Bideshi
Home Catalog Articles Contact
All Culture History Theme Misc

Puran Patrika

A Bideshi Project

Alexander the Great's Indian Campaign
Alexander the Great's Indian Campaign
Alexander the Great built one of history’s largest empires, but his campaign into the Indian subcontinent stalled when his exhausted troops mutinied after years of brutal fighting, heavy losses, and harsh monsoon conditions. Although ancient writers claimed he feared the powerful Gangaridai, the sources show he never reached the Ganges and ultimately turned back because his army could not endure another campaign. Read more...
READ MORE
Alexander the Great's Indian Campaign

Alexander the Great's Indian Campaign

11.21.2025HistoryThemeMyesha Munro
Alexander the Great built one of history’s largest empires, but his campaign into the Indian subcontinent stalled when his exhausted troops mutinied after years of brutal fighting, heavy losses, and harsh monsoon conditions. Although ancient writers claimed he feared the powerful Gangaridai, the sources show he never reached the Ganges and ultimately turned back because his army could not endure another campaign. Read more...
READ MORE
Rohingya
Rohingya
The Rohingya are a Muslim minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine state who have been systematically stripped of citizenship, targeted through decades of state-backed persecution, and forced into repeated waves of displacement, most notably the mass exodus of 2017. Today nearly a million live in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, where unsafe conditions, limited rights, and an uncertain future reflect both the aftermath of genocide and the world’s failure to protect them. Read more...
READ MORE
Rohingya

Rohingya

11.21.2025HistoryThemeMyesha Munro
The Rohingya are a Muslim minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine state who have been systematically stripped of citizenship, targeted through decades of state-backed persecution, and forced into repeated waves of displacement, most notably the mass exodus of 2017. Today nearly a million live in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, where unsafe conditions, limited rights, and an uncertain future reflect both the aftermath of genocide and the world’s failure to protect them. Read more...
READ MORE
Chinese Influence on Bengal
Chinese Influence on Bengal
Tong Achew founded Achipur in the late eighteenth century, creating Bengal’s first Chinese settlement and laying the groundwork for the vibrant Chinese communities that later shaped Calcutta’s industries, crafts, and food culture. Although these communities thrived for generations, the Sino India war, political suspicion, and later environmental regulations caused a steep decline, leaving only small remnants of a once influential Indo Chinese heritage. Read more...
READ MORE
Chinese Influence on Bengal

Chinese Influence on Bengal

11.21.2025CultureHistoryMyesha Munro
Tong Achew founded Achipur in the late eighteenth century, creating Bengal’s first Chinese settlement and laying the groundwork for the vibrant Chinese communities that later shaped Calcutta’s industries, crafts, and food culture. Although these communities thrived for generations, the Sino India war, political suspicion, and later environmental regulations caused a steep decline, leaving only small remnants of a once influential Indo Chinese heritage. Read more...
READ MORE
Dhaka Muslin
Dhaka Muslin
Dhaka muslin was once a legendary fabric known as “woven air,” created from the rare phuti karpas cotton and crafted by master spinners whose skills vanished after colonization and industrial competition destroyed the industry. After nearly two centuries of disappearance, Bangladesh has revived the craft through scientific research and dedicated weavers, turning muslin into a powerful symbol of cultural resilience and reclaimed heritage. Read more...
READ MORE
Dhaka Muslin

Dhaka Muslin

11.21.2025CultureHistoryFariha Rahman
Dhaka muslin was once a legendary fabric known as “woven air,” created from the rare phuti karpas cotton and crafted by master spinners whose skills vanished after colonization and industrial competition destroyed the industry. After nearly two centuries of disappearance, Bangladesh has revived the craft through scientific research and dedicated weavers, turning muslin into a powerful symbol of cultural resilience and reclaimed heritage. Read more...
READ MORE
Mary Kom: A Journey of Grit, Glory, and Inspiration
Mary Kom: A Journey of Grit, Glory, and Inspiration
Mary Kom rose from a life of poverty and social barriers in rural Manipur to become the most decorated female boxer in world championship history, proving her critics wrong at every step. Her legacy now extends beyond her medals as she mentors young athletes, champions gender equality, and stands as a symbol of resilience and possibility for women across India. Read more...
READ MORE
Mary Kom: A Journey of Grit, Glory, and Inspiration

Mary Kom: A Journey of Grit, Glory, and Inspiration

11.21.2025CultureThemeAmar Lekh
Mary Kom rose from a life of poverty and social barriers in rural Manipur to become the most decorated female boxer in world championship history, proving her critics wrong at every step. Her legacy now extends beyond her medals as she mentors young athletes, champions gender equality, and stands as a symbol of resilience and possibility for women across India. Read more...
READ MORE
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport: History, Namesake, and Legacy
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport: History, Namesake, and Legacy
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is Bangladesh’s main aviation hub, evolving from a pre-independence construction project into the country’s busiest gateway and later renamed to honor the revered Sufi saint Shah Jalal. The renaming reflects how his legacy as a spiritual guide and symbol of Bangladesh’s cultural identity continues to shape national memory and modern institutions. Read more...
READ MORE
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport: History, Namesake, and Legacy

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport: History, Namesake, and Legacy

11.21.2025HistoryMiscIbraheem Syed
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is Bangladesh’s main aviation hub, evolving from a pre-independence construction project into the country’s busiest gateway and later renamed to honor the revered Sufi saint Shah Jalal. The renaming reflects how his legacy as a spiritual guide and symbol of Bangladesh’s cultural identity continues to shape national memory and modern institutions. Read more...
READ MORE
The Rise of Bangladesh’s Women’s Football
The Rise of Bangladesh’s Women’s Football
Bangladesh’s women’s national team made history by qualifying for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, ending a 45-year wait for the country to return to a major continental stage. Their success has become a symbol of national pride and gender progress, inspiring a new generation while reshaping the future of football in Bangladesh. Read more...
READ MORE
The Rise of Bangladesh’s Women’s Football

The Rise of Bangladesh’s Women’s Football

11.21.2025CultureThemeSarah Rahman
Bangladesh’s women’s national team made history by qualifying for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, ending a 45-year wait for the country to return to a major continental stage. Their success has become a symbol of national pride and gender progress, inspiring a new generation while reshaping the future of football in Bangladesh. Read more...
READ MORE
The Hamza Choudhury Effect
The Hamza Choudhury Effect
Hamza Choudhury’s decision to represent Bangladesh marked a historic shift for the country’s football identity, instantly raising its global profile and inspiring a wave of diaspora players to follow his lead. His choice has sparked institutional reform, renewed national optimism, and a broader movement connecting Bangladesh’s sporting future with its global diaspora. Read more...
READ MORE
The Hamza Choudhury Effect

The Hamza Choudhury Effect

11.21.2025CultureThemeIbraheem Syed
Hamza Choudhury’s decision to represent Bangladesh marked a historic shift for the country’s football identity, instantly raising its global profile and inspiring a wave of diaspora players to follow his lead. His choice has sparked institutional reform, renewed national optimism, and a broader movement connecting Bangladesh’s sporting future with its global diaspora. Read more...
READ MORE
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam rose from a childhood marked by poverty and loss to become Bengal’s “Rebel Poet,” blending spiritual depth with fierce anti-colonial activism and groundbreaking musical innovation. His later years were defined by illness, but his legacy endures through his revolutionary writings, interfaith musical works, and lasting influence on Bengali identity and culture. Read more...
READ MORE
Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kazi Nazrul Islam

11.21.2025CultureHistoryRaisa Rahman
Kazi Nazrul Islam rose from a childhood marked by poverty and loss to become Bengal’s “Rebel Poet,” blending spiritual depth with fierce anti-colonial activism and groundbreaking musical innovation. His later years were defined by illness, but his legacy endures through his revolutionary writings, interfaith musical works, and lasting influence on Bengali identity and culture. Read more...
READ MORE
The History of Darjeeling Tea
The History of Darjeeling Tea
Darjeeling and Assam teas became two of India’s most important tea industries, with Darjeeling earning global prestige for its unique high-altitude flavor and Assam developing into a massive commercial enterprise built on indigenous plants and harsh colonial labor systems. Their histories reveal how global demand, British imperial policy, and botanical knowledge shaped both India’s economy and the modern tea trade. Read more...
READ MORE
The History of Darjeeling Tea

The History of Darjeeling Tea

11.21.2025CultureHistoryMyesha Munro
Darjeeling and Assam teas became two of India’s most important tea industries, with Darjeeling earning global prestige for its unique high-altitude flavor and Assam developing into a massive commercial enterprise built on indigenous plants and harsh colonial labor systems. Their histories reveal how global demand, British imperial policy, and botanical knowledge shaped both India’s economy and the modern tea trade. Read more...
READ MORE