Bonolata Sen's Natore: A topographic reading
10 July 2026, 00:03 AM
Big Picture
Jibanananda Das's Bonolata Sen exposes the poet's profound topographical yearning for a tranquil Bengali small town sanctuary.
Two visions of Sulh-i Kul: Akbar and Dara Shukoh
10 July 2026, 00:01 AM
Among the many concepts associated with the Mughal Empire, few have acquired as much resonance as ṣulḥ-i kul, literally "peace with all" or "universal peace".
When rain turns Dhaka's commute into a second job
9 July 2026, 14:28 PM
Many Dhaka residents no longer express surprise when heavy rain leads to waterlogging and traffic paralysis.
Who benefits from renewed US-Iran hostilities?
9 July 2026, 14:21 PM
Renewed US-Iran tensions threaten regional stability, global energy security, and fragile diplomacy, making restraint and dialogue more urgent than ever.
Pachapdi Gazi, the 'Jim Corbett of Bengal', and the truth about Sundarbans 'man-eaters'
9 July 2026, 00:01 AM
One thing Gazi made clear in his memoir is that the ‘man-eating’ habit of tigers is not natural because humans are not their natural prey.
Interactive / The haor crisis explained
16 May 2026, 22:36 PM
The Haor Crisis
The crisis in the Haor region of north-eastern Bangladesh is explained in an interactive, Slow Reads Special.
Interactive: Bangladesh Labour History · 1881 - 2026 / Fight for Justice
30 April 2026, 20:55 PM
In Focus
This timeline traces key moments, documenting adversity and progress, and offering insight into the quest for justice.
Justice at work for all
30 April 2026, 20:02 PM
Slow Reads Special
The history of labour in Bangladesh is a story of struggle and resilience, as workers—from colonial plantations to modern garment factories—have shaped the nation’s economic and political trajectory.
The Price of Labour
23 April 2026, 18:32 PM
Slow Reads Special
Between 2005 and 2026, a series of industrial disasters have exposed persistent failures in workplace safety, regulatory oversight, and accountability.
How Mohammedan Sporting Club shaped Muslim identity in colonial Bengal
8 July 2026, 00:07 AM
In Focus
From football pitches to political consciousness, Mohammedan Sporting transformed sporting success into a powerful symbol of Muslim identity in colonial Bengal.
The untold history of the rivers that connect Bangladesh and Asia
7 July 2026, 00:30 AM
In Focus
The idea of river agency is not new, but we are unfamiliar with it because human agency dominates our knowledge practices; as a result, we skip river agency.
A new history of Battala books
6 July 2026, 00:02 AM
In Focus
From the middle of the nineteenth century onwards, Bengali book production was centred at Battala in Calcutta.
Why Bangladesh’s children are in school but not learning
9 July 2026, 00:10 AM
Big Picture
Despite high primary school enrolment in Bangladesh, systemic institutional failures are driving a severe learning poverty crisis.
Why Bangladesh is still failing to protect children from infectious diseases
8 July 2026, 00:10 AM
Big Picture
Systemic inequality, malnutrition, and vaccination dropout rates are driving a rise in childhood infectious diseases across Bangladesh.
Why Bangladesh’s new data protection law may fail to protect your data
7 July 2026, 00:01 AM
Big Picture
Bangladesh’s new data protection law fails to safeguard citizens because it lacks independent enforcement and structural accountability.
Why tensions are rising between Rohingya and Bangladeshis
6 July 2026, 15:44 PM
Big Picture
Years after the Rohingya influx, Kutupalong's host communities continue bearing mounting economic, environmental, and social costs largely unnoticed.
What Bangladesh lost with the Baibari Ghar
5 July 2026, 16:36 PM
Wisdom
The Baibari Ghar was one of the few genuinely democratic spaces the village had.
Why does the bride always leave? Rethinking South Asian marriage
26 June 2026, 08:30 AM
Wisdom
The question of why families have historically invested less in a daughter's education stops being a story about backward attitudes and becomes a story about incentives.
The saree I could not give away
24 June 2026, 19:13 PM
Wisdom
The saree reflects a portion of my life. It reminds me that the people we love exist beyond the moments we shared with them.
What the World Cup means for women in Bangladesh
23 June 2026, 08:30 AM
Wisdom
The way women experience the World Cup is often shaped by their responsibilities inside the home.
Char contracts: Surviving river erosion without the state
8 July 2026, 00:01 AM
Unheard Voices
For the people of the chars, a "contract" is not merely a legal document, it means assuming responsibility for one's own fate.
When extreme heat becomes a death trap for Bangladesh’s workers
6 July 2026, 00:10 AM
Unheard Voices
Extreme heat in Bangladesh constitutes a severe labour rights crisis demanding urgent occupational health and safety reforms.
The slow disappearance of Kuakata’s Rakhines
4 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Unheard Voices
Living in a state of mistrust with the wider society, they often fear that disclosing discrimination will only make them more vulnerable.
The cost of conservation in the Sundarbans
20 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Unheard Voices
Every year, the Sundarbans is closed to Bonojibis during June, July, and August, a period that coincides with the breeding season of fish and other aquatic species.
A 300-year-old shrine and the legend of Oggean Thakur
20 June 2026, 00:00 AM
Unheard Voices
Nestled along the waterlogged margins of Kawadighi Haor in Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila, the temple of Oggean Thakur stands as one of the most intriguing spiritual sites in the Sylhet region.
My father retired. Why can't my mother?
19 June 2026, 08:25 AM
Unheard Voices
Domestic labour remains unrecognised as work, leaving women without retirement, rest, or formal acknowledgement of contribution.
Can India and Pakistan still make peace?
7 July 2026, 15:24 PM
Geopolitical Insights
A deepening democratic deficit and sharp military escalations leave India-Pakistan peace advocates facing an intractable, complex reality.
Why Israel has more to fear from US-Iran peace than war
6 July 2026, 16:08 PM
Geopolitical Insights
A US-Iran peace deal threatens the traditional Israeli security doctrine, exposing Netanyahu's politics to growing international isolation.
America at 250 and Bangladesh’s strategic moment
5 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Geopolitical Insights
250 years after the Declaration of Independence, America remains the world’s most influential military power, one of its largest economies, and the principal architect of much of the international order that emerged after the Second World War.
Why Bangladesh can’t ignore Myanmar’s diplomatic comeback
5 July 2026, 00:00 AM
Geopolitical Insights
In geopolitics, the symbolism of a first foreign visit rarely deceives.
Prelude to an order for genocide
18 March 2026, 10:00 AM
Slow Reads Classics
AS President Yahya flew out of Dacca on the night of March 25 he took with him the last hopes of a united Pakistan. For the final two days he had been holed up in the Dacca cantonment with the junta of generals who rule Pakistan, putting the finishing touches to Operation Genocide.
Bangabandhu and the world
17 March 2026, 19:28 PM
Slow Reads Classics
As a professional diplomat, I saw Bangabandhu as a symbol of Bangladesh's freedom and independence.
In Focus / The untold history of why Khaleda Zia entered politics
30 December 2025, 11:53 AM
In Focus
Why did Khaleda Zia, a typical housewife who had become widow at a critical age in terms of Bangladesh's culture, join politics?