The need for a clear charter for the intelligence agencies
The catch-all definition of national security must not be used as a cloak to hide abuses.
4d ago
The necessity for substantive police reform
For police reform to be substantive, the first order of business should be the enactment of a new Police Act
1w ago
Tackling the bad apples of police
The onus of ensuring malpractice-free management of the police force squarely rests with the police hierarchy.
7m ago
Remembering the Patriarch
Bangabandhu, through an intense process of national consciousness-building, equipped a people to defend their sovereignty.
1y ago
Behind the pre-eminence of bureaucrats
The question is one of making the bureaucracy more responsible and responsive.
1y ago
Mechanisms to hold the police accountable do exist; why aren't we using them?
It is imperative to bring the police under a system of accountability that earns public confidence.
1y ago
Was Jinnah the real villain in the story of partition?
On June 3, 1947, Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, announced his plan for the partition of the subcontinent—in particular that of Punjab and Bengal.
2y ago
Getting out of the extrajudicial mode
Of late, media reports that indicate that the infamous phenomenon of extrajudicial killings has been resorted to more by the mainstream police outfit than the elite unit of the law-enforcing apparatus should bring no comfort, and indeed should be viewed with concern.
2y ago
June 17, 2021
What Ails Democracy?
There is a well-grounded belief that irrespective of the state of socio-economic progress, democracy as a form of government has not been able to take firm root in many societies.
June 3, 2021
The Mountbatten factor in India’s partition
It can be said without any fear of contradiction that one of history’s most massive displacements of population with the attendant violence and misery took place when,
May 27, 2021
The case against SP Babul Akter
The complainant is now complained against.
March 17, 2021
A tribute to the nation’s architect
March 17 shall forever remain a memorable day in the annuls of Bangladesh’s political history, as well as in the hearts of millions of Bengalis as, on this day, the supreme leader and the progenitor of sovereign Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (fondly called Bangabandhu by his people), was born.
March 7, 2021
The speech that galvanised a nation
The significance of the historic March 7 speech of Bangabandhu lies in the fact that it was extempore—that is, without any prior preparation—but which in effect prepared an entire population for an epic struggle leading to its emancipation from the shackles of a brutal, obstinate and autocratic establishment.
March 4, 2021
The case for an independent Police Complaints Investigation Commission
According to media reports, more than a hundred lawyers of the apex court of Bangladesh have collectively filed a writ petition with the High Court, seeking its directive to the government to constitute an independent commission to investigate allegations of crimes committed by law enforcers.
February 17, 2021
Separation of powers key to functioning democracy
For quite some time, a number of judicial initiatives of the Apex Court of Bangladesh pertaining to the protection of public interests and also to ensure the rule of law, thereby enhancing public trust in the supreme judiciary, has attracted admirable attention.
January 10, 2021
The momentous return of the Father of the Nation
January 10, 1972, shall remain a historic milestone in the annals of Bangladesh’s political history because on this day the towering patriarch, fondly called Bangabandhu (Friend of Bengal) by ever grateful Bangalis, came home to his people after suffering nine months of illegal incarceration in Pakistani prison.
November 24, 2020
Essentials of pro-people policing
On November 20, the editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam, in a column in this daily, urged for the transformation of the Bangladesh Police into a pro-people outfit.
November 13, 2020
Bigotry has no place in a civilised society
In an article published on April 4, 2015, I wrote that “Attacks on Hindus and their property have demonstrated the immensely sad but blunt reality that even after 42 years of democratic pluralistic existence, the religious minority of Bangladesh have not been able to save themselves” (The Daily Star).
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