Amitava Kar

IN OTHER WORDS

Amitava Kar writes to us from Ottawa, Canada.

Responsible is something to be

The book explores how people can regain their political fate from professional politicians and be the heroes we need today.

5m ago

Walk to be free

What is it about our own thoughts that are so awful that we cannot spend a minute alone with them? There is only one way to find out. Unplug, go outside, and walk.

1y ago

What the story of Kaavan tells us

Amid the sad, the sordid and the sensational, let us look at some other news. On November 30, Kaavan, dubbed the “loneliest elephant” arrived from Islamabad to Cambodia to start a new life.

3y ago

Efficacy of the home-made mask

The recent back-and-forth debate over the use of face masks to prevent the spread of covid-19 has settled. In the beginning, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that there was no need for people who are well to wear face masks.

4y ago

The moral rot that threatens Bangladesh

No two countries that share borders are more different from each other than Mexico and the United States. The contrast between the quality of life in these two countries could not be starker.

5y ago

The value of writing letters in a digital society

Social media, texting and emailing have revolutionised the way we communicate. These technologies have enabled us to be more efficient and stay in touch more easily. But they have also altered the dynamics of some of our most important relationships.

5y ago

The changing nature of work

Most of us have serious reasons to worry about the future of work. The development of automation powered by robotics and Artificial Intelligence has enabled higher productivity, increased efficiency, safety, and convenience. At the same time, these technologies pose difficult questions about the larger impact of automation on jobs and wages. But perhaps we need to pay attention to another aspect of work: how we look at work is changing as well.

5y ago

How volunteering can help the youth

Each year, more than one billion people are engaged in volunteering worldwide. Their actions have economic, private and social values. You may wonder how helping others has economic value when no monetary transaction is involved.

5y ago
November 10, 2017
November 10, 2017

Diversity is strength

By making the workplace more diverse, an organisation can encourage employees to watch their own potential biases—fixed ways of thinking that can hinder their ability to see important facts and even lead them to make mistakes in decision-making processes.

September 17, 2017
September 17, 2017

Sunshine on his shoulders

In the tranquil landscape and in the distant line of the horizon, he beheld something as beautiful as his own nature. In the wilderness, he found something more dear and innate than in cities or villages. The greatest delight the trees and woods showed him was the suggestion of an occult relation between him and nature.

July 12, 2017
July 12, 2017

Omar Khadr, Canada and the rule of law

Most of us say “I'm sorry” many times a day for a host of trivial affronts—accidentally bumping into someone or sneezing during a business meeting. These apologies are easy and usually readily accepted. Apologies needed to right wrongful words, acts or inactions, on the other hand, are harder to come by. Similarly, when it comes to nations saying the S word, examples are in short supply.

February 23, 2017
February 23, 2017

The 'Bangladesh paradox'

Despite the so-called bad governance, how has the economy of Bangladesh been growing at rates higher than those of most South Asian countries?

February 18, 2017
February 18, 2017

The science fiction about women

I am at a chemistry lab at Dhaka University where no girl is crying or talking about love. With a steely resolve and

February 18, 2017
February 18, 2017

WOMEN IN SCIENCE: Is Bangladesh ahead of the West?

If you are worried about the dearth of women in science in Bangladesh, think again. There are more girls studying science than you

February 13, 2017
February 13, 2017

Tourism gone wild

Despite all these constraints—inadequate and poor quality public transports, extended travel time, high-priced but low quality accommodation, lack of recreational facilities—the number of domestic tourists has gone up significantly over the years.

February 11, 2017
February 11, 2017

Opinion: How to kill tourism

It is extremely sad that the natural forest of Jaflong is disappearing fast due to dumping of stone illegally excavated from the Dawki and Sari rivers by a group of unscrupulous traders. As a result, tourism in this scenic hill station, home to subtropical mountains, rainforests, tea gardens and the Khasia ethnic group is on the decline. This is a classic example of how mismanagement, lack of a strategy and enforcement of law are killing the tourism sector in Bangladesh.

February 4, 2017
February 4, 2017

Opinion: The neglected story of road crashes

Yet in another bizarre incident on the road, eight people were killed in Khagrachari as a stone-laden truck rammed a crowd that had gathered outside a Buddhist monastery to attend a funeral of a monk. Who is the culprit this time?

February 4, 2017
February 4, 2017

We shall overcome

While the public often views the Liberation War and the Language Movement as the apex of protest music in Bangladesh the use of