Are we backtracking on our commitment to gender equality?
The interim government needs to quickly set an agenda that reaffirms its commitment to upholding women's rights.
1w ago
A nation's need for soul searching
We have done the unthinkable—bring down a dictator—only to realise that the fascism within the body politic—and within ourselves—is much harder to dislodge than a once-invincible regime. If we are to do better as a nation than we have in the past, we must do the hard work of looking inwards and collectively figuring out the root causes of our dispossession and deprivation.
1m ago
In conversation with Syeda Rizwana Hasan: ‘It’s been most challenging to reach those marooned in Feni’
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the environment ministry, speaks with The Daily Star about the ongoing floods.
3m ago
Did we have to pay such a heavy price for this verdict?
The verdict is in. The Appellate Division through its observations has recommended that quotas be restricted to seven percent: five percent for freedom fighters’ descendants, one percent for ethnic minorities, and one percent for people with disabilities.
4m ago
Geof Wood: 'I feel my identity is tied up with Bengal'
Geof Wood talks to Sushmita S Preetha of The Daily Star about his latest book, in which he explores the dilemmas of being an academic immersed in the processes of development and the intersection between policymaking and activism.
9m ago
The violence of silencing a rape survivor
That justice for rape survivors is a mirage in this country is no news, with a miserable conviction rate of three percent in rape cases.
9m ago
‘Human rights obligations are not an imposition from the outside’
UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan speaks with The Daily Star about the recent general election, shrinking space for dissent, and the pressing need to address human rights concerns in Bangladesh.
10m ago
October 7, 2015
LIVING WITH INJUSTICE
We were “assured” after the attack that the in/action of the law enforcers would be “looked into” and “action taken against anyone found negligent of his duties”. However, till now, no administrative or legal action has been taken against any person
September 24, 2015
Not just a hashtag generation
Kudos, young comrades, for making the impossible possible – for making the government rethink its position at a time when our policymakers often stubbornly stick to their guns, no matter how foolhardy their decisions. Kudos to you for making us believe,
September 9, 2015
Negligence most foul!
It is a hopeful sign that after three years and relentless pressure from activist groups, a Dhaka court has framed charges against 13 people, including the two owners of Tazreen, Delwar Hossain and Mahmuda Akhtar, for the death of at least 112 workers.
August 27, 2015
The definitive writer's guide to surviving this democracy
Are you a writer, journalist, blogger or Facebook user? Do you find yourself thinking long and hard about the dwindling state of affairs in the country?
August 20, 2015
“We need to separate speech that is offensive and insulting from speech that actually leads to imminent threats to people's lives and well-being”
David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, shares his observation on Bangladeshi blogger killings and state responsibility, the distinction between hate speech and offensive speech, and surveillance in the name of national security, in an exclusive interview with Sushmita S Preetha of The Daily Star.
August 9, 2015
"Human rights violations against adivasis are increasing at an alarming rate"
In recent years, the government's insistence that there are no adivasis in Bangladesh has given rise to a lot of outrage amongst
July 25, 2015
SUNDARBANS UNDER THREAT
Ask anyone, and they can tell you that you cannot put a price on the Sundarbans. The people who live in and around the Sundarbans,
July 22, 2015
LAND IS PRICELESS ADIVASI LIVES ARE NOT
Purti Munda, the forefather of Mahasweta Devi's adivasi hero, Chotti Munda, had lamented how, wherever he goes, however remote the place, someone appears right away – “Whites-Bangalis-Biharis” – to snatch away his land, and along with it, his peace of mind.
July 15, 2015
Opinion: The hell inside the orphanage
When the wounds of Rajon’s murder from torture are still fresh in the nation’s psyche, social media is, yet again, inundated with horrifying images of two children being beaten mercilessly at an orphanage.
July 6, 2015
WHO GETS TO DEFINE YOU?
Imagine a life of never fitting in, of constant ridicules and derisions, of being shunned by your own family, of being denied jobs and a chance at a “comfortable” life, of being harassed and assaulted, often sexually, because of who you are.
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