Interactive / A Bank Held Hostage
DGFI ran the pickups. The central bank signed off. A board meeting in a hotel. Everyone did their job and a bank was taken over
A roadmap to amending the National Human Rights Commission Act 2009
16 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
The National Human Rights Commission Act 2009 was enacted to establish an independent National Human Rights Commission for the protection, promotion, and effective enforcement of human rights in Bangladesh in accordance with its constitutional and international obligations.
Youth network launched to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling
4 May 2026, 21:52 PM
Law & Our Rights
A university-level youth network comprising approximately 150 students from both public and private universities has been launched on 2 May 2026 to strengthen awareness and collective action against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) in Bangladesh.
Law Review / Reimagining legal aid in Bangladesh
22 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Legal access to justice continues to be a problem for many, especially for the marginalised, underprivileged, and those who suffer social exclusion.
Court Corridor / The writ on banning “Mangal Shobhajatra”
22 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Law Letter / On mental health rights protection in Bangladesh
22 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Law and War / Iran crisis and the nuances of enforcing force majeure clause
10 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Law Review / Our animal protection laws
10 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Law Letter / Regulating “visual pollution”
10 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Law Review / A review of the Commercial Court Ordinance 2026
1 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Rights Watch / Joli No’udim Hittei?- “Why shouldn’t I resist?”
1 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Law and Economics / On Competition Law and price-fixing
1 April 2026, 00:00 AM
Law & Our Rights
Law Views / Bail in our Criminal Justice System
25 March 2026, 00:43 AM
Law & Our Rights
Court Corridor / Is a Title Suit Barred during pendency of RoR preparation?
25 March 2026, 00:34 AM
Law & Our Rights
Football fever grips Dhaka
The wait lasted four years, or 1,460 days. On Thursday night, it finally ended. With the referee’s whistle, the World Cup, the “Greatest Show on Earth”, began.
From ‘basket case’ to billion-dollar borrower
When Bangladesh emerged from a bloody war of independence in 1971, the economy was devastated, institutions were fragile, and resources were scarce. Foreign grants became a lifeline for rebuilding the country.
11 hour(s) ago
Living between Google maps and gut feeling in Dhaka
If you try to make sense of Dhaka traffic using only logic and Google Maps, you will very quickly realise that the city has no particular interest in cooperating with either of them.
11 hour(s) ago
Tax law, zakat, and public welfare
Under Bangladesh’s taxation law, payment of zakat only operates as a deduction to taxable income instead of reducing the tax liability.
10 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Committal magistracy as solution to protracted trials?
Resolving a case in our country often takes years due to excessive case backlogs, shortage of judges and procedural delays.
10 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The need for coordinated investment governance framework in Bangladesh
Bangladesh has long sought to attract higher levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) to support industrialisation, export diversification, and economic transformation.
10 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Old Dhaka’s Narinda wasn't always called Narinda!
Our city dates back to pre-Mughal times; and Narinda, with this mosque, is a testament to that.
8 June 2026, 20:04 PM
Where rape happens: Inside homes, among familiar faces
Most rape incidents in Bangladesh do not happen in dark alleys or isolated streets. They occur in places people trust the most -- inside homes.
8 June 2026, 09:29 AM
From mangoes to lotkon: The generosity of Jyaishtha in Dhaka
My story today is of Jyaishtha, the second month of the Bangla calendar, sweetly tucked between May and June, and lovingly nicknamed mishti mash -- the sweet month. It is a season not just of fruit, but of affection, abundance, and the kind of cordiality that defines Bengali summer.
8 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Solar power lit up the chars, but not for long
Tiny home systems brought electricity to off-grid chars
6 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The romance of cash in a QR economy
I know it is the era of a cashless economy, and in Dhaka, like elsewhere, plastic money and electronic transfers underpin and replace physical cash.
4 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Brutal cases of sexual violence and a justice system in collapse
The mutilated body of Ramisa Akter, an 8-year-old child raped, murdered and beheaded, was recently found in the capital of Bangladesh whose Constitution promises right to life, equality, and protection to every citizen.
3 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Reviewing the separate judicial secretariat judgment
After the final hearing of the writ petition of Mohammad Saddam Hossen v Bangladesh (2025) case, the High Court Division (HCD) of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh (SCOB) directed the establishment of a separate secretariat for the Supreme Court within three months.
3 June 2026, 00:00 AM
The quiet tenderness of Eid in a restless Dhaka
Now that the Eid holidays are over and everyday routines -- schools, offices, and the familiar rhythm -- have begun, we are almost reluctantly rescheduling our lazy holiday hours.
2 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Budget 2026–27: Strengthening Investment in Social Sectors
UNICEF and The Daily Star, with support from the European Union, held a roundtable on April 12, 2026.
1 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Eid-ul‑Azha in Dhaka: What we eat, how we celebrate and what we are losing
Dhaka has two sides. New Dhaka is easy to spot with its branded cafés, high‑rise malls, glass towers, food courts, and co‑working spaces -- a city that looks like it is racing forward.
31 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Things I miss about Dhaka when away
It’s been more than a decade since I have moved in Dhaka. Since then, I have spent only a few days away from Dhaka, and it has become such that I feel more comfortable at Dhaka than anywhere else. Which is ironic because there is so much about this city that irks me.
30 May 2026, 00:00 AM
People who stay back in Dhaka on Eid
Every festival in Dhaka feels vibrant and full of life. The city embraces every celebration with warmth and enthusiasm. But Eid is different. It is a festival that calls people to be with their families, friends, and loved ones.
29 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Characters you meet on every Eid journey!
With Eid right around the corner, the rush of homebound people has begun. Regardless of your choice of transport, you will encounter a number of “characters” on your journey, and it’s not negotiable.
28 May 2026, 00:00 AM
Farashganj: The testimony of French trade in Puran Dhaka
The word "Farash" means French and "ganj" means market, and hence, the name of the locality stands as a testimony of the French people and their businesses in Dhaka during the olden times.
25 May 2026, 19:57 PM
From toxic waste to industrial resource
Bangladesh’s waste oil recycling industry is expanding, reducing imports and pollution
23 May 2026, 00:00 AM