International
How Bangladesh broke free while Pakistan remains shackled by military power (IANS Analysis)
New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Sheikh Hasina ruled Bangladesh for over 15 years, securing four consecutive electoral victories. However, it took just 35 days of student-led protests, supported by a significant portion of the population disillusioned by the country’s struggling economy and rising unemployment, to force her out of office.
The ability of the student movement to effect such a political change without plunging Bangladesh into military rule demonstrates that democracy, however fragile, has taken root in the country.
In stark contrast, Pakistan, from which Bangladesh emerged after a bloody war in 1971, faces an even worse economic and unemployment crisis.
Despite year-long student protests and political campaigns advocating for constitutional supremacy, the de facto ruling military dominated hybrid regime of Pakistan has successfully suppressed every cent of dissent from Balochistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Sindh to Punjab.
This fundamental difference highlights how deeply entrenched the Pakistan Army remains within civilian institutions, reducing its democracy to nothing but a mere illusion.
Yet, the success of the Bangladeshi student’s movement appears to have inspired the Pakistan Students Federation (PSF), a nationwide student organisation, to issue an ultimatum to the government: fulfil their demands by August 30, or face a countrywide agitation.
Among their prominent demands are the restoration of constitutional rule of law, the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has emerged as a symbol of resistance against the status quo, and the military’s decades-long dominant control over the country’s civilian institutions.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 6, 2023, facing multiple charges including corruption. His wife, Bushra Bibi, who is co-accused in several corruption cases, is also in custody.
While the student calls for democratic revival in Pakistan are encouraging, the situations in Bangladesh and Pakistan are fundamentally different.
In Bangladesh, an elected prime minister, though having concentrated much of power over years, exercised authority over the political system, including the armed forces of the country.
In contrast, in Pakistan, the military retains unassailable power, overseeing a system that functions as an authoritarian hybrid, with only a facade of civilian government.
That should perhaps explain why the protests in Pakistan have largely failed to make any mark with the military establishing using every state resource curb the opposition to its misdeeds.
While the divergent outcome of protest movements in Bangladesh and Pakistan may be intriguing, it requires a deeper examination of their democratic trajectories since 1971, when Bangladesh, then East Pakistan, emerged as an independent state following a bloody military campaign by the Pakistan Army killing thousands of people.
Initially though, both countries exhibited similar tendencies toward military rule.
Bangladesh, for example, has witnessed at least 21 military coup attempts since 1971.
There were three coups in a single year of 1975, beginning with the assassination of its founding President, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on August 15, 1975.
During the late 1970s and 1980s, the line between military and civilian bureaucracy was blurred, particularly under Ziaur Rehman’s rule who appointed dozens of retired officers to prominent civilian posts besides offering lucrative jobs across other sectors to hundreds of other officers.
However, since 2008 when Bangladesh Army handed over power to popularly elected Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government following its two-year rule, the military’s role in political affairs has significantly diminished.
This shift was evident during the recent student-led movement when Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman informed PM Sheikh Hasina that his forces would not use violence against civilians, ultimately leading to her resignation on August 5, 2024, thereby bringing end to her 15 years of rule.
Though many expected that the military might usurp power, in reality it has facilitated takeover by a civilian interim government.
Additionally, several senior government officials, including Supreme Court judges perceived close to Hasina’s administration, have since resigned to allow the interim government to take shape, restore the rule of law and oversee new elections as soon as possible.
A decade ago, such developments would have been unexpected, as the military was often poised to seize any opportunity to reclaim political power. This distancing of the military from politics marks a significant democratic gain for Bangladesh.
Unlike Bangladesh, where democracy appears to have taken root, Pakistan has struggled to achieve similar progress. The civilian executive in Pakistan has been largely rendered powerless, with the Pakistan Army dominating the country’s political landscape, either through direct military rule or by manipulating governance from behind the scenes.
The Army has strategically infiltrated Pakistan’s institutions through key appointments, while maintaining the appearance of civilian control.
For instance, Lt. Gen. Sajjad Ghani (retd) heads the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Lt. Gen. Munir Afsar leads the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and Maj. Gen. Amer Nadeem (retd) oversees the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), among many other significant state institutions.
These appointments allow the military establishment the bandwidth to control every aspect of the Pakistani lives.
As such, the Pakistan Army’s political interference and dominance of national institutions have directly impacted the country’s democratic trajectory, hindering the development of strong and stable civilian democratic institutions in Pakistan.
The Pakistan Military, particularly Pak Army’s institutional hold is such that any civilian leader who dares to challenge its status quo faces severe consequences, as is seen with Imran Khan in the current context.
As James Schwemlein (2023) observes, “Pakistan’s political scene has generally been characterized by one rule: where the Pakistan Army’s will exists, it carries, and typically persists no matter the consequences”.
Pakistan’s military has ensured its political relevance by establishing a vast economic empire, weakening civilian institutions, and fostering internal security challenges. Consider, for instance, its extensive economic empire encompassing almost every economic sector from agriculture, manufacturing, education, and construction to real estate.
These commercial ventures are managed by entities like the Fauji Foundation (FF), Army Welfare Trust (AWT), Shaheen Foundation (SF) and Bahria Foundation (BF), interestingly all designated as services welfare organisations. This economic network has vested the Pakistan Army’s officer class with significant financial interests, compelling the military establishment to maintain its dominance over the country’s establishment.
Pakistani analyst Ayesha Siddiqa (2017) highlights, Pakistan Army uses the capital generated from these enterprises “for the personal benefit of the military fraternity, especially the officer cadre, but is neither recorded nor part of the defence budget”.
As such, Pakistan’s so-called democracy, dominated by the military, is nothing but a mere facade.
It is akin to an arcade game of snakes and ladders, where the Pakistan Army sits at the top, ready to strike anyone who dares to challenge its supremacy or questions its political role. The military’s control is reinforced by collaborators within the judiciary, executive, and civilian bureaucracy, enabling it to maintain near-total control of the country.
Therefore, in such a facade of democracy, while it is commendable that the Pakistan Student Federation has issued an ultimatum to the government to fulfil its demands for upholding constitution and releasing political detainees, led by Imran Khan, however, forcing the military to retreat from the political arena will require more than mere rhetoric. Whether Pakistani students can rise to the occasion like their Bangladeshi counterparts or this is just a glib, only the time will reveal.
[Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd) is Editor, Global Strategic & Defence News, and the Author of ‘China’s War Clouds: The Great Chinese Checkmate’]
–IANS
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Vientiane (Laos), Aug 22 (IANS) Representatives from the Lao government and development partners have attended a conference here titled “Climate Change and Nutrition in Laos: Intersections and Interventions” to discuss the impact of climate change on nutrition in the Southeast Asia country and potential solutions.
Speaking at the conference, deputy director general of the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion under the Lao Ministry of Health Viengkhan Phixay, said, “We gather to address a critical and interwoven issue: the impact of climate change on nutrition and how we can work together to tackle these challenges,” Xinhua news agency reported.
The Lao government is actively engaged in this endeavor, with numerous policies and initiatives aimed at addressing both climate change and nutrition, Lao National Television reported on Thursday.
“By leveraging the Scaling Up Nutrition network in Laos, which is led by the government, and supported by civil society, donors, and the United Nations, we have a robust platform to tackle the negative impacts of climate change while improving nutrition and overall health for everyone in Laos,” Viengkham said at the conference held on Monday.
The conference featured a series of presentations that not only detailed evidence-based research but also introduced innovative tools for measuring and enhancing nutrition under the impact of climate change.
The conference stressed the critical need for integrated approaches to tackle the intertwined challenges of climate change and nutrition, and setting the stage for impactful future collaborations.
–IANS
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Baghdad, Aug 22 (IANS) A civilian was killed while seven others were injured on Thursday in a tribal shootout in Iraq’s holy Shiite province of Najaf, according to a local security source.
The shootout erupted in the early hours between armed men from the local tribe in the al-Zarga area in northern Najaf, some 160 km south of Baghdad, a local police officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The clash resulted in the killing of an Iraqi civilian and the injury of seven others, including three Iranian Shiite pilgrims, the source added.
A joint force from the Interior Ministry’s emergency response division and Najaf provincial police arrested 53 gunmen from both sides of the shootout and seized weapons and ammunition, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
It added that search operations are ongoing to locate additional gunmen and weapons, with more details to be released later.
The incident took place as numerous pilgrims traveled to the city of Karbala to observe Arbaeen, which marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D.
Typically, these pilgrims also visit Najaf as part of their journey to Karbala.
–IANS
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Dhaka, Aug 22 (IANS) Bangladesh’s interim government has sought $1 billion from the World Bank as budgetary support.
The call came from the country’s Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan’s meeting with Abdoulaye Seck, the World Bank’s Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, in Dhaka on Wednesday.
He made the plea as the ministry owes more than 2 billion dollars to suppliers in import costs of power and energy, Xinhua news agency reported.
Khan mentioned that the interim government, which was formed with many pressing mandates, is due to settle a $2 billion debt left by the previous government in the power sector.
He said they have already suspended activities under the much-criticized Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply Act 2010 and abolished the government’s power to set energy prices without any public hearing.
On August 5, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted from her country and power, ending her rule since January 2009.
This event was seen as a massive escalation, with what initially started as student’s protests and resulted in a major crisis in Bangladesh.
Earlier on August 8, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took oath as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government.
–IANS
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Belgrade, Aug 22 (IANS) Serbian police are still searching for seven missing migrants in the Drina River after their boat capsized when crossing from Serbia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia’s Interior Ministry confirmed in a press release issued on Thursday.
According to testimonies of the migrants who managed to reach the shore, there were approximately 25 people on board. So far, police and rescue teams have found 18 individuals, including three children, on the riverbank, Xinhua news agency reported.
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic said police and the Emergency Situations Sector responded promptly after being alerted by the Bosnian border authorities early Thursday morning.
An intensive search is underway in the Drina River and its surrounding area.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, reported a significant decrease in illegal border crossings in the Western Balkans during the first half of 2024.
The illegal crossings towards EU borders reached 12,407 between January and July 2024, a 75 per cent drop compared to the same period last year.
–IANS
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Islamabad, Aug 22 (IANS) Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, turned into a fortress on Thursday with dozens of containers forcing closure of several roads with heavy deployment of law enforcement forces following the cancellation of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) of an anti-government protest planned by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and protest call by religious parties, including the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) under the banner of Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat against a Supreme Court decision in the Mubarak Sani case.
Anticipating widespread protests, the local administration, which had cancelled the NOC, imposed Section 144 in the city, barring assembly of people and also closed all educational institutions for the day.
Later in the day, the PTI announced its decision to postpone its protest rally and rescheduled it for September 8.
The government maintained that it did not want to take any chance considering the Supreme Court hearing and also the presence of Bangladeshi cricket team in the country which is currently touring Pakistan for a Test series.
On Wednesday, the capital administration of Islamabad decided to cancel the NOC for PTI, less than 24 hours before the scheduled public gathering in Tarnol area. PTI had earlier announced that it would go ahead with its planned gathering even after its NOC was revoked.
“It is concerning that the government might try to exploit the rally to incite unrest and blame it on PTI. They are scared and are trying to find ways to orchestrate cases against us,” said senior PTI leader Azam Swati.
Imran Khan’s party has been struggling to hold a political gathering in the capital for the past five months with the local administration delaying grant of any permission to hold such an event. Even after a permission is granted, it ends up being revoked a few hours later.
The latest episode is the second time the capital administration has cancelled the NOC issued to PTI for holding a political gathering at Tarnol.
The government maintains that it had detailed meeting with the Inspector General Police, Deputy Commissioner, senior officers from the Chief Commissioner’s office, officials of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) after which it was decided that there will be serious law and order concerns if the gathering is allowed.
On the other hand, several religious parties have also taken to the streets in Islamabad, protesting against the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s verdict in the Mubarak Sani case.
Tehreek-e-Khatam-e-Nabuwat, an umbrella name for different religious parties, has called for a protest in front of the Supreme Court after the July 24 Supreme Court verdict in the case, maintaining and ruling that while Ahmadis are declared non-Muslims, they retain the right to profess and proliferate their religion, provided they do not publicly use Muslim terms or introduce themselves as Muslims.
In February 2024, Mubarak Ahmed Sani, an Ahmadi, was accused of violating the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) Amendment) Act 2021 by distributing the proscribed book ‘Tafseer-e-Sagheer’. However, the Supreme Court maintained that the alleged act occurred in 2019, before it was criminalised in 2021.
The Supreme Court decision was widely criticized by the religious groups who demanded the federal and the Punjab government to challenge the decision and ensure punishment for Sani.
The Punjab government later filed a review petition in the Supreme Court while a petition was also filed by the Federal government on directions of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
–IANS
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