It’s been a while since I had been meaning to get my hands on a book by Shashi Tharoor, and when my sister asked me what she could get me from Kolkata, I immediately said I’d love to read a book by the renowned Indian author, politician, columnist, and critic.

Recently, this writer happened to have invited a friend, a judicial officer, to deliver a guest lecture on the functioning of our ‘lower judiciary’.

Data localisation requires for data, particularly personal and/or arguably sensitive, to be stored and processed within a specific geographical location or jurisdiction.

After the new Income Tax Act 2023 (the Act) was passed, a debate arose as to whether the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) powers were curtailed by the said law. In this piece I argue that the new law did not curtail the powers of ACC. The argument will get clearer as we look into the provisions of the Act in this regard.

With the Supreme Court of Mexico decriminalising abortion nationwide on 6 September 2023, Latin America continues to spearhead the movement for liberalising abortion laws. Each country in Latin America has different enforcement mechanisms for abortion laws. Some countries have allowed abortion only under certain circumstances e.g., in case of rape or when there is a health risk to the mother while some allow abortion up until a certain term of pregnancy; with a few banning it under all circumstances.

Most recently, South Africa has instituted proceedings in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, accusing it of violating the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, in relation to its military operations against the Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

My introduction to the Bangla translation of Japanese books happened during my visit to Baatighar Chittagong. It was there that I encountered the Bangla translations of works by one of my favourite Japanese writers, Haruki Murakami, back in 2021. Then last year, I found myself enchanted with the promise of Morisaki Boighorer Dinguli (Abosar Prokashona, 2023); the allure of the black edition of the book boasting ebony pages and stunning artwork had me yearning for the book months before its scheduled release.

When I read the title of Charlotte Stroud’s article “The curse of the cool girl novelist” and the accompanying description of said type of novelist, I had a solid image of what she was referring to. Stroud describes “cool girl novelists” as “depressed and alienated”, “incurably downcast”, and “terminally sad”. It had similarities with “sad girl” literature, a supposedly new genre captivating readers and publishers alike.

Public assemblies play a crucial role in holding the authorities accountable and to voice demands on issues that matter.

The concept of affirmative action, also known as positive discrimination encompasses a range of policies and practices implemented by the government or other organisations to address the inadequate representation of specific groups of people.

In order to get intellectual property (IP) protection, a product ought to be a creation of mind. In this regard, at times, a product must also fulfil other criteria, such as novelty, utility, originality etc based on the kind or manner of IP protection.

During the mid 20th century, when female wordsmiths somewhat flourished with their newly published works, they were still suppressed under the dominance of male authors.

Pierre Alain-Baud, (Pyaro), the author of Le Messager du Qawwali (Voix du Monde) (Demi Lune 2008), and Kazi Abdullah Al Muktadir, the book’s Bangla translator in Shahen Shah E Qawwali: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Pathak Shamabesh 2022) talked with Nazia Manzoor, Editor of the Daily Star Books. The authors shared anecdotes. What started out as a fun experiment, ended as a lasting experience in the hearts of all of us who were present that day.

2023 was a year filled with new legislation. A total of 50 new laws were enacted by the parliament on a wide range of areas. Law making in 2023 was by and large characterised by a reform spirit (i.e., reforming old laws), devising welfare schemes, and defining new offences. Few notable ones are discussed in this piece.

In view of the end of 2023, the write-up compiles certain landmark decisions that were handed down by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh last year.

Social safety net programmes to protect the vulnerable population are not a new concept. However, in the context of Bangladesh, the Universal Pension Management Act 2023 is quite a novel (and laudable) initiative. In this write-up, we will focus on the important aspects of the Act as well as compare it with the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) multi-tier pension model.

Jhumpa Lahiri has always been the rare author whose prowess in the art of the short-story far surpassed her novelistic talents.

The Pakistani occupation army wrote a black chapter in the history of our War of Liberation on the 14th-15th December, 1971 by killing intellectuals in Dhaka city in a planned way.

Haraprasad Shastri (1853-1931, Bhattacharya was the original family name) was a Sanskrit scholar, commonly referred to as a ‘pundit.

Agustin Ruberto scored a hat-trick for Argentina but his incredible efforts proved in vain as the Germans edged home on spot-kicks.