Opinion

Winter festivals boost our rural economy

Winter is looked forward to in our country. It is a season that arrives towards the beginning of December and lasts till the third week of February. It also assumes special importance because of the various festivals and significant occasions that dot its landscape.This winter, like every year, has ...

Opinion

Suitable procedures to address Islamophobia

Some have pointed out that Islamo­phobia is no longer a spontaneous ex­pression of emo­tions. Instead, it has turned into an ideology that has found its way into the political agendas of right-wing extremist groups and populists seeking political gains by promoting hatred against Islam a...

Opinion

Global climate discourse and different nuanced perspective

Analysts and environmentalists associated with the intricate process of tackling climate change from nearly 190 countries and hundreds of NGOs who attended the pivotal COP 28 meeting touched upon various denotations and connotations related to the discussions carried out by several groups and commit...

Opinion

Climate change, vulnerable rural areas, migration to urban zones and socio-economic dimensions

We in Bang­la­desh, like many other countries affected through climate vulnerability, have seen large numbers of the affected population migrating to urban areas with their family members to discover new dimensions of livelihood as well as safety. Climate migrants tend to move to cities in t...

Opinion

Tackling environmental issues including joint management of river basins and biodiversity

The Meghna River Basin is significant to both Bangladesh and India as it supports the livelihoods of almost 50 million people. The area is also considerably large — almost twice the size of Switzerland — with 47,000 km2 of the basin located in India and 35,000 km2 located downstream in B...

Opinion

Conflict, terrorism and misuse of digitalisation

The media- electronic, social and print have been focusing for the past few years on the growing levels of conflict, terrorism and the toppling of regimes in different parts of the world. Observations from strategic analysts have been the basis of discussion related to events taking place in the Mid...

Opinion

Detrimental existentialist nationalism

Most unfortunately, because of the changes in the geo-strategic paradigm and its politics an osmotic effect is being created in inter-active relations between communities and people originating from different countries. Sometimes, an intense dislike or fear of strangers is moving us, according to so...

Opinion

Achieving SDGs filled with difficulties

 The question has emerged as to whether we have been able to move forward meaningfully towards achieving the SDGs or Global Goals. In this context one needs to understand that these Goals are viewed as a collection of seventeen interlinked objectives designed to serve as a shared blueprint for ...

Opinion

Israel and Palestine

The horrific events over the last two weeks have seen clashes in the disputed region of the Middle East. Observation of human rights appears to have been kicked out of the window. Hamas’s recent unexpected action  has now moved the existing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians int...

Opinion

USA and Europe re-focuses on migration issue

US President Joe Biden is under fire from both sides of the political spectrum after his Administra­tion announced new border wall construction in Texas. Approximately 20 miles of new border barriers will be built in Starr County, a sparsely populated stretch of border in the Rio Grande Valley. ...

Opinion

Difficulties being faced in public- private partnership scenario

Having largely failing to provide 0.7 per cent of their Gross National Income (GNI) in aid to developing countries for almost half a century since making the commitment, donor countries then promoted Blended Finance (BF) as a solution to the financing for development challenge.Blending refers to com...

Opinion

Aspects that received attention during the 78th session of the UN general assembly

The 193-mem­ber UN Gene­ral Assembly debated matters of human rights, international law and cooperation in “economic, social, cultural, educational, and health fields”. As anticipated, it also passed resolutions and declarations consistent with the guiding principles of the ...

Opinion

Evolving geo-strategic paradigm – the band marches on

The world has been monitoring for the past two and half months the gradual evolution of the geo-strategic paradigm. International meetings like the BRICS, ASEAN and the G 20 have led to discussions, consultations and opinions by geo- strategists. Bangladesh has always attached great value pertaining...

Opinion

Bangladesh, Indonesia and the ASEAN: Interactive engagement

Bangladesh President Moha­mmed Shahabuddin in addition to having a meeting with Indonesian President Widodo and attending some important discussions in the recently convened ASEAN meeting in Indonesia also referred to some bilateral dimensions that may be focused upon between the two countries.H...

Opinion

Afghanistan dimensions two years after Taliban takeover

Recently the world was shocked when the Taliban government’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice closed the Band-e-Amir national park to women, saying female visitors were failing to cover up. The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 110 miles west of Kabul, is renown...

Opinion

Bangladesh’s development issues shared with BRICS participants

BRICS as currently constituted accounts for 40 percent of the global population and over 25 percent of the global GDP. It is seen by some as a counterweight to the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States). The BRIC countries started meeting formally in 201...

Opinion

Financing connotations to tackle climate change disasters

Extreme, deadly heat waves, fire and heavy rain have seen residents in North West Canada, parts of the mainland United States around Texas, Maui, an island in Hawaii, parts of Spain, parts of Africa, South Asia including Bangladesh grappling with severe climate crisis and consequent disasters. This ...

Opinion

Environmental policies in Latin America under scrutiny

Latin American Amazon nations sharing the Amazon paradigm recently met in the Brazilian city of Belem to review existing environmental policies and also identify common factors that need to be addressed carefully pertaining to deforestation. The participants sought to agree on a list of unified envi...

Opinion

Remembering the father of our nation

On the 48th anniversary of our National Mourning Day, one has to remember that the August putsch was carried out by certain sections of the armed forces and a group of disgruntled politicians. They roamed the streets of Dhaka and swept aside innocence, their eyes showing as much charity as glass. Th...

Opinion

Improvements made in the OIC covenant on the rights of children

The whole Islamic world for the last three decades has been trying to improve the existing human rights paradigm with regard to treatment of children. This effort was undertaken not only by the Islamic States who are Members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference but also through collaboratio...