Walk into any perfume store today, and chances are, half the shelves are labelled unisex. That wasn't always the case. A couple of decades ago, things were pretty black and white—For Men, For Women, no questions asked. Now, the line is not just blurred, it's practically erased. But why is t
The Milestone School tragedy in July shook us all. A military jet crashed into the school building, shattering our children's lives, families, futures, and any sense of normalcy. But the second wave of shock came not from the sky, but from our screens. Within minutes, graphic videos filled social m
With the supersonic jet speeded rise in the use of AI to make everyday queries easier, there have been many blind spots distinctly spared for the further contradiction of setting boundaries between what should and should not be accepted. Theatrically quoting as per Shakespeare's great line put in a
An elderly villager, around 60 years old, was doing what he enjoyed as a pastime, cutting guavas and mixing them with chillies and other ingredients to make a salad that tasted sour and spicy. All of these activities are done in front of a camera, made into a video, and uploaded to social media. Th
"I'm chasing your dreams, but I forgot how to dream my own" From school grades to career, marriage choices, people around us have expectations where they want us to chase and live. Our whole life is almost made up of fulfilling people's expectations. And by doing so, we encounter various unrealis
The lane behind Dhaka's Baitul Mukarram mosque wakes up early. Before the first cup of tea cools, glass vials of amber oil stand in neat rows, throwing off woody, honey-sweet notes that cling to the morning heat. This is attar-small, concentrated oils that cost less than a plate of biryani yet ling
Walking through the streets, a significant difference in the appearance of youngsters is visible. Surprisingly, the presence of androgynous touch among teenage boys is notable. Young girls are now more open to exploring various aesthetic styles. The fashion choices of the current young generation h
Names like Oud Kalakas, Dehn Al Oudh Abiyad, Oud Cambodi, Sheikh Al Shuyukh, Oud Mood, Bade'e Al Oud, and Oud Hindi—do these sound familiar? Yes, and for good reason. Once cherished mainly by elders or reserved for special religious occasions, these raw oud perfumes are now part of everyday w
For many of us, birthdays are supposed to be the highlight of the year, a celebration of existence, laughter, and being in the company of people who care about us. But for a growing number of young adults, birthdays bring something far more complex: sadness, anxiety, hollowness. The term for this?
In a time where avocado toast and 'some posh coffee place' lattes are the symbols of millennial and Gen Z financial doom, let's take a moment to dissect the elephant in the room, debt. In 2020, the Bangladesh Bank reported that personal loans, including credit cards, accounted for 14.3% of the to
And they never say a word, but their love and purrs are what we need at the hardest time. In the heart of Dhaka, there is a buzz about newly launched cafes - freshly brewed coffee, a cosy ambience, and delicious food. However, a new type of cafe has recently emerged in town, and people are pretty e
"I told them I was being beaten," Salma recalled. "But my parents said I just needed to endure. They made me go back," said the victim of an Acid attack (Human Rights Watch, 2020). Divorce - a word hated or feared throughout the world, in some places more than others. It is either saddening, as it
Have you heard the word "naepophile"? It refers to someone who finds joy in watching clouds and gazing at the sky. If you are so, the sky of Bangladesh in June-July is just a perfect screen for you to watch. With its palette of colours, dramatic cloudscapes, and ever-changing moods, the sky becom
