PUBLIC transport remains unsafe and the government has so far kept the sector off its reform platter. The Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh reports that at least 614 people died and 1,196 became injured in 597 road accidents in May. April was equally deadly, with the death of at least 583 people and injuries to 1,202 in 567 accidents. The highest 33.5 per cent of...
THE health sector reforms commission was formed to propose ways and means to develop a people-oriented, easily available universal healthcare system. 鈥楶eople-oriented care鈥� must fulfill people鈥檚 health needs with quality. This will be possible only...
WORKER rights in Bangladesh continue to remain unprotected as reported in the most recent Global Rights Index of the International Trade Union Confederation. This is disconcerting. In the index made public on June 2, Bangladesh is ranked among the 10 worst countries with a score of 5, suggesting that the country has no guarantee for worker rights. For nine consecutive...
Commonwealth secretary-general Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said on Tuesday that they were keen to support Bangladesh in political reforms ahead of the planned general election next year.
Bangladesh鈥檚 chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Tuesday called for united global efforts to strengthen judicial independence and uphold human rights, especially during critical times for Bangladesh.
Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Monday called on journalists to stand as active partners in the ongoing judicial reform efforts, emphasising the need for continued media engagement to raise public awareness and support for ensuring full independence of the judiciary.
EACH Eid, millions of Bangladeshis undertake long journeys to reunite with loved ones, carrying with them gifts, savings and hopes. These homecomings, rooted in ritual and emotion, are meant to be moments of joy. Yet, with alarming regularity, they are punctuated by devastating reports of road crashes. This year was no different. The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity...
NBR Reform Unity Council leaders on Monday demanded the removal of NBR chairman Abdur Rahman Khan by May 29, citing a lack of trust among officials and staff in his leadership.
Civil society members said on Sunday that a national consensus was essential for sustainable reforms in various sectors...
AS A transnational feminist scholar of social movements, when the Women鈥檚 Affairs Reform Commission鈥檚 report came out on April 19, I became keen on reviewing the 433 recommendations under 15 thematic areas. I was initially a bit frustrated to see that the report primarily focused on 鈥榚quality between women and men鈥�...
The NBR Reform Unity Council on Sunday withdrew its previously announced full-fledged strike and welcomed the government鈥檚 announcement that all necessary amendments to Revenue Policy and Administration Reform Ordinance, 2025, will be made by July 31.
Speakers at a seminar on Saturday said that export-import policy reform is key to resilience and long-term competitiveness while re-assessing such policies is necessary to meet the challenges of post-LDC period...
The National Citizen Party on Saturday said that the two student advisers in the interim government had no affiliation with it (NCP).
Politicians, academics and garment labour leaders on Friday at a rally in Dhaka called on the interim government to take steps to establish rights of the workers, especially the garment workers.
Left-leaning political parties have strongly opposed the Constitution Reform Commission鈥檚 proposal to exclude Article 150(2) of the constitution, particularly the seventh schedule, which contains Bangladesh鈥檚 proclamation of independence signed on April 10, 1971.
THE health sector reform report, of all the reforms commission reports, is better poised for a fast implementation, having faced little criticism and barriers as there is almost no contention about the report that recommends steps for the improvement in the health sector. What the authorities now need to do is to set strategic priorities and identify enablers and barriers to...
Setting strategic priorities and identifying enablers and barriers are immediate tasks for implementing the Health Sector Reform Commission鈥檚 recommendations, said experts at a seminar held on Tuesday...
The Communist Party of Bangladesh on Tuesday expressed its suspicion about reaching a national charter, criticising the interim government for risking the consensus building by overstepping its state reform mandate...
The NBR Reform Unity Council has suspended its ongoing protest programme following a government proposal for dialogue, initiated under the directive of the Chief Adviser...
International Labour Organisation country director for Bangladesh, Tuomo Poutiainen, called for inclusive and sustained labour reforms, with particular focus on employment generation, stronger institutions and protections for marginalised communities and undervalued sectors...
THE health reforms commission in May put forth a set of proposals to transform the healthcare landscape. Major recommendations include the establishment of a permanent, independent health commission, the recognition of primary...
Socialist Party of Bangladesh leaders on Thursday called for a two-term limit on top governance positions, including president, prime minister, parliament members, mayors and chairs of upazila and union councils...
THE ongoing debate surrounding the Women鈥檚 Affairs Reform Commission in Bangladesh has largely centered around a handful of its 433 recommendations, particularly those deemed controversial by Islamist groups, rather than the full scope of reforms proposed. Much of the coverage 鈥� whether in news reports or opinion pieces 鈥� has focused less on what the...
BRIGADIER General (Retd) HRM Rokan Uddin鈥檚 recent call for rethinking Bangladesh鈥檚 defence reforms, published in 抖阴精品, deserves recognition for reigniting a largely dormant strategic debate. His essay presents an aspirational vision for modernising Bangladesh鈥檚 armed forces in a time of shifting global power dynamics, emerging hybrid threats, and evolving...
Reviewing the past eight months of progress on labour reforms and outlining the government鈥檚 roadmap ahead, special envoy to the chief adviser for international affairs Lutfey Siddiqi on Monday conveyed to the top Western nations鈥� ambassadors and high commissioners that they had made a 鈥榙ramatic progress鈥�.
THE recent release of the Women鈥檚 Affairs Reform Commission鈥檚 report has reignited the debate around women鈥檚 rights in Bangladesh. Several religious political parties have united in protest against the Commission鈥檚 proposal for gender-equal inheritance and other reforms, demanding its outright rejection. Ironically, the July uprising 鈥� once a platform for...
THE July uprising exposed harsh truth. One of the most painful aspects was that the police, once seen as protectors, become a symbol of repression. The realisation pushed police reforms into the national spotlight, prompting the interim government to establish the police reforms commission, one of the six set up in the early phase of the interim goverment. The recently...
Oil giant Saudi Aramco on Sunday reported a drop of 4.6 per cent in its first-quarter net profits as lower sales and higher operating costs hit the lynchpin of the kingdom鈥檚 ambitious economic reform plans...
A group of jobseekers on Thursday staged a protest march demanding immediate implementation of their eight-point charter of demands for Public Service Commission reform.
Legal experts, development partners, and media professionals on Thursday called on journalists to actively monitor and report on the implementation of judicial reforms to ensure transparency and uphold the independence of the judiciary...