AN OPEN DIALOGUE

Can raising the minimum wage sometimes hurt the workers?

Raising the minimum wage is supposed to benefit the workers, particularly those who are making less than the minimum and are struggling to make a decent living.
How can our new graduates stay ahead in the tough job market?

I entered the job market when I was a graduate student at Dhaka University and have switched jobs many times since then.
A case for improving labour conditions in Southeast Asia

It has been well-known for a long time that Bangladeshi migrant workers in the Middle East and South Asian countries are at the receiving end of all sorts of uncertainties one can think of.
Brexit, the EU-UK agreement, and the economic impact

Some politicians promise an El Dorado if you vote them into power. Others tell stories, some true and some not so, to get the voters to believe them.
Reasons to be optimistic about the economic prospects for 2021

End of the year op-eds, or the thought of it, bring for me anxiety as well as joy. I feel anxious because I can’t decide what to write about, or find issues to vent about, as the year draws to a close.
Remembering the hardships we faced in 1971

Bangladesh is celebrating the 49th anniversary of the nation’s Victory Day today.
The ‘dalals’: How essential are they?

The other day I was chatting with Abu, a long-time friend of mine who has been living in Bangladesh for the last one year.
Poverty during the pandemic: Three stories

In this time of the pandemic and the resultant economic slowdown, one has to be mindful of the effects of these twin curses on the poor of Bangladesh.
A life dedicated to public service

Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri, popularly known as SB Chaudhuri, the former Governor of Bangladesh Bank, passed away on November 11 at United Hospital, Dhaka.
Can Biden fix the economy and kill the virus at the same time?

While the recent US Presidential Election has left a number of issues unresolved, one thing is clear.
The Story Behind the 2020 Nobel Prize in Economics

The Nobel Prize for Economics this year was shared by two Americans, Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson of Stanford University.
Covid-19 and the economic challenges for South Asian countries

One of the industries hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown policies has been the travel and hospitality (T&H) sector.
The impending return of PK Halder: A great learning moment

The scandal involving Prashanta Kumar Halder, also known as PK Halder, a former managing director of NRB Global Bank, Reliance Finance and other companies, has been in the national news for almost a decade.
How to rein in “wilful defaulters” and eradicate the curse of non-performing loans

My readers must have by now become sick of hearing about the big loan defaulters in Bangladesh and the scandals involving the Farmer’s Bank (now Padma Bank), BASIC Bank, Sonali/Hallmark, Janata, Prime, and a motley of other shady characters including some leading industrialists of the country.
Requiem for an educator

Sebia Sulaiman, a pioneer in the field of early childhood education and a lifelong social worker passed away at 5:30 AM on September 19, 2020 at a city hospital in Dhaka.
Vaccines for Covid-19 by US Election Day

For future historians, the most memorable event of the year 2020 is certainly likely to be the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by the US Presidential elections.
Bangladesh is not a risky destination

My heart sank when I saw the headline in The Daily Star on August 17, which reported that the US had updated its periodic travel advisory on August 6, 2020 and urged its citizens to exercise “increased caution in the country due to crime, terrorism, and kidnapping”.
Cheap and fast vaccination is an urgent need for poorer countries

There is a global race going on now for the rapid development of a Covid-19 vaccine. As of July 27, pharmaceutical companies worldwide were working on 164 candidates, including 25 that are being tested in people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Why the world needs a second Marshall Plan

“Little international aid is flowing to poorer regions to fight the epidemic.” That was the headline in a major news item circulating in early March, before the spread of Covid-19 was declared to be a “pandemic” and the virus had started its devastating journey out of Wuhan and flattened the economic and geo-economic landscape, upending global commerce.
Two different perspectives on lockdown policy and the economic cost

The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered debates between economists and health specialists. I found myself engaged in a conversation with my childhood friend Imtiaz Husain Chowdhry, MD, who is a physician in the USA with a successful practice and long career behind him.
How “facts” influenced Covid policy

At the beginning of this year, policymakers in many countries, including the US and the EU, decided to lock down the entire country in order to save lives and to push back Covid-19.
The curious disconnect between reality and the world of politics

The national budget announced by the Bangladesh government is another example of the curious disconnect between reality and the world of politics.
Will foreign investors relocate to Bangladesh from China?

With the Bangladesh economy in the first phase of its Covid Reopening, the country will be eagerly looking forward to attracting foreign investors to provide a much-needed stimulus.
How to execute a three-phase reopening of the economy

Every country, small or large, rich or poor, have embraced the concept of a balanced and phased reopening where the concerns of the workers, businesses, and health sector professionals are meshed into a workable action plan.
Sustainable Development Goals: What to salvage from Covid-19

Once the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, and the world economy is back on its tracks, the status and fate of the 2030 Agenda, also known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), needs to be reassessed.
How to flatten the recession curve and finance Bangladesh’s economic recovery

Economic recovery following the coronavirus lockdown will require massive government intervention and tons of money.
Saadat Husain: A friend, mentor, and unassuming hero

Dr Saadat Husain, former chairman of Bangladesh Public Service Commission, passed away on April 22, 2020.
Vulnerable groups must not bear the brunt of the coronavirus crisis

The pandemic and its economic impact will be felt very strongly by the poor.
Covid-19 and economic recovery

The Great Depression of the 1930s left its mark on every society and changed the way we think about life.
Tough times ahead in the wake of coronavirus

"Corona-virus can’t tame Bangladesh’s growth momentum”, declared a report issued by the Ministry of Finance of the country. Strong domestic demand fuelled by growth in the flow of remittance and increased public expenditure will counter any possible external shocks, according to the report, which was sent to the Prime Minister’s Office. In other words, the Prime Minister will receive a very rosy picture for the rest of the year, so far as the domestic economy is concerned.