Star Literature

Star Literature

‘Je Jole Agun Jole’ was first published under the title ‘Kar Ki Noshto Korechilam’

It is a rather rare feat to find poetry composed in Bangla and compiled in the writer’s only published book that has propelled both the poet and book of poetry to the height of fame and immortalisation, that too in the poet’s own lifetime, as Helal Hafiz’s Je Jole Agun Jole has done.

1d ago

Poetry / The shabby turtle without a shore

Some label you a poet of love so true,

1d ago

Poetry / One who stands alone in the crowd

A lonely soul treads on the street cultivating the sweet pain of defunct love; like a solitary artist, he rambles through the alleys of the city and paints the

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FICTION / The plebeians in the twilight

It was the shade of the ashwath that vanquished all one’s weariness from the fiery heat of Choitro. Or else it was not possible for fatigue to be eliminated so quickly.

1w ago

ESSAY / Spectacularised rape

In the psyche and schema of the average transnational Bangladeshi, rape is visible and legitimate only when it takes spectacular forms—violent, brutal, deadly.

1w ago

THE SHELF / Pages for freedom: Book recommendations for Victory Day

For educators: My go-to text on 1971 is Jahanara Imam’s Ekattorer Dinguli. It’s a deeply personal and powerful memoir that I believe every student should engage with to truly feel the emotional and human cost of the war. The way she documents her experiences, especially the loss of her son, is heart-wrenching and offers a perspective that transcends history—it becomes deeply relatable and unforgettable.

2w ago

POETRY / Our Bangla

My Bangla Sings out every morning One language Many songs

2w ago

POETRY / Take me to a hibiscus field won’t you

I weave Hibiscuses in your hair and Along with them I softly weave the strings of my I love you’s. Your eyes are closed as you soak in my touch and Your lips are pressed thin as if imprisoning yours.

2w ago

16 Days of Activism / On invisibilised violence

In classic Bengali fiction, the kitchen is a central site for conflict and community bonding.

POETRY / Remnants of a burning home

I fell asleep to the chatters of cicadas on a quiet summer night

ESSAY / The vampires of Bangla literature

Pale, aristocratic, seductive forces lurking in the dark—when we think of vampires, we often perceive them through a western lens

Tagore and the Hispanic world

Reception of Tagore in the Hispanic world is a significant literary event in itself because they acknowledged Tagore during such a time when the occidental enthusiasm for him was declining

3m ago

Survival tactics for “peaceful” protests

Stay in a group, never in alleyways

4m ago

Dual faces of an unseen predator

In a world spun from the threads of chaos, we are born into a tapestry of shadows. We are shimmering maidens in the night, nurturing within us a fire both subtle and strong. Yet, the air around us is heavy with whispers–danger and desire intertwined.

4m ago

Swapane eshechilo mridubhashini

Translated by Mohammad Shafiqul Islam

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Jabar bela fele jeo ekti khopar phul

Leave a flower from your bun when you depart, my love.

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The floodlights

Chaos. More chaos.

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All hail July

The July wind brought in the scent of new beginnings

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Magic boys and girls of Bangladesh

Magic boys and girls of Bangladesh, I love you.

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Rhymes, rebellion, and revolution

Movements leave an indelible mark on the psyche of the people, and thus, the culture. As people are pushed to the brink of intolerance through oppressive measures,

4m ago

Look out the windows

In the blanks of muddy moonlight

4m ago