Bobby Hajjaj

Bobby Hajjaj is a political activist and academic.

Bauls, ballots, and the price of weak institutions

The surest sign of a liberal democracy is not a flag, nor a constitution framed behind glass. It is the quiet competence of institutions—and the political culture that keeps them honest. One shapes the other the way a river shapes its banks, and the banks, in turn, discipline the river.

2w ago

When the state falters, the streets make the rules

Bangladesh is living through daily un-governmentality.

3m ago

February election: Democracy’s burning test

The February election is the one remaining bridge between the sacrifice of July and the promise of tomorrow.

4m ago

One year after July: A nation waits in uncertainty

There was, for a brief interval last month, the hope of reaching consensus, of returning to democratic nation-building in earnest.

6m ago

July’s legacy and the myth of a singular vanguard

To begin with, the origins of the July uprising have been widely misunderstood, both by foreign observers and Dhaka’s own elite commentariat.

7m ago

Escaping the shadows of a broken education system

What kind of education shall we offer the next generation?

7m ago

What the educated elite are getting wrong

A new danger is emerging from within the very segment of society that should know better.

8m ago

The dragon and the delta

A new chapter in Bangladesh-China relations

9m ago
December 19, 2025
December 19, 2025

Bauls, ballots, and the price of weak institutions

The surest sign of a liberal democracy is not a flag, nor a constitution framed behind glass. It is the quiet competence of institutions—and the political culture that keeps them honest. One shapes the other the way a river shapes its banks, and the banks, in turn, discipline the river.

September 10, 2025
September 10, 2025

When the state falters, the streets make the rules

Bangladesh is living through daily un-governmentality.

September 1, 2025
September 1, 2025

February election: Democracy’s burning test

The February election is the one remaining bridge between the sacrifice of July and the promise of tomorrow.

July 6, 2025
July 6, 2025

One year after July: A nation waits in uncertainty

There was, for a brief interval last month, the hope of reaching consensus, of returning to democratic nation-building in earnest.

June 4, 2025
June 4, 2025

July’s legacy and the myth of a singular vanguard

To begin with, the origins of the July uprising have been widely misunderstood, both by foreign observers and Dhaka’s own elite commentariat.

May 23, 2025
May 23, 2025

Escaping the shadows of a broken education system

What kind of education shall we offer the next generation?

April 27, 2025
April 27, 2025

What the educated elite are getting wrong

A new danger is emerging from within the very segment of society that should know better.

March 19, 2025
March 19, 2025

The dragon and the delta

A new chapter in Bangladesh-China relations

January 22, 2025
January 22, 2025
December 17, 2024
December 17, 2024

Bridging borders, building futures

To repair the fragile ties between our nations, the chief adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh can consider the following recommendations.