Freedom of press not possible without consensus: info adviser
Information and broadcasting adviser Md Mahfuj Alam on Sunday said that the freedom of press was not possible without political consensus...
Tags : free
Press freedom, restrictive law repeal urged
Journalists and politicians at a discussion on Sunday urged the removal of barriers to free journalism, including the repeal of restrictive laws, for building a democratic Bangladesh...
Right wing rears head against women鈥檚 democratic freedom
HEFAZAT-E-ISLAM and similar right-wing groups have always appeared against the democratic freedom of women. Their opposition became more expressed after the 2024 political changeover. Their emboldened position on the issue became disturbingly apparent on May 3, when a group of men, reportedly gathered to attend a Hefazat-e-Islam rally demanding the...
VOICE hosts webinar on AI, future of journalism
Speakers at an event on Saturday urged the government to publish an update on the National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2024 and finalise it through a consultative process...
Govt has issues to address to improve on press freedom
BANGLADESH stepping up 16 notches in the World Press Freedom Index 2025, prepared by Reporters Without Borders, is comforting, but the country has ways to go and issues to address to further improve on press freedom. The index, made public on May 2, ranks Bangladesh the 149th among 180 countries. Bangladesh ranked the 165th in 2024, the 163rd in 2023 and the...
Trump鈥檚 fund cuts force Radio Free Asia to shut language services
Radio Free Asia said Friday it will lay off almost all of its staff and close production in several languages, including a rare Uyghur service, after President Donald Trump cut off funding.
Journalists in Bangladesh keep聽facing obstacles
Bangladesh observes World Press Freedom Day 2025 today, as elsewhere across the globe, with harassment of journalists still continuing in the country even after the August, 2024 overthrow of the fascist Hasina government.
Public disapproval of police activities
IN BANGLADESH, certain law enforcement activities, though legally sanctioned, often face significant public disapproval due to their direct impact on people鈥檚 lives, livelihoods, and freedoms. Despite operating within legal frameworks, some police actions 鈥� along with mobile court operations 鈥� frequently encounter resistance, criticism, and allegations of bias or..
Govt to set up free trade zone
The interim government has announced plans to establish a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in the country, aligning with the growing global trend of trade liberalisation and investment facilitation...
Campaign launched to stop harassment of women
A campaign was launched on Thursday to ensure a harassment-free environment for women in public transport in the capital...
StanChart launches freelancer account
Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh on Sunday introduced a dedicated banking service for freelancers, offering a fully digital and charge-free account named the 鈥楽tandard Chartered Freelancer Account鈥�...
Past internet shutdowns seriously hampered investment: Faiz Taiyeb
Chief adviser鈥檚 special assistant Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, who is also the acting head of the posts and telecommunications division, on Saturday said that all policies allowing internet shutdowns would be abolished, as past shutdowns had harmed freelancers and deterred investment in the country...
Al-Markazul Islami plans to offer free treatment for injured Palestinians
Al-Markazul Islami, a Bangladeshi non-governmental organisation, has taken an initiative to bring injured Palestinians to Bangladesh for free treatment and skills development training...
GB remembers Zafrullah Chowdhury
The Gono Bishwabidyalay organised an event to mark the second anniversary of death of freedom fighter and Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, at the academic building auditorium of the university of Savar in Dhaka on Sunday...
Cultural awakening, liberty of artists and state
DO ARTISTS or cultural personae in a state enjoy freedom in expressing their thoughts and philosophy and in reflecting them in their creation? Does the state allow a free reign to artists to sail as they dream of? If not, how do these two reconcile or, otherwise, survive in a system? The debate has been long-drawn especially since the European Renaissance, but it is yet to...
Bangladesh鈥檚 economy and global impact
IN RECENT years, the global economy has been shaped by the principles of free-market systems and trade openness. However, the United States has introduced a surprising policy that contradicts these principles, particularly under the Trump administration. Known as the 鈥榬eciprocal tariff,鈥� this policy is based on a trading philosophy that could potentially lead to...
Freeing Gaza鈥� from the Palestinians
ISRAELI prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that Israel will carry out Trump鈥檚 ethnic cleansing plans for Gaza, saying the following on Sunday about 鈥榯he final stage鈥� of his agenda:..
US religious freedom panel seeks sanctions on India鈥檚 RAW
Minorities in India face deteriorating treatment, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a report on Tuesday, reports India Today.
Dhaka civil surgeon鈥檚 speech bothers freedom fighters
Dhaka district鈥檚 civil surgeon, Mohammad Zillur Rahman, faced strong criticism from valiant freedom fighters on Wednesday after comparing the July 2024 uprising to the 1971 Liberation War...
Moazzem Hossain and Bangladesh freedom struggle
ARE you familiar with Lieutenant Commander Moazzem Hossain? Has his name ever appeared in our school history textbooks? Do any national liberation monuments feature his likeness in their sculptures?..
Freedom is a verb
A STUDENT-LED procession against violence and discrimination was making its way through the bazaar when it was suddenly ambushed by a violent mob. Chaos erupted as the crowd scattered in all directions. Anik Chakma, a 17-year-old higher secondary student, ran for his life, but there was nowhere to escape 鈥� they were surrounded. He tried to hide in a nearby...
Violence and law
THE root of violence is in the false sense of power that believes it can do anything because everything has been allowed in modern times and personal freedom has bordered on a sense of invincibility. This is the great illusion of our era, the belief that freedom is an unqualified licence rather than a structured privilege bound by moral and social obligations. We have to...
4 held for beating freelancer, female friend in Rajshahi
Police on Sunday night arrested four youths in Rajshahi city on charge of assaulting a freelancer and his female friend physically for extortion...
HC for fresh list of brick kilns
The High Court on Monday directed divisional commissioners to take decisive action in ensuring a pollution-free environment, emphasising their duty to enforce environmental laws...
Private univ law needs to be changed
THE Private University Act 1992 was amended in 2010 to make it contemporary. None of the 53 sections of the amended law has a single word on academic and intellectual freedom in higher education or the university鈥檚 autonomy. Rather, various sections have been made to keep universities under the strict surveillance of the University Grants Commission through...
CPD for raising tax-free income to Tk 4 lakh
The Centre for Policy Dialogue on Sunday urged the government to increase tax-free income threshold for personal income to Taka 4 lakh in the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26) budget given the prevailing high inflationary situation...
Trump sends journalists at VOA and other US-funded broadcasters on leave
President Donald Trump's administration on Saturday put journalists at Voice of America and other US-funded broadcasters on leave, abruptly freezing outlets long seen as critical to countering a Russian and Chinese information offensive.
Living in chains or by clock?
THE Swiss-born French Philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau said in his seminal work Social Contract, 鈥楳an is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. One man thinks himself the master of others, but remains more of a slave than they are.鈥� It is a truism today but interestingly, the chains are tricky to be identified as fetters barring humans from enjoying life in freedom...
Freeze on bank accounts of Orion chair, family ordered
The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Court on Monday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to freeze 31 bank accounts of Orion Group chairman Mohammad Obaidul Karim and eight of his family members in connection with corruption allegations...
USAID FUNDING FREEZE: Not a setback, but a wake-up call
IN BANGLADESH, the recent USAID funding freeze and the UK鈥檚 aid cuts have alarmed concerned stakeholders. Foreign assistance has long played a crucial role in healthcare, education, humanitarian aid, and climate adaptation. The fear is that without foreign aid from the giants, essential programs could collapse, leaving vulnerable communities at risk. But rather than...