Editorial Views
Will raising costs help regulate battery-powered rickshaws
Competing with heavy vehicles like buses and trucks, these lightweight vehicles often dominate the roads, occupying large sections of public thoroughfares. Their drivers typically ignore traffic laws, leading to frequent and unpredictable accidents.
Let the eyes of National Eye Hospital open
The fact that medical services at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in the capital have remained shut for the fifth consecutive day following clashes and scuffles between doctors-staff and the injured from the July mass uprising is not only concerning but extremely unfortunate. Patients do not even know when the national eye hospital will reopen. People are coming from far and wide only to return empty-handed. They are facing severe suffering as a result.
Remove institutional ‘lock-in’
The Rural Electrification Board (REB), which provides electricity services to 140 million consumers in rural areas of Bangladesh, has long suffered from institutional “lock-in.” Institutional lock-in refers to a situation where an organisation or an entire sector operates more on top-down command than on institutional practice, which ultimately hampers its normal functioning and obstructs necessary reforms or adoption of new technologies due to mismanagement.
Eliminate the Suffering of People Affected by Floods, Waterlogging, and Disasters
This year, the monsoon season began in full swing by mid-Joishtho (late May). Due to a deep depression, there is heavy rain with gusty winds across the country. As a result, anticipated with dread that flood conditions may arise within the next two days in at least six districts. In Dhaka and other major cities, knee-deep water has accumulated. Due to the impact of the depression, there was a tidal wave in several coastal areas yesterday.
Increase allocations for education and healthcare
Given the dire condition of the country’s education and healthcare sectors, it was expected that the interim government would play a significant role in providing allocation to these sectors. But the draft budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year reveals that allocations for both sectors are being reduced. According to the Planning Ministry’s draft ADP (Annual Development Programme), the education sector will receive Tk 28,557 crore for 91 projects in the upcoming fiscal year, whereas the original ADP for the current fiscal year allocated Tk 31,528 crore to this sector. This marks a reduction of nearly Tk 3,000 crore. Similarly, the allocation for the health sector is decreasing by Tk 2,500 crore.
Ensure people's safety
After a video went viral on social media showing robbers snatching a young man's bag in broad daylight while holding knives, widespread fear has gripped the general public. According to media reports published on Tuesday (May 27), the incident took place on the afternoon of May 18. The location was Greenway Lane in Moghbazar, Dhaka. The victim of the robbery is a young man named Abdullah, who is from Cumilla. Following the incident, on Sunday night, Abdullah filed a case with Hatirjheel police station against three unidentified individuals. The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Hatirjheel police station told the media that efforts are underway to bring the three robbers involved in the case to justice.
Calm the alarming situation in the Secretariat
The administrative system of the country is becoming increasingly unstable following the protest against the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, issued last Monday evening. Employees at the Secretariat have been demonstrating for four consecutive days by leaving their offices, and they have declared that they will continue their movement until the ordinance is repealed. They have also threatened to expand the movement across all government offices nationwide if their demands are not met.
What are industrial entrepreneurs to do amid the gas crisis
The gas crisis is worsening day by day. Many factories are shutting down due to the gas shortage. New entrepreneurs no longer have the courage to invest. Despite repeated assurances from the government, the continued failures speak for themselves. According to the Bangladesh Chamber of Industry (BCI), gas shortages have reduced production in factories to below 60 percent. Alongside the gas crisis, bank loan interest rates have also risen. Banks are labeling borrowers as defaulters if they miss interest payments for just three months. In such a situation, industrial entrepreneurs are facing an extremely disheartening reality.
Why navigability couldn't be restored despite spending billions of taka
Many rivers in Bangladesh require dredging. Numerous rivers are suffering from a lack of navigability. As a result, during the dry season, navigation becomes impossible in these rivers, while in the rainy season, they overflow and cause flooding. A recent survey revealed that the majority of the country's rivers are facing navigability issues. The Old Brahmaputra River has been suffering from such a crisis for a long time. To address this, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) began dredging the river in 2019. However, after six years of dredging, not only has the water flow not improved, but the river’s course has been diverted in at least three places. In some areas, sand from the dredging was dumped directly into the river in an unplanned manner, while in others, the main flow was redirected to occupy land. As a result, hundreds of people have lost homes and farmland due to river erosion.
Robbery in a hearse: What kind of Bangladesh is this?
Various types of crimes occur in society and the state. Editorials are written about these incidents in the media. Warnings are issued to the government and the public so that such events do not happen again. But now in Bangladesh, robberies are even taking place in hearses—who can be addressed or warned in such a situation? How corrupt must the soul of a nation become for its people to commit such despicable acts! Not even a hearse is safe from robbery. The tragic part is that, in the act of robbing, the robbers even assaulted the dead body.
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