Justice for a victim of “mob justice” may sound like an oxymoron for those uninitiated in the fundamental principles of law, but it is not—and for Taslima Begum Renu, the struggle for justice remains as real as the day she died, six months ago, in the hands of a bloodthirsty mob.

Today, Dhaka dwellers will turn out in droves to vote for the candidate(s) of their choice. Or so we hope, despite the fact that in the Dhaka North City Corporation mayoral election held last year, the turnout was extraordinarily low, signifying the general apathy that has developed in people regarding the electoral process.

The US and Israel have historically been allies and staunch supporters of each other’s policies. Despite that, it was a disturbing scene when US President Donald Trump stood next to the smiling Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and drew huge cheers from the crowd while unveiling what he called “the deal of the century”—a plan that strips the Palestinians of their rights and imposes apartheid-like conditions that would effectively make Palestine an Israeli colony.

Since Dhaka is increasingly becoming a city of fear for women, with incidents of rape and sexual harassment in public places and public transports rising by the day, ensuring the safety and security of women through taking some concrete steps should be one of the key responsibilities of our would-be city mayors and councillors.

The government’s move to allow Rohingya children living in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar to receive formal education is commendable. Reportedly, the government will soon launch a pilot programme to give formal education to more than 10,000 Rohingya children, the curriculum of which is being jointly designed by the Bangladesh government and UNICEF.

It is now evident that concerns regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) raised by the opposition political parties and experts have fallen on deaf ears.

We are heartened by the news of West Bengal legislative assembly passing a resolution against India’s controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which makes faith a basis for attaining Indian citizenship, discriminating against the Muslims.

No doubt the world is once again witnessing the outbreak of a new virus with a deadliness not witnessed since the SARS virus at the very beginning of the century.

We are appalled by the shameless actions of the mayor of Cox’s Bazar municipality, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Awami League in the district.

According to Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar, the chief election commissioner and other commissioners are now ignoring his observations regarding the flouting of the electoral code of conduct by lawmakers and ministers.

We are alarmed at the way untreated medical waste is still being dumped at the landfills of all the city corporation areas, posing a serious threat to public health.

It is unfortunate that in our society the saying that rules are observed in their violation is being constantly demonstrated in our day to day life. And when rules are violated by people seeking public office, what examples do they set for the public?

In less than a week, citizens of Dhaka are going to elect their new mayors. As the heads of the two city corporations of Dhaka (North and South), the new mayors will face some difficult challenges from the very first day of their tenure.

After the historic ruling given by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to protect the Rohingyas from genocide, we hope the international community will now exert pressure on Myanmar to comply with the court orders and take meaningful steps to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

Three years ago, 15 families of Chak, a small ethnic community, were reportedly driven out of their homes in Shui Jaing Chak Para of Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari upazila, after a group of eight to 10 criminals, with firearms and sharp weapons, attacked them, ransacked their homes and threatened them to leave the village immediately.

We commend the finance minister for having the courage and the foresight to make the full list of the loan defaulters public. This will strengthen our constantly eroding culture of transparency and accountability.

We are appalled at yet another incident of torture of four students by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists on the premise of Dhaka University on January 21.

Finally, what the Rohingyas have been crying out about and what Bangladesh has been saying at the top of its voice has been recognised at the World Court. We hope the whole world is now listening at last.

Finally, what the Rohingyas have been crying out and what Bangladesh has been saying at the top of its voice has been recognised at the World Court. We hope the whole world is now listening at last.

The attack on BNP mayoral aspirant Tabith Awal in the capital’s Gabtoli area yesterday, allegedly by supporters of a local ward councillor candidate backed by the ruling party, is a cause for concern and cannot be taken lightly in the run up to the upcoming polls.