Counterpoint

Why the New Government Must Kill the Power Oligarchy to Save the Republic

Kawsar Chowdhury

By erecting solar canopies over these historic arteries, we can generate thousands of megawatts of clean energy while providing the shade necessary to preserve our water levels. Beneath these canopies, the state must build structured aquaculture systems, renting them back to local farmers.

Something appears to have gone seriously wrong with Bangladesh's election dispute process

David Bergman

The absence of any election recounts, with requests allegedly refused, will allow grievances to fester

Bangladeshis Have Chosen to Temper Government Power. And That's a Great Thing.

Whit Mason

No one can predict exactly what Bangladesh's constitutional architecture will look like by year's end. The process will be messy, contentious, and imperfect. But the direction is clear. Two-thirds of voters have chosen a path away from capricious rule toward a system where power is tempered.

From Ballots to Formation of a New Government: The Real Test of Bangladesh Begins Now

A Gafur

The election is over. The excuses must end. The post-2026 election period will be remembered either as the moment Bangladesh finally chose reform, or as another chapter of deferred responsibility.

Election is Over, Time to Focus on Priorities

Md. Rubaiyath Sarwar

It is time we moved from change is coming to change has happened. I strongly recommend to start with a small cabinet with a mix of veteran politicians, young politicians and technocrats. The scale can be extended after 6 months once the foundations are laid. A large cabinet will cause management nightmare and decisions will get obstructed.

What the EU Got Wrong About the Bangladesh Election

David Bergman

The failure of the observer mission to engage with the question of inclusiveness suggests a selective view of the elections

The Growing Gap between Degrees and Employability

H.M. Nazmul Alam

Bangladesh’s higher education story is often told as one of expansion and access. It is time to tell the other half of the story, the one about relevance, rigor and responsibility. Degrees alone do not build nations. Skills do.

Emerging Markets Monitor

Afshin Molavi

Emerging markets ETFs’ rally has been somewhat of a surprise: They own shares of companies in less-developed nations. For decades, these stocks took a backseat with investors who would rather pay up for shares of giant companies in developed nations like the U.S. But now, many factors are working in emerging markets’ favor.

Why Elections Matter for the Economy

Mahir Tajwar Khan Herok

Bangladesh has tremendous potential to grow both economically and institutionally but the growth depends on the trust that people and investors place in its institutions, and that trust is nurtured through elections that are fair, transparent, and conducted with integrity.

What It Means to Be Bangladeshi Today

Muhaimen Siddiquee

Bangladesh remains socially conservative in many ways, but voters demonstrated political moderation. Economic stability, welfare support, and social peace mattered more than ideological confrontation. The electorate did not reject religion. It rejected restriction. It did not embrace radical liberalism. It embraced balance.

Consent, Promises, and the City That Tests Them

Nafew Sajed Joy

Bangladesh has debated itself intensely this season . Now the debate shifts from imagination to implementation. Dhaka is not beyond saving. But it will not be saved by manifestos alone.

Dhaka-8 and the Politics of Trolling

Shafquat Rabbee

Trolling is hit-or-miss politics. It is unstable, often unserious, and frequently destructive to governance. But when it works, its impact is asymmetrical -- geometric, even gigantic-- compared to traditional campaigning.

What the Interim Government Gave Bangladesh

Farhana Sultana

What Dr. Yunus and his team of advisers stepped into was not a functioning state awaiting a caretaker, it was institutional wreckage requiring reconstruction.  What followed was a period of institution-building that, whatever its imperfections, deserves recognition.

An Open Letter to Barrister Zaima Rahman

Ashraf Ud Doula

Whatever path you ultimately choose, I offer you my sincere best wishes. May your journey ahead be guided by wisdom, courage, and purpose -- and may it be as smooth and fulfilling as destiny permits.

The Politics of Responsibility and Compassion

Jyoti Rahman

Every Muslim knows the phrase Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim -- the most Beneficent, the most Compassionate. Can we reorient our moral compass towards the politics of responsibility and compassion?

The House That Divides Us: Building a Nation from the Rubble of Victory

Zakir Kibria

BNP has to govern not merely as the winner of an election but as the steward of a divided nation. Jamaat-e-Islami has to act as a parliamentary opposition, not as a liberation war revision society. The international community has to support democratic consolidation, not strategic alignment.

Why Minority Safety Is Essential for Fair Elections and Democratic Bangladesh

Opshora Islam Tondra, MD. Zarif Rahman

With the election scheduled to take place in the coming days, the need to heighten and strengthen protective measures is now immediate and critical. Preventive security, early warning, and community engagement efforts must be intensified not only on polling day but throughout the pre-election and post-election period, particularly over the next month, when risks of retaliation and intimidation have historically been highest.

The Problem with the Referendum

Ryan Kabir

What we have here is selective presentation designed to secure approval through incomplete information. The ballot emphasizes what is popular; the fine print includes what is contentious.

Fixing Education Starts With Fixing How We Decide

Rubaiya Murshed

I write not to add another idea to the pile, but to argue for changing how we decide which ideas deserve the limelight. The answer lies in redesigning the system of decision-making itself -- clarifying who decides, how decisions are made, and how public money is allocated.

Too Shallow to Dive

Shanim Tasnim

I’m not against using AI, I never was. I just want you to use it cautiously. Because the more you are replacing AI with your own mind, the more it will take space in your soul. If we keep asking AI solutions for every simple problem, our mind will become too fragile to face challenges.

The Middle Eastern Job Market Is Dead

Kawsar Chowdhury

The countries that thrive in the next decade will be those that export skilled humans -- not bodies. The countries that survive will be those that build talent -- not hope for visas. And the countries that collapse will be those that cling to dead models and call it “tradition.”

Nine Reasons Jamaat Missed Its Moment

Mashrur Arefin

On the question of 1971 and apology, Jamaat’s tone was arrogant. Had they shown even minimal reconciliation, people might have celebrated August 5’s victory with them on the election day, specially given their alliance with the student movement.

Anti-India Currents Run Strong Along the Border

Jannatul Naym Pieal

The fact that Jamaat has won so many seats for the first time ever -- most of them along Indian borders -- should be a cause for concern for India. While Bangladeshis may not have embraced Islamic fundamentalism this time, anti-Indian sentiment is clearly gaining ground.

Can We Critically Look at People’s Movements?

Muhaimen Siddiquee

If states tighten control over digital spaces to prevent manipulation, how do democracies function? How do we distinguish between organic, bottom-up people’s movements and those that are partially orchestrated or externally influenced?

Emerging Markets Monitor

Afshin Molavi

Key Stories Shaping Emerging Markets: Thai Election Fuels Stock Market Rise, EM Rises as Wall Street Looks Global, The Race for Brazil Rare Earths, US-Bangladesh Trade Deal, Uber Buys Getir Stake from Mubadala

How Do We Stop Giant Corporations Taking Over Bangladesh?

Manzur Rahman

Society needs a new compact to rein in the empire of corporate giants. This is as true for Bangladesh as it is for the rest of the world. Else we will all descend into the servitude of a new feudal system headed by giant corporations and the handful of their beneficiaries.

Building Bangladesh’s Next Multi-Billion-Dollar Export Industry

Kawsar Chowdhury

The global shortage is real. The demand is guaranteed. The opportunity is enormous.

Bangladesh Chose Normal Over Revolutionary, and That Tells Us Everything

Faruq Hasan

Voters opted for political change at a moment of acute economic strain and fraying public security. They desperately want stability and tangible economic recovery. That's what they voted for. That's what they now expect to receive in return.

Democracy Day Special Biriyani: A Facebook Feed on Election Day in Bangladesh

Zakir Kibria

The polls close. One by one, the live streams flicker and die. The official pages go dormant, saving their energy for victory declarations or accusations of theft. The meme pages are quiet. The deepfake bazaar has shut its stalls. Your thumb, trained for twelve hours on a refresh-loop, finally has nothing to pull.

The Burning Temples of Bangladesh: Journalism, Culture, and Democracy at Risk

Nafew Sajed Joy

When a society burns its own newspapers, attacks its artists, and restricts freedom of thought, that fire does not stop there. It spreads to courts, classrooms, and homes. When a city burns, its temples do not survive. Our temples, culture and freedom of expression, are no longer matters of personal preference. They are matters of collective survival.

The J Z Show। Ep 15 । Md Rubaiyath Sarwar | Zafar Sobhan। Jon Danilowicz

Zafar Sobhan

The J Z Show। Ep 13 । Zafar Sobhan। Jon Danilowicz

Zafar Sobhan

Tarique Rahman's Homecoming and New Political Alignments

The J Z Show। Ep 12 । Zafar Sobhan। Jon Danilowicz

Zafar Sobhan

Hadi dead. Daily Star and Prothom Alo Attacked. What Next?

Counterpoint Generations | Ep 8

Zafar Sobhan

In Episode 8 of Counterpoint Generations, the discussion explores Bangladesh’s electoral journey from the 1970 election to the present, examining how voting behaviour, political participation, and institutions have evolved over time. The episode also addresses contemporary questions around minority voting patterns, and why opinion polls often fail to predict real outcomes. A reflective conversation on elections, uncertainty, and democratic change.

Counterpoint Generations | EP 7 | Professor Rehman Sobhan | Zafar Sobhan

Zafar Sobhan

In Episode 7 of Counterpoint Generations, Zafar Sobhan and Professor Rehman Sobhan discuss Manchester United’s recent win, revisit how their shared love for football began, and reflect on the current state of global and Bangladeshi football.

Counterpoint Generations | Episode 4

Zafar Sobhan

A timely conversation on media, culture, and power, as Professor Rehman Sobhan and Zafar Sobhan reflect on recent events shaping Bangladesh’s democratic landscape.