Counterpoint

Why Intellectual Property Rights Matter

A Gafur

As Bangladesh aspires to become a developed and knowledge-based economy, strengthening intellectual property protection must become a national priority.

What the Iran War has Wrought

Jaglul Ahmed

Not only must the war around the world be stopped, but any illegitimate war anywhere in the world must also be treated as a war against humanity.

Can AI Solve Dhaka's Traffic Woes?

Surya Mim

In many ways, the deployment of AI-controlled traffic signals represents a test of whether Dhaka is prepared to embrace smarter urban governance.

On China Again -- Between Peace and Power

Jaglul Ahmed

The Chinese leaders learned it well, as was evident in his call to Mr. Trump in the opening remarks of Chinese Premier Mr. Xi Jinping, who urged him to avoid falling into the Thucydides trap and embrace peace for global prosperity. But at the close of the talk, the disturbing global concerns may be: is there a second Kissinger, or a President like Nixon, to achieve the same?

Winning Elections, Losing Democracy?

Serajul I. Bhuiyan

Societies often come to believe that electoral victories are all that is needed to save democracy, when in fact they end up undermining constitutional democracy through their electoral triumphs.

Bangladesh Amid Geopolitical Tempests

Anwar A. Khan

Bangladesh's geographical location -- standing at the intersection of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and vital maritime trade routes -- grants it immense strategic value. Washington understands this reality fully.

The Cost of Anti-Export Bias

Nasrin Sheely

When the domestic market offers higher returns with lower risks, firms naturally prioritize domestic sales over exports.

Can Government Run Without Taxes?

Tashzid Reza

When citizens pay taxes, they demand services, transparency, and governance in return. This creates a feedback loop between the state and its people

A Day’s Trade, A Night’s Debt

Nasrin Sheely

Financial inclusion cannot be measured solely by account ownership. It must be judged by whether a vendor can access 10,000 taka at 2 AM at a known cost, without humiliation or hidden charges, and with a pathway to better finance.

Why Students Need A Better Understanding of the Constitution

Mizan Rehman

Incorporating constitutional education into all faculties could play a significant role in developing informed, responsible, and constitutionally aware citizens.

The Quiet Discipline of My Father

Nakibur Rahman

Ten years have now passed since his execution. Another ten will pass. Then another. Generations will arrive knowing his name only through history books, political arguments, or fading photographs. Time inevitably erodes public memory.

Bangladesh Keeps Mourning Its Daughters. Why Does Nothing Change?

Jarjis Rafsan

Visibility is not cosmetic. It is accountability. A case should not disappear into bureaucratic darkness simply because the public has moved on.

The Cat Who Wasn't Impressed

Zakir Kibria

The images of her with the cat and the milk aren't just pictures. They are a manifesto for a very specific kind of dignified living -- a life where glamour and domestic intimacy sit side-by-side, looking off into the middle distance, accepting the world exactly as it is.

The Silent Epidemic of Nicotine

Raisa Mehzabeen

Choosing to quit smoking is not merely about giving up a habit. It is about reclaiming health, protecting loved ones, and investing in a longer and healthier future.

The Unknown and the Uncounted

Mohiuddin Zaman

If Bangladesh can spend decades debating who qualifies as a Freedom Fighter, why has it never undertaken a house-by-house, district-by-district effort to document those who perished?

Twenty Priorities, One Reality

Mohammad A. Rab

The most important reforms, including tax modernization, banking-sector restructuring, and stronger central bank independence, remain incomplete. The coming budget will therefore be more than a financial document. It will be the first serious indication of whether the government intends to match cautious rhetoric with sustained reform.

Why Bangladesh Needs a Layered Approach to Truth, Justice, and Healing

Md. Zarif Rahman and Durdana Chowdhury

When institutions operate without transparency or accountability, they forfeit their legitimacy and become the very source of the wounds they were meant to heal. For the post-uprising state to heal the nation, it must first heal itself, by dismantling these deeply rooted practices of exception and institutionalized violence.

The Rooppur Meter is Running. The Electricity is Not.

Mahtab Mashuq Tonmoy

After the 2024 uprising, there was a genuine window to order a forensic audit of Rooppur's finances. That window was not used. The interim government moved on. The contracting architecture remained intact.

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

Mirza R. Ahmad

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?

Serajul I. Bhuiyan

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

Sushmita S Preetha

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.

The Politics of Synthesis 2.0

Jyoti Rahman

In one simple way, Tarique Rahman stands to be more successful than either of his parents. Neither of them could successfully, peacefully, finish their term and hand over power to the next government. Ziaur Rahman was gunned down by rogue officers. Khaleda Zia faced an implacable foe who made good on her promise of not allowing the former prime minister a moment of peace.

War by Algorithm

M A Hossain

AI is moving faster than any of them. The question is not whether algorithms belong anywhere near the battlefield. The question is who decides where the line is -- and whether anyone is really drawing it at all.

Shanghai Spirit and Westphalia

Syed Hasibuddin Hussain

When the world's sole superpower declares itself a pirate, it may be time to dust off a 17th-century peace treaty.

Banking Crisis and Private Power

Jamil Iqbal

This piece talks about how bad loans, political patronage, and cosmetic accounting turned Bangladesh’s banks into a public crisis.

The Miracle and the Squeeze

Jamil Iqbal

This first article in a three-part series argues that Bangladesh’s celebrated growth story was always more fragile than it looked. Now that growth is slowing and investment is yielding less, the hidden costs of that model are becoming harder to ignore.

Capital Flight, Inequality, and Who Pays

Jamil Iqbal

This third article in a three-part series argues how wealth leaves the country, why the gains of growth narrow at the top, and what a fairer settlement would actually require.

The Identity Crisis of Bengali Muslims in Bangladesh

Selim Raihan

Ultimately, the challenge is not to choose between being Bengali and being Muslim. The real challenge is to recognize that both identities can co-exist within a broader vision of a democratic, pluralistic, and self-confident society.

Time for Industry and Academia to Read from the Same Playbook

Imran Rahman

There is a real gap between what universities teach, how students learn, and what employers increasingly need.

Why the World Watches but Rarely Acts

H.M. Nazmul Alam

The systems that govern the world are powerful, but they are not immutable. They derive their strength, in part, from acceptance, from the belief that they cannot be altered.

The J-Z Show| Episode 21

Zafar Sobhan

Jon Danilowicz and Zafar Sobhan discuss the IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings, global and domestic political developments, and the wider implications of conflict—from historical reflections on war to the current tensions surrounding Iran.

The J-Z Show| Episode 20. Ceasefire

Zafar Sobhan

In this episode of “The J-Z Show,” hosts John Danilowicz and Zafar Sobhan examine the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran—and the fragile ceasefire currently at risk.

The J Z Show। Ep 19: Bangladesh's Post-Election Landscape and Regional Cooperation

Zafar Sobhan

Counterpoint Generations | Ep 10

Zafar Sobhan

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

Zafar Sobhan

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

Zafar Sobhan

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.