The year 1971, a year that is firmly entrenched in everyone's mind as being a momentous time in history. Those were tumultuous times, insecure times, distressing, perturbing, worrying times.

Forty-eight years is a long time to remember any episode of one's life; yet the memories of that morning of August 30, 1971 remain so vivid, etched forever in my heart and mind.

We all know that 10 million people—one-seventh of the population in 1971—fled to India during our War of Independence in 1971. While there has been some work

Yasmin Saikia, in her book Women, War and the Making of Bangladesh: Remembering 1971, argues that the "forgotten, hidden memories belong to women who were terrorized, brutally sexualized, and marginalized in the war" and that though they were not directly involved in battle, they "became the site on which violence and power were inscribed".

Besides taking up arms to directly fight in the war in 1971, many women also joined the war effort as nurses and doctors to provide medical care for injured freedom fighters. The following are the experiences of two such women who participated in the war as nurses, Sultana Kamal, lawyer and activist, and Minu Haque, dancer and choreographer.

In 1971, it was indeed a proud day for many a Bangladeshi when independence was announced. Everyone seemed to welcome the beginning of the Liberation War.

Freedom fighter Shirin Banu Mitil passed away on July 21, 2016. A year before her death, she had spoken to The Daily Star's Naznin Tithi, sharing her memories of her participation in the Liberation War, disguised as a boy. The interview was originally published in The Daily Star's Independence Day Special Supplement in 2015.

We first met Sheela Devi [a pseudonym] on May 11, 1997. It was not easy to persuade her to tell us about her experiences in 1971.

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

The third year of the popular export idea contest Rise High Bangladesh, a joint initiative of The Daily Star and Crown Cement, was met with similar enthusiasm as the last two years.

Ambia Khatun has been almost bed-ridden for the last one year. She has not even been able to take a walk in her neighbourhood or see her relatives as the right part of her body became numb since she suffered a stroke a year back.

Three-and-a-half-year-old Ashfia Waniya slumped over a desk at the children's ward in a city hospital on November 4, her legs swinging below. She was waiting for her turn to come for a diabetes checkup.

Diabetes is a global epidemic, and this epidemic is rising faster in developing countries like Bangladesh than in developed ones.

Rashed, a diabetic patient in his late 50s, is lying in the hospital bed. He is waiting to hear back from the nurse about his OT schedule.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution refers to the technological and social transformations that are changing business models, labour markets and learning.

Over the years, many private universities have adopted the vision of shaping entrepreneurs and have been vigorously trying to nurture students who show strong interest towards entrepreneurship by providing them the required support.

Indeed, the members are always on their toes, enthusiastically speaking of their various training programmes on video editing, filmmaking and photography, as well as exhibitions, workshops, field trips and competitions.

As a young country, Bangladesh takes pride in numerous major developments that have taken place over the years. However, when co-curricular activities and skills development are considered of great importance globally, Bangladesh's education falls behind with its redundant emphasis on theoretical and bookish knowledge.

What makes a graduate stand out among a large pool of qualified candidates in the job market? What is it that potentially differentiates a candidate from another during the application process? What are the possible qualities recruiters look for when it comes to hiring an employee?

The third season of the export idea contest “Rise High Bangladesh”, jointly organised by The Daily Star and Crown Cement, has stepped into the second round.