Bangladeshi researcher invents drone-based disaster communication system
A. F. M. Shahen Shah, a Bangladeshi researcher based in Turkey, has developed drone-based technology that could significantly improve emergency communication during natural disasters. His work, which has gained notable coverage in Turkish media, addresses the critical problem of the collapse of communication networks following disasters such as earthquakes and floods.
27 April 2025, 10:24 AM
Understanding Gen Z’s newfound obsession with Pakistani dramas
Pakistani dramas, once a peripheral cultural product in this region, have seemingly surged in popularity among Gen Z viewers in Bangladesh. Not in a nostalgically indulgent way, but with the kind of fervent devotion that leads to 1-billion-view YouTube milestones, fan edits on Instagram, and TikTok videos that reimagine tearful climaxes as memes. The real question is no longer whether this trend is genuine, it is, but rather why now?
17 April 2025, 12:29 PM
Bangladeshi founders raise $2.6M to launch world’s first self-driving AI CRM
Bangladeshi-led startup Octolane secures $2.6M to launch the world’s first self-driving AI CRM, transforming how sales teams engage with customers.
15 April 2025, 16:58 PM
‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’: A love letter to endurance, memory, and the women of Jeju
"When Life Gives You Tangerines" has sparked a frenzy on social media, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about K-dramas of the year. It is not just the powerhouse performances of IU and Park Bo-gum or its beautifully shot cinematography that have captured the audience’s attention but the way the series lingers, offering a meditation on love, family, and time that feels both universal and deeply rooted in Korean culture. The show, which takes its time to unfold, has become a viral sensation, with fans and critics alike drawn to its emotional depth and understated storytelling. But beyond the buzz, this show’s quiet power lies in the way it draws you in, inviting you to reflect on the intricacies of life, love, and the enduring bonds that shape us.
8 April 2025, 12:40 PM
The ultimate guide to acing business competitions
Business competitions are among the most rewarding experiences a BBA student can have. Participating in these competitions provides exposure to real corporate problems often presented by leading companies.
8 April 2025, 05:36 AM
How Eid nostalgia thrives in a tech-driven world
The world has changed, and with it, so has Eid. Yet, paradoxically, technology is bringing back the very elements we thought we had lost.
31 March 2025, 04:27 AM
How Netflix’s UGC is a masterclass in brand loyalty
Netflix has long been at the forefront of digital entertainment, leading the shift from DVD rentals to streaming dominance. But its latest move—integrating user-generated content (UGC) into its platform—is perhaps one of its most ingenious strategies so far.
30 March 2025, 09:30 AM
Miyazaki, AI, and the weight of human ingenuity in art
One ought to adhere to a certain level of reverence when talking about Hayao Miyazaki. The man has dedicated his life to a form of animation that values patience over production speed, detail over efficiency, and emotion over mere aesthetics. Back in 2016, he made a public statement regarding AI-generated art, where he called it an “insult to life itself”. To therefore understand the weight of the proclamation itself is to understand the nature of his art.
29 March 2025, 10:09 AM
'The Electric State' and its missed connections
This year "The Electric State" arrived as one of Netflix’s most expensive gambits, a film burdened not only by a budget that exceeds $300 million but also by a creative lineage that promises much. The Russo brothers, known for their mastery of blockbuster spectacle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), bring their vision to a film set against the dystopian backdrop of a desolate, near-future world where robots and humanity are in a state of uneasy coexistence. Based on the acclaimed illustrated novel of the same name by Simon Stålenhag, the film stars Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Anthony Mackie. Despite the star power, the enormous investment, and the high expectations surrounding its release, "The Electric State" struggles to live up to its ambitious premise, leaving us to wonder where it all went wrong.
25 March 2025, 13:03 PM
Framed in a one-shot: The emotional chaos of 'Adolescence'
"Adolescence", the Netflix miniseries created by Jack Thorne and directed by Philip Barantini, is an emotionally charged and deeply unsettling drama that tackles complex themes surrounding masculinity, identity, and societal failure. It presents a raw and unflinching look at the pressures faced by contemporary youth, particularly boys, and examines how these pressures can lead to radicalisation and violence. With a narrative rooted in realism, the show takes a refreshing, albeit harrowing, approach to storytelling, steering away from the expected tropes of crime dramas and police procedurals. It is a series that captivates not through high-stakes thrills but through its careful, painful exploration of human emotion and the systems that shape us.
23 March 2025, 09:32 AM
‘Dabba Cartel’: A promising crime drama undone by inconsistencies
The Netflix series "Dabba Cartel", currently trending within the top 10 most viewed in Bangladesh, attempts to carve out a unique space in the crime drama genre by marrying the mundanity of everyday life with the high-stakes world of drug trafficking. Set against the backdrop of Mumbai’s middle-class neighbourhoods, this Hitesh Bhatia directorial explores how five women from vastly different social backgrounds come together, not out of greed or ambition but out of necessity. Their journey, marked by unexpected alliances, betrayals, and moments of startling agency, should have made for a riveting watch—to some degree, it does. However, as the show unfolds, it becomes clear that its ambitions exceed its execution, resulting in a concoction that is fascinating in theory but flawed in practice.
16 March 2025, 12:32 PM
Reframing cinema: The rise of female gaze
Cinema has long been shaped by the male gaze, a term popularised by Laura Mulvey in her seminal essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975), which dissected how classical Hollywood positioned women as passive objects of desire while men drove the narrative forward. This framework dominated filmmaking for decades, reinforcing a voyeuristic perspective where women existed primarily to be looked at, consumed, and defined in relation to male protagonists.
8 March 2025, 11:17 AM
How the July revolution reshaped Bangladesh’s youth
History has its moments—points of inflection where societies, seemingly stagnant and indifferent, erupt with untold energy.
19 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Bollywood love stories and the art of setting unrealistic expectations
Bollywood gets many things wrong, but imbuing romance into love stories isn’t one of them. In fact, if this genre had a physical form, it would probably be a man standing in the rain, holding a mandolin, waiting for a train that has already left. Or, more accurately, it would be Shah Rukh Khan, arms wide open, standing in the middle of a mustard field. If there is one thing Bollywood has perfected over the decades, it’s the grand, sweeping, goosebumps-inducing love stories that make real-life relationships look like dull PowerPoint presentations. However, let’s face it—whether we admit it or not, we love every second of it.
14 February 2025, 10:06 AM
Ushering in a new era of work
The global job market is changing faster than ever before, driven by shifts in technology, demographics, and the rise of new industries. These changes are not just limited to advanced economies; they are impacting countries like ours, where rapid economic growth and a young, ambitious workforce are driving conversations about the future of work.
12 February 2025, 05:42 AM
Shikho aims to bring in the AI hype to ed-tech—here’s how
Shikho, a Bangladesh-based edtech company, has recently introduced a beta version of Shikho AI, an artificial intelligence tool aimed at addressing educational gaps for Bangla-speaking students.
12 February 2025, 05:33 AM
‘Dhaka Makers’: Our ultimate urban guilt trip
Each year, "Dhaka Makers" returns with the promise of celebrating Bangladesh’s rich artisanal heritage. This is our city’s grandest attempt at presenting a craft fair as the pinnacle of urban sophistication. This is not just any ordinary roadside haat where artisans sell their work at reasonable prices. It is an "experience" so refined, so exclusive, that one must pay Tk 300 just to step inside and breathe the artisanal air.
3 February 2025, 10:49 AM
An exploration of traditional art forms at ‘Dhaka Makers 3’
The ongoing "Dhaka Makers 3" is showcasing the vibrancy of Bangladesh’s contemporary art scene while also serving as an exhibition for both traditional and contemporary crafts. Through a series of hands-on workshops, participants have been introduced to the timeless techniques and motifs of Bengali craftsmanship, allowing these age-old traditions to thrive in a contemporary setting.
2 February 2025, 12:48 PM
The inherent discrimination in our medical admission tests
Even after all this, when the quota system in admission tests remains, it begs the question of why we still need to favour a select group while sidelining other deserving candidates.
31 January 2025, 10:00 AM
How to backup everything on your Google account
Our Google accounts hold a significant amount of data, from cherished photos and important documents to critical emails and contacts. Here are some ways in which you can backup valuable information and files from various Google apps.
30 January 2025, 09:03 AM