Badruddin Umar speaks / 'We must not lose focus from real political barriers'
Hasina took dynasty politics to levels we could not have ever imagined. What happened to Sheikh Mujib’s former residence was unfortunate. But I would say that Sheikh Hasina is partly responsible for the incident.
7 September 2025, 08:22 AM
Banking on Sustainability: How Bangladesh is building a greener future
Sustainable finance is emerging as a defining theme for the banking industry in Bangladesh, a country that is acutely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
30 August 2025, 18:00 PM
Breaking Silence with Cinema / Indigenous Lives on Screen
Aung Rakhine, director of Mor Thengari (My Bicycle, 2015)—the first Chakma-language feature—shares his vision for portraying Bangladesh’s indigenous lives, as he prepares his next film, Mro, on the stories and beliefs of the Mro community.
29 August 2025, 18:00 PM
“Bangladesh’s greatest asset is its people; its greatest failure is not investing in them”
In conversation with Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman—eminent social thinker, researcher, and Executive Chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), as well as a former Adviser to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh—who shares his insights on the colonial legacies of governance, the dynamics of Bangladesh’s economic transformation, and the challenges of building human resources.
22 August 2025, 18:00 PM
Christian conversion and the politics of faith in colonial Bengal
While Europe experienced an age of evangelical awakening in the eighteenth century, political circumstances in India posed challenges to the work of missionary preaching.
18 August 2025, 13:22 PM
Beyond the snake charms: The changing lives of the Bedes
The Daily Star (TDS): What do historical and literary sources reveal about the true origins of the Bede community?
15 August 2025, 18:00 PM
“Most couldn’t say what a home looked like”
The Daily Star (TDS): What inspired you to begin interviewing people living on the streets?
8 August 2025, 18:00 PM
Greener factories stronger future
As Bangladesh strides towards middle-income status, it must confront a reality that few nations can ignore: it is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world.
6 August 2025, 18:00 PM
“A paradigm shift in Bangladesh’s transport system”
TDS: With MRT Line-6 nearing completion and awaiting inauguration, what’s your overall impression?
3 November 2023, 18:00 PM
“Prevent haphazard development around the metro stations”
TDS: What is your assessment of the current status of MRT in Dhaka with the inauguration of the new phase of MRT Line-6?
3 November 2023, 18:00 PM
“The Dhaka Elevated Expressway introduces a unique feature with its ramps and main structure built adjacent to the road”
The Daily Star (TDS): How does the strategic vision behind the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project align with the broader goals of improving public transport and mitigating congestion in the city?
1 September 2023, 18:00 PM
“To achieve optimal results from the Padma Bridge, we need to transform it from a transportation corridor to an economic corridor.”
The Daily Star (TDS): Padma Bridge has completed its first year. How would you evaluate the overall impact of the bridge during this time?
24 June 2023, 18:00 PM
The Struggle for Justice and Dignity
The labour movement in Bangladesh has a rich and complex history that dates back to the 19th century.
30 April 2023, 18:00 PM
Enjoy Ramadan dining with cashless offers
Ramadan is not only a period of deep introspection and devotion for Muslims, but also a time of joyous gathering and communal feasting.
8 April 2023, 18:00 PM
“Bangladesh needs to put forward the ‘transit in exchange for rivers’ formula as the framework for Indo-Bangladesh negotiations”
I have been writing about water development issues since the 1988 flood and, over time, developed a conceptual framework for discussing these issues.
5 March 2023, 18:00 PM
“A comprehensive and well-planned metro network will help to improve mobility and access to transportation”
The Daily Star (TDS): Will the Dhaka Metro Rail bring a significant, qualitative change to the city’s traffic system?
27 December 2022, 18:00 PM
“Myanmar army could be interested in Rohingya repatriation”
The Daily Star (TDS): Please provide a historical background of the Rohingya crisis.
9 December 2022, 18:00 PM
“Prolonged Rohingya crisis will affect the economy”
The Daily Star (TDS): What could be the long-term economic impact in Bangladesh if the Rohingya crisis prolongs?
9 December 2022, 18:00 PM
Suborno Nagorik Foundation: A beacon of hope
“Although people with disabilities are the largest minority group in the world in terms of numbers, I didn’t even think about them before I experienced that massive accident,” said Asif Iqbal Chowdhury while sharing the story of how he founded Suborno Nagorik Foundation.
31 October 2022, 18:00 PM
For heart’s sake
Cardiovascular diseases are the world’s leading cause of mortality, claiming an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, according to the World
28 September 2022, 18:00 PM
Post-Partition period in books: Prabhas Chandra, Tajuddin, and Ahmed Kamal offer testimonies
On the 75th anniversary of the 1947 Partition, we look back at the testimonies of the veteran politician, Prabhas Chandra Lahiri; the young political activist, Tajuddin Ahmed; and Professor Ahmed Kamal's book comprising research on and stories of the time.
15 August 2022, 12:58 PM
“A transformational infrastructure”
The Daily Star (TDS): What possible changes could there be in our national transport system after the inauguration of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge?
24 June 2022, 18:00 PM
Rooftop gardening: Making our living space greener
A buzzword that one will hear at least once or twice every day in Bangladesh is “development”. And with development comes an even greater push for urbanisation, which brings with it certain consequences for the environment.
4 June 2022, 18:00 PM
'If Pakistan acknowledges what its Army did in 1971, it will do a favour to itself'
The Daily Star (TDS): How do you look at the events of 1971 and the birth of Bangladesh?
25 March 2022, 18:00 PM
“Most of the commentators are unaware of the importance of the events between 1948 and 1952.”
Badruddin Umar: As a general student, I participated in every public event of the Language Movement in 1952. On February 21, for example,
20 February 2022, 18:00 PM
Decent work and migration: The path towards sustainable remittance growth
Twenty-eight-year-old Ahmed Jamal, from Barishal, was working as a labourer in Oman since 2018. He was forced to return to Bangladesh during the pandemic. As a result, he lost his primary source of income along with the hefty recruitment fee he had paid to secure the job initially.
24 November 2021, 18:00 PM