The interim government's amendment of the labour law, despite objections raised by business groups during the draft stage, has triggered fresh protests demanding its withdrawal. Opponents argue that some key provisions deviate from the understandings reached earlier in tripartite meetings involving
The mid-year budget revision for fiscal year 2025-26 has placed the interim government in an undeniably difficult position. On the one side lies a formidable financial crunch; on the other, persistent demands from ministries and agencies for the full release of their allocated funds. Reconciling th
Endorsement of the Child Rights Manifesto (CRM)--- prepared jointly by children and young people with UNICEF support---by 12 political parties including the major ones likely to come to power through the upcoming election is quite a positive development. By signing the document, these political par
Over the past one and a half decades, the term Gross Domestic Product or GDP became synonymous with development and the state-owned statistical agency and other official documents would occasionally come up with various data showing how the economy was on an ever-rising growth trajectory. Obviously
Energy consumption has historically been a vital indicator of robust economic activities and improved living standards. But when this input turns irregular and insufficient, driving up its costs to an outrageous level, the manufacturing sector can hardly be sustainable. Bangladesh, according to sea
It is highly alarming that after decades of steady progress, the country's population control is now in reverse gear. Government agencies appear to have lost control of population growth, leading to an undesirable increase in the birth rate. A nationwide survey, jointly conducted by the UNICEF and
The verdict against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in three corruption cases involving valuable government plots has produced a moment of national reckoning over the abuse of political power and the dangers of unchecked authority. A Dhaka court sentenced her to a total of 21 years in prison an
The findings by the 12-member government probe body formed following last month's devastating fire at the import cargo complex of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) are nothing extraordinary. That the fire resulting from an electrical short circuit was a pure accident and not caused
Bangladesh, long celebrated as a global success story in poverty reduction, now confronts one of its most daunting challenges in nearly a decade. A new World Bank assessment warns that as many as 62 million Bangladeshis are at risk of sliding back into poverty. The WB, through its projection that p
The deployment of eight teams by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) following the Friday's powerful quake and three more tremors the next day to assess the vulnerabilities of buildings in Dhaka is a welcome move. It has identified 300 buildings out of 3,252 already assessed at quake risks. Th
