Badiuzzaman Bay

OF MAGIC & MADNESS

Badiuzzaman Bay is Assistant Editor, The Daily Star. He can be reached at [email protected]

The more BNP talks about reforms, the less convincing it sounds

BNP’s adversarial politics hurts more because it was expected to lead a new culture of politics.

3w ago

Devils, heroes, or something in between?

Should we continue to condone unregulated public outbursts?

2m ago

No more concessions for India on border killing or fencing

Protecting our citizens and our border integrity is non-negotiable

3m ago

BNP faces the weight of history and expectations

For all its pro-reform posturing, BNP has yet to signal a real willingness to lead political reforms, including within itself.

6m ago

The new age demands a re-reading of Bangabandhu

Bangabandhu as a subject of study should be approached with an openness to embrace truths, however unflattering.

8m ago

The nine lives of a corrupt public servant

Let's delve into the hypothetical lifelines in a public servant’s career that help them indulge in corruption.

9m ago

Cow running amok in a shopping mall: It’s not a ‘moo’ point

Animals in Bangladesh are losing their homes because people are taking over their spaces.

10m ago

The only budget I care about is one that reduces my bills

Budget day is turning into our very own Groundhog Day.

10m ago
November 2, 2023
November 2, 2023

Can bureaucrats be neutral in a win-or-lose-all battle?

Let me put it another way: is a fair election possible even if Awami League “allows” it?

October 9, 2023
October 9, 2023

Soft openings, hard politics

As the political landscape heats up in anticipation of the general election, the ruling Awami League seems to be pulling out all the stops

August 17, 2023
August 17, 2023

Road safety, transport politics, and a curious policy U-turn

The latest policy rollover on unfit vehicles seems to be the result of our policymakers remembering that they have interests to protect.

August 3, 2023
August 3, 2023

A Lunch Date Gone Wrong

The apparent hospitality offered to BNP leaders Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Amanullah Aman has caused reactions both funny and speculative.

July 23, 2023
July 23, 2023

A nation off-guard: Why is dengue still a non-issue?

Can we respond to a public health crisis with the same urgency as the crisis over our electoral future?

June 28, 2023
June 28, 2023

Books and bureaucrats are a dangerous mix

Few people are perhaps aware that there is a specific government institution responsible for overseeing non-government libraries.

June 6, 2023
June 6, 2023

Sacred Corruption: The Unqualified and The Unscrupulous

Corruption in hajj management has come to the limelight after the publication of two reports

June 5, 2023
June 5, 2023

Living in the land of dying rivers

What's happening to our rivers is not driven just by necessity, but also greed, a general disregard for the sanctity of life, and a reckless can-do-ism.

April 14, 2023
April 14, 2023

Is there a Bangalee way to celebrate Pahela Baishakh?

The “Bangalee way” in the sense of a single, linear way is a myth at best, and nationalist propaganda at worst.

April 11, 2023
April 11, 2023

In times of crisis, journalists must double down on facts

Facts, once the prerogative of the media, used to be sacred. Now, they are just fodder in an increasingly hostile war of narratives.