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Editor of ‘Dhaka Tribune’ whitewashes crimes against Hindus in Bangladesh, belongs to the family of Huseyn Suhrawardy who orchestrated Direct Action Day

Dibakar Dutta
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Editor of ‘Dhaka Tribune’ whitewashes crimes against Hindus in Bangladesh, belongs to the family of Huseyn Suhrawardy who orchestrated Direct Action Day

Amid reports of Islamist onslaught on Hindus in Bangladesh, the Editor of the popular English daily ‘Dhaka Tribune‘ attempted to whitewash the atrocities committed against the minority community.

In a vicious article published on Friday (23rd August) and titled ’10 things India needs to know about Bangladesh’, Zafar Sobhan rationalised attacks on Hindus as an aftermath of anarchy and lawlessness in the country.

At the very onset, the propaganda artist claimed, “Hindus are not in danger. Yes, in the initial chaos following Sheikh Hasina’s fleeing, there was a short period of anarchy and lawlessness, and, yes, unfortunately, some of those who were targeted were members of the Hindu community.”

Screengrab of the article in the Dhaka Tribune

Almost immediately, the Editor of the Dhaka Tribune laid the foundation to justify the targeted attacks as ‘regular events’ in the context of the Indian subcontinent.

Zafar Sobhan wrote, “At times like this, those targeted are often the most powerless and as we all know in south Asia, minorities sadly always remain vulnerable.”

As typical of those whitewashing atrocities on Bangladeshi Hindus, the Editor of the Dhaka Tribune was quick to dismiss violence orchestrated by violent Muslim mobs as the aftermath of political targeting.

Editor of Dhaka Tribune negated religious motivation behind attack on Hindus.

“But the notion that Hindus were the subject of some kind of pogrom and that their targeting and dispossession was in fact an integral prong of the revolution is a fiction,” Zafar shrewdly negated the religious motivation behind the attacks on Hindus.

A similar strategy was previously used by the UK’s national broadcaster BBC, which relied on selective ‘fact-checking’, false equivalence and cherry-picking to downplay attacks on the Hindu community.

Zafar was seen siding with the perpetrators and peddling the misleading narrative of Muslims ‘protecting’ temples from being attacked without specifying the religious affiliation of those endangering the Hindu religious sites.

Temple protectors have religion but attackers don’t

This was the same playbook that was earlier employed by Mohammed Zubair of Alt News.

“Things have already calmed down considerably and as important as the reports of minorities under attack were, the accounts of Muslims and Hindus teaming up to protect temples and minority neighbourhoods were far more typical, widespread, and noteworthy,” the propaganda artist claimed.

It’s indeed an interesting case where alleged protectors of temples are identified with the religion but not the attackers.

Zafar Sobhan makes dubious comparisons between India and Bangladesh

To further nullify legitimate concerns among Indians about the religious persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, the editor of the ‘Dhaka Tribune’ claimed that minorities were safer in Bangladesh as compared to India.

“Things are far from perfect in Bangladesh when it comes to minority rights, but minorities in Bangladesh are much safer and more secure than in, say, India, just to pick a random country by way of comparison,” he brazened out.

Zafar Sobhan was unable to explain how the ‘minority’ Muslim population in India surged from 9.84% in 1947 to 14.09% in 2011 despite supposed ‘lack of safety’ while the Hindu population in Bangladesh has been on a serious decline.

Lies of Bangladeshi ‘journalist’ find takers in Indian media

The anti-Hindu propaganda peddled by Zafar was reproduced by the Indian leftist news portal, Scroll, which itself has a rich history of downplaying Hinduphobia.

Veteran ‘journalist’ Shekhar Gupta, who runs The Print, also amplified the lies of the Editor of ‘Dhaka Tribune.’

Zafar Sobhan belongs to the family of the man who masterminded the Great Calcutta Killings

Zafar Sobhan is the son of late Bangladeshi activist and barrister Salma Sobhan, who in turn is related to the ‘Butcher of Bengal‘ Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

On August 16, 1946, Kolkata witnessed one of the most violent episodes in its history – Direct Action Day. It was carried out at the behest of Muslim League leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Muslim mobs orchestrated massive violence against Hindus on the directives of the then Bengal’s Chief Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

Newspaper cutting of Amrita Bazar Patrika from 17th August 1946

Suhrawardy delivered provocative speeches to large Muslim crowds and encouraged them to attack Hindus. He promised them that the police and army would not stop their carnage.

He also manipulated the police force and ensured that they did not respond to calls for help from Hindus. The political and legal immunity granted to Muslim mobs allowed them to carry out widespread killings, looting, rapes, and displace lakhs of Hindus.

Suhrawardy’s primary aim was to intimidate Hindus into submission and ensure Bengal’s inclusion in the proposed Muslim-majority Pakistan. Encouraged by the success of Direct Action Day, radical Muslims went on to carry out anti-Hindu pogroms such as the Noakhali riots.

UP: Muslim mob attacks Hindu boy and burqa-clad Muslim girl sitting in a garden in Bareilly

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Muslim mob attacks Hindu boy and burqa-clad Muslim girl sitting in a garden in Bareilly

In the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, a Hindu youth and a burqa-clad Muslim girl sitting together in a garden were attacked by Islamists. A video of the incident shows the duo sitting as a few men approach them angrily asking about the details. The Islamists also slapped the duo and asked the Hindu youth to show his Aadhaar Card.

Meanwhile, the Hindu youth called someone he claimed was in the police and asked him to come to the location. The Hindu youth said that the Muslim girl was like his sister, however, the Islamists were adamant about seeing their Aadhaar Cards.

As the video of the incident surfaced online, Bareilly Police came into action. Responding to an X post, Bareilly Police said that the inspector in charge of the relevant police station has been directed to investigate the matter and take the required action.

“The Inspector in Charge of Kotwali, Bareilly has been directed to investigate and take necessary legal action,” Bareilly Police said.

Notably, in recent times several incidents of Islamists assaulting Hindu men for being in relationship with Muslim women, or simply being seen with them. These Islamists peddle the theory of ‘Bhagwa Love Trap claiming that Hindu men were trapping Muslim women deliberately in love affairs and then assaulting them.

In May this year, a Hindu auto-rickshaw driver was attacked by several Muslim youths on 17th April for picking up a burqa-clad Muslim woman passenger in Karnataka.

In April, a Hindu professor of Shibli PG College, in UP’s Azamgarh was assaulted and threatened on 24th April while brandishing a pistol by a Muslim mob alleging a ‘Bhagwa love trap’. The accused also tried to incite religious sentiments by making a video of the incident viral online.

Last year, OpIndia’s undercover investigation exposed several WhatsApp groups made to keep a watch on the women of their community. They also prevented Muslim women from hanging out with men from other communities (especially the Hindu Faith) through coercion, moral policing and real-life attacks

Punjab: Pastor Jacob Masih and 8 others beat a daily wage labourer suffering from seizures to death claiming to remove the devil from his body

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Pastor Jacob Masih and 8 others beat a daily wage labourer suffering from seizures to death claiming to remove the devil from his body

A 30-year-old daily wage labourer was brutally beaten to death in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, Police said on Sunday (25th August). According to Police, nine individuals including a Pastor have been booked in this case. The victim was suffering from seizures and used to scream. When his family sought help from a pastor named Jacob Masih, the pastor along with eight others brutally thrashed the victim claiming to remove the devil from his body. However, the brutal assault resulted in the victim’s demise. 

According to reports, the victim has been identified as Samuel Masih. He is a resident of Singhpura village in Gurdaspur’s Dhariwal. The Police said that he was suffering from seizures and used to scream. 

They added that his family invited a local pastor identified as Jacob Masih to their home to hold a prayer for Samuel on Wednesday. 

Pastor Jacob told them that Samuel was possessed by the devil and added that they would “force the devil away” from his body by beating him up. They had brainwashed the family by assuring them that nothing would happen to Masih. 

Subsequently, pastor Jacob and eight others started beating Samuel Masih. Samuel was badly beaten and died on the spot. His family buried his body on the next day.  

Two days after his demise, Samuel’s mother and his wife lodged a complaint against Pastor Jacob Masih and others. 

On Saturday, Police exhumed his body for a post-mortem examination. Police stated that the entire exercise was conducted under the supervision of duty magistrate Inderjit Kaur. 

Police officials further stated that a case has been registered against the pastor and eight others under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

It is pertinent to note that a similar incident was reported in the Atlanta area of the USA earlier this year on 9th January. Back then, a decomposed body of a South Korean woman was found in the trunk of a car. She was lured to the Atlanta area by a “religious organisation” with promises of “finding God”. As per reports, it was later found out that she was beaten to death by ‘Soldiers of Christ’ ‘to exorcise demon spirit’. 

According to Fox News, the prosecutors stated that 33-year-old Sehee Cho was allegedly killed during a brutal initiation into the “Soldiers of Christ”. It is said to be a fanatic religious group which is led by two South Korean brothers.

Seven individuals, mostly family members were accused of holding Cho captive in their basement for weeks. During her captivity, they assaulted her with a belt, subjected her to ice baths, and starved her to death. Her body was found in September 2023. 

Law enforcement believed that they had arrested all the “soldiers” involved in this case. Strikingly, the apprehensions of cult activity deeply unsettled “The Seoul of the South” which is a predominantly Korean community in Gwinnett County, Georgia. A cult expert had warned that similar groups may be operating covertly across the country.

‘In Assam, if we ask the name of Shahjahan or Shahzalal, intellectuals play victim card’: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says he and his family face threats for fighting against land jihad

OpIndia Staff
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‘In Assam, if we ask the name of Shahjahan or Shahzalal, intellectuals play victim card’: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says he and his family face threats for fighting against land jihad

During a recent press conference, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asked a journalist for his name. Coincidentally, the journalist hailed from the Muslim community which prompted the leftist-Islamist gang as well as the opposition parties to exploit the development. They targeted CM Sarma and dubbed him ‘communal’. Now, days after the incident, CM Sarma has hit back at the usual suspects stating that he asked the journalist’s name as it was necessary for security reasons.

Responding to the opposition and its ecosystem’s ‘communal’ charge for asking the name of the journalist, CM Sarma explained, “There is a rule in press conferences that journalists ask questions after introducing themselves by name. This is also mandatory for security.” 

However, Sarma lamented that in Assam if someone asks the name of Shahjahan or Shahjalal, then intellectuals play the “victim card”. He has also shared the video of his remarks over the journalist’s name row on his official X handle. 

He added that since his government has been taking stern action against Land Jihad in Assam, they are being targeted by the ‘Toolkit’ gang. 

He explained the Toolkit of Land Jihad stating that once one or two people enter a region, they start eating a ‘certain kind of animal’, cows. Then the nearby people start to leave. There is a complete pattern. These are the things that are happening in Barpeta, Mangaldol.

Along with the video explaining ‘Land Jihad Toolkit’, CM Sarma wrote, “I am fighting against the changing demography in Assam and because of this fight, there is a huge threat to me and my family. People in the ecosystem can abuse me as much as they want, but I will not back down.”

Slamming Congress and other opposition parties for recent incidents that pose challenges to the law and order situation in the state, CM Sarma said, “The pattern is same, after the Lok Sabha elections in Assam, in the areas where a party increased its vote share, the supporters of this party, i.e. a particular community, got so much courage that they could assert their dominance. The incidents of atrocities on Hindu women are the result of this.”

He further stated, “In Assam, crime against women is also a part of a large encroachment strategy. They scare families and then grab their land. The holy town of Dhing and the site of a recent crime against a Hindu minor, once had 90% Hindu population. Today, it has 90% Muslim population.”

Earlier, on 21st August, during a media interaction, an online media journalist named Shah Alam asked a question to CM Sarma. Alam had asked whether the state government had taken any action against the cutting of hills in Mandakata, which falls under his Jalukbari constituency.

In response to his query, CM Sarman asked Alam if he had any video footage of hill cutting, and then he should share it adding that if the hill-cutting operation is going there then it will have to be stopped.  

He, however, added that the cutting of Mandakata hill could not be the reason for the sudden flood in Guwahati, as it is located on the northern bank of Brahmaputra. During this interaction, the CM asked the journalist for his name. The journalist identified himself as Shah Alam. He then mentioned the name of a private university, whose founder and chancellor is a Muslim man named Mahbubul Haq. Earlier, Sarma had also held this university in Meghalaya responsible for the floods in Guwahati. 

CM Sarma had stated that trees within the forest area were cut on a large scale for the construction of the campus of the University of Science and Technology, located near Guwahati in Meghalaya, which led to flash floods in Guwahati. He added that the gates of the university resembled Mecca (Islamic city of Saudi Arabia). He also mentioned that he would be approaching the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the university.

The leftist and Islamist gangs as well as the opposition parties hyped up the matter and dubbed him communal. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had said, “What the Assam CM said is unacceptable and condemnable. A sick mind and a loud mouth are a toxic combination.”

Maharashtra: Pune Police book over 300 individuals after an Islamist mob gheraoed Collector’s office and raised ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans against Ramgiri Maharaj

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Pune Police book over 300 individuals after an Islamist mob gheraoed Collector’s office and raised ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans against Ramgiri Maharaj

On Sunday (25th August), Pune City Police booked over 300 people for illegally assembling, conducting a protest march without permission, and raising objectionable ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans in front of the Pune Collector’s office. 

According to the information received, the Islamist mob carried out the protest march on Friday, without taking necessary permission from the administration. According to Pune City Police officials, a case was lodged at Bund Garden Police Station on Saturday. The accused have been booked under sections 189(2), 190, 196, and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as sections 135 and 37(1) of the Maharashtra Police Act. 

Incidentally, the protest where the Islamist mob raised the objectionable ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans – which seek death punishment by beheading – against Saint Ramgiri Maharaj, was organised under the banner of ‘A Sarvdharm Sambhav Mahamorcha’. 

During the march, the Islamist protestors demanded Sar tan se Juda [beheading] punishment for Ramgiri Maharaj for his recent remarks during a sermon in Nashik’s Sinnar region. It was seemingly the redux of the Nupur Sharma incident. 

During the sermon on 16th August, the Hindu religious leader explained various significant verses from ancient holy Hindu scriptures and urged his followers to lead a righteous life. He indicated that several Islamists had disrespected women in the past because of the religious doctrine they followed. 

However, the remarks sparked wide outrage in several districts of Maharashtra including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Mumbai, and Pune with several Islamist leaders and organizations filing FIRs against Ramgiri Maharaj for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims. 

The Islamists alleged that Ramgiri Maharaj passed derogatory comments on Prophet Mohammed during his sermon on 16th August which enraged the entire Muslim community. Since then they have been demanding ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ (death) punishment for Ramgiri Maharaj. However, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde had extended support to the Hindu saint. 

Meanwhile, earlier, on Tuesday, a mob staged a protest against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district. 

Furthermore, it was reported earlier, on 22nd August, that Madhya Pradesh police took strict action against Islamists who pelted stones and created a ruckus in Chhatarpur Kotwali police station on Wednesday afternoon while protesting against Ramgiri Maharaj. 

Following the orders of CM Mohan Yadav, the police registered a case against 150 people involved in the ruckus. The FIR included 50 named and 100 other people who pelted stones at the police station injuring two officers. Later accused Haji Shahzad Ali’s house in Mastan Sahab Colony of Chhatarpur city was demolished with the help of a bulldozer.

(Inputs from ANI)

Bangladesh: Madrasa student caught after vandalising three Hindu temples, says he did it after seeing rumours of India causing floods in the country

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh: Madrasa student caught after vandalising three Hindu temples, says he did it after seeing rumours of India causing floods in the country

A Madrasa student in Bangladesh was arrested on Friday for vandalising three Hindu temples. After the arrest, he said that he targeted the temples because of rumours that the ongoing floods in Bangladesh were caused by water released by India.

18-year-old Rabbi Hossain was caught by locals while vandalising the third temple after smashing idols and other items in two temples and handed over to the police. The incident took place in temples of Pakuria and Kaligram areas of the Rajshahi Bagha Upazila on Friday morning. According to the locals, Rabbi Hossen broke the locks of Hindu temples at Pakuria Palpara, Ghoshpara and Kaligram areas in the Pakuria Union, and vandalised idols and other items in the temples. The name of the targeted temples are Kaligram Sarvajanin Durga Temple, Panikamara Temple and Pakuria Temple.

He was caught red-handed while vandalising the temple in Kaligram’s Pundaripara in Bagh municipality. Arun Sarkar, president of the temple committee, filed a complaint against Rabbi after he was handed over to police.

Upazila Puja Celebration Committee President Sujit Kumar Pandey immediately visited the three temples after receiving the news. Talking about the incident, he said that Rabbi Hossain has admitted that he attacked the temples after seeing the rumours of floods in the country caused by water released by India.

Pandey said, “he smashed the idol in one temple, and vandalised other items in the other two temple. He has admitted in front of the people present at the police station that he did it alone, and nobody was with him. When asked why he did it, Rabbi said that he saw on his sister’s phone that water has been released from India. Because of this, the people of Bangladesh are drowning in flood water. He couldn’t sleep all night watching this video. Unable to control his emotions, he went to break the temples alone.”

In this regard, Bagha Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abu Siddique said that a case has been registered in the name of Rabbi Hossain in the vandalism incident. Later he was sent to jail by a court. It is being investigated whether anyone else is involved with him or not.

Notably, while Bangladesh is facing floods, anti-India circles in the country had spread a rumour that the floods in Feni, Cumilla, and Noakhali districts caused by release of water from Dumbur Hydroelectric Project on Gumti river in Tripura. Students protests against India over the rumour.

But Indian govt had denied the claim, and explained that the dam is too far away to cause any flood in Bangladesh. MEA said that the floods were caused by heavy rainfall in Tripura and Bangladesh in the downstream areas of the dam.  

Rajashi Bagha upazila, where the temples were vandalised by the Madrasa student, is located along the border with West Bengal, far away from the places where floods were claimed to have been caused by water released from Tripura.

Union Minister and LJP leader Chirag Paswan favours Caste Census, says accurate data needed as many govt schemes designed keeping caste in mind

ANI
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Union Minister and LJP leader Chirag Paswan favours Caste Census, says accurate data needed as many govt schemes designed keeping caste in mind

After the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, reiterated the demand for a caste census on Saturday, sparking fresh debate over the issue, Union Minister Chirag Paswan expressed his support for the initiative.

Paswan stated that a caste census is essential, as many government schemes are framed with caste considerations in mind.

Notably, Paswan was re-elected as the National President of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) on Sunday during the party’s National Executive meeting held in Ranchi.

While interacting with the media, Paswan said, “My party has always maintained a clear stance in favour of a caste census. We want the caste census to happen because many times, both state and central governments design schemes that take caste into account. These schemes are prepared with the intent of integrating different castes into the mainstream.”

“In such a situation, the government should have accurate information about the population of each caste. At the very least, this data should exist so that funds can be allocated proportionately. Whether it’s about implementing schemes or integrating certain castes into the mainstream, the government should have these figures,” he added.

When asked about his re-election as the National President of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Paswan said, “The National Executive meeting was held today in Ranchi, with executive members from across the country in attendance. The primary objective of this meeting was to elect the National President. I have been re-elected as the National President of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).”

Earlier, addressing a gathering at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Prayagraj, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “I checked the list of Miss India contestants to see if there were any Dalit, tribal, or OBC women, but there were none.”

He criticised the media for being indifferent to the concerns of farmers and labourers, stating, “The media still focuses on dance, music, cricket, and Bollywood, but it does not discuss the issues of farmers and labourers.”

Rahul further asserted that when Congress forms the government, it will conduct a caste census and remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations.

“We will conduct a caste census, and the 50 per cent cap on reservations, which I do not accept, will be removed. First, we need to have data regarding the participation of different castes in various institutions. Talks about reservations always occur, but they never materialise,” he said.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Israel and Hezbollah exchange ‘heaviest strikes’ since October 7th Hamas terror attack, Israeli jets destroy thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers

OpIndia Staff
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Israel and Hezbollah exchange ‘heaviest strikes’ since October 7th Hamas terror attack, Israeli jets destroy thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers

On Sunday (25th August), Israel and Islamic terror group Hezbollah exchanged their “heaviest strikes” since the 7th October 2023 Hamas terror attacks on Israeli territories. In the early hours of the morning, Israel carried out what it described as pre-emptive strikes across Southern Lebanon to foil Hezbollah’s plan for a “large scale” attack on Central and Northern Israel.

Following massive Israeli airstrikes on Sunday morning, Lebanon-based Hezbollah returned fire with a barrage of drones and rockets across the border. However, Israel said that it suffered “very little damage” because of the Hezbollah’s attacks. Nonetheless, the heavy exchanges across the Israel-Lebanon border mark an escalation in the Middle East conflict that had been feared in the aftermath of the 7th October terror attacks. 

The recent escalation unfolded after hundreds of Israeli fighter jets struck several Hezbollah camps in Lebanon late at night on Saturday (24th August), as an act of “self-defence“. Israel said that its attack was a preemptive strike on “thousands” of Hezbollah rocket and missile systems. According to the Israeli Defence Forces, these sites were about to launch a major attack on Israeli targets. 

The Israeli airstrikes struck sites across the outskirts of almost 30 small towns in southern Lebanon, damaging electricity and water infrastructure, the Washington Post reported citing state-run Israeli media. The Israel Defense Forces said that it struck additional Hezbollah targets later on Sunday.

Immediately after the Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah said it had launched 320 Katyusha rockets (the terror outfit’s primary weapon against Israel) to target 11 Israeli military bases and barracks. 

The Shia terror outfit described the retaliatory strikes as “phase one” of a multi-stage attack saying that it was the revenge for the killing of Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur last month. Hezbollah alleged that he was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. Israel had blamed Shukur for the killing of 12 children in a rocket attack in the occupied Golan Heights. However, it did not comment on the Shukur killing. 

Hezbollah also dismissed the Israeli military’s statement that their strikes on Sunday thwarted a larger attack. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, will deliver a speech later in the day to address the recent hostilities with Israel, the group announced earlier today. Later, the Hezbollah announced it had concluded its offensive. 

Regarding Hezbollah’s retaliatory strikes, Israeli officials said that most of the barrage from Hezbollah was intercepted by air-defense systems. According to them, more than 150 rockets and drones were involved in the Hezbollah’s attack. They added that they were still assessing the damage but said that there were no immediate reports of injuries. 

(Israeli air force destroys a Hezbollah drone in northern Israel, Image Credit – JALAA MAREY / AFP – Getty Images)

During a press briefing, IDF Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said that they were still in a situation of the aftermath of the attack but claimed that there was, “very little damage.”

Furthermore, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces were “determined to do everything possible to defend our country”. He added, “Whoever harms us – we will harm them.” 

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Israel was “acting to protect its citizens and territory” and “does not seek all-out war” in the Middle East. 

Israel also stated that Lebanese civilians had been warned to immediately leave areas where Hezbollah was operating.

The ongoing hostilities in the Middle East: Israel-Hezbollah war

It is pertinent to note that there have been almost daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the wake of the 7th October Hamas terror attack. The Hamas terror attack killed over 1,200 civilians and soldiers in Israel and 250 individuals including Israeli and foreign nations were kidnapped and dragged to Gaza.

Following the 7th October terror attack, Iran-backed Shia terror outfit, Hezbollah joined Hamas, another Iran-backed Islamic terror outfit, in targeting and launching attacks on Israel. Strikingly, both Hamas and Hezbollah are proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK, and several other countries.

However, tensions have been running high in the region in the wake of a series of assassinations that are believed to have been carried out by Israel. These include the killing of high-level officials in Lebanon and Iran, including Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur last month and then Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh. 

Hezbollah had promised to avenge Shukr’s killing. Furthermore, Iran had also threatened to launch retaliatory attacks against Israel in the wake of Ismail Haniyeh’s killing in July. Haniyeh was visiting the city for the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian when he was killed. Hamas and Iranian officials had blamed Israel for the assassination, but Israel declined to comment on these operations.

Amidst the mounting tensions and apprehensions of an “all-out” war in the Middle East, the U.S. and its allies have been working to avoid a larger regional war in the region since the 7th October Hamas terror attack.

After substantially ‘dismantling’ Hamas, Israel goes after Hezbollah; details about the Shia terror outfit

Hezbollah is a Shia political party and militant organization which has been proscribed as a terror outfit by several countries for its involvement in terror activities and terror attacks in Israel and elsewhere. It was formed in the early 1980s when Lebanon was wracked by civil war. Its name means “Party of God.” 

It was created with Iranian support and it has set a mission to expel Israeli forces from Lebanon while resisting Western influence in the Middle East region.    

It brands itself as a Shia “resistance movement” within Lebanon that believes in the country’s right to self-determination. However, according to reports, it pledges its allegiance to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 

The terror outfit’s current leader, Hassan Nasrallah, joined Hezbollah in 1982. Earlier, he was a member of the Amal Movement. It was a Shia militia that was one of the many groups vying for power during the Lebanese civil war. Incidentally, Hezbollah also has lawmakers sitting in the Lebanese parliament.

Former general secretary of student wing of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League dies while attempting to flee to India from Bangladesh

ANI
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Former general secretary of student wing of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League dies while attempting to flee to India from Bangladesh

Ishak Ali Khan Panna, a former General Secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and a member of the Pirojpur District Awami League, died on Saturday while attempting to flee to Meghalaya, according to the Dhaka Tribune.

Panna suffered a heart attack after slipping from a hill in Shillong, his nephew, Laikuzzaman Talukder Mintoo, Chairperson of the Chirapara Par Satoria Union Parishad and Organising Secretary of the Kaukhali Upazila Awami League, confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune.

Jasim Uddin Khan, a relative of the deceased, told the Dhaka Tribune that he last spoke to Panna three days ago. Panna mentioned that he had returned to Dhaka on July 25, two days after staying at his residence on Shahid Fazlul Haque Road in Pirojpur town.

Jasim said he later learned that Panna had died in Sylhet after crossing into India through the Tamabil border.

According to sources quoted by the Dhaka Tribune, Panna was accompanied by a leader from the central committee of the Awami League, originally from Chittagong, and another leader from the Jhalakathi Chhatra League during his escape.

The Chhatra League is the student wing of Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League.

In a significant operation on Friday, vigilant troops of the BSF Meghalaya successfully thwarted an infiltration attempt along the International Border in the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, according to an official press release from the Border Security Force (BSF) Meghalaya.

During the operation conducted on Thursday, four Bangladeshi nationals, including three women, along with two Indian facilitators, were apprehended.

The apprehended illegal Bangladeshi migrants and their Indian accomplices have been handed over to the concerned police station for further legal action.

In its continuous efforts to curb illegal crossings and smuggling activities along the Indo-Bangladesh border, the BSF Meghalaya has reinforced its border control measures and adopted a multi-tier dominance strategy to prevent such activities.

In light of the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, the BSF Meghalaya has assessed and heightened security along the Indo-Bangladesh border, implementing a multi-tier dominance strategy.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Kolkata rape and murder case: Prime suspect Sanjoy Roy takes U-turn before polygraph test, claims he has been framed

OpIndia Staff
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Kolkata rape and murder case: Prime suspect Sanjoy Roy takes U-turn before polygraph test, claims he has been framed

On 25th August, Sanjay Roy, the prime suspect in the Kolkata rape and murder case, took a U-turn, claiming he was innocent. Roy is the prime accused in the rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The horrific incident has sparked nationwide protests as doctors and the general public demand a safer environment for doctors and women in the country.

Roy initially confessed to the crime after his arrest. However, hours before a scheduled polygraph test, he reversed his stance, claiming innocence in the case. Roy has asserted that he was framed in the case. He is currently held in solitary confinement under tight security with CCTV surveillance

As per reports, he has been changing his statements after confessing to the crime earlier. During the interrogation by CBI, the accused claimed that he did not go to the seminar room on the day of the incident. Then he said that he didn’t see anyone in the seminar room. But when asked how his Bluetooth headsets were found at the crime scene, he had no answer. He also could not explain the multiple scratch marks on his body.

During the investigation, authorities discovered that he had a habit of watching pornography. Hindustan quoted an unnamed CBI official who stated that Roy had confessed to the crime and provided a detailed account of the incident without showing any remorse.

Apart from Roy, polygraph tests are to be conducted on six other individuals, including Dr Sandeep Ghosh, the former principal of the medical college. So far, 15 people have been questioned by the CBI in connection with the case, including ten police officials.

Rape and murder of female doctor at RG Kar Medical College

On 9th August, the female doctor’s body was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College, with subsequent examinations confirming that she had been raped. Her body bore 16 external and 9 internal injuries, and there were signs of bleeding from her eyes and private parts, indicating the brutal nature of the assault.

The rape and murder case of the 31-year-old trainee female doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital has sparked nationwide protests to seek justice for the deceased victim. Hospital administration, Police, and the West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee have been facing massive public ire over the initial handling of the case and the subsequent ‘transfer’ of the controversial Hospital principal, Sandip Ghosh. Both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court made several scathing remarks about the developments in the case, particularly ones revolving around Sandip Ghosh.

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