Writing the Padma

The first experience of the great river Padma is nothing less than overwhelming, and slightly terrifying. I first came to face the mighty river as a young lad in my teens sometime in April of the momentous year of 1971. My first sighting came with two terrors. My father was fleeing Dhaka with the family with the hope of crossing the river to escape the brutal onslaught of the Pakistan army. Arriving at the banks, there was the Padda (Padma) before us with its glorious panorama. It seemed like an oceanic river, with no sight of the other side, and the frightening prospect of crossing it.

49th death anniversary / Art and decolonisation, with Zainul Abedin

When Zainul Abedin left Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1947, as India and Pakistan negotiated a partition-ridden freedom from the British Empire, he was one of the city’s most acclaimed artists.

New Contextualism: An architectural philosophy for deltaic Bangladesh

This endeavour seeks to offer a more nuanced, responsible, and humane approach to shaping our built environments

Jamdani as the battleground

Jamdani is not just the material or the motifs; it encompasses everything—from the river system and flora-fauna of the Dhaka region

1m ago

The Legacy of Thomas Bata in Bengal

Whenever Bata shoes come to mind, we are reminded not only of how footwear became woven into the fabric of everyday life but also of an extraordinary figure linked to its history in Bangladesh

2m ago

How did Pahela Baishakh become a public celebration?

Although the Bengali calendar has been in use for centuries, the tradition of celebrating Pahela Baishakh as a public festival is a relatively modern development.

2m ago

The many Bengals: Samatata, Bangalah, Subah-i-Bangalah

Historians usually approach Bengal’s history from Gaur-Pandua in the west (i.e., Ilyas Shahi and Husain Shahi Bengal), but what of early Bengal?

2m ago

How Bangladesh gained global legitimacy

When Bangladesh defeated Pakistan on 16 December 1971, one could be forgiven for assuming that the international community automatically recognised Bangladesh’s independence.

2m ago

Dhaka's deadly air: What we know and what we can do

Dhaka's air is a stew of brick kiln soot, exhaust fumes, construction dust, and factory emissions

2m ago

Anisur Rahman: Farewell to a fellow traveler

Anisur Rahman and I have traveled together across the troubled landscape of Bangladesh’s history over many years. We first came together in October 1957, when we were recruited as teachers by Professor M.N. Huda, then the Chairman of the Economics Department at Dhaka University (DU).

3m ago

Reclaiming Panthokunjo from spectral wastelands

We live within ecosystems, engaging in mutual interactions. Ecosystems such as rivers, forests, and agricultural lands are shared resources.

3m ago

Tamam Na Sud

Tamam na sud or ‘Not the end’! There could not have been a better ending of a captivating romantic novel like Shabnami.

3m ago

Kamruddin Ahmad: A visionary political thinker we must remember

In a quiet neighbourhood of a once lush green residential area of Dhanmondi, I grew up in a three-storied house that dates back to the year 1957, listening wide-eyed to stories of a man deeply involved in Bangladesh’s struggle for sovereignty and democracy.

3m ago