Two weeks after the World Cup final, I was still refreshing old match clips at 2 AM waiting for the withdrawal to lift. It did not. Then an Instagram reel interrupted my scroll: fighters trading punches inside a cage, a caption promising KHAR X at FDC on 31 July. I tapped through without knowing what KHAR meant.

Dhaka means different things to different people. Some people loathe it for nuisances while others love it for some unexplained reason.

I often catch myself, almost involuntarily, looking towards the spot where Shishu Park once stood whenever I pass through Shahbagh.

“Track your parcel” is the new‑age “You’ve got mail.” The beep of delivery updates has replaced the once‑iconic inbox ping of the early internet era.

Reading Architectural Guide Dhaka, authored by Architect and Assistant Professor Sayed Ahmed, I found myself thinking less about buildings as static structures and more as fragile records, stories that can disappear if no one chooses to document them.

Travelling back to the British colonial era, Topkhana, Paltan, and the overall area was the cantonment of the East India Company. In fact, these were collectively called Guard Bazar.

Dhaka never ceases to amaze me with its spectrum of social life.

Some hidden sanctuaries in Dhaka never leave you the same. They make you feel as though you belong, where even strangers feel like home -- all connected through the shared wavelength of music.

Fridays in Old Dhaka begin with a distinctive rhythm, building toward Juma prayer. During Juma, the atmosphere becomes layered: sacred inside, restless outside.

The rains return, and with them, a celebration of rhythm and resilience. Arthy Ahmed Dance Academy, in collaboration with the Faculty of Fine Arts (Charukola Onushod), University of Dhaka, will stage “Ghonoghota 2” -- a monsoon dance recital following the resounding success of last year’s inaugural production.

Galleri Kaya in Uttara hosted a hands-on painting workshop for 15 JAAGO Foundation students on 9 July, held as part of an ongoing exhibition at the gallery.

Cloudbursts sound poetic; the monsoon is dreamy. Getting drenched in the rain, pouring steaming dudh cha into a saucer by the roadside and blowing across its surface, watching the city turn emerald under the downpour -- these are the images that make the monsoon feel romantic.

Chandra Bhattacharjee’s journey is one of hardship, and his philosophy is grounded in lived experience. One of India’s most talented contemporary artists, he carries a suave personality shaped by struggle and survival, with scars surfacing in muted tones.

I love exotic spices and use them in my culinary experiments. Sometimes the result is brilliant, while other times it’s a disaster. Still, I continue my witch’s brew with whatever herbs or spices I can get my hands on.

My earliest memories of Mohammadpur begin at Tajmahal Road, from a time when I was barely four, old enough to witness a world that felt steady and whole.

“He was jumping around the street, glowing -- he’d just personalised his own Messi jersey. I couldn’t resist asking for a picture.

The 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, marks Ashura -- a day layered with sacred memory, grief, and devotion.

It was one of those easy evenings: my friend and I sprawled on the bed, gossiping in that unhurried way only comfort allows.

Currently in Dhaka’s shopping scene, the trending word is pre‑loved -- a positive, stylish term for second‑hand, used, or vintage clothing. You could call it the polished cousin of the hand‑me‑downs we grew up with.

The Buriganga holds unimaginable history, many stories, and so much more. It was never calm from the very beginning.