Bengali Literature
Manik Bandopadhyay's timeless works: A mirror to our frailties
On Manik Bandopadhyay’s 116th birth anniversary, his unsparing literary vision jolt us out of complacency with today's injustices.
Recollecting Bangladesh’s cinematic homage to Rabindranath
Rabindranath Tagore’s literary prowess extends far beyond the realm of literature. His creations have served as a beacon of inspiration for countless writers and poets who walked the path he paved.
#Perspective / Madhusudan Dutta: The writer who played with the gods
Hailed as the first modern poet and the first rebel poet of Bangla literature, Madhusudan’s rebellion against the conservative society and the contemporary style of literature was daring and the first step towards modern Bangla literature.
Home is where my books are
How do you pack 25 years of your life in two suitcases?
FEATURE / Begum Rokeya and Begum Sufia An enduring “mother-daughter” bond
Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880-1932) and Begum Sufia Kamal (1911-1999), two icons in Bangla literature and culture, were not kins but kindred spirits.
The rebels of Madhusudan
Neeldhaja is the first Bangla poem to be written in the form of a letter; it places a female figure with a rebellious demeanor as the protagonist of a historical narrative.
Interview / ‘We are translators every day’: Arunava Sinha
You must read like a reader and not like an academic student. If the book you’re translating is a general book, it’s going to be read by readers. Intelligent readers perhaps, but readers nevertheless.
Where to start reading Samaresh Majumdar
Dipabali’s character in Satkahon said aloud what was on every girl’s mind.
‘The room by the window was Baba’s favourite’: Doel Majumdar
The last rites of the renowned writer, beloved by readers in both Bengals, was held yesterday.
Akhteruzzaman Elias: There is always an other to be purged
Shill edited the present volume as a rich collection of memories and evaluations of Akhteruzzaman Elias by his friends and relatives, some renowned literary figures of the Bangla language, as well as some occasional thoughts by Elias himself.
Prabir Ghosh taught me to be a sceptic
Through his simple and coherent scientific explanations for “supernatural” events such as the practice of witchcraft or the sanctity of religious sites, he challenged the dogmatic belief system which exists throughout much of South Asia.
Remembering the Bangla language movement through literature
Hasan Hafizur Rahman's 'Ekushey February' created huge turmoil and faced police persecution.
‘The language movement did not reject the importance of dialects’: Syed Manzoorul Islam
Professor Islam sheds light on English writing in Bangladesh, its future, and the influence of the language movement on the Bangladeshi psyche.
Benefits of reading Bengali literature
In addition to all the cognitive benefits associated with reading, reading in your first language has plenty of other benefits, including knowing about your country and countrymen in the language of the land.
Jibanananda Das: What happened to him “One Day Eight Years Ago”?
There's something more to it that trammeled his existence, and he wanted to escape the suffocation.
Revisiting Syed Mujtaba Ali’s 'Shabnam'
A face may launch a thousand ships but the very woman with the face has a passive presence in literature.
Ghosts in Bangla literature and culture
“Bhoot”, the Bangla word for ghost, derives from the Sanskrit word Bhūta, referring to living beings and the past. Later, it also came to mean ‘disembodied spirit.’ Ghost stories carry a special tradition in Bangla literature and the root lies in folklore and rural culture.
On poet Sufia Kamal: A revolutionary journey
She came out from the cocoon of the accepted designated roles of women and marched forward to live an extraordinary life.
Children’s author Ali Imam no more
Ali Imam, the author of more than 600 books, breathed his last on Monday evening in the Bangladesh Medical College Hospital in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.