It's been 27 years since the last election of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) was held. First held in 1924, DUCSU elections have taken place even under the most arduous circumstances, during the Pakistani rule and even with the military regimes in power in independent Bangladesh.

Following the verdict of the widely discussed Narayanganj seven-murder case, Dr Shahdeen Malik, a renowned jurist, proposed that our government initiate the practice of giving monetary compensation to victims of grievous injuries...

Gun violence in the US has reached a horrifying level so much so that you will see records of it virtually every day if you visit the website of Gun Violence Archive (GVA)—a non-profit organisation that collects data on gun-related violence in the US.

Public health expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is only 0.8 percent in Bangladesh which is one of the lowest in South Asia.

It's good to see non-academics taking note of an academic mantra: plagiarism. The dictionary denotes it as “the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.” Plagiarism is an absolute taboo in the academic world.

The judicial probe report by the chief judicial magistrate of Dhaka was submitted before the same court in January this year. While we are still waiting to know its contents, we cannot help but feel dismayed by the outcome of this case.

One of the primary reasons put forward to make a case for outlawing private tutoring and coaching is that it is discriminatory. In a country where one in four students drop out of school before completing their primary education due to poverty, tutoring being a necessity, certainly adds extra pressure on the economically less fortunate parents.

The photo in the newspaper, of a baby girl born a few days ago at Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia makes me marvel at how beautiful she is; but the next moment I remember the reality she has been born into—what the future holds for her, what her mother had to go through while fleeing her own country and whether she too, will have to face hunger, disease and emotional trauma.

In the ongoing Rohingya crisis, Bangladesh is in a position to play a critical role in the region. Bangladesh has gained worldwide recognition for its receptiveness to the now almost half a million refugees who have poured into the country.

The Saudi response to the current Rohingya crisis, in contrast to previous ones, has been noticeably low-key. During past attempts by Myanmar at ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas, Saudi Arabia would be in the lead in providing relief aid and taking up the cause in international forums.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the attacks on the Rohingya minority by the Myanmar army, calling it “genocide”.

It is a well-documented fact that women and children fare worst in wars and conflicts irrespective of where they take place. The conflict zone in the northern Rakhine state of Myanmar is no exception.

Suu Kyi's speech was not only “disappointing” but also cowardly. It towed the typical line of “we have to look at both sides”, completely oblivious to the power dynamics at play: the national army versus a dispossessed population.

In emergency medicine, “Golden Hour” refers to the immediate one-hour time period following a traumatic injury, during which, chances of preventing death by way of prompt medical treatment are the highest.

The background to the ethno-religious violence against the Rohingyas and the combined effort of all communities in helping the refugees should be an antidote to the hate Myanmar preaches. We must remember that what we are doing to help the Rohingyas and speak up for them stems from a shared humanity, it rises above the communal politics of Myanmar.

Whether or not there is any scientific basis upon which to base an answer to the above question doesn't matter; there is no doubt in my mind that humanity is getting dumber, and the human mind dimmer, all because of the amount of time people spend staring at screens.

Public discussions around Rohingya people currently fleeing violence in Rakhine state, Myanmar, have often involved arguments about history. While critical historical analysis is useful in offering insights into conflicts, History—if treated as a single, knowable past—is not. This is especially true when dealing with ethnicity. Whatever the past was, no amount of historical research can justify the current violence against Rohingya people.

Another 9/11 anniversary has just passed almost quietly. In the United States, the day was observed with usual rites and rituals.

Kidney failure is one of the most devastating conditions faced by thousands of Bangladeshis leading to painful procedures and early death.

Later this month, the world will mark the International Day for Universal Access to Information, hitherto known as International Right to Know Day.