Transparency

For chronically loss-making enterprises that no longer serve clear strategic national interests, the study suggests eventual privatisation or orderly closure.

The UN experts have urged the Taliban to reconsider the decree and align their legal framework with international standards, warning that failure to do so could deepen the country’s crisis and further erode public trust in state institutions.

The rating places Pakistan among nations where freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression are systematically curtailed, despite constitutional guarantees and the country’s ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 2010.

Hospitals are accused of admitting patients without medical necessity and inflating bills, while helicopter companies allegedly falsified flight records.

Independent observers note that without accountability, the culture of impunity will only deepen. Families continue to lose loved ones in suspicious circumstances, while officers operate with an apparent licence to kill.

Supporters argue that Gates’ philanthropic contributions – saving millions of lives through vaccination programs – should not be overshadowed by past errors. Detractors highlight the hypocrisy in a figure promoting ethical global solutions while entangled in such controversies.

Failure to act, Ahmed cautioned, could derail Bangladesh’s economic aspirations, leaving businesses vulnerable and the nation grappling with stagnation.

The event reflects continued activism in Sri Lanka, where economic recovery has not erased memories of the struggle or resolved grievances over state responses.