The Other Half of Democracy: Governing and Opposing in Bangladesh’s Democratic Transition
Bangladesh has lived through fifteen years of elections in which genuine political competition was progressively dismantled. Under Sheikh Hasina’s rule from 2009 to 2024, the country came to resemble what comparative political scientists describe as a competitive authoritarian regime: formal…
Bangladesh Is Voting, but Stability Is Not on the Ballot
Bangladesh is at a political crossroads. On February 12, the South Asian country is scheduled to hold a national election alongside a referendum on institutional reforms proposed in the July Charter, a reform package aimed at establishing stronger checks and…
Why Did Bangladesh’s Interim Advisor Yunus Threaten to Resign?
Dhaka became a city of rumors on May 22-23. The rumors revolved around whether Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor of Bangladesh’s interim government, would resign. The New York Times reported that Yunus had even drafted a resignation speech, but some advisers managed to persuade him…
India Must Match China’s Speedy Moves in Bangladesh’s New Political Landscape
In early September, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met with Shafiqur Rahman, the chief of the Bangladeshi political party Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), at the party's central office in Dhaka. According to various reports, Yao termed the JeI a "well-organized" and…