What makes Bangladesh 7th saddest nation in the world?

According to the Global Emotions Report 2022, Bangladesh is the seventh saddest nation in the world. And we became miserable well before the onset of high inflation and cost of living crisis.
8 July 2022, 16:00 PM

Are the BRICS breaking up?

The recent virtual BRICS summit, which brought together the heads of state and government of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was interesting as much for what did not happen as for what did.
8 July 2022, 15:00 PM

A sobering call for austerity

In a rare public call, our prime minister has asked us all to maintain austerity.
8 July 2022, 14:00 PM

Salma Khan: A mind without fear and a head held high

She gave visibility to the invisible by exposing the exclusion of women from development activities.
8 July 2022, 13:00 PM

The two economic problems we can’t seem to overcome

There are two major economic problems that have been plaguing Bangladesh for a long time: Rising non-performing loans (NPLs), and money getting laundered out of the country.
7 July 2022, 16:00 PM

Don't turn receivers of aid into photo props

Many have fallen prey to the unforgiving lens of the camera, and it is quite often that the lines between relief and respect becomes blurred.
7 July 2022, 15:00 PM

We must do better with our stamps

A stamp represents the image of a country, hence requires some care in designing.
7 July 2022, 14:00 PM

A case for making jobseekers’ info open data

There is a huge need for data in every aspect of human life, from personal life to business, social, scientific, economic, and public policy and decision-making processes.
6 July 2022, 15:00 PM

Why aren’t we looking at climate-based solutions to address flooding?

Doing so could help avoid the yearly sufferings of many vulnerable and poor citizens.
6 July 2022, 14:02 PM

Digitalisation of public services is paying off

But major bottlenecks remain, depriving people of full benefits
6 July 2022, 11:40 AM

A pandemic of ill-conceived projects

Establish accountability to tackle habitual time-cost overruns in government projects
6 July 2022, 11:24 AM

The root of our unhappiness: When the personal becomes political

I woke up from a Covid-induced fever dream to this news: Bangladesh has ranked seventh among the world's angriest, saddest, and most stressed nations, according to the 2022 Global Emotions Report.
6 July 2022, 10:51 AM

Time for all-out preparations to tackle the fourth wave of Covid

We are still in the midst of a pandemic, although at times – especially when Covid is less active – we seem to lose sight of it and take on a more complacent approach in our fight against the pandemic. 
5 July 2022, 16:23 PM

The lucrative enterprise of grabbing

One must recognise the fact that grabbers in Bangladesh have taken the enterprise to the highest level of creativity and perfection.
5 July 2022, 14:00 PM

Muslims are not alone in being hounded in India

Muslims are a major target in the culture of hate being fomented across India, so are the communities that don't fit the 'right' definition in an increasingly wilful right-wing state.
5 July 2022, 13:00 PM

Wake up and smell the 4th Covid wave

Virus transmission could go from bad to worse during Eid
5 July 2022, 10:36 AM

Loadshedding returns with a vengeance

Govt should have expected gas price volatility and taken apt measures
5 July 2022, 10:25 AM

The tug of power between our politicians and bureaucrats

Planning Minister MA Mannan, who was a veteran government employee himself before becoming a full-time politician, recently commented that bureaucrats were keeping local-level politicians on a tight leash.
4 July 2022, 16:00 PM

Flood management in Sylhet: We can't fight a battle with 'wet gunpowder'

In the second or last week of July, there is a risk of more major flooding in different parts of Bangladesh. But are we really prepared to tackle it?
4 July 2022, 14:00 PM

To Washington’s glee, Ukraine war hits Turkiye’s military ambitions

The last decade has witnessed a spectacular boom in Turkiye’s defence industry.
4 July 2022, 12:00 PM