History

BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / Stitching fragments of a city lost in time

In the contested notion of creating a ‘nation,’ few ideas provoke as much ire among the everyday citizens of a bordered entity as the concept of a space—one that carries with it the weight of instilling an identity.

We must build a foundation for genuine democracy

Democracy cannot operate as a simple majority steamroller, as we also saw in the early days of our independence.

Mahalaya to Vijaya Dashami: What this year’s Durga Puja predicts

Durga Puja, an annual Hindu festival, celebrates the divine force “Shakti” embodied in Goddess Durga. This year, Mahalaya falls on 2 October, marking the start of Devi Paksha. Durga arrives on 3 October by palanquin, considered inauspicious, and departs on 12 October by horse.

#Culture / Vibrant puja culture of Shankhari Bazar: Where tradition meets tomorrow

Shankhari Bazar, one of Dhaka’s oldest neighbourhoods, is renowned for its vibrant cultural heritage. During Durga Puja, the area transforms with colourful decorations and bustling markets. Despite modernization, it retains its charm, offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

The desperate need for a nuanced narrative of history in NCTB textbooks

Through discourse and perception, these unknown tales of history continue to haunt us even today.

Images that changed history

Their deaths in the hands of cold-blooded law enforcement personnel might not have been in vain

Who are Bengalis?

A chronicle of race science in Bengal

Steam Power and Scientific Knowledge in Early British Bengal

In Europe, steam power evolved gradually and uncertainly over the course of the eighteenth century, with innovative peaks and long plateaus, from Thomas Savery’s steam pump (1698) via Thomas Newcomen’s reciprocating atmospheric engine (1712) to James Watt and Matthew Boulton’s double-acting rotative steam engine with a separate condenser (1765-90).

INTERVIEW / Uncovering history through storytelling

In conversation with Reem Bassiouney on the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, 'Al Halwani', and bridging the cultural gap

March 6, 2023
March 6, 2023

‘We are the only species to have threatened life on the planet’: Dipesh Chakrabarty

Historian Dipesh Chakrabarty discusses human and geological evolution in an exclusive conversation with The Daily Star

March 5, 2023
March 5, 2023

The significance of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s work with history

“The real history of this region is known in Dipesh Chakrabarty's history books,” said historian and essayist Professor Ahmed Kamal. 

February 2, 2023
February 2, 2023

Let’s not interpret old media through a modern lens

Historical backdrop and our understanding of the relevant historical backdrop are important when we try to study a material or even enjoy it.

December 31, 2022
December 31, 2022

Capturing the war stories of medical professionals

Muktijuddher Chikishsha Itihas captures the stories and struggles of medical professionals during the Liberation War.

December 29, 2022
December 29, 2022

The best that we read this year

We asked the DS Books editors and contributors about the books that most moved them this year.

December 8, 2022
December 8, 2022

The Bhawal story through women’s voices in Aruna Chakravarti’s ‘The Mendicant Prince’

The story of the ailing Bhawal prince, Ramendranarayan Roy, the Mejo Kumar, who while taken to Darjeeling to recuperate, died and was cremated there, under mysterious circumstances, and who then returned years later as a wandering ascetic with partial amnesia!

November 22, 2022
November 22, 2022

Art vs Development: Should we erase our rich architectural history?

Dhaka's transitions carries the question of whether our historic buildings shall be preserved. From an economic viewpoint, there is financial gain in replacing them with buildings. The question now becomes whether the cultural heritage outweighs this financial gain.

September 22, 2022
September 22, 2022

A trip to Darasbari mosque in Chapai Nawabganj

Rajshahi is well known for the various remains of ancient and medieval structures, remnants of a glorious past, dotted all across the region. Darasbari, a beautiful, haunting complex made of red terracotta bricks, is one of those places not often mentioned or even commonly known about except to the locals of the area.

September 14, 2022
September 14, 2022

'Infinite Library': An immersive experience of civilisation at Goethe Dhaka

The Infinite Library did not have books. It consisted of virtual spaces, a set of "eight jars" or volumes that—using a VR journey through the users' phones—told the story of our planet's evolution, starting from the beginning of cosmic dust to human consciousness.

August 25, 2022
August 25, 2022

‘The danger in telling a single Partition story is that it completely erases the individual’

1947 was overtaken almost immediately by the language question, and the question of identity.