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Mir Aftabuddin Ahmed

Mir Aftabuddin Ahmed is policy development officer at the City of Toronto.

Bangabhaban.jpg

What kind of president does Bangladesh need?

2 August 2026
Mohammed Shahabuddin’s less-than-ceremonious exit from the presidency allows the ruling BNP to draw a line under months of ambiguity over two issues.
2 August 2026
OP_1__Why_a_benevolent.jpg

Why a benevolent dictatorship will not succeed in Bangladesh

13 April 2026
The tendency to argue that Bangladesh needs an authoritarian leader—provided that leader is benevolent—remains a middle ground to which many retreat, especially when they believe voters lack sufficient literacy to make informed choices
13 April 2026
mark carney wins Canadian election

Canada bets on the political centre and an economist

3 May 2025
Mark Carney faces an assignment that will stretch even his crisis-tested resume.
3 May 2025
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The role of state and society in sustaining gendered violence

24 April 2025
Rape persists in Bangladesh at the scale it does because too many men believe they are superior beings and that women exist to be controlled.
24 April 2025
A reminder of the nearly unwinnable hand Yunus was dealt

A reminder of the nearly unwinnable hand Yunus was dealt

26 January 2025
A sentiment has taken root in Bangladesh: Yunus is an honest man with good intentions.
26 January 2025
The BPL anthem: A rhythm of change

The BPL anthem: A rhythm of change

5 December 2024
Bangladesh's youth rise up, fueling a cultural movement of protest and hope.
5 December 2024
op_2_7.jpg

Sustainable policy reforms demand a cultural change

5 September 2024
Dr Yunus outlined five strategic arenas for reform: the Election Commission (EC), judiciary, civil administration, security forces, and media.
5 September 2024
Bangladesh student protests and government crackdown

When rule of (no) law reigns supreme

3 August 2024
A narrative from both the government and some mass media outlets promotes a version of events that is far detached from the reality experienced
3 August 2024
polish202405271828227803_27052024_1c47_ere.jpg

An ode to our senior citizens

The notion of community upliftment will fade with the passing of Bangladesh's current cohort of senior citizens.
28 May 2024
Pakistan bats for Imran Khan

Pakistan bats for Imran Khan

Khan's clout originates from a general belief that he can do no wrong while representing Pakistan.
15 February 2024
417607_0.jpg

The plight of the Sudanese deserves our attention

Sudan needs assistance from the international community—and it needs it very quickly.
3 January 2024
reversing_the_deficit_of_hope_illustration.jpg

Reversing the deficit of hope

Hope is not just an emotion, but a quantifiable driver of decision-making.
1 November 2023
7th march speech

The fiery call for freedom

Bangabandhu did not encourage a military conflict, nor did he push the country to the brink of war in his speech.
6 March 2023
Bangladesh elections.jpg

Which path do we want to be on?

It is imperative to bring voters to conversations pertaining to the 2023 general elections.
11 January 2023
untitled_design_1.png

Why we need traditional media to survive

The role of independent media and journalism as bearers of the foundations of democratic systems, is slowly but surely diminishing.
26 October 2022
Bangladesh cricket is in shambles

Bangladesh cricket is in shambles, and BCB must answer for it

The administration and management of Bangladesh cricket at the hands of BCB is symptomatic of an unprofessional sport management system.
18 September 2022
op_2_-_transformation_of_education_beyond_words_and_tokenism_-_biplob_chakroborty.jpg

Transforming education beyond words and tokenism

Bangladesh is lagging behind its neighbours with smaller GDP sizes when it comes to education spending.
8 September 2022
The cyclical process of corruption, poor road management, ambivalence towards road safety, accidents, deaths and finally, condemnations with empty promises frustrates the entire Bangladesh.

Ambivalence towards road safety: How many deaths are too many deaths?

From what we see, read and experience, there is no accountability or oversight in the roads and highways sector.
18 August 2022
Cultivating a politically-diverse generation of leaders

Cultivating a politically-diverse generation of leaders

It is time to ensure demographic and occupational diversity across our political system.
21 July 2022
imrans-ignominious-innings.jpg

Imran’s ignominious innings

The postcolonial legacy of the Indian subcontinent is closely intertwined with frequent constitutional aberrations of an unnecessarily theatrical nature, by
8 April 2022
protest-covid-19-vaccine-canada.jpg

Your freedom ends where mine begins

There is a comprehensive global perception that Canada is a nation where relative peace, justice, stability and the rule of law are institutionalised across public life; protests, riots, violence and divisiveness are associated with their southern neighbours.
18 February 2022
international-graduates.jpg

The life of an international graduate is that of constant learning

University life is referred to as a critical turning point in one’s life. In all certainty, and in my experience, it is perhaps more than that.
17 November 2021
trudeau-canada-polls.jpg

Why is Trudeau taking Canada to the polls?

In a bid to secure a parliamentary majority and strengthen his position as Canada’s principal political architect, a confident Justin Trudeau is taking his
18 August 2021
storytelling-through-food.jpg

Storytelling through food

Bengali cuisine in its most primitive form is perhaps a paradoxical phenomenon worthy of deeper socio-cultural research.
25 July 2021
Rozina Islam

Self-censorship and the media: Where are we heading?

Fuelled by draconian legal measures and administrative harassment against seasoned Prothom Alo correspondent Rozina Islam, the journalistic community is fuming at the humiliating and hasty actions of the health ministry—and by definition, frustrated at the supposed inaction of the government and the judiciary to address what in reality, is nothing less than an embarrassing move to stop a journalist from doing her professional duty.
29 May 2021
Public university admission test

Reimagining public university admissions in Bangladesh

The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (UNDP) recently recommended the graduation of Bangladesh from its Least Developed Country (LDC) status to that of a developing country by 2026.
18 March 2021
four-day-workweek.jpg

The case for a four-day workweek

Nordic countries have earned a reputation for experimenting, and in many cases succeeding, in taking their societies beyond traditional economic systems, thereby driving them towards being progressive welfare states.
27 January 2021
2020-Development-Pathshala.jpg

The 2020 Development Pathshala: Through the lens of BEACON

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) remains the prima facie directional narrative for our collective progression towards a more equitable economy—both at home and abroad.
28 December 2020

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