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Opinion


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Where is change we were promised?

IT IS an eternal reality that societies cannot remain static. Change is inevitable, sometimes forced upon people by the sheer weight of history, sometimes demanded through the sweat and sacrifice of ordinary citizens who dare to imagine a better tomorrow. From ancient times to the present, upheavals have marked the path of humanity. Yet one question lingers like an...

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Gaza diary: How I risk death to feed my family

IT’S 7am. My alarm rings and I get myself ready, just as I used to in the days when I would drink a cup of mint tea and eat a falafel sandwich before heading to university with friends.

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Family welfare assistants hold key to health future

UNDER the scorching sun, a woman dressed in traditional attire makes her way along a muddy dirt road in a remote Bangladeshi village. In her hand she carries a visibly worn register. She does not just knock on doors; she carries lifelines to...

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Repatriating stolen wealth

FOR years Bangladeshis have heard tantalising claims that vast sums of money — proceeds of corruption, untaxed profits and business kickbacks — have been spirited away to Switzerland and other financial havens. Each time a new figure surfaces...

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Climate vulnerability as geopolitical leverage

BANGLADESH has become a case study in the cruel irony of climate change. It contributes less than 0.5 per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it stands among the most climate-exposed nations. Situated on the world’s largest delta, with...

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United Nations turns 80

THERE is only one treaty in the world that, despite its limitations, binds nations together: the United Nations Charter. Representatives of 50 nations wrote and ratified the UN Charter in 1945, with others joining in the years that followed...

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Islam, hajj and the English language

In his monumental book titled Muslim Narratives and the Discourse of English (2005), MacEwan University professor of English literature Amin Malak states: ‘Being associated with conquest and colonialism, English is seen as inherently inhospitable to Islam’ (p. 2). Although this sense of irreconcilability between Islam and English is now considered a matter of the...

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Rethinking work–life balance

THE phrase work–life balance was coined in Britain in the late 1970s and popularised in the United States during the 1980s, propelled by the Women’s Liberation Movement, which pressed for a fairer division between career and domestic responsibilities. Historians link its early usage to British campaigners lobbying for workplace reforms for working mothers. Since...

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Weighing sovereignty, efficiency and growth

CHITTAGONG Port, officially the Port of Chattogram, is Bangladesh’s largest and most strategically important maritime gateway. Handling more than three million TEUs annually and facilitating more than 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s maritime trade, it serves as the nation’s primary hub for import and export. The port directly underpins roughly $75 billion in annual..

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Sovereignty of states at stake

THE principle of state sovereignty has long been the bedrock of international relations, guaranteeing nations the right to exercise authority free from external interference. Yet, history has repeatedly shown that this principle is fragile when confronted by sheer military might. The latest example came on September 9, 2025, when Israel conducted a coordinated air attack...

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What it tells about BNP’s future

THERE was a political vacuum after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year dictatorial regime in August 2024. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party had a golden opportunity to step in, claim leadership and shape the future of the country. Unfortunately, it squandered that moment. Instead of leveraging the momentum, the party chose to distance itself, spending its energy...

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Progress or window dressing?

BANGLADESH’S criminal justice framework has undergone a significant shake-up in 2025. The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1898, has been amended twice within a month — first in July and again in August — introducing both procedural refinements and major changes affecting arrests, trials and penalties. At first glance, these amendments seem to strengthen...

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A prelude to national election

IN BANGLADESH’S ever-evolving political drama, few arenas carry the weight of Dhaka University. For decades, it has served as the crucible of revolutions, the incubator of national leadership and the most sensitive barometer of public mood. The 2025 Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections, therefore, drew the nation’s hawk-eyed attention, and...

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A deterrent against corruption

IN A viral YouTube clip, a young boy was asked why Bangladesh cannot recover from economic crisis if Sri Lanka, after bankruptcy, managed to rebound. His response was disarmingly sharp: ‘Sri Lanka’s government was corrupt, but its citizens were decent people. That is why the country managed to recover.’ He then added with brutal candour: ‘In Bangladesh, the...

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Recognising women’s silent health crisis

Exhaustion, irregular periods, sudden weight gain and persistent acne — these signs are often dismissed as ‘just part of life.’ For a female student balancing studies and part-time work, or a mother managing a household from dawn to dusk, enduring discomfort becomes routine. Yet what if these symptoms refuse to subside? What if they are not simply stress or fatigue?...