Shamima Akhter is now pursuing her betel nut cutting business, and she has not only changed her fate, but has also helped three thousand other poor women in Chittagong’s Patiya area.

She is unable to do anything with her hands since her birth. But it could never stop Arifa Akhter from pursuing her dreams. Defying all predicaments, the indomitable Lalmonirhat girl sits for her Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations. She became the subject of curiosity as she started writing with her legs.

Shehnai is an Indian sub-continental tubular instrument and the word originates from Turkey meaning “royal flute” which has been part of the musical landscape for more than a hundred years in the sub-continent.

The coins that have survived through thousands of years carry with them crucial tales from history. They tell people of the glory of the times in which they were created.

Dhaka, one of the oldest metropolises in this part of the subcontinent, has crossed the enviable milestone of 400 years. The city, founded by the Mughals in the 17th century, was the economic capital of the Mughal Empire, and later saw rapid growth in urbanization during the British colonization in the late 19th and early 20th century.

At least 500 bighas of prime farmland loses productivity in five upazilas of Lalmonirhat every year, as their topsoil is sold to feed around 40 local brick kilns.

Vegetable is a crucial component in a balanced diet and there is no alternative to be healthy without it. But do you know there are 157 types of vegetables that Bangladesh produces every year?

In his bright career that began in the 1960s, Razzak has acted in over three hundred films in Bengali and Urdu. Acting for nearly five decades, Razzak acclaimed vast popularity and has been widely recognised as one of the finest actors Bengali film industry ever had.

Welcoming BNP and Jatiya Party defectors to the Awami League, the officer-in-charge of Hatibandha Police Station has said they did the right thing by joining the ruling party.

The condition of the country’s zoos is pitiable as these are not run with a modern outlook where zoos are not just an exposition of wild life, but also a research centre.

This is a tale of a person who makes and plays flute for living.

Nearly 15 years ago, the High Court had ordered the government to relocate around 200 tanneries from the city’s Hajaribag to save the Buriganga river and the environment.

Man-made intervention in the upstream turns Teesta a wild river in monsoon and a desert in winter.

For hundreds of years, the Bangalis have been making hundreds of different kinds of pithas that are unique to this land.

For 91 days from January 5 to April 5 last year, there was hardly a single day when innocent people were not burnt to death or injured in arson attacks on public transports. Some lost their loved ones, others their lone bread earners during the longest spell of horror allegedly carried out by the BNP-led coalition, protesting the January 5, 2014, elections.

The only zoo in Chittagong city is gradually running out of attractive animals and eventually the visitors as well.

With another year gone, another year of Celebrating Life is also coming to a close. After the conclusion of the stunning events and competitions, the gala event for Celebrating life 2015, to be held in a spectacular fashion is just around the corner.While we will cover the event and all things Celebrating Life 2015 in the upcoming issue, we decided to dedicate this issue to the all-important Lifetime Achievement Award winners; people who have made incredible contributions to the industry throughout their careers. This award is our own way of paying tribute to their monumental contributions, and indeed to individuals like them. So without further ado, here are this year's Lifetime Achievement Award winners.

For 91 days from January 5 to April 5 last year, there was hardly a single day when innocent people were not burnt to death or injured in arson attacks on public transports. Some lost their loved ones, others their lone bread earners during the longest spell of horror allegedly carried out by the BNP-led coalition, protesting the January 5, 2014, elections.

If you are a music lover but have not listened to the Bangla band Chirkutt’s music yet, then you do not know what you are missing! The Daily Star recently interviewed all the band members in an evening. They shared their success, experiences and performed songs without any musical instrument.

For 91 days from January 6 to April 4 last year, there was hardly a single day when innocent people were not burnt to death or injured in arson attacks on public transports.