Muzharul Islam and his spaces of belonging
1 hour(s) ago
In Focus
What sets Muzharul Islam apart is his commitment to social thinking.
Who protects women in Bangladesh's gig economy?
1 hour(s) ago
As Bangladesh's gig economy expands, women workers remain vulnerable to exploitation, insecurity, and persistent gaps in legal protection.
After 1,000 days of war, why peace in Gaza remains out of reach
13 July 2026, 13:07 PM
After 1,000 days of war, Gaza's peace process remains paralysed by occupation, political deadlock, and shifting international priorities.
Salinity and the unseen health burden in coastal Bangladesh
12 July 2026, 23:55 PM
Drinking water salinity in coastal Bangladesh drives an urgent public health crisis, directly threatening vulnerable maternal health.
Dhaka: How a city was planned to drown
12 July 2026, 17:12 PM
Dhaka waterlogging is driven by colonial urban planning that deliberately destroyed historic Dhaka canals and wetlands.
Interactive / The haor crisis explained
16 May 2026, 22:36 PM
The Haor Crisis
The crisis in the Haor region of north-eastern Bangladesh is explained in an interactive, Slow Reads Special.
Interactive: Bangladesh Labour History · 1881 - 2026 / Fight for Justice
30 April 2026, 20:55 PM
In Focus
This timeline traces key moments, documenting adversity and progress, and offering insight into the quest for justice.
Justice at work for all
30 April 2026, 20:02 PM
Slow Reads Special
The history of labour in Bangladesh is a story of struggle and resilience, as workers—from colonial plantations to modern garment factories—have shaped the nation’s economic and political trajectory.
The Price of Labour
23 April 2026, 18:32 PM
Slow Reads Special
Between 2005 and 2026, a series of industrial disasters have exposed persistent failures in workplace safety, regulatory oversight, and accountability.
The rise, decline and revival of Buddhism in Bengal
12 July 2026, 16:48 PM
In Focus
Buddhist customs, and the regions of Chittagong and southern Arakan State are recognised as areas where Buddhism has survived as a living tradition.
Two visions of Sulh-i Kul: Akbar and Dara Shukoh
10 July 2026, 00:01 AM
In Focus
Among the many concepts associated with the Mughal Empire, few have acquired as much resonance as ṣulḥ-i kul, literally "peace with all" or "universal peace".
Pachapdi Gazi, the 'Jim Corbett of Bengal', and the truth about Sundarbans 'man-eaters'
9 July 2026, 00:01 AM
In Focus
One thing Gazi made clear in his memoir is that the ‘man-eating’ habit of tigers is not natural because humans are not their natural prey.
Can Bangladesh’s 250 million tree pledge succeed?
11 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Big Picture
In the denuded hills of Betagi and Pomora in Chittagong, a quiet experiment began in the late 1970s.
Bonolata Sen's Natore: A topographic reading
10 July 2026, 00:03 AM
Big Picture
Jibanananda Das's Bonolata Sen exposes the poet's profound topographical yearning for a tranquil Bengali small town sanctuary.
When rain turns Dhaka's commute into a second job
9 July 2026, 14:28 PM
Monsoon Misery
Many Dhaka residents no longer express surprise when heavy rain leads to waterlogging and traffic paralysis.
Why Bangladesh’s children are in school but not learning
9 July 2026, 00:10 AM
Big Picture
Despite high primary school enrolment in Bangladesh, systemic institutional failures are driving a severe learning poverty crisis.
What Bangladesh lost with the Baibari Ghar
5 July 2026, 16:36 PM
Wisdom
The Baibari Ghar was one of the few genuinely democratic spaces the village had.
Why does the bride always leave? Rethinking South Asian marriage
26 June 2026, 08:30 AM
Wisdom
The question of why families have historically invested less in a daughter's education stops being a story about backward attitudes and becomes a story about incentives.
The saree I could not give away
24 June 2026, 19:13 PM
Wisdom
The saree reflects a portion of my life. It reminds me that the people we love exist beyond the moments we shared with them.
What the World Cup means for women in Bangladesh
23 June 2026, 08:30 AM
Wisdom
The way women experience the World Cup is often shaped by their responsibilities inside the home.
Bangladesh’s climate-displaced / From lost homes to life in Dhaka’s slums
11 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Unheard Voices
“We have no place to live in our homeland. The island where I was born and raised has abandoned us.
Buried by development: The human cost of river dredging in Dumuria
11 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Unheard Voices
In the heart of Baratia village in Dumuria, a young boy named Dipu lives hemmed in by towering mounds of wet, suffocating riverbed clay.
Char contracts: Surviving river erosion without the state
8 July 2026, 00:01 AM
Unheard Voices
For the people of the chars, a "contract" is not merely a legal document, it means assuming responsibility for one's own fate.
When extreme heat becomes a death trap for Bangladesh’s workers
6 July 2026, 00:10 AM
Unheard Voices
Extreme heat in Bangladesh constitutes a severe labour rights crisis demanding urgent occupational health and safety reforms.
The slow disappearance of Kuakata’s Rakhines
4 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Unheard Voices
Living in a state of mistrust with the wider society, they often fear that disclosing discrimination will only make them more vulnerable.
The cost of conservation in the Sundarbans
20 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Unheard Voices
Every year, the Sundarbans is closed to Bonojibis during June, July, and August, a period that coincides with the breeding season of fish and other aquatic species.
How Bangladesh should respond to China’s proposed corridor
12 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Geopolitical Insights
Since Bangladesh and China established diplomatic relations in 1975, the two countries have issued only two joint communiqués in the past fifty years: the first in 1975 and the second in 2005.
The future of Bangladesh–France strategic relations
12 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Geopolitical Insights
Every year on July 14, France celebrates its national day—Bastille Day. This day is dedicated to the ideals of freedom, citizenship, and republicanism.
Who benefits from renewed US-Iran hostilities?
9 July 2026, 14:21 PM
Geopolitical Insights
Renewed US-Iran tensions threaten regional stability, global energy security, and fragile diplomacy, making restraint and dialogue more urgent than ever.
Can India and Pakistan still make peace?
7 July 2026, 15:24 PM
Geopolitical Insights
A deepening democratic deficit and sharp military escalations leave India-Pakistan peace advocates facing an intractable, complex reality.
Prelude to an order for genocide
18 March 2026, 10:00 AM
Slow Reads Classics
AS President Yahya flew out of Dacca on the night of March 25 he took with him the last hopes of a united Pakistan. For the final two days he had been holed up in the Dacca cantonment with the junta of generals who rule Pakistan, putting the finishing touches to Operation Genocide.
Bangabandhu and the world
17 March 2026, 19:28 PM
Slow Reads Classics
As a professional diplomat, I saw Bangabandhu as a symbol of Bangladesh's freedom and independence.
In Focus / The untold history of why Khaleda Zia entered politics
30 December 2025, 11:53 AM
In Focus
Why did Khaleda Zia, a typical housewife who had become widow at a critical age in terms of Bangladesh's culture, join politics?