Bangladesh's progress in human rights inspires cautious optimism

The new government’s decision to ratify the convention indicates a willingness to address this pressing human rights concern.
21 November 2024

Reforms that we need for the MSMEs in Bangladesh

To increase value per MSMEs, we also need to build capacity of the MSME associations.
20 November 2024

Helping street children requires a holistic, evidence-based approach

The focus of local governments should be ensuring that child protection protection services are prioritised.
20 November 2024

Trump 2.0 and the future of Bangladesh-US defence relations

The Bay of Bengal holds a great strategic value as about half of the world's container traffic passes through this region, and its seaports handle around one-third of world trade.
20 November 2024

Hundred days of hope

It’s time we started walking away from exclusionary politics and towards inclusivity.
20 November 2024

Clean toilets: A ‘luxury’ Dhaka’s vulnerable cannot afford

Dhaka's claims to metropolitan status will remain incomplete while women bear the brunt of insufficient hygienic public toilets.
19 November 2024

A thousand days since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine represents a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and an attempt to challenge the international order.
19 November 2024

Balancing inflation control and banking stability

Traditional contractionary policies may not be suitable for Bangladesh’s unique economic structure.
19 November 2024

Women should not have to struggle with a toilet crisis

On World Toilet Day 2024, it is imperative that both the government and private actors unify to create environments that support dignity, health, and productivity for all women in Bangladesh.
19 November 2024

Bread before ballots and rice before reforms

The government must recognise that when push comes to shove, the conditions of existence precede any abstract promises of progress or growth.
19 November 2024

Are we backtracking on our commitment to gender equality?

The interim government needs to quickly set an agenda that reaffirms its commitment to upholding women's rights.
18 November 2024

COP29 and the future of Bangladesh’s RMG sector

I believe COP29 holds major promise for the future of circularity and sustainability in Bangladesh’s RMG sector.
18 November 2024

Institutional reform needed for an inclusive Bangladesh

Ultimately, the battle between extractive and inclusive institutions is not just a fight over resources; it is a fight over the future direction of the country.
18 November 2024

Bangladesh must improve transparency and openness of its budget process

Given Bangladesh's performance in Open Budget Survey 2023, there is room for improvement in the country's budget process.
18 November 2024

A moment of truth for BNP

The BNP leadership’s pledge that no future head of government will abuse power or act arbitrarily must also be reflected within the party itself.
18 November 2024

Critical race theory, Euro-American pride and the genocide in Gaza

Proponents of CRT believe that racist practices are not individual or idiosyncratic, but are inherent in institutions, policies and structures of governance.
17 November 2024

Climate adaptation governance requires local voices

As the global focus shifts from merely mitigating climate change to adapting to its inevitable consequences, Bangladesh faces a survival challenge.
17 November 2024

What our RMG sector can learn from labour practices in other countries

Addressing the underlying causes of unrest and mitigating the structural issues are needed to ensure the sector's long-term viability.
17 November 2024

We must build a foundation for genuine democracy

Democracy cannot operate as a simple majority steamroller, as we also saw in the early days of our independence.
17 November 2024

Why leaders fail

Leadership failures are most apparent when decisions exacerbate inequality, suppress free expression, and sustain inefficiencies.
16 November 2024