Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) has expressed serious concern over the continued deadly attacks on atheist bloggers in Bangladesh, where four of them have lost their lives to religious fanatics till date this year and urged the authority to ensure justice for the victim families.
The fourth Bangladeshi blogger named Niladri Chatterjee Niloy alias Niloy Neel (28) fell prey to the religious fanatics on 7 August 2015 at his Dhaka residential flat. The young blogger, who was a member of Ganajagaran Mancha- a social organization, was hacked to death by machete-wielding killers in front of his wife Asha Moni. The tiny south Asian country with a population of over 160 million, which is India’s immediate eastern neighbor, had earlier lost three bloggers namely Avijit Roy, Washiqur Rahman Babu and Ananta Bijoy Das in 2015, whose crime was to ‘question the radical Islamists’ in alternate media space.
Besides many organizations across the globe, the United Nations also condemned the killing of Niloy calling upon the Bangladesh authorities to investigate and ‘bring to justice the killers of all previous slain bloggers’. The UN in an earlier statement expressed apprehensions that there seemed to be growing intolerances towards people peacefully expressing their views on various issues’ around the world.
Lately, the Bangladesh police have arrested two suspects (Saad-al-Nahin and Masud Rana) in connection with Niloy’s killing. Following the complaint and clues from Asha Moni, the police succeeded in nabbing both members of Ansarullah Bangla Team, which was recently banned by the government for various terror activities.
“The Awami League led government in Dhaka should show its sincerity in delivering justice for the victim families of slain bloggers at the earliest,” said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria, adding that Ms Hasina, who is the daughter of Bangabandhu, must establish her credibility as a premier ensuring security to every Bangladeshi national who preaches for democracy and pluralism.
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati Off-Campus on Saturday held its 12th Convocation for students who graduated in 2025 at the Zubeen Garg Auditorium of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU) in Guwahati.
The convocation was attended by Gauhati High Court Judge Justice Soumitra Saikia as the chief guest, along with TISS Chancellor and former UGC Chairperson Prof. D.P. Singh, TISS Vice Chancellor Prof. Badri Narayan Tiwari, Officiating Registrar Dr. Narendra Mishra and Dean Academic Affairs Prof. Sunil D. Santha.
Several dignitaries, including officials from KKHSOU, OKDISC and ICSSR-NERC, and Assam government adviser Dr. Keshav Kumar, IPS (Retd.), were...
Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the Geneva-based global media safety and rights body, has expressed concern over the continued press censorship in Myanmar, as the military junta authorities have recently revoked the licenses of three more independent news outlets. The junta’s information ministry had lately restricted the publication of Myaelatt Athan, Red News Agency, and Asia Citizens News Agency, citing different sections of the law.
Mentionable is that the South Asian nation of 55 million people witnessed a coup on 1 February 2021, when a democratically elected government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted by the then military chief Min Aung Hlaing. Since then, the junta has revoked...
A grassroots effort to resurrect Spirit Airlines has gone viral after being launched by Hunter Peterson, an aviation enthusiast who has spoken publicly about being autistic and his lifelong interest in airplanes.
The campaign, organized through LetsBuySpiritAir.com, calls for a “community-owned airline” model in which passengers, employees and supporters would collectively fund and govern a rebooted version of the bankrupt budget carrier. The proposal spread quickly across TikTok, Reddit and X, drawing millions of views under the hashtag #Spirit2.0.
Peterson, 24, a content creator, gained attention after posting a video last week in which he said, “I’m kind of autistic, and I...
Scientists conducting the 5th Khangri Glacier Expedition in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district have reported alarming geomorphological changes in the Khangri Glacier, including the formation of a potentially dangerous proglacial lake that could trigger a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in the Mago Chu Basin.
The expedition was jointly conducted by the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies in collaboration with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology. The scientific mission began on May 4 in the transboundary Mago Chu Basin, a critical headwater region of the larger Brahmaputra river system.
According...
Heavy pre-monsoon rainfall has caused multiple breaches, locally known as “rain cuts”, in the Ulfa dyke at Panigaon in Assam’s Lakhimpur district, raising fresh concerns of flooding in the region.
The 3.7-km-long agri-bund embankment—stretching from Jorkhat-Boniyagaon to Pub-Aamtola Nepaligaon under Pachim Telahi Gaon Panchayat—is popularly known as the Ulfa dyke. It was originally constructed in 1989 by members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) with community participation.
According to reports, continuous rainfall over recent weeks has led to the formation of more than 20 rain cuts along the embankment, significantly weakening its structure ahead of the...
A district-level convening of humanitarian organisations and civil society groups was held in Jorhat at the premises of the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), Dhekiakhowa, focusing on Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) and flood preparedness.
Organised by NEADS in collaboration with the State Inter Agency Group and Roots to Branches Foundation, with support from UNICEF Assam, the meeting brought together civil society representatives, district authorities, and local humanitarian actors to strengthen coordination ahead of the flood season.
The session opened with a welcome address by Tirtha Prasad Saikia, who underscored the importance of community-centred approaches...
In a grim reminder of the city’s crumbling urban infrastructure, four lives were lost within 48 hours after heavy rains triggered widespread artificial flooding across Guwahati. What should have been a seasonal downpour instead exposed a deadly mix of neglected drains, poor planning, and administrative failure.
The first victim, Payel Nath Das (around 30), a Dharapur resident working at a jewellery shop on GS Road, met a tragic end on the night of April 19. At around 9:30 pm, while wading through knee-deep water at Maligaon Chariali, she slipped into an uncovered roadside drain concealed beneath floodwaters. Her body was recovered 150–250 metres away the next morning by SDRF personnel...
Voting for the Assam Assembly elections gathered steady momentum through the morning hours on April 9, with scenes from across the state reflecting a strong and participatory democratic exercise. By mid-morning, polling booths were already witnessing long queues, as men and women, young voters and the elderly alike, stepped out early to cast their votes. The initial hours after 9 AM saw a smooth and peaceful polling process, backed by visible security presence and efficient booth management.
In Guwahati, the day unfolded with a calm yet purposeful energy. Polling stations across the city saw a steady stream of voters, many arriving with family members, some even accompanied by children,...
Susovan Sonu Roy has steadily carved a place for himself across multiple creative fields—Bengali television, modelling, and films—building his career through persistence, training, and adaptability.
Born in Howrah, Susovan spent his formative years between Kolkata and Guwahati. His early life was marked by hardship after losing his father in an accident at a young age. Raised by his mother under challenging circumstances, he went on to complete his graduation in Commerce from Dum Dum Motijheel Rabindra Mahavidyalaya in 2016.
His entry into the performing arts began with dance. Driven by interest, he joined a dance institute where he trained in Western dance for nearly two years....
A major political controversy has erupted around Himanta Biswa Sarma after the Congress party levelled serious allegations regarding the alleged accumulation of vast wealth abroad by his family, particularly involving his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.
According to a report by The Wire, Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that assets worth nearly ₹52,000 crore have been stashed overseas, particularly in the United States, through a company allegedly linked to the Chief Minister’s family.
At a press conference in New Delhi, Khera alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma holds multiple foreign passports and questioned the source of such large-scale wealth. He further demanded a probe and even called...
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