Mahbubur Rahman’s third book ‘Topion’ is a reflection of his memories of Old Dhaka, and how the city transformed within his lifetime. The evolution of the city is illustrated through metaphorical allusions to the little boys Prastar, Bingo and Guddu. Looking out of the window, the boys have a limited view of the world beyond […]

The word ‘Lockdown’ echoed in Mahbubur Rahman’s mind right before the pandemic because of the political situation then prevailing in Kashmir. When COVID 19 engulfed the world and everything came to a standstill, people learned to inhabit imaginary microcosms. Rahman and his partner Lipi also marked out their own territories in the house. It was […]

Capitol Hill, which houses the seat of the government, is probably one of the most fascinating places in the USA. Not long after its completion, the Capitol was partially burned by the British during the War of 1812. In January 2021, for the second time, the Capitol was violently seized by a mob. The rioters […]

Koh-i- Noor, the ‘Mountain of Light’, the largest cut diamond of the world, that changed hands between various factions, came into Queen Victoria’s possession after the second Anglo-Sikh War, which resulted in the Punjab region falling under British rule in 1849. The Sikh Maharani Jind Kaur was granted asylum in Nepal in April 1849. In […]

Mahbubur Rahman’s second book ‘Reader’ comprises drawings made on the pages of a 100-year-old law book. The cases mostly relate to post-World War II civil matters such as family and social issues, problems with bank payments, property rights, damage and destruction, among others.

When communities are evicted and forced to flee their country, through no fault of theirs, the only thing of value they can carry away is memories of their homeland and past lives. In order to salvage what they have lost, people try to represent them through textural patterns in their costume and architecture, in their […]

Not too many days ago, ‘Quarantine’ was the only reality. In 2020, when the world was engulfed by the deadly Corona virus, people had to stay away from their dearest ones. The pandemic ended up taking many lives. Families were devastated. No one was safe. COVID 19 isolated people in such a way that they […]

Each one of us, be they writer, artist, or teacher, wishes that their work will reach the public and be remembered. Similarly, producers and marketeers of food products also strive to package their products in a manner that leaves an impression on their consumers. This is why food products in supermarket aisles are deliberately shaped […]

Marcel Duchamp championed the term ‘readymade’ after moving from Paris to New York in 1915. The Bicycle Wheel was the most groundbreaking piece from the earliest examples of Duchamp’s readymades. At one point, Duchamp found others to do much of the work for him: for example, the gallery owner Sidney Janis brought a wheel from […]

Mahbubur Rahman’s first book ‘Drops of Tears’ maps Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharani Jind Kaur’s family tree and the timeline up to Sophia Duleep Singh, through the colonial era. A re-conceptualisation of the women’s voting rights movement in nineteenth century Britian, brings to light the role played by Indian suffragettes Sophia Duleep Singh and Lolita […]