Posts From Barrister Harun ur Rashid
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Barrister Harun ur Rashid
India-Israel close relationship may likely to be stronger
Israel’s relationship with India under the Modi government is likely to be stronger because of two reasons. First it is founded on relationship with strong religious and ideological moorings. In 2003, when Ariel Sharon visited India, the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya
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Bangladesh foreign policy faces challenges.
Foreign policy is not formulated in a vacuum. It is based on certain ingredients that cannot be changed, such as, geographical location, history, religion, culture and natural resources. Taken together these features, one can objectively assess the opportunities and threats
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Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: My Personal Experience
I had the privilege to work with Bangabandhu from 1973 to 1975 while I was a senior official at the Bangladesh Foreign Office. Bangladesh government at the time was small and there were only about 26 Joint Secretaries, no Additional
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Shooting down MH 17 : Is it a war crime?
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navi Pillay, a former judge of South Africa, recently considered a war crime of the shooting down on 17th July of the Malaysian Airlines MH 17 in the rebel-held territory near Ukrainian
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Hiroshima and Nuclear Weapons Disarmament
August 6th reminds us the horrors of atomic bombs or nuclear weapons. The annual 6th August Peace Memorial Ceremony, which is sponsored by the city of Hiroshima, is held in the park every year. The location of Hiroshima Peace Memorial
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Palestinians in Gaza: Are they in Catch 22 situation?
The Gaza Strip, one of the world’s most densely packed places and one of the world’s oldest and largest refugee populations is to day a firmly sealed human pressure cooker. The 1.5 million people of Gaza — more than half
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Judgment by the Court of Arbitration on sea boundary between Bangladesh and India: Victory for fairness and justice
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague officially conveyed the result to both parties on 7th July 2014. Bangladesh went to the Court in October 8 2009 and the submission of documents and oral hearings from both sides
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“Saree diplomacy” between Bangladesh and India
On 25th June, India’s Minister for External Affairs Ms. Sushma Swaraj visited Dhaka for 38 hours. Ms. Swaraj stated that the Indian government would work with the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh to further strengthen relations and at the same
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What message will Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma bring to Dhaka?
The Modi government is in power and naturally everyone in Bangladesh is thinking how relations between Bangladesh and India will develop. Will it be the same or accelerate or different? Some clues to the question may reveal when Indian External
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Are we looking too much in the invitation of SAARC leaders in the Modi’s swearing in ceremony?
Prime Minister Narendra always thinks big and grandiose. That is why from a teacup seller he became the Prime Minister of India with a massive mandate. It is unique quality for a person who always thinks big and tries to
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Challenges of Modi government and Bangladesh Diplomacy
Modi’s biggest challenge is to turn around a faltering economy of India. That’s an important question and one that many are asking after his massive win in the recently-concluded general election. Most analysts appear united in their view that fixing
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Restoration of GSP is a distant goal
The first TICFA (Trade Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement ) meeting was held on 28th April after the US postponed it twice clearly demonstrated that Bangladesh and the US had completely different agenda and expectations. While Bangladesh wanted restoration of GSP
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Is Bangladesh foreign policy becoming Indo-Russia centric?
On 27 March, Bangladesh abstained from voting at the UN General Assembly resolution on Russia’s annexation of Crimea. While 100 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 11 opposed it. Bangladesh, alongside 57 others abstained, and eventually worked in Russia’s
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Australian Prime Minister visits China: Woos China for its investment
How an opposition leader ‘s views are changed when that person becomes the Prime Minister. The glaring example is Australian right-wing Prime Minister Tony Abbott The visit to China was described as the toughest leg of his tour because his
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Pahela Baishakh: Bengali New Year
On Pahela (1st) Baishakh, Bengali/Bangla-language people all over the world gather and sing the traditional song ushering the New Year with Tagore song , “Come, O Baishakh, Come upon us With your ascetic breath, dust away that which is dying,
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People can take pride in progress of an independent Bangladesh
25th March night was the moment of truth when Bengalis faced a demonic power of the Pakistan military. It was that night when brave Bengalis, irrespective of religious faiths and gender, decided to fight for independence on the basis of
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Significance of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s visit to Bangladesh
Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida visited Bangladesh from March 21 to 23 and held talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and several ministers including finance, foreign affairs, industry and commerce on how to promote further bilateral co-operation. On 10th February
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China eyes huge investment in Bangladesh
Many nations define themselves in terms of territory or people; China defines itself in terms of history. It looks to their own rich history, beliefs and philosophies as a source of experience and knowledge to find new ways. China has
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Why Crimea is important to Russia?
Crimean peninsula,, the territory, about the size of Belgium, is an autonomous region within Ukraine. The Crimean Peninsula is suspended from the south coast of Ukraine by the thin chain of the Perekop Isthmus, embraced by the Black Sea, on
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First phase of Foreign Policy of Bangladesh under Bangabandhu
We are observing 43 years of our independence on March 26 and it is appropriate to look briefly the foreign policy pursued under the government of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Foreign policy is not formulated in a vacuum but is
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Indian Election 2014: Possible Impact on Bangladesh if BJP wins
On 5th March, the Election Commission has decided to hold the 16th parliamentary election of the Lower House (Lok Sabha) from 7th April in 9 phases until 12th May. The results will be announced on 16th May and a new
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Bangladesh Prime Minister attends BIMSTEC Summit in Myanmar: Economic Partnership between two region
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave for Myanmar on 3rd March for a two-day visit to attend the summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) This will be the first foreign
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Bangladesh’s acquisition of Chinese submarines: No cause for India to worry
Bangladesh is not only a riverine but also a maritime country. It was the ocean route that in the past led many foreigners to come to Bengal (now greater part of Bangladesh) and Chittagong port was the conduit for interaction
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21st February: Are we achieving the goal of the language martyrs?
21st February is a day of national mourning and reflection. It is the Language Martyr’s Day. On this day in 1952, Barkat, Rafiq, Shafiur, Jabbar and Salam and many others sacrificed their young precious lives for honour and preservation of
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Land erosion by rivers brings miseries to millions of people
Rivers are the life-blood of Bangladesh. In fact Bangladesh’s land territory owes to its physical existence to rivers, that carried billions of silt for million of years from the Himalayas. Thus the land formed was known as Banga, Bengal, East
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