Posts

The War Against Iran May Have No Exit

Will Iran become another forever war for the USA?

Development Begins Where Human Potential is Nurtured

In a world driven by technology and innovation, the value of human intellect far exceeds that of raw materials. Countries that fail to recognize this shift risk being trapped in cycles of dependency and underdevelopment.

Not All, But Men

Petitions are circulating now to remove these sites from search engines. Outrage is building, slowly. But it is not enough. But the real shift needs to start within us, in these awkward conversations. Stop correcting the numbers, stop making excuses and start confronting what actually happened.

A Note of Caution for BNP

The party's political and economic actions are not converging or complementing each other, and instead the party is letting its economic vision lead the governing process without considering the political consequences. This is a risky bet and may not work.

The Other Nightingale

Audiences heard something unprecedented: A female voice that did not ask permission to be happy. To a socialist India grappling with the early tremors of globalized pop culture, Asha Bhosle was the unmistakable sound of modernity.

The Economics of Todbir

Lobbying fills the gaps left by these weak institutions, providing protection where enforcement is arbitrary and speed where formal systems stall.

The Machete and the Matchstick

When the state manages impunity, the mob manages the rest.

What Next After Iran?

The war will be over, and the Middle East will need massive reconstruction, necessitating a huge workforce from the underdeveloped world

A Contingency Plan for Our Migrants

An extended war would not only upset the oil market, but could also disrupt development projects. Our workers, mainly in construction, cleaning and other blue-collar professions, are thus at high risk of mass layoffs.

Civilization at the Crossroads of Cosmos and Catastrophe

The contrast between our technological ambitions and our moral shortcomings raises an uncomfortable possibility. What if our progress is fundamentally unbalanced? What if we have mistaken the expansion of capability for the advancement of civilization?

Road to Constitutional Reforms

The country needs leaders from all political parties in parliament to be self-made men hailing from humble origins, shrewd, hardworking, ruthless, and fiercely nationalistic, capable of building a strong state and transforming society.

Is the US-Bangladesh Trade Deal the Best We Can Do?

US remains Bangladesh’s single-most important export market, major source of FDI and a key development partner. US is also a market with substantive export potentials as far as Bangladesh was concerned. Remaining engaged with the US should be the way to go forward.

A Budget for Bangladesh in Fragile Times

The BNP government has now inherited the institutional resistance it generated and will need to find a way to manouvre around it. Bangladesh will find it extremely hard to finance its development ambitions unless it significantly improves its tax collection systems and addresses the political economy of doing so.

The Energy Crisis and the Imminent Rise of the Multipolar World Order

The final irony of our current moment is that while the world watches the dramatic surface conflicts and the crises that dominate headlines and social media feeds, the deeper system is already adjusting, already adapting, already moving towards a different configuration.

Two Wings and a Prayer

55 years ago today, Pakistan as it existed then came to end as the Mujibnagar Government was formally formed. Two generations on, the peoples of the two countries share a common yearning for democracy. On both wings of the erstwhile Pakistan then, a prayer for democracy.

The July Order Cannot Live Outside the Constitution

There is a sensible way out, and it lies inside the Constitution, not outside it. If the new government wants to preserve the Reform Council model, it should table a constitutional amendment under Article 142 defining the Council’s status, powers, voting threshold, relation to Parliament, and oath.