Little cushion for people against inflation
In April, the inflation rate in Bangladesh stood at 9.24 percent. And for some, this economic term has become an issue for deliberation in brightly-lit air-conditioned conference rooms.
1d ago
Blogging in Bangladesh: Caught between a rock and a hard place
"On one hand, there was a fear of being the target of machete attacks while there were laws like the ICT Act. We were sandwiched in between. "
New textbooks, same old errors
The mistakes in textbooks have triggered a barrage of criticism on social media.
Metro rail opens to public
Jannatul Afrin’s excitement was palpable as the train was approaching the platform at Uttara North Station at 8 in the morning.
‘Can't believe metro rail journey was so smooth, fast’
Twelve-year-old Imam Hasan Eyaad was over the moon after taking his first-ever ride in the metro rail this morning.."It's very exciting. (I) can't believe that the journey was so smooth and fast," Eyaad exclaimed after reaching Agargaon station at 10:15am. "It was my first metro trip," he
Metro dream rolls into reality
At precisely 1:38pm came the glorious moment. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina waved the green flag and the country’s first-ever metro began to roll, marking a major leap in the Bangladesh’s transport sector.
Metro moment is finally here
Bangladesh enters a new era in communication today with the launch of its first metro rail, promising fast, reliable, and safe commute in a traffic-choked Dhaka.
MRT Line-6: Twist and turns
The long-awaited metro rail project is finally becoming a reality as the country’s first overhead electric train will be launched today, bringing with it excitement and also its share of challenges.
Bangladesh ushers in a new era of commuting
Bangladesh is all set to step into a new era of commuting with a new mode of public transport that has never been seen before -- the electricity-powered metro rail of Dhaka.
All eyes glued to Golapbagh
After protracted negotiations, the BNP finally got permission for its rally today at a ground which was not its first choice by any means.
The Rohingya refugee crisis throughout the years
Five years ago, in August 2017, the Myanmar military unleashed a brutal offensive against the Rohingya communities across the country’s Rakhine State.
Choking the lifeblood of democracy
"The only security of all is in a free press," Thomas Jefferson, famous American statesman and the country’s third president once said.
Free speech the collateral damage of Covid in Bangladesh
When Covid-19 began to spread at an exponential rate across countries in January 2020, ministers and government officials in Bangladesh assured people that "adequate measures" were taken to prevent coronavirus from entering the country.
Cardiovascular diseases: A rising concern for young people
“I never imagined that I would have a heart problem.”
Victimising journalists: A decades-long tradition of denying justice
Twenty-two years have come and gone since her husband was shot to death, but Selina Akhter Lucky has all but given up hope for justice for the brutal murder.
A series of delayed justice
Although attacks on freethinkers and bloggers, and their murders by suspected Islamic militants have decreased significantly due to multiple anti-militant crackdowns, none of the families of those killed has gotten complete justice yet.
‘Home never felt so close’
Six minutes was all it took a BRTC bus to cross the 6.15km bridge over the Padma river yesterday.
The man who steered Padma Bridge project through tough times
One afternoon in October 2011, Md Shafiqul Islam, then an additional chief engineer at the Roads and Highways Department, was tensely pacing the corridors of the erstwhile communications ministry, contemplating joining the Padma bridge project.
What does Padma Bridge mean to a southerner?
The need for a bridge over the mighty Padma River may not have been felt so dearly by people other than those who have been born and bred in the southwestern part of Bangladesh.
Cheaper polythene bags spell disaster for the environment
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed to withdraw the existing 5 percent supplementary duty on all types of polythene bags, plastic bags (including oven plastic bags) and wrapping materials made of polyethylene.
Social safety net: Approach not a good fit for multiple crises
The need for expanding the coverage of social protection schemes with new approaches has never been felt so badly than now as people are struggling to keep their heads above water amid one crisis on top of another.
The roads of death
Road crashes have become the norm in Bangladesh, claiming lives on a regular basis
Our health sector needs urgent healing
It seems the country’s health directorate has finally been jolted out of its stupor. At a meeting last Wednesday, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) came up with the decision of shutting down all unregistered health institutions within 72 hours. The countdown has thus begun.
Trial drags on for 24 years: Man has no strength left for legal battle
As his name was called out, Ahad Ali stepped inside the courtroom and stood in the dock with both hands pressed together in a gesture of mercy, staring at the judge with pleading eyes.
News Analysis: ‘Uncle, please stop the work’ – Children's pleas fall on deaf ears
Inside the concrete jungle that Dhaka city has turned into, with buildings frequently sprouting up next to each other, the Tentultala playground has been a breathing space for residents of Kalabagan for decades.
News analysis: Loved ones lost, trust in justice too
They were innocent and young and had nothing to do with the events that ended their lives. The brutality of the murders calls for exemplary punishment, yet their families are not seeking justice.
Covid-19 vaccination: Bangladesh a role model
Bangladesh’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign has so far turned out to be quite a triumph.
Unlivable? Why is Dhaka such a mess?
If you want to lead a quality life in a city, Dhaka is not the place you should be looking for.
Amount hiked for projects this FY could make another Padma bridge
That project revisions have become a government ailment is well established by now.
Managing cancer care during the Covid-19 pandemic
Sirajul Haque Khan, a retired banker, felt a pain in his head after waking up on a cold winter morning in mid-December, 2020. Soon, he threw up twice, compelling his family members to take him to a nearby hospital.
State of cancer care in Bangladesh
With the number of cancer patients increasing rapidly, the government should take urgent action to integrate early detection and screening into the national health system, developing effective strategies to raise people’s awareness to fight the deadly disease, health experts say.
People in for higher living expenses
People can brace themselves for yet another round of living expense hike as the government is mulling over raising the prices of electricity, gas and fertiliser by March to bring its subsidy burden down to a tolerable limit.
EC formation law: Search committee getting legal cover
Nearly 50 years after the constitution prescribed enacting a specific law for forming Election Commission, the government has finally approved the draft of a law to appoint the chief election commissioner and other commissioners through a search committee.
Automated Traffic Signal: Money thrown down the drain
Over the last 15 years, the government has spent Tk 119 crore to upgrade Dhaka’s traffic signal system. The plan involved some ambitious experiments to modernise the capital’s traffic control system, including digitising signal lights and installing timer countdown and digital display boards in some major intersections.
CSO Sustainability Index: Environment continues to worsen
Civil society organisations working on democracy, good governance, and human rights last year were subject to strict control by the regulatory authorities and various types of bureaucratic harassment in Bangladesh, says a global index report.
50 years of Victory: Mind fearless, head held high
Fifty years ago when Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation defeating a brutal military campaign by Pakistan, it was a country in ruins.
Martyred Intellectuals Day: A loss not entirely personal
The entire Lalmonirhat was reeling from shock and horror after a brutal massacre on April 5, 1971.
AL in a spot of bother
While the ruling Awami League is grappling with divisions and disputes over the union parishad polls, controversial activities of some leaders have severely embarrassed the party as well as the government.
Coping with Covid-19
With Covid-19 pandemic putting an unprecedented impact on the country’s higher education, universities are adopting a blended learning approach, combining online education and traditional face-to-face classroom teaching to bridge the learning gap.
Access to diabetes care in Bangladesh
Alamgir Hossain felt persistently exhausted for the past few months as the man in his early forties easily became tired even when doing light work at his grocery shop in Kaliganj upazila of Satkhira.
Budget boosted for jab campaign
The government will spend an estimated Tk 17,000 crore this fiscal year to procure Covid-19 vaccines as it has secured access to around 24 crore doses from multiple sources.
Covid-19 kept cardiac patients at bay
Abdul Hakim suddenly felt severe chest pain late at night sometime in August last year.
Harnessing the power of digital health to improve heart care
Monir Hossain found himself in a precarious situation as soon as Covid-19 hit the country in March last year. The 70-year-old businessman from Faridpur has been suffering from heart disease for the past five years and as such, regularly visits Dhaka for check-ups.
A dawn darker than night
The rumble of truck engines of the 2nd Field Regiment disturbed the evening quietness at Dhaka cantonment. Loaded with 105mm cannons, the heavy-duty trucks began heading from the southern end of the cantonment to the under-construction airport on the capital’s edge.
Implementation of Mass Vaccination Plan: Govt needs $3.7b in next 2 years
Bangladesh will need an estimated $3.7 billion to inoculate 80 percent of the population against Covid in one and a half to two years and achieve herd immunity.
June 2, 2023
Little cushion for people against inflation
In April, the inflation rate in Bangladesh stood at 9.24 percent. And for some, this economic term has become an issue for deliberation in brightly-lit air-conditioned conference rooms.
January 31, 2023
Blogging in Bangladesh: Caught between a rock and a hard place
"On one hand, there was a fear of being the target of machete attacks while there were laws like the ICT Act. We were sandwiched in between. "
January 21, 2023
New textbooks, same old errors
The mistakes in textbooks have triggered a barrage of criticism on social media.
December 30, 2022
Metro rail opens to public
Jannatul Afrin’s excitement was palpable as the train was approaching the platform at Uttara North Station at 8 in the morning.
December 29, 2022
‘Can't believe metro rail journey was so smooth, fast’
Twelve-year-old Imam Hasan Eyaad was over the moon after taking his first-ever ride in the metro rail this morning.."It's very exciting. (I) can't believe that the journey was so smooth and fast," Eyaad exclaimed after reaching Agargaon station at 10:15am. "It was my first metro trip," he
December 29, 2022
Metro dream rolls into reality
At precisely 1:38pm came the glorious moment. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina waved the green flag and the country’s first-ever metro began to roll, marking a major leap in the Bangladesh’s transport sector.
December 28, 2022
Metro moment is finally here
Bangladesh enters a new era in communication today with the launch of its first metro rail, promising fast, reliable, and safe commute in a traffic-choked Dhaka.
December 28, 2022
Bangladesh ushers in a new era of commuting
Bangladesh is all set to step into a new era of commuting with a new mode of public transport that has never been seen before -- the electricity-powered metro rail of Dhaka.
December 28, 2022
MRT Line-6: Twist and turns
The long-awaited metro rail project is finally becoming a reality as the country’s first overhead electric train will be launched today, bringing with it excitement and also its share of challenges.
December 10, 2022
All eyes glued to Golapbagh
After protracted negotiations, the BNP finally got permission for its rally today at a ground which was not its first choice by any means.
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