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Though Bangladesh's incumbent Awami League Government is taking strong action, Sheikh Hasina has a very serious challenge on her hands On the face of it, any talk of Islamist terrorism posing a threat to Bangladesh or the latter becoming a global staging ground for it appears absurd. Things have been improving since the savage terrorist strike at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka on July 1, 2016, which left 20 persons (guests at the eatery), all five of the terrorists, two police officers and two members of the bakery’s staff, dead. According to South Asia Terrorist Portal’s Datasheet Bangladesh, from...

The blaze on the three-decked vessel started mid-river near the town of Jhalakathi as it sailed from the capital Dhaka to the town of Barguna. Some of the victims drowned after jumping into the water. The number of casualties in Friday's disaster is likely to increase as many of the passengers have severe burns. As many as 500 people were reportedly on board the vessel, the MV Avijan-10. The fire is believed to have started in the engine room and quickly spread as the ferry travelled along the Sugandha river at around 03:00 local time (21:00 GMT Thursday), fire services...

The jet belonging to climate czar John Kerry's family made its way to Idaho, where he and his wife have reportedly vacationed, as he traveled in Asia to promote the Biden administration's message on the issue. Flight records show that the jet left Boston late afternoon and landed in Hailey, Idaho, later that evening. It's unclear what the trip was for but the Idaho Press reported last year that he and his wife, Teresa, have been part-time residents in the nearby Sun Valley for decades. According to the State Department, the former secretary of state is currently on a trip...

Nusrat Jahan Rafi was doused with kerosene and set on fire at her school in Bangladesh. Less than two weeks earlier, she had filed a sexual harassment complaint against her headmaster. Her courage in speaking out against sexual assault, her death five days after being set alight and everything that happened in-between has gripped Bangladesh and brought attention to the vulnerability of sexual harassment victims in this conservative South Asian country. Nusrat, who was 19, was from Feni, a small town 100 miles (160km) south of Dhaka. She was studying at a madrassa, or Islamic school. On 27 March, she...

A fire in the old town of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka has killed at least 60 people. The blaze broke out Wednesday evening in a residential building partly used as a chemical warehouse. … The blaze raced through four adjoining buildings, which were also used as chemical warehouses, he said. "There was a traffic jam when the fire broke out. It spread so quickly that people could not escape." The centuries-old Chawkbazar area of Dhaka characteristically has very narrow streets and residential buildings only inches apart. Victims also included people outside the buildings, some guests at a restaurant and members of...

A convoy carrying the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh was attacked by armed men in the capital city of Dhaka on Saturday evening. Although Ambassador Marcia Bernicat and her team escaped without injuries, two vehicles were damaged in the violence, according to the Dhaka Tribune. The U.S. embassy thanked local police for their quick response to stop the attackers. The attack came as thousands of students protested in the country, calling for safer roads. Demonstrations have turned violent. The BBC reported that at least 50 people had been injured on Saturday, and Agence France Presse (AFP) reported put the number at...

A new GPS study of Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar (Burma) has found startling evidence that the northeastern corner of the Indian subcontinent is actively colliding with Asia, potentially posing a major earthquake risk to one of the world’s most densely populated regions. A new GPS study of Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar (Burma) has found startling evidence that the northeastern corner of the Indian subcontinent is actively colliding with Asia, potentially posing a major earthquake risk to one of the world’s most densely populated regions. The years-long analysis is the first to incorporate GPS data from Bangladeshi tracking stations. It is...

Islamic gunmen shouting "Allahu Akbar" attacked an upscale cafe in the Bangladeshi capital, killing 20 people inside, before police stormed the building on Saturday and rescued 13 hostages, officials said. The attack, claimed by Islamic State, marks a major escalation in a campaign by Islamic militants over the past 18 months that had targeted mostly individuals advocating a secular or liberal approach in mostly Muslim Bangladesh. Six gunmen were killed during the police operation and one was captured, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in a TV broadcast. "Most of (the hostages) were killed mercilessly by sharp weapons last night," before...

Islamic Jihadists connected to ISIS have slaughtered 20 Foreigners taken hostage at a bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Security Forces from Bangladesh stormed the Bakery, killing all but one of the terrorists. But the 20 Foreigners, apparently mostly Italian and Japanese, were found dead, their throats slit. Reports indicate 13 hostages were “rescued,” but other reports indicate the Islamic Terrorists may have spared those 13 hostages because they could recite verses from the Koran, while those killed could not. The Bangladeshi English Newspaper “The Daily Star” reports that fact, as told by the father of one of the hostages . ....

DEVELOPING: Commandos backed by armored vehicles stormed a upscale restaurant in the Bangladesh's capital diplomatic zone early Saturday, hoping to free dozens of hostages held by Islamist militants following an hours-long standoff. Approximately two hours after the operation began, the sound of two big explosions were heard inside the Dhaka restaurant and a police official told the Associated Press that five bodies were seen lying in pools of blood. In Tokyo, Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda, citing Dhaka police, said 12 people had been rescued, including two foreigners.

For more than two years, a spate of brutal murders has rocked the South Asian nation. At first the killings had a clear pattern, targeting well-known secular writers in the capital, Dhaka. The attacks seemed designed to silence those who dared to criticize Islam. One of the most high-profile of these -- the murder of the Bangladeshi-American writer Avijit Royin 2014 -- took place right outside Dhaka's annual book fair. Then in April this year, a well-known LGBT activist and his friend were murdered while they were at home.In recent weeks these attacks extended into the countryside, increased in frequency,...

Hundreds of troops are storming a café in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, where gunmen took at least 20 hostages on Friday, security officials say. "Intense gunfighting (is) on," Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, of the Rapid Action Battalion force told Reuters. Explosions were also heard in the area. Reports say several of those held are Italian, and some may be Japanese. The fate of the hostages is unknown. The militant group Islamic State (IS) had said it carried out the attack.......

Up to nine attackers shouting "Allahu Akbar" stormed a popular restaurant in Dacca, Bangladesh Friday, taking hostages and setting off bombs in a siege claimed by ISIS. The Islamic State's Amaq News Agency said the attack on the restaurant was carried out by "Islamic State commandos," according to the SITE Intelligence Group which monitors jihadist activity.

ISIS claimed responsibility for a Bangladesh cafe attack today while hostages were still inside with gunmen."Islamic State commandos attack a restaurant frequented by foreigners in the city of Dhaka in Bangladesh," reported the ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency, which issued the first claim for the Orlando nightclub shooting.They likely wanted to get a claim out quickly because they're competing with another terror group in Bangladesh: al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.AQIS had not made any mention of the attack on their Twitter account or WordPress blog. They did reissue their hit-list guidelines on Wednesday, hinting at an upcoming attack.Both AQIS and ISIS...

On July 1, 2016, ISIS took responsibility for invading an ex-pat café in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, killing at least two and taking twenty hostages. At the same time, a Hindu priest was hacked to death in his temple. Now the world is paying more attention to this small South Asian country and wondering if Bangladesh is the new hot spot for ISIS, or perhaps al Qaeda. Whatever the handle used by the Muslim group that committed the latest attacks, there is no doubt that non-Muslim and dissident Muslim Bangladeshi natives have been living with terror at the hands of jihadis....

Emory University student Abinta Kabir was killed yesterday during the ISIS restaurant siege in Dhaka. The terrorists stormed the restaurant screaming “Allahu Akbar.” ** Hostages who could cite the Koran were spared. ** ISIS barbarians posted photos of the victims online during the siege. Twenty hostages were killed during the attack. Yahoo reported: Emory University says in an email to employees that one of the Dhaka restaurant attack victims was Abinta Kabir, a student at the school’s campus in Oxford, Georgia. She was visiting family and friends in Bangladesh when she was taken hostage and killed. University president James Wagner...

Several police officials have been wounded in the apparent terrorist attack, at least 20 civilians, mostly foreigners, held hostage inside the restaurant, according to witness accounts -

NEW DELHI: SNIPPET: "The US national, identified as Winston Marshal Carmichael, was detained late last night after CISF personnel found knife in his hand baggage during the security check when he was to leave for Doha in a Qatar Airways flight, official sources said. ( Watch Video ) Reminiscent of the case of terror suspect David Headley, arrested in Chicago in October last for allegedly plotting terror strikes in India, Carmichael is a convert from Christianity to Islam. The New York resident changed his religion some 40 years ago. Carmichael, who was flying to Doha in a Qatar Airways flight,...

NEW DELHI — Indian airports were on high alert Friday after intelligence services received information that Al Qaeda-linked militants were plotting to hijack a plane. Such an attack would be the first major terror strike against India since 10 militants rampaged through the city of Mumbai for three days in November 2008, killing 166 people. Aviation spokeswoman Moushumi Chakravarty said that the airports were placed on alert Thursday after the government received warnings from the intelligence agencies.(continued)

Note: The following text is a quote: https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=99000 OU ARE HERE: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report Warden Message: Bangladesh School Security CONSULAR AFFAIRS BULLETINS South / Central Asia - Bangladesh 19 Mar 2009 Printer Friendly Email Article RELATED REPORTS 2 Mar 2009 TRAVEL ALERT: BANGLADESH 2 Mar 2009 WARDEN MESSAGE: BANGLADESH ANTI-MUTINY OPERATIONS CONTINUE 26 Feb 2009 WARDEN MESSAGE: BANGLADESH BORDER GUARD REVOLT UPDATE 25 Feb 2009 WARDEN MESSAGE: BANGLADESH GUNFIRE INCIDENT 29 Jan 2009 WARDEN MESSAGE: BANGLADESH BISHWA IJTEMA EVENT; POTENTIAL DISRUPTIONS U.S. Embassy Dhaka released the following Warden Message on March 19: The Dhaka...