We must break free from our economic captivity

Bangladesh, a country of immense potential, now finds itself shackled by the iron grip of family-owned conglomerates.

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These corporate behemoths, shadowy leviathans cloaked in cronyism, have seized the state, becoming the financial sinew of Sheikh Hasina's authoritarian regime. Their stranglehold threatens not only our economy but also our democracy, suffocating the very ideals for which this nation was born. In Japan's pre-war years, the zaibatsu vast industrial and financial conglomerates - dominated the economy, leveraging their might to entrench authoritarianism. A striking parallel can be drawn with the past Awami regime in Bangladesh, where conglomerates like S Alam, Beximco and Bashundhara entrenched themselves across critical sectors, including energy, finance, real estate and media.