02062025-TTB-01.qxd 6/2/2025 12:07 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 151 | 16 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  DELHI UKRAINE DESTROYS 41 RUSSIAN BOMBERS IN DRONE ATTACK WORLD /thetribunechd FEWER KASHMIRI PANDITS AT KHEER BHAWANI MELA J&K IN APPEASEMENT BID, ADB VOWS $10 BN LOAN MAMATA OPPOSED OP TO BOOST URBAN INFRA SINDOOR: SHAH NATION IN INDIA BACK PAGE monday | 2 june 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com B’desh tribunal indicts Hasina for mass murder N-E IN NECK-DEEP TROUBLE Crackdown on 2024 protests left over 1,400 dead Rescue personnel assist locals in moving to a safer place through a boat in a flood-affected area on the outskirts of Tripura capital Agartala, which received record 200 mm of rainfall in three hours on Sunday. Floods triggered by heavy rains have wreaked havoc on the northeastern states, including Assam, Arunachal, Sikkim, Tripura and Manipur, causing several deaths and displacing lakhs. PTI INSIDE Future wars to be non-contact: CDS on op Says anti-Pak strikes signal shift towards remote, tech-driven battles Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 1 Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, referring to India’s experience in Operation Sindoor, described it as a “non-contact” conflict, exemplifying the future of war. The CDS was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, where he highlighted how India relied on indigenous systems like Akash, achieving success through effective system networking by integrating both domestic and foreign radars into a cohesive defence structure. He said, “Modern warfare is undergoing a complex convergence — of tactics, domains (land, air, sea, cyber and space), timeframes and strategies. This evolution demands a shift away from large static platforms toward flexible, deceptive strategies. Networkcentric warfare, where integration and automation across domains are critical, is becoming the new norm.” CDS Gen Anil Chauhan Regarding cyber operations, the CDS mentioned that they played a limited role. While there were some denial-of-service attacks, India’s air-gapped Govt mulls spl Parl session on June 16 MAXIMUM LOAD Animesh Singh 238 military systems remained secure. Public platforms faced minor disruptions, but operational systems were unaffected, he told think-tanks. General Chauhan said the key to modern warfare was in networking — real-time integration across air, land, sea and cyber domains. Advanced technologies, he stressed, were only as effective as the networks they’re connected to. Addressing the challenge of continued on page 8 edit: aircraft losses Dhaka, June 1 Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday indicted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two others on several charges, including mass murder, for their alleged role in the violent crackdown on studentled protests last year. Sunday’s proceedings marked the start of Hasina’s trial in absentia nearly 10 months after the ouster of her government following the protests. “We do hereby take into cognisance the charges,” a three-judge ICT-BD Bench led by Justice Golam Mortuza Majumdar said after a prosecution team formally accused them of attempting to tame the protests using brutal force. The tribunal, after hearing a 145-page excerpt during the indictment proceedings, simultaneously issued a fresh arrest warrant against Hasina and then Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The third accused, the then Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah AlMamun, is in custody to stand trial in person. The prosecution charged Hasina with exercising absolute authority to ruthlessly suppress the uprising. The two Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 1 The Centre is likely to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss Operation Sindoor on June 16. This comes amid growing Opposition clamour for a discussion on military and foreign policy strategy, as also the Pahalgam attack, in the House. While no decision has been taken so far, sources said the government had recently sought details of all special sessions convened in the past. The sources further said the decision on holding the session was likely to be taken once the seven multi-party delegations — currently visiting key partner countries to convey India’s message of zero-tolerance against terrorism — returned to India. The OP SINDOOR Final call after delegations wrap up foreign visits STOP SELF-PRAISE: KHARGE TO PM MODI New Delhi: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge targeted PM Narendra Modi over his speeches on Operation Sindoor, asking him to “focus on the enemy instead of boasting” and to recuse himself from election campaign. “He (Modi) should focus on the enemy instead of bragging that no one except him would have done it. Our full support is with armed forces,” he said. INSIDE delegations are expected to be back this week. The Opposition has stepped up its demand after Chief of Defence continued on page 8 1,400 STATES WITH 287 Karnataka West Bengal 320 Gujarat 436 485 Delhi M’rashtra Kerala IN REGION Haryana 30 | Punjab 6 | Jammu & Kashmir 6 | Chandigarh 1 Covid cases up 1,300% inweek,Keralaworst hit Aksheev Thakur Tribune News Service New Delhi, June 1 In just over a week, India recorded a staggering 1,300% jump in Covid cases, with Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal and Karnataka sharing the maximum load. Doctors, however, say the situation is not alarming as the infection is self-limiting. On May 22, the country report- Noneedtopanic,infection self-limiting, say experts ed 257 cases, but by June 1, the number surged to 3,758. According to the Union Health Ministry’s Covid dashboard, 363 new cases were logged between May 31 and June 1 alone. This year, 28 Covid-related deaths continued on page 8 edit: covid surge Colonial-era Ferozepur Fort that Hitler envied for its ammo reserves opens to public after 200 years Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, June 1 To boost tourism in the border region of Punjab, the Army’s Golden Arrow Division on Sunday opened to the public the centuries-old Ferozepur Fort, a monument that was occupied for long by the British and was envied by German dictator Adolf Hitler due to its vast ammunition reserves. It’s the first time in over 200 years that this significant architectural and historical site has been made accessible to the public as part of the Army’s programme to connect the locals with the The entrance to the historic Ferozepur Fort. TRIBUNE PHOTO country’s rich military and cultural heritage. A critical outpost during the Sikh empire, the fort holds enduring tales of courage and resistance, featuring prominently in narratives of the 1857 war of independence. There were more than 200 buildings in the fort and each was given a number. Historians say the fort was occupied by the British through deceit after the death of Sardarni Lachhman Kaur in 1835 and was converted into a British garrison in 1839 following instructions from the Duke of Wellington. In 1858, the British opened an arsenal here and different kinds of ammunition were manufactured. The fort served as the base depot for the supply of guns, ammunition, trained horses and bullocks. About 10,000 bullocks, as many horses and 150 camels continued on page 8 Today’s issue is of 16 pages, including four-page Delhi Tribune. c m y b Sheikh Hasina, former PM RIGHT-WING JAMAAT’S REGISTRATION RESTORED The Bangladesh SC has ordered the Election Commission to restore right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration, clearing the way for its participation in future elections. The outfit, which opposed B’desh’s independence from Pak, had its registration scrapped by the EC in December 2018. others were accused of provocation, complicity, abatement, instigation and facilitation. “Upon reviewing the evidence, we concluded that it was a coordinated, widespread and systematic attack,” ICT-BD chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told the court. All three were accused of superior command responsibility for the crimes. The prosecution said they would submit video, audio and forensic evidence during the trial and listed 81 persons to appear as witnesses. The tribunal’s investigation agency on May 12, in its report to the chief prosecutor’s office, named Hasina as the instigator of the killings during the uprising that ousted her government. The chief prosecutor urged the court to treat the Awami League as a criminal organisation since the crimes were committed on a partisan basis. The interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus last month ordered the disbanding of the party until the trials of its leaders were completed. Under the ICT-BD law, if convicted, Hasina and the coaccused could face the death penalty. The proceedings were broadcast live on television for the first time in Bangladesh’s history. The proceedings were scheduled to begin at 9.30 am but were slightly delayed as unidentified persons hurled three crude bombs at the gate of the tribunal hours before the beginning of the trial. The police said two of the bombs exploded while the third was continued on page 8 Nine killed in three Himachal mishaps MANDI/KULLU: Nine persons were killed in three mishaps in Himachal. A pickup truck carrying tent material from Ludhiana to IIT-Mandi met with an accident near Padhar, leaving five persons dead. A woman and her daughter died after being struck by a pine tree uprooted by strong winds in Manikaran. Two bikers died in an accident in Solan. INSIDE Rinku Singh to get engaged to SP MP JAUNPUR (UP): Indian cricketer Rinku Singh will get engaged to first-time Samajwadi Party MP from Machhlishahr Priya Saroj on June 8 in Lucknow, the politician’s father Toofani Saroj confirmed on Sunday. The wedding is slated for November 18 this year. It will be a traditional affair at Hotel Taj in Varanasi. — PTI MLA son of Ansari disqualified in UP NEW DELHI: First-time MLA Abbas Ansari, son of gangsterturned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, has been disqualified as a member of the UP Assembly after he was sentenced to two years in jail in a hate speech case. Abbas had won in 2022 from Mau Sadar on an SBSP ticket under Samajwadi Party-led alliance. INSIDE