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India has issued a strong diplomatic rebuke to Bangladesh following the kidnapping and killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a prominent Hindu minority leader in northern Bangladesh. In a sharply worded statement, New Delhi condemned the incident and accused the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladeshi interim government of failing to protect its minority communities.

“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. “This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity.”

The statement continued: “We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions.”

Mr Roy, 58, was kidnapped from his home in Basudebpur village in Dinajpur district – located about 330 kilometres northwest of Dhaka -and later found dead. According to local media reports citing police and family members, Mr Roy received a phone call around 4:30 pm on Wednesday, believed to be from the men who would later attack him.

According to a The Daily Star report, roughly thirty minutes after the call, four individuals arrived at Mr Roy’s home on two motorcycles. They reportedly kidnapped him and took him to Narabari village, where he was assaulted. Family members told The Daily Star that Mr Roy was returned to his home in an unconscious state. He was transported to a hospital in Dinajpur, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Congress vs BJP over Minority Rights

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with Muhammad Yunus as “ineffective” in securing protections for minorities.

“In Bangladesh, religious minorities, especially our Hindu brothers and sisters, are continuously facing atrocities,” Mr Kharge said in a statement. “The brutal murder of a prominent Hindu community leader, Mr Bhabesh Chandra Roy, is evidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cordial meeting with Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor has failed.”

बांग्लादेश में लगातार धार्मिक अल्पसंख्यकों, ख़ासकर हमारे हिंदू भाई-बहनों पर अत्याचार हो रहा है।

हिन्दू समुदाय के एक बड़े नेता श्री भाबेश चंद्र रॉय की क्रूरतापूर्ण हत्या इस बात का सबूत है कि @narendramodi जी की बांग्लादेश के चीफ़ एडवाइज़र के साथ मुस्कुराने वाली बैठक विफ़ल रही।…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 19, 2025

Mr Kharge further cited Indian parliamentary data, stating that there had been 76 attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh in the past two months alone, resulting in 23 deaths. He also alleged that similar attacks on other religious minorities were ongoing.

Responding to Mr Kharge’s remarks, the BJP questioned why the Congress is silent on alleged attacks on Hindus in West Bengal, adding that foreign policy cannot be dictated by grudges but through diplomacy. 

“The first thing Congress should do is realise that targeting PM Modi for his cordial ties with a global figure like Muhammad Yunus is absolutely absurd,” BJP spokesperson Charu Pragya told NDTV. “These connections serve India’s interests in trade and regional security. You cannot define foreign policy on grudges. India’s relationship is with the country of Bangladesh. Regimes can change. It is a bit childish of Congress to make irresponsible statements like that.” 

“Let me ask a question to Mr Kharge, why are you always silent on the plight of Hindus in your own country?” she added. 

US Travel Advisory For Bangladesh 

With the country continuing to witness sporadic incidents of violence since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last year, the United States reissued a travel advisory to its citizens urging them to reconsider their plans to visit Bangladesh. 

“Kidnappings have occurred in the region, including those motivated by domestic or familial disputes, and those targeting members of religious minorities. Separatist organisations and political violence also pose additional threats to visitors to the region, and there have been instances of IED explosions and active shooting,” the advisory read.

“Prior approval from the Government of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Home Affairs Office of Public Safety is required if you plan to travel to these areas. Due to the risks, US government employees working in Bangladesh are prohibited from traveling to the region,” it added.

The family of Harsimrat Kaur Randhawa, a 21-year-old Indian student killed by a stray bullet in Canada, has urged the Centre to bring her body back to India. Ms Randhawa’s family has claimed that she was struck by a bullet when violence broke out between two groups in the port city of Hamilton. 

“She had gone to Canada about two years ago for her studies and was heading out for her daily routine when the incident occurred. During a clash between two groups, gunfire erupted, and she was struck by a bullet, leading to her death,” the family said in a statement. 

Ms Randhawa’s family, from Dhunda village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab, has appealed to the government to expedite the process of returning her body.

The Incident

Hamilton Police Service confirmed that Ms Randhawa was killed on the evening of April 17. At approximately 7:30 pm, police responded to a report of a shooting in the area of Upper James Street and South Bend Road East. Officers arrived to find a young woman suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Emergency services transported her to a local hospital, where she died of her injuries. 

According to the police, Ms Randhawa was a student at Mohawk College. She was an innocent bystander, caught in the crossfire of an apparent clash between two vehicles. 

“Through collected video, investigators have determined that the passenger of a black Mercedes SUV fired at the occupants of a white sedan. Shortly after the shooting, the white sedan fled northbound on Upper James and the Mercedes travelled westbound on South Bend. 
Shots also entered the rear window of a residence on Allenby Avenue where the occupants were watching television a few feet away. Fortunately, no one was injured in the home,” Hamilton Police said in a statement. 

Hamilton Police  has requested dashcam or residential surveillance footage captured between 7:15 pm and 7:45 pm from areas near Upper James and South Bend.

India’s Response

The Consulate General of India in Toronto issued a formal statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) expressing condolences and confirming coordination with Canadian authorities. 

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario,” the post read. “As per local police, she was an innocent victim, fatally struck by a stray bullet during a shooting incident involving two vehicles. A homicide investigation is currently underway.”

The Consulate added that it is in close contact with Ms Randhawa’s family and is providing necessary consular support.

College Reacts

Mohawk College, where Harsimrat was enrolled, also acknowledged the tragedy. In a statement, the college said, “Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult time. As a member of the Mohawk College community, we know this loss is being felt by many. We will do everything we can to support Harsimrat’s friends, family, and the broader college community.”

College officials have not released details about her academic program or her length of enrollment, citing privacy protocols. 

The collapse of a four-storey building in Mustafabad in northeast Delhi has left four dead early, with rescuers now trying to pull out those feared trapped under its debris. CCTV in an adjacent alley has captured the moment the building collapsed. The footage showed a sudden spark and a thick cloud of dust filling the alley, preventing any further recording.

The collapse occurred early Saturday morning. Various rescue agencies – including the National Disaster Response Force and the Delhi Fire Services – have been deployed amid fears that many are still trapped under the rubble.

Four people died, and the rescuers found 14 survivors so far, while 8-10 people are still feared trapped, said a senior police officer. The injured survivors are being treated at the GTB hospital.

Divisional Fire Officer Rajendra Atwal said they received the call about the collapse around 2:50 am. When the fire officials reached there, they found the entire building had collapsed and some were trapped, he said.

An official from the NDRF described it as a “pancake collapse” (in which a structure collapses vertically) and said the chances of survival are minimal. But we are clearing the debris and thoroughly checking for any life that can be saved, said the official. Space constraints in the congested area are limiting the use of heavy machines and posing a challenge to the rescue operation, he added.

The collapse occurred hours after the city witnessed heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms. Officials, however, said the cause of the collapse is still being investigated.

A man who lost his two nephews in the collapse said his sister, brother-in-law and niece were injured and admitted to the hospital. Another man who lives in the area said he has not seen his neighbours since the collapse. The family had at least eight members, and he could spot no one since.

A 21-year-old Indian student was killed in Canada after a stray bullet struck her. She was waiting at a bus stop on her way to work when the shots were fired by a car occupant. Harsimrat Randhawa was a student at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton Police is investigating the homicide that happened Wednesday, saying Ms Randhawa was an innocent bystander.

The Consulate General of India in Toronto said in a post on X Friday, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario.”

We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario. As per local police, she was an innocent victim, fatally struck by a stray bullet during a shooting incident involving two vehicles. A homicide investigation is currently…

— IndiainToronto (@IndiainToronto) April 18, 2025

“As per local police, she was an innocent victim, fatally struck by a stray bullet during a shooting incident involving two vehicles. A homicide investigation is currently underway. We are in close contact with her family and are extending all necessary assistance. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family during this difficult time,” the official added.

Hamilton Police in a statement said that at around 7.30 pm local time, it received reports of a shooting near Upper James and South Bend Road streets in Hamilton. When police arrived, they found Randhawa with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was rushed to a hospital, but succumbed.

Through collected video, investigators have determined that a passenger of a black car fired at the occupants of a white sedan. Shortly after the shooting, the vehicles left the scene.

Shots from the shooting incident also entered the rear window of a residence nearby where the occupants were watching television a few feet away. No one was injured in the home, police said.

Investigators are asking anyone with dashcam or security camera footage between 7.15 pm and 7.45 pm near the shooting area to contact authorities and provide any information that can help further the investigation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The US state department and Immigration & Customs Enforcement continue to aggressively target international students with visa revocations, termination of their legal status, and removal. With Indians constituting the largest cohort of international students, it isn’t surprising that the majority of those impacted are from India.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association collected 327 reports of visa revocations and SEVIS terminations from attorneys, students, and university employees and found that 50% of these international students were from India, followed by 14% from China.
Other significant countries represented in this data include South Korea, Nepal, and Bangladesh.“These reports paint aconcerning picture of the arbitrary nature of these visa revocations and terminations,” it states in its policy brief.
As per an Open Doors Report for the academic year 2023-24, India sent over 3.3 lakh students to pursue higher education in the US — an increase of 23% over the previous year. China was the second leading place of origin with almost 2.8 lakh students —this was a slight decline of 4% over the previous year. Anecdotal evidence shows that the number of Indian students aspiring to study in US is dipping sharply.
However, even as the crackdown on international students continues, several hundred students have filed lawsuits in US district courts challenging arbitrary termination of their legal status. Several courts have also granted ‘temporary restraining orders’, enabling students to continue their study in US.
Referring to AILA’s policy brief, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh posted on X: “A press statement issued yesterday by the American Immigration Lawyers Association is cause for concern to us in India. Out of the 327 visa revocation cases of international students collected by the organisation so far, 50% are Indians. The reasons for revocation are random and unclear. There is growing fear and apprehension. Will the external affairs minister take note and raise the concern with his US counterpart?” He also tagged foreign minister S Jaishankar.
“We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the American govt regarding their F-1 visa status, which happens to be the student visa. We are looking into the matter. Our embassy and consulates are in touch with the students to provide support,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly press briefing.
International students on completion of their studies are allowed to gain work experience under the optional practical training program for a year — this is further extended by two years from students hailing from the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field. According to the Open Doors Report, over 97,000 students undergoing OPT post completion of their studies were from India, whereas Chinese students pursuing OPT stood at around 61,000.
AILA’s policy brief points out that 50% of the impacted students were on OPT. “These individuals are unable to work immediately upon the termination of their SEVIS record. The road to reinstating status for those who have already graduated and are employed on OPT is much more difficult and murkier than those who are currently students,” it stated.
The grounds on which action was taken against international students were arbitrary. In some cases international students found their SEVIS records were terminated and/or visas revoked owing to a criminal record — and they did not have a history of interaction with police and there was nothing in their record that would prompt a visa revocation.
Students who encountered police for infractions are instances which most US citizens would consider a daily occurrence. These included not wearing a seatbelt, tickets for illegal parking, or speeding tickets and did not warrant visa revocation and/or SEVIS termination, states AILA.
There was no uniformity in the issue of notices of SEVIS termination. There were many cases where there was a delay between the SEVIS termination and when the student was informed. This is risky because if students kept working without knowing their SEVIS was terminated, it could affect their immigration status, states AILA’s policy brief.

RCB vs PBKS LIVE Score, IPL 2025 Highlights© BCCI

Prof MGK Menon (2nd from left), Prof UR Rao (4th from left), K Kasturirangan (extreme right) and a few others from team Aryabhata

Jawahar, Maitri. Remember these two names. We’ll orbit back to them soon. For now, let’s travel back to half a century ago:
A chill breeze rustled through the vast Russian steppe as countdown “10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-0” began post noon at Kapustin Yar Cosmodrome, some 3,200km from New Delhi, where a young team of Indian scientists waited anxiously.
They heard ‘Payyakali’ — a Russian expression first uttered by Yuri Gagarin at the time of his historic manned flight, meaning ‘let us go’ — and saw their 358kg dream soaring aboard Kosmos-3M rocket, at 1:28:55pm, Indian time.
It was Saturday, April 19, 1975. Everything had been meticulously prepared for this moment, with Indian scientists working tirelessly over the course of 40 days in Russia. Every detail had been scrutinised. Despite the distant location and the challenges of the task, the young Indian team, fresh from academic pursuits and filled with an unshakeable resolve, had brought Aryabhata, India’s first satellite, to life.

“The weather suddenly changed with the dawn of the new day. The Sun started shining brightly through a cloud-free sky despite the thermometer hovering around 10°C, ready to herald the significant event of the birth of a new space power in the world,” Aryabhata’s project director Prof UR Rao described the day many years later.
Fifty years to this day, it’s worth knowing that not everything in the run-up was as friendly as the Soviets, their weather, or as smooth as the Kosmos-3M’s launch on that day. As the cliche goes, let’s start from the beginning.
Heavier than China
In 1971, as India toyed with the idea of building a 100kg scientific satellite compatible with a Scout rocket, PM Indira Gandhi forwarded Vikram Sarabhai a letter from DP Dhar, the Indian ambassador in Moscow. The Soviets were open to assisting India in space. Sarabhai swiftly arranged a meeting with Soviet ambassador Nikolai Pegov. Udupi Ramachandra Rao was summoned to present India’s case.

Aryabhata statue in IUCAA campus Pune

“After patiently hearing me for 30 minutes, the ambassador asked about the weight of China’s first satellite. When I said around 190kg, he insisted India’s must be heavier — and said the USSR would launch it, whatever the weight,” Rao later recounted.
Sarabhai’s sudden demise in Dec 1971 didn’t stall progress. Under Prof MGK Menon — a renowned cosmic-ray physicist holding interim charge of Isro — a joint meeting with Soviet experts to finalise Indo-Soviet space cooperation was held in Thiruvananthapuram in Feb 1972. Before this, Menon voiced his reservations to Rao.
“If we want to enter space and use it for national development, this is our best chance. With a free launch and minimum expenditure, we can build satellite technology and grow from there,” Rao said.
Menon briefed PM Gandhi in Delhi, then joined the Thiruvananthapuram talks. Her response was positive — but she wanted to know the cost. Menon connected Rao to her. “Madam, give me three hours…”
Rao assembled a core team — SP Kosta, K Kasturirangan, R Ashiya, and Tarsem Singh — and asked for a cost estimate. They returned with Rs 60 lakh.
“You can’t get half the space-qualified components for that! Do you even know how much they cost?” Rao exclaimed. He reworked the numbers with them, arriving at Rs 3 crore, with Rs 1 crore in foreign exchange. He relayed the figure to Gandhi.

“Go ahead and sign the agreement,” she said. On May 10, 1972, a historic Indo-Soviet agreement was signed between M Keldysh, president of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and Menon. It outlined the launch of India’s first satellite — yet unnamed — from a Soviet cosmodrome. VM Kovtunenko was appointed Soviet project director; Rao led the Indian side.
Tin sheds in Peenya
Next: where to build it? Bangalore or Hyderabad? Bangalore won. With help from Karnataka’s industries secretary Satish Chandran, Rao secured four bare industrial sheds — 5,000 sqft each — in the then-nascent Peenya Industrial Estate.
These sheds were transformed at astonishing speed. Two became specialised control electronics labs, including a 1,500-sqft clean room for satellite integration. On Ganesh Chaturthi, September 11, 1972, they were informally inaugurated.

A handful of scientists grew into a 150-strong team working round-the-clock. But procurement was a major hurdle. Undeterred, Isro formed a special procurement team led by Rao, with TN Seshan and YS Rajan. They travelled across Europe and the US, placing spot orders and bypassing red tape to secure equipment affordably — and fast.
On July 11, 1974, PM Gandhi visited Peenya. As she looked into the clean room where Aryabhata’s flight model was being finalised, her face lit up with quiet pride. This wasn’t just a machine — it was India’s boldest declaration of scientific intent.
Jawahar? Maitri? No — Aryabhata!
At the final project board meeting in March 1975 — just a month before launch — the team discussed names. The options: Aryabhata (after the ancient Indian astronomer), Jawahar (for independence), and Maitri (for Indo-Soviet friendship). Now, orbit back to where we started.

Aryabhata during its integration.

“As expected, Mrs Gandhi picked Aryabhata,” Rao recalled. A special stamp was planned to mark the launch. To account for a possible one-day delay, two sets were printed — for April 19 (the scheduled date) and April 20 (backup). The launch succeeded on April 19, and the second set was destroyed.
Goal, challenges & achievements
Aryabhata was designed and built in just 30 months by a young team of Indian scientists and engineers, working with scarce resources. The quasi-spherical satellite, measuring 1.59m across and weighing 358kg, had primary objectives of: technological demonstration and scientific research in X-ray astronomy, aeronomy, and solar physics.
Its 26-faced polyhedron structure was covered with solar cells generating 46W, supported by a Ni-Cd battery. It employed passive thermal systems and cold gas jets for spin stabilisation, demonstrating sophisticated engineering.
A notable feature was its data handling capability—monitoring 91 parameters with time resolutions from 250 ms to 4 secs, transmitting at 256 bits/sec. In playback mode, this was 2,560 bits/sec, impressive for its time.
With its launch into a LEO orbit — 50.7° inclination, 619km apogee, 568km perigee — Aryabhata established a foundation for future satellites.

All on-board systems functioned perfectly until the satellite experienced tumbling at 0.3° per second instead of maintaining stable spin, and the aeronomy instrument’s power supply failed. However, engineers stabilised the satellite at 50 revolutions/minute by the 45th orbit. In five days, it went silent but its mainframe remained active until March 1981 and the satellite itself remained in orbit until its atmospheric re-entry on Feb 10, 1992.
Despite power issues affecting scientific experiments, initial data yielded significant discoveries. The X-ray instrument measured intensity from the complex “Cyg-X1” source during an upward emission transition and characterised X-ray emission from numerous sources. The payload measured neutron and gamma ray fluxes from the quiet sun and latitudinal distribution of high-energy neutrons.
Several technological experiments relevant to future programmes were successfully conducted, including satellite tracking using tone ranging, voice and data communication between USSR and Bangalore, tele-medicine experiments connecting remote rural areas with city hospitals, and meteorological data transmission as a precursor to later data relay experiments on Insat.
Aryabhata’s most significant impact was establishing a firm foundation in satellite technology, creating a confident core team for building more complex operational satellites, and developing infrastructure for India’s future satellite programme.
“No failure on Aryabhata was perceived as a failure. It might sound cliched, they were stepping stones for future success,” , Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium director, BR Guruprasad, who had spent 39 years at Isro before his current role, said.

File photo of Sourav Ganguly© X (Twitter)