Prime ministerial term limits are a red herring. The Consensus Commission is getting played if it allows BNP to accept them instead of more substantive reforms.
From global isolation to internal collapse, a reckoning is coming.
Given the determination of the US and Israel to bring down the Iranian government, what cards does Iran have left to play? Democratic, domestic reform is almost certainly the one durable solution.
We need women in politics, but reserved seats are not the way. A better solution would be to mandate 33% nomination quota for each party.
We have still to define a national identity for Bangladesh, and we need a national dialogue on the matter or we will remain a fractured people.
If reforms are to pass, then all the political parties need to own them and feel that they have taken the lead and not that it was something forced upon them. Reforms the parties believe are imposed on them are destined to fail.
NBFIs can be saved -- but liquidation is not the answer. Bangladesh Bank needs to impose immediate and strict oversight, remove the compromised directors and managers, and install competent, independent professionals.
PR-based upper house is not only good for the country, it will serve BNP's interest as well. The sooner the party understands why opposing PR is self-defeating, the better for everyone. Most crucially, for itself.
There will be no winners but plenty of losers from a protracted war targeting Iran. Paradoxically, it is almost certain that the biggest losers would be Israel, and, if it gets sucked into the quagmire, America.
An Upper House based on proportional representation would be the single most valuable reform that all sides could agree to that could truly make a difference to the Bangladeshi body politic. The BNP should take that deal.
We need to empower women to move forward as a country, and direct election to reserved seats is the only way to accomplish this.
We all want greater women's representation in the political process. But it is not clear that quotas are the best way to achieve this noble goal.
We have an uneasy truce but still a long way to go. If the BNP doesn't understand that a bare minimum of reform is necessary to end the impasse, give it legitimacy , and help set the table for good governance, then the nation will lose, including BNP.
There are still many pitfalls between now and timely, good elections. But if we can all agree to one single reform: a proportional Upper House, then in time all other reforms will follow automatically.
If Netanyahu is acting on the belief that his attack on Teheran will lead to the internal overthrow of the regime, it seems that he has misunderstood Iran entirely.
It is time for UK government to get serious when it comes to cracking down on illegal money looted by despots from the developing world and parked in London.
