The problem with Southasian cities – Southasia Weekly #96

A lot of the news I’ve been reading this week has implications on upcoming elections. In Myanmar, the military offered a reward for information about activists who staged an anti-election rally in downtown Mandalay, underscoring that the upcoming election is an exercise in legitimising military rule. In Nepal, the government signed an agreement with a group of protesters to form a commission for constitutional and electoral reform ahead of March elections. And in Bangladesh, the news has been full of news of Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Khaleda Zia’s failing health, especially as her son and acting BNP chair Tarique Rahman remains in London awaiting for Bangladesh’s interim government to announce a firm election date.

We decided to go with Bangladesh this week, but you can be sure we’ll be following news from Myanmar, Nepal and elsewhere across the region closely, bringing you the latest week on week. It takes a lot to comb through the headlines and bring you in-depth analysis, and that’s why we really need your support. So make sure to become a Patron so we can keep bringing you the latest from across the region!

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This week in Himal

Photo of people on bicycles and red rickshaws crowding a street in Old Delhi. On the left a man driving a rickshaw is looking into the camera. The others are looking ahead, intent on where they are going.

Sohel Sarkar writes about the politics of space and mobility in India and Pakistan, using four new books to show how inequality, everyday movement and aspirations shape ‘world-class’ cities.

Also read: Himal Interviews: Bulldozers, hijab and Muslim rage in Modi’s India

This week in Southasia

Khaleda Zia’s illness and the crisis within the BNP

Photo of Tarique Rahman BNP acting chairman putting on a tie saying 'secular nationalism' while a bin on his side with 'Jamaat-e-Islami' can be seen. — Gihan de Chickera

The past week has seen dramatic news from Dhaka, where head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party Khaleda Zia has been hospitalised and is in critical condition. Plans to fly her to London for treatment have been continually postponed as she remains too ill to travel. While Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman is already acting BNP chairman, her illness leaves some uncertainty as Rahman remains in London despite the acquittal of several cases filed by the Awami League government against him. BNP insiders say Rahman is likely to return only once an election date is announced, due to fears that Bangladesh’s interim government might postpone elections in order to push through reforms.

The BNP is expected to be a key player in elections scheduled for February next year, and has begun refashioning its image ahead of the vote, breaking away from its decade-long alliance with the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami. Political analysts say this is an attempt to appropriate the vocabulary of secular nationalism used by the Awami League to justify their grip on power. The rift has also occurred due to differences on the timing of elections (with the BNP pushing for elections as early as December) versus constitutional and political reform. But while the party is trying to reposition itself, young voters have lingering questions about the culture of extortion and infighting within the BNP. These questions hang in the balance even as Zia grapples with illness. In light of this, Anupam Debashis Roy’s article from 2023 has become relevant reading – scroll down to the archive section to revisit it.

Elsewhere in Southasia

Renewed clashes along Pakistan-Afghanistan border leave at least four dead, with each country accusing the other of violating ceasefire
Two airstrikes by Myanmar junta on hospital and tea shop kill 34 and 18 civilians, respectively, as junta continues to target anti-junta armed groups
Six soldiers killed at security checkpoint attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwah, Pakistan, Tehreek e-Taliban Pakistan claims responsibility as state minister for law and justice considers martial rule
Myanmar junta targets three protest leaders and anti-junta activists, offers financial incentive for capture as anti-military group launches ‘silent strike’ to boycott elections
Nepali court indicts 55 officials in anti-graft case over construction costs of Chinese-funded airport
25 lose their lives in Goa nightclub fire; India’s president offers state-backed compensation for victims and families
Pakistan’s former spy chief associated with ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges
Nepali government reform agreement signed between interim leader and some Gen Z protest leaders months after September protests
Death toll from Sri Lankan floods reaches 640, with damage to key infrastructure including roads and bridges and over 86,000 homes damaged
Six out of ten accused in Malayalam cinema sexual assault case from 2017 found guilty of rape and abduction by Indian court, actor Dileep acquitted