This photo is 66 years old, portraying a typical street-side tea stall in Dhaka. Notice a couple of 'Murir tins' (puffed rice containers) are kept as snacks. The primary characteristic of the tea stall in Dhaka has not changed much since. Some of these tea stalls are...
A 'Boot-polish' stand is seen on the footpath of Dhaka, probably in the 1960s. Shoe-shiner or boot-polisher is an occupation in which a person buffs shoes, applies wax, and then polishes them with a brush or a piece of cloth to give the shoes a shiny appearance. Most...
We often hear of the famous Princess Jahanara and Princess Roshanara, but not much is known about a Princess, who true to her pen name, Makhfi, has been concealed from the public eye. This princess was unique in many ways. While most Mughal queens and princesses...
Pompeii is one of the world’s rarest phenomena. Unlike other historical sites, the age-old city seems petrified in time, much like a picture taken from the period when the city was alive. This is due to the ancient land being hidden under 13 to 20ft of volcanic debris...
The Dancing Girl is an uncommon and exceptional work of art created during the Indus Valley Civilisation about 4500 years ago. It is an ancient bronze statue, one of the mere two statues of its time where the figure portrayed has an easygoing posture unlike other...
Gautama Buddha is the man who holds the title of the Buddha, a Sanskrit word meaning “the one who is enlightened”. Gautama was born as Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th century B.C. in Lumbini, Nepal. His father, King Suddhodana, was the ruler of a small kingdom and upon...
Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid. In a period of twelve months of the conquest (1667 CE) of Chatgaon Buzurg Umed Khan began constructing the masjid on the highest point of a cliff in the regions of the vanquished stronghold following the command of Nawab Amir al-Umara. It...
Black holes are the strangest objects in the Universe. A black hole does not have a surface, like a planet or star. Instead, it is a region of space where matter has collapsed in on itself. This catastrophic collapse results in a huge amount of mass being concentrated...
Most European countries are recognized for their outstanding art and architecture. People from all around the world gather in countries like Italy, Germany, Spain, France to embrace the beauty of these fine arts. Whenever in Paris, France, a visit to the Eiffel Tower...
A ‘Mela’ in Dhaka (1960) captured by extraordinaire photographer and scientist late Dr. Nowajesh Ahmed. A mela is a wonderful melting pot for all types of people, their culture, and tradition. Its characteristics and objectives are identical regardless of whether it...
The Forgotten Women of 1857 Not just Begum Hazrat Mahal and Rani Lakshmibai but dozens of women participated in active fighting against the British. Their stories are largely unrecorded. History of Azizun Bai Azizun Bai left an excellent impact upon Indian History....
Almost 47 years ago, on August 11, 1972, the movie 'Ora Egaro Jon' was released in Dhaka. It was the first film shot and released in Bangladesh after the liberation war in 1971. The intriguing narrative of this movie mainly revolves around eleven freedom fighters and...
Maya Angelou once said, "Everything in the universe has rhythm, everything dances" As true as this saying is, not everyone has the potential to pick up these rhythms; be it the melody of flowing water or the sad tunes of gloomy moonlight. One's music resonates with...
When we talk about the 17th century, the name that springs up the most is that of Mir Jumla. A survivor and great tactician, Mir Jumla's story is one that deserves attention and great respect. Mir Jumla is the word for us when describing someone who started off from...
The inner workings of politics, treacherous mind games and vile layers of masks people wear to benefit themselves trace back to time of the disintegration of the Mughal Empire, paving the way for regional states. In the contest for supremacy, the English emerged...
All foods have history; where they originated from, what they looked like the first time they were seen as consumable and how they've evolved throughout the years. We take their history for granted because to us it's just food; we don't see it as something to have an...
The blatant oppression of women and their rights throughout history is no surprise and is very apparent from looking into events that have taken place ever since history has been documented. Women were thought to only be a man's possession with no ground of their own...
Tansen, also referred to as Tan Sen or Ramtanu, was a prominent figure of Hindustani classical music. Born in a Hindu family, he learned and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pradesh. He began his career and spent most of his adult life in the...
Among the great paradigms of Mughal architecture built in and around Dhaka, one of the more well-known ones is the famous Lalbagh Fort. The fort, though left incomplete, is adorned with an elaborate Mughal-style garden and stands by the River Buriganga in the old part...
Religion has always been one of the roots of conflicts in the world since medieval periods; with every era came a new religious controversy that marked the beginning of a new dynasty. One of the most peaceful ages in history, where people of different faiths lived in...
In the pages of history, Alauddin Khilji has enormously scorched his mark deeply enough to be recognized even today. But who was he? Should we call him a villain or a national hero; an eyesore or a treasure? Before we fall onto the conclusions of these queries, let us...