Panorama’s 2024
As we wrap up yet another year, the TBS Panorama team curated lists of the best feature stories and the 10 most viewed ones for our readers
The Best 20 Panorama Stories (in chronological order by publication dates)
1) Between life and death: Do you think about organ donation? by Nusmila Lohani
Bangladesh's Human Organ Transplantation Act – first came into effect in 1999 and last amended in 2018 – allows organ donation from brain-dead donors and more relatives. But the number of posthumous donations in the country remains discouraging
2) The last of the Patros by Jannatul Naym Pieal
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The ethnic minority community called Patro or Laleng, who once reportedly inhabited the entirety of the current Sylhet metropolitan area, are now on the verge of extinction with a population of less than 4,000
3) At the Indo-Bangla border, sugar is the new cattle by Ashraful Haque
In recent months, law enforcers have confiscated smuggled sugar from many bordering districts including Netrokona, Cumilla and Sylhet. Traders seem to be most active on the Sylhet border
4) Looking for answers: Two Scandinavian women search for their roots in Bangladesh by Promila Kanya
Two women, Asha and Elisabeth, were born in Bangladesh but moved to Europe in the 1970s as infants, after being adopted by a Danish and Norwegian couple respectively. All these years later, they are on a mission in their birthplace to trace their roots
5) How 'Italy fever' burns and builds Madaripur by Masum Billah
Based on the migrants successfully crossing the Mediterranean or getting to Italy using the age-old Dunki method, the tales of the families in Madaripur diverge to either rags-to-riches stories or tragedies
6) The day some Dhaka Club members went to court to wear panjabi-pajama by Kamrun Naher
One day in 1987, a group of young men decided to enter the Dhaka Club wearing panjabi-pajama, protesting against the club's colonial dress code for its members
7) Why are rickshaw hoods in Dhaka getting narrower? by Kamrun Naher
In order to reduce the weight and wind resistance of a rickshaw, the rickshaw makers and mechanics are narrowing the size of the seat and the hood. Experts say the overall design and performance can be improved in other ways
8) Kaiputras: The pig herders' song by Jannatul Naym Pieal and Saqlain Rizve
Walking miles after miles from one agricultural land or swamp to another in Gopalganj, losing our way on multiple occasions, we met the Kaiputras, a pig-rearing community living in the south
9) The future of Dhaka's water by Miraz Hossain
As Dhaka grapples with depleting water resources, we delve into the factors leading to this crisis, examine the challenges that lie ahead and explore potential solutions
10) Once a tannery hub, Hazaribagh is becoming Dhaka's new art neighbourhood by Kamrun Naher
After the last of the tannery factories started to relocate to Savar from Hazaribagh in 2017, it left behind empty large spaces. In the last couple of years, artists and sculptors started to build their studios in those abandoned buildings
11) Block Raid: The night comes for the students by Shadique Mahbub Islam
At night, a state of panic and fear engulfs – in some cases whole – thousands of young students across Dhaka. Here are some accounts – heavily edited for publication – of anonymous eyewitnesses and families who have experienced 'block raids' across the capital.
12) Each day felt like 10 in the normal world: Michael Chakma freed from Aynaghor by Masum Billah
Ever since ethnic minority rights activist Michael Chakma was abducted in 2019, many feared he was dead. His family even conducted funeral rituals. On 7 August, Michael emerged as a free man
Journalists from The Business Standard recently visited Ashulia to probe the reported connection between a viral video and the police station
A mother and her son recount the harrowing experiences they endured during the July Revolution. The son was detained by the Detective Branch (DB) and subjected to brutal torture, while the mother fought tirelessly against all odds for his release
15) How Abrar Fahad's murder laid the seeds of the July uprising by Ariful Hasan Shuvo
On the occasion of his 5th death anniversary, we look back at how his killing revealed to people the monstrous dimensions of the AL regime
16) 35 July: Marching with martyrs' bodies at Dhaka University by Masum Billah
On 4 August at the Dhaka University campus, protesters, drenched in sweat, blood and tears, carried the bodies of the martyrs on their shoulders, fearlessly chanting slogans demanding Sheikh Hasina's trial
17) Meet the Bangladeshi volunteers who went to war for Palestine by Kamran Siddiqui
Most surviving volunteers who risked their lives to liberate Palestine in the 1980s are now in their 70s. Yet their courage and enthusiasm remain undiminished, and they still aspire to join the fight
By speaking to the parties related to the recent headlines emerging out of the Geneva Camp, we find a simmering drug war, its victims, causes and a camp life in the dark
19) Fading memories, longing families: The untold stories of lost migrant workers by Kaniz Supriya
Many Bangladeshi migrants often go missing or lose contact with their families while living abroad. When they return, sometimes after decades, they often struggle with mental trauma, making it hard to reconnect with their loved ones
20) For Ekramul's family, justice has taken a backseat to daily survival by Masum Billah
On 26 May 2018, a spine-chilling call record revealed that Ekramul Haque was executed in cold blood, allegedly by Bangladesh's security forces. The AL regime kept his family quiet, but now they want answers
The 10 Most-Viewed Panorama stories
1) Souring the sweet taste of mango export by Shadique Mahbub Islam
Addressing key challenges to export can position the country as a major player in the global mango market
2) Plants that feed our food: Napier taking over farmland to support livestock boom by Ashraful Haque
In recent years, Bangladeshi farmers have become encouraged to raise more cattle. With the growth in cattle farming, the need for cattle food also shot up. Napier cultivation is a part of the efforts to produce cattle food domestically
3) Where should you release a rescued Russell's Viper? by Kamrun Naher
Now that calm is expected in the following days, a crucial question remains: When a Russell's viper is rescued from an angry mob, where should they be released? What is their safe habitat?
4) More details emerge of the last minutes by Zahid Newaz Khan
At one stage, the chief referred to two songs. One song 'amito preme porinini, prem amar upore porechhe' (I didn't fall in love, love fell on me) makes it clear he did not invite any trouble, rather trouble itself appeared in front of the army, and all the happenings around him are unwarranted for
5) Dhaka's buried past: Archaeological excavation unveils new history by Imran Hossain
New findings from Old Dhaka's central jail excavation show that the city was likely a capital of the Bengal region long before Islam Khan's 17th-century arrival, a discovery that reshapes the story of its past
6) NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba makes landing in Bangladesh by Alhan Arsal
NASA's chief astronaut Joseph Acaba, a man who has spent over 306 days in space and participated in multiple missions aboard the ISS, is currently in Dhaka. On Sunday morning, he spent a couple of hours with students at Playpen School
7) The last of Dhaka's '70s era duplexes by Kamrun Naher
Dhaka's skyline today is a sprawling mix of high-rises and modern architecture, but hidden amidst the chaos are remnants of a bygone era — the open terraces, wide balconies and courtyards of the '70s and '80s era houses
8) Meet Umma Kulsum Popi, the first female agri influencer of the country by Kaniz Supriya
With an impressive 1.7 million follower base on Facebook and around 371,000 subscribers on YouTube, Umme Kulsum Popi is a prominent figure in the country's online agricultural community
9) Dhaka: Paying high to live in an unliveable city by Kamrun Naher
One of the most expensive cities in South Asia, Dhaka, secured a place in the bottom 10 liveable cities in the world in 2023 among 173 cities
10) The exquisite Nakshi Kantha industry of Jamalpur by Ashraful Haque
The district is also officially branded as the 'Land of Nakshi Kantha' by the government. Currently, there are around 300-400 physical and online shops selling Nakshi Kantha in Jamalpur town
