August 30, 2021
No flowers for the birthday boy
December 2, 2013 was the birthday of Mahfuzur Rahman’s—a Chhatra Dal leader of Bangshal—son. Mahfuz promised his son that he would bring him flowers on the occasion and went out to buy flowers in...
August 26, 2021
The desperate plight of workers in pandemic
They work in mills and factories, also under tin sheds in squalid conditions. They begin their long days commuting in crammed public transport vehicles or taking long walks, braving monsoon rain or...
July 27, 2021
The case for unfettered internet freedom
As human beings, we enjoy the right to think and express ourselves.
July 5, 2021
Covid reality, Hindutva and the state of academic freedom
“The situation is alarming, ghastly and uncertain. Deaths all around and institutions seem to be collapsing fast. More seriously, there is no able political head who can lead the nation at this...
June 18, 2021
The long wait for a caring and rights-respecting state
The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown major challenges to public policy framing. While responses of the states to the pandemic differed significantly,
June 1, 2021
When the pen becomes a security threat
he Digital Security Act (DSA) has claimed its latest victim. Last Saturday, police arrested Shahnewaz Chowdhury (37), a diploma engineer of Chattogram’s Banshkhali upazilla, after a case was filed...
May 20, 2021
Brazen Violations, Bizarre Charges
It was quite a sight. Viewers of television channels and readers of the dailies that carried the images of incarcerated journalist Rozina Islam were baffled at the scale of security measures taken...
May 17, 2021
I cannot sing, how I can be free?
So far they pursued their vocations with enthusiasm and passion, and enjoyed doing so. Now forced by the circumstances most can no longer be engaged in their professional activities and have to...
May 3, 2021
World Press Freedom Day: Unattained aspiration
As a nation Bangladeshis commemorated the golden jubilee of their independence a little more than a month ago.
April 4, 2021
Freedom of Assembly
The streets and squares of different towns and cities including those of Rajshahi, Sylhet, Chattogram and Brahmanbaria have witnessed outbreak of wanton violence and mayhem over the last week or so.