Debra Efroymson

Recently, I was chatting with a young friend. She mentioned that, with all the Covid lockdowns (she is in a country much harder hit than Bangladesh), she has learnt to do business online, selling herself as a yoga and meditation instructor.

For many people, education means sitting in a class and mindlessly repeating what the teacher tells you. But is that really what education is about?

With the price of basic necessities going up yet again, it is no surprise that people are campaigning for a reduction in fuel price. Fuel is, after all, related to the price of transport, food, and other necessities—which is, in fact, precisely the problem.

Many years ago, a colleague at the United Nations invited me to watch a video of Marilyn Waring, an MP and economist from New Zealand, talking about economics.

Have you ever watched kittens, puppies, or other baby animals play? Running, chasing, jumping, nipping.

As children and others continue to die on our roads, we ought to reconsider just how highly we value our current traffic system.

Toilets do not, admittedly, make for a great dinner table conversation—though a few younger people might disagree.

Anyone who has recently started exercising in a public space has probably heard this question, or seen people ask it to their acquaintances. There is no need to specify the “it”—everyone knows that a diagnosis of diabetes is the most common spur for people to begin exercising.

On the first Saturday in November, Bangladesh observes the National Cooperatives Day.

In the past few generations, the world has changed extremely rapidly—and it is likely to continue to do so. Artificial intelligence threatens many of our existing jobs and even raises the question as to what need there will be for human workers in the future.

Growing up in a small city in the southwest United States, I thought I didn’t like cities. I loved hiking in the nearby mountains, from the top of which a grey haze hung over the city, which itself offered a few charms.

Today, on October 22, we celebrate National Road Safety Day. But why? Not why we care about safety—the devastating toll of accidents makes it clear why it is important—but why call it Road Safety Day? If we are using roads to travel from place to place, and we want to be able to do so safely, why not call it Safe Travels Day?

Having lived in Dhaka for more than 20 years and, prior to Covid-19, travelled to many other cities, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to reflect on what makes a city great.

Imagine if aliens came to Earth. If they landed in just about any major city, they would be forgiven for believing that people are simply batteries for automobiles, and that automobiles are the true life form, with everything designed around their needs for housing, fuel, and socialising with other automobiles on congested streets.

Here is an important but little-known fact about car parking: the more that is provided, the greater the demand.

As the Covid pandemic drags on and schools and universities continue to remain closed, children and youth in particular are tired of being cooped up at home. Serious as they are, it is not just the loss of livelihoods and education that affect us; we need to have social contact, relaxation, and recreation.

Life has changed in so many ways due to Covid-19, this one change may not even have registered for you. But with restrictions on motorised transport, people are walking more than ever. Much of it is by necessity, but sometimes the necessary can also reveal hidden pleasures.

Ask the average man whose wife has no paid job what she does and the response is likely to be, “Nothing”.

It is now quite well-accepted that the demand for vehicle parking in Dhaka City exceeds the existing capacity. Common sense suggests that the solution is to increase the supply, and the government’s new draft parking policy seeks to do so.