Weekly Bangladesh Policy Outlook: Analysis, Truth, Debate.
In a modern state, a national identity card and passport are far more than administrative documents. They are proof of citizenship, gateways to public services, and essential tools that connect citizens with the state. Yet in Bangladesh, obtaining or correcting these documents often becomes a frustrating and exhausting experience for ordinary people. Thousands of citizens…
Read More “Citizen Suffering in NID and Passport Services” »
Dr M. Niaz Asadullah Professor of Economics, University of Dhaka (This column was published as an opinion-analysis piece in the Prothom Alo on 11th June 2026. By special nomination of the Editor-in-Chief and with the author’s permission, the column is republished in this bulletin) Recently, a statement by the Minister of State for the Ministry…
Read More “Why the World Should Come to Bangladesh for Education” »
Desk Report Oniket Research Group Bangladesh’s electronic commerce sector has emerged as one of the most dynamic growth stories in South Asia. Driven by a young, increasingly connected population and the rapid expansion of mobile internet, the market reached an estimated volume of nine billion US dollars in 2024, with projections placing it at fifteen…
Ruksana Akhter Freelance Architect Chattogram is Bangladesh’s commercial engine. As the country’s principal port city and second largest urban centre, it drives a disproportionate share of national trade, industry, and economic activity. Yet the commercial buildings that house this economic energy are, by any credible measure, dangerously unfit for purpose. A convergence of fire hazards,…
Desk Report Oniket Research Group The indigenous communities of Muralipara in Rangamati live beneath hills that could collapse at any moment (the daily star). For Chingchoyai Marma, a mother of four, the last monsoon was so terrifying that her entire family fled to her in law’s house for two weeks, returning only after the rain…
Read More “Sustainability, Equity and Reform in Rangamati Hills” »
Naima Onamika Commissioning Editor, The Oniket Bulletin In the past decade, Bangladesh has experienced unprecedented growth in digital technology. The expansion of internet access, widespread availability of smartphones, and the popularity of social media have opened new opportunities in social and economic life. Social media now plays an important role in communication, business, education, and…
Read More “Social Media, Family Breakdown and Social Division” »
Farah Zahir Editor, Oniket Research Group Every June, Bangladesh’s national budget arrives with the choreography of a national event. Finance ministers present figures to parliament, television channels broadcast the speech live, newspapers prepare special supplements, and talk shows fill the evening schedules with economists and commentators reacting to the announcements. For approximately 48 hours, the…
Read More “Numbers Without Meaning: How Bangladesh Media Reports the National Budget” »
Quamrun Nahar Mahmud Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh Impacts on Human Rights and Press Freedom The Act’s scope for misuse alarms rights advocates. Key free-expression offenses (e.g. insulting religious sentiments, defamation) remain criminalized. As a result, the new law still “silences critical voices,” according to press freedom groups. Already, rights organizations have observed a divide…
Read More “Bangladesh’s Cyber Security Act 2026: A Critical Analysis – Part: Two” »
Naima Onamika Commissioning Editor, The Oniket Bulletin The indigenous peoples of Bangladesh form an essential part of the country’s history, culture, and social diversity. More than fifty indigenous communities, including the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo, Santal, and Mro, together represent a population of several million. Although these communities are spread across the Chittagong Hill Tracts,…
Tanzina Fardoush Oniket Research Group Bangladesh has a crisis it does not discuss loudly enough. Rape and child sexual abuse are not rare aberrations in the social order. They are pervasive, systemic, and deeply rooted in the combined failures of law, culture, and governance. Despite legislative activity in recent years, the conviction rate for rape…
Read More “The Essential Legal and Social Reforms Bangladesh Needs to End Rape and Child Abuse” »
