For many of us who grew up in the 90s, SAARC was not just an acronym--it was a feeling. It was the pride of seeing Bangladesh take the lead in bringing South Asia together. It was school atlases marked with neighbouring flags that somehow felt familiar, not foreign. It was the idea-simple but power
Bangladesh is no longer facing a routine price adjustment. It is approaching a systemic stress point where supply pressure, public behavior, and weak enforcement capacity are beginning to reinforce each other. Long queues at filling stations are not just a symptom of shortage. They are an early sig
Public debate often reveals insights that formal policy discussions overlook. Occasionally a thoughtful reader’s question captures the essence of a national economic problem more sharply than lengthy technical policy reports. Such was the case when I received the following email in response t
In the highly volatile arena of international politics, while wars and conflicts dominate the headlines, strategy and strategic thinking play out quietly behind the scenes. In the volatile Middle Eastern arena, with tensions running high as a result of conflict between the United States (US), Israe
It has been the dirtiest of all wars, if by dirty is meant a cunning, stealthy, unprovoked and no-holds barred war. America and Iran were ostensibly (from the aggressors' point of view) negotiating under the good offices of the Omani mediator. Given three subjects for negotiation, Iran lost n
The United States is Bangladesh's largest export market and a major source of foreign direct investment, with bilateral relations focusing heavily on garment trade, energy, and development. A 2026 trade agreement is reducing U.S. tariffs on Bangladeshi goods to 19 per cent, with special provisions
Bangladesh is approaching one of the most defining transitions in its development history. Graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category represents not merely a statistical milestone but a structural transformation of the country's development trajectory. The shift signals internationa
The Middle East crisis surrounding Iran-Israel-USA war has been showing little signs of easing. It has been causing losses of thousands of human lives and billions of dollar worth of property. Already the world energy market has been facing serious supply chain disruptions triggering sharp rise in
Bangladesh did not suddenly appear in 1971. It was not created in a moment of crisis, nor born out of a single political decision. Rather, it emerged through a long and continuous historical process-shaped by geography, culture, power, resistance, and the enduring will of its people. To unde
The potential for a full-scale military confrontation involving the United States (US), Israel, and Iran casts a long, dark shadow over the Bangladeshi economy, one that promises to be far more destabilising than the 2022 Ukraine crisis. This time, the threat is existential because it targets the t
For many years, financial progress in Bangladesh was measured by counting the number of new bank branches opened. When a branch appeared in a rural bazaar, people took it as proof that development had arrived. This way of thinking shaped policy for decades. State banks expanded into rural areas, pr
Eid-ul-Fitr is widely understood as a religious celebration marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Yet in societies such as Bangladesh, Eid is not merely a ritual moment of prayer, festivity, and consumption; it is also a complex social institution embedded in a deeply normative framework
In Bangladesh, many people think of Ramadan as a time for spiritual reflection, self-discipline, and community support. Ramadan is important for religious reasons, but it also creates one of the strongest seasonal economic cycles in the country. Bangladesh’s economy changes significantly over
