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...
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 Bangladesh Bank governor on June 12 said that the emergency liquidity support of Tk 100 billion that Islami Bank Bangladesh Plc had sought would be extended soon. The central bank governor, at a post-budget briefing, has also given an assurance that depositors of the bank can withdraw their deposits at any time, noting that the Bangladesh Bank has a number of tools...
WHEAT production is facing a steady, concerning decline. Over the past decade, wheat farming has fallen to its lowest level in years while production has remained largely stuck at about 10–12 lakh tonnes despite earlier gains in productivity. In the 2024–25 financial year, the government spent Tk 224,772 million on wheat import, with costs further inflated by volatile global...
SPORTS events, in spirit, are expected to unite people, but the FIFA World Cup has become an occasion marked by division and allegations of racist and apartheid-like policies in...
THE proposal for the budget that the finance and planning minister made in the parliament on June 11 for the 2026–2027 financial year is apparently impressive. It so appears as the budget, with an...
UNREST at Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC warrants an immediate resolution not only for the sake of the bank but also of the banking sector. What is concerning is that the unrest appears to be driven more by partisan political interests than by banking considerations. The Association of Bankers, after a meeting with the Bangladesh Bank governor on June 10, expressed deep...
THE derailment of the power car of a passenger train on the Dhaka–Jamalpur route in Mymensingh on June 10, followed by the derailment of a relief train sent for recovery on the same track, exposes a disturbing level of vulnerability in railway infrastructure. The fact that both incidents occurred within hours on the same section, disrupting train communications for around...
BANGLADESH’S frontiers with both India, spanning a stretch of 4,097 kilometres, and Myanmar, spanning a stretch of 271 kilometres, have become causes for serious concern. Whilst India has pushed in people into Bangladesh and has recently stepped up such efforts, especially in the north spanning Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and in the south-west spanning Khulna...
THE alleged rape of a young mother inside Natore General Hospital on June 8 and the reported gang rape of a woman and her school-going daughter during a robbery in Cox’s Bazar on June 9 once again expose the alarming prevalence of sexual violence against women and children. The Natore incident is shocking. The woman, who was attending to her two-year-old...
DESPITE Bangladesh’s repeated assertion that it is willing to take back any of its citizens found to be residing illegally in India through established legal channels, India’s continued push-in policy has not only fuelled an escalating humanitarian crisis along the border but also placed additional strain on bilateral relations at a time when both countries have significant stakes in...