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
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
The arrest of a journalist and a cell phone trader at midnight, Wednesday and small hours of the same night from their residences by the Detective Branch (DB) police brings back the ugly memory of similar infringements during the immediate past regime. The raid is both a violation of human rights a
As a Relationship Manager — or a banker in the making — one inevitably delves into credit risk, its identifiers, and ways to mitigate it early in their career. With rising non-performing loans creating a significant stress on financial capital and the broader economy, assessing credit
The writing has long been on the wall that a powerful earthquake is quite likely any time. Friday's 5.7-magnitude tremor, with its epicentre in Narsingdi, sent a powerful jolt through Dhaka and surrounding areas. Many described the frightening shock as unprecedented in their memory, as buildings sw
Last Wednesday, countries observed the World Toilet Day with three key messages: we'll always need the toilet, toilets are under pressure and we need toilets fit for the future. The significance of these messages cannot be overstated. UN-Water, the UN's coordination mechanism on water and sanitatio
One may recall the fury of the forest grabbers when they attacked government officials including members of the joint-forces in November last year as the latter carried out an eviction drive at Rajbari in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur to recover forestland. During the attack, 10 people including an as
Holding a national election is a very important event for any country only more so when it is in a momentous transition. Bangladesh, following the July-August uprising, was on the cusp of such a new order. Whether the historical change will materialise desirably, however, hinges not so much on the
Social media offers a unique platform for independent content creators to express themselves freely, experiment with new ideas, and both enlighten and entertain their audiences. This unprecedented freedom of creating and publishing online content has unleashed countless talents, many of whom
Around two-fifths of the daily commuters in Dhaka walk to reach their destinations, whereas the ratio was one-fifth two decades ago. The data are impressive, no doubt, especially since the city is not particularly conducive to smooth walking. There is a lack of safe, accessible and efficient infras
Tens of thousands of Bangladeshis fly abroad every year not for leisure or business, but for treatment. From India to Thailand or Singapore or even the United States, hospitals have become familiar destinations for Bangladeshi patients seeking quality healthcare. For the affluent, a check-up or sur
The story of how a 13-year-old adolescent girl, Juliana Paratha, of Colorado in USA, committed suicide following long conversations with an AI chatbot, as reported by BBC shocked many. The girl shared her most private emotional experiences with the chatbot. In fact, the chatbot set up a
