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Maria Salam

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Fragments of Liberation War stories heard from Afsan Chowdhury
Liberation War stories
Special Content

Fragments of Liberation War stories heard from Afsan Chowdhury

To understand the social realities of Bangladesh during and after the Liberation War, one must sit face-to-face with Afsan Chowdhury and listen to him. Though he has conducted research on the Liberation War, he has never looked at it through the lens of a state researcher. He has viewed it through the eyes of a social being. To him, the Liberation War is a people's war, where the fragmented stories of individuals reveal the wartime reality far more than the history documented through state mechanisms.

Entire day from morgue to morgue
Entire day from morgue to morgue
Article

Entire day from morgue to morgue

Spent the entire day going from morgue to morgue before returning home. During this whole time, I did not have the courage even once to point my phone at any bereaved parent and ask a question. The small bodies of children, charred like coal, were laid out in rows in the morgue. My eyes welled up, my feet staggered, my throat tightened. Pushing all those emotions aside, I coldly planned the news with my team. But I did not have the courage to point a camera at the grieving parents and relatives of the deceased. At this stage of journalism, I find myself becoming useless.

Women's equal rights vs women's sense of duty
Maria Salam
State and Politics

Women's equal rights vs women's sense of duty

My strongest opinion regarding the establishment of women's equal rights is that to enjoy rights, one must fulfill duties. This is the rule. If a woman's status or the family's attitude towards her is not equal and respectful in society, the desire in women to fulfill their duties will not arise. If a woman is not regarded equal within the family, she will not develop self-confidence. The most urgent need for a woman is to acquire the ability and courage to make her own decisions. Without that, equal rights to property will only become a source of suffering for her.

Gandhi's statue lying face down for eight months
Gandhi's statue lying face down for eight months
Report

Gandhi's statue lying face down for eight months

Gandhi Ashram and Bengal Relief Committee, a registered institution (Naogaon-172), under the Social-Welfare Ministry of Bangladesh, is situated within 200 meters of Ahsanganj Railway Station in Atrai Upazila of Naogaon district. A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was installed at the T-intersection near the ashram. The statue was inside an iron grill in the middle of a square surrounded by several cement benches. This iron grill was installed to ensure special security of the statue. However, immediately after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, miscreants broke the statue by climbing over that iron grill. Since then the statue of the great leader is still lying face down there.

Building smart women for a 'Smart Bangladesh'
Building smart women for a 'Smart Bangladesh'
Telecom

Building smart women for a 'Smart Bangladesh'

After successful launch of Digital Bangladesh vision 2021, the government has brought a new vision on Smart Bangladesh. Smart Bangladesh is believed to be the next major step towards realizing Bangabandhu’s dream of Sonar Bangla. The government has focused on four main pillars--smart citizen, smart government, smart society and smart economy-to achieve the goal.