Twenty years ago President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair sent in their forces, along with those of their allies, into Iraq. It was an invasion based on the false premise that Iraq, led by President Saddam Hussein, was in possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) that could end
Zakat is a mandatory charity on the part of solvent Muslims who have a minimum amount of wealth after their own consumption, which is usually paid during the holy month of Ramadan. But there is no religious binding that Zakat has to be paid only in the month of Ramadan. Those who are eligible may
This summer is going to be very painful. Let there be no doubt about the massive load-shedding regime for consumers to smart under, because households will be the last on the list when it comes to energy allocation. It is not possible to predict how many hours of the day will be spent without elect
News coming from the food front of this country is disconcerting. At a time when eleven straight monthly declines in food prices have led to a 19 per cent less costlier average edibles in the international market from their peak last March, a family of four in Bangladesh has to spend 25 per cent mo
Ramadan is all about values. And fasting is a reminder not merely of what the Almighty expects His creation to do in remembrance of His munificence but also a reassertion of the belief that there are the multitudes out there in need of the means of survival. In very broad terms, therefore, from Ram
Production of pharmaceutical raw materials commonly known as APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) in the country is indeed a strong indicator of a hugely contributing factor to the growth of the sector. Recent developments do indicate that efforts are afoot to increase production of these vital
The recent newspaper photograph of rural women in Bangladesh carrying water in pitchers placed on their heads across the middle of an arid land points to one fact. The rural areas of the country still suffer from the worst type of water crisis found in the poor and developing countries. In th
More than 50 years ago, the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign nation-state was puzzling to many. They were pessimistic about the future of the newly independent country-- and some even thought that the country would survive only to suffer from poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Moreover,
A recent study, one that's funded by The Sustainable Textile Initiative: Together for Change (STITCH) with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands found some interesting facts about the readymade garment (RMG) industry, which contributes to the bulk of Bangladesh's exports.
A number of mega projects ---some of them completed, a few about to be completed and others slated for starting work soon ---are feathers in Dhaka City's cap. It has got its flyovers ready, overhead metro rail up and running half the route, elevated expressway becoming more and more visible, and ev
It seems -- and in all probability so -- that mandatory jute packaging has lost the urgency that just a few years ago came as a major initiative to curb pollution and water-logging, while also aiming at a breakthrough in the increased domestic consumption of jute materials. What is surprising is th
Despite being the producer of one of the finest varieties of jute, Bangladesh has yet to enjoy a handsome share of jute exports. Similar is the case with jute products. To speak forthrightly, the export of Bangladesh jute and the goods made of the fibre experienced a decline in 2022. Export of jute
A 22-member team of Myanmar immigration officials is visiting Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar to verify more than 400 Rohingya refuges as part of a pilot repatriation project. Does it hold out any hope for the forcibly displaced people to return to their ancestral homes in the Rakhine state o
