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Sazzadul Islam Nayan

  • Journalist

The world builds corridors but we stands at the crossroads
The world builds corridors but we stands at the crossroads
Politics and Bureaucracy

The world builds corridors but we stands at the crossroads

Spread out a map of the world today, and it looks rather like a sprawling house undergoing renovation. Someone is cutting through mountains to lay railway tracks, someone is building roads across the desert, someone else is connecting one port to another. China is expanding its routes to Europe. India is planning a passage west through the Arabian Peninsula. Kazakhstan, Türkiye and Laos are all busy drawing more trade through their own backyards. Bangladesh stands at a crossroads surrounded by possibilities. Only the destination of our own journey remains unclear.

Under Trump’s shadow, dollar era facing difficult times
Under Trump’s shadow, dollar era facing difficult times
Economics

Under Trump’s shadow, dollar era facing difficult times

The dollar’s troubles are no longer coming entirely from outside. Some of them, increasingly, seem to be coming from within the system itself. Donald Trump wants to make America great again—by raising tariffs, tightening the gates of trade and keeping the key to sanctions firmly in his hand. But global markets are a strange place. Push someone too hard, and sooner or later they begin looking for another door. BRICS is now looking for that side door.

Afghan refugees are left huddled at the feet of democracy
Afghan refugees are left huddled at the feet of democracy
Politics and Bureaucracy

Afghan refugees are left huddled at the feet of democracy

On August 16, 2021, the Taliban captured Kabul just a day prior. The last stage of the US military's withdrawal was still in progress. At Hamid Karzai International Airport, events transpired that day which appeared to challenge any straightforward characterization of disorder.

A fresh geography lesson for Bangladesh
A fresh geography lesson for Bangladesh
Politics and Bureaucracy

A fresh geography lesson for Bangladesh

The world is deeply unsettled. Everywhere, the drums of war are beating, the balance of power is shifting, and old maps are being redrawn. Maps, too, have a silent language. In times of peace, a desert, a mountain range or a landlocked region may appear to be little more than coloured patches on a page. But when war breaks out, their value is reassessed. A port is no longer merely a port; a railway becomes a strategic asset; a strait becomes a vital artery for global energy supplies; and a neighbouring country can suddenly become a market, a corridor or a security buffer.

Ports on sea, shadow of power on horizon
Ports on sea, shadow of power on horizon
Politics and Bureaucracy

Ports on sea, shadow of power on horizon

Vast in size but calm by nature. Seen from afar, the Indian Ocean may appear that way. Blue waters. Long maritime routes. Rows of commercial vessels. But over the past decade, the picture has changed. Major construction projects have begun across the ocean. Deep-sea ports in some places. Long runways in others. Military bases elsewhere.