The necessity of transcendental learning

In view of the necessity of transcendental learning in the context of Bangladesh's education, this scribe is discussing here about one science book and a recent discovery of NASA.  'The Grand Design' is a popular-science book written by physicists Stephen...

World \'must act now\' on Lake Chad Basin crisis

Food assistance is a priority and the only way to prevent the crisis from worsening in the Lake Chad Basin, is to support food production according to José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the...

Of ethics in the medical profession

We cannot go without oxygen even for a minute. Likewise, light, wind, water and food are all essential for being alive. Access to health services is our fundamental right. The British introduced allopathic treatment in 1700 A.D. The British rulers...

A wetland waiting with its wonders to be discovered

A journey to Sreemangal is incomplete without a visit to Baikka Beel, one of the largest wetlands in the country. Although late March is not a propitious time for discovering the wonders of the swamp that has been declared a...

Removing deterrents down the road of a roaring tiger

The April 11, 2017 issue of the World Economic Forum carries an article on Bangladesh titled "Bangladesh could be a new Asian Tiger. Here's why".   It is interesting that the author of the article, Jonathon Garber who is Markets Editor,...

Climate funds for world\'s poorest slow to materialise

Climate change is making poor countries poorer, yet funding meant to address its economic consequences has been slow to materialise. Instead funding bodies are choosing to invest in green energy projects in middle-income countries. The trend continued until early this...

Globalisation in trouble: RTA the second best option

This is a difficult time for multilateralism, more so for multilateral trade. After Mr Donald Trump assumed the presidency of the United States, he is taking moves, one after another, to demean globalisation as well as multilateralism. He is clearly...

BSEC mulls further reform of book-building method

The securities' regulator has moved to bring further changes to the book-building method in an effort to make the public rules more time- befitting. The regulatory move came following demand of stakeholders, including stock exchanges, which are in favour of...

RHD set to return 90pc fund for bus-based mass transit line

Delay in starting construction work of the country's first dedicated bus service has led to failure of the authorities concerned to spend 90 per cent of its yearly budget, sources said. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the executing authority...

Breaking barriers to reach one\'s potential

Abdullah Abu Sayeed is well-known as a writer, editor, social activist and a popular teacher. He earned fame also as a television presenter. In the last few decades he has emerged as a successful organiser through his involvement with movements...

Alleviating sufferings of Haor people

When the residents of Dhaka were celebrating the Bengali New Year, a 45-year old woman cried herself to death after her 2.5-acre rice field was washed away by flash floods in Bangladesh's haor region. Shockingly, even in this age of...

Misplaced lamentation over tourism

It is not uncommon for people here to lament over the highly constrained growth of tourism in the country. Their main complaint is that Bangladesh fails to draw attention of foreign tourists at a time when its neighbours India and...

US tilts towards China on North Korea

North Korea would have been nothing but an irritant to the rest of the world because it does not conduct its foreign relations in accordance with the established international norms. It has very little to offer to the world and...

Yogi\'s vigilantes call the shots on streets of Uttar Pradesh

One recent afternoon, dozens of young Hindu men, swords drawn and saffron scarves draped around their necks, rode motorcycles through a Muslim neighborhood near the capital of India's most populous state and chanted "Hail Lord Ram!" In the preceding weeks...

Brazil\'s austerity reforms face ever greater headwinds

Efforts by Brazil's embattled government to push through unpopular austerity reforms face ever greater headwinds after the eruption of a corruption scandal weakening President Michel Temer. Temer is staking his legacy on passage of the reforms, which centre on changing...

Fiscal deficit to worsen slightly this FY: IMF

The fiscal deficit in Bangladesh is likely to deteriorate slightly in the current fiscal year (FY), according to a new report. "The increase in the deficit reflects the delay in the VAT (Value Added Tax) rollout and higher wage bill...

They are the winners!

'Excelsior has been a learning experience to enhance my skill-set in Microsoft Excel. It was fun attending the interactive workshops learning the basics and complex functions of excel. The cases were interesting to solve as well as challenging. It was...

Government asks DCs to ensure smooth supply of essentials in Ramadan

The government has directed the district administrations to strengthen their monitoring to ensure smooth supply of essential commodities in the upcoming Ramadan. The deputy commissioners have also been asked to put forward their recommendations to the government if they face...

Multilateralism and the Chinese dream

"Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room," Chinese President Xi Jinping warned the assembled leaders at the World Economic Forum earlier this year. "While wind and rain may be kept outside, that dark room will also block...

Macroeconomic indicators with disquieting trends

The Government of Bangladesh has been increasingly reliant on the sales of National Savings Directorate (NSD) certificates for budget deficit financing. Net sales of NSD certificates stood at Tk. 28,894.15 crore (Tk 289 billion) during July-January of FY2017 which is...

Why scientists are marching

On April 22, scientists from around the world will mark Earth Day by participating in an unprecedented "March for Science." The aim of the march will be to "celebrate and defend science at all levels - from local schools to...

Economy may grow at 6.9pc this year: IMF

Bangladesh's economy is expected to grow at 6.9 per cent this year, according to a latest report. The growth in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is forecast to be even better to grow at 7.0 per cent next year (2018), said...

BD\'s outlook stable: Moody\'s

Projecting Bangladesh's outlook as 'stable' again for the current calendar year, the global credit rating agency Moody's has cautioned a negative credit impact if the ongoing falling trend in remittances continues. Bangladesh is rated Ba3 with a stable outlook, according...

FDI slightly up in 2016

The annual inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased by 4.40 per cent in the last calendar year, according to the latest data released by the central bank on Tuesday. The annual statistics on FDI showed that net inflow of...

Salt-tolerant Binadhan-10 rekindles hopes of Gopalganj farmers

GOPALGANJ, Apr 17: Salt-tolerant Binadhan-10 has raised a new hope among the farmers of the district. Sources from the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Sub-station Gopinathpur, Gopalganj, said a total of 100 acres of land in five upazilas of...

Creative weavers of Benarasi saree attain financial solvency in Gangachara UZ

RANGPUR, Apr 18: A good number of extreme poor men and women in different villages of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur district have attained financial solvency by manufacturing Benarasi sarees in recent years. Several hundred vulnerable people, especially women in the...

Macroeconomic correlates in positive trend

The report presents Centre for Policy Dialogue's (CPD's) perspectives in the context of the upcoming FY2018 budget by taking the current dynamics of macroeconomic performance as the reference points.  Here we place the first part of the report that presents...

Opening up of opportunities: Can Bangladesh win the race?

If slow and steady are the key to win a race Bangladesh is destined to make it in the area of human development. The inclining forward by the country year after year offers optimism for that prospect. The continuous rise,...

Afghanistan: A pawn in major power rivalry?

Very recently, Russia held a regional conference to explore the prospects for settling the long-running Afghanistan conflict. This follows a similar conference that Moscow held in February, which was preceded by a tripartite meeting between Russia, China and Pakistan in...

Congo: A dictator\'s dilemma

Why has President Joseph Kabila chosen to cling to power beyond his constitutional term limit - which expired in December of 2016? Why has the man who organised Democratic Republic of Congo's only two multiparty elections since independence chosen to...