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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LIVEHow violence against women is normalised in Bangladesh's chars
The narcotics trail: Traffickers tap 105 border points across 18 districts
Chattogram port’s empty-container problem needs more than quick fixes
Will there be no end to this farce?
National & Politics
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Iran says no current negotiations with US
Iran's foreign ministry on Monday said it was not currently involved in negotiations with the United States, despite a halt in recent fighting between the two sides.
BGMEA, BKMEA seek uninterrupted CNG supply for garment factories
Garment exporters have demanded an uninterrupted supply of gas from CNG (compressed natural gas) filling stations to help address the energy crisis.
Gas crisis strikes paracetamol API, other industries
A worsening gas crisis has significantly slashed domestic production of paracetamol API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) while also severely disrupting production at factories across Bangladesh’s manufacturing sector.
Women built the RMG might. Now they are losing ground
When Nasima got a text from her employer during the Eid holidays, she expected another routine message. Instead, it told her she had been fired.
Capital markets gain momentum following the central bank's updated monetary policy guidelines and targeted export incentives.
Business & Economy
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Chattogram's listed 'top criminal' David Emon arrested in Jashore
3 months ago
Our digital evidence framework must evolve with AI
3 months ago
The strange grief of seeing our parents age
3 months ago
Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury and the idea of Bangladesh
3 months ago
Lifestyle & Perspective
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3 months ago
Citizens have already answered the ‘amendment or reform’ question
In his column published on July 24, titled “July charter implementation: Growing distance between BNP and the opposition is worrisome,” The Daily Star’s Editor Mahfuz Anam voiced a concern every democrat shares: that the hard-won consensus of our post-uprising transition is fraying. He is right to worry. But his prescription—for the opposition to join the government’s special committee on constitutional amendment and hold its objections in reserve—rests on a premise I must respectfully contest: that the choice between “amendment” and “reform” remains open for negotiation. It does not. The people closed that question on February 12, 2026.
3 months ago
Kafrul Swechchhasebak Dal leader hired hitmen to kill Jubo Dal rival: DB
A Kafrul Thana Swechchhasebak Dal leader allegedly hired a group of contract killers from Magura to assassinate a local Jubo Dal leader over a long-running turf war, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police claimed today.
3 months 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.
Education & Career
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3 months ago
Salinity’s silent intrusion
The alarming rate of salinity intrusion in southwestern coastal Bangladesh has emerged as a serious threat to nearly 4.4 crores people living in the coastal region. According to a report published in this newspaper, the speed and extent of salinity expansion across 18 of the country's 19 coastal districts demonstrate that the crisis demands urgent attention. The findings of the government-run Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers to take effective measures to address this evolving crisis.
3 months ago
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.
3 months ago
Onion growers breathe easier as prices rebound
Onion farmers in several major producing districts have been grappling with low prices and mounting losses for months. But wholesale prices have risen by as much as twofold in some areas over the past two weeks, bringing much-needed relief to growers.
3 months ago
Gazi Nazrul’s case raises bigger questions for parliament
The controversy surrounding Satkhira-4 MP Gazi Nazrul Islam poses two questions that must not be confused. Can Jamaat-e-Islami, by expelling him, make his parliamentary seat vacant? And can parliament ignore any serious misconduct merely because no express ground for disqualification has yet arisen? Under the law, the first answer is no. In a credible democracy, the second must also be no.
Tech & Innovation
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3 months ago
Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury and the idea of Bangladesh
This 22nd of July marked the birth centenary of my father, Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury. I harbour no illusions that he would have lived this long in the normal course of events, however. The men on my father’s side of the family tend to be notoriously short-lived; his father died when he was nine, both his brothers passed away in their fifties, and even my only brother, his older son, left us when he was 47. But my father did not die a natural death. He was abducted on 14 December 1971, just two days before his country’s victory in one of the bloodiest liberation wars of the twentieth century, and tortured, bayoneted and shot to death in the early hours of 15 December, along with many other pre-eminent intellectuals of the land.
Unlocking the full potential of Bangladesh's national laboratory institute
BMD forecasts five days of rain, heavy downpours
Defeating digital violence against women requires a unified front
The strange grief of seeing our parents age
Presidential election: EC to meet acting Speaker tomorrow
Culture & Entertainment
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Jordan Intercepts Iranian Missiles Following Joint U.S. and Saudi Strikes in Iraq
Reports of Tk 120cr VAT evasion by Transcom unsubstantiated
Women built the RMG might. Now they are losing ground
Presidential election: EC to meet acting Speaker tomorrow
Health & Wellbeing
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Iran says no current negotiations with US
Iran's foreign ministry on Monday said it was not currently involved in negotiations with the United States, despite a halt in recent fighting between the two sides.
Who writes the history of the July Uprising?
Every mass uprising has two histories. One is written in the language of power; the other is preserved in the memories of the people who lived it. The first is established quickly, as states, governments, or newly empowered political actors construct a narrative that legitimises their authority. The second emerges more gradually—from eyewitness accounts, organisational records, news reports, and the lived experiences of those who occupied the streets. For that reason, the struggle that follows a popular uprising is never confined to control of the state. It is also a struggle over political memory. Those who seek to consolidate power often attempt to monopolise that memory, reducing a complex collective experience to a single official story.
Our forestry policy must be rooted in local evidence
The government ban on exotic tree species such as eucalyptus and acacia during the current planting season has sparked debate among the public, policymakers, and forestry professionals in both mainstream and social media platforms. Supporters argue that these fast-growing species are vital for timber production and rural livelihoods. Critics, however, see them as ecological risks that should be replaced with native alternatives.