Cover Story

Sunshine on His Shoulders

In the tranquil landscape and in the distant line of the horizon, he beholds something as beautiful as his own nature. In the wilderness, he finds something more dear and innate than in cities or villages. The greatest delight the trees and woods show him is the suggestion of an occult relation between him and nature. They nod to him, and he to them. Even the waving of a tree in the wind is new to him. It takes him by surprise—its effect is like that of a higher thought or a better emotion coming over him. But the power to produce this delight, does not reside in nature, but in man, or in a harmony of both. Bipradash Barua once called him 'well respected by trees'. Hayat Mamud refers to him as 'a great humanitarian of our time'.

Amitava Kar

Dwijen Sharma, botanist, naturalist and writer found that delight in early childhood. “My home was near Madhabkundu in Moulavibazar near the only waterfall in Bangladesh”, says the octogenarian botanist, writer and naturalist sitting in his living room overlooking a small…

Tit for Tat

Shakhawat Liton

The way Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 13 reacted to the verdict the people had given in the recently held city corporation elections has brought out her annoyance with the people. In her view people should have voted for…

SPECIAL FEATURE

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

Upashana Salam

Have you heard of the saying ‘rules are meant to be broken?’ We, Bangladeshis, are ardent followers of this phrase. Laws are formed but there’s rarely any implementation. We mumble for a bit, throw in a protest movement or two…

Photo Feature

PLASTIC INDUSTRY THE BITTER TRUTH

Sudeepto Salam

Bangladesh is considered as one of the leading plastic manufacturers in the world. The plastic made products are exporting to Europe and 23 other countries. At present there are 5,052 plastic manufacturing industries helps the developing economy of Bangladesh and…

AHMED ILIAS

In Pursuit of Cultural Pluralism in Bangladesh

C R Abrar

Last week marked the 80th birth anniversary of Ahmed Ilias – poet, rights activist, researcher and social commentator.  His has been a life worth spent. Born in 1934 in Kolkata Ilias lost his mother within hours of his birth. He…

Human Rights

Ghosts of a Terrible Massacre

Subir Das

For a moment, she felt her son’s presence right there in her room. Kazi Nazma Sultana was sweeping the floor of her flat when it happened. All of a sudden, she could see a trail of footprints almost within her…

Reflections

Do Horses Bite?

Andrew Eagle

Tupiza, Bolivia Shhh! Do you hear it? Barely audible? Wait… Yes, the thurram-thurram-thurram, that terrible sound, is growing, coming, gaining ground. Onto the horses! The thunder of hooves is ricocheting off the canyon walls. Lightning speed: they’re coming to catch…

Health

Night Birds, Watch Out!

Amrita Talukder

When was the last time you looked for monsters under the bed of your scared child while wishing them goodnight? Perhaps for those, whose children have grown up now to be teens, checking for monsters under the bed has become…

Art

Finding Their Place in the Sun

Fayza Haq

“Finding a Voice”, an exhibition provoked by the Shahbag Square protests at the Athena Gallery of Fine Arts, features sixteen emerging artists at varying stages of their careers. Athena decided to organise a workshop from March 16-19 when people were…

Interview

Representing Women as Spiritual Beings

Maïmouna Patrizia Guerresi, a noted Italian photographer, sculpture and installation artist works on the relationship between women and society, with particular reference to countries like Asia and Africa in which the role of women are marginalised. In an interview with the Star, Guerresi talks about her work of cosmological and mythical ancestral traditions belonging to various African and Asian cultures.

ANANTA YUSUF

What was your childhood like?  Did you want to be a photographer when you were a child? How did you start your journey as a photographer? I was born in Italy, in the Veneto region, into a Roman Catholic family.…

Straight Talk

Customer Dissatisfaction!

Nadia Kabir Barb

In the retail or service industry, it is not necessarily just the product that gives us pleasure. The attitude of the providers can also make a huge difference in consumer satisfaction. If you go into a shop and find the…

In Retrospect

Trapped in Karachi Airport

Ziauddin Choudhury

In December 1973, the first high level trade delegation from Bangladesh led by then Minister of Commerce and Foreign Trade, A.H.M. Kamaruzzaman visited the Soviet Union at the invitation of his counterpart. The delegation comprised of six Bangladeshi officials, including…

chintito

Even After 90 (thukku 30) Years

chintito

Astounded as the nation is, barring the supporters of the politico-communal guru, there have been reservations to the 90-year (in effect, 30) prison sentence meted out by the International Crimes Tribunal last Monday on mainly two major counts; one, why…

Letters

Mixing Religion with Politics

It is a well written essay. The writer has managed to do what few journalists do these days—present the readers with facts, not their biased personal opinions. I condemn those who are misusing   the Holy Quran for political gains. Although…

Star Diary

QUOTA STRATEGY Over 160 million people of Bangladesh live with no social security. A large segment of fresh graduates are relegated to a never-ending list of the unemployed every year. The government, instead of offering a long-run solution to tackle…

Voicebox

“We are convinced in holding that accused Prof Ghulam Azam was the pivot of all the crimes and all the atrocities revolving around him during the War of Liberation.” JUSTICE ATM FAZLE KABIR Chairman, panel of judges led by tribunal-1…

The Conspiracy

Dwijen Sharma

NATURE’S FLAG BEARER

Postscript

Tamarind Dilemma

Aasha Mehreen Amin

According to unreliable sources the sale of tamarind is experiencing unprecedented drops leaving tamarind wholesalers in a terrible dilemma. In some markets the demand for tamarind has dropped to zero as self-respecting women have decided to boycott the fruit until…