AN ALLEGEDLY unequal application of the rule for the disbursement of state benefits to the families of the martyrs of the July uprising, which toppled the Awami League regime on August 5, 2024, is worrying as the proposition has sparked off disputes, created resentment and intensified insecurity in the families. Whilst some widows have received the full one-time grant...
ADDRESSING the parliament, president Anura Kumara Dissanayake affirmed the government鈥檚 commitment to confronting human rights violations from the past, stating: 鈥榃e will face these grievous legacies openly, firmly, and with sensitivity to all...
RAHUL Gandhi鈥檚 chilling expos茅 of fraud in Indian elections offers far-reaching health benefits for Indian democracy even if it may not change the facts on the ground anytime soon. A change would require nationwide street- and village-level...
THE hope that the July uprising ignited appears to be fading after just one year. Those who once felt the experience of power are now scattered and beginning to feel powerless. Many have grown sceptical that there will be any qualitative changes. While the...
CRIME detection and law enforcement have undergone significant evolution with the advancement of technology. In many developed countries, artificial intelligence has revolutionised policing by improving crime prevention, investigation and...
THIS is disappointing that investigating agencies have failed for more than 13 years to submit the report on the murders of the journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi. Although the government has repeatedly promised an early...
GROWING incidents of death in mob violence weave a disturbing pattern that warrants an effective government intervention. Whilst Ain O Salisk Kendra data, prepared from national daily newspapers, say that at least 207 people died in mob violence...
TO SAY that Israel鈥檚 Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had lost the plot is to assume he ever had one. With a dearth of ideas as to how to come up with a 鈥榝inal solution鈥� to the Palestinian problem, he has received a majority approval from his cabinet colleagues to take over Gaza City. It took a late-night meeting with the security cabinet lasting some ten hours...
EVERY year on 12 August, International Youth Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of young people to global progress. The 2025 theme, 鈥榶outh advancing multilateral cooperation through technology and partnerships鈥�, is more than aspirational. It reflects a reality already taking shape. From climate action to digital governance...
AUGUST 8 marked the first anniversary of the interim government鈥檚 rise to power in the wake of the historic July uprising. The Yunus-led administration came into office buoyed by unprecedented public goodwill, both at home and abroad, and charged with the responsibility of healing a fractured nation. One year may not be long enough to fulfil every expectation...
鈥楾HE more they know, the less they obey鈥� 鈥� this unforgettable line is uttered by an authoritarian king who fears an educated public. Satyajit Ray鈥檚 dystopian film Hirak Rajar Deshe may be fictional, but the impulse to suppress political knowledge is very real. In both authoritarian regimes and fragile democracies, political education is often neglected, leaving citizens less equipped to understand and defend their rights...
THE interim government鈥檚 continued failure in restoring law and order is expressed in the fear of people living in Gazipur. In the first week of August, at least three people were murdered in the district, including the brutal murder of a journalist on August 7. Police recorded at least 104 murder incidents in the industrial district in January-July. In January-June, the Police...
THE proposition to ban student politics in universities is ahistorical and not only disregards the glorious contributions of student politics in the country鈥檚 history but also seeks to rob students of their democratic voice. While such a proposition has long been put forward by a section of people, the controversy surrounding student politics appears to have resurfaced...
THE non-life insurance sector in Bangladesh faces a number of structural limitations that continue to hinder its growth. One pressing concern is the practice of offering additional paybacks over the prescribed commission rates, even as insurance premium rates in the country remain significantly higher compared to overseas markets. This imbalance affects...
IT HAS been one year since our father, ambassador Serajul Islam (Shobuj, as he is widely known), passed away. And one year since Bangladesh charted her course for a better future. I don鈥檛 believe in coincidences, but sometimes history and grief collide in ways that feel undeniably meaningful. Our father devoted his life to the idea that Bangladesh could and must do...