Editorial

The loss of a legend

In the early hours of yesterday, we lost Aly Zaker, an extraordinary actor, valiant freedom fighter, progressive cultural activist, successful
Blatant disregard for workers’ safety

A photo published in this paper on November 26 of two men working on a high-rise building without any safety gear or protective measures depicts
The great man is no more

At the age of 60, Diego Maradona, one of the greatest players to have ever played the game of football, has sadly passed away.
Govt made good progress in getting Covid-19 vaccines

It is reassuring to learn that Bangladesh will secure nearly 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from two sources by next year.
Bangladesh bottom-ranked in Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs!

We are shocked to learn that Bangladesh has bottom-ranked among 58 economies in the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs for 2020,
Smuggling amphetamine under the airport authorities’ noses

In a report published in this daily yesterday, it was revealed that a group of chemical traders in Chennai had been smuggling amphetamine from
Antibiotics losing efficacy

One wonders whether we are looking at an impending health crisis, with the most effective medicine that we have known to fight bacteria of various
Former Tazreen workers deserve fair recompense

That former workers of Tazreen Fashions Limited would have to agitate for fair compensation even after eight years since a fire ravaged the factory,
Poor air quality will make combatting Covid-19 more difficult

Air pollution led to 1,73,500 deaths in Bangladesh last year, according to a global report. The country’s air is becoming increasingly poisonous
Golden Monir’s golden enablers

The story of Monir Khan, popularly known as Golden Monir, is a jaw-dropping tale of decades of looting people’s land, gold smuggling and money
Our antiquities being sacrificed at the altar of greed

It is a pity that our historical heritage whose physical manifestation is in the many structures and edifices are being destroyed—victims of a
Second wave already causing damage to our RMG sector

Just when Bangladesh’s apparel sector had begun to recover from the shocks of the pandemic, a second wave of coronavirus has already started
Drug rehabilitation centres need major overhauling

A report published in The Daily Star yesterday revealed a shocking picture of our rehabilitation centres where patients are treated more like “criminals” rather than with care and compassion.
Laudable progress in graduating out of LDC status

It is no doubt laudable that Bangladesh has met all three of the criteria—Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, Human Assets Index (HAI) and
Rivers being killed by haphazard dumping of waste

A report published in this paper recently revealed the challenges faced by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) officials when they began a dredging project (required for smooth navigability) to remove silt from Barishal River Port around October 16.
Slow-moving vehicles are risky and banned by law

Isn’t it a mystery that although the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, the High Court and the Road Transport Act 2018 have all banned slow-moving three-wheelers from plying on the highways, you still see thousands of them riding around especially in the districts,
Govt’s plan to strike off coal power plants appreciable

We welcome the government’s plan to get rid of coal power for cleaner options of energy, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum and solar,
Arson attacks on buses demand proper investigation

It is astonishing that Zakir Hossain Siddiqui—a vice-president of Jubo Dal who was admitted to LabAid Hospital between November 10 and 15, and has
School threatened over Victory Day cultural event

With the Victory Day in less than a month, organisations and individuals across the country are gearing up to celebrate a day of great pride for this
Existing cold chain not enough for Covid-19 vaccines

After the government recently signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Serum Institute of India and Bangladesh’s Beximco
Steady flow of remittance gives us hope

It’s heartening to know that Bangladesh has been witnessing a steady flow of inward remittance over the past few months, defying grim predictions
Rising infections mean health guidelines are being ignored

It is of great concern that that many regions in the globe are having a second onslaught of Covid-19, belying predications and dashing hopes of the
A brand new trauma centre in Habiganj sitting idle since 2013

It is very disappointing that the construction of the trauma centre in Habiganj’s Bahubal upazila which was completed in 2013 is yet to be operational
Rape survivors face a chauvinistic legal system

We are disheartened to see that the legal channels through which a survivor can report rape are gender insensitive to the point of being hostile.
26 Bangladeshi researchers among top two percent most cited

We take great pleasure in congratulating our researchers whose works, 26 of them, have been cited most often in the world, ranking among the top
Teenage gangs getting involved in dangerous crimes

We are alarmed at the rise of a gang culture among teenagers in the capital and elsewhere in the country. According to a report in The Daily Star,
Five nations cooperating to combat Covid is a welcome move

It is indeed encouraging that Bangladesh has called upon four other nations namely China, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka to share their experiences
Bangladeshi RMG workers trapped in Ethiopia’s conflict zone

We are worried about our expatriate garment workers trapped in Ethiopia’s conflict-torn northern Tigray region as an escalating conflict has killed
Study reveals TV lessons not bearing fruit

The government yesterday extended the closure of educational institutions till December 19 amidst fears of a second wave exacerbating the
We condemn the arson attacks on buses

In what feels like a blast from the past, nine buses were torched in the capital within a span of a few hours on November 13. According to news