标签： Asia

Bangladesh descended into political turmoil Thursday night as enraged protesters stormed the offices of the country’s two leading newspapers following the death of prominent opposition activist Sharif Osman Hadi in Singapore. The violent demonstrations included arson attacks that trapped journalists inside burning buildings.

Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inqilab Moncho cultural group and vocal critic of both India and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, succumbed to injuries sustained in a targeted assassination attempt one week earlier. The activist was shot while riding a rickshaw in Dhaka by motorcycle-borne assailants who remain at large.

The assassination has triggered significant diplomatic tensions between Bangladesh and India. Bangladeshi authorities claim the shooter likely fled to India, prompting reciprocal diplomatic summonses between the neighboring nations. India subsequently summoned Bangladesh’s envoy to express condemnation, while Dhaka demanded clarifications from New Delhi.

Hadi had planned to run as an independent candidate in February’s national elections—the first since the 2024 uprising that ousted Hasina’s 15-year administration. The Inqilab Moncho group has actively promoted anti-Indian sentiment in the Muslim-majority nation since Hasina’s removal, with the former leader now residing in self-imposed exile in India.

Thursday’s protests began with hundreds gathering at Dhaka’s Shahbagh Square, chanting religious and political slogans. The demonstrations rapidly escalated as separate groups attacked the headquarters of Prothom Alo (Bangladesh’s leading Bengali-language daily) and The Daily Star (the premier English-language publication). Security forces deployed around the buildings but refrained from intervening as fires trapped staff inside, with one journalist reporting severe smoke inhalation via social media.

Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s interim leader who assumed power after Hasina’s August 2024 ouster, addressed the nation promising justice for Hadi’s killers. Yunus declared a national day of mourning for Saturday while urging calm. Critics however blame Yunus’s administration for rising Islamist influence in a country with a troubled history of political violence.

The interim government has banned all activities of Hasina’s Awami League party, including participation in February’s elections. Last month, a Bangladeshi court sentenced the former prime minister to death for crimes against humanity related to the 2024 uprising. Recent days have seen additional anti-India protests targeting diplomatic facilities, prompting India to suspend tourist visas for Bangladeshis citing security concerns.

Germany has authorized a contentious $3.1 billion weapons agreement with Israel, approving the acquisition of Arrow 3 missile defense systems despite ongoing international legal proceedings against Israel for alleged genocide in Gaza. The Israeli defense ministry confirmed the transaction on Thursday, marking one of Israel’s largest-ever arms exports.

This latest deal follows a previous $3.5 billion agreement signed between the two nations in 2023, bringing their total defense cooperation to over $6.6 billion. The arrangement provides significant financial reinforcement to Israel’s defense industry while the country faces International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The approval comes despite Germany’s temporary arms embargo imposed in summer 2024 in response to Israel’s planned full occupation of Gaza, which was reversed by November. Germany remains Israel’s second-largest weapons supplier after the United States, providing approximately 30% of Israel’s defense imports.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the approval as “a clear expression of the deep trust that Germany places in the State of Israel.” Defense Ministry Director-General Major General Amir Baram noted the deal would accelerate Arrow production and channel billions into strengthening Israel’s defense industries.

The transaction occurs against the backdrop of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which in January 2024 recognized a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza. This recognition created legal obligations for states to avoid aiding Israel’s actions against Palestinians.

Security expert Andreas Krieg of King’s College London warned that “the scale of reported harm [in Gaza], the legal warnings and the live ICJ case raise the risk level to a point where continued transfers and major deals become hard to square with Germany’s own stated standards.”

Palestinian journalist Hebh Jamal, based in Germany, criticized Berlin’s reliance on the concept of “Staatsrason”—the doctrine that Israel’s security constitutes Germany’s “reasons of state”—arguing that “the protection of a foreign state is more important for the German political establishment than their responsibility to the public and the ICC.”

The agreement reflects Germany’s most substantial rearmament initiative since World War Two, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz approving nearly $60 billion in military spending this week. Independent analyst Ori Golberg observed that “Germany, under [Merz], is building a war machine and Israel stands ready to supply the war machines,” characterizing the arrangement as “a smart business deal” for both parties despite the controversial timing.

British law enforcement agencies are confronting significant criticism following their controversial decision to criminalize the use of the Arabic term ‘intifada’ during protests. The Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police announced they would arrest individuals chanting ‘globalise the intifada’ or displaying the phrase on placards, claiming the phrase could incite violence following recent international events.

The policy implementation occurred during a Wednesday protest outside the Ministry of Justice, where four individuals were detained for racially aggravated public order offenses related to their use of the term. Police authorities justified their position stating, ‘Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed – words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.’

This enforcement approach emerged shortly after the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, where attackers targeted a Hanukkah celebration, resulting in 15 fatalities. Several public figures, including British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, attempted to connect the tragedy to Palestinian activism, specifically referencing the controversial chant. Rabbi Mirvis declared the phrase ‘unlawful’ and suggested Australians had ‘discovered what is meant by those words’ after the attacks.

However, Palestinian rights advocates and civil society organizations have vigorously challenged the characterization of ‘intifada’ as inherently antisemitic or violent. They emphasize the word’s linguistic meaning as ‘uprising’ or ‘shaking off’ in Arabic and note its historical usage across various peaceful and resistance movements in the Arab world.

Journalist Asa Winstanley condemned the policy as ‘pure anti-Palestinian racism,’ while foreign policy analyst Jasmine el-Gamal described it as ‘a dark, dark turn of events.’ Social media users and free speech advocates have raised concerns about the implications for democratic rights, questioning whether Arabic terms are being disproportionately targeted and whether English equivalents like ‘globalise the revolution’ would face similar restrictions.

Critics argue that the policy represents concerning government overreach, noting that no official reports have linked the Sydney attacks to Palestinian activism. The debate has expanded beyond immediate concerns about Palestinian expression to broader anxieties about increasing infringement on protest rights and freedom of speech in the United Kingdom.