From time immemorial, rivers have meant much more to the people of Bangladesh than mere sources of water. The rivers system has made civilization possible and supported agricultural and livelihood activities, while also serving as the cultural and emotional centerpieces of a country that rests on i
So far Bangladesh has been just sitting on its vast unexplored and unexploited maritime resources within its territorial sea as well as the 200 nautical miles (nm) of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It has also its sovereign rights over the continental shelf that extends up to 350 nm. Notably, 1 nau
The genie is out of the bottle and there is no putting it back. For a long time, the global rise of far-right and sectarian politics was something of a sideshow, visible but never potent enough to take over the political mainstream. But now these forces are seizing the centres of power everywhere.
The perennial problem of encroachment on footpath by hawkers has seen several attempts to evict them from there during successive governments' rule but to no effect. Forcible eviction is no way of addressing the problem because the retail trade is a livelihood option for those small traders. Thankf
Bangladesh's readymade garment (RMG) sector stands at a crossroads. For decades, the industry has been the backbone of the country's export economy, transforming Bangladesh into the world's second-largest apparel exporter and creating employment opportunities for millions. However, the global appar
The question whether domestic policies alone can effectively boost trade is both timely and complex. To understand the impact and limitations of such policies, it is essential to consider them within the broader context of today's global trading environment-an environment shaped as much by external
For more than a decade, the unresolved Teesta water-sharing agreement has stood as one of the most visible reminders of the fragility and asymmetry that continue to shape relations between India and Bangladesh. Every few years, New Delhi reiterates its commitment to concluding the deal. Every few y
The results of a study conducted by UNICEF Bangladesh and UNICEF Office of Research -- Innocenti, on classroom learning in Bangladesh unveiled last week in the city showed that students from the primary level entering the secondary education in schools lack basic foundational skills. In othe
The government announced a 7-day Eid-ul-Azha holiday from 25 to 31 May and cancelled Saturday, 23 May, as a weekly holiday to offset the long break. During Eid-ul-Fitr in March last, it added March 18 as a holiday, creating another 7-day break from March 17 (Shab-e-Qadr) to March 23. This pattern
It is the height of summer in Dhaka, so it doesn't rain very often. Even then, the city's residents know from experience that a single shower is all it takes to turn their streets and alleys into stagnant pools. That a city of over fifteen million people should flood from a moderate downpour is no
Results of the first public examination, the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent that is, are traditionally published within two months after the completion of the exam. This year the results may be delayed. Many of the examiners who applied for evaluation of examination scripts a
Underprivileged rural women of Jhenaidah have set an admirable example of self-reliance. Instead of taking micro-credit at the risk of defaulting, they are making impressively designed handicrafts with an eye to foreign market. According to a recent report by a vernacular daily, a total of 800 wome
One of the most frequently discussed mechanisms for increasing revenue for the National Board of Revenue (NBR), as well as improving the country's Tax-GDP ratio, is the expansion of the tax net. The persistently low Tax-GDP ratio clearly reflects a narrow tax base-one that, despite repeated commitm
