While the Internet has become an indispensable part of our lives as a communications medium, an online survey carried out by UNICEF has unearthed some disturbing news.

We are appalled by the level of violence and chaos associated with the local government polls on Thursday in various polling centres of the country. The pictures published in various papers, of men brandishing guns in Chittagong during clashes between supporters of two rival ward councillor candidates, leave little to the imagination regarding the toxic atmosphere created in the polling areas.

That the public often encounters harassment in government offices to obtain utility services is hardly a new phenomenon, but rarely do details come out in public. A recent public hearing by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at Chittagong Power Development Board (PDB) headquarters was such a rare occasion for people to speak out.

According to the latest Labour Force Survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), employment in the industrial sector for the current fiscal added a mere 300,000 people over the last seven years (an average of 42,857 jobs per year).

We are shocked by the news that at least six workers involved in shipbreaking and recycling were killed in the first three months of 2018, the latest as recently as Wednesday morning.

The rape and murder of 16-year-old Beauty Akter has left us at a loss for words. The blood-curdling story behind the tragic incident should make all of us feel ashamed of the society we live in.

In the aftermath of the worst aircraft disaster in our aviation history that cost 50 lives including 27 Bangladeshis, fingers have been pointed at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) by several former pilots and aviation experts. Recently, at a discussion organised by a private university, views were exchanged frankly on the issue of aviation safety.

It is disheartening to note that Pallabi slum dwellers, who had their houses and nearly all other belongings burnt by a fire that broke out in the slum on March 12, have received little to no financial help from the authorities to get back on their feet. Though slum fires in our country seem to have become a common occurrence, and there have been at least two other incidents of fire breaking out in slums this year already,

That a Jubo League activist can be hacked to death in broad daylight, and that too inside a school, makes us squirm about how fickle life is for the rest of us. From what has been reported in this paper, we understand that the victim belonged to a faction of the Jubo League and was holding a meeting at the head teacher's room when members of a rival faction attacked with deadly intent. Apparently, the deceased once belonged to the faction that

In January, we welcomed the High Court decision to heed the protests and put a stop for six months to the felling of century-old trees on Jessore Road, many as old as a hundred or two hundred years, in order to widen the highway.

A high powered delegation representing the EU and 10 other countries have expressed their concern over several sections of the proposed Digital Security Act (DSA)-2018 in a meeting with the law minister.

Today, we observe 47 years of our existence as an independent country. For any country, this day is an occasion for rejoicing, but for us, celebration is laced with sombre thoughts and mixed feelings.

We are hardly surprised by a new estimation by Accident Research Institute (ARI) of BUET that Dhaka's traffic congestion eats up around 5 million working hours and causes an annual loss of Tk 20,000-55,000 crore. This paints a pathetic picture of the capital's overall traffic situation.

Acting sub-registrar in Narayanganj's Araihazar area was filmed taking wads of cash from people in his office.

Today, March 25, declared by our parliament last year, as Genocide Day, is a day of remembrance and introspection.

The survey covered 770 workers in Dhaka, Chittagong, Gazipur and Narayanganj, and found that the bulk of these workers could only produce their identity cards as proof of employment. This comes as a surprise as it is mandatory for BGMEA and BKMEA factories to provide appointment letters to workers employed by member companies.

We are delighted to learn that Limon Hossain, whose case brought Rab's gross highhandedness to the spotlight, has defied all odds to become a lawyer. He has set an example of outstanding resilience and determination.

It's unthinkable that even after 47 years of independence, a section of the people should have to ask, or rather beg, for equal rights and opportunities, especially when the Constitution has expressly guaranteed equal rights and protection for all citizens.

On March 22, this newspaper carried two contrasting reports that paint a grim picture of the overall situation of our legal system.

The liquidity crunch that has hit the private sector has its roots in the Farmers Bank debacle. It went down under primarily because the bank management went for giving out wholesale credit without maintaining two fundamentals.