The Star | The Daily Star
Publish: September 6, 2013
Photo: Ananta Yusuf
Cover Story

ON THE BRINK OF CATASTROPHE

Suborna Mondol still lives on the brink of disasters. Four years after the cyclone Aila wreaked havoc in the coastal belts of Bangladesh, another tidal surge on August 8 washed away the bamboo built homes of 23 families including Suborna's, as they remained outside the purview of an embankment built after Aila to protect villagers in Dacope, Khulna.

An unplanned construction of the embankment has left many villagers unprotected. The Star has found that Water Development Board (WDB) made a two-kilometre (km) long dam leaving the lower delta of Sutarkhali Union, Dacope exposed to similar natural catastrophes in

At Lazz Pharma, customers get what they deserve—
a friendly service, good price and top quality products.
Special Feature

A SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

Economist Milton Friedman, in a 1970 essay, opined that a business as a whole cannot be said to have social responsibilities, even in a vague sense—only people have responsibilities. Well, at Lazz Pharma, a leading pharmacy of the country, both

China’s Dilemma
Neighbours

China’s Dilemma

China is already the second biggest economy in the world, on the cusp of becoming the largest in the not too distant future. With the world’s largest population and formidable military capability, it is more powerful than the Soviet Union

A square in the old town of Riga.
Travel

The Latvian National Academy of Science

Be free. Align yourself with the rhythm of the world to go far. Be as the jajabor, the nomad. Arrive somewhere from the soul, due to the appealing curl of its name or because it feels right or because we

Building Dreams
Perspective

Building Dreams

Though it is not known but can be well presumed that human beings started the first development work by initiating construction of its shelter to safeguard from all sorts of natural calamities and threats. Over time, people started construction of

Untitled 34, watercolour on paper, 20x27cm, 2012.
Art

Gardens in Minimal Lines

Ganesh Haloi’s works on paper, featuring black as the dominant colour, make wonderful use of petals of nature, which seem like objects flying in the air. The artist simplifies nature using geometric shapes such as squares, triangles, circles, lines of

Sheikh Hasina, Photo: Star File
Current Affairs

The Common Man’s Burden

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is now urging people to vote Awami League again in the next general election for the sake of continuation of democracy and development. Also, she has been warning people of the return of militancy and unbridled

Prabir Das
Photo Feature

A Proud Industry in Peril

Threadwork and Handloom industry, which once was a thriving sector in Bangladesh, is on the verge of becoming extinct due to the abundance of imported clothing in the domestic market. A lot of weavers have left their profession to make

Photo: Zahedul I Khan
Impressions

The Burden of Ingratitude

Those who read Prothom Alo’s takeaway Saturday supplement Chhutir Din-e (on a holiday) of 24 August must have been touched by bus conductor Humayun’s single-handed act of bravery on Chittagong-Dhaka highway. The story goes like this: On 25 July, 32

Oishee Rahman’s parents.
Perceptions

Seeds of Tragedy

Adolescence holds seeds of many tales. The sunny side is the story of progression to a fairy tale foothold in life, most lead to faceless standing for life. There are disappointments and dismay, there are bruises and blues still life

Bashar al-Assad
Chintito

They Have a Dream

Fifty years ago, Dr Martin Luther King Jr delivered his celebrated speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC. He began by proclaiming that 28 August 1963 would “go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom” of his nation,

Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, delivering speech at Brave Men March. Photo Courtesy: Brave Men campaign
Human Rights

The Brave Men

Like many other countries, violence against women (VAW) is a burning issue in Bangladesh. In the recent years the violation and subjugation of women’s rights have magnetised the attention of the civil society. The intellectuals and think tanks have come

Photo Courtesy: Chircutt
Entertainment

The Pied Pipers of Jadur Shohor

The lights are dimmed, the stage is set, there is a quiet energy in the air. These people have heard them before, they know what they sound like and yet, you can sense the excitement amidst the crowd. As soon

Autumn Effect at Argenteuil (1873) by Claude Monet.
Writing the Wrong

AUTUMN

When my son was in utero I wrote him a letter, which I intend to give him on some momentous occasion, though most parents with growing children would agree that in the first few years momentous occasions seem to pop

WHY CANADA
Advertorial

WHY CANADA

Top 10 Things to Know About Studying in Canada

When it comes to making the decision to attend university, there are a lot of options and questions to consider. The Canadian University Application Centre, or CUAC, knows all about these questions, and has many answers. It should – considering

Voicebox

“There is no example in the whole world of holding an election without dissolving the parliament. We and the countrymen want a non-partisan government during election time.” MIRZA FAKHRUL ISLAM ALAMGIR Acting Secretary General of BNP While addressing a press

Photo: Prabir Das

Star Diary

PRIDE IN RED AND GREEN The other after completing my swimming lesson at the Sultana Kamal Women’s Complex, I walked to the waiting room to offer my prayers. Huddled under the table, there were a few basketballs, some of them

Letters

Letters

A Polymath of Our Time I always wondered what inspires a great writer like Syed Shamsul Haq and how he comes up with new ideas to write about. This story gives the reader a rare view into the head of

Cover Photo: Ananta Yusuf, Cover Design: Manan Morshed

HANGING IN THE BALANCE