Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League party is poised to clinch a fourth consecutive term in national polls set for Jan. 7, 2024.
Bangladesh’s Election Commission set the country on a familiar but gravely uncertain path last week when it announced Jan. 7 as the date for the 12th parliamentary elections.
Garment unions swiftly rejected a 56% hike to the minimum wage that Bangladesh’s government set on Tuesday after days of violent protests and factory shutdowns where striking workers demanded a near-tripling of their pay.
Street protests by Bangladeshi garment workers who want higher wages have turned violent while hundreds of factories have shut down, crippling the industry that is an engine of the country’s export economy.
Merchants and customers in Dhaka and throughout the nation said prices are climbing for domestic onions, broiler chickens and potatoes by 10% to 25% as well.
Bangladesh’s draft Cyber Security Bill is nearly identical to the Digital Security Act it is meant to replace, with similar repressive provisions and harsh punishments that curb free speech, analysts said Thursday.
Bangladesh’s cabinet has approved a proposal to dilute the Digital Security Act, a minister said Monday about the law that critics worldwide have lambasted for its use to silence dissent, imprison critics and repress a free media.
Bangladesh’s Election Commission met with representatives of Facebook’s parent company Thursday to seek the social media giant’s support in removing political posts deemed as disinformation during the run-up to national polls, officials said.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry warned Western countries on Wednesday to not engage in “undiplomatic behavior” through public criticism ahead of national polls, after officials met with ambassadors from 13 countries who had collectively condemned an assault on an independent candidate.
One person died and about 200 others were injured in clashes between activists from Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League and the BNP as the main opposition party staged anti-government protests in Dhaka and other cities on Tuesday, police and officials said.