There is ample evidence to suggest that instead of being a supporter of press freedom, governments in democracies have adopted direct and indirect controlling measures forcing the media to give them favourable treatment. The media is often considered to be the fourth pillar of democracy—while the other three pillars are the legislature, executive and judiciary.... Continue Reading →
What a Mexican film teaches us about governance La Dictadura Perfecta is a Mexican movie released in 2014. In English, it means The Perfect Dictatorship. The movie is about a nexus of corruption between the government, bureaucracy, and the media that savagely criticized the government of Enrique Pena Nieto, who served as the president of... Continue Reading →
How the DSA poses a threat to press freedom Bangladesh is now a development model for the rest of the world. The country has done so well the US president is now being advised to learn from Bangladesh -- a country that rose from a war-ravaged country in 1971 to one of the fastest-growing world... Continue Reading →
When I first met Mizan in Dhaka, he was wearing an elbow crutch to help him walk, accompanied by his elderly father. Mizan had suffered custodial torture at a local police station at Bauphal in Patuakhali. The son-father duo came to Dhaka to file a writ petition seeking proper investigation in a case filed by... Continue Reading →
Understanding the Digital Security Act Bidyanondo Foundation has become quite a household name in recent days. Their dedicated service to humanity in these difficult times of Covid-19 has brought them under the limelight. But the organisation and its founding chairman have also become the target of vicious hate crime and racist attacks in social media.... Continue Reading →
From its epicentre in China's Wuhan, the deadly novel coronavirus has spread across the globe at tremendous speed, taking a heavy toll on human life. The virus has now been confirmed as deadlier than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic that first originated in China, and shook 25 other countries in North America, South America,... Continue Reading →
Each year journalists, news media and supporters of free and independent journalism across the world celebrate November 2 as a red-letter day for journalism. The UN General Assembly declared this day as the “International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists” in General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163. It urged the member states to adopt and... Continue Reading →
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did a commendable job when she asked the administration and her party leaders to inquire into the curious case of Gazi Tariq Salman, the now-famed Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Barguna. Soon after her reaction was made public, both the administration and Awami League leaders acted promptly, which ultimately led to... Continue Reading →
মুক্তচিন্তা (muktochinta) 