Project Maa is a social initiative to help breast cancer patients through fundraising. It was started by Mir Hosnay Tasnim, a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, on International Women’s Day this year. It features five paintings, dedicated to breast cancer patients. Tasnim plans to sell 50 copies of the five paintings, and donate 20 percent of the proceeds to Shanti Foundation for the treatment of breast cancer patients. The idea behind Project Maa came from her personal experiences.

River erosion is a pressing issue in our country. The Padma River’s water constantly shifts and transforms the shape of the river, which is eventually eating away at its bank. To minimise the damage, the river is sometimes governed by sandbags and concrete blocks made from cement — but that is far from a solution, as it imposes threat to the environment by increasing the emission of carbon dioxide. To ensure an eco-friendly and more sustainable solution to it, CUETX, a team of eight students from the Civil Engineering Department of from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, (CUET), proposed a sustainable and cost-effective solution.

River erosion is a pressing issue in our country. The Padma River’s water constantly shifts and transforms the shape of the river, which is eventually eating away at its bank. To minimise the damage, the river is sometimes governed by sandbags and concrete blocks made from cement — but that is far from a solution, as it imposes threat to the environment by increasing the emission of carbon dioxide. To ensure an eco-friendly and more sustainable solution to it, CUETX, a team of eight students from the Civil Engineering Department of from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, (CUET), proposed a sustainable and cost-effective solution.

White Board Science Club (WBSC) began their journey in 2018, to encourage young students who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Tasnim Jara is an emergency medicine doctor at National Health Service, England, and a master’s student of Evidence-based Healthcare at the University of Oxford. She co-founded Shohay, a start-up that aims to provide reliable healthcare information in Bangla.

Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin is considered to be the founding father of Bangladeshi modern art.

The Ekushey Boi Mela provides ample opportunities for young authors to showcase their talents. Star Youth, The Daily Star, caught up with seven such authors to find out about their aspirations, and more.

Nazmul Ahasan, a freelance journalist based in Dhaka and Ariana Pemberton, a PhD student in the Department of History of Art, UC Berkeley, received the Subir and Malini Chowdhury Fellowships, respectively, for this year. The fellowships are awarded each year by the Subir & Malini Chowdhury Center for Bangladesh Studies, which is dedicated to supporting Bangladesh-related research and promoting the art and culture of Bangladesh.

Owing to all the hassles I faced while receiving an equivalence certificate, and getting my Delhi board certificate attested, I was assigned a centre in Rajshahi College. I had to travel all the way from Dhaka to Rajshahi for the exam. Travelling at a time when Covid-19 cases on the rise again was worrying, to say the least.

Easter Sunday, the day that marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is celebrated by Christians throughout the world. According to the Holy Bible, Jesus, after being captured by the army led by Pontius Pilate, the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, was sentenced to death by crucifixion on Friday. However, as he had promised his disciples during the Last Supper, he came back.

DRU is an excellent platform for young journalists, providing ample opportunities for seniors and juniors in this profession to work together to solve problems, and discuss various issues. Our special training programmes are designed to be youth-friendly. Our magazine, Reporter’s Voice, and women’s platform, Konthoshor, highlight experiences of young journalists.

Mushfiqul Alam, a senior research associate at the University of Liverpool, UK, was fascinated by aero planes from a young age. He is the winner of the 2020 Royal Aeronautical Society Herbert Le Sueur Award, in recognition of his research into novel systems to increase safety during helicopter autorotation.

Munzereen Shahid is an emerging online content creator and educator, from Bangladesh. Through her conversation skills and unconventional methods of imparting knowledge, she has impacted the lives of many. She recently received the Silver Play Button from YouTube, after crossing 100,000 subscribers on the platform. Her YouTube channel currently has over 170,000 subscribers.

Krishi Shwapno is a blockchain-based agricultural technology platform and business where farmers are connected directly to their business to ensure fair price and safe food for consumers with food traceability.

Supported by the ICT Division, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) virtually organised the final round of the seventh edition of the Digital Khichuri Challenge (DKC) 2021 on March 28, where five groups presented the ideas. Titled “The Unsafety Net: How Online Abuse is Driving Women Out of Digital Spaces,” the hackathon aimed to find ways to counter and protect women from online harassment.

The Liberation War of Bangladesh had people from all walks of life coming together to fight for their motherland. A large number of freedom fighters during the war were school-going students. Sixty students from Dhanua Kamalpur Cooperative High School in Jamalpur, took part in the war. Being the only high school for students from several nearby villages, this institution contributed significantly to our fight for freedom.

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

The Daily Star’s “Muktijuddho Olympiad”, powered by efood, aimed to educate young students about the history of Bangladesh. Nearly 4,800 students registered for the online completion across four categories: School (Class 4-6), School (Class 7-10), College, and University.

Tabassum Ahmed initiated #dhakainred, a photo series on Instagram, to showcase the beauty of Dhaka. We spoke to participants of the series on the Independence Day of Bangladesh.

A year after Bangladesh was hit by the coronavirus outbreak, and as Covid-19 cases are on the rise again, school students are celebrating Independence Day cautiously.