K Tanzeel Zaman

During the early 90s, the term urban was limited to a small radius in the city of Dhaka. Fast forward 30 years, and the term “urban” has spread as far as the horizon of the ever-growing mega city. As the new era preceded its adverse effects with full force, the urbanites adapted accordingly. From carrying briefcases while donning baggy trousers to carrying a backpack with slim-fit jeans, a lot has changed if you look at the era with a microscope.

There comes a time, regardless of how rare it might be, when you genuinely feel happy to see others succeed. The existence of such happiness becomes much more apparent when it comes to underdogs achieving something despite everyone’s minuscule expectations for them. Such was the case for the Bangladesh Women's football team winning the SAFF Women Championship 2022 title.

Imagine a time when children with a life of hardships from the streets will stand their ground strong enough to represent Bangladesh on an international platform doing what they love. That time is here.  On Thursday 8 September, British Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Javed Patel hosted a send-off event for the girls’ football team, which will shortly represent Bangladesh in the Street Child Football World Cup in Qatar.

With the rest of the entertainment world riding the high wave of OTT platforms responsible for enticing and nail-biting series, Bangla entertainment has its own colours to show and already holds an exciting place in the future. Directors, being the painter of this new era and the frontrunners of storytelling, have gone beyond the point of making a name for themselves. In other words, the new rave generated by Chorki and Hoichoi has opened doors for creators like Sukorno Shahed Dhiman and Ashfaque Nipun to make binge-worthy content which leaves their viewers and fans craving for more.

There comes a time when you come across a story that is riveting enough to leave you pondering how brutal life can be. Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi is one such film that sends chills down the spine of viewers while staying true to its story and characters. Speaking of the characters, the protagonist of the story is played by Tama Mirza, a national award winner. Being a versatile artist from the get-go, Tama breaks down her process on how she knocked it out of the part through her character of Pakhi.

As connoisseurs of comedy would like to say, “the stand-up comedy scene in Bangladesh is still in its infancy.” But what does it actually mean? It might be because of the lack of freedom of speech, easily offended ego of the audience or the performers or maybe the lack of open-minded approach of the crowd in general. Despite such hurdles, Amin and Ashik, the stand-up comedy duo are working on the art of comedy and nourishing the playing field that is stricken with drought.

With promising startups, founded by some of the brightest minds of the generation, Bangladesh has been on a rocket ship to gain its own recognition on international startup platforms. With its state-of-the-art technology and foresight, the Bangladeshi edtech startup has found its place on the “Forbes Asia 100 to watch 2022” list.

Take your chances and experience the tomato-throwing festival hosted each year in Buñol, Spain called La Tomatina. It’s back on and ready to be enjoyed on 2022. Are you childless, unmarried and in your thirties? Do you make a decent wage? Is the only quantifiable responsibility you have are to listen to your grandma nag about you tying the knot? Do you need a break from all the guilt-tripping around you for wanting to have or living life in your own way? Have you seen Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara?

Karagar intrigued me further to explore the world of Bangla Entertainment having their, long-awaited shot on OTT platforms. With a little bit of digging, I came across a few more intriguing Bangla shows with an equal potential to intrigue. Here are my top picks.

Illustrator and author, Fahmida Azim, won the Pulitzer Prize for using graphic reportage and medium like comics to pen down a powerful and intimate story of Uyghurs and their struggles against China’s systematic oppression, bringing a complex issue accessible to a wider public. The Pulitzer Prize is considered to be the most prestigious awards in journalism and publishing. Mohammad Ponir Hossain won it for feature photography in 2018, as Reuters staff.

Five members of a family, including two children, were crushed to death by a girder of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), because the crane carrying the heavy load, toppled midway due to an ‘unexplained’ reason, which is still under the investigations.

Take the recent and absurd fuel price hike, for example. The country's people are focusing on and monitoring how we, the citizens of Dhaka, will handle this situation so they can follow suit. To them, we say, “Hold my Borhani.” The fuel price hike gave an extra flare to the attitude of operators of CNG-run auto-rickshaws, Uber cars, and Pathao bikes, thus rendering the daily commute undesirable. Yet, most fail to grasp the opportunities we are presented with, such as being innovative and healthy. Power walking or riding your bicycle for commute is your divine solution.

Wasfia Nazreen is mostly known for being the only Bangladeshi and the first Bengali to climb the Seven Summits or, the highest mountains of every continent.

Lungi is an everyday attire worn by millions of men for generations, one which originated from the Indian subcontinent. It is not only a sign of comfort but also donned by men as a fashion statement even to this day. Aside from providing comfort and protection, from the scorching summer, it has become a symbol of pride and identity for many.

Wasfia Nazreen’s name will live on among the few who reached the zenith of K2. She has and will pull generations of forward-thinkers to the future in the trajectory of above and beyond. In her social post, she expressed being remembered for how she lived. FREE.

With the new mindset of ‘work from here, there and everywhere,’ millennials are embarking on new and frequent journeys outside their town and even country, at a moment's notice. With just a laptop, tablet or even a smartphone one can continue to work and deliver without any loss in productivity. But not so fast! Before you skip town to live your fantasy of working remotely, you have to know what to pack for the extended workcation.

If you are an early 90s kid, you’ve probably been staring at the calendar, counting the last days of your twenties and the beginning of your thirties. Expecting the impending doom, many thoughts will and most likely have visited you at night while you stare at the ceiling fan contemplating life decisions.

Besides providing faster internet, boosting the economy, and bringing the country closer by providing a vital link in the national road network of Bangladesh, the Padma Bridge is a source of immense pride, as well as relief, for multitudes. Having said that, along with thousands of other people, my friends and I took it upon ourselves to visit the new historic benchmark created by the country. Starting our journey at six in the morning from Uttara, in a half-zombie state, I began recording our anticipation on my GoPro.

Shamim Ahmed Mridha is one such young and motivated individual whose network of environmentally aware people has won him The Diana Award. The award is presented by the Diana Award Org, which according to their website, honours a cohort of “20 outstanding young leaders, visionaries and role models from across the world who have demonstrated their ability to inspire and mobilise new generations to service their communities, as Princess Diana believed they could.”

It's a struggle to find and get the “right” stationery that fit your personality. Khata Khori is one such platform that has satisfied many individuals with a bit more refined and artistic taste. Within just seven months of Khata Khori’s engine running, the engineers received positive reviews from the consumers.