Nahela Nowshin

NO OFFENCE

Journalist at The Daily Star

Low levels of testing are hampering our Covid response

It has been more than a year since Covid-19 was first detected in Bangladesh. Much has been, and continues to be, said about the country’s handling of the pandemic.

Can quarantine be a solution in a country like Bangladesh?

The words “quarantine” and “isolation” have now become synonymous with the coronavirus outbreak. Social media has exploded with status updates,

Coronavirus and the dark side of globalisation

The coronavirus outbreak—which seems straight out of the sci-fi thriller Contagion—has led to over 7,989 deaths and 198,736 cases worldwide. As we try to make sense out of truths that seem stranger than fiction, the WHO-declared pandemic has laid bare the fact that in an era where globalisation reigns supreme, infectious diseases no longer simply pose the risk of transnational movement of bacterial and viral infections.

Why focusing on ‘rural development’ is a must

Post-WWII, Bangladesh, along with countries which had been freed from the shackles of colonisation and had gained their independence, embarked upon the journey of “development”.

A recipe for a public health disaster

Going by numerous recent news reports, we have good reason to be worried about the state of food safety in the country.

Development for whom?

A particular finding in the latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) blows the illusion of GDP growth being the “be all and end all” of development into smithereens.

Waiting to be heard

Contrary to popular belief, it's not entitlement or narcissism or laziness that defines millennials. If anything, it's probably a sense of disillusionment that's a defining characteristic of this generation.

How can we make our buildings safe?

Defiance of the BNBC stems from the ways that it can provide immediate benefit to owners and often the users and the developers of buildings. For example, rules are violated to achieve maximum use of space when land itself is costly.

Living in a minefield of manmade disasters

I was at the canteen during lunch hours at my workplace on Thursday when I found out about the fire in FR Tower. Everyone's eyes were fixated on the TV.

Can we ever go beyond 'committees' and 'recommendations'?

Nowhere in the world has the issue of road safety led to the kinds of repercussions we have seen in Bangladesh. How often do you see students from all walks of life taking to the streets to bring discipline to the roads?

Jacinda Ardern: What leadership should look like

The horrific Christchurch attack that took away at least 50 lives was one of New Zealand's darkest days.

Christchurch and the 'mass dissemination of hate' in the media

I woke up to the news of the horrific attack in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday, like millions around the world. I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed on Friday morning

No, Chawkbazar fire won't be our 'wakeup call'

Yet another tragedy has struck Bangladesh. Suddenly, everyone has woken up to the danger of chemical factories in Old Dhaka which this daily, along with other newspapers,

Changing the way we think about poverty and development

There are some words in the popular lexicon that we hear and read about every day but very few appreciate or understand the depth of these words. “Development” and “poverty” are two good examples.

The crumbling pillars of the fourth estate

The year 2018 was not a good one for journalists, to put it mildly. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), at least 63 professional journalists were killed around the world in 2018, a marked increase by 15 percent since 2017.

‘Fresh gas price hike to raise cost of production’

Basic wage as a proportion of total wage for RMG workers has been falling

Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, talks to Nahela Nowshin of The Daily Star about the recent demonstrations of RMG workers and the underlying reasons behind them.

Unjustified restrictions on media and observers

A number of extraordi-nary restrictions have been placed on journalists by the Election Commission ahead of Election Day and the extent to which the media can cover the election on December 30 remains unclear.

Aritry's deafening cry for help

Aritry Adhikary—a young life cut tragically short. Her parents probably had never imagined that their daughter would make headlines for the reasons that she did.

The charade of Myanmar's 'political will'

The atmosphere filled with outrage and calls for justice for the Rohingya people a year ago seems to have largely subsided.

Dissolution of separate children's tribunals is a severe blow for children's rights

Last week a certain develop-ment seemed to have gone largely unnoticed amongst the flurry of news about political rallies, the drama unfolding on the world stage over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi,

Transport owners, insurers need to be held liable for a lasting change: Catherine Masud

On the occasion of the National Road Safety Day today, noted filmmaker Catherine Masud talks to Nahela Nowshin of The Daily Star about her own journey of navigating the justice system, what the recent student-led road safety movement has achieved, and the shortcomings of the recently passed Road Transport Act 2018.

Why internet access is not enough

Bangladesh is now among the top five countries in Asia when it comes to internet usage, according to Internet World Stats, a website that compiles international population, travel, and internet market research statistics.

Killing the environment

A recent World Bank report—an environmental analysis of Bangladesh—should erase any remaining doubts about the critical level that environmental pollution has reached in the country.

A travesty of justice

The sentencing of two Reuters journalists to seven years in prison by Myanmar should enrage anyone who cares about basic human rights and press freedom. Not only was it a gross miscarriage of justice but also yet another reminder of Myanmar's obstinate determination to prevent or punish anyone for unmasking the brutality unleashed on its Rohingya minority.

Understanding the rise in divorce in Bangladesh

A divorce takes place every hour in Dhaka. This was one of the startling findings in an exclusive report published by Prothom Alo recently. The report states that in the last seven years, the divorce rate application has increased by a massive 34 percent throughout the country according to data compiled by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

When does development equal freedom?

In the more than four decades since independence, Bangladesh has made remarkable strides on many fronts. It is no longer the “basket case” as Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state, had dismissively remarked about the newborn country in 1971.

Stranded in a foreign land

It is believed that there are more displaced persons in the world today than at any other point in history. According to the UNHCR, there are 68.5 million people around the world who have been forcibly displaced from their home. The UN Refugee Agency goes on to state: Among them are nearly 25.4 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.

Without reforms in the system, tax money will be spent in vain

What's your take on the FY19 budget, particularly in light of an election year?

History in Ruins

Cultural heritage refers to the traditions, values, beliefs, and sense of belonging in a community. It's the shared bond that helps shape our identity. It's the material things, and the tangible and intangible both.

Improving the Hajj management system

For thousands of Bangladeshi Hajj aspirants every year, the entire process, starting from registration to obtaining a visa to getting on the plane, turns out to be a nightmare.

Is Bangladesh headed for a prolonged Rohingya crisis?

Almost seven months into the latest round of influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh— around 700,000 have arrived since August 25 of last year—Myanmar has done next to nothing to show that it is serious about the implementation of the repatriation deal signed with Bangladesh and the safe return of the Rohingya.

Learning in the mother tongue

Whenever we talk about the state of education in Bangladesh, the age-old debate about English versus Bangla medium re-emerges with regard to quality of teaching, affordability, imparting knowledge about Bengali culture, etc. But while many of the broader concerns have merit, the less obvious aspects of the current education system that deserve some serious thinking are often overlooked. The importance of the mother tongue in education is one of them.

A rude awakening

Some crimes are so horrific, so brutal, so barbaric in nature that it is impossible for these acts to not make any human being feel outraged and disgusted at the world we live in. Sexual violence against children is one such unforgiveable crime.

Paying a high price

Living costs in Dhaka have soared so high that it's not just low-income groups struggling to make ends meet—the middle class is feeling the squeeze too.

Of distractions and political manoeuvres

For many animal species, diversion is necessary for survival. The killdeer, for example, is famous for putting up quite a show.

Choking on Dhaka's air

Dhaka dwellers don't need official data to tell them just how suffocating and dangerous the air they are breathing in is.

Learning the ropes

The Bangladesh government has been globally lauded—and rightfully so—for welcoming with open arms, once again, the persecuted Rohingya people with whom the country has a checkered history. The Rohingyas came to Bangladesh in droves in 1978, 1992, and the 2010s.

No city for women

It is oftentimes a lie that we tell ourselves to either ignore or mask the hideous inequalities and injustices that make Dhaka one of the most dangerous cities for girls and women to live in.

Failing our girls

It is often said that if you want to know the truth about the world, ask a child. Perhaps, it's an unconditioned mind that lets a child see things for what they really are.

The truth hidden in plain sight

Eradicating modern slavery in a country marred by entrenched poverty is no easy task, especially when the majority of it occurs in the private economy—in our private homes and private businesses.

Sagor and Rajon: Murder as public spectacle

I still remember the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach when the news of the brutal killing of 13-year-old Rajon broke on social media two years ago. Is this real? How could they do this to a child? Why did the onlookers simply stand there?

Darwin: The portal to Asia

Tucked in a remote corner at the tip of the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, lies a little known city called Darwin—first named in 1839 by John Lort Stokes after his former shipmate and evolutionist Charles Darwin.

Suu Kyi's cowardly speech

Suu Kyi's speech was not only “disappointing” but also cowardly. It towed the typical line of “we have to look at both sides”, completely oblivious to the power dynamics at play: the national army versus a dispossessed population.

Doklam standoff, Bhutan and its quest for greater freedom

Has anyone asked what Bhutan—the tiny kingdom hidden in the folds of the eastern Himalayas—has to say?

The bus is indeed moving backwards

A Facebook post shared by a man named Rushad Faridi caught my eye recently. He shared an article with an intriguing title, which he had written for Prothom Alo. But it wasn't the article that grabbed everyone's attention at first. It was the fact that Faridi, a professor in the economics department at Dhaka University, was placed on forced leave less than a week after the article was published on July 7.