THE THIRD VIEW
Editor and publisher, The Daily Star
Many words are written every year in remembrance of the spirit of ’71. For all our essays, reports and opinion pieces on the legacy of the Liberation War, a certain texture of the history is nevertheless lost amidst the grand political narratives being crafted.
A death is an accident only when it occurs in spite of all logical, scientific and experience-based steps taken to prevent it.
So who determines what is ‘required’ to ensure that welfare?
The worrisome state of once glorious student activism
A government cannot always be totally moral, but a president has to be.
Rouf bhai was one of the most creative entrepreneurs in the country, having founded many companies in very diverse fields
There is a bias against the poor that leads to a general acceptance of violence against them.
There is no question as to who runs the country. It is Sheikh Hasina, our prime minister. But who does she run it through?
As if in vengeance we have been ferociously and relentlessly destroying our rivers in, what can only be termed as, a suicidal streak.
This election year, the question that will inevitably come to the fore is of how successful AL has been in keeping its promises.
Awami League’s journey from a party leading a struggle to a party long in power.
Is our government so weak that a proposed public meeting threatens it?
Lack of accountability and the culture of impunity destroyed governance from within.
The default-loan narrative has smeared our otherwise powerful story of graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
As an editor, I commend the photographer, the caption writer, and the news editor for depicting a sad reality with such subtle deftness.
Recent leadership changes may appear chaotic, but ultimately demonstrate political accountability
DSA’s new curbs and OTT draft rules give the opening
What is of serious concern for us is the secrecy with which the Press Council has dealt with the matter.
Will the amended Press Council Act further restrain free press?
While speaking at an event in Chattogram, last evening (August 18, 2022), our Foreign Minister Abdul Momen, said “I went to India and said Sheikh Hasina’s continuation must be ensured.”
If we want to stop being lectured by international bodies, then we as a people, and much more so our government, must listen to our own critical voices.
“Democracy will die if people don’t vote.” This is a very powerful statement from CEC Kazi Habibul Awal.
Religious tolerance is the most important value which a modern society must instil within itself, and Bangladesh is no exception.
The fact that Latifur Rahman, Shamim Bhai to us all, is no longer among us still feels unreal.
Borrowing from the title of the second volume of Winston Churchill’s six-part history of the Second World War, I would like to term the completion of the Padma Bridge as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “finest hour”.
There is a new assault on the freedom of the press. This time, sadly, it comes from another section of the mass media itself – the television.
There was a time when the US government left no stone unturned to oust the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
There is a peculiar trend in Bangladesh. When someone starts something innovative, then hundreds of copycats spoil it.
With the numerous laws that already exist to regulate—or better still, suppress—the media, and the diligence with which new ones are being prepared, one would think that of all the areas that need fixing, our government expects the journalists to be “fixed” first. But why?
Yesterday, Wednesday, 18th May, during her speech marking her homecoming from exile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a reference to me.
Our foreign minister announced on Tuesday that he sought India’s assistance in lifting the sanctions against Rab.
Recently, the chief election commissioner (CEC) urged all political parties to participate in the national election so that “democracy can flourish.”
Pahela Baishakh is back, so is the promise of a new year that it never fails to bring. After a two-year gap forced by the pandemic precautions, we are once again set to celebrate this very Bengali festival with all the fervour and gaiety it demands.
Two important members of our South Asian community stand as examples of how not to run a country.
While the world was already passing through various challenges including Covid-19 pandemic, climate change that affected food production and supply chains, Ukraine war has further complicated the global situation in the food sector.
Today marks 51 years of Bangladesh as an independent nation. Fifty-one years ago, in the face of a brutal massacre by the Pakistani junta, the Bangladesh Revolution was sparked.
Russia felt insecure, or should we say President Putin, and so Ukraine had to be invaded, population from major parts of the country had to leave their homes, millions had to become refugees, thousands had to die -- including Russian soldiers, many foreigners and a Bangladeshi sailor -- a nation needed to be terrorised and the world thrown into turmoil.
As announced, the Search Committee for the Election Commission will submit its recommendations to the president today, February 24, 2022.
Tomorrow (February 24, 2022), the Search Committee will submit its recommendations to the President. Regrettably it will be done as before – in secrecy. We will never know (unless the President decides otherwise and sets a new precedent, and we hope he does) the ten names they recommended and only learn about the five the President will choose in consultation with the Prime Minister.
In 1970, a young Rabindra Sangeet singer caused a sensation, when his rendition of “Jani Jani Go” made its way to number one rank on the country’s best-selling chart. This feat shattered the general assumption that Rabindra Sangeet was not “commercially viable”. Only a year later, he was imprisoned and tortured by the Pakistani Army, formally accused of “inciting the people with nationalistic and revolutionary songs”.
Seventy years ago, on this day, an act of bravery and defiance against the oppressive state machinery of Pakistan paved the way for what later cemented the Bengali identity before the world.
In the last two years, we were forced to accept a new way of living. The world as we knew it will possibly never be the same, but as “change is the only constant in life,” we have learned to adapt to this new reality.
We are proud to present to you the fourth instalment of our five-part special supplement series. In this segment, we have focused on the issue of governance, and indeed good governance in particular, which is inherently tied to developing a prosperous and sustainable nation.
At the very outset, the government said there was not enough time to make a law for the formation of an Election Commission (EC), which is mandated by the Constitution of Bangladesh since its adoption in 1972.
Over the past year, we came up with new ways to experience life in a physically distant and virtually close-knit world.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) ushers in a new era which will be driven largely by the convergence of the digital transformation and innovation in the field of chemistry, physics and bio-technology.
Like the previous years, we are celebrating our 31st Anniversary with yet another colourful, well-illustrated 200 - page special supplement in five segments.
Since the US sanction on Rab and few of its present and former officials, there have been several comments from our ministers on the topic.
Of the 48 current vice-chancellors (VC) in the public universities across Bangladesh, 39 are former office-bearers of some pro-government teachers’ bodies.
What waited for nearly 50 years is now being implemented with super speed.
The question in the title of this column was triggered by a press comment following our president’s dialogue with National Awami Party (NAP) leaders, published on December 27, 2021.
Using plastic is very convenient. But now it is posing a threat to our healthy living.
The mood of the moment is overwhelmingly celebratory. And why not? Not only are we observing 50 years of our independence, but we are doing so with a new sense of pride, accomplishment and, most importantly, confidence—confidence that we can face all the challenges that come our way.
50 years ago, on this day, Bangladesh was born out of a bloody war. In the face of a brutal massacre by the Pakistani military, the freedom-loving people of this land, with their unwavering resolve and monumental sacrifices,
Over the last 49 years, we have observed the Martyred Intellectuals Day annually, realising more and more the significance of the damage that the enemy caused to our nation. What sort of an enemy who, on the verge of defeat, c
Just as we are making news as a role model of development, we are also attracting global attention as perhaps the only country in the world where school students need to demonstrate on the streets for days on end to demand road safety measures.