Tag: Bangladesh

A Poet of Bangladesh’s Past and Present – a Tribute to Kazi Nazrul Islam on his 120th Birthday

I originally wrote this article for The Hague Peace Projects, where it was first published. “Of equality I sing: where all barriers and differences between man and man have vanished, where Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians have mingled together.”[i] Bangladesh’s national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam (*1899, †1976), sings of equality. He sings of peace. He … Continue reading A Poet of Bangladesh’s Past and Present – a Tribute to Kazi Nazrul Islam on his 120th Birthday →

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Why? – A Tribute to Avijit Roy and Bangladesh

Bengali-American author Avijit Roy lost his life on February 26th, 2015, in the streets of Dhaka after he was attacked with a machete. I recorded this piece as an attempt to be a cornerstone, a point of orientation, to grab hold of the many facets of the political and societal chaos Bangladesh has come to … Continue reading Why? – A Tribute to Avijit Roy and Bangladesh →

Uncomfortable Thoughts on Political and Civil Rights

[The] more I write and research, the more I feel that I am not helping the situation at all by doing so. Instead of properly lobbying, I am pouring oil into the flame of societal divisions. [...] It is very, very easy to learn how to call out for people’s rights. It is much more difficult to find a path to actually help people. And I am utterly confused about how to do the latter.

A Political Culture Like a Bare-Knuckle Fight

This article was originally published on the website of The Hague Peace Projects as part of a 3-article series on the upcoming Bangladesh elections on December 30. Bangladesh until 1991 was a military regime (1). The traces of such former militarization are ever-present in society and crystallize through the need to stay in power that … Continue reading A Political Culture Like a Bare-Knuckle Fight →

A letter to a German Member of the EU Parliament

Ein Brief aus September 2018, auf den ich keine Antwort erhielt. Sehr geehrter X,mein Name ist Alena Kahle und ich studiere Internationales Recht. Gestern habe ich ein Praktikum in der Friedensforschungbegonnen. Als Einstimmung habe ich mich heute Abend mit einer Tasse Tee auf mein Sofa gesetzt und den Rohingya-Genozid recherchiert, weil ich mich in Zukunft sehr auf Bangladesh … Continue reading A letter to a German Member of the EU Parliament →

Bangladesh in the Human Rights Council: Why it is Ironic – a Legal Analysis

This article was originally published on the website of The Hague Peace Projects on October 15, 2018. On Friday, October 12th 2018, Bangladesh was elected to serve on the Human Rights Council of the United Nations. Countries are frequently rotating within the Council to create a dynamic environment and engage in globally democracy. Hopes are high that … Continue reading Bangladesh in the Human Rights Council: Why it is Ironic – a Legal Analysis →

The power politics of law enforcement: Arrest of prominent photographer Shahidul under the unlawful ICT Act

This article was originally published on the website of The Hague Peace Projects on October 1, 2018.   After the death of two students in a road accident in late July 2018, protests sparked in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, with tens out thousands of students not only protesting the lack of government effort to prevent thousands … Continue reading The power politics of law enforcement: Arrest of prominent photographer Shahidul under the unlawful ICT Act →