Time For a Different Approach in Bangladesh

Time For a Different Approach in Bangladesh Over the past year, the United States has invested considerable diplomatic energy in an effort to promote free, fair and inclusive elections in Bangladesh as part of a broader attempt to promote democracy and human rights. While the visa policy announced in May has received the most attention, […]

UN wants election in Bangladesh to be certified as free and fair: UNGA president

UN wants election in Bangladesh to be certified as free and fair: UNGA president M Mushfiqul Fazal, UN Correspondent The United Nations wants to see a national election in Bangladesh which can be certified as free and fair. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) president Dennis Francis said this in reply to a question from […]

Bangladesh is poised for an election to seal autocratic rule

Bangladesh is poised for an election to seal autocratic rule Bangladesh’sElection Commission set the country on a familiar but gravely uncertain path last week when it announced Jan. 7 as the date for the 12th parliamentary elections.  The ruling Awami League is trying to consolidate its grip on power in the run-up to the general election […]

Sri Lanka’s Panopticon: Closing the Political Space for Economic Stability

Sri Lanka’s Panopticon: Closing the Political Space for Economic Stability A report titled Mass Graves and Failed Exhumations in Sri Lanka authored by the Centre for Human Rights Development (CHRD), Families of the Disappeared (FOD), International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) and Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) was released in June 2023. During […]

Bangladesh Ranks Below War-torn Afghanistan in Press Freedom

Bangladesh Ranks Below War-torn Afghanistan in Press Freedom Bangladesh’s constitution provides for a parliamentary form of government that consolidates most power in the Office of the Prime Minister. In a December 2018 parliamentary election, Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party won a third consecutive five-year term that kept her in office as prime minister. […]

Dhaka’s abstention in Ukraine vote is an anomaly

Dhaka’s abstention in Ukraine vote is an anomaly Bangladesh’s abstention in the vote on the Ukraine crisis at the United Nations’ emergency special session on March 3, 2022 deserves much more scrutiny than it has received thus far. The resolution condemned Russia’s “military operation,” describing it as an act of “aggression,” criticised the recognition of […]

BANGLADESH: In pursuit of a one-party state?

Dhaka’s abstention in Ukraine vote is an anomaly Ali Riaz With democratic backsliding unfolding in an incremental manner in Bangladesh for years, concerns have been expressed since 2016 whether the country will descend into a one-party state. The Strategic Forecast predicted in May 2016 that the country would shift toward single party authoritarianism (Strategic Forecast, […]

Human Tragedy And Political Failure In Bangladesh

Human Tragedy And Political Failure In Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina is suddenly confronted with a moral dilemma for which her authoritarian political system is unprepared William B Milam Courtesy: Friday Times Among our important worries of today–the new Covid 19 variant Omicron, the Russian threat to invade Ukraine, the kinks in the global supply chain that […]

Bangladesh’s democracy erodes amid tilt to China

25 January 2022Author: Ali Riaz, Illinois State University Bangladesh remained firmly under the grip of the incumbent Bangladesh Awami League in 2021. The ruling party faced no formidable opposition, the country celebrated its 50th year of independence and the COVID-19 pandemic was less devastating than was predicted. Bangladesh Awami League (political party in Bangladesh) held […]