Country’s legal framework is failing women
9 March 2026, 02:27 AM
A new assessment has revealed a glaring “equality gap” in Bangladesh’s justice system, highlighting 19 laws that remain discriminatory, one law that needs to be repealed, and four new laws that are urgently required.
9 March 2026, 02:27 AM
Tech-facilitated violence: Women survivors forced to navigate a flawed system
9 March 2026, 01:53 AM
The violence was set in motion not by a weapon but by a smartphone.
9 March 2026, 01:53 AM
International Women's Day / Men, money and muscle still guard the gates of politics
8 March 2026, 03:11 AM
The vision of an inclusive democracy, forged on the streets during the July uprising, has collided with a formidable structural wall.
8 March 2026, 03:11 AM
Repression of women, children: Protection promised but not delivered
5 March 2026, 03:05 AM
When the Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance was promulgated in March last year, it was hailed by many as an “iron shield” for women and children in Bangladesh.
5 March 2026, 03:05 AM
A walk through Dhaka-9 with Tasnim Jara
1 February 2026, 04:38 AM
Just after 9:00am on Friday, independent Dhaka-9 candidate Tasnim Jara stepped into the narrow lanes of Goran Bazar in Khilgaon with around 15 volunteers by her side.
1 February 2026, 04:38 AM
Manifesto Expectations / Women demand action, not just promises
29 January 2026, 04:07 AM
As Bangladesh moves towards the February 12 national election, women, who make up half the electorate, say political rhetoric no longer moves them.
29 January 2026, 04:07 AM
16 Days of activism: Will the dystopia for women ever end?
9 December 2025, 18:12 PM
TDS: The Women’s Affairs Reforms Commission made 423 recommendations. How much has been implemented?
9 December 2025, 18:12 PM
16 Days of activism: The abuse that leaves no bruise
6 December 2025, 18:43 PM
When 32-year-old Akhi (not her real name) finally left her marriage last year, it was not the beatings that drove her away. It was the slow erasure of her being.
6 December 2025, 18:43 PM
1 in 5 adult Rohingyas infected with hepatitis C
A recent study on the prevalence of Hepatitis B and C virus among the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar has found that more than one in five Rohingya adults have Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
17 February 2022, 18:00 PM
The long, winding road to remedy for spousal violence
While covering a discussion on domestic violence last year, like many others in the audience, I was deeply touched by Rahela’s story of helplessness.
13 January 2022, 18:00 PM
Gender Sensitivity: Judiciary not trained enough
Rights activists have long been demanding effective gender sensitivity training for judges and lawyers dealing with cases of sexual violence so the victims, especially rape survivors, are treated with gender responsiveness and sensitivity throughout the legal process.
9 January 2022, 18:00 PM
Over half of Bangladeshi children under 5 don’t have birth registration
Fahima Begum, a 40-year-old domestic worker from Mirpur’s Kazipara area, was desperately running to print and photocopy shops in her area over two days in order to apply for the birth certificate of her five-year-old daughter Sathi.
6 January 2022, 10:22 AM
‘Anchal’ saving lives
In low and middle-income countries, many children die every year by drowning, usually when the parents are occupied with household chores or wage-earning activities.
1 January 2022, 18:00 PM
Rise in child abuse: Long way to achieve SDG goals
Nine-year-old Jeba (not her real name) has been having a very difficult time with excessive genital bleeding and pain, which has limited her ability to walk.
28 December 2021, 10:28 AM
Violence against young women and girls with disabilities: An everyday affair
Worldwide, young women and girls with disabilities face up to 10 times more violence than women and girls without disabilities, and Bangladesh is no exception.
9 December 2021, 18:00 PM
An undernourished nutrition budget
Twenty-five-year-old Rima Rani Paul is currently in her eight month of pregnancy. When she visited the doctor recently, she was recommended a balanced diet, rich in nutrient-dense foods, as the fetus was not growing as expected.
3 December 2021, 18:00 PM
Global Handwashing Day: Hand hygiene for all a far-off goal
Mohammad Harun, a sales executive at a ceramic store, was pleasantly surprised to see a handwashing station at the entrance to his office this July.
14 October 2021, 18:00 PM
Child Rape Survivors with Disabilities: The never-ending road to justice
“It makes me so angry when I see the man who raped my 13-year-old daughter with disabilities proudly roaming around the neighborhood, saying, ‘What’s so wrong with raping a retard? She’s a reject any way!’” lamented a frustrated Mujtoba Ali*, a construction worker in Bogura.
10 October 2021, 18:00 PM
813 girls raped in last 8 months
Even though rape laws were amended last year to allow for the death penalty, a total of 813 girl children were subjected to rape, of whom 110 were subjected to gang rape in the first eight months of this year, revealed a report.
29 September 2021, 18:00 PM
Time for action is now
On July 11, three under-five children drowned in two unions of Netrakona’s Kalmakanda upazila. The incident, however, was not highlighted in the media, as child drowning still remains one of the neglected and underreported issues in Bangladesh.
14 September 2021, 18:00 PM
Vaccination Drive: Are transgender people left out?
Getting tested and vaccinated for Covid-19 was no less than a trauma for Tanisha Yasmin Chaity, a young transwoman and a development worker based in Cox’s Bazar.
8 September 2021, 18:00 PM
Health disparities of transgender youth: Still left in the lurch
30-year-old Mugdha* a transgender woman of Rajshahi, still depends on traditional healers or dispensaries when she feels unwell, considering the disparities she faces at hospitals.
2 September 2021, 18:00 PM
Notarising child marriage!
Fatema Begum of Kalyanpur slum, locally known as the “Kalyanpur Pora Bosti”, got married to Md Mohsin in March, this year.
26 August 2021, 18:00 PM
Country’s lone human tissue bank serving in silence
When Shreyon Paul suffered a second-degree burn to his back, doctors at a local hospital were not sure if the nine-year-old would ever fully recover.
21 August 2021, 18:00 PM
Covid-19 Vaccine: A costly dilemma over pregnant women?
The government is yet to decide whether to vaccinate pregnant women despite a WHO recommendation to that end and an alarming rise in the number of pregnant Covid-19 patients.
31 July 2021, 18:00 PM
Never called back to work
A few weeks ago, the photo of 65-year-old Asiya Begum -- a house-help who was walking for two hours, wading through ankle-deep water, to reach her home at Hemayetpur from her employer’s house at the capital’s Lalmatia -- went viral on social media.
28 July 2021, 18:00 PM
World Drowning Prevention Day: Drowning remains dominant reason of child deaths
Contrary to popular belief, the most dominant cause children’s deaths in Bangladesh is not malnutrition or diarrhoea.
24 July 2021, 18:00 PM
‘Bhalo’ bridges gap for small cattle farmers
Two years ago, Obaidul Huq quit his teaching job at a private school in Dhaka out of frustration and decided to go back to his village home in Kurigram’s Buribari union.
19 July 2021, 18:00 PM