Category: Culture
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How is the International Crimes Tribunal functioning in a peculiar situation?
The International Crimes Tribunal was formed in 1973, but the trials of the Pakistan Army’s collaborators for genocide, murder, rape, loot and arson couldn’t be launched due to the assassination of then-President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. The subsequent governments rehabilitated them in politics and society. After the Awami League returned to power in…
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কি চলছে বাংলাদেশ সেনাবাহিনীতে?
সুপ্রিম কোর্টের সিনিয়র আইনজীবী ব্যারিস্টার জ্যোতির্ময় বড়ুয়া একটা কঠিন প্রশ্ন তুলেছেন, যা এই সময়ের অস্থিরতা ও স্বেচ্ছাচারী আচরণকে প্রশ্নবিদ্ধ করে। ২০শে জানুয়ারি এক ফেসবুক স্ট্যাটাসে তিনি লেখেন: “অন্য অনেক প্রশ্নের মাঝে মাথায় ঘুরপাক খায় বাধ্যতামুলক অবসরে পাঠানো ডিজিএফআই প্রধানকে গ্রেফতার করা হল না কেন? এক উপদেষ্টার সাথে বোঝাপড়ার গুজব শুনি। এসব কি বের হবে কোনোদিন?…
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Sheikh Hasina decided to resign on August 4th, says Arafat
When the complex reality that emerged on August 4 at one stage of the students’ quota movement and the way a section of the country was criticizing her, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was staying at Ganabhaban, repeatedly said out of frustration that despite her contributions to the country’s development, if they criticize…
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2001-06: The Dark Prince and his Hawa Bhaban
This is the compilation of a three-part series on corruption, politics and violence during the 2001-06 period based on secret US embassy documents. It was first published in Dhaka Tribune. BNP leaders claim that all charges of corruption, election engineering and patronization of terrorist activities against the party’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman and his Hawa…
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Why is ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan so powerful?
“Joy Bangla” meant hail Bangla or long live Bangla, referring to the land where the Bengali-speaking people lived in undivided India. The slogan, first used by our great national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam with the spirit of Bengali nationhood in 1942, became the strongest words against domination and discrimination of the West Pakistani military rulers.…
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What are the political reform proposals for Bangladesh already available?
Ever since the student leaders of Ganatantrik Chhatra Shakti announced a government-ouster movement on Saturday, the social media and mainstream media have flooded with nominations for the new prime minister from civil society, the main opposition BNP and Islamic scholars. Some are also suggesting the names of Cabinet members. Yet, no one has come up…
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Bangladesh anti-quota movement: Dangers of open social media in the third world
When some top media outlets and their sympathizers in the opposition, civil society and young generation work together against the establishment, it may not take too long to unseat a government. It’s not surprising that a harsher reaction from the executive and legislative bodies of the State is imminent. The incumbents would try their best…
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Don’t normalize hatred, brutality and politricks, pls!
Overenthusiasm and inaction are both harmful in crisis times. Since childhood, humans usually learn about the standard of living from their surrounding environment, from parents to classmates to birds and animals. As they grow up, many children spontaneously learn about while some are taught the dos and don’ts—both social norms and laws of the land.…
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Strict actions are needed for effective reforms
This op-ed was published on March 15, 2024. As Bangladesh continues to grapple with longstanding crises such as reserve management, corruption, and law enforcement, it’s evident that meaningful reforms are needed to overcome this uncomfortable situation and ease uneasiness. And such reforms demand resolute leadership. The aftermath of the recent elections, which saw the incumbent…
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Instant gratification trap: Do you really need that?
Human brains, by default, tend to pick the choice, wish, or dream when it comes to making a decision, as the thoughts of a choice create excitement, forcing them to chase and accomplish it. Why so? It happens because humans wish for something that is aligned with their lifestyle or thoughts—be it buying a luxury…
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Entrepreneurship: How digital tools are helping people overcome financial crises
Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused thousands of layoffs, especially in the informal sector, and compelled daily wagers to stay home. The loss of earning sources devastated these families, and many left the capital for village homes to cut expenses. Even the income of many affluent people involved in wholesale and retail businesses,…
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2023: Will the BNP be victorious between Eids?
The ruling Awami League has been in power since 2009. Its archrival BNP has often declared dates during intense public protests, notably before the general elections of 2014 and 2018, but has been unable to overthrow the ruling party. They abstained from the 2014 elections but decided to participate in the following one as a…
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THE BLOOD TELEGRAM: How a US envoy exposed genocide by Pakistan Army
While the Nixon-Kissinger administration continued supporting military strongman General AM Yahya Khan, who launched a crackdown to “maintain the integrity of Pakistan,” a diplomat in Dhaka urged the US government to express shock, describing the atrocities in a telegram on March 27, 1971. “Selective Genocide” was the title of the telegram sent by Consul General…
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