While roaming around in the lanes of Chawk Bazar, Old Dhaka have you ever discovered an ancient, almost broken yet very majestic gateway? If you have, you know what I am talking about- it’s the Mughal Bara Katra. And if…
“Nawab, these things are all yours. Please take anything you want. We can’t ask any price from our beloved Nawab.” These were the words offered by the shop keepers of East and West Bengals, not to any real Nawab but…
Fort Aurangabad, popularly known as Lalbagh Fort, is located on the banks of the Buriganga River in the northwest of Dhaka. Like other Mughal fortresses, such forts of riverine Bengal were mainly built on the intersections of river routes…
Bananas were three for a Dollar, but when I asked for six, the vendor added one more and still charged $2. Likewise, he gave me discounts on all the other fruits that I asked for. That’s how my shopping started…
Shohag Parvez’s subjects are often the toiling, simple workers of Bangladesh and Nature. The artist has captured details of the Marma, Tripura and Chakma communities. Apart from the hilly region, he has also brought in the fishermen and the boatmen…
I come from the ‘Rangeihoza’ (Range iclan) and ‘bhutergusthi’ (ghost group) of Chakmas, which means my paternal side of the family is a descendant of a ghost. This must sound quite exotic to people who do not belong to the…
Anonymity is a blessing in the short term. It’s true that it means you’re far from family and friends, but it also means never having to be anywhere at a particular time and doing exactly what you wish without consultation;…
With the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan fraught with diplomatic fouls and offsides, it took a soccer match in Kabul to bring together the two countries that routinely exchange bellicose rhetoric—and occasional gunfire—across their border. On August 20, 2013, the…
When the Jatiya Sangsad was holding a discussion on September 15 to observe the International Day of Democracy, BNP-led opposition lawmakers were not in the House. The opposition bench could have been completely empty had an independent MP Fazlul Azim…
On her wedding night, a girl gets raped by a goon in her bedroom. Her fiancé tries to be her saviour, stating heroically that he still intends to marry her, stigma and all. The girl, shockingly, refuses, crying out desperately…
The acquittal of India’s BSF guard accused of unprovoked killing of 15-year old Bangladeshi girl felani near Bangladesh’s Kurigram border at a BSF trial has been a lethal blow to the spirit of Indo-Bangla Friendship. The wanton killing of Bangladeshi…
Since the country’s independence in 1971 through a bloody and ruthless war, Bangladesh’s Communist movement’s major stream has been synonymous with bankruptcy. Be it becoming a lapdog of the Awami League government during its 1972-1975 term or giving legitimacy to…
It was a particularly long, hot summer’s day and the sun was mercilessly beating down on us. We tried to find areas of shade as we walked down the long winding street but this was not an easy task as…
On a lazy English Autumn day last year, I was researching in the British Library in London, a gem of a place for knowledge. And while delving in the topic known as “ the golden age of Spanish literature” in…
For those who do not understand Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), set up in 2009 to prosecute those who committed genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, including the Pakistan Army and their local collaborators, the Razakars, members of the…
This is the second in a series of articles written by Farah Ghuznavi as Writer in Residence at the Commonwealth Writers website, based in the UK. Commonwealth Writers is the cultural initiative from the Commonwealth Foundation, and Farah is their…
“We urge the government of Bangladesh to treat Dr Yunus in a fair and transparent manner, in keeping with Bangladeshi law and the principles of due process.” OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON US State Department Expressing concern over recent reports that…
In the Hope of Enlightenment On one evening I was going to Dhanmondi 32 by a Gazipur bound bus from Azimpur. There was unbearable traffic congestion on the road. So, after reaching Kalabagan, I decided to walk the rest of…
Where Enlightened Souls Congregate I would like to thank the writer and the Star for such a well researched and well composed piece. People go to bookstores not necessarily to buy books all the time; they hang out, have a…
Located in the friendly, bustling seaside capital of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Saint Mary’s University (or SMU) is known as a top choice for international students – especially those coming from Bangladesh. Established in 1802, the university hosts hundreds of international…
Dear Mita, My wife and I divorced two years back, and we agreed to share custody of our son. Initially, my ex-wife was quite civil about the divorce, and wouldn’t hesitate in dropping our son off to my place during…
One of the most baffling things to a first time visitor to Bangladesh is people’s total disregard for punctuality. Let’s face it, being on time is just not a priority for us. This probably has to do with a general…
