Maisha Islam Monamee

Jhilimili, a social organisation formed by students from Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka (DU), aims to support underprivileged children. This Ramadan, they have collaborated with Madchef, a fast food restaurant, and Give Bangladesh, an initiative under Social Work Platform Trust, to arrange iftar packets for those in need.

Lahore Digital Arts Festival (LDF) celebrates Pakistan’s digital culture by gathering a community of artists and audiences to explore the convergence of art and technology. LDF intends to initiate conversations revolving around the accessibility of art and other mediums of creative exchange. The festival, organised last month, brought together people from different backgrounds with a hope to enhance digital creativity and diversify art in Pakistan and South-Asia.

Rabindra Bhavan, part of the Visva-Bharati university campus in Shantiniketan, has thousands of manuscripts and letters, as the secretary kept copies of the letters Tagore wrote to his fans and admirers. “Tagore also preserved the letters he received, and I came across one such letter two decades ago,” shared Bhuiya Iqbal, a retired Bangla professor of Chittagong University.

In many of his stories, Rabindranath Tagore brought strong and progressive women to the forefront, who defied conventional expectations, and questioned perceptions that challenged their freedom. On Tagore’s 160th birth anniversary, we look back at some of the most memorable female characters from his stories.

Delivery agents stand among the frontline workers keeping the country safe and running amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Beating the heat and other tough conditions every day, they do their work diligently, posing risks to their safety.

Away from the festivities and communal interactions that make Ramadan special, this year, books seem like a fitting avenue through which we can explore the lives of Muslims across the world. From biographies to novels, for children and for adults, these authors have penned stories that are both wholesome and enlightening.

Today marks the birth centenary of renowned filmmaker and author Satyajit Ray. Among all his popular characters, Feluda holds a special place in the hearts of many young readers.

Starring Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Rajkumar Rao, this Netflix movie traces the life of a driver who starts his own taxi service by outwitting his employers.

To further uphold the legacy of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Brac joined social entrepreneurs’ global platform Ashoka, and launched this initiative named after the Brac founder to promote young changemakers.

Konok Karmakar holds the highest Guinness World Records from Bangladesh. A freestyle footballer, Karmakar graduated from Feni Polytechnic Institute.

During the recent weeks of lockdown, these five books—ranging from historical fiction to memoirs to fantasy to romance—allowed me to disappear into stories, to live many lives, and they reminded me how vast the world was and will soon again be.

During these months of isolation, many of us have adapted to an indoor routine and found quality reading time where we can get it. However, sometimes, we just cannot get ourselves to start a new book. On World Book and Copyright Day, we take a look at five ways to beat a reading slump.

Ahmed Imtiaz Jami has been named in the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list 2021, under the category of Social Impact. Jami, a graduate of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, established OBHIZATRIK Foundation in 2010, to work with underprivileged children. So far, his foundation, with the help of 3,500 volunteers, has supported 1 million people on poverty elimination, education, health and nutrition, and human rights issues. Star Youth, The Daily Star, caught up with him to learn about his aspirations, and more.

The movement restrictions induced by the surge in Covid-19 cases have rendered several families helpless. People living below the poverty line have been hit the hardest. In such tough times, Nafisa Anjum Khan, a graduate of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, announced that she would go around different streets in her father’s CNG-run auto rickshaw, providing free food packets to impoverished individuals and families.

Dr Fazlur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect, who initiated important structural systems for skyscrapers.

Due to the ongoing second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are expecting to spend Ramadan indoors, away from the usual festivities and gatherings. Here are five things you can do at home, to make the most out of this holy month.

Project Maa is a social initiative to help breast cancer patients through fundraising. It was started by Mir Hosnay Tasnim, a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, on International Women’s Day this year. It features five paintings, dedicated to breast cancer patients. Tasnim plans to sell 50 copies of the five paintings, and donate 20 percent of the proceeds to Shanti Foundation for the treatment of breast cancer patients. The idea behind Project Maa came from her personal experiences.

The Ekushey Boi Mela provides ample opportunities for young authors to showcase their talents. Star Youth, The Daily Star, caught up with seven such authors to find out about their aspirations, and more.

Munzereen Shahid is an emerging online content creator and educator, from Bangladesh. Through her conversation skills and unconventional methods of imparting knowledge, she has impacted the lives of many. She recently received the Silver Play Button from YouTube, after crossing 100,000 subscribers on the platform. Her YouTube channel currently has over 170,000 subscribers.

Tabassum Ahmed initiated #dhakainred, a photo series on Instagram, to showcase the beauty of Dhaka. We spoke to participants of the series on the Independence Day of Bangladesh.