With the advent of the 21st century, there has been a steady rise in energy access all around the globe. For the first time ever, the total number of people without access to electricity fell below 1 billion in 2017 according to the International Energy Agency.

We have remar-kable similarities: jobless or sleeping on the job when employed, being kicked about or loved like crazy, meaninglessly barking at each other, unkempt body hair or salon spoilt, ready to lick and leak in public; tree or wall is a matter of circumstances.

2019 is proving to be a game-changing year with regard to the issue of global climate change in a number of ways.

One of the best instruments the government can use to serve those it works for—presumably the citizens—is the national budget. Unfortunately, if one was to ask ordinary citizens, independent analysts and experts to rate how successfully the government implemented

What do the following civilisations have in common: Mesopotamia four millennia ago; the 8th-century Viking Greenland settlement; Mayas from the 10th century; and the Khmer empire in the 15th century?

Social media, texting and emailing have revolutionised the way we communicate. These technologies have enabled us to be more efficient and stay in touch more easily. But they have also altered the dynamics of some of our most important relationships.

Your columnist has just completed a little over a month of being a “female” leader of an exporters’ association.

Historians are often bemused by how the millennia-old Holy Roman Emperor was not holy, nor Roman, nor even an emperor.

A bumper crop used to be good news for Bangladesh in the past. For farmers who have to wait for almost four to six months after the sowing season before they can see the fruits of their labour,

When it comes to “blue eyed soul” music, Michael Bolton comes to mind. To the point that the joke among young bachelors is that listening to him is a manifestation of getting jilted or being enamoured head over heels.

Bangladesh’s national budget for FY2020 will be the first budget of the newly elected government that came to power following the election in December 2018. Hence many would like to see how the budget is going to implement the promises made in the election manifesto of the ruling party. If taken seriously, election manifesto is a document which can act as the reference point of a political party to deliver on its commitments. The election manifesto of the ruling party is quite a comprehensive document that outlines the achievements of the last 10 years and elaborates the pledges to be delivered during the next five years. Some of the important deliverables will have to be achieved through budgetary allocations.

The Least Developed Countries (LDC) group constitutes 47 countries, mostly in Africa and some in Asia (including Bangladesh), officially recognised by the United Nations (UN). Countries belonging to the group are entitled to duty-free access to developed country markets for their goods and are recognised under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as the most vulnerable countries to climate change. At the same time, they are also eligible to receive Official Development Assistance (ODA) from developed countries bilaterally as grants.

Grumpy” was her name. In the flower-filled month of May, the world’s most famous cat of the same name bid her ever-cheering audience a sad adieu. Perhaps not the best of analogies, but it highlights grumpiness in another area, that, fortunately, we can do something about.

I have been following the “smart city” conversation in Bangladesh for quite some time now. Last year I sat on a panel to discuss the topic during what was called the “smart-city week” in Dhaka. As Bangladesh urbanises rapidly, as mid-sized cities increasingly become its new urban frontier, the mayors of small towns across the country seem drawn to the idea of smart city. They frequently talk about how they are eager to transform their towns into smart cities. I myself spoke with a few mayors who sounded anxious to bring “smartness” to their towns.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has returned to power with a renewed mandate, with more seats and even more percentage of votes. Apparently, Modi’s policies have gone down well with the public as the margin of win on both the counts of number of seats and percentage of votes received, which rose by nearly 33 percent compared to 2014, shows. So, what does another five years of BJP mean for the internal politics of India and its external relationship with its neighbours and the rest of the world?

Most of us have serious reasons to worry about the future of work. The development of automation powered by robotics and Artificial Intelligence has enabled higher productivity, increased efficiency, safety, and convenience. At the same time, these technologies pose difficult questions about the larger impact of automation on jobs and wages. But perhaps we need to pay attention to another aspect of work: how we look at work is changing as well.

A little bit of rain and Gulshan Avenue becomes Gulshan River.

Since the massive exodus of Rohingyas from Rakhine to Bangladesh in 2017, a lot has been written and said about the plight of these unfortunate people. After nearly two years, it appears that the outraged world community has forgotten about this persecuted ethnic minority.

It is very apparent that President Trump is blowing hot and cold in the same breath on Iran. While one moment it seems that he has climbed down from his high horse on the Iran issue, the next moment he threatens Iran with dire consequences. His confusing stance indicates an ambiguous mind, his actions not a product of rational process of thought but of a mind pulverised by arrogance and clogged by preconceived notions about international issues, particularly Iran and the Middle East.

Last week the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) meeting was held in Geneva, Switzerland with more than 4,000 delegates from all over the world and many different stakeholders including government, UN agencies, private sector, civil society, women’s groups, indigenous peoples’ groups, youth groups, groups related to people with disabilities, and many others.