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
Though temporary, the Iran War truce is a relief for the world as a whole and for an oil import-dependent country like Bangladesh, in particular. Less than two hours before the expiry of the deadline set by US President Donald Trump to 'wipe out a whole civilization', Iran and the USA agreed to a c
The prices of edible oils, which are among the major essential commodities, hardly need any cogent reason to rise in the kitchen market. Their prices have already been edging up ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. The per litre prices of especially unbottled soybean and palm oils have seen a rise in the kitchen
The power load-shedding, a usual practice that power-sector people describe as 'load management', has returned as an impact of the ongoing war in the Middle East. As the crisis of fuel oils is intensifying with every passing day, the country's power sector is bracing for difficult days ahead.
Much like banks and other non-bank financial institutions, insurance companies rely fundamentally on public trust for their survival and growth. Yet, trust is precisely what many of the country's insurance companies have sacrificed by failing to settle claims in a timely manner. When a large number
The latest figures on Bangladesh's export earnings make for grim reading. For each of eight consecutive months since August last, export earnings recorded a fall year-on-year, and the performance of March 2026 was the worst, registering an 18.07 per cent decline. The country received $3.48 billion
The economy that the incumbent BNP government has inherited from the past bears the legacy of rampant corruption and politicization that distorted all vital state institutions. The tax authority, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), was no exception. Small wonder that the past regime was mark
The government's initiative to amend labour rules reflects a critical moment in the country's effort to modernise its labour governance framework. At its core, this move appears to be an attempt to bridge the persistent gap between legislation and its practical implementation. While laws often sign
Three years ago, Bangladesh and India agreed to settle part of their bilateral trade using their respective currencies. The currency swap mechanism to bypass the US dollar, however, did not progress. Instead, it was decided that only a small portion of exports and imports would be settled in Indian
The organisation that collects, compiles and disseminates official statistics on socio-economic, demographic and environmental issues actually functions as the brain trust of a government. From that point of view, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) should have been able to play that critical
