DESPITE its long-standing potential, Bangladesh鈥檚 leather industry remains chronically underdeveloped. This stagnation continues even as the country produces over 350 million square feet of rawhide annually 鈥� an abundant resource that should position Bangladesh as a global leather hub. Yet unlike the ready-made garments sector, which thrived through sustained...
BENGALIS are known for their deep-rooted love of sweets. It鈥檚 more than just a preference; it鈥檚 part of our identity. From childhood to adulthood, from everyday meals to grand celebrations, sweets are inseparable from our culture. Even in our language, phrases like 鈥榮esh pate roshogolla aar doi鈥� (ending a meal with sweets) have become proverbial...
DESPITE having several sources of revenue and a dual system of tax collection (direct-indirect), the majority of tax revenue is collected through indirect tax, called value-added tax, regulated聽by the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act 2012. The income tax, which is governed by the Income Tax Ordinance of 1984, includes corporate taxes, taxes...
THE Middle East stands once again at the edge of a dangerous precipice. In a recent and highly controversial move, Israel launched an unprovoked military strike on Iran, causing extensive damage to critical infrastructure and resulting in the loss of many lives, including senior officers of the Iranian armed forces. In swift retaliation, Iran responded with missile...
IN THE soft twilight of a battered republic, I stand 鈥� a retired navy man 鈥� sifting through the debris of what once passed for democracy. I am no politician. Duty and discipline kept me apart from the fevered pitch of slogans and street battles. Yet, I have always watched. As a citizen, as a soldier of the soil, as a son of this broken dream...
ASIA stands at a pivotal moment in its energy history. Home to more than half of the world鈥檚 population and the largest share of global energy demand, the region is simultaneously the driver of economic growth and a key contributor to global carbon emissions. As the climate crisis deepens and the energy security landscape becomes increasingly volatile, Asia鈥檚 ability...
BANGLADESH is now at a crucial crossroads as debates heat up over reforming women鈥檚 reserved seats in parliament. Should we stick to the current system where party leaders nominate women in proportion to their party鈥檚 general seat wins? Should we allow women to directly compete with other women in designated reserved constituencies? Or should we remove...
FOR nearly 30 years, Israel鈥檚 prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has driven the Middle East into war and destruction. The man is a powder keg of violence. Throughout all the wars that he has championed, Netanyahu has always dreamed of the big one: to defeat and overthrow the Iranian Government. His long-sought war, just launched, might just get us all killed in a...
IN THE at-risk southern region of Bangladesh, fierce winds and rising rivers cause more than just home and farmland damage. Climate change, poverty, and social disintegration are quietly increasing crime, a worrying trend that is often overlooked. Policy responses prioritise rescue, relief, and infrastructure repair, but climate change-induced criminality is neglected...
ISRAEL has been called America鈥檚 unsinkable ship in the Middle East. Terrifyingly accurate Iranian missiles have been piercing its acclaimed Iron Dome to target the ship鈥檚 hull as it were. The war that began as a threat to Iran is looking like a threat to Israel. The Western world looks jolted by Iran鈥檚 furious response to Israel鈥檚 initial blitzkrieg on Thursday night despite...
THE childhood of thousands of children are consumed by hardship, lost to the shadow of child labour. Child labour remains a critical issue across South Asia, especially in Bangladesh. Instead of books and play, countless children are burdened with work in brick kilns, factories, tea estates, hotels, buses, quarries, garages, and hazardous industries like tobacco and...
THE attack was repeatedly predicted by observers and analysts, including the US attempt to distance itself from the reckless adventure despite providing Israel with all the weapons used. There is a very high possibility that the US was directly involved...
THIS article builds on the earlier piece 鈥楻iba, Money and Interest Paradox鈥�, which exposed the inconsistency of condemning interest as immoral while simultaneously benefiting from interest-based systems 鈥� such as earning salaries from banks or utilising public infrastructure financed by interest-bearing loans. It highlighted that institutions like the IMF and...
WITH the passage of time, the growing concern over the degradation of our planet, particularly through global warming, continues to escalate, undermining the Earth鈥檚 ability to fulfil its full potential in serving human welfare. Since the United Nations General Assembly designated June 17 as Desertification and Drought Day in 1994, this day has served as an important...
