Maisha Islam Monamee

Foundation 21 was initiated by a group of friends in March 2018. It aims to combat period poverty, and create awareness about menstrual hygiene. Abreshmi Anika Chowdhury, Arish Islam, Mashrukur Rahman Khan and Sayem Ibn Alam, founded the organisation.

The past one year has inclined our lives towards a virtual medium as we work from home and attend classes online. Subsequently, binge-watching shows and films has become the premier mode of relaxing for many. For readers who cannot take out the time to sit with a book, their adaptations—particularly of young adult stories—can be a welcome solution.    

This year, 304 students from 76 countries participated in the Olympiad. Team Bangladesh won two bronze medals and two merit awards. The medalists are Tasnim Binte Zulfiqar from SFX Greenherald International School and Raad Sharar from Rajshahi College. Abrar Jahin Tushar from Notre Dame College and Rayan Rahman from SFX Greenherald International School bagged the merit awards.

This year, 400 students from 76 countries participated in the Olympiad. Team Bangladesh bagged one silver, three bronze medals and an honourable mention. The silver medalist, Rashed Islam is a student of Notre Dame College. The bronze medalists are Imtiaz Tanweer Rahim and Absur Khan Siam from Notre Dame College and Md Fahim Abrar from Rajshahi New Government Degree College. Lastly, Golam Ishtiak from Kushtia Government College won the honourable mention. It is also to be noted that this has been the country’s best performance at IPhO so far, with Rashed scoring way above the required threshold to secure the silver medal.

This year, students from 107 countries participated in the Olympiad. Team Bangladesh won three bronze medals and two honourable mentions. The bronze medalists are Tahmid Hameem Chowdhury and Adnan Sadik from Notre Dame College and Md Maruf Hasan Rubab from Ananda Mohan College. Nujhat Ahmed Disha from Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, and Tahjib Hossain Khan from Ananda Mohan College bagged the honourable mentions. The results were published on IMO’s official website, and was followed by a virtual closing ceremony.

Karina’s experiences are conveyed with compassion, emphasising the real issues of gender inequality in South Asian communities. The fact that parents continue to force their dreams on children instead of letting them pursue their own speaks volumes about the family dynamics existing in our households. Karina is seen to experiment with various ways of coping with anxiety instead of seeking professional help. Her experiences represent the glaring lack of mental health care in our community, even beyond national borders. That being said, the techniques Karina employs could be a helpful resource for readers suffering from similar issues. 

EMK Center’s virtual duet exhibition, “Mirror of Society” features works of young artists Shaily Shrabonti and Sheikh Farhana Parvin Tumpa. The 60 artworks on display at the exhibition highlight different aspects of society.

Mahin Rahman Saquif is a third-year BBA student at North South University. He started his cattle business, Hasina Agro, last year. As a child, Mahin was always fascinated by animals.

Elinore Rema, a second-generation Bangladeshi immigrant, is on her way to becoming the first lawyer in Australia from Bangladesh’s Garo community. Elinore has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from University of New South Wales. She developed a passion for law during the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, as she wanted to make a difference and help refugees from war torn countries find asylum in Australia. Subsequently, she got a diploma in Migration Law at Australian National University, before completing a Juris Doctor (a postgraduate degree) at University of New South Wales.

The two years of college play an instrumental role in shaping the lives of young students. But the pandemic has led to impediments, with many beginning their college life at home, online.

July 1, 2021, marked 100 years of the establishment of Dhaka University (DU). The institution initiated its journey with only 60 teachers and 877 students.

One of the most influential books of the 20th century, written by a teenage girl, “The Diary of a Young Girl”, first reached bookstores on this day in 1947. The book is more commonly known as “The Diary of Anne Frank”, providing readers with a unique view of life as a Jew hiding in Nazi-occupied Netherlands. Till date, it has been translated into 70 languages with over 30 million copies sold worldwide.

Founded in 2018, Nerdiz is Bangladesh’s first virtual reality (VR) educational platform. Pradeepta Kumar Saha, the co-founder Nerdiz, conceived the idea in 2016, after he realised that he was a visual learner. “Many students have problems with conventional learning methods and visuals make things easier for them. So, I decided to introduce VR in our education system,” he shared.

Father’s Day celebrations are closely intertwined with the efforts of two women in the United States. The day was first observed to pay homage to hundreds of men who died in a mining accident on July 5, 1908, in West Virginia. Grace Golden Clayton, the daughter of a minister, proposed the idea of a one-time memorial service to honour fathers who lost their lives in the accident.

“The Daily Star Campus Stars” is a show that highlights promising individuals who have excelled in their academics and extracurricular activities, alongside securing success in their professional paths. The third episode of the show took place on June 8, 2021, featuring panelists from Daffodil International University (DIU).

In their latest offering, Sensing Bangladesh – A Children’s Guidebook to Art from Bangladesh, UK-based book publisher Bok Bok Books attempts to represent the cultural, linguistic, and literary heritage of Bangladesh through children’s books.

After completing his graduation in Computer Science and Engineering from BRAC University, Rahatul Amin Anonto pursued his master’s at the University of Manitoba, Canada at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCI-Lab). He is currently working with the Human-Robotics Interaction group at the HCI-lab.

Blogging has emerged to be a popular pandemic hobby for many. To reach out to a specific audience, it is important to ensure that your blog is cross-promoted online. This allows you to create your own niche and engage with a greater number of people. Here are a few ways through which beginners can promote their blogs on social media.

Forbes 30 under 30 honouree Shomy Hasan Chowdhury will be the first Bangladeshi citizen to sit in the judging panel for the 2021 Diana Legacy Award. The committee, presided by Lord Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, includes Alex Cruz, Former Chairman and CEO of British Airways, Sean Doyle, Chief Executive and Chairman of British Airways, and Joe Garner, Chief Executive of Nationwide Building Society.

Mohammad Saiful Islam, Sanchita Barman Mim, and Rafi Nur Hamid cycled across various districts of Bangladesh to educate people about environmental responsibility. Through this initiative, the three friends learned about different cultures, and raised awareness about plastic pollution.