07082024-TT-01.qxd 8/6/2024 11:25 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 144 NO. 218 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH POLITICAL PARTIES, ADMN GEAR UP FOR ASSEMBLY POLL J&K HARRIS PICKS TIM WALZ AS RUNNING MATE IN PREZ POLL WORLD /thetribunechd SENSEX FALLS 0.21%, MURMU RECEIVES FIJI’S NIFTY ENDS BELOW HIGHEST CIVILIAN 24K MARK BUSINESS AWARD BACK PAGE wednesday | 7 august 2024 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com B’desh Parl dissolved, Hasina faces UK refuge hitch Nobel laureate to lead interim govt | Ex-PM Khaleda freed from house arrest Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 6 Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved Parliament on Tuesday, paving the way for an interim government and fresh elections even as former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may be in India for a few more days following the UK’s hesitation to provide her refuge. The President also freed from house arrest Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, a former Prime Minister and Hasina’s archrival. Khaleda (79) is the wife of Lt Gen Ziaur Rehman, the army chief of Bangladesh when Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rehman was assassinated in 1975. As the army took charge on Monday and the death toll in the violence in which temples were also attacked rose to 440, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM), an outfit that spearheaded the massive protests, said 84-year-old Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus had agreed to head the interim government. Student protesters had threatened more demonstrations if Parliament was not dissolved. People gather in front of an Awami League office that was ransacked by a mob in Dhaka on Tuesday. PTI HINDU HOMES, TEMPLES TARGETED ■ Nearly 300 Hindu homes and businesses van- dalised and 20 Hindu temples damaged since former PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on Monday, a community association said ■ The Hindu community constitutes 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 mn population and have historically supported Hasina’s Awami League party, which identifies itself as largely secular A number of Hindu temples, households and businesses were vandalised, women assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Hasina-headed Awami League were killed in the vio- LEADER’S HOTEL TORCHED; 24 DEAD Dhaka: At least 24 persons were burnt alive by a mob at a starred hotel owned by a leader of Awami League party after PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, sources said on Tuesday. The victims, mostly boarders, were burnt alive as the mob set afire Zabir International Hotel owned by district Awami League general secretary Shahin Chakkladar in Joshor district. PTI lence after she fled the country. News agency PTI said the decision to dissolve Parliament was taken following the President’s discussions with the three armed forces chiefs, leaders of different political parties, representatives of civil society and leaders of the ADSM. In a video posted on social media early Tuesday, ADSM’s key coordinator Nahid Islam proposed the Nobel laureate as the head of the interim government. He said they had already spoken with Yunus, and that he had agreed to take the responsibility. “No government other than the one proposed by the students will be accepted. As we have said, no military government or one backed by the military or a government of fascists will be accepted,” said Nahid, flanked by two other coordinators. Currently abroad, Yunus welcomed Hasina’s ouster, describing the development as the “second liberation” of the country. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his antipoverty campaign through the Grameen Bank, a mode replicated across continents. The death toll in the antigovernment protests climbed to 440 today, with 100 more deaths reported after Hasina’s departure. The former PM’s plan to travel to London hit a roadblock over some “uncertainties” and she is likely to stay in India for the next couple of days. Hasina, who landed at the Hindon airbase on Monday in a C-130J military transport aircraft hours after resigning as the Prime Minister, has been shifted to an unspecified continued on page 12 ‘Watching closely’ says Centre , on Rahul’s ‘foreign hand’ query Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 6 India made its first formal remarks on the Bangladesh crisis today as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the situation in the neighbouring nation was still evolving and there was concern regarding the safety and security of minorities and their religious places. The government also convened an all-party meeting and briefed political outfits about the evolving situation in Bangladesh. It said a close watch was being kept on the extremely fluid situation. Jaishankar, in a suo motu statement in both houses of Parliament, said former PM Sheikh Hasina requested for approval at very short notice to come to India “for the moment”. “Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, PM Hasina apparently decided to resign. At very short notice, she requested approval to come, for the moment, to India,” he said. Hasina had resigned yes- EAM S Jaishankar addresses an all-party meeting in New Delhi. Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and JP Nadda are also seen. ANI terday and was evacuated on a military plane to India. She flew into the Hindon airbase near Delhi. The minister said it was “particularly worrying that minorities, their businesses and temples had come under attack at multiple locations”. He said the Indian borderguarding forces had been instructed to be “exceptionally alert in view of the complex situation”. He said it was expected that the Indian High Commission at Dhaka and consulates at Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna THE TRIBUNEINTERVIEW: NAYAB SINGH SAINI, HARYANA CHIEF MINISTER Advani admitted to Delhi hospital ‘Will gainfully employ all former Agniveers’ Geetanjali Gayatri Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 6 Underlining the BJP’s commitment to the state’s youth, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday vowed to gainfully employ every single Agniveer on the completion of the stipulated four-year service in the armed forces. In an interview to The Tribune, the CM admitted that the Agniveer scheme adversely impacted the party in the Lok Sabha elections. Saini said the BJP lost five of the 10 seats in Haryana because of the Congress’ “misleading” campaign wherein it accused the BJP of doing away with ❝ We lost five of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana because of the Congress’ misleading campaign… Agniveer scheme also had an adverse impact. quota for Dalits. “The Congress never appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi or his polices. Its leaders lied about him that he scrapped the Dalit reservation and disregarded the Constitution. The entire foundation of the Congress’ campaign was built on the lie that if PM Modi came to power for a third time, the Constitution and reservation would be a casualty. Haryana’s people are gullible. They believed the Congress. However, this lie-based bubble will burst in the upcoming state Assembly elections,” the CM remarked. Saini emphasised that his government’s decision to offer MSP for 24 crops was in line with PM Modi’s “strong steps” taken for the welfare of the farming community. “Our double-engine government has taken many welfare measures for the farmers, including a steady rise in the MSP The Congress has . nothing to list as achievements when it was in power at the Centre and in the state,” the CM said. Asserting that the BJP will go it alone in the state polls, Saini dismissed reports of any dissenting voice in the BJP “We . will fight this election as a united force,” he added. S+4 plans on hold as of Now, two options to work now, Haryana tells HC out LTCG tax on property Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 6 The Haryana Government today assured a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that new building plans under the stilt-plus-four scheme would not be sanctioned till the next date of hearing in the matter. The Bench of Justice Arun Palli and Justice Vikram Aggarwal was also told a committee of experts had now formulated a scheme entailing several strict measures. As the matter came up for resumed hearing, the Bench was requested to examine the policy before the state gave the assurance against sanctioning new building plans under the scheme till the next date. The matter was brought to the high court’s notice with the filing of multiple pleas on the issue, including a petition filed against the government and other respondents by the Says scheme with strict measures in works Gurgaon Citizens Council. The counsel for the state, on a previous hearing, had produced orders dated February 23, 2023, passed by the Director-General, Town and Country Planning, Haryana. At that time also, the government had decided to keep all fresh stilt-plus-four building plan approvals in abeyance, including the applications pending or received for approval. The counsel had also produced an order dated March 16, 2023, vide which an expert committee was constituted to devise further course of action regarding the suspension of fresh building plan cases under the scheme. New Delhi, August 6 The government on Tuesday proposed significant relief for individuals who bought houses before July 23, 2024, by giving them the option to choose between two tax rates for long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax. As per the amendments to Finance Bill, 2024, circulated to the Lok Sabha members on Tuesday, individuals or Pay flat 12.5% or 20% with indexation HUF who bought houses before July 23, 2024, can compute his/her taxes under the new scheme (at the rate of 12.5 per cent without indexation) and old scheme (at the rate of 20 per cent with indexation) and pay such tax which is lower of the two. — PTI and Sylhet were provided the required security protection. At the all-party meeting, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi asked Jaishankar if there was a foreign hand, principally Pakistan, involved in Bangladesh. The government did not rule out a foreign hand, but sufficed to say that the situation was too fluid and the Indian Government had been keeping a very close watch. One opposition source said “there was a mention at the meeting of a Pakistan diplomat who constantly continued on page 12 NEW DELHI: Vinesh Phogat grapples with Ukraine’s Oksana Livach during women’s freestyle 50kg quarterfinal. AP/PTI MATCHLESS WINESH Becomes 1st Indian woman wrestler to enter Oly final ROHIT MAHAJAN POLE POSITION IN PARIS V INESH Phogat, given up as a lost cause by Indian wrestling officaldom not long back, will fight Sarah Hildebrandt of the US for gold on Wednesday. Vinesh beat Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the 50kg freestyle semifinals with ease to enter the final, becoming the first Indian woman to make it to the final round. Vinesh, her singlet drenched in sweat, her arms akimbo, her breath short, INDIA Tokyo Games gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra storms into the men’s javelin throw final with season’s best effort of 89.34m in his first attempt in the qualification round on Tuesday. His personal best PARIS 2024 continues to be 89.94m MEDAL TALLY achieved back in 2022.bows However, Kishore Jena HAUL out of contention to make the Thursday final after managing 00 00 03 03 a poor throw of 80.73m. INSIDE walks by, looking as far from being a superwoman as is possible — but rest assured, she’s a superwoman. Vinesh, with two Olympics nightmares in continued on page 12 Senior BJP leader and former Deputy PM LK Advani was on Tuesday admitted to a leading private hospital in Delhi. His medical condition is stable, hospital sources said. The 96-year-old, who was born in undivided India, was admitted to the Apollo hospital here today, a hospital source said. The hospital later issued a brief statement, saying, “LK Advani ji, former Deputy PM, is admitted at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals under the care of Dr Vinit Suri. He has been admitted for his regular follow-up tests and investigations.” — PTI SC to hear Muslim childmarriageplea NEW DELHI: Can a minor Muslim girl marry a man of her choice on attaining puberty at 15? The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to examine the contentious issue after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud to do so at the earliest in view of divergent views of various HC that have delivered contrary judgments. “We have to settle the matter at once,” the CJI assured Mehta and agreed to list the matter at any early date. Mehta represented the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which has challenged a high court orde. BACK PAGE During 1975 refuge, Hasina got Indira’s care, Pranab’s counsel Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 6 While she charts the course of her uncertain future, Bangladesh’s beleaguered former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would be missing two elements as she homes in on an Indian safe house. The first – “motherly affection” late PM Indira Gandhi showered on her and her sis- ter Rehana when the two sought their first political asylum in Delhi after mass executions of their families in August 1975. The second — late President Pranab Mukherjee’s counsel every time she needed guidance on matters involving Indo-Bangladesh ties. About Indira Gandhi, Hasina wrote warmly in “India’s Indira: A Centennial Trib- ute”, a book Congress veteran Anand Sharma edited in the centenary year of the late PM, “When we met Indira Gandhi in Delhi, she received us with motherly affections. She even gave shelter to my two aunts who had lost their husbands and sons and who had become disabled after somehow surviving the August 15, 1975 carnage. Mrs Gandhi also c m y b gave shelter to all those MPs who had crossed the border in protest against the assassination of Bangabandhu (Bangladesh founder and Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman).” Indira Gandhi had, in August 1975, arranged for Hasina and her family to come to India from West Germany when 18 members of continued on page 12 Former President Pranab Mukherjee with Sheikh Hasina in 2013.