In an interview with the Pragati magazine, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said that India has a special advantage over many other countries in its relations with Africa. Comparing India’s standing in Africa to that of China and the West he said, “they (African countries) see a country that is accessible, […]
The Economist has a nice piece up about the literal and metaphoric trials that P.M. Sheikh Hasina will have to suffer through in the near term. As the Economist reports: “Officials say executions [of the convicted assassins of the founding leader of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman] by a firing squad will be carried out by […]
Bangladesh seems to have improved some of its aggregate income and governance metrices. Per capita income seems to have improved over fiscal year 2007-2008. Nevertheless, hit by the global recession aggregate GDP growth decreased by 0.3%. As The Daily Star reported recently, a “World Bank (WB) report says poverty may increase by 0.3 percentage point […]
Vietnam – Well it finally happened. Vietnam devalued its currency, again, this time by 5% and increased its interest rates by 1% (moving it to 8%). This is the 3rd devaluation of the Vietnamese Dong since June of 2008. This blog reported that Vietnam was having some currency liquidity issues for awhile, but they were […]
Fareed Zakaria and CNN come together to give us an informative documentary on the terrorists attacks on Mumbai last year. Sean Patrick Murphy writes about it at the Global Film Review. “The film does an excellent job of drawing in the viewer, following the rampage as it unfolded over many hours, often providing cell phone […]
Diogenes Laertius wrote, “The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.” This simple formula hides behind it much of what is wrong with the socio-political economy of Bangladesh. Humanism has been on the wane in Bangladeshi curricula since the rightist BNP took power in 2001 and the effect has yet to […]
Thomas Friedman of the New York times writes about the Anti-American narrative that terrorist groups use to convince the Islamic world that American policies are aimed at oppressing Muslims. Zainab Jeewanjee critiques Friedman’s article, noting history and tangible consequences of our policies in the Middle East and Pakistan.
Sheikh Hasina has taken up the claim that Bangladesh deserves a separate fund for being a victim of climate change resulting from industrial carbon emissions. Until yesterday, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dipu Moni had argued for that claim. Addressing the executive session of the Commonwealth Heads of State in Trinidad and Tobago, Begum Hasina […]
Eid Mubarak. Eid-ul Adha was celebrated with quiet contemplation in New York yesterday. Today Bangladesh and much of the Muslim world celebrates the faith of the patriarch Abraham. Unfortunately as millions of Bangladeshi’s rushed to make their way back home for Eid celebration, tragedy has struck again. News reports show that more than 32 […]
Journalism 101, that is, the very first lesson of journalism is impartiality. In other words, journalists, at least in civilized societies don’t take any position on issues. And editors make sure that personal opinion don’t seep into the work that the journalists are assigned. This is common practice, and even in India, if you read […]
Happy Thanksgiving to all. On this day, I hope that most of my readers are fortunate enough that should they suffer at all, it is because they are the victim of their qualities. Most people in much of the world cannot stake claim to such fortune. The Asia Foundation has a wonderful donation program called […]
On the eve of the Mumbai atrocities, writer Zainab Jeewanjee discusses the detrimental effects of the massacre. Specifically, how terrorism is causing a rapidly deteriorating state of affairs in Pakistan. But the United States has a chance to get things right in South Asia by engaging both India and Pakistan economically. With economic interests in India and security/geopolitical interests in Pakistan, policy-makers should focus beyond immediate security and further extend cooperation to economic development in Pakistan to ensure they remain a long standing ally in the War on terror and in the face of an ascending China.
Last year this time I was busy planning my first Thanksgiving when terror struck Mumbai once again. Earlier that year there was a chain of explosions across various cities, and I thought this was a continuation of the same. But it was much more than crude bombs planted in rickshaws and cycles. So instead of […]
Bangladesh is becoming enmeshed in the broader regional strategy by which political Islamists in Bangladesh and Pakistan might bring down secular governments and establish a wider Islamic emirate. I want to propose that Bangladesh has been chosen as the alternative ground from which Pakistani militants will launch attacks into India. Before I get to […]
Since election violence in the Philippines began, approximately 57 people have been killed. At least 22 of these dead were kidnapped lawyers, journalists, and relatives of local politicians. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in the two Southern provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat. Both are located on the […]
