The Awami League regime, which sought global recognition as a model of governance, has ironically left behind a legacy marred by unprecedented brutality against its own citizens. The scale of state violence and repression under Sheikh Hasina’s rule rivals some of the worst autocracies in the world, like Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. Bangladesh is also a unique example, where a military dictator Gen HM Ershad, succeeded in resettling him in a democratic political framework, but a popular leader who jointly led movement for restoration of democracy, degraded herself turning into a worse dictator.  The recent student led uprising, evolving into a broader civilian insurrection, has been dubbed by some as the "Gen Z Revolution." However, lacking a coherent revolutionary agenda or a well defined path for enacting fundamental change, this movement remains more of a chaotic and prolonged transition towards democracy than a fully fledged revolution. Consequently, the pursuit of justice for...

The American writer and journalist, Lawrence Lifschultz's call for setting up of an independent commission to investigate disappearances of the members of the Bangladesh Army is a long overdue one ( Probe disappearances , unresolved killings ). Unfortunately, this demand for justice from the families of victims of crude power struggles of some over-ambitious army commanders has never been highlighted by the local press. It required a foreign journalist's plea to a sympathetic government and favorable political environment to be printed in the local press (allegedly governments under both BNP and General Ershad had denied his visa requests). Mr Lifschultz was a key witness in the case heard by a High Court bench, also under the current government, that ruled Col Taher's execution by a military court as an unlawful killing. ( Trial of Taher illegal ) Reports appearing in Bangladesh press quoting Mr Lifschultz indicate that his call was for only to probe into the...