Views / Columns

Securing Bangladesh's export sector against fraud

Securing Bangladesh's export sector against fraud

For many years, dirty money has been drained from Bangladesh to various international locations. A businessman from Chattogram, known for taking over multiple banks and channelling substantial amounts as loans, selected Singapore as the sanctuary for his laundered money where he established a billi


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

Global call for debt reform

Global call for debt reform

Debt, while essential for development finance, can become a burden if not managed appropriately. The management of debt is influenced by both internal and external factors. Internal factors are typically within the control of the nation, while external factors are beyond the debtor country's contro

World community leaves Palestinians and Rohingya in the lurch

World community leaves Palestinians and Rohingya in the lurch

Even in a bipolar world during the cold war, the international order was comparatively soberer and better balanced. Engagements of superpowers or their closer allies in armed conflicts on foreign soils or their open or clandestine support notwithstanding, the rivals stopped crossing each other's pa

Efficient use key to energy security

Efficient use key to energy security

Bangladesh is facing a looming electricity shortage this summer as demand is expected to rise from 9,000 megawatts in winter to as high as 18,000 megawatts. To mitigate the impact of this impending crisis, which threatens to severely affect household, commercial, and industrial users, the governmen

LDC graduation in 2026

LDC graduation in 2026

Now that the government has made it known that deferring the country's   graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status is not in its thinking, businesses should get the message straight. For years, policymakers, businesses, and economists have deliberated on strategies to mitigate

Ensuring smooth journey during Eid-ul-Fitr

Ensuring smooth journey during Eid-ul-Fitr

Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest and most cherished festival of the Muslim community, is just around the corner. Marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, this joyous occasion is celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion across the globe. In Bangladesh, the festival holds a special place in the hea

Trade with China and India: is there any shift?

Trade with China and India: is there any shift?

Whether the political change in Bangladesh on August 5 has made an impact on the country's bilateral trade with India is a matter of discussion for understandable reasons. The media has already shed light on the matter, linking it with the deterioration of overall bilateral relations between the tw

Starlink's pomise for Bangladesh

Starlink's pomise for Bangladesh

On July 27, 2024 in the midst of nationwide student-citizen uprising, then-State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak made a claim that disastrously backfired. Referring to the ongoing internet blackout, he stated that the government did not order the shutdown and that it was brought on by burning o

Restoring due process of law

Restoring due process of law

The astounding scale of enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings under Sheikh Hasina's 16-year despotic rule stands as incontestable evidence that without due process of law, justice becomes arbitrary, the rule of law collapses, and authoritarianism thrives. Had there been even

Building social resistance against women's oppression

Building social resistance against women's oppression

The modest achievements in women's empowerment that the country can now justly claim are threatened by the growing incidents of repression and violence against women reported from different areas of the country. Crimes against women are many and are taking more cruel forms. Apart from stalking and

Protecting consumer rights - more than a legal priority

Protecting consumer rights - more than a legal priority

Strange though, consumer rights did not figure with any prominence in our governmental or social priorities even a few decades back. The lack of awareness regarding these rights meant that consumers either did not realise they had legal protection or simply accepted unfair market practices as an un

Challenges in advancing China-Bangladesh ties

Challenges in advancing China-Bangladesh ties

As Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus prepares to visit China from March 26 to 28 to attend the Boao Forum in Hainan, the diplomatic community is closely watching the developments. This visit comes at a critical juncture for Bangladesh, particularly in the light of its strained relations with India f