Reinstating a weaker NHRC is a dangerous regression
17 April 2026, 09:00 AM
Views
Even if dormant, the RTI Act’s promise remains powerful
17 April 2026, 12:00 PM
Views
Opening the door for owners of looted banks poses a serious risk
17 April 2026, 11:00 AM
Views
The many lives of Asha Bhosle’s voice
17 April 2026, 10:00 AM
Views
Primary school admission tests would be a misguided step
16 April 2026, 13:00 PM
Opinion
BCB’s cycle of political interference and dysfunction
16 April 2026, 22:00 PM
Opinion
March of the microfascists
16 April 2026, 09:00 AM
THE SOUND AND THE FURY
Can a bank resolution framework work if discredited owners return?
16 April 2026, 12:00 PM
Opinion
If the second US-Iran dialogue too fails, what comes next?
15 April 2026, 17:04 PM
Views
Even if deferred, Bangladesh must prepare for eventual LDC graduation
14 April 2026, 09:00 AM
Opinion
Is the LNG pathway sustainable for Bangladesh?
The combination of soaring natural gas demand and plummeting domestic production has pushed the Bangladesh government to diversify its energy sources. In the past, various plans, including the Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan 2023,
28 December 2025, 02:00 AM
Tarique Rahman’s return and the weight of expectation
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s return to Bangladesh marks a new chapter in his political life—a new innings that also reflects a broader transition towards second-generation leadership in national politics.
27 December 2025, 06:00 AM
Election is not the real story, what counts is how it is conducted
By now, we all know that February 12 is election day, and BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s return after 17 years in exile has added December 25 as another date to remember.
27 December 2025, 05:00 AM
Why women’s financial literacy is a feminist issue
Bangladeshi women are very good with money. We stretch it, ration it, rescue households with it, and somehow still manage to make ends meet when the arithmetic refuses to cooperate.
27 December 2025, 04:00 AM
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
Temporary solutions do little to help Rohingya women
Every so often, news reports surface to remind us of the painfully perpetual existence of the Rohingya crisis in our very own backwaters.
25 December 2025, 03:00 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
‘Fire safety enforcement is harder without full-time magistrates’
With the number of fire-prone establishments in the country tripling within a year, questions have emerged about how effectively safety standards are being enforced.
24 December 2025, 05:00 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
Unchecked violence casts a shadow on our economy
The recent wave of violence has revealed a deeply worrying trend in public life.
23 December 2025, 02:00 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