More than 90 per cent of people in the country thinks that the government must contain the 鈥榚xtremely high鈥� expenses for affording medicines, diagnostics, surgery and doctor鈥檚 fee by setting limits on their prices, according to the public opinion survey on health sector reform 2025...
The Rape Law Reform Coalition, a combine of 17 legal and rights organisations, on Wednesday suggested that amendments to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000 should introduce a broader legal definition of rape to include all individuals to curb incidents of rape and violence against women...
Activists at a press conference on Tuesday raised doubts about the effectiveness of local government institutions if reforms based on recommendations of the Local Government Reform Commission were implemented.
The ambassador of Qatar to Bangladesh Seraya Ali Al-Qahtani on Tuesday said that Qatar had extended its full support to the reform agenda of Bangladesh鈥檚 interim government...
Small political parties, who shared their opinions with the National Consensus Commission on reform proposals till Monday, have opposed the idea of a constituent assembly to implement key reforms, according to party leaders.
The Election Commission on Monday sent a letter to the National Consensus Commission, expressing its disagreement about some of the recommendations of the Electoral Reform Commission as the EC believed that these recommendations, if...
Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday stressed the urgency for implementing reforms, stating that the government had limited time before elections in December.
THE recent event in Narayanganj, in which a 20-year-old man was allegedly raped and a sodomy charge was filed instead, demonstrates a fundamental weakness in Bangladesh鈥檚 legal structure. The country鈥檚 rape laws, as specified in Section 375 of the Penal Code of 1860, only recognise rape as an act committed by a man against a woman, effectively removing male...
BANGLADESH, a country born out of war and bloodshed, now finds itself at another critical juncture. Once, in the 1980s and 1990s, the military and foreign service attracted the sharpest minds 鈥� men and women who saw these institutions not merely as jobs, but as the last line of defence for a fragile state. But time has not been kind to these pillars of national security...
Major political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, are set to miss the deadline for submitting their feedback to the National Consensus Commission鈥檚 multiple-choice questionnaire on key reforms...
THE way the police have relied on violence to disperse an anti-rape march towards the residence of the chief adviser demanding a more decisive role in ending violence against women is a shocking reminder of the role that the police played during the July uprising. The anti-rape march was one of many protests taking place over the rape of a child in Magura, fighting for life...
THE interim government of Bangladesh formed an 11-member Administrative Reform Commission in October 2024, led by Abdul Muid Chowdhury, to recommend ways to make public administration more people-centric, accountable, efficient, and impartial. On February 15, the Commission submitted its recommendations, key among which is transitioning Bangladesh...
National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam on Monday urged the political parties to form a consensus on justice and reforms before election...
UNIVERSAL health coverage aims to provide everyone with essential healthcare services without financial strain. However, despite global pledges to achieve universal health coverage by 2030, more than half of the world鈥檚 population still lacks access to basic health services. The Health Care Financing Strategy 2012...
IS BANGLADESH ready for a federal system? Emerging聽from the recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission, the issue has generated considerable discussion. Although federalism has been acknowledged for its capacity to distribute power and solve regional problems elsewhere in the world, its viability in Bangladesh is yet unknown. Examining this...
The National Consensus Commission has sent a questionnaire to different political parties to gather their opinions on key reform proposals.
The chief adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, said on Thursday that the interim government would implement part of the July Charter to be signed by the political parties after the dialogue on the reforms recommended by six commissions.
The national budget for the forthcoming financial year of 2025-26 will focus on the reform initiatives taken by the interim government aiming at ensuring good governance, eradicating poverty and curbing discrimination to achieve an inclusive economic growth in the country.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission will move forward with telecommunication sector reforms based on the support of the majority of stakeholders, ensuring affordability and service quality, said BTRC chairman Md Emdad-ul-Bari...
THE rate of tobacco use in Bangladesh is alarmingly high, posing significant challenges to public health, the economy and the environment. According to the World Health Organisation, tobacco-related diseases are responsible for eight million deaths annually, with 1.3 million of these attributed to passive smoking. In Bangladesh, 35.3 per cent of adults use tobacco, with...
The Local Government Reform Commission has submitted a primary report to the government, recommending a comprehensive overhaul of the country鈥檚 local government system.
THE recent meeting of the National Consensus Commission, chaired by chief adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, represents a crucial step towards political reform in Bangladesh. This meeting convened leaders from six reform commissions alongside approximately 100 representatives from 27 political parties and alliances, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Nagorik Committee...
Among the 28 political parties and alliances that submitted their respective proposals to the constitution reform commission, only two proposed that Bangla should remain as the state language and other mother tongues should be given constitutional recognition...
THE interim government formed a 7-member Constitutional Reform Commission on October 7, 2024, led by Professor Ali Riaz, to review and evaluate the existing constitution of Bangladesh and to recommend necessary amendments. This commission submitted its recommendations to the chief adviser, professor Muhammad Yunus, on January 15, 2025. The full...
A case has been filed against former education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury and former Chattogram city mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, along with 127 others, in connection with an attack on a...
The Judicial Reform Commission, in its full report, has recommended amendments, modifications, and additions to 32 articles of the constitution to enhance the judiciary鈥檚 institutional, financial, and functional independence.
Speakers at a discussion on Sunday called for urgent reforms in Bangladesh鈥檚 telecommunications鈥� sector to make mobile and internet services more affordable.
The Judiciary Reforms Commission has suggested the government to appoint retired judges to dispose of under trial cases pilled in district courts, official sources said on Saturday.
Five reform commissions on health, women affairs, mass media, labour and local government are going to ask for more time as they are set to miss the deadline for submitting their reports to the interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus today.
The reform commissions, recently formed by the interim government, have recommended measures to curb extrajudicial detention, enforced disappearances, and torture and cruelty in police custody, identifying these crimes as...