BLACK, WHITE & GREY

BLACK, WHITE & GREY

What democracy indices say about Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s declining score in the EIU Democracy Index should provide an opportunity to discuss not only how EIU has rated Bangladesh, but also how others have characterised the country’s state of democracy—or lack thereof.

3w ago

The Great Game will continue

The absence of democratic behaviour is no longer hidden under the carpet.

Opinion / What comes after January 7?

If AL’s victory in the 2014 election was a hollow one, the 2024 victory in the making is nothing short of a Pyrrhic one—a victory which inflicts so much damage that it cannot be considered worthwhile.

Elections without choice: A leaf out of autocrats’ playbook

As the country is heading towards an exercise that the incumbent is calling an election, it is imperative that we understand what is in the making.

EC’s act is ‘an improbable fiction’

The EC’s action has already contributed to the deterioration of the political situation, and it will continue to reverberate in the coming days.

Reading Donald Lu’s letter, intently

Is there a connection between India’s clarification of its policy and Lu’s letter?

What the law minister's DSA statement reveals

Until now, there was no account from the government that provided a picture on the extent of the use of the law.

Government’s stubborn attitude on DSA sends ominous signal

The government is not taking OHCHR recommendations about the law into account.

Persecution of journalists: Condemnation isn’t enough

It is our moral duty to condemn the arrest of Samsuzzaman Shams and demand his immediate release.

What is in store for the new year?

Looking back at 2022, experts on the South Asian political and economic landscape would highlight the ongoing economic crisis for understandable reasons.

Citizens’ fundamental rights are not the executive’s choice

Can citizens be told that their rights are now available because the executive branch of the state is offering them as a gift?

Why is Bangladesh seeking IMF support in the first place?

As Bangladesh, facing an unprecedented economic crisis, has entered a negotiation with the IMF for a USD 4.5 billion loan package, a few discussions have ensued in the country.

Imran Khan’s downfall and the judiciary’s role in it

A fortuitous combination of several factors in the past few months have brought down the Imran Khan government in Pakistan.

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.

Three legacies of the Election Commission

The 12th Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh, headed by KM Nurul Huda, completed its tenure on February 14, 2022.

Five questions about the president’s dialogues

It seems like deja vu in Bangladeshi politics. As President Abdul Hamid is holding dialogues with various political parties to seek suggestions for members to form the search committee for the next Election Commission, it has brought back the memories of 2012 and 2017.

Commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11 attacks: A day of remembrance, a day of reckoning

This is not how the day marking the 20th anniversary of the al-Qaeda attacks on the United States was expected to be commemorated, but unfortunately, the day has turned out to be not only a day of remembrance, but also of reckoning.

A cancelled 1971 conference in Pakistan sends a message

An institution of higher learning in Pakistan had to cancel an academic conference about 1971.

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