Bring courts and legal aid closer to the people

Bangladesh’s constitution promises equal legal protection for all, yet millions of citizens, especially in the rural areas, are left out of the justice process due to distance, delay, and exploitation.
14 January 2026

Why values-based education is crucial for our youth

Human life is not a calm, still lake; rather, it is a vast and often storm-tossed sea. In this sea, favourable winds sometimes blow, while at other times sudden cyclones disrupt everything and throw life off course.
14 January 2026

How Khaleda Zia approached economic reforms in 2001-06

As the World Bank’s sector director for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM), I worked very closely on the reform programme in Bangladesh led by former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in 2001-06.
14 January 2026

Bangladesh needs institutional repair, not tougher policing

People are increasingly weary and frustrated with the pace of improvement in law and order. This is reasonable given the little visible remission in nationwide crime, with gun shootings, knife killings, beatings with sticks and rods, street clashes, and mob attacks continuing to punctuate public life.
14 January 2026

Why the fate of Venezuela matters to us all

Earlier last week, the Trump administration carried out a military assault on Venezuela, abducting President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and taking them to New York.
13 January 2026

Gender balance at work depends on women’s power in politics

Across the world, women are underrepresented. Globally, fewer than one in four parliamentarians are women.
13 January 2026

A new chief justice at a crucial crossroads

When the new chief justice (CJ) took oath on December 28, 2025, he did so at a moment of acute constitutional importance.
13 January 2026

Three economic priorities for the upcoming political government

The upcoming parliamentary election, scheduled for February 12, is of exceptional political and economic significance for Bangladesh.
13 January 2026

The ‘rial revolt’ and the geopolitics of Iran's cracking regime

Iran’s newest wave of unrest began because of money.
12 January 2026

Climate leadership demands thinking beyond today

On January 7, President Donald Trump withdrew the US from 66 international organisations, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
12 January 2026

Tarique Rahman and the burden of leadership

Tarique Rahman’s formal elevation to the position of the chairman of BNP confirms what has effectively been the case for several years. Since Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment in 2018, he has directed the party’s strategy and organisation.
12 January 2026

Three cardinal rules for building democratic governance in Bangladesh

As Bangladesh approaches the 13th parliamentary election scheduled for February 12, the nation is not merely preparing to elect a new government.
12 January 2026

How modern wind turbine technology can reshape Bangladesh’s energy future

Bangladesh, a developing economy heavily reliant on fossil fuels, is entering a critical phase of its energy journey amid rising energy demand and environmental challenges.
11 January 2026

Why women cleaners deserve recognition in city planning

During the still hours of the morning before daylight, some women in Dhaka take to the streets to perform a vital task.
11 January 2026

Remembering Khaleda Zia, her legal ordeal, and the courts that failed her

The immense gathering on the final day of 2025 for the janaza prayers of Begum Khaleda Zia marked a historic moment as millions came to pay their last respects to her.
11 January 2026

Repeated rail freight failures are no longer acceptable

Every few years, Bangladesh Railway’s (BR) container services collapse under the same explanation: a shortage of locomotives.
11 January 2026

Bridging the gap between classrooms and workplaces

Bangladesh today is producing more graduates than ever before, yet employers continue to struggle to find workers with the right skills.
10 January 2026

Our children, the unseen casualties of chaos

I recently started encouraging my children to read the newspaper every morning, hoping it would nurture awareness and civic curiosity.
10 January 2026

How an NCP-Jamaat coalition benefits the Jamaat and BNP more

The formation of an electoral coalition between the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of the upcoming national election signals a decisive shift in Bangladesh’s political landscape.
10 January 2026

The day cricket needed a therapist

Fizz is a case study. When Mustafizur Rahman, a.k.a. Fizz, the unassuming fast bowler with deceptive slow cutters, was auctioned for Rs 9.2 crore, Bangladeshi media once again started paying attention to the Indian Premier League.
10 January 2026