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Bangladesh

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Bangladesh. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Dhaka

Head of State

President Mohammed Shahabuddin

Head of Government

Chief Adviser of the Interim Government Muhammad Yunus

Pakistan is the only country besides China known to possess the J-10C fighter. Photo: CCTV

China's military weapons

China’s J-10CE jets defeat Eurofighters 9-0 in mock battles, CCTV confirms

While state broadcaster does not identify the drill, details appear to match a 2024 exercise in Qatar involving Pakistan.

6 hours ago

India

Bangladesh turns to China for Teesta river project, testing India ties

16 May 2026 - 1:30PM

Climate change

Opinion | How bad water management is turning up the heat on South Asia

14 May 2026 - 6:00AMvideocam

Reproductive health

Delivery pains hamper Bangladesh’s family planning efforts

Nearly a third of districts in one of the world’s most densely populated countries are experiencing a shortage of condoms and contraceptives.

13 May 2026 - 2:07PMvideocam

A pharmacy worker arranges packets of condoms in Dhaka on April 27. Photo: AFP

Climate change

‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash

Experts warn the heat could increase the risk of localised flooding, put pressure on drainage systems and threaten agricultural production.

13 May 2026 - 4:10PM

Science

Why are China’s coastal fish farms disappearing while India’s are expanding?

China’s coastal aquaculture ponds span the largest area in the world but they are shrinking – and that is a good thing.

8 May 2026 - 5:00PM

Science

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

As the Hormuz blockade cuts off vital agricultural inputs, Food and Agriculture Organization official views China as key food security partner.

7 May 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Blockades in the Strait of Hormuz have sent the price of urea – a widely used nitrogen-based fertiliser – soaring in the US and Brazil, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Photo: Handout via Reuters

India

What the BJP’s historic West Bengal victory means for Modi’s India

Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition now controls roughly 70 per cent of India’s state legislatures, giving him a historic grip on power.

6 May 2026 - 7:00PM

Asean

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

6 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Travel Safety

Hero or reckless? Bangladeshi man saving baby on train tracks divides opinion

Some social media users question how the man could have dropped his son just as they were getting off the moving train.

4 May 2026 - 6:22PM

A Bangladeshi man jumped onto the train tracks to shield his baby with his body, sparking both praise and debate about his actions. Photo: Handout

Natural disasters

Child, newlywed among 14 killed by lightning in Bangladesh

Lightning kills ‌hundreds of people every year in ⁠Bangladesh, which ⁠declared lightning strikes a natural disaster in 2016.

27 Apr 2026 - 3:39PM

A gust of wind blows dust and leaves into the air as a storm approaches after a heat wave in Dhaka. Photo: Reuters

Crime

Roommate charged with murder of 2 Bangladeshi PhD students in US

Hisham Abugharbieh lived with Zamil Limon, whose remains have been found; Limon’s girlfriend, Nahida Bristy, is still missing.

26 Apr 2026 - 2:30AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war is tearing polyester fabric of fast fashion – and shoes could be next

Conflict-driven oil price spikes are straining Asia’s polyester supply chain, threatening higher costs for firms like Zara and H&M.

25 Apr 2026 - 3:18PMvideocam

India

Chinese drone discovery sharpens focus on Asia’s undersea security race

Experts say India is playing ‘steady catch-up’ in boosting undersea surveillance, while Southeast Asian nations’ capabilities differ widely.

24 Apr 2026 - 7:27PM

South and Southeast Asian nations are stepping up capabilities to boost undersea surveillance and defend deep-sea cables, analysts say. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysia

Bangladeshi YouTuber’s death sparks mourning amid Malaysia’s DUI crisis

Muzahid Millad was killed in a crash involving an allegedly drunk Malaysian soldier, prompting calls for justice and stricter laws.

24 Apr 2026 - 1:10PM

Bangladeshi YouTuber Muzahid Millad was killed in a crash on a Malaysian expressway on Wednesday. Photo: Facebook/AdvanceGaming

India

A Delhi-Dhaka thaw? India opens door to Sheikh Hasina extradition talks

The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says.

24 Apr 2026 - 3:44PMvideocam

Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

22 Apr 2026 - 5:06PM

Malaysia

‘Some make it, some die’: why more Rohingya risk sea escapes to Malaysia

Dwindling food aid and growing desperation force thousands of refugees in Bangladesh to undertake perilous sea crossings to Southeast Asia.

21 Apr 2026 - 11:58AMvideocam

Rohingya refugees wait to be rescued from the hull of their capsized boat in waters off west Aceh in 2024. Photo: AFP

European Union

Europe running low on jet fuel, stoking fears of flight cancellations

IEA executive director Birol said the Hormuz blockade-induced energy crisis will hit nations including Japan, China and India harder.

16 Apr 2026 - 7:44PMvideocam

Rohingya Muslims

Video | Hundreds missing after Rohingya boat sinks

Families fear for lives of hundreds missing after boat sinks in what the United Nations said was related to overcrowding and storms in the Andaman Sea.

16 Apr 2026 - 6:14PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

14 Apr 2026 - 6:09PM

A liquefied natural gas tanker is seen at a port in Yokohama, Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, on April 8. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

UN warns 8 million in Asia-Pacific risk poverty if Iran war drags on

A new UNDP report has forecast job losses, crippling inflation and food insecurity, with the poorest nations brutally exposed to the oil shock.

14 Apr 2026 - 5:26PM

A farmer sprinkles fertiliser on crops in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on April 9. Experts have warned that the fertiliser crunch across Asia-Pacific may have lasting effects. Photo: AFP

The Philippines

Manila vs Hong Kong: the 2 sides of Asia’s housing affordability crisis

Asia is home to 60 per cent of the world’s slum dwellers and some of the planet’s most expensive real estate.

12 Apr 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

World Health Organization (WHO)

Vaccine coverage gaps spur Bangladesh’s deadly measles outbreak

Health authorities launched an emergency vaccine campaign on Sunday, with UN agencies aiming to protect more than 1.2 million children.

11 Apr 2026 - 7:18PM

Nepal

Nepal’s school fee crackdown upends South Asian private education norms

Nepal wants private schools to charge less and be more transparent. It could backfire, industry insiders say.

14 Apr 2026 - 9:15AM

School students watch news about Balendra Shah, Nepal’s new prime minister, on a mobile phone in Kathmandu last month. Photo: EPA

India

Russia tempts energy-starved South Asia with 40% discounts on US-sanctioned LNG

China- and Russia-based intermediaries are reportedly also providing paperwork to make it appear that the fuel comes from legitimate sources.

9 Apr 2026 - 1:37PMvideocam

A tanker loads its cargo of liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 project in the port of Prigorodnoye, Russia, in October 2021. Photo: AP

Africa

Opinion | Beijing’s supply-chain hedging strategy can help African food security

While governments must avoid swapping one dependency for another, Beijing’s inroads could help enhance food security efforts.

8 Apr 2026 - 9:55PMvideocam

Measles outbreak

Video | Measles outbreak spreads in Bangladesh

Nearly 100 children have died in recent weeks as the outbreak hits 30 regions.

8 Apr 2026 - 7:59PM

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Bangladesh

China’s J-10CE jets defeat Eurofighters 9-0 in mock battles, CCTV confirms

While state broadcaster does not identify the drill, details appear to match a 2024 exercise in Qatar involving Pakistan.

Bangladesh turns to China for Teesta river project, testing India ties

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | How bad water management is turning up the heat on South Asia

Delivery pains hamper Bangladesh’s family planning efforts

Nearly a third of districts in one of the world’s most densely populated countries are experiencing a shortage of condoms and contraceptives.

‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash

Experts warn the heat could increase the risk of localised flooding, put pressure on drainage systems and threaten agricultural production.

Why are China’s coastal fish farms disappearing while India’s are expanding?

China’s coastal aquaculture ponds span the largest area in the world but they are shrinking – and that is a good thing.

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

As the Hormuz blockade cuts off vital agricultural inputs, Food and Agriculture Organization official views China as key food security partner.

What the BJP’s historic West Bengal victory means for Modi’s India

Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition now controls roughly 70 per cent of India’s state legislatures, giving him a historic grip on power.

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

Hero or reckless? Bangladeshi man saving baby on train tracks divides opinion

Some social media users question how the man could have dropped his son just as they were getting off the moving train.

Child, newlywed among 14 killed by lightning in Bangladesh

Lightning kills ‌hundreds of people every year in ⁠Bangladesh, which ⁠declared lightning strikes a natural disaster in 2016.

Roommate charged with murder of 2 Bangladeshi PhD students in US

Hisham Abugharbieh lived with Zamil Limon, whose remains have been found; Limon’s girlfriend, Nahida Bristy, is still missing.

Iran war is tearing polyester fabric of fast fashion – and shoes could be next

Conflict-driven oil price spikes are straining Asia’s polyester supply chain, threatening higher costs for firms like Zara and H&M.

Chinese drone discovery sharpens focus on Asia’s undersea security race

Experts say India is playing ‘steady catch-up’ in boosting undersea surveillance, while Southeast Asian nations’ capabilities differ widely.

Bangladeshi YouTuber’s death sparks mourning amid Malaysia’s DUI crisis

Muzahid Millad was killed in a crash involving an allegedly drunk Malaysian soldier, prompting calls for justice and stricter laws.

A Delhi-Dhaka thaw? India opens door to Sheikh Hasina extradition talks

The former Bangladeshi leader and close Indian ally remains ‘a strategic asset for Delhi’, an analyst says.

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

‘Some make it, some die’: why more Rohingya risk sea escapes to Malaysia

Dwindling food aid and growing desperation force thousands of refugees in Bangladesh to undertake perilous sea crossings to Southeast Asia.

Europe running low on jet fuel, stoking fears of flight cancellations

IEA executive director Birol said the Hormuz blockade-induced energy crisis will hit nations including Japan, China and India harder.

.css-1t72pn8{color:#C79A00;}Video | Hundreds missing after Rohingya boat sinks

Families fear for lives of hundreds missing after boat sinks in what the United Nations said was related to overcrowding and storms in the Andaman Sea.

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

UN warns 8 million in Asia-Pacific risk poverty if Iran war drags on

A new UNDP report has forecast job losses, crippling inflation and food insecurity, with the poorest nations brutally exposed to the oil shock.

Manila vs Hong Kong: the 2 sides of Asia’s housing affordability crisis

Asia is home to 60 per cent of the world’s slum dwellers and some of the planet’s most expensive real estate.

Vaccine coverage gaps spur Bangladesh’s deadly measles outbreak

Health authorities launched an emergency vaccine campaign on Sunday, with UN agencies aiming to protect more than 1.2 million children.

Nepal’s school fee crackdown upends South Asian private education norms

Nepal wants private schools to charge less and be more transparent. It could backfire, industry insiders say.

Russia tempts energy-starved South Asia with 40% discounts on US-sanctioned LNG

China- and Russia-based intermediaries are reportedly also providing paperwork to make it appear that the fuel comes from legitimate sources.

Opinion | Beijing’s supply-chain hedging strategy can help African food security

While governments must avoid swapping one dependency for another, Beijing’s inroads could help enhance food security efforts.

Video | Measles outbreak spreads in Bangladesh

Nearly 100 children have died in recent weeks as the outbreak hits 30 regions.

Opinion | How bad water management is turning up the heat on South Asia

Video | Hundreds missing after Rohingya boat sinks