THE draft amendment to the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2004 raises serious concerns about the autonomy and the future of the country’s anti-corruption watchdog. Instead of strengthening an institution that has for long struggled with political interference, the proposed changes appear designed to weaken its independence further and place it under greater...
In today’s hyperconnected world, cybersecurity has evolved from a technical concern into a core element of national security and strategic capability. Nations are no longer judged solely by economic or military strength, but also by their ability to defend digital infrastructure, protect sensitive data and respond effectively to cyber threats. As governments, financial...
FOR years, national education policies have suffered from the absence of a coherent, long-term vision. The education minister’s recent comments indicate that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government is more inclined to go with the wind than to undertake the policy shift needed to address the sector’s structural challenges. While addressing a workshop on the...
THE Education Sector Analysis 2026, presented by UNICEF, lays bare a learning crisis that threatens to undermine the country’s development ambitions. The findings are particularly alarming because they reveal that increased access to education has not translated into meaningful learning outcomes. Only half of children aged 7–14 possess foundational reading...
THE proposed budget for the 2026–27 financial year is impressive by almost any numerical measures. At Tk 9.38 trillion, it is the largest budget in Bangladesh’s history. Allocations for education and health care have reached unprecedented levels. Social protection programmes have expanded. Tax relief has been offered on a range of essential commodities. Support has been promised for entrepreneurs, freelancers, exporters and vulnerable groups...
EXTREME heat is rapidly becoming one of Bangladesh’s most serious but least acknowledged climate threats. In April 2024, temperatures in parts of the country crossed 42°C during one of the longest and most intense heatwaves on record, forcing school closures and disrupting daily life on a wide scale. The event made clear that extreme heat is no longer an occasional...
THIS happened a decade ago. The chair of the department where I studied at the University of Dhaka in the early 1990s invited me, along with others, to an exchange of views on the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project, officially HEQEP but jokingly ‘hiccup’ even to many university teachers. The University Grants Commission project, which the World Bank funded, was meant to upgrade university teaching, research and institutional facilities...
MORE than 15 years after his death, Michael Jackson remains one of the most recognisable cultural figures on the planet. New artists continue to dominate charts, social media produces celebrities at unprecedented speed and digital platforms constantly reshape popular culture. Yet Jackson’s influence endures in ways that extend far beyond music. His title as the “King of Pop” survives because he fundamentally changed how entertainment is communicated, consumed and remembered...
INDIA’S continued push-in strategy along the Bangladesh border reflects a blatant violation of both domestic and international laws and a dangerous departure from the principles that should govern relations between neighbouring countries. Especially alarming is the forced transfer of the Rohingyas registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in...
DEATH in road accidents is tragic case of systemic indifference and failure of successive governments. The Passengers Welfare Association of Bangladesh reports a shocking death toll and injuries on the road in May. In a monthly report, the organisation said that at least 622 people were killed and 1,652 others injured in 613 accidents in May. On May 26, at least 15 people...
THE people of Bangladesh are all too familiar with the deceptive nature of sugar-coated political manifestos, which remain in discussion up until election time and are only to be shelved the moment a party takes office after the election, replaced by policies that often turn out to be deeply anti-people. In a country where commerce, industry, and governance are...
