German minister hails Bangladesh over birth control

An explosion at a building in Bangladesh's capital has killed at least seven people and wounded dozens more. Investigations are still ongoing into the cause of the blast.

At least seven people were killed and another 50 people were injured after a powerful explosion ripped apart a three-storey building in central Dhaka on Sunday, Bangladeshi officials said, citing a gas pipeline as the likely cause. The blast had reduced the building -- which houses a restaurant, an electronics shop and several other stores -- to rubble. Police said the explosion was so forceful that it broke the windows of at least four moving buses, injuring dozens of passengers on board.

At least 52 people were reported dead as a massive blaze broke out in a food processing factory on the outskirts of Dhaka.

When Bangladesh shut down for more than two months last year during its first Covid outbreak, hundreds of charities, civic groups and political parties gave out food, cash, masks and sanitiser to those who had lost their jobs. But coronavirus fatigue has set in and people have become less willing to finance the goodwill as the pandemic drags on.

At least 16 people from a Bangladeshi wedding party have been killed by lightning while disembarking from a boat. Fatal lightning strikes are becoming ever more frequent in the country.

Police say the man was arrested Sunday near Dhaka, but his female dance partner is on the run. The 20-year-old could face up to five years in prison on religious charges.

Islamic fundamentalists in Bangladesh have taken to social media to embrace the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. Experts say Dhaka should be cautious but not overly concerned.

Mohib Ullah was known for his tireless effort to highlight the struggles of the Rohingya refugees who were forced to flee to Bangladesh following a deadly crackdown by Myanmar's military in 2017.

The country said "no one will be spared" in the hunt to find Mohibullah's killers. The police have made a number of arrests tied to the murder of the key Rohingya leader.

The murder of a top Rohingya leader in his office has international leaders calling for an investigation and has stoked anger within Bangladesh's Rohingya refugee communities.

Recent violent attacks against Hindus have reopened old wounds for religious minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Rights groups say these attacks often are forgotten by the legal system and go unpunished.

Violence has been on the rise in the country's sprawling cluster of refugee settlements, with armed gangs vying for power and kidnapping opponents.