Is climate change intensifying fires in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh is facing a growing fire crisis. Data from the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence, compiled by Dataful, shows roughly 250,000 fires occurred nationwide between 1997 and 2018.
18 November 2025

It is time Bangladesh pursued inclusive growth

Emerging from the ruins of the war of independence in 1971 with a devastated economy, Bangladesh has gradually transformed into a vibrant lower-middle-income country.
18 November 2025

COP30 must confront the climate displacement crisis

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) started on November 10, 2025 and will continue till November 21 in Belem, Brazil.
17 November 2025

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

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

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

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

Full pay, half freedom, complete upheaval

Apparently, salvation for Bangladeshi women has arrived. Jamaat-e-Islami has declared that, under their rule, women will work five hours a day and still receive a full day's pay. Employers will pay for five, and the government will foot the bill for the remaining three.
16 November 2025

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

The bureaucracy that outlived every regime

After the British left, bureaucracy emerged as the most powerful force in Pakistan.
16 November 2025

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

The China pivot for our students deserves a deeper look

The rise of international students in China tells a lot about the changing educational landscape.
15 November 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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