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Wednesday, January 21, 2026
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Shamsad Mortuza

BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

Dr Shamsad Mortuza is a professor of English at Dhaka University, and former pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).

Students_block_Dhaka_roads.jpg

Is public sympathy for street protests fading?

Students need to read the public pulse.
17 January 2026, 09:00 AM
17 January 2026, 09:00 AM
STAR_OPINION.jpg

The day cricket needed a therapist

Fizz is a case study. When Mustafizur Rahman, a.k.a. Fizz, the unassuming fast bowler with deceptive slow cutters, was auctioned for Rs 9.2 crore, Bangladeshi media once again started paying attention to the Indian Premier League.
10 January 2026, 09:00 AM
10 January 2026, 09:00 AM
ED 1- Why women are visible but not electable_c69a_1.jpg

Why does a gender wall still exist within our major political parties?

The vigorous presence of women in the past pro-democracy movements proved that many of the women leaders are parliament-ready.
3 January 2026, 03:00 AM
3 January 2026, 03:00 AM
op_1.jpg

Election is not the real story, what counts is how it is conducted

By now, we all know that February 12 is election day, and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s return after 17 years in exile has added December 25 as another date to remember.
27 December 2025, 05:00 AM
27 December 2025, 05:00 AM
OP 1 - How Dhaka airport turned into a game of Ludo_0398.jpg

How Dhaka airport has turned into a game of Ludo

Dhaka airport's Terminal-3, which had a soft launch in October 2023, has completed 99 percent of its construction, according to reports.
13 December 2025, 04:00 AM
13 December 2025, 04:00 AM
ED 1 - Primary school teachers strike Bangladeshs crisis in miniature.jpg

Primary teachers’ strike is a mirror held up to Bangladesh

The assistant teachers of 65,000-plus government primary schools have been pressing for a three-point demand.
6 December 2025, 02:00 AM
6 December 2025, 02:00 AM
ED 1 - The birth pang of a university_3967.jpg

The birth pang of a university

DCU must move beyond colonial-era templates for public universities.
29 November 2025, 02:00 AM
29 November 2025, 02:00 AM
ED 1 - When winter forgets to visit.jpg

Our winter is fading, but the world remains indifferent

Climate scientists warn of a time when winter will vanish from our season cycle by 2100.
22 November 2025, 03:00 AM
22 November 2025, 03:00 AM
brothers killed by pesticide fumes

The life of insects

The death of the brothers is a stark reminder of our insignificant existence in the grand scheme of things.
9 June 2023, 13:30 PM
The water tank with many holes

The water tank with many holes

The man eager to pay back his debt is becoming a rarity. Yet, he represents the hardworking, honest Bangladesh that can bring real change to the system.
3 June 2023, 06:00 AM
A fair warning against a foul conduct

A fair warning against a foul conduct

The decision to restrict US visa services to Bangladeshi nationals who might be unlawfully and immorally involved in undermining the forthcoming electoral process has created a political maelstrom.
27 May 2023, 11:00 AM
mocha_wind_speed.jpg

Bracing for another storm

Victims of a natural disaster can develop PTSD not only through the degree of physical injury they suffer, but also through the immediate risks they face.
20 May 2023, 03:00 AM
untitled_design_13.jpg

The heat is on

The breadcrumbs of the appointment of the chief heat officer (CHO) by the DNCC led me to the Arsht-Rock site and its resilience-in-action initiative. The foundation has estimated that “by 2050, heatwaves will affect more than 3.5 billion people worldwide – half of them living in urban centres—affecting human lives and livelihoods.”
5 May 2023, 16:00 PM
450bed_1_star_28042023_c9c5_sbs.jpg

Tiptoeing through the minefield

Writing is becoming increasingly difficult as one has to tiptoe through a minefield, not knowing which topic may set off a trigger or become a bummer. It’s not nice to hear that we have the worst record of press freedom among South Asian countries, lower than Afghanistan.
28 April 2023, 14:38 PM
10 things I hate about you, Dhaka

10 Things I Hate About Dhaka

I hate the way I don't hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.
7 April 2023, 17:00 PM
Hero Alom.jpg

Before Trashing the Trash Culture…

The rejection of Hero Alom as a cultural entity hint at deep-seated social anxiety.
1 April 2023, 15:00 PM
For whom the titles toll

For whom the titles toll

The debate that has erupted now involves the desire to de-sire colonial legacies.
24 March 2023, 20:00 PM
Do we need branches of foreign universities?

Do we need branches of foreign universities?

Let’s not turn our education into a commercial farce.
18 March 2023, 16:00 PM
Blasts of avoidable deaths

Lives cheapened by negligence

The smart thing to do in a planned smart city is to routinely intervene and monitor.
10 March 2023, 16:00 PM
OMS truck sale

Shrinkflation: Downsizing in the time of inflation

How do we address the silent famine that is looming large?
4 March 2023, 03:00 AM
A degree in Bangla.jpg

Does a degree in Bangla have no value?

What are the factors that contribute to the marginalisation of the academic degree of a language in its own country?
24 February 2023, 16:00 PM
Tagore statue at Dhaka University PRABIR DAS

The appearance and disappearance of Tagore

Censorship at a public university curtails our right to be exposed to and enriched by art.
17 February 2023, 15:30 PM
Shaking of the ground

Shaking of the ground

The series of earthquakes is a grim reminder that we should never let our guard down against nature.
10 February 2023, 15:00 PM
The Ideological Elephant in the NCTB Textbooks

The Ideological Elephant in the NCTB Textbooks

The newly introduced textbooks for Grades 1, 6 and 7, prepared by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), have created quite a stir.
27 January 2023, 15:00 PM
Welcome to the Machine SM

Welcome to the Machine

The pressure to write more, become more visible, master more, and claim mastery over issues beyond one’s discipline or format can make one seek shortcuts.
20 January 2023, 14:00 PM
Dhaka Lit Fest 2023

Afterthoughts on Dhaka Lit Fest

Is it possible for art to be an ally in promoting the climate conversation?
13 January 2023, 13:00 PM
End of 2022

Parting thoughts for 2022

Can you define 2022 in one word? A word that captures the mood and the mode of a year that’s passed?
30 December 2022, 15:16 PM
world_cup_craze_bangladesh_2022_firoz_ahmed.png

Supporting a team so far away

The curious case of Bangladeshi supporters taking up sides in the football feud between Brazil and Argentina has caught the attention of international media.
23 December 2022, 16:00 PM

Pagination

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