Interview
Report
Article
Report
Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Islami Andolon Bangladesh have reached a consensus on a 10-point decision, including holding a credible national election in a short time after completing necessary ‘minimum’ reforms.
In the 1980s, the then military dictator General HM Ershad described uncontrolled population growth as the "number one national problem." Although his statement created a stir at the time, it was a completely misleading comment. Population growth, whether planned or unplanned, can never be the number one national problem for a country. Population is an irreplaceable resource. The progress of the world cannot be imagined without it. If population is systematically trained and transformed into a skilled and productive workforce, it becomes the nation's greatest asset. However, if population growth is unmanaged, it becomes a burden for the country. The responsibility of turning the population into human capital lies solely with the state. The state cannot escape the blame for its failure to do so.
At the current stage of our country's economy, achieving revenue targets necessitates the introduction of a "push factor." No matter the cost, there must be a strong effort to elevate revenue collection to the desired level. A significant number of people who are eligible to pay taxes have yet to be included in the tax network. On the other hand, efforts are being made to bring into the tax and customs framework sectors that should be taxed but currently aren't. In both cases, there is a need to move forward with a refined and reformed plan to create or implement a taxpayer-friendly and automated incentive-based system. In other words, for those who are capable of paying taxes but aren't, we must encourage them while simultaneously closing all loopholes that allow tax evasion. Effective measures must be taken to remove any obstacles or complexities that exist in the tax payment and collection processes.
After the Awami League government was ousted in a mass uprising by students and the public, a division emerged among the students who participated in the movement. It reached its peak only after the emergence of the anti-discrimination student movement organization and the rumors of the central coordinators forming a political party.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has attributed the delay in textbook distribution this year to a lack of expected cooperation from printing industry stakeholders and related organizations.
In a war-torn country facing famine and complex political conditions, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman moved forward with a new type of economic plan—what he referred to as the 'Second Revolution.' As part of this revolution, on January 25, 1975, the Fourth Amendment Bill to the Constitution was passed in Parliament. This amendment brought about the much-discussed (and controversial) establishment of a one-party system in the country.
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States for a second term on January 20, with a stern stance against undocumented immigrants. In his inaugural speech, he declared, “America’s golden era begins today,” and emphasized his “America First” policy, vowing to restore sovereignty and security. He proclaimed, “We will become the envy of every nation. No one will exploit us anymore. Today marks the end of America’s decline. God has kept me alive to make America great again.”
Tulip Siddiq, a minister from the UK’s ruling Labour Party, resigned from her position as the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister after being implicated in an investigation regarding the alleged embezzlement of £3.9 billion from Bangladesh's infrastructure projects. The accusation is that her family was involved in the misappropriation of these funds. Following the involvement of her name in a corruption investigation in Bangladesh, pressure had been mounting for her resignation. Recently, she, along with her mother, brother, sister, and aunt, has been accused in a corruption case in Bangladesh. However, Tulip Siddiq has consistently denied the allegations.
It was agreed that the interim government would run the country based on discussions and consensus with various political parties and relevant stakeholders; however, as time passes, disagreements between the government and different political parties are increasing. Even on the crucial issue of state reforms, consensus has not been established. Several commissions formed for reform have submitted their proposals, but there seems to be little interest in them within the political arena. Some political parties have even raised the demand for national elections to be held by July-August. This has created a sense of hesitation within the government as well. After assuming office, the interim government strongly stated that elections would only be held after the necessary reforms, but given the changed situation, the government appears to be becoming more flexible about holding elections.
Donald Trump is set to take the oath as the elected president of the United States. In the current era, nearly every country in the world has some form of relationship with others. These relationships can be either friendly or adversarial, meaning that every country, especially major powers, has interests intertwined with others. Accordingly, the United States, the world’s largest economy and military power, has commercial, military, and even ideological ties or conflicts with nearly every country. These relationships also experience ups and downs. It is important to note that those who believe that US foreign policy does not change regardless of which party forms the government are influenced by outdated thinking. Such thinking is old-fashioned, a relic of the Cold War era, when the US maintained consistent policies toward the Soviet Union and the countries in the socialist bloc, regardless of which party was in power. However, that bloc has now collapsed, and even large socialist countries like China are now operating under free-market principles.
The Constitutional Reform Commission has recommended equality, human dignity, social justice, pluralism, and democracy replacing nationalism, democracy, socialism, and secularism.
After the Awami League government was ousted in a mass uprising by students and the public, a division emerged among the students who participated in the movement. It reached its peak only after the emergence of the anti-discrimination student movement organization and the rumors of the central coordinators forming a political party.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has attributed the delay in textbook distribution this year to a lack of expected cooperation from printing industry stakeholders and related organizations.
The Bangla Academy is deeply intertwined with the glorious history of the formation of our nation-state. From the partition of the country onwards, there have been continuous attacks on our national identity and the rights to our mother tongue by West Pakistan. The struggle for the recognition of these rights turned in the 1952 Language Movement. The Language Movement was not only a battle for the Bengali language to be recognized as the state language, but also a struggle to preserve our language, culture, and heritage. Through this struggle, the foundation for the development of a secular nation-state was laid.
Earth's biggest mountains, more than 100 times taller than Mount Everest, have been discovered on the boundary between Africa and the Pacific Ocean, a groundbreaking research, published in the journal Nature, has confirmed.
At least 27 Nigerian soldiers are reported to have been killed in a suspected attack by fighters from the ISIL affiliate, ISIS West Africa Province (ISWAP). The attackers targeted a military base in the remote town of Malam-Fatori, located in northeastern Borno state, on Friday. A surviving soldier stated that the attack lasted for over three hours.
Fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Congo has left at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers dead, United Nations and army officials said Saturday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday described AAP as 'Aawaidh Aamdaniwali Party', and alleged that it did nothing but spread lies to get votes and indulged in corruption in its 10-year rule in Delhi under Arvind Kejriwal's leadership. He further urged the people to evict the AAP from power and vowed to make the national capital free from illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas if BJP won the Delhi elections.
The statistics grab headlines effortlessly: “Mobile internet subscriber base declines by 4.4 million.” As the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) regularly publishes data on mobile telecommunications and broadband subscribers, journalists have easy access to these numbers. By comparing data month over month, crafting a market report becomes straightforward. Mobile operators’ officials often provide insights into the business impact of subscriber fluctuations, and at times, analysts react emotionally to the figures without deeper understanding. When such reports make headlines, even the general public, regardless of comprehension, starts worrying about the market’s trajectory.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Islami Andolon Bangladesh have reached a consensus on a 10-point decision, including holding a credible national election in a short time after completing necessary ‘minimum’ reforms.
In the 1980s, the then military dictator General HM Ershad described uncontrolled population growth as the "number one national problem." Although his statement created a stir at the time, it was a completely misleading comment. Population growth, whether planned or unplanned, can never be the number one national problem for a country. Population is an irreplaceable resource. The progress of the world cannot be imagined without it. If population is systematically trained and transformed into a skilled and productive workforce, it becomes the nation's greatest asset. However, if population growth is unmanaged, it becomes a burden for the country. The responsibility of turning the population into human capital lies solely with the state. The state cannot escape the blame for its failure to do so.
Theater figure Mamunur Rashid is a playwright, actor, and director. He is one of the key pioneers of the post-independence theater movement in Bangladesh. He has also written and directed numerous television plays, alongside acting in many of them. In recognition of his significant contribution to the theater, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2012. Although he received the Bangla Academy Award in 1982, he rejected it in protest against autocratic rule. Recently, he talked to Views Bangladesh about the country's political landscape, the humiliation of artists and writers, and the narrative against the Liberation War. The interview was conducted by Girish Goiric, Associate Editor of Views Bangladesh. The final part of the three-part interview is being published today.
On January 14, 2025, at the main auditorium of the National Museum during the 23rd Dhaka International Film Festival, I watched Shoroter Joba, a film directed by popular television actress Kusum Sikder. This film marks Kusum Sikder’s debut as a director. She also wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogue for the film. Shoroter Joba was produced under the banner of Impress Telefilm Limited and Pahardanga Pictures, jointly by Kusum Sikder and Faridur Reza Sagar.
