Maisha Syeda

Maisha Syeda is a writer, painter, lecturer, and the Sub editor of Star Books and Literature.

Of homes and the worlds: Women, violence, and the domestic space

November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which goes until December 10, Human Rights Day.

3w ago

A walk through free (?) Dhaka

Bangladesh has gone through a day of historical proportions, and the people on the streets seem to know this.

4m ago

All that I shouldn’t have known

What I wish I didn’t know is that when your dear friends whisper the word “psycho” behind your back, you’ll grow up accepting it.

5m ago

Shrines

Words have crashed onto your shores,

8m ago

TRIGGER WARNING: Agency, autonomy, and female smoking

A month ago, as I waited for a friend in Banani, I decided to grab a packet of cigarettes. I’m not good at calculations for loose change and the vendor, old and seemingly disoriented, was having a hard time too.

9m ago

The sound of Dhaka city

Once on a particularly smothering hot day, on a CNG ride to work, I was stuck in the most heinous traffic for over two hours. Over the yelling drivers, honking cars, and incessant cursing over why the CNGs were trying to overtake the expensive cars, I was listening to my usual cycle of songs. As coincidence would have it, David Gilmour in his seraphic voice posed the question: “So, so you think you can tell/ Heaven from hell?”

1y ago

In the sand dunes

His face was growing warmer, it seemed as though the intangible entity that was stinging his closed eyes was growing stronger.

1y ago

Of ‘BONOBIBI’ and music as a form of storytelling

The verses remind us that a withering, war-torn Earth can still birth new life and hopes of freedom.

1y ago
December 18, 2021
December 18, 2021

Anwarul Amin’s memoir revisits the first Bangladeshi bank established abroad

In a discerning recollection of events, esteemed retired banker Anwarul Amin has released his memoir about opening the first branch of a Bangladeshi bank abroad.

December 9, 2021
December 9, 2021

National award winner Kajol Ibrahim launches her memoir

In an intimate ceremony held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on December 4, national award-winning dancer, choreographer, and stage performer Kajol Ibrahim launched her memoir, Nritte Gantha Kotha Mala, published by Ramon Publishers.

November 30, 2021
November 30, 2021

Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation hosts discussion on freedom fighters of Dhaka

On November 27, Saturday at 7 PM, Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation hosted its fifth episode of their discussion series,‘Bidyapeeth Baithaki: Antaranga Alape Gunizan, online’. The topic of this week’s episode was ‘Crack Platoon: The Freedom Fighters of Dhaka’.

November 18, 2021
November 18, 2021

Why Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” is a perfect way to start the season

Three days ago when I woke up in the morning to get ready for work, I stood on my balcony and felt a slight, familiar nip in the air.

November 4, 2021
November 4, 2021

South-African author Damon Galgut wins 2021 Booker Prize for his novel, "The Promise"

The South-African novelist and playwright had been previously shortlisted for his books, The Good Doctor (2003) and In A Strange Room (2010) in their respective years, the former of which received the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

October 30, 2021
October 30, 2021

ULAB hosts colloquium, “From Kabuliwala to the Fall of Kabul: Afghanistan in Popular Imagination”

The Department of English and Humanities, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) has organised a two-day International Virtual Colloquium on October 30 and 31 entitled “From ‘Kabuliwala’ to the Fall of Kabul: Afghanistan in Popular Imagination”.

October 28, 2021
October 28, 2021

Tanveer Anoy explores gender roles and identities in his second novel, ‘Duradhay’

Tanveer Anoy’s second novel, Duradhay (Anandam, 2021), felt like a punch to my stomach; a wake up call, to be more precise.

October 13, 2021
October 13, 2021

Gyantaposh Abdur Razzak Foundation conducts session on Manosh Chowdhury’s unpublished research

The Unpublished PhD lecture series, organised by Gyantaposh Abdur Razzaq Foundation, resumed on October 12, 2021 at 7 pm over Zoom after a two year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In its eighth episode, researcher and professor of Anthropology at Jahangirnagar University, Manosh Chowdhury, gave an illuminating talk on his doctoral thesis: “Popularizing Project: Some Aspects of Production of Culture and Discourses in Bangladesh”.

October 7, 2021
October 7, 2021

ULAB Press launches 'Commemorating Sheikh Mujib’

On the morning of Thursday, October 7, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh saw the launch of ULAB Press with its maiden publication, Commemorating Sheikh Mujib: The Greatest Bengali of the Millenium (2021).

October 3, 2021
October 3, 2021

Abul Mansur Ahmad Smriti Parishad holds creative writing and research workshop

The Abul Mansur Ahmad Smriti Parishad held the award giving ceremony for its fourth annual essay competition, commemorating journalist, author, historian, and politician Abul Mansur Ahmad, yesterday at 4 pm at The Daily Star Center. A day-long workshop on creative writing, editing, and research accompanied the programme.