Endeavour
Of hope and resistance in Balata
Between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River Valley, in Palestine, there are some of the oldest cities in the world—Jericho and
An indigenous way to save our soil
Namapara village is like any of the 84,000 villages of Bangladesh. Located in Rowmari upazila of Kurigram, the poorest district in Bangladesh, this village is inhabited by some 200-250 families, most of whom are impoverished farmers. The Jinjirum, a meandering
Endeavour / What do Fidel Castro, Walt Disney and Bertrand Russell have in common?
Mohammad Anwarul Quadir pushed his glasses over his forehead and moments later, began looking for it everywhere. It may appear so, but he was no amnesiac. The 77-year-old flawlessly recollects the many world leaders, scholars, and celebrities who sent him their autographs.
The Motorcycle Diaries
Their first obstacles were their families and their apprehension. When a group of four women—Sakia Hoque, Manoshi Saha, Silvy Rahman and Shamsun Nahar—decided to explore Bangladesh's North on motorbikes, they were told horror stories of kidnap, rape and accidents.
endeavour / A school off the beaten track
Just a few days back, The Daily Star ran a report that students' enrollment in government primary schools is decreasing sharply.
A day on the Shitalakhya
Though it's a sunny Friday morning, the concrete Gulistan flyover renders the landscape gunmetal, where I'm to meet Shohag Mohajon, the manager of Clean River Bangladesh. Almost 20 minutes of miscommunication later, I manage to find him in a sea of speedy civilians. We exchange greetings and get on the waiting bus.
Endeavour / The tree doctors
Even though it was monsoon, I watered my rooftop plants before leaving Dhaka during Eid. While travelling in the night coach, I kept worrying about my plant babies. What would happen to them in the absence of water in this sweltering heat and high humidity? Will they survive my seven-day vacation? My fears were confirmed—when I returned, I found that the smaller plants had almost died, while the leaves of the mature ones had turned yellowish.
More than a place of learning
Abinta Kabir was one of the 22 hostages killed at the terrorist attack at Holey Artisan Bakery, two years ago now. Only 19 years old and an undergraduate student in the US, she wanted to return to Bangladesh to open an NGO for those less fortunate than her, according to her family. While her life was cut short, her family have carried forward her unrealised
Our environmental saviour?
As global concerns continue to rise with 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags being produced every year around the globe, a number of eco-friendly companies come up with a seemingly wonderful idea: biodegradable bags.
Adopt a Library
While Boi Mela sadly lasts only a month, what do readers in Dhaka and the rest of the country do the rest of the year? Buying a year's worth of books in one go is hardly feasible. For those without the means to buy, reading for pleasure is a luxury. Readers, especially young students, require a well-stocked and diverse library in the vicinity of their home or where they work or study to encourage them to read year-round.
Into the fountain of enlightenment
Do you love reading? If yes, then this article is especially for you. What if there was a space in busy Dhaka where you could spend hour after hour browsing shelves and finding one gem after another?
Bangladesh's silent service to the world
Quite out of the public eye, a health organisation has been routinely sending experts to manage the diarrhoea and cholera epidemics that break out in conflict zones.
A paper card to save a baby
Hospitals being too far away is probably the single-most common problem that health sectors in the developing world are dealing with, and this contributes majorly to infant mortality.
Sazeda's story of breaking chains
Sazeda visits every home in the village regularly and educates parents and other family members about the harmful effects of child marriage and the importance of educating female children.
When zakat can break the cycle of poverty
It was tropical cyclones, starvation and loans that shaped the lives of 450 families of fishermen of Mohora fishing village three years ago.
No longer a burden
In countries like Bangladesh, where people with disabilities often face societal barriers, negative perception and discrimination, 28-year-old Humayun Kabir, who was born with physical malformation in his lower limb, believes quite the opposite.
An inclusive initiative
“I have a disabled leg. I fell when I was young, and it affected the nerve. One of my legs is shorter than the other,” says Shireen, a quality inspector at the Beximco Textile and Apparel Division, in Savar.
