
Pakistan withdraws envoy from Dhaka amid speculations
Pakistan has withdrawn its high commissioner in Dhaka and named a new envoy to replace him, weeks after he went on sudden leave sparking widespread speculations, Prothom Alo newspaper reported on Tuesday.
"Pakistan's high commissioner in Dhaka
Syed Ahmed Maroof
is not returning to Bangladesh," the newspaper reported, referring to several unnamed senior officials.
Islamabad has named its current ambassador to Myanmar,
Imran Haidar
, as Maroof's replacement, it added.
Maroof had grabbed media focus soon after Muhammad Yunus took charge of the interim government, three days after prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government was ousted on August 5, 2025 after a student-led violent agitation.
Maroof had worked to ensure increased Dhaka-Islamabad diplomacy, including in arranging A visit by the Pakistan foreign secretary to Dhaka.
Live Events
But he left Dhaka on a sudden leave last month sparking speculations in social media about his alleged relations with two Bangladeshi women. He left Dhaka on May 11, nearly one and half years after his appointment.
The Pakistan High Commission formally informed Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry of his departure saying their deputy high commissioner would serve as acting high commissioner.
Maroof extensively traveled across Bangladesh over the past nine months, with his most recent trip to the southeastern beach resort town of Cox's Bazar, which allegedly coincided with the tour of the two Bangladeshi ladies to the same place. PTI

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Malaysian Police Bust Global Jihad Model Aimed At Destabilising Dhaka From Abroad
Last Updated: Malaysian police busted a radical network linked to ISIS and JMB, arresting Bangladeshis who used labour routes and migrant hubs to plot Dhaka's destabilisation from abroad Malaysian police have arrested 36 Bangladeshi nationals in a multi-phase counter-terror operation conducted between April and June 2025 across Selangor and Johor. According to Malaysian authorities, the individuals were involved in spreading ISIS ideology, recruiting for militant activities, and planning operations aimed at destabilising the Bangladeshi government from abroad. Top intelligence sources have told CNN-News18 that this is not an isolated incident but part of a recurring global pattern, where radical Islamist groups—primarily ISIS and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)—are exploiting labour routes, undocumented migration, and financial loopholes to build parallel jihadist structures overseas. These developments mark a shift in the operational model of groups like JMB, which is now aligned with ISIS and actively expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia. Malaysia, which hosts nearly 500,000 Bangladeshi workers—many of whom are undocumented—has become a fertile ground for such networks. Recruiters exploit economic desperation and the reluctance of migrants to return home, radicalising individuals through mosques, hostels, and worker camps. Intelligence agencies say Muslim-majority ASEAN nations are increasingly becoming hubs for radical Islamist activity, with similar cases reported across Saudi Arabia, Italy, Singapore, and other regions. In 2019, 14 Bangladeshi workers were deported from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, after authorities discovered hidden weapons. In Italy, 2021 investigations uncovered a network that used fake NGOs to funnel money to JMB-linked madrassas. In 2022, Singapore deported 26 Bangladeshis accused of plotting attacks during former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit. Post-2016 counter-terror crackdowns in Bangladesh forced many JMB operatives to relocate to countries like Malaysia, Qatar, UAE, and Italy, where they have attempted to rebuild their infrastructure. The Rohingya refugee crisis has further complicated the security landscape, with camps in Cox's Bazar suspected of serving as recruitment grounds for both JMB and al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). India and Myanmar are also under a similar threat. Indian agencies arrested 19 JMB operatives in 2023 who had entered the country through the Bangladesh–Myanmar border. The group has been previously linked to major terror incidents in India, including the 2014 Burdwan blast and the 2018 Bodh Gaya bomb plot. Intelligence officials have also flagged the use of the informal hundi money transfer system, which is believed to be moving up to $7 billion annually into Bangladesh—funds that remain outside formal oversight and can be exploited to finance militant activity. The Malaysian crackdown, sources say, is just the latest signal in a broader transnational jihadist strategy, one that continues to grow in scale and complexity. First Published: June 28, 2025, 13:45 IST


Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Bangladesh students march over Muradnagar rape case; suspect arrested
A torchlight procession lit up Dhaka University's campus this Sunday as students rallied in protest over a rape case in Muradnagar, Cumilla. The Democratic Students' Alliance (DSA) led the march from the TSC to the Raju sculpture, reported Prothom Alo, demanding exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the assault on a 25‑year‑old mother. DSA leaders warned that the interim government cannot evade responsibility for 'an unsafe environment for women' across Bangladesh . In a related development, the High Court has ordered immediate protection for the Muradnagar survivor and demanded that all photos and video footage of her be removed from social media within 24 hours . In response to the petition filed by lawyer Mir AKM Nurunnabi, the court directed authorities to report progress in the case within 15 days . Following the High Court's directive, law enforcement officials arrested the main suspect, 36-year-old Md Fazor Ali early on Sunday . Four others —Sumon, Romzan, Md Arif, and Md Anik— were detained for filming and circulating the footage of the incident. Cumilla SP Nazir Ahmed Khan confirmed that legal action would be taken under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 . A woman was allegedly raped by Fazor Ali, a local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in Muradnagar upazila of Cumilla district on the night of June 26, 2025. According to the police and case statements cited by The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, the incident took place while the woman was staying at her father's house with her children for the Hari Seva festival. Her husband was reportedly working in Dubai at the time. Fazor Ali, who was known for stalking the woman during her previous visits to the village, allegedly broke into the house at night, raped her at knifepoint, and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the assault. Locals rushed to the scene after hearing the woman's screams and physically confronted Ali, but he managed to flee, despite being injured, the police said. A case was filed the next day under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The survivor underwent medical tests at Cumilla Medical College Hospital, and a formal investigation was launched by Muradnagar police. According to the officials, Fazor Ali was arrested from Dhaka's Saydabad area early Sunday morning. The case took a disturbing turn when a video of the survivor, reportedly recorded by bystanders during the immediate aftermath of the incident, was circulated on social media, triggering public outrage. (Sources: Prothom Alo, The Daily Star)


Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
Bangladesh: 21-year-old minority woman raped, protests erupt at Dhaka University
The alleged rape of a 21-year-old woman from a minority community in central Bangladesh's Cumilla district has ignited widespread anger across the country after a disturbing video of the assault went viral on social media. Police have arrested five individuals in connection with the incident, including the main suspect, Fazor Ali, a local politician affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), PTI reports. Cumilla district's police chief, Nazir Ahmed Khan, confirmed that Fazor Ali was apprehended in a predawn raid in Dhaka's Sayedabad area. Four others were arrested for sharing the victim's image and identity online. The brutal rape of the Bangladeshi woman has triggered protests. Students at Dhaka University held marches condemning the assault, while residents of Jagannath Hall, a dormitory dedicated to minority students, organised processions demanding justice for the survivor. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Secretary General of the BNP, called for exemplary punishment for the perpetrators, emphasising the need for swift and decisive action. In response to the viral video, a High Court in Bangladesh issued a directive demanding the immediate removal of the footage from social media platforms. The two-judge bench also instructed authorities to ensure the survivor's safety and provide her with necessary medical treatment. Reports indicate the survivor was visiting her paternal home in Muradnagar sub-district when the accused allegedly forced his way into the residence late at night. Following the assault, local residents reportedly apprehended and severely beat Fazor Ali, who then fled after being taken to hospital instead of handed over to the police. Some reports cited social media users suggesting that Bangladesh police action was delayed until public outrage surged after the video's circulation. Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, son and advisor to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, expressed outrage over the incident on social media. He blamed the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus for a rise in mob violence, terrorism, and sexual assaults in the past 11 months. Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government last August, Bangladesh has witnessed increasing violence targeting minority communities. Hasina fled to India following a violent street movement, with Yunus assuming control of the interim government shortly thereafter.