We are the 99%: From factory workers to the new working middle class

In 1886, three years after the death of Karl Marx, the May Day movement took place. Earlier, in his book Das Kapital, Marx analysed the simultaneous rise of capitalism and the development of the working class.
30 April 2022, 18:00 PM

When will we hear stories of workers’ lives truly improving?

This year’s May Day, now in its 136th year, follows the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence. Since our independence, the success of Bangladesh’s garments sector has featured repeatedly and prominently in national and international forums.
30 April 2022, 18:00 PM

A towering personality who led us courageously

I first heard about Abul Maal Abdul Muhith in the 60s when I was a young unemployed man eager for a job.
30 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Does anyone care about the jute mill workers?

At a time when the demand for jute products in the world is increasing, and new private jute mills are being established, government workers are being handed over to the private mills.
30 April 2022, 14:53 PM

Time for another non-aligned movement?

I was watching the BBC during the US’ 2003 Iraq invasion when one statement especially caught my attention.
29 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Villains or victims?

In Dhaka’s urban transport system, buses, including minibuses, employ over five million people and account for almost half of the passenger trips.
29 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Time to conduct the next household survey

The Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), last conducted in 2016, is a comprehensive national survey in Bangladesh.
28 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Let’s not pay lip service to climate change

In the last couple of months, we have been listening to discussions on how to build on the outcomes of the COP26—the 26th Conference of the Parties for climate change held in Glasgow, UK last year.
28 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Drowning: Most preventable, most neglected

In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Report on Drowning said the most recent figure on annual global drowning toll stood at 235,000, with more than 90 percent of deaths by drowning occurring in low- and middle-income countries, and with Asia carrying the highest burden.
27 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Twitterdom with a new king should worry us all

Elon Musk, a self-proclaimed free-speech absolutist and the world’s richest man, is the new king of Twitterdom.
27 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka: A Comparative Anatomy

South Asia has been one of the fastest growing regions in the modern world, driven mostly by India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
26 April 2022, 18:00 PM

What enables vulgar display of power over a playground?

I often think about all the times our kids took to the streets to ask for something—justice for their friends who were killed in road crashes or raped and brutally murdered.
26 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Fresh Churn for the Muslims of Assam

The complex web of religious and linguistic fault lines in the northeastern state of Assam in India is once again set for fresh churn, with implications for the Muslim population there.
25 April 2022, 18:00 PM

We need a robust national emergency service

At a time when everyone is talking about making the national emergency helpline service more efficient—so that more people can get
25 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Wasa water everywhere, not a drop to drink

Dhaka residents are scorched by a hot sun above their heads, their throats feeling like dry wood, and there is plenty of murky, smelly water all around, but alas!
24 April 2022, 18:00 PM

S Arabia targets a more Republican Washington

Rather than push for an immediate improvement of strained relations with the United States, Saudi Arabia appears to be looking forward to a
24 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Helmet cannot hide identity

We have become so heartless that we can now watch video of Nahid Mia getting beaten to death – without any hesitation. Once, we identify the "Helmet Gang" as killers, we reach the decision that nothing will happen to them.
24 April 2022, 10:13 AM

Why Bangladesh should worry about its economy

Given the gloomy global macro-economic outlook, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal’s assessment that Bangladesh’s macroeconomic stability is not at risk over the Russia-Ukraine crisis is questionable.
23 April 2022, 18:00 PM

Shakespeare—Our Contemporary in the Time of Coronavirus?

The question was already raised by some: Did Shakespeare write mainly for children? So-called "pop" Shakespeare criticism answered that question in the affirmative. 
22 April 2022, 18:02 PM

Make our dark world bright

I became blind when I was eight years old. Until that time, my life was full of joy and happiness; like other children my age, I played with friends, made new
22 April 2022, 18:00 PM