Empty nest? More like an empty heart: How one family turned loneliness into love
A woman facing an empty nest found renewed purpose by taking in her house-help's daughter. Despite restrictive adoption laws in Bangladesh, her family secured guardianship, focusing on emotional support and building a fulfilling bond.
3w ago
Think you've seen it all? Wait till you visit this 8th-century gem in Bangladesh
Somapura Mahavihara — “the Great Monastery situated in the locality of the moon” — is one of the oldest monuments in the country, and a UNESCO heritage site. Located to the northwest of Bangladesh in the district of Naogaon, the ruins of the Buddhist vihara at Paharpur serves as a cue to what was once a flourishing Buddhist culture.
1m ago
A postcard from memory lane: Revisiting Dhaka’s GPO
My earliest recollections of the city’s General Post Office are linked to my late grandmother.
1m ago
Unveiling the goddess within
Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga, highlighting her strength, courage, and compassion. These divine traits are present in every woman, empowering them to face challenges and embrace their inner goddess during the festival and beyond.
1m ago
Sharat’s graceful homage
Fall brings a whole new meaning to Bengali fashion. In this day and age, we love taking cues from global trends and fusing them with our versatile styles the rest of the year, but come this season we still lean towards more traditional forms and hues.
1m ago
Kashful fields and starry nights: The magic of autumn in Bengal
Fall, in this part of the world, may not be marked by a profound stillness. Nevertheless, even in Bengal, the season brings about noticeable changes.
2m ago
Tourism in turmoil: How political unrest and floods crippled Bangladesh
Currently, the Bangladeshi tourism sector is witnessing unprecedented problems. While this was supposed to be one of the peak seasons, due to the recent political situation and the current flood that is sweeping many parts of the country, the hospitality industry seems to have come to a standstill.
3m ago
Cultural heritage in a bowl: The taste of Bogura’r doi
Bogura, once a quaint town, is now a bustling metropolis, but its legendary curd, Bogura’r doi, remains a symbol of tradition. This gourmet delight blends age-old recipes with the finest local ingredients. Artisans meticulously craft it, starting with fresh cow’s milk, boiled and reduced, then fermented in clay pots.
3m ago
September 29, 2020
Finding Dr Reyan Anis
Her mother, the late Colonel Rokaiya Anis, was one of the most renowned gynaecologists in post-independence Bangladesh and a pioneering female gynaecologist in the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
August 22, 2020
The man beyond the art
Apart from being one of the most prominent modern painters of Bangladesh, it is common knowledge that Murtaja Baseer wore a hat with many feathers. He was not only an accomplished painter, noted novelist, and all in all, a socially conscious individual, but also a keen collector of coins, stamps, bank notes, and matchboxes.
August 11, 2020
Le Smoking Tuxedo
Parisian fashion of the 1960s was witness to winds of change. And the world followed suit.
June 23, 2020
Monsoon and memories
The English rain feels obligatory, like paperwork. It dampens already damp days and slicks the stones already smoothened by the ravages of a thousand seasons.
June 23, 2020
Movies for a rainy day
As cliched as it may sound, rainy-days have a special place in our hearts. For some, it’s the pitter patter of the rainfall, perhaps the picturesque cityscape visible through the open glass windows, or that earthy smell accompanying the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.
April 14, 2020
Sylhet’s Dhamail: an ode to joy and community music
The singing troupes are, more often than not, amateurs. In wealthy households, professional musicians, or geedal as they are
March 24, 2020
Posters of 1971 A guide to freedom
At every refugee camp in the neighbouring country; at every training camp where valiant youth of the nation, farmers, day labourers, and able men and women learned warfare in the spirit to free their native land; at every liberated zone of Bangladesh — there were travelling musical troupes singing songs of freedom and victory.
March 17, 2020
Recognition, as equals
Decem-ber 6, 1971. Three days into Pakistani pre-emptive strikes on Indian bases, the escalation of tensions in the subcontinent led Bhutan to accord diplomatic recognition to Bangladesh, followed by India only hours later.
February 25, 2020
Serenity of St. Martin’s
Whenever one hears that I had spent eight straight days at St. Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal, most quizzically ask, “What did you do for so many days?”
January 21, 2020
The unforgettable jalshas
The events were attended by my uncle and luminaries living in our neighbourhood at that time. I was only a child and they never let me pass by a chance of dancing before the audience wearing keys and anklets for ghungroos.
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