Dhaka-Chattogram Highway: Why no feasibility study?
When policy planners undertake a major connectivity project like the Dhaka-Chattogram highway expansion, which serves as a lifeline for our exports, one would expect that they would do what reasonably well-informed policymakers in other countries do, i.e. conduct
Aramco attacks: Fuelling the fire
Fingers are being pointed at Iran for the drone attack on two major Saudi Arabian oil facilities set ablaze on September 14. While the sabre rattling picks up the tempo, and despite reassurances by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that strategic oil reserves will be deployed to stabilise the market, price of oil has shot up in the global markets.
Making the most of BRI
A daylong dialogue organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) on September 8 brought together participants from Bangladesh and some South Asian countries, as well as from China. Among them were high-level policymakers, political leaders, academics and
Donors’ interest in Rohingya crisis waning?
By all indications, yes, it is waning. Not from ours, but from the perspective of the international donor community that has been providing humanitarian support to the million or so Rohingyas stranded on Bangladeshi soil for two years now. The data speaks for itself.
Getting a rotten deal on rawhide
The recent debacle over the purchase of rawhides after Eid-ul-Azha raises some important concerns. The government had fixed the prices of rawhides of cows and buffaloes at Tk 45-50 per square foot in the capital city of Dhaka and Tk 35-40 elsewhere. The price of the rawhide of castrated goats was fixed at Tk 18-20 per square foot, while it was Tk 13-15 for that of non-castrated goats. This year, some 1 crore animals were sacrificed across the country. Forty-five percent of these animals were cows, bulls and buffaloes, according to rawhide traders.
Socio-economic impacts of the Rohingya influx
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in association with the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) and the local administration of Cox’s Bazar, unveiled the findings of a joint impact assessment study on July 25, 2019. The report titled “Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities” looks at the impact of the massive influx of Rohingyas on the host communities and how it has affected the long-term development needs of Bangladeshis living in the affected areas.
Foreign assistance boosts infrastructure development
During the five-day state visit by PM Sheikh Hasina to China on July 2-6, Bangladesh and China inked some important deals—five agreements including three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and other agreements that included investment in the power
Bringing more people under the tax net
The finance minister recently stated that it is the government’s intention to bring 10 million people under the tax net.
A quarter of Dhaka’s wetlands gone
At the end of April, at a joint conference that included Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association (BELA), Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and other groups came together to share the findings of a study spanning the last nine years on how there has been a systematic degradation of Dhaka’s overall environment to benefit business.
Illegal dam construction: The problem is not with laws but with their implementation
The lead item in the front page of The Daily Star on April 28 tells the story of a steel factory that has constructed a makeshift dam on a stream bordering the Jangal-Bashbaria reserve forest in Sitakunda.
Running out of landfills
As we urbanise at record speed, urban waste is being generated in massive quantities. The problem of course is that the two landfills serving the capital have nearly reached their limit.
A saga of non-compliance
Less than two days after the devastating fire that gutted FR Tower in Banani, city residents woke up to find the DNCC kitchen market had been burnt to the ground.
Bisramganj hospital for freedom fighters
When we look back at the war of independence, it is filled with stories of heroism on the battlefield and the war effort on the diplomatic front.
Time to improve our logistics potential
A new global report titled “Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index” unveiled a week ago ranks Bangladesh at 39th position out of 50
Chawkbazar Fire: Confusing comments may compromise findings
According to a report published in this paper on February 24, an industries ministry probe committee has claimed that it found no evidence of a chemical factory or warehouse in the vicinity of the Chawkbazar fire.
Bhasha Andolon Museum: A private initiative by a few
A little known museum sits at House 5 on Road 10 (Kazi Golam Mahboob road) of Dhanmondi residential area. It is called the Bhasha
Is affordable housing a pipedream for most of Dhaka's residents?
With a burgeoning urban population, Dhaka's residents are finding it increasingly difficult to afford housing and the demand for low-cost housing is soaring. Irteza A Khan, Managing Director, Meridien Finance & Investment Ltd, talks to Syed Mansur Hashim, Assistant Editor, The Daily Star, about why lower and lower-middle income groups in the country do not have access to permanent housing and why non-bank financial institutions are focusing on dormitory style housing for industrial workers.
How to make development inclusive
The Centre for Policy Dialogue's (CPD) recent seminar on February 10 brought together policymakers, both present and past, development practitioners and educationists and the focus of the talk was how to achieve inclusive growth.
Economic diversification key to creating new jobs
As per a report published in The Daily Star on February 4, job creation target under the government's draft report, the Seventh Five
Protein feed ban must stay
The poultry industry is keen to have the government lift the recent ban on import and sale of meat and bone meal (MBM), a protein concentrate that is used as feed for chickens.
The poverty we choose to ignore
All the focus of late has been on Bangladesh's upcoming graduation from the group of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to the
Can we live up to that ranking?
According to a new analysis published by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR), a UK-based Research firm, the country is set to become the 24th largest economy over the next 15 years.
Transhipment via India: What has changed?
As per a report published in this paper on January 7, Bangladeshi RMG shipment to Europe will be expedited with the “introduction of transhipment facility from Kolkata's Netaji International Airport on a pilot basis.”
RMG in 2018 and what lies ahead
According to a research study published by Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), the ready-made garments (RMG) sector has the potential to earn Bangladesh an additional USD 17.4 billion using its existing export capacity.
It was long overdue
Improving workers' health in the biggest sector of the economy, i.e. readymade garments (RMG) has been on the cards for some time now.
China's march towards electric vehicles
The world is still playing catch up with China when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs). According to the Forbes magazine, Chinese manufacturers produced and sold 770,000 EVs in 2017, which is a jump of about 53 percent over 2016.
We have wind for power
The American National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has found that we have potential pockets of wind that can be used to make energy.
Will the Iran sanctions work?
Last month, a flotilla of ships carrying more than 20 million barrels of Iranian oil headed off to China's north-eastern Dalian port in a bid to stave off the impending US sanctions that just came into effect on November 4.
Death by water
Four-year-old Sohel (not his real name) used to live in a small village in Sherpur. A bundle of energy, he was the apple of everyone's eyes in his family.
Moving away from coal isn't easy
Environm-entalists will disagree, but dependence on coal for energy is increasing, not decreasing in Asia. Back in the late '40s, climate change hadn't set in and economic realities dictated establishment of an industrial base at the cost of the environment in countries like China and India—major consumers of coal for energy.
How safe is the water we drink?
Seventy-five million Bangladeshis are at risk of contracting the most serious diseases because they are drinking unsafe water, where 13 percent of the populace is exposed to arsenic-poisoning.
'Greening' the RMG sector
A study recently presented at a dialogue was titled “Environmental compliance opportunities in the Bangladeshi readymade garments industry: Lessons from the green high-achievers,”
Cyber security readiness in banks
A recent survey titled “IT security of banks in Bangladesh: threats and preparedness” carried out by the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) paints a rather dismal picture of certain banks and their ability to combat cyber threats.
Who will run our energy sector?
The latest edition of Energy & Power magazine has covered a very important aspect of the country's power and energy sector.
A loan defaulting epidemic: Over two lakh privileged institutions!
The informa-tion disclosed by the finance minister in parliament this month, as a response to a question by a member of parliament, is quite an eye opener.
The allure of Europe
Last year, the international media was awash with reports that a significant number of illegal migrants headed to Europe were Bangladeshis.
Mystery of the disappearing coal
The Barapukuria coal mine debacle continues to generate considerable interest in media and not without reason.
BRT: An excellent idea gone haywire
One of the major communications projects, the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), an excellent idea that was supposed to facilitate the movement of large numbers of people with ease in and around the capital city has been in limbo for the last six years.
Recycled plastic for roads
The idea of using discarded plastic to build roads was brought to fruition by a company called VolkerWessels in 2015. But the country where roads are now being built with this new technology is India. Indeed, the man who made it possible was Dr Rajagopalan Vasudevan...
Home textile industry in the red—again!
Last year the Bangladesh Terry Towel & Linen Manufacturers & Exporters' Association (BTTLMEA) wanted the government to stop the export of cotton waste so that raw materials become available for production.
One-stop service caught in red tape
Bangladesh lags behind its peers in the region when it comes to foreign direct investment (FDI). That hardly comes as a surprise given the amount of bureaucratic red-tape hurdles a prospective investor has to surmount before launching a business operation. As pointed out in a front-page report of this paper on June 3, “an investor needs up to a year and a half to get approvals from 42 desks of different government offices for starting a business, which according to the businesses is depriving Bangladesh of the much-needed foreign direct and domestic investments.”
Seating service: Nothing more than a sham
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) had formed an eight-member committee on May 2, 2017 to submit recommendations for bringing city buses providing the so-called “seating service” under a legal framework.
Funding crunch for non-profits
Non-profit organisations (NGOs) in Bangladesh are facing a general downturn in funding according to government data.
An effective shelving of the two-state solution
With the death toll mounting to 58 last Monday thanks largely to a trigger-happy Israeli military and smiles all around Tel Aviv and Washington the two-state solution is all but dead and buried. When President Trump decided to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, all pretence of a negotiated settlement was effectively thrown out the window and what is happening in Gaza today points to a mindset that
The crippling effect of slow development
Despite interest shown by foreign investors in country-specific Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) taking steps to acquire and allot land to that effect, it appears preparatory work on most of these zones is lagging far behind schedule.
Why bother with fitness certificates?
It is a common enough sight on Dhaka roads to see policemen hailing cars and motorcycles to stop and check their papers. It is within their rights to do so. What is equally common on the roads is that while the dutiful policeman is doing his job, a dilapidated jalopy resembling a monstrosity straight out of a “Mad Max” movie gushing out big, black plumes of smoke chugging along the road pretending to be a bus
What to do about Ramadan prices?
Every year we are promised by the relevant ministry that prices of essentials will be kept within reach during the holy month of Ramadan. Since, that promise is hardly ever kept people have stopped expecting anything in this regard. The ministry of commerce had a meeting of traders, law enforcement and officials from the various government agencies and departments along with importers and traders on April 1 to better gauge what stocks should be
Leave the car in the garage
According to the latest data, Dhaka's traffic has ground to a snail's pace. 12 years ago, the average speed per hour (on Dhaka roads) for motorised vehicles was 21 kmph (kilometres per hour). Today it is 5 kmph (it has reduced 76 percent).
October 2, 2019
Dhaka-Chattogram Highway: Why no feasibility study?
When policy planners undertake a major connectivity project like the Dhaka-Chattogram highway expansion, which serves as a lifeline for our exports, one would expect that they would do what reasonably well-informed policymakers in other countries do, i.e. conduct
September 21, 2019
Aramco attacks: Fuelling the fire
Fingers are being pointed at Iran for the drone attack on two major Saudi Arabian oil facilities set ablaze on September 14. While the sabre rattling picks up the tempo, and despite reassurances by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that strategic oil reserves will be deployed to stabilise the market, price of oil has shot up in the global markets.
September 10, 2019
Making the most of BRI
A daylong dialogue organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) on September 8 brought together participants from Bangladesh and some South Asian countries, as well as from China. Among them were high-level policymakers, political leaders, academics and
September 3, 2019
Donors’ interest in Rohingya crisis waning?
By all indications, yes, it is waning. Not from ours, but from the perspective of the international donor community that has been providing humanitarian support to the million or so Rohingyas stranded on Bangladeshi soil for two years now. The data speaks for itself.
August 20, 2019
Getting a rotten deal on rawhide
The recent debacle over the purchase of rawhides after Eid-ul-Azha raises some important concerns. The government had fixed the prices of rawhides of cows and buffaloes at Tk 45-50 per square foot in the capital city of Dhaka and Tk 35-40 elsewhere. The price of the rawhide of castrated goats was fixed at Tk 18-20 per square foot, while it was Tk 13-15 for that of non-castrated goats. This year, some 1 crore animals were sacrificed across the country. Forty-five percent of these animals were cows, bulls and buffaloes, according to rawhide traders.
August 6, 2019
Socio-economic impacts of the Rohingya influx
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in association with the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) and the local administration of Cox’s Bazar, unveiled the findings of a joint impact assessment study on July 25, 2019. The report titled “Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities” looks at the impact of the massive influx of Rohingyas on the host communities and how it has affected the long-term development needs of Bangladeshis living in the affected areas.
August 4, 2019
Foreign assistance boosts infrastructure development
During the five-day state visit by PM Sheikh Hasina to China on July 2-6, Bangladesh and China inked some important deals—five agreements including three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and other agreements that included investment in the power
May 21, 2019
Bringing more people under the tax net
The finance minister recently stated that it is the government’s intention to bring 10 million people under the tax net.
May 7, 2019
A quarter of Dhaka’s wetlands gone
At the end of April, at a joint conference that included Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association (BELA), Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and other groups came together to share the findings of a study spanning the last nine years on how there has been a systematic degradation of Dhaka’s overall environment to benefit business.
April 30, 2019
Illegal dam construction: The problem is not with laws but with their implementation
The lead item in the front page of The Daily Star on April 28 tells the story of a steel factory that has constructed a makeshift dam on a stream bordering the Jangal-Bashbaria reserve forest in Sitakunda.
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