Views / Opinions

A path to achieving KMILOT Award worth Tk 26m in Canada

A path to achieving KMILOT Award worth Tk 26m in Canada

A significant number of Bangladeshi students are choosing to pursue their education overseas, reflecting a growing desire to explore new horizons and secure better opportunities. While traditional favourites like the UK and the USA remain popular, Canada has steadily gained ground as a top destinat


US tariff challenge and BD's exports

US tariff challenge and BD's exports

Industry leaders in the Readymade Garment (RMG) sector should have been elated by the fact that in the last financial year (FY2024-25), export of their products to the USA registered a sharp rise by 14 per cent compared to the previous fiscal (FY24). But at the moment, they may not be in the mood t

Extortion and corruption eat into vitals of society

Extortion and corruption eat into vitals of society

The killing of a scrap metal trader in old Dhaka has jolted the national conscience. Killings of innocent members of public by muggers, dacoits, anti-social elements including teenage gangs have become so common that the entire country is turning into a death valley. But it is the extortionists who

Bursting the GPA-5 bubble

Bursting the GPA-5 bubble

It was, to be honest, necessary to burst the GPA-5 bubble. For years, the number of students achieving the coveted GPA-5 (A+) in both Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams had been escalating at astonishing rates. When the grading system was first introduce

Media reform and journalism

Media reform and journalism

One of the most significant outcomes of the student-led mass uprising in July last year has been the substantial improvement in the media space, providing a much-needed breathing space for the mass media and opening the window of professional journalism to a large extent. While the freedom of the p

The fragile doctor-patient bond needs to be improved

The fragile doctor-patient bond needs to be improved

Bangladesh often experiences incidents in which patients or their attendants physically assault doctors and other healthcare providers and vandalise health facilities accusing them of wrong treatment. Some incidents ignite strikes by healthcare professionals, disrupting services. These incidents re

Readying for global microchip market

Readying for global microchip market

Tasked with preparing a roadmap so Bangladesh may explore its potential as a player in the world's booming semiconductor market, the National Semiconductor Taskforce (NST), which was formed in early January this year, has come up with a set of recommendations. The recommendations focus on identifyi

Endless suffering of road digging

Endless suffering of road digging

Repeated, haphazard road digging by various agencies and delays in repairing those dug-up roads have long been a chronic problem in Dhaka. In recent months, however, the situation has worsened, particularly in Dhaka South, seemingly due to the prolonged administrative deadlock at Nagar Bhaban over

Conserving heritage, historical sites

Conserving heritage, historical sites

In Bangladesh, numerous sites hold significant religious, cultural, and historical importance and have endured for many centuries. Nevertheless, many historical structures that are symbols of the nation's rich heritage no longer exist, and many of the existing sites or structures are also not well-

Is it compassion or coercion?

Is it compassion or coercion?

A disturbing new trend has been going viral on video streaming platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Self-styled volunteers are producing contents by forcibly 'cleaning up' homeless people by shaving their heads, trimming their beards, bathing them, and dressing them up in new clothes in public. Whi

Untapped potential of mango

Untapped potential of mango

Our very familiar and favourite summer fruit, mango, has been put in a new light by highlighting its health benefits in recent media reports. People of this part of the world have been cultivating this fruit for at least 4,000 years. So, the people of Bangladesh hardly need to be reintroduced to th

Looming threat from militants active abroad

Looming threat from militants active abroad

The news that as many as 36 Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia have been arrested for their involvement in militancy is unsettling to say the least. They were active in introducing Islamic State (IS)-inspired ideology in the host country and formed recruitment cells within the community of their comp

Economic cost of uncertainty

Economic cost of uncertainty

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) approval of a US$1.3 billion disbursement of the third and fourth tranches of Bangladesh's $4.7 billion loan programme may help improve donors' sentiment and more foreign funds may be released in the coming months. But given the lingering state of political u