Columnist
Columnist
The situation that has arisen regarding BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman's homecoming or lack of it reminds me of the famous novel 'Putulnacher Itikatha' by Manik Bandyopadhyay. The name of the novel is symbolic. The novelist has arranged the characters in such a way that they all move like puppets pulled by an invisible thread.
Fourteen months ago, a mass uprising had raised a wave of hope across the nation. The arrival of the interim government under Dr Muhammad Yunus had inspired dreams of a new dawn. Many described it as a “government of morality” or a “bridge of change”.
It was promised that reforms would take place—reforms that would prioritise the country, its people, democratic institutions and the judiciary; reforms that would ensure no future autocrat could rise again, that would bring balance to power, make the police humane, and make the law, justice and administration citizen-friendly, thereby establishing social justice.
For most ordinary readers, the Nobel Prize in Literature may seem as remote as “a trader of ginger keeping track of ships.” Yet, each year when the prize is announced, curiosity is suddenly rekindled—who has won it, why, and what has the winner written? There is a reason for this interest. Literature, after all, mirrors our lives—our laughter and tears, our love and loss, our hopes and despair. For thoughtful minds, literature is not merely entertainment; it is a deep engagement with life itself. But in this age of social media, where fleeting distraction has replaced reflection, only a handful of people now follow world literature. Even so, when the Nobel announcement arrives, the old excitement returns, and once again, people everywhere begin to discuss, analyse, and wonder. In that sense, the Nobel Prize in Literature remains one of the most anticipated global events in the cultural world.
The most discussed event in Bangladesh’s recent politics is the long interview given by BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman to BBC Bangla. After seventeen long years in exile, this interview is not merely a message of his personal return; rather, it also carries hints of a possible new equation in Bangladesh’s future politics. As one of the main contenders for power, the BNP has long suffered from a crisis of leadership, internal divisions, corruption allegations, and failure to wage an effective movement. In such a context, this public political statement from the party’s top leader has sparked new debate—some see it as the beginning of BNP’s resurgence, while others consider it still an undefined promise.
The biggest festival of Bengali Hindus is Durga Puja. Usually the five-day festival begins on the sixth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Ashwin, from Shashthi to Dashami. These five days are known respectively as Durga Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and Bijoya Dashami. This year Durga Puja began with Maha Shashthi on 28 September. Maha Saptami was on 29 September, Maha Ashtami on 30 September, Maha Navami on 1 October and the immersion of the idols will take place on Bijoya Dashami, 2 October, marking the end of the celebrations.