Column by Mahfuz Anam / US-EU tensions over Greenland may have serious effects for us
23 January 2026, 00:00 AM
Why are so many public hospitals lying idle?
23 January 2026, 00:37 AM
‘A world of fortresses will be poorer, more fragile’
23 January 2026, 00:42 AM
Why the next government must put power sector reform first
22 January 2026, 01:00 AM
How AI can revolutionise healthcare in Global South
22 January 2026, 01:05 AM
After decades of failure, can we finally fix our education system?
22 January 2026, 01:09 AM
US twin deficits, Trump’s economic gambit, and the risk of global disorder
22 January 2026, 01:57 AM
After 2026 election, Dhaka must set out clear India, China, and US policies
21 January 2026, 13:14 PM
What voters expect when parties speak of a ‘New Bangladesh’
20 January 2026, 01:20 AM
US visa suspension: Green card pending, hope expired
21 January 2026, 13:00 PM
Persistent violence threatens our democratic transition
In the early hours of December 19, horrific attacks were carried out on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, and later on two cultural organisations, Chhayanaut and Udichi, along with Nalonda School.
27 December 2025, 02:00 AM
Adieu to a frontliner of our Liberation War
On December 20, 2025, Bangladesh lost Bir Uttam Abdul Karim Khandker, Liberation War deputy chief of staff and the first chief of the Bangladesh Air Force.
26 December 2025, 06:00 AM
Shrimp over rice and the quiet erosion of our food security
Recent reports on the southern coast describe an alarming breakdown in dry-season farming.
26 December 2025, 05:00 AM
Dipu Chandra Das and a tragedy of outrage without truth
Dipu Chandra Das did not die because he insulted a religion. He died because accusation has become a more powerful weapon than truth, and because crowds in Bangladesh increasingly believe that outrage is evidence enough.
26 December 2025, 04:00 AM
Short-term profit should not drive our shipping policy
Recently, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) has reported its highest net profit in 54 years, an achievement that has understandably generated optimism among policymakers and maritime stakeholders.
26 December 2025, 02:00 AM
Attacks on media houses, unruly politics, and the new democratic risk
The smoke that rose from Karwan Bazar during the early hours of December 19 did not begin with fire.
25 December 2025, 04:00 AM
A smarter solar strategy essential for Bangladesh’s clean energy transition
In recent years, Bangladesh has made notable progress in renewable energy production.
24 December 2025, 18:00 PM
The peace promise of ceasefire is but a mirage for Palestinians
The bombs may have eased, but Palestinian children are still dying.
24 December 2025, 09:30 AM
Why electric buses won’t fix Dhaka’s transport system
In his budget speech for the fiscal year 2025-26, Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed announced a plan to introduce 400 electric buses into Dhaka’s public transport network to make the system “sustainable, safer, and environmentally friendly.”
24 December 2025, 08:00 AM
When mobs decide who can speak, what happens to democracy?
The night The Daily Star building was set on fire by mobs incited by known right-wing political figures and social media influencers, at least 28 journalists and staff were trapped on the rooftop.
24 December 2025, 04:00 AM
The ‘strange fruit’ of Bhaluka and a republic in retreat
On the night of December 18, 2025, a young man was beaten to death, tied to a tree, and set ablaze by a mob in Bhaluka, Mymensingh.
24 December 2025, 02:00 AM
How to ensure publicly funded software serves the public
Bangladesh has taken a bold step in declaring that software developed with public funds will be treated as a national asset.
23 December 2025, 04:00 AM
Budget increases alone cannot fix public healthcare
Government allocation for Bangladesh’s health sector has long been inadequate, compounded by weak implementation mechanisms. As a result, our out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for healthcare continue to rise, and access to quality services is becoming increasingly difficult for millions of citizens.
22 December 2025, 04:00 AM
They want our silence, but we will not give it to them
From late Thursday night through the early hours of Friday, December 19, my colleagues at The Daily Star were trapped on the roof of their burning workplace, unsure if they would survive.
22 December 2025, 02:00 AM
Hadi’s death will haunt us forever
In July 2024, we, the Gen-Z, stepped into the streets, frightened yet resolute, wounded yet unwilling to break, because we believed Bangladesh could be rewired around dignity.
21 December 2025, 02:00 AM
Washington just rewrote the geopolitical rules. Is Bangladesh ready?
For Bangladesh, 2026 will be a complicated concoction of post-LDC graduation.
19 December 2025, 18:00 PM
As deepfakes blur reality, voters must learn to doubt what they see
During the last election cycle, the country witnessed a relatively small but calculated deployment of deepfakes.
19 December 2025, 18:00 PM
The gig economy’s convenience has an unseen toll
Bangladesh's gig economy, such as ride-sharing, food delivery, courier services, has mushroomed in the last decade.
19 December 2025, 08:00 AM
Is selective amnesia the price of a new Bangladesh?
In the bargain for a new future, I did not consent to the erasure of the history that made this republic possible.
19 December 2025, 07:45 AM
Bauls, ballots, and the price of weak institutions
The surest sign of a liberal democracy is not a flag, nor a constitution framed behind glass. It is the quiet competence of institutions—and the political culture that keeps them honest. One shapes the other the way a river shapes its banks, and the banks, in turn, discipline the river.
19 December 2025, 05:00 AM