Event Report / “We do not live outside history”: Dr. Azfar Hussain on humanism, fascism, and the July Uprising

26 July 2026, 16:24 PM ⁠⁠News
“It is one of those questions that politely pretends to be a title, but secretly aspires to be a life’s work,” began Dr. Azfar Hussain on an overcast evening on the July 23, 2026, addressing a packed forum hall at the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh (ULAB), alluding to the title of his public lecture: What Does It Mean to Be Human in the Age of 'Posthumanism' and Global Fascism?
Poetry / You ask me
25 July 2026, 00:00 AM ⁠⁠Poetry
Book Review: Fiction / The queen who would not stay dead
23 July 2026, 00:00 AM Books & Literature
Interview / Diaspora, national identity and reality TV with Pajtim Statovci
9 June 2026, 21:48 PM
Not every story ends with rejoicing. Not all questions are answered within one lifetime. Not everyone will get to fulfil their dreams. All my protagonists are incomplete until the end. And the end itself offers no catharsis. It’s the same darkness that was present when the reader met them the first time. I write about the world and the people within it the way I have experienced the world.
Event Report / Poetry collection Adivasi Premikar Mukh: The Portrait of an Adivasi Beloved launched at Bangla Academy
19 May 2026, 14:26 PM
The bilingual poetry collection Adivasi Premikar Mukh: The Portrait of an Adivasi Beloved, (Oitijjhya, 2026) by journalist, poet, and fiction writer Ehasan Mahamud was launched on Monday, May 18, at the Kabi Shamsur Rahman Seminar Room of Bangla Academy, Dhaka. The event was organised by Oitijjhya Publications and moderated by Mostafa Mushfiq.

A discussion on truth, dares, and death with Nadia Kabir Barb

It was an intimate gathering of book lovers who had come together to listen to and participate in a discussion regarding a variety of topics, starting from her writing process to concepts of death explored in her stories, all stemming from deeply personal events in her life
28 February 2024, 10:05 AM

Has the Boi Mela been reduced to photographic aesthetics and vacuous controversies?

In the last few years, there has been a paradigm shift in the traditional book fair culture. The commercialisation and curation of hyper nationalist books have led to the absence of literature and stories of “others”.
27 February 2024, 13:45 PM

Goodreads, transparency, and the perils of the publishing world

Cait Corrain's reviewbombing practices serve as a cautionary tale. As readers and writers engage with online book communities, the issue of transparency becomes more vital than ever
27 February 2024, 10:00 AM

Ekushey Boi Mela: Children's books and what to expect

With only a few days to go, there’s still a chance to take the younger ones to the book fair and check out the wide range of books available
26 February 2024, 13:45 PM

BTS of Ekushey Boi Mela: Is our publishing industry overly reliant on one event?

Most publishing companies in Bangladesh are not big enough for them to have a fully functioning marketing team or a viable marketing strategy.
25 February 2024, 13:45 PM

She’s a terrible person, but that’s the point

A review of Ottessa Moshfegh's 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' (Penguin Press, 2023)
25 February 2024, 10:12 AM

Dynamics of race and riches in ‘Such a Fun Age’

In the thick of it is a young woman of colour who’s a late bloomer and eventually finds her footing.
24 February 2024, 13:45 PM

Tongue

I heard myself speak today It made me want to Cut out my tongue.
23 February 2024, 18:00 PM

Bangalis and the “cutification” of English

On a single visit to the Chadni Chowk gully at the Gawsia/New Market area, I had witnessed, store by store, the gradual devolvement of the name for Mysore cotton to Maisha cotton.
23 February 2024, 18:00 PM

Rifat Munim on Bangladeshi fiction: ‘This is a diverse terrain you are going to tread on’

In the foreword, I wanted to capture how I, as a child, grew up listening to different stories: ghost stories, mythical stories from both Sanatana and Islamic religious scriptures, and fairy tales from 'Thakurmar Jhuli', compiled by Dakkhinaranjan Mitra Majumdar. It was a time when there were no boundaries for my imagination.
23 February 2024, 18:00 PM

Unveiling ‘L’État, C'est Moi’: A journey through French aesthetics and culture

Last week, on February 15, 2024, Alliance Française de Dhaka hosted a book launching event for Dr Mahbubur Rahman’s 'L'État, C'est Moi'
23 February 2024, 13:45 PM

“Dostoevsky” by Ahmed Sofa

A translation of Ahmed Sofa's essay on Dostoyevsky
23 February 2024, 08:00 AM

Trends in horror and graphic novels at this year’s Boi Mela

According to the publishers, the classic horror books are among their best selling novels this year.
23 February 2024, 05:31 AM

Behind the scenes: Preparing stall layouts for the Ekushey Boi Mela

For most of the publishers, pavilion planning commenced as early as mid January and the organisers left no stone unturned in terms of planning the layout.
22 February 2024, 13:45 PM

The lack of fantasy at Boi Mela

With Ekushey Boi Mela now in full swing, the excitement surrounding the discovery of new releases should be hanging palpably in the air.
21 February 2024, 18:00 PM

Is this year’s Boi Mela a mausoleum of Bangla romance?

Wandering through the bustling lanes of Boi Mela, amidst the cacophony of voices and the rustle of pages turning, I found myself lost in a curious examination of the Bangla love story.
21 February 2024, 18:00 PM

Of language and sexism: We are what we speak

Amanda Montell states that gender is directly linked to power in many cultures, as is language. It’s just that we are unable to identify the difference. People use language to express gender. Gender also impacts a person’s speech and how that speech is perceived.
21 February 2024, 13:50 PM

Turning the pages of Ekushey Boi Mela

Boi Mela is more than a clickable link we see on our phone screens; it is more than the controversies and public debates.
20 February 2024, 13:45 PM

Of moms and balcony gardens

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a mom in Dhaka must be in want of a balcony-garden
18 February 2024, 13:00 PM

Interim

That was the first time in my life I’d smelled charred meat. I could tell it was different from the kind you’re supposed to eat, and my mother had to hold me as I threw up violently on the side of the street.
17 February 2024, 14:45 PM
Show in Mobile App Off
Show Sub Category Off
Show in Homescreen Off