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.
25 January 2026, 12:24 PM 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

RRReading

Even if you are not a film enthusiast, chances are high that you have watched the 2022 Telegu blockbuster RRR. At the very least, you should have heard about it.
20 September 2023, 18:00 PM

A modern love story in translation

I became an ardent admirer of Amrita Pritam, the maverick Punjabi author, an outspoken critic of the Indian patriarchy and discriminating social practices, three decades back in New York when I was putting together an anthology of world feminist poems in Bangla translation.
20 September 2023, 18:00 PM

The alter ego of Agatha Christie

Absorbing these books is like viewing the world through the writer’s eyes—the pain she felt, the love she did not receive and the manner she perceived the people around her.
20 September 2023, 15:55 PM

The records of resilience

Much of the reminiscences in The Murti Boys encompass the grittiness of staving off the Pakistanis with little weaponry and a great deal of quick thinking. 
19 September 2023, 15:00 PM

The fearless, experimental poetry of Binoy Majumdar

As time passed by and as the poet made an introspection in seclusion, he dug up such verses which to the reader might feel like a revelation of truth.
18 September 2023, 15:00 PM

Eminent author, journalist Gita Mehta passes away

Mehta also directed the documentary film Dateline Bangladesh based on her time stationed in Bangladesh during the war.
17 September 2023, 12:32 PM

"Abul Mansur Ahmad had been constantly fighting for change in the society”

Describing Abul Mansur Ahmed as a multi-faceted personality, the speakers said that from a sense of responsibility to the society, he has constantly fought for the rights of citizens, freedom of speech and change in the society.
17 September 2023, 12:00 PM

Rethinking Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the humanist

Despite his caste-consciousness and critical depiction of the social prejudices of colonial Bengal, he never directly opposed them; in his real life, he was an upholder of traditional Hindu patriarchy and Brahmin-dominated caste society.
15 September 2023, 14:00 PM

A paean to storytelling

Following the trails of Imaginary Homelands (Penguin Books, 1992) and Step Across The Line (Modern Library, 2003), comprising essays written and lectures given by Salman Rushdie between 2003-2020, Languages of Truth is Rushdie’s third collection of nonfiction works and is as a delectable read as its predecessors if not more.
13 September 2023, 18:00 PM

When all else fails, satirise

This week, the Daily Star Books compiles a list of satirical fiction for our readers to feast on. In sociopolitical climates rife with crackdowns and censorship, satire takes on the burden of giving a voice to matters that cannot be spoken about otherwise.
13 September 2023, 18:00 PM

The occult thrills of ‘The Centre’

Rarely does a book arrive, a debut no less, that feels as inventive and accomplished as Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi’s The Centre. Her novel is built on the crossroads of interpretation and ownership, of the power of language and of those privileged enough to reclaim it.
13 September 2023, 18:00 PM

When literature meets food

The author paints an engrossing picture of her experiences and memories, both influenced by food, which is true for most of the people in this world, and particularly for South Asians.
13 September 2023, 15:25 PM

‘The Dark Elf Trilogy’: The synergy between the novels and graphic novels

By visually capturing the characters, landscapes, and action scenes, the graphic novels enhance the reading experience and offer a fresh perspective on the beloved story.
13 September 2023, 13:55 PM

5 books for readers with an appetite

The Hundred Foot Journey is the story of an immigrant Indian family who sets up a restaurant right in front of a famous French relais and the feud it ensues.
11 September 2023, 22:25 PM

The beauty of translation and Tagore’s lyricism

"This book is a way for me to express my own emotions associated with Tagore’s lyrics”, Fakrul Alam shared his thoughts at the launch of 'Gitabitan'.
11 September 2023, 22:00 PM

Feeding desperation

Dickens, a literary luminary of his era, exposes the vicious cycle where hunger and desperation divide society, laying bare the inequities perpetuated by an exploitative system.
11 September 2023, 15:55 PM

Into the unknown: Fairytale retellings in ‘The Myth Bridge’

The creators discussed the thought process that led to the creation of the characters' journey, the challenges they encountered during the writing and editing process, and the inspiration behind the narrative choices.
11 September 2023, 13:55 PM

Navigating the maze of nutrition myths

Unlike online influencers and their various outright claims of right and wrong, Dr Wolrich’s approach is grey.
8 September 2023, 13:55 PM

Of lost recipes and forgotten flavours

I have always had a rather avoidant recoil to the aftermath of death.
6 September 2023, 18:00 PM

Dining at Oxbridge: “Formal”, please

I was a little anxious. It was only the second day of my life at the University of Cambridge, and I was already bombarded with instructions on how to dine.
6 September 2023, 18:00 PM