Perspective

The nightshift and its keepers

What keeps the night owls —norm defying nocturnal sapiens, and daredevils trading blows with insomnia— going as they burn the midnight oil to the ashes of wicks left of their candle like spirits at dawn?
Every day is not an #Instahappy day

We speak of super mums who manage everything effortlessly, but not enough on how much it takes to wear that ‘super mum hat.’ It is far easier to fall into that deep, dark abyss of anger, rage, and gloom than it is to climb back up again and search for sunshine.
Sustainable fashion

Eco but desirable — a global agenda for Planet Fashion means looking good with a clear conscience. Essentially an awakening for the fashion industry at large, eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable clothing are slowly surging into the market, with zero compromises
Around the world in my Hijab

So, when I started travelling, I found it surprising when people asked me questions like “is it difficult to travel with your hijab?” or “Do you face racism because of your hijab?” “Has anyone ever treated you differently because you wear the hijab?” And it dawned upon me
World Press Freedom Day: Freedom of expression is good for business

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has set out an extremely ambitious vision to make Bangladesh a middle-income country by 2021, a higher middle-income one by 2030 and a “developed” one by 2041.
Depression and the mind

Wake up in the morning, get dressed, scarf down your breakfast, and get to work as fast as you can, only to rush back home hours later. Insert days of socialising here and there and that is what life has become.
Palliative Care: the new healthcare frontier

I came across the terminology 'palliative care' while conversing with a young couple sometime in late 2017. Being a non-medical person, I was unfamiliar with the term and other jargons that came up in that discussion.
Capturing political history in film

We at the Seba Bangla Library in Atlanta recently screened Tauquir Ahmed's Fagun Haway (In Spring Breeze). The film, based on the 1952 language movement, is a mixed bag—while it truly soars in concept and approach, its execution is flawed.
Yesterday, once more!

The title of this column is borrowed from a very popular song from many years ago which we used to hum all the time. It was a
We Can End TB

Nine year old Sabbir was ill. For several weeks he complained of chest pain and had a bad cough, sometimes coughing blood. His
Stop shaming stay-at-home women

The importance of women having financial independence cannot be overstated. It is the number one reason women stay in an abusive
Love for my language

I am sure you have heard it, being hurled at someone, by someone who claims to love their mother tongue, so much that they cannot stand any other in their home turf.
Ekushey as a 'Bideshi'

It's the fifth year that I've lived in Bangladesh, and the fifth opportunity to celebrate a day that makes me feel I am a part of something
Yellow on my mind

The iconic colour that symbolises rebirth, welcoming of spring, or even invokes fear and cowardice; yellow is one of those shades that comprises some of the most baffling, and diversified contrasting references and meanings on a global scale.
What to do with a Bachelor of Arts?

How are you going to live on a literature degree?” my closest college friends asked me over and over as we walked through campus, with me carrying “Don Quixote” and they an accounting textbook.
Friends or just friendly?

Among the countless hangouts at neighbourhood 'tongs', making friends at school never quite seemed like a big deal. Yet, the minute you hit adulthood, genuine friendships become a rare sight.
I read before I eat

It started out of curiosity, but soon turned into a rule of my grocery shopping -- I read the nutrition labels on foods before buying them.
Myanmar's irrational denial of citizenship to Rohingyas

The exodus of Rohingyas, one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, from Myanmar to neighbouring countries is not a new phenomenon.
Witness to victory

If there is a price for freedom, what is it and who pays it? And if the debt remains unsettled, how does a generation get absolved of the sins of the last?
Consanguineous marriage - Yes or No?

Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Franklin Roosevelt, Saddam Hussein, Queen Victoria, King Phillip II of Spain, Satyajit Ray- people from different religions, upbringings, eras, vocations and regions of the world. But surprisingly, they had one thing in common- they had all married their cousins.
Vaping or smoking — the lesser evil

Are e-cigarettes the route to diminish the tobacco epidemic? Or is it just choosing the lesser of two evils? Let us look into the details, and shatter the myths relating to the various smoking and vaping trends circulating around our concrete jungle Dhaka.
Surviving air pollution

Breathing seems to be a chore in Dhaka, and no wonder either, since the air pollution index for the massive and growing city that serves as our capital has been measured at an alarming level of 298; cementing its place as among the most polluted cities in the world.
Student hostels for females: An inside story

Born and raised in Narayanganj, Farhana Zaman moved to Dhaka in 2003 in order to pursue a career in medicine. Her family had been permanent residents and having their business neatly settled in Narayanganj for generations, moving to Dhaka was simply not an option.
Green is the new black

Even though many claim global warming and the entire concept of climate change to be a hoax, it is very evident how global warming is causing various disrupting changes around us.
Is reading becoming redundant?

I remember summer holidays during my middle-school years. On most days, I would be lazing around on the carpeted floor at one corner of the British Council library, with just a Roald Dahl classic in my hand.
Terrors of Hindi cartoons

In the modern age of Doraemon, and Motu Patlu, children are bound to embrace the language they hear the most; the one they associate entertainment with!
Changing at 25

After that 20th birthday, time seems to pass by an awful lot quicker than it ever did before. Juggling jobs and sometimes higher studies, while trying to keep in touch with friends from college, all the while trying to live a decent healthy life is what one can expect from someone in their late twenties or early thirties.
Making friends as an adult

The more we grow up, the harder it seems to get to know new people, and even more difficult is to make new friends. Somewhere along trudging through school to college to work, most have lost the concept of making new friends.
Living the simple way

Most of us have made a list of resolutions for the year. With nine months down, I wonder how many of us have actually been able to stick to those. By now we are all back on our messy tracks. But with only a little of 2018 left, we don’t much time to simplify things around us.
Just another mom- The fight against exclusivity

Saharsha, now three, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she turned one. Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for a condition that limits a person's ability to move. The neurologist got off from his chair and walked with an exaggerated gait, showing how the legs might scissor if Saharsha eventually learns to walk.