Parties, like individuals, can become bed-ridden for many reasons; many have died an early death because of irrelevance. When an obituary of the Indian Left is written, it will be said that it died of complacency. It was not homicide, really. It was suicide.

Following the killing of an innocent Italian citizen on September 28 in Dhaka, tensions have been engulfing us on all sides. Diplomatic missions, quite naturally, alerted their citizens to stay safe and take precautions while moving around the city.

Financial cooperation between Beijing and Dhaka is likely to add a new dimension to the economic ties between the two countries. China's ambitious plan to internationalise its currency could help Bangladesh conduct a portion of trade in Renminbi (RMB) and secure some reserves in RMB-denominated assets.

During Qurbani Eid, I somehow always wished I could stay home, but of course I couldn't or wouldn't due to social obligations.

The antennae of some Western diplomatic missions in Dhaka had received a signal that 'Western interests' might be targeted in a terrorist attack.

The European Union needs to accept responsibility for the lack of a common asylum policy, which has transformed this year's growing influx of refugees from a manageable problem into yet another political crisis.

The investigation into the Basic Bank fraud is the latest example of that twist of irony. A former managing director, other officials and a host of borrowers of the bank have been indicted.

A party's constitution encompasses the written rules by which political parties form and organise their affairs. A well-crafted constitution incorporates democratic values and procedures which is an essential first step in party-building.

Leaders of different communities had so much confidence in the fairness of the country, when it won freedom, that none of them wanted reservations.

On September 25, 2015, world leaders adopted a resolution entitled 'Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'. The agenda is a “comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative goals and targets” – now referred to as the Global Goals.

Experts on crowd control explain that such stampedes occur when massive crowds of people, in a tightly packed space, attempt to press forward when there is no way to divert or turn back. Saudi authorities have explained the stampede as a fault of the pilgrims not heeding instructions.

America's Muslim obsession is a post-Cold War phenomenon, further accentuated after 9/11. As sections of Americans are obsessed with Islam and Muslims, “Muslim” seems to be the new “Black” in the American psyche. “Muslim” is also the new “Red”, the equivalent of a “Communist infiltrator” during the Cold War.

Pope Francis brings the message of reconciliation to some of the most contentious conflicts and trouble spots in the world. It is a difficult path he has chosen. On the surface, he has advocated for justice, peace and mercy from those who hold power.

The welcome smiles of cheering crowds have started to wear off. Islamophobia has gripped Europe's Catholic societies. The influx of Muslim refugees has become a hot agenda for extreme right wing parties in Germany, France and Britain.

A common reaction of most people about the RTI Act is a lack of trust in its efficacy. It is this general lack of faith in the willingness of public officials to break away from the age-old culture of official secrecy...

A key area Bangladesh can already begin working on is preparing an institutional arrangement that reflects the integrated approach necessary to implement the SDGs.

At the end of this month, thousands of representatives from all over the world will gather in New York. They will witness the launch of the most ambitious universal effort since the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Pritilata was much more than just a nurse or a sexual object as portrayed in the media; she wanted her death to mobilise women to join the fight against imperialism, to prove detractors wrong about their abilities.

What does the US gain by not restoring the GSP facility? And what do we lose?

Call this the Year of Border Walls. In 2015, Estonia, Hungary, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia all announced or began the construction of barriers on their frontiers.