From groceries to food and commuting, startups, founded by innovative young people, became popular brands

In one of your most distant childhood memories, you may recall hearing the high-pitched howl of a lone jackal way off in the distance while enjoying the evening from the comfort of your village home.

Amid the worldwide development of electric vehicles, which is changing the traffic landscape away from fossil fuels, Bangladeshi mechanics brought their humble version of an e-vehicle to the road: a battery-run rickshaw -- awkwardly wired, with visible battery units slinging on the back.

In the 1990s, Dhanmondi was just another quiet neighborhood in Dhaka, with the occasional tinny tinkle of rickshaws on Satmasjid Road. If you craved something to renew your taste buds, Bailey Road, Gulshan, or Banani were the places to go.

After three months of rigorous work, a white paper panel on the state of the economy revealed all the fault lines that had formed across Bangladesh during the 15 years of rule under the Awami League government, which held power from 2009 until it was ousted by a mass uprising on August 5 this year.

Motijheel, once the pulsing heart of Dhaka’s trade and commerce, has become a shadow of its former self. Empty office floors now whisper tales of abandoned ambitions.

Motijheel is losing its historic lustre as Dhaka’s commercial hub, with Gulshan, among the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the capital, stealing its thunder.

The increasing exodus of educated professionals from Bangladesh reveals a complex web of barriers facing the nation’s brightest minds. 

A couple of decades ago, Panchagarh, the northernmost district of Bangladesh, was primarily known for its abundance of gravel beds. With thousands of acres of land devoted to digging for the resource, the backbone of the region’s rural economy was based on those natural resources.

Designated as a basket case after gaining independence in 1971, Bangladesh silenced even its harshest critics as it transformed into one of the world’s foremost development cases.

On the bustling streets of Dhaka, where traffic moves like molasses and the air hangs heavy with exhaust fumes, a new breed of urban warriors has emerged.

Private facilities spring up around public hospitals as govt services fall short

Local conglomerates have been growing hand in hand with the economy since independence in 1971, but few have managed to navigate the changing tides over the years.

It was once beyond anyone’s wildest imagination that Bangladesh would become a motorcycle manufacturing hub. Only seven years ago, the country relied on imports to meet 95 percent of its demand for motorbikes.

On the corner of a crowded and noisy floor, a bespectacled man was calling out bids for a basket of Hilsa fish. He repeated the prices quoted by traders in a loud, rhythmic tone: “1,400-1,420-1,450…”

At the turn of the millennium, travelling by road between Sylhet and Dhaka felt akin to a trek across rugged terrain. One would have to awkwardly traverse bumps along narrow and winding paths for upwards of 10 hours to make the trip either way.

In the shadowy predawn hours, the air in Ashulia, a small industrial town on the outskirts of Dhaka, is thick with anticipation.

The number of apparel work orders received by Bangladeshi companies from international retailers and brands for the autumn and winter seasons of 2025 dropped by nearly 10 percent compared to the past due to major shocks from the nationwide student movement and labour unrest in major industrial belts over the past two and half months.

As Bangladesh enters a new era following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, which ruled over the nation for 15 years and is responsible for countless financial wrongdoings, the need of the hour is to reform the overall system of governance.

When the Awami League (AL) announced its manifesto with the slogan ‘Charter for Change’ ahead of the general elections in 2008, it drew applause from various sections of society