Counterpoint

Our Energy Crisis is Structural

With only a few weeks of stock, Bangladesh ranks among the region’s most vulnerable.

The Wrath of the Religious Right

It is very true that the religious right in Bangladesh have found a new voice that had been brutally suppressed by Sheikh Hasina all these years, and that the group has now taken the opportunity to abuse this new-found freedom.

The PM Needs a Business Advisory Council

At a time when investor confidence is closely tied to perceptions of policy stability and transparency, a structured and inclusive engagement framework sends a powerful signal. It tells both domestic and international investors that policymaking is consultative, predictable, and responsive.

The PM Needs a Business Advisory Council

At a time when investor confidence is closely tied to perceptions of policy stability and transparency, a structured and inclusive engagement framework sends a powerful signal. It tells both domestic and international investors that policymaking is consultative, predictable, and responsive.

Who Pays for Interest-Free Loans? We All Do.

Money is not free. Interest-free loans do not eliminate cost; they merely obscure it. Whether financed through budgetary allocations or institutional balance sheets, the subsidy embedded in such loans must ultimately be borne by someone.

Why are Critical Ordinances not being Passed into Law?

The ordinances concerning the Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the prevention of enforced disappearances, are all directly aimed at protecting citizens’ rights, and maintaining the separation of powers. Rendering them ineffective is deeply disappointing from the perspective of citizens.

Iranianism, Beyond the Nation-State

Iran is more than just a state; it is a civilization capable of developing a new system or model that others might follow, beyond the Westphalian framework. Without wise leadership, the ongoing conflict could not only lead the world into a prolonged economic downturn but also reshape global power balances.

Societies in Exile: Power, Estrangement, and the End of Universalism

Societies in exile may not yet find their way home. But exile, once recognized, need not end in disappearance. It can become watchfulness, and watchfulness, has often been the difference between mere survival and quiet renewal.

A Reply to Shahidul Alam on Performative Governance

A government that reduces VIP protocol but continues to evict vendors without rehabilitation has merely exchanged one performance for another.

The Solar Panel Solution

The integration of solar panels into agricultural land offers a practical pathway toward achieving energy independence, environmental sustainability, and resilient food systems in Bangladesh.

Understanding Bangladesh’s Weak FDI Inflows: A Critical Analysis

Policy predictability must become a cornerstone of economic management. Investors must be assured that agreements will be honoured and that regulatory frameworks will not shift unpredictably. At the same time, bureaucratic processes must be simplified and digitized to reduce delays and discretion.

Where Is the Plan to Revive the Economy?

Bangladesh now needs a clear economic roadmap and renewed emphasis on economic and energy diplomacy.

The Wrath of the Religious Right

It is very true that the religious right in Bangladesh have found a new voice that had been brutally suppressed by Sheikh Hasina all these years, and that the group has now taken the opportunity to abuse this new-found freedom.

Armed in History, Unarmed in Memory

Women were not mere supporters; they were shapers of conditions, bearers of risk, and, in many cases, decisive actors. The war cannot be imagined without them, but its written history has often proceeded as though it could.

Patriotism is Democracy’s Strongest Glue

A stronger Bangladesh will not emerge overnight. But with patriotism and civility, it will rise -- steadily, confidently, and together. To the conscious citizens of Bangladesh: This is your moment. Do not wait for perfect leaders or ideal conditions. Be the example. Act locally. Think nationally. Stand firmly for honesty and integrity, nurture skills, and practise good manners persistently.

The Delusion of History for the Children of the West

The endurance to hardship, spirit and skills to fight when forced, maturity to restrain, legacy of history to forge their own system of governance rather than blindly copy from the West, are the forte of these old but rich civilizations. They enrich their people not only with their own histories but also with the warring histories of the West, so that they can choose the good from the bad.

How More Bangladeshi Students can get to the US

The goal is to have a unified and cohesive story, an antithesis to the common phenomenon of students accumulating certificates like trophies, so that when they finally face their goal, the student does not essentially become a detriment to the system.

What the Interim Government Gave Bangladesh

What Dr. Yunus and his team of advisers stepped into was not a functioning state awaiting a caretaker, it was institutional wreckage requiring reconstruction.  What followed was a period of institution-building that, whatever its imperfections, deserves recognition.

The Case for Mangal Shobhajatra

If belief is so fragile that papier-mâché masks and symbolic animals can threaten it, the problem lies not with the procession, but with the insecurity of that belief.

The Broad Banner of the LGBTQIA+ Community

A person’s sexual orientation is an innate characteristic of that person and must not be a basis for discrimination.

Iran Was Never the Target

From the Strait of Hormuz to the Bay of Bengal, the United States is fighting a war it has never fully declared -- one waged not against Tehran or Caracas, but against the architecture of a Chinese-led economic order.

10 Questions for Bobby Hajjaj

The education system of Bangladesh is not merely a ministry. It is one of the largest social systems in the world. Running such a system is not simply a policy challenge. It is an administrative challenge of almost unimaginable scale.

The Myth of Rohingya Aid Dependency

The Rohingya are not “fully dependent” on anyone. They are dependent only to the extent that they have been made dependent -- by design, by policy, and by a system that manages dependency rather than ending it.

Judicial Reform Scheme -- From Plan to Practice

Comprehensive reform of the judicial system has emerged as a major national demand.

Rewriting the Narrative? RAB’s Conduct in a Nation on Edge

In July 2024, when the entire country erupted in protest, when over 1,400 lives were lost, and when Dhaka became a city under siege, RAB did not revert to familiar patterns. They did not conduct midnight raids. They did not trigger mass disappearances. Instead, they acted as a containment force. That contrast is not just noteworthy, it is historic.

Three Million or Three Hundred Thousand?

Seeking a clearer understanding of history does not diminish the legacy of the Liberation War, but honors it more completely. A nation willing to examine its past with honesty shows confidence in its own story.

The Extremely Sustainable Lifestyle of the Burnt-Out Feminist

Though the International Brotherhood of Mediocre Men appears to be doing a competent job of setting the world on literal fire, feminists remain the preferred explanation for why everything is burning.

Iran Was Never the Target

From the Strait of Hormuz to the Bay of Bengal, the United States is fighting a war it has never fully declared -- one waged not against Tehran or Caracas, but against the architecture of a Chinese-led economic order.

How Iran is Winning the War

Iran is delivering a master class in asymmetric warfare with real life military, geographic, and economic consequences.

Is Bangladesh the First Collateral Damage?

Already, there are signs of classic crisis behaviour. Panic buying, hoarding, informal resale of fuel at inflated prices, and rising tensions at petrol pumps. These are not the symptoms of a stable system. They are the early tremors of a breakdown in trust.

The Shingara as a Geopolitical Testimony

On gravity, and those who bear its weight.

From Raids to Reform: Why Bangla QR is the Real Solution to Market Opacity

The transition from cash to digital is not merely a technological shift; it is an institutional reform. It requires aligning incentives, building trust, and modernizing infrastructure. But the alternative -- continuing cycles of raids, fines, allegations of harassment, and persistent opacity -- offers little hope for sustainable market discipline.

The Looming Persian Storm: Why Bangladesh Cannot Afford to Defy Economic Gravity Again

A prolonged conflict in the Middle East would likely trigger a slump in consumer demand in Western markets, leaving the RMG sector vulnerable to the dual blow of dwindling orders and the logistical nightmare of disrupted maritime routes.

The Case for Mangal Shobhajatra

If belief is so fragile that papier-mâché masks and symbolic animals can threaten it, the problem lies not with the procession, but with the insecurity of that belief.

The Broad Banner of the LGBTQIA+ Community

A person’s sexual orientation is an innate characteristic of that person and must not be a basis for discrimination.

Navigating Homophobia in Bangladesh 2.0

Left out of consciousness was a group of people who possibly constitute up to 5-10% of the country’s population. This group is none other than the LGBTQIA+ people who have always been part of the society, but lived clandestine lives of lies until only a decade or so ago.

Special

Culture

Counterpoint Generations | Ep 10

In Episode 10 of Counterpoint Generations, Zafar Sobhan and Professor Rehman Sobhan examine a range of pressing legal and political developments shaping Bangladesh today.

Counterpoint Generations | Ep 9

Episode 9 of Counterpoint Generations reflects on the immediate post-election landscape, examining voter participation, the formation of the new cabinet, and the institutional challenges facing the incoming government as parliament prepares to begin its term.

Counterpoint Generations | Ep 8

In Episode 8 of Counterpoint Generations, the discussion explores Bangladesh’s electoral journey from the 1970 election to the present, examining how voting behaviour, political participation, and institutions have evolved over time. The episode also addresses contemporary questions around minority voting patterns, and why opinion polls often fail to predict real outcomes. A reflective conversation on elections, uncertainty, and democratic change.

Interview

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