The death of Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday, December 30, is an irreparable loss to the nation at a moment when it is at a critical juncture. In fact, this is no eulogy to her memory to say that Khaleda Zia was the first elected female prime minister of the country or that she was elected prime minist
The breakout of measles has all the constituents of an epidemic now. One of the reasons, health experts and epidemiologists first pointed out, behind the proliferation of measles cases and the consequent deaths is the disruption of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in the country. With t
A recent report dispatched by a reporter of The Financial Express from Brazil highlights how the South American country's remarkable transformation from a traditional ranching nation into a global agricultural titan offers a blueprint for modernising Bangladesh's livestock sector. As the report not
The National Parliament has recently witnessed something that has no precedent in the country's parliamentary history. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman rose on the floor of the House to propose the formation of a joint committee comprising members from both the treasury bench and the opposition to add
That the commonly used cooking mediums like soybean oil, dalda (a popular brand of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil), dairy butter and margarine (a plant-based substitute for dairy butter made from refined vegetable oils) in Bangladesh pose health risks is common knowledge. Physicians often adv
The decision of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to phase out tax holidays has been a long time coming. For years, these incentives were promoted as tools to stimulate investment and industrial growth. However, their overall impact has been mixed at best. The NBR's latest move signals a clear sh
The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed between Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) on Monday last has been hailed as a comprehensive strategic partnership. It is going to replace the earlier EU-Bangladesh Cooperation Agreement 2001 known for its emphasis on development and trade. So fa
The low- and fixed-income people of the country have been struggling to make ends meet in the face of ever-rising cost of living since many years. Late last February, they woke up to a fresh shock of global energy price hike as the fallout from Middle East war. Being citizens of a country that meet
Groundwork, according to a report carried in this newspaper, is on for putting in place an integrated statistical data warehouse (ISDW). With the integration, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is set to undergo a transformation unlike any in the past. Most likely, the infamy the BBS gained
Some recent initiatives by the incumbent government, in line with its vision for the future, suggest that revitalising the country's ailing health sector is a top priority. An initiative has been taken to set up 170 city health centres across Dhaka and Chattogram to ensure affordable healthcare in
