Perspectives in Social Science

Digital Security Act 2018: From the Lens of Investigative Journalism and Freedom of Expression

Adila Reza Hasan

The world is converging as a result of technological evolution and integration. The new digital era is emphatically influencing and transforming human lives. The staggering growth in technology has many implications at one side it brings blessings for the general mass on the other it makes individuals’ life a hex due to its misappropriation. To safeguard individuals from the realm of digital transgression and to ensure individuals right to privacy the government of Bangladesh enacted Digital Security Act in 2018. The act has both affirmative and antithetical connotations by supporting penalisation for digital offences conversely barring investigative journalisms and freedom of speech. The present paper is the reflection of the findings congregated from the systematic assessment of the secondary sources. It focuses on the limitations and challenges of Digital Security Act 2018 by particularly seeing it from the lenses of investigative journalism and freedom of expression. Moreover, it also tries to put light on whether the act has aberrated from its sole purpose that is to ensure security of individual presence in the digital platform. Also, the article manifests the need for an incontrovertible digital security law for the welfare of the citizens.

Gender Roles and Relations in the Later Age: Perceptions and Practices of Older Couples in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Soma Dey, Khan Tahdia Tasnim Mou

This article reveals the gendered impacts of ageing by examining the lived experience of older couples in Dhaka city. Based on an analysis of data collected through in-depth interviews, the findings reveal that the value of aged parents remains significant in the families of urban working couples. However, with advancing age and the breaking down of the traditional family system, older couples experience substantial changes in their gender roles and power status within the domestic sphere. Losing family breadwinner roles, lonely retired men suffer more from the feeling of powerlessness, whereas their wives keep on caregiving responsibilities. The altered life circumstances boost a sense of equality in some men, making them more caring and empathetic towards their wives. On the contrary, guided by traditional norms and values, several older men remain dominant and exercise control over their spouses as they did throughout their married life.

Cultural Understanding of Infertility in the context of Bangladesh

Sumiaya Habib

This paper discusses the cultural understanding and socio-cultural definition of infertile people in the context of Bangladesh. The essence of motherhood and significance of child bearing are generally appreciated in the patriarchal society of Bangladesh. On the other hand, infertility and the consequences of infertility engaged the infertile people to be stigmatized. However, the consequences of infertility is much social than biological. Thus, the biomedical definition of infertile has been challenged by the cultural understanding of infertile. The dissimilar experiences of infertile life between men and women and class situation attributed the perception in explaining the overall condition of infertile people of Bangladesh. The paper explores the resilience and agency to minimize the stigma and grief of the infertile man and women.

Japanese FDI and Development Vision of Bangladesh: Lessons from Thailand

Abdullah-Al- Mamun, Shiblee Noman, Md. Saifullah Akon

Bangladesh is aspiring to become a developed country under the ‘Vision 2041’. However, materialization of this development vision requires huge amount of fund. Regrettably, country’s dependency on foreign aid is still more than 35%. Internal borrowing is also increasing considerably, where as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) can make a significant contribution to the financial basket of the country. Nonetheless, government has set a target to increase the contribution of FDI to 3% of the GDP in the 8^th Five Years Plan (FYP) which was 1% in 7^th FYP. Being one of the most trusted friendly nations, Japan continued its support towards Bangladesh since the independence. Japan has the tendency to shift FDI to a country after improving the infrastructure through Official Development Assistance (ODA). The same trend is also appearing in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has become the number one recipient of Japanese ODA in 2020 and the amount of Japanese companies is also increasing in Bangladesh which is curtly around 320. With a view to mitigating the gap between aspiration and reality while succeeding to accomplish development goals, countries with limited resources like Bangladesh can be hugely benefited by the Japanese FDI. The ASEAN nation Thailand, with more than 6000 Japanese companies, is one of the economies that has been significantly benefited by the Japanese FDI. Therefore, this qualitative research investigates the case of Thailand based on key stakeholders’ interviews and analysis of documents. The major findings of this paper in terms of main challenges Bangladesh is facing to attract Japanese FDI are national image crisis, lack of infrastructure, skilled human resources, local procurement of raw materials, frequent change in law and policies, uncongenial regulations regarding VAT, tax and customs and port clearance. The main lessons Bangladesh can learn from Thailand to attract FDI from Japan includes lower corporate tax, port facilities, easier port clearance and participation in economic partnerships, such as RCEP. This paper contributes to the literature in the area of business studies, economics, development studies, international relations, public policy studies and Japanese Studies.

Making and Unmaking of State Boundaries: Ethnographic Evidence from a Bangladesh Border Village

Md. Mojahar Rahman Shah, Md Faruk Shah

Drawing on ethnographic data from a Bangladeshi border village of Rajshahi, this article examines how the state creates border as a distinct political territory and how border residents unmake boundaries via their daily activities and transborder mobility. In addition, it examines the perceptions of residents towards the state's government, border force agencies, and administration based on their everyday border experiences. Since this is an anthropological research, narratives were collected via ethnographic interviews, and the lens of narrative was used to analyse the data. This article finds that a state establishes its borders through a combination of strategies, incidents, ideas, fear, panic, and constant monitoring. Border residents, on the other hand, ‘unmake’ the border by crossing it with certain strategies, using particular methods to boost trade and maintain social mobility. People who live near the border have a pessimistic opinion of the government, border policy, and border administration; they perceive that the border is a failed issue. The findings of this research will be beneficial not only as an academic addition to the field of border studies but also as a means for policymakers along the Bangladesh-India border to assess concerns and enhance policy implementation.

Reflection on the Contributions of Ghaznavid Dynasty to the Islamic Civilization of Central Asia and Afghanistan (963-1187)

AKM Iftekharul Islam, Md. Nurul Amin

The area that is now Afghanistan and Central Asia has had a substantial impact on the history of civilization in the region. It is significant to note that one of the remarkable dynasties that greatly influenced Central Asian and Afghan Islamic civilization was the Ghaznavid (963–1187). Though this dynasty could not maintain control for lengthy periods, they left a wonderful legacy, especially in the sphere of Islamic civilization, particularly under Mahmud I. Several monuments, gardens, kiosks, and palaces in several cities, most notably in Ghazna, Lahore, Bust or Qala-i-Bust, Bukhara, and Merv, show the splendor of the Ghaznavids in various aspects of civilization, such as architecture, art and literature, philosophy, history, and education. In fact, the Turkish Ghaznavids were largely absorbed into the Perso-Islamic culture after adopting Persian administrative and cultural practices. Thus, Ghaznavids played a premier part culturally and politically in the Islamic civilization of Central Asia and Afghanistan. This paper intends to analyze the major contributions of the Ghaznavid dynasty to the several fields of Islamic civilization in central Asia and Afghanistan that help to shape the present cultural identity there.

Stages of Indoctrination and a Pathway into terrorism: A perspective from Bangladesh

Sumaiya Iqbal, Zia Rahman

In a time and age of identities, violent extremism fueled by identity-based ideology comes as no surprise. Terrorist attacks from numerous groups take place globally, and Bangladesh has also encountered decades of terrorist violence since its independence particularly from groups that include Jamaat Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, Harkat Ul-Jihad Al-Islami Bangladesh, among others. An aspect that requires deeper understanding is the process of how individuals make their way into terrorist organizations. This paper examines the stages of indoctrination experienced by individuals who were recruited into Bangladeshi terrorist outfits. . The research was conducted with grounded theory methodology, using the bottom to up inductive process, for construction of an explanatory framework. Primary data was collected from in depth semi-structured interviews of individuals who had been recruited into Bangladeshi terrorist outfits and law enforcement officials. Findings have identified stages of indoctrination inspired by Sageman’s model of radicalization (Sageman, 2007), Moghaddam’s Staircase to Terrorism (Moghaddam, 20017) and the New York Police Department’s four factors (NYPD, 2007).