6 months of BNP govt: Health Ministry / Struggling with measles, let alone much else
19 August 2026
The health ministry spent much of its first 180 days grappling with a prolonged measles outbreak, leaving several of its major reform initiatives at an early stage and raising questions about its capacity to fulfil ambitious healthcare promises.
19 August 2026
Interview / ‘We expect visible changes in health sector within one to one-and-a-half years’
18 August 2026
Six months into the BNP government’s tenure, State Minister for Health MA Muhit speaks to The Daily Star about the ministry’s plans for the healthcare system and the challenges ahead
18 August 2026
Plug measles jab gaps urgently
18 August 2026
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday directed the health authorities to urgently identify and close gaps in measles vaccination coverage, as the disease continues to claim lives even three months after the emergency vaccination campaign.
18 August 2026
Measles deaths cross 900
16 August 2026
Measles continues to claim lives nearly three months after the nationwide vaccination campaign ended, with the death toll crossing the 900-mark yesterday, indicating that the outbreak is far from over.
16 August 2026
Upazila hospitals set for even bigger upgrade
16 August 2026
The government has decided to upgrade all upazila health complexes (UHCs) to 151-bed facilities, revising its earlier plan for 101 beds, to strengthen healthcare services at the grassroots level.
16 August 2026
Population council asleep for 16 years
11 August 2026
Fertility rate rising, demographic dividend at risk
11 August 2026
PRIVATE MEDICAL FACILITIES / Govt extends licence for 2yrs
11 August 2026
The health authorities have extended the validity of licences for private medical facilities from one year to two years, aiming to simplify the renewal process and reduce hassle for hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres.
11 August 2026
Private medical facilities: Licence validity extended for 2yrs, but hurdles remain
10 August 2026
Say owners
10 August 2026
New med college despite struggles of older ones
The BNP government has approved the first public medical college in its current term, with plans underway to establish seven more, as many established medical schools grapple with severe shortages of teachers and infrastructure.
20 May 2026
Govt to restart ICUs at 10 district hospitals
The government is set to revive intensive care unit (ICU) services at 10 district hospitals as authorities continue to struggle to provide critical care to a growing number of measles patients amid a spike in cases and deaths.
19 May 2026
Costs of stents, dialysis may drop
Kidney and heart patients are expected to get some relief as the government is going to withdraw some taxes on equipment for kidney dialysis and coronary stents in the next budget.
18 May 2026
The hidden pandemic in Dhaka's homes: Children glued to screens
icddr,b researcher Shahria Hafiz Kakon explains how Covid-era habits, shrinking play spaces and parents’ own screen use are deepening children’s screen dependency
14 May 2026
Measles’ unseen toll on the poor
Titu Nakti is relieved that his 11-month-old son, Tamzid, is finally going home to Madaripur after a week-long battle with measles at a Dhaka hospital. Yet, a newly acquired debt casts a shadow over the relief.
13 May 2026
Confirmed measles deaths: Half the children were too young for shots
Almost half of the 60 children who died from confirmed measles were below nine months of age, government data showed, meaning they were not yet eligible for routine vaccination.
12 May 2026
Care gaps push patients to crowd Dhaka hospitals
Nine-month-old Tariqul from Narsingdi was rushed to a local health facility last Thursday after developing fever and other measles‑like symptoms. The baby was later transferred to Narsingdi District Sadar Hospital.
11 May 2026
Measles deaths more than reported
The actual number of measles deaths is likely higher than the central tally, as data from two divisional offices of the health directorate show at least 34 more suspected deaths than reported in the official figures.
7 May 2026
Urban primary healthcare moves to DGHS
In a major policy shift, the government has decided to take primary healthcare services in 12 city corporations and 23 municipalities from the Local Government Division and give them to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
7 May 2026
Measles by the numbers: 317 children lost to a preventable disease
Dhaka accounts for half of all fatalities as patients flood in from across the country. Health experts say the toll may continue to climb until an emergency vaccination drive begins to build immunity
6 May 2026
Fund crunch squeezes free medicines for poor
Thousands of patients across Bangladesh are in a similar bind. NCD corners are running short of supplies due to a funding crunch.
6 May 2026
Deadliest day in measles outbreak
The country logged its highest single-day death toll from measles and measles-like symptoms, with 17 child deaths reported in the 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday.
5 May 2026
Unicef message was not a measles outbreak warning: Prof Sayedur tells Star
Amid public anger over child deaths, key health adviser to interim govt says outbreaks usually result from several long-term factors and that vaccine procurement approvals were given on time
4 May 2026
Interim govt’s missteps behind measles crisis
The interim government’s ineptitude and apathy that eventually led to a measles outbreak has so far left 294 children dead, say experts and officials.
4 May 2026
Novo Nordisk eyes Bangladesh as an insulin hub
Novo Nordisk’s decision to localise production was driven by both market need and manufacturing potential
30 April 2026
DCs’ proposals expose health sector ills
Barguna, a southern coastal district with a population of about 10 lakh, turned into a dengue hotspot last year, recording 15 deaths and 9,534 cases -- the highest for any single district except those at divisional headquarters.
28 April 2026
No measles let-up before mid-May
Measles cases and deaths continue to rise with the situation unlikely to improve much until the second week of May despite the ongoing vaccination campaign, experts say.
26 April 2026
BNP walks back on its tobacco control promises
The BNP government amended at least two laws in ways that could further promote the production and use of tobacco products despite pledging tobacco control in its election manifesto, said anti-tobacco campaigners.
21 April 2026
Zero malaria death by next year a stiff challenge now
The issue of malaria deaths came into focus following the death of Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman from malaria on Friday, ahead of World Malaria Day on April 25.
19 April 2026
Expansion of higher medical education stalled by project delay
Established in 2016, Rajshahi Medical University (RMU) has yet to develop the capacity to offer postgraduate courses -- the core function of a medical university.
17 April 2026