Araf Momen Aka

The forgotten people of our wetlands

There is something surreal about Bangladesh’s wetlands. Miles of beautiful scenery, of sparkling shallow waters surrounding patches of land full of greenery.

The expendable lives of our blue-collar workers

On May 1 the world celebrated the contributions of workers to societies especially to the economic growth of nations. Yet news reports on May 5 (The Daily Star) described the dire state of workers in Bangladesh’s informal sector as a result of the economic fallout of the pandemic. Sadly they were not in such a great state before the pandemic either.

Sins against our rivers

Since childhood, we as Bangladeshis are sung many moving tales of how naturally blessed our country is with its multitude of rivers and other waterbodies.

Cheap marketing tactics only hurt the brand

Bangladesh is an ever-growing hub of business. We see businesses of every kind—from e-commerce businesses such as online shopping

How far can humanity go into the outer space?

NASA has released a significant amount of footage, video feeds with audio, and reports on the operation of its Perseverance rover since its landing on Mars on February 18, 2021.

Time to find better alternatives to tobacco farming

Tobacco farming was introduced to Bangladesh in the mid-1960s in the Teesta silt of the Rangpur region, where tobacco was cultivated on soil meant for growing food crops.

Time for a radical rethinking of our education system

In order to ensure a sufficient pool of qualified people in a nation, it is necessary to have an up-to-date education system that is on a par with the demands of the global economy.

Parental overprotection: Why is it not questioned?

The policy of protectionism is loosely referred to as the policy where an entity of higher authority, whether it is a guardian or the government of a state, closely monitors and controls another entity.

Documentaries and How to Make Sense of Them

Documentaries are cool. You know what's cooler? Proper, well-researched documentaries.

Could universal basic income be the answer to ending poverty?

Universal basic income (UBI) is a concept that has come a long way from its primitive form back in the 16th century, when a Spanish Renaissance scholar named Johannes Ludovicus Vives suggested that the Mayor of Bruges give a minimum income to all citizens of the city.

The Magic of Adaptive Music in Video Games

Background music has long been a staple in video games. From the shorter and more cheerful version of Korobeiniki being played in the classic Tetris, to the sombre boss music in games like Dark Souls—appropriate music gives the game an emotion that the player should be feeling. Keep in mind, we are writing about games that are not primarily music-based.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of University Student Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, portrayed on a pyramid, is an essential tool to understand why people act the way they act.

The Castle at the Top of the Falls

I first caught a glimpse of the Rhine Falls while I was in the train to Neuhausen am Rheinfall, a small town in Switzerland.

Of pre-determined endings and brilliancy

It isn’t easy to keep one’s attention glued to the contents of an art piece once the ending is already pointed out right at the beginning. Of course, some do indeed claw their way out of the clutter of Twilight sagas and Fifty Shades of Whatevers, and one such book is 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.

A clean review of Dhaka’s public toilets

So, what happens when such a call comes when we are out in strange lands outside out homes? How will we relieve ourselves of such a crucial duty?

SLOW, STEADY AND FUN

Strategy games are of many types, some are fast-paced and have an instant response, and some drag on for quite a while.

The Pariah

The world seemed to be moving at its own pace, hectic and chaotic, just like any other day. But it didn’t sound the same.

Warrior

“Fool!” he typed on his keyboard, with fervor and angst. He knew he was right. He knew they were in the wrong.

Learning the BCG matrix through your friend circle

Ever wondered what universally accepted “techniques” marketing teams use to figure out the success/failure of particular brands? Well, today’s your lucky day, because today we’re about to learn how the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix works --- a box divided into four boxes that categorizes a brands portfolio according to the characteristics each of the four boxes represent.

DOOM MODS you have to try

​Blood, demons, danger, and high-octane entertainment.

The Wait

He looked onwards at the sky. A long, hopeful stare. As if the longer he stared into the beautiful blue sky, the faster she would be here.

Blur

He looked on in the distance with an empty stare. There was nothing particular those soulless pair of eyes were looking at. He did not care about what he was looking at. His mind could not fathom whatever was going on around him. Quite honestly, he wasn’t even

Eat, Do the Right Thing, Sleep, Repeat

I’ve never thought that I would get hooked to an anime where the whole plot revolved around a particular class of students that have been assigned to assassinate a teacher while the teacher simultaneously tries to teach the students of that class while avoiding the

Financial Management for Dummies

Bookkeeping for a business is necessary to keep a record of revenues and expenses for better profitability. It’s also important to record the necessary financial information for filing your tax returns. Bookkeeping can be separated into three simple steps:

The thin line between freedom of speech and hate speech

We live in the age of liberalism. We get to speak out about things in public that would have been considered as unacceptable centuries ago. We are now able to speak up against inequality, point out flaws in our society, and express our personal opinions on a great deal of matters.

The Art of Jumping to Conclusions

South Asians are a peculiar bunch. We live with our set-in-stone values and refuse to accept that we may be wrong at times. We are experts at instantly coming to our own conclusions about a topic we hardly know or a person we barely met.

2D Tanks of Carnage and Fun

Tank Stars is a turn-based 2D platform game by Playgendary where you make two 2D modelled tanks battle out in a satisfyingly destructible environment. Tanks can be moved horizontally only and you aim by setting the position, angle and power of the shot.

Things That Never Change in Villages

Bangladeshis that hardly go anywhere else. Which isn’t exactly a bad thing either of course.

The Spooky, The Scary & The Downright Hilarious

Tired of reading the same old stories of love, crime, why marketing is the ‘best course for students ever’, and generally twisted made-up tales? Do you want to spice your reading experience up with horror and ‘horror’ stories? Here is the perfect free app for you.

The story of a social networking app

Hi, my name is Snapshoot. I was a social networking app that had once been on the top, and now I’m rolling down in the mud, trying to cling on so that I don’t fall into the grave Facecopy dug for me.

Survival tactics in Nilkhet

Ah Nilkhet. The favourite foraging ground of many Bangladeshi bibliophiles, occasional book readers, and students desperate to find the course books they need for their semester.

The Science of Learning (for Dummies)

We are familiar with the fact that whether we like it or not, we are hard wired to learn new things. From learning a new language or a new subject to learning

The Olden Times of 2019

Cowsar sat there, looking outside his garden at the Red Planet's artificial-earthen beauty. The red earth looked surprisingly pretty in the blinding light of the sun.

Be careful, it bites!

Puzzle games and mind benders are fun and all in a methodical manner, but there are moments when we merely want pure fun. That is what Hungry Shark World gives you.

Here's my “Thank You” to Gravity Falls

Out of all the generic animated shows we have become accustomed to throughout the course of the past few years, Gravity Falls is something that we viewers would love to call a breath of fresh air.

Of mortality and unlearned lessons

If you Google “Tragedies in Bangladesh,” you will see a multitude of news articles popping up about disastrous mishaps where factories have collapsed, burned, or had a major industrial machinery explode, and claimed the lives of tens to hundreds to thousands of workers and passers-by who were unfortunate enough to be around the area of disaster. And many of these are just the ones in Dhaka city.

A guide to Google for the Yahoos

Ah, Google Inc. The multination tech-corporation that is so popular that a large number of people don't even know of its parent company, Alphabet Inc.

Team Fortress

Released back in 10th October 2007, this game is very much alive and still kicking strongly to this very day.

TYPES OF SENIORS YOU WILL MEET IN UNIVERSITY

If you're reading this article, there are two possible reasons why you might be doing that. Either 1) you're only here to have some laughs and/or relate to your own situation, or 2) you have just gotten enrolled into a university and you are curious to know if your campus seniors are really machines with an impressive output of academic notes or 'sensible' advisors.

The types of brainstormers in every session

As per definition, it's to 'hold a group discussion to produce ideas'. Personally, if I were to define brainstorming, it would be 'holding a group discussion where chaos ensues until the least expected person comes up with something meaningful'.

Crow's Eye View

It was gone. All of it, morphed into a long line of logs, dried twigs and dead leaves in just two days and two nights on both sides of the streets. And the humans call us 'bad omens'. HAH!

A TICKING MIND BOMB

Mental health is no insignificant topic. Whether it is anxiety, stress, depression, or panic attacks – such a condition can eat up our days, stopping us from living “normal” lives.

How to not do your chores

We dread it, we run from it. But mother dearest will appear. And she will hand us a list of chores that will make you roll our eyes and mumble, “Why me?” to our divine deities.

People as pitha

With the Bangladeshi winter rearing its humid, stagnant, cold head (seriously, you just won't feel it until you move) closer to our faces, you will notice a certain variety of localised rice cake that nearly every Bangladeshi loves to gorge themselves with.