Monday, Sep 13, 2004
A rivalry that is tearing the country apart
By Siddharth Varadarajan
Dhaka: Competition may be the engine of pluralist politics everywhere but here in Bangladesh, the rivalry between the ruling party and the Opposition is so personalised, intense and venomous that it is poisoning the very lifeblood of democracy. http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/13/stories/2004091304911200.htm
The Hindu
Tuesday, Sep 14, 2004
Limited room for mullahs, military but not mastans
By Siddharth Varadarajan
Dhaka: If Bangladesh were Pakistan, the irrational enmity between Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Awami League (AL) leader Sheikh Hasina might well have led to the Army and the Islamist parties - acting singly or in alliance - slowly expanding their influence at the expense of both the ruling BNP and the opposition Awami League http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/14/stories/2004091407461100.htm
The Hindu
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004
Lurking fear about larger neighbour
By Siddharth Varadarajan
Dhaka: In June, when the Bangladesh Foreign Minister, Morshed Khan, visited New Delhi to greet the incoming Manmohan Singh Government, he said bilateral relations were on the upswing and that he and his Indian counterpart, Natwar Singh, had agreed not to speak to each other "through the media" but through the telephone. Last week, however, Mr. Khan appeared to disregard this sensible agreement in vigorously criticising the Indian Government before a conference room full of journalists. His remarks on trade, water-sharing and terrorism - which were replete with bitterness, anger and sarcasm - prompted a retired Bangladeshi diplomat to describe the speech as "thought-provoking, with the emphasis on the latter word." http://www.hindu.com/2004/09/15/stories/2004091506341200.htm