Tasnim Odrika

Charlotte Brontë's unconventional heroines

Though a reflection of the Victorian era, the themes and messages of Charlottle Brontë, born on this day in 1816, remain relevant as women continue to fight for gender equality

An invaluable study of Bangladesh's political history

"In Fool’s Paradise" is aptly named as it gives us a glimpse of post-independence Bangladesh, a young nation still struggling to find its identity amidst post-war blows.

Journey through the centre of Cunk - A review of Cunk on Earth

The show essentially gives you a bite-sized glimpse into the history of Earth with Philomena Cunk, an ill-informed journalist.

I filed my income tax return for the first time: Here's how I did it

When I was told I had to file my income tax return this year, I was clueless to the point that I didn’t even know where to go for help.

Image illustrating the hardship women face in both the workplace and their homes

The growing complexities of a working woman's life

In the past, a lot of women had accepted the fact that their life is just bound to be difficult, but our generation is unwilling to settle for that.

Netflix pays homage to classic teen flicks in Do Revenge

Netflix’s Do Revenge is worthy of becoming a cult classic movie itself.

Financial Feminist – the podcast to answer your money struggles

Money expert Tori Dunlap swoops in almost like a superhero with her podcast Financial Feminist.

Where is the MCU going with Phase 4?

How does it all come together?

5 Most Interesting Stranger Things Season Finale Fan Theories

Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 ended with quite a few unanswered questions.

Scent of Cedar

“How have I not noticed this person before?

Dazed and confused

Bangladeshi adolescents and their limited reproductive health knowledge.

Inventing Anna: A 9-hour long con

Back in 2018, while I was going on about my monotonous life, the world was caught in a storm by a “fake German heiress”.

Women who travel

Doubts, risks, and the joy in exploration.

Pets, should they be neutered?

There seem to be two streams of the argument.

Personal Finance for Young People

Personal finance can be a tricky concept to wrap your head around at first.

There Is Only "One Tree Hill" and We Are Going Back There

"Drama Queens" is a podcast by the show's leading female cast members.

Unlocking the potential of youth

Youth are a significant part of the total population in Bangladesh. A country’s development depends on its skilled youth group. The government is providing some training and loan facilities. But these are far from enough.

Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022

Eid celebrations from the safety of your homes

After a long day of working from home, I decided to browse through a perfectly curated website of a prominent brand selling ethnic wear. All their products are neatly organised into different categories for ease of choosing and within five minutes,

“Operation Jackpot brought us three steps closer to liberation”

On March 7, 1971, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman stood at the Ramna Race Course and faced a gathering of over 10 lakh people.

Daring to dream for a better world

“My parents were eager to get me married right after my SSC examination but I resisted. Now they are both very proud of the work I do for my community,”

Resolve in the face of adversity

“I dream of building a world where no human being ever has to die of starvation,” replies Runa Akter, with firm resolve when asked what she wants to do in the future.

50 years later, the fight goes on

When speaking about our Liberation War of 1971, we often commend our freedom fighters for their sacrifices and bravery and condemn the then Pakistan army for inflicting inhumane torture on our innocent people, especially our women.

Breaking barriers on two wheels

What is an indicator of social progress? In a country like Bangladesh, women still feel unsafe travelling to the nearest grocery store, their own university, and even their workplace. Public transport is not an option for a lot of them due to the various risks of harassment associated with it. In such a situation, mobility is freedom. For a lot of women, this is what riding their bike means.

Chobi Mela (0): Redefining photo festivals for the post-COVID era

The Drik-Path building peeks into the sky in the middle of the busy commercial area of Panthapath, Dhaka. This is where Chobi Mela Shunno (0) is taking place this year.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Its Message About Crazies

“Crazy” is a word that we throw around quite often without ever putting much thought into it. This is where the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend swoops in to the scene to redefine the word and also remind us of the importance of mental health and seeking help when you need it.

Going cashless for a day

In the middle of an ongoing pandemic, the use of cash transactions imposes various risks. I have found it very difficult to switch to completely cashless transactions.

The Art of Parenting

For such an important job as parenting, can we afford to learn it on the spot?

Taylor Swift's "evermore" and the Issue With Sequels

The album shares the same imagery, storylines, and themes as the last one.

Young Entrepreneurs Starting a Business During the Pandemic

What led the youth to start their first venture in the middle of a pandemic, and how they are managing to hold their own?

Why call it a “chick flick”?

Why do we need to use an extra adjective with a negative connotation to describe comedy movies with a female protagonist/cast?

Where is the music?

For a while, fans were satisfied with listening to their favourite music on online platforms. Now it is a question if artists are able to retain that connection with fanbases.

What is oomph?

"I just don't think there is any 'oomph' between us, you know?"

Graphic Design Is My Passion.

What is graphic designing? Although it's a term we hear often, most of us are unaware of what graphic designing actually is and what a job in this field really entails.

The Lores of Folklore

On June 23, Taylor Swift announced the release of Folklore and in less than 24 hours, she rolled out the album for the public to devour.

The Background

The fading away seemed palpable to me. It was a tangible rope on a continuous journey of gliding away. A force pushing me back while I tried to hold on until at one point I slipped way back into the background.

Music of summer days and winter nights

Embers in Snow is the solo musical project of singer/songwriter Rakat Zami who has been a part of the underground indie scene of Bangladesh for about a decade now.

Have we been kind to our teachers?

What we fail to acknowledge here is the side of the teachers who are actually faced with these circumstances with little to no previous knowledge as to how to deal with these situations. Our present state is just as new to the teachers as it is to the students.

Hashtags

The first-ever conference for hashtags is held to give them a chance to meet old friends and make new ones, mingle, betray, and network. Our coverage of the conference begins with a conversation among some influential hashtags. Enjoy.

Our fight with pandemics

Throughout history, time and again outbreaks have taken populations by surprise but human beings have always been able to walk out of the other end, although not completely unscathed but with new lessons that have helped them fight their next battle with the invisible enemy.

An uncertain future for students amidst Covid-19 outbreak

“I find it unfortunate that the University decided to take such a decision without even considering the opinions of the students who are paying hefty fees for the whole semester.

1st International Conference on Love & Various Emotions (ICLoVE 2020)

Days one and two consisted of keynote presentations exploring romance of all depths from different angles, with discussions and potential solutions to some critical problems.

The Art of Doing Nothing

It’s not wrong to spend a couple of hours doing nothing.

Why you should read travelogues

Before I mention why you should read travelogues, let’s go over why travelogues are read in the first place. Travelogues are basically short travel stories.

Midnight Train

Every day at 3 AM I’d see her. She’d be in the second compartment of the subway sitting with her legs crossed with a book in her hand. Always with a book in her hand. She’d sit so perfectly and so still, you’d mistake her for a china doll. If she did not occasionally flip the pages of her book, I would actually think so. Even when she flipped the pages she’d do so with the utmost grace.

Double shot espresso

I hadn’t slept for days and I could feel my body finally giving in and drifting away. It felt like I was in a dream when I heard the phone ring. I patiently waited for the ringing to stop then closed my eyes. It hurt to even keep them open at this point. But, there it was

The perfect partner

What is considered a perfect partner? When I was a teenager, I had a list of attributes inside my head regarding my future partner. At that time, the thought had never crossed my mind that I might never find any man, let alone “the perfect man”. Why would I? I grew up on rom-coms

THE GAME OF GAWSIA

In a galaxy far far away lies the Bangladeshi equivalent of Mordor, the land known as Gawsia. Feared by many but revered by even more, the strange land seemed like a completely different planet. One fateful day, four friends took it upon themselves to bravely venture into the heart of this land they’d heard so much about.