Victory Day Special 2020
Editor’s Note
It is difficult to encapsulate in words the full spectrum of emotions that are inspired by the ushering in of Victory Day every year—
Secularism in Bangladesh: The troubled biography of a constitutional pillar
The ubiquity of the word “secularism” (it is mentioned in more than 75 of the world’s constitutions as an ideal the State promotes, or an organising principle that it affirms), and the passionate discussions it generates throughout the world, sometimes distracts us from the fact that its origins are relatively recent.
From ‘socialism’ to disaster capitalism
“The demonstration of superfluous consumption amidst mass hardship must be eliminated. Thus sumptuous hotel dinners, the exhibition of costly jewellery and dress, and the display of surplus motor space speeding past long queues for heavily overloaded public transport, to mention only a few, must be limited severely.” — Professor Anisur Rahman, Member of first Planning Commission, 1974.
Towards multiplex horizons of nationalism
As Bangladesh steps into 50, the people of this country can rightfully be proud of a rich heritage of her story—a story of struggles, movements for emancipation, autonomy, liberation and independence.
Democracy: The journey that has taken a wrong turn
If one must identify the fundamental premise of the founding of independent Bangladesh, it is democracy—we can claim that democracy was the raison d’etre for establishing the country.