Counterpoint

The Universal Truth, Unspoken Pain, and a Call to the New Dawn

​Life is not easy, and assuming it is will only lead to trouble. Yet, there is immense strength in embracing this reality with courage.

The People are Reserving Their Judgment. For Now.

The lesson from this survey is a simple one. The government should spend this window of reserved judgment governing, and communicating clearly to the public that it is doing so. The public has made its patience conditional on visible actions, reserving judgment on results. It will not last indefinitely, and it should not be mistaken for endorsement.

Turning Bangladesh’s Energy Crisis into a Blessing

At the same time, Bangladesh is producing a growing number of university graduates who are struggling to find productive employment. Rather than treating these two problems separately, Bangladesh should connect them.

Turning Bangladesh’s Energy Crisis into a Blessing

At the same time, Bangladesh is producing a growing number of university graduates who are struggling to find productive employment. Rather than treating these two problems separately, Bangladesh should connect them.

Silent Homes, Bleeding Conscience, and the Test of Truth

Ganapati Chakraborty dedicated his life to guiding generations of students towards truth and justice. The blood of his family must not fade into just another transient headline.

The Ice Failed Upstream. The Debt is Downstream.

Nepal is owed something more substantial than sympathy and more useful than a loan charging interest on damage it did not cause. Monitoring of unstable ice and glacial lakes concerns the whole basin and should be funded on a standing basis, with hydrological data crossing borders as a matter of routine rather than negotiation.

The People are Reserving Their Judgment. For Now.

The lesson from this survey is a simple one. The government should spend this window of reserved judgment governing, and communicating clearly to the public that it is doing so. The public has made its patience conditional on visible actions, reserving judgment on results. It will not last indefinitely, and it should not be mistaken for endorsement.

The Mecca Pact is an Opportunity for Strategic Autonomy

The strongest argument for Bangladesh joining the pact is not ideological or geo-political. It is strategic and an opportunity to strengthen its security, defense capabilities, economic partnerships, and diplomatic influence, while preserving its desired goal of strategic balance.

Who Owns July’s Azadi?

July’s azadi was powerful because it was capacious. It united people who agreed on the regime they opposed but not necessarily on the republic they wished to build.

When Skills Development Fails to Create Employment

Bangladesh is training more young people, but the economy is not creating enough jobs to absorb them. The result is a growing gap between skills development and meaningful employment.

A Rate Cut Solves the Wrong Problem

Lower interest rates can reduce the cost of borrowing. They cannot repair broken credit discipline, restore depleted capital, or rebuild confidence. Monetary policy can support economic recovery only when the banking system is capable of allocating capital on commercial rather than political grounds.

Can Bangladesh Afford to Wait?

History rarely remembers institutions that made difficult decisions. It remembers institutions that made the right decisions at the right time. Bangladesh is currently going through a grand transformation in the banking sector where five scheduled Islamic banks are on the verge of being merged by the Government of Bangladesh.

The Universal Truth, Unspoken Pain, and a Call to the New Dawn

​Life is not easy, and assuming it is will only lead to trouble. Yet, there is immense strength in embracing this reality with courage.

The Growing Influence of AI on Gen Z

The future will depend not simply on how intelligent machines become, but on whether society remains committed to nurturing emotionally healthy, critically thoughtful, and socially connected human beings.

But Why Didn’t She Leave?

The woman does not remain because she is foolish. She may be trapped inside a psychologically destabilizing pattern in which exceptional moments of tenderness are interpreted as evidence that the relationship can still be saved.

Central Nepal Flood, the Day After

Satellite images show the glacial collapse on the North Face of Langtang was in Nepal itself

Islamic NATO or Anti-Iran Pact?

The military pact should not be viewed as an Islamic NATO. There are several reasons for this perspective. For one, there is no indication that a potential Indian attack on Pakistan would trigger a joint retaliation against India from all the signatories of the pact, the signature feature of NATO’s Article 5.

The Water was Never the Question

We do not have to say goodbye to fresh water because we build an AI data center. We might, however, make an entirely avoidable mistake if we approve the wrong cooling system in the wrong place, drawing the wrong water at the wrong time

When a War Thousands of Miles Away Reaches the Kitchen Table

Bangladesh cannot end the war in the Middle East. Nor can it prevent the next pandemic, commodity shock or geo-political disruption. What it can do is decide how exposed its citizens will be when the next shock arrives.

Two Mandates, One Democracy

A democracy cannot ask citizens to trust the ballot while treating one of their ballots as optional. The government received its mandate from the people. The July Charter received its mandate from the people as well. Both must be honored.

Four Murders, Two Narratives, and the Evidence in Between

Somewhere between those two narratives, Ganapati, Pritilata, Agami and Ayush risk ceasing to be four human beings and becoming evidence for somebody else’s political story.

When a War Thousands of Miles Away Reaches the Kitchen Table

Bangladesh cannot end the war in the Middle East. Nor can it prevent the next pandemic, commodity shock or geo-political disruption. What it can do is decide how exposed its citizens will be when the next shock arrives.

Two Mandates, One Democracy

A democracy cannot ask citizens to trust the ballot while treating one of their ballots as optional. The government received its mandate from the people. The July Charter received its mandate from the people as well. Both must be honored.

We're Missing the Key Point About the Pink Buses

Giving a woman a corner of the bus and giving her control of the direction of the entire bus are not the same politics. Today her passengers may be women. Tomorrow everyone may be on board.

The Role of Collagen

Collagen, a fibrous protein composed primarily of glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, is particularly important during the proliferative and remodeling phases. Without sufficient collagen synthesis, wounds may heal slowly, remain fragile, or become susceptible to infection and reopening.

The Assassination of Ziaur Rahman and its Echoes

Ziaur Rahman deserves to be remembered not as a symbol of one side of a political divide, but as a leader who, in a period of genuine national crisis, demonstrated that Bangladesh was capable of stability, economic progress, diplomatic sophistication, and democratic aspiration.

Rewriting the Narrative? RAB’s Conduct in a Nation on Edge

In July 2024, when the entire country erupted in protest, when over 1,400 lives were lost, and when Dhaka became a city under siege, RAB did not revert to familiar patterns. They did not conduct midnight raids. They did not trigger mass disappearances. Instead, they acted as a containment force. That contrast is not just noteworthy, it is historic.

The Guardian President and His Feckless Detractors

Not only did Mr. Alamgir represent a big obstacle for the right-wing network in their pursuit of power and rent but he was also a prominent face of the liberal democratic elite. He is also an obstacle in the spreading of right-wing influences within the BNP.

Bangladesh Cannot Afford to Dismiss the Warning Before Reading It

When the minister responsible for internal security dismisses a terrorism warning before reading the report, the greater concern is no longer only the warning itself, it is the state’s capacity to respond to one.

The Sheikh Mujib Paradox

To be exact about what happened and what didn't: Bangladesh was not reborn in August 2024. A country is born once. What happened in 2024 was not a second birth but a reckoning.

Bangladesh Bank Needs to Establish Policy Credibility. This is not How.

The Monetary Policy Statement was announced in the last week of June, and was almost immediately hemmed in by the circular announcing the spread cap -- a sequencing that signals incoherence. And that incoherence matters more than the actual policy. Macroeconomic policy cannot be effective in supporting growth or curbing inflation unless it is credible.

Looking Beyond LCs

Bangladesh Bank’s circular issued on June 11 represents a timely, strategic, and forward-looking shift toward the development and facilitation of alternative trade finance mechanisms.

Banking Crisis and Private Power

This piece talks about how bad loans, political patronage, and cosmetic accounting turned Bangladesh’s banks into a public crisis.

Four Murders, Two Narratives, and the Evidence in Between

Somewhere between those two narratives, Ganapati, Pritilata, Agami and Ayush risk ceasing to be four human beings and becoming evidence for somebody else’s political story.

Why Being a Woman Does Not Automatically Make Someone a Feminist

Patriarchy does not survive only because men consciously decide to oppress women. It survives because its norms can become embedded in families, institutions, communities and individual beliefs, including the beliefs of women themselves.

I Am of This Earth

A river does not recognize a border. A bird carries no passport. The wind requires no visa. Seeds do not stop at lines drawn on human maps. An elephant does not know which hill belongs to Bangladesh, which to India, which to Myanmar.

Special

Culture

Cultural Bourgeoisie | Episode 05 | The Odyssey: How the Trojan Horse Reshaped Civilizations

In Episode 05 of Cultural Bourgeoisie, Jyoti Rahman and Ehteshamul Haque explore The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s approach to bringing the ancient epic to the screen, and the lasting cultural influence of the Trojan Horse. The discussion also travels through Nolan’s recent films and some of history’s greatest novels and stories.

Counterpoint with Zafar Sobhan | Episode 09 | Md. Rubaiyath Sarwar

In Episode 09 of Counterpoint with Zafar Sobhan, Zafar Sobhan is joined by Md. Rubaiyath Sarwar to discuss Bangladesh’s first Doppler Poll. The conversation explores what the survey reveals, how its methodology and findings differ from other polls, and what the numbers tell us about public opinion.

The J-Z Show | Episode 27 |Cabinet reshuffle as the government approaches the 180 day mark.

In Episode 27 of The J-Z Show, Jon Danilowicz and Zafar Sobhan discuss the latest cabinet reshuffle as the government approaches its 180-day mark. The hosts examine the reasons behind the changes, what they signal about the government's priorities, and how the reshuffle could affect its performance in the months ahead.

The J-Z Show | Episode 27 |Cabinet reshuffle as the government approaches the 180 day mark.

In Episode 27 of The J-Z Show, Jon Danilowicz and Zafar Sobhan discuss the latest cabinet reshuffle as the government approaches its 180-day mark. The hosts examine the reasons behind the changes, what they signal about the government's priorities, and how the reshuffle could affect its performance in the months ahead.

The J-Z Show | Episode 26 |The Search for Bangladesh's Next President |One-Year Anniversary Special

Marking the one-year anniversary of The J-Z Show, Jon Danilowicz and Zafar Sobhan are joined by Dr. Rumi Ahmed Khan to assess the first six months of Bangladesh's elected government and discuss the qualities needed in the country's next President.

The J-Z Show | Episode 25 | USA Turns 250 -- Political Commemorations at Home and Abroad

Jon Danilowicz and Zafar Sobhan discuss the United States' 250th anniversary, exploring how political commemorations shape national identity, historical memory, and international perceptions in an increasingly interconnected world.

Counterpoint with Zafar Sobhan | Episode 09 | Md. Rubaiyath Sarwar

In Episode 09 of Counterpoint with Zafar Sobhan, Zafar Sobhan is joined by Md. Rubaiyath Sarwar to discuss Bangladesh’s first Doppler Poll. The conversation explores what the survey reveals, how its methodology and findings differ from other polls, and what the numbers tell us about public opinion.

Counterpoint with Zafar Sobhan | Episode 08 | Dr. Mubashar Hasan

In Episode 8 of Counterpoint with Zafar Sobhan, Zafar Sobhan is joined by Dr. Mubashar Hasan for a candid and deeply personal conversation on regional politics, international affairs, democracy, and the geopolitical challenges shaping South Asia.A powerful conversation on democracy, human rights, political memory, and the lasting impact of authoritarian repression. #Counterpoi

Counterpoint with Zafar Sobhan | Episode 07 | Shahnoor Rabbani

In this episode 07 of Counterpoint With Zafar Sobhan, host Zafar Sobhan is joined by sports commentator and founder of Shahnoor's Shot, Shahnoor Rabbani. The conversation explores the growth of sports media, the evolving football culture in Bangladesh, and the impact of digital platforms on modern sports journalism.

Counterpoint Generations | Ep 10

In Episode 10 of Counterpoint Generations, Zafar Sobhan and Professor Rehman Sobhan examine a range of pressing legal and political developments shaping Bangladesh today.

Counterpoint Generations | Ep 9

Episode 9 of Counterpoint Generations reflects on the immediate post-election landscape, examining voter participation, the formation of the new cabinet, and the institutional challenges facing the incoming government as parliament prepares to begin its term.

Counterpoint Generations | Ep 8

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.

Interview

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