Column
Is a global goal on adaptation possible?
At the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change made at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015, all the countries of the world agreed on a global goal on mitigation as well as setting a global goal on adaptation.
Can we make lockdown work this time around?
As the country scrambles to curb the spread of Covid-19, we will be entering yet another lockdown. The current infection rate stands at 23.86 percent, with specific regions crumbling under surmounting pressure to contain the disease.
Managing environmental resources for green growth in Bangladesh
The current pattern of global economic development is unsustainable. It is based on the extraction of natural resources and use of a carbon-intensive production and consumption system to produce goods and services for the economy.
It’s time to talk about cotton
Cotton is the lifeblood of the Bangladesh RMG industry, with our country among the world’s four largest users of this miracle fibre. The other three are China, India and Pakistan, the latter two of which also have large home textile markets.
Why can’t they get their fair share in our budget?
In Bangladesh, while the pandemic has impacted businesses of all sizes, plus life and livelihood, evidence is mounting that the enterprises that employ between 1 and 249 workers—officially the micro, small and medium enterprises—are bearing the brunt of the economic slowdown.
Street violence and gang culture 2.0
A female student of mine walked out of her dentist’s chamber at Bailey Road at around 8pm on June 7, 2021.
Have we done enough to address the problem of drug abuse?
On May 27, The Daily Star reported that detectives had claimed to have seized LSD, an extremely potent hallucinogenic drug, for the first time in the country during a raid in Dhaka.
Fighting the Delta variant: Do we have a plan?
Covid-19 cases in the country are on the rise again. While infections had seen a drop in May with the infection rate coming down to 7.91 percent on the 29th of that month, the infection rates are back on an upward trajectory: as of June 21, 2021, it stands at an alarming 19.27 percent, as reported by this daily.
Apparel industry needs a clearer strategy for donor funding
Inter-national donors have played a key role in the development of the Bangladesh economy in recent years. Many global donors have huge purse strings and are often able to fund projects that otherwise might not get off the ground.
Accountability in utilising resources is crucial for higher revenue mobilisation
The unreal target for revenue mobilisation has made the target numbers provided in the national budget unreliable and less authentic. For several years,
A Canary in the Mine
Normally, you and I would not see fairies or hear them singing. They exist in a world where we fear (or do not care) to tread (anymore). Even if we do, we will not admit it in public.
What Ails Democracy?
There is a well-grounded belief that irrespective of the state of socio-economic progress, democracy as a form of government has not been able to take firm root in many societies.
Don’t let Purbachal be a squandered opportunity
The Purbachal Residential Model Town, spanning around 6,227 acres of land, was supposed to have been an extension of Dhaka city—to support its growth momentum and accommodate its ever-growing population.
From vulnerability to resilience to prosperity
The development gains and hard-earned productivity of Bangladesh are at risk of being inverted if the 1.5 degree Celsius limit of the Paris Agreement is breached.
Shakib Al Hasan: Guilty victim of blind injustice
It is not easy to defend a cricketer who has kicked the stumps and uprooted them in successive overs in broad daylight, and that too on camera. His status as the world’s number one ODI all-rounder makes that task impossible. And yet, a diagnosis is necessary for even a terminal case.
Our industry is digitising rapidly, are we ready?
We all knew the global pandemic would change the business world in some way but, until recently, it has been difficult to pinpoint precisely how. For many of us, the past 16 months have been a fight to remain competitive above all else. Indeed, for some, it has been a fight for survival.
Recovery from the pandemic will depend on data-driven policy-making
The finance minister has recently rejected the survey findings of multiple organisations on the number of “new poor” created due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lessons, Reversals and Truth
We are living in a time of self-doubt, of suspicion, of negation, and of regret.