Opinion on pranks is divided strongly among two groups. There are those that think it is hilariously acceptable. And then there are those that have been pranked. Unlike a good knock-knock joke, a prank requires we laugh at someone. There needs to be a victim at the proverbial butt end of the ha-ha. Is there a right and wrong way to do it? Can you learn it the way you can learn how to fly a plane? Possibly.

The world's youngest country, South Sudan, has been caught in the throes of a violent civilian conflict. Now in its fourth year, the ongoing war is afflicting the lives of millions of people, especially women and children, in irredeemable ways. Here's a snapshot of how poverty, disease and famine are plaguing the nation. Its people, however, continue to hope against all odds for a better, peaceful, tomorrow.

The rather long and tongue-twisting name of Apichatpong Weerasethakul may not be at the tip of the tongue for the average cinephile in Bangladesh, but it is ubiquitous to any serious follower of contemporary independent cinema anywhere in the world. Winner of the Cannes trifecta of Palme d'Or, Un Certain Regard and jury prize (in different editions), the 47-year-old from Thailand has been a darling

The Academy Awards are the one sporting tournament I follow with any level of engagement. I pay attention to the cottage industry of prognosticators that starts speculating straight out of Sundance, more than a year before the ceremony; I despair about the unsuccessful campaigns mounted by my favorites, as they fall by the wayside; I predict potential nominees and winners; I exult and rant about the films that make it; and, every late winter or early spring, I watch the overlong spectacle alternating between feelings of suspense, delight, and stultifying boredom.

When Rafiqul Islam, a college lecturer of Kaliganj upazila in Jhenaidah district, received a call from his son Ahsan Rafiq at 2:00 am on February 6, 2016, he felt a pang of anxiety. Ahsan studied at the Department of Disaster Science and Management at the University of Dhaka and used to live in the veranda of Salimullah Muslim (SM) Hall, as he did not have an assigned room.

Project Roopkotha

I was walking home from university a few days ago when I had an interesting thought. I'm a student of Dhaka University. Unlike many other students, we are blessed with a spacious campus and lush greenery. Despite the availability of ample pavements within DU, I was walking on the road. It was a choice—one that I, and many others, make everyday. I realised this was borne out of habit, an involuntary action I

"Just look at his pace.” That's a BPL team official describing a young fast bowler from Pakistan he picked for last year's tournament. The pace bowler didn't turn up because of clearance issues, which meant that the team owner would have to wait longer...

I migrated to Dhaka in 2011 in pursuit of higher education. In the last two years, I have made a home for myself in Rayerbazar, near the Mohammadpur Beribadh area. Everyday, I witness my home inch closer and closer to becoming a barren and comfortless dystopia in the name of development. As infinite buildings are erected, a mountain of waste piles up, destroying rivers and causing pollution. Our economic

There is not much to love about being a woman on the streets of Dhaka. Let's call a spade a spade—Dhaka streets are not pedestrian-friendly, irrespective of one's gender. Missing or broken pavements, gaping holes to catch you off guard, footpaths overtaken by hawkers, vendors, makeshift shops of all sorts, piled up construction materials, spilled-over garbage, bikers and even rickshaws carrying passengers looking to cut across heavy traffic—you name

While Boi Mela sadly lasts only a month, what do readers in Dhaka and the rest of the country do the rest of the year? Buying a year's worth of books in one go is hardly feasible. For those without the means to buy, reading for pleasure is a luxury. Readers, especially young students, require a well-stocked and diverse library in the vicinity of their home or where they work or study to encourage them to read year-round.

As we are now in the final week of February, Star Weekend asked five writers in the country about the annual Boi Mela and which books they look forward to reading.

In the early twentieth century, when Calcutta's political and social elites were protesting against the formation of a university in East Bengal, which would educate the “uncouth, working class”, the Nawabs of East Bengal came forward. Dhaka's Nawab Khwaja Salimullah donated 600 acres of land to establish necessary buildings for the university. The property also included Nawab's gardens and court buildings (now Madhur canteen and Shahbagh area). Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury of the Nawab family of Dhonbari, Tangail even mortgaged a part of their estate to collect funds for the university.

This is in reference to a write-up titled “How safe is your child online?” on February 16 in the Star Weekend. I think the write-up touched upon all the hazards growing children are exposed to when they venture into the internet. However, the point I would like to re-emphasise, as was stated in the write-up, is the massive role that parents and teachers play in this regard. The internet is a powerful tool that can be

A lot has had happened since word spread that one Marma girl was allegedly raped, and another molested, by members of security forces last month. The claims led to a confusing chain of events involving state forces and rights activists which rapidly escalated the crisis. On one hand, a court ordered the girls to be handed over to the custody of their parents, against their wishes. On the other hand, the queen

Twenty-four-year-old Nayeem, a private university student, has a spinal cord injury. He often talks about his girlfriend, whom he has been dating for more than a year now. They study at the same university. They met on campus when Nayeem was selling coupons for a department picnic, became good friends and eventually started dating. Nayeem says that he loves her “with all his heart”.

Men have always been at an evolutionary disadvantage. Early man popped onto earth fitted with a small brain and lice-friendly

A mysterious phenomenon rocked the southern coast of Bangladesh in the 19th century. It was a phenomenon which was experienced by

Joseph Nye, American political scientist and cofounder of the international relations theory of neoliberalism, described 'soft power' as

Growing up, I was always told to be prepared when embarking on something new. Sometimes, however, there is very little one can do