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BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

Shamsad Mortuza

BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

Dr Shamsad Mortuza is the vice-chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).

OP_1__Ducsu_controversy.jpg

Ducsu’s mandate is student representation, not administration

5 HOUR(s)
The one-year tenure of the Dhaka University’s apex student body, the Dhaka University Central Student Union (Ducsu), has come to an end, and the office bearers have shown eagerness to hand over power to their successors through an election.
5 HOUR(s)
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What will remain ours in the age of AI?

12 September 2026
In the past, people would view a glacier chunk falling into a lake and causing a river to overflow as a cosmic event or divine act.
12 September 2026
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We must carry Shahed’s fight against corruption forward

5 September 2026
There are reasons to be both sad and hopeful about Shahed Sharif Ahmed.
5 September 2026
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Nine years on, the Rohingya still don't have a safe road home

29 August 2026
August 25 was observed as the “Ninth Anniversary of Rohingya Genocide Day” in the camps of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
29 August 2026
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Personal preferences should not become public restrictions

22 August 2026
Death could not seal the controversies for Jason Arday.
22 August 2026
ED_1_Plagiarism_in_academia.jpg

Research should be about pursuing knowledge, not publication numbers

15 August 2026
Earlier this month, a national daily reported that at least 325 academic papers published by Bangladeshi researchers in international journals published between 2019 and 2026 had been retracted due to various irregularities, including plagiarism.
15 August 2026
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The fine line between moral courage and entitlement

8 August 2026
It is unfortunate that we are seeing a culture where moral power is exercised arbitrarily, where accusation precedes evidence and power precedes procedure.
8 August 2026
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When waiting in line for subsidised food turns deadly

1 August 2026
Because they could not step away from death, death stepped in for them (apologies to Emily Dickinson)
1 August 2026
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If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys

The allocation for education in the proposed budget for FY2022-23 leaves a lot to be desired.
10 June 2022
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp

Heard words are worthy, those unheard are bitter

The creator of the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, is probably the richest author in the world, with an estimated net worth of USD 1 billion. In one estimate, Rowling made USD 181 per minute or USD 4.37 per word in 2016-17.
3 June 2022
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Stuck in an endless loop of corruption and violence

While the better private universities have realigned their focuses on creating a "whole" education with a 360-degree perspective, the public system has reached the nadir from which students have a tunnel vision of becoming government cadres.
27 May 2022
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How to be a hypocrite: Courtesy of the West

When 12 members of Charlie Hebdo were shot dead for their alleged blasphemous depiction of Prophet Muhammad, the freedom-loving
22 May 2022
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Lost in Translation

Back in 2013, my wife’s job took her to Kunming, the capital province of Yunnan in China. Google translator back then was in its infancy, and the amount of
20 May 2022
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A two-stroke thrombosis

One marker for the oft-chanted prophecy of Bangladesh as the Asian Tiger can be explained through the rise and rise of motorcycles.
13 May 2022
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Blowing in the Media-wind

There’s a good chance your screen time increased significantly during this weeklong Eid break unless you are one of those reported one million outbound tourists who shored up in various travel destinations or one of those million others who journeyed within the country to visit your near and dear ones.
6 May 2022
selfish-giant.jpg

Puti Maach and the Selfish Giant

A small “puti” fish leaps out of the water and plops back in. Yes, even fish can contort muscles and use their fins in ingenious ways to glide, squiggle or somersault.
29 April 2022
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On the other side of a stray bullet

Is a call for justice a glorified cry for revenge? Is justice noble, while revenge unworthy?
15 April 2022
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Transitioning back to ‘normal’ learning

When a private university organised a flash mob and another one a concert to welcome back its students to campus post Covid shutdown, we looked at the safety protocol prepared for our campus in pity.
8 April 2022
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In a world dominated by images

The “Oscar Slap” has created a virtual cottage industry that profits from processing a particular on-stage action that took place during the 94th Academy Awards-giving gala on March 27.
1 April 2022
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Fragmented thoughts on Independence Day

When was the last time you looked at the face of the rickshaw-puller who gave you a ride? Or the guard who opened the door for you at a mall?
25 March 2022
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Do we need semesters?

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all its affiliates to implement the semester system by July 1.
11 March 2022
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Historic March 7: Setting a nation on the march

It is common for modern day leaders to use teleprompters, in which words are projected onto transparent beam-splitter mirrors, making their speeches appear impromptu and spontaneous.
6 March 2022
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Book Fair: An Affair to Remember

“The Book (Le Livre)” was an ambitious project of the 19th century French poet Stephane Mallarme.
4 March 2022
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Save us from the brunt of price hikes

There was a time, not long ago, when Bangla news editors would use the phrase “like the price of water” to connote the low cost of an item.
25 February 2022
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Farewell VC, Welcome CEO

A colleague teaching abroad recently called to ask, “What’s the minimum criteria for becoming a vice-chancellor in Bangladesh?
18 February 2022
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Want to save our nation’s future? Reopen schools.

Let’s admit it: the time for debate on school reopening is over. It’s time to stop treating education as an afterthought, as if it’s not a priority.
4 February 2022
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This week in black and white

The mystery of nine dead zebras over a period of three weeks at the Bangabandhu Safari Park in Gazipur has been solved. Experts identified bacterial infections and infighting during the mating season as the causes of death of those striped animals.
28 January 2022
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The chaos in SUST demands change in the system

Can the flapping of a butterfly’s wings here cause a storm elsewhere?
21 January 2022

Pagination

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