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<title>Counterpoint &#45; Latest Posts</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/rss/latest-posts</link>
<description>Counterpoint &#45; Latest Posts</description>
<dc:language>en</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Copyright 2025 counterpoint&#45; All Rights Reserved.</dc:rights>

<item>
<title>Child Abuse, Religious Power, and the Silence of Institutions</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/child-abuse-religious-power-and-the-silence-of-institutions</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/child-abuse-religious-power-and-the-silence-of-institutions</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A society in which the “honour of the huzur” matters more than a child’s cry has not yet learned justice. A state in which poor families are afraid to seek justice has not yet learned equal protection. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e885b438499.jpg" length="90507" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:25:08 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lubna Ferdowsi</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Justice, Settlement</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Why Did Urban Planning in Dhaka Fail So Miserably?</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Why-Did-Urban-Planning-in-Dhaka-Fail-So-Miserably</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Why-Did-Urban-Planning-in-Dhaka-Fail-So-Miserably</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Disorder in Dhaka is not always accidental. It is often profitable. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e74b99f3eeb.jpg" length="110440" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:56:08 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>M.K.Aaref</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Urban Planning, Infrastructure, RAJUK</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>&amp;apos;We Wanted Liberation Through Struggle&amp;apos;</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/we-wanted-liberation-through-struggle</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/we-wanted-liberation-through-struggle</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A conversation with veteran communist leader Tipu Biswas ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:55:00 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Muhammad Asiful Basar</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Tipu Biswas, interview</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Miracle and the Squeeze</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/the-miracle-and-the-squeeze</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/the-miracle-and-the-squeeze</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ This first article in a three-part series argues that Bangladesh’s celebrated growth story was always more fragile than it looked. Now that growth is slowing and investment is yielding less, the hidden costs of that model are becoming harder to ignore. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e72a0124c8f.jpg" length="113491" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:42:14 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jamil Iqbal</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Marx, GDP, Garments</media:keywords>
</item>

<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>Why BR Ambedkar Is the Battleground for Modern India&amp;apos;s Soul</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Why-br-ambedkar-is-the-battleground-for-modern-indias-soul</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Why-br-ambedkar-is-the-battleground-for-modern-indias-soul</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Ambedkar is not simply a historical figure. He is a living political question. The Republic of India today is built on his constitutional architecture -- and is increasingly governed in ways that undermine it. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db4d28e11c0.jpg" length="74444" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:56:58 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Arman Ahmed</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>B.R. Ambedkar, history, politics, India</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Is South Asia Entering a New Cold War Without Realizing It?</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Is-south-asia-entering-a-new-cold-war-without-realizing-it</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Is-south-asia-entering-a-new-cold-war-without-realizing-it</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In this low-grade, slow-burning rivalry, silence does not equal absence. It usually means that the game has already started. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db75c135829.jpg" length="77463" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:10:13 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Md Shihab Uddin</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Beijing, Washington, South Asia, Cold War</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Rise and Fall of Anti&#45;Establishment Populism</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Anti-Establishment-Populism</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Anti-Establishment-Populism</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Whether a party is “Center-Left” or “Right-Wing” matters less to the modern voter than whether that party appears capable of breaking the system to improve the average person’s life. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e3ce39a5e15.jpg" length="466074" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:06:03 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Syed Hasibuddin Hussain</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Global Politics, Populism, Democracy, Elections, Bangladesh</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The War Against Iran May Have No Exit</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-War-Against-Iran-May-Have-No-Exit</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-War-Against-Iran-May-Have-No-Exit</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Will Iran become another forever war for the USA? ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:00:42 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shafqat Aziz</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran War, Strait of Hormuz, US-Israel</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Development Begins Where Human Potential is Nurtured</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Development-Begins-Where-Human-Potential-is-Nurtured</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Development-Begins-Where-Human-Potential-is-Nurtured</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:50:02 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>H.M. Nazmul Alam</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Aristotle, Amartya Sen, South Korea</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Not All, But Men</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Not-All%2C-But-Men</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Not-All%2C-But-Men</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e6221947f4c.jpg" length="128763" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:20:00 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shanim Tasnim</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Women, Women&#039;s Rights, Rape, Men</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A Note of Caution for BNP</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/A-Note-of-Caution</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/A-Note-of-Caution</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The party&#039;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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e615c3931ca.jpg" length="15965" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:11:08 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Asif Shahan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>BNP, Reform, Executive</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Other Nightingale</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Other-Nightingale</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Other-Nightingale</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e47fdee415a.jpg" length="44771" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:11:11 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Irfan Chowdhary</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, R.D Burman, O.P Nayyar, Tribute</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Economics of Todbir</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Economics-of-Todbir</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Economics-of-Todbir</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Lobbying fills the gaps left by these weak institutions, providing protection where enforcement is arbitrary and speed where formal systems stall. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e5e41e5fb78.jpg" length="57207" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:47:55 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Mariha Tahsin</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Lobbying, Favours, Bangladesh</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Machete and the Matchstick</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Machete-and-the-Matchstick</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Machete-and-the-Matchstick</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ When the state manages impunity, the mob manages the rest. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e0a05ed2d4f.jpg" length="421099" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:45:17 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zakir Kibria</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Bangladesh, Religious Extremism, Mob Violence, Sufism</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>What Next After Iran?</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/perplexed-world-post-iran-war</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/perplexed-world-post-iran-war</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The war will be over, and the Middle East will need massive reconstruction, necessitating a huge workforce from the underdeveloped world ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e49a3ced67a.jpg" length="80209" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:20:45 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jaglul Ahmed</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran war, middle east</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A Contingency Plan for Our Migrants</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Middle-East-on-Edge%3A-A-Contingency-Plan-for-Our-Migrants</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Middle-East-on-Edge%3A-A-Contingency-Plan-for-Our-Migrants</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69dcb2b16af6c.jpg" length="546151" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:10:36 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Md Shihab Uddin</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran War, Migrants, Middle East, Remittance</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Civilization at the Crossroads of Cosmos and Catastrophe</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Civilization-at-the-Crossroads-of-Cosmos-and-Catastrophe</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Civilization-at-the-Crossroads-of-Cosmos-and-Catastrophe</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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? ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e472c7a6c27.jpg" length="142479" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:14:47 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>H.M. Nazmul Alam</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Second World War, Persia, Utopia</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Road to Constitutional Reforms</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Road-to-Constitutional-Reforms</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Road-to-Constitutional-Reforms</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db2987af163.jpg" length="101834" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:12:19 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jaglul Ahmed</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Mimbar, Reform</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Is the US&#45;Bangladesh Trade Deal the Best We Can Do?</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/is-the-us-bangladesh-trade-deal-the-best-we-can-do</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/is-the-us-bangladesh-trade-deal-the-best-we-can-do</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e47b69d7b16.jpg" length="105556" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:52:35 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Mustafizur Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>US, Trade, Trade Deal, Tariffs</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A Budget for Bangladesh in Fragile Times</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/A-Budget-for-Bangladesh-in-Fragile-Times</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/A-Budget-for-Bangladesh-in-Fragile-Times</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69df56bea284f.jpg" length="74332" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:38:41 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Suvojit Chattopadhyay</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>BNP, Interim, World Bank</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Energy Crisis and the Imminent Rise of the Multipolar World Order</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Multipolar-World-Order</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Multipolar-World-Order</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d4e32e8d3b4.jpg" length="80159" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:54:35 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sohel Nadeem Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran, USA, Russia</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Two Wings and a Prayer</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Two-Wings-and-a-Prayer</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Two-Wings-and-a-Prayer</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69e138e60dec0.jpg" length="81939" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:35:03 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jyoti Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Bhutto, Ayub Khan, Hasina, Mujibnagar Government</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The July Order Cannot Live Outside the Constitution</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Live-Outside-the-Constitution</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Live-Outside-the-Constitution</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 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. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202603/image_870x580_69ba3ef39330a.jpg" length="342613" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:16:32 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Khan Khalid Adnan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Interim Government, Referendum, Reform, July Charter</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Bangladesh Biman and Tourism: Convert Every Passenger To A Customer</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Bangladesh-Biman-and-Tourism%3A-Convert-Every-Passenger-To-A-Customer</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Bangladesh-Biman-and-Tourism%3A-Convert-Every-Passenger-To-A-Customer</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ It is common to find opportunities from data intelligence to apply surcharges, taxes or strategic partnership or code sharing with other airlines or budget airlines for win-win operations. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d7925ecc867.jpg" length="389580" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:00:33 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jalal Mirza</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Travel, Biman Bangladesh, Tourism</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Bangladesh at a Crossroads: Confronting Corruption to Unlock Its Future</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Bangladesh-at-a-Crossroads%3A-Confronting-Corruption-to-Unlock-Its-Future</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Bangladesh-at-a-Crossroads%3A-Confronting-Corruption-to-Unlock-Its-Future</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Bangladesh has all the ingredients for success -- a dynamic private sector, a young and hardworking population, and a strategic geographic position connecting major markets. Its achievements over the past decades demonstrate what is possible when determination and policy alignment come together. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202603/image_870x580_69b01b68e9252.jpg" length="110240" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:19:05 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>A Gafur</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vietnam, Singapore, Sri Lanka</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Iran War and Beyond: Three Exiles, Three Threats, Three Ideas</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Iran-War-and-Beyond%3A-Three-Exiles%2C-Three-Threats%2C-Three-Ideas</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Iran-War-and-Beyond%3A-Three-Exiles%2C-Three-Threats%2C-Three-Ideas</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The economic man treated nature as a storehouse. The social man must learn to treat it as a home -- and eventually, as an authority. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db7085d991d.jpg" length="163786" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:00:04 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sujaul Khan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran War, Gaza, International Order, US Foreign Policy, Geopolitics, Colonialism, Global Governance</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Bad News and Good About the LNG Crisis</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/bad-news-and-good-about-the-lng-crisis</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/bad-news-and-good-about-the-lng-crisis</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The war shut down every long-term supplier in a week. But the permanent damage may not be Bangladesh’s problem. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202603/image_870x580_69b7dd63e8b5f.jpg" length="91164" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:39:24 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Taukir Aziz</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>LNG, Strait of Hormuz</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>It’s Time to End This War</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/It%E2%80%99s-Time-to-End-This-War</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/It%E2%80%99s-Time-to-End-This-War</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The US lost any foundation of protecting Iranian civilians from their government the day an American missile struck an elementary school, killing 175 individuals, most of whom were children. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69dc8f2ea06b7.jpg" length="48918" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:38:08 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tamim Choudhury</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran War, US Congress, Pentagon, Counterterrorism</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Beyond Renewal: Rethinking the Post 2026 Ganges Water Governance Framework</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Beyond-Renewal</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Beyond-Renewal</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ It is now part of the international customary law that no states are allowed to use the international watercourses even in their own territories, in such a way that would cause significant harm to other basin states or to their environment. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69dc882ecc407.jpg" length="99605" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:08:06 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Julian Rafah and Taposhi Rabeya</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>India, Farakka, Ganges, Mekong Agreement</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A User&amp;apos;s Guide to the Un&#45;Governed: The Bangladesh Lexicon</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/A-Users-Guide-to-the-Un-Governed%3A-The-Bangladesh-Lexicon</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/A-Users-Guide-to-the-Un-Governed%3A-The-Bangladesh-Lexicon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In 840, the mayor always wins. The machine keeps humming. The tenders keep flowing. But the film exists. Someone made it. Someone watched it. Someone wrote about it. And that, perhaps, is where the next story begins. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db35bc6ca62.jpg" length="57896" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:07:48 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zakir Kibria</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Loans, Corruption, Rana Plaza</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Parliament and the New Democratic Journey</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Parliament-and-the-New-Democratic-Journey</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Parliament-and-the-New-Democratic-Journey</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The hopes and dreams of the people in society like ours die in the Westminster system of parliamentary governance, which prefers to suppress the opposition under legal cover; the space for morality wanes completely. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db2987af163.jpg" length="101834" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:11:56 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jaglul Ahmed</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Hasnat Abdullah, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, Parliament</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Ceasefire That Solves Nothing</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Ceasefire-That-Solves-Nothing</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Ceasefire-That-Solves-Nothing</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ For civilians, of course, the distinction between pause and resolution may seem academic. The absence of immediate violence is a tangible relief. But from a structural perspective, the conditions that produced the war remain unchanged. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db2c11db5b2.jpg" length="102256" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:22:36 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>H.M. Nazmul Alam</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran, Israel, USA, Ceasefire</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>How Iran Won the War</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/How-Iran-won-the-War</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/How-Iran-won-the-War</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The strategic balance of the world has changed because from this point onwards. Future crises will be shaped by deterrence from multiple directions. The lesson from Iran’s victory is nothing short of a paradigm shift ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202603/image_870x580_69bb98705bc84.jpg" length="82723" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:13:27 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sohel Nadeem Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran, USA, Russia, China, Tel Aviv</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Final Nail in the Coffin</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Final-Nail-in-the-Coffin</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Final-Nail-in-the-Coffin</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Former American Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s phrase “unknown unknowns” best captures the near impossibility of predicting what comes next. That said, the ongoing Iran-United States ceasefire,  offers a brief window of opportunity to take stock: A highly precarious, at best partial, cooling-off period in a region that remains very much in turmoil. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db25edcfe51.jpg" length="73048" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 22:20:29 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Mir Aftabuddin Ahmed</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran, USA, Pakistan, Tel Aviv, Netanyahu</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>When Measles Kills Again</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/When-Measles-Kills-Again%3A-Bangladesh%E2%80%99s-Children-and-a-Crisis-of-Health-Governance</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/When-Measles-Kills-Again%3A-Bangladesh%E2%80%99s-Children-and-a-Crisis-of-Health-Governance</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Parents must trust that vaccines are available, safe, and reliably delivered and that the health system stands with them. This trust cannot be built through campaigns alone. It requires sustained community engagement, local leadership, and transparent communication. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db302abc523.jpg" length="69975" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:30:12 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Khalilur Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Measles, WHO, Vaccination</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Quiet Crisis We Keep Ignoring</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Quiet-Crisis-We-Keep-Ignoring</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Quiet-Crisis-We-Keep-Ignoring</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Universities need to fund counselling services as a genuine commitment, not a box-ticking exercise. Policymakers need to allocate budget to mental health as a first-order public health priority. The private sector needs to stop treating employee wellness as a branding exercise and start treating it as a structural responsibility. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db195d3e441.jpg" length="50963" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:40:47 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shazia Omar</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Sleep deprivation, Mental Health, Anxiety</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>In Kerman, the Past Stays Present</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/In-Kerman%2C-the-Past-Stays-Present</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/In-Kerman%2C-the-Past-Stays-Present</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ This piece marks the first in a multi-part series that seeks to place a human face on the Iranian people, moving beyond the abstractions of politics and stereotype. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d757b49d37d.jpg" length="111985" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:45:53 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zeeshan Khan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran, Persia</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Balancing Acts</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Balancing-Acts</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Balancing-Acts</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Bangladesh’s government faces a delicate balancing act. Every move in the international arena will be closely scrutinized for signs that the government is “tilting” towards one geopolitical axis or another. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69db1ee6e54af.jpg" length="65500" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 18:18:23 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jon Danilowicz</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>BNP, Tarique Rahman, Interim, India</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The J&#45;Z Show| Episode 20. Ceasefire</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-J-Z-Show-Episode-20.-Ceasefire</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-J-Z-Show-Episode-20.-Ceasefire</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In this episode of “The J-Z Show,” hosts John Danilowicz and Zafar Sobhan examine the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran—and the fragile ceasefire currently at risk. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/nO4cboVSmg8/maxresdefault.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:43:48 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zafar Sobhan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords></media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Metaphysics of Bangladeshi Democracy</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Metaphysics-of-Bangladeshi-Democracy</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/The-Metaphysics-of-Bangladeshi-Democracy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ BNP must ensure that the caretaker government system, now revived, is built to last, not as a tool of partisan advantage but as the institutional guarantee that, now and going forward, no government, can close the door on the voters&#039; right to choose their leaders. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d623f52fbee.jpg" length="86980" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:46:37 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ehteshamul Haque</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>BNP, Democracy, Caretaker Government, Presidency</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Will Dr. Zahid go after Facebook and YouTube?</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/will-dr-zahid-go-after-facebook-and-youtube</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/will-dr-zahid-go-after-facebook-and-youtube</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ He can keep the portfolio as a badge of party confidence. Or he can turn it into something rarer in our politics: A record. And if he wants that record to mean anything, he should begin by demanding answers from Facebook and YouTube. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d62266cb437.jpg" length="53143" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:42:46 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Omar Shehab</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Youtube, Facebook, Dr Zahid, child law</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Future of Reform</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/the-future-of-reform</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/the-future-of-reform</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ As a supporter of substantive reform within the political structure of this country, this dim scenario really makes me sad. And it also clarifies one thing: our failure has come from one major shortcoming -- we didn’t reach out to people. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d75af46d60d.jpg" length="69121" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:54:42 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Asif Shahan</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Reform, politics. failure, success</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Jamaat&amp;apos;s Quiet Victory</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Not-the-Headline%2C-Still-the-Plot</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Not-the-Headline%2C-Still-the-Plot</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ What Jamaat&#039;s 68 seats do is give the party institutional leverage to shape the answers to questions that matter far more than whether Bangladesh wakes up tomorrow under a theocracy. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d751ee4e5b8.jpg" length="394522" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:16:00 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Apurba Jahangir</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Jamaat, BNP, Shibir</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>Bangladesh Cannot Reach $1 Trillion by Rewarding Passivity</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/Bangladesh-Cannot-Reach-1-Trillion</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/Bangladesh-Cannot-Reach-1-Trillion</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A trillion-dollar economy requires a financial system that can recognize risk, tolerate risk, and allocate capital with intelligence. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d73b14a7176.jpg" length="85438" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:54:10 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Waseem Alim</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Bangladesh, Interest Rates, Investment Cycle</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Notes on the Ceasefire</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/notes-on-the-ceasefire</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/notes-on-the-ceasefire</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ It is a clear admission that the war failed to deliver its stated objectives. No regime change, no oil conquest, no uncontested control of the Strait of Hormuz, no elimination of Iranian nuclear capabilities without serious concessions. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d20da723333.jpg" length="58960" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:43:18 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sohel Nadeem Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Iran, USA, Strait of Hormuz, Ceasefire</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>No Time to Waste</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/no-time-to-waste</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/no-time-to-waste</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ It is striking that nearly two years after a youth led uprising that was triggered by protests about jobs, the economy is largely absent from public discourse. This may be the ultimate July betrayal of them all.  ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d72d6065cff.jpg" length="106009" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:40:08 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jyoti Rahman</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Economy</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Time Is Now Ripe For Reform</title>
<link>https://counterpointbd.com/the-time-is-now-ripe-for-reform</link>
<guid>https://counterpointbd.com/the-time-is-now-ripe-for-reform</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ I am hoping against hope that the issue of LGBT rights in Bangladesh can be viewed by most people in the country through the lenses of anti-discrimination and not through that of any special rights, and certainly not through any notions of promotion. There is nothing to promote here. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://counterpointbd.com/uploads/images/202604/image_870x580_69d78402614c7.jpg" length="207360" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:33:47 +0600</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Riaz Osmani</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>LGBT Rights, Constitutional Reform, Penal Code</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>

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