Beyond stereotypes: Rupert Grey’s ‘Homage to Bangladesh’

Rupert Grey, a descendant of Charles Grey and best known professionally as a leading libel and copyright lawyer stood against this statement. “If Bangladesh is a basket case,” Grey tells The Daily Star, “then it is so in the best possible way.” For him, the term collapses under the sheer vitality of the country. A single square metre of a Bangladeshi street, he argues, holds more energy than entire neighbourhoods in London. Where life in England often unfolds in rigid routines, Bangladesh thrives in spontaneity—where a hanging lighter at a tea stall can become a moment of shared choreography.
5 hour(s) ago Books & Literature
FLASH FICTION / The rickshaw artist
24 January 2026, 01:52 AM Books & Literature
FLASH FICTION / Pirouette of a phoenix
24 January 2026, 01:48 AM Books & Literature
POETRY / Memories
24 January 2026, 01:36 AM Books & Literature

EDITORIAL / Why read?
22 January 2026, 00:00 AM Books & Literature
THE SHELF / 7 new books to look out for in 2026
22 January 2026, 00:00 AM Books & Literature

INTERVIEW / Reclaiming the unwritten: Kanika Gupta on colonialism, embodiment, and the art of remembering

Gupta shares her insights on reclaiming forgotten histories, reimagining myths, and connecting ancient narratives to contemporary ecological and social concerns.
22 November 2025, 11:51 AM Books & Literature
EVENT REPORT / An eco-critical look at Sultan: Reading the manuscript of ‘Sultan Er Krishi Jiggasha’
With the aid of Duniyadari Archive, Pavel Partha’s soon-to-be-published book Sultan Er Krishi Jiggasha is a new addition, which looks at Sultan’s work from an eco-critical perspective.
8 November 2025, 11:43 AM Books & Literature
NEWS REPORT / “Curious love letter”: Wole Soyinka responds after US cancels visa
He responded to the situation with grace, mentioning “I like people who have a sense of humour".
30 October 2025, 10:45 AM Books & Literature

10 books to foster gratitude and pride during Ramadan

As the holy month of Ramadan continues, may these books serve as guiding lights, illuminating the path towards greater understanding, compassion, and happiness
22 March 2024, 08:20 AM

A list of life lessons

Set in 1979, this is a story of monsters—the ones who prey on the vulnerable, the ones that exploit our weaknesses, and the ones that we elevate to positions of power.
20 March 2024, 18:00 PM

The first American months

The sun was up. The sky was a perfect cerulean blue, the neighbourhood blissfully quiet. Through my window, I relished the sunny first day of 2020, with a cup of tea in my hand.
20 March 2024, 18:00 PM

A flowing conversation at Dhaka Flow Festival 2024

On the midday of a warm spring, Dhaka Flow Fest 2024 organised a delightful reading session at Baridhara Lakeside Rajuk Park with authors Farah Ghuznavi, Neeman Sobhan, Salahdin Imam, and Nahiyan Ameen
18 March 2024, 16:00 PM

‘Father of the Nation Bangabandhu’ marries the art of Japanese storytelling with the rich tapestry of Bangladesh’s history

A review of 'Father of the Nation Bangabandhu' (NRB Scholars, 2024) by ME Chowdhury Shameem and Iwamoto Keita
17 March 2024, 16:00 PM

There’s no way you’ll outrun a bear

Smoother violence fills our hearts like charming splinters. The irony is I am the first of my women
15 March 2024, 18:00 PM

Designing our past and for our future

The author, architect Tanwir Nawaz, besides expressing his thoughts, ideas, and artistic struggles within a body of professional works, has poured his emotions and nostalgic memories into Exploring the World of Architecture and Design.
13 March 2024, 18:00 PM

The ‘new oil’ transforming the world

Chip War, a highly praised book written by Chris Miller who teaches International history at Tuft University’s Fletcher School, USA, is a New York Times bestseller.
13 March 2024, 18:00 PM

A country coming to life

Weaving the grand themes of politics and history, the book is a revelation into how the ordinary lives within a country are buffeted by constant changes.
13 March 2024, 13:45 PM

‘Untranquil Recollections’: Revisiting the past with Professor Rehman Sobhan

On March 9, 2024, University Press Limited (UPL) hosted a discussion with Professor Rehman Sobhan, moderated by Dr Akhter Mahmood, on the two volumes of 'Untranquil Recollections'
12 March 2024, 15:00 PM

Stories of survivorship, courage, and hope for a country that cares

A closer look into these stories reveal reasons why cancer continues to be dreaded—it is not just fear of the malady itself, but also the challenges of undergoing treatment through an overburdened healthcare system and its exorbitant costs.
12 March 2024, 11:20 AM

‘Living Letters’ with Iffat Nawaz: A shared journey towards resolution and emotional clarity

On March 5, 2024, the writer held the inaugural session of her writing workshop series, “Living Letters”, at The Daily Star Centre in collaboration with Goethe Institut Bangladesh, Sister Library, and Star Books and Literature
10 March 2024, 12:11 PM

In another life, I’d still live as her

I've lived as her; / I've known my mother’s plight.
8 March 2024, 04:21 AM

Manga on Bangabandhu wins bronze medal at 17th Japan International Manga Award

On 5 March 2024, at the 17th Japan International Manga Awards, a manga portraying the life and struggle of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman received a bronze medaeruml, making it the first Bangladeshi manga to be featured in and to have won such a prestigious award
7 March 2024, 16:38 PM

Bangladesh beyond geopolitics in a new multipolar world: what’s new in foreign policy trajectory?

Both the China and India factors in Bangladesh’s foreign policy decisions, as identified in Li Jianjun and Deb Mukharji’s chapters, will be continuously evolving and contributing factors that would perhaps influence Bangladesh’s policies with other countries as well.
7 March 2024, 13:45 PM

7 fiction books featuring women in STEM

With International Women’s Day coming up tomorrow, 8 March, it becomes increasingly important for us to not only identify and acknowledge, but also actively work towards alleviating the stark gender gap in STEM fields
6 March 2024, 18:00 PM

TRIGGER WARNING: Agency, autonomy, and female smoking

A month ago, as I waited for a friend in Banani, I decided to grab a packet of cigarettes. I’m not good at calculations for loose change and the vendor, old and seemingly disoriented, was having a hard time too.
6 March 2024, 18:00 PM

Unveiling the mind’s maze: Fosse’s ‘Aliss at the Fire’

A review of Jon Fosse's ‘Aliss at the Fire’ (Dalkey Archive Press, 2010)
4 March 2024, 13:45 PM

D's Bistro unveils 'Golper Provat' in celebration of international mother language day

The stage was then graced by accomplished writers, each sharing unique insights. Mahbubur Rahman highlighted the importance of entertaining communication for writers.
3 March 2024, 13:45 PM

A tale of existential crisis in the modern world

The plot sheds light on a privileged modern experience where time stands still, stopping the clock as the days and nights roll and go.
29 February 2024, 15:45 PM