The Dreamer's Diary

  সেদিন সকালে উঠে বাথরুম যাচ্ছি। দরজার সামনে দেখি বেজার মুখ করে মিচকে দাঁড়িয়ে।  - শিগগির সর এখান থেকে। আমি potty যাবো।  - সে না  হয় যাবে, কিন্তু এর একটা প্রতিবাদ হওয়া দরকার!  - কিসের ?  - এই বাংলাদেশে যা হচ্ছে !  - কি হলো ? কালকেই তো ইলিশ.... - দুর, ওটা না, ওই যে হিন্দুদের উপর অত্যাচার! খুব অন্যায়!  - তা তো ঠিক ! কিন্তু, তুই এখন যা, আমার খুব পাচ্ছে!  - আমারও পাচ্ছে!  - কি ?  - nationalism!  - সে তো ভালো কথা! কিন্তু তাতে অন্য দেশ কি করবে ?  - না ওই যে হিন্দু.... মুসলিম  - ওটা তো ধর্ম, religion  - না কিন্তু, অন্যায়!  - সে তো নিশ্চয়ই। মানুষ মানুষ কে মারবে কেনো? কিন্তু তোর তো nationalism পাচ্ছে বল্লি। এটা তো অন্য দেশ।  - ধুর তুমি বুঝবে না। minority r উপরে অন্যায় হচ্ছে। এর প্রতিবাদ হওয়া উচিত। tv te bollo।  - কোথায়?  - বাংলাদেশে। - আচ্ছা। কিন্তু তোর তো nationalism পাচ্ছে বল্লি। - মহা মুশকিল তো! তুমি বুঝো না।  - না আমার potty পাচ্ছে।  - আমার রাগ হচ্ছে। - আমারও। - ধর্মের নামে অত্যা...

 A s I stand on the cusp of 12 midnight, finishing my last article for the day, enveloped in the pulse of the capital city, the world around me takes on a profound stillness. Nearly three weeks have passed since the jubilant festival of Diwali, yet remnants of its bright spirit linger. The balconies dotted across the skyline still glow, flickering like stars scattered against a sprawling dark canvas. In a landscape often overshadowed by despair and uncertainty, those lights stand as a testament to an enduring resilience—a stubborn insistence on hope amidst the shadows of night. These twinkling illuminations are more than mere decorations; they symbolize a deeper existential truth. Just as the lost boat on a dark ocean searches for salvation in the distant flicker of a lighthouse, so too do our souls yearn for connection, understanding, and renewal, especially in times of turmoil. The post-Diwali glow speaks not just to the festivity of the moment, but to the universal human conditi...

In this miraculous age of technology and questionable life choices, we've arrived at a time so monumentally absurd that even Vir Sanghvis of the world would raise his well-manicured eyebrows in disbelief. Once upon a time—back in the golden days of journalism—genuine food critics were respected gatekeepers of gastronomy. They wielded pens like chefs did knives, slicing through mediocrity to deliver wisdom on the transformative power of a perfectly seared scallop.  But now? Let me introduce you to the all-you-can-eat buffet of influencer culture, where anyone with a smartphone and an opinion has a hot take that can rival Michelin.   Gone are the days when you needed years of training and a discerning palate to critique a three-hour tasting menu. Why bother leveling up your taste buds when you can just hit "go live" on Instagram with a slice of artisanal avocado toast that you grabbed from a trendy café? Enter the era of the food influencer—the modern-day equivalent of thos...

I ndia is a vibrant tapestry woven from the threads of countless cultures, languages, lifestyles, ethnicities, and value systems. Whether one embraces or critiques it, the nation as it exists today embodies a remarkable spectrum of diversity.  This "mini-world," as it has been aptly described, showcases the vastness of human experience, yet this very pluralism poses considerable challenges to the fabric of Indian democracy. In the pursuit of a truly democratic society, it becomes imperative to manage this diversity effectively, particularly focusing on minority groups in specific demographic contexts. However, this ideal still needs to be fulfilled; both the Government and the people frequently stray from their path, leading to tensions and misunderstandings that inhibit genuine unity. The months of October and November highlight a particularly poignant manifestation of this issue: the celebration of national festivals. These events ought to serve as a unifying force that bri...

T hey say,  you should never meet your idol .  While this statement may come off as melodramatic or extreme, there lies an undeniable truth to this idea. The complexities involved in our perception of artists—be it film stars, musicians, or athletes—raise significant questions about celebrity culture and how we construct our relationship with them. In many cases, especially in this part of the world, separating art from the artist can prove exceptionally difficult. The struggle to reconcile the public personas of these figures with their private realities not only leads to disappointment but also reflects broader societal issues. The Artist and Their Craft: A Flawed Persona In the realm of entertainment, our connection with artists often hinges on the characters they portray. Actors, in particular, bear the brunt of this phenomenon. When we watch a film, we invest emotionally in the narratives and roles that unfold on screen, easily conflating the personas depicted in these st...

In various walks of life, there's a curious phenomenon whereby an individual or like-minded group seeks to uplift one entity by diminishing another. We feel an unintelligible pride in belittling the other just to promote or highlight something else.  These days his trend is particularly visible in the realm of sports, where passionate supporters of varying disciplines often pit their preferences against each other. Recently, this tendency has surfaced alarmingly within the Indian sporting community, particularly concerning cricket and Olympic sports. A series of articles penned by self-proclaimed "matured" know-alls have taken aim at Indian cricket and its players, portraying them in a negative light to champion lesser-followed but equally significant sports like athletics, wrestling, and gymnastics etc.  An Oversimplified Narrative At the core of this debate lies an oversimplification of the challenges faced by Indian sports beyond cricket. Critics have insinuated that t...

In an era characterized by rampant social media usage and an unwavering desire for validation, the phenomenon of crafting carefully curated self-images has pervaded the landscape of modern life. Individuals often become ensnared in the relentless pursuit of acceptance, dedicating untold hours to constructing facades that resonate with societal expectations and professional standards.  Ironically, this endeavor not only leads to a profound sense of disconnection from one’s true self but also jeopardizes the intrinsic essence of life—authenticity, joy, and self-worth. As we navigate the complexities of our existence, examining how we squander the invaluable commodity of time in the pursuit of a mirage of social and professional acceptance becomes paramount. The first aspect of this disillusionment lies in the relentless need for validation. Social media platforms serve as both enablers and amplifiers of this desire. Daily, we are bombarded with images of perceived perfection—glossy l...