27th Anniversary Supplements
FABULOUS GRACE
It is a universally acknowledged fact that one's appearance speaks volumes even before words are spoken. Clothes are not just articles covering one's body, they tell a story, at times much more than we give them credit for. Clothes maketh a man, they say and how! The need and the desire to feel attractive and beautiful is only human nature. Almost every person out there, even the biggest simpletons, have some sense of personal style, if not fashion. The subtle difference is well-understood.
The Making Of A Great Wedding
The first season of the year in Bangladesh is not spring or summer, it is the wedding season. As guests see the smiling bride and groom on the day of their wedding reception, little thought is spared on the stories that transpired out of sight. The people come in droves, and every single one welcomed by the families of the bride and the groom, the photographers are literally throwing themselves on the floor for the perfect shot, the aroma of the food enticing the invited guests.
Colour Politics
We may live and breathe words, if American author, Cassandra Clare is to be believed, but changing shades of time are in no way shy of conveying their own mosaic of stories. In all their tints and shades, shifting spectrums of colour invoke nostalgia, relate to literature, represent cultures and even instigate whole movements for change.
The Motive Behind Motif
Motifs —decorative images used to unify an elaborate design or even an idea— have probably existed since the dawn of civilisation. They can be found in people's everyday lives and activities. In fact, if you look closely, you will notice that there are motifs in every object, starting from the basic clovers on your bedroom curtains to the clay planters sold on the roadside. Paisleys, a common and popular form of
GASTRONOMY OF LIFE / The Love For My Food
This quote readily applies to our country's rich cuisine as you will also not experience such lovely and delicious food anywhere else. Yes, I am talking about Bangladeshi food. No matter where Bengalis live in the world, the taste of their own cuisine remains to them like the proverbial honey. The eternal Bengali comfort food, khichuri-gosht-omelette, with a dash of ghee or a spoonful of achar, almost always brings a smile to a Bengali heart; more so if it is raining outside- irrespective of your geographic location.
Explaining Bangladeshi cuisine
It took time and copious amounts of tea, but listening to her lively and animated stories, made it hard for me to relate to the same woman with the large 'teep' and serious demeanour that I had seen on the telly over the years, cooking up dishes from all regions of Bangladesh.
Charm Of The Home-cooked
Centenarian Shahida Begum was a few days shy of her hundredth birthday, a reason why most of her children and grandchildren, with their own sets of grandchildren, made the trip to her quaint village homestead in Bheramara, Khustia.
Eating down memory lane
Ever since I was young, I have frequently travelled from Dhaka to Rangpur, and the majority of these times, our family had to use the ferry boats at Aricha to cross the Padma and enter the country's northern regions. This was true throughout the 70s and 80s and also the first half of the 90s. The ferry crossings were quite tedious, at times risky, and extremely time-consuming. It usually took two to three hours
A Trekker's Guide To Bangladesh
Every time I wander out for a walk outdoors, however short that may be, I have always returned satiated. One feels more profoundly connected to the earth and the environment when one is exploring on feet, rather than on a motorised vehicle. Your senses heightened, as you take in the sights and sounds, and the brain receives the stimuli that it craves from new experiences and exploration. And this is what treks
Terracotta returns
You know how most children throw tantrums to tag along with their moms on every mundane shopping errand or even the ladies' lunch outings? This was way back in time, when Sanjana was just 10, the year around 1978.
The soul sings folk
Bangladesh's folk songs are as unique as its geographical location and climate. After language, the next element of a culture is revealed thorough the lyrics and melody of its folk songs. The sheer variety in the types of folk songs in this area is itself staggering. Scholars have listed nearly a hundred folk song types in this delta. Then again, each are of their own minds when sub dividing these under broad
Twenty-something and broke!
Getting sucked in by the glitz and the glamour of an alluring glam life is not a black-hole that forms overnight. Footing a small charge here and springing for another bill there, the rush you feel every time you can afford something is truly tempting. What is trying out yet another artisan coffee shop that just opened up around the corner anyway? And for that matter, the fact that the latest makeup palette is more pigmented than any, you already own is reason enough to add it to the cart.
The Boxes We Live In
You live in a box that you have bought or rented. Usually, you share these with others; disguised as houses. Dhaka is a concrete jungle, and it has thousands of apartments. Some are big, many are small, and only a few handful are pretty. Most are quite homogeneous, and come with windows, allowing you to peek outside to the other boxes. But within these boxes, there are many others: the rooms. You may wish
My vegan victory!
So what is veganism anyway? According to the Webster's dictionary…Ok! I promise not to make this article academic (Read: boring). Instead, I will tell you all about my journey from being a regular hamburger/steak/sausage eating human to a bonafide vegan foodie! I 'hope' you are a little intrigued by now!
Reimagining urban nodes in Dhaka
Dhaka is an intense city. If you find yourself in Gulistan or Farmgate, you understand what urban intensity is. These are examples of extreme urban nodes.
Imagining a future Bangladesh
Tomorrow's Bangladesh is already here. Achievements and progress in all fields—from manufacturing to cricket, and from architectural excellence to social indicators—open up new prospects and promises for Bangladesh. PricewaterhouseCoopers, in its global economic projection for 2050, estimates that Bangladesh can potentially become the world's 28th largest economy by 2030, surpassing countries like Australia, Spain, South Africa, and Malaysia in economic growth.
Does architecture define a "new" Bangladesh?
The architectural scene in Bangladesh has been thriving with a “new” energy over the past two decades or so. Bangladeshi architects have been experimenting with form, material, aesthetics, and, most importantly, the idea of how architecture relates to history, society, and the land.
Dhaka's transport sector: any sight of a bigger picture?
A city of over 14 million, roughly 400 years of history, rapidly rising incomes and mass migration patterns that seems unsustainable to outsiders—yet somehow Dhaka survives against insurmountable odds.