CSOs seek UN initiative on democracy as autocracy is on the rise

The rise in authoritarianism worldwide has prompted a coalition of over 85 civil society organizations (CSOs) to call on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to appoint a Special Rapporteur—an independent UN expert– to protect democracy and reverse its decline. The joint appeal comes ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Universal

Deepening democracy in an AI-enabled world

In 2002, the Human Development Report (UNDP) focused on ‘Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World’. It was an important discourse then [and still is] that evoked lot of insightful cross-regional exchanges of ideas. It reiterates that politics matter for human development because people everywhere want to be free to determine

A global survey of democracy finds both sobering and alarming results

The recent epidemic of coups in Africa — including military take-overs in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon– have triggered the inevitable question: Is multi-party democracy on the retreat? The Open Society Barometer, an annual global survey from Open Society Foundations, launched September 12, reflects the positive and negative aspects of

Press freedom impossible without democracy: Fakhrul

Stating that corporate media outlets in Bangladesh are working to protect the looters and corrupts, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday said it is not possible to ensure press freedom without democracy. "We now see so many media outlets in the country but they can't work freely as

Is democracy impossible for Pakistan?

The PTI's recent run in with the establishment has brought Pakistan's innumerable fault lines to bear on the country's already fragile politics. Is a democratic trajectory even possible under these circumstances? The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old world is dying and the new cannot be born. In

Democracy most enduring means to advance peace: US

The United States said they were "heartened" by the announcement from the government of Bangladesh that welcomed the steps taken by Washington regarding visa policy. "We believe that democracy is the most enduring means to advance peace, prosperity, and security. It's why we made the announcement, and we look forward to

Stability of democracy behind massive dev: PM

 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday told the Parliament that the stability of parliamentary democracy since 2008 created a scope for massive development in Bangladesh. "During the last three terms --2008, 2014 and 2018-- in line with the constitution, the continuous progress of Bangladesh National Parliament, the consistency of parliamentary democracy

Bangladesh’s sterling dev owes to democracy: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the unprecedented development of Bangladesh has been possible due to unhindered democratic process since 2008. "After being elected in 2008 election, there has been unhindered democratic process prevailing in the country. The development that is being witnessed right now has been possible for this,"

Decentralized admin a must for country

As buildings soar higher and higher, traffic congestions get worse, air more suffocating, and public amenities spread thinner and thinner to accommodate an ever-increasing number of people, at what point do we say, enough is enough? Despite frequent discussions around the urgency of decentralization, we have unfortunately done little to