Nothing but their own voices reaches them

“Democracy will die if people don’t vote.” This is a very powerful statement from CEC Kazi Habibul Awal.

The fact that Latifur Rahman, Shamim Bhai to us all, is no longer among us still feels unreal.

There is a new assault on the freedom of the press. This time, sadly, it comes from another section of the mass media itself – the television.

There was a time when the US government left no stone unturned to oust the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

There is a peculiar trend in Bangladesh. When someone starts something innovative, then hundreds of copycats spoil it.

With the numerous laws that already exist to regulate—or better still, suppress—the media, and the diligence with which new ones are being prepared, one would think that of all the areas that need fixing, our government expects the journalists to be “fixed” first. But why?

Recently, the chief election commissioner (CEC) urged all political parties to participate in the national election so that “democracy can flourish.”

Two important members of our South Asian community stand as examples of how not to run a country.

As announced, the Search Committee for the Election Commission will submit its recommendations to the president today, February 24, 2022.

At the very outset, the government said there was not enough time to make a law for the formation of an Election Commission (EC), which is mandated by the Constitution of Bangladesh since its adoption in 1972.

Since the US sanction on Rab and few of its present and former officials, there have been several comments from our ministers on the topic.

Of the 48 current vice-chancellors (VC) in the public universities across Bangladesh, 39 are former office-bearers of some pro-government teachers’ bodies.

What waited for nearly 50 years is now being implemented with super speed.

The question in the title of this column was triggered by a press comment following our president’s dialogue with National Awami Party (NAP) leaders, published on December 27, 2021.

Using plastic is very convenient. But now it is posing a threat to our healthy living.

The mood of the moment is overwhelmingly celebratory. And why not? Not only are we observing 50 years of our independence, but we are doing so with a new sense of pride, accomplishment and, most importantly, confidence—confidence that we can face all the challenges that come our way.

Just as we are making news as a role model of development, we are also attracting global attention as perhaps the only country in the world where school students need to demonstrate on the streets for days on end to demand road safety measures.

Starting from unannounced road blocks forcing commuters into hours of traffic congestion, to making important arterial roads off limits for visiting foreign guests, to cutting off gas and power for maintenance work without prior information, to unreasonable diversion of traffic for megaprojects, to frequent government price hikes of essentials—all are done without an iota of consideration for public convenience, leave alone rights.

At the very start, I say with as much vehemence as I am capable of that a game is a game is a game.