Child Rape in Bangladesh: The Achia Case and National Outrage

 The news from Magura, the face of that 8-year-old girl, Achia, it stays with everyone. It's not just a statistic; it's a gut-wrenching reminder of how brutally fragile childhood can be, especially here in Bangladesh. We talk about vulnerability, but to see it so violently exploited, it leaves a hollow ache.

 

Living here, people see the contradictions. We cherish children, they're the heart of our families, yet these atrocities happen. It feels like a betrayal, a deep crack in our social fabric. It’s more than just a crime; it’s a symptom of something deeply wrong, a breakdown of trust within the very spaces where children should feel safest.

 

The protests, the anger, the raw grief is seen everywhere. It's not just about this one case; it's about all the unspoken horrors, the fear that lingers in mothers' eyes. You can feel the collective trauma, the way it ripples through communities, leaving everyone shaken. It's a psychological crisis that affects us all, a heavy weight we carry.

 

We need more than just justice; we need a fundamental shift. We need to create spaces where children are truly safe, where their voices are heard, where they’re believed. We need to build a society where the idea of harming a child is unthinkable. It's a long road, but seeing the pain, feeling the collective sorrow, it fuels a desperate hope that we can, we must, do better.

Bangladesh Supermarket VAT Exemption 2025: Fighting Inflation & Ramadan Price Hikes

 In 2025, Bangladesh confronted persistent inflationary pressures, significantly impacting household budgets. To alleviate this burden, the government implemented a zero Value Added Tax (VAT) policy on essential goods within supermarkets. This initiative aimed to directly reduce consumer costs amidst a challenging economic landscape characterized by fluctuating global commodity prices and domestic supply chain vulnerabilities.

The primary driver for the VAT exemption was the sustained high inflation, particularly in food items. Data from the Bangladesh Bank indicated that while overall inflation showed marginal decreases, food inflation remained a significant concern. Contributing factors included global supply chain disruptions, the depreciation of the taka, and inherent challenges within the domestic agricultural sector. The government's decision to eliminate VAT on essentials in supermarkets was a direct response to these pressures, intending to provide immediate financial relief to urban consumers. Market monitoring teams were deployed to ensure retailers passed on the savings, a critical component for the policy's success.

The market's reaction to the VAT exemption was complex. Retailers faced the challenge of balancing reduced VAT with rising import and operational costs. The Ramadan season, typically marked by increased consumer demand, further complicated the situation. While the policy intended to stabilize prices during this period, market dynamics often led to fluctuations. Monitoring efforts aimed to prevent price manipulation and ensure transparency, but the sheer volume of transactions and market complexities posed significant challenges. Consumer behavior reflected the economic strain, with increased price sensitivity and cautious purchasing patterns.

The 2025 zero-VAT policy in Bangladeshi supermarkets was a significant attempt to mitigate the impact of high inflation. Its effectiveness hinged on transparent price transmission, robust market monitoring, and the overall stability of the broader economy. While the policy aimed to provide immediate relief, long-term success depended on addressing the underlying causes of inflation and ensuring sustainable economic growth. The ongoing evaluation of this policy's impact will be crucial in shaping future economic strategies in Bangladesh.

Meditation services are now subject to VAT.

 

After three years of exemption, the government has proposed imposing VAT on meditation services.

In his budget statement issued, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal announced, "I propose to eliminate the existing VAT exemption on 'Meditation Services."

During his budget presentation for the current fiscal year (Financial Year 2022), the finance minister, on the other hand, supported the decision to exempt meditation from VAT, claiming that it was decided for the benefit of mental health and mind control during the global pandemic.

7.0 percent VAT on meditation was originally introduced in Financial Year 2014, however it was later reversed by then-finance minister AMA Muhith in Financial Year 2015, emphasizing the role of allowing citizens to heal from diseases and illnesses.

VAT on meditation was suggested again in the Financial Year 2019 budget presentation, but the finance minister put it aside for the past two years, revising the same fiscal's proposed finance law.

The tax credit for middle-income individuals is shrinking.

 

In the coming fiscal year, tax relocation due to investment is expected to decrease for the middle-income group of people of Bangladesh.

Currently, only a maximum of 25% can be invested.

For the coming fiscal year, the Finance Bill-2022 proposes a reduction in the amount of investment that is eligible for a tax credit to 20%. It also increased the income tax rate as well as the ranges of qualified investments.

Currently, an individual taxpayer with a yearly income of up to Tk 1.5 million is eligible for a 15% tax credit on a qualifying investment amount of up to 25% of total income.

For anyone with an income of up to Tk 1.5 million, the tax credit ratio would remain constant, whereas those higher earnings will advantage from the policy.

In the upcoming financial year, the tax refund rate for individuals with annual incomes over Tk 1.5 million would be increased from 10% to 15%.

Bangladesh – Play the Strategy Game to become a Regional Power in South Asia.

Pushing or Pulling towards the center of the board. Getting some notice or it’s a threat from China as Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said on Monday that China-Bangladesh bilateral ties would be substantially damaged if Dhaka engaged with Quad, according to the media report. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an informal security grouping of the US, Japan, Australia and India, are now seeking to seduce Bangladesh to be part of their Indo-Pacific strategy tie.

As an important partner of China, Bangladesh signed up to the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is a member of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. One of the crucial aims of both US' and India's Indo-Pacific visions is to counter the BRI with a bid to contain China's development. Roping in Bangladesh can help them achieve this goal.

Another Quad member, Japan, is engaged in many areas of cooperation with Bangladesh as well. For one, Bangladesh's market is appealing to Japan. Despite its small size, Bangladesh has a population of more than 160 million. For another, out of geopolitical considerations, Tokyo hopes to counter the BRI. Japan has proposed the Partnership for Quality Infrastructure and attempted to sign infrastructure deals with Bangladesh. Tokyo, together with New Delhi and Washington, are really the ones behind the scenes that instigated Dhaka to call off the Sonadia deep-sea port project that was constructed by China and turn to cooperate with Japan on another similar program, reported by the media in 2016.

As a response, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Moment told local English daily Dhaka Post that, "None of us were invited to the Quad, nor did we show interest." If what Chinese Ambassador said is the fact, this will be good. But given that some media outlets, including local ones, had covered Li's remarks, the news that Bangladesh had been invited to join the Quad was possibly not be groundless. Bangladesh either had talked with Quad members over this issue or aim to launch a trial balloon to see China's reaction.

 

Bangladesh holds a good balance between major powers. It actively cooperates with China on economics. At the same time, Dhaka hopes such cooperation will thus bring more countries to invest in Bangladesh. But it also hopes a competition over it remains at the economic level instead of at the political level. Bangladesh raises its value to the regional powers in the Geopolitical prospective. The strategy should secure the higher economic value from the international partners as well as stable the position from Underdog to Regional Power.