BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Let the queen rest in peace
23 October 2025, 14:55 PM
Book Review: Nonfiction / Charting the south’s path
22 October 2025, 18:00 PM
FICTION BOOK REVIEW: Fragments of memory and regret
22 October 2025, 18:00 PM
ESSAY / Leonard Cohen: Verses of mercy and turmoil
22 October 2025, 13:45 PM
THE SHELF / 3 Partition stories for young readers
21 October 2025, 13:45 PM
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / A bit of Fry & Homer
18 October 2025, 11:15 AM
Fiction / Free at last
17 October 2025, 18:58 PM
REFLECTIONS / Autumnal offerings for seasonal readers
17 October 2025, 18:58 PM
THE SHELF / 5 books to rescue you from brainrot
17 October 2025, 14:45 PM
Untold stories of war heroines: Revisiting Rizia Rahman’s ‘Rokter Okshor’
Published as early as 1978, Rizia Rahman’s well-acclaimed book, Rokter Okshor, narrates the lives of the women who were forced (directly and indirectly) into prostitution in the post-Liberation War era of Bangladesh.
18 December 2021, 10:27 AM
Anwarul Amin’s memoir revisits the first Bangladeshi bank established abroad
In a discerning recollection of events, esteemed retired banker Anwarul Amin has released his memoir about opening the first branch of a Bangladeshi bank abroad.
18 December 2021, 09:06 AM
‘Rokte Aka Bhor’: Anisul Hoque’s epic novel commemorates 50 years of liberation
Anisul Hoque’s most recent novel, Rokte Aka Bhor (Prothoma Prokashon, 2021), is a work of historical and political fiction that was released on the occasion of 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence. Against a vast canvas,
15 December 2021, 18:00 PM
Nonfiction books on the Liberation War released this year
An Internal Matter narrates the story of American activists who supported Bangladesh’s campaign for independence.
15 December 2021, 18:00 PM
HEFTY AT FIFTY: ‘When the Mango Tree Blossomed’ and other short stories from Bangladesh
The centenary of the Father of the Nation, and following on its heels the golden jubilee of the country’s independence, have precipitated a tireless round of celebratory events and an avalanche of varied publications.
15 December 2021, 18:00 PM
Lucy Foley’s ‘The Guest List’: Murder and intrigue at a secret celebrity wedding
The Guest List is a classic who-dun-it murder mystery, reminiscent of Dame Agatha Christie’s stories. Lucy Foley’s second novel takes us to a lavish celebrity wedding on a remote island off-coast of Ireland.
15 December 2021, 10:36 AM
Pashe Achi Initiative distributes books in exchange for plastic waste
In the latest initiative of Gronthomongol, a project aimed at rescuing the Nilkhet book market from the economic blows brought by the pandemic, youth organisation Pashe Achi Initiative are distributing books among readers in exchange for plastic waste.
11 December 2021, 08:32 AM
The comfort of books amidst wedding lights
It is December again and as evenings set in, Dhaka becomes brighter than it has been in the past few months.
8 December 2021, 18:00 PM
‘Potrika Porbo’ magazine fair underway at Bengal Boi
Bengal Boi is hosting a magazine fair, ‘Potrika Porbo’, at their premises in Dhanmondi until Saturday, December 4.
2 December 2021, 13:55 PM
Dark Academia: Why we love it and what needs to change
Dusty libraries, tweed blazers, candles, classics, coffee pots and armchairs: these are some of the basic elements of a social media aesthetic when one is into Dark Academia.
1 December 2021, 18:00 PM
In 'Thug', Mike Dash myth-busts British India’s cult of stranglers
It is nearly impossible to know nothing about British India’s infamous cult that systematically killed and robbed Indian travelers for hundreds of years. However, almost every write-up available today is an exaggerated horror story that fails to reflect upon the real events.
1 December 2021, 18:00 PM
Manoranjan Byapari's 'Imaan': Between the familiar and the alien
Through Imaan's interactions with the world outside of the central jail in Kolkata, we meet rickshaw pullers, street hawkers, and tea-stall owners, who belong mostly to the lowest strata of the society and come from highly marginalised caste and economic backgrounds.
1 December 2021, 18:00 PM
Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation hosts discussion on freedom fighters of Dhaka
On November 27, Saturday at 7 PM, Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation hosted its fifth episode of their discussion series,‘Bidyapeeth Baithaki: Antaranga Alape Gunizan, online’. The topic of this week’s episode was ‘Crack Platoon: The Freedom Fighters of Dhaka’.
30 November 2021, 06:52 AM
Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian': Surrealism and suffering in South Korea
Han Kang’s atmospheric novel, The Vegetarian (Portobello, 2016), is an evocative look at the psychosis of a woman plagued by her own humanity. In a masterstroke,
24 November 2021, 18:00 PM
Staff picks for Nonfiction November
Cleghorn pairs her personal experiences and traces through history how women's bodies have been taught to be hidden and shamed, instead of being taken as what it is—a biological entity.
24 November 2021, 18:00 PM
IN MEMORY OF HASAN AZIZUL HAQUE: Two tales of violence from the hands of a master
Hasan Azizul Haque, who passed away on November 15, 2021, began his career with the publication of the short story “Shokun” in 1960, and since its publication till today, it has shocked and stupefied most readers who have found their way to this unique and masterfully crafted story—reading it is not an experience one forgets easily, or ever.
24 November 2021, 18:00 PM
Ekushey Boi Mela plans for 2022
After the low turnout at Amar Ekushey Boi Mela this year, the Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh hosted a discussion seminar on November 16, with notable authors, publishers, and media personalities as special guests, in order to ensure a smooth experience for all attendees in the coming year.
18 November 2021, 10:47 AM
Syed Abul Fatah Sharfuddin Sharaf Al Hussaini: A forgotten poet
The first traceable progeny of the lineage, Syed Fida Hussain, had settled in Delhi during the reign of the fourth Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, with his son, Syed Golam Hussain and his grandsons, Syed Faizuddin Hussain and Syed Mozaffar Hussain; they eventually moved to Kolkata and finally settled down in Dhaka.
18 November 2021, 07:31 AM
Brandon Taylor’s ‘Real Life’—It’s seldom fair.
Brandon Taylor’s Real Life (Riverhead Books, 2020) begins with the protagonist, Wallace, contemplating his father’s death and feeling lonely amongst his friends because they do not understand the experiences he has had. The novel’s exploration of “real life” over the course of a weekend is also one that unpacks identity, race, sexuality, and the sheer boredom and frustration of postgraduate life.
18 November 2021, 07:16 AM
Why Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams” is a perfect way to start the season
Three days ago when I woke up in the morning to get ready for work, I stood on my balcony and felt a slight, familiar nip in the air.
17 November 2021, 18:00 PM