Yoon's immediate ouster was held overnight just outside of Seoul's Gyeongbok Palace, and the group held a press conference outside the nearby government complex Sunday to declare a week of "emergency action" urging Yoon's removal from office.

At 2 p.m., the group will begin a march from the National Palace Museum, with a reported attendance of 100,000 people, leading to partial road closures in the area.

At 7 p.m., it will hold another rally in Gwanghwamun.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) demanded Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung resign immediately to take responsibility for the prosecution's release of Yoon following the court ruling.

The party threatened to consider all possible measures, including his impeachment, should the top prosecutor refuse.

"The Democratic Party will immediately file a complaint against Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung," floor leader Park Chan-dae said after an emergency general meeting of lawmakers. "Prosecutor General Shim released Yoon Suk Yeol, the ringleader of an insurrection, after voluntarily giving up the opportunity to immediately appeal the court decision (to release him) and receive the judgment of a higher court."

Later in the day, the DP and four other minor opposition parties -- the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Jinbo Party, the Basic Income Party and the Social Democratic Party -- agreed at a meeting of their leaders to jointly call for Shim's resignation and push for his impeachment should he refuse.

The five parties also agreed to file a complaint against Shim with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

The ruling People Power Party stepped up its calls on the Constitutional Court to dismiss Yoon's impeachment and reinstate him.

"The Constitutional Court must keep in mind that it will face unbearable backlash in the event it hastily removes the president from office and he is later acquitted of the insurrection charges," a party spokesperson said.

--IANS

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Tehran, March 9 (IANS) Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that certain "bullying" powers' insistence on holding talks with Iran is not aimed at resolving issues but rather at imposing their own expectations.

Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with government officials on Saturday, responding to calls, notably from US President Donald Trump, for negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, according to footage released by the leader's office.

"Their negotiation is not for resolving issues, but for dominating and imposing what they want on the other side," said the Iranian leader.

He warned that if the other side refuses to negotiate, those powers will create an uproar, accusing it of "distancing itself from and abandoning the negotiating table," reports Xinhua news agency.

Iran's nuclear issue is not those powers' sole focus, and "they are raising new expectations, which will definitely not be met by Iran," Khamenei said.

He cited Britain, France and Germany accusing Tehran of failing to meet its 2015 nuclear deal commitments, noting those countries have also neglected their obligations under the same agreement from day one.

Following the US withdrawal from the deal, the Europeans promised to compensate but broke their pledges, Khamenei added.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with six world powers in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

However, during Trump's first term, the United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments.

In an interview with Fox Business Network broadcast Friday, Trump said he wants to negotiate the nuclear issue with Iran and had sent a letter to the country's leadership.

Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York said on Friday that Iran had not yet received any letter from Trump.

--IANS

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Kabul, March 8 (IANS) As the world celebrates the International Women's Day under the theme of 'For ALL Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, Empowerment', international organisations on Saturday emphasised the need to support Afghan women and restore their rights. The UN Women in Afghanistan stated that investing in Afghan women is akin to investing in Afghanistan's future.

Standing in solidarity with Afghan women and girls, Indrika Ratwatte, the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations in Afghanistan, stated that the organisation is committed to investing in their resilience, empowerment, leadership, amplifying their voices, and advocating for their rights.

UN Women has expressed deep concern over the recent enactment of a morality law by the de facto regime in Afghanistan, which imposes extensive restrictions on personal behaviour, effectively erasing women from public life and granting broad enforcement powers to the morality police.

Over the past three years, since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, Afghan women and girls have been subjected to more than 70 edicts, directives, and decrees, stripping them of fundamental rights. UN Women data shows that these restrictions are having dire impacts on the lives of Afghan women and girls.

Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, education has been forbidden to girls aged over 12. As a result of this ban, Afghanistan is now the only country in the world where girls do not have the right to attend secondary school.

A report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) quoted one women, as saying "We have no right to education, no right to work, no right to even exist freely. They are removing us from society".

Asserting that girls' right to education is non-negotiable, UNESCO took to its social media page on Saturday and posted, "Today, Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls over 12 are forbidden to learn. 1.5 million girls are deliberately denied secondary education. If the ban continues until 2030, over 4 million girls will be affected."

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Afghan Government, stated that the rights of Afghan women in an Islamic society differ from those in Western countries.

"Based on Islamic law and the traditions and customs of Afghan society, all fundamental rights of Afghan women are ensured. However, it should not be forgotten that we discuss women's rights within an Islamic and Afghan society, which has clear differences from Western society and its culture," Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson for the Afghan government, was quoted as saying by the leading Afghan media outlet TOLOnews in an audio message.

--IANS

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Jerusalem, March 8 (IANS) The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its Air Force attacked on Saturday suspects attempting to retrieve a drone in southern Gaza.

It added that the drone "was being monitored" by Israel throughout its flight, which had crossed overnight from Israeli territory into Gaza in what is suspected to be an attempt to smuggle weapons.

The IDF did not specify the number of casualties.

Israeli news website Ynet reported that the IDF is investigating what the drone has smuggled into the Strip.

In recent months, there have been several cases of similar attacks against Gazans who collected drones.

On Friday, at least two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike east of Gaza City, according to Palestinian sources, Xinhua news agency reported. They added that an Israeli drone targeted a gathering of Palestinians in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, with a missile.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes on Friday evening carried out more than 20 airstrikes targetting several areas in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese media and security sources.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the aerial assault started at 9:15 pm (1915 GMT), targetting valleys and the outskirts of towns and villages in southern Lebanon, without specifying the casualties.

A Lebanese security source told Xinhua that, the airstrikes were conducted "within approximately 30 minutes, hitting forested areas and valleys located within the districts of Tyre, Nabatiyeh, Sidon, and Jezzine, deep in southern Lebanon."

The IDF said in a statement that it conducted intelligence-based strikes on Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon.

It noted that weapons and rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah were identified in the sites, which "posed a threat to Israel and constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."

"The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to Israel and will prevent any attempt by Hezbollah to reestablish and rebuild itself," it added.

Since November 27, 2024, a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States and France has been in effect, ending more than a year of clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, which were triggered by the war in Gaza.

--IANS

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Riyadh, March 8 (IANS) Syria's membership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was reinstated, the OIC announced in a statement on Saturday.

The decision was taken during an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, convened in Jeddah on Friday to discuss the ongoing Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people and the plans for annexation and forced displacement from their land.

The statement noted that the decision came at Syria's request, and necessary measures will be taken to implement the decision.

The meeting, held at the request of Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and Iran, supported all the OIC resolutions on Palestine and Jerusalem, most recently by the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh last November, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Iran has expressed grave concern over escalating violence and insecurity in Syria.

Iran closely monitors Syria's internal developments and follows with great concern the reports of violence and insecurity in various parts of the Arab state, said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

He made the remarks in response to intense clashes that erupted in Syria's coastal regions over the past 24 hours.

Baghaei stressed the need to ensure security and stability in Syria and create conditions for the peaceful coexistence of all Syrian groups. He also stressed the need to maintain Syria's territorial integrity in the face of Israel's aggression and threats.

Baghaei said that Iran firmly opposes insecurity and violence in Syria and the killing and maiming of the "oppressed" Syrians from any group or tribe.

Since Thursday, fierce clashes between Syria's interim government forces and armed opposition groups affiliated with the former government in coastal regions have left at least 147 people dead.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the clashes marked one of the deadliest escalations since the fall of the previous government last December.

--IANS

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Damascus, March 7 (IANS) Syrian security forces on Friday launched a major operation against Qardaha, the hometown of former President Bashar al-Assad, a war monitor reported.

The operation, which saw the forces deploying tanks and armoured vehicles, followed their recent takeover of Baniyas, a strategic coastal city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

It came as Anas Hasan Khattab, head of Syria's General Intelligence Service, accused on social media former military and security officials from al-Assad's regime of directing attacks against Syria from abroad.

The SOHR reported earlier in the day that forces from the defense and interior ministries combed Baniyas and its surroundings, employing heavy artillery and machine guns.

It added that reinforcements continue to pour into coastal regions, suggesting a prolonged military campaign.

Meanwhile, intense clashes erupted in Latakia and Tartous over the past 24 hours, as government forces moved to crack down on armed resistance, it noted.

According to the SOHR, since the onset of the clashes along the coastline, 35 members of government forces, 32 fighters affiliated with the former regime, and four civilians have been killed, with dozens wounded.

Amid the security campaign, authorities in Latakia and Tartous announced on Friday the extension of curfews and postponement of university exams, Xinhua news agency reported.

As tension escalates in Syria's coastal regions, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Friday in a statement that the violence in Latakia "could undermine efforts to lead Syria into the future of unity and solidarity."

--IANS

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Jerusalem, March 6 (IANS) Israeli police plan to deploy approximately 3,000 officers across Jerusalem as the city prepares for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound has been a sensitive site holy to both Muslims and Jews and a long-time focal point of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, particularly during Ramadan.

Last month, Israeli media reported that security agencies plan to restrict access to the site, allowing only 10,000 Palestinians from the West Bank to enter for Friday prayers, contingent upon prior approval. Palestinian prisoners released under the Gaza ceasefire deal will not be granted entry.

A police spokesperson stated that additional reinforcements would be stationed at checkpoints around the city's perimeter, in East Jerusalem, and within the Old City this upcoming Friday. Security forces aim to prevent "hostile elements from exploiting Ramadan for incitement, disturbances, terrorism, or any form of violence."

Police have advised drivers to use alternative routes because some key roads near the Old City will be closed to traffic from 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. local time (0400-1330 GMT) on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the status quo that governs the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to the Jews as the Temple Mount, non-Muslims can visit the site only during limited periods of time and are not officially allowed to pray there.

--IANS

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Jakarta, March 6 (IANS) The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry inspected upstream areas of rivers in West Java province on Thursday and uncovered alleged violations of environmental laws, which are believed to have contributed to recent flooding in Jakarta and surrounding areas over the past two days.

The ministry installed four environmental monitoring boards on lands where functions had been altered, rendering them unable to retain water. The landowners had been using these areas without obtaining the necessary environmental permits.

Indonesian Environmental Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said that 33 other locations in the upstream areas, located in Puncak Cisarua of Bogor regency, also showed signs of environmental law violations.

"We will soon escalate the status of this case to an investigation, as the natural conditions strongly indicate that changes in spatial planning have caused the flooding," Hanif said during the inspection.

He noted that any changes in land function must be supported by in-depth scientific analysis, particularly in upstream zones that serve as groundwater catchments, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to data from the ministry, 15,000 hectares of the upstream areas of the Ciliwung River should be allocated for protected areas, national parks, production forests, water sources, and limited settlements. However, since 2022, approximately 8,000 hectares have been converted for plant cultivation and residential purposes.

Additionally, 3,203.24 hectares of land in the upstream areas have become critically degraded, posing risks of landslides and erosion of up to 180 tons per hectare annually.

The recent flooding, triggered by the overflowing of the Ciliwung and Cisadane rivers originating from Puncak Cisarua in Bogor regency, affected Jakarta and its satellite cities from Tuesday to Wednesday.

The disaster claimed three lives, forced large-scale evacuations, and disrupted business activities, particularly in goods transportation.

--IANS

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Washington, Jan 28 (IANS) The United States' State Department is “evaluating next steps” in regard to Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India that was upheld last week by the country’s Supreme Court, clearing the way for him to finally face justice for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Rana is of Pakistani descent like David Coleman Headley, who is serving a long prison sentence in an US jail after pleading guilty for his complicity in the 2008 terrorist attacks in a deal with American authorities that protects him from extradition.

“In view of the recent Supreme Court decision, and consistent with applicable US law, the Department of State is currently evaluating next steps in this case,” a spokesperson for the agency said in response to an IANS request for information on the next steps following the court order and when is he likely to be despatched to India.

“We have long supported India’s efforts to ensure the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks face justice,” the spokesperson added.

The US has indeed been supportive of Indian efforts to bring the perpetrators of the attacks that left 167 people dead, including six Americans, and hundred wounded.

It has pushed Pakistan, where the terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba were based and where they had been trained by the country’s Intelligence service, to punish the perpetrators.

The US also helped India’s case before the UN Security Council for designating Masood Azhar, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, an international terrorist, leading a group of permanent members to stymie Chinese attempts to block the effort.

For now, however, it seems unclear how soon Rana will be on a plane to India.

Rana was arrested by the US police in October 2009, just two weeks after Headley’s arrest, on three counts: Conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in India, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism in Denmark, and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, according to a US court document.

Rana was convicted in June 9, 2011 by a jury of the terrorism conspiracy-charge related to Denmark and providing material support to Lashkar, but he was acquitted of the terrorism conspiracy related to the Mumbai attacks.

He was sentenced by the district court in 2013 to 14 years in prison. But after serving half of the sentence he applied for and was granted compassionate release in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

India had been moving, in the meantime, against him. On August 28, 2018, a Mumbai court in August 2018 issued a warrant for Rana’s arrest on charges related to the attacks, including, according to a US court document, (1) conspiracy to (a) wage war, (b) commit murder, (c) commit forgery for the purpose of cheating, (d) use as genuine a forged document or electronic record, and (e) commit a terrorist attack; (2) waging war; (3) murder; and (4) committing a terrorist act (2). India subsequently requested Rana’s extradition.

The day after Rana was granted compassionate release, the US Department of Justice filed a complaint for his provisional arrest in response to an extradition request from India.

A US court that deals with extradition cases rejected his claims in May 2023 and certified his extradition, dismissing his claims, according to the court document, (1) his extradition to India was barred under the Non Bis in Idem provision of the Extradition Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of India (the Treaty) and (2) India’s evidence against Rana failed to establish probable cause that Rana committed the offenses for which the certification of extradition was sought.

Basically, Rana had argued, he cannot be extradited to face charges on which he had been acquitted in the US.

Every court has rejected Rana’s claims and he may have exhausted his legal options.

--IANS

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