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

Ekushey Boi Mela decor: A blend of old with the new

Be it the use of vibrant shades, taking inspiration from rickshaw art, or relying on the simplicity of monotone, the stalls this year feature a variety of artistic styles and innovative concepts.
22 February 2023, 13:00 PM

5 books to read this year in observance of Ekushey February

The landmark event not only united the nation to speak up against oppression but paved a new direction for what ultimately led to our independence.
21 February 2023, 13:00 PM

Sister Library discusses book on travelling as a woman

Still today, we are plagued by the most intrusive, and least sensical question asked of female solo travellers is “Are you travelling alone?”
20 February 2023, 13:36 PM

Finding comfort in mythological retellings

Children of the Indian subcontinent grew up listening to the fascinating stories of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Both of these epics are set at a time when the lives of gods and men still intersected and weaved narratives full of great complexity.
19 February 2023, 13:03 PM

A novel of war and love

50 years pass but Tanes still carries Zohra's photograph and letter in his chest pocket. 
19 February 2023, 08:50 AM

Hogwarts Legacy: The game does what the book couldn't

Do you want to be a goody two-shoes who does everything by the book, or a future dark wizard in the making? The choice is up to you.
18 February 2023, 11:53 AM

Five decades of Boi Mela: What has changed?

There have been many prominent changes, but it does not come without growing concerns over the quality of books presented at the Boi Mela.
17 February 2023, 13:00 PM

New books to buy at Boi Mela this week

Essays, historical fiction, science fiction, and travelogues.
17 February 2023, 07:53 AM

Romance novels for those who aren’t in love

These books have made me fall for the idea of love, and believe in it.
16 February 2023, 12:55 PM

1901 feels a lot like 2020 in Orhan Pamuk’s latest novel

How Mingherians responded to the infectious plague in 1901 isn’t altogether different from our response to the Covid-19. They too hid their patients in fear of stigma and isolation.
15 February 2023, 18:00 PM

Feeling and doing for homeless children

Rubaiya Murshed’s Nobody's Children is a genre of its kind—it employs both stark facts and literary elements at the same time. The book is focused on the issue of children who are living on the streets without proper care or support from their families. 
15 February 2023, 18:00 PM

Can Bangladeshi manga make it to Japan? We asked ‘Source?’

“Within just two weeks of the launch, we sold almost 500 copies."
15 February 2023, 12:29 PM

A Love Affair with Books

This Valentine's Day, we're swooning over books - the joy and the power they bring to a whole spectrum of readers, from teachers to editors, writers and book bloggers. 
15 February 2023, 05:07 AM

Imdadul Haq Milan: A life in words and images

The memoir is no less than a novel—replete with sorrows, disappointments, love and joy. How many people the author has received neglect from in his life?
14 February 2023, 18:00 PM

Boi Mela books for your Valentine

With Valentine’s day falling at the same time as Boi Mela, what could be a better gift than books?
14 February 2023, 05:02 AM

When fiction challenges communalism

A journey that shreds castes and creeds to heal the self-esteem of a woman.
13 February 2023, 13:49 PM

How is this year's Boi Mela coping with crisis?

How are publications, writers and readers coping with rising costs?
13 February 2023, 04:56 AM

How Darwin’s 'On the Origin of Species' impacted me

In memory of Charles Darwin, born on this day in 1809.
12 February 2023, 15:00 PM

Dalit poet Sukirtharani rejects award from Adani

Sukirtharani, a poet from Tamil Nadu whose works of literature explore the lives of Dalit women in India, has refused to accept the Devi Award in a recent award ceremony.
12 February 2023, 12:18 PM

Revisiting Syed Mujtaba Ali’s 'Shabnam'

A face may launch a thousand ships but the very woman with the face has a passive presence in literature.
12 February 2023, 09:00 AM