1. Bangladesh Violence: Interim govt to run Bangladesh, says army chief; Sheikh Hasina landed at Hindan Airport in Delhi, who likely to extend her stay in India; India on alert
2. Visa-on-Arrival facility available for nationals of Japan, South Korea, UAE
3. 80 students fall ill due to food poisoning in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria
4. SC gives West Bengal ‘opportunity’ to explain inclusion of 77 castes in its OBC List
5. LG can nominate civic body aldermen, does not need Delhi govt advice, rules SC

What Else

1. 22 fishermen from Tamil Nadu arrested by Sri Lankan Navy, their boats seized
2. Bangladesh: ‘Prof Yunus to be chief adviser of interim govt’; U.S. State Dept urges ‘calm and restraint’
3. Nepal tightens security along India border in wake of Bangladesh unrest
4. Pakistan: Youm-i-Istehsal Kashmir: PM Shehbaz urges India to ‘move to dispute resolution’ for lasting regional peace

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Bangladesh Violence: Interim govt to run Bangladesh, says army chief

• Army chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman said Mon that PM Sheikh Hasina had resigned and a political transition was underway to form an interim govt.
• In a TV address to the nation, shortly after footage showed the 76-year-old AL leader fleeing the country in an army helicopter, Uz-Zaman said he had met representatives of all political leaders to propel the process for the next govt.
• “We will now go to the President, where we will discuss the formation of the interim govt. Trust us,” Zaman said, confirming that the “honorable Prime Minister has resigned”.
• “Now we will conduct all activities by forming an interim govt,” he added.
• The political leaders invited for consultation Mon was from the opposition, namely the BNP, JeI, and the JP.
• Civil society leaders were also present.
• Zaman made it clear that no talks were held with the Awami League.
• The Army chief urged protesters to return home and ordered the police to not fire at demonstrators.
• He promised a thorough probe into the deaths of every protester killed in weeks-long deadly demonstrations.
• “You trust me, let’s work together. Please help. I won’t get anything by fighting. Avoid conflict. We have built a beautiful country together,” Uz-Zamman said.
• Merely hours before the address, student activists stormed Hasina’s official residence Ganabhavan in Dhaka.
• They had called for a march to Dhaka Mon, defying the nationwide curfew, to pressure Hasina to resign. (here)
• Sheikh Hasina landed at Hindan Airport in Delhi: Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to resign earlier in the day, is traveling to London, ThePrint has learnt.
• (sources)- within minutes of realizing that the situation had gone out of hand, Hasina Mon reached out to New Delhi seeking safe passage into Indian airspace, a request that was immediately accepted.
• Sources in the know said Hasina wanted to address the nation back in Dhaka but was told by authorities that it wouldn’t be possible and that it was time she stepped down.
• She was also offered a military helicopter by the B’desh Army to fly her out of her official residence in Dhaka which was stormed by protesters moments after she left the capital city. 
• It was not immediately known whether she made a technical stopover in India but sources said her final destination is London.
• It was her team that reached out to Indian authorities, adding that the aircraft used was that of the Bangladesh Army and that this was not a rescue operation. (here)
• Sheikh Hasina is likely to extend her stay in India till she gets asylum in UK: Sources: According to the sources, no confirmation from the UK regarding political asylum for Hasina has been received so far.
• Rehana is the younger daughter of ‘father of Bangladesh’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Fazilatun Necha Mujib and the younger sister of Sheikh Hasina.
• Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq is a member of the British Parliament for the Labor Party.
• Hasina meets NSA Doval: India NSA Ajit Doval along with senior military officials met the embattled leader at the airbase and assured full security to her.
• The IAF and other security agencies are providing security to Hasina.
• India on alert: Meanwhile, PM Modi has been briefed on the situation by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
• Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who is the LoP in the Lok Sabha, has also spoken to Jaishankar. The two spoke briefly on the sidelines of the Parliament, Congress said.
• India’s Border Security Force is on high alert across the country’s 4,096 km border with Bangladesh, with field commanders ordered to take “on-ground” positions and be prepared for anything.
• Indian Railways has stopped all trains to Bangladesh and airlines including, Air India have canceled flight operations to Dhaka. (here)
• Centre holds all-party meet, S Jaishankar briefs on Bangladesh situation: Meanwhile, the govt on Mon in the Parliament convened an all-party meeting to discuss the situation in Bangladesh. EAM Dr S Jaishankar briefs the different party members. (here)

Visa-on-Arrival facility available for nationals of Japan, South Korea, UAE

• Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat provided an update that the Visa-on-Arrival facility would be available for nationals of Japan, S Korea, and UAE, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Aug 5.
• This facility is applicable for tourism, business, conference, and medical purposes, allowing a stay of up to 60 days with double entry.
• The Visa-on-Arrival can be utilized at six designated airports across India, simplifying the process for visitors from these countries and enhancing the convenience of travel.
• Indian nationals can now apply for multiple-entry Schengen visas with longer validity
• The Ministry has expanded the e-Visa facility with Electronic Travel Authorization, now accessible to nationals of 167 countries.
• This e-Visa permits entry through 30 designated international airports and six major seaports, significantly broadening the scope for international travelers to visit India.
• The Ministry of Tourism actively conducts need-based tourism surveys, research, and feasibility studies. (here)

80 students fall ill due to food poisoning in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria

• In a case of food poisoning, around 80 students from an Inter College in Mehroona village of this district fell ill with symptoms of stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, officials said on Monday.
• The incident took place after the children had dinner on Sun night, they said.
• District Magistrate told reporters that the students are in stable condition while an investigation into the incident is underway.
• According to an official statement released on Mon evening, some students at the govt-run school were reported to have fallen ill due to food poisoning.
• All students are safe, and a medical team remains at the school as a precaution, the statement said. (here)

SC gives West Bengal ‘opportunity’ to explain inclusion of 77 castes in its OBC List

• The Supreme Court on Aug 5 gave the West Bengal govt an “opportunity” to justify the reason for including 77 castes, largely Muslim communities, in the State’s OBC List.
• The order follows an appeal by the State against a May 22 judgment of the Calcutta High Court striking down the inclusion of several of these castes in the OBC List.
• In a mission to trigger a review of State OBC lists, NCBC hits a wall of absent socioeconomic data
• A 3-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice, D.Y. Chandrachud asked the State, to clarify the nature and scope of the survey undertaken to identify the social and educational backwardness of these communities, and their inadequacy of representation in the State public services, which warranted their inclusion in the OBC List.
• “The State shall clarify the nature of the survey and material in its possession, which led to the inclusion,” the apex court said. (here)

LG can nominate civic body aldermen, does not need Delhi govt advice, rules SC

• In a setback to the AAP, the Supreme Court on Mon upheld the Delhi Lt Governor’s decision to nominate 10 ‘aldermen’ to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
• A 3 judges bench led by Chief Justice, DY Chandrachud said that LG is expected to act as per the statutory mandate and not as per the aid and advice of the Delhi govt.
• Since it was a statutory power and not an executive power, the LG was expected to act as per the statutory mandate and not as per the aid and advice of the Delhi Govt (here)

22 fishermen from Tamil Nadu arrested by Sri Lankan Navy, their boats seized

• As many as 22 fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Mon evening for crossing the maritime border.
• The fishermen’s association of Tharuvaikulam said the fishermen were arrested when they were fishing in the deep waters between India and Sri Lanka, and that two of their mechanized boats were seized by the Sri Lankan Navy.
• The fishing boats were owned by R Antony Maharaja and J Antony Then Danila.
• On July 21, a batch of 12 fishermen went on a multi-day deep sea stay fishing, followed by another batch of 10 fishermen on July 23.
• Last weekend, 21 fishermen – who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy – were repatriated to India, with the Indian High Commission in Colombo securing the same in cooperation with the Indian Consulate in Jaffna and Sri Lankan authorities.
• Last month, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin wrote to Jaishankar, urging efforts to secure the expeditious release of 87 fishermen from the state detained in Sri Lanka. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

‘Prof Yunus to be chief adviser of interim govt’

• Key organizers of the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement this morning proposed “Nobel Laureate” Dr Mohammad Yunus as the chief advisor of the interim govt.
• In a video posted on social media early this morning, Nahid Islam, one of the key coordinators of the movement, said they have already talked with Prof Yunus, and he has given his consent considering the present situation of the country.
• Nahid, flanked by two other coordinators, said the widespread violence was being carried out by the “ousted fascists and their collaborators” to foil the revolution. (here)
• Who is Begum Khaleda Zia, former PM of Bangladesh, Whose Detention is set To End?: Bangladesh President Mohd Shahabuddin announced the release of jailed opposition leader and ex-PM Khaleda Zia, hours after embattled leader Sheikh Hasina “resigned.
• The decision was taken at a meeting with opposition party members.
• Shahabuddin had “decided unanimously to free BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia immediately”, the statement said.
• The meeting was attended by army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman, the heads of the navy and air force, and top leaders from opposition parties including the BNP and JeI.
• The arch-rival of Hasina, Zia was jailed in 2018 after she was sentenced to 17 years in prison in a ‘graft case’. (here)
• U.S. State Dept urges ‘calm and restraint’ in Bangladesh: The US called Mon for all sides to avoid violence in Bangladesh, where long-ruling prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled following protests.
• “We welcome the announcement of an interim government and urge any transition be conducted in accordance with Bangladesh’s laws,” he said.
• Miller said the United States was “deeply saddened about the reports of human rights abuses, casualties and injuries over the weekend and past weeks.” (here)

“Bullying the world’s 7^th-most populous country, far from helping to promote a free and fair election, is more likely to revive painful memories of how the U.S. looked the other way in 1971 as the Pakistani military brutally resisted Bangladesh’s efforts to achieve independence from Islamabad, slaughtering up to 3 million people. What is Washington really after now?”,  asked Brahma Chellaney (here)

• The “International community was busy criticizing my mother (Sheikh Hasina) for this and that. So now enjoy, watch. Watch the minorities getting killed. This is what you wanted“, says the son of former Bangladesh PM Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed.

Nepal tightens security along India border in wake of Bangladesh unrest

• Nepal on Mon stepped up security at its border with India following the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh, fearing a potential infiltration of citizens from the violence-hit country.
• The Home Ministry instructed security agencies to adopt high alertness along the border to prevent unauthorized entry through international border areas, police said.
• According to the police, the Home Ministry directed the security personnel deployed for border security to take extra precautions to prevent such infiltration. (here)

Youm-i-Istehsal Kashmir: Pakistan PM Shehbaz urges India to ‘move to dispute resolution’ for lasting regional peace

• As the nation marked five years since India revoked the special autonomy of occupied Kashmir, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called on New Delhi to move from “dispute denial to dispute resolution” for lasting peace in South Asia.
• Pakistan observed Youm-i-Istehsal (Exploitation Day) on Mon to mark the 5^th anniversary of India revoking Kashmir’s special autonomy and to show solidarity with Kashmiris.
• On Aug 5, 2019, the Modi govt stripped the Muslim-majority territory of its special status by repealing Article 370 of the constitution, splitting the former state into two territories directly ruled by New Delhi., Dawn reported. (here)
• Indian forces’ actions ‘deeply reprehensible’: ISPR Separately, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the services chiefs, and the Pakistan Armed Forces also reaffirmed their “steadfast solidarity with the courageous and resilient people” of IoK, the military’s media wing said.
• “We unequivocally support their legitimate and protracted struggle for the inalienable right to self-determination,” the ISPR said in a statement. (here)