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continuous and generous support. There was never a moment of doubt, and hence never a lapse in your standing beside The Daily Star. As the years passed, you saw our honesty, integrity and unwavering commitment to democracy, good governance and accountability -- and stood by us. You judged us by our unrelenting role as “Watchdog” on power and never found us to be partisan or biased. Today, because of this enduring trust, we stand tall despite the hatred and falsehood being spread against us.

Through our three and a half decades of existence, we faced three major challenges. First were changes in the news business brought about by the emergence of transformative technology. Second was Covid, which reduced print readership. And now the third is the spread of fake news and hate speech through unaccountable social media platforms. The first taught us to disrupt existing systems and innovate new journalistic and business models; the second forced us to find new readers and viewers through innovations in print, online and multimedia. The third, triggered by social media-driven lies and hatred, led to a physical attack and the setting on fire of our office, endangering the lives of 27 of my colleagues -- the crudest and cruellest assault we have ever faced. Yet the attack has sparked a renewed determination and energy among us to serve our readers better and has further strengthened our bond with them.

Dear readers, you have ensured our survival in the past, and we are confident you will do so again.

Like every year, we begin our anniversary celebrations with five special supplements, all focused on the future of our Sonar Bangla. Bangladeshi scholars from home and abroad come together once a year to give us new ideas on the way forward.

Our first supplement, which you have received with today’s paper, is dedicated to “People and Water” -- two of our greatest assets. The title may not sound very exciting, but this is where most of our attention and energy should be focused.

We often talk about both but seldom, if ever, we give these two subjects the importance they deserve. If Bangladesh is ever to overcome its developmental challenges, its leaders and policymakers will have to focus on our “People and Water”.

Have we ever really had a policy that focused on our people, with the appropriate scientific and technological innovations available? Have we ever tried to implement modern education models with the clarity, determination and practical force that are preconditions for reforms in this vital area? The simple fact that our education remains stuck in colonial formulas and is fundamentally run by bureaucracy cannot produce the type of creative youth the country needs. Yes, they have freed us from dictatorship, but have we helped them overcome the knowledge gap that is so essential in the 21st century, especially with the advent of AI?

Then comes the neglect of our most abundant and precious resource -- water. This paper has relentlessly reported on water pollution and river encroachment, but to no avail. The neglect of our rivers now threatens our lives. Our reckless extraction of ground water -- which is like stealing fresh water from the future generation -- is leading us towards a water crisis from which we have no idea how we will extricate ourselves, unless we take immediate measures now.

Through our today’s supplement, we want our politicians, policymakers, business community, intellectuals, educators, etc -- who are all our readers -- to become very clear about what our policy priorities should be and to pressurise our leaders, who will get elected in the coming election, to set up their priorities right.

Mahfuz Anam

Editor and Publisher