Bangladesh Socio-Political Crisis 2024
- Thread starter Al-Zakir
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LeonBlack08
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LeonBlack08
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Unlike Hasina, the other two are not puppets
MNZGamerX
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Hasina’s last stand leans on India and pro-Hindu misinformation
Fallen Bangladeshi leader crafting a comeback from India, leveraging false Indian media claims that Hindus were mainly targeted in recent violence
by Taukir Aziz
August 27, 2024
Bangladesh’s recently ousted leader, Sheikh Hasina, has sought refuge in India, her closest foreign ally. Reports indicate that her efforts to win asylum in the UK, Canada, and the US failed, meaning she will likely stay in India for the foreseeable future.
Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has stated that the fallen leader has no intention of leaving India, and it appears that she is now strategizing a counter-offensive in response to the uprising that toppled her long rule.
So far, Hasina’s approach seems to involve aligning with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Hindutva supporters, potentially dangling greater political influence for India in Bangladesh should she reclaim power.
To understand what’s at stake, it’s essential to grasp the relationship dynamics at play. The Indian government has consistently acted as a protector of Hasina and her Awami League, transforming India and Bangladesh diplomacy into a patron-client relationship reminiscent of Russia and Belarus.
In 2014, Hasina effectively secured an election victory even before the vote took place, with the main opposition BNP boycotting the polls.
In the lead-up to that controversial election, then-BJP external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj met with Bangladesh Jatiya Party leaders to encourage their participation, helping to provide a veneer of legitimacy to what was broadly perceived as a fraudulent poll.
In 2018, Hasina’s Awami League secured another highly disputed election victory with an astonishingly high margin of nearly 95%, reminiscent of North Korea. This win was tainted by unprecedented electoral fraud, orchestrated by government officials and law enforcement to favor the ruling party.
Despite widespread international condemnation of the election as a sham, the BJP-led Indian government was the first to congratulate Hasina, providing crucial international support that reinforced her regime. The Indian establishment, it is widely believed, was fully aware of the blatant vote-rigging that took place at the time.
As the 2024 election drew near, Western powers began to pressure Sheikh Hasina to hold a free and fair election. However, Delhi, acting on Hasina’s behalf, reportedly managed to mitigate any potential backlash from these powers, especially the US, allowing another flawed election to proceed.
The depth of the relationship was further highlighted in 2022 when then-foreign minister A K Momen revealed that he had urged India to do everything possible to keep the Awami League in power.
Awami League General Secretary and former minister Obaidul Quader echoed the sentiment when he stated, “As long as Delhi is here, we are here,” and assured that India would prevent any constitutional threat to the Awami League’s dominance.
Awami League parliamentary candidates even campaigned as “Delhi’s Candidate,” openly acknowledging their dependence on Indian support. Currently, Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, is reportedly urging India to pressure the interim government to hold elections within 90 days.
Hasina’s sudden ouster sent shockwaves through the Indian political establishment. For several days, Bangladesh was left without a functioning government, and in this power vacuum, widespread anarchy erupted.
Over the past 15 years, the Awami League had turned its party offices and police stations into centers of repression, extortion and corruption.
As chaos ensued, local communities, fed up with years of abuse, decided to take matters into their own hands. Hundreds of police stations and party offices were set on fire and Awami League leaders were killed in the violence.
Approximately 10% of Bangladesh’s Muslim majority population is Hindu, a minority demographic represented within the Awami League. Accordingly, a notable segment of the party’s leadership is Hindu.
Since the mobs targeted both Hindu and Muslim leaders from the Awami League, it raises the question of whether these attacks were motivated by religious identity or political affiliation.
The broader trend indicates that Awami League affiliation was the main factor behind the attacks. BJP-aligned media in India quickly obscured this distinction, largely overlooking the Muslim victims within the Awami League and framing the violence as an assault on religious minorities.
This portrayal cast Hindu leaders and activists as victims of religious persecution, diverting attention from the underlying political context of the unrest.
In response to the rising violence, swift measures were taken to protect minority homes and temples. While these actions could be viewed as civic duty, there’s also a strategic angle: some might have recognized that the Awami League and its BJP-aligned media could exploit the narrative of minority victimization to undermine and destabilize any post-Hasina government.
BJP-aligned Indian media and influencers on X (formerly Twitter) have opted to frame the situation in a way that suits right-wing political agendas.
Misinformation and doctored video clips are spreading rapidly, fueling false narratives. For example, fires in restaurants and markets are being falsely reported as temples set ablaze while disturbing footage of mobs lynching Muslim Awami League leaders is being misrepresented as violence against Hindus.
In one case, when former Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Mortaza’s house was burned due to his connection with the Awami League in a disputed election, Indian media inaccurately reported it as an attack on cricketer Liton Das because of his religion.
Similarly, a fire that spread from Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence to the home of Rahul Anand, a member of the band Joler Gaan, was misrepresented despite Anand’s clarification that it was an accident.
Independent fact-checkers like Boom, Dismisslab, and AFP are working hard to counteract the surge of fake news from India, but they face an uphill struggle; for each piece of misinformation they correct, numerous others quickly spread on social media.
There has also been notable criticism of protesters who toppled statues of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, often portrayed as the architect of independent Bangladesh.
This criticism often fails to account for the fact that the Awami League government had elevated Mujibur Rahman to near-mythical status, with statues and murals throughout the country akin to the fairy tale personality cult built around the Kim clan in North Korea.
Overall, BJP-leaning media in India is seizing this opportunity to energize their support base after the party’s worst electoral performance in a decade.
Hasina’s son Sajeeb has been making regular appearances on Indian media, echoing BJP talking points by placing blame on phantom enemies like Pakistan’s ISI and America’s CIA. He has also actively pushed the narrative of violence against Hindus in his TV appearances.
But even Sajeeb and Hasina have been unintended victims of the Indian media’s careless reporting. The Print recently published a statement attributed to Hasina claiming she had resigned, prompting Sajeeb to swiftly denounce the report as false and fabricated. The incident suggests that the Awami League might be desperately trying different narratives to see which gains traction.
In Bangladesh, the Awami League seems to be exploiting a contrived issue. In Sylhet, reports indicate that Awami League leaders have staged false flag attacks on Hindu communities.
Additionally, party leaders and members of its student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, are organizing protest rallies portraying Hindu victims who were actually killed by Hasina’s security forces as victims of the current interim government.
These rallies have also adopted the “Jai Shri Ram” (“Glory to Lord Rama”) chant associated with the BJP’s Hindutva movement but unfamiliar to the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Govinda Pramanik, leader of the Hindu Grand Alliance, has already accused the Awami League of manipulating the Hindu population to regain power.
In response to these media narratives, prominent right-wing Indian MP Subramanian Swamy has suggested the annexation of northern parts of Bangladesh.
In a YouTube video, he proposed that the Indian military should surround Bangladesh’s borders and carry out a military operation to restore Hasina to power.
Hasina has been a staunch ally of India and current support for her might be seen as a way to reciprocate that loyalty. However, this approach risks damaging long-term diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh and their peoples.
On a positive note, many reasonable voices within India recognize the broader consequences of such support and are expressing strong solidarity with the Bangladeshi people, calling for a more balanced and principled approach to a volatile situation that could yet see many more twists and turns.
asiatimes.com
Fallen Bangladeshi leader crafting a comeback from India, leveraging false Indian media claims that Hindus were mainly targeted in recent violence
by Taukir Aziz
August 27, 2024
Bangladesh’s recently ousted leader, Sheikh Hasina, has sought refuge in India, her closest foreign ally. Reports indicate that her efforts to win asylum in the UK, Canada, and the US failed, meaning she will likely stay in India for the foreseeable future.
Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has stated that the fallen leader has no intention of leaving India, and it appears that she is now strategizing a counter-offensive in response to the uprising that toppled her long rule.
So far, Hasina’s approach seems to involve aligning with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Hindutva supporters, potentially dangling greater political influence for India in Bangladesh should she reclaim power.
To understand what’s at stake, it’s essential to grasp the relationship dynamics at play. The Indian government has consistently acted as a protector of Hasina and her Awami League, transforming India and Bangladesh diplomacy into a patron-client relationship reminiscent of Russia and Belarus.
In 2014, Hasina effectively secured an election victory even before the vote took place, with the main opposition BNP boycotting the polls.
In the lead-up to that controversial election, then-BJP external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj met with Bangladesh Jatiya Party leaders to encourage their participation, helping to provide a veneer of legitimacy to what was broadly perceived as a fraudulent poll.
In 2018, Hasina’s Awami League secured another highly disputed election victory with an astonishingly high margin of nearly 95%, reminiscent of North Korea. This win was tainted by unprecedented electoral fraud, orchestrated by government officials and law enforcement to favor the ruling party.
Despite widespread international condemnation of the election as a sham, the BJP-led Indian government was the first to congratulate Hasina, providing crucial international support that reinforced her regime. The Indian establishment, it is widely believed, was fully aware of the blatant vote-rigging that took place at the time.
As the 2024 election drew near, Western powers began to pressure Sheikh Hasina to hold a free and fair election. However, Delhi, acting on Hasina’s behalf, reportedly managed to mitigate any potential backlash from these powers, especially the US, allowing another flawed election to proceed.
The depth of the relationship was further highlighted in 2022 when then-foreign minister A K Momen revealed that he had urged India to do everything possible to keep the Awami League in power.
Awami League General Secretary and former minister Obaidul Quader echoed the sentiment when he stated, “As long as Delhi is here, we are here,” and assured that India would prevent any constitutional threat to the Awami League’s dominance.
Awami League parliamentary candidates even campaigned as “Delhi’s Candidate,” openly acknowledging their dependence on Indian support. Currently, Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, is reportedly urging India to pressure the interim government to hold elections within 90 days.
Hasina’s sudden ouster sent shockwaves through the Indian political establishment. For several days, Bangladesh was left without a functioning government, and in this power vacuum, widespread anarchy erupted.
Over the past 15 years, the Awami League had turned its party offices and police stations into centers of repression, extortion and corruption.
As chaos ensued, local communities, fed up with years of abuse, decided to take matters into their own hands. Hundreds of police stations and party offices were set on fire and Awami League leaders were killed in the violence.
Approximately 10% of Bangladesh’s Muslim majority population is Hindu, a minority demographic represented within the Awami League. Accordingly, a notable segment of the party’s leadership is Hindu.
Since the mobs targeted both Hindu and Muslim leaders from the Awami League, it raises the question of whether these attacks were motivated by religious identity or political affiliation.
The broader trend indicates that Awami League affiliation was the main factor behind the attacks. BJP-aligned media in India quickly obscured this distinction, largely overlooking the Muslim victims within the Awami League and framing the violence as an assault on religious minorities.
This portrayal cast Hindu leaders and activists as victims of religious persecution, diverting attention from the underlying political context of the unrest.
In response to the rising violence, swift measures were taken to protect minority homes and temples. While these actions could be viewed as civic duty, there’s also a strategic angle: some might have recognized that the Awami League and its BJP-aligned media could exploit the narrative of minority victimization to undermine and destabilize any post-Hasina government.
BJP-aligned Indian media and influencers on X (formerly Twitter) have opted to frame the situation in a way that suits right-wing political agendas.
Misinformation and doctored video clips are spreading rapidly, fueling false narratives. For example, fires in restaurants and markets are being falsely reported as temples set ablaze while disturbing footage of mobs lynching Muslim Awami League leaders is being misrepresented as violence against Hindus.
In one case, when former Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Mortaza’s house was burned due to his connection with the Awami League in a disputed election, Indian media inaccurately reported it as an attack on cricketer Liton Das because of his religion.
Similarly, a fire that spread from Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence to the home of Rahul Anand, a member of the band Joler Gaan, was misrepresented despite Anand’s clarification that it was an accident.
Independent fact-checkers like Boom, Dismisslab, and AFP are working hard to counteract the surge of fake news from India, but they face an uphill struggle; for each piece of misinformation they correct, numerous others quickly spread on social media.
There has also been notable criticism of protesters who toppled statues of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, often portrayed as the architect of independent Bangladesh.
This criticism often fails to account for the fact that the Awami League government had elevated Mujibur Rahman to near-mythical status, with statues and murals throughout the country akin to the fairy tale personality cult built around the Kim clan in North Korea.
Overall, BJP-leaning media in India is seizing this opportunity to energize their support base after the party’s worst electoral performance in a decade.
Hasina’s son Sajeeb has been making regular appearances on Indian media, echoing BJP talking points by placing blame on phantom enemies like Pakistan’s ISI and America’s CIA. He has also actively pushed the narrative of violence against Hindus in his TV appearances.
But even Sajeeb and Hasina have been unintended victims of the Indian media’s careless reporting. The Print recently published a statement attributed to Hasina claiming she had resigned, prompting Sajeeb to swiftly denounce the report as false and fabricated. The incident suggests that the Awami League might be desperately trying different narratives to see which gains traction.
In Bangladesh, the Awami League seems to be exploiting a contrived issue. In Sylhet, reports indicate that Awami League leaders have staged false flag attacks on Hindu communities.
Additionally, party leaders and members of its student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, are organizing protest rallies portraying Hindu victims who were actually killed by Hasina’s security forces as victims of the current interim government.
These rallies have also adopted the “Jai Shri Ram” (“Glory to Lord Rama”) chant associated with the BJP’s Hindutva movement but unfamiliar to the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Govinda Pramanik, leader of the Hindu Grand Alliance, has already accused the Awami League of manipulating the Hindu population to regain power.
In response to these media narratives, prominent right-wing Indian MP Subramanian Swamy has suggested the annexation of northern parts of Bangladesh.
In a YouTube video, he proposed that the Indian military should surround Bangladesh’s borders and carry out a military operation to restore Hasina to power.
Hasina has been a staunch ally of India and current support for her might be seen as a way to reciprocate that loyalty. However, this approach risks damaging long-term diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh and their peoples.
On a positive note, many reasonable voices within India recognize the broader consequences of such support and are expressing strong solidarity with the Bangladeshi people, calling for a more balanced and principled approach to a volatile situation that could yet see many more twists and turns.
Hasina's last stand leans on India and pro-Hindu misinformation - Asia Times
Bangladesh's recently ousted leader, Sheikh Hasina, has sought refuge in India, her closest foreign ally. Reports indicate that her efforts to win asylum
asiatimes.com
MNZGamerX
Full Member
- Dec 12, 2023
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No opportunity to ban Awami League, says Attorney General Asaduzzaman
Senior Correspondent
bdnews24.com
Published : 27 Aug 2024
Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman has appealed to the High Court to dismiss a writ petition seeking a ban on the Awami League and the cancellation of the party’s electoral registration for the alleged indiscriminate killing of students during the quota reform movement.
A High Court bench led by Justices AKM Asaduzzaman and Mahbub Ul Islam heard the petition on Tuesday.
At the hearing, the attorney general said there is no opportunity to ban the party and the interim government has no intentions of doing so.
On Aug 19, Arifur Rahman Murad Bhuiyan, executive director of the rights group SARDA Society, filed a writ petition seeking the ban.
Asaduzzaman said: “The interim government has not taken any decision to ban any political party. The government will not curtail the power of political parties given in the Constitution.
“People have suffered a lot under the previous government,” he told the court. “Many were ‘picked up’ or murdered. There are laws and courts to deal with these.”
"But there are many good leaders of Awami League as well. They hold the ideology of the party. There is no opportunity to ban the party. The government does not want to curtail their political rights. "
The attorney general added: "The petitioner has no right to appeal. The Awami League was not made a defendant in the writ. The regulations of SARDA, the organisation which filed the writ, also does not allow it.”
"Many political issues have been dragged to the court in the past, for which we had to pay the price. The uprising has affected the judiciary as well. That's why politics should remain in the street
"Let the writ [plea] be dismissed immediately and a fine be imposed on the petitioner."
Later, the court set Sept 1 for next hearing after the writ petitioner sought time to make Awami League a party to the case.
bdnews24.com
Senior Correspondent
bdnews24.com
Published : 27 Aug 2024
Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman has appealed to the High Court to dismiss a writ petition seeking a ban on the Awami League and the cancellation of the party’s electoral registration for the alleged indiscriminate killing of students during the quota reform movement.
A High Court bench led by Justices AKM Asaduzzaman and Mahbub Ul Islam heard the petition on Tuesday.
At the hearing, the attorney general said there is no opportunity to ban the party and the interim government has no intentions of doing so.
On Aug 19, Arifur Rahman Murad Bhuiyan, executive director of the rights group SARDA Society, filed a writ petition seeking the ban.
Asaduzzaman said: “The interim government has not taken any decision to ban any political party. The government will not curtail the power of political parties given in the Constitution.
“People have suffered a lot under the previous government,” he told the court. “Many were ‘picked up’ or murdered. There are laws and courts to deal with these.”
"But there are many good leaders of Awami League as well. They hold the ideology of the party. There is no opportunity to ban the party. The government does not want to curtail their political rights. "
The attorney general added: "The petitioner has no right to appeal. The Awami League was not made a defendant in the writ. The regulations of SARDA, the organisation which filed the writ, also does not allow it.”
"Many political issues have been dragged to the court in the past, for which we had to pay the price. The uprising has affected the judiciary as well. That's why politics should remain in the street
"Let the writ [plea] be dismissed immediately and a fine be imposed on the petitioner."
Later, the court set Sept 1 for next hearing after the writ petitioner sought time to make Awami League a party to the case.
No opportunity to ban Awami League, says Attorney General Asaduzzaman
Many political issues were dragged to the court in the past, for which we had to pay the price, he says
bdnews24.com
AbuShalehRumi
Senior Member
- Nov 18, 2018
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.
We have to make sure every anti Bangladesh creature goes extinct. Else, we can't live peacefully...
.
Our big neighbor uses FN P90 right?
MNZGamerX
Full Member
- Dec 12, 2023
- 122
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Bangladesh Owes Nearly $1 Billion Dues to Adani Power, Others: Report
Bangladesh owes a sum of $1 billion to five power companies including Adani Power, SEIL Energy, NTPC, PTC and the Power Grid Corporation of India
Outlook Business Desk
Updated on: 27 August 2024
Amidst the ongoing Bangladesh political and economic tensions, nearly five Indian power companies face uncertainty regarding payments. Bangladesh owes more than $1 billion to power companies including $800 million and $150 million to Adani Power and SEIL Energy India, respectively, as per an Economic Times report.
Billionaire Gautam Adani’s 1,600 MW Godda plant in Jharkhand supplies 100 per cent of electricity generated by it to Bangladesh. SEIL Energy India has a power purchase agreement for 250 MW with the neighbouring nation.
Three plants of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) supplies nearly 740 MW to Bangladesh and the country owes them $80 million. Additionally, since 2013 Power Trading Corporation of India (PTC) gives 250 MW of power to the Bangladesh Power Development Board from West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Co. Bangladesh owes $79 million to PTC and nearly $20 million to Power Grid Corporation of India.
Although there’s no disruption in power supply, the officials in the ET report said dues owed by Bangladesh will pose difficulty in continuity of supply.
“We need a solution soon, else we will find it difficult to continue the supply of power, especially when lenders, suppliers of coal, spares, other commodities, and plant operation-related services need upfront payment,” said an executive of one of the five power companies in ET report.
The economic issues that the country is going through has been highlighted by Bangladesh Bank’s newly appointed Governor Ahsan H. Mansur in a Bloomberg interview.
“If we don’t pay them, they will stop providing electricity,” said the Governor.
To ease its financial stress, Bangladesh has seeked World Bank’s help as per a BBC report. The country asked for $1.5 billion from World Bank and $1 billion from the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
www.outlookbusiness.com
Bangladesh owes a sum of $1 billion to five power companies including Adani Power, SEIL Energy, NTPC, PTC and the Power Grid Corporation of India
Outlook Business Desk
Updated on: 27 August 2024
Amidst the ongoing Bangladesh political and economic tensions, nearly five Indian power companies face uncertainty regarding payments. Bangladesh owes more than $1 billion to power companies including $800 million and $150 million to Adani Power and SEIL Energy India, respectively, as per an Economic Times report.
Billionaire Gautam Adani’s 1,600 MW Godda plant in Jharkhand supplies 100 per cent of electricity generated by it to Bangladesh. SEIL Energy India has a power purchase agreement for 250 MW with the neighbouring nation.
Three plants of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) supplies nearly 740 MW to Bangladesh and the country owes them $80 million. Additionally, since 2013 Power Trading Corporation of India (PTC) gives 250 MW of power to the Bangladesh Power Development Board from West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Co. Bangladesh owes $79 million to PTC and nearly $20 million to Power Grid Corporation of India.
Although there’s no disruption in power supply, the officials in the ET report said dues owed by Bangladesh will pose difficulty in continuity of supply.
“We need a solution soon, else we will find it difficult to continue the supply of power, especially when lenders, suppliers of coal, spares, other commodities, and plant operation-related services need upfront payment,” said an executive of one of the five power companies in ET report.
The economic issues that the country is going through has been highlighted by Bangladesh Bank’s newly appointed Governor Ahsan H. Mansur in a Bloomberg interview.
“If we don’t pay them, they will stop providing electricity,” said the Governor.
To ease its financial stress, Bangladesh has seeked World Bank’s help as per a BBC report. The country asked for $1.5 billion from World Bank and $1 billion from the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Bangladesh Owes Nearly $1 Billion Dues to Adani Power, Others: Report
Bangladesh owes a sum of $1 billion to five power companies including Adani Power, SEIL Energy, NTPC, PTC and the Power Grid Corporation of India
MNZGamerX
Full Member
- Dec 12, 2023
- 122
- 69
- Country of Origin
- Country of Residence
Rift within Bangladesh’s interim government widens on noted scholar Ali Riaz’s inclusion
A widely experienced Political Science professor, Riaz was offered three positions outside the interim arrangement which he turned down even as another advisor sought to block his inclusion.
by Chandan Nandy
August 27, 2024
Less than three weeks after a Mohammad Yunus-led interim regime took charge in Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina’s exit, the new dispensation is beset with discord, dissension and disagreements over appointment to key positions, Northeast News has reliably learnt.
The latest in a “running episode” of disputes is the manner in which noted Bangladeshi political scientist Professor Ali Riaz is being sought to be excluded as an advisor in the interim government whose responsibility is to not only steer the conflict-ridden country out of the post-Hasina woods but also to usher in critical institutional reforms before free and fair elections are held.
Prof Riaz was considered to be among some key individuals who were initially considered as advisors. This list contained the names of economists, bankers, retired army generals, university professors, bureaucrats, civil society leaders and a host of social development sectors specialists.
While some close to Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus were picked as advisors, others were excluded. “Selection problems arose right at the beginning when the names of at least three individuals with past financial taints were picked as advisors,” an insider said.
Brigadier General (retd) Sakhwat Hossain was abruptly moved as Textile and Jute advisor in less than a week after serving as the Home Affairs advisor after he publicly stated that the Awami League could be part of the political and electoral systems later.
However, it was Riaz’s exclusion that surprised many. Before landing in Dhaka on August 28, Riaz, a long-time trenchant critic of the Hasina regime, was offered at least three positions – that of Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United States, the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations and Dhaka University vice-chancellor.
Well-informed Bangladeshi sources said that Riaz turned down all three offers as he “wanted take on a role that would allow him to usher in meaningful political reforms”.
Riaz is a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, and a non-resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council. He is also the President of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS).
The offers were made to Riaz by noted Bangladeshi economist Wahiduddin Mahmud, who is a senior advisor in the interim government. Riaz, however, insisted that he would be best placed to serve Bangladesh a political advisor, considering his long-standing academic work on the country’s political systems and the reforms needed to give the country much-needed stability in the wake of the chaos following Hasina’s hasty departure in the face of a massive students-led protest.
The sources said that the “main stumbling block” in Riaz’s appointment is Dhaka University Professor (of Law) Asif Nazrul who is considered close to Yunus. The sources insisted that Nazrul, who is in charge of three ministries, including the key Law portfolio, “does not want the inclusion of any competent individual who could potentially challenge his position now and in the future”.
While it was not immediately known what transpired in Riaz’s meeting with Yunus, sources said that the Political Science professor “may now not want to be part of the interim government at all” and that he may “instead opt to play an external role”.
One source was quick to add that the “widening rift” within the interim government may impact adversely on a “new” Bangladesh’s attempts to provide political, economic and social stability in the short, medium and long terms.
nenews.in
A widely experienced Political Science professor, Riaz was offered three positions outside the interim arrangement which he turned down even as another advisor sought to block his inclusion.
by Chandan Nandy
August 27, 2024
Less than three weeks after a Mohammad Yunus-led interim regime took charge in Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina’s exit, the new dispensation is beset with discord, dissension and disagreements over appointment to key positions, Northeast News has reliably learnt.
The latest in a “running episode” of disputes is the manner in which noted Bangladeshi political scientist Professor Ali Riaz is being sought to be excluded as an advisor in the interim government whose responsibility is to not only steer the conflict-ridden country out of the post-Hasina woods but also to usher in critical institutional reforms before free and fair elections are held.
Prof Riaz was considered to be among some key individuals who were initially considered as advisors. This list contained the names of economists, bankers, retired army generals, university professors, bureaucrats, civil society leaders and a host of social development sectors specialists.
While some close to Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus were picked as advisors, others were excluded. “Selection problems arose right at the beginning when the names of at least three individuals with past financial taints were picked as advisors,” an insider said.
Brigadier General (retd) Sakhwat Hossain was abruptly moved as Textile and Jute advisor in less than a week after serving as the Home Affairs advisor after he publicly stated that the Awami League could be part of the political and electoral systems later.
However, it was Riaz’s exclusion that surprised many. Before landing in Dhaka on August 28, Riaz, a long-time trenchant critic of the Hasina regime, was offered at least three positions – that of Bangladesh’s ambassador to the United States, the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations and Dhaka University vice-chancellor.
Well-informed Bangladeshi sources said that Riaz turned down all three offers as he “wanted take on a role that would allow him to usher in meaningful political reforms”.
Riaz is a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, and a non-resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council. He is also the President of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS).
The offers were made to Riaz by noted Bangladeshi economist Wahiduddin Mahmud, who is a senior advisor in the interim government. Riaz, however, insisted that he would be best placed to serve Bangladesh a political advisor, considering his long-standing academic work on the country’s political systems and the reforms needed to give the country much-needed stability in the wake of the chaos following Hasina’s hasty departure in the face of a massive students-led protest.
The sources said that the “main stumbling block” in Riaz’s appointment is Dhaka University Professor (of Law) Asif Nazrul who is considered close to Yunus. The sources insisted that Nazrul, who is in charge of three ministries, including the key Law portfolio, “does not want the inclusion of any competent individual who could potentially challenge his position now and in the future”.
While it was not immediately known what transpired in Riaz’s meeting with Yunus, sources said that the Political Science professor “may now not want to be part of the interim government at all” and that he may “instead opt to play an external role”.
One source was quick to add that the “widening rift” within the interim government may impact adversely on a “new” Bangladesh’s attempts to provide political, economic and social stability in the short, medium and long terms.
Rift within Bangladesh’s interim government widens on noted scholar Ali Riaz’s inclusion
Less than three weeks after a Mohammad Yunus-led interim regime took charge in Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina’s exit, the new
nenews.in
The Yunus regime just released this jihadi
Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
One person affiliated with him was involved in trying to bomb the New York Fed building.
Hopefully the US and international community will now realise the true face of the regime that has replaced Sheikh Hasina's.
Keep crying.
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