Naveen Islam Toree

Published by Unicorn and distributed locally by University Press Limited, the book resists the narrow frames through which Bangladesh has often been viewed since its independence in 1971. International narratives have long leaned on images of poverty, disaster, and despair. Grey’s work proposes something far more radical: a Bangladesh alive with texture, dignity, contradiction, and irrepressible energy.

Rupert Grey, a descendant of Charles Grey and best known professionally as a leading libel and copyright lawyer stood against this statement. “If Bangladesh is a basket case,” Grey tells The Daily Star, “then it is so in the best possible way.” For him, the term collapses under the sheer vitality of the country. A single square metre of a Bangladeshi street, he argues, holds more energy than entire neighbourhoods in London. Where life in England often unfolds in rigid routines, Bangladesh thrives in spontaneity—where a hanging lighter at a tea stall can become a moment of shared choreography.

A corner of Alliance Française de Dhaka’s Galerie Zoom has been transformed into a time capsule, where three teenage artists come together to tell a story that feels both tender and universal. “Convergence” is less about spectacle and more about memory — about how friendship forms, stretches across distance, and learns to say goodbye without ever fully letting go.

A group photography exhibition documenting the life, culture and traditions of the Manipuri community in Bangladesh opened at the Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Art Gallery in Banglamotor on December 12.

Necropolitics— a social or political power that determines who gets to live and who does not. Just the thought of this unfair monstrosity makes one shiver, doesn’t it? But it is the way of the world now. To make a bold statement against necropolitics all around the world, The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) presented “Rupantor: The Resonance Show”, a sustainability-focused fashion and performance project that transformed discarded materials into wearable narratives, with design, movement and social reflection.

Cultural affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki inaugurated the exhibition as chief guest. Renowned artists Professor Dr Abdus Sattar and Professor Mostafizul Haque attended the event as guests of honour, while Mr Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed, director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, presided over the ceremony.

The auditorium at Goethe-Institut Bangladesh turns into an unconventional stage on November 29 as “AI Mafia Boyfriend”, an experimental performance created by Katerina Don for Sister Library, unfolds before a packed audience. Instead of a conventional play, the production operates as a participatory social experiment examining loneliness, emotional labour, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in intimate life.

Leading the charge was the iconic Miles frontman, Hamin Ahmed, who distilled decades of experience into an unforgettable session for the assembled talent. Organised by Team Alpha, the masterclass was a dynamic blend of deep technical instruction and a rare, intimate look into the maestro's creative process.