July 3, 2018
Widening cracks in Europe
There is an ancient Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times”—interesting as opposed to blessed periods of peace and tranquillity. In this sense, Europe is certainly interesting these days. Its cracks are beginning to multiply and widen ominously.
April 1, 2018
Where is Putin leading Russia?
When Vladimir Putin was inaugurated in 2000 as president for his first term in office, he inherited a Russia shrunken by the collapse of the Soviet Union with an economy left in disorder by President Yeltsin. State assets had been seized by a new class of oligarchs while ordinary Russians found pensions unpaid.
March 11, 2018
Can Modi remake India?
Narendra Modi is a powerful phenomenon in Indian politics. Though he is not part of the traditional elites, either by caste or education, he has enormous energy.
March 1, 2018
Ecological havoc in Dhaka
Dhaka is faced with many direct threats to biodiversity with accelerating economic development, growing population, land grabbing, congested housing, tree felling, and vehicles emitting toxic fumes leading to extreme pollution and poor quality of life.
February 17, 2018
Can we take some pointers?
The annual budget of the central government of India is immediately preceded by an Economic Survey, designed to provide the background to the budget decisions.
November 17, 2017
America's grim reality of gun violence
On the night of October 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock, from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas, sprayed bullets at 22,000 concertgoers, killing at least 59 people and injuring more than 500 in the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
October 8, 2017
How Bangladeshis are being exploited in Maldives
Discrimination is often the transference of moral degradation to others. The Maldives presents many examples of it in its treatment of migrant workers. Take Malé's old Sultan Park, now upgraded and renamed Rasrani Bageecha.
September 11, 2017
A failed saint
To promise peaceful reconciliation and then make it impossible makes violent extremism inevitable. These words come to mind as the Rohingyas flee from Myanmar to save their lives while Suu Kyi, state counsellor and NLD leader, first remains silent and now seems to endorse ethnic cleansing.
August 24, 2017
Society at a crossroads
What is needed to reduce violence and create a more stable society?
July 29, 2017
Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Relations: Focus on comparative advantage
There is no doubt that Sri Lanka's President Sirisena's visit to Dhaka earlier this month and the 14 Agreements and MOUs signed with the Bangladesh government, mark a new and significant advance in bi-lateral ties.