“The murderers could have been arrested within an hour only if the police had tried!” “If the government stops controlling the police, the country could be free from criminal activities in no time!” — All these comments illuminate how much our people are ignorant about the complexity of criminal behaviour and about the capability of our police service. Details…

National economies are already seeing the effects of climate on local agriculture natural disasters are on the rise: the universal drive for higher incomes in the face of mounting environmental destruction has heightened the express tension between fact growth and environmental protection. Details…

The Indian Supreme Court’s (SC) recent verdict to implement the Interlinking of Rivers Project (ILRP) has added an additional element to the list of unresolved issues between India and Bangladesh with regards to water resources management in shared rivers. Details…

Instead of banning any web portal/social networking site, it would be wiser to have control over those sites such as youtube, facebook, hi5, twitter, myspace, blog etc.
Details…

US State Secretary Hillary Clinton contributed a detailed brief captioned ‘America’s Pacific Century’ in one of the leading American journals ‘Foreign Policy’ (FP) / November, 2011. President Barack Obama’s January 4, 2012 speech reflects the basic theme of this 8-page article. Details…

Dhaka, Feb 12 (bdnews24.com) – The first-ever citizen journalism-based blog, blog.bdnews24.com, is celebrating its first year of practice of citizen journalism on its Bengali website.

Editor-in-chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi inaugurated the celebration at a function at the Public Library auditorium in the city on Sunday.

“While launching the blog a year ago, I had said that it won’t be like other blogs,” Khalidi, the chief guest of the function, said.

“Here, bloggers will not only comment on other incidents or issues, they will also give information. They will practise a type of journalism,” he added.

Referring to a cliché the proverb ‘comment is cheap, information expensive’, he said it is easy to comment but hard to collect or give information.

The work to present information has become easy due to easy access to information technology, he said.

“To me, scrutinising the information is a tougher job.”

“We need to be alert when the issue is responsibility,” Khalidi added.

He unveiled a publication containing a compilation of selected writings of bdnews24.com bloggers over the last year, called ‘Nagar Kabya’.

Ten bloggers, who have enriched the blog and made it an alternative medium through their contributions and strong opinions since its inception last year were given away Nagarik Sommanona Award.

The award recipients are Abu Sufian, Mottalib Darbari, Basanta Bishu, M Sahid, Nijhum Majumder, ‘Futurist’, Ilias Chowdhury, Nahuan Myth, Mamun M Aziz and Probir Bidhan.

Three bloggers were also given special awards. They are M Hashem, who contributed highest number of posts, Nahuan Myth, the highest commenter, and Ilias Chowdhury, who contributed the highest number of photo posts.

The site was inaugurated at the Little Mag Corner of the Amar Ekushey Gronthomela on Feb 11 last year.

“Here,” he continued, “the two sides will have to be responsible – you will give information as citizen journalists and the readers will check it.”

“We should keep in mind that everyone will have to suffer if fails to behave responsibly.

The issue of law or rules surfaces when freedom is misused, he felt.

“We may have to pay the price culturally, socially and politically for being irresponsible in [using] internet,” he said.

bdnews24.com/ast/ost/nir/2226h

Matiur Rahman 

            Both Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been dominating the Bangladesh politics for over 30 years with two leaders inheriting distinct family legacies.  About 75% of the adult population in Bangladesh is almost evenly distributed along the party lines.  Details…

With an aim to improve the socio-economic condition of the poor and disadvantaged and ensure people’s right to information, BRAC Community Empowerment Programme has formally launched Radio Pollikontho, 99.2 FM, a Community Radio in Maulvibazar District in Sylhet Division, as an effective communication medium for improving people’s access to information and building awareness of the marginalized, especially women. Details…

Dhaka, Jan 26 (bdnews24.com)—In a thinly veiled dig at the World Bank, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday hinted that her government will not take money from the global lending agency to implement the Padma bridge project if the donor fails to prove charges of corruption it raised in the country’s biggest infrastructure project. Details…

Dhaka, Jan 19 (bdnews24.com)—The Bangladesh army has said it has foiled a plot by some hardline officers to topple the Sheikh Hasina government and that the process to bring the culprits to justice has begun. Details…