Politics

A woman votes in Bangladesh's last general election in 2018, which was marred by violence and allegations of rigging.
Politics

Bangladesh election observer controversy casts new doubt on polls

Commission's list of monitors scrutinized over ruling party ties

21 August 2023
The multipurpose Padma bridge connects Dhaka with the south of Bangladesh. The repayment of a Chinese loan for a railway portion of the bridge is due to start soon.
Economy

Bangladesh's looming debt bills to China, Russia fuel forex fears

Dhaka must be 'very careful' with reserves as infrastructure loans come due

18 August 2023
Bangladeshi police confront opposition protesters blocking a highway into Dhaka on July 29.
Politics

Bangladesh election tensions rise as protests erupt, economy dims

Nation at crossroads between democracy and 'closed autocracy,' expert says

31 July 2023
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Asia's Age of Hydropolitics

Vietnam's Mekong Delta is sinking, but innovations offer hope

From lotus farms to 'floating rice,' farmers get creative in face of China dams, climate change

28 July 2023
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Asia's Age of Hydropolitics

Bangladesh, Brahmaputra serve as proxy for Sino-Indian conflict

China, India dams stoke tensions as region's most vulnerable suffer

26 July 2023
Ships sailing in the Kashi River in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China.
Asia's Age of Hydropolitics

China dams make 'upstream superpower' presence felt in Asia

Enormous water diversion projects spark concern across region

24 July 2023
Mugda Medical College & Hospital in Dhaka is struggling to cope with the high number of patients suffering from dengue.
Society

Deadly dengue sweeps Bangladesh, risks deepening economic pain

Some blame lax mosquito eradication while others point to climate change

22 July 2023
The Three Gorges Dam discharges water to lower reservoir levels following heavy rain. China's latest hydropower project would be three times bigger. 
Opinion

China can't just keep building the world's biggest dam in secret

Brahmaputra project poses risks for India and Bangladesh

14 July 2023
The U.S. is a top export destination for Bangladesh, but diplomatic relations have soured over Washington's warnings about January elections in the South Asian nation.
International relations

U.S. team seeks to break heated election standoff in Bangladesh

Ties fraying over Washington threat to sanction officials who block 'free' polls

10 July 2023
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meets Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Tokyo in April. Tokyo has been Dhaka's largest single bilateral aid provider since 2012. (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

The India-Japan-Bangladesh triangle is worth watching

New Delhi and Tokyo are jointly supporting new infrastructure to counter China

28 June 2023
Bangladesh's first deepwater port will be built here near the Matarbari coal-fired plant, which is nearing completion. (Photo by Toru Takahashi)
International relations

Japan funding fuels development boom on Bangladesh coast

New power plant and port come at crucial point in country's economic development

26 June 2023
Bangladesh, India and Nepal are expected to soon finalize an agreement that would allow power sharing across Indian transmission lines. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
International relations

Bangladesh, India, Nepal near 'milestone' electricity trade deal

Arrangement hailed as step toward South Asian energy sustainability

25 June 2023
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina contends that the U.S. is pursuing a strategy of regime change in her country. (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

Uneven U.S. treatment of Bangladesh and Pakistan makes little sense

Sanctions against Dhaka officials unlikely to help cause of democracy

12 June 2023
Dhaka ferrymen eat on a boat on the Buriganga River: Inflation is putting a heavy strain on Bangladesh's public.
Economy

Bangladesh's 'expansionary' $71bn budget raises financing doubts

Analysts warn plan may exacerbate pressures that drove Moody's downgrade

2 June 2023
Bangladesh's upcoming elections have become a source of tension with the U.S., after the last two polls were widely criticized. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
International relations

Bangladesh faces election test as U.S. draws line on manipulation

Analysts say visa policy shows Washington's 'exasperation' with Dhaka

30 May 2023
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina aims for Bangladesh to become a developed nation, but the nation's flawed power supply system could derail such plans. The country's giant Matarbari coal-fired power project has been scaled back amid concerns over its environmental impact. (Photos by Reuters and Toru Takahashi)
Energy

Can Bangladesh beat decarbonization challenge to achieve growth?

Travails of coal power project point to difficult economic road ahead

29 May 2023
Workers in Dhaka: Some economists say belt-tightening on imports may strangle Bangladesh's industrial development and job creation.
Economy

Bangladesh on hot seat to meet IMF loan targets

Second-tranche reviews loom as pressure grows to boost reserves but also imports

19 May 2023
Rohingya refugees gather in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in 2022, five years after fleeing Myanmar. Whether they will return as authorities hope remains unclear.
Myanmar Crisis

Rohingya refugees visit Myanmar in repatriation push

Trip from Bangladesh a first since violence sparked exodus from Rakhine in 2017

6 May 2023
Rescuers search for garment workers trapped in the rubble of the collapsed Rana Plaza building on April 24, 2013.
Politics

Bangladesh's Rana Plaza survivors suffer joblessness 10 years on

Many live in pain as advocates continue to push for greater safety, labor rights

24 April 2023
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Bangladesh's first such facility, is seen under construction west of Dhaka in February. 
International relations

Bangladesh finds way to pay Russia for nuclear plant: with yuan

Using China's currency to skirt bank restrictions could irk Western partners

17 April 2023
A rendering shows Bangladesh's Japan-backed Matarbari port complex upon completion. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aims to build a regional "industrial value chain" in cooperation with India as well. (Image courtesy of JICA)
International relations

Bangladesh deep-sea port promises strategic anchor for Japan, India

New Delhi's influence in Dhaka helps foil Chinese plans for similar foothold

12 April 2023
Bangladesh aims to build a China-backed water treatment plant, but it hopes to secure better loan terms first. (Source photo by Reuters)
International relations

Bangladesh urges China loan tweaks amid scrutiny of BRI bailouts

Sources say letter asks to amend cancelation, dispute, maturity and fee policies

1 April 2023
Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar after a fire in 2021: Efforts to arrange repatriation from Bangladesh to Myanmar appear to be going nowhere.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar visit to Bangladesh's Rohingya camps leaves doubts, fears

Repatriation outlook 'very vague' after delegation verifies 429 of about 1m refugees

23 March 2023
Rohingya refugees at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, gather on Aug. 25, 2022, to mark the fifth anniversary of their fleeing Myanmar to escape a military crackdown in 2017.
Myanmar Crisis

Donor fatigue deepens Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh

Amid competing crises, U.N. fears big funding shortfalls for camps

7 March 2023
An Adani Power plant in India's western state of Gujarat: The company is due to supply electricity to Bangladesh from a new facility under a controversial agreement.
International relations

Bangladesh power deal with India's Adani draws fire on both sides

Expert likens agreement to 'slavery' as lawmakers question how it came about

11 February 2023