Dhaka, Jan. 8 -- The genesis of the term banana republic dates back to the early 20th century to countries like Honduras and Guatemala whose economies were largely dependent of the export of bananas. These countries were often politically unstable, with weak, corrupt, and authoritarian governments that were easily manipulated by foreign interests such as American corporations. Today banana republics are often labelled by high levels of income inequality, with a small elite controlling most of the wealth and power. A more succinct description of a banana republic in today's context is as follows:

On a Kenyan TV programme (Amlive NTV), "Post 2017 Presidential Debate Analysis", lawyer M Miguna (who practises law in Toronto, Canada), articul...