The Oniket Bulletin - Page 3 of 45 - Bangladesh Policy Outlook - A Weekly Publication of the Oniket Research Group CIC

Narcotics, Diplomacy and the India Factor: Reading the Pakistan Bangladesh Drug Pact

October 31, 2026October 31, 2026 editor No Comments

When Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh’s Home Minister signed a memorandum of understanding in Dhaka on 8 May 2026, the headline was about drugs, but the subtext was about geopolitics. On its face, an agreement on narcotics is ordinary administrative cooperation, the kind of routine accord governments sign every year. Between Pakistan and…

Politics, Democracy & Citizen Rights

Profit, Philanthropy and the Mind: Is Bangladesh’s Private Health Sector Doing Enough for Mental Health?

October 31, 2026October 31, 2026 editor No Comments

Mental health: A Public Responsibility and a Market Challenge Health is more than a commercial service; it is a social necessity. Mental health makes this principle particularly important because those who need treatment most may be least able to afford it. In Bangladesh, where the private healthcare and pharmaceutical industries have expanded significantly, a critical…

Health

Education as a Mission or a Market: Private Schools and the Purpose of Learning in Bangladesh

October 31, 2026October 31, 2026 editor No Comments

Education is a merit good. A society wants every child to receive it, regardless of what the family can pay, and expects schools to serve that aim even when they charge fees. Private schools in Bangladesh, from celebrated English medium institutions in Dhaka to small kindergartens in district towns, now educate a large and growing…

Education

When Outrage Becomes Verdict: Understanding Bangladesh’s Mob Violence Problem

October 31, 2026October 31, 2026 editor No Comments

A video circulates, an accusation spreads, and within hours, a crowd declares someone guilty and delivers punishment. The concern is also the social-media approval violence receives. Some celebrate beatings and share footage as proof that “justice” has been served. When a crowd becomes judge and executioner, no one is safe from becoming its next target….

Media, Publishing & Digital Dissemination

Promised Access, Unused Potential: Bangladesh and Australia’s Agricultural Partnership

October 24, 2026October 24, 2026 editor No Comments

September 2021, Bangladesh and Australia signed their first trade framework in 50 years. August 2026, bilateral trade stood at ~US$5.5 billion, yet no binding agreement governs its agricultural side. Five years on, the partnership has grown on goodwill, shared research and mutual need. The question is whether that is enough to secure Bangladesh’s food supply….

Agriculture

When the Screen Sets the Example

October 24, 2026October 24, 2026 editor No Comments

Bangladeshi cinema and streaming have changed fast. Not long ago, a hero was expected to carry some moral weight. Today, leads light cigarettes in slow motion, drink, take drugs and drift through relationships, and the camera treats it all as style. Many also beat dozens of opponents and settle every dispute with fists or weapons….

Media, Publishing & Digital Dissemination

Political Unrest in New Delhi and Impact on Dhaka

October 24, 2026October 24, 2026 editor No Comments

Political unrest has gripped Delhi since the student-led protests began, with effects felt as far as Bangladesh. The protests have intensified again as young demonstrators demand a revision of the electoral rolls, directing their anger at India’s Chief Election Commissioner. Throughout October, Delhi Police have tried to contain the situation: several metro stations have been…

Politics, Democracy & Citizen Rights

Beyond Inflation: Preparing Bangladesh for a Stable Ramadan Economy in 2027

October 24, 2026October 24, 2026 editor No Comments

A Ramadan Economy Under Pressure Ramadan is not only a spiritual season in Bangladesh; it is also one of the country’s most significant economic periods. Demand for essential food commodities rises sharply, testing the resilience of supply chains, market governance, and social protection systems. With Ramadan 2027 expected to begin in early February, policymakers face…

Economy & Policy Governance

Idle Panels, Unpaid Bills: What Madarganj Tells Us About Bangladesh’s Power Governance

October 24, 2026October 24, 2026 editor No Comments

Beside a river char in Jamalpur sits a solar plant that was meant to feed the grid and instead feeds a dispute. The 100MW Madarganj project, under implementation since 2021 on about 317 acres in Kaijar Char, has stood suspended since November last year (sourced from BBS). Its contractor says roughly Tk 212 crore in…

Sustainability & Urban Planning

Justice Delivered, Justice Delayed: Why Verdicts Wait in Bangladesh – Part 1 of 2

October 24, 2026October 24, 2026 editor No Comments

Bangladesh’s justice system faces a hard question: how long must families wait for final answers? From the unresolved murder of Sohagi Jahan Tonu to the prolonged Sagar–Runi investigation and the unimplemented verdicts in the Narayanganj seven-murder case, delays persist. On 7 June 2026, a Dhaka tribunal sentenced a couple to death for the rape and…

Law & Local Governance