International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2016
Bangladesh has signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement with the Russian Federation in 2009 to set ... more Bangladesh has signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement with the Russian Federation in 2009 to set up two nuclear power reactors. In 1986, the country installed the 3MWth TRIGA Mark-II research reactor. The country possesses category 1 of nuclear and category 1-5 of radioactive materials for the purpose of research, medical and industrial applications. Bangladesh is a party to the nuclear security and safeguards related protocols and agreements. Owing to the global threat of nuclear/radiological terrorism, critics often raise questions about the country's technical and management capabilities to face the challenges of nuclear security and safeguards. This paper not only discusses about the current status and measures of nuclear security and safeguards regimes in Bangladesh but also recommends improving measures for them. Perceiving that the emerging threats derive from adversaries, the paper suggests among others to form a National Nuclear Security Council in order to enhance the State's nuclear security and safeguards capacity.
Although the history of terrorism is longer than the modern nation-state, the fourth wave of terr... more Although the history of terrorism is longer than the modern nation-state, the fourth wave of terrorism has become a global scourge, affecting development and security of modern state and citizens’ life. The world has been witnessing new trends of terrorism that is more fanatical, more lethal, and more global than any time of the history. The contemporary trend is also a departure from the phenomenon even as recently as after the 9/11 incidents. The new trend is often portrayed as leaderless or network of local groups. Today the true menace has been generating from loose-knit cells or a multitude of informal local groups. In the context of Europe, particularly after the Madrid tragic events in 2004 and the London bombings in 2005, terrorism has become a very real security and strategic threat. This paper reveals three basic trends of terrorism in Europe. First, the rise of micro actors in terrorist activities those are not easy to detect or counter. Second, the tragic events of Madri...
This paper analyses the post-conflict dynamics of land tenure in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)... more This paper analyses the post-conflict dynamics of land tenure in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh. The key argument is that the post-conflict CHT is a hybrid land context, apparently where land tenure is insecure, where the ownership is contested between tribal and settler households and where large-scale acquisition and incremental land grabbing is occurring in absence of effective tenure governance. The access, control and transfer of land rights have been core of the violence in CHT. The paper further argues that the competition between customary landowners and settlers seeking customary lands for developing economic projects make the land context more complex. This changing idea of land control is associated with (dis)possession dynamics. The role of negotiation in market, use of violence and resistance are also linked with
Bangladesh-United States bilateral relations have always been a manifestation of both countries’ ... more Bangladesh-United States bilateral relations have always been a manifestation of both countries’ willingness to acclimatize to global transforming environment. The growing geopolitical and geostrategic significance of South Asia in US policies is evidently redirected through the changing profile of Bangladesh-US relations. Although the bilateral relation got a flinty start since the emergence of independent Bangladesh resulted in diplomatic victory of Indo-Soviet alliance over US-China, the resulting alteration in the ‘balance of power’ in South Asia occasioned a major shift in the ‘low-keyed’ approach of US with regard to Bangladesh. Washington’s involvement with Dhaka has primarily been on humanitarian concerns which turned to ‘eco-politico-strategic’ nexus in the succeeding years. The events of 9/11 and subsequent developments contributed in extending the bilateral focus of softer issues like promotion of democracy, free market economy, human rights, to constructive cooperation in military and security issues. Against this backdrop, this paper attempts to assess the changing dynamics of Bangladesh-US bilateral relations with the unfolding of 9/11 and sets the agenda to explore the reorientation of policies of the ‘economic and military hegemon' in the ‘Asian century’. The paper assumes that post 9/11 global and regional realities has set the stage for wider engagement with Bangladesh and the possibility to amend the dependent pattern of conduct between these two countries. In addition, this paper addresses the possibilities and problems of sustainable and cooperative Bangladesh-US bilateral relations in an altered global era identified with terrorism and Asian triumph.
Hartal, the general strike or total shutdown, is one of the defining features of politics in Bang... more Hartal, the general strike or total shutdown, is one of the defining features of politics in Bangladesh. While opposition parties proclaim it is one of their only weapons to put pressure on the ruling party, Bangladeshi middle classes and the international (donor) community view hartal as essentially disruptive. Focusing on the local organisation of hartal at the ward level, this article argues that hartal plays a crucial role in the organisation of the local power structure in Bangladesh. By considering hartal as a complex political performance, we are able to show that hartals offer unique opportunities for local party organisers to show, maintain and improve their position in the local power structure. Addressing a multi-levelled audience, it enables them to gain access to beneficial patronage relationships with the party (leadership) at the local, regional and national levels. The willingness to take risk and the ability to recruit hartal participants offers important markers to...
Student groups play an important role in Bangladesh. Not only have student groups often been at t... more Student groups play an important role in Bangladesh. Not only have student groups often been at the vanguard of crucial struggles – like the Language Movement (1947-1952), the Independence movement (1969-71) and the pro-democracy movement (1989-91) – but many contemporary politicians also have roots in student organizations. Student organizations are highly politicized in Bangladesh and operated as important wings of the major parties. The contemporary role of student groups and student politics is often seen in a highly negative light, as part of a wider degeneration of political values, exemplified by a perceived increase in violence and corruption. While not wanting to trade such moralistic reasoning for a critical understanding of student politics in its current form, it is undeniable that student politics today is highly violent. Recent data indeed show the major role that student organizations play in political violence in the country. In the last ten years (2008-2018) campus ...
Hartal, the general strike or total shutdown, is one of the defining features of politics in Bang... more Hartal, the general strike or total shutdown, is one of the defining features of politics in Bangladesh. While opposition parties proclaim it is one of their only weapons to put pressure on the ruling party, Bangladeshi middle classes and the international (donor) community view hartal as essentially disruptive. Focusing on the local organisation of hartal at the ward level, this article argues that hartal plays a crucial role in the organisation of the local power structure in Bangladesh. By considering hartal as a complex political performance, we are able to show that hartals offer unique opportunities for local party organisers to show, maintain and improve their position in the local power structure. Addressing a multi-levelled audience, it enables them to gain access to beneficial patronage relationships with the party (leadership) at the local, regional and national levels. The willingness to take risk and the ability to recruit hartal participants offers important markers to establish and improve these relationships. As such, efforts to move away from hartal to ‘less disruptive’ forms of protest are misguided.
International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2016
Bangladesh has signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement with the Russian Federation in 2009 to set ... more Bangladesh has signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement with the Russian Federation in 2009 to set up two nuclear power reactors. In 1986, the country installed the 3MWth TRIGA Mark-II research reactor. The country possesses category 1 of nuclear and category 1-5 of radioactive materials for the purpose of research, medical and industrial applications. Bangladesh is a party to the nuclear security and safeguards related protocols and agreements. Owing to the global threat of nuclear/radiological terrorism, critics often raise questions about the country's technical and management capabilities to face the challenges of nuclear security and safeguards. This paper not only discusses about the current status and measures of nuclear security and safeguards regimes in Bangladesh but also recommends improving measures for them. Perceiving that the emerging threats derive from adversaries, the paper suggests among others to form a National Nuclear Security Council in order to enhance the State's nuclear security and safeguards capacity.
Although the history of terrorism is longer than the modern nation-state, the fourth wave of terr... more Although the history of terrorism is longer than the modern nation-state, the fourth wave of terrorism has become a global scourge, affecting development and security of modern state and citizens’ life. The world has been witnessing new trends of terrorism that is more fanatical, more lethal, and more global than any time of the history. The contemporary trend is also a departure from the phenomenon even as recently as after the 9/11 incidents. The new trend is often portrayed as leaderless or network of local groups. Today the true menace has been generating from loose-knit cells or a multitude of informal local groups. In the context of Europe, particularly after the Madrid tragic events in 2004 and the London bombings in 2005, terrorism has become a very real security and strategic threat. This paper reveals three basic trends of terrorism in Europe. First, the rise of micro actors in terrorist activities those are not easy to detect or counter. Second, the tragic events of Madri...
This paper analyses the post-conflict dynamics of land tenure in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)... more This paper analyses the post-conflict dynamics of land tenure in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh. The key argument is that the post-conflict CHT is a hybrid land context, apparently where land tenure is insecure, where the ownership is contested between tribal and settler households and where large-scale acquisition and incremental land grabbing is occurring in absence of effective tenure governance. The access, control and transfer of land rights have been core of the violence in CHT. The paper further argues that the competition between customary landowners and settlers seeking customary lands for developing economic projects make the land context more complex. This changing idea of land control is associated with (dis)possession dynamics. The role of negotiation in market, use of violence and resistance are also linked with
Bangladesh-United States bilateral relations have always been a manifestation of both countries’ ... more Bangladesh-United States bilateral relations have always been a manifestation of both countries’ willingness to acclimatize to global transforming environment. The growing geopolitical and geostrategic significance of South Asia in US policies is evidently redirected through the changing profile of Bangladesh-US relations. Although the bilateral relation got a flinty start since the emergence of independent Bangladesh resulted in diplomatic victory of Indo-Soviet alliance over US-China, the resulting alteration in the ‘balance of power’ in South Asia occasioned a major shift in the ‘low-keyed’ approach of US with regard to Bangladesh. Washington’s involvement with Dhaka has primarily been on humanitarian concerns which turned to ‘eco-politico-strategic’ nexus in the succeeding years. The events of 9/11 and subsequent developments contributed in extending the bilateral focus of softer issues like promotion of democracy, free market economy, human rights, to constructive cooperation in military and security issues. Against this backdrop, this paper attempts to assess the changing dynamics of Bangladesh-US bilateral relations with the unfolding of 9/11 and sets the agenda to explore the reorientation of policies of the ‘economic and military hegemon' in the ‘Asian century’. The paper assumes that post 9/11 global and regional realities has set the stage for wider engagement with Bangladesh and the possibility to amend the dependent pattern of conduct between these two countries. In addition, this paper addresses the possibilities and problems of sustainable and cooperative Bangladesh-US bilateral relations in an altered global era identified with terrorism and Asian triumph.
Hartal, the general strike or total shutdown, is one of the defining features of politics in Bang... more Hartal, the general strike or total shutdown, is one of the defining features of politics in Bangladesh. While opposition parties proclaim it is one of their only weapons to put pressure on the ruling party, Bangladeshi middle classes and the international (donor) community view hartal as essentially disruptive. Focusing on the local organisation of hartal at the ward level, this article argues that hartal plays a crucial role in the organisation of the local power structure in Bangladesh. By considering hartal as a complex political performance, we are able to show that hartals offer unique opportunities for local party organisers to show, maintain and improve their position in the local power structure. Addressing a multi-levelled audience, it enables them to gain access to beneficial patronage relationships with the party (leadership) at the local, regional and national levels. The willingness to take risk and the ability to recruit hartal participants offers important markers to...
Student groups play an important role in Bangladesh. Not only have student groups often been at t... more Student groups play an important role in Bangladesh. Not only have student groups often been at the vanguard of crucial struggles – like the Language Movement (1947-1952), the Independence movement (1969-71) and the pro-democracy movement (1989-91) – but many contemporary politicians also have roots in student organizations. Student organizations are highly politicized in Bangladesh and operated as important wings of the major parties. The contemporary role of student groups and student politics is often seen in a highly negative light, as part of a wider degeneration of political values, exemplified by a perceived increase in violence and corruption. While not wanting to trade such moralistic reasoning for a critical understanding of student politics in its current form, it is undeniable that student politics today is highly violent. Recent data indeed show the major role that student organizations play in political violence in the country. In the last ten years (2008-2018) campus ...
Hartal, the general strike or total shutdown, is one of the defining features of politics in Bang... more Hartal, the general strike or total shutdown, is one of the defining features of politics in Bangladesh. While opposition parties proclaim it is one of their only weapons to put pressure on the ruling party, Bangladeshi middle classes and the international (donor) community view hartal as essentially disruptive. Focusing on the local organisation of hartal at the ward level, this article argues that hartal plays a crucial role in the organisation of the local power structure in Bangladesh. By considering hartal as a complex political performance, we are able to show that hartals offer unique opportunities for local party organisers to show, maintain and improve their position in the local power structure. Addressing a multi-levelled audience, it enables them to gain access to beneficial patronage relationships with the party (leadership) at the local, regional and national levels. The willingness to take risk and the ability to recruit hartal participants offers important markers to establish and improve these relationships. As such, efforts to move away from hartal to ‘less disruptive’ forms of protest are misguided.
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Papers by Mohammad Aynul Islam