Latest news with #Id
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- The Hindu
Tourist rush due to heatwave, summer holidays choking hills of Nainital
Heat wave sweeping across north India and children's summer holidays are driving a large number of people from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana to Nainital, leaving the lake city of Uttarakhand choked with traffic. To control the situation, the police are primarily allowing those to enter town who have prior hotel bookings while people are being sensitised to avoid taking cars to the hills and use shuttle available from parking spots. The tourist rush last weekend forced the Nainital police to make an announcement about the town reaching its capacity, and asking people to go back home, a video of which is making rounds on social media. 'Nainital is full sir, please go back home,' a policeman was seen announcing at a parking spot at Naraiyan Nagar. The residents say they were unable to venture out during the weekend, which was clubbed with the Id holiday which made large number of tourists visiting the town. 'It took me 2.5 hours to reach Tallital from mall road, which is not even 2 km distance,' said Kartikeya Hari Gupta, an advocate who practises at Uttarakhand (Nainital) High Court. Hoteliers say the problem is not tourists, but their vehicles. 'Traffic choking Nainital is a story that repeats itself every year, still, the administration and the government hardly take any lessons. Worst is that the government has started advertising Kainchi Dhaam as a big religious pilgrimage in Nainital, which is already flooded with tourists due to its lakes and picturesque hills. That has added to the traffic woes as one has to wait for at least 2-3 hours in parking or in traffic due to temple rush,' said Praveen Sharma, member of the Uttarakhand hotel association. He added that vehicular rush can be avoided in town if government runs buses or tempo travellers from Haldwani and nearby areas but all planning happens only on papers. In the absence of public transport, tourists say they are left with no other option. 'I tried to book a Volvo from Haldwani to Nainital, but only a couple were available, that too in the night, while the train was taking me to Haldwani in the afternoon. Taxis charged heavily, and hence, cars are the only option left,' said Kanchan Singh, a teacher who travelled to Nainital from Noida. Local media also reported about two deaths, allegedly took place due to traffic bottlenecks, making their vehicles stuck in jam for hours. Jagdish Chandra, Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Nainital, refuted the claims of deaths taking place due to vehicles getting stuck in traffic but added that traffic situation is bad in the town due to tourist rush. 'It is also not totally true that we are not letting those to Nainital who don't have prior hotel bookings. The thing is that we have very limited space of parking. So, priority is being given to those who have bookings. Then we allow cars to go to town until parking is available. After that, we ask tourists to take shuttles and park on the outskirts,' he added. He said traffic police had been deployed at all prominent spots to manage vehicular rush and personnel were sensitised to ensure that no ambulance or vehicle carrying patient got stuck in traffic.
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Prof. Yunus to meet BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman in London on Friday
The Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh Prof. Mohammed Yunus will meet Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday June (13, 2025) in London, said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, general secretary of BNP on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). Mr. Rahman has been living in London for nearly 18 years since the last BNP government lost power in 2006 and had been advocating early election in Bangladesh. 'The meeting was under discussion since the London visit of the Chief Adviser was being planned. We had a meeting of the standing committee of the party during Monday (June 9, 2025) night under the leadership of Tarique Rahman. 'A formal invite for the meeting was extended to the Chief Adviser for June 13,' said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a press conference in Dhaka. Bangladesh's politics has been dominated for more than four decades by the two big political formations– Awami League and the BNP– out of which the Awami League's political activities were banned by the interim government in May leaving out the BNP which had also turned critical of Prof. Yunus. Mr. Rahman had addressed a rally of the BNP on May 28, 2025, through a video link where he had criticised the interim government and called upon Prof. Yunus to hold elections in December 2025. However, Prof. Yunus on June 7 delivered a speech on the eve of Id holidays and announced the next election in Bangladesh will be held in April 2026. BNP criticised the decision to hold the election citing the weather condition of April that makes it difficult for political parties to campaign. BNP's criticism of the interim government added to similar criticism that was made first by Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman who expressed unhappiness over the style of functioning of the interim government and some of their main projects including the 'humanitarian corridor' to Rakhine province of Myanmar. Following the criticism by General Zaman, Prof. Yunus had met a large number of representatives of political parties that included representatives from the BNP. However a meeting with the BNP's leadership will also be watched closely by all stakeholders in Bangladesh as the Yunus administration appears to be favouring the National Citizens Party (NCP) that was launched on February 28 to push the political ideas that powered the uprising against Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2025.
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
In Id speech, Yunus revives July Proclamation that was planned by students to 'bury' Bangladesh's 1972 constitution
In his Id speech delivered on Friday, the Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh, Prof. Mohammed Yunus announced that the next national election will be held in April 2026. However, he announced the country would witness the launch of the 'July Proclamation', a document that he said was 'agreed upon by all parties'. The July Proclamation was earlier planned by student activists to 'bury' the constitution of Bangladesh, as it is linked to the founder of Bangladesh and Awami League co-founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 'The students who led and participated in the July Uprising have announced plans to issue a July Declaration. They invited me to be part of it. I suggested that it would be more meaningful if the declaration is issued jointly — by all political leaders, civil society representatives and others. This Charter is a promise,' Mr. Yunus said in the speech, where he did not mention the name of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, whose images were dropped from the new currency notes printed by the interim government last week. It was reported by The Hindu that the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, that led the uprising against then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, announced in a press conference on December 29, 2024, that they wanted to 'bury' the 1972 constitution of Bangladesh and launch the 'July Proclamation' in a public meeting on December 31, 2024, at the Shahid Minar of Dhaka. The students paused the plan at the last moment after the military reportedly intervened, fearing that replacing the constitution with a charter drawn from the July-August uprising would have destabilised Bangladesh further. However, in the Id speech, Mr. Yunus indicated that the July Proclamation that was to be launched by the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement has said this time the 'July Proclamation' will 'include a list of reform proposals, agreed upon by all parties, aimed at building a welfare-oriented state. By signing it, the parties will pledge to implement these reforms.' He, however, did not specify the legal validity of such a charter overseen by an interim administration. The timing of the speech drew attention as it came days after Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman and the leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) criticised the government for being slow in holding the promised election and demanded that the election must be held by December 2025. The BNP has not yet expressed its opinion on whether it would sign the July Proclamation that Mr. Yunus mentioned in his speech. Soon after the speech, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the largest overground political party, held a meeting in the party headquarters in Gulshan neighbourhood and opposed the idea of holding elections in April 2026. However, Mr. Yunus argued that 'free, transparent and peaceful election to pave the way for transfer of power' can take place only after ensuring justice for the killings of agitators during July-August 2024. 'We are confident that visible progress will be made in the delivery of justice for these actions by that time,' Mr. Yunus said, indicating the verdicts in the cases related to the police action in last year's uprising will be completed before April 2026.
The Hindu
07-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Bakrid celebrated with congregational prayers, distribution of meat in Tiruchi
Muslims in Tiruchi celebrated Id-ul-Azha (Bakrid) with great fervour on Saturday with congregational prayers and the distribution of sacrificial meat among family, friends, and the needy forming a major part of the festivities. Congregational prayers were held in mosques and open grounds across the city early in the morning. A large number of men, women, and children participated in the prayers at the ground near Uzhavar Sandhai in Tennur, besides other venues. Sales of sacrificial livestock remained brisk despite the rise in prices this year. The qurbani (sacrifice) ritual took place after the Id prayer, which signifies the end of the Haj pilgrimage. Many residents opted to have the animals sacrificed at the butcher shops to save time. Families gathered for celebratory banquets with caterers called in to prepare large quantities of biryani rice and other delicacies as accompaniments. Id-ul-Azha emphasises the importance of sharing and empathy for the less privileged, said the religious leaders.
The Hindu
07-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Under clear skies, thousands gather for Bakrid prayers across Hyderabad
Under clear skies and amid heightened police presence, thousands of worshippers gathered across Hyderabad on Saturday (June 7, 2025) morning to offer Id al-Adha prayers. From sprawling Idgah grounds to neighbourhood mosques, prayers were completed smoothly, followed by the traditional qurbani rituals. For many, the festival is about more than just rituals. Farzana Begum, a homemaker from Malakpet, said the day holds deep personal meaning. 'Id al-Adha is a time of gratitude, sacrifice and sharing. It's about remembering our faith, spending time with loved ones, and reaching out to those in need. The prayers, the food, the sense of community, it all comes together on this day,' she said. Ayaan Khan, a 26-year-old graphic designer from Banjara Hills, shared a more contemporary view. 'For me, Bakrid is about the spirit behind the tradition, compassion, equality and giving back. It's less about rituals and more about reconnecting with values that matter, with family and friends around.' Mohammed Qasim, a 54-year-old schoolteacher from Toli Chowki, reflected on how the nature of the celebration has changed over the years. 'Twenty years ago, Id celebrations were quieter, more personal. We'd go to the mosque, then sit down for a simple family meal. Now it's bigger, more food, more people, and everything's on social media. The essence is still there, but the atmosphere has changed.' DCP South-West G. Chandra Mohan said the Bakrid prayers and rituals were conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner across the zone. 'All prayers were completed by 10.30 a.m. without any issues. Qurbani and other rituals are currently underway and are expected to conclude shortly. We anticipate that everything will be wrapped up by around 2 p.m.,' he said. He added that the three major Idgahs in the zone; Hockey Ground, First Lancer and Langar Houz, witnessed sizeable gatherings, with each location drawing close to 6,000 people. 'We had adequate police deployment at each site to manage the crowd and ensure smooth conduct of the event. The turnout was disciplined and cooperative,' the officer said.
