By Myesha Munro · Culture · December 4, 2025

Photo: Bideshi Archive

What does ‘Brick Lane’ refer to? Brick Lane is a street in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets, which runs from Bethnal Green to Whitechapel High Street. The southern half of the street was formally recognised as London’s ‘Banglatown’ in 1997, and Brick Lane’s reputation as home to, and a cultural centre for, Bangladeshi people is so widely recognised that the electoral ward of Spitalfields was changed to ‘Banglatown and Spitalfields’ in 2002. Brick Lane street signs, written in both English and Bangla (Source: Shutterstock) Tower Hamlets is home to the largest concentration of Bangladeshis in Britain, and census data from 2011 recorded that 32% of its population were of Bangladeshi ethnicity. 57% of the borough’s children were of Bangladeshi descent, and 18% of residents spoke Bengali as their first language.[1] In Banglatown, street names are written in both Bangla and English and lampposts are painted the green and red colours of the Bangladeshi flag. Brick Lane is home to the annual Brick Lane Festival, which celebrates the various cultures that have contributed to the area, as well as the Boishakhi Mela Festival, the largest Bengali festival in Europe.[2] Important landma…

By Fariha Rahman · Culture · March 6, 2026

Photo: Bideshi Archive

That Small Crunch you hear in the Streets of South Asia: Is it Fuchka, Pani Puri, or Golgappa? On the streets of South Asia, you will find people munching on a hollow puri that tastes sweet, savory, or even tangy, depending on the filling and flavored water in it. This universal street food is known by different names, such as fuchka, golgappa, or pani puri.[1] The variation in names comes from the migration of people throughout the South Asian continent, as well as differences in regional taste palates and identity.[1] Key Parts of this Street Snack The outer layer consists of a hollow, puffy, and crispy shell of dough that is deep-fried.[1] Then, it is filled with a stuffing usually of potatoes, chickpeas, black peas, or other fillings depending on the region in which it's served.[2] Then, pani is added, or flavored water that can be sweet, savory, tangy, or even spicy.[3] Lastly, there is usually an array of condiments that can be added to enhance the flavor of the snack, such as chutneys, onions, and fresh coriander.[1] Each of these components vary based on the region you are in when eating this snack. The Spice Odyssey (2022), Fuchka Origin Story There are many speculations,…

By Parizad Nizam · Culture · March 6, 2026

Photo: Bideshi Archive

Every year, as winter loosens its brief grip on Bengal, the month of Falgun arrives in colour. Pohela Falgun (পহেলা ফাল্গুন), the first day of Falgun, marks the beginning of Boshonto (বসন্ত), spring, in the Bengali calendar, and is celebrated across Bangladesh with flowers, music, poetry, and a vivid palette of spring colours. Credits: Orchid Chakma, The Daily Star The Bengali Calendar Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Bengali calendar divides the year into six distinct seasons, each with their own unique attributes: গ্রীস্ম / Grishmo (Summer): Boishakh & Joishtho (বৈশাখ & জ্যৈষ্ঠ) বর্ষা / Borsha (Monsoon): Ashar & Srabon (আষাঢ় & শ্রাবণ) শরৎ / Shorot (Autumn): Bhadro & Ashshin (ভাদ্র & আশ্বিন) হেমন্ত / Hemonto (Late Autumn/Harvest): Kartik & Oghrayon (কার্তিক & অগ্রহায়ণ) শীত / Sheet (Winter): Poush & Magh (পৌষ & মাঘ) বসন্ত / Boshonto (Spring): Falgun & Choitro (ফাল্গুন & চৈত্র) Pohela Falgun thus symbolises not just a new month, but the cyclical renewal embedded in Bengal's agrarian and therefore cultural consciousness[1]. The origins of the Bengali calendar are complex and contested, but it remains culturally important. Many historians trace its early foundations to King Shasha…

By Danial Zakaria · Culture · March 6, 2026

Photo: Bideshi Archive

Bangladesh's participation in the world-famous Olympics align heavily with the nations it found itself part of across history. However, its history also tells a larger story on how structural disenfranchisement and oppression significantly affects a nation's performance in an industry we usually consider to be unifying and meritocratic; sport. Through looking at the effects of British colonisation and Pakistani oppression, and a lasting deficit on athletic talent that remains today, the reasons for why Bangladesh is the largest nation to have never won an Olympic medal remains all too evident. Their main participation within the Olympics has primarily been through the wildcard system, which grants athletes from nations typically underrepresented in specific sports to qualify without a traditional, strict qualification process. This article will take a look at a historical timeline of Bangladesh's participation in the Olympics, within different nations and as its own nations, as well as considering the socioeconomic factors developed over time which have limited the success Bangladesh has experienced across one of history's oldest, and most prestigious sporting events. British India…