Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee

The Razakar Bahini was a paramilitary force created by the Pakistan Army with local collaborators during the Liberation War in 1971.

Repeated show-cause notices, warnings of punitive actions and even expulsions from the organisation have failed to deter Awami League leaders from participating in the local government polls without the party tickets.

Annoyed at the Gazipur City Corporation mayor’s controversial comments on Bangabandhu and Liberation War martyrs, top Awami League leaders have recommended taking action against Mohammad Zahangir Alam.

Around eight years ago, the government established passport and visa wings at different Bangladesh missions to provide better services to expatriates and visitors.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman devoted his life to making one dream come true: establish a democratic, peaceful and disparity-free society called “Sonar Bangla”. Braving myriad hurdles, he was striving to take the nation to that promised land.

The ruling Awami League finds itself in a strange predicament over local body polls.

In an ominous sign for democracy, the practice of a candidate being elected unopposed has gripped the parliamentary by-polls as well as local body polls.

The ruling Awami League has warned its dissidents that the rebel candidates in different elections will not get any post in the party.

Reiterating her stance against corruption, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday warned secretaries that they will have to shoulder all responsibilities if any corruption takes place in their respective sectors.

The government is drafting a bill to make social media surveillance stricter and legal.

Amidst the grand public arrangements made across the country on the National Mourning Day, it is easy to forget that for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it is an immensely personal occasion, the intensity of which many cannot even begin to fathom.

The government has turned down the plea from businesspeople, including garment manufacturers, for letting them resume operation of factories, fearing a further surge in Covid deaths and infections.

As recently as in 2018, the Sarkari Chakori Ain was formulated, giving public servants an array of benefits.

It began with two things -- good intentions and a plan flawed to the core.

As Covid-19 deaths and infections continue to rise, the government aims to enforce the ongoing restrictions in seven districts around Dhaka more strictly to guard the capital against the virus.

It has long been debated whether it is true that Dhaka University is the “Oxford of the East”.

Over the years, the government has put present and former bureaucrats at the helm of almost all state bodies, some of which should be led by professionals with specific expertise.

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday ordered making a list of errant and controversial leaders and activists and expelling them from the party, insiders said.

Even though they are quite well paid and receive plenty of perks from the government, a “huge” number of civil servants own and run businesses on the side violating service rules, according to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

With the nationwide lockdown extended till July 14, the government is unlikely to allow cattle markets in the capital ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha if the Covid situation doesn’t improve.