Dhaka matters: an election for Bangladesh

<p>The toppling of authoritarian leader Sheikh Hassina in Bangladesh in 2024 was celebrated as a triumph for democracy. Tomorrow the country finally <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/02/05/the-new-bangladesh-is-only-half-built?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">heads to the polls</a>. Our correspondent weighs the choice. Can Mars and other bleak planets be made fit for <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/12/30/how-to-export-life-to-mars?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">human habitation</a>? And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/01/12/job-applicants-are-winning-the-ai-arms-race-against-recruiters?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI bots</a> are applying for human jobs.&nbsp;</p><br /><p>To find out how to have <a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2025/04/12/can-we-make-babies-in-space" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sex in space</a>, listen to this episode of “The Weekend Intelligence”.&nbsp;</p><br /><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rosie Blau and Jason Palmer, co-hosts of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Mark Johnson, senior writer</li><li>Oliver Morton, senior editor</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Bangladesh’s election</li><li>Astrobiology</li><li>How AI changes job recruitment</li></ul><p><br /></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br /><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>