Vakurta, a village hardly 30 minutes away from the center of the capital, makes itself proud. The entire village is home to one of the largest hubs of traditional jewelry makers in the south Asian region. Some of the finest artisans in the trade, about 50,000 men, women and children carve out traditional jewelries out […]
The verdure of southern Bangladesh is simply breathtaking. Trees and bushes densely surround almost every household in the villages of Barisal, Pirojpur and Jhalakathi. This vegetation not only ensures privacy for the otherwise conservative homes but also creates a solid cyclone barrier. As you travel through this region, you can feel the oxygenated fragrance in […]
Polythene bags are here to stay, no matter what! Faced with an imminent environmental disaster, the government in January 2002 banned the use of polythene bags in Dhaka and eventually enforced it elsewhere in the country. The move immediately brought applause from the environmentalists and residents but it was claimed that it cost more than 18,000 […]
The story of a landless mother receiving her dream home in Kawkhali Successive governments named the same scheme separately and took great pride in publicizing its achievements. The scheme deals with one of the most sought after commodities in Bangladesh- the right to a home and a piece of land for the landless peasants. The […]
As the torrential monsoon rain nearly paralyzed life in the villages of Kawkhali, 225 km south of the capital, an extraordinary activity among the villagers could never be ignored. Almost every one of the 14,000 or so households, poor or rich, had a ritual to perform. It is to plant saplings of either timber […]
Imagine a large Hindu community of around 100,000 households spread over an area of ten square kilometers. Here, we are talking about Rayer Bazaar, in the western part of the city, in the early 1960s. Every household had one thing in common— a traditional fuel wood kiln for firing potteries. The Pals (potters) of Rayer […]
If anyone votes “yes” to coal based power plant, please ask the Americans. With over 500 coal based power plants dotted around the USA today, each American goes to bed every day with the guilt of being the largest polluter of this planet. For America it had all started very early 20th century. Cursed by […]
The much-awaited Kuakata master plan was gazetted in November 2014, but officials in Dhaka are still sitting on it, not taking any steps to notify authorities for its implementation. A futuristic 30-year Kuakata Master Plan should otherwise now be in force to prevent unplanned and haphazard growth of this highly potential tourist hub on the […]
At a village in Barisal, located in the south of Bangladesh, a 25-year old sturdy looking man, Bipul, and his best friend, Riad, had been regularly engaging in phone conversations with girls and trying to get lucky in lust calls. But charming Bipul always wanted to seek the thrill of love and ached to fill that […]
Nearly six years on, PM’s pledge remains unfulfilled In the afternoon of December 29, 2009, about 150 traditional boatmen from the Basila-Washpur ghat formed a spectacular column with their boats in the river Buriganga and waited under the just completed Shaheed Budhijibi Bridge there. On the eastern side of the bridge, amid tight security, several […]
