Newspaper Op-ed
- Wednesday, July 04, 2025
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at the daily star
July’s legacy and the myth of a singular vanguard
Of all the reforms that Bangladesh must undertake in this transitional moment of its history, none is more foundational—or more urgent—than education reform. For it is not roads, ports or policies that build a democracy; it is the people. And an educated people, one capable of reasoned thought and civic discernment, don’t easily fall prey to the charms of authoritarianism. The previous regime knew this all too well. To manipulate curricula, politicise history, silence inquiry, and reward mediocrity was not mere negligence; it was strategy. A docile, underinformed populace is easier to rule, easier to deceive. The antidote to such decay is not only political change—it is intellectual renewal.
- Friday, May 23, 2025
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at the daily star
Escaping the shadows of a broken education system
Of all the reforms that Bangladesh must undertake in this transitional moment of its history, none is more foundational—or more urgent—than education reform. For it is not roads, ports or policies that build a democracy; it is the people. And an educated people, one capable of reasoned thought and civic discernment, don’t easily fall prey to the charms of authoritarianism. The previous regime knew this all too well. To manipulate curricula, politicise history, silence inquiry, and reward mediocrity was not mere negligence; it was strategy. A docile, underinformed populace is easier to rule, easier to deceive. The antidote to such decay is not only political change—it is intellectual renewal.
- Sunday, April 27, 2025
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at the daily star
What the educated elite are getting wrong
In the months following the end of a long and autocratic rule, Bangladesh has witnessed a fragile but remarkable return to administrative sanity. Under the interim government, led by Prof Muhammad Yunus, the state has achieved a measure of control that seemed impossible under the previous regime. The management of Eid travel and the stabilisation of food prices during Ramadan stand out as concrete improvements. These are not small feats, especially given the devastating state in which this government inherited its institutions and economy.
- Wednesday, Mar 19, 2025
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at the daily star
The dragon and the delta
There are rivers, and then there are currents. The rivers of Bangladesh—Padma, Meghna, Jamuna—run deep, shaping land, destiny and commerce. But currents, the unseen forces that dictate the flow of history, are harder to chart.
- Wed, Jan 22, 2025
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at daily star
We must break free from our economic captivity
Once, long ago, the poet Nazrul sang of revolution, of freedom from oppression, but were he alive today, he might lament a nation enthralled—not to foreign invaders, but to a domestic oligarchy.
- Saturday, November 23, 2024
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at netra news
No Room for Cynicism in Political Activism
A uniquely Bangladeshi perspective of politics can turn the grim past of a system built on political patronage, towards an idealistic future built on meaningful political activism.
- Saturday, November 23, 2024
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at Dhaka post
গণতন্ত্রের পূর্ণতা আনতে প্রয়োজন নির্বাচন
আমার মনে হয়, গণতন্ত্র পুনঃপ্রতিষ্ঠাই তাদের মূল লক্ষ্য হওয়া উচিত। এটির পূর্ণতা পেতে প্রয়োজন নির্বাচন। নির্বাচন দিতে হলে এর আগে কী কী কাজ করা প্রয়োজন, কী কী কাজ এখনও বাকি, সেগুলো কীভাবে সম্পন্ন করার কথা তারা চিন্তা করছে; বিষয়গুলো নিয়ে সব রাজনৈতিক দল ও স্টেকহোল্ডারদের জানানো সমুচিত বলে মনে করি।
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at Daily Star
Bridging borders, building futures
By the capricious grace of geography and the unyielding heft of history, Bangladesh and India are bound together, like conjoined twins linked by the same lifeblood, the rivers that course through our lands and the shared tragedies and triumphs of our past. Yet today, this bond stands strained, frayed by the abrasions of mistrust, poisoned by the venom of misinformation and tested by the heavy tread of political opportunism.
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at Dhaka Tribune
Let’s fix this, Madam Prime Minister
Even Tiresias the blind was not as handicapped by his loss of vision as we politicians seem to be today in this proud nation of ours. The goddess Athena, overcome by pity or remorse, gave the hapless Tiresias the gift of augury, but we have had no such luck; our blindness has been further exacerbated by rage and envy. Many of us, especially my brothers and counterparts in the Awami League and the BNP, have so entrenched themselves in a state of internecine war that they’ve lost sight of the actual goal of serving the polity.
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at Dhaka Tribune
What are you willing to sacrifice?
Sajeeb Wazed, scion of the Sheikh dynasty and technology adviser to the prime minister, penned an opinion piece last Sunday. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Sajeeb a future candidate for the prime minister’s office. It is important for such a potential leader of this nation to voice his opinions and let us assess his thoughts and vision.
BY BOBBY HAJJAJ at netra news
A call to preserve the fragile unity of democracy
Bangladesh, post-uprising, stands at a crossroads. By addressing systemic inequities, combating authoritarian residues, and fostering cohesive leadership, the nation can reclaim democracy and chart a path toward peace and prosperity.