HSC dropout rate reaches alarming level
This year's Higher Secondary Certificate examinations opened with an absentee rate of 36 per cent among regular students, up nearly seven percentage points from 29 per cent of last year. Of the roughly 1.5 million students who enrolled in class 11 after passing the Secondary School Certificate examinations, only about...
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A misguided proposal of demonetisation
It was 51 years ago that the Bangladesh government, for the first time in the country’s history, demonetised the Tk 100 banknote. The decision to invalidate the banknote, the highest-value note at the time, was driven by the urgency to curb the spread of fake notes and black money. The...
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Cost of disparity in power distribution
Frequent load-shedding in rural areas is not only causing public suffering, but also badly affecting economic activities. From hatcheries to poultry farms and from small cottage industries to healthcare facilities and other day-to-day operations are being hampered in every sector. Many villagers who have invested their lifesavings to set up...
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Increasing export competitiveness
The overall export earnings of Bangladesh for FY2025–26 stood at US$48 billion as of June 2026, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data, against a target of US$55 billion. Although exports fell well short of the target, export earnings in June increased compared with June 2025. Moreover, the knitwear and...
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Long wait for Tahirpur Bridge must end
Tahirpur, a haor-surrounded upazila in Sunamganj bordering the Meghalaya hills, is one of Bangladesh’s most picturesque regions. Blessed with attractions such as the Jadukata River, Tanguar Haor, Lakmachhara, Niladri Lake, Barik Tila, and the country’s largest Shimul garden, the area holds enormous tourism and economic potential. However, the people of...
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