In November 1968, the struggle against the dictatorial regime of Mohammad Ayub Khan began in the towns and cities of West Pakistan.

The Tazreen factory fire in 2012 and the Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013 have, amidst all the needless destruction and devastations of lives, at least brought Bangladesh’s apparel industry under some kind of scrutiny.

I was born in Nabinagar thana, Brahmanbaria district (the then Comilla district). My ancestors were not involved in any kind of job or business. At one point, our insolvency reached a point where it was no longer possible for me to continue my education, so I moved to Dhaka to earn a living.

There are few things more difficult in life than a full awareness of the conditions of one’s possibility. To come to terms with how little of my world is my own creation, and just how much of it is the accumulated labour of dead generations and living masses far removed from my consciousness, is to grapple with a sense of smallness and insignificance.

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Tajul Islam, former leader of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, joined the Adamjee Jute Mills as a general employee after completing his graduation from the Economics department at Dhaka University.

“Don’t let strangers touch you.” And yet it is seldom strangers, I learned long before I was a teenager, who do you harm.

Often during holidays, I am torn between my desire to travel far and wide and go back to the comforts of my home and family in Bangladesh.

Many may know Shibu Kumer Shill as the lead singer of Meghdol, a popular soft rock band; some may know of him as a book cover artist who skillfully merges the contemporary with the traditional.

This is the digital era and we all have personal information online. But is this safe?

Helal left his motherland to change his ill fate but ended up suffering cruel realities on his journey.

Last week’s Shutterstories “Shumi” has stuck with me. What a miserable life she has! 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she goes on working with no holidays or free time of her own.

I wanted to reach out in response to your well written essay illustrating the influence of Persian on the Bengali language.

On a recent visit to the camps, a young Rohingya boy, who proudly wore a bright blue UNICEF backpack, took us to his school.

What does it mean for the people when a country is put in fear and terror, a country that already has a whole history of violent experiences behind it?

The honour bestowed on us by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in late 2018, when we jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize, comes with tremendous responsibility.

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.”

If you are familiar with Game of Thrones fan theories, you might have heard one that suspects Jaime Lannister is Azor Ahai, a King Arthur-like figure who will rise up to save humanity.

When the Accord and Alliance signed on different brands from all over the world after the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, they pledged that the factories that these brands will do business with will ensure safe working conditions for the workers.

Rana Plaza Survivors - 6 years on