Bot Opinion

Bot Opinion

At 50, Bangladesh is a land of opportunities and promise

I am delighted to be returning to Bangladesh in its Golden Jubilee year, and I look forward to celebrating the tremendous achievements of the past half century with friends old and new.

3y ago

Proposed revisions in the EU-GSP scheme: Implications for Bangladesh

As is known, the current provisions of the EU’s Generalised System of preferences (EU-GSP) scheme are being revised at present in anticipation of the new scheme to be put in place as of January 1, 2024.

3y ago

What does it say about our society when a child bride sets herself on fire?

Upon reading the news headline for the incident I am about to discuss, I only felt a momentary, dull pain in my gut or thereabouts. Because while it is a shocking incident that would rob you of hope, the elements of the story are all too familiar to us all.

3y ago

Can the Great Powers avoid war?

As tensions over the Taiwan Strait mount, everyone needs to think about whether war is inevitable. Ukrainian revolutionary Leon Trotsky once said: “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.” And if we slip into war by what World War I historian Barbara Tuchman called the March of Folly, can the Great Powers step back from mutual nuclear annihilation?

3y ago

Reinvigorate efforts to end TB

The year 2020 marked a watershed in global efforts to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2030. First, it was because, by 2020, the TB-affected countries aimed to achieve the first set of “End TB” milestones: a 35 percent reduction in TB deaths, a 20 percent

3y ago

Lost home, abandoned nation: Fighting for a Bangladesh for all

I have been feeling unwell since October 13. After the mayhem in Cumilla, I knew it wouldn’t be the last. With a broken heart, my father-in-law and I, along with my son, decided to continue with our tradition of puja visits and mandap-hopping, yet we were all deeply disturbed, witnessing the carnage unravelling with a helpless rage.

3y ago

National Road Safety Day / A plea for safer travels

Today, on October 22, we celebrate National Road Safety Day. But why? Not why we care about safety—the devastating toll of accidents makes it clear why it is important—but why call it Road Safety Day? If we are using roads to travel from place to place, and we want to be able to do so safely, why not call it Safe Travels Day?

3y ago

Climate anxiety and the rights of future generations

I was around 10 when I first heard about the idea of, as it was then known, global warming and how Bangladesh will one day go underwater as sea levels rise.

3y ago

Expediting convalescent plasma availability in Bangladesh

Due to rising Covid-19 infections, the demand for convalescent plasma is rising as well, since many countries permit plasma treatment for Covid-19. Convalescent plasma collected from a recovered donor may neutralise the Covid-19 virus on an infected patient,

3y ago

Dhaka city’s unbridled expansion

Dhaka has been going through an unprecedented level of urban growth during the last five decades. As the capital of newly independent Bangladesh in 1971, Dhaka had a population of only 1.5 million, whereas it currently has an estimated population of 21.7 million.

3y ago

Sins against our rivers

Since childhood, we as Bangladeshis are sung many moving tales of how naturally blessed our country is with its multitude of rivers and other waterbodies.

3y ago

How foreign investments in digital ecosystem can catalyse a robust economy

Lesotho is a name that is unknown to most of us and doesn’t ring any bells because we know nothing about it. It’s an enclaved country within the borders of South Africa.

3y ago

Is the Asian Century Really Here?

The Covid-19 pandemic has not been the west’s finest hour. Most western governments failed to contain the deadly outbreak and the resulting economic damage effectively.

3y ago

The pandemic budget has to be based on realistic assessment

After suffering for more than a year since March 2020, when we were just about to have some respite following the decline in infection and death rates, the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has returned with greater vengeance.

3y ago

What effect will lockdown have on the apparel industry?

The Bangladesh government is set to enforce a week-long hard lockdown across the country, beginning April 14.

3y ago

Do police really need to use more powerful weapons?

Recent incidents of violence, including attacks on public establishments, seem to have unnerved our police. As a result, the Inspector General of Police has instructed senior law enforcement officials to firmly address such incidence,

3y ago

Adopting state capitalism to compete against China

Late last month, the Biden Administration unveiled a USD 2 trn infrastructure programme that aims to modernise American infrastructure.

3y ago

Bangladesh’s Covid emergency needs to be recognised as one

Bangladesh has been under lockdown since 6am April 5, 2021. This is the first time the nation is under lockdown to curb the spiralling spike in Covid-19 cases.

3y ago