The Real Test for Bangladesh’s New Government
Political criticism will persist, that is the nature of democracy. But a government that governs through law, accountability, and judicial independence will find that criticism becomes manageable, trust becomes durable, and stability becomes achievable.
The Strait That Can Pinch Dhaka Hard
For Bangladesh, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would not represent a diplomatic crisis with Tehran. It would represent a market crisis. The country’s exposure lies in its increasing dependence on globally traded LNG without deep diversification, strategic reserves, or substantial domestic alternatives.
A Majority Government without a Majority Mandate
The purpose of this article is not to belittle BNP’s victory in the 2026 election. The purpose is to peel the layers of statistics to get to the ground truth and what we can infer from them with reasonable confidence.
A Mandate Won. Trust Now at Risk.
This government came to power with a democratic mandate. But it risks squandering it. City administrations must look neutral. International crimes prosecutions must feel independent. And the central bank must signal credibility beyond politics.
Why the New Governor Won't Work
When it comes to the central bank governor, optics are everything. If he is perceived to be the government's man, then no one will have the necessary faith in him, and he will fail before he even starts.
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
If the BNP's goal had been to signal to the Bangladeshi people that everything their adversaries say about them is true, that nothing has changed from the time they were last in office 20 years ago, that they remain exactly the same party of cronyism, corruption, and contempt for public opinion, they could not have done a better job.
The Real Test for Bangladesh’s New Government
Political criticism will persist, that is the nature of democracy. But a government that governs through law, accountability, and judicial independence will find that criticism becomes manageable, trust becomes durable, and stability becomes achievable.
A Majority Government without a Majority Mandate
The purpose of this article is not to belittle BNP’s victory in the 2026 election. The purpose is to peel the layers of statistics to get to the ground truth and what we can infer from them with reasonable confidence.
What did February 12 Tell Us?
The immediate challenge before Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is to slow down the gyration of the turning wheel and to set us on a straight path. To assess such possibilities we need to clearly understand the political lessons from the recent elections and to explore the pitfalls which lie ahead.
The Strait That Can Pinch Dhaka Hard
For Bangladesh, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would not represent a diplomatic crisis with Tehran. It would represent a market crisis. The country’s exposure lies in its increasing dependence on globally traded LNG without deep diversification, strategic reserves, or substantial domestic alternatives.
Why Bangladesh Must Unleash its Economy Now
You cannot have a stable nation where the youth are unemployed and the factories are silent. Stability built on silence is an illusion.
The Architecture of the Global Knowledge Economy
The central question is no longer whether knowledge matters. It is who governs its movement, who benefits from its creation, and whether emerging economies will remain sites of extraction in a global knowledge marketplace or become sovereign producers within it.
The Dead Will Be Watching
One institution will carry three kinds of weight at once: The grief of a country that has buried its young; the fragile hope that it can still build rules stronger than instinct; and the scrutiny of a world deciding what kind of Bangladesh it must now learn to live with.
They Knew
Who is the Facebook or Instagram of this era? Which AI platforms are being deployed into children’s bedrooms, classrooms and social lives without full transparency about internal research? Which companies are already measuring how certain prompts, filters or recommendation engines affect adolescent self-image, loneliness, or compulsive use?
Epstein, Redactions, and the Theatre of Accountability
The Epstein files test a basic democratic claim: That no one is above the law. If the outcome is curated transparency, where victims are exposed and the influential are obscured, the test will have been failed. If the outcome is a victim-centred process, the files might finally serve the purpose they were invoked to serve
What the Interim Government Gave Bangladesh
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
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
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?
