The right to privacy has to be honoured

We are deeply concerned by the news reported in this daily yesterday (December 14) of the telecom regulators collecting sensitive personal data of about 7 crore users without their consent. What's more, they have shared this data with another government agency, apparently for a survey. That this should occur only a few weeks before the parliamentary elections raises questions regarding the intention of such activity.
14 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Bankers' assurance isn't convincing

The soaring amount of nonperforming loans (NPLs) jumped to 11.5 percent of outstanding loans by the end of September, a figure kept artificially low by rescheduling not justified by borrowers' performance. It is apparently nothing serious, we are now being told by top bankers who are highly esteemed in their profession. Is the public expected to take them seriously?
13 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Martyred intellectuals being sorely missed

It would be misplaced to suggest that the large-scale elimination of our intellectuals on this day 47 years ago was a hurriedly drawn up idea by the Pakistanis when they realised that the end was inevitable.
13 December 2018, 18:00 PM

This is not what the people want

It is disheartening to see violent clashes break out no sooner than the election symbols were allotted to candidates, resulting in the death of two Jubo League and Awami League leaders, which we strongly condemn.
12 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Child sexual abuse rampant

We are shocked by the report of a fourth-grade girl raped under bizarre circumstances in the Chakaria Upazila of Cox's Bazar on
12 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Why are stalkers not caught?

Fifteen-year-old Lucky Ghosh, a schoolgirl who is fighting for her life in hospital at the time of writing this, was brutally stabbed by a
11 December 2018, 18:00 PM

EC's appeal for neutrality and peace

The CEC has called on the judicial magistrates to act impartially while performing their electoral duties, and in the same vein the returning officers have urged the participants to maintain peace and follow the code.
11 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Police cannot be the judge, jury and executioner

It is regrettable that “crossfire” or “shootouts” have become a euphemism for extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh.
10 December 2018, 18:00 PM

The appalling state of the banking sector

Despite repeated assurances by the finance minister himself that special measures would be taken to combat rampant corruption and mismanagement in banks, we are yet to see any concrete steps.
10 December 2018, 18:00 PM

A new overseas labour market

The Japanese government has pushed through legislation on December 8 that has opened up the labour market for up to 345,000 foreign workers in various sectors.
9 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Security for victims and witnesses must be ensured

It is extremely disappointing that an important Bill drafted in 2006 has been sitting in the freezer for 12 years now. Speakers at a conference highlighted this
9 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Preserve our open spaces

It was refreshing to see that the children of this city were given a chance to play in a car-free street on Manik Mia Avenue last Friday.
8 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Peace must be ensured at all costs

With the Election Commission's scrutiny of nomination papers coming to an end, electioneering is about to enter the next phase, in which eligible candidates will start campaigning in full gusto.
8 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Grim prospects for Sonali Bank's loan recovery

As per a report published in this paper on December 7, State-owned Commercial Bank (SCB) Sonali is in deep trouble, as it is finding it near impossible to sell off Hallmark group's mortgaged assets.
7 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Biman needs more than just new aircrafts

It is good news indeed that Biman Bangladesh Airlines is adding two new state-of-the-art aircrafts to its fleet. The addition of two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners—namely Aakashbeena and Hangsabalaka—will certainly contribute to the much-needed modernisation of the national flag carrier.
7 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Bangladesh's worrying global ranking

Bangladesh has been ranked seventh among the countries most affected by extreme weather events in 20 years since 1998, according to the Global Climate Risk Index 2019.
6 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Preventing suicides amongst teens

Aritry Adkhikary's suicide has jolted us out of our comfort zone. Yes, some teachers have been suspended from their positions, but are we aware of the fact that this year's attempted suicide amongst children is double that of last year.
6 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Will Rumpa get justice?

Doctor Akhter Jahan Rumpa, an optometrist, had arrived in Dhaka from Sylhet on December 4.
5 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Strange scrutiny of nomination papers

The record number of nomination papers being rejected may be attributed to the fact that a huge number of candidates are vying to contest this election.
5 December 2018, 18:00 PM

Find the missing

We can empathise with Shabnam Zaman's despair at the apparent lack of movement by law enforcers in investigating how her father, former ambassador Maroof Zaman.
4 December 2018, 18:00 PM