Jordan Intercepts Iranian Missiles Following Joint U.S. and Saudi Strikes in Iraq
Jordanian air defenses shot down five Iranian ballistic missiles following joint U.S. and Saudi air operations against militia positions in Iraq. The renewed clashes disrupt a short-lived pause in hostilities, putting global energy transit through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea at further risk.
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LIVEBRAC Bank's Q2 profit jumps 73% on higher investment income
Our digital evidence framework must evolve with AI
Madhupur pineapple prices crash as rain, flood dampen demand
Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury and the idea of Bangladesh
National & Politics
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Jordan Intercepts Iranian Missiles Following Joint U.S. and Saudi Strikes in Iraq
Jordanian air defenses shot down five Iranian ballistic missiles following joint U.S. and Saudi air operations against militia positions in Iraq. The renewed clashes disrupt a short-lived pause in hostilities, putting global energy transit through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea at further risk.
Tigers and the empire: A history of hunting, power and resistance
“When a man wants to murder a tiger, he calls it sport; when a tiger wants to murder him, he calls it ferocity.”
Bengal's forgotten slave trade: Portuguese, Arakanese and Dutch trafficking networks
We tend to equate economic growth with social and political vitality in conventional history-writing, but this was not the case in southeast Bengal. Environmental pressures led to a social crisis in the seventeenth century, manifested through slave raids by a Portuguese-Arakanese combine (Magh). Subsequent slave trading by Arakan and Portugal, and later by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), unveiled the paradox of social breakdown during a period of economic growth, as the active delta generated new rice-producing lands.
Reading Dhaka's waterlogging through the life of commodities
Every year, monsoon showers invariably turn stretches of Dhaka into shallow, stubborn lakes. You see rickshaw-pullers wading knee-deep through Green Road, office-goers abandoning footpaths for the middle of the street and, by evening, social media filling up with photographs of a submerged Bijoy Sarani, a stalled bus in Mirpur, or a child paddling a plastic tub past a tea stall. We call it a drainage problem, an engineering failure, a monsoon inevitability. It is all of these. But if we look a little closer—with the eyes of an anthropologist rather than an engineer—Dhaka’s waterlogging tells a different story about the strange, unfinished lives of the things we buy, use, and throw away.
Capital markets gain momentum following the central bank's updated monetary policy guidelines and targeted export incentives.
Business & Economy
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Tigers and the empire: A history of hunting, power and resistance
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Study finds microplastics in 3 out of 4 toothpaste samples
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Our forestry policy must be rooted in local evidence
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Lifestyle & Perspective
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We need stronger digital systems to seize the China-plus-one opportunity
Between April and June last year alone, Bangladesh received more than $53 million in fresh Chinese investment, nearly $30 million of it flowing straight into textiles. More than twenty apparel factories here now carry Chinese capital, some brand new, others leased from local owners squeezed for capacity. This is not an act of charity, but a calculation. Faced with tariff pressures in their largest markets, Chinese manufacturers are doing what manufacturers have historically done when the math no longer adds up: relocating their production bases. The question is whether Bangladesh is actually built to catch the shift.
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Study finds microplastics in 3 out of 4 toothpaste samples
Microplastics were detected in 26 of 34 toothpaste samples tested in Bangladesh according to a new study, raising serious concerns about potential risks to human health and the environment.
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Our digital evidence framework must evolve with AI
In Bangladesh, a person may be criminally liable based on digital evidence in the form of CCTV footage, WhatsApp conversations, Facebook posts, and so on. These are all admissible in legal proceedings. The recent investigation into the death of HSC candidate Nuzshat Jahan in Rangpur illustrates this clearly, wherein police relied on call records, CCTV footage, and witness statements to identify and arrest the accused in an abetment to suicide case.
Education & Career
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1 month ago
High risk little readiness
Dhaka has long expanded faster than it has planned. Wetlands have been filled, low-lying areas built over, and high-rises have been raised that may not withstand a major earthquake. In the final instalment of a six-part series, Star examines whether Bangladesh is ready to face a major quake despite years of studies, investments, and preparedness efforts.
1 month ago
Why are we still struggling to make health insurance work?
Bangladesh has committed itself to achieving universal health coverage (UHC), ensuring that everyone can access necessary health services without suffering financial hardship. Yet, out-of-pocket payments continue to finance most healthcare, forcing families to borrow money, sell assets, or forego treatment altogether. Recognising this challenge, the government’s Health Care Financing Strategy identified health insurance as a key instrument to reduce out-of-pocket spending and accelerate progress towards UHC. More than a decade later, however, the country remains at the pilot stage.
1 month ago
BMD forecasts five days of rain, heavy downpours
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast widespread rainfall across the country over the next five days, with moderate to very heavy downpours expected in places due to an active monsoon and a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.
1 month ago
Rain, floods damaged crops worth Tk 478cr
Hanif Chowkidar, a farmer in Patuakhali’s Galachipa upazila, had planned to cultivate Aman paddy on 5.26 hectares this season. He spent around Tk 22,000 on four maunds (1 maund = 37.32kg) of seed and prepared a seedbed.
Tech & Innovation
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1 month ago
BMD forecasts five days of rain, heavy downpours
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast widespread rainfall across the country over the next five days, with moderate to very heavy downpours expected in places due to an active monsoon and a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.
Rain, floods damaged crops worth Tk 478cr
25th The Daily Star Prime Bank O&A Level Awards 2026
How violence against women is normalised in Bangladesh's chars
THE UNPUBLISHED INQUIRY
Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury and the idea of Bangladesh
Culture & Entertainment
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Technology cannot compensate for the missing trust in land offices
Study finds microplastics in 3 out of 4 toothpaste samples
Kafrul Swechchhasebak Dal leader hired hitmen to kill Jubo Dal rival: DB
How violence against women is normalised in Bangladesh's chars
Health & Wellbeing
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Tottenham vs Sydney FC: How to Watch, Kick-off Time, and Streaming Details
Tottenham Hotspur wrap up their pre-season trip in Australia with a clash against A-League side Sydney FC. Here’s everything you need to know about where to stream the action, kick-off times, and key team updates ahead of the game.
Study finds microplastics in 3 out of 4 toothpaste samples
Microplastics were detected in 26 of 34 toothpaste samples tested in Bangladesh according to a new study, raising serious concerns about potential risks to human health and the environment.
The narcotics trail: Traffickers tap 105 border points across 18 districts
Bangladesh faces a growing drug crisis, with an estimated 8.2 million users. As the country does not produce narcotics, most are smuggled in from abroad. In a four-part series, The Daily Star explores the trafficking routes, the threats and the impacts of drug abuse. The first instalment looks at the key entry points.