Mahfuz Anam

In 1970, a young Rabindra Sangeet singer caused a sensation, when his rendition of “Jani Jani Go” made its way to number one rank on the country’s best-selling chart. This feat shattered the general assumption that Rabindra Sangeet was not “commercially viable”. Only a year later, he was imprisoned and tortured by the Pakistani Army, formally accused of “inciting the people with nationalistic and revolutionary songs”.

Seventy years ago, on this day, an act of bravery and defiance against the oppressive state machinery of Pakistan paved the way for what later cemented the Bengali identity before the world.

In the last two years, we were forced to accept a new way of living. The world as we knew it will possibly never be the same, but as “change is the only constant in life,” we have learned to adapt to this new reality.

We are proud to present to you the fourth instalment of our five-part special supplement series. In this segment, we have focused on the issue of governance, and indeed good governance in particular, which is inherently tied to developing a prosperous and sustainable nation.

At the very outset, the government said there was not enough time to make a law for the formation of an Election Commission (EC), which is mandated by the Constitution of Bangladesh since its adoption in 1972.

Over the past year, we came up with new ways to experience life in a physically distant and virtually close-knit world.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) ushers in a new era which will be driven largely by the convergence of the digital transformation and innovation in the field of chemistry, physics and bio-technology.

Like the previous years, we are celebrating our 31st Anniversary with yet another colourful, well-illustrated 200 - page special supplement in five segments.

Since the US sanction on Rab and few of its present and former officials, there have been several comments from our ministers on the topic.

Of the 48 current vice-chancellors (VC) in the public universities across Bangladesh, 39 are former office-bearers of some pro-government teachers’ bodies.

What waited for nearly 50 years is now being implemented with super speed.

The question in the title of this column was triggered by a press comment following our president’s dialogue with National Awami Party (NAP) leaders, published on December 27, 2021.

Using plastic is very convenient. But now it is posing a threat to our healthy living.

The mood of the moment is overwhelmingly celebratory. And why not? Not only are we observing 50 years of our independence, but we are doing so with a new sense of pride, accomplishment and, most importantly, confidence—confidence that we can face all the challenges that come our way.

50 years ago, on this day, Bangladesh was born out of a bloody war. In the face of a brutal massacre by the Pakistani military, the freedom-loving people of this land, with their unwavering resolve and monumental sacrifices,

Over the last 49 years, we have observed the Martyred Intellectuals Day annually, realising more and more the significance of the damage that the enemy caused to our nation. What sort of an enemy who, on the verge of defeat, c

Just as we are making news as a role model of development, we are also attracting global attention as perhaps the only country in the world where school students need to demonstrate on the streets for days on end to demand road safety measures.

When it comes to the BNP is it at all possible for the ruling party to see it through any other prism but political? Can the decision to allow Khaleda Zia to go abroad for medical treatment be seen as a humanitarian case rather than party politics?

Judge Mosammat Kamrunnahar, of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7, found all the five accused “not guilty” in the rape case of two university students filed with Banani Police Station on May 6, 2017.

Starting from unannounced road blocks forcing commuters into hours of traffic congestion, to making important arterial roads off limits for visiting foreign guests, to cutting off gas and power for maintenance work without prior information, to unreasonable diversion of traffic for megaprojects, to frequent government price hikes of essentials—all are done without an iota of consideration for public convenience, leave alone rights.