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Bangladesh

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Bangladesh. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Dhaka

Head of State

President Mohammed Shahabuddin

Head of Government

Chief Adviser of the Interim Government Muhammad Yunus

Malaysia

‘We drank seawater’: a refugee’s journey from Myanmar to Malaysia

A Rohingya woman recalls her days adrift at sea and the legal limbo that has defined the 16 years since she reached Malaysia’s shores.

7 Jun 2026 - 1:30PMvideocam

India-Pakistan tensions

Letters | Reforms are a band-aid solution to water woes of downstream countries

6 Jun 2026 - 11:30AM

Disease

Bangladesh faces further measles risk due to lack of vaccinations, travel

3 Jun 2026 - 12:07AM

SCMP Highlights

Japan’s Russia concern, firms pick Malaysia over Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

From Japan’s concerns about Russian military activity to moon bears freed in Laos, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

2 Jun 2026 - 1:08PM

F-15J Eagle fighter aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force prepare for take-off at Chitose Air Base, Hokkaido prefecture, in 2017. Photo: AFP

Middle East

Outside In | How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline

In Gulf economies, lost migrant jobs and remittances risk plunging millions across Asia into crisis.

29 May 2026 - 4:30PM

India

Policy pivot? India watchful as Bangladesh engages Pakistan

Analysts say the new government in Dhaka is trying a ‘balancing act’ in the region that could signal more businesslike ties with its neighbours.

28 May 2026 - 8:13PM

Donald Trump

Celebrity ‘Trump’ buffalo spared sacrifice, sent to Bangladesh zoo

The animal with a blond hairdo said to resemble the US president’s signature look was saved just hours before it was set to be slaughtered.

28 May 2026 - 12:46AMvideocam

A carer attends to an albino buffalo nicknamed “Donald Trump” at a farm in Narayanganj on May 17. Photo: AFP

CSD

Bangladesh probes hospital deaths of 6 newborns

Air conditioning in the ward where the babies were was not working in the early hours on Wednesday.

28 May 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Donald Trump

Video | Rare ‘Donald Trump’ buffalo is an internet celebrity in Bangladesh

Experts from the livestock department said albino buffaloes are extremely rare, and appear white or pink due to a lack of melanin production.

25 May 2026 - 8:43PM

India

India orders new deportation centres days after BJP election victory

The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has ordered detention centres for undocumented migrants in West Bengal state, sparking fear of arbitrary expulsions.

25 May 2026 - 7:37PM

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) congratulates newly elected Chief Minister of Assam state Himanta Biswa Sarma (centre), and elected minister Atul Bora after the oath taking ceremony in Guwahati, India, on May 12. Photo: AP

SCMP Highlights

Chinese coal mine accident, Cathay Pacific flight turbulence: 5 weekend reads

From a coal mine accident that killed 82 people to turbulence on a Cathay Pacific flight, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

25 May 2026 - 1:08PM

Rescue workers at the scene at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Qinyuan county, Shanxi province, on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua

China's military weapons

Why Bangladesh could raise Indian red flags by buying a China-Pakistan fighter jet

Dhaka could be boosting its air power with the reported acquisition of a JF-17 flight simulator.

24 May 2026 - 6:00AMvideocam

Donald Trump

Bangladesh’s rare ‘Donald Trump’ buffalo draws crowds over resemblance

Many have travelled a long way to pose for selfies and videos with the ‘calm by nature’ buffalo, which has gone viral on social media.

23 May 2026 - 4:40PM

Protests around the world

Bangladesh protestors clash with police over alleged child rape

Protesters tried to seize a man accused of raping a four-year-old girl who is now undergoing treatment in hospital.

22 May 2026 - 6:31PMvideocam

A police vehicle is set ablaze by people protesting against the alleged rape of a girl, in Chattogram, Bangladesh on Thursday. Photo: AFP

China's military weapons

China’s J-10CE jets defeat Eurofighters 9-0 in mock battles, CCTV confirms

While state broadcaster does not identify the drill, details appear to match a 2024 exercise in Qatar involving Pakistan.

21 May 2026 - 8:05PM

Pakistan is the only country besides China known to possess the J-10C fighter. Photo: CCTV

India

Bangladesh turns to China for Teesta river project, testing India ties

Bangladesh’s new prime minister has formally asked China to help with a long-delayed river project near the sensitive Siliguri Corridor.

16 May 2026 - 1:30PM

Climate change

Opinion | How bad water management is turning up the heat on South Asia

Regional governments should stop blaming shortages on the failure of treaties, diverting attention from much-needed internal reforms.

14 May 2026 - 6:00AMvideocam

Reproductive health

Delivery pains hamper Bangladesh’s family planning efforts

Nearly a third of districts in one of the world’s most densely populated countries are experiencing a shortage of condoms and contraceptives.

13 May 2026 - 2:07PMvideocam

A pharmacy worker arranges packets of condoms in Dhaka on April 27. Photo: AFP

Climate change

‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash

Experts warn the heat could increase the risk of localised flooding, put pressure on drainage systems and threaten agricultural production.

13 May 2026 - 4:10PM

Science

Why are China’s coastal fish farms disappearing while India’s are expanding?

China’s coastal aquaculture ponds span the largest area in the world but they are shrinking – and that is a good thing.

8 May 2026 - 5:00PM

Science

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

As the Hormuz blockade cuts off vital agricultural inputs, Food and Agriculture Organization official views China as key food security partner.

7 May 2026 - 9:00PMvideocam

Blockades in the Strait of Hormuz have sent the price of urea – a widely used nitrogen-based fertiliser – soaring in the US and Brazil, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Photo: Handout via Reuters

India

What the BJP’s historic West Bengal victory means for Modi’s India

Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition now controls roughly 70 per cent of India’s state legislatures, giving him a historic grip on power.

6 May 2026 - 7:00PM

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets supporters as he arrives at BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Monday to celebrate that day’s election results. Photo: Reuters

Asean

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

6 May 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Travel Safety

Hero or reckless? Bangladeshi man saving baby on train tracks divides opinion

Some social media users question how the man could have dropped his son just as they were getting off the moving train.

4 May 2026 - 6:22PM

Natural disasters

Child, newlywed among 14 killed by lightning in Bangladesh

Lightning kills ‌hundreds of people every year in ⁠Bangladesh, which ⁠declared lightning strikes a natural disaster in 2016.

27 Apr 2026 - 3:39PM

A gust of wind blows dust and leaves into the air as a storm approaches after a heat wave in Dhaka. Photo: Reuters

Crime

Roommate charged with murder of 2 Bangladeshi PhD students in US

Hisham Abugharbieh lived with Zamil Limon, whose remains have been found; Limon’s girlfriend, Nahida Bristy, is still missing.

26 Apr 2026 - 2:30AM

Hisham Abugharbieh, facing two counts of first-degree murder appears in court via video link on Saturday. Photo: WFTS-TV via AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war is tearing polyester fabric of fast fashion – and shoes could be next

Conflict-driven oil price spikes are straining Asia’s polyester supply chain, threatening higher costs for firms like Zara and H&M.

25 Apr 2026 - 3:18PMvideocam

India

Chinese drone discovery sharpens focus on Asia’s undersea security race

Experts say India is playing ‘steady catch-up’ in boosting undersea surveillance, while Southeast Asian nations’ capabilities differ widely.

24 Apr 2026 - 7:27PM

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Bangladesh

‘We drank seawater’: a refugee’s journey from Myanmar to Malaysia

A Rohingya woman recalls her days adrift at sea and the legal limbo that has defined the 16 years since she reached Malaysia’s shores.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Letters | Reforms are a band-aid solution to water woes of downstream countries

Bangladesh faces further measles risk due to lack of vaccinations, travel

Japan’s Russia concern, firms pick Malaysia over Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

From Japan’s concerns about Russian military activity to moon bears freed in Laos, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Outside In | How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline

In Gulf economies, lost migrant jobs and remittances risk plunging millions across Asia into crisis.

Policy pivot? India watchful as Bangladesh engages Pakistan

Analysts say the new government in Dhaka is trying a ‘balancing act’ in the region that could signal more businesslike ties with its neighbours.

Celebrity ‘Trump’ buffalo spared sacrifice, sent to Bangladesh zoo

The animal with a blond hairdo said to resemble the US president’s signature look was saved just hours before it was set to be slaughtered.

Bangladesh probes hospital deaths of 6 newborns

Air conditioning in the ward where the babies were was not working in the early hours on Wednesday.

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | Rare ‘Donald Trump’ buffalo is an internet celebrity in Bangladesh

Experts from the livestock department said albino buffaloes are extremely rare, and appear white or pink due to a lack of melanin production.

India orders new deportation centres days after BJP election victory

The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has ordered detention centres for undocumented migrants in West Bengal state, sparking fear of arbitrary expulsions.

Chinese coal mine accident, Cathay Pacific flight turbulence: 5 weekend reads

From a coal mine accident that killed 82 people to turbulence on a Cathay Pacific flight, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Why Bangladesh could raise Indian red flags by buying a China-Pakistan fighter jet

Dhaka could be boosting its air power with the reported acquisition of a JF-17 flight simulator.

Bangladesh’s rare ‘Donald Trump’ buffalo draws crowds over resemblance

Many have travelled a long way to pose for selfies and videos with the ‘calm by nature’ buffalo, which has gone viral on social media.

Bangladesh protestors clash with police over alleged child rape

Protesters tried to seize a man accused of raping a four-year-old girl who is now undergoing treatment in hospital.

China’s J-10CE jets defeat Eurofighters 9-0 in mock battles, CCTV confirms

While state broadcaster does not identify the drill, details appear to match a 2024 exercise in Qatar involving Pakistan.

Bangladesh turns to China for Teesta river project, testing India ties

Bangladesh’s new prime minister has formally asked China to help with a long-delayed river project near the sensitive Siliguri Corridor.

Opinion | How bad water management is turning up the heat on South Asia

Regional governments should stop blaming shortages on the failure of treaties, diverting attention from much-needed internal reforms.

Delivery pains hamper Bangladesh’s family planning efforts

Nearly a third of districts in one of the world’s most densely populated countries are experiencing a shortage of condoms and contraceptives.

‘Godzilla El Nino’: Southeast Asia warned of punishing climate whiplash

Experts warn the heat could increase the risk of localised flooding, put pressure on drainage systems and threaten agricultural production.

Why are China’s coastal fish farms disappearing while India’s are expanding?

China’s coastal aquaculture ponds span the largest area in the world but they are shrinking – and that is a good thing.

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

As the Hormuz blockade cuts off vital agricultural inputs, Food and Agriculture Organization official views China as key food security partner.

What the BJP’s historic West Bengal victory means for Modi’s India

Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition now controls roughly 70 per cent of India’s state legislatures, giving him a historic grip on power.

Opinion | Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis

The energy and fertiliser shocks come amid crucial planting windows for Asia’s farmers, exposing the region’s dire dependencies.

Hero or reckless? Bangladeshi man saving baby on train tracks divides opinion

Some social media users question how the man could have dropped his son just as they were getting off the moving train.

Child, newlywed among 14 killed by lightning in Bangladesh

Lightning kills ‌hundreds of people every year in ⁠Bangladesh, which ⁠declared lightning strikes a natural disaster in 2016.

Roommate charged with murder of 2 Bangladeshi PhD students in US

Hisham Abugharbieh lived with Zamil Limon, whose remains have been found; Limon’s girlfriend, Nahida Bristy, is still missing.

Iran war is tearing polyester fabric of fast fashion – and shoes could be next

Conflict-driven oil price spikes are straining Asia’s polyester supply chain, threatening higher costs for firms like Zara and H&M.

Chinese drone discovery sharpens focus on Asia’s undersea security race

Experts say India is playing ‘steady catch-up’ in boosting undersea surveillance, while Southeast Asian nations’ capabilities differ widely.

Letters | Reforms are a band-aid solution to water woes of downstream countries

Video | Rare ‘Donald Trump’ buffalo is an internet celebrity in Bangladesh