Why a Flat 15 Percent VAT Would Be a Costly Mistake
The case for a flat VAT looks tidy on paper, but will fall hardest on consumers.
Faisal Mahmud
Journalist
Contributor
Faisal Mahmud is a Dhaka-based journalist who has reported on Bangladesh and South Asia for international outlets such as Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Asia Times, Voice of America, and Nikkei Asia among others. He is a recipient of the Jefferson Fellowship and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Fellowship, and previously served as Minister (Press) at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.
Articles by Faisal 7
Economics
Economics
Why Is the New Bank Resolution Act Stirring So Much Debate?
What (and who) the Bangladesh's Bank Resolution Act of 2026 truly acts on.
Migration
Caught Between War and Work in the Gulf
Bangladeshi migrant workers face the psychological & economic weight of the Iran Conflict
Economics
From Shipbreakers to Shipbuilders
As Global Trade Splinters, Bangladesh Sees Opportunity in Its Shipyards
Economics
Bangladesh's Fragile 'Power' Play
Every $5 increase in global oil prices is estimated to add $500 million to Bangladesh's annual import bill.
Arts & Letters
The Eid That Lived Outside Our Walls
In 1990s Dhaka, a small gate separates a child's ordered world from the promise of endless adventure just beyond it.
Arts & Letters
When the Wind Carried Me to Iranian Cinema
Iranian cinema teaches the viewer how to watch again. And once you learn that way of watching, it becomes hard to go back.