Society

The lingering problem of Dhaka's illegal parking

Amid the nationwide movement for road safety, many people in Facebook had been complaining about the problem of illegal parking in Dhaka. Many people shared photos of illegally parked cars and motorcycles on the footpath and on the road in different parts of Dhaka city.
Revisiting poverty reduction approach in Southern Bangladesh

Propelled by improvements in health and education, reduced vulnerability, and economic growth, Bangladesh is expected to leave the LDC category by 2024. The country has witnessed significant struggles to improve the well-being of its people.
Revisiting poverty reduction approach in Southern Bangladesh

Propelled by improvements in health and education, reduced vulnerability, and economic growth, Bangladesh is expected to leave the LDC category by 2024.
Making private universities more affordable

Education remains the cornerstone of success for societies around the world—with the recent quota movement in Bangladesh showcasing some of the ensuing tensions between various stakeholders within our growing economy.
Traffic jam: The ugly side of Dhaka's development

There was a time when commuters suffered traffic congestion only on the main city streets, but now it starts right from one's doorstep.
Not a fool's errand

There is an expectation that school is the setting where young people can learn and practice ethics and values. The reality is that society sets the boundaries of what schools can do. Does society make teaching values and morality through school a fool's errand?
Towards a 'broad enough view' of social media

Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook CEO, rarely speaks in public. But recently he spoke before US Congress for hours.
The quota movement signals an underlying discontent

The student protests that swept the country weeks ago were not just about the quota system in public jobs. As a whole, they should be interpreted as a major symptom of a much more complex disease: soaring youth unemployment that can have serious implications for the country's future.
A case for technological development in apparel sector

The government of Bangladesh is moving ahead with a plan to establish 100 Special Economic Zones by 2030.
The titanic effects of social norms

In an attempt to discourage a certain behaviour through the incorporation of social norms into the policy structure, policy-makers often, without malicious intent, and as an epitaph to their clamorous failure, reinforce the very behaviour they set out to discourage or eliminate.
Salvaging our higher education

An Economist Intelligence Unit and British Council survey in 2014 reported that Bangladesh had the lowest employability among university graduates in South Asia—nearly half (47) of graduates out of a hundred were unemployed compared to 30 out of 100 in India and Pakistan. There are methodology issues about the calculation. Even then, they indicate a serious problem.
'A' is for 'orange'

A is for apple, b is for bear, c is for cat... English spelling is easy enough at the beginning. It clearly deteriorates thereafter. Yet one must have extra sympathy for Bangladeshi students of English because for them, sometimes 'a' is for orange.
Taking a step back to move forward

Bangladesh celebrated its 48th Independence Day recently, and today we stand proud to be able to call ourselves a sovereign and independent nation. Yet, one questions whether we successfully practise the spirit of our liberation movement, imbued in the ideals of Mujibism as it was called. Socialism, secularism, nationalism and democracy are, in reality, big words which most have no idea about.
Looking at climate change through culture and art

If you go to Cape Farewell's website, you will see written in large letters, against what seems to be a giant glacial art installation, the question: “What does Culture have to do with Climate Change?”
A logical antidote

Currently, the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UN Women Bangladesh are jointly drafting a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP) with a view to implementing the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which calls for increasing women's participation in efforts to maintain peace and security. The NAP shall aim to ensure women's meaningful participation in the prevention of conflict
An unrealistic quota system

While the BCS examinees and students of various public universities and colleges across the country have been demonstrating on the streets demanding reforms in the existing quota system in Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations, some groups of freedom fighters' children have also been protesting, but clearly, for the opposite reason.
Beyond ethics and values

A society devoid of moral and ethical values cannot continue as an effective society as society is built on reciprocal cooperation and mutual understanding of people.
Food for thought

A recent Twitter thread on sexism and food by Rituparna Chatterjee, Editor in Chief of HuffPost India, got me thinking about my own experiences with the issue.
The boy who could have lived

If you're a Harry Potter fan, you must have heard the simple past tense version of this heading. Harry, “The Boy Who Lived,” survived the Dark Lord's wrath with the mysterious powers of magic. The Deathly Hallows. Elder Wand. Invisibility Cloak. Yes, his mother's love, too, but a wizardly one at that. As fascinating as that reads on paper, the world of magic and miracles is not for mere mortals.
A counterproductive step

While surfing through the sea of content on the Internet the other day, I found a series of documentaries about the poor conditions of
Revelling in the changes

For centuries now, language has been intrinsic to the changing patterns of culture. Some would even say that it's true the other way around. Even though the way we perceive and use language changes from one generation to the next, the social function of this tool to communicate remains the same—nurturing and promoting feelings of identity, community and of course harmony.
Every Child Alive: A pledge to all newborns

As a foreigner, I was inspired to read the works of a few great poets of Bengal by the festivities of Bangladesh. For a while, these lines were playing in my mind. Once again, I realised every child's birth is special, be it for the parents or anyone in the family.
Some thoughts on university grading systems

Grading is an integral part of a student's life. Grades or marks are the primary means of evaluating a student's academic performance.
For crying out loud

We all know that noise pollution is part of living in a metropolitan city.
Easing the plight of women commuters

The draft of the Road Transport Act 2017 received Cabinet approval last week. Due to a High Court order, it has been drafted in the light of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983, but with major changes.
Why liberal arts education matters

In the Vatican, there is a fresco by Raphael called “The School of Athens.” It depicts an imaginary congregation of many of the great Greek polymaths, philosophers, painters, sculptors, poets, and scientists—the very shapers of modern western civilisation.
Banning child marriage in light of religion

The Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017 which allowed girls under 18 and boys under 21 to be married off under “special circumstances” was undoubtedly the country's most controversial law of 2017.
Questions not asked

The two-day Bangladesh Development Forum hosted by the Economic Relations Division on January 17-18 was an occasion to
When does creative content break the law?

A short film released this month caused quite a stir on social media. The short titled “Boishommo” (Discrimination) shows a young man, the protagonist, hanging out in the park with his friends, when he spots a woman smoking in public.
For a level playing field

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the cost of attending a public university in Bangladesh is quite low compared to that of a private university.