At a time when technical and vocational education is not an option but a sine qua non, two projects given the go-ahead in 2014 and 2020 to develop required infrastructure for students to learn such specialised knowledge and skills could be an answer to youth unemployment. Under one such programme,
Bangladesh is predominantly a rural country, with around 68 per cent of its population living in rural areas. A large segment of this population is deprived of formal banking services due to a lack of bank branches in remote areas. Although agent banking has helped improve financial inclusion over
Amid a series of new laws and initiatives introduced recently by the interim government to ease public suffering and speed up the delivery of justice, the proposed Commercial Courts Ordinance 2025 stands out as a potentially transformative measure. It comes at a time when the country's judiciary is
Trading is a powerful transactional tool among nations. There are historical evidences of countries continuing trading activities between them even when they are at war. During both the World Wars, for instance, Britain imported crucial chemical dyes from Germany. Even when they were engaged in mil
In a strategic shift, the government is preparing to raise the tax incidence on wealthy or 'high-net-worth individuals' (HNWIs) as part of its efforts to address widening income inequality. This proposed approach is outlined in the Medium- and Long-term Revenue Strategy (MLTRS) for FY2025-26 to FY2
A quiet revolution is taking place in the country's agriculture sector. Gone are the days when an overwhelming emphasis was put on production of cereals. At least a segment of farmers are getting smarter to opt for cultivation of cash crops, mainly fruits. Apart from traditional fruit cultivation,
The 3.32 km Karnaphuli Tunnel, South Asia's first underwater river tunnel connecting the port city of Chattogram with Anwara upazila, aimed at increasing connectivity and boost trade, has turned out to be a white elephant. The reason is that the forecasts about the project's earning from the toll t
The sufferings of the Bangladeshi female migrant workers abroad, and the social isolation and depression many face on their return home, often hit the headlines and evoke widespread public concern. Driven by the hope of entering the workforce, improving their economic condition, many poor wom
Long dismissed as an unavoidable cost of development, air pollution in Bangladesh has now become a serious threat to the country's future generation. A recent World Bank report shows that hazardous air exposure has reached levels where every schoolgoing child inhales air beyond safe limits, rising
The news that a substantial fund has been proposed for more than a dozen development projects under the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) offers a rare moment of cautious optimism. For years, many wards under the DSCC have existed with minimal urban facilities, bearing the consequences of prolong
