State and Politics
Why Bangladesh still a child even at 54
Election-oriented people believe that once an election is held inflation will fall, GDP will rise, a flood of investment will come, factories will not close, there will be no shortage of gas supply, electricity prices will fall, load-shedding will end, there will be no traffic jams on the roads, and students will not lose concentration due to the sounds of sermons and band music. On the other hand, some believe that even if an election is held none of these will happen; instead, new thieves will appear, robbers in different guises, corruption-hungry officials, bribe-takers in religious attire, and newly styled money launderers. The current ACC Commissioner Miah Muhammad Ali Akbar Azizi has recounted at a public hearing how he himself paid bribes; he described the harassment he faced in obtaining approvals or no-objection certificates from numerous institutions for a multi-storey building design, and mentioned how he had to pay one lakh taka in bribes the very day before going on Hajj. Since giving bribes is a crime, no one admits to it, but even honest people have to pay them; proving it is difficult. Even if proof is found, fighting the administration is foolish, because the bribe-takers know the countless sections of law, and which ones are non-bailable. These things do not happen only under dictatorships; they happen under the democratic systems of elected governments too.
Gen Z Movement in Nepal: The Coded Message
Nepal’s recent demonstration, daubed as ‘Gen Z Revolution’ took the world by surprise on several fronts. First, it emerged as a spontaneous uprising appealed through the social media, at a time when the media had been banned. Second, it started directly from the climax and reached its denouement in merely two days. It toppled a stubborn regime and threw away an old order. This happened without a leader, without any consorted call, without an announced charter for action, and without any centre to monitor the course of action. Amazing! Truly amazing!
Why are Trump’s threats losing effect
In that sense, these agreements are little more than signatures on paper. Put simply, confronting Trump does not mean submission; rather, identifying his weak spots and striking there will bring results. A far more effective strategy is to put maximum pressure on the US economy.
‘Festival’ of votes and ‘rebirth’ of nation
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has astonished the nation in almost a poet’s tone. He has announced that elections will be held in the first half of February. But it will not be just an ordinary election, rather a festival of elections.
Bangladesh questioned due to a distrustful political culture
Even before the end of the DUCSU election, the JUCSU election began and is now nearing its end; but the vote counting has been going on for three days; yet election no longer means transparency or trust, but rather a stage shrouded in rumours, counter-rumours and the shadow of party politics. Meanwhile, reports are heard that although several parties including the BNP took part in the election, they later rejected it. The counting continues; but endless questions remain about what the final result will be.
What reforms came in 'DUCSU’ and ‘JUCSU' elections
A day after the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election was also boycotted by the panel backed by BNP’s student wing, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. At around 3:30 pm on Thursday, an hour and a half before the end of polling, they announced their boycott. Their allegation was that the election was not being conducted properly because of widespread irregularities, vote rigging and administrative bias. The panel’s General Secretary (GS) candidate Tanzila Hossain Baishakhi said, ‘From the very beginning we feared it would be a staged election.’
Why authorities’ bias in DUCSU election
The DUCSU election was not only long-awaited, but alongside people’s expectations, their aspirations were immense. For so long the election had been turned into a farce, and every year fees were taken from educational institutions but there was no elected student union. After many years, the DUCSU election was held in 2019, while in some institutions elections were held once in the 1970s and never again. From such a state we hoped to move towards a truly democratic environment of education and also a democratic environment in politics. Everyone wanted a fair election.
Why is Nepal’s political change being compared with Bangladesh
Nepal lies at the foothills of the Himalayas. Its size is similar to Bangladesh, with a population of just over 30 million. Though often referred to as a small country, in reality it cannot be called small. Yet the term is used due to the size of its economy. It is an economy mainly dependent on agriculture, remittances and tourism. However, Nepal’s geopolitical position is both significant and highly sensitive. On its two sides are China and India, the world’s most populous and major military powers. Nepal’s relationship with India has always been bittersweet. With each change of power in Nepal, its ties with India have also shifted. Relations with China, too, have fluctuated.
DUCSU Election: Hopes, obstacles, possibilities on path of democracy
If democracy is to be properly evaluated, its practice should begin in educational institutions. Especially at Dhaka University, which is called the centre of the country’s political history, the free election of student organisations is the first laboratory of democratic practice. Many had thought that this year’s DUCSU election could be a new beginning. But the reality shows that obstacles have arisen here too.
What impact could this DUCSU election have on future politics of Bangladesh
From 1924 to 2025, in the hundred-year history of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU), is this year’s DUCSU election going to be the most important? It is difficult to determine which historical events are more significant than others. Often such decisions cannot be made immediately. In the long course of history, many important events fade into obscurity, while some seemingly minor issues shine brightly. Perspective, analysis, bias—all combine to produce different interpretations of events. Even so, it can clearly be said that DUCSU has played a notable role in our national liberation movement, and especially in shaping the society, culture and politics of the Bengali middle-class educated Muslims after Partition.