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.

When we refer to our glorious period of journalism, we usually mean the pre-liberation period. Ironically, compared to today, the media was at its most rudimentary stage at that time.

Never on the soil of independent Bangladesh would anyone ever have to suffer because of his or her religion.

The contribution of the Daily Ittefaq to the formation of our nationhood is well-known. Its editor-publisher, Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah, remains an icon of journalism in this part of the world, and a source of inspiration and pride for those of us who have tried to follow in his footsteps.

Our next election is not due for two years—at the end of 2023. For many countries, it is too early to talk about it. But not in our case. To hold a proper election, there will be endless talks, mostly one-sided, as we have not made any progress in sitting together and accommodating each other’s positions and moving on.

We are delighted that Jhumon Das finally walked out of prison on Tuesday, after being incarcerated for nearly seven months for a Facebook post in which he criticised Hefazat-e-Islam leader Mamunul Haque.

What happened recently in Barishal between a local mayor and an Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) is not the real story. Why it happened is. And in that story is hidden many facets of the crucial issue of the state of our governance.

We journalists have some experience of fighting governmental repression of the media.

History unfolds in ways that may appear to be totally incomprehensible to us. It may not fit into our logic, may appear to be contrary to the facts that are at hand and our own analysis, which, often guided by our prejudice, may have indicated a different outcome.

If the section of the government dealing with the overall management of the Covid situation continuously flip-flops on its decisions, then doesn’t the image of the government suffer?

Simplistically put, it is a “procedure vs patient” issue—meaning a “bureaucracy vs ultimate beneficiary” tussle. We, of course, need procedures to work within, otherwise systems would collapse.

Expatriate workers are our goose of Aesop’s Fables that lays the golden eggs.

About the just-concluded West Bengal assembly elections, there are three things to celebrate and one to be worried about.

In this column and through our reports, commentaries and editorials, we have repeatedly stressed the need for accountability of all public institutions run by taxpayers’ money. Of them, the accountability of law enforcement agencies is most important.

I remember the first time when, in utter horror, we heard the news of the assassination of Bangabandhu along with his whole family, save the two daughters.

Here we were, sailing quite smoothly after the first wave of the pandemic and congratulating ourselves for having “handled” it well. Even the WHO paid us compliments. But suddenly, within a few weeks, we seem to have gone right back where we started.

Myanmar is our only other neighbour, with India being the overwhelming first. To the credit of our policymakers, we have tried our best to maintain good relations with Myanmar notwithstanding their treatment of Rohingyas, forcing nearly 300,000 of them upon us thirty years ago, in the early nineties.