"Bangladesh’s caretaker government is facing a grave crisis. Its actions, especially the politicized cleanup and the violation of human rights, have come back to haunt it, driving discontent in two of its major support bases: foreign diplomats and the local media. The balance of its third support base, the middle and low-income classes, now hangs delicately in the consequences of the its economic (mis)management." (Photos by Mikey Leung)

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"Traffic planners want to get rid of them, and human rights groups think their work is exploitative. These attitudes neglect the real value of rickshaws as an economic and cultural institution, and misunderstand the concepts of exploitation and abuse. The effort needs to be on devising ways to reward the work of rickshaw-pullers justly, recognising their labour and their crucial role in the fabric of Bangladesh's economy." (Photos by JH)

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"Economic integration in South Asia has remained ineffective due to political squabbling. Unless and until SAARC seizes the opportunity for economic integration with courage, they will be left behind other regions in a fast-moving and fast-growing world. What’s needed is not just another multi-point declaration, but speedy action. And India, as the main power in the region, has an obligation to lead by setting a good and friendly example."

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"The Lal Masjid crisis is by no means a break from a recent history of religious militantism and extremism in Pakistan. Musharraf’s military response to the situation certainly is. However Musharraf deals with the extremists, it is clear that his days are numbered. And whoever succeeds Musharraf may have no choice but to continue his recently-adopted heavy-handed tactics in dealing with militants, fueling violent Islam even further." (Photos by D.D.)

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"Who knows if there really is any restriction on what can be published and what cannot be! Everyone knows the names of the people who have committed this murder, but no one dares to utter them ... Can we relieve ourselves of this humiliation by ensuring justice to the offenders through a proper investigation? Can we ensure that there will never be another such brutal incident on the soil of Bangladesh?" (Translated from Bengali by Mahrukh Mohiuddin)

Comments (15)