Need stronger political will for disability inclusion
As the country is set to observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities today, Ekushey Padak-winning activist Md Saidul Huq has urged stronger political commitment to ensure the full participation of persons with disabilities.
2 December 2025, 18:00 PM
12 parties sign children’s rights manifesto
Twelve political parties yesterday endorsed a child rights manifesto outlining 10 non-negotiable commitments co-created by children and young people and supported by UNICEF ahead of the 2026 national election.
1 December 2025, 18:10 PM
16 days of activism: AI fuelling cyber violence against women
Experts warn justice system ill-equipped to handle digital crimes
30 November 2025, 18:40 PM
Empowered to stand on their own
When her husband fell ill in 2013 and could no longer work, 36-year-old Moni Begum from Sherpur’s Nakla upazila suddenly became the only earning member of her family. However, she refused to give up.
28 November 2025, 18:00 PM
16 Days of activism / When danger strikes, where can women turn?
Since Sharmin Akter (not her real name), 40, from Gazipur’s Kapasia, was married at just 12, she has endured relentless violence and abuse, describing the daily ordeal like “three meals a day”.
24 November 2025, 18:00 PM
World children’s day: 9% children doing hazardous work
Bangladesh is witnessing a troubling rise in child labour, with the latest government survey showing that about 9.2 percent of children aged 5-17 are engaged in work, up from 6.8 percent in 2019.
19 November 2025, 18:25 PM
World children’s day / Child marriage still a bleak shadow on Bangladesh
Progress on ending child marriage remains alarmingly slow, particularly among adolescent girls aged 15-19, MICS findings
19 November 2025, 18:25 PM
Persons with disability protected on paper, excluded in reality
At just 21, Jyoti Hossain from Jhikargachha, Jashore, is fighting not her disability but rather a system that refuses to include her.
15 November 2025, 20:04 PM
Checking Violence Against Women: Govt app sees only six rescue pleas in about six years
The government’s “Joy” app, developed with a budget of Tk 45 lakh to tackle violence against women and children during emergencies, received only six rescue requests in five years and nine months.
19 May 2024, 18:00 PM
109 Helpline: A complaint centre or an info hub?
The toll-free 24/7 National Helpline Centre for Violence Against Women & Children 109, was introduced in 2012 to receive complaints against various forms of women and children abuse and provide services accordingly.
12 May 2024, 18:00 PM
Of true grit and a mother’s love from 6,000km away
As the sun sets every evening in the Mauritian capital of Port Louis, Monoara reaches her workplace, a tuna processing company, and disconnects from the world by switching off her phone’s internet.
11 May 2024, 18:00 PM
A 'voyage' from Kazipara to Karwan Bazar
As I left home for office this morning, an unwelcoming surprise was waiting for me
11 May 2024, 08:05 AM
Int'l day to end corporal punishment: The children grow but the scars remain
A few days ago, a post went viral on Facebook, saying “Today’s children may not comprehend why we were beaten in our childhoods”.
29 April 2024, 18:00 PM
Heat takes a toll on expecting mothers
The ongoing heatwave has exacerbated the challenges faced by everyone in the country, but the situation has become particularly difficult for expecting mothers.
26 April 2024, 18:00 PM
Heat takes a toll on expecting mothers
Pregnant women are more prone to heat-related illnesses like exhaustion and heatstroke
26 April 2024, 16:02 PM
114 women raped in first three months this year
Around 114 women were raped in the first three months of 2024, said Ain O Salish Kendra yesterday. Three victims were killed and one died by suicide after rape, the human rights organisation added.
1 April 2024, 18:00 PM
An alarming upswing in child marriage
At least 41.6 percent of young women in Bangladesh were married before they had turned 18, reveals the latest government survey.
27 March 2024, 18:00 PM
Scourge of Dowry: Lack of inheritance law worsens it for Hindu brides
Despite the Dowry Prohibition Act-2018 being in force, the demands for dowries are still prevalent in many communities, leaving newlywed women and their families reeling under undue financial pressure.
27 March 2024, 18:00 PM
8m women’s contraception needs unmet
After enduring six pregnancies so far in her 13-year-long marriage, 36-year-old Rokeya Begum, a resident of Korail slum, is now a mother of three children, the youngest being two years old.
22 March 2024, 18:00 PM
86pc child workers still out of school
Despite the government’s continuous efforts to eliminate child labour by 2025 and ensure universal access to primary and secondary education by 2030, recent data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics paints a concerning picture.
16 March 2024, 18:00 PM
MRM without prescription: A violation risking women's lives
When 24-year-old Mithila Islam, mother of a nine-month-old, discovered she was pregnant again, she was already 10 weeks into conception.
26 February 2024, 18:00 PM
A chance for young hearts to beat
Twelve-year-old Yamin Sheikh was born with a heart defect that has only worsened over time. His father Md Motiar Rahman Sheikh, a landless day labourer from Bagerhat, could not afford proper treatment for his little one.
16 February 2024, 18:00 PM
Is family planning solely women’s responsibility?
Karima Begum found herself in a challenging situation when her husband returned home.
14 February 2024, 18:00 PM
Two raped in subarnachar: AL leader tried to make it look like a burglary
Two people, including a local AL leader, were sent to jail yesterday in a case filed over the rape of a woman and her minor daughter in Char Wapda union of Noakhali’s Subarnachar upazila early Tuesday.
7 February 2024, 18:00 PM
Subarnachar Rape: Lives sucked into an abyss of trauma
Before she was raped, Joba (not her real name) lived the life of a regular homemaker and bore the identity of a wife, a mother and a woman of her own volition.
5 February 2024, 18:00 PM
Child mortality on the rise, SDG efforts suffer setback
In a rather grim development, the child mortality rate in Bangladesh saw a rise in 2022 compared to the previous four years, as per the latest data available.
4 February 2024, 18:00 PM
Metro Rail: A relief for female commuters
In a city where one rarely comes across women-friendly public transportation and harassment is a common phenomenon, a coach reserved for female commuters in the country’s first-ever metro rail came as a blessing.
26 January 2024, 18:00 PM
Rice prices spiralling once again
With the harvesting of Aman crops, the prices of BR-28, Paijam, Guti and aromatic rice were supposed to decrease. Instead, the rice prices have gone up by Tk 2-8 per kg in the last 10 days in Dhaka’s kitchen markets.
15 January 2024, 18:00 PM