MAILBOX

Significance of March 17

March 17 is a memorable and remarkable day for Bangladesh and Bangladeshis, as on this day in 1920, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was born. He was the dreamer and designer of independent Bangladesh. He struggled for the hopes and rights of the people of this country throughout his life. He raised his voice against the injustice of the then Pakistani junta and tried to achieve the rights of Bangladesh. He was the architect of Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal). His name has been imprinted in letters of gold both in the hearts of Bangladeshis and in the history of Bangladesh.

Sayek Ahmed Sajib

Sharankhola, Bagerhat

Counter Terror

Islam comes from the root word "salaam" which means peace. However certain groups and community leaders are misleading people about the concept of jihad which is leading to violence, hate crimes and extremism. Many elite forces with the help of community groups are carrying out deradicalisation programmes throughout the country which have seen stories of success. Society also needs to play a major role by reaching out to communities to make these more resilient. Because of certain radicalised people, Muslims as a whole have acquired a negative connotation globally and are getting harassed. Through deradicalisation programmes, which will require time in order to be effective, our country can set an example for the international community as well.

Rafid Alam

Mohammadpur, Dhaka

Bangladesh at 2018: Sentiments that will drive the year

The article published on March 16 on the business confidence index 2017-18 gives us a holistic idea about the improving environment for businesses. The article has pointed out some impediments to running businesses in Bangladesh such as financial sector reformation, infrastructural issues (port capacity), transportation and logistics management related problems.

The article also focuses on some growing businesses such as ICT and IT related ventures, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals and the RMG/textile sector etc. I also feel that the rise of information technology infrastructure and software can change the overall nature of businesses in the upcoming days. The business which comes second in the index is agro-processing. Bangladesh has always had fertile land and agricultural businesses are transforming into new dimensions with technology and GIS mapping.

Another focus is on creating industry-academia linkages for creating industry-complementary expertise and employment generation. Bangladesh is moving towards a position as amiddle income country from low middle income. Decisions on investment in business will have significant impact on development in a sustainable way for the country.

Sajid Mushfik

Disaster Management, University of Dhaka