How to be a hypocrite: Courtesy of the West

When 12 members of Charlie Hebdo were shot dead for their alleged blasphemous depiction of Prophet Muhammad, the freedom-loving
22 May 2022

A two-stroke thrombosis

One marker for the oft-chanted prophecy of Bangladesh as the Asian Tiger can be explained through the rise and rise of motorcycles.
13 May 2022

Blowing in the Media-wind

There’s a good chance your screen time increased significantly during this weeklong Eid break unless you are one of those reported one million outbound tourists who shored up in various travel destinations or one of those million others who journeyed within the country to visit your near and dear ones.
6 May 2022

Puti Maach and the Selfish Giant

A small “puti” fish leaps out of the water and plops back in. Yes, even fish can contort muscles and use their fins in ingenious ways to glide, squiggle or somersault.
29 April 2022

On the other side of a stray bullet

Is a call for justice a glorified cry for revenge? Is justice noble, while revenge unworthy?
15 April 2022

Transitioning back to ‘normal’ learning

When a private university organised a flash mob and another one a concert to welcome back its students to campus post Covid shutdown, we looked at the safety protocol prepared for our campus in pity.
8 April 2022

In a world dominated by images

The “Oscar Slap” has created a virtual cottage industry that profits from processing a particular on-stage action that took place during the 94th Academy Awards-giving gala on March 27.
1 April 2022

Fragmented thoughts on Independence Day

When was the last time you looked at the face of the rickshaw-puller who gave you a ride? Or the guard who opened the door for you at a mall?
25 March 2022

Do we need semesters?

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all its affiliates to implement the semester system by July 1.
11 March 2022

Historic March 7: Setting a nation on the march

It is common for modern day leaders to use teleprompters, in which words are projected onto transparent beam-splitter mirrors, making their speeches appear impromptu and spontaneous.
6 March 2022

Book Fair: An Affair to Remember

“The Book (Le Livre)” was an ambitious project of the 19th century French poet Stephane Mallarme.
4 March 2022

Save us from the brunt of price hikes

There was a time, not long ago, when Bangla news editors would use the phrase “like the price of water” to connote the low cost of an item.
25 February 2022

Farewell VC, Welcome CEO

A colleague teaching abroad recently called to ask, “What’s the minimum criteria for becoming a vice-chancellor in Bangladesh?
18 February 2022

Want to save our nation’s future? Reopen schools.

Let’s admit it: the time for debate on school reopening is over. It’s time to stop treating education as an afterthought, as if it’s not a priority.
4 February 2022

This week in black and white

The mystery of nine dead zebras over a period of three weeks at the Bangabandhu Safari Park in Gazipur has been solved. Experts identified bacterial infections and infighting during the mating season as the causes of death of those striped animals.
28 January 2022

The chaos in SUST demands change in the system

Can the flapping of a butterfly’s wings here cause a storm elsewhere?
21 January 2022

A case for our mental privacy

The thoughtfulness of my son-in-law in printing a personalised letter on a blanket as a paper-themed anniversary gift to my daughter enthralled me.
14 January 2022

When the protector becomes the predator

“Money can open every DoE door”—I read out the news heading in this daily only to trip over the last two words. The stuttering tongue-twister made me chuckle.
7 January 2022

When the masks come off

Will the Covid-19 masks finally come off in 2022? The ever-evolving nature of our little big enemy makes it difficult to say if the mask mandates will remain effective in this new year.
31 December 2021

Lifting the trophy of Bangladesh’s rise

In October 2019, The Guardian featured an article titled “The rise and rise of Bangladesh” with a string attached in its title, asking, “But is life getting any better?”
24 December 2021