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Freedom declines, prosperity rises in Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s ranking of 141 out of 164 on the Freedom Index places it within the "mostly unfree" category
29 Maoists killed in India's Chhattisgarh
At least 29 Maoists were today killed in a gun battle with Indian security personnel in a dense forest of Chhattisgarh state's Kanker district
IMF lowers Bangladesh’s economic growth forecast
Bangladesh economy to grow 5.7% in FY24, the lender says
Mohammedan tame Usha to move closer to hockey title
League leaders Mohammedan moved closer to reclaiming the Green Delta Premier Division Hockey League title with a hard-fought 6-5 victory over Usha Krira Chakra in the penultimate Super Six phase match in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Kings advance to Fed Cup semis
Hot favourites Bashundhara Kings survived a scare to move into the semifinals of Federation Cup with a 2-0 win over Rahmatganj MFS in the second quarterfinal in Gopalganj on Tuesday.
Opinion
Rocky road ahead for economy
Continued misgovernance will push it into deeper trouble
Arrest and imprisonment of journalist over RTI request is ominous
The eruption of hostility surrounding the submission of a simple RTI request to a public official was uncalled for
The mystery of Pahela Baishakh and the Bengali calendar
A blend of astronomy, history, and culture
Business
Rice prices unlikely to fall from current level
Yesterday, the price of coarse grain, the benchmark variety, was 6.25 percent higher year-on-year, reaching Tk 50 to Tk 52 per kilogramme at retail markets in Dhaka.
Sports
Bangladesh announce squad for India T20Is
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the women’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against India starting on April 28 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Mushtaq Ahmed appointed as Bangladesh's spin bowling coach
Former Pakistan leg-spinner and World Cup winner Mushtaq Ahmed has been appointed as the spin bowling coach of Bangladesh, a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) press release confirmed on Tuesday.
Versatile Rodrygo Madrid's low-key weapon at Man City
Rodrygo's goals tend to come in fits and starts and with three in his last two games, the forward may have hit a new purple patch at a crucial moment
News
Nobel Peace Prize winner Maguire nominates Burmese activist Zarni for 2024 prize
Peace activist and 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Corrigan Maguire has nominated the UK-exiled Burmese human rights activist and genocide scholar Maung Zarni for the prestigious prize
Bhasantek fire: Man dies after wife, mother-in-law
After the deaths of his wife and mother-in-law, furniture trader Md Liton, who suffered severe burns in a fire at their house in Dhaka's Bhasantek area on Friday, died at a Dhaka hospital this morning
BNP opts out of 'farcical' upazila polls
BNP has decided not to join the upcoming upazila polls as the party does not want to be part of the “farcical election”
DSCC dismantling makeshift shops at Bangabazar
Dhaka South City Corporation has been dismantling makeshift shops at the site of Bangabazar Shopping Complex
Faridpur bus-pickup collision: The law violations that led to 13 deaths
Thirteen people died in Faridpur this morning in a head-on collision that would not have happened if operators of the vehicles involved had followed existing laws and rules
My Dhaka / Unmukto Library invites you to read under the open sky
When we talk about libraries, what image first comes to our minds?
Pahela Baishakh and the panta bhaat debate
On one hand, it is a traditional dish and PahelaBaishakh is a festival where we celebrate our culture -- not just with songs, crafts, etc., but also with food. Moreover, it is absolutely delicious!...
Entertainment
Birthday Special / Happy 135th Birthday, Mr Chaplin!
Despite the advent of sound in cinema, Chaplin remained true to his silent roots, continuing to produce silent films even as talkies gained popularity. Films like "City Lights", "The Gold Rush", and "Modern Times" are timeless classics that showcase Chaplin's unmatched ability to entertain and inspire.
‘Trainspotting’ actor Vincent Friell passes away at 64
Vincent Friell, a Scottish actor known for his roles in iconic films such as "Trainspotting" and "Restless Natives," has died at the age of 64. His passing has sparked an outpouring of tributes from friends and colleagues within the entertainment industry.
Sisimpur Bangladesh celebrates its 19th anniversary
The program, designed to promote learning among children at the pre-primary and primary levels in the areas of literacy, numeracy, health, nutrition, safety, environment, gender equity, social responsibility, mutual respect, and diversity, began its journey in 2005 with support from the American people through USAID.
Life & Living
Coke Studio Bangla’s ‘Tati’ celebrates Bangladeshi weavers
If you are a devoted listener of Coke Studio Bangla, chances are you may not have missed its Season 3 opener, “Tati,” — a song that celebrates not just the music, but the very soul of Bangladeshi craftsmanship. Released under the creative direction of Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, the vocalists include Md Gonjer Ali, Oli Boy and the evergreen Jaya Ahsan.
5 documentaries to watch on Netflix this break
Who doesn’t love Netflix documentaries? The suspense and thrill of a well-produced Netflix original leave viewers enchanted, anticipating more. And with the Eid and Pahela Baishakh break coinciding together, now’s the perfect time to gather with friends and family to sit back and binge-watch all that Netflix has to offer!
Seaside adventure: Safety tips for Cox's Bazar travellers
Amidst the allure of this coastal gem, safety becomes a special issue during peak seasons like Eid, when this popular tourist destination usually swells with crowds.
Youth
How the Islamic calendar works
Why is Ramadan sometimes 29 days long and sometimes 30 days long?
Starting your journey at a public university: What you should know
There are certain things you can prepare for, in order to make your transition into university life a little easier.
Keeping a family tradition alive through knitting
How Rudaba turned her passion into a business
Tech & Startup
Press Release / Infinix ranks sixth in Most Innovative Companies in Asia-Pacific
Infinix has been recognised as the sixth most innovative company in the Asia-Pacific region by Fast Company in their annual list of the World's Most Innovative Companies of 2024.
Meet Figure 01, the 'commercially viable' humanoid robot
With a recent funding of $675 million at a $2.6 billion valuation from key investors including Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, OpenAI, and Microsoft, a new player has emerged in the race for artificial intelligence (AI) dominance: the American tech startup Figure AI. Their core product, Figure 01, is advertised to be a general-purpose, autonomous, and commercially viable humanoid robot that can help with a variety of tasks from daily chores to industrial labour.
Bangladeshi startup wins 2nd place at BobCat Ventures 2024
Bangladeshi startup EdBridge Scholars has recently won second place at BobCat Ventures, a grant competition in the State of Maine, United States of America. The startup, founded by Tanvir Thamid, a student at Bates College, won USD 4,000 and professional mentor support for their second-place victory.
Star Multimedia
Israel releases pictures of damage caused by Iran's attack
Iran attacked Israel on Saturday with hundreds of drones and missiles. The Israel Defense Forces released photos of the damage in this attack. The BBC published two of the images today.
A village where lungis are still woven in an ancient way
Chachkia is the sole village in Pabna that still uses ancient looms to weave lungis.
Kangal Harinath, a pioneer of women's education
Kangal Harinath was a pioneer of women's education in a remote area of Kumarkhali subdivision. He also used to publish news of helpless, tortured and oppressed people in his newspaper.
MV Abdullah's chief officer sends audio message to family
Atiq Ullah Khan, chief officer of MV Abdullah, has sent an audio message to family after the ship and its 23 crew were released after more than a month.
What was Eid like in Dhaka 200 years ago?
You probably have not seen most of these rare paintings of Eid in Dhaka drawn about 200 years ago
Daily Star Books
Environment
Chuadanga records season’s highest temperature
Amid the scorching heat in different parts of the country, Chuadanga recorded the highest temperature of this season at 40.6 degrees Celsius today
Heatwave sweeps over Bangladesh; Dhaka, 3 other divisions may see rain
A mild to moderate heatwave is sweeping over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet and it may continue, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s weather bulletin today
Dhaka’s air 4th most polluted in the world this morning
Dhaka's air continues to be 'unhealthy' as it ranked fourth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality today
No respite from heat wave for five days: BMD
Six divisions including Dhaka have been experiencing mild to moderate heat wave and it may continue for the next five days, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department
Dhaka’s air 2nd worst in the world this morning
Dhaka ranked second on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality this morning
Mild heat wave over six divisions likely to spread
Bangladesh Meteorological Department today predicted that the existing mild to moderate heat wave sweeping over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions may spread in the next 24 hours commencing 9:00am today
No respite from air pollution during Eid holiday
Dhaka’s air quality 2nd worst in world today
Hillock cutting: Excavator, truck seized in Sylhet city
A team of Department of Environment seized an excavator and a truck from the spot where a hillock was being cut and the soil was being transported elsewhere at night in Sylhet city
Fact-check
Fact check: Mossad did not describe deceased US airman as 'enemy'
More claims suggesting the remark came from Mossad spread across X and TikTok.
Meta to set up team to counter disinformation, AI abuse in EU elections
European Parliament elections will take place June 6-9. Its 720 lawmakers, together with EU governments, pass new EU policies and laws.
Misinformation and disinformation: A threat to democracy in Bangladesh
In today’s digital age, the spread of misinformation and disinformation has arisen as a major challenge to global democracy.
OpenAI to launch anti-disinformation tools for 2024 elections
The explosive success of text generator ChatGPT spurred a global artificial intelligence revolution but also triggered warnings that such tools could flood the internet with disinformation and sway voters.
Deepfake video targeting Gaibandha-1 candidate surfaces on Facebook
On the day of the National Election 2024, a fabricated video surfaced on Facebook featuring Nahid Niger, an independent candidate for the Gaibandha-1 seat, announcing her withdrawal from the election. Subsequent verification by Dismislab, an online platform specialising in media research and verification, confirmed that the video was a product of AI-based deepfake technology.
Podcast on fake news: Impact of Israel-Hamas conflict on Bangladesh's national election
Uncover the sources and intentions behind these circulating rumors.
Fake videos targeting BNP resurfacing on social media: reports
A distorted video featuring a speech by Begum Khaleda Zia, Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has once again surfaced on Facebook, raising concerns about the spread of misinformation during the upcoming election. The video, created by adding together different portions of a speech delivered by Khaleda Zia in London back in 2015, resurfaced on social media platforms despite being fact-checked by three different fact-checking organisations in 2021 and 2022.
Doctors Without Borders targeted by Israel-Hamas war misinformation
"Basically he abused his position as a medic, which the IDF cannot shoot, to break the law and assist terrorists to get a weapon."
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