In the heart of Old Dhaka, there lies a neighbourhood with a captivating history, centuries-old buildings and a thriving spice market. Farashganj is located on the northern bank of the Buriganga river. Established in 1780, its principal thoroughfares are BK Das Road and Ahsanullah Road. In today’s issue of the Weekend Read, we will explore the history, mystery, and spice of Farashganj.

Due to lack of maintenance, the once-vibrant mill compounds now appear to be haunted places with weeds and vines growing all over

Palichara, a remote village in Rangpur district, is not an unknown name in the local football fraternity ever since it emerged as a breeding ground of female footballers in the country.

Once upon a time, egg collectors used conventional earthen wells to hatch spawns after collecting eggs released by broodfish in the Halda.

It rained in Hathazari, and there was turbulence in the Halda. When the clock struck midnight, quite a few boats gently glided down the river.

The ever-memorable song starts playing while children, sitting on the metallic horsebacks, delightfully start going round and round -- this is a memory many Dhaka residents can still relate to.

In a shabby, derelict building located at Gulistan’s Bangabandhu Avenue, lies Bangladesh’s only state-run organisation that looks after non-government libraries and takes initiatives to popularise reading books.

There was a time not so long ago when Bangladesh Film Development Corporation was abuzz with various activities -- from shooting films to dubbing and editing.

After joining Abahani from BJMC in 1984, I had to endure abusive words from the fans for some off-target shots during a practice session ahead of the match against Mohammedan.

Almost every major football crazy city in the world has a historic club rivalry that it can brag about. Kolkata, London, Manchester, Milan, Madrid – you name it and there’s at least one colourful and storied rivalry to whet the appetite of football fans.

Kamal Hossen is a recently retired professor at the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science of Chattogram University. In a conversation with The Daily Star, he emphasised the importance of the conservation of mangrove forests.

Coastal residents at great risk of cyclones as mangrove forests cut down, leased and grabbed for ‘development’

Fire safety in Dhaka’s market buildings is in a very precarious condition, which has increased vulnerabilities for people and properties associated with these markets. The recent fire incidents in Bangabazar and Dhaka New Super Market are testimonies of these harsh realities prevailing in the capital, said Dr Adil Mohammed Khan, executive director of Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), during an interview with The Daily Star yesterday.

When one enters the building of Sharif Market on Chittaranjan Avenue in Sadarghat, there is a feeling of suffocation, despite the empty spaces between the eight-storey building. The building has been identified as risky in terms of fire safety. However, it only has nine fire extinguishers.

“Hey, what's the most beautiful place you've ever been to?”

“This is Mohammadpur, get off,” a child yelled out to the passengers of a leguna, otherwise known as human hauliers, which had reached the area as early as 7:00am.

Dhalpur’s Telegu community evicted without financial assistance, resource allocation

“Pakistani soldiers broke into our house through the backyard. Sensing their presence, three of my nephews gathered in one room. Another managed to flee. The soldiers entered our house firing indiscriminately killing the 3 helpless boys. They fell on the floor just like logs. …

“Yes, my name is Tanjila Tanjila,” the rookie boxer only laughed when asked about why she lacks a conventional surname.

“Recently when I visited my locality in Rangamati, people inquired about professional boxing and how their children can pursue their passion in the sport. It gives me a lot of pleasure,” said a thoroughly content Sura Krishna Chakma, Bangladesh’s first professional boxer and the champion of the first international professional boxing tournament held in the country last year.