Hong Kong, China — Critics have debated for more than a decade as to whether Bangladesh is politically "sick" or already "dead." Now the nation is experiencing a spate of illness among high-profile detainees awaiting trial on corruption charges. It seems that suddenly they all need to go abroad for treatment.

Hong Kong, China — In Bangladesh, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture has become more a day of celebration than one in which to actually help the victims. Once the day is gone the issue is forgotten and torture, which is a 'normal' part of life, continues.

Hong Kong, China — Bangladesh continues to face peculiar experiences under the military controlled government. Recent events include the sudden blanket arrest of 20,000 people; the decision to release former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from behind bars; and a huge increase in the defense budget.

Hong Kong, China — The military-controlled government of Bangladesh approved a Voluntary Disclosure Ordinance on Sunday, designed to allow people to report their corrupt deeds to a Truth and Accountability Commission that will then clear them of their wrongdoing.

Hong Kong, China — Among about two dozen public universities in Bangladesh, the University of Dhaka is considered the best. Yet multiple problems are ruining the careers of many students and teachers at the university, due to political favoritism, irresponsible administrators and the diversion of university funds.

Hong Kong, China — Bangladesh's military-controlled government has been holding a series of "dialogues" with the country's various political parties ahead of expected general elections that are supposed to reinstate a civilian government. Yet in an odd twist, party leaders are demanding that army officers join the dialogue.

Hong Kong, China — The military-controlled caretaker government of Bangladesh has been promoting "reformation" since it took over power by proclaiming a state of emergency. Now the jails are full, the Supreme Court has denied trials to arrested people, and the political parties are close to instigating a mass movement.

Hong Kong, China — The Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh has charged former Supreme Court judge Fazlul Haque of illegally amassing huge wealth and concealing information about his assets. The discovery of corruption at this level raises questions about the judiciary that need to be answered.

Hong Kong, China — "Dialogue" is a widely used word in Bangladesh these days. The Election Commission and the government are holding dialogues with the political parties to discuss implementing election reforms. It seems quite evident that the officials' agenda is not reform, but self-preservation, however.

Hong Kong, China — The term of the chief of staff of the Bangladesh army, Gen. Moeen U Ahmed, has been extended for one more year for the sake of the "public interest." However, no media have reported who among the 140 million people of Bangladesh endorsed this extension, or how the so-called public interest was measured.

Hong Kong, China — Bangladesh's government is quite serious about the country's image, and claims that it invests its utmost effort and resources to improve that image. However, reality runs counter to this claim; the following examples reveal just how much the government's actions "enhance" the country's image.

Hong Kong, China — Confusing and conflicting statements by the government of Bangladesh have made people wonder whether local and parliamentary elections will be held at all in the coming months. However, the government and political parties both have a strong interest in making sure the elections take place.

Hong Kong, China — Right to Information is a right that is long overdue to the Bangladeshis. The nation, especially the media, a cluster of NGOs, and the civil society have together struggled to bring the debate on the political stage since the last couple of years. However, recently, they framed a draft law and submitted the same to the government for enactment.

Hong Kong, China — The top officials of the military-backed government of Bangladesh have been making contradictory comments in the last few weeks on holding elections. Some say the state of emergency must first be lifted; some say otherwise.

Hong Kong, China — A launch carrying around 140 passengers sank in the Buriganga River on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Feb. 28 when it was rammed from behind by a cargo vessel. The government expressed shock, conducted a half-hearted search, and issued a paltry sum for each victim.

Hong Kong, China — The chief of the Bangladesh army, General Moeen U Ahmed, has been calling for the country to have its "own brand of democracy" for a long time. The general has not publicly clarified exactly what he means by this. Would it be another militarized brand of democracy?

Hong Kong, China — Detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cannot hear properly due to injuries caused by grenade blasts that targeted her public meeting on Aug. 21, 2004, in Dhaka. The simultaneous massive explosions around the meeting stage considerably damaged her ears thereby affecting her hearing capability. Reportedly, she had been receiving treatment abroad as per her convenience and requirements. However, since her arrest and subsequent detention in a prison in Dhaka on Jul. 16, 2007 the former premier has been denied her medical treatment abroad, for almost half a year.

Hong Kong, China — The people of Bangladesh are keeping an eye on court proceedings regarding corruption charges against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The High Court ruled last week that the trial against her is illegal, since her alleged crimes were committed years before current emergency laws went into effect.

Hong Kong, China — Bangladesh's Ministry of Information denies that the government is officially censoring the media. Yet is says it is logical that media would impose "self-censorship" under the state of emergency. By this hypocritical strategy the rulers hope to control the media while denying they are doing so.

Hong Kong, China — Four professors of the University of Dhaka were released from jail on Jan. 22, 2008, through a presidential pardon initiated by the government. The people of Bangladesh still do not know why they were held or why a key report was concealed even from the courts.

Hong Kong, China — "I was kept blindfolded for 18 hours of the 24 hours of remand … I was tied up and suspended from the ceiling and tortured physically there while being kept blindfolded," said Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who got a taste of routine torture in police custody.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — "The price of rice is so high that it is beyond my capacity. We are forced to eat only one meal a day, but the problems are with the children," says schoolteacher Muhammad Yunus Bahari. All of Bangladesh faces the same problem as officials fail to deal with an avoidable food crisis.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Two statues of the Hindu god Vishnu were stolen from the Zia International Airport in Dhaka Saturday at midnight, while under "tight security." The loss and subsequent ineffective investigation reflect the all-pervasive systemic failures in Bangladesh.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — "Shall we not be allowed even to bury the dead?" moaned a man to reporters in front of a collapsed building in Dhaka. He had been waiting eight days to claim the body of his brother from the rubble of the Rangs building, which had crumbled and killed workers hired to demolish the illegal structure.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — The military-backed government of Bangladesh is sending mixed messages in its administration of justice. On one hand teachers have been convicted and imprisoned for influencing students to protest.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Bangladesh will no longer allow protests or processions from victims of the recent cyclone, a government official said Friday, after starving villagers in the disaster-hit area held demonstrations demanding food and relief.Maj. Gen.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — "We no longer have any house in Amtoli...it is quite impossible to believe that once there was any home in the locality! All are destroyed; nothing is left!

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Members of the armed forces are enjoying their jobs more than ever since Bangladesh came under emergency rule last January. "We didn't have the real taste of our jobs until the state of emergency was declared in the country," an army officer confided to a

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Bangladesh is a factory for non-governmental organizations. More than 60,000 local NGOs are registered with various departments of the government in this country with a population of around 140 million.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Sakerun Nesa's 10-year-old son, Shafikul Islam, received a call from his stepbrother, Mokhlesur Rahman, on the evening of Aug. 25, 2000.

SYLHET, Bangladesh — The decision of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh to separate the judiciary from the executive branch of government was protested by magistrates at a recent seminar in Dhaka. One magistrate at the function remarked, "The government has humiliated me as a ma

Sylhet, Bangladesh — An ordinary citizen of Bangladesh, frustrated after a long job search in the public and private sectors, decided to establish a small factory to make cotton using cut pieces of fabric from garment factories. The man needed only a few things: a place for t

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Bangladesh is witnessing a show of legal battles in the country's courts. Since the state of emergency was imposed last January, the military-backed government has been arresting and detaining numerous people every day under the Special Powers Act-1974 an

Sylhet, Bangladesh — The Election Commission of Bangladesh, which has reportedly recently been made "independent" by the military-backed government, is now the talk of the country for its recent decision to "reform the political system." In a forced-feeding approach to reform

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Wherever in the world a military government has been established, a human rights disaster has followed. Few nations have had the eyes to see or the public wisdom to assess the losses they have suffered, however.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — One more senior teacher at Dhaka University has been detained on charges of breaking the county's emergency rules. Professor Sadrul Amin, president of the Dhaka University Teachers Association, was locked up in the Dhaka Central Jail on Sunday.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — The military-backed government of Bangladesh stopped the transmission of a television news channel, CSB News, on Sept. 6.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Since the state of emergency was imposed in Bangladesh in January 2007, more than 100 influential people, including former prime ministers, ministers and lawmakers, have been arrested. In addition, more than 200,000 others have been put behind bars during

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Bangladesh is in a dangerous transition that began with the declaration of a state of emergency and the suspension of fundamental rights at the beginning of 2007. Initially, the interim, military-backed government was widely supported by the people, which

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Since the military-backed interim government took power in Bangladesh on Jan.12 through the imposition of a state of emergency, the armed forces have been hard at work taking control of the various sections of the country's civilian administration. Soldie

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Bangladesh is known in many parts of the world as a country of floods, cyclones and other natural disasters. More than half of Bangladesh is now inundated with water.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Mohammad Ashik is a student in the eighth grade in Bangladesh. His father Abed Ali lost his job without receiving the wages he was owed by the People's Jute Mills in Khulna District.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Arresting and taking high-profile people to court has become a sensational issue in many countries of the world. In Bangladesh, it occurred recently for the second time when former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was arrested early in the morning of July 16

Sylhet, Bangladesh — People in powerful positions throughout the world, in general, consistently love to multiply their power. In Bangladesh, those who wield governmental powers are no exception, whether they be politicians or bureaucrats.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — A medical college hospital under construction collapsed, taking the lives of three construction workers and injuring 12 others, on July 11 in Dhaka. The East-West Medical College Authority was constructing a part of its hospital building while another win

SYLHET, Bangladesh — Good lessons are hardly practiced in the national life of Bangladesh. The conscience of the nation appears to be perpetually sleeping--a national stupor that unfortunately affects the health of the nation's people.Take the example of 50-year-old Rahima

SYLHET, Bangladesh — The cycle of corruption in Bangladesh is unique. Past governments used to bring charges of corruption against opposition political party leaders, who were the predecessors on the ruling chairs, instead of any person in power.

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Bangladesh has a long history of fighting against tyranny during the country's colonial regimes. The nation achieved independence in 1971 at the cost of the blood of about 3 million people.

SYLHET, Bangladesh — Bangladesh's military-backed interim government has imposed a number of new measures on its people since a state of emergency was imposed in January. These include the State of Emergency Ordinance 2007 and Emergency Rules 2007, with a number of amendments

Sylhet, Bangladesh — Bangladesh has been experiencing an unusual and crucial period and a series of surprising, shocking, suffocating and confusing events. There has been no elected Parliament for the last seven months while an interim government has been running the show und

Hong Kong, China — Bangladesh has been under a state of emergency since Jan. 11 for the fourth time since independence in 1971.