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Fourteen people died and more than two million others spent a night huddled in storm shelters as Cyclone Bulbul smashed into the coasts of India and Bangladesh with fierce gales and torrential rains, officials said Sunday. The cyclone packed winds of up to 120 kilometres per hour when it hit late Saturday, closing ports and airports in both countries. Seven people were killed in India's West Bengal state, the Press Trust of India reported, including two after uprooted trees fell on their homes and another after being struck by falling branches in Kolkata. An eighth person died under a collapsed wall in nearby Odisha state. In Bangladesh, six people were killed -- five by falling trees -- and at least 20 people were injured. Five others are missing after a fishing trawler sank in squally weather on Meghna river near the southern island of Bhola, district administrator Masud Alam Siddiqui told AFP. The cyclone also damaged some 4,000 mostly mud and tin-built houses, disaster management secretary Shah Kamal told AFP. In coastal Khulna, the worst-hit district in Bangladesh, trees swayed violently and were ripped from the ground in the fierce storm, blocking roads and hampering access to the area. Some low-lying parts of the district were flooded, disaster management minister Enamur Rahman told AFP. Authorities said the cyclone was weakening as it moved inland. "It has turned into a deep depression, causing heavy rainfall," Bangladesh weather bureau deputy chief Ayesha Khatun told AFP. Bulbul hit the coast at the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest which straddles Bangladesh and India, and is home to endangered species including Bengal tigers and Irrawaddy dolphins. The mangroves shielded the coast from the storm's full impact, Khatun said. Some 2.1 million people across Bangladesh were relocated to cyclone shelters. Troops were sent to coastal districts while tens of thousands of volunteers went door-to-door and used loudspeakers to urge people to evacuate their villages. "We spent the night with another 400 people," said Ambia Begum, who arrived at a shelter in the port town of Mongla late Saturday along with her family. "I am worried about my cattle and the straw roof of my house. I could not bring them here. Allah knows what is happening there," the 30-year-old mother of three told AFP. Around 1,500 tourists were stranded on St. Martin's island off southeastern Bangladesh after boat services were cancelled. In India, nearly 120,000 people who were evacuated started to return home as the cyclone weakened, authorities said. "The storm has left a trail of destruction as it's crossed the coastline of West Bengal," the state's Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said. Bangladesh's low-lying coast, home to 30 million people, and India's east are regularly battered by cyclones. Hundreds of thousands of people living around the Bay of Bengal have been killed in cyclones in recent decades. While the frequency and intensity of the storms have increased, partly due to climate change, the death tolls have come down because of faster evacuations and the building of thousands of coastal shelters. Cyclone Fani was the most powerful storm to hit the area in years when it struck in May, killing 12 people.

Bangladesh authorities have evacuated around 100,000 people from the country's low-lying coastal villages and islands with Cyclone Bulbul set to slam into the country later on Saturday, officials said. The Meteorological Department has asked local authorities and two ports to raise their highest alert, as the cyclone is expected to unleash a storm surge as high as seven feet (two metres) in coastal districts. Bulbul, packing a maximum wind speed of 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles), is on course to make landfall near the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, which straddles Bangladesh and part of eastern India and is home to the endangered Bengal tigers. The cyclone is expected to hit the Bangladesh coast at around 8 pm (1400 GMT), disaster management secretary Shah Kamal told AFP, adding there are plans to evacuate some 1.5 million people before that. Authorities have suspended a nationwide school test, cancelled the holidays of officials posted in coastal districts and called off a traditional fair that draws tens of thousands of people in the Sundarbans. Operations at the country's two major ports -- Mongla and Chittagong -- have been suspended, Kamal said. Some 55,000 volunteers have been mobilised to go door to door and alert people about the storm. Bangladesh's low-lying coast, home to 30 million people, is regularly battered by powerful cyclones that leave a trail of devastation in their wake. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed over the last few decades in cyclones, whose frequency and intensity have increased. Bangladesh has, however, improved its preparedness in recent years, cutting the number casualties since Cyclone Sidr killed more than 3,000 people in 2007. In May this year, Fani became the most powerful storm to hit the country in five years, but just over a dozen people were killed.

Nobel peace prize winner Mohammad Yunus must give himself up before November 7 after an arrest warrant was issued following a lawsuit filed by three former employees, the Bangladeshi High Court ruled on Monday.  A labour court in Dhaka had issued an arrest warrant for Yunus and two other executives of Grameen Communications after they failed to appear. Three plaintiffs have challenged the decision of Grameen Communications to fire them after they say they tried to form a trade union. Yunus is the founder of the micro-lending Grameen Bank, which gives loans to entrepreneurs too poor for traditional bank loans, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. He lost a legal battle after the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina removed him from the bank over retirement age regulations in 2011. Grameen Communications, a not-for-profit information technology firm, is one of a number of companies under the Grameen umbrella founded by Yunus.

The principal of a religious school in Bangladesh was among 16 people sentenced to death on Thursday for the murder of a teenage girl who refused to withdraw a complaint of sexual harassment against him, the public prosecutor said. The perpetrators poured kerosene over Nusrat Jahan, 18, and set her on fire on the roof of her madrasa in April in the southeastern district of Feni. Police said in their charge-sheet the murder was carried out on the orders of the principal. ‘The judgment proves that no one is above the law,’ public prosecutor Hafez Ahmed told reporters after the court verdict. He said the defence lawyers had tried unsuccessfully to establish that Jahan had committed suicide. Defence lawyer Giasuddin Nannu said all the convicts will challenge the verdict in the High Court. Jahan's death sparked public outrage and mass demonstrations calling for her killers to be punished. She had faced pressure to withdraw a complaint to police in March accusing the school principal of attempted rape, her family said. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had met her family and vowed to bring the killers to justice. Two female classmates and two local leaders of her party were among those convicted. After the murder, the government instructed some 27,000 educational institutions to form committees to prevent sexual assaults. ‘I can't forget her for a moment. I still feel the pain that she went through,’ mother Shirin Akhtar said as she burst into tears at her home following the verdict. Jahan's brother, Mahmudul Hasan Noman, demanded that the death sentences be carried out swiftly and sought protection for his family against reprisals. ‘We live in fear. We were threatened even today in the courtroom,’ Noman said. Bangladesh has seen a dramatic rise in the number of rape cases in recent months, with 217 women and children raped in September, the highest in any single month since 2010, according to a report published by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, a women's rights group. Many more cases go unreported because women fear being stigmatised. Rights activists attribute the increasing number of rapes to a lack of awareness, a culture of impunity, moral decadence, and people of influence protecting suspected rapists for political reasons. Even when survivors file a complaint, prosecution is very rare and takes years to conclude. ‘This verdict has set an example. It shows that with utmost sincerity we can ensure justice within our existing system,’ said the group's head, Ayesha Khanam.

Thousands of Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps have agreed to move to an island in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Sunday, despite fears the site is prone to flooding. Dhaka has long wanted to move 100,000 refugees to the muddy silt islet, saying it would take pressure off the overcrowded border camps where almost a million Rohingya live. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in August 2017 in the face of a military crackdown, joining 200,000 refugees already in makeshift tent settlements at Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mahbub Alam, said officials overseeing the relocation would be posted to Bhashan Char island in the next few days. "Approximately 6,000-7,000 refugees have already expressed their willingness to be relocated to Bhashan Char," Alam told AFP from Cox's Bazar, adding that "the number is rising". He did not say when the refugees would be moved, but a senior Navy officer involved in building facilities on the island said it could start by December, with some 500 refugees sent daily. Bangladesh had been planning since last year to relocate Rohingya to the desolate flood-prone site, which is an hour by boat from the mainland. Rights groups have warned the island, which emerged from the sea only about two decades ago, might not be able to withstand violent storms during the annual monsoon season. In the past half a century, powerful cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in the Meghna river estuary where the island is located. Rohingya leaders would be taken to Bhashan Char to view the facilities and living conditions, Alam said. Safety facilities built on the island include a nine-feet (three-metre) high embankment along its perimeter to keep out tidal surges during cyclones, and a warehouse to store months-worth of rations, he added. Rohingya father-of-four Nur Hossain, 50, said he and his family agreed to relocate to Bhashan Char after they were shown video footage of the shelters. "I have agreed to go. The camp here (at Leda) is very overcrowded. There are food and housing problems," the 50-year-old told AFP. There was no immediate comment from the UN, although Bangladeshi officials said they expect a delegation would visit the island in the next few weeks.

Bangladeshi border forces shot and killed an Indian border guard on Thursday when a altercation erupted over an Indian fisherman the Bangladeshis had detained, in a rare clash between the two sides. The Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) said it had fired in self-defence after Indian border guards intruded into Bangladesh to try to take away the detained Indian fisherman. One Indian guard was also wounded, Indian officials said. The fisherman had been held because he was fishing in the Padma River at the border, where Bangladesh has banned fishing, it said. On Friday, the situation at the border was "normal", Shariful Islam a spokesman for the Bangladeshi force said. "Our troops have been put on high alert to avoid any untoward incident," he said. Bangladesh officials said they would hand over the fisherman during a meeting later. Both sides have agreed to investigate the matter, Bangladesh said. India and Bangladesh share close ties and struck a series of deals this month when Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited New Delhi. They share a border stretching more than 4,000 km (2,400 miles), where clashes have intermittently erupted over what India terms illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. 

Students in Bangladesh staged a fourth day of protests on Thursday over the killing of an undergraduate as authorities blocked an internet page that detailed alleged torture by activists of the country's ruling party. Hundreds of students defied a heavy monsoon storm to stage a rally on the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) to demand justice for Abrar Fahad. Fahad was beaten to death on Sunday, sparking a wave of anger in the South Asian nation's universities. Police carried out two more arrests on Thursday, taking the total detained over the killing to 15 -- including 11 from the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student branch of the ruling Awami League. The 21-year-old Fahad was allegedly beaten with a cricket bat and other blunt objects for six hours after he put up a Facebook post criticising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina vowed Wednesday that the killers would get the ‘highest punishment’. Internet providers blocked a webpage launched by a BUET professor that highlighted complaints, including torture, made by students against members of the ruling party's student wing. An official from an internet service provider said the page had been blocked ‘following orders’ from the government's Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. The BTRC, which has in the past had blocked dozens of news portals and websites critical of the government, made no immediate comment. The Dhaka Tribune newspaper said the webpage contained 177 complaints, with at least 72 posted after Fahad's killing. Most of the complaints were against the BCL. Mostofa Akbar, a professor at the university, said the webpage, part of a university internet site, was taken down late Wednesday. ‘These complaints were submitted to the BUET student welfare director three months ago,’ he told AFP. Sweden-based Bangladesh rights activist Tasneem Khalil said the blocked webpage ‘confirmed in graphic detail how such torture has been a routine element in the daily lives of hundreds of BUET students.’ He said the database ‘was posing a serious challenge to the government narrative that the killing of Abrar Fahad was just a stray incident’, Khalil said.

Students in Bangladesh staged protests and blocked major roads Monday after an undergraduate was beaten to death, allegedly by ruling party activists, for criticising the government over a water-sharing deal with India. Protests broke out at several universities in Dhaka and the northern city of Rajshahi following the killing of Abrar Fahad of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Students chanted slogans demanding ‘justice’ and blocked major roads in the two cities. Teachers joined some of the protests. Dhaka deputy police commissioner Munstasirul Islam told AFP that Fahad was beaten to death and that ruling party activists were in custody for questioning. His body was found in his university dormitory and media quoted other residents as saying that members of the student wing of the ruling Awami League had interrogated and beaten him. Ashikul Islam Bitu, a vice-president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), told NTV that Fahad had been questioned over alleged links to an Islamist party's youth group. Hours earlier, Fahad put up a post on Facebook that went viral. In it, he criticised the government for signing an accord that allowed India to take water from a river that lies on the boundary the two countries share. The BCL has earned notoriety in recent years after some of its members were accused of killing, violence and extortion. Last year its members allegedly used violence to suppress a major anti-government student protest. Those protests were sparked by anger over road safety after a student was killed by a speeding bus. Last month the BCL president and general secretary were sacked over allegations they tried to extort money from the head of a state-run university.

In a joint statement issued yesterday, India and Bangladesh hailed the bilateral ties between the two countries, as they signed seven agreements including the setting up of a joint coastal surveillance system. Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina, while insisting on broad-based bilateral ties, emphasised on the initiatives for the development of closer maritime security partnership, and noted the progress made in the finalisation of an MoU for the establishment of a coastal surveillance radar system in Bangladesh, the joint statement said. The seven MoUs signed between the two nations will deepen co-operation in the following areas – water resources, youth affairs, culture, education and coastal surveillance. Both sides agreed to expedite the commissioning of a joint study on the prospects of entering a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Modi also appreciated the zero-tolerance policy of Bangladesh against terrorism and commended Sheikh Hasina for her resolute efforts to ensure peace, security and stability in the region. “Recognising that terrorism remains one of the most significant threats to peace and stability of both the countries and the region, the two prime pinisters reiterated their strong commitment to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stressed that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terror,” the joint statement said. The two leaders also recognised the need for increased co-operation in defence for a more integrated and secure neighbourhood, taking into account the joint operation carried out by both forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War of December 1971. Modi and Sheikh Hasina also agreed to expedite work towards drawing upon a $500mn Defence Line of Credit extended by India to Bangladesh. The implementation arrangements for this were finalised in April 2019. Through a video link, the leaders inaugurated the Bangladesh-India Professional Skill Development Institute (BIPSDI) at the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) in Khulna. The leaders also signed an MoU on withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from the Feni river by India for the drinking water supply scheme for Sabroom town in Tripura. They also agreed that the loss of civilian lives at the border is a matter of concern and directed the concerned border forces to enhance co-ordinated measures to work towards bringing such border incidents down to zero.

A ban on onion exports by India has caused shortages, soaring prices and widespread anger in neighbouring Bangladesh, where the pungent bulb is used in almost all aspects of the national cuisine. The price of onions is a sensitive subject in South Asia, where shortages can trigger widespread discontent with political ramifications. About two-thirds of the demand for onions - an essential ingredient in Bangladeshi cuisine - is grown locally by farmers, with the rest mostly imported from neighbouring India, where heavy monsoon rains have reduced the crop. One kilogramme of the staple vegetable usually costs 30 taka (36 US cents), but has soared to up to 130 taka after India imposed the export ban over the weekend. Amid a public outcry, Dhaka quickly took steps to import the vegetable from Myanmar, Turkey, China and Egypt. The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is also selling onions at a discounted 45 taka per kilogramme in the capital Dhaka.  But in the city of 18mn, only about 9,000 people - limited to 2kg per person - are allowed to buy the vegetable at the subsidised rate each day. “Our aim is to help the low-income people, although even middle income people are also buying onion from our trucks,” TCB spokesman Humayun Kabir said. One of the operators of the 35 trucks selling the cheaper onions, Mohamed Rafique, said he distributed 400kg of onions yesterday to around 250 people. “But we had to send back at least 50-60 people empty-handed as we ran out of supply,” he said. One frustrated buyer left with a bitter taste was Bangladeshi banker Raihan Aziz.  “I spent my entire lunch break standing here. But all my efforts have come to nothing,” Aziz said. “It seems we have to change our eating patterns, omitting onion from curries and our daily menu.” The eye-watering prices have also forced some restaurants to chop the bulb from their menus. “We used to give free onion with green salad to our customers. But we no longer do it,” a Dhaka restaurant waiter told AFP. Meanwhile consumers have accused wholesalers of hoarding the vegetable to jack up prices, a charge they deny. Heavy monsoon rains in key onion-growing regions have been blamed for the current shortage in India. In an effort to arrest further price rises, New Delhi imposed the export ban and suppliers and distributors are blocked from stocking up. Some reserve onion stocks held by the national government are also being sold in several states at subsidised prices.

A ban on onion exports by India has caused shortages, soaring prices and widespread anger in neighbouring Bangladesh, where the pungent bulb is used in almost all aspects of the national cuisine. The price of onions is a sensitive subject in South Asia, where shortages can trigger widespread discontent with political ramifications. About two-thirds of the demand for onions -- an essential ingredient in Bangladeshi cuisine -- is grown locally by farmers, with the rest mostly imported from neighbouring India, where heavy monsoon rains have reduced the crop. One kilogramme of the staple vegetable usually costs 30 taka (36 US cents), but has soared to up to 130 taka after India imposed the export ban over the weekend. Amid a public outcry, Dhaka quickly took steps to import the vegetable from Myanmar, Turkey, China and Egypt. The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is also selling onions at a discounted 45 taka per kilogramme in the capital Dhaka. But in the city of 18 million, only about 9,000 people -- limited to two kilogrammes per person -- are allowed to buy the vegetable at the subsidised rate each day. ‘Our aim is to help the low-income people, although even middle income people are also buying onion from our trucks,’ TCB spokesman Humayun Kabir told AFP. One of the operators of the 35 trucks selling the cheaper onions, Mohammad Rafique, told AFP he distributed 400 kilogrammes of onions on Wednesday to around 250 people. ‘But we had to send back at least 50 to 60 people empty-handed as we ran out of supply,’ he said. One frustrated buyer left with a bitter taste was Bangladeshi banker Raihan Aziz. ‘I spent my entire lunch break standing here. But all my efforts have come to nothing,’ Aziz told AFP. ‘It seems we have to change our eating patterns, omitting onion from curries and our daily menu.’ The eye-watering prices have also forced some restaurants to chop the bulb from their menus. ‘We used to give free onion with green salad to our customers. But we no longer do it,’ a Dhaka restaurant waiter told AFP. Meanwhile consumers have accused wholesalers of hoarding the vegetable to jack up prices, a charge they deny. Heavy monsoon rains in key onion-growing regions have been blamed for the current shortage in India. In an effort to arrest further price rises, New Delhi imposed the export ban and suppliers and distributors are blocked from stocking up. Some reserve onion stocks held by the national government are also being sold in several states at subsidised prices.

Bangladesh's drug regulatory authority on Sunday issued a ban on sales of popular heartburn drug ranitidine while it investigates a potential cancer-causing substance in the drug. The move comes after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that some of the pills contained small amounts N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which the regulator says is a ‘probable human carcinogen’. ‘We have banned the import of raw materials, production and sale of ranitidine until further notice,’ said Khandaker Sagir Ahmed, a director of Bangladesh's drug regulatory authority, adding that the decision was taken a precautionary measure. Drug manufacturers across the world have begun recalling the widely taken heartburn drug, which is sold under the trade name Zantac among others, while the FDA and European drug regulators review whether low levels of NDMA in ranitidine pose a health risk to patients. Domestic companies affected include Beximco Pharmaceuticals and Square Pharmaceuticals, which produce ranitidine under the Neoceptin R and Neotack brands respectively. The Bangladesh drug regulatory authority will test drug samples but has also asked domestic manufacturers to test their drugs in accredited labs and send reports to the watchdog, Ahmed said.

Bangladeshi Mominur Rahman Royal is stopping traffic - literally. The 36-year-old is on a one-man crusade to reduce unnecessary honking in one of the world’s noisiest cities, where the cacophony of vehicle horns in heavy traffic is as loud as a rock concert. On the weekend, he stands at a busy intersection near his home holding a yellow placard with the Bengali rhyme “Horn Hudai, Bajay Bhudai” meaning “only an idiot honks a horn  unnecessarily”. “This is my silent protest against the nuisance. I just try to deliver the message to the people,” he told AFP as cars, buses and trucks rumbled noisily past him. Since starting his campaign four years ago, the graphic designer said he has received overwhelming support. “People on their way home stop by to stand by my side, silently holding my placards on the road even though they don’t know me. This is a sign of a  positive change.” Photos of his silent protest have been shared thousands of times on social media, attracting many supportive comments. According to the World Health Organisation, the maximum noise level that can be tolerated by humans for eight hours without some loss of hearing over time is 85 decibels. In Dhaka, home to 18mn people and more than a million registered motor vehicles, the sounds of honking can reach 110 decibels during peak hours, according to a 2017 environment department study. Heavy construction and loudhailers used for political and religious events add to the din that has contributed to Dhaka being regularly ranked as one of the world’s least liveable cities. Around 12% of Bangladesh’s 165mn population suffer from hearing problems due to noise pollution, the study found. “The number of traffic (policemen) coming to the hospital with hearing problems every week has become a major concern for us,” Bangladesh police spokesman Sohel Rana said. The government has passed anti-honking laws with culprits facing up to six months’  imprisonment. But the rules are weakly enforced and even illegal ear-splitting police and ambulance horns are used by ordinary drivers. Royal, who sometimes campaigns after work also, is worried his hearing will suffer due to the amount of time he spends standing at  intersections. But the young father said he would keep going until noise pollution reduces, adding that he was “taking a hit for a  greater cause”. “I strongly believe this abnormal behaviour (of honking) will change one day and we will be able to leave a better Dhaka for our future generations.”

Bangladesh cut access to 3G and 4G internet in Rohingya camps Tuesday, in a further clampdown on communications among the refugees as Dhaka grows increasingly frustrated with failed attempts to repatriate them back to Myanmar. Despite an agreement between the two countries in November 2017 to send back the Rohingya, virtually none of the 740,000 who fled Myanmar following an August 2017 military crackdown in Rakhine state have returned. The government has instructed operators to shut down 3G, 4G and LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks in the Rohingya camp areas in Teknaf and Ukhia, S.M. Farhad, secretary general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh, said in a statement. The border towns of Teknaf and Ukhia are home to three dozen refugee camps where the Rohingya live in squalid conditions. 2G services "will remain active," Farhad added, although a telecoms specialist in Bangladesh told AFP that 2G speeds in the area were too slow to transfer data or use mobile internet. Operators had already halted the sale of SIM cards in the camps and shut down 3G and 4G network connections between 5:00pm and 6:00am local time. Bangladesh's telecommunications regulator on September 3 ordered phone companies to temporarily cut off mobile access in the camps, citing security grounds. The clampdown has stunned the refugees and disrupted communications between different camps and with Rohingya still in Myanmar. Rights group Human Rights Watch on Saturday urged the government to end the restrictions, saying they "made matters worse". "The authorities should take a level-headed approach instead of overreacting to tensions and protests by isolating Rohingya refugees in camps," HRW said.

Some 200,000 Rohingya rallied in a Bangladesh camp Sunday to mark two years since they fled a violent crackdown by Myanmar forces, just days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees. During the brutal August 2017 offensive, around 740,000 of the Muslim minority escaped Myanmar's Rakhine state -- joining those who had fled earlier persecution. A total of nearly one million refugees now live in three dozen squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar. On Sunday, children, hijab-wearing women, and men in long-skirt lungis shouted "God is Great, Long Live Rohingya" as they marched at the heart of the world's largest refugee camp to commemorate what they described as "Genocide Day". Under the scorching sun, thousands joined in a popular song with the lyrics "the world does not listen to the woes of Rohingya". "I have come here to seek justice for the murder of my two sons. I will continue to seek justice until my last breath," 50-year-old Tayaba Khatun said as tears rolled down her cheeks. The UN last year called for Myanmar's top generals to be prosecuted for genocide over the crisis. Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah said the stateless minority wanted to return home, but only after they were granted citizenship, their security was ensured and they were allowed to settle back in their villages. "We have asked the Burmese government for dialogue. But we haven't got any response from them yet," Ullah told the rally. "We were beaten, killed and raped in Rakhine. But still that is our home. And we want to go back." Rohingya students from schools set up by aid agencies held marches with black flags and chanted "yes Rohingya... no Bengali" -- in reference to a term Myanmar has used for the ethnic group, implying they are from Bangladesh. The refugees burst into tears as they offered special prayers, seeking divine blessings for people who had died in the offensive. They had large banners urging Myanmar to "talk to us about citizenship and Rohingya ethnicity". Police officer Zakir Hassan told AFP some 200,000 Rohingya took part in the peaceful gathering. Smaller rallies were also held in several other camps. Security has been tight across Kutupalong camp, the world's largest refugee settlement and home to more than 600,000 Rohingya. "Hundreds of police, army and border guards have been deployed to prevent any violence," local police chief Abul Monsur told AFP. The rally came three days after the failed attempt to repatriate the refugees, which saw not a single Rohingya turn up to return across the border. Bangladesh and UN officials interviewed nearly 300 families, but none of them agreed to go back to Myanmar where they fear they would be kept in special camps for internally displaced people.  Myanmar blamed Dhaka for the failure, saying it had not followed correct procedure when distributing so-called "verification forms" to potential returnees -- a controversial form of identification that falls short of granting Rohingya citizenship. Bangladesh on Sunday said Myanmar's claims were baseless. "It is Myanmar's responsibility to create a conducive environment in Rakhine through decisive actions and to reduce the trust deficit of Rohingyas," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam told AFP authorities would continue to talk to more refugees in the next few days as part of repatriation efforts. Amnesty International said ongoing violence in Rakhine "makes immediate repatriation dangerous and unsustainable" and called on Bangladesh to provide schooling for children in the camps, adding that it would have long-term benefits for Dhaka and the refugees.

The United Nations' refugee agency and Bangladesh authorities on Tuesday started to consult more than 3,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to determine if any want to return home, officials said, as a fresh repatriation bid was launched. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine for neighbouring Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent", but many refugees refuse to go back, fearing more violence. Myanmar cleared 3,450 people to return, from a list of more than 22,000 provided by Bangladesh, authorities said. "The intentions surveys are beginning today," Louise Donovan, a UNHCR spokeswoman in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh, told Reuters. "Together, the government of Bangladesh and UNHCR will ask these refugees to come forward and discuss the option of repatriation." The agency will hold a second confidential interview with those who express a wish to return, she added, to discuss their intentions, and ensure the decision is voluntary, she said. "They will be asked to complete a voluntary repatriation form," she added. A representative of Bangladesh's refugee relief effort will also attend the interviews, a government official said. "The UN refugee agency has started interviewing the Rohingya on the list," Mohammad Abul Kalam, the country's refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, said by telephone. "Transit centres, transport facilities… everything is ready to start the repatriation on Thursday," he added. The UN Security Council is set to discuss the latest repatriation plan behind closed doors on Wednesday, at the request of Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and the United States, diplomats said. Previous attempts at persuading Rohingya to return to Rakhine have failed due to opposition from refugees. An effort in November sowed fear and confusion in the camps, and finally failed after refugee protests. 

At least 10,000 people are homeless after a massive fire swept through a crowded slum in the Bangladesh capital and destroyed thousands of shanties, officials said  yesterday. The fire broke out at in Dhaka’s Mirpur neighbourhood late on Friday and razed around 2,000 mostly tin shacks, fire services official Ershad Hossain said. “I could not salvage a single thing. I don’t know what will I do,” 58-year-old Abdul Hamid, who ran a tea stall inside the slum, said as he broke down in tears. Authorities eventually got the blaze under control and no-one was killed, although several people had minor injuries, firefighters said. Many residents - largely low-income garment factory workers - were not in the slum as they had left their homes to celebrate Eid al-Adha holiday with their families. “Otherwise, the damage would have been bigger,” local police chief Golam  Rabbani said. Around 10,000 people have taken refuge in crammed camps at nearby schools closed for the weeklong holiday, according to Hossain. “We are providing them with food, water, mobile toilets, and electricity supply,” municipal official Shafiul Azam said, adding that authorities were trying to find permanent  accommodation. Some families have erected tarpaulins to shelter them from bouts of rain during the monsoon season, but the wet conditions have turned the fields muddy. Experts say fires are frequent in Dhaka due to lax safety measures. At least 100 people have been killed so far this year in building fires across the densely populated metropolitan city. In 2012, a fire swept through a nine-storey garment factory near Dhaka killing 111 workers. An investigation found it was caused by sabotage and that managers at the plant had prevented victims from escaping. A 2010 fire in Nimtoli, one of the most densely populated districts of the capital, killed 123 people.

At least 10,000 people are homeless after a massive fire swept through a crowded slum in the Bangladesh capital and destroyed thousands of shanties, officials said Sunday. The fire broke out at in Dhaka's Mirpur neighbourhood late on Friday and razed around 2,000 mostly tin shacks, fire services official Ershad Hossain told AFP. "I could not salvage a single thing. I don't know what will I do," 58-year-old Abdul Hamid, who ran a tea stall inside the slum, told AFP as he broke down in tears. Authorities eventually got the blaze under control and no-one was killed, although several people had minor injuries, firefighters said. Many residents -- largely low-income garment factory workers -- were not in the slum as they had left their homes to celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday with their families. "Otherwise, the damage would have been bigger," local police chief Golam Rabbani said. Around 10,000 people have taken refuge in crammed camps at nearby schools closed for the weeklong holiday, according to Hossain. "We are providing them with food, water, mobile toilets, and electricity supply," municipal official Shafiul Azam told AFP, adding that authorities were trying to find permanent accommodation. Some families have erected tarpaulins to shelter them from bouts of rain during the monsoon season, but the wet conditions have turned the fields muddy. Experts say fires are frequent in Dhaka due to lax safety measures. At least 100 people have been killed so far this year in building fires across the densely populated metropolitan city. In 2012, a fire swept through a nine-storey garment factory near Dhaka killing 111 workers. An investigation found it was caused by sabotage and that managers at the plant had prevented victims from escaping. A 2010 fire in Nimtoli, one of the most densely populated districts of the capital, killed 123 people.

At least 40 people have died in Bangladesh's worst-ever outbreak of dengue, officials said Tuesday, as overburdened hospitals struggled to treat thousands of patients. Outbreaks of the mosquito-borne viral infection, which causes flu-like symptoms but can be deadly if it develops into a haemorrhagic fever, usually occur in the South Asian nation during the monsoon season between June and September -- but this year the disease has reached epidemic proportions. More than 44,000 people have been admitted to hospitals with the illness since January, including some 2,100 on Monday alone, said health ministry official Ayesha Akhter.  "We have confirmed 40 dengue-related casualties so far to Monday," she told AFP. Local media put the number much higher, reporting that the death toll passed 100 last week. The week-long holiday marking the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha has seen hundreds of thousands of people leaving Bangladeshi cities to return to their family homes in the countryside, raising concerns that the disease will spread further.  The country's health minister said the outbreak was "gradually reducing" while inaugurating an emergency dengue ward at a public hospital in Dhaka this week. For the first time on record, holidays for all public health workers have been cancelled to help respond to the crisis, said health ministry director general Abul Kalam Azad. "It is getting very tough to cope up with the amount of work pressure," one medical officer told AFP.

Conjoined Bangladeshi twins who were separated last week are in a stable condition, the team of Hungarian and Bangladeshi doctors who carried out the marathon operation said yesterday. Three-year-old Rabeya and Rukaya who were joined at the head suffered from a rare embryological disorder affecting an estimated one in every five to six million births. The girls were recovering after the 30-hour operation to separate their skulls and brains at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka. A surgical team of 35 Hungarians and more than 100 Bangladeshi doctors took part in the delicate procedure which they dubbed “Operation Freedom”. The girls were in stable condition after the final separation, the last phase in a lengthy series of surgeries since last year, said Gergely Pataki, founder of Action for Defenceless People Foundation (ADPF) which led the huge team of doctors. “But keeping in mind that such rare complicated surgical procedures has its risks, complications might still occur,” he told reporters at a press conference in CMH. The girls have undergone two neurosurgical operations and 44 plastic surgeries so far. Before the surgery doctors had said there was only a 50% chance of the twins surviving. According to ADPF, only a handful of operations to separate twins joined at the head have been successful. The Hungarian charity was set up in 2002 by neurosurgeon Andras Csokay and plastic surgeon Pataki to provide free surgery to poor people in Hungary and abroad. In the first phase of surgery in Bangladesh last year, the shared blood vessels of the twins’ brains were separated in a 14-hour operation. ADPF neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons supported by anaesthesiologists, radiologists and paediatricians also used innovative 3D animation software to map the two brains. The twins’ overwhelmed mother Taslima Khatun said she cried tears of joy when one her daughters spoke to her yesterday. “One of my babies this morning told me, ‘Mother take me on your lap.’ This gave me huge peace of mind. I’m so very happy,” she said. She was however concerned about whether the twins would make a complete recovery. Anaesthesiologist Marcell Csapody said they were “hopeful and optimistic” the twins would make a full recovery but had to be realistic as the youngsters were not yet completely out of danger. (AFP)