Latest news with #politicalUnrest
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Protests grip Bangladesh as pressure mounts on Yunus-led government
Primary schoolteachers in Bangladesh joined public sector workers in protests against the interim government on Monday amid growing discontent and political uncertainty in the south Asian country. Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus (84) took over as interim head of the country of 173 million last August after deadly student-led protests forced then prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India . Mr Yunus's administration has faced pressure from civil servants, teachers, political parties and the military as the caretaker government attempts to guide the country through a fragile transition before holding a general election. The government issued an ordinance on Sunday allowing the Ministry of Public Administration to dismiss public servants for misconduct without lengthy procedures, sparking outrage across the bureaucracy. READ MORE Government employees continued their demonstrations for a third consecutive day on Monday, calling the ordinance 'repressive' and demanding its immediate withdrawal. Thousands of teachers in government primary schools also began indefinite leave from work on Monday, demanding a hike in wages. In the face of protests by the employees of National Board of Revenue, the interim government was forced on Sunday to withdraw an order to dissolve the tax body and replace it with two divisions under the finance ministry. The strike was then called off. Political uncertainty also deepened last week after a top student leader said Mr Yunus had said he could step down if political parties could not agree on reforms and an election timeline. Wahiduddin Mahmud, the planning adviser in Mr Yunus's cabinet, however, said the de facto prime minister was not quitting. 'We are not going anywhere till our job is done,' Mr Mahmud said during the weekend, adding that Yunus acknowledged the obstacles but remained committed to holding a fair election. The interim government has been caught between competing demands for swift general elections and reforms. Mr Yunus has said the elections could be held by June, 2026 while the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has been pushing for polls by December. Bangladesh's army chief, Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, added to the pressure by calling for elections to be held in December during a speech last week, expressing his dissatisfaction over the political situation. Mr Yunus convened a last-minute meeting of his advisory council on Saturday and also held talks during the weekend with the country's main political forces, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the student-led National Citizen Party. Leaders of other political parties also met Mr Yunus. 'We are in a war-like situation,' Mr Yunus's press secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters on Sunday. 'After the Awami League's activities were banned, attempts are on to destabilise us in various ways. We have to get out of this situation.' The registration of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party was suspended this month, effectively barring the party from contesting the next election. − Reuters
Geek Vibes Nation
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'The Seed Of The Sacred Fig' Blu-Ray Review - A Towering Iranian Drama That Grabs You And Refuses To Let Go
Shot entirely in secret, Mohammad Rasoulof's award-winning thriller, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, centers on a family thrust into the public eye when Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife Najmeh and daughters Sana and Rezvan. For in-depth thoughts on The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, please see my colleague Matt Minton's review from its original theatrical release here. Video Quality Decal Releasing brings The Seed Of The Sacred Fig to Blu-Ray with a fetching 1080p video presentation. The presentation delivers an impressive amount of depth to the screen. Black levels are largely deep with no serious instances of digital noise. Fleeting signs of banding and other discrete digital hiccups show up in the transfer, but it is not a dealbreaker. The image is crisp and clear as we see all the efforts put into bringing this gorgeous, haunting film to the screen. The production design and the clothing impress with exquisite textural details. Flesh tones are natural and consistent with ideal detail present in close-ups. The color palette leads a bit on the cooler side of the spectrum with very little in the way of vibrant colors poking through, yet every hue maintains a fine sense of accuracy to them. The label has done a good job with this one. Audio Quality This Blu-Ray comes with a favorable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original Persian that executes all of the sonic details with care. Karzan Mahmood's score establishes the mood of the story as it flows from the speakers with crisp fidelity. Environmental sounds enrich the surround speakers effectively. Ambient sounds are deftly deployed in the rear channels for a fully immersive experience. Dialogue presents clearly without being burdened by any competing elements. There are a handful of thrilling moments that add texture to the low end, but it is not an action-packed movie by any means. The audio track serves this one quite well. Optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are provided. Special Features The Making of The Seed of the Sacred Fig: A four-minute piece that delves into how director Mohammad Rasoulof made this film in secret. Trailer (2:12) Final Thoughts The Seed Of The Sacred Fig is a towering drama that shows the pervasive nature of authoritarianism within a family context. The film is quite lengthy, but it uses every minute of its runtime to build up the tension to nearly unbearable levels. Every performance is perfectly dialed into the appropriate wavelength for maximum impact, and Mohammad Rasoulof orchestrates the entire affair with a masterful hand. Decal Releasing has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation but very little in the way of supplemental features. This is one of the better films to emerge out of 2024, and it should not be missed. Recommended The Seed Of The Sacred Fig is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Decal Releasing has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
