CLOSE your eyes and think about Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, or any other Hill Tracts area. What do you see? Most Bangali Bangladeshis I know, those from the plains that is, would visualise lush, unspoiled nature, small and 鈥榟armonious鈥� communities of indigenous people living 鈥榮imple鈥�, primitive lives, and most prominently, adibashi women who will intrigue...
THE nation appears to be moving in full swing towards the February 2026 election, with the Election Commission expected to announce the schedule in November. The tempo of the upcoming polls is already resonating across the country, symbolising the most significant event for post-uprising Bangladesh as it strives for a smooth and genuine democratic transition...
IN ALMOST every authoritarian regime, law enforcement becomes the ruler鈥檚 weapon and later, the people鈥檚 target of blame. Dictators rely on the police to silence opposition, intimidate citizens, and protect their own power. The same officers who once swore to uphold the law are ordered instead to break it 鈥� raiding homes at night, detaining activists, and crushing and...
IN BANGLADESH鈥橲 political terrain, there is a philosophical puzzle that would have bothered Greek philosopher, Aristotle: how does a country that was founded on the highest ideals of self-determination end up fighting against the loss of the very principles that made it possible?
WHEN soldiers, sailors and airmen become symbols instead of fulfilling their protective duty, when legal ambiguity becomes prophecy, a republic loses its moral bearing. It鈥檚 time to reform our security institutions 鈥� not to placate critics abroad, but to reclaim dignity at home. Justice demands that only the uniform not be made the scapegoat for the failures of...
AS THE entire Bangladesh is keenly waiting for the post-mass uprising political and constitutional reforms and, obviously, electoral transition to democratic governance, the thinking sections of the people are having a lot of private and public discussions over theoretical aspects of various proposals put forward by different political and legal authorities. The high-level...
DISCRIMINATION in employment and workplaces 鈥� under any labels is a degradation of human spirit and a limitation on individuals鈥� ability to pursue self-actualization and contribute meaningfully to society. A discriminatory environment produces...
WHEN we were students in the 1980s and 鈥�90s, we frequently heard that education was the backbone of a nation. Personally, I believed that education was the (only) path towards social mobility, freedom, and human flourishing. However, now, as an...
UNLESS there is some major political upheaval, the general election for the national parliament is expected to take place in February next year. The chief adviser to the interim government has repeatedly given assurances to this effect in his speeches, which is...
THE fall of Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 long-serving government in 2024 sparked a wave of optimism among journalists, civil society actors, and the wider public who had long been stifled by shrinking civic space. Many saw the transition as a historic opening for...
JOURNALISM today faces unprecedented attacks worldwide, targeted by powerful actors regardless of the size or influence of the targeted media outlet. Politicians, security forces, and individuals wielding technological tools are simultaneously...
