This fiscal plan allocates substantial resources to the ICT Division, Ministry of Science and Technology and other agencies tasked with developing digital infrastructure, nurturing tech talent and fostering start-ups.
In the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2025–26, an extension in the exemption of the additional 5% value-added tax (VAT) on locally manufactured electric bicycles has been extended until June 30, 2030.
The existing VAT exemption for the production and assembly of mobile phones has been slightly reduced and extended until June 30, 2027.
A team of engineers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has developed a soft robotics system capable of detecting damage and initiating self-repair, similar to the way human muscle and skin respond to injury. The research, presented at a robotics conference in Atlanta, may have applications in areas such as wearable technology and agricultural robotics.
With water levels rising at an alarming rate, it is important to stay aware and cautious. Here are two ways users can track the flood.
Here are our picks for jobs of the week. Check out the article for more details.
A subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation in Russia is set to file for bankruptcy, according to a recent report by Reuters.
An Indian start-up claims to have come up with a high-end med-tech kit, a life-saving intervention, for patients suffering from for treatment of acute ischemic stroke (brain stroke) which reduces the risk of long-term paralysis and disability.
Interactive Cares, a Bangladeshi edtech platform, has opened its first offline learning centre in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
WhatsApp has announced a series of updates to its Status feature on May 29, bringing it closer in style and function to Facebook Stories.
Telecommunication services in Bangladesh are experiencing widespread disruption following significant power outages caused by severe weather conditions.
Convay, a video conferencing platform developed by Bangladeshi developers, was recently selected as the official video conferencing and streaming partner for the 2025 Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium for Africa (SID-SA).
A new video regarding iPhone leaks posted online by a well-known leaker, known by the handle MajinBu, claims to show a dummy unit of the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, a device that, if the footage is authentic, could represent a significant design shift for Apple.
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has released an update to its R1 reasoning model. The new version, named R1-0528, was published on developer platform Hugging Face on May 29, although the company has not yet issued an official announcement.
Asus has officially launched the ROG Strix SCAR 18 series laptops equipped with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 GPUs in Bangladesh.
SpaceX's Starship rocket demonstrated partial success in its latest test flight on May 27, before ultimately spinning out of control. The 400-foot-tall spacecraft, launching from Texas, surpassed previous milestones by reaching space with a reused booster for the first time - a key step toward reusability. However, the mission encountered multiple setbacks about 30 minutes into the flight, according to a report by Reuters on the matter.
Salesforce has announced plans to acquire data management firm Informatica for about $8 billion, marking its largest deal since purchasing Slack for $27.7 billion in 2021. According to a recent Reuters report on the matter, this all-cash offer of $25 per share represents a 30% premium over Informatica's recent stock price.
Rectify Learn, an edtech startup founded by three students from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), has been accepted into four global entrepreneurship support programs: Microsoft for Startups, GitHub for Startups, Notion for Startups, and Miro for Startups, while still in its early development phase.
Startup Bangladesh Limited (SBL) has unveiled a strategic roadmap focused on strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem on May 24.
OpenAI has struck a deal to acquire io Products, the hardware startup founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, in a transaction valued at $6.5 billion, as per a recent report by Reuters. Additionally, OpenAI will bring Ive on board to lead design and creative development of new devices tailored for the AI era, according to OpenAI's official website.
Three entrepreneurs from Bangladesh have been named in the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2025: Arefin Zaman in the 'Healthcare & Science' category, Sakib Hossain in the 'Industry, Manufacturing & Energy' category, and Sayed Zubaer Hasan in the 'Social Impact' category.
Fidji Simo, the current CEO of Instacart, is set to join OpenAI as CEO of Applications, the company announced on May 7.
Startup Bangladesh Limited (SBL), the government-backed venture capital arm of the ICT Division, has announced a strategic investment in Shikho, an EdTech startup, in a move aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI-driven learning tools across Bangladesh on May 7.
Bangladeshi aerospace company DhumketuX has officially unveiled Bidrohi, a domestically built commercial sub-orbital space rocket made in Bangladesh, on 29 April.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications has instructed domestic telecommunication service providers to block access to the messaging platform Telegram, citing the app’s alleged failure to cooperate with authorities in addressing criminal activities, according to a recent report by Reuters.
YouTube has announced on 14 May that it will begin using Google's Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) model to identify the most engaging segments of videos for advertising placements.
TikTok has announced that the company is testing a new feature that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to generate image descriptions, in an effort to make the platform more accessible for users with visual impairments.
Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri, openly acknowledged TikTok's dominance over Facebook and Instagram in key areas of social media engagement, during discussions dated February 2022, filed as part of the US Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) antitrust lawsuit against Meta, according to a recent report by TechCrunch.
Today, Skype, the app that once connected me to so many important moments, is officially gone. It’s a strange feeling. Sure, I have switched to Messenger for chats and Zoom for meetings like everyone else. But I can’t help but feel a little sad. Few things else carry the same level of nostalgia as that familiar blue icon.
Skype, once the undisputed pioneer of internet-based video calls, has officially been shut down by Microsoft as of 5 May 2025, marking the end of a two-decade era in digital communication.
Duolingo, the language learning app, will phase out contractor roles for tasks that artificial intelligence can handle, according to a recent internal email from cofounder and CEO Luis von Ahn announcing the company's shift to an "AI-first" approach. The message, posted on Duolingo's official LinkedIn account, outlines plans to restructure operations around AI capabilities.
Samsung has recently launched its Galaxy A26 5G and A36 5G smartphones in Bangladesh.
Honor has officially launched the HONOR 400 series at a grand launch event held on 25 May 2025 at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in Dhaka.
Interactive displays are no longer futuristic novelties as they have become essential tools in modern classrooms and meeting rooms across Bangladesh. However, these devices come at a very high cost with prices ranging from BDT 200,000 to over BDT 1,200,000. So, before you invest, consider these key factors:
Realme has officially launched its latest smartphone, the Realme C71, in Bangladesh.
Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy A56 5G in Bangladesh.
Itel has officially launched the CITY 100 smartphone in Bangladesh.
Google Wallet, formerly known as Google Pay, includes a 'tap to pay' function, allowing users to complete transactions by unlocking their device and holding it near a compatible point-of-sale terminal. This system is designed to facilitate payments without the need for physical cards. Here's how to use it.
Want to get paid big bucks for hacking satellites? Elon Musk's Starlink is offering security researchers and ethical hackers up to $100,000 if they can crack its global satellite internet network - legally. As of February 11, 2025, the company's bug bounty program on Bugcrowd has already paid out for 118 vulnerabilities, with an average reward of $1,466.66 per bug over the last three months.
Ever wondered why some people get brilliant results from AI tools like Gemini, while others receive gibberish? The secret lies in prompt engineering, the craft of designing clear, practical instructions for AI systems. Here are 10 essential prompt engineering tips to dramatically improve your AI interactions.
For those seeking higher frame rates and better visual quality, upgrading the graphics card is often the most effective way to improve performance.
From capturing stunning shots of the Milky Way to photographing rare cosmic events, Bangladesh’s astrophotography community is growing, fuelled by curiosity and creativity. Here are five essential pieces of gear to help you embark on your own astrophotography journey.
Starting February 19, Facebook will automatically delete live broadcast videos from Pages and profiles after 30 days, according to a recent announcement by the popular social media platform. Users who want to keep their live videos must download or transfer them before they expire. Here's how you do so.
Running out of space on your phone can be frustrating, especially when you want to take a photo or download something important. Whether you're using an Android or iPhone, here are seven practical tips to help you reclaim storage and keep your phone running smoothly.
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has extended an invitation to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to visit Bangladesh and oversee the launch of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in the country within the next 90 working days.
The competition in the world of artificial intelligence, or AI, is getting more intense day by day. Along with powerful models like OpenAI's ChatGPT, China's DeepSeeK AI is also gaining popularity. How is this new AI startup surprising the whole world? Let's find out in today's Star Explains.
After months of speculation, Apple officially introduced its Apple Intelligence platform during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 in June.
Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone 16, the latest version of its flagship smartphone.
Competing against 451 teams from 77 countries, the Bangladeshi robotics team "Robonium Bangladesh" clinched the 5th position in the World Robot Olympiad 2023 in the "Future Innovators (Senior)" category, held in Panama
Game development in Asia has largely been taking place in East Asia since the creation of video games. Is this about to change ? We talked to Mehnaz Irtika from The Daily Star, who told us about the challenges Bangladesh's game industry faces if it wants to compete with the big dogs.
We explore the use of Augmented Reality in education. With us to discuss how deployment of AR could affect Bangladesh's education and consumer sector is Md. Ridwan Sakib Anjum, an in-house contributor for the Tech and Startup section of The Daily Star.
Huawei has received the bKash Partner Excellence Award for the fifth time.
India has restricted access to 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets and individual creators, following the recent incident in Pahalgam, according to reports by The Hindu and Times of India.
Nike is facing a lawsuit from NFT (non-fungible tokens) buyers who claim the company left them with worthless digital assets after suddenly shutting down its RTFKT NFT division, the unit that made Nike-themed NFTs, last December.
Apple is speeding up plans to shift iPhone production from China to India, aiming to make most iPhones sold in the US in Indian factories by late 2026, according to a recent report by Reuters. The move comes as Apple tries to avoid possible higher US tariffs on Chinese-made goods, a source told Reuters.
A. F. M. Shahen Shah, a Bangladeshi researcher based in Turkey, has developed drone-based technology that could significantly improve emergency communication during natural disasters. His work, which has gained notable coverage in Turkish media, addresses the critical problem of the collapse of communication networks following disasters such as earthquakes and floods.
Here are our picks for jobs of the week. Check out the article for more details.
Chhaya, a Bangladeshi digital insurance startup, has placed first in the Supernova Challenge at GITEX Asia 2025, a global startup competition, winning a $50,000 prize.
Meta has announced a series of measures aimed at reducing the volume of spam-like content on Facebook, in an effort to improve user experience and support authentic content creators on the platform, according to a blog post by the company on April 24.
Imo, the instant messaging app, has earned Google Play’s ‘Independent Security Review’ badge, marking its second consecutive recognition under the tech giant’s security certification initiative.
River, a US-based technology company founded by Bangladeshi-American entrepreneurs, has acquired Wind, a blockchain-based payments application created by Hussain M Elius, the former CEO of Pathao.
