Manzurul Islam Khan Musical Concert, An Evening of Ghazal Date: Tuesday, 20 January Time:6pm Venue: AFD Courtyard, Alliance Francaise

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is the case, which indeed it is, nowadays there are billions of words and stories flying about Bangladesh, in the past decade or so, has witnessed a phenomenal growth in the photography industry. One of the single biggest passions you may find in the youth of today is undoubtedly photography.

“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

Have you seen the barn owl in the moonlight, inaudibly searching for a field mouse to feed its young or the flying squirrel leaping from one tree to another filtering the light and the shadow of the moon? Have you seen an egret flying into the moon, or just one dwarf tree standing alone in the plains under the full moon, creating a black and white negative of its daytime image?

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.

Dhaka was surprisingly fogless as I headed southward towards the sea at dawn that late December. It was the last mode of transport for the day to get to Hatia Island when I reached the 'ghat'. The destination, Domar Char, the wave island, one of two detached limbs of Hatia Island, the other being Nijhum Dwip, the silent island.

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.

Dhaka, it looks like, is bursting at its seams with the overwhelming number of cars, buses and trucks hitting the streets every day. A city small in physical proportions yet harbouring an exceedingly high number of people, Dhaka at first sight is overcrowded and full of rubble.

Forlorn pictures of antiquity paint images of sun-beaten men rowing their boats through the blue-grey waters of the Shitalakhya -- their faded orange sails swishing with the breeze and the lonely air occasionally pierced with the folk songs of Hasson Raja emanating from the deep vocals of the majhi.

Every diet seems to falter when a lady encounters that melting chocolate fudge drenched in some more chocolate syrup, hiding thousands of calories beneath its sweet façade. Add to that a Bengali 'dawat' and you find yourself spiralling down the diet ladder and climbing up to sweet heaven all at the same time -- the sweet creamy 'paayesh', the globes of 'roshogolla' drenched in sweet syrup, and the cups laden with 'Bogra boi'. Well all is not sweet in this sweet galore and Star lifestyle has put together a list of alternative sweeteners that will allow you guilt-free indulgence when your heart desires.

Looming just around the corner is that time of the year again, where all the goodies are brought out, where all mothers leave no stone unturned in preparing that beautiful dish, the day when everyone is in high spirits after a month of fasting.

Rummaging through your wardrobe every sultry summer morning pondering over what to wear to university or going through all your evening wear trying to decide what to wear on an evening out with friends or maybe even the plain woes young adults and teenagers face everyday deciding what to wear can be quite exhausting.

Writing about stories of one's past, of an era gone by, of innocent childhood memories can often be a daunting task. The city we call home is on a fast-forward button as old staff quarters and memories are torn down while huge apartment complexes religiously shoot up to take their place.

A real, tangible and everyday concern in today's progressing world are the subjects of homophobia, trans-misogyny, sexism and racism and although the latter two are now deemed unacceptable in society many people still harbour feelings of homophobia and transphobia deep within themselves without any castigation or rebuke.

She is a woman of extremes -- extreme tolerance, endurance, strength and compassion personifies this lady who has been by you through all your ups and downs.

Pursuing a sport in Dhaka can be a cumbersome task, given the lack of parks, pockets of green space or even a designated sidewalk for pedestrians. Picking up a sport can also be a tough decision, the amount of physical labour you are willing to put in, the proximity of the location where you can practise and your overall dedication to the game.

The sharp zing of onions as you slice them fine, the clang of pans and pots, the distinct aroma of Bengali spices as they hit the hot oil. These are flavours we grow up with.

Dhaka Weddings are a glorious affair, a celebration of two families coming together whilst the bride and groom take centre stage in the event.

Gold has been a part of our lives ever since its discovery by the Arabs around 6000 BC. With its Latin name Aurum meaning "shining dawn", it is of little surprise that this element has been used in artwork and jewellery, what with its physical properties donning malleability and durability, for as long as one can think back. Gold is in fact considered quite so valuable that it has long been used for the purpose of monetary exchanges.

About 500 km away from the bustle and busy hum-drum of Dhaka and 10km away from the mainland, across the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal lies the only coral island of Bangladesh -- Saint Martin's Island.