THE field of rehabilitation is undergoing a revolution. According to the World Health Organisation, rehabilitation is 鈥榓 set of interventions designed to optimise functioning and reduce disability in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment.鈥� Therefore, it is not only about medical treatment; it focuses on improving functioning, participation...
A CAREFREE swim at the world鈥檚 longest sea beach should never end in tragedy. Yet for too many families visiting Cox鈥檚 Bazar, waves of joy have turned swiftly into waves of grief. A father and son drowned while enjoying the sea. A group of students lost a friend within minutes to the current. A tourist, laughing with friends, was swept away and never returned. Each of...
QUALITATIVE change in the political system is a reflection of the long-term hopes and dreams of a nation. But this change does not happen automatically or suddenly; it requires a path of continuous, well-thought-out and structural reforms. Recently, a wave of major change has been seen in Bangladeshi politics, which is an expression of the accumulated anger of the...
PUBLIC procurement is essential for governments to convert budget funds into public services and infrastructure. In Bangladesh, where public procurement constitutes a large share of government expenditure, inefficiency, politicisation, and institutional weakness often result in cost overruns, project delays, and corruption risks鈥攗ltimately eroding public trust and...
THE recently concluded Gaza peace summit, sponsored by US president Donald J Trump before a US-Israel-imposed 20-point Gaza peace plan championed by the fragile peace initiative, was signed by the United States, Egypt, Qatar and T眉rkiye, with a couple of other world leaders acting as 鈥榗heerleaders.鈥� This presents a look of an international consensus. However, this...
THE hills of south-eastern Bangladesh are famed for their breathtaking beauty. Yet beneath the lush greenery and terraced slopes lies a history steeped in marginalisation, militarisation and impunity. In late September 2025, the Chittagong Hill Tracts once again descended into turmoil, revealing the deep structural vulnerabilities that continue to define life for Indigenous...
DEMOCRACY is not only about elections, parliaments or written constitutions. Its strength lies in truth, trust and accountability. But in today鈥檚 digital world, the values are under a serious threat. The fast spread of false information, driven by social media, online echo chambers and artificial intelligence, has made it hard to know what true is. This raises an urgent question: can truth survive in a world ruled by algorithms?..
THE global discourse, as highlighted by the International Labour Organisation, has rightly recognised the 鈥榗are economy鈥� as a vital pillar for the future of decent work. This economy, spanning both paid and unpaid labour, from a nurse in a hospital ward to a family member tending to an elder, is facing a worldwide crisis of recognition, resources and rights. For...
FOR the last two years, my social media algorithm has been relentlessly dominated by Gaza, particularly by the voices of ordinary Gazans, displaying a blend of emotions that centres on two core principles: grief and defiance.
AFTER spending considerable time working within Bangladesh鈥檚 e-commerce industry, one thing has become abundantly clear: the sector remains far from realising its potential. There is vast room for development, but also a pressing need for learning and structural reform.
THE drug crisis is not merely a legal question; it is a social wound that eats away at the heart of a nation. Addiction destroys families, silences futures, and drains the spirit of whole communities. For many years, Portugal knew that pain all too well. By the end of the...
CLIMATE change is no longer a distant prospect, it is unfolding around us. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, floods, cyclones and droughts are already transforming lives across Bangladesh. Yet amid the rush to respond, one group remains consistently...
PUBLIC policy and governance stand as the twin pillars of a modern state鈥檚 development journey. In developing countries, the effectiveness of policy formulation and the quality of governance determine not only how efficiently resources are allocated but also...
THE age of frictionless globalisation has run its course. For three decades, nations built prosperity on the idea that markets, not politics, would guide the world鈥檚 future. That illusion has faded. What鈥檚 taking shape now is a far more complicated order 鈥� one defined not by efficiency or shared gain but by leverage, competition, and strategic restraint. Beneath it all lies...
THE education system, conventionally regarded as the foundational pillar of the nation, now stands fragile and neglected. Consequently, the teachers, architects of this system, have been relegated to a class characterised by deprivation and lack of rights. In stark opposition to the legitimate, distressed pleas of this profession, the state has manifested a leviathan character...
