Weekend Read

Weekend Read

Abahani vs Mohammedan: Worth gold in nostalgia

Almost every major football crazy city in the world has a historic club rivalry that it can brag about. Kolkata, London, Manchester, Milan, Madrid – you name it and there’s at least one colourful and storied rivalry to whet the appetite of football fans.

3d ago

A trip down Dhaka Derby lane

After joining Abahani from BJMC in 1984, I had to endure abusive words from the fans for some off-target shots during a practice session ahead of the match against Mohammedan.

3d ago

Destroying the last line of defence

Coastal residents at great risk of cyclones as mangrove forests cut down, leased and grabbed for ‘development’

1w ago

Need to protect mangroves for coastal people

Kamal Hossen is a recently retired professor at the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science of Chattogram University. In a conversation with The Daily Star, he emphasised the importance of the conservation of mangrove forests.

1w ago

Hiking through an ‘alien’ world

“Hey, what's the most beautiful place you've ever been to?”

2w ago

Fire hazard in city markets: No lesson learnt

When one enters the building of Sharif Market on Chittaranjan Avenue in Sadarghat, there is a feeling of suffocation, despite the empty spaces between the eight-storey building. The building has been identified as risky in terms of fire safety. However, it only has nine fire extinguishers.

2w ago

Fire safety in a precarious state

Fire safety in Dhaka’s market buildings is in a very precarious condition, which has increased vulnerabilities for people and properties associated with these markets. The recent fire incidents in Bangabazar and Dhaka New Super Market are testimonies of these harsh realities prevailing in the capital, said Dr Adil Mohammed Khan, executive director of Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), during an interview with The Daily Star yesterday.

2w ago

Childhood trapped in ‘leguna’

“This is Mohammadpur, get off,” a child yelled out to the passengers of a leguna, otherwise known as human hauliers, which had reached the area as early as 7:00am.

3w ago

No place to call ‘home’

Dhalpur’s Telegu community evicted without financial assistance, resource allocation

Haunting memories of Jinjira massacre

“Pakistani soldiers broke into our house through the backyard. Sensing their presence, three of my nephews gathered in one room. Another managed to flee. The soldiers entered our house firing indiscriminately killing the 3 helpless boys. They fell on the floor just like logs. …

Sitakunda’s curse of industrial accidents

In Sonaichhari union alone -- where both BM depot and Sheema Oxygen Plant are located -- there are around 50 shipbreaking yards, several re-rolling mills, oxygen plants and one LP gas plant

‘It cannot go on like this anymore’

In her field, Bangladesh’s table tennis icon Zobera Rahman Linu remained a cut above the rest during her stellar 24-year playing career between 1977 to 2001, having bagged a whopping 16 national titles from 1977 to 2001

The manifesto for independence

Bangladesh is the name of an independent and sovereign state comprising 54,506 square miles of land, which is home to 70 million people. Three under-mentioned goals have to be achieved by forming this state:

Those turbulent first days of ‘71 March

Things changed when on February 15, Bhutto declared that PPP cannot participate in the assembly unless Awami League compromises on its six-point demand.

Key stages of war

At dawn on February 24, 2022, after repeatedly denying plans to invade Ukraine, Putin announces a “special military operation” to demilitarise and “de-Nazify” the former Soviet country.

War in numbers

According to the latest estimates from Norway, 180,000 Russian soldiers and 100,000 Ukrainian troops have been wounded or killed in the conflict.

How will it end?

The Kremlin wanted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to yield a lightning victory, but 12 months on the war is dragging into a stalemate with neither side achieving military breakthrough nor prepared to agree a settlement based on the status quo.

A village of mosques

Beraid is a small place in terms of size, but it is huge in terms of popularity, thanks to a large number of ancient mosques.

Cultivating reading habits since 2001

At first glance, it looks like a simple tin-shed house. One will not even find any decent-looking furniture inside the room.

Where basic amenities remain elusive

Residents of the newly-added wards in Dhaka North City Corporation expressed dissatisfaction after being denied civic amenities, claiming that life was far better when they were under the union parishad.

Dhaka’s uninspiring govt primary schools

The government aims to build a “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041, but without fixing our faulty public education system, how far can it achieve this goal? The human resources for Bangladesh’s future are being short-changed at the primary education level,  finds The Daily Star through visits to several schools right in the heart of the capital.