Pakistan Dispatch
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accused Afghan citizens of helping militants carry out a recent wave of suicide bombings in the country. The attacks have killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more. The Afghan government has denied the allegations, but the Pakistani government has urged the Taliban to take concrete measures to prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorist attacks. The recent tensions between the two countries highlight the challenges of preventing cross-border terrorism.
Politics
Foreign Affairs
On the invitation of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday for an official visit. The two ministers will discuss all aspects of bilateral relations as well as the evolving regional situation. They will also discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, energy, and security. The visit comes as Iran seeks to improve relations with Pakistan in the aftermath of the recent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Both countries share a common interest in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, and recent terrorist attacks carried out by terrorists based within Afghanistan are likely to be discussed during the talks. The visit is also seen as an opportunity for the two countries to reaffirm their support for each other on the Kashmir issue. (Mariana Baabar, The News International)
The federal cabinet of Pakistan has approved the signing of a security pact with the United States, known as the CIS-MOA. The agreement, which was first signed in 2005, covers joint exercises, operations, training, basing and equipment. The signing of the CIS-MOA is significant because it could pave the way for Pakistan to procure military hardware from the United States. However, a retired senior army officer has played down the development, saying that it is not easy for Pakistan to buy military hardware from the US. The renewal of the CIS-MOA suggests that the US at least does not want to downgrade ties with Pakistan. (Kamran Yousaf, The Express Tribune)
National
The ECP has warned the PTI that it could be declared ineligible to obtain an election symbol if it fails to hold intra-party elections by August 4. The ECP has already served two notices to the PTI, but the party has failed to comply. The PTI’s new constitution was also found deficient and sent back to the party. The PTI has withdrawn the amendment in its constitution, so it is now time for the party to hold intra-party elections. (Syed Irfan Raza, Dawn)
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected the plea seeking the formation of a full court bench against military trials of civilians. The court said that it was not possible to form a full court bench until September due to judicial holidays and vacations. The court also heard arguments from the Attorney General, who assured the court that all necessary arrangements and assurances have been provided to the detainees involved in the case. The detainees are being granted the opportunity to meet their families and have access to legal representation, ensuring a fair trial process. The court will continue to hear the case and decide on the constitutionality of military trials of civilians. (News Desk, Pakistan Today)
Economy
Pakistan’s exports declined by 12.68% in July 2023, as compared to the previous month. This decline was reflected in the trade deficit, which narrowed by 13.35% on a MoM basis. However, the trade deficit still showed a significant improvement of 41.16% YoY, as imports also saw a considerable decrease of 26.44% YoY. These figures indicate the challenges faced by Pakistan’s economy in the context of international trade, and the government may need to implement measures to boost exports and balance the trade deficit in the coming months.
Infographic
Pakistan has been unable to correctly price its electricity. As a result, the government has incurred additional costs. (MacroPakistan)
Opinion:
The ISKP has been targeting the JUI-F in Bajaur for several years because it sees the JUI-F as the political wing of the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan. The ISKP’s attacks on the JUI-F are part of its broader campaign to undermine the Taliban’s authority in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The ISKP’s presence in Bajaur is a major security challenge for Pakistan, and it remains to be seen how security forces and the local administration will be able to prevent the ISKP from carrying out further attacks. (Zia Ur Rehman, Dawn)
Bangladesh Dispatch
On Thursday, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas met with Awami League leaders to reiterate the US’s support for the democratic process that will allow the people of Bangladesh to choose their next government. Obaidul Quader, General Secretary of the Awami League, has stated that the party is not under international pressure ahead of the 12th parliamentary election, and that the Americans did not offer any advice or talk of dialogue. He stated that the party’s commitment to holding free and fair elections remains unchanged, and that the party is working with everyone to ensure that the elections are peaceful. Various political entities in Bangladesh have questioned the international community’s role in their general elections, and whether or not the interference has resulted in more division rather than unity.
Politics
Foreign Relations
US Ambassador Peter Haas met with Awami League leaders at the party’s office in Dhaka on Thursday. The meeting was likely to discuss the current political situation in the country and the upcoming elections. (News Desk, The Daily Naya Diganta)
Awami League MP Khadizatul Anwar Sony was detained in Oman for 12 hours after holding a political meeting without permission. Sony, who is the daughter of former AL MP Rafiqul Anwar, was released yesterday morning following intervention by the Bangladesh embassy in Oman. However, her associates were not freed. (News Desk, Prothom Alo)
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen met with Dutch Ambassador Anne Gerard van Leeuwen to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Momen urged the Netherlands to continue providing EBA facilities to Bangladesh after it graduates from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026. He also requested more Dutch investment in Bangladesh, particularly in the IT and agro-processing sectors. (News Desk, The Daily Star)
National
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has set August 10 for hearing on a petition seeking to impose a ban on Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s all political activities until the disposal of a plea on the party’s registration. (News Desk, The Daily Observer)
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed a grand rally in Rangpur on Wednesday, calling on the people to vote for the ‘boat’, the election symbol of her ruling Awami League. The prime minister said that she is ready to sacrifice her life for the betterment of the people of Bangladesh, and that she will not let the vested quarters play with the fate of the people. The rally was attended by tens of thousands of AL leaders, activists and enthusiastic people. (News Desk, Barta24)
Economy
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated a 200MW solar power plant in Gaibandha on Wednesday. The plant was constructed by Beximco Power Limited and is the largest solar power plant in the country. The plant has been generating power and ensuring transmission to the national grid since December 2022 on a trial basis. (News Desk, The Business Insider BD)
Bangladesh’s exports grew by 15.26% in July 2023, despite the ongoing global economic crisis. The apparel sector, which accounts for the majority of Bangladesh’s exports, grew by 17.43%. The only two sectors that recorded negative growth were the leather and leather goods sector and the home textile sector. The non-leather footwear sector grew by 14.41%. The government has set a target of $72 billion in exports for the fiscal year 2023-24. If the current growth trend continues, Bangladesh is likely to achieve this target. (Arifur Rahaman Tuhin, The Business Post)
A study by the Standard Chartered Bank has found that investing $1.2 billion in Bangladesh by 2030 to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius could save the country potential losses worth $11.6 billion. The roundtable event was jointly organised by the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, and the Standard Chartered Bank. The government was urged to fund research in both the public and private sectors to address the climate vulnerability of the agriculture sector. (News Desk, The Business Standard)
Inflation in Bangladesh remains high despite a significant drop in inflation in other South Asian countries and globally. Economists and analysts attribute this to “failure” in demand-supply management, “dishonesty” on the part of some businessmen, road extortion, and a lack of governance. They claim that the government has not done enough to control inflation by raising interest rates or adjusting oil prices. Global food prices have fallen, but this has had no effect on Bangladeshi inflation. (FHM Humayan Kabir, The Financial Express)
Rockwell Automation, a US-based industrial automation company, has partnered with Reverie Automation, a local company in Bangladesh, to provide advanced automation technologies and solutions to the manufacturing sector in Bangladesh. Rockwell Automation sees potential in cloud-based solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises in Bangladesh, and is committed to a human-centric approach to automation. (Ismail Hossain, The Financial Express)
Infographic
Bangladesh’s total population is expected to grow by 8.4 million (+4.93 percent) between 2023 and 2028. According to this forecast, the total population will have increased for the fifth year in a row to 178.68 million people in 2028. Notably, the total population has been steadily increasing in recent years. (Aaron O’neil, Statista)
Society
A Dhaka court has sentenced BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman to nine years in prison and his wife Zubaida Rahman to three years in prison in a graft case filed in 2007. The court found Tarique guilty of illegally earning over Tk 4.82 crore and not mentioning in his wealth statement that he owned assets worth over Tk 4.23 crore. Zubaida was convicted of aiding and abetting Tarique. Tarique has been accused in 15 other cases, most of which were filed in 2007 and 2008 when a caretaker government was in power. He was sentenced to life in prison in the August 21 grenade attack cases. He was also sentenced in three other cases. (Chaitanya Chandra Halder, Emrul Hasan Bappi, Dipan Nandy, The Daily Star)
Opinion: Why Bangladesh government needs to effectively counter adverse propaganda
The author believes that the Bangladesh government needs to effectively counter adverse propaganda because it can have a negative impact on the country’s national interests, reputation, and economy. (Anita Mathur, Weekly Blitz)
