Investment in BR deserves better scrutiny
Almost a decade ago, Bangladesh Railway launched a 30-year master plan to expand rail coverage to all 64 districts of the country and modernise its services. The master plan included a total of 230 projects scheduled to be implemented by 2045 in six phases at a cost of Taka 5.53...
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Insurance sector reform urgent
Bangladesh's insurance sector presents a striking paradox: despite having an unusually large number of insurance companies, insurance penetration remains among the lowest in the world. For example, while most vehicles on the country's roads are insured, most drivers and passengers do not have life insurance coverage. In a country where...
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Can social media create active citizens?
What kind of civic culture are we building in the age of social media? Today, almost every public issue becomes a trend, a hashtag, or a viral post. News travels instantly, and young people often learn about social, political, and community issues through their screens before encountering them anywhere else....
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Taking stock of hidden default loans
About Tk 1.82 trillion in loans in Bangladesh cannot be classified as defaulted due to writ petitions filed before the courts, and the resulting stay orders have long hindered an accurate assessment of the health of these loans. As of March 2026, the total non-performing loan (NPL) ratio stood at...
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