Shadique Mahbub Islam

Mirza Abbas, BNP’s candidate for Dhaka-8, has promised to reclaim the Shahjahanpur lake and develop it along the lines of Hatirjheel, fix the area’s drainage system, and improve local markets, among other pledges. But does he have the mandate? Photos: Mehedi Hasan
Panorama

Why Bangladesh’s national elections feel like local elections in disguise

Illustration: TBS
Panorama

Canals, climate and continuity: BNP to revisit Zia-era idea, but with higher stakes this time

Estimates suggest that around 44% of the electorate will be under the age of 35, many of them voting for the first time. Photo: TBS
Panorama

From rallies to reels: How parties are trying to attract young voters

Day one of the campaign revealed two competing narratives: BNP’s attempt to combine policy-heavy governance promises with nationalist, religious and historical rhetoric vs. the Jamaat alliance’s bid to claim moral and reformist high ground rooted in the July Uprising. Photos: BNP Media Cell and Bangladesh Jamaat-e- Islami/Facebook
Panorama

Day one of campaign: Policy pledges, identity politics, and the drift towards confrontation

Official education statistics show that while primary dropout rates are below 15%, the overall dropout rate at the secondary level stands at 34.46%. Photo: Mehedi Hasan
Panorama

No reform plan for education: How structural failures are undermining Bangladesh’s future

Some 1,362 firearms and an estimated 250,000 rounds of ammunition looted from police stations, outposts, vehicles, and detention facilities are still missing. Photo: Rajib Dhar
Panorama

The case of missing guns: Will there be more blood before the 2026 polls?

Photos: Syed Zakir Hossain
Food

Authentic, unfamiliar and worth the risk? Dining at Waza

Illustration: TBS
Panorama

How the Hasina administration engineered the 2018 ‘midnight election’

Illustration: TBS
Panorama

Never again: Why law enforcement reform is central to preventing enforced disappearances

Illustration: TBS
Panorama

How AI-generated content is manufacturing consensus ahead of Bangladesh election

Illustration: TBS
Panorama

Female representation: How political parties failed the July Charter’s first test

Illustration: TBS
Panorama

Amid high inflation, living with illness means carrying a double burden

Illustration: TBS
Panorama

Regime change and oil: A recurring Western dilemma