‘Khandito Nazrul’: Why he is and should be relevant
The difficulty of translation is one of the reasons why Nazrul is not discussed as extensively as Tagore in the west.
Goddesses of Bengal: The living myth of Devi Manasa, Bon Bibi and more
There is absolutely no necessary relationship between the worship of goddesses and the treatment of women.
Foreign literature is a very precious tool for peace
Daily Star Books’ panel on January 8, Day 4 of the Dhaka Lit Fest sought to take the audience to a more existential aspect of what the festival attempts to do. Who chooses which stories deserve to become books? Who chooses whether news of those books will even reach readers? Does book criticism truly help the flow and business of literature within and across national borders?
That Christmas Eve, Santa did not come home
December 24 had always been one of the most awaited days of the year for us. The grand birthday cake for Jesus' birthday, the roasted sausages and meatloaves, and finally, a house-favourite, narrating the story of the Three Wise Men–that is how I had spent Christmas Eve for as long as I could remember.
Time
It's June–the first day of Summer, You have never come home empty-handed, And I stand by our apartment door, Eye the lift as it totes between floors.
A fairytale ending
Football, bloody hell! Like the chapters of a book, slowly unfolding towards the eventual climax, this edition of the World Cup has been nothing short of breathtaking. From gorgeous goals to late drama, with a few major upsets sprinkled throughout, this year’s World Cup has probably been the most spectacular iteration of football’s greatest tournament.
Muslim women in the crucible of feminist theory
Writer and academic Elora Shehabuddin has lived in a number of countries and had a fair share of exposure to multicultural environments. Her lived experience must have proved helpful in bringing in a comprehensive perspective to the discussion in Sisters in the Mirror: A History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of Feminism (University of California Press 2021; University Press Limited 2022).
The Journey
She remembers the window, A bright envelope opened and gleamed In the dark railway carriage. Its rectangular frame cut back every irrelevant, Decapitated all remainders. Outside an intemperate sky painted everything blue And looked her on the nose.
The Old Man
After cremation everyone returned To their respective destination. The neighborhood was desolate
The Greatest Irony of Lal Miah’s Life
JHALMURI (Puffed rice chaat) Preparation time: 2 minutes
