Civil Service Reform Act To Be Adopted in 2010
January 19, 2010 3 min. read

The Awami League government of Bangladesh will enact civil service legislation that will regulate the appointment and promotion of individuals within the government public service ranks. Though the Constitution of Bangladesh requires the nomination and promotion of individuals within government public service by an regulated institutional instrument, none has ever been devised.  In a public […]

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Japan Remembers the Great Hanshin Earthquake, As Thoughts Turn to Haiti
January 19, 2010 3 min. read

Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that rocked sections of Hyogo Prefecture near Kobe, Japan and claimed 6,434 lives. Ceremonies were held throughout Kobe, as government officials, members of Japan’s imperial family, and bereaved loved ones sat in silent prayer at 5:46 am, the time that the […]

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BNP Promises a Grass-Roots Campaign Against Awami League for Selling Out to India
January 18, 2010 3 min. read

Begum Khaleda Zia has accused the Awami League government of selling out Bangladeshi’s interests in favor of  security and India’s regional ascendancy. Insisting that she has not taken a stand against India, per se, she nevertheless claimed that Sheikh Hasina had given away Bangladesh;s national sovereignty during her state visit to India. The Daily Star […]

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Chinese Reactions to Google's Threat
January 18, 2010 7 min. read

In China, accurately assessing public opinion on a given issue is more or less a hopelessly difficult task.  With China’s huge population, the diversity of Chinese society, regional differences, lack of reliable public polling, etc., it is difficult to estimate with any certitude just how many people hold a certain belief.  Anecdotal evidence and the work of a few bloggers […]

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Bangladesh: A Brave Face (Documentary on Violence Against Women)
January 17, 2010 1 min. read

There’s been more than passing interest in the documentary on acid violence and abuse in Bangladesh that I flagged a few days ago.  There’s also been more than passing confusion about the availability of the documentary on Youtube. So here again, is the documentary. This time I’ve embedded both Parts 1 and 2. See below, […]

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Sheikh Hasina Defends Agreements With India
January 17, 2010 2 min. read

Predictably, Sheikh Hasina is defending  the agreements she signed in India as steps in the right direction toward solving the manifold political economic problems that plague Bangladesh.   This is because, predictably, the BNP is claiming that the agreements signed so far amount to cheap talk and that Sheikh Hasina has failed to protect Bangladesh’s […]

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More Free Trade and the Filipino Gun Ban
January 16, 2010 2 min. read

ASEAN and U.S.:  As predicted by this blog, the Obama Administration is moving to create a comprehensive political-economic rapprochement with East and Southeast Asia.  The economic arm of this policy direction will branch off of the existing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  So far, the TTP includes a free-trade agreements (FTA) with Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and […]

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Abuse, Acid Violence and the Viability of Intra-Household Equality in Bangladesh
January 16, 2010 2 min. read

Let us never forget that this week we have witnessed misery. Haiti is a blanket reminder of all that we are and shall always be. Indeed, we now have reason to celebrate that Bangladesh is no longer immiserated– it is poverty stricken. Bangladeshis suffer from sheer adverse facts on the ground; they do not suffer […]

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Headley, Rana indicted: 26/11 investigation update
January 15, 2010 2 min. read

David Headley and Tahawwur Rana have been indicted by a US grand jury for the terror attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. The two men were arrested in Chicago on 3 October, 2009 and charges were filed against them on 7 December, 2009. The indictment revels that Lashkar e-Taiba provided $28,000 to David Headley […]

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Google: Throwing Down the Gauntlet for Foreign Business in China
January 15, 2010 6 min. read

Google’s threat to bow out from China is clearly tremendous news. The technology giant has served up for China’s leadership an understated but devastating rebuke of their Internet policies. What amazes is the unabashedly political and moral nature of their declaration; as scores of analysts have already pointed out, besides the potential $600 million in […]

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Clinton Aborts Trip to Asia, Heads Home to Coordinate Relief Effort
January 14, 2010 2 min. read

In light of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is cutting her trip to Asia short. This is a prudent decision, as the relief effort will require high-level coordination across agencies and in tandem with nations from across the globe. There is indeed much work to be done at the State […]

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