State and Politics
Cost of self-destructive sabotage can be enormous
On Monday morning, I was utterly shocked after watching a video clip. Filmed from a distance, the video showed towering flames rising above the trees, lighting up the night sky. At first glance, I thought the footage was from Ukraine or Gaza. But soon I realised I was wrong. According to various media reports, it was not a scene of destruction from abroad, but from Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka—where students of Daffodil International University had vandalised and set fire to the campus of City University. As the day went on, the horror of the incident became even clearer.
From hope to uncertainty: Path of interim govt
Fourteen months ago, a mass uprising had raised a wave of hope across the nation. The arrival of the interim government under Dr Muhammad Yunus had inspired dreams of a new dawn. Many described it as a “government of morality” or a “bridge of change”.
Challenges Tarique Rahman must confront
We are passing through a time when Bangladesh stands at a crucial crossroads in its history. In 2024, a historic mass uprising ended the Awami League government’s fifteen-year rule, and within a few months, Bangladesh is moving towards an election. Just as the country’s history holds the glorious chapter of the Liberation War, it also bears the cries of justice lost in the dark alleys of power. More than half a century after independence, the nation is still searching for a stable democracy in which every branch of the state works for the people’s welfare, and politics reflects ethics and morality. Yet the people of this country have repeatedly witnessed electoral farce, capture of polling centres, ballot-stuffing and violence. From national to by-elections and countless local polls, many have been questioned over time. Political disputes centring on elections have become a permanent feature of Bangladesh, eroding public trust in the process and often putting democracy itself in doubt.
Plight of neglected education increasing
The results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations for the current year, 2025, have recently been published. The average pass rate across the 11 education boards is 58.83 per cent. More than 1.2 million students took the exams, half of them girls. The pass rate has dropped by 18 per cent compared to last year. The poor results have caused an uproar on social media, as the failure of 41.17 per cent of candidates cannot be acceptable. When out of 1.2 million examinees, around half a million fail, questions are bound to arise.
Is Jamaat's strength in changing colour
No third political force has emerged in Bangladesh after the Awami League and BNP. The Jatiya Party has effectively acted as the Awami League’s B team. Since the July uprising, there have been murmurs in the public sphere that Jamaat-e-Islami might form the next government. The results of student union elections at several public universities appear to hint at that possibility.
What to do to overcome political doubts over ‘July Charter’
The present state of Bangladesh’s political structure after the people’s uprising of 2024 can be called an exceptional arrangement.
How far Bangladesh progressed in eliminating discrimination
Discrimination means showing bias or prejudice towards someone based on race, religion, caste, gender, or age. It does not necessarily have to be linked with good or evil.
Why don't country's political leaders resign voluntarily, taking responsibility of failure
An odd practice has now taken root in Bangladesh’s politics – all failures, corruption or injustices in the country seem always to be blamed on one party alone. As if no one else in this country has committed any sin, crime, or carries any responsibility.
‘Insulted’ President’s letter to foreign adviser and some constitutional questions
When controversy erupted over the removal of President Md Shahabuddin’s portrait from Bangladesh’s foreign missions, many wondered whether the President was being removed or was planning to step down himself.
Corruption, extortion part of political culture
Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has spoken an unvarnished truth about extortion: the level of extortion and illegal levies has increased since 5 August 2024, and stopping extortion, bribery and corruption requires political commitment. Because an extortionist is not just an extortionist—he is also a political player. I had the opportunity to work directly with him when he was the Governor of Bangladesh Bank. Being a man of simple habits, he is free from greed. A CSP officer from the Pakistan era, he is also competent. Upon taking office as Finance Adviser, he said that the state of the economy was not as bad as people claimed. Yet, once in power, the new government’s political gimmick was to publish a white paper on the corruption of the previous one.