Bangladesh's growing focus on ICT and connectivity as a foundation for future economic development is both timely and well placed. Reliable, high-speed internet is central to productivity, innovation, and long-term growth. As this foundation expands, the next challenge is ensuring it operates as ef
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
The newly-elected government will present its first budget in parliament on Thursday. Most of the proposed measures are already set by the finance minister, with only a few last-minute changes expected. Still, talks about the 2026-27 (FY27) budget are ongoing, and new suggestions are being reviewed
If anyone in Bangladesh is to consult a doctor they need to carry with them previous medical records - prescriptions, diagnostic test reports, etc -- even if they visit the same doctor they consulted before. Why? Because healthcare is not automated yet here. Medical records are not main
The first 100 days of a government are often treated as a symbolic milestone rather than a definitive measure of success or failure. No administration can be fairly judged on the basis of three months alone, particularly in a country where many of the most pressing challenges have accumulated over
The tragedy on the day before the Eid-ul Azha that struck the parents whose six newborns died in the post-operative room of a private hospital in Dhaka is a rude awakening for us all, as hospitals, too, may not be a safe place for patients of all ages, let alone newborns. This is not to say that al
While measles cases and deaths show no sign of relenting, dengue is staging a comeback. Notwithstanding the commendable vaccination drive against measles, the daily confirmed deaths from measles and measles-like symptoms together with new arrivals of patients of the disease for admission to hospita
The devastating words ‘You have cancer’ can make a room go suffocatingly silent. The day my grandma was diagnosed, I could do nothing but watch as her world was completely shattered. I could do nothing but watch as the news broke to my family alongside her. That feeling of helplessness
Being an energy-starved economy, the most waste recycling projects in Bangladesh are geared to convert waste into biofuel or directly into energy. So, we have the likes of the massive USD467 million-worth North Dhaka Waste-to-Energy Facility, a utility-scale plant to produce 42.5 MW power, located
The exponential proliferation of followers of the satirical "Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)" on social media sites is a clear sign that people, particularly the young generations, are not happy with the existing system of governance in India. This parodic imitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Walk into any tech hub in Dhaka these days and you will hear the same conversation repeated in different accents: artificial intelligence is changing everything, and those who move fast will eat the lunch of those who hesitate. From the cramped freelancer co-working spaces of Dhanmondi to the gleam
Bangladesh's business landscape is often described with a headline statistic: more than 300,000 entities are registered with the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC). This figure is quoted routinely — by policymakers, development economists, multilateral agencies, and business
