Where teachers fear to tread
7 hour(s) ago
How Bangladesh lost leverage in cricket diplomacy
7 hour(s) ago
Bangladesh needs a national RSV vaccination strategy
7 hour(s) ago
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
The BBC’s speech-edit crisis and lessons for us
As a former BBC journalist, it is excruciating to watch heads roll over a lapse in editorial standards at an institution that thrived for 103 years in Britain.
17 November 2025, 05:00 AM
How India and Bangladesh are reinforcing each other’s extremes
When Sheikh Hasina's long reign finally ended in 2024, Bangladesh found itself at an uncertain crossroads not just of leadership but also of identity.
17 November 2025, 04:00 AM
If the state cannot govern, violence will
Bangladesh is facing a crisis that extends far beyond the headlines. The show of violence unfolding in many parts of the country is not simply a failure of security.
17 November 2025, 02:00 AM
Apathy and lack of legal protection endanger dwindling urban greenery
There is a 55-year-old, perhaps older, sheesham tree on a narrow stretch of municipal land behind our apartment building.
16 November 2025, 06:00 AM
Is Bangladesh at risk of losing the election information war?
The 2026 general election is not just an administrative task; it is a historic opportunity to redefine Bangladesh's democratic identity.
16 November 2025, 04:00 AM
The bureaucracy that outlived every regime
After the British left, bureaucracy emerged as the most powerful force in Pakistan.
16 November 2025, 02:00 AM
Reviving the RTI regime is essential for our democratic journey
Will our political parties commit to safeguarding and revitalising RTI as a democratic instrument?
15 November 2025, 06:00 AM
Women journalists key to a strong, inclusive democracy
Journalism that does not reflect the diverse perspectives in society fails its duty to reflect reality
15 November 2025, 04:00 AM
Matarbari and Pangaon: Bridging the gap in our logistics chain
The Matarbari Deep-Sea Port promises to be a game-changer for the country's shipping and logistics landscape.
15 November 2025, 02:00 AM
What the BBC controversy tells us about Western media bias
The recent departure of BBC bosses Tim Davie and Deborah Turness is a masterclass in unspoken power dynamics. The headlines told a story of scandal and pressure. But if you listen closely, you hear the real plot twist: the story wasn’t about their journalism; it was about whom they offended..
14 November 2025, 06:00 AM
The president and the professor
Good ideas can emerge from anywhere and anyone. Confident political leaders search for the best ideas and embrace those. Politics should not get in the way.
14 November 2025, 05:00 AM
COP30: Why is gender justice still a footnote?
As the world gathers in Belém, Brazil, for the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a sobering truth becomes increasingly clear: the promise of gender justice as part of climate justice remains unfulfilled.
14 November 2025, 04:00 AM
Five hours of work, three hours of gratitude
Lately, my newsfeed has been ablaze with outrage over certain remarks by the head of Jamaat-e-Islami. His latest statement is that if his party comes to power, women will work for five hours but be paid for eight, with the employers footing five, the government kindly covering the other three.
14 November 2025, 02:00 AM
Old habits die hard? BNP’s response
An opinion piece titled "BNP's notes of dissent show that old habits die hard," published on October 29, 2025, in The Daily Star, has caught our attention.
13 November 2025, 06:00 AM
What’s happening at Dhaka airport is a symptom of deeper rot
There are few places in a country that so completely represent its image as an airport. It is both a threshold and a mirror, reflecting not just the physical state of a nation but the moral tone of its institutions. For Bangladesh, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) has long stood as that symbolic gateway—the first and last impression for millions who travel in and out of the country each year.
13 November 2025, 05:00 AM
Charting a new blueprint for shared opportunities
On October 23, 2025, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded successfully in Beijing. The meeting reviewed and adopted the "Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development," which lays out a grand blueprint for China's development from 2026 to 2030.
13 November 2025, 04:00 AM
We must distinguish between corrosive and constructive capital
Money moves more quickly than ever in the modern world. However, not all money is what it seems or claims to be. While some subtly advance hidden interests and undermine accountability, others create opportunity, institutions, and trust.
13 November 2025, 02:00 AM
Gaza ceasefire: The politics behind a fragile truce
When Donald Trump unveiled his latest peace proposal, arriving in Sharm el-Sheikh to mark the ceasefire between the Hamas and Israel, he declared it to be "the first real peace in the Middle East in 3,000 years," even hinting that a Nobel Peace Prize might be in the offing.
12 November 2025, 06:00 AM
Why we need self-reliant local governments
Every year, hundreds of municipalities across Bangladesh wait for approval from Dhaka before they can repair roads, install streetlights, or expand markets. These local government bodies remain caught in a cycle of dependency on central budget and oversight.
12 November 2025, 05:00 AM
Caring for caregivers: The missing link in disability support
The most profound acts of love often unfold in homes where a family member lives with a disability. In these homes, a woman—usually the mother, wife, or sister—becomes the entire infrastructure of care; a 24-hour lifeline that holds the household together.
12 November 2025, 04:00 AM