Forum | The Daily Star
Publish: March 4, 2013

The Unseen Dissent

TAWHEED RAHIM paints a picture of the many faces of protest. Recently we’ve all been surrounded by protest. Many of us have joined in to protest, others have simply witnessed the spectacle of the protests, and others still have been

Dilemma of the Surrealistic Shahbagh Movement

SYEED AHAMED attempts to answer some challenging questions that emanated from the Shahbagh movement. The spontaneous rise of the Shahbagh movement and the unprecedented momentum that it created caught many by surprise. It has not only been unique in many

History is hard work, but are we willing?

Shahbagh is waiting to take its generational place, articulates NAEEM MOHAIEMEN. There is a particular way of lensing mass movements, when we are observing from within immediate tactics. In a fast moving situation, with opponents and allies squared off, the

Bangladesh 1971: A Forgotten Genocide

MOFIDUL HOQUE retraces the nation’s long quest for justice. Bangladesh 1971 was in the limelight of the world’s media. While the major centres of power were concerned with the events of the then East Pakistan and most western governments opposing

Judicial Notice, Shahbaghh Movement and Criticism: Freshness and positivity for International Crimes Tribunal

BARRISTER TAPAS K. BAUL and BARRISTER FATIMA JAHANGIR CHOWDHURY provide some of the legal details for a clearer understanding of the judgments made in the war crimes trial so far. The International Crimes Tribunal No. 2 of Bangladesh made history

Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum — Reflections from Shahbagh Projonmo Chottor 2013

JULIA AHMED focuses on the empowerment of women at projonmo chottor. This year the theme of International Women’s day is: ‘Gender Agenda Gaining Momentum: A modern progressive world needs equality’.  While highlighting this, a valid question arises as to what

A Nation Comes Alive

A Photo Feature by PRITO REZA At Shahbagh’s projonmo chottor, the nation has come together, irrespective of age, sex, class, religion, ethnicity — indeed, anything which creates difference — to stand up for one thing only. Days and nights are

Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh: Looking beyond the MDG’s

We have achieved major milestones, but much remains to be done, states NEAL WALKER. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) are coming to an end in 2015.  With the deadline fast approaching, countries are taking stock of their achievements to-date and

Rage and Grief in India: Making violence against women history

NAILA KABEER explores ways to harness the grief and anger from Delhi to bring about sustained change in the way that violence against women is dealt with by society. When the international community came together in 2000 to agree on

A Social Rising

TRIMITA CHAKMA, TASAFFY HOSSAIN and TAHMINA SHAFIQUE outline an initiative to combat violence against women. February 14, 2013 was a different day in Bangladesh. People from all walks of life took to the streets across the country. Women, men and

Violence against Women: About Shifting the Burden of Proof and Ensuring Perpetrators’ Punishment

The perpetrators — and not victims — of crime should be the ones held liable, argue SHEIKH HAFIZUR RAHMAN and FARHANA HELAL MEHTAB Before the beginning of the Shahbag uprising and its spread in the whole of Bangladesh we have

Of Rights, Equality and Violence against Women

The key to change lies in the social mindset, states ZIAUDDIN CHOUDHURY. A couple of months ago a young woman was brutally attacked and sexually assaulted in a public bus by a gang of men in the heart of the

Bangabondhu and Tajuddin Ahmed

ABDUL MATIN retraces the special relationship between two of our greatest leaders. Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Tajuddin Ahmed were born at a crucial time in history. Bangabondhu was the leader of the people of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Tajuddin

Independence that Comes at a High Price

MANOSH CHOWDHURY muses on the meaning of freedom and choice for women. The image of the girl next door, seen through a neighbour’s window, is a soothing sight, encouraging literary expression of a million men. That is how the male

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Editor’s Note

Shahbagh Chottor protestation has drawn national and international gazes since February 5 because of its unprecedented nature and scale. Groundswell of emotions created by the war crimes trial verdict against Abdul Quader Mollah, called the Butcher of Mirpur in 1971,

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