In Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina’s landslide victory confirms that democracy is dead

Its citizens must stop wasting their time expecting saviours and reclaim their rights for there to be any change.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Jan 02, 2019 · 08:00 am

Opinion: Bangladesh has damaged its democratic credentials with the latest crackdown

The actions of the ruling Awami League, not its words, speak of state that is autocratic and repressive.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Aug 11, 2018 · 10:30 am

Opinion: Bangladesh’s so-called war on drugs is merely a cover for an extrajudicial killing spree

The nation is being put on a road paved with violence and terror, perhaps irreversibly.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Jun 19, 2018 · 04:06 pm

Five years after Rana Plaza tragedy, are things better for Bangladesh’s textile industry workers?

The story of the textile industry in the second-largest clothing manufacturer in the world is one of the continued repression of workers.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Apr 24, 2018 · 08:30 pm

At the heart of Bangladesh’s anti-quota protests are government’s broken promises on job creation

Affirmative action quotas account for 56% of the civil service positions.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Apr 14, 2018 · 10:30 am

Bangladesh stands on a knife’s edge as Islamists resume their attack on its secular foundations

The attack on Bangladeshi writer Zafar Iqbal came amid warnings of an impending resurgence of Islamist militancy from foreign governments and security experts.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Mar 12, 2018 · 08:00 am

Politics and business combine in Bangladesh to turn Chittagong Hill Tracts into a disaster zone

Civil society and media are indifferent to the atrocities committed against the ethnic tribal communities in the hills.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Jun 17, 2017 · 06:30 pm

Three more signs that Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League has tightened its embrace of Islamism

Its boycott of Bengali New Year parade, the Lady Justice row and pro-madrasa education reform are the latest examples of ruling party’s pandering to Islamists.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Apr 28, 2017 · 06:30 pm

Bangladesh is in dangerous denial about the rising threat of Islamist terror

A five-day siege in Sylhet and a spate of attacks this month have all been blamed on a sketchy home-grown group.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Apr 01, 2017 · 12:30 pm

The greatest joke in Bangladesh consists of two words: Human rights.

A crackdown on a peaceful protest against a power plant on January 26 is just the latest example of law enforcers doing the government's bidding.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Feb 06, 2017 · 05:30 pm

5,000 sacked for demanding higher wages: The human cost of Bangladesh's $27-billion garment industry

In December, the government responded to a peaceful strike by workers with use of force, legal action and arrests.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Jan 29, 2017 · 06:30 pm

As winter sets in, Dhaka slum evictions oust people who play key role in keeping the city running

The complete absence of any form of housing policy for decades has meant that slums are the only way for the poor to have a roof over their heads.

Ikhtisad Ahmed

· Dec 18, 2016 · 10:30 am