It will be a 'good gesture' by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if her government consults with BNP and other political parties to form the new Election Commission next February even though her government is not legally obligated to seek others' opinion on the issue.

I had Muzaffarnagar riots of February 2013 at the back of my mind when I drove towards Pedda village on the Bijnor-Najibabad Road where three Muslims had been shot dead by Jats who fired with guns and pistols from the terraces of their homes.

The slogan of our Liberation War was Joy Bangla. Our national anthem begins with an emphatic proclamation of our love for Shonar Bangla - the Bengal of gold. This is not just the national anthem, but the central source of our inspiration.

The changing world order is taking its toll on Salafist preacher Zakir Naik, who was otherwise not touched for decades.

In peacekeeping missions around the world, we are asking more of our peacekeepers than ever before. We expect them to protect not only civilians, but also to make credible elections possible, help states restore the rule of law and crucially, to enable the safe passage of life-saving humanitarian aid.

If we would like to compare apples with oranges, we need to consider their individual characteristics because the two are different in nature. Marks and grades do not bear the same meaning.

There is little reason to think Trump's new staffing arrangement will yield a new, more coherent candidate. Throughout the campaign, he has vacillated wildly between poise and pugilism.

As per the existing socio-cultural practices, a community like ours value CGPAs very highly. Students firmly believe that obtaining a high CGPA is the only gateway to secure a good job.

Although termed a 'fire accident', most fire incidents are far from being accidental. In fact, most fires are preventable.

The World Bank (WB), at the end of April this year, had some very encouraging things to say about the Bangladesh economy.

In spite of a regular budgetary allocation, the reason as to why government after government has not shown any concern to reorganise the Zila Parishads into a properly functional local government institution, remains unclear.

A bill to criminalise 'defamation' was immediately proposed by President Yameen and his supporters. Upon hearing this, journalists campaigned against it, claiming that it was designed to kill press freedom and pointed out that it would also threaten online debates on political issues.

Stable Thai-Myanmar relations would increase their overall strategic value for China, both within the shifting geopolitics of Southeast Asia as well as in the Asean context. Tension in the South China Sea will continue but without the outrageous claims as before among the conflicting parties.

Those who have done well in the higher secondary exam results on Thursday (August 18, 2016) have earned the right to show their exuberance as depicted in the media.

The information being gleaned from suspects and their laptops is that there is external finance being funnelled in through informal channels such as hundi. But the most worrying development is the discovery of bomb making material and knowhow amongst some of those arrested.

As we celebrate our achievements in reducing death of mothers, newborns and children, and we do have a lot to celebrate, we must also take action to ensure that the benefits of our advancements reach everyone, and no mother or child is left behind.

For many years, it was assumed that the main causes of radicalisation were political marginalisation, economic disadvantage or religious indoctrination. However, these theories have proved untrue. Rather, radicalisation can be explained more as a sociological event that pushes individuals to search for an identity and attachment to a particular group.

Foreign remittance is definitely contributing to the country's rising development in many areas. Today, every year around eight million Bangladeshis across the globe are remitting about USD 15 billion, which has gradually been boosting the country's economy.

Young people enjoy a critical junction of life where the transition from childhood to adulthood takes place.

Education availed by women will not only lead to increased household incomes and contribute towards building a more skilled labour force, but it will also make these individuals more socially mobile.