What is the best thing about Sharat, you ask? For me, it is the change in the city’s breeze, in the soft, golden rays of the sun, and yes, the clear azure sky, with floating white fluffy clouds.

For the gardeners of urban Dhaka, it’s time to prepare for winter flowers. One might say it’s too early, but October is when you need to prune your roses and feed them with compost, besides preparing beds and soil for other winter blooms.

Dhaka is moody; and politically charged with high-strung residents, colours of the city change every day, some good things happen and some not so good. But it is always exciting.

If you are a resident of Dhaka, it is unlikely that you haven’t heard of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. But did you know the area surrounding the Sangsad Bhaban is a thriving recreational hub for all walks of life?

Do you remember those school days when you had to memorise an essay about a journey by bus? Sure, you must have had experiences of bus travels, but none compares to the commutes by bus within the capital city.

This artwork, from the year 1823, gives a rare glimpse of Boro Katra.

Last Friday, I was strolling through Mohini Mohan Das Lane in the nostalgic neighbourhood of Farashganj in Old Dhaka. I love the old architecture of the area, and often go on such random excursions whenever I need to unwind.

The world of collectables is vast and varied. For many, collecting stamps, coins, banknotes, matchboxes, historical memorabilia, etc. is an ongoing dialogue with the past. To cater to the needs of the collector’s community in the country, the Philatelic Society of Bangladesh (PSB) organises Shokher Bazar, a fair that features booths from specialised dealers and traders dealing in collectables.

One such painting was created in the year 1861, by Frederick William Alexander de Fabeck, a doctor who served as an assistant surgeon in Bengal during the British colonial era. Today (15 September) is his birthday! 

A portion of Old Dhaka’s iconic Mughal monument Boro Katra has recently been demolished. In response, Urban Study Group, an organisation that campaigns for the protection of the architectural heritage of Dhaka, hosted a press conference last Wednesday, where its CEO, Taimur Islam, elaborated on the damages done and called for the protection of this age-old site.

After all, we are talking about a graveyard that is very old. According to Perween Hasan's chapter in the book "Dhaka Past, Present, Future," the oldest grave in the compound dates back to 1774!

The building has ceased to exist, but the graves are still there, along with a few graves of their family and acquaintances.

Recently, taking a complete U-turn from the usual vegetable bazaars, I decided to check out the indigenous vegetable shops in town. I love to shop for leafy greens and fresh vegetables, and I can never resist the tag of an organic farmer’s market and jhum cultivation produce from the hills.

When we refer to the very familiar Shahidullah Hall, our minds do not often register the legendary maestro of a man after whom this student residence is named, let alone the fact that it was once referred to as Dacca Hall. 

Dhaka is basically divided into a few “general areas”. These areas refer to a larger neighbourhood that are recognised by the same name. For example – the Mirpur area might refer to the whole of Mirpur-1 through 12. Like every other neighbourhood in the city, there are a few perks of living in Mirpur.

Our Dhanmondi office was a typical posh eighties two-storied house, with a manicured lawn and an annex building for the kitchen and other service quarters.

Moving to a new city can be intimidating, and when it’s Dhaka, there are bound to be some stories.

The ongoing floods in Bangladesh have left many rural communities devastated. Children and women are among the most vulnerable in this crisis. Every time a natural calamity strikes, we triumph through our resilient life forces. People from all walks of life rise to the occasion and stand beside our fellow people who are in distress. All our small efforts from general individuals and charity organisations add up to building a substantial relief operation that complements efforts by the government.

It is inspiring to see the role of rickshaw-pullers in and around the student protests in Bangladesh.

Dhaka residents have a bitter relationship with traffic jam where one can’t go one day without falling into one. The congestion on the roads is usually much worse during peak office hours. In the midst of this perpetual torment, there was a small respite in the form of metro rail.