Views / Columns

Water conservation is key

Water conservation is key

March 22 (Saturday) was this year's World Water Day and the theme of the day is Glacier Preservation. But what has a tropical country, Bangladesh, to do with glacier, which is a big mass of dense ice very slowly sliding downhill under the pull of gravity over the millennia in the cold parts of the


CETP crisis chokes leather industry's growth

CETP crisis chokes leather industry's growth

The world is more environmentally conscious than ever, as the threats of environmental degradation and water pollution become increasingly evident. Fashion, being one of the most polluting industries on the planet, can no longer evade its responsibility. There is a growing international pressure fo

Conducive investment climate: A key imperative

Conducive investment climate: A key imperative

Creating a congenial environment to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) is no longer just a developmental goal, it is a necessity. In an increasingly competitive global market, where nations are vying for foreign capital, it is imperative that Bangladesh presents itself as a promising destinati

Saving the Modhupur Forest a race against time

Saving the Modhupur Forest a race against time

There was a time when the Modhupur forest, also known as the Modhupur Sal forest, was a vibrant ecosystem teeming with wildlife. For those who grew up near its edges, the memories of deer grazing freely, birdsong echoing through thick canopies, and the subtle rustle of Sal leaves in the wind are in

Streamlining pro-poor safety net schemes

Streamlining pro-poor safety net schemes

The interim government in the upcoming national budget for the FY 2025-26, is reportedly going to restructure the Social Safety Net Programme (SSNP) by reducing the number of beneficiary schemes while at the same time increasing total monetary allocation as well as the number of beneficiaries. &nbs

India weaponising trade against Bangladesh

India weaponising trade against Bangladesh

Despite persistent efforts, bilateral trade does not always take place smoothly as barriers to trade increase or emerge in new forms for various reasons. Geo-political tension casts a shadow on trade relations disrupting trade. The bilateral dispute also makes things bad, leading to restrictions on

The epidemic of financial scam

The epidemic of financial scam

In Shamsuddin Abul Kalam's Path Jana Nai, Jonabali builds a road connecting a secluded, remote village to nearby towns, hoping it will lead to progress and prosperity. While the road does bring some financial stability to the villagers, it also introduces price hike, famine, corruption and disease.

Addressing price gaps can arrest inflation

Addressing price gaps can arrest inflation

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) carried out a study on five kinds of essential agricultural produce in 14 districts of the country in January this year to know about the reason behind the atrocious price gaps between farm and consumer levels. Even without any study, the reasons are common knowledge. But t

Health budget cut runs counter to reform ambition

Health budget cut runs counter to reform ambition

The education and health sectors have historically been neglected in government budget allocations, resulting in excessive commercialisation and high out-of-pocket expenses for citizens. Many had high hopes that the interim government would break this trend by prioritising these two critical sector

Reassessing current state of arsenic mitigation

Reassessing current state of arsenic mitigation

The presence of arsenic in groundwater across almost all regions of Bangladesh is not a recent discovery. In fact, it has been more than two and a half decades since the alarming levels of arsenic contamination were first detected in the country's groundwater sources. A comprehensive assessment at

Advancing Japan-Bangladesh ties

Advancing Japan-Bangladesh ties

Japan has long been one of Bangladesh's most dependable and consistent development partners. Since the latter's emergence as an independent nation in 1971, Japan has extended unwavering support to a broad range of sectors -- infrastructure, health, education, energy, and governance -- shaping much

Protecting marginal chicken farmers

Protecting marginal chicken farmers

The country's poultry sector is again in distress. But it is not due to any manmade crisis often created in the sector by the so-called profit-hungry syndicates. As in the past years, here nature is at work. A report published early last month (April) referring to the Bangladesh Meteorological Depa

Renewing inland water trade & transit protocol

Renewing inland water trade & transit protocol

Even before the independence of Bangladesh, the waterway was one of the key modes for the movement of freights with India like it was historically  the case through the railway.  Most of the railway network of Bangladesh was also built and developed in the British period, starting with a