Views / Opinions


Debt servicing begins to bite

Debt servicing begins to bite

One of the things economists in the country had pointed out in years past was that the government should be cautious in racking up loans for all sorts of projects. The opening up of billions of dollars in foreign loans ushered in by foreign countries did come with a catch. In case of the soft loans

Indigenous substitute for antibiotics?

Indigenous substitute for antibiotics?

Scientists of the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) are learnt to have come up with a novel alternative to antibiotics and growth promoters used in the country's poultry farms. The medicine is extracted from 'neem leaves'. Neem is a well-known evergreen tree in Bangladesh as well as other pl

City again faces severe  Waterlogging

City again faces severe Waterlogging

The city dwellers were once again gripped by severe waterlogging during the last weekend. The problem went to such an extent that many commuters were found wading through stagnant water on main roads. Others suffered immensely because of thin presence of vehicles on the roads. Apart from that, it a

Traffic jams in small cities

Traffic jams in small cities

Like seen in Dhaka, affluent neighbourhoods are also increasing in the country's mid-level, and even smaller, cities. A few have local bus services. But what dominate these communication modes are motorcycles, makeshift light public transports called 'tempos' or 'legunas' --- and, of course, the ri

E-gate fiasco at airport

E-gate fiasco at airport

Introduction of any advanced facility to ease service for providers and users requires a feasibility study so that the cost and benefit of the facility can be estimated. Without a proper feasibility scrutiny, introduction of any good facility or service may prove a non-functional or unmanageable th

Big budgets and their implementation

Big budgets and their implementation

The execution of the revised budget worth Tk 6.56 trillion for the financial year 2022-23 during the first eleven months was around 64 per cent. It will take time to get the actual amount of budgetary expenditure for the entire FY 2023. One, however, can be least assured that the government that sp

Supporting small poultry farmers

Supporting small poultry farmers

Chicken eggs are often called a complete food. They contain high quality protein, vitamins, minerals, good fats and so on. They are easy-to-cook, nutritious and filling. However, what placed them on top of many people's food menu is that they used to be cheap. Just a year and a half ago, their pric

BPC at risk of becoming a defaulter

BPC at risk of becoming a defaulter

Last year, the country took a hard loan from the Jeddah-based International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) to cover mounting oil-import bills worth about US$1.4 billion. The loan carried a steep interest rate of 7.06 per cent that had to be paid within six months of disbursement. Back the

The intractable essentials market

The intractable essentials market

The operators of the essentials market do not seem to have responded to the commerce minister's directive in the expected way. For the prices of three essential commodities, namely, potato, the local variety of onion and egg were fixed at the retail level through an executive order last week (on Se

A boy's unsuccessful attempt to fly

A boy's unsuccessful attempt to fly

Any inquisitive child is likely to wonder how a bird floats on the air with its fragile feathery wings while s/he cannot despite his/her stronger arms. This inquisition has seen its fulfilment and disappointment in the mythical story of Icarus who flew too close to the sun. In real life disastrous

Taking heart from boat races

Taking heart from boat races

The recent spurt of 'nouka baich' (boat race) in the country's rural and semi-rural areas remind many of the fact that Bangladesh is a river-filled country. At the same time it shows that the typically Bengalee sport-cum-amusement has managed to weather all the gusts of change through the ages. In

Keeping the hospitals clean and safe

Keeping the hospitals clean and safe

Many hospitals, especially the public ones, in Bangladesh have failed to follow the necessary hygienic practices, which is disappointing. It is also a harsh reality as these hospitals and health facilities lack proper sanitation and waste disposal systems. Without maintaining cleanliness, it is imp