Bangladesh is facing a growing measles outbreak, with 676 children hospitalised and 38 reported deaths this year, according to a special source at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Measles — medically defined, it is a highly contagious virus that is entirely preventable. However, in the current context of Rajshahi, this term has transcended its clinical meaning — it has evolved into a testament to systematic administrative failure. Over the past month and a half, more than 53 children have succumbed to complications from the disease at Rajshahi Medical College (RMC) Hospital. Reports from the state-run news agency BSS and major media outlets indicate that 44 lives have been lost to measles within a mere two weeks. Furthermore, in the 48 hours leading up to the completion of this article, three more innocent children have tragically passed away while waiting in lengthy ICU queues.
The measles outbreak in Rajshahi region has increased at an alarming rate, causing severe suffering for patients and their families at Rajshahi Medical College (RMCH) Hospital, the largest government healthcare facility in the division. In the last 24 hours, an additional 50 children with measles symptoms have been admitted to the hospital.
The recent disclosure of a massive data breach at Shwapno, Bangladesh’s largest supermarket chain, raises serious questions about corporate responsibility, regulatory oversight, and the adequacy of current cybersecurity practices in the country’s private sector. With over 4 million registered customers and 812 outlets across 63 districts, Shwapno holds one of the largest consumer datasets in the country. Such scale inherently carries a duty of care.
When two-and-a-half-year-old Nusayba from Chatmohar in Pabna passed away on March 12, her father received a call from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital exactly four days later. He was informed that a bed had been allocated for Nusayba. This ‘posthumous call’ regarding a bed for a deceased child is a significant indictment of our governance in the 21st century. The same unfortunate situation has occurred with Nahid from Terokhadia and 10-month-old Jihad from Durgapur, who have been denied access to a mechanical ventilator despite waiting endlessly. The disheartening admission from the medical team indicates that there have been 53 deaths in the past two and a half months; of these, 44 young lives were lost prematurely in the two weeks from March 10 to 24 due to insufficient intensive monitoring. The greatest irony of progress is that just a few kilometers away from where children are dying daily due to inadequate treatment, a modern specialized children's hospital with 200 beds, constructed at a cost of approximately Tk35 crore in the Ghora Chattar (Behrampur) area of the metropolis, has been fully operational since 2023. Despite having state-of-the-art facilities, including 56 intensive monitoring beds and a central oxygen system, the hospital is awaiting approval for its manpower structure (organogram) due to bureaucratic delays. This official inaction has become more significant than the lives of children today. It is particularly astonishing that the 12-bed child intensive monitoring center currently functioning in the main hospital lacks official approval; it is being operated under its own special management. Is a file concerning a manpower structure on the administrative desk of a state capable of executing large-scale projects worth thousands of crores of taka more important than the lives of 44 children?
Kamal Lohani’s full name was Abu Nayeem Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Khan Lohani. He was a renowned journalist, cultural activist, and political figure in Bangladesh. Lohani began his career in journalism with the newspaper Dainik Millat. Later he joined Sangbad, where he initially worked as a senior sub-editor and was later promoted to shift-in-charge.
The Independence Museum, which suffered extensive damage and was reduced to rubble due to an attack by miscreants, remains locked. On August 5, 2024, a group of enraged individuals assaulted this first and only underground museum in Bangladesh, engaging in widespread vandalism and looting. Nearly 19 months have elapsed since that incident, yet this traditional museum continues to be 'abandoned' and closed.
The sovereign nation of Bangladesh emerged from the remnants of East Pakistan, resulting from one of the most tragic, sorrowful, and heart-wrenching events in global history. The narrative surrounding the establishment of this state is deeply connected to a significant amount of violent history.
In the history of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence, March 1971 stands as a symbol of profound sorrow, resistance, and sacrifice. During this period, the Bengali nation entered a decisive battle to protect its very existence. On the night of March 25, the Pakistani military launched Operation Searchlight, unleashing a brutal massacre on unarmed Bengalis. The entire country plunged into darkness and uncertainty. At this critical moment, on March 27, 1971, Ziaur Rahman delivered the proclamation of independence on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the Kalurghat Radio Station.
Ahsan Habib, who works in a private company in Dhaka, came to his home in Bogra for Eid vacation. He was having a happy time with his family. But suddenly, that joy was overshadowed by a shadow of uncertainty. He left for Dhaka a day before the scheduled time. The only fear was that if the petrol pump was closed, there would be suffering on the way.
A new reckoning has begun after Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman gave up the Bogura-6 (Sadar) seat.
Bangladesh needs stronger data governance and OTT regulation, but not through disruption or disproportionate compliance burdens. A sequenced, market-aware approach combining digital literacy, smarter enforcement, and competitive local infrastructure can protect citizens while preserving exports, entrepreneurship and economic resilience.