Abida Rahman Chowdhury

The conventional family structure is changing, but our constant need for their support and love is ever present. As we become more and more nuclear and independent, the greater is our need for family bonds.As we celebrate the International day of families, let us take a glimpse into the lives of changing family dynamics.

“A dolphin's smile is the greatest deception. It creates the illusion that they are always happy.” Originally stated by dolphin activist Richard O'Barry, these famous lines manage to throw some light on these majestic creatures of the aquatic ecosystem that have enthralled us for long, captivated the human mind and soul, inspired many movies and captured the imagination of children and adults alike.

It’s a good time to be alive while history is being written. As we bid adieu to 2015 we realise the year was a roller coaster ride! It was a year of aggression and violence that carved the world for many new beginnings. Let us take a stroll and reminisce the achievements of the past year in various arenas that molded the nation to take on 2016.

Bangladeshi winters mean weddings, steaming plates of biriyani drenched in ghee with soft potatoes, cozy sweaters gathering dust and smell of naphthalene balls in your cupboard, badminton games in your neighbourhood, warm warm blankets, monkey caps and of course the pièce de résistance of winter—Pithas.

A routine day in the life of a Dhakaiite. As wonderful as this city of millions is, it can often become taxing to go on day upon day without any break. The tedium of the hectic city life can be relieved with a little time out from our busy metropolis. Coming weekend, instead of heading off for another expensive dinner to the multitude of restaurants sprouting around Dhaka, why not drive away for a short trip out of the city?

Early morning in Shankhari Bazaar imparts a sense of calm, mingled with a hint of festivity, in every visitor.

Parbatipur Station, awash in the monsoon rain, welcomes us with a bustle and hurry of people as our train comes to a halt there in the late evening.

Cotton saris have been part and parcel of the Bangladeshi lifestyle for decades.

In a mindless act of disregard to endangered Gangetic River Dolphin, a Facebook user has posted photos in which he poses with a dead dolphin calf.

Children often find it difficult to make their summer vacations productive and end up spending the whole day glued to their gadgets. As this time Ramadan and vacation have coincided it has become doubly difficult to make time for the children.

Embroidering, spangling with saris, weaving a yarn of wool into a warm sweater for the winter and all kinds of needle work have a long history with rural Bengal.

The readymade garments industry in Bangladesh provides the single largest source of economic growth in Bangladesh's rapidly developing economy.

Condemning the gang-rape of the Garo woman on the night of April 21, eminent citizens of the country say the culture of lack of justice is what drives these incidents.

With our sedentary lives, nine to five offices and constantly sprouting eateries, it is no surprise to see the capital is seeing a rise in obesity levels.

A deltaic country, the plains of Bangladesh are crisscrossed with a million water bodies. The canals, marshlands and the rivers make the quintessential image that Rural Bengal conjures up.

Spring is rolling by, and the scorching summer heat is upon us. So is Pohela Boishakh, the month of nor'westers when the heat of summer is washed away with a gust of cool wind and pouring rains.

Coined by David Cormier in 2008, MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) are quickly gaining in popularity and are now all the rage in education.

“Creativity is not mine alone, I leave my mind open and it is divine forces that manifest their creativity through my art” –Niccolo Strippoli Tarshito

It was just another day in the morning of the forest. Last night's fog still hung in the air, the nocturnal animals were retiring for the day, whilst the Black-capped Kingfisher flew of the Kewra branch diving for its first fish of the day. In the muddy banks an otter was getting ready for its swim, sourcing fish for its young. A loud bang sent the whole forest in a frenzy; the confused animals did not know what it was, that had afflicted their home. They would suffer the impacts soon enough.

Up to the far horizon stretching for many miles, my eyes fail to meet another soul. Suspended in a mudflat jutting out from the Bay of Bengal, I experience serenity like nowhere else.