The government of Bangladesh shut down the Dhaka based Drik Gallery show on the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). I’d written about the show last week, though I failed to mention–I thought it unnecessary at the time–that this was a righteous show to come along at this, the right moment when greater emphasis on democracy and […]
I am excited to join the Foreign Policy Association blogging community. It feels great to be a part of one of the largest network of global affairs blogs. Here is a brief introduction about your new blogger Madhavi Bhasin. Academic interests and personal yearnings inspired my journey from the banks of the Ganges in Kolkata […]
President Asif Ali Zardari, in a meeting with Director of US National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair, urged US to assist Pakistan in its own civilian nuclear technology deal to help overcome its dire energy needs. President had suggested that this kind of deal will not only bridge the trust deficit between the two countries, but […]
Though the second largest economy in Asia, next to Japan, China is the largest investor in teh Bangladeshi economy. Since 2003 it has far outstripped any other country’s investment. The Bangladeshi delegation in China needs to pay attention to that fact and maintain that relationship through gentle coaxing and courting, though to strident ears that […]
There are two ways to look at Bangladesh’s approach to friendlier relations on equal terms with China. One is to look at the terms of the relationship and say that friendlier relations is hardly in the cards; rather the relationship is one of mere exploitation at the cost of solid footing elsewhere. The other is […]
Bangladesh has been buying stuff from China and China has been happy selling stuff to Bangladesh, without much concern for doing some shopping of its own. That is now about to change. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina currently in the middle of a five day visit to China carried with her great hope that China would […]
The House Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Global Environment held a hearing yesterday on US-Japan Relations. The subcommittee brought together a panel of experts (half in government, half think tankers) to discuss the current state of the Alliance and the best possible ways to strengthen ties. I found it surprisingly […]
The sitting government is making swift and sound moves to shore up the country’s infrastructure. It now seems like the government has been able to attract private foreign investment to help pay for the infrastructure construction. The Communications Minister, Syed Abul Hossain has communicated to his fellow parliamentarians that up to nine foreign firms […]
This past Sunday in Beijing marked the closing of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and its more eclectic sidekick, the China People’s Political Consultative Congress, familiarly known in Chinese as lianghui, or “the two meetings.” Both are typically derided as “rubber-stamp” bodies, theatrical reenactments of democracy that give the public a vague whiff of political […]
Thailand: Since the weekend, 120,000 to 250,000 Red Shirts have concentrated on Bangkok, demanding that Thai PM Abhisit dissolve Parliament and call for new elections, which they believe will usher the opposition into a majority, and hopefully signal the return of ousted and exiled Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra. By Monday, the Red Shirts had succeeded […]
Image: Shahidul Alam, NY Times Lens Blog Bangladesh has the disreputable distinction of being a democracy that supports a killing squad. The Rapid Action Battalion, an “anti-crime” paramilitary group that has killed more that 550 people, under circumstances that are, at best, suspicious. The smarter bet is that this group has been engaging in extra-judicial […]
Given the milestones that have marked the recent history of the overwhelmingly successful microfinance institution (MFI) business model, it is only appropriate that there be some consideration of retrenching and maintaining some sustainability in the MFI market. Surely none of us are so secure in the obvious beneficences of micro-finance that we cannot fathom that […]
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