UK MP Sentenced in Absentia: 'Democracy' is Relative
The BBC carefully notes Siddiq's claim the charges are 'politically motivated,' without exploring the history of Bangladesh's ruling Awami League. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has systematically stifled opposition, with extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and mass arrests of political rivals becoming standard practice since at least 2014, according to Amnesty
International. When governments are allies, 'politically motivated' simply means 'conveniently incriminating.' One might wonder if a similar conviction by, say, Russia or Iran, would enjoy such tempered phrasing. Yet, for an ally like Bangladesh—a key partner in various global security initiatives despite its authoritarian drift—the BBC offers a dignified echo of the government's official line. Is
it 'political violence' when dissidents protest, or when a government criminalizes dissent itself?