In the usual run-of-the-mill Bangladeshi cinema, where narratives often orbit around male protagonists and their odysseys, Dibarah Mahboob's “Kraati” emerges as a pleasant anomaly—a short film centred around two young women, an upper-middle-class daughter and her resilient househelp. Set against the backdrop of the July Monsoon Revolution of 2024, “Kraati” delves into their intertwined lives and shared struggles for autonomy and respect, in a society run very much within the patriarchal framework. Drawing from her anthropological background and personal experiences, Mahboob crafts a narrative that is both intimate and universally resonant. While “Kraati” does not explicitly reference the movement, its spirit pulses through the film’s core. With an air of revolution already in the...
Moitree Jatra was not a gathering of any political banner or one social cause.
In a quiet neighbourhood of a once lush green residential area of Dhanmondi, I grew up in a three-storied house that dates back to the year 1957, listening wide-eyed to stories of a man deeply involved in Bangladesh’s struggle for sovereignty and democracy.
Despite the pardon, the entire incident underscores the crucial need for stronger diplomatic ties and improved migrant labour rights.
With great wealth, should there not be great scrutiny and accountability?
Puzzling positive developments in our economic indicators, which hardly delineate the real socioeconomic conditions of the people in Bangladesh, are not new phenomena.
On a symbolic visit to Kigali, Rwanda this year, French President Emmanuel Macron recognised France’s extensive role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, asking for the “gift of forgiveness” from those who survived the atrocities—without, however, putting forth an official apology.
Visualise a sunny convo-cation day—students beaming with pride and their four years of strenuous academic struggles finally summing up to them tossing their graduation caps as a symbolic gesture to commemorate the end of their undergraduate life.
The word “Dracarys” has the power to burn entire cities to the ground with scathing dragon fire in HBO’s epic fantasy saga Game of Thrones. Even off-screen, the Valyrian term has had an impact on millions of fans around the globe.
Dhaka, a city of cacophony that reverberates from its belligerent streets which carry the clash of a million stories every day. Amidst cars honking, buses screeching, people cursing, vendors trading, the shuffling sound of pedestrians and the din of everyday life, the sound of a boy, begging for a few takas with his hand outstretched, gets muffled.
The sense of losing a friend is similar to the utter loss of having your favourite “tong” shut down. The tin-shed recluse, right around
Ashraf jerked awake from the same recurring nightmare he has been having for quite some time now. He woke up to muffled raised voices in the middle of the night coming in from the next room.
From the beginning of time immemorial, it has been established that females take an exasperatingly long amount of time to get ready before venturing out.
With Eid right around the corner and excitement brimming in everyone young and old, it sadly has lost a bit of its exuberant essence for those of us who are trying to adult. Eid gives us yet another example of how growing up is a horrible phenomenon. You know where I am getting at, don't you?
Have you ever felt the need to feel omnipotent? Well, then you must have enjoyed or still enjoy (it's okay, we don't judge) the invincibility stature while playing this life simulation game, “The Sims”. I still remember the sheer power I used to feel surging through my veins as I controlled the lives of my Sims, influenced their moods, or drowned them in the pool because why not. While taking my final exam the other day, a brilliant question struck me. What if this game was set in Bangladesh?
The worst mornings are when you wake up to an epiphany that a quarter of your life is done and dusted with.
As we continue to wait for a legal system that protects girls and women from transportation woes, it's important to discuss and undertake effective measures.
