Where's the Problem?

There is a saying, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it!” Do we as a nation suffer from the same mindset? I am talking about the total dependence of the country on one group of commodities for its exports. Over the last two decades, we have successfully realigned our
22 August 2015, 18:00 PM

Comprehensive approach needed to address disability issues

Bangladesh has ratified the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Moreover, pursuant to constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in Article 28 of the Bangladesh Constitution, specific laws have
22 August 2015, 18:00 PM

The Evolving Threat of religious extremism

The month of August is particularly poignant and tragic in the Bangali psyche. On August 15 1975, the nation witnessed the gruesome murder of Bangabandhu, the Father of the Nation, along with most of his family members. It was a terrorist attack that was cowardly
22 August 2015, 18:00 PM

Hello mayors, we are still waiting

Do you know the five triggers for happiness? Research shows that exercise, good sleep, shorter commutes, positive relationships with
22 August 2015, 18:00 PM

Working towards a better economic future

The good news is that Bangladesh is making progress in terms of gender equality, poverty reduction and promotion of maternal and child health. The bad news is that the overall participation of women in the labour force remains at a scant 36 percent.
20 August 2015, 18:00 PM

PRIMARY EDUCATION: LEARNERS OR JUST TEST-TAKERS?

The primary education authorities – especially the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) – must be busily preparing for the Primary Education Completion Examination (PECE) or Shomaponi to be held in November.
18 August 2015, 18:00 PM

BANGLADESH'S ZAHID HASAN

Princeton University Physics Professor M. Zahid Hasan, born and brought up in Bangladesh, electrified the world of physics last month by discovering the elusive massless quasi particle, Weyl fermion, predicted 85 years earlier.
18 August 2015, 18:00 PM

The emergence of social business

Since the appearance of modern capitalism around 250 years back, the free market concept has been promoted and it has been believed that invisible hands ensure the competition in the economy and thus, it contributes to the equilibrium in the markets.
15 August 2015, 18:00 PM

Are political parties “Public Authority”?

Afrequently asked question about RTI law relates to the meaning of the term “authority”. As the Act empowers citizens to query public authorities on matters that concern or aggrieve them, there is an obvious need to understand the concept of authority under the Act.
15 August 2015, 18:00 PM

Myanmar president's palace coup

MYANMAR'S president Thein Sein has launched a palace coup within the ruling party to shore up his support and end the presidential hopes of his rival, the speaker of the lower house Thura Shwe Mann. It also comes immediately after a massive shakeup in the army
15 August 2015, 18:00 PM

Some unfinished business

No doubt Bangladesh has come a long way and resolved several outstanding bilateral issues with India. Among the major ones are the finalisation of the maritime boundary between the two countries, the transfer of the enclaves to Bangladesh as opted by the residents
15 August 2015, 18:00 PM

LUNCH AT THE RESIDENCE

Faruq (Faruq Chowdhury, former ambassador and foreign secretary) and I were on holiday from his duties as Deputy High Commissioner in London.
14 August 2015, 18:00 PM

Opinion: Bangladesh becoming safe haven for MPs!

Bangladesh appears as a safe haven for MPs of the ruling party as they tend to enjoy unlimited immunity and freedom.
13 August 2015, 07:58 AM

Highway accidents: The insane ideas

Every day as holidayers returned from home, scores died in road crashes. And this prompted the government to make some insanely funny decisions.
12 August 2015, 07:47 AM

Opinion: Is this rule of law?

Human rights leaders are blaming the long pervasive culture of impunity as one of the major reasons for the gruesome killings of children and bloggers.
10 August 2015, 09:00 AM

TO SAY OR NOT TO SAY...

In recent years, a debate has ensued as to whether one should call non-Bangalis living in Bangladesh as adivasis or “small ethnic groups” (Khudranri-gosthi, as suggested in a recent law).
8 August 2015, 18:00 PM

The business of 'othering' and 'othering' as business

Rrecently, at a talk on political stalemates at the Shilpakala Academy organised by a private university, a university student from the audience questioned the validity of my critique of the military's involvement in developing tourism in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
8 August 2015, 18:00 PM

“We must never have people standing while children are beaten and killed.”

Ruthless violence against children seems to have become a recurrent concern in today's Bangladesh. While the extent of the cruelty
8 August 2015, 18:00 PM

A roadmap for Bangladesh

As we observe the 40th anniversary of the shahadat of the father of our nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, several
8 August 2015, 18:00 PM

Possible to Actionable

The people of Bangladesh have been playing football for over 100 years. But they have not produced a globally competitive football team.
7 August 2015, 18:00 PM