It is indeed good news that Bangladesh climbed two spots (index score is out of 100 where a higher score is better) in the global Corruption Perceptions Index 2017. Of course that's nothing to write home about since we scored 28 out of 100, where the global average is 43.

Findings of a study jointly conducted by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and two other organisations show that approximately 43 percent of the country's total population, that is around 81 million people, would be living in the urban areas by 2029.

Security at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) was breached on two consecutive days recently. On February 18, a police sub-inspector (SI) managed to pass through all checkpoints and board a Bangkok-bound flight, and the very next day, a customs officer on pre-retirement leave managed to pass through the security checks. These could not have occurred at a worse time for us. We just managed to get a two-year ban on direct cargo flights

The report that Myanmar is 'bulldozing' Rohingya mass grave to hide evidence of killing comes as no surprise to us. It is only natural the perpetrators of genocide will try to cover up following the exposés that appeared in the media.

Faced with extortion from criminals who demanded protection money from Chak families to continue to live in their ancestral homes in

The logic of the education ministry taking one hasty decision after another in a spate of few weeks to stop the leakage of SSC question

We agree with the prime minister that it is up to a political party to take part in the polls and that nothing can be done if it chooses not to do so. However, we feel that the matter is more intricate than the prime minister's remarks suggest. It is our belief that as the ruling party, and one that is running the government, AL has also some responsibilities in ensuring a participatory and fair election.

Today we pay homage to those who had laid down their lives on this very same day, back in 1952, in defence of our mother tongue, setting an example the likes of which the world has never witnessed. Their great sacrifice did not go in vain, as it was their call to the Bangalis to stand up for their right to speak their own language that had, in essence, inspired a whole series of events, including the education

We welcome the UK government's decision to fully withdraw the two-year-long ban on direct cargo flights from Dhaka to London with immediate effect.

The comments of a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) at a recent police conference show the prevalence of corruption in the postings of officers-in-charge and sub-inspectors. According to the DC, prospective OCs have to pay amounts as high as Tk 30 lakh to Tk 1.5 crore for their postings. The amount of bribes for transfers of sub-inspector also goes into the lakhs.

Ameritorious student of Dhaka University, Ehsan Rafiq, was a victim of some BCL cadres' wrath.

We find it absurd that the state-owned banks should ask for Tk 20,000 crore allocation in the next budget, despite continued poor performance of some of these banks.

Now that Bangladesh has implemented what Myanmar demanded—a family-wise list of Rohingya returnees—we expect the latter to carry out its part immediately.

A report in a leading Bangla daily on February 18 is a shocking example of both illegal and inhuman acts of the police.

A picture of a truck carrying iron rods near Dhaka University's TSC area published by The Daily Star on Thursday shows the iron rods jutting out into the road, and running in broad daylight despite there being a restriction on daytime entry of goods-carrying trucks into the city.

On the occasion of our 27th anniversary that we celebrated yesterday, we must express our sincere gratitude to our readers, patrons, advertisers and well wishers who have, over these years given us tremendous support by placing their trust in us and giving us the courage to continue in our endeavour to engage in ethical journalism.

Questions are constantly raised about our civil bureaucracy's efficiency.

Earlier this month Myanmar had asked the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to not visit the Rakhine State.

We are surprised to learn that donor agencies are “losing interest” in providing food assistance for the displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh.

A collage of pictures on the back page of this paper published on February 14 speaks volumes about a ban on motorcycles plying footpaths for pedestrians.