Author: Saleh Noman

As the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (Cucsu) election approaches, local units of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have become deeply involved in their student wings’ campaigns on campus. Sources within both parties indicate that senior leaders are now directly overseeing and supporting their respective campus wings’ strategies and tactics. Analysts argue that for the BNP, this election is vital to maintain its political image, particularly after the disappointing performances of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) in the Ducsu and Jucsu elections. For Jamaat, on the other hand, it offers an opportunity to preserve Islami Chhatra Shibir’s winning streak. They warn…

Bangladesh is getting increasingly concerned by the Arakan Army’s (AA) recent capture of 36 border outposts in Myanmar, as the change is causing a surge in drug smuggling from the country’s second neighbour. The flow of illicit narcotics like yaba and crystal meth (ice) from Myanmar to Bangladesh is rising due to the power vacuum in Rakhine State created by the AA’s military success against government forces, according to officials concerned. The prevailing instability in Rakhine and the AA’s alleged links to organised crimes pose a significant national security threat, they said. Confirming the group’s recent capture of 36 border…