Dipan Nandy

There was no way to understand that it was just the second day of the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela yesterday. Not even a weekend afternoon, the

On February 21, 1952, the protesters had two programmes to press home their demand for Bangla as a state language. One, the section 144 had to go, and two, taking a memorial plaque to the East Pakistan Ain Parishad.

The Amar Ekushey Boi Mela kicked off yesterday afternoon amid much fanfare.

Becharam Dewri. The name itself comes with the fragrance of various kinds of biriyani, all of which taste different too.

The Amar Ekushey Boi Mela begins today with preparations still unfinished till yesterday afternoon.

Even before the establishment of Pakistan in 1947, Rasheed Building hosted the Suruj Jamal mess on its first floor. During the early days of the Language Movement, numerous organising activities were carried out from there.

“When the Language Movement was still in its infancy, Principal Abul Kashem nurtured it with a mother’s care. We were inspired by his company, most of which was hosted by 19 Azimpur.”

There’s a message floating in the air. Those who can read it know that spring is already here.

Any discussion on the Language Movement cannot take place without mentioning Beltala. It lies right beside Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s Amtala, another historic site by its own right. It was at Beltala where the first public meeting on the movement took place.

This is how the saying goes -- back in the days, a British traveler arrived in the area and was so blown away by all he saw, he exclaimed, “What a grand area!”

Those who are regular listeners of contemporary Bangla music are familiar with a song that talks about roaming around the streets of the city in search of a cup of tea that comes in cheap.

Bangla Academy has decided to hold this year’s Amar Ekushey Boi Mela from February 15, with the condition that all concerned with the fair will have to possess Covid-19 vaccine certificates.

Even though the way to Buddu’s Puri was shown by a flower seller sitting in front of Sutrapur’s Govinda Mandir, it was difficult to locate the vaunted puri shop inside the labyrinthine Hemanta Das Lane.

Old Dhaka’s Paridas Road is starting to turn grey, not in the sense that it’s getting older by the day, but due to concrete slabs being erected all around.

The block lettered sign on the ochre yellow building reads “Nazirabazar Matri Sadan”. Right beside it, a large banner reads -- “24-hour normal delivery service for expecting mothers”.

Even when it’s afternoon, one can barely see anything inside. Many beds are worn-down, while others don’t have any covers.

The Dhaka Mahanagar General Hospital is located at Naya Bazar, near the Babubazar Bridge. Its outdoor department is always crowded with patients, many of whom go there for Covid vaccines these days.

The word “haat” brings with it images of some rural setting. Banks of a river, a banyan tree, rows of traders selling their haul under it, that’s what a haat is, right?

If you looked at Old Dhaka’s sky yesterday, your eyes would surely get blinded by the sheer amount of colours, with thousands of kites flying in motion. Kites were flown from every rooftop of the area. The sky might be the limit for these kites, but the joy was beyond any such limits.

Shakrain -- a festival most awaited in the neighbourhoods of the old town. Only a week is left, but the excitement is in the air of the “Puran Dhaka” alleys.