‘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
August 19, 2021
Zahir Raihan and the making of Jibon Thekey Neya
Being someone who is keen on watching films that were made on our Liberation War in the early seventies—and the films that made an impact on our nation’s movement for freedom—for me, Zahir Raihan is a legend.
January 20, 2021
‘The biggest way to show respect to the martyrs is to know their history well’
January 20 is observed as Shaheed Asad Day. On this day in 1969, Amanullah Mohammad Asaduzzaman, an MA student of Dhaka University and a leader of the East Pakistan Students’ Union, was killed by the Pakistani police forces while students were holding processions against the repressive regime of Ayub Khan, breaking Section 144 of the constitution imposed by the government.
January 7, 2021
Greening up the concrete
As I ordered a Hoya and a Dischidia, two beautiful trailing house plants, from a seller online, I was elated to think how easy it has become nowadays to buy plants from various Facebook groups and online shops.
December 14, 2020
Kobor: A unique artistic representation of an unusual situation
He made it clear at the very beginning that he was passing extremely hectic times and that it would not be possible for him to talk for long.
December 5, 2020
What do we need DAP for if it makes the city further unliveable?
After years of wait, we are finally going to get the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 2016-35 for Dhaka. Yet, there is nothing to be happy about it.
December 3, 2020
‘People should judge our ability not disability’
Monsur Ahmed Chowdhury, Founder Trustee, Impact Foundation Bangladesh, and Member, Executive Board, Disability Council International, talks to The Daily Star’s Naznin Tithi about how to ensure an inclusive environment and society for persons with disabilities.
November 26, 2020
Why are so many children still dying of pneumonia?
It is hard to believe that three children still die of pneumonia every hour in Bangladesh, according to a recent Prothom Alo report.
November 17, 2020
Can we turn the city’s waste into wealth?
Recently, Dhaka South City Corporation has brought some changes to its waste collection system, unfortunately creating more dissatisfaction among its inhabitants than relief.
October 17, 2020
Creative solutions to poverty
Shameran Abed, Senior Director of the Brac Microfinance and Ultra-Poor Graduation programmes, talks to Naznin Tithi of The Daily Star about Bangladesh’s progress in reducing extreme poverty and the challenges ahead, how Brac’s Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) programme has fundamentally changed how we look at the ultra-poor, the importance of innovation, women as agents of change, and what the Covid-19 crisis has taught us.
September 30, 2020
Let our girls reach their full potential
I can’t stop thinking about Lovely—the 14-year-old adolescent girl who used to work at our house and became a full-time companion of my four-year-old son. She first came to our house with her aunt in search of a livelihood. Hailing from a disadvantaged family in Mymensingh, Lovely studied till grade IV and then was sent to the city by her parents to earn a living.
X