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Can a non‑partisan, politically neutral police force be established?: Mahfuz Anam
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THE THIRD VIEW

Mahfuz Anam

THE THIRD VIEW

Editor and publisher, The Daily Star

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Column by Mahfuz Anam / The PM says police don’t belong to any party. Can we establish this in practice?

15 May 2026, 00:00 AM
The prime minister’s quote that I use as the headline of this column is music to our ears, constituting the most vital policy directive that this country needs to take.
15 May 2026, 00:00 AM
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Column by Mahfuz Anam / Politicisation of our professions

1 May 2026, 00:00 AM
A fact that we don’t discuss much, and seem to have taken as a given, is the politicisation of our various professions.
1 May 2026, 00:00 AM
importance of free media in a democracy

Column by Mahfuz Anam: 35th anniversary of The Daily Star / When independent newspapers burn, so does democracy

24 April 2026, 00:00 AM
When independent, objective and fact-based newspapers are set on fire, it is democracy that burns.
24 April 2026, 00:00 AM
risk of nuclear war between US-Israel  and Iran

Column by Mahfuz Anam / Were we close to a nuclear catastrophe?

10 April 2026, 00:00 AM
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected Iran to crumble when they launched the surprise attack on February 28 while negotiations were going on, killing the latter’s supreme leader and several others.
10 April 2026, 00:00 AM
challenges for PM Tarique Rahman in Bangladesh

Column by Mahfuz Anam / The challenges before the prime minister

13 March 2026, 00:00 AM
High unemployment, weak investment, the need for job creation, curbing inflation, export diversification, and stabilising the banking sector are among the most urgent economic challenges.
13 March 2026, 00:00 AM
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Editor's Note

8 March 2026, 12:30 PM
Justice must not be a distant promise; it must be something every woman and girl can rely on in her daily life.
8 March 2026, 12:30 PM
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Column by Mahfuz Anam / The speech that emboldened us all

7 March 2026, 00:00 AM
Those of us who were there at the Ramna Race Course on that day have our own personal memories. Reminiscing them still warms our blood and generates that special feeling of pride that automatically holds our heads high.
7 March 2026, 00:00 AM
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Column by Mahfuz Anam / A controversial decision

27 February 2026, 00:01 AM
Critical decisions are usually judged by three things: their merit, method, and meaning or significance.
27 February 2026, 00:01 AM
Column by Mahfuz Anam

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Our new CJ Obaidul Hassan's call to fight graft is urgent, crucial and enthusing

We congratulate the chief justice for his forthright identification of one of the main issues of concern for Bangladesh’s future: corruption.
14 September 2023, 18:00 PM
DSA to CSA

Column by Mahfuz Anam: DSA to CSA, a sham of a reform

Journalists’ fate is again being determined in the dark.
31 August 2023, 18:00 PM
Prospects of a free, fair election

Column by Mahfuz Anam: ‘Gladiatorial’ street contests and prospects of fair elections

National election Bangladesh: As the election is getting nearer, the possibility of a nightmarish pre-election period is driving fear and panic among the people.
4 August 2023, 03:00 AM
Vienna Convention and the relationship with our development partners

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Vienna Convention and the relationship with our development partners

When does the demand for a democratic election become an interference in our internal affairs, and when is it a reinforcement of the policy declared by the head of the government?
27 July 2023, 18:34 PM
Our political culture – you reap what you sow

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Our political culture – you reap what you sow

Our people, but for whose hard work, sacrifice, and love for the country we would not have come where we have, deserve better.
20 July 2023, 18:09 PM
AL rallies

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Need for a change in our political culture

BNP to some extent and AL to a far greater extent have changed Bangladesh. Can’t we expect them to change themselves, even a bit?
14 July 2023, 01:00 AM
Free and fair election in Bangladesh

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Politics at crossroads

The prospect of a free and fair election is still eluding us.
6 July 2023, 18:15 PM
Free and fair elections in Bangladesh and US visa policy for Bangladeshis

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Free and fair elections for our sake, not because of US visa policy

The truth is, we have made a shambles of our elections and have weakened most of the accountability structures.
8 June 2023, 18:00 PM
The middle income ‘intellectual’ trap

Column by Mahfuz Anam: The middle income ‘intellectual’ trap

The intellectual trap refers to a country’s policymakers’ inability to ensure crucial intellectual freedom.
18 May 2023, 18:10 PM
DSA was legislated ignoring journalists

Column by Mahfuz Anam: DSA was legislated ignoring journalists

And it is being amended in the same way.
4 May 2023, 18:00 PM
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Editor’s Note

Pahela Baishakh is a reminder of our rich culture and beauty and we welcome the Bengali New Year with celebrations of our tradition in all its magnificence and glory.
13 April 2023, 18:00 PM
DSA against Prothom Alo correspondent and editor

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Only journalists can protect journalism

Others will never do, as they only want to use us
6 April 2023, 18:00 PM
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Goodbye, gentle soul

On meeting Rokia Afzal Rahman for the first time, one would most likely be disarmed by her demeanour.
5 April 2023, 18:00 PM
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Editor’s note

Many words are written every year in remembrance of the spirit of ’71. For all our essays, reports and opinion pieces on the legacy of the Liberation War, a certain texture of the history is nevertheless lost amidst the grand political narratives being crafted.
25 March 2023, 18:00 PM
Road accidents Bangladesh

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Not road accidents, but ‘murder’ by neglect

A death is an accident only when it occurs in spite of all logical, scientific and experience-based steps taken to prevent it.
23 March 2023, 18:00 PM
Election will be halted in case of voting irregularities: CEC

‘We will do whatever is required for the welfare of the people’

So who determines what is ‘required’ to ensure that welfare?
16 March 2023, 18:30 PM
The worrisome state of once glorious student activism

Column by Mahfuz Anam: Rewarding thuggery, punishing talent

The worrisome state of once glorious student activism
9 March 2023, 18:00 PM
Securing the safety of ordinary students

Securing the safety of ordinary students

The real culprit is the BCL's sense of entitlement.
2 March 2023, 18:05 PM
Newly elected president in Bangladesh Md Shahabuddin

President, Presidency and Democracy

A government cannot always be totally moral, but a president has to be.
23 February 2023, 18:00 PM
Abdur Rouf Chowdhury (1937-2023)

Abdur Rouf Chowdhury: Entrepreneur par excellence

Rouf bhai was one of the most creative entrepreneurs in the country, having founded many companies in very diverse fields
19 February 2023, 14:00 PM

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