Oct 13, 2021
STORY OF A BANGLADESHI BRAVEHEART PIONEERING WOMEN'S SPORTS AND CHAMPIONING HUMANITARIAN CAUSES
Arifa Jahan Bithi will join us on October 13 at 7 PM Bangladesh time to share her story. Bithi is a Bangladeshi braveheart pioneering marginalized women's sports against monumental socioeconomic and structural hurdles. She was given the name "Oxygen Lady" as a token of respect for her courage amid the COVID-19 crisis in Bangladesh. Bithi built an oxygen bank with the help of some personal donors by conducting a campaign on Facebook. She has been using the funds to deliver life-saving oxygen cylinders to poverty-stricken Covid-19 patients. Arifa herself does not come from a well-off family. She earlier earned bread and butter for her family members by playing cricket. She is also the founder of Women's Dreamer Cricket Academy Rangpur, the first of its kind in the area.
Oct 10, 2021
NORTH AMERICAN BENGALI DIASPORA AND CULTURE
Prominent Bangladeshi actor Tamalika Karmaker will join us in a conversation about Bengali diaspora and culture on October 10 at 9 PM Bangladesh time. According to a The Daily Star report published in 2018, Tamalika di has moved to the USA permanently. We will hear her experiences and perspectives about living in the USA. Tamalika Karmakar is a veteran actor. She received the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2002 for her performances in Kittonkhola.
Oct 8, 2021
CONSIDERATION OF TRUTH-TELLING IN CREATIVE PRACTICES
My upcoming guest, a brilliant architect and a gifted storyteller, Enamul Karim Nirjhar, will discuss the art of truth-telling in our creative practices on October 8 at 9 PM Dhaka time. The topic might sound abstract, but you are very likely to get hooked as soon as you start listening to Nirjhar Bhai Imagine the artistic capacity of art or fiction, to tell the truth, which the truth itself can fail at times. Raw reality can be too glaring, too depressing, but art can make us deal with the truth that lets us in on the truth gently. It can let us down gently and lift us up spiritually to move us and make us kinder people in a cruel world. However, the artists have a profound responsibility, to tell the truth through their artwork. It may not always be easy, but it is not impossible.
Oct 7, 2021
UNPACKING INVISIBLE AND STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN BANGLADESHI CONTEXT
Barrister Fatemaa Waariithah Ahsan (Founder, No Passport Voice Foundation) will join us on October 7 at 9 PM Bangladesh time to discuss the invisible and structural violence against women and children in Bangladeshi context. Barrister Fatemaa grew up in a family with a rich intellectual milieu and serious political commitment. After completing her education in the UK, she returned to Bangladesh and dedicated herself to building a better Bangladesh with various social engagements. She writes and speaks on public & legal affairs, gender equality, and other current affairs. Her writing has been published in national & international forums. She has also taken part in talks in London, California, New York, Geneva, Edinburgh, Belfast, Malta, Bangladesh, India, and Thailand.