Bangladesh faced an upheaval this year with the ouster of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a development that also cast a shadow over its traditionally strong ties with India. The relations could be strained further: Bangladesh now seeks her extradition from India.
The removal of 77-year-old Hasina followed weeks of protests led by students over a controversial quota system in government jobs that escalated into a nationwide campaign calling for the end of her 16-year regime.
In August, tens of thousands rallied against what they perceived as political repression. The military opted not to use lethal force against the protestors while Hasina hurriedly left Bangladesh for India just months after she had secured her fourth straight term as prime minister.
The anti-government protests resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 people, including students, in confrontations between protestors and security forces, according to officials.
The 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yun