Mohiuddin Alamgir

Running a country like Bangladesh is like riding a wild bull -- chaotic and unpredictable

Kerala defeat ends last stronghold

The first session of the parliament ended with the promise of a vibrant House with lively debates but also revealed weaknesses in the failure to adopt reforms.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday told parliament that the government will consider the opposition’s proposal regarding the fuel situation and, if it contains realistic measures, will certainly act on them.

Twenty of the 133 ordinances issued by the interim government -- including major reforms on judicial independence, human rights, and anti-corruption -- are set to lose validity from today.

Eminent rights activists have criticised the parliamentary special committee’s recommendation to drop key ordinances issued by the interim government, noting that most of them are tied to crucial reforms.

Bangladesh’s political journey has repeatedly swung between hope and disappointment. The question now is whether the country is about to witness yet another repeat of that cycle.

A special parliamentary committee, reviewing ordinances issued by the interim government, yesterday recommended that 20 of them lapse or expire, including those aimed at ensuring judicial independence, curbing enforced disappearances, and strengthening the anti-corruption and human rights commissions.