On this day, Bangladesh did not yet know what it would become. It only knew what it had endured. The newspapers recorded surrender, denial, diplomacy, return, and rebirth. The people carried something else entirely -- a heavy, wordless knowledge of survival. That knowledge, more than any headline, is what remains.
Responsibility for earthquake and tectonic matters should logically rest with the Geological Survey of Bangladesh. What scientists can do is identify risk zones and recommend safer building practices.
During the Mughal and Maratha eras, the official in charge of grain supplies and rations for royal households or armies was called the Modi. The storeroom where provisions were kept? The Modikhana: Modi plus Khana, the Persian word for house or room.
Bangladesh needs to develop a national security strategy that forms the basis for decisions on the investments that will be needed to properly train and equip civilian law enforcement agencies, who need to be depoliticized and professionalized, as well as the country’s armed forces.
We need laws that protect us from genuine harm without imprisoning our sense of humour, and platforms accountable to local contexts. Most of all, we must remember that the ability to laugh at power -- cleverly and without fear -- is not a Western import. It is a homegrown, centuries-old Bengali tradition.
A trustworthy opinion poll requires a trustworthy method: the right questions, a sample that reflects the country’s diversity, strict data verification, and transparency about what the poll can and cannot reveal. Without these basics, no amount of promotion or visual appeal can turn a weak survey into meaningful data.
Too much of Bangladesh’s politics still focuses on history while its citizens repeatedly indicate that they are more interested in what will happen to the country in the coming years
Without accountability, restraint, and a genuine recommitment to Palestinian sovereignty, the truce will remain a mirage -- and peace a far cry
The activities of the last few days are dissipating the election-centric uncertainty. It is also clear from the behavior and actions of the political parties that they are taking the upcoming election seriously. Each party will make the utmost effort to earn the people's mandate according to its capacity. This is the biggest positive signal.
On one side: growing inequality; on the other: a deep feeling of elite-people divide; and in the middle: optimism that the future can still be changed. When these three things come together, they create the classic soil for populism.
As Bangladesh embraces digital credit, scammers and unregulated apps are turning instant loans into instruments of fear -- exposing a system moving faster than its laws.
Khaleda Zia’s mixed record of democratic contribution, confrontation-driven politics and unresolved party succession continues to influence the country’s search for renewed leadership
Too many young people complete the school years without the skills they need, families are financially squeezed, and the system still treats education more like fee collection than nation-building.
The average citizen is no longer buying the old nationalistic slogans. They are tired of inefficiency, corruption, and delay. They have reached a pragmatic conclusion: they do not care who owns the cranes; they care about how fast the ships turn around.
Bangladesh’s post-Hasina politics is marked by a fierce contest between old elites and rising aspirants vying to fill newly opened power spaces. This debate is simply one front in this broader elite struggle reshaping the country’s political future.
The sooner our politics and our voters align with this demand for structural change, the sooner Bangladesh's power structure reforms will begin their sustainable journey. Mamdani's victory kindles our hope that in the near future people-oriented politics will also shine in our land.
