Spotlight
Jahangirnagar University crisis - mired in a stalemate
Amidst all the commotion at Jahangirnagar University, this issue of the Star Weekend attempts to discern the trajectory of the disaster by sieving it through a chronological timeline, collated from reports published in The Daily Star and other major national newspapers. We start from the reappointment of the VC and take the reader through all that has happened till date, all that has brought this renowned academic institution to a standstill.This timeline is certainly not exhaustive. What it demands of the reader is discernment, analysis and conscious awareness of the ever-persistent, wider issues that these events represent. Where does it all begin, and where does it end? Why should a public university be in such a place to begin with?
East Jurain: Worst place to live in Dhaka?
Ashraful Islam, a retired government official, built a two-story house in Dhaka’s east Jurain neighbourhood in 1996. He spent his forty years of savings and even exhausted his wife’s fixed deposit to build this dwelling.
Stone- Crushers Dying of silicosis, failed by courts
Burimari union, a border village nestling in a nook of the Indian district of Cooch Behar, is a village of stones and stone-crushing yards.
Jamdani: A fabric of then and now
Along the banks of the Sitalakhya river in Narayanganj, some 20 villages in Sonargaon, Rupganj, and Siddhirganj in particular, women villagers starch yarn in lime and toasted rice to make warp yarn—the vertical, lengthwise weaves that make up a fabric.
TERROR RISING
The latest, but probably not the last, victim of this culture of impunity is Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of the electrical and electronic engineering department of Bangladesh University of Science and Technology (BUET).
A long, hard look at our teachers
For months, our public universities have been erupting in protests, with students demanding some very basic things: vice-chancellors who are not corrupt, teachers who cannot bribe their way into the university, student political wings who do not extort or oppress (or murder), effective sexual harassment policies, and freedom of expression.
Youth against fear and injustice
The public universities, old and new, are in quite a sorry state. It seems that these institutions exist only to offer support for the government’s misrule.
The story of Teesta
The story of Teesta begins 23,386 ft above the sea-level at the Pahunri glacier nestled between the Tibet and India border.
WALKING ON ROAD 79
The long stretch of road, just wide enough for two cars to cross each other from opposite directions, is perpetually semi-lit.
Dhallywood: The Craze!
It's a popular concept around the world to release mainstream commercial movies during major festivals like Eid, Diwali or Christmas.
THE RAILWAY RUSH
To introduce Bangladesh in the World Wide Web as the most densely populated country in the world, probably the most used
IN THE NAME OF HARMONY
“I have come from Baitul Mukarram. I read in the news that you were offering iftaar. Can I get a box?” asks a hopeful, smiling
Dreaming of a Traffic Free Dhaka
It was 6 o'clock in the afternoon. The open square of Bashundhara shopping mall was crammed with people desperately looking for public transport to return home by iftaar. Taxi and CNG auto rickshaw drivers grabbed the opportunity very well,
The Girl With A Rolleicord
Imagine women entering the field of photography that has been historically dominated by men. That too during a time when women were confined to certain socially constructed roles.
Find the Leader in You
“If we want to be a leader, we should have patience, eagerness, teamwork, good communication skills that are worthy of attention, and the power to convince the people of the work we do”, believes 20 years old Mohammad Farid Ahmed,
Begum: How One Magazine Began a Revolution
“My father had subscribed to Begum Magazine when I was a little girl. He used to love the fact that the editor and I had the same name,”
Maid in Bangladesh
May Day, like any other national holiday, probably makes no difference in the lives of millions of workers who shed their blood and sweat for a meager pay.
Remembering the Legend Siddiqua Kabir
In an era of online tutorials and a vast number of cooking channels, many of you might argue that cookbooks have lost their