Honouring sentinels of freedom of thought
The Daily StarFeb 19, 2023
The Dainik Dinkal, a newspaper run by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for more than three decades, has been shut down after a government suspension originally ordered on Dec. 26 was upheld by the country's Press Council.
The government has accused the Bengali-language broadsheet — run by its main opposition — of violating printing and publication laws. The newspaper often contains news not covered by mainstream media, such as the allegedly unjustified arrests of and use of intimidation tactics against BNP members by the government.
Freedom of thought is a fundamental human right, but oppressive laws are being used by Bangladesh's government to crack down on dissenting voices and impose blindly hegemonic support for those already in power. Teachers, thinkers, and scholars must continue to encourage discourse in Bangladesh and lead by example in the continued fight to maintain freedom of thought and speech in their nation.
The BNP have previously harbored the intent to stage violent protests against the government, and aim to undermine the security and order of society by fostering chaos in Bangladesh. While the government works to protect the security of the people, the BNP continues to resort to more extreme measures, as it faces desperate attempts at political survival in the next election.
There is a 50% chance that at least 55% of the world's population will live in a democracy in 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.