Column by Mahfuz Anam: 35th anniversary of The Daily Star / When independent newspapers burn, so does democracy
24 April 2026, 00:00 AM
THE THIRD VIEW
Climate change demands a smarter approach to healthcare
4 hour(s) ago
Views
Interview / ‘Even BNP is not beyond ICT’s reach if it commits crimes against humanity’
8 hour(s) ago
Interviews
How to grow more rice without draining the land
23 April 2026, 08:00 AM
Views
Rethinking canal dredging to improve flood management
23 April 2026, 10:00 AM
Views
Ecocide is hard to litigate, but we must still demand accountability
23 April 2026, 12:00 PM
MIND THE GAP
Global buyers must share the cost in RMG’s green transition
23 April 2026, 09:00 AM
RMG NOTES
When a cartoon becomes a crime, again
22 April 2026, 08:00 AM
Views
Nutritional literacy can reduce healthcare costs in Bangladesh
22 April 2026, 13:00 PM
Views
How poor governance broke Bangladesh's immunisation model
22 April 2026, 10:00 AM
Views
When will the politics of burning people alive end?
Why haven't our law enforcers been able to identify those responsible for these arson attacks?
7 January 2024, 12:44 PM
The guilt that comes with voting at a farcical election
A first-time voter’s dilemma
7 January 2024, 10:00 AM
India’s Hindu ‘emperor’ wants a third term
India's upcoming election sees BJP's narrative shift to Hindu identity under PM Modi, prompting opposition emphasis on economic issues
7 January 2024, 02:00 AM
One more vote, one vote fewer: Why people will and won't go to polls
The Daily Star asked two young voters to explain their decisions as the 12th parliamentary election rolls out.
7 January 2024, 01:00 AM
The quest is for an opposition, not a government
Who will form the opposition is still a matter of speculation.
7 January 2024, 00:00 AM
What's the civil society's stake in strengthening democracy?
Our civil society leaders must step forward to address the prevailing political impasse in the country.
6 January 2024, 11:00 AM
Is Yunus’s sentencing an ominous message for foreign investors?
Surely, the manner of Yunus’s sentencing does not add to the broader investor confidence in Bangladesh, and the data points already are not promising.
6 January 2024, 05:10 AM
‘I Like America and America Likes Me’
On the eve of the national election, Shamsad Mortuza explores animal imagery as the myth of union and harmony across cultures.
6 January 2024, 04:00 AM
Economy hangs in the balance as Awami League hangs on to power
Despite decades of sustained GDP growth and improvements in social indicators, Bangladesh’s economy is now on a fragile footing.
6 January 2024, 03:00 AM
The price we pay with each deleted word
With each new term of the ruling regime, and each new provision or law, we have learnt a bit more of self-censorship.
6 January 2024, 02:00 AM
The AL cannot validate this farce of an election with intimidation
Since voters are reluctant to take part in this election, the ruling party has resorted to such measures.
5 January 2024, 13:51 PM
A concerning rise in income inequality
Money and politics have become deeply intertwined over the last few decades
5 January 2024, 04:00 AM
‘All that matters to AL is acquiring power.’
This election will push the whole country towards further uncertainty and close the door to constructive politics in Bangladesh.
5 January 2024, 02:00 AM
‘Even before the election, there is no question as to who the elected will be.’
By now, it is clear that the election this time around will be a one-sided affair.
5 January 2024, 01:30 AM
A ‘dummy-cratic’ election in democratic Bangladesh?
After the election is over, the meaning of democracy will change to mean coercion.
5 January 2024, 01:30 AM
‘I see no reason to call this an election.’
We already know that only a small group of experts will observe the election and that most major countries will not send their observers.
5 January 2024, 01:00 AM
‘Why would Awami League need to resort to rigging in this scenario?’
Awami League has no incentive to rig the election, and doubting this suggests a lack of rationality.
5 January 2024, 01:00 AM
Can BNP survive the pre-election meltdown?
BNP's retreat to the back foot amid mass arrests and convictions was as remarkable as it was rapid.
4 January 2024, 14:22 PM
What comes after January 7?
If AL’s victory in the 2014 election was a hollow one, the 2024 victory in the making is nothing short of a Pyrrhic one—a victory which inflicts so much damage that it cannot be considered worthwhile.
4 January 2024, 02:00 AM
What causes poverty to rise with ‘prosperity’?
A great majority of the world population today is not in control of their fate.
4 January 2024, 01:00 AM