Today marks the 245th anniversary of the publication of the first newspaper in the Indian subcontinent. On this day, in 1780, James Augustus Hicky launched the weekly Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, making a significant contribution to India’s journalistic history. The first issue, published on a Saturday, bore the masthead “Or the Original Calcutta General Advertiser”. It was the first printed newspaper in the Indian subcontinent.
Most of the mega-projects undertaken during the previous Awami League government have now become a burden. Even after some projects have been completed, they are not yielding the expected benefits. For instance, the Karnaphuli Tunnel. Additionally, for many of the mega-projects, the government cannot predict when they will be completed. One such expensive project is the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The interim government has formed several commissions to implement reforms in various sectors. These committees have already submitted their reports with recommendations to the government. However, the unfortunate reality is that no commission has been formed to reform the nation’s backbone — the education system. Although several commissions in the past have submitted reports for educational reforms, no government has implemented the recommendations of these education commissions. As a result, the current education system is unable to meet the demands of the times. We are producing a highly educated workforce, but there are doubts about how well-educated they actually are and whether they can contribute to building a prosperous state. Without creating a modern, technology-driven, and vocational education system, the nation will never reach its desired goals. The workforce our education system is producing is not capable of competing on the international stage.
In any national issue, it is a historical matter when the public is held hostage by students' protests and movements. The term 'hostage' is more fitting here, as it describes how the public is increasingly becoming a victim of students' actions. There is no shortage of people from various professions in the country, nor is there any lack of national issues. Whenever individuals have their own demands, they take to the streets to protest, and those who suffer the consequences of these actions are the ones who truly understand the extent of the hardship. As a result, many have raised concerns about the human values of students involved in such conflicts.
Donald Trump is returning to the White House for a second term, and this return could bring significant changes to global politics and economics. It is believed that once Trump resumes his duties as the President of the United States, he will begin implementing his declared "America First" policy. This agenda will not only change the intricacies of US foreign policy but will also have a profound impact on the lives of millions of people living outside America's borders. There is much speculation about how Trump's approach to major international issues might unfold. During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly stated that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in a day, though he never clarified how he would achieve this.
China has announced plans to construct the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, with an estimated investment of $137 billion. However, this ambitious project has raised serious concerns for downstream countries like Bangladesh and India, as experts fear it could adversely affect water supply and ecological balance in these nations.
In the wake of several conflicts and unrest, seven affiliated government colleges have separated from Dhaka University (DU) after eight years.
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.
When we hear the popular songs "Ei Padma, Ei Meghna", "Khachar Bhitor Achin Pakhi", "Shomoy Gele Shadhon Hobe Na", or "Tomra Bhulei Gecho Mallikadir Naam", the image of a legendary figure immediately comes to mind—renowned as the “daughter of Lalon,” the iconic vocalist Farida Parveen. She has sung Lalon Fakir's songs more than anyone else. For 54 years, she has been performing Lalon’s songs, Nazrul’s compositions, patriotic music, and classical melodies. For her significant contributions to music, she has been awarded the Ekushey Padak and Japan’s Fukuoka Prize, known as the Nobel of Asia. She also won the National Film Award, along with many other accolades and honors both nationally and internationally.
The country's law and order situation is already precarious, with incidents of theft, robbery, and mugging on the rise. Recently, it has come to light that the police's patrols and searches exist only on paper, with little practical implementation. According to reports published on Sunday (January 26), police presence on the streets of Dhaka during the night seems as rare as the new moon. While search checkpoints and patrol units are listed on paper, they are scarcely visible on the roads. Meanwhile, residents are living in fear of muggings. This news is concerning for the public.