A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

Humans of Establishment

Personal, not political. One person per issue.

About the series

The Humans of the Establishment is a planned series of personal essays about key political figures and policymakers, aimed at highlighting the diverse and changing fabric of the present day political scene in Bangladesh.

The collection · 05 issues

Latest issue · Issue 05

Begum Khaleda Zia

27 September 2026 · 8 min read

"Think about it. A widow with two sons, walking into a party run by men, and ending up running it and becoming the first female prime minister of the country. We don't tell that part of her story enough. I know I didn't. For years, the only line of hers I could quote was a meme."

By Nayem Ali, Head of Content

Read the essay

Issue 04 · September 2026
Ahmed Bin Quasem Arman
For a few seconds, he wasn't the barrister who had survived Aynaghar or the man everyone had come to hear. He was simply a person standing in a place where he had once been imprisoned.
By Nayem Ali, Head of Content
Issue 03 · August 2026
Khalilur Rahman
"You never gave me my photos." I laughed. "Come on, sir. You're the Foreign Minister now. You owe me a big treat." "I'll meet you soon," he said. The meeting never happened. I am still waiting for my treat.
By Nayem Ali, Head of Content
Issue 02 · August 2026
Lutfey Siddiqi
"I remember being genuinely stunned, less by the offer of help than because of the way he said it. He didn't speak to me as if I were the youngest person in the room, a junior press wing member who had been left behind after everyone else had gone home."
By Nayem Ali, Head of Content
Issue 01 · August 2026
Salahuddin Ahmed
"For a few seconds, the intimidating political figure disappeared. In his place was simply a man trying to make a nervous young person feel less nervous."
By Nayem Ali, Head of Content

Begum Khaleda Zia

Ahmed Bin Quasem Arman

Khalilur Rahman

Lutfey Siddiqi

Salahuddin Ahmed