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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LIVEWhy are we still struggling to make health insurance work?
Women built the RMG might. Now they are losing ground
Citizens have already answered the ‘amendment or reform’ question
Gazipur Agricultural University wins patent for jackfruit seed nutrition technology
National & Politics
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Technology cannot compensate for the missing trust in land offices
Ask anyone in Dhaka who has tried to transfer a plot of inherited land what the hardest part was, and the answer will be: the paperwork. A family sells a parcel, signs the deed, pays the registration fee, and then discovers the real ordeal is still ahead: getting the khatian (record of rights) updated to reflect the new owner. This second step, called mutation, is where months disappear, where “processing fees” gradually turn into bribes, and where a legitimate transaction can stall for reasons no one will put in writing.
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.
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.
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.
Capital markets gain momentum following the central bank's updated monetary policy guidelines and targeted export incentives.
Business & Economy
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Reading Dhaka's waterlogging through the life of commodities
3 months ago
Madhupur pineapple prices crash as rain, flood dampen demand
3 months ago
Unlocking the full potential of Bangladesh's national laboratory institute
3 months ago
Salinity’s silent intrusion
3 months ago
Lifestyle & Perspective
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3 months ago
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.
3 months ago
BB issues guidelines to link local banks with foreign payment providers
Bangladesh Bank has introduced a bank-intermediated framework to link local banks with foreign payment providers, modernising the payment ecosystem, boosting digital financial inclusion, and supporting the growing trade in services.
3 months ago
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.
Education & Career
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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.
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
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.
3 months 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.
Tech & Innovation
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3 months ago
Presidential election: EC to meet acting Speaker tomorrow
The full Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, will meet acting Speaker Kayser Kamal tomorrow to discuss the upcoming presidential election.
Reading Dhaka's waterlogging through the life of commodities
Rain, floods damaged crops worth Tk 478cr
Red Sea shipping slows after Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia, data shows
High risk little readiness
Who writes the history of the July Uprising?
Culture & Entertainment
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Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury and the idea of Bangladesh
Women built the RMG might. Now they are losing ground
Bengal's forgotten slave trade: Portuguese, Arakanese and Dutch trafficking networks
SC stays HC orders barring shown arrests without specific allegations
Health & Wellbeing
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3 held over alleged attempted rape on moving bus in Ashulia
Police have arrested three people, including a bus driver and his helper, in connection with the attempted rape of a woman on a moving bus in Ashulia.
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.
The strange grief of seeing our parents age
It was an ordinary night, like countless others before it. I went to bed expecting nothing more than another routine morning. But before dawn, a knock on my bedroom door pulled me from a deep sleep. In the haze between sleep and wakefulness, I heard my mother calling my name. My first instinct was almost embarrassingly mundane.