Last September, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the General Assembly adopted a landmark declaration affirming a commitment to “mobilise resources” and “show unprecedented political will and leadership,” in order to ensure “the future we want.”

“My daughter is counting the different types of food she has during meals. Now she can say ‘I eat so-and-so groups of food daily’.

To be honest, I was not that conscious from a young age of the inequalities that exist in our society, or even of the unequal treatment that women receive within their families.

Bangladesh is in a precarious position given how Covid-19 has engulfed the entirety of its neighbour, India, causing unimaginable havoc on ordinary people whose helplessness we are witnessing on a daily basis.

The second wave of the pandemic has hit life and livelihood hard and has thrown us all into deep anxiety. For 40 million students,

Elon Musk’s mission to populate Mars seems to be always on trend, even when nobody is particularly talking about it. It’s been several years since the announcement of such an endeavour, and in 2020 we’ve seen some stories about the first space crew for this grand mission (even though nothing has been finalised).

Bangla nijer meyer kachei thaaklo (Bengal has stayed with its own daughter). When Trinamool Congress (TMC) came out with the slogan “Bangla nijer meyekay chai” in February, it could not have been more prophetic.

As a nation Bangladeshis commemorated the golden jubilee of their independence a little more than a month ago.

In a televised address to the nation on April 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the gigantic second wave of the coronavirus in India as a “toofan.”

The Covid-19 pandemic has created unprecedented havoc around the world. However, a crisis of this extent also creates opportunities to test and resolve issues that seem unsolvable at other times.

Ah! May Day. It’s here. Our newspapers will carry a close-up shot of hardworking men or women in action (e.g., breaking bricks, carrying loads, or manning the machine) to draw our attention to the tears and sweat of a largely overlooked mass whose discomfort ensures the comfort of the rest.

Lately, the world university ranking systems, especially promoted by the private universities for attracting prospective students in Bangladesh, have brought attention to the state of research in local universities.

"Is it OK to hit a child at least once in their lifetime?”—asked a Bangladeshi parent in a post on social media.

How do corruption and poverty impact each other? I remember reading “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty”, a book gifted by a German friend of mine on my birthday.

It has been more than a year since Covid-19 was first detected in Bangladesh. Much has been, and continues to be, said about the country’s handling of the pandemic.

The global Covid-19 pandemic has caused catastrophic consequences in every corner of the world. Rich and poor nations have suffered almost equally but with asymmetric capacity and resources.

Faced with the full might of the state, the Hefazat-e-Islam has started to crumble. In a sudden move on Sunday night, Hefazat chief Junaid Babunagari dissolved its central committee, as more than half a dozen of its leaders reportedly prepared to defect.

Legal aid means providing assistance to those who are unable to afford expenses regarding legal matters prior or at any stage after entering into judicial proceedings.

He was born on April 27, 1936 in a famous zamindar family of Baniachang, Sylhet. He passed away on December 20, 2019. He left behind his work and his organisation BRAC. He is still alive in the hearts of people. I am talking about none other than Fazle Hasan Abed. Thanks to a book writing opportunity, I had the good fortune of getting close to him for a few consecutive years. Together, we visited many places of Bangladesh. I saw and I learned about various activities of BRAC. I also came to know about different aspects of his personality.

As I write this, I am overrun with a rush of helplessness. I remember feeling the same way when I was preparing for a keynote presentation on the “Recovery of Covid-19 learning loss” that this writing stems from.