Opinion - Dhaka Tribune

A collective failure

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 17:58:28 +0600

The tragic loss of at least 20 young lives to suicide following the publication of this year’s SSC and HSC examination results -- including nine deaths within just ten days of the recent HSC announcement -- is a devastating indictment of our society. Worse still, given the pervasive stigma surrounding mental health and self-harm across the country, these reported figures likely... Details

Time to deliver to climate promises

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 17:15:42 +0600

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and UN General Assembly President Dr Khalilur Rahman both delivered what is an overdue message to the global community: The era of empty climate promises must end. The prime minister rightly pointed out that climate-vulnerable nations require grants, not debt-inducing loans, all the while outlining five concrete actions to overhaul what must be called a... Details

Is our healthcare system built for a climate crisis?

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 08:33:00 +0600

Treating every dengue surge, cholera outbreak, and salinity-linked stroke as an unexpected shock guarantees that our doctors will remain overwhelmed and our most vulnerable citizens will pay the price Details

A fight for our existence

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 08:22:00 +0600

Journalists are being tortured, citizens are dying, and drug cartels are thriving. Why does Bangladesh keep losing its war on narcotics? Details

A friend in Türkiye

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 21:18:06 +0600

The meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Antalya presents a promising opportunity to strengthen Bangladesh's relationship with Türkiye, with the discussions covering urgent subjects like trade, investment, defense, energy, climate change, and the Rohingya crisis. Türkiye has emerged as an important partner for Bangladesh, and... Details

Making progress with financial inclusion

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 21:13:52 +0600

It is encouraging to learn that, according to the National Financial Inclusion Survey 2025, 64.5% of the country's adult population now has access to formal financial services -- a clear sign of Bangladesh making progress in financial inclusion. This is undoubtedly a positive step towards building a more financially secure and inclusive economy. The expansion of mobile financial services,... Details

Climate resilience must be accessible by design

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 21:11:22 +0600

With COP31 ongoing in Antalya, Türkiye, conversation centres on climate finance, adaptation, and loss and damage. One question must accompany these priorities: Who can actually access the protection that climate investments are intended to provide? A cyclone warning may reach a village without reaching everyone in it. A storm-resistant shelter may remain inaccessible to a wheelchair user.... Details

The land we share: Bangladesh’s stories of harmony

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 21:07:46 +0600

In a village in Indian Punjab, 87-year-old Gajju Khan is waiting for a sound he has not heard for most of his life. He wants to live long enough to hear the call to prayer from the mosque now being built in Jakhiwal. What makes the story more striking is who is building it. Local Sikhs and Hindus have given money, bricks, cement, and land so that their Muslim neighbours can finally have... Details

Concrete cannot replace the green

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 11:26:33 +0600

The reopening of Osmani Udyan after nearly nine years of delays is certainly a positive for the capital. With that said, that the cost escalated from Tk54-58 crore to an eye-watering Tk147 crore once again lays bare just how reckless we continue to be with public spending - funds that could have gone to countless other areas of need for this country. With that said, a space such as this... Details

An attack on our values

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 11:25:30 +0600

The directive issued by National Parliament Whip and Habiganj MP GK Gouse to potentially block Baul music and rural folk music events under the guise of preventing "obscenity" is a dangerous, deeply alarming overreach. Demanding that law enforcement preemptively ban or restrict centuries-old folk traditions at the district level displays a staggering contempt for the secular, pluralistic... Details

When lies go viral

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 11:22:03 +0600

Today, people can hardly avoid social networking sites, smartphones, and the wider online environment. This growing vulnerability can distort public debate and weaken social trust. Human perception is psychological and develops through daily reactions to events, statements, and rumours. It is now shaped not just by oratory, print media, and television, but by a faster, more affective... Details

Why are the malls empty?

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 01:35:47 +0600

The most revealing feature of Dhaka’s struggling shopping malls is not the number of closed shutters, but the hesitation behind them. A market may have merchandise on its shelves, staff waiting behind counters and discounts displayed, yet customers can walk past. The decline in activity at established destinations such as Eastern Plaza, Eastern Mallika, Mouchak Market, Police... Details

Ensuring safety on roads is necessary

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 10:16:16 +0600

Nearly 300 families wiped out in road accidents over six years and ten months is a devastating reflection of the state of road safety in Bangladesh -- figures that represent hundreds of lives lost, children left without parents, parents who have lost their children, and families whose lives have been permanently changed. According to a recent analysis by the Road Safety Foundation, accidents... Details

Who is behind Dhaka's terror?

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 10:15:00 +0600

The growing wave of violence across Dhaka, with attacks near police stations, government buildings and university campuses, has created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty that cannot be allowed to continue. More than 50 crude bomb explosions and at least eight buses set on fire in recent days should be enough to sound the alarm. What is particularly concerning is how little we know... Details

Dhaka: Miles to go before we sleep

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 18:15:12 +0600

Where do you get the best city views from the metro rail? For me, it is certainly the green and watery western side of Uttara. Then comes the stretch from Agargaon to Bijoy Sarani, with the open space of the old airport and the relatively low-density areas around Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and the National Parliament House. And, of course, the brief but beautiful view of Dhaka... Details

Bangladesh deserves better than a cycle of crisis

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 18:13:56 +0600

There is something deeply unsettling about watching a country with extraordinary potential repeatedly struggle to move beyond the same cycle of confrontation, uncertainty, and disruption. Bangladesh is a nation built on resilience, sacrifice, and determination. Yet, somewhere along our journey, we seem to have developed an unfortunate tendency to allow disagreements to escalate into crises,... Details

Borrowing for our future

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 21:41:37 +0600

The World Bank’s support to improve the quality of primary education and address learning gaps among children in Bangladesh is certainly positive news. Aimed at improving learning outcomes, upgrading classrooms, providing essential learning materials, and strengthening school management for over 26 million children from pre-primary to Grade 5, we must be thankful that steps are being... Details

Holding the world accountable for the climate crisis

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 21:40:04 +0600

As world leaders assemble in Antalya, Türkiye, for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), it is safe to say that the threat of climate change has long ceased to be an abstract projection and has become the most significant existential catastrophe for the entire planet. This is particularly true for a nation such as ours. With global heat records continuously shattered... Details

The muddying of the waters

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 21:38:14 +0600

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, when answering journalists’ questions on various serious subjects, often tries to create a little humor with some sarcasm and mockery. Recently, Kabir was asked whether former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had applied for a passport to return to the country. The question can’t be called entirely reasonable, since there has been... Details

The future of biodiversity relies on shared consensus

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 21:36:23 +0600

Governments, civil society, scientists, youth, academia, artists, and media professionals gathered under the theme of 'Taking Action for Nature' at COP17 Armenia to bring about collective action on biodiversity protection and nature restoration. Reviewing targets and protocols COP17 Armenia conducted the first global review of the collective implementation progress of the... Details

Journalists across Asia face police action in growing crackdown on movements

Sun, 08 Nov 2026 18:41:13 +0600

Journalist associations say that press freedom remains a major concern across Asia, where the media faces restrictions in covering politically sensitive events and protests Details

Expanding the public transport network

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 20:37:09 +0600

The government’s announcement to construct two monorail corridors across the capital by 2030 -- with BUET consultants completing pre-feasibility studies and detailed designs underway -- is certainly a welcome step in expanding Dhaka's public transportation network. Designed to complement the existing Metro Rail and address last-mile connectivity in high-density bottlenecks, this... Details

There is no prosperity without women’s contribution

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 20:35:05 +0600

mainstream of economic activities. Women entrepreneurs in particular can do so much more if given a level playing field. Tasking diplomatic missions with helping local women access global markets certainly points toward a visionary ambition, and we welcome it. Yet, warm words and exhibition showcases will do nothing to alter economic realities unless the state backs them up with radical... Details

Feeding children is just good economics

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 20:32:53 +0600

Economics divides itself into two. Macroeconomics is about how the whole economy works, and it's what we always see the talking heads on TV chattering away about. Inflation, the deficit, interest rates, and so on. Macroeconomics is also the part of economics we don't know much about, and much of what we think we do is wrong. Microeconomics is the details of prices and markets and... Details

What makes growth inclusive?

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 20:28:01 +0600

In recent times, there are renewed talks on the notion of inclusive growth. One question that keeps on popping up is what makes growth inclusive. Everyone agrees that sustained economic growth is central to the ability of countries to advance human development and tackle poverty over a long period of time. But sustained growth alone is not enough to advance human development. For that,... Details

The growing threat of unclean air

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 10:25:00 +0600

Clean air is a basic necessity, not a privilege Details

We need more public-private partnership

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 10:21:00 +0600

With transparency, affordability, and proper oversight, partnerships can help deliver better care to more people Details

Men neither see nor listen to women

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 10:02:00 +0600

I am a man, and this is a piece about men. I will not presume to explain to the women of my homeland a cage they have mapped, from the inside, far better than I can Details

Five priorities for Bangladesh ahead of COP31

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 09:09:00 +0600

Bangladesh has an opportunity to present itself not only as a country at risk from climate change, but as a country helping to define the solutions Details

We are running out of time

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 08:06:00 +0600

The World Bank’s latest stark warning regarding our country’s rapidly fading demographic dividend should not be taken lightly, and must be treated with the seriousness it warrants. For two decades, state planners have casually boasted about our youthful population as if economic prosperity were an automatic guarantee. Yet, as new data confirms, the window of demographic opportunity... Details

Nourishing our future

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 08:05:00 +0600

We certainly appreciate the government’s plan to dramatically expand the national school feeding program -- scaling coverage from 3.1 million to 11 million government primary school students across the country. This is a deeply commendable initiative. Addressing primary education through the twin lenses of nutritional security and classroom retention is a progressive, essential strategy,... Details

Shadow cabinet in Bangladesh: Why the opposition must move beyond a paper lineup

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 09:52:11 +0600

They must make the best use of parliamentary sessions, choosing strategic topics for debate and bringing forward motions to challenge the government Details

A historic first: Abdul El-Sayed’s senate victory against all the big guns

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0600

The American people have once again demonstrated that, in a democracy, the ultimate source of political power rests with voters -- not billionaires, wealthy interest groups or even the president of the United States. The projected victory of Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s US Senate election on November 3, 2026 is a remarkable demonstration of this principle. Despite sustained... Details

Railway ticket crisis: A question of public service, accountability and governance

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 21:03:14 +0600

Why the reported unavailability of every listed seat on Dhaka-Sylhet trains deserves an urgent, transparent investigation Details

COP31: Another promise to the planet?

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 21:18:41 +0600

The longer the list of promises to save our planet grows, the faster the window of opportunity to address the climate crisis appears to be closing. For more than three decades, world leaders have gathered at international climate conferences, announcing ambitious targets, establishing financial mechanisms, and pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet rising global... Details

An eye on food security

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 21:11:43 +0600

The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute's (BRRI) development of BRRI Dhan 119, a high-yielding, salt-tolerant rice variety, is a welcome achievement that deserves recognition and continued support. With an average yield of 5.7 tons per hectare, and the potential to produce up to 7.6 tons under favourable conditions, the new variety offers considerable promise for farmers in coastal regions. It... Details

We need better ways to raise revenue

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 21:07:34 +0600

The National Board of Revenue’s decision to issue door-to-door notices to non-filing TIN holders may appear to widen the tax net, but is a strategy that risks becoming administrative pressure rather than meaningful reform. The truth of the matter is that Bangladesh cannot build a stronger revenue system merely by sending notices to every name on a database. In fact, the numbers point to... Details

Understanding the modern Bangladeshi

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 21:03:58 +0600

Many Bangladeshis today can simultaneously feel deeply Muslim, strongly Bengali, and proudly Bangladeshi. Those identities are no longer necessarily perceived as mutually exclusive. This synthesis did not happen overnight. It is the product of a century of political evolution, from the Muslim League to the Language Movement to the Liberation War, and a constitutional experiment that... Details

Why do women entrepreneurs struggle to secure loans?

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 21:01:12 +0600

For women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, getting a bank loan can mean confronting more than interest rates, paperwork, and eligibility requirements. The lending process does not simply involve bank officers and women in the SME sector. A businesswoman seeking loans may also have to navigate a system shaped by assumptions about who belongs in business, who can handle financial matters, and... Details

Modernizing the airport requires operational competence

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:47:19 +0600

Modernization for any nation cannot be measured by hardware installations that sit gathering dust Details

Recognizing our reality

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:45:55 +0600

We must move past short-term statistical relief and focus relentlessly on comprehensive, structural economic revival Details

LDC graduation is deferred by three years. Does it make things better?

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:58:00 +0600

It is imperative that this time be used wisely Details

Why Bangladesh is missing the technology revolution

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:05:00 +0600

Bangladesh's predicament is best understood as an innovation trap. It has made progress in adopting digital technologies but has not developed a corresponding capacity to produce them Details

Beyond equality: The unfinished journey of women's rights in Bangladesh

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:47:37 +0600

Bangladesh's progress should be measured not only by economic growth, but by whether every woman and girl can live safely, learn, earn, speak and participate on equal terms. A promise that must become everyday reality Bangladesh has made important gains in girls' education and women's participation in public and economic life. Women work in factories, farms, schools, hospitals, businesses and... Details

Supporting young entrepreneurs

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:37:18 +0600

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's recent call for skills-based training, financial assistance for small entrepreneurs, and expanded employment opportunities is a timely and necessary one. Bangladesh's youth population represents one of its greatest economic opportunities, but that potential remains underutilized without the appropriate means to turn their ideas into viable livelihoods.... Details

When grievances remain unresolved

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:32:58 +0600

The escalating unrest in the garment sector is a warning that a labour dispute can become a wider crisis when grievances remain unresolved. Clashes in Mirpur, Gazipur, and Ashulia on Sunday brought road blockades, arson, and factory closures, disrupting production at more than 300 factories. The government has formed a six-member wage board and stepped up security operations amid allegations... Details

From climate pledges to youth power: Bangladesh’s opportunity ahead of COP31

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:26:31 +0600

In 2019, a group of law students in the Pacific began asking whether governments could be held accountable under international law for their response to climate change. Six years later, in July 2025, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion clarifying states’ climate obligations and responsibilities towards future generations. Young people had helped bring climate... Details

The chars have no legal memory

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 10:11:00 +0600

Who is responsible for people who live on land that does not stay? Details

An unsavoury tug of war

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:45:18 +0600

As the self-declared return date of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina draws closer, discussion of the Awami League in Bangladesh’s political arena keeps growing. The party that those in power have declared “irrelevant,” is the very party they have now started a tug of war over. On one side, BNP alleges that Jamaat-e-Islami is striking an understanding with them. On the... Details

I’m not GPA-5

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 08:45:00 +0600

Why the HSC 2026 reckoning is a bitter pill we must swallow to save our future Details

Is inequality rising?

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 09:08:00 +0600

What does the science say? Details

There is no winning for women

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 08:03:00 +0600

Look at the choices we offer them Details

Restoring peace to the hills

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 22:35:34 +0600

The recurring clashes and exchanges of gunfire between rival armed groups in Sajek potentially signal a resurgence of instability in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) that must not be taken lightly. We should not be tolerating territorial rivalries erupting into open gunbattles as innocent local residents are forced to live in constant terror. This is equally true for tourism, local economies,... Details

Our education must move beyond grades

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 22:33:26 +0600

We understand the immediate concern that comes from the drastic decline in this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examination pass rate. Dropping by 6.71% down to 52.12%, alongside hundreds of thousands of failures, and institutions recording zero pass rates will inevitably trigger panicked headlines across the country. This newspaper has been no different. On the... Details

The next frontier of digital financial inclusion

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 10:16:00 +0600

More than 70% of the population lacks the fundamental understanding of basic financial concepts Details

Getting another chance to graduate right

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 09:32:00 +0600

We must acknowledge that this extension is an opportunity, not a reprieve from responsibility Details

Wake up, Bangladesh. We need sports science

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 09:27:00 +0600

How much longer must we wait before sports in Bangladesh are treated as a science, a profession, and a system that deserves proper investment? Details

Ridding society of regressive norms

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 08:09:00 +0600

It is high time we not only moved away from, but actively denounced these retrograde practices Details

Can we do something about non-performing loans?

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:08:58 +0600

For what appears to be decades now, non-performing loans (NPLs) have eaten away at the core of Bangladesh’s financial architecture. What began as calculated political patronage, elite default culture, and systemic regulatory cowardice has essentially grown into a monumental crisis, with toxic debt dragging down the entire banking sector. While the central bank’s newly... Details

Ensuring there is enough to eat

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:07:34 +0600

The latest warnings from the World Bank regarding soaring global commodity prices and worsening food insecurity should serve as a warning for policy-makers in our country. With global food prices projected to climb 10% this year and another 7% in 2027, driven by compounding geopolitical shocks, energy spikes, and climate anomalies, the external economic environment is turning perilous.... Details

Beyond academic excellence: How Bangladesh can nurture students with an ethical compass

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:05:41 +0600

Bangladesh is a land of enormous potential where its greatest asset is the intellectual energy, creativity, and ambition of its people, particularly its younger generation. If we are to transform our country into a prosperous, innovative, and respected nation, we must invest in the quality of our human capital. But a fundamental question deserves our attention: Are we preparing our young... Details

You cannot paint the Bishwakobi black

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 09:51:00 +0600

Rabindranath Tagore belongs to every tongue that loves him. A nation can be proud without being possessive Details

A watershed moment: Bangladesh joins the global fight against rice methane

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:45:00 +0600

By integrating into the AcceLER initiative ahead of COP31, the nation can transform its agricultural economy, save dwindling groundwater, and secure climate finance Details

Supporting migrant workers better

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:23:44 +0600

Despite the enormous contribution of migrant workers to our economy, it is a shame that Bangladesh still lacks an effective system for grading recruitment agencies, leaving prospective migrants with little reliable information about whom they can trust. This failure, recently acknowledged by State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Haque Nur yesterday,... Details

Caring for the carers

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 15:21:24 +0600

In Bangladesh, where women shoulder most household responsibilities, the International Day of Care and Support observed today should remind us that caring for others is a shared social responsibility, not an obligation that falls disproportionately on women. Care work is among the most essential contributions to society, yet it remains among the least recognized. Bangladesh’s first... Details

The 18 months that changed Bangladesh

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 01:52:04 +0600

In August 2024, the streets of Dhaka smelled of smoke and uncertainty. Autorickshaws fell silent. Shopkeepers pulled down shutters early. The old order had collapsed, and in its place stepped an 84-year-old Nobel laureate who promised to shepherd Bangladesh toward democracy. Eighteen months later, in February 2026, those same streets erupted in celebration. The BNP won a sweeping victory, and... Details

Who cares for the carers?

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 01:48:59 +0600

Most of us have looked after someone who is ill. Even a short illness brings constant questions: Have they had something to drink? Can they wash themselves? Have they slept? Now imagine asking those questions every day, for years, while caring for a daughter with a disability, a parent with dementia, or a relative with a serious mental health condition. For unpaid family carers,... Details

A prisoner list is not protection

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 01:46:27 +0600

The execution of two Bangladeshi citizens in Saudi Arabia's Makkah province on October 14, 2026, raises a challenging question: What is the purpose of consular protection if the government is unable to determine which of its nationals are at risk of execution until it is too late? According to Saudi officials, two people, Nazerul Islam Abdul Basir and Siti Akhter, have been sentenced to... Details

Education must remain inclusive

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:02:10 +0600

We agree with Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon that religious education can play a significant role in shaping more responsible citizens. Integrating moral values, integrity, and spiritual literacy into national curricula can certainly help stem social degradation and foster conscientious youth. Merely striving for efficiency and growth are... Details

Parties must prioritize national stability

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:58:53 +0600

The attack on the central office of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) in Dhaka’s Paltan area is a deeply disturbing reminder of the partisan hostility still poisoning our political landscape. When political offices are stormed, vandalized, or targeted by mobs over alleged slogans or ideological grievances, democratic norms are fundamentally violated. Reverting to... Details

When the state turns humiliation into public spectacle

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:20:00 +0600

When an arrest becomes an opportunity for public shaming, the state communicates that dignity is conditional and that suspicion can strip a person of ordinary protections Details

Can Bangladesh’s cyber police outrun its institutions?

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:13:00 +0600

The future of cyber policing will not be determined only by what police can see. It will be determined by what they are allowed to do with what they see Details

An opportunity to build industrial capacity

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:31:46 +0600

Bangladesh’s medical device market represents a significant economic opportunity that still remains largely untapped. As demand for healthcare grows, the country continues to depend heavily on imported equipment and supplies, leaving a potentially valuable domestic industry underdeveloped. This needs to change -- not only to reduce import dependence, but also to strengthen our healthcare... Details

Shaking hands with Japan

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:29:30 +0600

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Japan comes at an important time, as Bangladesh seeks new sources of growth and prepares for the challenges of graduating from least developed country status. Bangladesh’s pursuit of $13.8 billion in investment and economic cooperation offers a welcome opportunity to strengthen the economy, create employment, and build a more diversified... Details

Curriculum reform and the old wounds of a new attempt

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 01:21:36 +0600

Today's workforce demands a broad set of competencies: Critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, empathy, collaboration, adaptability, entrepreneurship, strong reading and writing, digital literacy, and lifelong learning. Not all of these need to be fully developed at school. Schools lay the foundations; universities and workplaces deepen them. Reading, writing, basic digital skills,... Details

Four cigarette price tiers, 12 price points: A system designed for switching, not quitting

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 01:18:19 +0600

When cigarette prices rise, smokers are expected to cut consumption or quit. That is the central public-health justification for increasing tobacco taxes. In Bangladesh, however, many smokers can respond in a much simpler way: They can switch to a cheaper brand. A rapid survey conducted by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) in September 2026 shows how easily this can happen. The survey covered 80... Details

Going cashless demands more digital security

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:24:41 +0600

The near-doubling of payment cards across Bangladesh over the past five years -- surging to nearly 53 million cards alongside an even bigger leap in total transaction values -- signals a profound shift toward a more cashless, digitized economy. This is a positive, especially for a nation that has long aspired to more effective digitization. According to recent Bangladesh Bank data,... Details

We need good teachers

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:19:59 +0600

We are troubled by a recent report in this newspaper revealing a deep-seated crisis in our government schools, where severe staffing shortages, acute leadership deficits, and an absence of subject-specialist educators are all but crippling classroom learning. When over 27,000 of the roughly 65,000 primary headteacher posts sit vacant nationwide, and even more assistant teacher slots in... Details

Living with the deluge

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 10:47:00 +0600

Surviving the harsh, changing realities of our rain-battered delta requires abandoning the idea that engineering alone can control water Details

The second wheel Bangladesh keeps ignoring

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 02:05:25 +0600

On factory floors across Bangladesh right now, workers are welding frames that will never touch a sewing machine. What leaves those gates does not stitch anyone a shirt. It rolls out on two wheels, bound for Hamburg or Vienna. Nobody outside the industry notices them much. Perhaps they should. Bangladesh's economy still speaks one language to the world. Garments alone brought in 84% of... Details

The missing gratitude for thankless jobs

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 02:03:03 +0600

The desk lamp in a newsroom in Dhaka flickers at 2:00 AM, casting long, fatigued shadows across pages of investigative drafts, while a weary educator in a rural government primary school in Kurigram corrects her 400th exam paper by the dim glow of a mobile phone torch. Down the street, a municipal sanitation worker clears choked drains before dawn, unseen and unacknowledged by the waking... Details

Where is the justice?

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 10:29:00 +0600

Bangladesh needs a commercial legal system that actually works Details

Weaponizing humiliation

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 10:20:00 +0600

The recent Purbachal video reflects a lack of ethics in the police and media Details

Nothing is more important than protecting our children

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 09:54:00 +0600

A nation that fails to safeguard its children from predators within its own classrooms has forfeited its moral authority Details

Logistical deficits not a good enough excuse for law enforcement

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 08:02:00 +0600

For generations, citizens have been forced to navigate a police apparatus that views them with suspicion or contempt rather than dignity and service Details

Measles: Beyond the blame game

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 10:29:00 +0600

While safeguarding vaccination integrity is our absolute first line of defense, fixing this crisis requires looking at the complete picture Details

The United Nations at 81: The world still waits for action

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 10:26:00 +0600

The widening gap between its founding ideals and present realities raises a critical question: Can the UN still deliver on its promise? Details

Sharing the streets

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 10:23:00 +0600

Dhaka needs cleaner, safer, and better-organized streets, but this cannot come at the cost of livelihoods without offering workable alternatives Details

For meaningful transport overhaul

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:21:00 +0600

Dhaka cannot afford to keep revisiting the same problems through successive rounds of cosmetic change Details

Little care for healthcare

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:08:25 +0600

A recent report documenting 7,500 patients waiting for radiotherapy due to a shortage of treatment facilities and capacity at National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) is deeply concerning. Every little delay can allow a disease to progress, reduce the chances of recovery, and place an even greater burden on families already struggling to cope, making this a matter of life and... Details

Prioritizing the rule of law

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:06:21 +0600

The latest findings from the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2026, which places Bangladesh at an abysmal 123rd out of 143 countries, should serve as an urgent wake-up call. While the improvement from 125th last year is positive, and potentially shows that we are heading in the right direction, this marginal, fractional improvement does not change our reality, which remains... Details

Debates that never happened

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:03:22 +0600

Imagine scrolling through YouTube at midnight and meeting a split screen. Sheikh Hasina sits on one side, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on the other, and the title promises a face-to-face clash on Khaled Muhiuddin’s talk show. More than 352,000 viewers watched it, and thousands argued in the comments as if they had witnessed live television. They had not. No studio, no host, and no... Details

The psychological wall between cultural and national identity

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:04:17 +0600

It seems the city authority, in trying to do a good thing, has landed in serious trouble. In the middle of it all, there was an unwelcome tug-of-war over the portrait of the late Sanjib Chowdhury. This dramatic chain of events around the wall doesn’t only raise questions about the city authority’s judgement. It also points to a social, political, and psychological problem in Bangladesh. Among... Details

When survival becomes a debt-financed affair

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:39:21 +0600

Economic distress does not always announce itself through factory closures, unemployment queues, or empty markets. Sometimes, it reveals itself through a quieter transformation: Families continue working, shops remain open, salaries arrive on time, yet ordinary incomes no longer cover ordinary lives. Parents reduce food purchases, postpone medical treatment, borrow from relatives, and exhaust... Details

Projects must be completed on time

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:13:37 +0600

The stalled Tk9.33 crore drainage project in Shibganj, Chapainawabganj, is another example of how unfinished commitments can undermine the very purpose of development. The 2.1-kilometre drainage project, intended to address waterlogging, has remained stalled for six months, with around 300 metres still unfinished. Disputes with local residents over the land required for construction have... Details

For harmony and worship

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 11:12:03 +0600

The peaceful conclusion of this year’s Durga Puja celebrations across Bangladesh offers a powerful affirmation of our enduring ethos of communal harmony and pluralism. From vibrant pandals packed with devotees to our leaders visiting numerous sites and being with the people to even the warm solidarity shown by the diplomatic community joining festivities nationwide, this... Details

The politics of othering

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 03:59:08 +0600

While the state repeatedly pledges to uphold law and order, insecurity among minority communities remains palpable. Police records from 2025 documented 645 incidents involving members of minority groups, classifying 71 as communal and 574 as ordinary criminal offenses. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported 257 incidents of communal violence in... Details

The women are divine

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 21:07:00 +0600

Among Bengali idol-makers, there is an old, informal belief, passed along by word of mouth - that a Durga is incomplete unless a handful of earth from the doorstep of a sex worker is mixed into her clay. The explanation given is that “a man who enters that house leaves his virtue at the door, so the ground there becomes pure.” Whether or not every workshop still follows it, the idea deserves a... Details

The making of Bangladesh’s architectural excellence

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:15:32 +0600

The Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) prestigious International Prize has been awarded to Karupannya’s Green Field factory in Rangpur. Designed by the soft-spoken and unassuming architect Bayezid Khondker and his practice, Nakhsabid Architects, this is yet another architectural feather in our cap. And this is not the first time a building from Bangladesh has won the... Details

Seasonal celebrations cannot remain cause for national mourning

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 03:24:26 +0600

The horrific head-on collision on the Natore-Pabna highway, which claimed at least 14 lives and left over 30 injured, is yet another grim reminder that our roads and highways remain highly susceptible to unmitigated carnage. The culprit, as it often is, was a driver with little to no regard for rules, operating a speeding, overcrowded long-distance night coach that had an expired fitness... Details