Author: Amir M Sayem

In the recently held local elections, three people were killed and many were injured because of the clashes of opponent groups in Bangladesh. Electoral violence is, of course, not new in the country. Sometimes electoral violence is at an extreme level, sometimes it is less severe. It is difficult to find elections from the national to city corporations to local levels that are not marred by some sort of violence, which occurs before, during and immediately after elections. But it does not get deserved attention though violence-free electoral campaigns and cast of votes without any fear, threats of attacks, or…

Of course, politics and geopolitics are undeniable, since each political party and group within a state and sovereign state has different sorts of interests and interests of each party or group and each state often contradict with those of others. But the problem arises when politics within a country boundary and geo-politics that are sometimes based on unacceptable grounds can at times lead to enormous destruction or bring enormous negative impacts on many. These not only kill and displace millions of people but also bring many other negative impacts including economic harm and the suppression of gifted and talented individuals…

Human resource development that receives much more attention at present is very important for any country including Bangladesh. It is undeniable that developed human resources can bring enormous positive impacts not only in government, private and other organizations but also in the society as a whole. In fact, developed human resources can bring better outcomes in economic, social and many other aspects. But a considerable portion of employees, officials and others are not developed as human resources as desired in Bangladesh. As a result, the development of human resources needs to be given more emphasis in the country that needs…

Many women go abroad from Bangladesh for jobs in different countries around the world. Of course, the number of women migrants from Bangladesh has increased in recent years. They earn money and send back to families living in Bangladesh. But it is often said that many migrant Bangladeshi women are harassed by the employers of host countries. Even if it is difficult to exactly say how many women have been abused abroad since many do not say of it, different studies show that the number is very high. A study conducted by the International Organization of Migration reveals that two…

Land grabbing is a major cause for concern in Bangladesh. Of course, a huge amount of land is illegally grabbed. According to the Land Ministry, about 1.3 million hectares of government-owned lands are currently grabbed by influential elites. Influential persons illegally grabbed government-owned lands in char areas, riversides, roadsides, forests, hill tracts and other areas. But it is difficult to exactly say about the total amount of lands illegally grabbed because there is a lack of record of illegally grabbed private lands. Though there are various arrangements to settle land disputes and recover lands from illegal gabbing, the problem of…

Of course, political parties are crucial in multiparty-based politics. According to different available sources, there are around forty registered and more than forty unregistered political parties in Bangladesh. Some political parties have more political committees while others have fewer committees. Mostly, major political parties have more committees and their committees can reach from the national to the Union or ward levels. Of course, all political committees of different parties are not comprised of good political leaders and all political leaders do not bring good to the people, community and country always, even if there are differences at the tiers of…

Of course, brokers are commonly found and active in different government departments or agencies including the passport office, hospitals, land record and settlement offices, road transport authorities, law-enforcing agencies, courts and educational institutions in Bangladesh. Here, brokers are those individuals who are unofficial and illegal middlemen working in close connection with officials of different government departments or agencies for illegal monetary gains for their own and officials. But such type of brokers should not be misunderstood with officially recognized or legal brokers who are individuals or firms who act as an intermediary between an investor and a securities exchange, or…

Foreign aid, which is significant for developing economic and other aspects in less developed and developing countries, is given to different countries. Less developed and developing countries usually receive such aid from more developing and developed countries and international organizations including the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Asian Development Bank. Foreign aid, which can be of different sorts including loans, debt relief, military aid and humanitarian assistance, is given with or without any conditions. Varied conditions attached to foreign aid, which was massively started to be given after the Second World War, mainly aim to support security and the…

Of course, there are enormous potentials of the blue economy for Bangladesh. Indeed, the Bay of Bengal covers a vast area and has different types of living and non-living resources. The ministry of foreign affairs identified twenty-six blue economy sectors in Bangladesh including fisheries, marine trade and shipping, tourism and energy. Oceans and seas contribute to poverty eradication by creating sustainable livelihoods, provide food and minerals, provide crucial linkages in international trade and regulate global climate and weather patterns. Of course, the marine sector was developed immediately after the independence but Bangladesh put more focus on the development of the…

Critical thinking is very important for everyone — students, employees, employers, mass people and others. It helps everyone to think creatively — or outside the box — and face various challenges from academic to real-life situations in successful and creative manner. More specifically, it makes an individual capable of understanding connections between ideas or facts, detecting inconsistencies and mistakes, reflecting justifications of one’s beliefs and values, solving academic and real-life problems on reasonable grounds, identifying, constructing and evaluating ideas, arguments and facts, and making reasonable plans and strategies. Simultaneously, it reduces prejudice or unreasoned biasness, superstitions and chances of falling…