Firdousi Naher

An independent body recommending viable prices for all commodities under its mandate, is something the government must consider.

Ever since the threat of Covid-19 first hit us, there has been a spike in online sales of both food and non-food items. For food in particular, it is difficult not to succumb to the alluring pictures of goodies posted on social media.

I was trying to manoeuvre my way through a small gap between a security barricade on my left and the moving trail of vehicles on my right, when a speeding car almost went over my foot. Hugely relieved to have avoided it, I murmured a little prayer.

The logic is simple and nothing new—morbidity and mortality do not help people earn their livelihoods.

It’s a pleasantly cool and breezy morning and I look forward to enjoying the weather outside on my way to office. Eager to make the most of it before the rush hour traffic sets in, I leave early. No sooner do I exit the compound than the jarring sound of a horn greets me—a car behind ours, probably urging us to move faster! As we drive through to enter the main road, many more horns await us, despite it being 6:45 in the morning. The unexpectedly cool weather after a long spell of sweltering heat had made me momentarily forget about the annoying horns that plague our daily lives!

This write-up comes on the heels of a recently-concluded international conference hosted by the Bureau of Economic Research and the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka. Amongst the many issues that were discussed on the pathways to achieve inclusive