Investigative Stories
How Hasina’s flight was kept off radar
When the air force transporter plane carrying Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka on August 5, it took off as a training flight and turned off its transponders to blur its flightpath and location..The transponders, which transmit location, heading
The Daily Star Investigation / A councillor and his illicit tobacco trade
A significant share of Bangladesh’s illegal cigarette market is controlled by two companies where Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Councillor Abdus Sabur Liton and his brother have the majority stakes, an investigation by The Daily Star has found.
20 plates of rice, 118 plates of curries for a lunch of 4!
NRBC Bank’s top managers have great appetites.
The Daily Star Investigation / Dubious reward for a select few
Only a select 27 employees of NRBC Bank were given salary hikes, and that too astonishingly, in 2022 in violation of banking rules as well as NRBC’s own human resources policy
The Daily Star Investigation / NRBC branch covered up capital flight
Export proceeds worth at least $3.45 million (Tk 34.41 crore) were not repatriated by six customers of NRB Commercial Bank’s Uttara branch, and the bank concealed the trail of the capital flight, according to the bank’s internal audit and case documents.
The Daily Star Investigation / Gun in NRBC Bank boardroom
During the 40th board meeting of NRBC Bank on February 7, 2016, current Chairman Tamal Parvez and Director Adnan Imam entered the boardroom accompanied by a man carrying a large gun. Both Tamal and Adnan were board directors back then.
Star investigation / Sex trafficking: The untold exploitations of Bangladeshi women in India
Many Bangladeshi sex workers, once victims themselves, now serve as brothel managers, perpetuating the vicious cycle. They employ fellow countrywomen, who later become traffickers responsible for bringing new girls from Bangladesh into the clutches of these brothels.
Part-4 / No coming home
After rescuing trafficking victims, the Indian police do not take them to shelter centre; they file cases under criminal laws.
Old formalin in new bottle
In March last year, the government amended the import policy 2012-15 and put restrictions on the import, use and storage of formalin to check its widespread use in food items.
Poisoning Poultry, Fish
Records suggest the practice of making poultry-fish feed out of Hazaribagh tannery waste has been going on for over a decade.
PESTICIDES USEd 15 times the limit
A new study finds that almost one-third of the pesticides used in farming vegetables and fruits in the country are substandard.
Too many cooks spoil the broth
Many of the government officials working on food safety are corrupt, observed Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan, general secretary of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh.
HARDLY ANYTHING SAFE TO EAT
Over 10 thousand samples of more than 50 different food items were tested at the Institute of Public Health in 2012-13. About 60 percent of the samples were found adulterated or contaminated
ILLEGAL, HARMFUL
The importers of ripening agents dupe the government by saying they are only importing the PGRs. They get away with this, as the government has no mechanism in place to monitor what is being imported and marketed, said industry insiders.
Confusing battle fought so far
Imported by the Department of Fisheries two years ago without any scientific assessment, the machine is mostly used for measuring formalin in the environment, said Barc.
Cold chain can save food supply chain
The issue came to the fore in recent years after food adulteration reached alarming proportions.
Evil rules as state sleeps
The sheer indifference of successive governments in enforcing the law has given the offenders the freedom to make a market where profit takes priority over people's lives.
Profit, more profit
Mango traders in Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi use toxic chemicals to ripen the fruit. They also do so to get the produce out on the market sooner and to increase its shelf life.