Urdu Op-Ed: Democracy and Progress, Not Always Partners
Democracy in Singapore, by Mian Ghulam Akbar
Book Review: Political Islam in the Age of Democratization
Are Islam and democracy compatible? What is the role of democracy in the future of the Muslim world? In this book, Kamran Bokhari and Farid Senzai aim to offer a […]
MIXING RELIGION WITH POLITICS
Source: Daily Star MIXING RELIGION WITH POLITICS An otherwise little known group Hefazat-e-Islam has become instrumental in winning election, especially at a time when everyone has thought that secularism in Bangladesh taking a strong foothold. Political use of religion–especially Islam–is back, and it seems to have all the ingredients to […]
Op Ed: The Culture of Confrontational Politics in Bangladesh
By Rahim M. Quazi A complex array of hurdles, compounded by political instability, is posing a formidable hurdle to Bangladesh’s achieving economic prosperity. The post-independence political frontier in the South Asian nation has been extremely turbulent. Two elected heads-of-state were killed by army coups, nearly 25 unsuccessful coups were staged, […]
Hefajat leader -‘Siege was designed to oust govt’
Source: The Daily Star A top leader of Hefajat-e Islam has told a court in Dhaka that the group’s May 5 Dhaka siege programme was designed to oust the Awami League-led alliance government, according to court sources. The BNP-led 18-party opposition combine financed the programme, Hefajat Secretary General Junaid Babunagari […]
State Dept. Report Says Countries Have Repressed Religious Freedom With Laws
Source: NY Times By STEVEN LEE MYERS WASHINGTON — Countries around the world, including allies of the United States, have used laws on blasphemy and apostasy to suppress political opponents, the State Department said on Monday in an annual report chronicling a grim decline in religious freedom that has resulted in rising […]
Hamid sworn in as president
Source: Daily Star Abdul Hamid takes oath as the 20th president of the country at Bangabhaban Darbar Hall in the capital on Wednesday. Photo: BSS Abdul Hamid has taken oath as the 20th president of the country Wednesday. Acting Speaker Shawkat Ali administered the oath to Hamid at Bangabhaban […]
Hasina thanks Opposition
Source: BDNews 24 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has thanked the opposition parties for withdrawing its general strike to facilitate rescue work at Savar. At least 80 people were killed and over 800 others injured when the nine-storied Rana Plaza caved in on Wednesday. The number of casualties is feared to […]
Bangladesh Govt does its homework – Constitution leaves no room to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims
Courtesy: The Daily Star Thursday, April 11, 2013 Law ministry finds 6 against constitution, 7 covered by existing laws By Reaz Ahmad and Shakhawat Liton Out of the 13, […]
Pakistan Elections 2013: survey indicates close contest
Pakistani voters appear divided on many questions of the day – including who to vote for in the upcoming elections and what issues are most critical for the country at […]
ZIA: The thankless role in saving democracy in Bangladesh
Source: Washington Times. By Begum Khaleda Zia ( Former President of Bangladesh) Will 2013 be a watershed in U.S.-Bangladeshi relations? My country of 150 million people, located between India and Myanmar, has been independent since 1971, when the United States was one of the first nations to recognize our right […]
German Green candidate quits over criticisms of Jews, Muslims
Ulf Dunkel had come under fire from the national Jewish spokesman over two anti-circumcision poems he published. Haaretz: Germany’s Green Party said Monday that a candidate who had described Jews […]
Pew Research on Public Opinion in Pakistan
It seems that the hotbed of news items and endless supply of blood splattered images of innocent minority victims are coming from mostly Pakistan these days. Often times, a question is raised as to what is the sentiment of the people of Pakistan regarding this image, extremism, and human […]
Bangladesh War Crimes Tribunal Under Spotlight
Source: Global voices. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is an ongoing tribunal in Bangladesh that was set up to investigate and provide justice regarding the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. It is claimed that up to three million people were […]
My President is busy
Source: NY Times op ed By Thomas Friedman ISRAELI friends have been asking me whether a re-elected President Obama will take revenge on Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu for the way he and Sheldon Adelson, his foolhardy financier, openly backed Mitt Romney. My answer to Israelis is this: You should be […]
Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami being outlawed soon
Source: The Blitz While Bangladesh Election Commission has already served notice on Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami asking it to make some changes in its party’s charter which do not conform to […]