When the BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan asked Professor Muhammad Yunus—head of Bangladesh's interim government—during his recent visit to London why he was meeting the king but  not the prime minister , it was an awkward moment for most. Yet, without hesitation or irritation, as clearly heard on the radio, Professor Yunus replied: "Well, we would be very happy to meet him. Somehow, probably he is busy or whatever. But that gives me a great opportunity too—now that he is busy, I invite him to come to Bangladesh." A witty remark, no doubt, though hardly a satisfying explanation. Rajini followed up with a more pointed question: "What reason does Downing Street give you for not arranging the meeting?" To this, Professor Yunus replied: "I don't think we've received any explanation. Probably he is busy with other important things." This exchange highlighted the foreign ministry's failure to secure a key meeting during the chief adviser's visit...

  The massive wealth accumulated by a top police official, whose primary task is to maintaini law and order, is hard to fathom. The scale and magnitude of the former IGP’s wealth acquisition make it clear that it is not possible through petty grafts, but rather requires extortion and corruption at the highest level. To understand this issue, we must look back at the tenure of the former police chief Benazir Ahmed.  Benazir uniquely served in three of the most coveted roles in the police force: Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Director General of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), and Inspector General of Police (IGP). These positions ideally require extraordinary competence, integrity, and professional excellence. Did you know that he was awarded the Integrity Award for the year 2020-21 in recognition of his integrity in the profession? According to a Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) report, on June 28, 2022, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal handed over the...

The lead headline in the Daily Star on July 4 reminded us of the arrival of an austere time, but another story inside was even more depressing, telling us that, according to the Global Emotions Report 2022, Bangladesh is the seventh saddest nation in the world. And we became miserable well before the onset of high inflation and cost of living crisis. How was it possible? Haven’t we got dozens of occasions round the year to celebrate - some religious, some cultural, and many more political? Or, are we about to hear that some quarters opposed to the government and its world-class development have been conspiring against us? The Global Emotions Report, however, is not produced by any of the opposition parties, including the BNP, or human rights groups. It is a report by the global polling giant Gallup, constructed as part of its annual survey on people's emotional well-being.  In its quest for assessing the emotional state of the people and what contributes to their happiness or unhap...