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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LIVEStudy finds microplastics in 3 out of 4 toothpaste samples
Reading Dhaka's waterlogging through the life of commodities
Chattogram's listed 'top criminal' David Emon arrested in Jashore
BB issues guidelines to link local banks with foreign payment providers
National & Politics
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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.
A trillion-dollar ambition needs a stronger investment climate
The other day, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman reaffirmed his government’s commitment to transforming Bangladesh into a $1 trillion economy by 2034. While the ambition is welcome, there is a policy puzzle that needs to be encountered: how will the economy double in size when domestic private investment has weakened, foreign direct investment remains modest, and many existing businesses are reluctant to expand? Private investment fell to 22.03 percent of GDP in FY2024-25, its lowest level in 11 years. Net FDI recovered to $1.77 billion in 2025, but this was less than 0.4 percent of an economy estimated at around $510 billion. Even the recovery deserves to be viewed with caution, since it was driven mainly by reinvested earnings and intra-company loans, while new equity investment increased only marginally.
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.
Gazipur Agricultural University wins patent for jackfruit seed nutrition technology
Researchers at Gazipur Agricultural University (GAU) have secured a patent for a technology that converts jackfruit seeds into a concentrated mineral-rich food ingredient, an innovation that could help improve nutrition and reduce food waste.
Capital markets gain momentum following the central bank's updated monetary policy guidelines and targeted export incentives.
Business & Economy
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Salinity creeps deeper into southwest
1 month ago
Madhupur pineapple prices crash as rain, flood dampen demand
1 month ago
Study finds microplastics in 3 out of 4 toothpaste samples
1 month ago
Rain, floods damaged crops worth Tk 478cr
1 month ago
Lifestyle & Perspective
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1 month ago
Chattogram port’s empty-container problem needs more than quick fixes
A recent dispute over empty containers at Chattogram port has brought to renewed focus a deeper problem in Bangladesh’s trade logistics system: when legitimate interests collide, there is no neutral, technically competent authority to resolve the situation.
1 month ago
Unlocking the full potential of Bangladesh's national laboratory institute
When a physician prescribes treatment, almost every clinical decision depends on one fundamental assumption—that the laboratory report is accurate. An incorrect laboratory result can lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, delayed intervention, unnecessary healthcare costs, and even preventable deaths. Modern healthcare, therefore, relies on laboratory medicine not merely as a support service but as the foundation of safe and effective clinical decision-making.
1 month ago
Will there be no end to this farce?
It is deeply concerning that illegal sand extraction continues unabated inside the Ramgarh-Sitakunda Reserve Forest despite repeated enforcement drives by the Forest Department. According to a report by this daily, authorities conducted at least 21 raids between June 2025 and May 2026, seizing excavators, dredgers, trucks, and more than 1,07,000 cubic feet of illegally extracted sand, while arresting six people. Unfortunately, these drives have failed to stop the illegal trade, as the miners return to the same areas soon after the raids. This shows that the authorities’ approach has failed to make any lasting impact.
Education & Career
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1 month ago
I spent two years learning AI, then another year unlearning it
I spent two years learning about artificial intelligence-based tools. I read the papers, tested out the models, attended the workshops, built prompts, compared outputs, and watched each new release with the excitement of someone witnessing the future unfold in real time. Like many people working close to technology, I believed AI would become the defining aspect for our generation.
1 month ago
SSC, equivalent results to be published on August 10
The results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations 2026 will be published simultaneously across Bangladesh on August 10, the Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee announced today.
1 month 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.
1 month ago
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.
Tech & Innovation
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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.
Study finds microplastics in 3 out of 4 toothpaste samples
THE UNPUBLISHED INQUIRY
Onion growers breathe easier as prices rebound
Defeating digital violence against women requires a unified front
Unlocking the full potential of Bangladesh's national laboratory institute
Culture & Entertainment
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Rain, floods damaged crops worth Tk 478cr
Unlocking the full potential of Bangladesh's national laboratory institute
SSC, equivalent results to be published on August 10
Tottenham vs Sydney FC: How to Watch, Kick-off Time, and Streaming Details
Health & Wellbeing
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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.
How violence against women is normalised in Bangladesh's chars
On the shifting sandbanks of Bangladesh’s Jamuna River, life is lived on the edge—geographically, economically, and socially. These river islands, known as chars, appear and disappear with the rhythm of the monsoon. Entire communities are built, eroded, and rebuilt again, often many times within a single lifetime. For those who live here, instability is not an exception but a condition of existence. Yet beneath the visible cycles of flood and displacement lies another, less visible crisis—one that is deeply embedded in everyday life and rarely addressed: violence against women.
Politics and religion has now gotten mixed with support for WC team: Kazi Sabir
"We are ruining our relationships because of Ronaldo and Messi."