THE OVERTON WINDOW
Opinion / Principles, party, power or politics?
The student movement’s ability to inspire people to stand up to a vicious oppressor was truly remarkable.
The irresponsible remarks of our responsible persons
History and ordinary people in general will remember very well what happened over the last week or so.
What options are left for us to fight unbridled corruption?
Unfortunately, all the mechanisms meant to address corruption seem to have been weakened, if not completely destroyed, one after another in recent decades.
Opinion / We need humility, not hubris, to turn the economy around
While a privileged minority, sitting in their high castles, continue to enjoy a larger and larger share of the fruits of “development,” it is becoming obvious that the vast majority are increasingly struggling.
Fear and loathing surrounding India’s election
After the first phase of voting, Modi seems to have changed his campaign strategy, focusing more on firing up BJP's Hindu base.
Should social media be our new public square?
Aside from posting, social media has become the go-to place for many to get their news, views and overall information, and for communicating them.
CAA and its effects on Indian secularism and regional stability
The Act, clearly, is a step in the wrong direction.
Roadmap for banking reforms: Old wine in a new bottle?
In February 2019, the central bank lowered the timeframe to three years from five years. And what has that achieved?
Solving the power sector’s overcapacity problem
One of the less talked-about downsides of the pandemic-induced lull has been the increasing financial stress on the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). According to a study last year by the Ohio-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis,
Issues that demand inclusion in the development debate
The reason behind the creation of the concept of Least Developed Countries (LDC) by the UN in the 1960s was to identify a set of nations whose development struggles were not solely based on their own shortcomings, but due to other structural constraints.
Our financial system is just broken
It was good to hear the High Court blasting a section of Bangladesh Bank officials for their alleged connection with financial scams involving People’s Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (PLFSL), a non-bank financial institution (or NBFI) that is now in the process of liquidation due largely to the infamous PK Halder and his associates.
Main reasons why the government’s recovery effort has fallen short
Bangladesh is no stranger to disaster management. Since independence it has dealt with numerous natural disasters as well as political unrest and overhauls.
A year when poverty increased, and so did misery
The year 2020 has been like no other in recent history. Even the biggest doomsdayers could not have predicted what was to occur, and how the Covid-19 pandemic was to derail millions, if not billions, of dreams and aspirations.
How Bangladesh can benefit from China’s economic recovery
As the nation holds its breath in anticipation of a potential second wave of Covid-19, five countries including Bangladesh have decided to strengthen sharing of information and coordination of policies and actions to cope with its probable impacts.
Covid-19 And The Economy: Where on the path to recovery are we?
The year 2020 has been a disappointment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And just one of its many downsides can be seen on the global economy which, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is set to contract by 4.9 percent in 2020—with the IMF saying in its June report that this “baseline projection rests on key assumptions about the fallout from the pandemic.”
Realities of Bangladesh-India relations
In an interview published by The Daily Star on October 27, Dr Ahsan Mansur, while discussing the recent IMF revelation that Bangladesh is set to surpass India in terms of per capita GDP, said something very interesting.
Blame the cops or blame the system?
On October 10, 33-year-old Rayhan Ahmed walked out of his house at 10 pm. At around 4:23 am, Rayhan called his mother from an unknown number and informed her that he had been picked up by the police who were holding him at Bandarbazar Police Outpost.
The elusive zero tolerance for corruption
How many times have we heard government officials and ruling party members mention that this government has a zero-tolerance policy for corruption? The answer is many, of course—that was a rhetorical question. Then why is it that corruption seems to be skyrocketing? That’s the real question.