Lifestyle / Culture

Japanese embassy hosts Firoz Mahmud’s art exhibition 

Japanese embassy hosts Firoz Mahmud’s art exhibition 

Firoz Mahmud’s art exhibition titled 'Multilayered Legacies' was inaugurated at the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka on Saturday. Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi inaugurated the exhibition, where 35 artworks are on display. 'Multilayered Legacies' is a series of mixed-media works that engage wi


The city we're forgetting: Dhaka's vanishing heritage

The city we're forgetting: Dhaka's vanishing heritage

Dhaka is changing faster than it can remember itself. The city's skyline now tells two very different stories. One is written in the fading terracotta of old buildings and the shade of age-old trees. The other is spelt out in the reflective glass of new towers that define its growing ambition. Th

History of Halloween and cultures around the world

History of Halloween and cultures around the world

Did you notice the growing craze of Halloween these days? Have you wondered why people dress up as goblins and ghosts? Or why do people dress up in costumes, start hanging spooky decorations, go trick-or-treating or carve pumpkins? Read more to learn the eerie history of Halloween and some unique c

Rediscovering Bagerhat's forgotten grandeur

Rediscovering Bagerhat's forgotten grandeur

The Bagerhat is one of the oldest regions of Bengal, established during the medieval period 15th century by Ulugh Khan Jahan. From the very beginning, it was in the hands of Muslims for which provides an aura of ancient Islamic monuments. Interestingly, Bagerhat was formerly called 'Khalifatbad',

History to digital spaces: The eternal charm of Anarkali

History to digital spaces: The eternal charm of Anarkali

No wonder the word Anarkali instantly evokes the graceful image of Madhubala from Mughal-e-Azam cinema, twirling under the shimmering chandeliers of the Mughal court, singing and dancing for Prince Salim. The cinema didn't just immortalise a love story—it revived a fashion legacy that still e

Durga Puja and the city's festival of light and life

Durga Puja and the city's festival of light and life

As the dhak drums beat louder and the smell of incense lingers in the air, Dhaka seems to put on a new skin in autumn. The capital, so often weary with traffic jams, dust, and endless work, suddenly bursts into colour and light. Durga Puja, the largest Sanatani festival in Bangladesh, is not just a

How does poetry uplift us in a world dominated by technology?

How does poetry uplift us in a world dominated by technology?

In a recent Atlantic article, we learned that an MIT professor was surprised to discover that some of his students had created a club—The People's Poetry—to write poetry in their leisure. They are the top STEM students, known as 'certifiably nerd' to the rest of this 'Gen-Z'; even they

Beyond social media trends, handwritten letters are precious

Beyond social media trends, handwritten letters are precious

Inside her Mohammadpur apartment, away from the street's noise, Mrs. Salma Begum has kept a corner filled with letters that time has not erased. She has letters from thirty years ago stored in a file. She opens it slowly, and her ageing eyes move over the lines with care. Each letter takes her back

Transformation of letters with each passing generation

Transformation of letters with each passing generation

Letters are the most thoughtful, passionate and heartfelt way of expressing our emotions to loved ones. It is often convenient to express the feelings that one can not say out loud through a letter. Although this art of communication is losing its charm, it is still considered impactful, from nur

Songs that call our heart out into stories

Songs that call our heart out into stories

Anima (Pen name) was returning home after a hectic day, and while her eyes were bamboozled with the busy roads of the metropolitan, her ears were soothed with a melody that had been playing for over a week. A story born with melody. Her tiresome body finds a sense of peace as she returns to her pla

Rabindra Kachhari Bari reopens after two-day hiatus

Rabindra Kachhari Bari reopens after two-day hiatus

Rabindra Kachhari Bari in Sirajganj has reopened to visitors, two days after it was closed down following incidents of vandalism and assault. The site was reopened on Friday morning in the presence of officials from the district administration and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Authorities had

The call of home echoes louder than Eid bells

The call of home echoes louder than Eid bells

From advertisements to television programs, the muddy roads and the smells of cows leave no doubt that Eid has arrived. The dream that pulled us away from home to unknown paths now calls us back to the house of dreams. The home of Dreams, Where beloved faces reside, on the well-trodden path, memori