Anu Muhammad

The way a neighbourhood thug flaunts his power, boasts about violence, bullies at will, harasses, assaults, or kills—while proudly disregarding any law or rule—is eerily similar to what we are now witnessing from the president of the world’s most powerful state and his allies.

On Thursday, Bangladesh held an acceptable election after 18 years, one in which participation was not curtailed by the state itself.

Across the country, countless families have been ruined while trying to pay medical bills.

Earlier last week, the Trump administration carried out a military assault on Venezuela, abducting President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and taking them to New York.

In the early hours of December 19, horrific attacks were carried out on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, and later on two cultural organisations, Chhayanaut and Udichi, along with Nalonda School.

Regarding the Phulbari Open-Pit Coal Mining Project, the chief adviser's press secretary recently made a Facebook post suggesting that Bangladesh is facing a severe power crisis because coal at Phulbari was not extracted.

After COP30, the much-needed transition away from fossil fuels still seems unachievable.

No country has ever built a strong foundation by abandoning national pride and acting like a broker, as our governments often tend to do.