Long-Form

The Reform Reality Check

It is all very well to chart out a pathway to reform, but it is in the implementation that the wheels hit the road, and it is here that the process lacks clarity and cohesion.

Understanding Bangladesh’s Post-Uprising Reality

The constrained authority of the interim government, disparate power centers, and a crisis of accountability have all led to the unique challenges facing the nation today and that the incoming government will inherit

Khaleda Zia and the Hardest Revolution of All

Not the overthrow of dictators, but the revolution of humility, compassion, and forgiveness. A lesson Bangladesh has never practiced, but one leader showed us how it is done.

Soundtrack for the Apocalypse: A Dhaka Gridlock Playlist

You can't defeat Dhaka traffic. But these tunes can minimize your pain.

Subaltern Women and the Islamic Feminist Turn

It's time to rethink the representation and rights of women in Bangladesh. Should elite secular feminism neglect to recognize and engage with Islamic feminist frameworks, it risks irrelevance or worse.

Clutching at Straws: Who Should be Deemed Electable in the New Bangladesh?

At the very least, the people of Bangladesh should be able to keep the criminal, the corrupt, and the compromised from running in the upcoming elections

When Bangladesh’s Demographic Dividend Turns Into a Curse

The demographic dividend is not destiny -- it’s a choice. Bangladesh has 15 years to act, but  the window shrinks daily. Without a bold vision, this youth bulge could ignite unrest rather than prosperity, echoing the Arab Spring’s unfulfilled promise.  

What Bangladesh Can Learn from Dr. Jane Goodall

Her warning that humanity has only a narrow window to reverse the degradation of Earth’s life-support systems, and that unless societies change their ways of living and their overall strategy for economic development, civilization will run out of time, is especially relevant to Bangladesh

What the Innovision Poll Says and What It Doesn't

Everything you wanted to know about the PEPS survey. A closer reading of the survey's findings unearths a treasure trove of information for the political parties and the general public. Too many commentators have only looked at the surface, hence they are missing the true insights.

In Defence of the Word Unspoken

Societies that silence dissent eventually silence innovation, justice, and even hope. The cemetery of nations is filled not with those who spoke too much, but with those who spoke too little.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and Everything in Between

Bangladesh’s interim government under Muhammad Yunus is driving bold reforms and prosecuting Sheikh Hasina in exile, but rising violence and political rifts threaten stability. The 2026 election will decide whether this upheaval delivers real democratic change or deeper turmoil.

The Collapse of Authority in an Age of Broken Trust

The greatest danger of our age is not simply that authority will be rejected, but that authority itself will lose all legitimacy, leaving nothing in its place but the law of the jungle

Revisiting 1971: Divergent Histories and the Responsibility of Re-reading

1971 is not only the history of a time; it is the foundation of our national identity, which must constantly be re-read, understood, and preserved. Re-reading the Liberation War of 1971 in the context of the current times and its challenges is the need of the hour.

The High Stakes of Tarique Rahman’s Political Absence

His prolonged stay in the UK is now the defining issue for the country’s opposition politics. His potential return could reshape public perception, reinvigorate the BNP, and alter the national political equilibrium.

The Road to Net-Zero

The important global choice is whether to focus first on the most efficient policies to tackle the world’s most urgent problems of disease, hunger, and poverty, or on the climate concerns of the world’s rich. The world’s poor need billions for health, nutrition and growth, not trillions for inefficient gestures.

The Political Landscape Facing BNP

The BNP has an opportunity now to define itself and set the direction of the country for years to come. But it must present itself as the party of the ordinary Bangladeshi, and especially those from 35-60 who will shape the country's immediate future.