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.
ART, BY THE SHORE
The tranquil town of Cox's Bazaar recently came to life with art. The under construction Cox's Bazaar Institute and Public Library, otherwise empty and unused, was the centre of activities and vibrant colours.
The stinking side of the Dream Project
The Hatirjheel-Begunbari Lake area, with its open spaces, is steadily losing its charm and beauty due to the unbearable stench of the contaminated lake, coupled with the sight and smell of the garbage heaped in it. Suffocating odour seeping out from the water,
Rotting Behind Bars
“Hey, people, welcome to your new home. Now you are the dwellers of one of Bangladesh's most famous buildings. Here, we have two packages for you. If you can pay 5000 Taka you will be allotted to a cell where you can get 'homely' comfort.
To Soar Without Wings
It's results day! And what exactly does results day mean? Did you think it's a day when exam results come out? You are gravely mistaken.
The Best Day, Everyday
A Teach for Bangladesh Fellow is a dignitary- not in his or her lifestyle, or in their fame and money, or in all clichéd ways one becomes a dignitary.
No Space to Grow
The lack of playing fields in our city has been a major reason for concern among Dhakaites, especially for parents and children.
Days of Play Fade Away
There is an apparent apathy in the nation's collective psyche towards the most precious lives of our society, the very soul of our future-- our children. Even unwittingly depriving our children of their physical and psychological nurture is a form of abuse.
Dwelling in a Death Trap
Just a day after Eid-ul-Fitr, the country's biggest religious celebration, we woke up to the news of the unfortunate deaths of a woman and five children, in three separate incidents of landslides and wall collapse at Bayazid and Lalkhan areas of Chittagong due to heavy rainfall. Following the incident, the voice of concerned government officials could be heard over loudspeakers, as they requested people to move to safer places.
The Zoo that is Not
Raja, the 21 years old Bengal Tiger is languishing in his cage with no medical care and little food. Flies are flying in circles around the wounds on his legs, but for his weakness the old tiger appears to be quite reluctant to drive the flies away. Lolling in his cage the helpless Raja gazes indifferently at the visitors who are trying to excite him by teasing him and sometimes throwing bottles and paper at him. However, Raja, on his deathbed, has lost all interest in the ragging he has been tolerating for years.
For a tranquil Eid
Dhakaites have been complaining for a very long time that we don't have enough recreational activities or holiday places in our city. Other than going to the so called amusement parks or hopping between restaurants, we face a moral dilemma on how we can utilise the weekend. The going gets tougher when one is faced with short holidays.