The government has dismissed India’s allegations of temple and deity vandalism during Durga Puja in Bangladesh, labeling them as baseless. “The Government of Bangladesh finds such allegations baseless and the assertions uncalled for,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Monday. The ministry emphasized that Bangladesh’s interim government remains committed to maintaining the country’s long-standing secular and inclusive principles. It reassured the international community of its ongoing efforts to uphold these values. In response to the statement made by the spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs on October 12, 2024, which urged the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities and their places of worship during the festival, the foreign ministry expressed its concerns. The Indian statement had also alleged a “systemic pattern of desecration and damage to temples and deities.” The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry clarified that only a few isolated incidents were reported, and authorities acted promptly to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities throughout the festival period. "Communal harmony and peaceful coexistence are time-honored features of Bangladesh’s liberal and democratic ethos, uniting all its people," the ministry asserted. The statement further stressed that the Bangladesh government strongly upholds the right of every individual, regardless of faith or belief, to freely perform religious rituals without any interference. This commitment, it noted, was demonstrated through the peaceful observance of Durga Puja at over 32,000 Puja Mandaps set up spontaneously across the country. Regarding the reported theft of a golden crown from the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple in Satkhira on October 10, 2024, the ministry confirmed that the head priest performed the regular rites until 2:30 p.m., at which time the crown was still secure. An investigation is ongoing to determine why the priest and temple staff left the valuable item unguarded. The statement mentioned that four individuals have already been arrested in connection with the theft, highlighting that ensuring the safety and security of all citizens, particularly religious minorities, remains a priority for the Government of Bangladesh. “Upholding the rights of every citizen, regardless of identity, religion, or faith, is an internal matter of Bangladesh,” the ministry concluded.

  Afghanistan's Taliban morality ministry pledged Monday to implement a law banning news media from publishing images of all living things, with journalists told the rule will be gradually enforced. It comes after the Taliban government recently announced legislation formalising their strict interpretations of Islamic law that have been imposed since they swept to power in 2021. "The law applies to all Afghanistan... and it will be implemented gradually," the spokesman for the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) Saiful Islam Khyber told AFP, adding that officials would work to persuade people that images of living things are against Islamic law. "Coercion has no place in the implementation of the law," he said.  "It's only advice, and convincing people these things are really contrary to sharia (law) and must be avoided." The new law detailed several rules for news media, including banning the publication of images of all living things and ordering outlets not to mock or humiliate Islam, or contradict Islamic law. Aspects of the new law have not yet been strictly enforced. Taliban officials continue to regularly post photos of people on social media.  "Until now, regarding the articles of the law related to media, there are ongoing efforts in many provinces to implement it but that has not started in all provinces," Khyber said.  He added "work has started" in the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar and the neighbouring Helmand province, as well as northern Takhar.  - Journalists summoned - Journalists in Kandahar told AFP on Monday they had not received any statement from the ministry or been stopped by morality police for taking photos and videos.  In central Ghazni province on Sunday, PVPV officials summoned local journalists and told them the morality police would start gradually implementing the law.  They advised visual journalists to take photos from further away and film fewer events "to get in the habit", a journalist who did not want to give his name for fear of reprisal told AFP.  Reporters in Maidan Wardak province were also told the rules would be implemented gradually in a similar meeting.  Television and pictures of living things were banned across the country under the previous Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, but a similar edict has so far not been broadly imposed since their return to power.  When the Taliban authorities seized control of the country after a two-decade-long insurgency against foreign-backed governments, Afghanistan had 8,400 media employees.  Only 5,100 remain in the profession, including 560 women, according to media industry sources. Afghanistan has also slipped from 122nd place to 178th out of 180 countries in a press freedom ranking compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

  The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Ainjibi Forum (BJAF) has called for the immediate withdrawal of all cases against BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman. At a press conference on Monday at the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), BJAF President Advocate Zainul Abedin emphasized the urgency of the demand. "We demand the immediate withdrawal of all cases against Tarique Rahman; otherwise, the legal community will once again take to the streets," he stated. Advocate Zainul noted that various political parties, along with students and the public, have been protesting against the ruling government for the past 17 years, with BNP and Tarique Rahman leading these efforts. "All cases filed against Tarique Rahman are politically motivated. Verdicts have been issued in some of these false cases under the direction of the regime's chief, Sheikh Hasina," he asserted. He expressed concern over the lack of action from authorities regarding the withdrawal of these political cases, saying, "We are watching with great apprehension as there has been no initiative taken to address these political charges against him." Zainul also demanded a trial for those responsible for the mass killings in July, calling for Sheikh Hasina to be brought back to the country for accountability. He urged the interim government to implement necessary reforms immediately and announce an electoral roadmap to restore democracy in Bangladesh. In response to a question, BJAF Secretary General Barrister Kayser Kamal remarked, "The judges of the apex court have breached the code of conduct, and we demand the removal of these oath-breakers and partisan judges." Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon, President of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association, voiced support for the demand, stating, "BNP has called for the removal of partisan judges, and we stand in solidarity with that demand." BJAF Senior Joint Secretary General and member of the Bangladesh Bar Council Enrollment Committee, Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kazal, and senior lawyer Advocate Mohammad Ali were also present at the conference.