Shahnaj Begum | Daily Observer

HEADLINE

● PM orders pilot project for national e-health platform ● PM orders faster construction of highway to connect Bhola by road ● US court strikes down immigrant visa processing for Bangladesh, 74 nations ● Avaas ready to rock DU TSC ● Cholera vaccination campaign begins at 14 high-risk upazilas, thanas ● Newly-elected Prez pays tribute at National Memorial ● Andaleeve becomes information minister

Shahnaj Begum

Rooftop Solar Dream Fades

Shahnaj Begum

A large share of household rooftop solar-power systems installed across Bangladesh are no longer functioning, raising serious questions about the sustainability of the country’s efforts to expand renewable energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.A recent study found that 47

Record fuel bill deepens energy strain

Shahnaj Begum

Bangladesh’s fuel import bill more than doubled to a record $10.63 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year, deepening pressure on the country’s energy security as declining domestic gas production forces greater reliance on costly LNG imports.According to Bangladesh Bank data,

BANGLADESH'S VANISHING LUNGS

Shahnaj Begum

Bangladesh is losing its forests at a pace that should trigger a national emergency. Instead, what is increasingly visible is institutional indifference, fragmented responsibility and weak enforcement-precisely when the country can least afford to lose its remaining green cover.The warning

A 'self-destructive' strategy

Shahnaj Begum

The nation’s heavy reliance on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) to bridge the domestic supply gap has been characterized as a self-destructive strategy by energy experts and economists, who point to a decade of neglect in local exploration that has

India ready to hand over Hadi killers, others sans Hasina

Shahnaj Begum

India is ready to hand over the killers of martyr Osman Hadi and other criminals, excluding the former prime minister and president of Awami League Sheikh Hasina. Additionally, New Delhi is also ready to give an assurance that it will

A Public Health Catastrophe

Shahnaj Begum

For millions of Bangladeshis, the greatest threat to health may be something they cannot see. Microscopic particles suspended in the air are entering homes, schools, workplaces and lungs, quietly shortening lives and imposing a huge burden on the country’s health

Govt orders shopping malls to close by 8

Shahnaj Begum

The government has ordered all shopping malls, markets, and retail shops across the country to close by 8:00PM to save electricity.Additionally, all illuminated billboards must be turned off by 7:00PM, according to a directive issued by the Coordination-2 branch of

Extradition row tests Dhaka-Delhi ties

Shahnaj Begum

Bangladesh and India are navigating a complex diplomatic situation involving the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, political concerns and economic cooperation, with both sides seeking to keep bilateral ties on track despite differences.Amid the tensions, India has invited

Dhaka-New Delhi ties poised for fresh reset

Shahnaj Begum

India-Bangladesh relations appear set for a fresh diplomatic push as Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on August 10 (tomorrow), with the proposed visit of the Bangladesh leader to New Delhi

Will Bangladesh be able to board now?

Shahnaj Begum

Bangladesh is once again looking to Myanmar for natural gas, reviving a nearly three-decade-old idea of importing the fuel through a cross-border pipeline as a deepening energy crisis cripples industries and strains power generation. But the renewed initiative also brings