Protests erupt in Bangladesh after fighter jet crashes into school, killing several children
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a day ago
- CNA
Bangladesh to unveil democratic overhauls on revolution anniversary
DHAKA: Bangladesh's interim government said on Saturday (Aug 2) it will release its slate of democratic overhauls on Aug 5, the one-year anniversary of the overthrow of the previous autocratic administration. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Aug 5, 2024, ending her 15-year rule. Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has said he inherited a "completely broken down" system of public administration. Yunus previously pledged to unveil a "big package" to overhaul democratic institutions. But efforts to reach agreements have made slow progress as political parties jostle for power ahead of elections, slated for early 2026. Yunus's government has warned that political power struggles risk jeopardising the gains that have been made. On Jul 29, Yunus said he was working to "build a broad national consensus around a renewed political system - one that delivers inclusive, participatory, and credible elections". Yunus's office said on Saturday that the "July Proclamation" would be "presented to the nation ... in the presence of all political parties involved in the mass uprising". Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicising courts and the civil service, staging lopsided elections and dismantling democratic checks on its power. Hasina, 77, fled to India, where she has defied court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity. Protests began on Jul 1, 2024, with university students calling for reforms to a quota system for public sector jobs. They culminated on Aug 5, 2024, when thousands of protesters stormed Hasina's palace as she escaped by helicopter.
CNA
3 days ago
- CNA
Ukraine moves to restore power of anti-graft agencies
KYIV: Ukrainian lawmakers on Thursday (Jul 31) approved a bill restoring the independence of the country's two main anti-corruption agencies, moving to defuse a political crisis that has shaken faith in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wartime leadership. Thousands of protesters rallied in Kyiv and other cities in recent days in a rare show of discontent after lawmakers led by Zelenskyy's ruling party rushed through amendments last week defanging the respected agencies. Zelenskyy reversed course after the outcry and under pressure from top European officials, who warned that Ukraine was jeopardising its bid for EU membership by curbing the powers of its anti-graft authorities. Lawmakers voted 331 to 0 in favour of the new Zelenskyy-submitted bill, which reverses measures that had given his hand-picked general prosecutor the power to transfer cases away from the agencies and reassign prosecutors. Critics alleged the step had been designed to protect his political allies from prosecution. Eradicating graft and shoring up the rule of law are key requirements for Kyiv to join the EU, which Ukrainians see as critical to their future as they fend off a Russian invasion. Demonstrations had continued even after Zelenskyy submitted the new bill, with hundreds rallying near the presidential administration in Kyiv late on Wednesday chanting "Shame!" and "The people are the power!". Activists also rallied near parliament ahead of Thursday's vote to pressure lawmakers to approve the new measure. They burst into applause after it passed. Speaking at the rostrum before voting, opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Yurchyshyn thanked Ukrainians for stopping authorities "one step from the abyss" of autocracy. Some lawmakers appeared in parliament with hand-made placards mimicking those carried by protesters. The bill now goes to Zelenskyy for signature. CORRUPTION FIGHTERS The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have stepped up a closely watched campaign against graft since Russia's February 2022 invasion. They have brought charges against lawmakers and senior government officials, including a then-deputy prime minister who was accused last month of taking a US$345,000 kickback. Speaking to Reuters last Friday, after Zelenskyy's reversal, NABU chief Semen Kryvonos said he expected continued pressure on his agency from corrupt forces uninterested in cleaning up Ukraine. He said he and other anti-corruption officials felt a greater sense of responsibility following the protests, but also called on the country's leadership to help their effort.
CNA
4 days ago
- CNA
Climate Conversations - Can India and Bangladesh renegotiate a future for the Ganges?
The future of the Ganges river is in question. As a key water-sharing treaty between India and Bangladesh nears its expiry, Jack Board and Liling Tan discuss the critical negotiations over a river system increasingly impacted by climate change.
