RBR

The year of the snake: Dhaka’s inaugural Chinese New Year festivities

I had nothing significant planned for last Friday, and was absent-mindedly saying yes to all sorts of plans my friends were making; completely forgetting an important wedding reception I had to attend that very day.

4d ago

Dhaka's winter: Hot teas and spicy soups to beat the chill

I would not go near Tetulia simply because I love the tropical weather in Dhaka. For the two months that winter lasts here in Bangladesh, this old city is cloaked in a mild chill. That is enough for Dhaka locals to bring out their monkey caps, mufflers, coats, and whatnot.

2w ago

Reviving Dhaka’s classic cane furniture traditions

Hollowed cane chairs with pillowy cushions in white cotton covers surrounded a cane centre table with a glass top, on which, there would be a brass flower vase, posing with beautiful pink roses or gardenias from the garden -- this was how verandas looked years ago in Dhaka, or casual day rooms. Cane furniture was a timeless and vintage home décor style in Dhaka homes of the sixties.

3w ago

1971 War Through a Child’s Eyes: Innocence Meets Reality

When our Liberation War broke out, I was just shy of two. I have no recollection of what happened around me during that period.

1m ago

Stuck in traffic? These winter snacks are worth the detour

Snacking on the streets of this city is nothing short of a culinary treat, and if you add the streets of Old Dhaka to the list, then it is an epicurean ball.

1m ago

When men cook, care, and connect: The era of new masculinity

The new buzzword in town is ‘inclusive.’ It doesn’t refer only to gender inclusion; rather, from a more relevant and broader point of view, being inclusive makes us learn about disability inclusion, social and workplace inclusion, and parental inclusion, to name a few.

1m ago

Adopt love, reject cruelty: The modern pet life

The flow of life is punctuated with ups and downs, and amid this unpredictability, we make friends for a lifetime.  We fall in love; we volunteer even to adopt love.

1m ago

Dhaka weekend goals: Birds, fritters, and campus life at JU

In a thicket of Mahagony, Segun, and Raintrees, the Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus is a rolling 697.56 acres of topographical beauty. A few kilometres from the main city on the Dhaka-Aricha highway, the JU campus can be your next weekend outing.

2m ago
January 18, 2025
January 18, 2025

The year of the snake: Dhaka’s inaugural Chinese New Year festivities

I had nothing significant planned for last Friday, and was absent-mindedly saying yes to all sorts of plans my friends were making; completely forgetting an important wedding reception I had to attend that very day.

January 4, 2025
January 4, 2025

Dhaka's winter: Hot teas and spicy soups to beat the chill

I would not go near Tetulia simply because I love the tropical weather in Dhaka. For the two months that winter lasts here in Bangladesh, this old city is cloaked in a mild chill. That is enough for Dhaka locals to bring out their monkey caps, mufflers, coats, and whatnot.

December 30, 2024
December 30, 2024

Reviving Dhaka’s classic cane furniture traditions

Hollowed cane chairs with pillowy cushions in white cotton covers surrounded a cane centre table with a glass top, on which, there would be a brass flower vase, posing with beautiful pink roses or gardenias from the garden -- this was how verandas looked years ago in Dhaka, or casual day rooms. Cane furniture was a timeless and vintage home décor style in Dhaka homes of the sixties.

December 16, 2024
December 16, 2024

1971 War Through a Child’s Eyes: Innocence Meets Reality

When our Liberation War broke out, I was just shy of two. I have no recollection of what happened around me during that period.

December 13, 2024
December 13, 2024

Stuck in traffic? These winter snacks are worth the detour

Snacking on the streets of this city is nothing short of a culinary treat, and if you add the streets of Old Dhaka to the list, then it is an epicurean ball.

December 10, 2024
December 10, 2024

When men cook, care, and connect: The era of new masculinity

The new buzzword in town is ‘inclusive.’ It doesn’t refer only to gender inclusion; rather, from a more relevant and broader point of view, being inclusive makes us learn about disability inclusion, social and workplace inclusion, and parental inclusion, to name a few.

November 30, 2024
November 30, 2024

Adopt love, reject cruelty: The modern pet life

The flow of life is punctuated with ups and downs, and amid this unpredictability, we make friends for a lifetime.  We fall in love; we volunteer even to adopt love.

November 14, 2024
November 14, 2024

Dhaka weekend goals: Birds, fritters, and campus life at JU

In a thicket of Mahagony, Segun, and Raintrees, the Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus is a rolling 697.56 acres of topographical beauty. A few kilometres from the main city on the Dhaka-Aricha highway, the JU campus can be your next weekend outing.

November 11, 2024
November 11, 2024

Shinni: A ‘new-age’ twist on Bangladeshi communal healing

My grandmother, whom I fondly called Bubu, used to bring us batashas -- a sugar candy -- from her visits to her homeland in Pirojpur, Barishal. She would tell us it was a tabarak or shinni, which is a sweet gift or grace from her visits to Holy places.

November 9, 2024
November 9, 2024

Pickles, memories and November’s magic

November in the tropics has its own weather mix. From a storm brewing at the Bay to roaring gusty wind, to a scorching sunny day, dewy evening, and foggy dawn -- Dhaka’s weather in this month cannot be explained.