The World Trade Organization (WTO) as a multilateral institution has been saved, for the time being, but at the cost of doing, and agreeing to do, almost nothing. 'WTO Reforms' was the catchword of 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). Everyone agreed about the need for Reforms, but there was wide di
When six neonates died at Ad-din Hospital at Dhaka's Moghbazar in a span of only three hours on May 27, the entire nation was shaken. The tragedy triggers grief and outrage. In a country where medical negligence surfaces so frequently, people expected a thorough investigation into the incident and
Once the second most important cereal crop in Bangladesh after rice, wheat is now steadily losing ground. Over the past decade, both acreage and production have declined significantly, even as domestic demand continues to rise. According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), wheat cultivation a
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was created in 1991, before the Rio 'Earth' Summit in 1992, which aimed to develop a global blueprint for balancing economic development with environmental protection. However, its importance grew after the summit. The Rio Summit produced three major environme
Of late, the violent crimes has not only increased in number, but their nature has also changed. Consider the sharp rise in crimes involving rape and murder of the vilest kind in the victims' supposedly secure homes, incidents of shooting to death in broad daylight, vigilantes beating suspect
The pride of Bengal, the Bay of Bengal, is not just a matter of global recognition for the people of Bangladesh, but also a gold mine of opportunities and regional cooperation. But how little do we do to utilise the opportunities it offers us? How well are we treating the resources that have the po
Danger lurks almost everywhere in this city. On roads, in street corners and even at gates of residences, life is under constant threat and only more so for women and girls. Roads are hazardous not only because of the crushing machines called bus, trucks and other vehicles but also because of mugge
One of the key features of the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 is the strong emphasis placed on the education sector. Long neglected in terms of public investment, education has received a significant boost, both in absolute terms and as a share of gross domestic product (GDP).
Traffic congestion in Dhaka has become so severe that it wastes a major portion of the working hours of the commuters. Depending on the distance between their houses and workplaces, they need to start commuting much earlier than they would require in a normal traffic ecosystem. Many of them need to
That a considerable number of Eid travellers would die and get hurt during their journey home in the districts, upazilas and villages and back is normal and as such accepted by all in Bangladesh society. And the media routinely publishes reports on the major accidents, which obviously include fatal
Yet another bus plunged into the river Padma at the time of getting on board a ferry on Thursday. This follows a similar accident in which 26 passengers lost their lives on March 25 last. There is no casualty this time. But this cannot be called luck. Rather it is the regulatory caution taken just
The ready-made garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh is beset with a host of labour rights-related problems, ranging from low wages and long working hours to restrictions on forming unions, job insecurity, and so on. But the U.S. Trade Representative's Office (USTR) has recently moved to penalise Ba
Adulteration of food products is no longer an occasional occurrence identified during periodic inspections, but a systemic issue. There has been growing awareness of it as a structural problem in the country's food production, processing, and distribution. Evidence is now building across many o
