Views / Opinions

The true cost of education in Bangladesh

The true cost of education in Bangladesh

When my wife told me we were expecting our third child, my first thought wasn't about diaper bags or sleepless nights. It was much scarier than that: "Oh God, can we afford to educate the third one?" It wasn't just the fear of another tuition bill - the deeper anxiety that we might have to compromi


Stop issuing fake licence to drivers

Stop issuing fake licence to drivers

Although much has been said about ending chaotic traffic and ensuring road safety, the interim government has failed to bring about any perceptible change in terms of traffic congestion and road accidents. The roads remain as deadly as ever. According to a report by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Sami

Ignoring traditional medicine: a wrong approach

Ignoring traditional medicine: a wrong approach

After five and a half decades of independence, the health sector in Bangladesh remains mired in a mix of severe mismanagement, rampant corruption, and insensitivity. Despite making significant advancement in medical infrastructure and human resources, the sector has yet to provide basic medical tre

Is Bangladesh prepared for another COVID wave?

Is Bangladesh prepared for another COVID wave?

After three gruelling years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which claimed over seven million lives globally and caused unprecedented disruption to international trade, it was widely believed that the pandemic had gone, thanks to mass vaccination campaigns and growing natural immunity. However, far from d

The untapped potential of wind power

The untapped potential of wind power

Wind power, with its immense capacity to generate clean, renewable energy, remains underutilised in Bangladesh's energy strategy. However, recent developments signal a shift in direction. A major offshore wind project, still in its early stages, was announced at COP28 as a collaborative initiative

What's happening at nat’l eye hospital

What's happening at nat’l eye hospital

Treatment at a major government-owned eye hospital, the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH), has been suspended since last Wednesday (May 28).The reports are rather sketchy about what exactly happened that led to total work stoppage by doctors, nurses and other staffs of a speci

The looming threat of floods

The looming threat of floods

That floods in this deltaic plain are recurrent is no news. The news is that the timing of this type of natural calamity has changed remarkably. Floods and the monsoon are interlinked. Before the month of Ashar on the Bangla calendar, the onset of monsoon was unimaginable. But this unprecedented ph

Self-serving protests undermine national interest

Self-serving protests undermine national interest

In line with the July uprising's resounding mandate to reform the state, the interim government is undertaking a series of institutional reforms - including the reconstruction of the National Revenue Board and the enactment of the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance - aimed at strengthening instit

Accountability of govt employees   

Accountability of govt employees   

Over the decades, government employees in the country have enjoyed exclusive perks and benefits regardless of their performance. Almost every government extended various benefits to them, ignoring the budget constraints and their due accountability to the people. The primary reason for providing su

Underfunding cripples public health sector

Underfunding cripples public health sector

Health facilities are the places where the two most important events of life for a large number of humans - birth and death - take place. In today's world parents want their babies are born in a hospital, not at home, to avoid childbirth complications that might risk the life of baby or mother or b

Strategic priorities of FY26 budget

Strategic priorities of FY26 budget

The proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2025–26 (FY26) needs to outline key strategies and initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable growth, equity, and social welfare in Bangladesh. The primary objectives should include ensuring fiscal sustainability by balancing revenues and expen