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When former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on 5 August in a military helicopter, 50 lakh young women and men, leaders and cadre of the students’ wing of her party Awami League, became outsiders in their own land. Such was the public ire against Hasina’s party and its students’ wing Chhatra League that some like Ishak Ali Khan Panna, the former general secretary of the League, died while trying to escape, while others like Shamim Ahmed, a former organising secretary of League’s Jahangirnagar University unit, was beaten to death . As recently as 11 November, two separate courts sent 55 Chhatra League leaders and activists to jail. “But the worst injustice was done to us when the Yunus regime branded us a terrorist organisation and banned us,” Saddam Hussain, president of Chhatra League, told ThePrint in a video interview from an undisclosed location. “There are more than 50 lakh leaders and workers associated with Chhatra League. From being youth icons for 15 long years as League’s cadre, we have been branded terrorists overnight,” Hussain said. Branding the Chhatra League a “terrorist organisation”, a government notification on 25 October said, “there was sufficient evidence indicating the student body continued to engage in conspiratorial, destructive, and provocative activities against the State even after the fall of the Awami League government”. Hussain said it is not just those who are directly associated with the Chhatra League but even its supporters are being targeted by the Yunus administration. “Supporting Awami League or Chhatra League is a democratic right as a citizen of Bangladesh as opposing them is.” Saddam claims more than 500 medical students who supported the Awami League or the Chhatra League have had their certificates cancelled after 5 August. Many had their internships cancelled, others were not allowed to sit for their exams. “Students who support us in any form have been prosecuted, unlawfully imprisoned, and the university authorities and the interim government are taking no responsibility to ensure their safety and security,” Saddam alleged. Political journalist Shahidul Hasan Khokon told ThePrint such a “manhunt” against a students’ organisation has never happened before in Bangladesh’s tumultuous political history. “The country has seen a bloody freedom struggle, political assassination of its founding father, military takeover, not so free and fair elections, but never before has a student organisation been targeted this way,” he said. Khokon said it’s ironic that the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its students’ wing, the Chhatra Shibir, are roaming free and yielding power in Yunus’ Bangladesh while the League has become a banned outfit. “Hasina had banned the Jamaat, which was against the very birth of Bangladesh, and had sided with the West Pakistan army to torture and kill the East Pakistani population that had risen in revolt. They openly advocate for Sharia law and today, in Bangladesh, they have become all powerful. This is a travesty of democracy,” said Khokon. Hussain claims Bangladesh is slowly realising that the student movement against quota in government jobs that eventually became a mass movement to oust Hasina was infiltrated by the Jamaat and its students’ wing. “Tell me, have you heard students killing policemen, stripping them and hanging their bodies from bridges in any student-led movement? And that too in such large numbers! The quota protest movement was highjacked from the very beginning. Gradually the country is realising that,” he said. An organising secretary of the Chhatra League, on condition of anonymity told ThePrint over phone he has gone in hiding and that his father was beaten up in the streets by Shibir members. “They threatened him with dire consequences if he did not disclose my hiding place. My younger sister has not been able to go to college ever since Hasina left. And she is not even part of the League. Is this the country a students’ revolution brought about?” Khan said. According to Khan, student groups have been clashing with each other with unfailing regularity since October. On 25 November, students from over a dozen colleges attacked Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College in Old Dhaka. At least 30 were injured as two groups of students hurled bricks at each other, the Daily Star reported. On 26 August, at least 50 people were injured in Dhaka when students clashed with hundreds of paramilitary personnel during a protest for job regularisation. “Yunus’ interim government supported by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement had promised a new beginning for Bangladesh. Instead, we have anarchy on the streets,” said Hussain. Chhatra League, which was previously known as the East Pakistan Student League, was founded by Sheikh Hasina’s father, Mujibur Rahman, on 4 January 1948 in Dhaka University’s Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall. Khaleque Nawaz Khan was the founder general secretary and Naeemuddin Ahmed was the first convener. While the League played an important role in the Bengali Language Movement of 1952 as well as the 1971 War of Independence, it has faced a fair share of controversies during Hasina’s time in office. Abrar Fahad, a 22-year-old student was allegedly beaten to death in October 2019 by members of the League in Dhaka after he criticised the government in a Facebook post. This incident snowballed into a huge controversy in Bangladesh. “Not just violence against its detractors, League leaders have been involved in sex rackets, extortion and rape allegations,” a Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology student told ThePrint. “Plus, it is somewhat ironical to see them express solidarity with Hindus in Bangladesh today. During Hasina’s time as the prime minister, many League leaders had harassed students inside campuses for belonging to the minority community,” Pal said. Hussain said a student organisation this big is bound to be mired in some controversies, as unfortunate as they are. “Before 2008, universities would be closed for months due to violent clashes between student organizations. In the past 15 years, educational institutions were never shut for such reasons. The Awami League government and the Chhatra League ensured normalcy in educational institutions,” Hussain said. According to Nadeem Khan, the only thing that matters to the lakhs of League members is to get Sheikh Hasina back in the country as the prime minister. “The Sheikh Hasina-led government has consecutively won national elections, and stayed in power by the vote of people. Opposition parties participated in the national polls when Hasina was in power. Yunus’ is an unelected government and does not have the mandate of the people. How can it continue to remain in power?” Khan said. Hussain said leaders of the League in hiding are planning to organise mass protests in the country to bring Hasina back. “The moment we come out of hiding, we are being arrested or killed. But the wheels have started to turn. Yunus has emboldened radical elements within Bangladesh who are taking it back to its East Pakistan days when minorities were targeted and an Islamist idea of the country was enforced. Common people are fed up in four months with the Yunus government that is even denying us our independence history of 1971,” he said. According to Hussain, the Bangladesh civil society is not taking kindly to the Yunus administration cosying up to Pakistan, a country Bangladesh had snatched its freedom from. On 5 September, Nahid Islam, broadcasting and IT minister of the interim government, said during a meeting with the Pakistani envoy to Dhaka that Bangladesh wants to resolve the issue of the 1971 liberation war with Pakistan and “strengthen relations between the two countries to ensure a democratic South Asia”. “Unspeakable horrors were unleashed upon the erstwhile East Pakistani population by the West Pakistani army in 1971. Cosying up to Pakistan is literally the last straw. The Chhatra League will start a massive online campaign soon to bring Hasina back to Bangladesh as the prime minister. And, Inshallah, it shall have the entire country’s support,” said Hussain. Hussain said both the top leadership as well as the grassroots activists are recuperating, and reestablishing connections nationwide among members. “We are gearing up to fight for the idea of Bangladesh Yunus is trying to change,” he said. Hussain said it won’t be an easy fight. “My interview was not published by a media outlet because of pressure from the government. Media has been instructed to not report any activity of the Awami League and the Chhatra League. Shafikul Islam, Yunus’ press secretary, has said Awami League and Chhatra League won’t be allowed any political activity. Law enforcement agencies are instructed to arrest and imprison our activists if we take out a procession or assemble. But we aren’t giving up,” he said. (Edited by Ratan Priya) var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );CHICAGO (AP) — Two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers' starting lineup against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. After missing his first seven shots and ambling deliberately in his left knee brace in the first quarter, the 2023 MVP went on a tear to propel the Sixers to a 108-100 win over the Chicago Bulls. Embiid connected on eight of his next 10 shots in the second quarter for his first 19 points of the game, which lifted Philadelphia to a 62-50 halftime lead. The Sixers stretched it to 19 before holding on for their fourth win in five games, and Embiid finished with 31. “I just got lucky and started making shots,” Embiid deadpanned when he talked to reporters almost 90 minutes after the game. “We just missed shots and we adjusted and we got them in.” Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, added 12 rebounds in his fifth game this season. The 7-foot center had missed the previous seven games because of knee injuries and a three-game suspension for pushing a sports columnist. Embiid finished slightly above his career average of nearly 27.8 points per game in 33 minutes. The Sixers don't play again until Friday thanks to the NBA Cup, so coach Nick Nurse planned to give his star ample work Sunday with a break and recovery time ahead. “All of a sudden he certainly caught fire there with a little bit of variety,” Nurse said. “I know a lot of it seemed like foul-line jumpers, which it was. He snuck in a roll or two and a couple of post-ups. It gave us a lot of confidence.” The Sixers trailed 33-23 after the first quarter. Behind Embiid and a 16-0 run in the second, they took the lead for good. Chicago got within four points twice in the fourth, but Philadelphia closed it out. “We guarded really well and we rebounded extremely well at both ends,” Nurse said. Tyrese Maxey got his first career triple-double as part of the winning formula and clicked with Embiid. Maxey finished with 25 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. “It was great, that's who he is,” Maxey said of Embiid. “After he got in the game it's easy, it was easier, man. There was a lot more space out there.” The All-Star trio of Embiid, Maxey and Paul George (12 points) played together for only the second game this season. “Obviously we've got the connection,” Embiid said. "We know when things are not going right, what we need to do. Now it's up to us to make the shots and the plays. “After that first quarter, it just felt like we needed to take more of an ownership as far as getting us back in the game. They're great players.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home was broken into during Monday Night Football in the latest home invasion of a pro athlete in the U.S., authorities said Tuesday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home was broken into during Monday Night Football in the latest home invasion of a pro athlete in the U.S., authorities said Tuesday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s home was broken into during Monday Night Football in the latest home invasion of a pro athlete in the U.S., authorities said Tuesday. No one was injured in the break-in, but the home was ransacked, according to a report provided by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies weren’t immediately able to determine what items were stolen. A person who is employed by Burrow arrived at the Anderson Township home Monday night to find a shattered bedroom window and the home in disarray. The person called their mother, and then 911 was contacted, according to the report. Deputies reached out to neighbors in an attempt to piece together surveillance footage. “Our investigators are exploring every avenue,” public information officer Kyla Woods said. The homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into in October. In the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis had his home broken into Nov. 2 and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr.’s home was burglarized on Sept. 15 while he was at a Minnesota Vikings game. Portis had offered a $40,000 reward for information. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Both the NFL and NBA issued security alerts to players after those break-ins, urging them to take additional precautions to secure their homes. In league memos previously obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL said homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” And the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood, according to officials. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement AdvertisementHeartbroken Married At First Sight UK star reveals shock split after five months and reveals reason it didn’t work outAn aerial drone photo shows a view of the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province on Dec 21, 2024. – Xinhua photo HARBIN (Dec 29): Braving the biting cold, tourists are flocking to the snow-covered St Sophia Cathedral, a century-old Byzantine building in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, with many stopping to pose for photos. Harbin, often called the “Ice City,” has become one of China’s most popular winter travel destinations, drawing visitors worldwide. This year, it has seen a new wave of international tourists, with travelers eager to experience the city’s historical and winter wonders. For Nadia Jovita Injilia Riso, a tourist from Indonesia, visiting the St Sophia Cathedral was like a long-cherished dream coming true. It was amazing to see such a beautiful Western-style building in China, with people dressed as princes and princesses, which felt like traveling through a time tunnel, she said. Strolling along Central Street, Harbin’s landmark pedestrian area, Riso enjoyed the melodies of a harpist playing from a balcony. She also took the opportunity to savor the local ice cream. “Harbin is famous for its winter tourism and ice sports, but my trip here has been full of unexpected surprises. “The melodies, the food and the welcoming locals have left an unforgettable impression,” she said. Riso noted that she has already visited the indoor ice-and-snow facility of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, one of China’s most iconic winter attractions, and would like to try the outdoor Super Ice Slide. “This is a very interesting place because you can make big ice sculptures into very interesting things.” Last winter, the Harbin Ice-Snow World skyrocketed in popularity on Chinese social media, capturing the country’s growing passion for winter sports and tourism. It has once again gained massive attraction this winter. This year’s edition of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, the world’s largest ice-and-snow theme park, received 62,000 visitors on the first day of opening last Dec 21. “Everything is a great experience because Indonesia is a tropical country and we don’t have snow,” Riso said, adding that the Harbin Ice-Snow World is on a friend’s wish list, and she will recommend it to her, as well as other friends. For Moo Swee Ming, a member of a 16-person tour group from Malaysia, the ice and snow attractions are a must-see. “For first-time visitors here, it’s a must to experience the icy world of snow and ice. It’s a rare opportunity,” said Moo, adding that what the ice and snow tourism of Heilongjiang attracts them most are the “Snow Town” in the city of Mudanjiang and the ice sculptures on Central Street and in the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin. Walking through the Chinese Baroque Historic and Cultural Block in Harbin, Tabutei Prasad, a tourist from Fiji, found herself captivated by the intricately carved door lintels and window frames along the street. “This place showcases traditional Chinese courtyards alongside Baroque-style buildings, offering a tangible connection to the city’s deep history and inclusive spirit,” she said. Home to the largest and best-preserved collection of Chinese Baroque architecture, this area has been revitalised in recent years with creative modern initiatives, adding a new layer of charm. Apart from the ice and snow wonders and historical attractions, foreign travelers are also impressed by the innovative spirit of Harbin’s younger generations. After visiting the Harbin Design Center earlier this month, Hiroki Ishii, a Japanese tourist, expressed his admiration for a cup featuring the bright-colored “northeast floral pattern”. This traditional design, featuring large peony flowers, is a unique symbol of the culture in China’s northeast region. Ishii, whose family plans to visit Harbin for the upcoming New Year holiday, said he was surprised to see the pattern on such modern everyday items and even on people’s down jackets in the streets. He believes local designers have successfully revived this unique cultural symbol, turning it into a commercial success. With its unique charm, Harbin has already seen growing popularity among “China Travel” goers. According to the Harbin immigration inspection station, as of Dec 19, Harbin Taiping International Airport had handled 136,000 inbound and outbound foreign tourists this year, marking an increase of 181 per cent year on year. With the implementation of China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy and the upcoming 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games, the city is poised to attract even more international tourists this winter. Wang Hongxin, director of Harbin’s culture, radio, television and tourism department, said the city is working to enhance the overall tourist experience by improving dining, accommodation, transportation, shopping and entertainment through the latest technologies. Harbin is creating a series of new attractions and landmarks, offering global tourists a feast of ice-and-snow tourism, Wang added. – XinhuaEmma Eugenia Vastola