Pallab Bhattacharya

Pallab Bhattacharya is a special correspondent for The Daily Star.

Trinamool, BJP clash over West Bengal voter roll purge

West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its main rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are set for a collision course as the Election Commission of India (ECI) undertakes a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral roll ahead of assembly polls slated for March-April next year

3w ago

India moves to boost textile competitiveness against Bangladesh, Vietnam and China

Faced with a 50 percent tariff imposed by the United States, the Indian government has drawn up a four-point action plan with three separate timeframes to regain cost competitiveness in the global textile market, with a particular focus on competing with Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China.

1m ago

India, Pakistan hockey players shake hands at Malaysia meet

The gesture by the junior hockey players of the two teams came after the men's and women's cricket teams of India and Pakistan opted for “no-handshake” policy during their respective matches in the Asia Cup in the UAE and a World Cup game in Colombo.

1m ago

India to launch EFTA trade pact on Oct 1

In the midst of a tariff battle with the United States, India will formally operationalise its free trade agreement (FTA) with four countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) bloc on October 1.

2m ago

Anuparna Roy’s breakthrough at Venice Film Festival

For Anuparna Roy, in her thirties, the excitement of winning an award with her very first feature film at the world’s oldest film festival in Venice is yet to sink in. The Indian media took no notice of Roy, an English literature student from Burdwan University in West Bengal, when she released her first short film “Run To The River” a couple of years ago. But today, that moment seems light years away.

2m ago

Bhupen Hazarika centenary sets sail on Brahmaputra with musical river voyage

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tribute this morning, called Hazarika’s music timeless, noting how his compositions “transcended borders and linguistic barriers for decades.” That universality is embodied in “Bistirna Parore” (popularly known in Bangla as “Bistirno Dupaare”), the song after which the voyage is named.

2m ago

BGB-BSF conference: Push-ins, border killings to figure high

The continuous push-ins by Indian authorities from different border points despite repeated protests by Bangladesh will top the agenda of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the upcoming 56th director general-level conference.

3m ago

"Even simple tasks are hard": India's first ISS astronaut on space life

Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla, the country’s first astronaut to enter the International Space Station (ISS), has shared his first-hand experience that even simple tasks like sleeping, walking, and drinking water become very challenging in microgravity conditions.

5m ago
November 10, 2025
November 10, 2025

Trinamool, BJP clash over West Bengal voter roll purge

West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its main rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are set for a collision course as the Election Commission of India (ECI) undertakes a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral roll ahead of assembly polls slated for March-April next year

October 31, 2025
October 31, 2025

India moves to boost textile competitiveness against Bangladesh, Vietnam and China

Faced with a 50 percent tariff imposed by the United States, the Indian government has drawn up a four-point action plan with three separate timeframes to regain cost competitiveness in the global textile market, with a particular focus on competing with Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China.

October 15, 2025
October 15, 2025

India, Pakistan hockey players shake hands at Malaysia meet

The gesture by the junior hockey players of the two teams came after the men's and women's cricket teams of India and Pakistan opted for “no-handshake” policy during their respective matches in the Asia Cup in the UAE and a World Cup game in Colombo.

September 30, 2025
September 30, 2025

India to launch EFTA trade pact on Oct 1

In the midst of a tariff battle with the United States, India will formally operationalise its free trade agreement (FTA) with four countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) bloc on October 1.

September 10, 2025
September 10, 2025

Anuparna Roy’s breakthrough at Venice Film Festival

For Anuparna Roy, in her thirties, the excitement of winning an award with her very first feature film at the world’s oldest film festival in Venice is yet to sink in. The Indian media took no notice of Roy, an English literature student from Burdwan University in West Bengal, when she released her first short film “Run To The River” a couple of years ago. But today, that moment seems light years away.

September 8, 2025
September 8, 2025

Bhupen Hazarika centenary sets sail on Brahmaputra with musical river voyage

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a tribute this morning, called Hazarika’s music timeless, noting how his compositions “transcended borders and linguistic barriers for decades.” That universality is embodied in “Bistirna Parore” (popularly known in Bangla as “Bistirno Dupaare”), the song after which the voyage is named.

August 24, 2025
August 24, 2025

BGB-BSF conference: Push-ins, border killings to figure high

The continuous push-ins by Indian authorities from different border points despite repeated protests by Bangladesh will top the agenda of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the upcoming 56th director general-level conference.

June 30, 2025
June 30, 2025

"Even simple tasks are hard": India's first ISS astronaut on space life

Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla, the country’s first astronaut to enter the International Space Station (ISS), has shared his first-hand experience that even simple tasks like sleeping, walking, and drinking water become very challenging in microgravity conditions.

June 27, 2025
June 27, 2025

India to conduct 7 experiments in space

Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history by becoming the country’s first astronaut to enter the International Space Station (ISS) on June 26 after the docking of Axiom 4 spacecraft, he carried with him India’s scientific dreams to the frontiers of microgravity.

June 23, 2025
June 23, 2025

India develops solar-powered green hydrogen production

Indian scientists have developed a scalable device that produces green hydrogen, one of the cleanest fuels, by splitting water molecules using only solar energy.