Weekend Read
Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary: So dark the greed of men
Satgar area under Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary in Chattogram used to be a lush green haven for Asian elephants.
Celebrating Christmas / A tapestry of faith, tradition and unity
The mud huts on the foothills of the Garo Pahar are covered with bashor lota (lady’s slipper vine) at this time of the year.
Shining through neglect
In June this year, in what seemed like a step in the right direction, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a pay bump for the contracted women’s cricketers.
Women cricketers making waves, but is next-gen ship steady?
The vast potential of women’s cricket in Bangladesh has come to the fore again following the national team’s success of late, across formats and conditions this year. But has reality at the grassroots escaped the harsher sides or, at least, on the verge of it?
Plight of Dhaka’s Child Labourers / Toiling away childhood
At a time when he should have been going to school and growing up with all the happiness and blessings life has to offer, Sajjad ended up experiencing the other end of the spectrum.
Hill destroyers go unpunished
Although more than 120 hills have vanished from the port city in four decades, no one has been put behind the bar for the offence in the last 20 years, thanks to legal loopholes.
Gill nets banned but abundant
At least 300 factories continue to make these deadly fishing traps in Munshiganj due to lax monitoring and lenient punishment
In Cumilla, canals run black
Joinul Hossain, a 55-year-old farmer in Cumilla Sadar south upazila, followed in his father’s footsteps to dedicate his entire life to cultivating their small piece of land and fishing in a canal near it.
Eden Mohila College: 150 years of history and glory
The Eden Mohila College is noted not only for its academic excellence and its pioneering role in promoting women’s education in erstwhile British Bengal and present-day Bangladesh, but also for its glorious past and major contributions in shaping the nation’s history.
The forgotten people of Gaibandha shoals
It was September 20. The clock almost ticked past midnight at Dighalkandi shoal in the Jamuna river. Manoara Begum, 30, had been suffering from a persistent fever and cough for over two weeks.
Rajuk caves in to realtors’ pressure
Just over a year ago, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) adopted a new Detailed Area Plan (DAP), introducing height restrictions for buildings in a bid to enhance Dhaka’s liveability.
Totail Beel in peril
Just a decade ago, Totail Beel, surrounded by unspoiled and pristine nature, could be reached from the Buriganga river.
Dhaka’s educational heritage
In 400-year-old Dhaka, a few educational institutes have stood the test of time. These century-old schools have played a significant role in shaping the education and culture of the city and beyond and have produced notable individuals who have left their mark on the national and world stages.
A testimony to earliest sculpting techniques of Bengal
A rare Vishnu statue has recently been discovered during visits to several archaeological sites in Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria.
Kushti’s legacy untarnished despite its downfall in Dhaka
While Dhaka’s traditional kushti is dying down, the scenario in other parts of the country is not bleak by any means. Many kushti events still take place outside the capital.
Remnants of a wrestlers’ nest
Kushti, also known as pehlwani, a form of traditional wrestling contested in the sub-continent, was once a popular sport in Dhaka after having originated during the Mughal period.
Arctic Circle: A trip to the land of glaciers
How vast is our planet? The answer may lie in how we perceive it. On the grand cosmic scale, the earth is minuscule, a mere speck invisible even under the most powerful microscope. However, on a human scale, it is truly enormous.
A silent witness to Dhaka’s history
With falling leaves, worn-out epitaphs and gravestones, and rustle of breeze whispering tales from four centuries ago -- Dhaka Christian Cemetery, known to city dwellers as Narinda or Wari cemetery, has been the resting place of many known or unsung heroes for decades.
The Great Himalayan Trail: Shakil’s story of perseverance
“Throughout the journey, death knocked at my door several times, but I never lost my focus, I never gave up,” said Ikramul Hasan Shakil, the intrepid conqueror of the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT), home to three of the highest peaks in the world.
‘Our struggle for water is never-ending’
Bidyut Kumar Mondol, a farmer from Kamardha village in Naogaon’s Porsha upazila, finds himself grappling with a challenging predicament. He had prepared 23 bighas of land for cultivating Aman paddy, but his dreams have been thwarted by a relentless lack of water.
High Barind running out of water
Due to decades of excessive water extraction, over 40 percent of unions in the high Barind region are facing severe groundwater depletion.
