Day 1,878: venal, enfeebled, thuggish, patronage, curfew

The problems are venal political dynasties and the enfeebled institutions that have failed to stand up to them.

A rigged election in January confirmed the country had descended into thuggish one-party rule. In July mass student protests erupted against the reimposition of reservations of 30% of government jobs for descendants of veterans of the war of liberation in the 1970s, which protesters saw as patronage for supporters of Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League (al). The unrest became a broader uprising and the government responded with a shoot-to-kill curfew. Over 450 people have died.

Bangladesh has ousted an autocrat. Now for the hard part

Artwork of the day 
Legend, The great ships full of boys and girls sent in search of the immortal medicine
Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Style: Ukiyo-e
Genre: mythological painting

Word of the day 
venal: A venal activity is done in order to get money:
enfeebled: made very weak:
thuggish: acting in a violent way, or looking violent:
patronage: the support given to an organization by someone:
curfew: a time by which a child must be home in the evening:

Quote of the day
“Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality.”

― Bertrand Russell, Sceptical Essays