‘There should be a central coordinator to oversee flood management’
Mohammad Abdul Qayyum, former National Project Director of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) and adjunct faculty at Dhaka University, talks to Naznin Tithi of The Daily Star about the weaknesses of our flood management efforts this year as well as the importance of stronger coordination and better flood forecasting.
5d ago
‘Reforms are crucial to strengthen the Election Commission’
Nothing can make the electoral system foolproof because it does not depend fully on the EC
1m ago
'Any vice-chancellor or teacher is expected to stand by students'
Professor Gitiara Nasreen talks about ways to end the current stalemate in our public universities and the reforms needed to ensure a better educational environment with The Daily Star.
1m ago
'No political decision should be taken without students’ input'
Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolon, talks with The Daily Star about the current political situation of the country.
2m ago
‘Violence against women is a violation of human rights’
Our society still considers violence against women to be a women's issue and holds the view that only women should talk about it or protest it.
10m ago
Road crash victims deserve a better compensation scheme
Questions have been raised by road safety activists as to whether a human life can be valued at only Tk 5 lakh.
12m ago
Will I ever be able to breathe fresh air in Dhaka?
As soon as we got onto Mirpur Road, I felt suddenly unable to breathe properly
1y ago
Air pollution is not for only one authority to tackle
Md Ziaul Haque, the director of Air Quality Management at the Department of Environment, talks with Naznin Tithi of The Daily Star about the factors behind severe air pollution in the country and why concerted efforts are needed from all ministries and government agencies concerned to fight it.
1y ago
March 3, 2022
Will Dhaka Wasa and its MD ever be held to account?
In 2019, Taqsem A Khan, managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa), faced huge public outrage for saying that the water supplied by Wasa was 100 percent drinkable.
February 6, 2022
‘Social engineering is vital to solve waterlogging in Bhabadaha’
Dr Ainun Nishat, professor emeritus of BRAC University and a water resource and climate change specialist, talks to Naznin Tithi of The Daily Star about the reasons behind the persistent waterlogging problem in the Bhabadaha area and the measures that should be taken to solve it.
January 13, 2022
When will our health system put patients before profits?
The recently reported cruel act of a hospital—that removed oxygen tubes from six-month-old twins because their mother couldn’t pay the hospital bills—speaks volumes about the state of our healthcare sector.
December 29, 2021
The crime of negligence
In the early hours of December 24, the deadliest launch fire in Bangladesh’s history wreaked havoc on the launch MV Abhijan 10, burning so many people alive; as of December 28 afternoon, the death toll from the tragedy stood at 42, with more than 50 people still missing.
November 12, 2021
We need stronger commitment to stop using single-use plastic
We are not really aware of how much we use plastic materials in our day-to-day lives.
October 28, 2021
Returnee female migrants need help to bounce back in life
There is hardly any positive news about our female migrant workers employed in the Middle East or those who have returned home from there.
October 14, 2021
The deadly urban heat that can cripple our city
In yet another sign of rapid deterioration in the quality of life in Dhaka, a recent study, published by the US-based scientific journal PNAS, has found the city to be the worst-affected around the world due to extreme urban heat.
October 7, 2021
Buriganga remains a sad tale. Can we turn it around?
The other day, I was listening to this popular song by Kafil Ahmed, one of the few gono sangeet artists of our time.
October 2, 2021
‘Continuous assessment without remedial assistance will be futile’
Prof Siddiqur Rahman, former director of the Institute of Education and Research (IER) at Dhaka University and member of the National Education Policy 2010 formulation committee, talks to The Daily Star’s Naznin Tithi about the challenges we may face in implementing the new school curriculum, the outline of which was recently approved by the prime minister, and how we can solve them
September 26, 2021
‘Blended learning is what we will need in the coming days’
Professor Dr Kazi Shahidullah, chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC), former chairman, department of history, Dhaka University, and former vice chancellor, National University, talks to The Daily Star’s Naznin Tithi about how universities can recover from learning loss as they are resuming in-person classes and why our universities should continue with online education alongside classroom education.
X