HISTORY, for all its weight, often sits uneasily in the present. In Bangladesh, that tension has resurfaced with the recent revival of the International Crimes Tribunal and the sweeping amendments passed on May 11. On paper, the goal remains the same: justice for grave crimes. But peel back the legalese, and what emerges is a murky debate...
OVER the past decade, the international community has watched the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar evolve into one of the most pressing humanitarian emergencies of our time. At the centre of the response has been the United Nations 鈥� praised for its humanitarian efforts, yet criticised for political paralysis and delayed action...
AS BANGLADESH unveils its national budget for the 2025鈥�26 financial year, the country stands at a defining moment. Despite repeated commitments, successive governments have failed to make significant increases in education funding. Public investment has consistently remained below the levels needed to deliver meaningful outcomes. With education funding...
BANGLADESH鈥橲 economy has earned global praise for its steady growth, rising GDP, and infrastructure development. Yet, behind this promising macroeconomic narrative lies a capital market in deep distress. Once considered a barometer of national prosperity, the stock market now reflects a grim reality 鈥� defined by persistent instability, eroded investor confidence...
EDUCATION remains the most powerful tool for individual empowerment and societal transformation. In a country like Bangladesh, where more than a third of the population is under 25, investment in education is not just a moral imperative; it is a strategic necessity. The fiscal year 2025鈥�26 budget offers a critical opportunity to reflect on the government鈥檚 priorities in this...
HORRIFYING details of enforced disappearances and custodial torture in secret detention centres that the deposed Awami League government had for long denied have been substantiated in the second report of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances set up in August 2024. The commission in the report submitted on June 4 said that more than 300 victims of...
THE chief adviser to the interim government Muhammad Yunus in an address to the nation on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha has announced that the general elections would be held any day in the first quarter of April 2026, noting that the Election Commission would announce a road map to the elections at an appropriate time. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the major political...
IN BANGLADESH, as across much of the globe, the rapid rise of short-form video content 鈥� those tightly-edited, punchy clips accompanied by music, challenges and original skits 鈥� has come to dominate how we consume entertainment and even how we relate to one another. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have popularised these formats...
DEMOCRACY is not merely a system of governance 鈥� it is the heartbeat of a free society, the framework upon which freedom of expression, individual rights and public participation are built. At its core, democracy thrives not in institutions alone, but in the active participation of its people 鈥� especially the youth. With their energy, idealism and innovation, young people...
THIS article aims to respond to the recent directives of the Bangladesh Bank, suggesting that banks may not share profits with their depositors. This raises a foundational question: what are the sources of these profits? More broadly, what are the sources of income that allow Bangladesh Bank and commercial banks to pay salaries and employee benefits and cover their...
THE population of the capital Dhaka increases. So does pollution. The menace of vector-borne diseases also increases with with the increased pollution. A study says that 6,500 tonnes of waste is produced daily in the capital city. The disposal of this huge amount of waste is important. The study also says that about 55 per cent of waste are disposed of daily which causes...
MODERN-DAY slavery remains one of the most shameful stains on our collective humanity. Despite commendable strides in economic and human development, Bangladesh continues to face a grave challenge in the form of labour trafficking. Each year, thousands of Bangladeshi men, women and children are ensnared by false promises, deceptive recruiters...
EID comes every time with some concern for the authorities to attend to. It is mostly the safety of people when they leave the capital city for outlying areas before Eid and when they get back to the city after Eid. So many people travelling at a time burdens the transport network and the system, with traffic accidents taking place, causing fatalities and injuries. The burden...
FLOODING from incessant rain caused by the recent depression in the Bay of Bengal has remained somewhat unchanged while the government鈥檚 disaster management and relief efforts are barely visible. Four of the five north-eastern rivers that were flowing above their danger marks further swelled, as the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre reported in its last cycle on June...
I HAVE written this article before. In fact, I could write it every year when a new Global Report on Food Crises is published. The report rests on four points: (1) The number of people who are hungry is greater now than last year; (2) the amount of food produced this year is greater than that produced last year; (3) yhere is enough food to feed the total world population...