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
There is growing concern about the likely scarcity of foreign funding for non-green development projects in the immediate future. Reports from various sources, including leading multinational financiers, confirm a marked shift in the global project funding landscape, prompted by international treat
With the next national elections likely in February next year, public focus has sharply turned to the capacity and readiness of the Bangladesh Police. Can the force -- long criticised for being politicised, misuse of power, and erosion in professionalism --regain the trust necessary to play its cen
Though price of oil in the global market has not so far gone through the roof since Israel's June 13 attack on Iran followed by the latter's retaliatory missile and drone strikes, there is no guarantee that it will remain so in the coming days. It's already unstable. Overall, the price of cru
Two decades ago, Bangladesh enacted a law mandating the registration of all births and deaths within 45 days of occurrence. The new law replaced the more than a century-old law administering birth and death registration. Under the new act, titled Birth and Death Registration Act 2004, local governm
In the verdant, river-laced plains of Bangladesh, agriculture remains more than just an economic sector, it is the very pulse of the nation. With over 41 per cent of the population engaged in farming and agriculture contributing around 14 per cent to the GDP, the sector's relevance cannot be overem
The hilsa is a gourmet's delight for its unique taste, distinctive flavour and high nutritional value. It is not just a great delicacy but a symbol of national pride, feted as the national fish. Bangladesh takes pride as the world's largest hilsa-producing country, with this aquatic treasure largel
Although the country's pharmaceutical sector is often credited -- and rightly so -- for its commendable performance over the years, one of the persistent and pressing challenges hindering its further growth is the overwhelming reliance on imported raw materials, specifically active pharmaceutical i
A sound banking sector is the bedrock of a sound economy. The experience of economies across the world attests to this assertion: without a vibrant, healthy, and functioning banking system, no country can dream of sustainable development, let alone achieve rapid economic growth. In Bangladesh, howe
The annual budget of the government is the most crucial fiscal event which has a bearing on the living conditions of all social groups. It is the main conduit of national resource mobilisation and management. Every year in June, the country receives its annual national budget for the upcoming
The proposed national budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year is shaped by a strong resolve to tackle the long-standing and urgent problem of inflation. Although numerous aspects of the budget adhere to established trends, there is a clear trend towards contractionary policies, which means the governmen
Increasingly frequent cyclones, saline water intrusion, prolonged waterlogging, erratic rainfall, and rising sea levels are drastically altering the agricultural landscape in southern Bangladesh. Smarting under the adverse impact of climate change, the vulnerable coastal regions of southern Banglad
The proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, amounting to Tk 7.9 trillion, marks a significant shift in Bangladesh's fiscal objectives: moving away from grand development narratives towards pragmatic restraint and people-centric welfare. While rolling out the budget on Monday, Finance Adviser S
