Over one in every 12 households admitted to paying bribes or extortion money in the year between May 2024 and April 2025, according to a new survey.

It may feel reassuring that poverty depth remains “low.” But in Bangladesh today, that is not a comfort; it is a warning.

An election that reflects people’s choices and an elected government that carries out their mandate will show whether the hope created by the uprising will be turned into meaningful change.

As per the PPRC study, borrowing is largely being used for essentials, such as food, healthcare, and basic survival, not asset-building.

Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), discusses the upcoming national budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year with Eresh Omar Jamal of The Daily Star.