Sheikh Selim Archives - Page 2 of 3

Government Pay Scales, Corruption, and the Case for Reform in Bangladesh

May 30, 2026May 30, 2026 editor No Comments

Every Bangladeshi who has registered a land deed, filed a tax return, cleared goods through customs, or sought a routine service at an upazila office knows the unspoken arithmetic: the official fee is what the form says; the actual cost includes additional payments to people who will otherwise find reasons to delay, misplace, or complicate….

Economy & Policy Governance

A Budget Under Pressure: Reviewing Bangladesh’s FY2025-26

May 24, 2026May 24, 2026 editor 1 Comment

Bangladesh’s national budget has long functioned as a statement of aspiration rather than a precise instrument of economic governance. The FY2025–26 budget, presented against a backdrop of persistent inflation, a fragile external account, IMF programme conditionalities, and a population whose cost of living has risen sharply over consecutive years, continued this tradition. It is ambitious…

Economy & Policy Governance

The Resource Curse and Bangladesh’s Energy Roulette

May 24, 2026June 11, 2026 editor No Comments

There is a paradox at the heart of resource-rich developing economies: the very natural endowments that promise prosperity can, if mismanaged, entrench poverty, distort policy, and hollow out long-term economic resilience. Economists call this the ‘resource curse’. For Bangladesh, a country that has drawn extensively on its natural gas reserves over the past five decades…

Sustainability & Urban Planning

A Diminishing Commons: Bangladesh’s Open Water Fisheries, the UN Sustainable Development Goals

May 24, 2026May 24, 2026 editor 1 Comment

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most fish-abundant nations by geography and one of the most paradoxical by outcome. The country’s vast network of rivers, beels, haors, baors, and floodplains constitutes an inland fishery of extraordinary ecological richness, while its 710-kilometre coastline opens onto a Bay of Bengal estimated to harbour more than 740 aquatic…

Agriculture

Watering the Future: Sustainable Irrigation Technology in Bangladesh

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 editor No Comments

Bangladesh is currently at a critical juncture in its agricultural development. As a nation that is both densely populated and climate vulnerable, its capacity to sustain a growing population is contingent on the effective management of its irrigation infrastructure, both in the present and in the decades to come. The Present Landscape The data is…

Agriculture

Degrees Without Destinations: Why Bangladesh’s Universities Are Failing the Economy

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 editor No Comments

Annually, approximately 700,000 graduates enter the Bangladeshi employment sector, armed with academic qualifications that have taken them four to five years to obtain. It is estimated that the economy generates approximately 300,000 employment opportunities per annum, which are suitable for the absorption of the unemployed population (data source: BBS). The resulting discrepancy cannot be considered…

Education

Dhaka in the Sky: The Case for Making Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport a Regional Transit Hub

May 15, 2026May 15, 2026 editor No Comments

Dhaka is located at the intersection of South and Southeast Asia, a geographical position that naturally lends itself to the development of an advanced aviation infrastructure. However, this potential has remained largely untapped for decades. As global air traffic recovers and regional connectivity become a cornerstone of economic competitiveness, Bangladesh has a unique and time-sensitive…

Economy & Policy Governance

Seasonal Fishing and Livelihood in Bangladesh– the Ban on Kaptai Lake fishing.

May 7, 2026May 8, 2026 editor No Comments

A few significant discussions have appeared in the most prominent daily newspapers in Bangladesh concerning the practice of seasonal fishing. The imposition of a seasonal fishing ban on Kaptai Lake, Bangladesh’s largest artificial freshwater reservoir, signifies a substantial advancement in the institutionalisation of fisheries conservation within a regulatory framework. However, the measure also exposes underlying…

Agriculture

Lending Rates, Energy Authority and Regulatory Burdens in Bangladesh– A critical analysis.

May 7, 2026May 8, 2026 editor No Comments

The Minister of Commerce’s remarks delivered at a prominent exposition concerning the textile and garment industry have drawn attention to three interlocking constraints on Bangladesh’s industrial competitiveness. These constraints are as follows: high lending rates, structural energy deficits, and regulatory friction. Whilst the acknowledgement of these challenges at the ministerial level is worthy of note,…

Economy & Policy Governance

Bangladesh and India Variable ahead of the Indian Elections

May 2, 2026May 8, 2026 editor No Comments

The forthcoming West Bengal state assembly elections, scheduled for 23 and 29 April, are indicative of a broader geopolitical landscape. The contest between Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and Narendra Modi’s BJP is indicative of a broader strategic and ideological struggle in the Indian subcontinent, rather than being confined to the domestic political arena. A substantial…

Economy & Policy Governance