M Abul Kalam Azad

Lot of actions, little result!

Hold meetings, make decisions and then forget all about them. This has been the practice of successive governments regarding road safety in the past three decades. Since the mid-80s, each government has undertaken numerous initiatives to reduce road crashes, but they are gathering dust at the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry.

6y ago

Civil Service Reform Plans: Doomed all along

All the successive governments made moves to reform the civil service but none of them brought about the much-needed changes due to lack of political will and resistance from a section of bureaucrats.

6y ago

Effective yet ignored

Traffic from Banasree, Badda, Rampura, and Hatirjheel used to converge on Pragati Sarani near Rampura TV station and it was a messy affair. Commuters previously feared the intersection but now a cheap U-loop has made a huge difference.

6y ago

Quota in Govt Jobs: Too complex a system

The quota system in Bangladesh civil service is extremely complex and cannot be implemented ensuring proportionate representation of all sections of the society, according to two former top bureaucrats of the country.

6y ago

Diary of a young radical

Since the emergence of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in mid-2014, the brutal ideology of the militant outfit has ensnared hundreds of young Bangladeshis, like it has brainwashed youth from across the globe.

6y ago

3 Major Bridges by Early Next Year: Dhaka-Ctg highway awaits relief

Opening of three new bridges on the Shitalakkhya, Meghna and Gumti rivers will reduce bottlenecks on Dhaka-Chittagong highway early next year.

6y ago

4-Lane Dhaka-Ctg Highway: Up for mending all too soon

RHD engineers and ministry officials who were involved with the project now squarely blame overloaded vehicles for the condition of the highway, known as the economic lifeline of Bangladesh. This highway is responsible for carrying 90 percent of the export and import volume.

6y ago

Traffic's trial with remotes

City authorities have tried out a host of “solutions” to control chaotic traffic over the decades. The result? All the money went down the drain and the situation turned from bad to worse.

6y ago
November 17, 2017
November 17, 2017

The militant money maker

The man takes different names but introduces himself as an automobile trader to all. He lures people into buying vehicles at prices far lower than the market rate, citing special connections with the custom officials at Chittagong Port.

August 24, 2017
August 24, 2017

This also happens

When all major infrastructure projects are facing delays and cost escalation, the venture to build three new bridges on the Shitalakkhya, Meghna and Gumti rivers is making good progress. All of them are expected to be completed by the December 2018 deadline, and setting an example, will cost less than what was estimated in the development project proforma (DPP).

August 20, 2017
August 20, 2017

Moon Ride on the cards

Excessive rains and flooding twice in just four months have left most of the roads in a miserable state, which could make people's journey home for Eid-ul-Azha a nightmare. If rain continues and the flood situation doesn't improve shortly, the road networks will be further damaged, compounding woes of travellers. Many roads are currently under floodwater.

August 3, 2017
August 3, 2017

Charged with murder, blessed with impunity

Tufan Sarkar his three brothers and nine of their men, killed Imran at his home in Bogra town's Chaksutrapur Modhyapara area in

August 1, 2017
August 1, 2017

Crime, politics meet to fetch him a fortune

It is apparently the criminalised politics of our country that made it all possible. A high school dropout became a millionaire and one of the most notorious figures in Bogra just in a decade.

August 1, 2017
August 1, 2017

Tufan admits rape: police

Suspended Sramik League leader Tufan Sarkar has admitted raping the Bogra college girl after promising that he would marry her, police said.

July 16, 2017
July 16, 2017

He is India's worry too

Sohel Mahfuz, who had worked for about five years from 2009 to set up an extremist network in India's West Bengal, was planning to expand the activities of IS-inspired militant group “Neo JMB” to the neighbouring country.

July 8, 2017
July 8, 2017

The price of complacency

The authorities' total denial of IS presence will not help. Whatever the reason behind the refusal—political or tactical—it is undermining gravity of the problem. The denial coupled with the complacency may again create ground for re-emergence of extremism.

June 30, 2017
June 30, 2017

Combating Extremism: Still relying mostly on force

When countries across the globe have multi-pronged approach to tackle militancy and extremism, Bangladesh is still relying on the use of force.

June 2, 2017
June 2, 2017

Go slowly, get costly

Be it construction of a road, a sea port or a power plant, almost all projects go through delays and cost escalations, a problem that