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?
Can more laws save us from becoming a corrupt state?
By using shell companies and moving money from one account to another, Prashanta Kumar Halder laundered at least Tk 3,500 crore out of the country and is now enjoying his life in Canada.
The political fallout of August 21 grenade attack
After the fall of the Ershad government, signs of a democratic future emerged in Bangladesh in 1991. The two major political parties—AL and BNP—that came together in the anti-Ershad movement formed their separate coalitions (with smaller parties), and it appeared that Bangladesh would go down the line of a two-party parliamentarian/presidential system similar to the ones in the US, Japan and other countries.
Kajol may have been found, but justice is still missing
Over 120 days have passed since photojournalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol, also the editor of The Daily Pokkhokal, went missing after leaving his office on the evening of March 10.
How three economic impacts of Covid-19 could spell danger for Bangladesh
In mid-June, the IMF in a country focus report on Bangladesh said that the economic impact of Covid-19 has most notably been felt in three main areas: a fall in remittances; a decline in RMG exports; and a drop in domestic economic activities.
Bangladesh’s struggles with money laundering
In his address to a seminar on “National Strategy for Prevention of Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism 2019-2021” in November 2019, Finance Minister Mustafa Kamal said that it is not only that money laundering “creates macroeconomic distortion”, but it is “largely destroying our country in various ways”.
The Toxic Legacy of 1967 Six-Day War
Today, June 5, marks the 53rd anniversary of the 1967 war between Israel and its Arab neighbours Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In the six days of conflict, Israel captured the Sinai and Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Syrian Golan Heights—all of which, except for the Sinai, it still illegally occupies.
Reducing the digital divide is vital, so is producing responsible citizens
During a Joe Rogan podcast a year ago, Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and co-founder of Tesla Inc., audaciously said that many human beings alive today have already become “cyborgs”.
The different narratives ‘out there’ on how COVID-19 originated
In 1968, one of the United States’ top scientists, Dr Gordan JF MacDonald, who was a member of the President’s Science Advisory Committee and the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, wrote:
Is Bangladesh’s economy ready to withstand these external shocks?
The US Federal Reserve in a statement on March 4 warned that the coronavirus outbreak, which has already disturbed travel and access to goods worldwide, could cause further disruptions in the coming weeks.
Do we need a uniform admission test in universities?
The announce-ment on January 23 that a uniform admission test will be held for all public universities starting next year had stirred a big debate. Even university teachers seemed divided over the issue—some supported it, while others opposed.