Meet Manik Bandopadhyay— wounded by the critics who had glanced at the title of his novel to dismiss it as fatalist or feudalist. Manik's tongue-in-cheek reply shows that readership is the real mandate that an author needs; engagement with the society is the real commitment that an author desires.

Recently I was invited to present a TEDx talk at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. The theme of the daylong event was “Fear Itself.” I would like to share my talk here, hoping to bring readers' attention to one of the key pathologies of our times.

The nature of filmmaking in the 1930s and '40s was quite interesting. It was a time when movies in the Indian subcontinent were entirely dependent on music. A single feature length super hit movie sometimes contained even 60 to 70 songs.

Armen Arslanian, warden of the Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection in Armanitola, talks to The Daily Star about the importance of preserving and researching the history of the Armenian community in Dhaka and how it was linked to a broader global community

When the Mughals tried to establish their stronghold in this part of Bengal the worst enemy they faced, besides the indomitable Baro Bhuiyans (twelve landlords), were the calamitous nature and the riverine landscape. The streams of constantly shifting water pierced the land into parcels of various sizes and shapes.

After the 9/11 attacks, the US government, with support from its allies, launched a global military campaign against terrorism that continues to this day. The disclosures of former CIA employee and US government contractor-turned-whistleblower, Edward Snowden, has shed unprecedented light on the darkness surrounding the involvement of US intelligence agencies in shaping the early days of this campaign.

The Timurid dynasty contributed to many radially symmetrical buildings—tombs and palaces—in many parts of Iran and Central Asia. However, before the construction of Emperor Humayun's tomb, no structure incorporated all these elements in a single monument .

On March 8, Thursday, when the entire country was looking forward to enjoying the weekend, things were quite different in the Sal forest of Gazipur district. A troop of at least 20 soldiers in camouflaged uniform and armed with assault rifles was seen blocking a road that passes through the forest. The roadblock was guarded by two heavily armed bunkers built on both sides. Suddenly, a group of armed rebels, yielding Kalashnikovs and machetes, were

In a country known for its supreme indifference to the plight of people like her—disabled, poor, and female—Nasima is a shining example of defiance although her battle remains as arduous as the day it had first begun.

The Armenians most probably came to Bengal before any other European merchants and played an important part in the export-import business of not only Bengal but also the whole of India.

Jorashanko and Pathuriaghata along Chitpur Road used to be the major centres of Bengali arts and culture. Pathuriaghata Street is so named as it once led to a stone-flagged ghat on the Hooghly River.

This is why it is of greatest urgency now to preserve all old structures that are still standing today. These works should be documented as much as possible by historians who are researching on these regions.

As you enter Balukhali refugee camp for the first time all you will notice is the amount of dust that clouds your vision, settling on your hair, clothes, seeping into your shoes and even finding its way into your mouth.

First came the Portuguese; afterwards, more than a century later, came the Dutch. We generally call them "Olondaj" in Bengali ...

The leather-bound volumes were published in London on behalf of the Government of India, edited by John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye. They contain 468 pasted photographs on the left-hand pages, and accompanying descriptive text in letterpress print on the right.

The Portuguese were not only the first Europeans to arrive in Bengal but to Dhaka as well. By that time, they were already infamous for their piracy and other adventures on coastal areas, the Sundarbans and along the big rivers.

It was a kind of trip, I was told, that required passion and precision, courage, physical fitness, and above all, strong resolve. To me, as much as to those who had signed up for the thrill of it, it seemed like a rodeo minus the horses.

While posted to Dhaka he invited his friend the accomplished English professional artist George Chinnery (1774–1852) to join him in Dhaka, as his house guest. In their leisure time, the two friends would go around Dhaka looking for exotic rural landscapes and other picturesque subjects, of which there was no dearth in those days.

On June 14, 1971 at the crack of dawn, I got up and slid quietly out of bed. I quietly dressed for my journey—a pair of pants and a

Contrary to popular belief, the idea of establishing Bangla Academy predates the language movement.