Creative blocks mirror nature’s barren phases, yet chaos and stillness birth inspiration. True creativity resists control, flowing from instinct and emotion. In its wild, sacred moments, we connect deeply—with self, soul, and the art of becoming.
Every locality in this city has stories, and none seem to speak louder than the anecdotes shared by walls! Case in point: Shantinagar! Having lived here for over four decades, I am no stranger to the tales they offer, and curiously, these narratives are ever-changing.
In Old Dhaka, kachchi biriyani has emerged as the quintessential wedding dish
Shakrain is now observed by the entire community of Old Dhaka
Rashid Choudhury revolutionized Bangladeshi art by pioneering modern tapestry, blending Bengal’s cultural heritage with European techniques. His vibrant, symbolic works redefined artistic boundaries, inspiring generations and transforming textile art into a powerful medium of national identity.
Kumkum Rahman grew up in Dhaka. As part of the generation of the ’70s, she has recollections of a relatively quaint city, free from the hustle and bustle of the present day. Among her most treasured memories are those of Ramadan in the metropolis, but what remains etched in her heart is the joy of Eid in a bygone era.
Back in the day, the Abahani-Mohammedan rivalry was as fierce as Real Madrid-Barcelona
Ramadan holds a special place in the heart, rooted in childhood memories of fasting, reading, and spending time with family. The sacred month provides a chance for reflection, reconnecting with loved ones, and appreciating life's simple, meaningful moments.
Wedding invites start pouring in as early as the last week of November every year. Given the fact that I had married not so long ago, the pile this year was somewhat taller, which means more outflow of cash on my part!
Growing up as a boy in the '90s, an eventful decade for more reasons than one, I was allowed to read widely. Of course there was no Internet, no e-books, or online libraries. I cannot even recall being a member of one, because almost every household had a selection of books, no matter how small or insignificant it may now seem.
If there is a price for freedom, what is it and who pays it? And if the debt remains unsettled, how does a generation get absolved of the sins of the last?
I was more of a witness than an actual participant of the whole exercise. The years of searching, the myriad unpleasantness, and even the reality checks had not prepared me for the session of drafting the marriage contract. Even before I had said, “I do,” clauses for inheritance and divorce were tossed, argued, and agreed on.
By 3AM in the morning, the hullaballoo was over. Our wedding party had reached Dhaka, the ceremonial welcome of the new bride over and done with, and J, my kid sister ushered us to the room.
Artist Jamal Ahmed is a master of drawing, acclaimed for his realistic depiction of life, expansive landscapes, dusks on the beach, and pigeons. He is an exponent of the Bangladesh's realism art movement, and the undisputed master when it comes to painting the eternal muse of every artist — the female form.
Freud's psychoanalysis on collecting and collectors is nothing short of bizarre. But that is Sigmud!
For millennia, the Subcontinent was ruled by empires, and yet, at any given time, much of the land was under the supervision of viceroys, quasi-rulers, and as was the case in Bengal, Zamindars.
The impression of red in our prehistoric psyche is conceivably what we carry today. No child is born with a blank slate, or a palette. What we see, what we observe, and differentiate are based on footprints on our cells through thousands of years of evolution from a bestial existence to an intelligent form.
There was something about the youth of that generation. The youth simply rebelled. They rebelled against authoritarianism, rejected organised religion in any form, and devoted their attention more for a spiritual awakening.
