The absence of rational discourse itself is driving the chain of events in today's Bangladesh. That certainly cannot bode well for the nation going forward.

BIMSTEC is no longer a member-driven organisation, and in this context, the Secretariat becomes vital in driving the organisation.

Today, religious parties have hijacked the society to reap political gains. The most unfortunate part is that religion has made deep inroads into the universities.

Economic growth has meant many countries of this region have substantial capacity to direct public expenditures for forest restoration should it be made a national priority.

An op-ed can never afford a fiction. But then when real times across the globe are closer to fiction, one has the freedom to add colour and paint the canvas to share with the readers.

Death does always make a statement, carrying upon itself the testament of finality. It evokes strong emotions and multiple narratives.

Women who opt to work in garment factories, instead of working as a domestic help or getting married, are often viewed as women of “loose character.” In fact, this is the case for all working women, be it RMG workers, or journalists, photographers or field researchers.

The Agenda for Humanity provides key actions and strategic shifts which the world requires to reduce humanitarian needs and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

There is hardly any need to emphasise the importance of free media for democratic functioning in Bangladesh.

The ILO has been promoting the position that employment of people with disabilities makes good business sense. People with disabilities tend to increase productivity, boost company morale, reduce absenteeism, improve company image and customer preference, increase job retention rates and improve safety standards amongst other value additions.

The standoff at New Delhi's famous Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) that has transfixed India has nothing of the routine campus controversy about it.

Through my interactions with him over the last 25 years, I can honestly testify that Mahfuz Anam is a man of impeccable integrity, and a patriotic Bangladeshi of the highest order.

To wake up, in the best tradition of Rip Van Winkle, after all of 9 years, to a self-confessed action by Mahfuz Anam which was, at that time, practiced by most of his colleagues and continues to be practiced today, smacks of wilful amnesia or selective memory, which are common afflictions among our media, chattering classes and political community.

Sixty-nine lawsuits to date have been filed against one man that makes this great country look like a giant incubator for witch hunters. All the war criminals are being tried by two tribunals, whereas courts after courts are being engaged to drag a decent man from pillar to post.

The beehive mentality of surpassing each other in ingratiating themselves with the higher ups, if not checked, may hold the system to ransom.

Being an alpha male, I am rightfully upset for having to turn the right cheek, but I'm right as rain now. After all, when it comes to a bike versus a car, the tide of the argument, as experienced here, is in essence the rite of road rage.

In the last one year, the news that mostly occupied headlines in the US concerned police excesses.

The US Congress, made up of the Senate and the House, is where the real power lies. It controls the government's purse-strings and makes the laws.

While lower fuel cost may keep the cost of driving low and the opportunity cost of conservation high, the setback is predicted to be temporary.

Mahfuz Anam had the forthrightness to own his editorial misjudgment and appears to be paying an undue price for it. The editor has set a rare example of what we expect of a person holding such a position. It takes immense courage to admit one's shortcomings in public, particularly in a divided polity where partisan passion rules over reason.