Bangladesh

A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Dhaka on Jan. 7.
Politics

Bangladesh election results due after tense voting, global criticism

PM Hasina says she protects democracy amid opposition boycott, scattered violence

7 January 2024
Bangladesh is set for a general election on Jan. 7 that many critics say is essentially a fait accompli, with the main opposition sidelined and boycotting. (Photo by Nazmul Islam)
Politics

Bangladesh ruling party accused of intimidation to spur election turnout

Observers call this Sunday's polls 'bizarre' and 'farcical' as opposition boycotts

4 January 2024
Awami League supporters rally on Dec. 20 in Sylhet: No other major party will be on the election ballot. 
Opinion

Bangladeshi voters will have their say in deciding to vote

Ruling Awami League keen to encourage turnout as sign of legitimization

2 January 2024
Bangladesh, Taiwan, South Korea and Sri Lanka are also set to go to the polls next year, while Asia's focus will shift to the U.S. Presidential race later in 2024. (Photo by Ken KobayashI)
Asia Insight

From India and Pakistan to Indonesia, Asia set for election-packed 2024

Over a billion people will be voting but democracy questions cloud some races

26 December 2023
Bangladesh's capital Dhaka is prone to flooding after heavy rains. The South Asian nation is battling myriad climate-change challenges
COP28

From Dhaka to Melbourne, Asia-Pacific eyes local climate solutions

City mayors gather at COP28 to brainstorm how to deal with rising temperatures

9 December 2023
Bangladeshi police clash with opposition protesters in Dhaka ahead of the country's general election. (Photo by Nazmul Islam)
Politics

Doubts dog Bangladesh democracy a month before polls: 5 things to know

After two widely questioned elections, South Asian country heads for another

7 December 2023
The U.S. has taken an openly critical view of Bangladesh's election procedures under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while India has stressed the polls are an internal matter. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Getty Images)
International relations

Bangladesh's rocky election season splits India and U.S.

New Delhi sees Hasina as reliable partner while Washington piles on pressure

1 December 2023
Awami League candidates and activists march to the party's office to collect election nomination papers in Dhaka on Nov. 20.
Politics

Bangladesh heads for 'one-sided' election repeat as opposition boycotts

As nomination process begins, analysts see worrying similarities to 2014 polls

21 November 2023
A scene from "The Wrestler": The Bangladeshi sport of boli is at the heart of the film, which took home an award at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in October. (Courtesy of the Busan International Film Festival)
Arts

Bangladeshi films emerge from Bollywood's shadow

Award for 'The Wrestler' and accolades for other works signal emergence of a new cinema power

18 November 2023
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, pictured during a visit to Japan in April, has refused to make way for a neutral caretaker administration to oversee the next election.
Politics

Bangladesh sets election for Jan. 7, ignoring opposition pleas

Move raises risk of violence, analysts say, while U.S. urges party talks

15 November 2023
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a visit to Tokyo this April.
Indo-Pacific

Japan to provide patrol ships to Bangladesh with eye on China

Dhaka to be 2nd defense equipment recipient under OSA framework

15 November 2023
Police confront garment workers in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka, during a recent demonstration for higher wages. (Photo by Nazmul Islam)
Politics

Bangladesh garment industry wage fight shakes core economic pillar

Government alleges link between protests by opposition and inflation-weary workers

14 November 2023
Cotton is harvested in Yuli County, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, on Oct. 27. The region produces the vast majority of Chinese cotton. 
Supply Chain

U.S. forced labor laws strain China-dependent garment supply chains

Fashion firms want to diversify fabric sources to mitigate risk, expert says

13 November 2023
Police officers pass a charred public bus burned during an opposition protest in Dhaka on Oct. 31, amid days of political violence.
Politics

Bangladeshi political violence poses 'high risk' to stuttering economy

Disruptions over election likely to worsen already weak fundamentals, experts say

6 November 2023
Saima Wazed, left, with her mother, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, right, in 2014. Wazed has been chosen to lead the WHO's regional office for Southeast Asia.
International relations

Bangladesh PM's daughter nominated for key WHO regional post

Saima Wazed chosen over Nepali rival despite criticism of 'apparent nepotism'

1 November 2023
A public bus burns in Dhaka during a countrywide strike on Oct. 29. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is protesting police action against its weekend rally and now aims to obstruct transportation for three days this week.
Politics

Bangladesh opposition attempts transport blockade in bid to oust Hasina

Experts say time running out to ease election tensions

31 October 2023
Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) throw objects at police during a clash in Dhaka on Oct. 28.
Politics

Bangladesh political rallies spark clashes as election tensions rise

Police disperse opposition event held on anniversary of pivotal 2006 violence

28 October 2023
Pedestrians pass the Dhaka Stock Exchange building in the Bangladeshi capital in July. The country has secured another loan tranche from the International Monetary Fund.
Economy

Bangladesh makes grade for $681m from IMF but tougher tests await

'Accommodative' fund approves fresh lending as experts warn of insufficient reforms

19 October 2023
Rohingya children stand on the floor of their burned shelter after a fire at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in March 2021.
Myanmar Crisis

Don't forget Rohingya, U.N. refugee chief says, as crises spread

Funding gap threatens host Bangladesh and efforts inside Myanmar

17 October 2023
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, right, is pictured with her daughter Saima Wazed in 2018. Wazed is running to become the World Health Organization's regional director in South and Southeast Asia.
International relations

Bangladesh PM's daughter denies nepotism driving run for WHO post

Experts urge election transparency as outcome could affect health of billions

17 October 2023
Bangladesh's upcoming election is causing friction with the U.S., which has repeatedly expressed concern about the fairness of the polls.
International relations

Bangladesh-U.S. election rift widens over visas, envoy safety

Washington adds pressure for fair polls seen as 'Rubicon' moment for democracy

3 October 2023
Bangladesh and the Philippines see a continued role for natural gas in assisting their move to cleaner energy. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters) 
Energy

Philippine, Bangladesh power giants: Gas needed in green transition

Aboitiz, Summit Power point to developing Asia's massive electricity demand

1 October 2023
A view of Hun Sen's Facebook page in 2016: The platform is allowing dictators to make public threats while getting other voices supressed.
Opinion

Imitators are adopting Chinese tactics to quash online critics

Allies like Cambodia and Bangladesh are deploying fake voices to drown out dissent

22 September 2023
Women work in a garment factory in Dhaka: Bangladesh is the world's second-largest exporter of clothing.
Opinion

Corporate 'inclusion' must apply to business partners too

Multinationals need to ensure that suppliers treat their workers with respect

21 September 2023
DBH Finance, established in 1996 and headquartered in Dhaka, mainly provides loans for the purchase and construction of homes.
DealStreetAsia

Bangladesh's DBH pegged for $30m loan from World Bank Group member

International Finance Corporation proposes funds for housing loan institution

20 September 2023