Nilima Jahan

Nilima Jahan is a Staff Reporter at The Daily Star, deeply passionate about advocating for human rights, with a focus on women, children, and persons with disabilities. She's a proud mom to two beautiful daughters—one in heaven and one on earth. Reach out to her at [email protected].

Violence and abuses: 2024 one of the deadliest years since ’71

Of the killings documented, 520 or 75 percent died due to police atrocities, according to the HRSS report.

2d ago

When homes become killing grounds

For the past week, social media has been abuzz over the tragic death of Syeda Fahmida Tahsin Keya, a 25-year-old mother of four from Dhaka's Shewrapara, on the night of August 13.

3d ago

A lifeline for low-income working mothers

Before the sun rises over Dhaka’s Korail slum, many mothers set out early for a long day of work, carrying the unspoken worry of who will care for their children while they are away.

5d ago

July uprising: The wounds that are yet to heal, one year on

Fifteen-year-old Shahin's life was forever changed -- not by illness or accident, but by a bullet that tore through his leg during a rally on August 5, 2024.

3w ago

World drowning prevention day: Most child drownings go unnoticed

Largely unnoticed and mostly underreported, drowning remains one of the leading causes of death among children in Bangladesh, claiming thousands of young lives every year.

4w ago

Child victims of July uprising: Of abandoned toys and unlived tomorrows

They were readers of fairy tales, keepers of marbles, chasers of kites across twilight skies. Some still asked to sleep in their mother’s arms. Others, on the cusp of adolescence, had just begun to dream in the language of futures -- of stethoscopes, classrooms, galaxies. They were children, dreamers of careers, cartoons, and cricket.

1m ago

NHRC yet to be reconstituted seven months on

More than seven months after the resignation of its chairperson and members, Bangladesh’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) remains leaderless, powerless, and largely ineffective.

2m ago

Cuts in gender budget raise alarms

Despite ongoing challenges for women in employment, education, health, and safety, the national budget for fiscal year 2025–26 has seen a reduction in allocations for promoting gender equality and women’s development.

2m ago
May 28, 2025
May 28, 2025

Expectant mothers: Govt struggling to ensure adequate care

Even as pregnancies rise across the country, fewer women are turning to government health facilities, the most accessible and affordable source of care, for help during and after childbirth.

May 28, 2025
May 28, 2025

A monthly struggle fought in silence

Three years ago, when 12-year-old Ayesha Begum got her first period, she thought she was dying.

May 25, 2025
May 25, 2025

Nearly 9 out of 10 victims of rape were children

Between January and April this year, 87.56 percent of reported rape victims with known ages were children

May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025

The doctor next door

For 36-year-old homemaker Tania Akter, falling ill meant anxiety over costly treatment and unreliable healthcare.

May 11, 2025
May 11, 2025

Bereaved mothers of July martyrs mark day with memories, grief

On a day meant for celebration, three mothers remember the sons they lost during the uprising

April 28, 2025
April 28, 2025

No place to heal

Lamia, a 18-year-old girl and the eldest daughter of a July martyr, vowed to rebuild her family’s life for her grieving mother. Following the death of her father, she would often say, “We will stand again, Ma. I will take care of everything.”

April 20, 2025
April 20, 2025

Eliminate gender disparities in laws

The Women’s Affairs Reforms Commission has proposed a series of comprehensive reforms to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women embedded in the country’s laws, constitution, policies, and institutions.

March 15, 2025
March 15, 2025

Intimidation, harassment for speaking up

Female activists leading the recent anti-rape protests and the July uprising are enduring continuous intimidation and harassment, both online and offline.

March 8, 2025
March 8, 2025

The unpaid household labour GDP ignores

Yasmin represents the millions of women excluded from the labour force, who say that family and household work is a significant setback to their employment.

March 8, 2025
March 8, 2025

Footwork, fitness and fearlessness

There was a time when doctors told her there was no cure. A time when the world seemed to close in, whispering that this might be the end. But she refused to listen. She chose to fight -- not just with fists and footwork, but with the unyielding will of a warrior.