Whenever Bata shoes come to mind, we are reminded not only of how footwear became woven into the fabric of everyday life but also of an extraordinary figure linked to its history in Bangladesh
Although the Bengali calendar has been in use for centuries, the tradition of celebrating Pahela Baishakh as a public festival is a relatively modern development.
Tamam na sud or ‘Not the end’! There could not have been a better ending of a captivating romantic novel like Shabnami.
Satyendra Nath Bose, more widely known as Satyen Bose, devoted 24 of the best years of his life to Dhaka University. On 1 July 1921, Dhaka University commenced its academic activities with only four departments, one of which was Physics. Prior to this, on 1 December 1920, P. J. Hartog assumed office as the university’s first Vice-Chancellor.
Sir Herbert Hope Risley (1851-1911) – who signed himself ‘H. H. Risley’ – was a member of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) who became British India’s pre-eminent anthropologist.
After the creation of Pakistan, the nascent state embarked on vigorous projects to industrialise both parts of the country.
During the 1980s and 1990s, a new wave of Bangladeshi migrants, comprising mainly unskilled workers, led to a widespread perception of Bengali migrants as itinerant labourers and temporary workers in the Malay Peninsula.
In 1825, Charles Dowes, the then Magistrate of Dhaka, initiated the clearing of the Ramna jungle using prison labour. He enclosed an oval-shaped area with wooden railings and introduced horse racing competitions. From that time, the white colonial officials and residents of Dhaka found a source of recreation at the racecourse.
A glance at the recent history of the world’s most developed nations reveals a compelling truth: no country has ever achieved sustainable development without first investing in education and research.
Although the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent and sovereign state is a fact of recent history, this country has been the home of an ancient civilization.
While the armed freedom fighters fought valiantly on the battlefield during the 1971 war, a quieter yet equally crucial battle was being waged on the medical front.
History is complicated; simplifying it is the work of politicians. My research on Bangladesh challenges the national memory of the 1971 war, as represented at the Liberation War Museum.
More than a century ago, revered Bengali writer Begum Rokeya in her short story Sultana’s Dream had visualized futuristic inventions like solar cookers, atmospheric water generators and flying air-cars. She dreamt of Ladyland as a feminist utopia without crime, the death penalty and epidemics. Here men were shut indoors and responsible for childcare and household chores, while women with “quicker” brains pursued science and shaped inventions.
