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<channel>
<title>Counterpoint &#45; : Special</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/rss/category/special</link>
<description>Counterpoint &#45; : Special</description>
<dc:language>en</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Copyright 2025 counterpoint&#45; All Rights Reserved.</dc:rights>

<item>
<title>A Legacy of Integrity</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/A-Legacy-of-Integrity</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/A-Legacy-of-Integrity</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ To those who knew him, Dr. Cookson was more than an expert -- he was a trusted voice, a mentor, and a steadfast ally. His passing is a profound loss, not only to those who had the privilege of knowing him personally, but also to Bangladesh, a country he served with dedication and genuine affection. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e878f88d617.jpg" length="34947" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:34:01 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Kamran Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Policy, Business, Academia</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>What the Bangladeshi People Want</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/what-the-bangladeshi-people-want</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/what-the-bangladeshi-people-want</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ We have long ago given up hoping that our government would do anything for us, and would be content if it simply reined in its worst excesses. As the old Bengali adage has it: We don’t want charity. Just please call off your dog. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_699168cb2da31.jpg" length="82565" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:15:46 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Bangladesh, Governance</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Emerging Markets Monitor</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/emerging-markets-monitor-803</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/emerging-markets-monitor-803</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Strait of Hormuz is in crisis, disrupting the global economy. Asia, in particular, faces a coming storm with a prolonged closure -- the Strait carries the lifeblood of Asia&#039;s economy. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d4d026936ab.jpg" length="578366" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:47:36 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Afshin Molavi</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran, USA, Strait of Hormuz</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Time for Some Tough Love</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/time-for-some-tough-love</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/time-for-some-tough-love</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Failure to act appropriately will have catastrophic consequences, sooner rather than later.  The AL had 15 years before their malgovernance caught up with them. The current government won&#039;t have 15 months. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d09d2f1f023.jpg" length="68061" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:10:34 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Fuel, Petrol, Octane. Iran War, Fuel Crisis</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A Legacy of Honour</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/a-legacy-of-honour</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/a-legacy-of-honour</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ It is truly rare for an institution to have played such a prominent role in the founding of a nation during the 1971 Liberation War. Cadet colleges were not exclusively military training schools. These were established with developing both civilian and military leadership in mind. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202603/image_870x580_69c8dac7436d9.jpg" length="75808" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:25:00 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ferdous Khan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Faujdarhat Cadet college, martyrs</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Not For One Day Only</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/not-for-one-day-only</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/not-for-one-day-only</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Respecting the rights, dignity, and freedom of women, and ensuring full equality for women in health, education, employment, and opportunity must be established as the common ground on which all political actors in Bangladesh agree. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_699168cb2da31.jpg" length="82565" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:46:47 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Women, Women&#039;s Rights</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Show Us This is a New BNP</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/show-us-this-is-a-new-bnp</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/show-us-this-is-a-new-bnp</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ There is no better way for the ruling party to signal that it understands this new reality and that recognizes that it is truly a new day in Bangladesh, and that they too have changed their spots accordingly, than for them to quietly walk back the appointment. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202603/image_870x580_69ac085f3732f.jpg" length="456572" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:17:39 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Bangladesh Bank, Governor, BNP</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Rule of Law</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/the-rule-of-law</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/the-rule-of-law</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_699ac0dc931c6.jpg" length="69074" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 14:43:10 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Law and order</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>William B Milam, a Diplomat and a Scholar</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/william-b-milam-a-diplomat-and-a-scholar</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/william-b-milam-a-diplomat-and-a-scholar</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_699a9a391f589.jpg" length="43517" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:55:54 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shamsher M. Chowdhury</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>William B Milam, tribute</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>An Open Letter to Tarique Rahman</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/An-Open-Letter-to-Tarique-Rahman</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/An-Open-Letter-to-Tarique-Rahman</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_699a9887dafaa.jpg" length="363914" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:46:54 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ashraf Ud Doula</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Tarique Rahman, BNP, Prime Minister</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The End of an Era</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-End-of-an-Era</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-End-of-an-Era</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_69969ae89dc89.jpg" length="59718" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:04:07 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jon Danilowicz</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Ambassador William Bryant Milam, Diplomat, Geopolitics</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A True Friend of Bangladesh</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Condolence-Statement</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Condolence-Statement</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Ambassador Milam&#039;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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_69969765bfd8d.jpg" length="44164" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:46:15 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Rumi Ahmed Khan and Shafiqur Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Ambassador William Bryant Milam, Diplomat, Geopolitics</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>An Open Letter to Sheikh Hasina</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/an-unsolicited-counsel-to-sheikh-hasina</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/an-unsolicited-counsel-to-sheikh-hasina</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Your legacy will now be determined not by the years you ruled, but by how you confront the consequences of those years. History punishes arrogance --  but it sometimes honours repentance ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_699301eef398f.jpg" length="45173" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:42:53 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ashraf Ud Doula</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Going Back to Normal</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/going-back-to-normal</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/going-back-to-normal</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The people of Bangladesh do not ask that the government solve all or even any of their problems. They ask only that the government not be the source of their problems and that it simply does its job without favour or fanfare. And above all, they want normalcy, they want civility, they want decency. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202602/image_870x580_6992d6b3aa99d.jpg" length="111253" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:15:59 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Normalcy, Post-Elections. Bangladesh</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Let Democracy Ring</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Let-Democracy-Ring</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Let-Democracy-Ring</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ At the end of the day, the final test of this government is not whether the referendum passes or not, but whether they have been able to hold a credible election and whether the referendum process itself was managed without a hitch. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202505/image_870x580_6818a05cf3e04.jpg" length="34484" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:02:18 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Referendum, Democracy, Elections</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Beautiful Game</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/the-beautiful-game</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/the-beautiful-game</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The time has come for us to once again turn our attention and divert our resources to a truly global world sport: football. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202601/image_870x580_697c90c7d826c.jpg" length="352975" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:08:47 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Football, Cricket, T20 World Cup, ICC</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/saying-the-quiet-part-out-loud</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/saying-the-quiet-part-out-loud</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ What this latest interview has shown is that even 18 months after the uprising that unseated them from power, the party has not changed one iota. The party remains exactly as it was prior to August 5, 2024, save for the fact that it is no longer in power. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202601/image_870x580_697318bca2370.jpg" length="56533" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:44:44 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>AL, Awami League, Interview, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Al-Jazeera</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>February 12 is Not the End</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/february-12-is-not-the-end</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/february-12-is-not-the-end</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A yes vote is only the beginning, not the end. The real work of implementation of the reform agenda is what matters. Similarly, we should not interpret a no vote to suggest that the voters are against reform or that the reform agenda dies there.  ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202505/image_870x580_6818a05cf3e04.jpg" length="34484" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 13:05:26 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Reform, February 12, Election Day, Referendum</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Let’s Bring Down the Temperature</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/lets-bring-down-the-temperature-497</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/lets-bring-down-the-temperature-497</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ We cannot let the Bangladesh-India relationship and discourse be hijacked by the hard-liners on either side of the border who favour hostility and antagonism over cordiality and cooperation. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202601/image_870x580_6963563d4d92f.jpg" length="390701" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 13:00:21 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>India, Bangladesh</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Return to Democracy</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/return-to-democracy-478</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/return-to-democracy-478</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ For the Interim Government, this election will be how their legacy is viewed by posterity. Whatever they have achieved and whatever mistakes they have made, everything will be subsumed by this election. If they are able to preside over a good election and hand over power without incident to an elected government, then they will be judged a success. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202601/image_870x580_695a46744e072.jpg" length="29157" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:46:13 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Election, Interim Government</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A Portrait in Courage</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/a-portrait-in-courage</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/a-portrait-in-courage</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ We are glad that she breathed her last a free woman, surrounded by her loved ones, and that she lived to see the end of the despotism that blighted the last years of her life.  ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202601/image_870x580_6957d692f2d18.jpg" length="184045" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2026 20:32:18 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Khaleda Zia, Begum Khaleda Zia, Death, Funeral</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The End of an Era and the Politics of Mourning</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/the-end-of-an-era-and-the-politics-of-mourning</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/the-end-of-an-era-and-the-politics-of-mourning</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ From a modest housewife to a widowed national leader who rose to the highest political office in the country, Begum Zia’s life was a testament to resilience and moral fortitude. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202601/image_870x580_6957d47fb2ccb.jpg" length="185513" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2026 20:23:12 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ashraf Ud Doula</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Begum Zia</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>My Mami, Khaleda Zia &#45;&#45; and the Strength of the Silent Anchor</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/my-mami-khaleda-zia-and-the-strength-of-the-silent-anchor</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/my-mami-khaleda-zia-and-the-strength-of-the-silent-anchor</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ But to me, she remains the woman who could slip through a military blockade as easily as she could appreciate the simple sanctuary of a family meal. She taught us that true power doesn’t come from the title you hold, but from the responsibility you carry for those you love. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_695516df66b3d.jpg" length="234603" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:30:12 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Kawsar Chowdhury</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Khaleda Zia, Begum Khaleda Zia</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A Time Travel to July 2008: Inside the Mind of a Mother</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/a-time-travel-to-july-2008-inside-the-mind-of-a-mother</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/a-time-travel-to-july-2008-inside-the-mind-of-a-mother</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ This piece was originally published on July 27, 2008, at rumiahmed.wordpress.com during a time when both sons of Begum Khaleda Zia were in detention in Dhaka and both were reportedly being tortured. Khaleda Zia was facing intense pressure to leave the country for Saudi Arabia. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_6954a5949b8dd.jpg" length="147732" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2025 10:25:33 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Rumi Ahmed</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Begum Khaleda Zia, Khaleda Zia, Death</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>To Live Long Enough To Die A Hero</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/to-live-long-enough-to-die-a-hero</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/to-live-long-enough-to-die-a-hero</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Khaleda Zia’s moral authority came not just from her political positions, but also from her very persona. She was the epitome of dignity and grace. Authenticity is a virtue in politics, something she exhibited all her political life. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_69539d46bca55.jpg" length="54043" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:39:29 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jyoti Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Khaleda Zia, Begum Khaleda Zia, Death</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Khaleda Zia: Power, Suffering and the Politics of Endurance</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/khaleda-zia-power-suffering-and-the-politics-of-endurance</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/khaleda-zia-power-suffering-and-the-politics-of-endurance</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ When the history of modern Bangladesh is eventually written with the clarity that distance allows, Khaleda Zia will not appear only as a former prime minister or as the chairperson of a major political party. She will appear as a woman who challenged inherited assumptions about power in a society unprepared for her presence. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_695383c40acee.jpg" length="30629" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:50:05 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>H.M. Nazmul Alam</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Begum Khaleda Zia, Death, Khaleda Zia</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Bangladesh&amp;apos;s Bulwark of Democracy</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/bangladeshs-bulwark-of-democracy</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/bangladeshs-bulwark-of-democracy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ She now walks the pathways of the afterlife, while we who remain must honor her legacy by continuing the struggle she led: the struggle for democracy, for justice, and for the betterment of the people of Bangladesh. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_6953637e5424d.jpg" length="314063" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:31:03 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ehteshamul Haque</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Khaleda Zia</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Long Road Home : Tarique Rahman Returns</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Long-Road-Home</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Long-Road-Home</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ He will be judged relentlessly -- by the standards set by his parents, both as leaders and as human beings. This is not merely the end of a prolonged absence abroad; it marks the closure of a painful chapter shaped more by political banishment than personal choice. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_6948f08c0fb3e.jpg" length="99292" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:39:28 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ashraf Ud Doula</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Tarique Rahman, BNP</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Looking Forward, Looking Back</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Looking-Forward%2C-Looking-Back</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Looking-Forward%2C-Looking-Back</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Debate is one thing. Disinformation is quite another. Let us have an open, honest, nuanced conversation about the Liberation War, but let us always be guided by the truth. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_6947a96c9f66d.jpg" length="101922" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:04:26 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>December 16, Liberation War, 1971</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A Bangladeshi&#45;American Story</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Meeting-a-Cousin-for-the-First-Time-in-the-United-States</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Meeting-a-Cousin-for-the-First-Time-in-the-United-States</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ I look at a black and white photo of our maternal grandmothers from the 60s, and wonder if they ever imagined their descendants would get together like this in the New World. We are continuing the journey of immigration, something that started thousands of years back for humankind. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_6943cdf050f71.jpg" length="135755" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:23:34 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tamim Choudhury</dc:creator>
<media:keywords></media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Original Sin</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Original-Sin</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Original-Sin</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ On this December 14 we should neither forgive nor forget the atrocities that were committed against the Bangladeshi people, not just on that day in 1971 but throughout the nine months of the Liberation War. Some sins are unforgivable, and December 14, 1971 is one of them. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_693e651397628.jpg" length="87794" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 07:23:30 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>December 14, 1971, Martyred Intellectuals Day, Bangladesh</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Why  Do We Need to Plan for Earthquakes?</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Earthquakes-in-Bangladesh</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Earthquakes-in-Bangladesh</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Earthquake scientists consistently warn that Bangladesh is overdue for a major earthquake. We cannot predict when it will occur -- but we can and must prepare for it. Our future depends on it. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_692fe2ee9a8d2.jpg" length="115248" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:40:21 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sirajur Rahman Khan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Dhaka, Earthquake</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Cometh the Hour</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/editorial-cometh-the-hour</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/editorial-cometh-the-hour</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ If Tarique wishes to be prime minister and lead this nation, as his mother and father did before him, then a time comes when he needs to step up and stand up, and show the nation that he too is made of the stuff of leaders. This is such a time. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202512/image_870x580_693139f5c22ea.jpg" length="38677" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:36:45 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Tarique Rahman, BNP</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>5.5 and Still Alive</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/editorial-369</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/editorial-369</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ What is needed is neither complacency nor catastrophizing, but a sober, hard-headed assessment of the threat and a realistic and tough-minded plan for how we should deal with it. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202511/image_870x580_692c01f38270b.jpg" length="122856" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2025 14:40:33 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Earthquake</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Mills of God</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/editorial-the-mills-of-god</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/editorial-the-mills-of-god</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ If anyone is in a position to claim that they have not received a full measure of justice, it is the victims and their families, and not the fugitive from Bangladeshi law contemptuously evading justice from her safe house in New Delhi. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202511/image_870x580_692410047d584.jpg" length="52003" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:49:04 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Death Penalty, ICT, Hasina Verdict</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>An Open Letter to Tarique Rahman on His Birthday</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/An-Open-Letter</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/An-Open-Letter</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ November 20, 2025 was Tarique Rahman&#039;s 60th birthday.  With elections around the corner, and the country on the cusp of transformative change, here is a well-wisher&#039;s wish-list of what he would like to see from the BNP and its leader after the February polls. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202511/image_870x580_691ed7ca25102.jpg" length="57135" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:57:18 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Subail Bin Alam</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>BNP, Tarique Rahman</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Ibrahim Traoré Experiment</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Ibrahim-Traor%C3%A9%E2%80%99s-Experiment</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Ibrahim-Traor%C3%A9%E2%80%99s-Experiment</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Can Burkina Faso reshape Africa’s politics and provide the blueprint to chart a new future for the continent? ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202511/image_870x580_691d6d2aadb36.jpg" length="103332" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:54:28 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Md. Abdullah Al Mahin</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traore, Africa, Anti-Neocolonialism</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Storm That Changed Our Political Map</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Storm-That-Changed-our-Political-Map</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Storm-That-Changed-our-Political-Map</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Bhola cyclone is primarily described as a natural disaster. That is not wrong, but the description is incomplete. It was also a political event. It helped turn anger into a project, and a project into a nation. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202511/image_870x580_6909e38ce312c.jpg" length="112558" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 17:15:04 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sultan Mehmood and Mushfiq Mobarak</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>1970, Bhola Cyclone</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Decoding the DC&#45;Dhaka Dance</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/decoding-the-dc-dhaka-dance</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/decoding-the-dc-dhaka-dance</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ All things considered, it&#039;s remarkable that Bangladesh -- by no means a US ally or top partner -- is where it is right now: In a relatively stable place with one of the most unconventional and unpredictable US administrations in recent memory. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202511/image_870x580_6907245d7c698.jpg" length="130402" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2025 15:35:01 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michael Kugelman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>United States, Washington DC, Bangladesh-US, Foreign Policy</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Burdens of History</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Burdens-of-History</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Burdens-of-History</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Charting a way forward for Bangladesh and Pakistan ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202511/image_870x580_69071cc225ad1.jpg" length="126028" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2025 09:51:59 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jon Danilowicz</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pakistan, Foreign Relations</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of the Big Apple</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Zohran-Mamdani-for-Mayor-of-the-Big-Apple</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Zohran-Mamdani-for-Mayor-of-the-Big-Apple</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ If he wins today — as looks likely — this will usher in a tectonic shift not just in US politics but also in Muslim and south Asian representation ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202511/image_870x580_690883a583afe.jpg" length="108641" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:27:58 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tamim Choudhury</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Mamdani, New York City</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Nobel, the Peacemaker, and the Paradox</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Nobel-the-Peacemaker</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Nobel-the-Peacemaker</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ When Alfred Nobel dreamed of a world united by fraternity, he did not imagine it would be governed by press releases. Yet that is what the award has become: a yearly exercise in reputation management, not reconciliation. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202510/image_870x580_6902fb2c579bf.jpg" length="73806" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Nov 2025 11:44:21 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>H.M. Nazmul Alam</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Nobel Peace Prize</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Streets of Conscience</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Streets-of-Conscience</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Streets-of-Conscience</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ How global protests shaped the Palestine narrative ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202510/image_870x580_690053e6e2353.jpg" length="105128" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:04:33 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Pial Islam</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Palestine, Gaza</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Keeping the Faith</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Reflections-on-Badruddin-Umar%E2%80%99s-Scholarly-Contributions-and-His-Limitations</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Reflections-on-Badruddin-Umar%E2%80%99s-Scholarly-Contributions-and-His-Limitations</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Badruddin Umar was a giant of Bangladeshi letters. This remembrance outlines his scholarly and intellectual contribution without glossing over his limitations, and mourns the passing of a seminal thinker and historian. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202509/image_870x580_68c9357f2dbfb.jpg" length="55298" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 08:38:24 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tanweer Akram</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Badruddin Umar</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>When Propaganda Meets Corpses: Counting the Dead of 1971</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/when-propaganda-meets-corpses-counting-the-dead-of-1971</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/when-propaganda-meets-corpses-counting-the-dead-of-1971</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Why this obsession with minimization? Because to reduce the deaths is to reduce the crime. To reduce the refugees is to erase the moral claim of independence. To dismiss the rapes is to absolve collaborators. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202508/image_870x580_68a5928a0a365.jpg" length="130479" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2025 09:17:21 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Kawsar Chowdhury</dc:creator>
<media:keywords></media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Thank you, Sister Joann</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Thank-you%2C-Sister-Joann</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Thank-you%2C-Sister-Joann</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Remembrance for a true friend of Bangladesh who spent over five decades in this country, shaping generations of girls into young women and leaving an indelible impression on them and the nation ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202508/image_870x580_688f086a4d6e5.jpg" length="412615" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 Aug 2025 06:53:33 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lubna Kabir</dc:creator>
<media:keywords></media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Death of a Local Hero</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/death-of-a-local-hero</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/death-of-a-local-hero</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ This piece was written exactly one year ago today after Abu Sayed was martyred. It was far from certain at that point that Hasina would be defeated and most believed then that she would rule until she died peacefully in her sleep decades hence. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202507/image_870x580_68765f2732f75.jpg" length="74273" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:02:27 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shafiqur Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>July 16, July Uprising, Abu Sayeed</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Adventures On A Train Ride Across Bangladesh</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/adventures-on-a-train-ride-across-bangladesh</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/adventures-on-a-train-ride-across-bangladesh</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Reflections on how Bangladesh has changed since the 1980s ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202507/image_870x580_68761d8018ae2.jpg" length="96410" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:23:28 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tamim Choudhury</dc:creator>
<media:keywords></media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Remembering the July Uprising</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/remembering-the-july-uprising</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/remembering-the-july-uprising</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Ten months on have we forgotten the supreme sacrifice made by our brothers and sisters? We can never forget. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202505/image_870x580_682ee3066716f.jpg" length="372889" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2025 08:43:04 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ridoan Mahbub</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>July Uprising</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Ataullah’s arrest won’t fix the Rohingya crisis</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/ataullahs-arrest-wont-fix-the-rohingya-crisis</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/ataullahs-arrest-wont-fix-the-rohingya-crisis</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ It is merely another performance in a long-running tragedy of control, optics, and missed opportunities for real change ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202505/image_870x580_681e03c98b2fc.jpg" length="388044" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 13:32:11 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shafiur Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Rohingya, Ataullah</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Asma Bibi&amp;apos;s harrowing journey: A tale of survival, trafficking, and courage</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/asma-bibis-harrowing-journey-a-tale-of-survival-trafficking-and-courage</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/asma-bibis-harrowing-journey-a-tale-of-survival-trafficking-and-courage</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ While much of the trafficking narrative involving Rohingya women focuses on destinations like Malaysia, Asma&#039;s story is a reminder that trafficking can take many forms and lead to various destinations ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202505/image_870x580_68199d095f13f.jpg" length="66826" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2025 04:56:37 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shafiur Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Rohingya, Trafficking</media:keywords>
</item>

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