At a recent roundtable on business climate organised by The Financial Express, the vice chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau has posed a pertinent question: should the government be doing business at all? The question is as old as the state-owned enterprises themselves and is more relevant today
Most people view butterfly, a unique creation in the living world, as an aesthetic treat to the eye or a source of entertainment. But whoever could think of a butterfly fair instead of a show of the most decorated wingy creature! And that too an annual affair! Yes, the Jahanrirnagar Universi
As the saying goes, old habits die hard. This is particularly true for market manipulators in Bangladesh, who have once again resorted to their familiar tactic of creating artificial crises to drive up the prices of essential commodities such as edible oil and onions. In a move that reflects braze
Three and a half decades ago, people of Bangladesh ousted the country's first autocratic regime through a mass uprising that reached its climax during the last three months of 1990. The united stance of all the students' organisations, keeping aside their political rivalry for the time being, on Oc
The recent story of a boy who went viral for climbing onto the roof of the Dhaka Metro Rail train was initially seen as a dangerous act. But his interview with journalists revealed a much more alarming and neglected issue in our country. Yasin is his name but he does not know how he came to Dhaka o
Brazil is learnt to have launched a single-dose anti-dengue vaccine last Wednesday (November 30) after obtaining its registration approval by the county's drug regulator, Anvisa. Developed by Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo, the vaccine called, Butantan-DV, is claimed to be the world's first single
At a time when election, referendum and lease of seaports hog newspaper headlines, some highly important issues receive scant attention. One such issue is population growth in a country that is already gasping for breath under the weight of an outsize people. According to a survey, "Multiple Indica
Dhaka as a city is imploding. Overpopulation has overwhelmed its civic amenities, while problem such as chronic traffic congestion, utility crises, environmental pollution, and other urban stresses continue to grow unchecked. Not long ago, it earned the distinction of being one of the least liveabl
After the July mass uprising that led to the downfall of the autocratic regime of Hasina on August 5 last year, numerous groups have emerged in the country with various demands. Though some of the demands are rational and legitimate, many were deployed mainly to create chaos. Again, some of these g
Much has been written, discussed about and warned against the vulnerability of Dhaka to major earthquakes. Yet very little has changed in the way buildings are constructed here. Seismologists, who claim that Bangladesh sits on active fault lines, have long been warning that a strong earthquake coul
Scientists have made an engine that is hotter than the sun's core. But how hot is the sun's core? The temperature of the sun's core is around 15 million degrees Celsius. Usually, the temperature of a typical star's (our sun is also a star) centre is between 10 to 20 million degrees Celsius. To have
Bangladesh is currently experiencing a wave of crucial financial sector reforms, moving its banking system closer to global standards. The central bank, the Bangladesh Bank (BB), is spearheading a massive overhaul focussing on fixing bad loans, professionalising management, and preparing for the di
As the world faces accelerating climate shocks, Bangladesh remains one of the most vulnerable countries to their impacts. From rising sea levels and cyclones to saltwater intrusion and erratic rainfall, climate change threatens lives, livelihoods, and economic growth across the nation. Yet amid t
