Written by Rem Bahadur Biswakarma It has been twelve years since Nepal became a federal democratic republic. The monarchy which was constitutionally considered as a symbol of Hindu feudalism was abolished on 3 June 2008 for Nepal to become a…
Category: Society
Trump signs executive order targeting social media companies
President Donald Trump escalated his war on Twitter and other social media companies Thursday, signing an executive order challenging the lawsuit protections that have served as a bedrock for unfettered speech on the internet.
Facebook chief wants EU not China to lead on tech rules
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Monday urged the European Union to take the lead in setting global standards for tech regulation or risk seeing countries follow China as a model.
Housing is both a prevention & cure for Covid-19
By Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Leilani Farha NAIROBI, Kenya, May 13 2020 (IPS) – Public health officials are calling the “stay home” policy the sacrifice of our generation. To flatten the curve of COVID-19 infections, this call of duty is…
Mother’s Day observed in the shadow of pandemic
Mothers in any culture are cited as the source of unconditional love, and in honouring mothers, people honour all women. While some jobholders are getting to enjoy the comfort of home because of the global shutdown, mothers on the contrary…
PM receives donations for relief fund
Over 55 government agencies, public and private organisations, and educational institutions on Sunday provided donations to the Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund to help the poor affected by COVID-19 fallout.
Social trust and government responses to Covid-19
by Sevasti Chatzopoulou on 4th May 2020 How governments have addressed the pandemic has reflected different levels of social trust—which will have consequences for its aftermath.
Positive info on social media must to remove COVID-19 stigma
DHAKA, May 02, 2020 (BSS) – Speakers at a virtual seminar here today called for spreading positive news on social platforms to remove fear and stigma associated with the coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic in Bangladesh. The speakers made their remarks on live…
Address stigma and prejudices against coronavirus victims
Mostafa Kamal Majumder The Narayanganj Sadar Upazila administration is campaigning to persuade the residents of a mahalla of the district town not to disturb the family of a doctor for contracting coronavirus. Shilpi Aktar, the doctor who has been seeing…
Four scenarios for Europe’s future after the crisis
by Philippe Pochet on 30th April 2020 @philippepochet What kind of Europe will take shape after the coronavirus crisis? Four scenarios, widely varying in their social and ecological consequences, are possible.
Corona lockdown silences Dhaka’s iftar parties, markets
Dhaka, April 26 – For the first time in centuries, the Chawkbazar Iftar Market in old Dhaka fell silent on Saturday as the government extended general holiday and imposed strict restriction on movement of people to curb the spread of…
Europe’s social safety nets were not ready for the corona shock
by Sarah Marchal and Ive Marx on 21st April 2020 @IveMarx The coronavirus crisis has punched a hole in Europe’s safety nets. But they were already frayed and urgent repairs are needed.
Youths come to marginal farmers’ rescue amid virus outbreak
The government-declared shutdown to contain transmission of coronavirus disrupted the supply chain and brought economic activities to a grinding halt, hitting the low-income group and small-scale farmers the hardest. The unprecedented situation forced farmers in many places to sell their…
Coronavirus patient forced to leave home in Laxmipur
A man diagnosed with coronavirus was forced to leave his rented flat after being threatened by his house owner in Ramganj upazila.
Problems facing persons with disabilities and way forward
Amrita Rejina RozarioWith current Covid-19 pandemic flaring up across 210 countries in the world, millions of poor people are already affected and more so in the developing world.
Confusion, seizure, strokes: How COVID-19 may affect brain
A pattern is emerging among COVID-19 patients arriving at hospitals in New York: Beyond fever, cough and shortness of breath, some are deeply disoriented to the point of not knowing where they are or what year it is.
Sunamganj baker sells vegetables at Tk 1 a kg to poor people
There are many ways to help people in need. A man in Tahirpur upazila has come up with a noble initiative to stand by the poor people of his locality in this time of coronavirus crisis. Abul Bashar, a bakery…
Thousands join Janaza in B’baria flouting social distancing
Several thousand people attended the namaz-e-janaza of a religious scholar at Bertala village in Sarail upazila here on Saturday ignoring the risk of coronavirus transmission.
Connecting the celluloid dots
Sudhirendar Sharma In times of the pandemic threat which seems not too distant in future but uncertain nonetheless, reliving nostalgic moments provide much-desired comfort. These are the times when indulging in nostalgia helps revive feelings, a kind of matter or…
The coronavirus, health inequality and social democracy
Carol Johnson The coronavirus may be indiscriminate but health inequality means that while all humans are vulnerable, some are more vulnerable than others.
WIMN calls for new social compact in Covid-19 crisis
‘An inclusive, intersectional feminist approach is the only way out of the COVID crisis’ As the world roils with the human and economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, one thing is clear: this is no time for business as…
Manila red-tagging CSOs, to silence dissent deflect weakness
April 12, 2020 – The Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines (CEC) condemns the recent statement of Southern Luzon Command chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., touting the organization along with other civil society organizations (CSOs) as “unwittingly exploited by…
Alive Amidst the Mayhem of Covid-19 – A Sex Worker’s Story
By Fairuz Ahmed NEW YORK, Apr 9 2020 (IPS) – For a Bangladeshi woman, who has been a sex worker since childhood, her post-COVID-19 future looks hopeless. Shilpy, who works at Daulatdia, the largest brothel in the country, told IPS…
Rising from sick beds, COVID medics head back to front lines
“Be strong, mum, we really love you,” is what Dr. Aurelie Gouel’s kids tell the ICU physician when she sets off for long hospital shifts trying to save critically ill coronavirus patients.
Village under lockdown as Comilla man tests virus-positive
Comilla, April 10 – The local administration put Biramkadi village in Titas Upazila under lockdown as a resident of the village tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.
3 Tablig Jamaat men test coronavirus positive in Manikganj
Three Tablig Jamaat attendees tested positive for coronavirus in Singair upazila of the district on Tuesday.
Participation of NGOs to tackle coronavirus sought
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam on Monday underscored the need for participation of NGOs and civil society alongside the government to tackle the challenge of coronavirus.
Hidden suffering of coronavirus: Stigma, blaming, shaming
No one should have known Bella Lamilla’s name.But within hours of her diagnosis as Ecuador’s first coronavirus case, it was circulating on social media along with photos showing the retired schoolteacher unconscious and intubated in a hospital bed.
At funerals in lockout time, mourning is from a distance
No one stands in line to embrace the widow and share memories of her husband of 50 years. No rows of family and friends file toward the flag-draped coffin to pay their last respects. No symphony of sniffles is heard…
China mourns Covid-19 victims with three-minute silence
China has mourned the victims of the coronavirus outbreak by observing a three-minute silence, bringing the nation to a halt. A day of remembrance was declared in China on Saturday to honour the more than 3,300 people who died of…