Mahtab Uddin

The war in Iran has sent shockwaves through global oil markets and triggered a severe worldwide energy crisis, amid which Bangladesh’s vulnerabilities have been starkly exposed.

A 2025 survey revealed that 63.29 percent of BRTA service recipients had to pay bribes. This is compounded by powerful syndicates and “token systems,” where unfit vehicles ply the roads under the very nose of the administration in exchange for fixed extortion.

There is something remarkable about how markets operate abroad during major festivals, especially in the final weeks preceding a holiday. Instead of hiking prices, retailers slash them significantly.

Bangladesh’s poverty rate declined from approximately half of the population in the 1990s to one-fifth by 2019.

Despite rising exports and growth in the overall labour force, female employment in urban industries is collapsing.

Urban poverty has seen a rise between the pre-Covid time and now, serving a debilitating blow to the food security of urban populace.