A Closer Look
Opinion / Unbridled corruption and a minister’s reckless comment
The ruling regime should focus less on talking and more on actions, to create a conducive environment that truly eliminates corruption.
Civil war in Myanmar: Bangladesh should revisit its national security strategy
It is high time Bangladesh revised its national security strategy and worked in close collaboration with the other key regional players.
Biman’s frustrating legacy of misadventures
That Biman is a highly corrupt institution that thrives on shameless plundering of public money is no secret.
FY2024-25 Budget / Whitening black money, raising taxes won’t fix our economic ails
These measures are a slap in the face of honest taxpayers who diligently pay taxes on their legitimate income every year.
Children must be protected from abuse and torture
We have become a society in which children have become a tool to satiate the filthy desires of the stronger
How are electrolyte drinks regulated in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has recently sued the owners of seven companies for selling five popular brands of electrolyte drink without necessary approvals.
Dhaka's toxic air: An invisible killer on the loose
Dhaka's air did not become unbreathable overnight, nor is there any instant solution to it.
Women breaking the glass ceiling? Not so much in sports
In Bangladesh, we have a long way to go in encouraging, promoting and creating a conducive ecosystem for the inclusion of more women in sports.
Pesticides, heavy metals and a healthy diet
The world today is observing World Food Day with the theme, “Healthy diet for a Zero Hunger world”, This is a worthy fight to pick, particularly for Bangladesh, a country where we are constantly assailed with news of food adulteration and contamination. The mobile court drives that fine fruit sellers and milk producers for selling contaminated products, and restaurant owners for serving unhygienic and inedible food to the customers, are a testament to the low-quality food that we are consuming day in and day out.
Rewarding delinquency
The central bank has found itself in a bit of a quandary. The bank recently gave the remittance award to 36 individuals, including a loan defaulter—a top defaulter of Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd. (BCBL)— who also happens to be a money launderer, having laundered Tk 200 crore through the bank. This tragicomic episode neatly sums up the situation of our banking sector, especially with regard to loan defaults and the treatment afforded to them.
Kurds - betrayed again
Donald Trump pulling out US forces from northeast Syria and exposing the region and its major ally—in the fight against Islamic State (IS)—the Kurds to Turkish offensive comes as no surprise given the litany of backstabbing the Kurdish people have suffered over the decades.
Let’s walk the talk of empowering our girls
Emperors and kings and even queens have traditionally aspired for boys—male heirs to the thrones, who would govern their nations in the future. Very few, if at all ever envisaged or expected their daughters to succeed them. While the birth of a boy brought joy and celebrations, the birth of a girl has often been treated with less enthusiasm.
Press freedom: Forking paths in a world of discontent
The recent protests in Egypt, sparked by the allegation of financial misappropriations by a government contractor against the country’s current president and former army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, have died down almost as soon as they came to life.
How prepared are we to fight mosquito-borne diseases?
Bangladesh is still reeling from the worst dengue outbreak in its history, even though the initial shock has passed.