Bangladesh at 50: The Transformation of a Nation
3 years, 9 months ago

Bangladesh at 50: The Transformation of a Nation

The Diplomat  

When Bangladesh emerged as an independent state after experiencing a genocide in 1971, it drew little international attention; for decades it made it into the news cycle for natural disasters, poverty, military coups, political violence, and corruption. Instead of democratic institutional building, prolonged military rule and acrimony between two major parties – the Bangladesh Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party – have hindered sustainable growth and prevented the country from achieving its full potential. In general, India’s perceived interference in domestic politics and close relationship with the Awami League over the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has aroused strong anti-India sentiment among a large segment of Bangladeshis. A joint forum – the Bangladesh-China Silk Road Forum – was created in 2019, where the major political parties, the Awami League, BNP, and the leftists, came together to support China’s Belt and Road Initiative. However, in recent decades, incessant and bitter animosity between the two major political parties, the Awami League and the BNP, prepared fertile ground for the rise of Islamists as political actors.

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History of this topic

The worrying direction Bangladesh is taking and that talk of US deep state and Pakistan
1 week, 4 days ago

The worrying direction Bangladesh is taking and that talk of US deep state and Pakistan

New Indian Express  

Is the Bangladesh National Party having second thoughts about the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yunus? Tarique's return had earlier almost been a given after a Bangladesh High Court acquitted him in the grenade attack case that targeted former premier Sheikh Hasina at an Awami League rally in Dhaka in August 2004. On both sides of the political …

Secularism under siege in the Bangladesh churn
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Secularism under siege in the Bangladesh churn

Hindustan Times  

Bangladesh is clearly in an existential crisis today. Since the political change in early August, the Hindu community has borne the brunt of attacks by Islamist extremists and by those who never could reconcile with Bangladesh’s secular nationhood. While Bangladesh’s emergence as a sovereign State in 1971 created the happy condition of all Bengalis — irrespective of religious affiliation — …

Yunus consults political parties on India-Bangladesh relation, excludes Awami League and allies
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Yunus consults political parties on India-Bangladesh relation, excludes Awami League and allies

The Hindu  

Several political parties in Bangladesh on Wednesday urged Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus to hold early election in the country. “There is sustained propaganda on various media platforms of India that are very harmful for bilateral relation with India and we feel that a certain quarter in India that was the main supporter of the Sheikh Hasina government is unable to …

Sunanda K. Datta-Ray | Delhi, Dhaka need to act as B’desh Hindus face threats
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Sunanda K. Datta-Ray | Delhi, Dhaka need to act as B’desh Hindus face threats

Deccan Chronicle  

In the glowing aftermath of Bangladesh’s liberation war in 1971, a young Hindu -- from his name tag -- Mukti Bahini fighter in tired khaki fatigues told me on the Jessore station platform that my thinking was archaic and destructive. Another organisation, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, claims that more than 200 attacks have taken place against Hindu …

Bangladesh leaders speak of two Indias, plan cell to counter global media
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Bangladesh leaders speak of two Indias, plan cell to counter global media

India Today  

Amid reports of atrocities against minorities and the arrests of three Hindu monks in Bangladesh, the student leaders now in the government have doubled down on their anti-India stand. After a meeting with chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, the student leaders announced the plan of setting up a media cell to counter the portrayal that Islamic fundamentalism was growing in Bangladesh …

Opinion: China's outreach to Bangladesh Islamists alarms India amid anti-Hindu wave
4 weeks ago

Opinion: China's outreach to Bangladesh Islamists alarms India amid anti-Hindu wave

India Today  

Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, a prominent monk leading protests against alleged atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh, was arrested by Dhaka police on Monday, November 25. Indian outreach to the BNP and other Islamist parties, who have emerged as powerful players in the Bangladesh political scene after the ouster of the Awami League government headed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has …

Bangladesh students attack women, Awami League workers as they foil Dhaka protest
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Bangladesh students attack women, Awami League workers as they foil Dhaka protest

India Today  

Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, witnessed violent scenes on Sunday as student groups and pro-government outfits opposed a protest announced by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party, the Awami League. Several Awami League workers were attacked across the city by the student groups that had played a crucial role in the downfall of the previous government. The students blocked Awami League members …

Rivals of ousted Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina foil her party’s attempt to hold a rally
1 month, 1 week ago

Rivals of ousted Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina foil her party’s attempt to hold a rally

Associated Press  

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Rivals of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday thwarted a plan by her Awami League party to hold a rally in Bangladesh’s capital, seen as a potential first effort to make a comeback on the streets since she fled the country in August amid a mass uprising. A torn poster of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh …

Bangladesh Army arrests workers of Sheikh Hasina's party ahead of Dhaka protest
Top News
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Bangladesh Army arrests workers of Sheikh Hasina's party ahead of Dhaka protest

India Today  

The Bangladesh Army has arrested hundreds of workers and supporters of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party in a major crackdown ahead of their planned protest in Dhaka against the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. In a major show of strength, workers, supporters, and underground leaders are expected to gather in Dhaka’s Gulisthan, Zero Point, and Nur …

Bangladesh Bans Bangladesh Chhatra League, Sparks Protests Against Hasina's Legacy
1 month, 4 weeks ago

Bangladesh Bans Bangladesh Chhatra League, Sparks Protests Against Hasina's Legacy

Firstpost  

Bangladesh's interim government has banned the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party. The decision comes in response to escalating demands from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement who staged protests across Bangladesh and tried barging into President Mohammed Shahabuddin's house, seeking his resignation.

Awami League-Backed Chhatra League Banned in Bangladesh
Top News
2 months ago

Awami League-Backed Chhatra League Banned in Bangladesh

ABP News  

Bangladesh's interim government has banned the Awami League-backed Chhatra League under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The student body of the Chhatra League was accused of disrupting public safety and engaging in conspiratorial, destructive, and provocative activities against the State even after the fall of the Awami League government.

Eyeing democracy through mob rule
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Eyeing democracy through mob rule

New Indian Express  

Bangladesh is once again in the throes of violence that has almost become a precondition for regime change in the country. Mercifully, Sheikh Hasina has escaped alive, for even though assassinations are now less common, the mob attack on her residence could easily have degenerated into a massacre reminiscent of her father’s killing half a century ago. It had invested …

Reports of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh 'factually incorrect,' says top BNP leader
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Reports of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh 'factually incorrect,' says top BNP leader

New Indian Express  

"We want to start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations, and ensuring the return of Hasina to Bangladesh will be a new leaf in the bilateral ties," he said "Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League are both condemned here and standing by them will only worsen the perception of India in Bangladesh," he told PTI. "Now, if India doesn't ensure …

B’desh: Awami League event thwarted; interim govt to decide on Hasina’s extradition
4 months, 1 week ago

B’desh: Awami League event thwarted; interim govt to decide on Hasina’s extradition

Hindustan Times  

Dhaka: The Awami League party’s efforts to commemorate the assassination of former president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka were thwarted on Thursday, even as a top official said Bangladesh’s interim government will decide on seeking former premier Sheikh Hasina’s extradition from India. Protesters hold national flags as they march to block the house of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, ‘Bangabandhu’ the first …

Bangladesh Interim government rules out banning Awami League, wants good relations with India, apologies to Hindu community
4 months, 1 week ago

Bangladesh Interim government rules out banning Awami League, wants good relations with India, apologies to Hindu community

Op India  

On Monday, the Bangladesh Interim government said that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s stay in New Delhi will not affect their bilateral relations with India. He said, “Bangladesh is on the brink of a new beginning.” Home Affairs adviser to the Interim government rules out banning Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League Earlier in the day on Monday, Home Affairs Adviser to …

India-Bangladesh ties not dependent on Awami League, says BNP
4 months, 2 weeks ago

India-Bangladesh ties not dependent on Awami League, says BNP

The Hindu  

Indo-Bangla bilateral ties are not dependent on the Awami League and it is "natural to evoke adverse reactions" in Bangladesh over India giving refuge to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Senior leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party said on Friday, August 9, 2024. Ground Zero:The making of the Bangladesh revolt Asserting that India was "very important" to Bangladesh, Senior BNP leader …

Bangladesh: Khaleda Zia's BNP says 'difficult to cooperate' with India if it helps 'enemy' Sheikh Hasina
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Bangladesh: Khaleda Zia's BNP says 'difficult to cooperate' with India if it helps 'enemy' Sheikh Hasina

India TV News  

Dhaka: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the key rival of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, has expressed frustration with India providing refuge to the 76-year-old leader after she was compelled to resign and flee the country after widespread protests. Anti-India activities and attacks on the Hindu community also grew significantly under the BNP and its possible return to power …

Nobel laureate Yunus arrives in Bangladesh to take over as interim leader
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Nobel laureate Yunus arrives in Bangladesh to take over as interim leader

New Indian Express  

A tribunal in Dhaka earlier on Wednesday acquitted Yunus in a labor law violation case involving a telecommunication company he founded, in which he was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail. Joy, Hasina's son, said in a social media post on Wednesday that his family would return to politics and not give up following attacks on the Awami …

With the 7th January elections approaching, should Hindus in Bangladesh prepare for far worse persecution? BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and challenge for Hasina
11 months, 2 weeks ago

With the 7th January elections approaching, should Hindus in Bangladesh prepare for far worse persecution? BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and challenge for Hasina

Op India  

After 9-month’s bloody war, where three million Bengalis were butchered and 400,000 girls and women raped by the Pakistani occupation forces, on December 16, 1971, Bangladesh was born with the firm determination of being a secular country. BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters that “with the unilateral support of India, Awami League is heading towards holding …

Amid violence and boycott, Bangladesh goes to polls knowing there can be only one outcome
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Amid violence and boycott, Bangladesh goes to polls knowing there can be only one outcome

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by jailed …

‘Vote doesn’t count’: Bangladesh’s ‘bizarre’ election tests ties with West
11 months, 2 weeks ago

‘Vote doesn’t count’: Bangladesh’s ‘bizarre’ election tests ties with West

Al Jazeera  

The nation of 170 million people votes on Sunday in elections that the main opposition has boycotted and whose credibility the West has questioned. “Most of these voters are very excited about casting their first votes,” said Nasim, “And by holding the election on time, we are giving them this opportunity.” Nasim also said that since the BNP wasn’t able …

Bans and boycotts: The troubled history of Bangladesh’s elections
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Bans and boycotts: The troubled history of Bangladesh’s elections

Al Jazeera  

Since independence in 1971, only a handful of the country’s elections have been considered ‘free and fair’. This year, following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s refusal to accept the opposition Bangladesh National Party’s demands for a neutral caretaker government to conduct the polls, the BNP has chosen to boycott the elections. 2006 – 2008 political crisis Elections that should have taken …

Eye on Bangladesh: What polls mean for India, region
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Eye on Bangladesh: What polls mean for India, region

Hindustan Times  

Policymakers in New Delhi are keeping a close watch on Sunday’s general elections in Bangladesh in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will face one of her toughest tests despite the virtual absence of the main opposition party. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by ailing former premier Khaleda Zia, has decided to boycott the elections on January 7, just …

HT explains| Bangladesh elections 2024: Process, parties and problems
11 months, 2 weeks ago

HT explains| Bangladesh elections 2024: Process, parties and problems

Hindustan Times  

Bangladesh is holding a national election on January 7. Bangladesh Elections 2024: A supporter of Bangladesh Awami League party carries a giant portrait of Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina during an election rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh. One is headed by Bangladesh Awami League and the other by Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Bangladesh Awami League under the leadership of prime minister Sheikh …

Vantage | Why Bangladesh is stuck in a cycle of poll-related violence
1 year ago

Vantage | Why Bangladesh is stuck in a cycle of poll-related violence

Firstpost  

The current political crisis has attracted international condemnation with Western agencies criticising the government’s handling of the situation As Bangladesh gears up for its upcoming elections on 7 January, less than three weeks away, the atmosphere is tense and marred by violent incidents. Political blame game Amidst the turmoil, Bangladesh’s railway minister has pointed fingers at the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, …

No threat to India-Bangladesh ties from China, Jamaat-e-Islami: Awami League
1 year, 4 months ago

No threat to India-Bangladesh ties from China, Jamaat-e-Islami: Awami League

Hindustan Times  

The importance of Bangladesh’s upcoming general elections in maintaining regional stability was among the issues that figured in discussions between a visiting Awami League delegation and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. During an interaction with a small group of journalists, the Awami League delegation said that the ties between Dhaka and New Delhi …

Relations with India will be hit if Awami League is not in power: Bangladesh Information Minister
1 year, 4 months ago

Relations with India will be hit if Awami League is not in power: Bangladesh Information Minister

The Hindu  

Pointing to the close relations developed with India by the Awami League government, Bangladesh Information Minister Hasan Mahmud pointed out that the country's ties with its larger neighbour have always been affected and minorities have faced atrocities whenever the opposition BNP comes to power. While lauding the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in Bangladesh for restoring political stability and religious …

Bangladesh arrests head of largest Muslim party amid crackdown
2 years ago

Bangladesh arrests head of largest Muslim party amid crackdown

Al Jazeera  

The leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s largest Muslim party, has been arrested days after he announced the party would join opposition-led protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “Shafiqur Rahman was arrested from his residence at around 1 am on 13th December,” a statement from the party’s acting secretary general, Maulana ATM Masum, said on Tuesday. Practically, they do …

Bangladesh at 50: Hard Democratic Realities, Unfulfilled Secular Promises
2 years, 11 months ago

Bangladesh at 50: Hard Democratic Realities, Unfulfilled Secular Promises

News 18  

On December 16, 1971, Pakistani soldiers surrendered to a joint India-Bangladesh force and Bangladesh was born. Had a peaceful transfer of power taken place and had the Awami League been able to forge a constitution with greater devolution of power and autonomy for all provinces and institute more inclusive governance structures, many of Pakistan’s contemporary security challenges may have been …

Bangladesh at 50: Hard democratic realities, unfulfilled secular promises
3 years ago

Bangladesh at 50: Hard democratic realities, unfulfilled secular promises

Firstpost  

With the passing of five decades, the prospects for a secular Bangladeshi democracy seem ever-more remote despite the country’s important strides in human development and contributions to international security On 16 December, 1971, Pakistani soldiers surrendered to a joint India-Bangladesh force and Bangladesh was born. Had a peaceful transfer of power taken place and had the Awami League been able …

Bangladesh’s Dangerous Islamist Appeasement – And What It Portends
3 years, 11 months ago

Bangladesh’s Dangerous Islamist Appeasement – And What It Portends

The Diplomat  

In early 2017, a tussle around a statue of a woman personifying justice became a proxy for the longstanding tensions between Islamist and secular groups in Bangladesh. The ruling Awami League – an in-principle secular political party – is not new to the religious groups’ threats of escalating protests. However, agitation over the sculpture issue was renewed in November, when …

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