Helemul Alam

Imagine a heron catching fish in a pond.

Sujan's eyes were filled with determination. Patiently, the ninth-grader stood by the edge of the water while the

Riding on an auto-rickshaw, a passenger started his journey from Jatrabari intersection for his residence in

Even a few decades ago, there would be a community atmosphere surrounding the pond near the capital's Jhigatola bus stand.

A pond is not just a water body necessary for reducing waterlogging in an area, it also comes in handy during a fire incident.

Shahana Begum was cooking for her family standing knee-deep in water at the kitchen of her house. The house in Adarsha Nagor of DND area has been inundated for over a month. Only the beds, raised two feet by bricks under its legs are dry. But after last week's heavy rains, the beds are only a few inches above the water level.

There was a time when the capital's Azimpur area was vibrant with four ponds. Among the four, three of them are still surviving, while the other one was not that fortunate.

It was a lazy afternoon. Around 10 to 15 ducks were relaxing by a pond. Suddenly, a group of people gathered in the area and started playing trumpets, flutes and drums.

It was a sunny noon. A group of youths were playing cricket at Shikkatuli Park in Nazirabazar of Old Dhaka.

The Khamarbari roundabout in the capital on the southeast end of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban has become a traffic nightmare largely

On a Friday afternoon, Shaymol Kanti Das, a local of the capital's Laxmi Bazar, decided to take his son on an

Although according to a survey carried out in 2006 by the Dhaka City Corporation, there are four ponds in the capital's Wari, two of them have disappeared completely. The other two need proper maintenance and protection.

Laila Rani has always been an early riser.

Amid narrow and dusty alleys, endless traffic and people pushing and shoving to go about their business in Old

Once Ward-76 of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) was full of ponds, providing a much-needed breathing space for the residents.

During the British period, a pond was dug up in the capital's Dhupkhola. It was shaped like a “dui anna” -- a currency unit formerly used in the Indian subcontinent.

Once there were six ponds in Ward-83 of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), offering a much-needed respite to the residents from the jaded city life.

The day was hot with an occasional glimpse of cirrus clouds. It was almost noon and the sun shone with all its might.

It was around 11:00am on Eid-day. Mohammad Saiful Islam was frantically looking for a doctor at the child medicine ward of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) as the time for medication of his two-year-old son had been over some two hours back.

Once Dhaka was adorned with several hundred ponds. Like canals, only a handful exist now. But they are also in death throes due