TOPIC

/ location

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

Myanmar

Video | 500 feared dead in Myanmar smuggler boat tragedy

The UN confirmed many passengers were Rohingya refugees fleeing camps in Bangladesh.

3 hours ago

Protests around the world

Bangladesh president quits, leaving Hasina isolated ahead of return from exile

24 Jul 2026 - 2:07PM

Asia elections

Sheikh Hasina’s return bid threatens to upend Bangladeshi politics

16 Jul 2026 - 7:30PMvideocam

Myanmar

Rohingya refugees among over 500 feared dead after Myanmar boats capsize

The UN said the incidents highlighted the plight of Rohingya, calling for enhanced rescue and anti-trafficking efforts.

16 Jul 2026 - 1:20PMvideocam

Rohingya refugees stand on their capsized boat as rescuers throw a rope to them off West Aceh, Indonesia, in 2024. Photo: AP

Crime

Don’t buy brides, China’s Bangladesh embassy warns as trafficking surges

Officials warn Chinese citizens of a spike in international marriage scams and the risk of prosecution.

15 Jul 2026 - 5:42PMvideocam

Science

Active fault line threatens world’s biggest hydropower project: Chinese geologists

New analysis brings call for slope reinforcement for massive mega-dam project in Tibet to mitigate risks of landslides and collapses.

9 Jul 2026 - 12:15PMvideocam

India

Opinion | To boost manufacturing, India need not choose between Japan and China

Without Chinese suppliers on the ground, potential Japanese investments will struggle to reach the scale or speed the moment demands.

7 Jul 2026 - 5:40PM

India

India-Bangladesh ties ease with visa restart amid China concerns

Analysts say Dhaka will have to be prudent as it tries to secure Chinese investment to boost its economy while managing India’s security concerns.

3 Jul 2026 - 6:52PM

Japan

‘My dream is broken’: foreign business owners in Japan lament new visa rules

Japan’s business manager visa holders surged to 46,000 by mid-2025 – up 70 per cent from 2020. About half were Chinese nationals.

3 Jul 2026 - 5:25PMvideocam

US-China relations

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, June 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met more than 20 world leaders this year, reflecting Beijing’s increasing global influence.

1 Jul 2026 - 11:36AM

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: KCNA via AP

Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh ‘this year’ despite death sentence

This is the first time the former prime minister has given a schedule for her return since fleeing to India in August 2024.

29 Jun 2026 - 11:36AM

Sheikh Hasina speaks to the media a day after she won the parliamentary elections in Dhaka on January 8, 2024. Photo: AFP

Malaysia

Bangladesh urges Malaysia to ease labour hiring curbs amid exploitation concerns

Both sides seek to ensure that the hiring process for Bangladeshi workers is transparent to protect their interests.

22 Jun 2026 - 7:44PM

SCMP Highlights

Korean’s racist World Cup experience, India’s military revamp: 7 Asia highlights

From Lawrence Wong’s trip to Russia to a racist encounter at the World Cup, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

16 Jun 2026 - 2:33PM

India

Could India’s Cockroach Janta Party spark South Asia’s next youth uprising?

Analysts say the satirical party reflects real discontent but remains far from matching the movements that toppled neighbouring governments.

14 Jun 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

A participant wearing a cockroach mask takes part in a nationwide protest campaign launched by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, in Pune, India, on Thursday. Photo: AP

Malaysia

Why Bangladesh’s new PM is visiting Malaysia and China before India

Analysts view the decision to prioritise Kuala Lumpur and Beijing as practical rather than a direct snub of New Delhi.

13 Jun 2026 - 1:30PMvideocam

Tarique Rahman (centre), waves to supporters in Dhaka February shortly before his election as Bangladesh’s prime minister. Photo: AFP

India

Bangladesh, India pledge closer border cooperation amid migration row

Dhaka has accused Indian authorities of attempting to ‌force migrants across the border without due process.

12 Jun 2026 - 3:33PMvideocam

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

Readers discuss the necessity of enforceable laws for rivers, Hong Kong’s pivot to Central Asia, and Chinese tourists’ safety fears.

6 Jun 2026 - 11:30AM

People gather along the Indus River near Hyderabad, Sindh province, Pakistan on May 1, 2025. Photo: EPA-EFE

Disease

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

Nearly 600 people have died from the disease, with over 60,000 suspected cases in the country since mid-March.

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

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

Workers take a break with the city skyline of Dubai seen in the background on March 11. Photo: AFP

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

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government has moved to reset diplomatic ties with India after an extended period of strain. Photo: AFP

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

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

This photograph taken on May 17, 2026 shows a caretaker attending an albino buffalo nicknamed “Donald Trump” for sale ahead of Eid al-Adha at a livestock farm in Narayanganj. Crowds in Bangladesh are flocking to snap photographs with an unlikely social media star -- an albino buffalo with flowing blond hair nicknamed “Donald Trump” due to be sacrificed within days. (Photo by Salahuddin AHMED / AFP) / To go with ‘Bangladesh-US-Politics-Buffalo’, VISUAL STORY

01:33

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

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

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Bangladesh

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}Video | 500 feared dead in Myanmar smuggler boat tragedy

The UN confirmed many passengers were Rohingya refugees fleeing camps in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh president quits, leaving Hasina isolated ahead of return from exile

Sheikh Hasina’s return bid threatens to upend Bangladeshi politics

Rohingya refugees among over 500 feared dead after Myanmar boats capsize

The UN said the incidents highlighted the plight of Rohingya, calling for enhanced rescue and anti-trafficking efforts.

Don’t buy brides, China’s Bangladesh embassy warns as trafficking surges

Officials warn Chinese citizens of a spike in international marriage scams and the risk of prosecution.

Active fault line threatens world’s biggest hydropower project: Chinese geologists

New analysis brings call for slope reinforcement for massive mega-dam project in Tibet to mitigate risks of landslides and collapses.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | To boost manufacturing, India need not choose between Japan and China

Without Chinese suppliers on the ground, potential Japanese investments will struggle to reach the scale or speed the moment demands.

India-Bangladesh ties ease with visa restart amid China concerns

Analysts say Dhaka will have to be prudent as it tries to secure Chinese investment to boost its economy while managing India’s security concerns.

‘My dream is broken’: foreign business owners in Japan lament new visa rules

Japan’s business manager visa holders surged to 46,000 by mid-2025 – up 70 per cent from 2020. About half were Chinese nationals.

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker, June 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met more than 20 world leaders this year, reflecting Beijing’s increasing global influence.

Sheikh Hasina vows to return to Bangladesh ‘this year’ despite death sentence

This is the first time the former prime minister has given a schedule for her return since fleeing to India in August 2024.

Bangladesh urges Malaysia to ease labour hiring curbs amid exploitation concerns

Both sides seek to ensure that the hiring process for Bangladeshi workers is transparent to protect their interests.

Korean’s racist World Cup experience, India’s military revamp: 7 Asia highlights

From Lawrence Wong’s trip to Russia to a racist encounter at the World Cup, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Could India’s Cockroach Janta Party spark South Asia’s next youth uprising?

Analysts say the satirical party reflects real discontent but remains far from matching the movements that toppled neighbouring governments.

Why Bangladesh’s new PM is visiting Malaysia and China before India

Analysts view the decision to prioritise Kuala Lumpur and Beijing as practical rather than a direct snub of New Delhi.

Bangladesh, India pledge closer border cooperation amid migration row

Dhaka has accused Indian authorities of attempting to ‌force migrants across the border without due process.

‘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.

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

Readers discuss the necessity of enforceable laws for rivers, Hong Kong’s pivot to Central Asia, and Chinese tourists’ safety fears.

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

Nearly 600 people have died from the disease, with over 60,000 suspected cases in the country since mid-March.

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.

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.

Video | 500 feared dead in Myanmar smuggler boat tragedy

Opinion | To boost manufacturing, India need not choose between Japan and China