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A search is underway for award-winning climate journalist Alec Luhn, who went missing on a Norwegian glacier during a solo backpacking trip on Thursday. 

Luhn’s wife told CBS News he left for a hike on July 31 in Odda, in southwestern Norway, and shared his location. 

She said her family wasn’t worried, because he’s an experienced outdoorsman. They expected he might not have cell service, but when he didn’t show up for his flight back home to the U.K. on Monday night, his wife and family called the police. 

His wife, Veronika Silchenko, said he sent a picture from his last known location in Odda, “and that was the last time I heard from him.” 

Rescue operations have been ongoing, but have been hampered by some inclement weather. 

His family wants to spread the word in the hopes that anyone hiking the same route will share any information with local authorities. 

“Alec is basically obsessed with the Arctic. He loves glaciers and snow, and he loves explorers, and he’s a climate journalist, so for him it is always that story that now because of the climate change they’re all shrinking, and he’s trying his best to go to the coldest countries,” Silchenko said. 

Luhn is based in London, but was born in Wisconsin. He has reported for outlets including The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times, Scientific American, TIME, CBS News Radio, and VICE News TV.   

A search is underway for award-winning climate journalist Alec Luhn, who went missing on a Norwegian glacier during a solo backpacking trip on Thursday. 

Luhn’s wife told CBS News he left for a hike on July 31 in Odda, in southwestern Norway, and shared his location. 

She said her family wasn’t worried, because he’s an experienced outdoorsman. They expected he might not have cell service, but when he didn’t show up for his flight back home to the U.K. on Monday night, his wife and family called the police. 

His wife, Veronika Silchenko, said he sent a picture from his last known location in Odda, “and that was the last time I heard from him.” 

Rescue operations have been ongoing, but have been hampered by some inclement weather. 

His family wants to spread the word in the hopes that anyone hiking the same route will share any information with local authorities. 

“Alec is basically obsessed with the Arctic. He loves glaciers and snow, and he loves explorers, and he’s a climate journalist, so for him it is always that story that now because of the climate change they’re all shrinking, and he’s trying his best to go to the coldest countries,” Silchenko said. 

Luhn is based in London, but was born in Wisconsin. He has reported for outlets including The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times, Scientific American, TIME, CBS News Radio, and VICE News TV.   

Predators at a zoo in Denmark could soon be feasting on new donations from the public — their pets.

Aalborg Zoo, which sits on the outskirts of the city of the same name in the Scandinavian country’s northwest, put out a call Thursday for unwanted animals on its social media channels.

Donated pets will be “gently euthanized” by trained staff and then used as “fodder” to take care of the well-being of predators, it said, alongside a photo showing a lynx baring its teeth.

Chicken, rabbits and guinea pigs would be welcome as food for its meat-eaters, the post said.

The post echoed a similar appeal that appeared on the zoo’s website earlier this year, which also called for horses to be donated so long as they were no taller than 4 feet 10 inches, healthy and not treated for illness in the past 30 days.

Horse owners can obtain a tax deduction for the value of the animal, it said.

Zoos have a “responsibility to imitate the natural food chain” for carnivores that need whole prey for a hunting experience similar to that in the wild, the post said.

“If you have a healthy animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us,” it added. “We ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators.”

The post quickly sparked online debate drawing criticism from some quarters.

“The idea that a zoo, of all places, is encouraging people to drop off their animals to be killed and fed to lions and tigers is, to me, incredibly disturbing,” one user wrote on Facebook.

Multiple phone calls to the zoo from NBC News went unanswered, but in an update to its original post Tuesday, the zoo said it had closed the comments section.

“We understand that the post arouses emotions and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is not necessary — and we encourage everyone to maintain a respectful tone,” the zoo wrote.

It is not unheard of for animals to be fed to predators after they have died in a zoo or culled from healthy animal populations.

In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark’s capital courted controversy when it killed an 18-month-old giraffe called Marius with a bolt gun and fed him to the lions, saying the animal was “unwanted.”

An online petition with thousands of signatures failed to save him and the zoo said at the time that Marius had been euthanized to avoid inbreeding.

Predators at a zoo in Denmark could soon be feasting on new donations from the public — their pets.

Aalborg Zoo, which sits on the outskirts of the city of the same name in the Scandinavian country’s northwest, put out a call Thursday for unwanted animals on its social media channels.

Donated pets will be “gently euthanized” by trained staff and then used as “fodder” to take care of the well-being of predators, it said, alongside a photo showing a lynx baring its teeth.

Chicken, rabbits and guinea pigs would be welcome as food for its meat-eaters, the post said.

The post echoed a similar appeal that appeared on the zoo’s website earlier this year, which also called for horses to be donated so long as they were no taller than 4 feet 10 inches, healthy and not treated for illness in the past 30 days.

Horse owners can obtain a tax deduction for the value of the animal, it said.

Zoos have a “responsibility to imitate the natural food chain” for carnivores that need whole prey for a hunting experience similar to that in the wild, the post said.

“If you have a healthy animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us,” it added. “We ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators.”

The post quickly sparked online debate drawing criticism from some quarters.

“The idea that a zoo, of all places, is encouraging people to drop off their animals to be killed and fed to lions and tigers is, to me, incredibly disturbing,” one user wrote on Facebook.

Multiple phone calls to the zoo from NBC News went unanswered, but in an update to its original post Tuesday, the zoo said it had closed the comments section.

“We understand that the post arouses emotions and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is not necessary — and we encourage everyone to maintain a respectful tone,” the zoo wrote.

It is not unheard of for animals to be fed to predators after they have died in a zoo or culled from healthy animal populations.

In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark’s capital courted controversy when it killed an 18-month-old giraffe called Marius with a bolt gun and fed him to the lions, saying the animal was “unwanted.”

An online petition with thousands of signatures failed to save him and the zoo said at the time that Marius had been euthanized to avoid inbreeding.

Predators at a zoo in Denmark could soon be feasting on new donations from the public — their pets.

Aalborg Zoo, which sits on the outskirts of the city of the same name in the Scandinavian country’s northwest, put out a call Thursday for unwanted animals on its social media channels.

Donated pets will be “gently euthanized” by trained staff and then used as “fodder” to take care of the well-being of predators, it said, alongside a photo showing a lynx baring its teeth.

Chicken, rabbits and guinea pigs would be welcome as food for its meat-eaters, the post said.

The post echoed a similar appeal that appeared on the zoo’s website earlier this year, which also called for horses to be donated so long as they were no taller than 4 feet 10 inches, healthy and not treated for illness in the past 30 days.

Horse owners can obtain a tax deduction for the value of the animal, it said.

Zoos have a “responsibility to imitate the natural food chain” for carnivores that need whole prey for a hunting experience similar to that in the wild, the post said.

“If you have a healthy animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us,” it added. “We ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators.”

The post quickly sparked online debate drawing criticism from some quarters.

“The idea that a zoo, of all places, is encouraging people to drop off their animals to be killed and fed to lions and tigers is, to me, incredibly disturbing,” one user wrote on Facebook.

Multiple phone calls to the zoo from NBC News went unanswered, but in an update to its original post Tuesday, the zoo said it had closed the comments section.

“We understand that the post arouses emotions and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is not necessary — and we encourage everyone to maintain a respectful tone,” the zoo wrote.

It is not unheard of for animals to be fed to predators after they have died in a zoo or culled from healthy animal populations.

In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark’s capital courted controversy when it killed an 18-month-old giraffe called Marius with a bolt gun and fed him to the lions, saying the animal was “unwanted.”

An online petition with thousands of signatures failed to save him and the zoo said at the time that Marius had been euthanized to avoid inbreeding.

Predators at a zoo in Denmark could soon be feasting on new donations from the public — their pets.

Aalborg Zoo, which sits on the outskirts of the city of the same name in the Scandinavian country’s northwest, put out a call Thursday for unwanted animals on its social media channels.

Donated pets will be “gently euthanized” by trained staff and then used as “fodder” to take care of the well-being of predators, it said, alongside a photo showing a lynx baring its teeth.

Chicken, rabbits and guinea pigs would be welcome as food for its meat-eaters, the post said.

The post echoed a similar appeal that appeared on the zoo’s website earlier this year, which also called for horses to be donated so long as they were no taller than 4 feet 10 inches, healthy and not treated for illness in the past 30 days.

Horse owners can obtain a tax deduction for the value of the animal, it said.

Zoos have a “responsibility to imitate the natural food chain” for carnivores that need whole prey for a hunting experience similar to that in the wild, the post said.

“If you have a healthy animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us,” it added. “We ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators.”

The post quickly sparked online debate drawing criticism from some quarters.

“The idea that a zoo, of all places, is encouraging people to drop off their animals to be killed and fed to lions and tigers is, to me, incredibly disturbing,” one user wrote on Facebook.

Multiple phone calls to the zoo from NBC News went unanswered, but in an update to its original post Tuesday, the zoo said it had closed the comments section.

“We understand that the post arouses emotions and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is not necessary — and we encourage everyone to maintain a respectful tone,” the zoo wrote.

It is not unheard of for animals to be fed to predators after they have died in a zoo or culled from healthy animal populations.

In 2014, Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark’s capital courted controversy when it killed an 18-month-old giraffe called Marius with a bolt gun and fed him to the lions, saying the animal was “unwanted.”

An online petition with thousands of signatures failed to save him and the zoo said at the time that Marius had been euthanized to avoid inbreeding.

The British government has released new details of its plans to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly session in September.

In a newly published memorandum of understanding with the Palestinian Authority, the government said Britain is committed to “the two-state solution based on 1967 lines” and “does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as part of Israel.”

“The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, must be reunified under its sole authority,” the memorandum declares.

In a significant statement of British support for the Palestinian Authority, the document insists that the PA “must have the central role in the next phase in Gaza on governance, security and early recovery.”

British officials have previously demanded that Hamas should disarm and end its rule in Gaza. 

The move opens an unprecedented gulf between British and Israeli policy and comes after the UK imposed sanctions on two Israeli ministers.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were sanctioned over “their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian communities” in June.

On 23 July, the Israeli parliament passed a non-binding motion calling on the Israeli government to annex the occupied West Bank.

And on 4 August, unnamed sources close to Netanyahu briefed local media that he is now pushing for the full occupation of the besieged Gaza Strip.

Channel 12 quoted “senior figures in the Prime Minister’s Office” as saying: “The decision has been made, Israel is heading towards the occupation of the Gaza Strip.”

This would involve expanding ground operations into areas where captives are believed to be held, and into locations where Israeli troops have not operated for over a year, including western Gaza City and the central refugee camps.

‘Commitment to PLO principles’

The memorandum further calls for “inclusive general elections in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza” to take place “within the shortest feasible timeframe”.

It adds that “the UK affirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people of self-determination, including to an independent state.

“The two-state solution remains the best way to achieve Palestinian statehood and to guarantee that Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace and security with mutual recognition.”

Also implicitly rejected are US proposals for a takeover of Gaza. Instead the UK expresses support for “Palestinian-led planning for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza”.

Last week the British government announced it intends to recognise Palestinian statehood in September, following France’s commitment that it would do so just days earlier on 24 July.

Barring a dramatic diplomatic reversal, France and Britain will become the first G7 countries to recognise Palestine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded to Britain’s announcement by saying on X: “Starmer rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims. A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW.”

Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes, mainly related to the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. 

BABANPUR, Bangladesh — The monsoon rains lash down on this remote village in northern Bangladesh. Outside a modest mud house, several cows chew lazily on cud inside their pens, while a hen struts across the sodden courtyard, her five chicks in tow.

Abu Sayed’s elderly parents sit quietly on the veranda, staring at the deluge, their minds seemingly elsewhere.

To an unsuspecting passerby, it looks like a peaceful scene — albeit an impoverished one.

But after a closer look at the home, a stark image comes into focus: Dozens of posters and photos of Sayed line the path to the house, and surround his grave nearby.

Some show him with his arms outstretched, bearing his chest as he confronts police on July 16 last year outside his university in the northern district of Rangpur, just moments before officers shot him four times at close range.

His death, and the events surrounding it, were part of one of the most significant political upheavals in Bangladesh in decades.

Thirty-six days of nationwide unrest left as many as 1,400 people dead and thousands more injured, mostly at the hands of the security forces, according to the United Nations.

Other posters bear the words shahid — the Arabic word for “martyr” — across them.

They are a constant reminder to his family of his role in the student-led protests that started earlier that month — and the price he paid.

His father, Mokbul Hussein, tells NPR the 24-year-old was a quiet, polite young man who excelled in his studies.

“My son graduated with honors,” he says, his voice trembling with emotion. “He really struggled. I couldn’t afford his education, so he worked and paid for it himself. He was about to get a job when the protests began. Now he’s a martyr. When I think of it, my eyes fill with tears and my heart aches.”

Sayed’s mother, Monowara Khatun, sighs deeply. “I look at my son’s photo every day,” she says. “But it brings no peace. My days are filled with pain. He loved me so much.”

Sayed’s shooting was captured live on television. The footage showed him unarmed and posing no threat. It quickly went viral and marked a turning point in the protests, which had begun as demands to reform civil service job quotas, 30% of which were reserved for descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 War of Independence.

Sayed died within 20 minutes of being shot.

Immediately afterward, the protests shifted. The demand was simple: Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled as prime minister for 15 years, had to go.

They ended with Hasina fleeing to India by helicopter. She now faces charges of crimes against humanity in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, a tribunal has been set up to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths during the protests — but the process is taking time.

The interim government, formed shortly afterward under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, was widely hailed as a new chapter for Bangladesh: a chance to repair years of authoritarian rule, enforced disappearances, corruption and human rights abuses.

A growing sense of disillusionment

But 12 months on, a growing sense of disillusionment is sweeping across the country.

Critics accuse the new government of failing to tackle mob violence, and attacks on women and minority groups.

At the same time unemployment remains high.

Anu Muhammad, an economist based in the town of Savar, just north of Dhaka, says internal divisions within the coalition are partly to blame.

“Some groups were very much intolerant, some groups were secular,” he says, “so these were the differences. People are getting more and more frustrated because of the inaction, because of the lack of coordination among themselves, lack of coordination with the government and bureaucracy, government and police, government and judiciary.”

The protection of Bangladesh’s minority communities, especially Hindus, was one issue about which hopes were highest.

At Dhaka’s Dhakeshwara Temple, the largest Hindu temple in the country, police stand guard at the gates. Inside, however, the mood is jovial: worshippers take selfies and chat among themselves.

A wedding is underway. The bride is resplendent in red and gold. The groom is adorned with a garland of fresh flowers.

Adrita Roy, a drama student, who took part in last year’s protests, says it’s a misconception that Hasina’s Awami League political party protected her community.

“My grandfather was a Hindu freedom fighter,” she says. “All of his properties were confiscated by Awami League leaders, and they literally made a party office out of his ancestral home. These were the things that were going on.”

But she adds that despite promises made by Yunus to protect minorities, little has changed.

“Before the Yunus government came to power, he promised he would take care of the minorities,” she says, “which was very reassuring. But then the Awami League propaganda started flooding in. That’s when the government should have played a stronger role and prevented the very big incidents that have happened over the last couple of months.”

The Awami League declined NPR’s request for comment.

“We are simply not a mature democracy”

Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, defends the administration’s record on tackling crime.

He points to reforms in law and order, human rights, and transparency as evidence of progress.

“The most difficult task for this government was to manage expectations,” he told NPR.

“Some of these guys who criticize us, they wanted us to behave like a very mature democracy, which Bangladesh is not. It’s not like the United Kingdom or Scandinavian countries. We’re simply not a mature democracy.”

Back in Babanpur, as the rain continues to fall, Sayed’s father says he has one final request:

“Abu Sayed gave his life for his country. Now I ask the government for justice.”

Only then, he says, will he and his wife find peace.

BABANPUR, Bangladesh — The monsoon rains lash down on this remote village in northern Bangladesh. Outside a modest mud house, several cows chew lazily on cud inside their pens, while a hen struts across the sodden courtyard, her five chicks in tow.

Abu Sayed’s elderly parents sit quietly on the veranda, staring at the deluge, their minds seemingly elsewhere.

To an unsuspecting passerby, it looks like a peaceful scene — albeit an impoverished one.

But after a closer look at the home, a stark image comes into focus: Dozens of posters and photos of Sayed line the path to the house, and surround his grave nearby.

Some show him with his arms outstretched, bearing his chest as he confronts police on July 16 last year outside his university in the northern district of Rangpur, just moments before officers shot him four times at close range.

His death, and the events surrounding it, were part of one of the most significant political upheavals in Bangladesh in decades.

Thirty-six days of nationwide unrest left as many as 1,400 people dead and thousands more injured, mostly at the hands of the security forces, according to the United Nations.

Other posters bear the words shahid — the Arabic word for “martyr” — across them.

They are a constant reminder to his family of his role in the student-led protests that started earlier that month — and the price he paid.

His father, Mokbul Hussein, tells NPR the 24-year-old was a quiet, polite young man who excelled in his studies.

“My son graduated with honors,” he says, his voice trembling with emotion. “He really struggled. I couldn’t afford his education, so he worked and paid for it himself. He was about to get a job when the protests began. Now he’s a martyr. When I think of it, my eyes fill with tears and my heart aches.”

Sayed’s mother, Monowara Khatun, sighs deeply. “I look at my son’s photo every day,” she says. “But it brings no peace. My days are filled with pain. He loved me so much.”

Sayed’s shooting was captured live on television. The footage showed him unarmed and posing no threat. It quickly went viral and marked a turning point in the protests, which had begun as demands to reform civil service job quotas, 30% of which were reserved for descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 War of Independence.

Sayed died within 20 minutes of being shot.

Immediately afterward, the protests shifted. The demand was simple: Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled as prime minister for 15 years, had to go.

They ended with Hasina fleeing to India by helicopter. She now faces charges of crimes against humanity in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, a tribunal has been set up to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths during the protests — but the process is taking time.

The interim government, formed shortly afterward under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, was widely hailed as a new chapter for Bangladesh: a chance to repair years of authoritarian rule, enforced disappearances, corruption and human rights abuses.

A growing sense of disillusionment

But 12 months on, a growing sense of disillusionment is sweeping across the country.

Critics accuse the new government of failing to tackle mob violence, and attacks on women and minority groups.

At the same time unemployment remains high.

Anu Muhammad, an economist based in the town of Savar, just north of Dhaka, says internal divisions within the coalition are partly to blame.

“Some groups were very much intolerant, some groups were secular,” he says, “so these were the differences. People are getting more and more frustrated because of the inaction, because of the lack of coordination among themselves, lack of coordination with the government and bureaucracy, government and police, government and judiciary.”

The protection of Bangladesh’s minority communities, especially Hindus, was one issue about which hopes were highest.

At Dhaka’s Dhakeshwara Temple, the largest Hindu temple in the country, police stand guard at the gates. Inside, however, the mood is jovial: worshippers take selfies and chat among themselves.

A wedding is underway. The bride is resplendent in red and gold. The groom is adorned with a garland of fresh flowers.

Adrita Roy, a drama student, who took part in last year’s protests, says it’s a misconception that Hasina’s Awami League political party protected her community.

“My grandfather was a Hindu freedom fighter,” she says. “All of his properties were confiscated by Awami League leaders, and they literally made a party office out of his ancestral home. These were the things that were going on.”

But she adds that despite promises made by Yunus to protect minorities, little has changed.

“Before the Yunus government came to power, he promised he would take care of the minorities,” she says, “which was very reassuring. But then the Awami League propaganda started flooding in. That’s when the government should have played a stronger role and prevented the very big incidents that have happened over the last couple of months.”

The Awami League declined NPR’s request for comment.

“We are simply not a mature democracy”

Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, defends the administration’s record on tackling crime.

He points to reforms in law and order, human rights, and transparency as evidence of progress.

“The most difficult task for this government was to manage expectations,” he told NPR.

“Some of these guys who criticize us, they wanted us to behave like a very mature democracy, which Bangladesh is not. It’s not like the United Kingdom or Scandinavian countries. We’re simply not a mature democracy.”

Back in Babanpur, as the rain continues to fall, Sayed’s father says he has one final request:

“Abu Sayed gave his life for his country. Now I ask the government for justice.”

Only then, he says, will he and his wife find peace.

BABANPUR, Bangladesh — The monsoon rains lash down on this remote village in northern Bangladesh. Outside a modest mud house, several cows chew lazily on cud inside their pens, while a hen struts across the sodden courtyard, her five chicks in tow.

Abu Sayed’s elderly parents sit quietly on the veranda, staring at the deluge, their minds seemingly elsewhere.

To an unsuspecting passerby, it looks like a peaceful scene — albeit an impoverished one.

But after a closer look at the home, a stark image comes into focus: Dozens of posters and photos of Sayed line the path to the house, and surround his grave nearby.

Some show him with his arms outstretched, bearing his chest as he confronts police on July 16 last year outside his university in the northern district of Rangpur, just moments before officers shot him four times at close range.

His death, and the events surrounding it, were part of one of the most significant political upheavals in Bangladesh in decades.

Thirty-six days of nationwide unrest left as many as 1,400 people dead and thousands more injured, mostly at the hands of the security forces, according to the United Nations.

Other posters bear the words shahid — the Arabic word for “martyr” — across them.

They are a constant reminder to his family of his role in the student-led protests that started earlier that month — and the price he paid.

His father, Mokbul Hussein, tells NPR the 24-year-old was a quiet, polite young man who excelled in his studies.

“My son graduated with honors,” he says, his voice trembling with emotion. “He really struggled. I couldn’t afford his education, so he worked and paid for it himself. He was about to get a job when the protests began. Now he’s a martyr. When I think of it, my eyes fill with tears and my heart aches.”

Sayed’s mother, Monowara Khatun, sighs deeply. “I look at my son’s photo every day,” she says. “But it brings no peace. My days are filled with pain. He loved me so much.”

Sayed’s shooting was captured live on television. The footage showed him unarmed and posing no threat. It quickly went viral and marked a turning point in the protests, which had begun as demands to reform civil service job quotas, 30% of which were reserved for descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 War of Independence.

Sayed died within 20 minutes of being shot.

Immediately afterward, the protests shifted. The demand was simple: Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled as prime minister for 15 years, had to go.

They ended with Hasina fleeing to India by helicopter. She now faces charges of crimes against humanity in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, a tribunal has been set up to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths during the protests — but the process is taking time.

The interim government, formed shortly afterward under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, was widely hailed as a new chapter for Bangladesh: a chance to repair years of authoritarian rule, enforced disappearances, corruption and human rights abuses.

A growing sense of disillusionment

But 12 months on, a growing sense of disillusionment is sweeping across the country.

Critics accuse the new government of failing to tackle mob violence, and attacks on women and minority groups.

At the same time unemployment remains high.

Anu Muhammad, an economist based in the town of Savar, just north of Dhaka, says internal divisions within the coalition are partly to blame.

“Some groups were very much intolerant, some groups were secular,” he says, “so these were the differences. People are getting more and more frustrated because of the inaction, because of the lack of coordination among themselves, lack of coordination with the government and bureaucracy, government and police, government and judiciary.”

The protection of Bangladesh’s minority communities, especially Hindus, was one issue about which hopes were highest.

At Dhaka’s Dhakeshwara Temple, the largest Hindu temple in the country, police stand guard at the gates. Inside, however, the mood is jovial: worshippers take selfies and chat among themselves.

A wedding is underway. The bride is resplendent in red and gold. The groom is adorned with a garland of fresh flowers.

Adrita Roy, a drama student, who took part in last year’s protests, says it’s a misconception that Hasina’s Awami League political party protected her community.

“My grandfather was a Hindu freedom fighter,” she says. “All of his properties were confiscated by Awami League leaders, and they literally made a party office out of his ancestral home. These were the things that were going on.”

But she adds that despite promises made by Yunus to protect minorities, little has changed.

“Before the Yunus government came to power, he promised he would take care of the minorities,” she says, “which was very reassuring. But then the Awami League propaganda started flooding in. That’s when the government should have played a stronger role and prevented the very big incidents that have happened over the last couple of months.”

The Awami League declined NPR’s request for comment.

“We are simply not a mature democracy”

Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, defends the administration’s record on tackling crime.

He points to reforms in law and order, human rights, and transparency as evidence of progress.

“The most difficult task for this government was to manage expectations,” he told NPR.

“Some of these guys who criticize us, they wanted us to behave like a very mature democracy, which Bangladesh is not. It’s not like the United Kingdom or Scandinavian countries. We’re simply not a mature democracy.”

Back in Babanpur, as the rain continues to fall, Sayed’s father says he has one final request:

“Abu Sayed gave his life for his country. Now I ask the government for justice.”

Only then, he says, will he and his wife find peace.