Cover Story

OLD TALES OF NEW MARKET

What do you expect to take away from a shop that you visit on a regular basis? Some clothes if you are visiting a clothing store, gadgets if you are in an electronic shop or greeting cards from a novelty store. Shops only sell tangible objects that you have to pay hard earned money for. Dhaka's New Market, however, is much more than just a market for trade. It's a hub for nostalgia, a place to evoke special memories of bygone days.

Upashana Salam

‘Tis the season to be a shopaholic. Many of us, despite the weather and the toll fasting takes, are making our last harried stops at malls and boutiques for Eid clothes and gifts. We run in and out of stores,…

Special Feature

Age-old Crafts for Contemporary Markets

Ananta Yusuf

During the monsoon, when village women are unable to go out because of heavy downpour, they stay at home to embroider flowers, animals and human figures to tell the stories of their lives on the quilt with colourful yarn and…

One Off

In a Different World

Aly Zaker

Here in Shantiniketan things are not quite as I thought they would be. I had drawn a picture of the place in my mind out of a long held perception. I have been here thrice, the last time being in…

Photo Feature

Portraits of Little Street Fighters

SUDEEPTO SALAM

  There are thousands of children living in slums and on the streets of Dhaka alone. Some are orphans; others are runaways escaping poverty, neglect or abuse. These ‘street’ children originate from all over Bangladesh and often come with their…

Reflections

The Hat-Speak of Panamá

Andrew Eagle

Rattan, acorn and pita are the fibres needed: I didn’t know. But there’s no point pretending a short visit will lead to any level of enlightenment: a few days or weeks in any country is barely a starting point for…

Endeavour

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Amitava Kar

You can question the sanity levels of the engineers who make the fire-breathing speed slasher like Hennessey Venom GT that packs a mind blowing 1500 horsepower and reaches a top speed of 287 mph mined from a poisonous 7.0-litre twin-turbo…

In Retrospect

Eateries of Dacca

Syed Maqsud Jamil

It was the middle of the fifties. Dacca as it was named then was a small provincial town of 3 lakh people. Dhanmondi had come up but did not stretch far. Even Sobhanbagh did not have much habitation except Maulvi…

Art

AGONY AND ECSTASY OF DEBDAS

Fayza Haq

Debdas Chakraborty has been known for his deep commitment not only to his own calling but in spreading his knowledge about art to younger generations. Being a witness to all the great movements in our history his art often reflects…

Lifestyle

Gift Giving Be Different

Amrita Talukder

The joy of giving is ineffable. The pleasure of watching the blissful eyes of your loved ones when you bestow them with gifts is really priceless. Take a moment, to imagine and predict how the recipient will react to the…

Neighbours

A SHOT IN THE ARM

At the time of the historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama in Sunnylands, California, many wondered if the pronouncements of personal bonhomie and mutual bilateral cooperation were mere diplomatic niceties papering over irreconcilable…

Health

A Simple Life-Saving Practice

SIR FRANK PETERS

Most of us agree that ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ and proper hygienic practices are essential to the wellbeing of not only ourselves but that of others. Yet some of the hospitals, medical centres and even doctors’ surgeries in Bangladesh…

Straight Talk

Ramadan in the 21st Century

Nadia Kabir Barb

It was late in the evening as I drove past the Regents Park Mosque. The usually empty road was lined with rows of cars on either side and there was a steady flow of pedestrians walking towards the mosque. After…

Chintito

Goose Bumps from Abroad

Chintito

War Criminals: Find the surviving Poster campaign launched A poster campaign urging the public to help track down the last surviving 1971 war criminals has been launched. The Operation Last Chance II project is offering cash rewards for information which…

Current Affairs

Much Ado about Army

Shakhawat Liton

More than six years ago, the then chief adviser Iajuddin Ahmed, who was also the President holding the defence portfolio, suddenly ordered army deployment on December 9, 2006 to maintain law and order. In fact it was the BNP, tired…

Write to Mita

Dear Mita, I am a middle aged man working in a large private sector organisation. Recently I had to pull up a colleague of mine for not following certain mandated procedures as laid down by the company. In retaliation she…

Star Diary

I Love Bangladesh! We live in a beautiful country. Being a part of the developing world, it also has its fair share of problems but I think we usually tend to focus on them a lot more than our successes.…

Letters

Nothing to Lose but their Chains I enjoyed reading the piece. The American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisation (AFL-CIO) has said that the new labour law does not address many key concerns. The ILO has expressed dissatisfaction…

Voicebox

“Joy delivered that speech in Obama’s style [in New York], as Obama had said, “I’m sure that people will reelect me”.” OMAR FARUK Chairman of Jubo League commenting on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Joy’s remark that he had information…

The Star Cover

Cartoon Strip

The Conspiracy

Sharier

Postscript

In the Name of Fashion

AASHA MEHREEN AMIN

Fashion is a baffling affair. One day they say long is better and a tidal wave of ankle-length dresses, skirts, kameezes and kurtas, start flooding the stores. Then they say ‘short’ is the way to go so hemlines are shortened…