Bangladesh came to pass a historical milestone when on June 5, 2024, the High Court ruled that the scrapping of the 30 per cent quota reservation for descendants of freedom fighters in government jobs was illegal. Few could have imagined this issue would upend Sheikh Hasina's autocratic rule within
The Hammadia Mosque, one of just two mosques erected during the Sultanate era in Chattogram, stands near the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Masjidda village of Kumira union under Sitakunda upazila. This 500-year-old architectural gem, known as the 'Gaybi' or 'Invisible' Mosque for its distinctive d
At the break of dawn, the waterfront of Fisherighat in Chattogram transforms into a bustling spectacle. Fishing trawlers and boats, one by one, weave their way through the morning mist, converging on the wharf. Thus begins a daily dose of unloading, sorting, and auctioning, creating a rhythmic da
Who doesn't remember Tamim Iqbal charging down the wicket to hit a 6 off Zaheer Khan in 2007? Sadly, despite all of his heroics, who doesn't remember the overuse of his 'anchor role' to defend his sudden loss of striking ability and earning the name 'Dotbaba'? We have something simi
There are all those times when I go looking for Dacca as I knew it ages ago. It was a time when Dhaka was spelt as Dacca and yet we pronounced the word in the Bengali way. I will confess that when in the mid-1980s, during the period of the Ershad military regime, Dacca became Dhaka, I was a trifle
Corruption has long been a formidable barrier to economic development, social justice, and effective governance. Traditional methods of combating corruption have largely focused on punitive measures-punishing those who indulge in corrupt activities after the corruption has been detected. While pu
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was introduced by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities. The day commemorates the 2006 adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Inte
The 29th UN Climate Conference (COP29) ended in Baku, Azerbaijan (on November 23, 2024) with a sense of 'dissatisfaction and betrayal'. Earlier delegates from 200 countries of the world with more than 100 heads of states gathered in Baku on November 11, 2024 at the UN Climate Summit with the hope t
Negotiation is a part of our everyday life, whether in a corporate boardroom or just trying to decide at home. The key to successful negotiation isn't about who "wins" or "loses." Instead, it's about finding a solution that works for everyone involved, ensuring that each party's needs and interests
Climatologists, environmentalists, geo-strategists and analysts have all followed the evolving aspects pertaining to climate change and vulnerability during the COP29 Conference held recently in Baku, Azerbaijan. As expected, there were differing views about how climate change and associated financ
The APEC Peru 2024, the annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries was held from November 15 to 16, 2024. APEC currently has 21 member states including leading economies as the US, China and Japan. The conference is possibly as one of the very strange gatherings
Dr Muhammad Yunus, the globally renowned Nobel Laureate and the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, recently delivered a historic speech commemorating the first 100 days of his administration. At the heart of his address was the contentious issue of the nation’s election timetable,
Bangladesh recently witnessed a powerful student-led uprising initially aimed at addressing unfair job quotas in the public sector. This movement, which ultimately contributed to the ouster of a government, has highlighted core issues relating to governance, education, and job creation that parti
