A case against (only) watching cat videos

Children who witness violence are more likely to mimic that act in situations they deem appropriate as violence becomes normalised. The same principle applies to other issues: corruption, murder, lying, ill-treatment of people.
9 September 2015

Negligence most foul!

It is a hopeful sign that after three years and relentless pressure from activist groups, a Dhaka court has framed charges against 13 people, including the two owners of Tazreen, Delwar Hossain and Mahmuda Akhtar, for the death of at least 112 workers.
8 September 2015

An unmitigated humanitarian disaster

Syrian refugees are crossing the Aegean in a bid to get to Europe and safety. They are pouring in through Greece, Serbia and Hungary, and countries that make up the European Union (EU) cannot agree on what to do with this sea of humanity.
7 September 2015

Dhaka: A sustainable city?

The annual 'Liveability Index', published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, listed Dhaka as the second least liveable city in the world.
6 September 2015

CHINA: A worthy trade partner

The recent visit of Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng to Dhaka no doubt reinvigorated the existing bilateral relations, laying
5 September 2015

Letter from QANATAR

When I received my marching orders for Egypt, I knew it was meant to be a punishment posting. Based on unsubstantiated allegations of supporting her opponent, the then Prime Minister had decided my fate; I was to go to oblivion.
4 September 2015

Economics and Emotions

The hackneyed expression “strictly business” would have us believe that business, at its core, is meant to be devoid of emotion.
2 September 2015

Implications for Bangladesh

Over the past several weeks, the world witnessed the #YouStink anti-government protest in Lebanon popularly known as the 'garbage movement', comprising of people from across the sectarian and political spectrum.
1 September 2015

Green growth in poor countries: Burden or benefit?

Global development path has been based on the philosophy of accelerating growth by way of burning fossil fuels.
30 August 2015

A challenge for Rooppur nuclear power plant

The proposed Rooppur nuclear power plant (RNPP) stands on the river Padma. Insufficient water in Padma will require the power plant to adopt re-circulatory condenser water cooling system to convert the used steam of turbines into water. The main devices on the
29 August 2015

Child Marriage Law and freedom of choice

The government of Bangladesh is presently contemplating a move that would permit girls to marry at 16 with parental consent and/or approval from courts.
28 August 2015

STORY INSIDE THE STORY

Sometimes, a most obvious question of history remains unasked and unanswered through a lack of pursuit of or targeted research into an overwhelming event.
21 August 2015

A puzzle worth solving

Why is it that the mention of mobile banking creates such a polarising set of reactions among many people?
19 August 2015

Defining Terror

One would expect the concept of “terrorism” to convey the same meaning for all in this country. It is not quite the case yet.
18 August 2015

Credible Elections and 'Caretaker' Government

On July 26, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia said 'a caretaker government is not a must for holding national election, but it has to be held under a neutral government, no matter what its name is'.
17 August 2015

The blameless Bangali

Imagine there is a bridge collapse. Starting from the concerned minister's naki via the chief engineer's naki through six administrative levels and two technical levels, each crossing out because of some masterly nakis; the blame ultimately falls on an MLSS, who did not report to duty on the fateful day.
16 August 2015

Some unfinished business

No doubt Bangladesh has come a long way and resolved several outstanding bilateral issues with India. Among the major ones are the finalisation of the maritime boundary between the two countries, the transfer of the enclaves to Bangladesh as opted by the residents
15 August 2015

US' 'No' to GSP: One-sided love affair!

Though US-Bangla interactions have evolved on a love-hate trajectory, an exception is made in relation to the GSP facility for Bangladesh. Dhaka's obsession with it has not been reciprocated by Washington.
13 August 2015

We have not made the transition to the constitutional imperatives: Vrinda Grover

Vrinda Grover, human rights lawyer at the Supreme Court of India and advocate for women's rights, talks to Amitava Kar of The Daily Star about the hurdles people of this region face seeking justice and how to possibly overcome them. Vrinda Grover was one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.
12 August 2015

UNLOCKING THE YOUTH POTENTIAL

On December 17 1999, the UN General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth that August 12 be declared International Youth Day.
11 August 2015