We are proud to present to you the fourth instalment of our five-part special supplement series. In this segment, we have focused on the issue of governance, and indeed good governance in particular, which is inherently tied to developing a prosperous and sustainable nation.

The relationship between democracy and development is a much-discussed issue.

Globally, democracy is in crisis. An array of countries, from newly democratised nations to consolidated democracies, are experiencing severe backsliding.

In his famous Gettysburg Address of 1863, Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

A better understanding about the increasing economic importance of urban centres in national development is needed to shift the policy rhetoric towards increased urban investment.

Bangladesh is undeniably the world’s most disaster-prone country. Recurring disasters demolish the economic resource base of the poor people and drain out the economic potential.

The media is often considered to be the fourth pillar of a democracy—while the other three pillars are the legislature, executive and judiciary.

Renewable energy (RE) comprises of energy from the sun (directly), usually called solar, biomass, wind, tidal, geothermal and hydro.

Human society uses 10 times more energy today than it did in the early 20th century. While wood, coal and animal power dominated the energy scenario before the Second World War, the transition to oil and gas (hydrocarbon) started in the 1940s through 1970s.

Advanced technology-based society emerged in the period following the industrial revolution in the mid-1700s. Several major factors distinguished this new form of society from the previous ones.

As we enter the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the societal challenges we were fighting in the pre-Covid times all got worse over the past two years—be it extreme poverty, food and water crises, biodiversity loss, ecological degradation, or climatic change and associated disasters. But, can nature still be a part of tackling these challenges?

Bangladesh is regarded globally as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts.

One has to appreciate the fact that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman identified population boom as the “foremost national problem” for Bangladesh, even though the size of the population was 7.5 crore in the ‘70s. It amply indicates how farsighted he was in this case as we are burdened with a burgeoning population of over 16 crore today.