Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of at least 15 people in the southern Lebanese town of Qana, a location historically linked to civilian casualties from Israeli attacks. This marks a significant escalation, as Israel also targeted Beirut's southern suburbs early Wednesday for the first time in nearly a week. The strikes in Qana occurred late Tuesday, with Lebanon's Civil Defense reporting that 15 bodies were recovered from the rubble and rescue operations were ongoing. The Israeli military has not commented on the incident. Qana has a tragic history; in 1996, an Israeli attack on a UN compound in the town resulted in the deaths of over 100 civilians. During the 2006 conflict, another strike killed nearly three dozen people, including many children, with Israel claiming it targeted a Hezbollah launcher. In Beirut, the recent strikes followed a six-day hiatus and came after assurances from the United States to Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati that Israel would reduce its attacks on the capital. The strikes reportedly targeted an arms warehouse beneath a residential building, though the military did not provide evidence for this claim. Read more: UN says deadly Israeli strike in northern Lebanon should be investigated Hezbollah has intensified its rocket attacks on Israel since October 8, in support of Hamas following the latter's surprise assault that ignited the current war in Gaza. Ongoing hostilities have displaced around 1.2 million people in Lebanon, with about 2,300 fatalities reported from Israeli strikes, primarily in the past month. Hezbollah has vowed to continue its attacks until a cease-fire in Gaza is achieved, a resolution that seems increasingly unlikely after stalled negotiations. Meanwhile, in Gaza, the death toll from Israeli operations has surpassed 42,000, with a significant portion being women and children. Hospitals have reported around 350 bodies received since the escalation began on October 6, with many casualties remaining trapped under rubble. The situation remains dire, as extensive military actions have devastated large areas, displacing 90% of Gaza's population.

The US sanctions on RAB and the international community’s voice against human rights violations in Bangladesh have helped rejuvenate the BNP rank and file to take to the streets fearlessly, as reflected in its recent rallies, according to the opposition party’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. He also said that the law enforcement forces are not as aggressive towards the BNP's programs as they were in the past because it is a universal practice that civil and military bureaucrats do not stand against the people when they put up resistance with just demands. In an interview with UNB this week, Fakhrul talked about many other issues, including BNP’s plans for the simultaneous movement, the Dhaka rally on December 10, the Election Commission, the next general election, the proposed national government, and its relations with Jamaat and India. This is the first part of the interview. Read more: Huge crowds in BNP rally mean they want democracy back, says Mirza Fakhrul “When the government was continuing all misdeeds at an unstoppable pace without facing any resistance and a loud voice from inside and outside the country, the US sanctions on RAB naturally instilled new hope in the democracy-loving people of Bangladesh. It has also inspired BNP,” he said. The BNP leader also said their party leaders and activists got a message through the sanctions that the democracy-loving international community would no longer accept such activities, especially the incidents of human rights violations. “The US in its reports was voicing concerns over Bangladesh’s human rights situation for several years. But this time they not only raised their voices against human rights violations, but also they acted (through the sanctions). It’s undoubtedly encouraged us greatly. On the other hand, the visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet to Bangladesh and her subsequent statements on the issue definitely inspired us,” he observed. Read more: BNP MPs ready to resign; Govt must go for credible election: Fakhrul

In tune with UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, BNP on Thursday demanded an independent investigation into the incidents of human rights violations, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, under the supervision of the UN. “More than 600 political leaders and activists, civil society members and labour leaders have been subjected to enforced disappearance. Most of them were not found…enforced disappearance is a crime against humanity. Making a person disappear by the state is a grievous offence. It can’t be accepted. So, this type of crime should be investigated,” said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Talking to reporters at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office, he said the UN Human Rights Commissioner rightly said a fair, neutral and independent inquiry must be carried out into the incidents and those involved in such crimes will have to be brought to justice. Also read: BNP meets UN Human Rights Commission's Asia-Pacific chief The BNP leader said Bachelet also talked about the Rapid Action Battalion’s involvement with such incidents. “We want an independent investigation under the supervision of the UN into the incidents to reveal the truth and take action against all those to be found involved (with the human rights violations),” he said. Fakhrul said the UN rights chief's statements on enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and the human rights situations in Bangladesh have proved the truth of what the BNP has long been saying about the matters. “We’ve long been saying that the enforced disappearances, killings and extrajudicial killings have been taking place with state patron. It’s a big problem,” he said. Stating that people in Bangladesh were not known to the world of enforced disappearance, Fakhrul said it was Awami League which introduced enforced disappearance in the country after returning to power in 2008. Referring to Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader’s remark that the United Nations has no jurisdiction to investigate any incidents of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Bangladesh, Fakhrul said the ruling party leader ostensibly admitted that these incidents happened here through his comment. Earlier at a press conference on Wednesday, UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet voiced deep concerns over the allegations of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and torture in Bangladesh. Also read: BNP renews call for Khaleda’s unconditional release She also spoke of a neutral, independent and transparent investigation into the allegations, saying her office is ready to provide advice on how such a mechanism could be designed in line with international standards. Replying to a question, Fakhrul said there is no atmosphere in the country to engage in talks with the ruling party over the country's political crisis. “The political crisis here can't be resolved until our chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia is released, the cases (filed against our leaders and activists) are withdrawn and until this government resigns handing over power to a neutral caretaker government and dissolving Parliament,” he said. Trashing some media reports on BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s worsening health condition, Fakhrul said she is now doing well and all the parameters of her health are good. “I've talked to doctors they said she has no new major problem. Basically, she is ill with various health complications. But nothing new happened to take her to a hospital. Her condition has deteriorated further," he said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Saturday stated the sanctions of the US on Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) are one-sided and invalid, saying, “Human rights is extremely violated in the US.” The minister made the remark while replying to journalists at a program of the University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS) in the city’s Baridhara. The United States on Friday imposed human rights-related sanctions on 15 individuals and 10 organizations on the occasion of International Human Rights Day. Benzir Ahmed, current Inspector General of the Bangladesh Police and former Director-General of Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and six other individuals were among them, besides RAB as an organization. Read: Sanctions on RAB: FM says impact on relations depends on US The minister said the US also imposed sanctions on Narendra Modi but later he was given a red-carpet reception, which proves that such sanctions are in fact ineffective. The minister also said that UN human rights experts urged the US government to end police torture and racial discrimination this year. The Guardian stated in an article that 55% of all deaths in police custody in the United States between 1980 and 2018 were "unreported" or "mislabeled," which means the exact cause of death was not disclosed. Not only that, the world did not forget the tragic scene of a black man’s death at the hands of police on the streets of the United States last year, the information minister said. “When Palestinian children hurled stones at Israelis, they fired at them. Above situation, the US has not imposed sanctions on the Israelis. On the contrary, if any country proposes condemnation of these human rights violations at the United Nations, the United States vetoes it." So, it’s very clear that their ban is motivated, one-sided and ineffective, the minister stated. Read: Dhaka trashes HR violation allegations against IGP, 6 others However, Hassan Mahmoud said the United States is our development partner and our law enforcement and security forces have been working together to curb militancy and terrorism. Vice-Chancellor of UITS Prof. Mohammad Solaiman, UITS Chairman and Founder of PHP Family Sufi Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan, deputy Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Dr ASM Maksud Kamal were present on the occasion.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday warned that the current government must be tried by the people’s court for the violation of human rights and indulgence in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said the battle against the “pandemic of intolerance” needs a concerted “whole of society” approach and a rock-solid partnership involving all stakeholders.

Despite significant progress in recent years, Bangladesh has the highest prevalence of child marriage in South Asia and ranks among 10 countries in the world with the highest levels, said UNICEF on Wednesday.