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El Niño may return, raising concerns over rising heat in Bangladesh
‘We still hope a solution on the reforms will arise out of parliament’
Where are Iran’s frozen assets held and how much is stuck abroad?
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Dowel Biswas

Dowel is always thinking about a million things at once and writes to make sense of it all. Feel free to send her your thoughts at ddowelbiswas@gmail.com

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Baishakh celebrations regain fervour

15 April 2026, 02:42 AM
As dawn broke over Ramna Batamul yesterday, Chhayanaut’s chorus of 200 performers lifted “Jago alok‑logone” into the morning air, opening the celebration of Pahela Baishakh 1433.
15 April 2026, 02:42 AM
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Not just child’s play: Bengal’s rhymes as cultural memory

13 April 2026, 20:12 PM
Folklorists have long recognised multiple categories within Bengali folk literature—songs, proverbs, riddles, and rhymes. Rhymes are not homogeneous; they appear in distinct functional types: nursery rhymes, social or satirical rhymes, occupational rhymes, ritual rhymes, and those associated with games. That diversity signals not triviality, but embeddedness. In their rhythmic repetition are folded patterns of labour, hierarchy, crisis and adaptation.
13 April 2026, 20:12 PM
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Chhayanaut vows to sing without fear this Pahela Baishakh

12 April 2026, 19:00 PM
The press conference closed with “Baishakh Mashe Aiso Bondhu,” returning to the language of invitation.
12 April 2026, 19:00 PM
To save a flower: Bangladesh’s birth from lyrics and bullets

To save a flower: Bangladesh’s birth from lyrics and bullets

26 March 2026, 10:00 AM
Bulletins told listeners what was happening; songs suggested why it mattered, sometimes signalling the freedom fighters on safer roads, and information that would be crucial to win the Liberation War.
26 March 2026, 10:00 AM
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Threads that refuse to fade

9 March 2026, 18:28 PM
The exhibition, titled The Handloom Tradition of Bangladesh, opened on March 8 at Bengal Shilpalay in Dhanmondi. Organised by the Bangladesh Handloom Board with support from the Bengal Foundation, the nine-day programme combines a curated exhibition with a small fair celebrating the country’s weaving heritage.
9 March 2026, 18:28 PM
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Inside Dana Wyse’s pharmacy of desire

28 February 2026, 09:00 AM
Dana’s arrival in Bangladesh carried the strange familiarity of a travelling salesperson, except that nothing she sells intends to cure anything at all.
28 February 2026, 09:00 AM
Pratul Mukhopadhyay

Pratul Mukhopadhyay, a personification of Ekushey February’s spirit

20 February 2026, 09:07 AM
Mukhopadhyay lived through the fractures of partition, the uncertainties of migration, and the routines of middle-class survival. Politics was inherited consciousness, not a slogan. Songwriting became a ledger of conscience: a daily reckoning with history, place, and identity. His voice quivered at the edges, not from lack of technique, but from the weight of feeling itself. Being Bengali was not taught; it had to be experienced.
20 February 2026, 09:07 AM
Bangladesh election symbols

‘Marka’ : The symbols mapping decades of political legacy

11 February 2026, 19:06 PM
Electoral symbols in Bangladesh are semiotic anchors, mapping decades of political life into objects instantly recognised by voters. Embedded in the textures of daily life, their meanings are layered, historically rooted, and culturally resonant. They also function as tools that can shape perception and nudge voter psychology.
11 February 2026, 19:06 PM
Unveiling the Rich Tapestry of Japanese Culture through Dolls

Unveiling the Rich Tapestry of Japanese Culture through Dolls

In the exhibition, the development and changes in the shape of the dolls are represented according to the important time periods of Japan. This can be seen through the shape of the dolls, from the traditional to the collector figure. Not only that, this exhibition also displays “Ningyo” forms and styles with characteristics from each region in Japan.
2 February 2024, 18:14 PM
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Prachyanat School to celebrate ‘Raktakarabi’s’ centenary with new production

Under the direction of Shawkat Hossain Sajib, the school will stage the play on Monday, January 29, at 7:00pm at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's National Theatre Hall. Prachyanat, which is renowned for its socially and politically aware grand theatrical presentations, is going to stage the epic play as part of its biannual school productions.
26 January 2024, 07:16 AM
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Dr Israfeel Shaheen: A professor’s quest to promote unconventional theatre

Dr Israfeel Shaheen, a noted theatre director and professor at the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Dhaka, has many achievements in his bag as a prominent theatre personality who is taking Bangladesh’s folk, indigenous, and improvisational theatrics to the world’s stage. However, besides his commendable accomplishments, he always traces back to his roots and brings forth what we, as Bengalis have to offer centered on our rich cultural genesis and resourcefulness.
24 January 2024, 10:25 AM
Chinese New Year in Dhaka

A glimpse of Chinese New Year in Dhaka

The spring festival began with a captivating dance performance by a prominent Chinese Cultural organisation, the Song and Dance Ensemble of Yunnan Province. Performers created the Hani dance “Divine Bird Flapping Swings of China” at the event.
18 January 2024, 09:47 AM
Suchitra Sen

Suchitra Sen: How a girl from Pabna became South Asia’s biggest superstar

On her tenth death anniversary today, we remember Suchitra Sen, Bengal’s first female superstar, and a feminist in spirit, who took charge of her own fate and challenged the common norms that surround or define femininity.
17 January 2024, 12:06 PM
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‘Everything Is Nothing’ to compete at France’s Cineplay Int’l Film Fest

The short film has been selected to compete at the festival on January 5. After being declared as a finalist on Wednesday, it will be screened on January 15, informed Arafat Mohsin Nidhi, director of the production, to The Daily Star.
10 January 2024, 13:46 PM
songs of 12th general election campaigns

The melody of the polls: Sometimes genius, sometimes obnoxious

While every alleyway, street and locality has been adorned with posters, the most impressive promotion of this election is perhaps the innovative and catchy songs that are being played at political stalls, through mikes, moving vans and rickshaws.
4 January 2024, 18:05 PM
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Empowering Bangladeshi women: Mano a mano with Sara Zaker

Founded by Jude Kelly CBE, WOW - Women of the World is an international festival that started its journey in 2021 in Bangladesh. It organises community events nationwide by offering a platform to celebrate the voices of women and girls, whether living within or beyond the margins of society.
20 December 2023, 18:06 PM
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Representing Bengal’s Gaudiya Nritya on the world stage

Gaudiya Nritya is a Bengali classical dance originating in Gaur, Bengal, the ancient capital of the region. Gaudiya Nritya is a composite art form representing the pre-colonial division of larger Bengal with a unique combination of music, history, poetry, literature, drama and rhythm.
12 December 2023, 18:05 PM
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Prachyanat to conclude triumphant year with ‘Koinna’

The popular theatre troupe is going to conclude a glorious year with one of its initial plays, eminent thespian Azad Abul Kalam directorial “Koinna”, being staged at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Wednesday (December 13) at 7 PM .
11 December 2023, 08:13 AM
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Singing her way to national glory

Talented singer Atiya Anisha became a household name in the Bangladeshi film and music industry with her crowd-favorite playback singles like “Cholo Niralay” from the movie “Poran”, “Jadur Ayna” from the web-film “Antonagar”, and more. Recently, she received the Best Singer Award in the female category for the song “Ei Shohorer Pothe Pothe” from the movie “Payer Chhaap”, at the Bangladesh National Film Awards. The talented songstress dropped by The Daily Star for a chat.
1 December 2023, 18:05 PM
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Brushstrokes of solidarity: Fundraiser exhibition sheds light on war-torn Palestine

To a practised eye, the images, paintings, satirical cartoons and visuals of Palestine, a country with a very rich heritage, art and cultural background and which has been diminished to the verge of destruction, where humanity is barely surviving, did not seem any less or more than what it is: A targeted cultural persecution.
30 November 2023, 14:07 PM
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Theaterian’s Death of a Salesman: The tragedy of a common man is still relevant 

Theaterian’s first production and 14th show of the famous play brought about the torturous despair of existence and set the stage on fire with eclectic performances throughout its 2:30-hour run-time at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy’s National Theatre Hall on Tuesday.
23 November 2023, 04:00 AM
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Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage: Still a long way to go?

Recognising the cultural construct of the state, Lubna Marium emphasises that any threat to culture hampers societal progress, national unity, and diversity. To address this, she has spearheaded the establishment of a comprehensive Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory (ICH) through Shadhona.
21 November 2023, 17:35 PM
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Humayun Ahmed and his quiet, subtle humanist stances

There is a great debate on his inclination towards choosing safer routes as a laureate; critics always said he downplayed his capabilities and did not utilize his literary brilliance on social and political instances much; rather, he opted for popular and contemporary content, a discussion popular among critics and fans alike.
13 November 2023, 13:23 PM
Shah Rukh Khan, the man behind the silver screen

Shah Rukh Khan, the man behind the silver screen

Shah Rukh Khan, the megastar of Indian cinema, ascended to superstardom with his blockbuster hits over the span of his three-decade-long career. Yet the superstar's unequivocal popularity cannot be defined by his substantial net worth or the movies that made him what he is today.
2 November 2023, 13:55 PM
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12th Annual Ganga Jamuna Cultural Fest concludes on a grand note

In an interview with the Daily Star, eminent cultural icon and convener of the Festival Committee, Ghulam Kuddus, mentioned, "Despite severe weather conditions, traffic congestion, and other issues, we received a positive response from the audience. Although our audience numbers were lower this year, those who attended thoroughly enjoyed the performances."
17 October 2023, 18:02 PM
Ganga Jamuna theatre festival going strong

Ganga Jamuna theatre festival going strong

Ganga Jamuna Cultural and Theatre Festival tantalises the audience with a plethora of performances, dance recitals, and art. A massive crowd has greeted the festival every day up till now, and The twelve-day-long festival will still continue for six more days.
11 October 2023, 10:23 AM
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Ganga Jamuna cultural festival kicks off with splendour and zeal

One of the country's largest cultural initiatives, the Ganga-Jamuna Theatre and Cultural Festival, commenced with grandeur at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Friday.
7 October 2023, 05:59 AM
‘Mrittika Mohey’: The homebound call of a travelling artist

‘Mrittika Mohey’: The homebound call of a travelling artist

The title of the art exhibition, “Mrittika Mohey”, by Karu Titas, signifies a homebound call of one’s root and the mystifying allure of it. It suggests that the destination is merely an illusion of completion, while the true significance lies in the journey itself.
25 September 2023, 18:05 PM

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