Weekend Read
A love affair with tea
I wonder what it is in a cup of tea that makes it so invigorating. The obvious answer would be the stimulant, caffeine, or the particular flavour of the leaves seeping into the hot water and the aroma that takes over your senses.
Hats off to our green heroes!
The first time I fell in love with plants was when I saw my mother’s glossy green pothos arranged in old porcelain bowls that were slightly chipped off.
How a rickshaw-puller changed the course of Dr Zafrullah’s life
“Should I go back to the UK? If I can’t serve my countrymen, I might as well go back.”
Mangoes and litchis taking a hit from the heat
It’s painful for Tajul Islam to see what has happened to his beloved mango orchard in Rajshahi city’s Borobongram Namopara.
For the love of computers
Buying a computer, for most people, is a fairly mundane activity. It involves going to a vendor with a budget, a list of requirements, and the hope that the salespeople are trustworthy and knowledgeable enough about the products to find the best possible deal.
The dying art of Qasida
This is a loose translation of a melodious Urdu poem that once used to reverberate through the empty lanes of old Dhaka deep into the Ramadan night.
Sadarghat launch terminal / A bustling riverport gone quieter
It is hard to describe a place when its glory days are over.
Launch owners struggling to stay afloat
“If you seek comfort, no journey is better than a journey by launch. You book a room and you arrive at your destination well-rested. The sightseeing is a bonus,” says Mehedi Hasan, a resident of Borguna’s Bamna.
Life takes place in Dhaka’s cafes
How humans discovered coffee and how, after centuries of innovation, it became the elixir it is now is a fascinating tale itself.
Islampur: a business hub with centuries-old vibe
If listened carefully, amid the maddening hustle and bustle, cacophony of sounds, one might find a strange harmony in the chaos -- a thing that links this place to a bygone era.
The wondrous world of rooftop gardening
Perhaps, there is a hidden farmer in all of us. Although suppressed under the urban rat race, many secret gardeners have decided they will create a garden, however small, within the confines of their buildings.
Eden Mohila College: 150 years of history and glory
The Eden Mohila College is noted not only for its academic excellence and its pioneering role in promoting women’s education in erstwhile British Bengal and present-day Bangladesh, but also for its glorious past and major contributions in shaping the nation’s history.
The forgotten people of Gaibandha shoals
It was September 20. The clock almost ticked past midnight at Dighalkandi shoal in the Jamuna river. Manoara Begum, 30, had been suffering from a persistent fever and cough for over two weeks.
From Chatlapur Tea Garden to Gothenburg: A journalistic odyssey
All that I tried so far was to represent the tea garden people and write about their plight, alongside reporting about the regional affairs.
‘It was technically complex, challenging’
Md Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, who is an additional chief engineer at the Roads and Highways Department, has served as the director of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel project since February 2018, with his term extended three times until February 2024.
Bangabandhu Tunnel Dream becomes reality
The inauguration of the Bangabandhu Tunnel by the prime minister today carries high hopes, with experts and locals anticipating that it will transform Chattogram into a city resembling Shanghai and boost industrial growth in the port city.
Exploring the delectable world of Durga Puja bhog
Durga Puja, the celebration of goddess Durga’s triumph over the demon king Mahishasura, is perhaps the biggest religious and cultural festival for Hindus in Bangladesh, West Bengal, and some other parts of Eastern India.
Unplanned sluice gates a curse for coastal districts
Once a fisherman, Sagir Hossain Somed, 55, of Dakshin Gilabad village of Pirojpur’s Mathbaria upazila, switched to farming after fish population depleted alarmingly within a few years of the construction of a sluice gate in neighbouring Dadhibhanga village.
Rajuk caves in to realtors’ pressure
Just over a year ago, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) adopted a new Detailed Area Plan (DAP), introducing height restrictions for buildings in a bid to enhance Dhaka’s liveability.
Tk 898.73cr project yet to start after one year
It has been almost a year since the Dhaka South City Corporation approved a project to recover, re-excavate, and revive four major canals under its purview, but the authorities have yet to start the work.
The vanguard of Dhaka’s independence
On June 9, 1971, six guerilla freedom fighters were on the way to the Intercontinental Hotel (InterContinental Dacca) in a hijacked Datsun 1000 car around 6:30pm. Shahidullah Khan Badol was driving, while Kamrul Huq Shopon and Masud Sadek Chullu, Habibul Alam, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, and Ziauddin Ali Ahmed were carrying three hand grenades each.
