Bangladesh

Bangladesh Launches New India-assisted Rail Projects and Thermal Power Unit

by
Bangladesh Launches New India-assisted Rail Projects and Thermal Power Unit

The Pulse | Diplomacy | South Asia India has not yet commented on the unrest roiling Bangladesh. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurate three Indian-assisted development projects via a video conference on November 1, 2023. Credit: X/Arindam Bagchi Advertisement India and Bangladesh launched two new railway links and a thermal power plant … Read more

Thousands of Bangladesh’s Garment Factory Workers Protest, Demanding Better Wages

by
Thousands of Bangladesh’s Garment Factory Workers Protest, Demanding Better Wages

The Pulse | Economy | South Asia Protests erupted over the weekend after the industry association offered to increase the monthly minimum wage to $90, far short of the $208 demanded by workers. Bangladeshi garment workers vandalize buses during a protest demanding an increase in their wages at Mirpur in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Oct. 31, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain … Read more

Bangladesh Government Doubles Down on Pressure Campaign Against Opposition

by
Bangladesh Government Doubles Down on Pressure Campaign Against Opposition

Advertisement On October 28, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) organized a massive rally in Dhaka. Despite police intimidation, thousands of people from all over the country converged at the capital to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the installation of a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee national elections to be held in … Read more

What is Driving China-Bangladesh Bonhomie?

by
What is Driving China-Bangladesh Bonhomie?

Advertisement Against the backdrop of several recent geopolitical realignments, including the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific strategy, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and persistent tension between India and China, Bangladesh’s relationship with China has been growing significantly. So how and why did Bangladesh become close to China? And what does this growing relationship mean for India and the U.S.? … Read more

India Needs to Hedge its Bets in Bangladesh

by
India Needs to Hedge its Bets in Bangladesh

Advertisement During the G-20 Summit in New Delhi last month, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi exalted the virtues of democracy and diversity, even calling his country “the mother of democracy.” But in Bangladesh, India’s neighbor to the east, the Modi government is supporting the increasingly authoritarian regime of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. And to add … Read more

South Asian Countries Are Divided on Hamas Attacks

by
South Asian Countries Are Divided on Hamas Attacks

Shiite Muslims leave a mosque after Friday prayers as they walk over the representations of Israeli and U.S. flags as a protest against Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and to show solidarity with Palestinian people, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Oct. 13, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Anjum Naveed Advertisement On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an … Read more

Bangladesh Gets First Uranium Shipment From Russia for Its Moscow-built Nuclear Power Plant

by
Bangladesh Gets First Uranium Shipment From Russia for Its Moscow-built Nuclear Power Plant

The Pulse | Environment | South Asia Still under construction by Moscow, the Rooppur power plant will produce 2,400 megawatts of electricity once it comes on line.  Advertisement Bangladesh on Thursday received the first uranium shipment from Russia to fuel the country’s only nuclear power plant, still under construction by Moscow. Once finished, the plant is expected to boost … Read more

Bangladesh’s Anti-corruption Commission Questions Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus

by
Bangladesh’s Anti-corruption Commission Questions Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus

Advertisement Bangladesh’s official anti-graft watchdog, the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC), on Thursday questioned Muhammad Yunus, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, involving charges of money laundering and fund embezzlement. Yunus pioneered the use of microcredit to help impoverished people in Bangladesh – a model replicated in many other countries across the world. His … Read more

Japan Deepens Defense Ties With Bangladesh

by
Japan Deepens Defense Ties With Bangladesh

Advertisement Japan’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori announced in August that Bangladesh was among four countries selected by the Japanese government to receive defense aid under the Official Security Assistance (OSA), which is aimed at providing equipment, supplies and infrastructure development assistance to partner countries in the form of grants, rather than loans, to “reinforce” … Read more

Hasina, Macron Seal Deal on Aircraft that Bangladesh Doesn’t Need, Cannot Afford

by
Hasina, Macron Seal Deal on Aircraft that Bangladesh Doesn’t Need, Cannot Afford

Advertisement French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Bangladesh on September 10-11 was meticulously choreographed to highlight smiles, handshakes, and cultural delights. However, behind the optics lies a more calculating economic and political agenda that merits scrutiny about who truly benefits. During his two-day sojourn, Macron played the consummate visiting dignitary. He listened appreciatively to live … Read more