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<div class='ite_mg_banner ads__container'><div class='it_mg_bnrBox'><div class='ite_bnr_cont'><div class='ite_cont_dtl'> <h4>Mood of the Nation Offer:  Use promo code <span class='bold_text'> MOTN2026 </span> to get<span class='bold_text'> ₹500 off</span> on all Print + Digital subscriptions</h4><a href='https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriptions.intoday.in%2Findiatoday%3Futm_source%3Dtop-web-banner ' class='ite_subscribe_btn origin_conscent_url' target='_blank'>SUBSCRIBE</a></div></div></div></div>

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<a href='https://d13c78c4-f787-477d-8887-b3d8b2d64032.atarimworker.dev/business/tools-and-calculators/income-tax-calculator' class='tax-banner' style='color:#FCAF2D;font-size: 20px;line-height: 26px;font-weight: 400;'>Calculate Your Income Tax</a><a href='https://d13c78c4-f787-477d-8887-b3d8b2d64032.atarimworker.dev/business/tools-and-calculators/income-tax-calculator' class='btn_now' style='background: #e63946; color: #ffffff; padding: 2px 5px; border: 1.5px solid #ffffff; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease;margin-left: 10px;white-space: nowrap;display: inline-block'>Calculate Now</a><div class='divider'></div>

<div class="itg-mosimage"><amp-img src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Fmedia2%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fstories%2F1996March%2Fuplode%2520(31)_101812102219.jpg" alt="" height="425" width="650" class="" layout="responsive"></amp-img>H.M Ershad<p>His wife Raushan says: "It is plain vindictiveness." Whatever the truth, the fall from grace could not be more apparent, or more humiliating.</p><p>For Hussain Mohammed Ershad, president of Bangladesh from 1981 to 1991, home is a cramped jail cell in Dhaka, where, monitored by television cameras, he is serving a 13-year prison sentence-in solitary confinement.<br><br>Says Khondker Mahbub Hossain, Ershad's chief defence lawyer: "We don't want Ershad to be treated like an ex-president. All we want is that he be treated on a par with other prisoners." According to him, even that would be a big improvement.</p><p>Though the jail staff is generally respectful, there are the over-zealous ones who treat him shabbily. Once, before being taken to court, he was almost stripped naked and frisked. The usually composed Ershad lost his cool.<br><br>As of now, there are at least a dozen cases pending against him. In three of them, he has been sentenced to a total of 13 years. His lawyers have challenged the convictions before the high court division bench. While Ershad awaits a final verdict, still more cases are being filed against him. </p><p>The latest is that regarding the slaying of army general M.A. Manzur in 1981. Last year Manzur's brother filed an FIR-14 years after the killing-ascribing the delay to his inability to secure a post-mortem report and death certificate. Though Ershad is not named, the police claim they have substantive evidence to pin him. If found guilty, he faces a life term.<br><br></p><div class="itg-mosimage"><amp-img src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Fmedia2%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fstories%2F1996March%2Fuplode%2520(26)_101812102147.jpg" alt="" height="425" width="650" class="" layout="responsive"></amp-img>H.M. Ershad wife Raushan: pinning hopes on playing power broker</div></p><p>With little to do, Ershad's military discipline is coming to good use now. Apart from free-hand exercises, he keeps himself busy by reading<i>Ittefaq</i>- Bangladesh's highest-circulated daily-cover to cover. Reading the headlines may bring him some satisfaction, though. Five years after he was toppled, democracy in Bangladesh remains badly bruised and, if the situation continues, could collapse.<br><br>Ershad is said to be pinning his hopes on the Jatiyo Party led by Raushan emerging as a major power broker if the Opposition is able to force another parliamentary election. In the 1991 elections, the Jatiyo party had won 35 seats, and could play a crucial role this time if the Opposition ends its boycott of the political process.</p><p>Holding the balance between the BNP and the Awami League, Ershad's supporters would then be in a position to secure his release. As Anisul Islam Mahmud, foreign minister during Ershad's tenure, puts it: "He is being held under political cases. His release would also be political." To be free, this former dictator will now have to rely on the vagaries of democracy.</p><div class="itemcenter"><amp-iframe height="62" title="" width="320" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" allowfullscreen src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Findiatoday%2Fbanner%2Fpreferred-source-new.html%3Fv%3D1.014%5Cu0026native%3D1" class="mrBt15 preferred-source-banner"> </amp-iframe></div><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">AtMigration </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Mar 15, 1996</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div></div>

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<div class="itg-mosimage"><div class="itgimage"><img  title=""  class="" alt="" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Fmedia2%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fstories%2F1996March%2Fuplode%2520(31)_101812102219.jpg" loading="lazy" /></div>H.M Ershad<p>His wife Raushan says: "It is plain vindictiveness." Whatever the truth, the fall from grace could not be more apparent, or more humiliating.</p><p>For Hussain Mohammed Ershad, president of Bangladesh from 1981 to 1991, home is a cramped jail cell in Dhaka, where, monitored by television cameras, he is serving a 13-year prison sentence-in solitary confinement.<br><br>Says Khondker Mahbub Hossain, Ershad's chief defence lawyer: "We don't want Ershad to be treated like an ex-president. All we want is that he be treated on a par with other prisoners." According to him, even that would be a big improvement.</p><p>Though the jail staff is generally respectful, there are the over-zealous ones who treat him shabbily. Once, before being taken to court, he was almost stripped naked and frisked. The usually composed Ershad lost his cool.<br><br>As of now, there are at least a dozen cases pending against him. In three of them, he has been sentenced to a total of 13 years. His lawyers have challenged the convictions before the high court division bench. While Ershad awaits a final verdict, still more cases are being filed against him. </p><p>The latest is that regarding the slaying of army general M.A. Manzur in 1981. Last year Manzur's brother filed an FIR-14 years after the killing-ascribing the delay to his inability to secure a post-mortem report and death certificate. Though Ershad is not named, the police claim they have substantive evidence to pin him. If found guilty, he faces a life term.<br><br></p><div class="itg-mosimage"><div class="itgimage"><img  title=""  class="" alt="" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Fmedia2%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fstories%2F1996March%2Fuplode%2520(26)_101812102147.jpg" loading="lazy" /></div>H.M. Ershad wife Raushan: pinning hopes on playing power broker</div></p><p>With little to do, Ershad's military discipline is coming to good use now. Apart from free-hand exercises, he keeps himself busy by reading<i>Ittefaq</i>- Bangladesh's highest-circulated daily-cover to cover. Reading the headlines may bring him some satisfaction, though. Five years after he was toppled, democracy in Bangladesh remains badly bruised and, if the situation continues, could collapse.<br><br>Ershad is said to be pinning his hopes on the Jatiyo Party led by Raushan emerging as a major power broker if the Opposition is able to force another parliamentary election. In the 1991 elections, the Jatiyo party had won 35 seats, and could play a crucial role this time if the Opposition ends its boycott of the political process.</p><p>Holding the balance between the BNP and the Awami League, Ershad's supporters would then be in a position to secure his release. As Anisul Islam Mahmud, foreign minister during Ershad's tenure, puts it: "He is being held under political cases. His release would also be political." To be free, this former dictator will now have to rely on the vagaries of democracy.</p><div class="itemcenter"><iframe scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="62" awidth="320" aheight="62" amplayout="fixed" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Findiatoday%2Fbanner%2Fpreferred-source-new.html%3Fv%3D1.014" class="preferred-source-banner" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><style>.preferred-source-banner{  margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}</style><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">AtMigration </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Mar 15, 1996</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div></div>

Ershad is said to be pinning his hopes on the Jatiyo Party led by Raushan emerging as a major power broker if the Opposition is able to force another parliamentary election.

India Today

H.M Ershad pins hopes on Jatiyo Party as a major power broker and secure his release.

H.M. Ershad: Ruler turns pleader - India Today

Former Bangladesh President Ershad pins hopes on Jatiyo Party as major power broker

H.M. Ershad: Ruler turns pleader

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Adichanallur, one of India’s oldest archaeological sites, is located in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district along the banks of the Tamirabharani river. Recently selected for development under the Union Budget 2026, the site offers rare insights into early Iron Age life and ancient Tamil civilisation, making it a key heritage location set to gain national attention.

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The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would win 352 seats if the Lok Sabha elections were held today, INDIA bloc 182 seats and others nine seats, according to the India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey.

NDA would win 352 seats if Lok Sabha polls were held today: Mood of the Nation poll

Bands of the Army, Navy, and Air Force and paramilitary enthralled the audiences with an array of foot-tapping melodies, including 'Vande Mataram', 'Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja', 'Vijay Bharat', 'Sitare Hind' and 'Brave Warrior', at the Beating Retreat ceremony at Delhi's Vijay Chowk on Thursday.

Beating Retreat ceremony: Military bands regale audience with foot-tapping melodies

In this report, the focus is on the high-level meeting between Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The meeting aimed to address speculations regarding a rebellion and internal friction within the Kerala Congress unit. Speaking after the marathon session, Shashi Tharoor stated, 'The discussion with my two party leaders, the LOP and the Congress President and we had a very good, constructive, positive discussion.' He emphasized that the party is moving forward on the same page, dismissing rumors of a fallout. Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, confirmed he would continue to campaign for the party alongside the state leadership. The Congress leadership has reportedly stepped in to ensure unity ahead of upcoming elections, describing Tharoor as an asset to the party. The discussion follows Tharoor's recent absence from party meetings and reported differences with the state leadership in Kerala.

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Shashi Tharoor meets Rahul Gandhi, Kharge to resolve Kerala Congress rift

In this Special Report, the focus is on the tabling of the Economic Survey 2025-26 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the start of the Budget Session. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the survey in the Lok Sabha, projecting a robust GDP growth of 7.4% for FY26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, stating, 'In the beginning of this quarter, the free trade agreement between India and the European Union is a glimpse of how bright the future of the youth of India is.' The Prime Minister emphasized that the next 25 years are crucial for achieving the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047' and noted that India is now on the 'reform express.' The bulletin also covers the political friction in Parliament, with the opposition demanding a rollback of the G. Ramji law while the BJP accused them of disrespecting constitutional traditions. The survey highlights fiscal prudence, with the deficit met at 4.8% of GDP.

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This special report covers the final rites of Ajit Pawar being conducted at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati. The transcript highlights the emotional scenes as the Pawar family, including Sunetra Pawar, Parth Pawar, and Jai Pawar, pay their last respects. A significant moment is noted between Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, who stood together despite their past political face-off in the Lok Sabha elections. The speaker notes, 'The family, the political divide blurred by what has been deep love within the family and that void today is filled by the outpouring of grief.' The programme reflects on Ajit Pawar's legacy as a 'mercurial leader' who transformed Baramati into a model constituency. The report details the public nature of the bereavement, with a three-day mourning period announced in the region as the community gathers to say goodbye to the leader they affectionately called 'Dada'.

Final Rites: Baramati Bids Farewell To Ajit Pawar

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Former Bangladesh President Ershad pins hopes on Jatiyo Party as major power broker

Ershad is said to be pinning his hopes on the Jatiyo Party led by Raushan emerging as a major power broker if the Opposition is able to force another parliamentary election.

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