Why should the 5th January ‘election’ not be held? Because it violates the concept of election as envisaged in the constitution, because it will destroy whatever faith people still have in democracy, because it will cause more deaths and violence…
Today we publish a special section comprising of a few news reports and two editorial pages depicting and commenting on the public sufferings caused by the current wave of destructive politics. An appalling number of people have died, and damage…
POOR Oscar Fernandez Taranco, he thought our political leaders were like those everywhere in the democratic world, sensitive to what the people want. He was unaware of our political culture of ‘party before the country, and of course, leader before…
In wars, enemies not only destroy the soldiers and weapons of their opponents but also each other’s industries, agriculture, roads, bridges, food supply chain, etc., with the express purpose of making the common people of the opponent’s country suffer. The…
It is always a privilege to be in the presence of great men. But this writer had never been made more aware of that privilege than on Wednesday night (March 26, 1997) listening to the South African President’s banquet speech…
AWAMI League says it wants an election at any cost. BNP says it wants caretaker government at any cost. Neither explains what they mean by “at any cost” and who will pay that cost. The truth is political parties do…
Today we write about a picture that we couldn’t publish and about 500 passengers of a train who could have died or been severely injured. We couldn’t publish the picture. It was just too heart rending, too vivid and too…
We have seen an inordinate rise of violence in opposition politics — injuring, burning and killing of ordinary people during hartal. We have also noticed with disgust that no leader of the opposition either condemned such brutality or expressed regret…
HAY Festival is coming to Bangladesh for the third time and The Daily Star is privileged to be the title sponsor of this important literary event for the second time. It is also wonderful to see Bangla Academy hosting the…
With due respect for our High Court and Appellate Division judges, we humbly draw their kind attention to our front page picture of 14-year old Monir and urge them to read his story and that of the 8-year old Shumi.…
ONE of my colleagues drew my attention to a contrasting television image of our youth that deserves to be brought to the attention of our readers. In one we see young boys and girls neatly attired in uniform trying to…
Throughout yesterday, triggered by a press comment of Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu, most electronic and online media ran what they thought to be a breaking news that PM would make a telephone call to the leader of the opposition…
AS we write we are deeply worried how the events of today, Friday, will play out. So are our readers and the people of the country. We, the voters, do not deserve this. We have been good citizens, we have…
AS citizens, as tax payers, as journalists we really cannot believe that there can exist leaders who can be so unbelievably indifferent to impending political crisis with all the potential of spilling over into violence, loss of property and lives.…
WE are a severe critic of this government on many issues. But on the issue of holding war crimes trial we have no hesitation in saying that without the AL in power, and without Sheikh Hasina’s determined leadership, it would…
WE cannot support the vandalism that the workers of some garment factories of Bangladesh have indulged in, in the last few days. For several days now important highways have been blocked and hundreds of cars, buses and trucks have been…
There are two distinct aspects of the war crimes trial. One is of the role of individuals in committing crimes against humanity and how guilty one is, and the commensurate punishment that should be meted out. These are matters of…
WE are happy to learn that the EU delegation expressed satisfaction on Wednesday about the Election Commission’s preparation for holding the general election. However, recently we had seen some serious concerns expressed by the international community about our elections. The…
WHAT should be a festival of expression of Public Will is being turned into, as we can foresee now, a destructive encounter between our two giant parties with voters becoming increasingly fearful of what is likely to happen. Theoretically, elections…
There are four elements to Sheikh Hasina’s latest pronouncements on elections: 1) Elections within the tenure of the present parliament; 2) Parliament not to be dissolved during elections; 3) Present government to continue in power as interim. 4) A final…
Political parties are supposed to be extremely sensitive to every turn and twist in public opinion. They are expected to keep a close watch on every expression of it in every public forum, both big and small. Most importantly, they…
OUR leaders are so blinded by their ego that they don’t realise that a step back sometimes serves one’s self interest far getter than by mindless pushing towards, what is falsely thought to be, forward. The present political stalemate is…
WITH such ministers, advisors and staff members, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina really does not need enemies. They are enough to embarrass, discredit and destroy her, her government and even her party. Two recent incidents show that those who the PM…
Awami League can justly be credited with having given us something new. So far we had heard of land-grab, river bank-grab, property-grab, office-grab, vehicle-grab, etc., but never of billboard-grab. On Monday morning the city dwellers were caught by surprise with…
From the looks of it the two sons have arrived, one for a second time and the other for the first. Normally whenever the younger generation comes up to take responsibility from the previous one, it should be welcomed. That…
It is sad and extremely painful to write that after four and a half years of rule by Sheikh Hasina’s government, one is forced to conclude that it is a government mainly run on arrogance, whims and vengeance and that…
Our party politics has become, over the years, totally devoid of any morality. Our politicians have no respect for democratic norms, human rights, individual freedom, and practically no regard for simple decency. For them “truth” is only what suits them…
A place in the Guinness Book of World Records is now virtually assured for us. Once again Bangladesh is about to become (we speak in the future tense because it is still not a law but only an ordinance, and…
Khaleda Zia has allowed her anger to get the better of her judgement. What comes out clearly from her Paltan Maidan speech and from that to the business community the following day is that it is revenge that interests her…
The ruling party wants to hold municipal elections. The opposition parties have rejected it. Either way who cares? We simply want to breathe clean air. But then, that is not our politicians’ concern. Has any political party taken it…
In a joint demand made by BNP, JP, Jamaat and 5 others the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has been asked to resign. This practice of demanding CEC’s resignation after losing an election is nothing new. A precedent was set by…
The year has ended with political war drums beating loud. Unlike real life wars, the elements of surprise in this case has been dispensed with giving us time and date when the war is likely to begin – after Ramadan.…
