As a child, Robiul Islam Rumel watched the train guard wave the green flag and blow the whistle - a signal that set the wheels in motion. He did not understand the weight of the role back then. Today, he does as he himself whistles to signal train departures in Bangladesh Railway's west zone. His
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Arakan Army (AA), a powerful ethnic resistance force fighting the Myanmar military junta in Rakhaine State of Myanmar, of unleashing severe repression on and control over the Rohingya population. In a statement issued on Monday last, the HRW, a New York
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has been compiling and publishing national accounts since 1972. According to the BBS, nominal gross domestic product (GDP) stood at US$459 billion in FY24. Recently, Citibank Capital, a subsidiary of City Bank PLC, published a report titled Macroeconomic Outloo
The recent announcement by the United States to impose a 20 per cent reciprocal tariff on Bangladeshi apparel exports has brought a measure of relief to our export sector. While we had hoped for a lower rate—especially given the initial threat of a 35 per cent tariff—the final outcome i
The recent decision by the United States to impose near-uniform tariff rates on countries other than China marks a welcome development for the global apparel trade. For key exporters like Bangladesh, the capping of tariffs within the 19–20 per cent range helps preserve our competitive edge in
Seven years have passed since my best friend, Moazzem Hossain, left this mortal world leaving me and many others sorely deprived of his sharp intellect and intimate friendship. On the first anniversary of his demise I wrote in this newspaper, to which he had devoted his entire journalistic career,
The tariff policies of Mr Donald Trump are creating chaos in the international trade world. This is most particularly true in the garment business. The clothing sector is competitive with many countries producing some kind of wearing apparel. This is different than the automobile industry where the
Scientists estimate that by 2050, one in every seven people in Bangladesh will be displaced due to negative impact of climate change —Agency Photo The term "anthropocene" is not merely a signifier of a new geological epoch; it fundamentally questions the relationship between modern human soc
Muhammad Zamir While monitoring the evolving situation in the Asia Pacific region and the US signing a Strategic Civil Nuclear Agreement with Malaysia, analyst Thalif Deen has drawn attention to some interesting dimensions. The US is apparently contemplating the possible creation -- either a form
Have you ever considered how far-flung costs and political upheavals occurring outside our borders infiltrate the very core of our everyday lives? Besides affecting our economy, what about the work opportunities for the average citizen? How are such global conflicts affecting us? It is often hard
The UN agency on relief in Palestine (UNRWA) had warned more than a year back that given the total embargo imposed by the Israeli authorities since October 7, 2023 on the entry of trucks carrying foods, medicines and fuel for use of the 2.2 million people of Gaza, there was a serious&nb
In July 2025, the United Nations released its 'Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025', offering a sobering and urgent assessment of the global effort to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report reveals that only 35 per cent of the 169 SDG targets are on track or making moder
Anupam Debashis Roy A year since the July uprising, an old theory has found new life in public discourse—the “meticulous design” thesis. In a recent Facebook post, one of the key organisers of the 2024 uprising, now serving as an advisor on information, Mahfuz Alam, claim
