Remittance inflows are not merely a function of diaspora goodwill or seasonal rituals; they are the mirror image of confidence in the domestic market’s fairness and functionality.
A two-thirds parliamentary majority means nothing if the streets of Dhaka turn against you, as Sheikh Hasina learned. If Tarique governs with the same composure and restraint he has shown since his return, there is reason for hope. If he does not, the verdict of the streets will be swift.
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?
If Bangladesh treats artificial intelligence simply as another digital tool, it risks falling behind in a world where advantage increasingly rests on capability and commodified intelligence rather than labour alone.
Calling it fascism narrows our field of vision. It directs us toward interwar Europe -- uniforms, total mobilization, ideological conquest -- when our own trajectory resembles something different.
In the final analysis, a truly elected government is powerful not because it controls the state machinery, but because it commands the consent of the governed. That consent, however, is not permanent; it must be earned every day through performance, integrity, and humility.
We want to live in a country where the jails are not filled with innocent men and women. This is a basic measure of the probity of any government. This is the rule of law. If there is one thing that the government can deliver for the Bangladeshi people it is this.
From Victorian automata to today’s AI girlfriend apps, we have sought to mechanize intimacy, to distill love into algorithms. This musing traces that arc, using Joi as a lodestar to navigate the shadows of desire, capitalism, and digital isolation.
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
Andrew's arrest is a reminder -- imperfect, belated, incomplete -- that has sometimes been possible for a society to rebalance kinship and the law so that even the most protected men eventually face the consequences of their actions.
Only a genuine friend would share his thoughts and his words of wisdom in the larger interest of Bangladesh and its people with such clarity. William B Milam was one such friend.
Your service to the nation can only continue if your well-being is safeguarded. Ultimately, the responsibility also rests with the state’s security apparatus, particularly those entrusted with your protection. When credible threats are perceived, it becomes their duty to act decisively.
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.
Today, 18 months later, as the nation takes stock of the past and looks at the future, it is an opportunity to evaluate the performance and legacy of Muhammad Yunus and his Interim Government. The performance and work of the Interim government, despite some shortcomings, must be commended, perhaps even celebrated.
All of us who care about Bangladesh have lost a great friend and mentor and a strong voice for the country and its people. The best way we can honour his life and legacy is to continue his life’s work.
Ambassador Milam's connection to Bangladesh was not a chapter of his career -- it was a lifelong commitment. His voice was one of moral clarity in times when many chose silence. Bangladesh has lost a true friend. The cause of democracy has lost a fearless champion. His legacy will endure in the freedom he helped defend.
