The government subjected the writer and artist Mushtaq Ahmed (1967–2021) to nine-month-long slow death in police custody. By this, the regime wanted to send a forewarning message to all other writers who might have contemplated exposing its human rights violations and financial corruptions. Many capable intellectuals and opinion leaders heeded th

For a Bangladeshi who loves and treasures their motherland, Ali Riaz's Pathways of Autocratization: The Tumultuous Journey of Bangladeshi Politics (Routledge, 2024) is a difficult read. It is so not because of any weakness in the presentation of the text or its arguments. Nor because of any contradiction in the content of the material investiga

The pinnacle of the glory and global prestige of English literature is perhaps behind us. Therefore, learning its texts from Muslim perspectives may generate new insights and provide it with new trajectories of academic research. This new lens will make English literature relevant to, and prolong its prevalence in, Muslim societies by way of explor

In post-1971 Bangladesh, people in Bangladesh failed to adhere to the virtues of benevolence, magnanimity and altruistic sentiment. Duped or driven by vested interests, a section of our intellectual elite spent much effort sowing divisions among us. In post-Hasina Bangladesh, let us remember Mandela’s words and make a strong resolve to foster uni

I have been living outside Bangladesh for decades. Every time I visit my beloved country, I buy gift items from Grameen Check that Muhammad Yunus helped establish. I engage in chats with Grameen Check employees. Like others, they are also effusive in their praise and admiration for the renowned entrepreneur and regard him as a father-like figure. N

The Charade makes it abundantly clear that, in order to cling to power, the Awami League government depends more on India’s backing than on the mandate of the people of Bangladesh. Since it came to power in early 2009, the regime has provided ample reasons for India to throw its weight around to ensure the perpetuation of Awami rule in Bangladesh

Bengali peasants, as portrayed in Humayun Kabir’s 1945 novel Men and Rivers, have admirable notions of morality and justice, epitomized by the indigenous panchayat (village council/court) system. Written against the backdrop of peasant movements and anti-colonial struggles in Bengal, the novel implicitly provides an economic and cultural critique

I want to make a moral appeal to senior academics to be more active in research and publication and to have unwavering commitment to quality work. Their meaningful engagement in research and publication will have a positive impact on the way they teach and on the course content that they transmit to their students. Needless to say, that will help p

Since October 7, 2023, tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian babies, children, women and men have been killed in Gaza. This is robbing the conscientious people of genocide-enabling countries of their national pride. What's more, decades and centuries down the road, it will bring shame on citizens of the countries that have abetted it. Their

There are PhD holders who never forget to put the prefix "Dr" before their names, even in social exchanges. The day they are awarded the doctorate degree, they change all their social media profiles and unmistakably add the magical title of "Dr" to their names. All such longing for praise and glory is perhaps tolerable, but what is