United News of Bangladesh

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee suffered a high-profile defeat in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, losing to Suvendu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 15,114 votes. The TMC supremo had built a commanding early lead, but it steadily narrowed as counting progressed. By the end of the seventh round, Mamata was ahead by over 17,000 votes, polling 32,822 against Adhikari’s 15,451. However, the gap began shrinking thereafter and eventually she lost to Suvendu. The BJP has registered a historic win in West Bengal as it appears all set to bag over 200 seats in the state. Notably, this is the second time when Adhikari has defeated Banerjee in Assembly polls. During the 2021 polls, Banerjee suffered a humiliating defeat against Adhikari by close to 2,000 votes from Nandigram. Voting for the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal was held across two phases on April 23 and April 29. Mamata had sent message to polling agents Mamata has alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission were “stealing” the election from her party. Earlier, Banerjee also sent a message to her polling agents, urging them not to leave counting centres and to remain focused on the ongoing trends. "Do not lose hearts, we will win after sundown," she said. "We are ahead by more than 100 seats, which is not being reported. Everything is being reported wrong. The Election Commission is working entirely as per its own will, and central forces are also with them. The police are also working with the central forces," Mamata Banerjee alleged. She also alleged that counting has been halted at many places as a tactic to benefit the BJP. "Counting agents and candidates should not leave the counting centre. This is the BJP's plan, I have been saying this since yesterday that they will be shown ahead first. They have stopped counting at many places. Such machines have been found in Kalyani, where there is no match; atrocities are being committed against TMC from all sides through central forces," she said.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee has urged party candidates and counting agents to remain at counting centres, even as early trends suggested a strong lead for the BJP in West Bengal.In a video message to party workers, she tried to keep morale steady and reminded them that the counting process was still in its initial stages. She asked them not to feel discouraged or give up. She also specifically requested that TMC candidates and agents continue staying at the counting venues instead of leaving. Reassuring supporters, she said: "I appeal to everyone that neither TMC candidates nor counting agents should abandon counting centres...We are still ahead in 170 seats, but I request everyone not to lose hope," She further encouraged party workers to stay optimistic, saying they should not “lose hope” and suggesting that the final outcome would only become clear after the later stages of counting.

Around nine million people have been removed from the voter list in India’s West Bengal, triggering political tensions ahead of the state election later this month. Muhammad Daud Ali, 65, a former Indian army technician said, he recently found that his name and those of his three children were missing from the electoral roll, despite having valid documents such as a passport and service records. Only his wife’s name remains on the list. Officials said the deletions were made under a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The removed names account for about 12 percent of the state’s 76 million voters reports BBC. More than six million names were dropped after being marked as absent or deceased. Another 2.7 million people, including families like Ali’s, are still under review, and their status will be decided by special tribunals. The Election Commission said the update aims to remove duplicate and outdated entries while keeping the voter list accurate. However, the exercise has faced criticism and legal challenges since it was first carried out in Bihar last year. The issue has become more sensitive in West Bengal, where the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is in conflict with the Election Commission over the process. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the goal is to ensure a clean voter list, with no eligible voter left out. Tensions have grown after comments by political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the revision would help identify “illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators.” The TMC claims the term is being used to target Muslims, although some Hindu voters have also been affected. West Bengal shares a long and porous border with Bangladesh, making migration and voter identity a sensitive political issue. The state has been ruled by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s TMC since 2011, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its main rival. The TMC has alleged that the voter list revision has removed millions of voters, especially Muslims, to benefit the BJP. The BJP and the Election Commission have denied the claim. After several court challenges, the Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission to go ahead with the April polls without resolving all disputes. As a result, the fate of about 2.7 million voters remains uncertain.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday sent floral greetings and sweets to BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman following the party's landslide victory in the 13th national election. BNP Media Cell member Atiqur Rahman Ruman received the flowers and sweets in the evening at the party chairman’s political office in Gulshan. Special Officer of the Gulshan office Mehedul Islam Mehedi was also present. Earlier on Friday, Mamata Banerjee extended her congratulations to BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman for guiding his party to victory in Bangladesh’s national election. Taking to X, she wrote, “My hearty congratulations, shubhonandan, to all my brothers and sisters, all the people, in Bangladesh. My advance Ramazan mubarak to all of them. For this great victory, my congratulations to my Tarique-Bhai, his party, and all the parties. Pray, you all be well and happy.” The national election was held on Thursday, in which BNP secured 209 parliamentary seats. Meanwhile, the newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) will take oath on Tuesday morning, while the new cabinet members will be sworn in later in the afternoon.  

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has firmly said that her government will not implement the Narendra Modi-led central government’s newly-enacted Waqf law in the state. Pointing at the violence-hit areas of Murshidabad district on Saturday, Banerjee appealed for calm and urged all communities to refrain from being provoked by political interests. “We have made our position clear on this matter — we do not support this law. This law will not be implemented in our state. So what is the riot about?” Banerjee wrote on social media platform X. She appealed to the public, saying, “My sincere appeal to all people of all religions: please remain calm, remain restrained. Do not engage in any unrighteous behaviour in the name of religion. Every human life is precious. Do not incite riots for the sake of politics. Those who are inciting riots are harming society.” The statement came a day after violent protests erupted in parts of Murshidabad following Friday prayers, reportedly triggered by rumours regarding the central government's Waqf legislation. India’s Parliament approves controversial Waqf Bill amid opposition protests According to Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, misinformation led to large-scale unrest, resulting in clashes between protesters and police. At least 15 police officials were injured during the violence, which saw government buildings, police outposts, railway offices and shops vandalised and set on fire. Residents described the chaos as a “night of horror,” recounting how law enforcement was initially absent from the scene. “There were no police officials. They were just scared. Sitting inside their houses like us,” said a shopkeeper in Dhulian, whose business was torched during the violence. Banerjee reminded the public that the Waqf law in question was not brought forward by her party, the Trinamool Congress, but by the BJP-led central government. “The law was made by the central government. So the answer you want should be sought from the central government,” she said, adding that the state would take strict action against those responsible for the violence. The chief minister also accused certain political factions of misusing religion for political gain. “Some political parties are trying to misuse religion for political gain. Do not give in to their persuasion,” she warned. Source: With inputs from India Today 

A Kolkata court on Monday sentenced Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 and directed the West Bengal government to provide Rs 17 lakh as compensation to the victim's family, reports Indian media. Following the verdict, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee voiced her dissatisfaction with the punishment. Man sentenced to life for rape, murder of doctor in India Speaking in Murshidabad, she said, "We had all demanded the death penalty, but the court has given a life term until death. The case was forcibly taken away from us. If the Kolkata Police had handled it, we would have ensured the death sentence." A 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and killed at the state-run R G Kar hospital in Kolkata on August 9 last year. The victim’s body was found in the seminar room of the hospital. The incident led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests by junior doctors in West Bengal, demanding justice for and stronger security measures in government hospitals. Bangladeshi, Indian civilians face off along Chapainawabganj border The trial in the rape and murder case commenced in a Kolkata court on November 11, three months after the incident. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the probe from the Kolkata Police on the Calcutta High Court’s direction, sought “maximum punishment” for Roy. The trial was complete on January 9.

Dhaka, Dec 4 (UNB) – BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of harbouring deep-seated Hindu nationalist views, despite her public stance on secularism. “Although Mamata publicly advocates for secularism she secretly holds extremist Hindu nationalist beliefs. She has allied herself with the communal BJP government. This alignment undermines her professed secular values,” Rizvi told a pre-procession rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Wednesday. BNP demands withdrawal of Mamata's UN peacekeeper statement Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Front arranged the procession in protest against the recent attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, India. The procession, which started from the Press Club, paraded streets up to Nayapaltan. Accusing it pursuing a politics of hatred and divisiveness, Rizvi alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come to power by exploiting hardline Hindu nationalism and managed to maintain its position by promoting violence. BNP not an obstacle to AL ban, says Rizvi Rizvi also criticised India's media for spreading anti-Bangladesh propaganda, alleging that Indian outlets, fuelled by Prime Minister Modi’s regime, continue to manufacture false narratives in order to destabilise Bangladesh.

The BNP on Monday demanded the immediate withdrawal of the statement of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Bangladesh, describing it as a threat to the country's independence and sovereignty. Party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, currently in the UK, made the demand during a phone conversation with UNB. “What the West Bengal Chief Minister said about sending peacekeepers to Bangladesh is completely a threat to the independence and sovereignty of our country,” he said. Dhaka sharply reacts over “heinous attack” on its Agartala mission The BNP leader said the attitudes of the Indian leaders have been exposed to some extent through this statement. “I think West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should immediately withdraw her statement. She should not have any such thoughts as the people of Bangladesh gained independence through the Liberation War and recently they got back democracy through a revolution,” he said. Fakhrul termed Mamata’s remarks a plot against Bangladesh and said the people will prevent any conspiracy at any cost. Indian media on Monday reported that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged the central government to seek the deployment of a peacekeeping mission by the Union Nations in Bangladesh to tackle the ongoing situation there. Indian media spreading propaganda about Bangladesh: Home Affairs Adviser "We have families... properties... and loved ones in Bangladesh. We accept whatever stance the Government of India takes on this...but we condemn atrocities on religious grounds anywhere in the world and appeal to the union government, and the Prime Minister, to intervene," NDTV quoted Mamata as saying. Fakhrul alleged that false stories being spread and published in the Indian media about the deterioration or endangerment of communal harmony in Bangladesh is unacceptable in any way. “The Indian journalists came to Bangladesh and they also saw the ground reality. Many renowned journalists from West Bengal also visited our country and they did not find such a situation,” he said. The BNP leader said the people of Bangladesh will never accept the way the Indian media and their leaders are spreading a complete lie and threatening the independence and sovereignty of its neighbouring country. He also said it is very unfortunate what the Indian media and politicians are saying about Bangladesh. The BNP leader mentioned that a fresh conspiracy has recently started in Bangladesh involving ISKCON. “It is very clear that the recent role of ISKCON is suspicious, mysterious, and a threat to the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh, as well as to its stability.” Meanwhile, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi strongly protested the West Bengal Chief Minister’s comments, saying she has undermined Bangladesh’s sovereignty and independence. "It is a direct threat and interference in an independent country. The people of Bangladesh are shocked and surprised by the statement made by the West Bengal Chief Minister," Rizvi said at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office. He also questioned Mamata’s intention behind her comments regarding the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Bangladesh. The BNP leader urged all, including members of Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian communities, to remain vigilant against the plots by India.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday sacked one of her senior ministers from her Cabinet as well as from all posts of her ruling Trinamool Congress party, days after he was arrested in a school jobs scam. Partha Chatterjee held the portfolios of Commerce and Industry, IT and electronics, and Industrial Reconstruction in the state Cabinet. He was also the ruling Trinamool Congress party's general secretary. "I have removed Partha Chatterjee as a minister. My party takes strict action. There are many plannings behind it but I don't want to go into details,” the Bengal Chief Minister told the media after a Cabinet meeting at the Bengal secretariat. Also read: Mamata, Modi on the same page on Ukraine crisis Trinamool's disciplinary committee, headed by its second-in-command and Mamata's nephew Abhishek, subsequently announced Chatterjee's removal from all party posts. Earlier in the day, the party's spokesperson tweeted to demand strict action against the disgraced minister. "Chatterjee should be removed from ministry and all party posts immediately. He should be expelled." The 69-year-old was taken into custody by India's anti-money laundering probe agency, on Saturday, following hours of questioning for his alleged involvement in school teachers' recruitment scam. Also read: Bengal CM Mamata reinstates nephew as Trinamool general secretary Subsequent raids on multiple flats of Chatterjee's aide Arpita, a small-time actor, helped the Enforcement Directorate seize Rs 50 crore in cash. Chatterjee is said to have taken money for doing out teaching jobs when he was the Education Minister.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has reinstated her 34-year-old nephew as her ruling party's second-in-command, thus expressing full confidence in her heir apparent. Abhishek Banerjee, a Member of Parliament, was made the general secretary of the Trinamool Congress in June last year, nearly a month after the party swept back to power in assembly elections in the state. However, last week, Mamata dissolved all posts in her party, except that of her's -- the chairperson -- to put an end to the growing rift between the old guard of the Trinamool and its Young Turks over Abhishek's push for a 'one man, one post' policy in the party. The proposed policy was vehemently opposed by some senior members of the Trinamool holding multiple portfolios in the political outfit and its government. Instead she had formed a 20-member national working committee to run the party. "The decision to reinstate Abhishek as the party's general secretary was taken at a meeting of the committee, chaired by Mamata, on Friday evening," a Trinamool Congress leader told UNB. On May 2 last year, Mamata scripted history by single-handedly pulling off a landslide victory in the state elections for the third time in a row, bucking anti-incumbency and staving off a massive challenge from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP. Read:Mamata re-elected Trinamool Congress chief Bengal witnessed the most high-profile polls last year. While Mamata had harped on being Bengal’s daughter, the BJP went overboard by asking people to vote for "change and development" after 50 years of Communist and Trinamool Congress rule. Read: Mamata in the dock for 'disrespecting' national anthem