Pakistan
Let conspiracy theories on Zahir Raihan’s murder come to an end
One of the indispensable elements of war is propaganda. War means terrorising with information, distorting information. War means the constant attempt to occupy the psyche with distorted and false information. War means the battle of forgetfulness against memory. In the twentieth century, Hitler’s Propaganda Ministry (Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda), headed by Joseph Goebbels, set an extraordinary precedent in war propaganda. His central philosophy was: If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
How decent is cricket politics between India and Pakistan
Cricket of diplomacy. Cricket of politics. For many years, India and Pakistan have been using cricket as a tool of politics and diplomacy. Both countries exploit extreme nationalist ‘sentiment’. For the vast populations of both nations, cricket is equivalent to religion. In times of internal political crises and election battles, cricket has been a major issue for many years in those two neighbouring countries.
Sheikh Mujib: A visionary of extraordinary foresight
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s personality was exceptional. Those close to him, and even his adversaries on a personal level, were drawn to him. Some senior officers of the Pakistani military were also inclined towards his stance. This is why, before the genocide began, Major General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, serving as the head of the army in East Bengal, resigned; and SM Hasan of the Navy was replaced by Tikka Khan as governor and military ruler. Tikka Khan had earned the title ‘Butcher of Balochistan’, a title he rightly deserved, and he came to East Bengal in the same capacity – as a ‘butcher’.
The more opposition to Bangabandhu, the more he will shine
I first saw Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in person on September 26, 1964, when I had just enrolled in the first year of Higher Secondary at Gurudayal College, Kishoreganj. At that time, Ayub Khan was the President of Pakistan, and Monayem Khan was the Governor. That day, Bangabandhu visited Kishoreganj. He delivered a speech at the Rangmahal Cinema Hall to a small audience, perhaps a hundred people. With him that day were Rafiquddin Bhuiyan, general secretary of Mymensingh District Awami League, Shah Moazzem Hossain, and several other Awami League leaders.
I am successful as a teacher, not as a writer
Essayist and educationist Professor Jatin Sarker (August 18, 1936 –August 13, 2025) was a man enriched through the pursuit of knowledge, who, standing on his own soil, could witness the sunrise of the entire world. By reading his autobiographical work The Birth and Death of Pakistan – A Vision, one can easily understand how he became Jatin Sarker. He was a follower of the philosophy of ‘dialectical and historical materialism’, a line of thought reflected in his book “Bangalir Samajtantrik Oitihyo” (The Socialist Tradition of the Bengali). However, he believed that in his work “Prakritojoner Jibondorshon” (Life Philosophy of the Common People), he expressed a distinctive and original perspective. His first book, Expectations from Literature, was published in 1985, when he was fifty. Including all genres, he published nearly fifty books in total. On Wednesday (13 August), this great thinker passed away. Long before his death, poet Shishir Rajan had interviewed him. The interview is being published here in memory of Jatin Sarker.
Where does Bangladesh stand amidst US's global retaliatory tariffs?
After much negotiation, the United States has agreed to reduce the imposed tariff rate on Bangladeshi goods exported to the US from 35% to 20% during the third round of discussions. On April 2, then-US President Donald Trump imposed 'retaliatory' tariffs on goods from 57 countries—a list that expanded to over 90 by July. Before the new policy was implemented, Bangladeshi exports faced an average tariff of 15.5%. The new 35% hike brought the total to 50%. However, as global economic uncertainty followed the announcement, Trump suspended the new tariffs for three months and allowed countries to negotiate fairer rates.
Bangladesh in perplexity of diplomacy!
Bangladesh has been drifting in a puzzle of diplomacy. Not only Bangladesh but the world politics has met with a perplexity. Since Donald Trump was elected the US President, the suicidal decision to impose additional tariffs on the entry of products from various countries into the US market has established a valid ground for isolating the United States in world politics. And within that area, world diplomacy is becoming complicated. Of course, Bangladesh is not outside of it.
Bangladesh’s victory and defeat in US tariff war
After three rounds of discussion, Bangladesh has managed to reduce the increased tariff imposed on its products in the US market from 35 percent to 20 percent. This is not only positive for the country's economy but also a diplomatic success for the interim government. Because when on April 2, US President Donald Trump first announced the rate of additional tariffs on various countries, he stated that a 37 percent additional tariff would be levied on Bangladeshi products. Later, that tariff was suspended temporarily for three months. Trump informed Dr Yunus in a letter that instead of 37, the tariff amount on Bangladesh would be 35 percent, after reducing it by 2 percent.
Failure of pro-Liberation War forces and then...
The failure of the pro-Liberation War forces is certainly one of the reasons behind the rise of anti-Liberation fundamentalist forces. They couldn’t deliver anything. They couldn’t show the youth a dream of the future. Firstly, that dream was never realised. The second is that unemployment has increased, poverty has increased. When people are unemployed, when they are poor, they seek shelter, they seek assurance; but here, society and the state are not providing shelter and assurance. People are struggling on their own, remaining unemployed, suffering from despair, not receiving justice, not finding refuge. For justice, for shelter, they then turn to religion. In the hope that even if not in this world, they will find justice in the afterlife.
Is Microsoft winding down activities in Bangladesh
Most of the officials including the Managing Director (MD) of the multinational software company Microsoft Bangladesh have been fired. As a result, those concerned are afraid that this software giant is winding down its business in Bangladesh like it did in Pakistan.