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Global crackdown on freedom of expression

SC refuses to stay HC verdict restoring 30pc FF quota in govt jobs

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday refused to stay a High Court verdict that asked the government to restore 30 per cent quota for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters while recruiting cadre and non-cadre officers in the civil service....

JU students protest at restoration of FF quota

The students of Jahangirnagar University formed a human chain protesting at the move to restore freedom fighters’ quota in government jobs after a...

Quota helps a few, but meritocracy helps all

THE High Court order for the restoration of quota in public service that the government abolished in October 2028 in the wake of protests has come as disappointment for students and jobseekers...

RU students protest at HC’s order of reinstating FF quota in govt. job

Students of Rajshahi University on Thursday staged demonstrations protesting against the High Court order that asked the government to restore 30 per cent quota for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters while recruiting cadre and non-cadre officers in the civil service...

Freedom, egotism and the automobile

ONE of the great attractions of a personal motorised vehicle (car or motorbike) is the freedom it affords to travel where and when you wish. Drive where you want, unconstrained by bus schedules and routes, enjoy privacy, the illusion of safety, and independence...

Freedom fighter Nurul Amin dies

Freedom fighter Md Nurul Amin, also an organiser of the War of Independence, died at his residence of Ambarkhana area in Sylhet on Monday...

Govt approach to media governance is repressive

BANGLADESH Television, a state-owned national TV network that has already been suffering from a trust deficit for acting as a mouthpiece for governments that came into power, has been implementing a government decision that undermines principles of media freedom...

Freedom of expression in decline and under threat

BANGLADESH has come to be categorised as a ‘crisis’ country in terms of the freedom of expression, as the Global Expression Report 2024 that the UK-based rights organisation Article 19 launched on May 21 says, with a score of 12 out of 100 in the 128th position in a list of 161 countries...

Freedom of expression in ‘crisis’: report

Bangladesh is categorised as a ‘crisis’ country regarding freedom of expression, ranking 128th among 161 countries in the world, according to the...

These new attacks on academic freedom may be just the beginning

DURING the wave of campus protests opposing the US-backed war on Gaza and calling for divestment from Israel, students weren’t the only demonstrators to face arrest — supportive faculty members were also caught up in the crackdown...

Govt destroys electoral system: discussion

Politicians and freedom fighters on Wednesday at a commemoration meeting said that the Awami League government destroyed the electoral system of the country and as a result the voters were not interested to participate in the ongoing upazila parishad elections...

Govt destroys Bangladesh’s electoral system: speakers

Politicians and freedom fighters on Wednesday at a commemoration meeting said that the Awami League government destroyed the electoral system of Bangladesh and, as a result, the voters were not interested to participate in the ongoing upazila parishad elections.....

West’s commitment to media freedom is selective: discussion

Speakers at a discussion on Sunday observed that the West’s commitment to media freedom is selective...

Press freedom missing in Bangladesh under one-party rule: BNP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior leader Abdul Moyeen Khan on Sunday said that the freedom of the press was missing in Bangladesh under the one-party rule of Sheikh Hasina...

Laws hurt freedom of press: discussion

Describing the present situation of Bangladesh media as alarming, newspaper editors and owners on Saturday at a discussion expressed concerns over impediments to the...

UNESCO awards press prize to Palestinian journalists in Gaza

UNESCO on Thursday awarded its world press freedom prize to all Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza, where Israel has been battling Hamas for more than six months.

Govt’s commitment to press freedom rings hollow

THE government’s commitment to protect press freedom rings hollow as attacks on journalists have continued and journalists are made to work in an environment of growing threat, fear and insecurity. Ain O Salish Kendra recorded 94 incidents of torture...

Bangladesh slips two notches in press freedom index

Press freedom in Bangladesh deteriorated further compared to past years, as the country slipped two notches on the World Press Freedom Index.

Prioritising press freedom stressed to tackle climate crises

Speakers, at a discussion on Thursday, said that priority should be given to the freedom of press and expression to face the challenges of natural disasters and climate crisis...

Attacks on journalists increase in Bangladesh

Ruling party people, government employees, powerful quarters, and organised crime gangs are allegedly behind various kinds of attacks—physical, cyber, and...

A free press is not a choice, but a necessity: Guterres 

United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres has called on governments, the private sector and civil society to join them in reaffirming their commitment to safeguarding press freedom and the rights of journalists and media professionals around the world.....

Zafrullah Chy remembered

Leading freedom fighter and Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Zafrullah Chowdhury was extoled at a commemorative programme where...

Death anniversary of Pankaj Bhattacharya observed

The first death anniversary of former Oikya NAP president and freedom fighter Pankaj Bhattacharya was observed on Wednesday with various programmes...

Bolsonaro to hold Rio rally against ‘threat’ to free expression

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro is set to rally supporters in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday in defence of freedom of expression, which he says is under threat in the country, as tech tycoon Elon Musk faces a legal showdown there over claims of censorship and disinformation...

Last tributes paid to Bangladesh’s first flag designer Shib Narayan Das

People from all walks of life bid farewell to Shib Narayan Das, one of the designers of the first flag of Bangladesh and a freedom fighter, by placing wreaths on the coffin of deceased at the central Shaheed Minar...

First national flag’s designer Shib Narayan passes away

Former Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal leader and freedom fighter Shib Narayan Das, who had designed the first flag of Bangladesh before...

Govt mulls raising of honorarium for FFs: JS body

The government is now actively considering the proposal of raising the honorarium of the martyred families and the freedom fighters, according to...

US firmly committed to support freedom, prosperity in Bangladesh

The Atlantic Council’s ground-breaking research into the linkage between freedom and prosperity offers a compelling case for the latter. Freedom isn’t merely a byproduct of prosperity; it’s the very engine that propels it...

SM Mohsin’s death anniv today

Today is the third anniversary of the death of Ekushey Padak-winning theatre activist, actor and freedom fighter SM Mohsin...