Cover Story

THE ORIGINAL HEALER

Even before the advent of modern science, human beings knew how to guard their bodies form harmful ailments and diseases. Our body has the natural ability to heal itself. We have the power to cure our diseases within our body. the Star looks at the ancient healing practice of acupressure, a self-treatment based on the flow of bio-electricity running through human bodies.

Upashana Salam

A couple of years back Roushan Ara Begum could not even imagine walking from one room to another without assitance, let alone attend to the tasks of everyday life. Her food would be brought to her bed, she could not…

Special Feature

A Song that Walked the World

Amitava Kar

Garry Schyman’s Praan “says” things about Life, but specifically in musical terms. Any attempt to reproduce its musical statement in your own words is doomed to failure. You cannot isolate the truth contained in it; its truth and its beauty…

Media

Shooting the Messenger

Md Shahnawaz Khan chandan

Bangladesh is a dangerous place for journalists. A dysfunctional democracy, criminalisation of politics and social unrest all contribute to raising the bar of risk-taking.  According to New York based Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 14 Bangladeshi journalists have been…

Reflections

Moon Drops on My Mother’s Rooftop

Rebecca Haque

Tonight, Thursday night, the month of August begins.  In the zodiac circle of planetary and stellar alignments, this is the month of Leo –of lions and lionesses. Last week, on a clear calm night such as tonight, my own lioness…

Human Rights

Corporal Punishment has Life-long Repercussions

The horrendous effects of DDT and asbestos took decades to discover – corporal punishment took longer

Sir Frank Peters

Corporal punishment is linked to cancer and a multitude of health maladies, massive school drop-outs, mood and anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, cardio-vascular disease, arthritis, obesity, wife-beatings, muggings and other social misbehaviour. Research has also shown that its stress…

Travel

St Vincent’s Remedy

Andrew Eagle

It’s not the cure-all for the deficiencies of mankind but it does its best. There are island choices, whether to read a book or sit on the balcony in the sun and surrender, sublimely, to the translucent waters of Indian…

International

Thailand’s Smart Move

Through efforts to boost incomes of impoverished Muslims the Thai government is trying to bring peace to a volatile southern region.

Shariful Islam

A tin-roof structure with no wall around stands near a narrow concrete road that runs through the plain land between two small hills at a remote hamlet of Gettree district in Satun province of Thailand. Several Muslim women in traditional…

HIstory

A Long-overdue Visit

Azizul Jalil

Having travelled in my mind from our school days to my hero, Tipu Sultan’s kingdom in Mysore, a visit to his last resting place was long overdue. One of my good friends from the World Bank days, Rangachar is settled…

Perceptions

Turning Emotion into Positive Energy

Shah Husain Imam

It is usually said that people after fifty who are away from their ancestral abodes must feel bonded to their roots. This is an innately human pining for the lost or occasionally visited land of one’s own! You might call…

Impressions

REVISITING THE SURVIVORS

Dr Salehuddin Ahmed

The Daily Star staff members decided to donate one day’s salary for the victims of the Rana Plaza disaster. The total sum of money was not large, so we were looking for assisting some specific people who survived and were…

Art

When Irony Cuts the Ice

Fayza Haq

It was her father who often took her to the gallery to make her see and learn the wonders of art. Soon after her HSC Sulekha Chowdhury, sat for the enrollment examination at the Fine Arts Institute of Dhaka University.…

In Retrospect

Going Back in Time

Syed Maqsud Jamil

The Eid moon had been sighted. I went to the barber’s shop of our area. It was doing brisk business. There was an assortment of people at the shop: the young with Mohawk and a ring in the left ear…

Musings

You are Vertically Challenged Dear

Tulip Chowdhury

In the US, going to my first day at the new office was a unique experience. After passing more than half a century in this world my short height finally received its due credit by my thoughtful boss. When I…

Remembrance

In August, We Remember . . .

Syed Badrul Ahsan

In August, memories swirl around us. It was in this month that darkness descended on this country through the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family. We as a nation have not quite recovered from the shock. August…

Perspective

THE HIJAB AND ITS FACES

Adnan R Amin

I grew up watching my Nani and Dadi don the full-face Niqab and Burqa when they went out. My mother and aunts covered their hair and bodies. My siblings and cousins retained the latter tradition, at least during times of…

Letters

Old Tales of New Market I loved reading this beautifully written article.  I especially enjoyed reading about the love story of Shamsuddin Chowdhury who some 40 years ago found love at New Market. This tale about Chowdhury gives the feature…

Voicebox

“What Prof Yunus said about increasing government share in the bank is utterly nonsense. It came from his head.” A M A MUHITH Finance Minister Insisting that the government has no intention to increase its share in Grameen Bank. “This…

Star Diary

Unwanted Extravagance Ramadan is the month of self control and offering charity but it is sad to see that many people hardly adhere to the spirit of Ramadan. We end up filling our stomachs to the full during iftar. Even…

THE HEALER IN YOU

Postscript

PM IN DISGUISE

Aasha Mehreen Amin

It is perhaps no big surprise that a Prime Minister would pose as a taxi driver to get an idea about what voters think of him. After all what better way to know what’s going on in the public mind…

The Conspiracy

Sharier