After the election 6
Non-mainstream voters 18
FRIDAY JANUARY 10 2014 vol 1 Issu e 37
Eusebio 27
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CONTENTS 1 Editor’s Note 2 This Week 4 Bottled Up 5 Whose Line Is It Anyway?
10 Post-Riposte
A Weekly Pro ducti o n o f
DhakaTribune
6 Pick of the Week After the election
Weekend Tribune Team Sumaiya Shams Faisal Mahmud Yusuf Banna Adil Sakhawat Shah Nahian Rohini Alamgir Farhana Urmee
Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email: weekend@dhakatribune.com Web: www.dhakatribune.com Cover Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban by Syed Zakir Hossain
13 Photo Story
During the election Rokomari
20 What’s the Problem?
Emergency services
21 Crime File
Mismanagement during the election
22 Tough Love 23 WT | Leisure
Cartoon Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo
Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood
Welcome to dystopia
17 Digital Bangladesh
Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain
Design Mohammad Mahbub Alam Alamgir Hossain
Evil characters
12 Big Mouth Strikes Again
Editor Zafar Sobhan
Contributors Naheed Kamal Sheikh Mohammed Irfan Dina Sobhan Jennifer Ashraf Sarah-Jane Saltmarsh Muntasir Mamun Chanchal Kamal Quamrul Abedin
10th Parliamentary Election
11 Top 10
Vo lume 1, Issu e 3 7 JAN UARY 10, 2 0 14
Magazine Editor Faruq Hasan
Our grass is ‘greener’
24 Legal Eagle 25 The Way Dhaka Was
Racecourse Maidan
26 Travelogue
Bhutan
27 Obituary
Eusebio
28 Last Word
18 Feature Non-mainstream voters
EDITOR’S NOTE
Everybody’s talking about it L
et’s face it. Politics has never been a dirty word in Bangali culture, it has never been the elephant in the room which we politely tend to ignore. Bangladeshis are essentially political animals: we talk about politics in tea stalls, lifts, gas stations, government offices, and now online, of course. After one of the most controversial polls in our history, the WT is talking politics, non-stop. In this special elections issue, Farhana Urmee sums up the historical and cultural significance of the 10th Parliamentary Elections. In our Post-Riposte, we focus on the legitimacy of this round of elections. Angry Woman Naheed Kamal reminds us
that the road leading up to the polls has been violent, even inimical to the spirit of democracy. And our Photo Story this week presents us the visuals behind the polls. If you already have election anxiety, we have our usual sections to give you a breather. Tough Love and Legal Eagle are there to address your personal problems. Our Obituary this week focuses on football legend Eusebio. And our Travelogue takes you across a trek over beautiful Bhutan. 2014 is off to a rocky start, and it is about to get more interesting. Let the Weekend Tribune be your guide for the rest of the year. n W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 1 0, 20 1 4
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THIS WEEK
A woman holds a placard saying “Save UK Justice” during a protest outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London on January 6. British barristers staged a walkout over cuts to the government’s legal aid budget, briefly paralysing the criminal courts system AFP/Ben Stansall
INTERNATIONAL
Diego Ramos, who is homeless and lives under nearby building scaffolding, pauses as he clears a sidewalk of snow in lower Manhattan following a snow storm that left up to eight inches of snow on January 3 in New York City. The major winter snowstorm, which forced New York City public schools to close and shut down the Long Island Expressway, is being viewed as a test for the new mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio AFP/Getty Images/Spencer Platt
Men perform a traditional dance in the icy winter waters of the Tundzha river in the town of Kalofer as part of the Epiphany Day celebrations on January 6. As a tradition, an Eastern Orthodox priest throws a cross in the river and it is believed that the one who retreives it will be healthy trough the year as well as all those who dance in the icy waters AFP/Nikolay Doychinov
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NATIONAL Jamaat-Shibir activists, with children on the frontline, bring out a procession with tree logs and swords on January 5, protesting the elections in Gaibandha’s Palashbari Matherhat area Focus Bangla
With no place to call a shelter, panicked residents of Chehelgazi union, Dinajpur decide to leave after miscreants vandalise and set fire to their houses and shops on the night of January 5 Focus Bangla
Poor people set up a makeshift bazar on the rail tracks in Tejgaon, Dhaka. Photo taken on January 4
Dhaka Tribune
RAB officials take two young boys into custody after they are arrested with petrol bombs and other explosives from Agargaon, Dhaka on January 6
Dhaka Tribune
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BOTTLED UP
letters to the editor
LETTER
of the week Best issue ever You guys started the New Year with a bang, didn’t you? The entire issue is great. The glossy cover with the digital artwork is praiseworthy. Each of the stories is well-written. I even liked Tough Love, which I usually despise. But what really caught my attention was the photo story: it was so beautiful! Kudos to the WT team for putting together such a good magazine. This one is going in my collection. Hans Neal Uttara, Dhaka
Inspiring entrepreneurs The story about the young businesspeople in last week’s Weekend Tribune was an incredible read! I did not know about Silver Lining and Shomahar Sweater at all. It’s amazing to see these people taking the risk to get what they want. Truly inspiring. M A Kader Gulshan, Dhaka
Good argument It was nice to see the Post-Riposte this week. Both the writers made valid arguments. Personally, I think No Vote should be brought back in the elections. I think if the recent election had the No Vote system, more voters would have gone to cast their votes. Gulshan Ara Moghbazar, Dhaka
Shocked to the core I don’t understand how human beings could commit such atrocious crimes. Kidnapping a 14-month-old girl? How heartless does one have to be to abduct and kill a toddler? Yes, I am convinced that the child is no more. I am shocked by people’s ability to be cruel. Bidisha Mortaja Gulshan, Dhaka
Send us your feedback at: weekend@dhakatribune.com
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WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?
Our grass is ‘greener’ Our ministry has been chosen for the Global Green Awards 2014 for outstanding contribution to the sustainable development of environment. Dr Hasan Mahmud, minister of environment and forests
I’m sorry but I think my oxygen tank just burst. Mr Mango
Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune
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Farhana Urmee is a forgetful journalist who is very serious about taking her notes, because without those she is of no work
PICK OF THE WEEK
After the Election
Down with the system? Farhana Urmee writes about the aftermath of the recently held polls
Photos: Dhaka Tribune
T
he arrival of 2014 marked a change for Bangladesh with the 10th Parliamentary Elections held on January 5. Amid violence (the election was boycotted by the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance and they staged demonstration to resist the election), the polls took place, making it somewhat dissimilar to all the other elections in the history of this country. Now that the election is over, we face two possibilities: this could either lead to actual progress, or a more unstable situation. The real outcome of this election still remains to be seen.
Crafting the election
The opposition parties put in its best efforts to thwart the election W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 1 0, 201 4
Dhaka Tribune
conducted by the Hasina-led polltime interim government, staging continuous blockades and strikes all over the country. The government and the Election Commission, too, failed to convince the opposition to join the election. The initiatives taken by several international agencies to find a middle ground between the ruling and opposition parties were unsuccessful as well. The constant haggling between the two major political parties have put the common people in a difficult situation, so much so that most of them are turning away from anything political. Ershad’s indecisive behaviour and the opposition’s refusal to participate in the election only made the situation worse. The success of a parliamentary
election is measured by the voter turnout, which says a lot about this election, as the number of voters going to the poll centres were much less than expected. Also, a lot of voters went to the poll centres only to find that their names were not on the voters’ list. The fear of violence before and during the election, as the opposition had called for a 48-hour strike, also made the voters reluctant to vote. The political unrest before, during and after the election, the same old confrontation between Awami League and BNP on any given issue, political leaders patronising activists with criminal records, corruption, nepotism and people’s representatives remaining alienated from common people,
have made many lose interest in the country’s political affairs. It was evident on social media: there were streams of posts expressing high indifference to the election, taking the Election Day, January 5, as a mere holiday. Undoubtedly, the somewhat stagnant situation is pushing the nation towards indifference. With 41 poll centres having zero turnout of voters, it is rather interesting that the polls-time interim government can claim that this election is “not controversial.”
The numbers
According to different newspapers reports since the independence of Bangladesh, seats have been won uncontested in four other elections:
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K M Asad
there were 54 political parties and 1,935 candidates contesting. In the ninth election in 2008, there were 38 political parties and 1,567 candidates. The total number of voters for the 10th election was 9,19,65,967. Only 4,36,85,670 voters were able to cast their votes at 147 constituencies, leaving more than half of the total voters deprived of exercising their voting right. Interestingly, among the deprived voters were the president and the prime minister.
What the voters say
Farhia Rahmatullah, a first-time voter from Dhaka 13 constituency, was enthusiastic about going to the poll centre and cast her very first vote. With not much understanding of the political equations, Farhia simply wanted to have her preferred political
party to win the seat in her locality. She was disappointed, though, as she could not cast her vote because the candidate from her constituency won uncontested. Shamima Shathi, a voter from Dhaka 15 constituency said she went to the poll centre “despite the risk of political violence,” not necessarily to make a choice, but to tend to her spirits of being an active citizen of the country. “If I do not cast my vote, I do not feel like a responsible citizen,” she said. In Dhaka 14 constituency, a family was seen coming to the poll centre; among them was the first-time voter Sabina Yasmin. Excited, Sabina said she had to brave the probable election violence to exercise her right as a voter, and her family supported her in her decision, tagging along with her.
Making records 1 There was a 48-hour strike from January 4 morning till January 6 morning 2 The ruling party representatives were elected from 153 constituencies, uncontested 3 A total of 4.8 crore voters were not required to votes. Zero votes were cast in 41 poll centres around the country 4 Voting was suspended in 539 poll centres 5 International bodies withdrew their delegates to observe the election 6 22 were killed and 300 hurt on the Election Day
Shuvo Das
the first election (1973) – 11 seats, the second election (1979) – 11 seats, the fourth election (1988) – 18 seats, and the sixth election (1996) – 49 seats. There were no uncontested wins in the elections of 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2008. After the end of the autocratic regime in 1991, the 10th election has seen the lowest number of candidates: 541. Even the number of political parties that took part in the election was small: only 12 among the 40 registered parties participated in this election. According to the Election Commission website, in the fifth election in 1991, a total of 75 political parties took part in the election, with 2,787 candidates. In the sixth election in 1996, 41 parties took part, with 1,450 candidates. The seventh election in 1996 had 81 political parties, with 2,574 candidates. In 2001,
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PICK OF THE WEEK
After the Election
Resisitng the poll
How the election came to be
October 2013 Interim cabinet takes oath; opposition rejects the polls-time government and boycotts election
A total of 18,208 polling centres were set up in 147 constituencies. 127 school buildings, that housed some of those poll centres were torched by the antigovernment protesters. The election violence went beyond vandalising and throwing crude bombs at different poll centres. Immediately after the elections, Hindus were
attacked by the Jamaate-Islami activists in Obhoynagar, Jessore. Houses and properties were robbed and set on fire as well. The number of casualties from the violence that took place during all the strikes, blockades and demonstrations last year was at least 293.
Hope and despair
What are the challenges of the newly elected government, rejected by the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance? The prime minister, in her post-poll press conference, has already assured the nation that her new government will ensure the security of the lives and property of common people and resist violence. If BNP and Jamaat continue
Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune
with their protests through strikes and blockades, how does the new government plan to deal the situation? The EU, the Commonwealth and the US did not send delegates to observe the 10th election, whereas at least 585 foreign observers were present during the ninth election in 2008, says a UNB report. The US, the UK, the Commonwealth and Canada
November 25, 2013 Election Commission declares the 10th national election to be held on January 5 December 3, 2013 Jatiya Party, led by HM Ershad, boycotts the election; opposition forced into action to resist the election January 5, 2014 The election takes place January 6, 2014: PM addresses the nation, assures security
Zohurul Islam
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Wahid Adnan
have already expressed their discontent over the election results. What will be the nature of the relationship between the foreign countries and the new government? Technically, the validity of the current interim government cannot be questioned. However, after January 24, when the new government is formed, it will have the weakest opposition as a number of BNP leaders will not be able to sit in the parliament, failing to represent their people. Does that make
the new government democratic, in the truest sense of the word? Although the election was conducted in line with the Constitution, the election was hardly the right interpretation of public opinion. The lopsided election leaves us with more questions: will the government be able to control the “free reign� of the party men at field level? As it seems, the newly-elected government and the movement against it will continue simultaneously.
In that case, what are the risks in the sector of economy and education? How can they be minimised or dealt with by the government? Can all the parties be persuaded to have a compromise? These questions need to be answered as soon as possible. The common people, who are the most prominent element of a democracy, deserve an end to these uncertainties. n
Key factors in the election n
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The 15th Amendment, which abolished the caretaker government and allowed the general election to be held under elected partisan government No understanding between two major political parties Ershad’s decision to participate in the election under the current polltime government, only to announce later that he did not accept the interim government A number of failed initiatives by the civil society as well as several foreign delegates to make the two major political parties have a conversation Fear and anxiety of preelection violence, causing low voter turnout
Dhaka Tribune
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POST-RIPOSTE
10th Parliamentary Election
Is it acceptable?
The recent national election stirred many debates all over the country, and the WT desk was no different
It’s legal, says the constitution Faisal Mahmud
T
echnically, there is nothing wrong with the January 5 election. Sheikh Hasina’s government has used the Supreme Court’s verdict to abolish the non-partisan electiontime caretaker government (CTG) by amending the Constitution in June 2011. That abolition of the CTG system allowed her government to stay in power during the election. Since the ninth parliament expires on January 24 of this year, Article 123(1) of the Constitution required general election to be held between the dates October 26, 2013 and January 24, 2014, within 90 days before the expiration of the Parliament on January 24, 2014. Keeping that in mind, on November 25, the Election Commission (EC) announced that the 10th general election in Bangladesh would be held
on January 5, as per Articles 118 (4) and 119 (1) of the Constitution. The mentioned articles and clauses gave the EC the authority to announce the schedule independently for holding elections in (a) the case of a dissolution by reason of the expiration of its term, within the period of 90 days preceding such dissolution, and (b) in the case of a dissolution otherwise than by reason of such expiration, within 90 days after such dissolution. After the announcement of the schedule, the main oppositions BNP, Jatiya Party and others boycotted the election on the grounds of not going to the polls without CTG. But that doesn’t technically invalidate the legality of the January 5 election. n
Cartoons: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune
Absolutely unacceptable Farhana Urmee
T
he 10th national election can hardly be accepted by the people. In a country with only two major political parties ruling alternatively, when one boycotts the election protesting the poll-time interim government, the election undoubtedly gets controversial. Moreover, international acceptance of the election can also be questioned as the United States, European Union and Commonwealth did not send observers for the election as the government failed to accommodate the opposition in the election. Also, the ruling party representatives were elected from 153 constituencies, all uncontested. Thus, about half of the total voters could not even cast their votes. Not a single vote was cast in at least 41 poll centres
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around the country and voting was suspended in 539 poll centres. Only 12 political parties took part in the election out of 40 registered parties. This election has seen the lowest number of candidates in a national election. The irony lies in the Election Commission’s claims to have a free, fair and successful election in spite of vote rigging, when and election violence and the killing of 22 people across the country marred the occasion. In a democracy, the government ought to be founded by the people. Here, people find themselves absent in the whole process. There can be little doubt that this election is unacceptable. n
TOP 10
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Evil Characters
Among the wicked Shah Nahian lists the worst villains, both real and fictional, the world has ever known. The list was generated from a social media poll. To take part in the next one, visit the WT page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WeekendTrib, or the Dhaka Tribune page at www.facebook. com/DhakaTribune
Shah Nahian is a staff writer at Dhaka Tribune with a passion for music and art. When he’s not being forced to work, he spends his time daydreaming and hanging out with friends
family where he lived the rest of his life.
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Shiro Ishii
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Pol Pot
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The Joker
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Sauron
Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune
Shiro Ishii was a microbiologist and the lieutenant general of Unit 731, a biological warfare unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. His atrocities included vivisection of living people (including pregnant women who were impregnated by the doctors), amputation of prisoners and reattaching them, amongst countless others.
1 Josef Stalin
Josef Stalin was general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union’s Central Committee. During his rule, Stalin was responsible for the great man-made famine and Holodomor (now recognised as genocide by Ukraine and several other countries). With the total number of people murdered under his reign ranging from 1 crore to 6 crore, Stalin is considered to be one of the greatest mass murderers in history.
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Adolf Hitler
Barely needing any introduction, Hitler brought death and destruction on millions of people, and was responsible for the killing of 60 lakh Jews, which is now known as the Holocaust. With Soviet troops at the gates of the Reich Chancellery, Hitler ended his reign of terror by shooting himself while simultaneously biting into a cyanide capsule.
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Kim Il Sung
The dictator of North Korea, responsible for starting the Korean War that consumed the lives of 30 lakh people, continued his monstrosities even after the end of the war. He forced political prisoners into concentration camps, exiled or executed most of his generals that fought the war, implemented capital punishment laws where the person’s children and grandchildren could be held
accountable for a crime they were no part of, and the list goes on.
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Heinrich Himmler
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Josef Mengele
Heinrich Himmler was the architect of the holocaust and final solution. Obsessed with trying to breed a master race of Nordic appearance, the Aryan race, when he was captured, he was genuinely shocked after being treated as a criminal. He ended his life by swallowing a cyanide capsule. A physician in the concentration camp Auschwitz, the doctor was known as the “Angel of Death.” He was in charge of selecting Jews to be sent to concentration camps or to be killed. Obsessed with the idea of twins, he conducted bizarre experiments with them. Personally responsible for sending 400,000 people to the gas chamber, Mengele managed to escape to South America with his
The leader of Khmer Rouge and the prime minister of Cambodia, Pol Pot imposed an extreme version of Agrarian communism, where city dwellers were reallocated to the country side to work in collective farms and forced labour projects. The Khmer Rouge was responsible for mass executions known as the killing fields. Executions were often carried out using hammers, axe handles, spades, etc to save ammunition. The Joker is a fictional comic book villain who needs no introduction. His sole purpose is to create chaos and terror into the hearts of people. He is a worthy nemesis to Batman, or any other superhero. The primary antagonist of JRR Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Sauron is the one responsible for the creation of the rings of power, eventually bringing Middle Earth down to its knees during his reign of terror. Sauron is a villain worthy of striking fear into the hearts of any LOTR fan.
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Lord Voldemort
Arch enemy to Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort is feared among the witches and wizards to a point where no one dares speak his name. Only referred to as You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or the Dark Lord, it goes without saying that Lord Voldemort is a masterpiece created by the author JK Rowling. n W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 1 0, 20 1 4
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Big Mouth strikes again
Naheed Kamal
Welcome to dystopia Travellers be warned: this little dysfunctional nation is not for the faint of heart Naheed Kamal is an irreverent and irreligious feminist. An old soul of indeterminate age, with one too many opinions and a very loud voice (for a little person), she laughs a lot, mostly at herself. She lives in Dhaka, against her best judgement. Mostly, Ms Kamal rants, a lot!
T
he last time we had general elections in Bangladesh, it was the first time – could be the last – Bangladeshis were actually able to cast their votes themselves. It was as free and fair as elections could get in our limited experience. How delighted were we, that there wasn’t a ballot box rigged or a polling station exploding? I certainly was. It was one of the proudest days of my life, personally and politically, but I was disturbed by so many people I know who were too busy making plans for New Year’s Eve – later that week – to bother with ballots. Do I see some of you up in arms (on Facebook) because you can’t cast – or “cust,” as the writings on the walls proclaimed – your vote? Serves you right for not listening to me five years ago. Bangladesh is a politician’s dream. Large numbers of people are ignorant and/or unaware, not by choice, but due to circumstances, and so often compelled to unquestioningly do as they are told. I suspect a small but influential group aren’t bothered – to vote, for instance – not because they are not informed, educated, or intelligent, unlike the vast majority who are not so privileged, but because they are uninterested. Why choose to remain ignorant about matters that have repercussions for all of us? I find it baffling, and disheartening. But I am, as always, looking for a silver lining in the dark clouds that have been gathering since … come to think of it, they’ve been there for a long time casting ominous shadows all over the place. In fact, those dark clouds have been there for so long, we don’t notice them much, until the storm breaks. As you know, in my quests, I turn to Google. As I typed Bangladesh and hit enter, I was sorry I had. Page after page of the same morbid headlines, going back months into last year, there were mostly terrible news
All of us know some people – if we are not guilty of it ourselves – who choose to be ignorant and prefer to be distracted by the latest gossip, fashion, cars, gadgets and assorted toys so they do not have to face the realities of life in Bangladesh. It is time to check our privilege!
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from Bangladesh: Man stabbed to death, building collapsed, thousands dead, dying and disabled, bodies mangled, senile and self-serving politicos, Islamists rampaging ... are those children caught in the middle? There’s more – arson, rape, corruption, violence, extortion, more deaths. Add burning schools and the “annus horribilis” is complete. Look, there goes our future. When, in August, an Australian paper announced, “Violence rolls on in the cutthroat world of Bangladeshi politics,” there was no arguing. In December, fresh from the Hay Festival, Pankaj Mishra’s piece in Bloomberg asked: “Will Bangladesh ever have a future?” I said to myself that he was misled, because 2013 was exceptionally thuggish. In Bangladesh, however, truth is stranger than science fiction. Book your flights now, because if there’s one thing we can always guarantee, it is that things can, and will, get from bad to worse, just as you think it can’t possibly get any worse. In the first six months of 2013, around 300 people died, approximately 500 died by the end if it, and more than 20,000 were injured in “targeted political violence.” Outside of conflict zones, no other country’s politics has been more violent than ours. Way to go! You bet your dollars the record will be broken this year. H L Mencken – he had a lot to say – declared: “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” Does it sound familiar?
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n most news reports in the foreign press – and at home – the government is the problem. Confused, a foreign friend asked me why, or how the government could be the problem. I re-read a year’s worth of reports on the on-going crises, mixing sensationalised blather with scaremongering and scenes straight out of a nightmare where armed goons attack hapless women, police shoot people on the roads nonchalantly, and all the while two women bicker. How does one explain to the world beyond that Bangladesh’s political instability is caused by two political parties so intractably polarised that we could easily self destruct any day now? This mindless madness has brought
the nation to its knees. But credit should go where it’s due, because we have the best “professional politicians” whom Mencken called “professionally dishonourable” (I told you he had a lot to say), because: “In order to get anywhere near high office he (or she) has to make so many compromises and submit to so many humiliations that he (or she) becomes indistinguishable from a streetwalker.” That sounds just about right to me, though I admit, it is unfair to the world’s oldest profession. We kick started the year with a ban on gatherings – if you are not privileged, you can’t celebrate New Year’s Eve – then came a ban on a dozen motorised vehicles, closely followed by a dozen or so deaths, and the first of many 48-hour strikes. With more chaos and more losses to come, it is no wonder the rich keep getting richer and the poor poorer. As I was giving up hope, I found a little ray. Mind you, it is just a faint glimmer, so don’t get too excited. Back in November, when the Guardian reported, “In an uplifting move away from disaster news stories, Bangladesh is emerging as an unspoilt destination for intrepid travellers,” where one company is offering “cultural adventures,” it felt good. Last week, this “desperation station” – as I fondly call it depending on my mood – was 35th among 40 Holiday Hotspots to visit this year. Hurrah! If package tours are not your thing, you can still visit. It is cheap and cheerful, very crowded, noisy, polluted, and not too hygienic. Our service is crap, but our hospitality knows no bounds. We have many attractions (longest beach, mangrove forest, loads of rivers, few tigers, too many people, some tea gardens and a rainbow layered tea) and detractions, 43 according to virtualtourist.com. A British Bangladeshi’s travel company, Lovedesh.com, is offering bespoke tours to ‘desh, but Bangladesh is your dream destination if you are a fearless adventure seeker. Mencken said: “Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses. It is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And we give as good as we get, in our perpetual quest to wrest our illiberal democracy from despots, so don’t let a little unrest deter you from visiting. War games, anyone? n
If you were agitating on social media about democracy’s death, you might be amused by HL Mencken’s claim that democracy is the art of running a circus from the monkey cage. Simmer down animals; you’ll have your chance to stamp that ballot in three months’ time
PHOTO STORY During the ELECTION
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Free and fair? A photo story by
Dhaka Tribune
Mahmud Hossain Opu
I
t happened irrespective of the public demand! Amid the ongoing violence and controversies, the 10th national election took place on January 5. Votes were cast from 8am to 4pm continuously. After 4pm, the results started coming in. But the eerie and unprecedented situation of extremely low turnout has created very little interest about the outcome among the people. The opposition’s boycott meant that elections for 153 seats went uncontested, with Awami League taking 127 seats. Meanwhile, political violence across the country claimed as many as 500 lives in the 12 months before the election – the highest in the country’s history before any election. n
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PHOTO STORY During the ELECTION
Syed Zakir Hossain
Syed Zakir Hossain
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Nashirul Islam
Rajib Dhar
Dhaka Tribune
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PHOTO STORY During the ELECTION
Mahmud Hossain Opu
Mahmud Hossain Opu
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Syed Zakir Hossain
Digital Bangladesh
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Rokomari
Our own Amazon
Faisal Mahmud writes about the virtual haven for Bangladeshi bookworms
I
t’s been long since the few bookstores in Dhaka have been able to cater to all the book lovers in the country, more importantly in the capital. The unbearable traffic of Dhaka adds to the Dhakaites’ misery, as it’s a hassle to trudge through the traffic just for the sake of buying recreational books. That’s precisely why, for the bookloving people, Rokomari.com has been like an oasis.
What is Rokomari?
Rokomari.com was launched on January 19, 2012. When asked about how it came to be, Mehedi Hasan Rana, head of marketing and branding of the online store, says: “The initial idea was to sell books thorough online orders. But now as our ventures have succeeded, we decide to increase our selling list. We have recently enlisted music and other CDs/DVDs to our product list, and we are interested in diversifying our catalogue.” When customers browse the website, they are provided with a few options to buy books. Rana explains: “The website categorises the books based on over 30 topics. A link to each topic-based list is displayed on the home page for further browsing. There are also lists based on authors and publishers. “Furthermore, It displays lists of award-winning books, editor’s pick (which are recommended by an inhouse expert committee), Rokomari bestsellers (basing on the sales statistics) and special discounts (in arrangement with the publishers, especially for promotion).” Customers can also make enquiries
about particular books using the website’s search option.
The ordering procedure
One way to order books at Rokomari is to call at the customer service numbers given on the homepage of the website. Customers can place their order for the books they want (from the lists in the website) simply by calling the numbers and providing their addresses. If one wants to order via the website, one needs to register with Rokomari first, and provide some basic information, which is stored in the website’s database. Every time registered customers place an order through the “buy now” option, their order information is cross-checked with the database information, and then the customer service calls them to confirm the order. For unregistered users, as soon as they click on “buy now,” a standard form appears, which they need to fill up to get registered.
Delivery and payment method
“Rokomari.com is still operating on cash-on-delivery method. The website is trying to incorporate an online payment system through credit card/ debit card issued by the DBBL and SCB, but the procedure will take until next year to finish,” Rana said. The website has collaboration with four courier services: Sundarban, Sonartori, iExpress and Udvash. It also delivers books using the government postal service. Rokomari covers all the districts of the country. Upon delivery, a customer needs to pay a delivery fee of Tk30, regardless of the destination. The normal delivery time is one to
five days, depending on the distance. Within Dhaka, the delivery time is usually one day.
Security issues
“The network security of the website is strong,” Rana said. “Apart from some minor update-related glitches, the website hasn’t faced any major problem or security threat since its launch.” As the website has contracts with courier services, all of the products that it sends through them are insured (by the courier services) as per the postal act.
Problems faced by the site
The main problem that the website faces is regarding delivery, especially during political turmoil marked by strikes and blockades. As Rokomari pledges to deliver the books to the buyers’ doorsteps within the promised deadline, these random communication problems jeopardise its reputation, as some customers have complained about missing the due date of delivery. “Fake customers are another problem. However, as of now, less than 1% of the order placed in the website has been proven fake,” Rana said. n
Did you know?
1. In the online bookstore business, Rokomari.com is enjoying monopoly. Market research conducted by the site has found that, so far, it controls 99% of the online bookstore market. Other competitors are boi24.com and Ryans archive 2. Almost 80% of Dhaka’s readers learned about the existence of the website (mainly because it had a stall in 2012, 2013 Ekushey Book Fair), nearly 30% of them ordered books from the site
Faisal Mahmud is a staff reporter at Weekend Tribune. He is good at memorising seemingly unnecessary information and finds that journalism actually appreciates, if not nurtures, that sort of futile flair
3. According to data provided by the site authority, the site has sold over 1.6 lakhs different books worth of Tk2.5cr since its launch. It has served over 50,000 customers
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 1 0, 20 1 4
18
Feature
Non-mainstream Voters
The ‘invisible’ ones
Adil Sakhawat talks to the electorates that our leaders tend to forget Adil Sakhawat wanted to be in the army, but failing that, fights crime by reporting on it. Send him information at weekend@ dhakatribune.com
J
ust like you and me, they are voters too. Yet we tend to forget their views, sidestep their opinions, and shun them when it comes to canvassing for votes and making election pledges. They are one of us, and here is what they have to say.
‘The state has finally recognised our rights and from now on we will be enlisted as hijras on our NID card. That’s why we thank the government. Let’s just hope they clean up the labels on our NID cards soon.’
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Photos: Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
Hijras
Hijras in Bangladesh got their voting rights in 2008, right after the Supreme Court ruled that transgendered people are full-fledged citizens and must have voting rights extended to them. According to several reports, around 100,000 transgendered people were expected to be amongst the 8.1 crore voters estimated to turn out in the ninth parliamentary elections. On November 11, the cabinet passed a law which declared hijras as a separate gender. During the 10th Parliamentary Elections, hijras should have come out in higher numbers, but the political unrest that has affected turnout, has seriously dwindled their numbers. Joya Shikder, president of Sex Workers Network of Bangladesh and also a transgender social worker, said: “I voted from the Jatrabari area, but
we are still identified either as ‘male’ or ‘female’ on our national ID cards. I know many hijras from different areas who cast their votes for the first time, this time around.”
Sex workers
According to the Sex Workers Network of Bangladesh, there are 4513 sex workers living in 12 brothels in the country. Recently, the Madaripur brothel was shut down. There are also street based and hotel based sex workers. Sex workers play an important role during election time. Many sex workers told this reporter that, although they constitute a sizeable chunk of the total voters, they are often left out of political discussions, and politicians only approach them very close to election time. After elections, they are once again forgotten, their concerns
left uncared for. Bithy Akhter (not her real name), a sex worker, went to vote in the Tangail 5 constituency from the Kandapara brothel of Tangail, as she is a voter of that constituency. But at the polling centre, she was harassed by some of her customers. Eventually, she turned back and went home. She said: “Although we are Bangladeshi citizens, and have the same voting rights as everyone else, our profession throws a stigma upon us. Thus, although technically we can vote, we often face all kinds of harassment, and even violence, when we try to exercise our rights.”
19
My suggestions included separate queues for the physically challenged to cast their votes during election in separate voting booths that must open on the ground floor of a building, permission to use vehicles, and giving assistance to the visually impaired. A ramp ought to be made for the physically challenged in polling centres, and braille ballot paper should be arranged for the visually impaired people. Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain
I know many voters who are sex workers and went to the polling centre to vote, and without our vote the selected candidate would probably be defeated. So the government should think about us. The people who tease us in public should keep in mind that we are also human beings. Bithy Akhter
Expats
Although Bangladeshis living outside the country are credited for sending huge amounts of remittances every year, they find it difficult to vote from abroad. Although there is a system of providing votes by applying to a returning officer 15 days prior to the election date, most Bangladeshi expats lack general awareness to use this system. However, what’s worse
is that, around 80 lakh Bangladeshi expats are living abroad, according to the Ministry of Expatriates and Overseas Employment officials, and as they are not aware of the postal ballot system, most of them are not registered as voters. According to Shaikh Yusuf Harun, deputy commissioner of Dhaka, the Election Commission (EC) has a provision for taking postal votes by sending postal ballots to the interested officers or persons. The returning officer sends the postal ballot to the EC and it is counted for the aspirants for whom the officer or person gives their vote, he added. “We are yet to receive a single application. Nobody is interested to vote as most of them are not aware about the system. They would be interested, of course, if there ws some sort of awareness raised about the event, but no such endeavour has ever taken place,” he said. Asked about publicity surrounding postal ballots, the EC Secretary Mohammad Sadique refused to comment, saying he was “very busy.” Lack of awareness about the postal ballot system also failed to create enthusiasm among expatriates living abroad.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the UAE Mohammad Imran said: “We have not received any letters from Bangladeshi expatriates urging for a system where they can send back their votes. The interest has to come from them, I cannot generate it on my own.” “I have no knowledge about postal ballot and we have no such activities,” Emdadul Hoque, labour counsellor to Riyadh, said. Shajahan Bhuiyan, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Saudi Arabia, said: “We are not voters and the government has not made us voters, which is our big demand. We are always neglected by whatever government comes to power.” Mohiuddin Babul, a Bangladeshi businessman in South Africa, said: “We do not know anything about a postal ballot system.” This reporter talked to almost 20 expatriates living in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Kuwait, Malaysia, South Africa, and South Korea. All of them expected the Election Commission to take initiatives to make the expatriate community aware about the postal ballot system. Only with proper awareness would the expats actually start flexing their voting muscles.
The physically challenged
The time was 12.30pm on the Election Day. A physically disabled person named Zahirul Islam came to Mirpur Bangla School and College to vote. But unfortunately he heard from the police that he had to go the the third floor of the building in order to vote. Zahirul had to return home. He said: “How could I climb up to the third floor? If the booth was on the first floor, I could have given my vote. The government should think about the physically challenged people.” Like Zahirul, many other voters have been facing different types of hazards when they go to vote. The visually challenged cannot vote in
our country as there is no system of tactile, Braille or EVM for them, though these facilities are available in other countries. According to the World Report on Disability 2011, published by World Health Organization, 1.6 crore people of Bangladesh are physically disabled. Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, former election commissioner, put forward a number of proposals to the government that could increase the presence of the physically challenged voters.
Stranded Pakistanis
On May 19, 2008, the Bangladesh High Court approved citizenship and voting rights for the Urdu-speaking residents in Bangladesh, commonly known as Biharis. There are 300,000 Biharis in dozens of camps and settlements in Dhaka and spread out across the country, according to Al-Falah Bangladesh, an NGO campaigning for their rights. Since 2008, the Biharis, also known as Stranded Pakistanis, can vote as citizens of Bangladesh. In the capital, they are concentrated mainly in Mirpur, Pallabi and Mohammadpur. Biharis from Pallabi and Mirpur were able to vote in the election, but the Biharis in Mohammadpur could not, as they had an uncontested candidate in their area. Many new Bihari voters of Pallabi area expressed their joy as they could participate in the elections for the first time, but many voters who were voting for the second time alleged that the Awami League candidate Elias Uddin Mollah was their ex representative but had not developed the Dhaka 16 constituency much. These candidates go to them asking for votes only during election time. After the elections, they are forgotten, once again. n
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20
What’s the Problem?
Emergency Services
Who you gonna call?
Sheikh Mohammad Irfan discusses the major problems associated with the response to emergencies in Bangladesh
“F
ire! Call for help! Wait a second ... what is the phone number of the fire department? Nobody knows!” This is one example of the difficulties people face during emergency situations in Bangladesh. Not only do our emergency services have extremely complicated phone numbers, the services themselves are slow to respond and lack the necessary equipment to handle crises. As Bangladeshis, we face crime, property damage, medical emergencies, and utility problems on a daily basis. Our government fails to deliver services promptly or effectively enough to cater to our basic needs in emergencies. Emergency services are meant to provide instant help in situations of risk to health, life, property and the environment. Response to emergencies is the top priority in most developed countries. In Bangladesh, the government directly controls most emergency services and does not provide many basic ones like paramedics and emergency response vehicles. Those services that are available, like the police force and fire services, are lacking in the most basic areas of emergency planning and management and do not even provide easy-toremember emergency numbers or
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 1 0, 201 4
Big stock
Sheikh Mohammed Irfan is a pragmatist, bringing spotlight to the persistent problems in Bangladesh
fast lanes reserved for emergency transportation. Since the government controls both the transportation and telecommunication departments, the only available explanation for this deficiency is negligence. When scrutinising emergency services in Bangladesh, it is not difficult to notice that they are run by corruption, nepotism and laxity. The police force, for example, is directly responsible for protecting citizens and providing emergency services when a crime occurs. Conversely, it does not provide any such instant services unless the individual in need is a “big shot,” a “fat cat,” the relative of a police officer, etc. The lengthy paperwork involved in filing a report and the corruption that disrupts the accumulation of facts make the police force an utterly unreliable service. The added overwhelming lack of ethics and morals represented by our police force further undermines their work. Fire services are just as crippled as the police services. The fire department has ambulances and the government uses the department as an emergency response vehicle service for medical emergencies without providing trained paramedics to accompany these ambulances. This dual use of the fire department compromises the department’s ability to provide
specialised relief during fires. Moreover, the fire services have failed to implement prevention techniques and emergency action plans in buildings throughout the country, which is why so many people still fall victim to fires today. Since the government directly controls housing, urban and rural development, it is their duty to enforce safety laws that will ensure social security. The regulation of these laws must be free of nepotism and corruption. In other words, factories and buildings that compromise safety and do not fulfil the safety criteria of the law must be shut down.
H
owever, it seems that our government refuses to generate progress by focusing its goals on modernisation. The laws that govern our country are outdated and, in many cases, still rely on the colonial code of law, which is about a century old! Moreover, there is a major need to upgrade emergency equipment, resources, and networks of communication, but no action has been taken to address this need. Recently, the fire department came up with a three-digit phone number which most of us are unaware of. Unfortunately, this number only serves clients of Grameenphone and it has not been nationalised. So basically, our
government has failed to implement a simple yet essential emergency service due to the lack of coordination and an apparent disregard for public safety. Furthermore, the fact that only one private company is providing this service means that most phone operating companies pay no heed to public safety. The government is responsible for providing us with these services, but we are equally responsible in respecting and understanding the need of emergency services in society. Very few of us move to the side when we hear an ambulance coming towards us. Some of those driving ambulances take advantage of the licence and choose to transport people who are not in danger. This careless behaviour creates a culture of mistrust and reflects negatively on our society. It is our duty as citizens to protect and appreciate each the roles of others and produce a culture of harmony. We must value our own lives before demanding and expecting others to value our lives, and before we can demand proper emergency services. Bangladesh is aspiring to build a nuclear power plant, but how can we assure prevention of a nuclear disaster like that which occurred in Japan not too long ago, when we cannot even achieve basic public safety? n
CRIME FILE
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Mismanagement during the Election
True democracy?
Adil Sakhawat and Tazlina Zamila Khan observe the on-goings on the Election Day at two constituencies in Dhaka Case 2: Dhaka 18
Photos: Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune
Case 1: Dhaka 16
In the recently held 10th National Election, Pallabi Mazedul Islam Model High School comprised eight poll centres. Throughout the Election Day, followers of Awami League candidate Elias Uddin Mollah were seen roaming inside the compound of the school. They were allegedly bringing voters in and forcing them to vote, in the presence of presiding officers and law enforcers. At around 10.15am, Minara and Farida, who claimed themselves as Elias’s supporters, brought in two voters named named Shahida and Roushan Ara and showed
them the way to the ballot box. Those two women, along with 20 others stayed inside the poll centre, violating the electoral code completely. Shahida and Roushan Ara said they were forcefully brought from their slums to vote. They also said they had no desire to vote. Supporters of Sardar Mohammad Mannan, an independent candidate opposing Elias, said Elias had the administration in his grasp. This reporter did not find such a situation in the other poll centres in Dhaka 16 constituency.
Mismanagement and vote faking took place at the poll centres in Uttara High School and College under Dhaka 18 constituency on the Election Day. There were a total of 200 poll centres and around 5,00,000 voters in Dhaka 18. Of the total centres, 10 were in the school, with a total of 22,451 voters – 9,863 female, 12,588 male. Abdul Mannan went to vote at Centre 3 in the school, without a national ID card, and was seen roaming around inside the compound at around 11:20pm. He claimed he had lost his wallet, which had his ID card, and he didn’t remember his serial number too. He also said he had checked the voter list at the centre and found his name and photo on the list. He was then taken to the presiding officer of the centre, Abdul Jalil. When Jalil told him that he needed to crosscheck some information and asked for Mannan’s date of birth, Mannan said he didn’t remember his birthdate. An argument followed, and then Jalil permitted Mannan to cast his vote. Mannan cast his vote, but left the centre without the ink mark on his thumb. Later, he tried to cast vote at a different centre, but when confronted, he fled the scene. Corruption was high at Centre 5. Motiur Rahman, assistant presiding officer at Booth 4 and 5, cast his vote there even though he was voter in another area. When asked about this, he too ran away from the school and
did not come back for the rest of the day. Ballot papers were seen all over the floor in front of the centre. Many new voters went to cast their vote and returned frustrated as they could not find their serial number on the list. Fahmidur Rahman Fahim, a firsttime voter, said: “The government thought new voters would vote against AL, so they didn’t provide our list. This is a conspiracy.” Faiz Farhat Nova, another new voter, said: “I am returning without casting my vote, as they don’t have my name on the list.” Ali Hyder Chowdhury, an old voter, did not find his name on the list either: “I have cast my vote in the general elections three times. I have never seen such mismanagement like I saw in this election.” A few voters were angered by the lack of discipline. Hasib Sultan, a voter, said: “I have been trying to find which centre I’m supposed to go to vote for an hour. No one has been able to point me to the right place. I am frustrated.”
Adil Sakhawat wanted to be in the army, but failing that, fights crime by reporting on it. Send him information at weekend@ dhakatribune.com
Election authorities at the centres
“Using poll centre premises without voters and polling agents is a clear violation of electoral code. According to the election procedure, we do not allow outsiders except voters and polling agents inside the poll centre premises.” Nazir Ahmed, presiding officer of poll centre 131 under Dhaka 16. Afterwards, he drove away the outsiders from the poll centre “We were not given any instruction to drive the supporters out of the centres. We told them to go outside of the polling centres anyway, but they did not listen to us.” Sergeant Shoeb, Tejgoan zone, on duty at Dhaka 16 “There have been no complaints of fake votes. The polls are going on and the number of voters is also satisfactory.” Mobarak Hossain, presiding officer at Centre 5, Dhaka 18, denying the allegation of vote faking by the assistant presiding officer “The voters’ list provided by the Election Commission is full of errors. That is why voters are facing problems.” Maruf Hasan, additional commissioner of police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police n W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 1 0, 20 1 4
22 Dina Sobhan is a freelance writer and cautions readers not to take her “advice” here too seriously! Got a problem? Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune.com
TOUGH LOVE 1
I am a female teacher in an all-boys school. Although most of my students are great, some have started harassing me. They routinely leave love notes on my desk, send me messages on Facebook, and some even whistle at me in the cafeteria. Should I just accept this as part of my job description, or make an official complaint to the principal? Or is there a third alternative that I am not seeing?
DINA SOBHAN Well, unless your job description lists sexual harassment as one of the perks, you should put an end to it immediately. How you go about it depends on how far these students have taken it. Do these love letters consist of misshapen hearts with the words “Ami tomake bhalobashi” scrawled illegibly in the middle with a red crayon, or are they pornographic missives that would make the Marquis de Sade sit up and take notice? Are the Facebook messages ardent declarations of adoration, or 50 Shades of Shaju? And,
most importantly, do you find it sweet, innocent and almost flattering, or do you feel the need to take a hot shower with steel wool and a bar of Wheel shaban as soon as you get home from school? If it’s mostly the former, you should take these prepubescent paramours aside and explain to them that while their attentions are flattering, they could be expelled for behaving inappropriately with a teacher and, what’s more, it could jeopardise your position. If they are not the sorts to be reasoned with, file a
report with the principal and request to be moved to a different section and/or have the perpetrators moved to a section taught by a different, preferably male, teacher. Of course, just for a laugh, you could pretend to return their affections, proposing to each that you give up your teaching position and agree to marry him … with the consent and approval of his parents, naturally. Just the thought of their mothers’ expressions should put an end to their ardour instantly. n
Syed Rshad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune
2
My girlfriend insists that we have a joint Facebook account. Although I love sharing things with her, I believe that there should be some boundaries. Her argument is that since we have so many friends in common anyway, what’s there to “hide”? Do you think I am wrong to want my own space?
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You are by no means “wrong” to want your own space; I demand it of you, as a matter of fact. It’s the thin end of the wedge, my friend. If you give it to this demand, it will merely be the first of many that will soon see you in a veritable prison of love. You must explain to your co-dependent companion that it is imperative to maintain a degree of distance and privacy, no matter how close the relationship. While you
would not dream of disrespecting her boundaries by say, going bra shopping with her gaggle of girlfriends or sitting in on a three-way chat as they discuss the latest in their love sagas, she needs to back up and let you do whatever it is that you do on Facebook and any other private space that you have. One hopes that you do not use these media to exercise the perverse proclivities of your alter ego, Swinging Sanjay, but
whatever the case may be, you should be allowed to draw your own boundaries, to use your own words. If she doesn’t understand that, it’s possible that her insecurities will eventually continue to mount until they strangle the very affection on which your relationship is based. Lay down the ground rules quick so your relationship grows and allows you both to grow in it, and not suffocate under its own weight. n
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WT LEISURE
Across 1 4 6 7
Change logo and transport in Venice (7) Six egg in messy rail pasta dish (7) A tropic salad of fruit (7) Headless mood, or one that rules (7)
Down 1 2 3 5
Actor Richard holds person appropriate (7) Level up rights first when hell freezes over (5) Raise list number 4, a flyer (7) Award mark after nothing (5)
Solution and clues for last week’s crossword
Across 1 6 7 8
Vegetable rust? (6) Own goal in French street for villain (5) Offer money for alien bathroom equipment (5) Concoct a scare for Emperor (6)
Down 2 3 4 5
Shorten a river crossing (7) Great at organised boat races (7) Idea regarding the gold unknown (6) What Spanish live above Canada’s first city (6)
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 1 0, 20 1 4
24 Jennifer Ashraf is a barrister and solicitor of England and Wales. She is currently Senior Partner at Legacy Legal Corporate. When she is not solving complicated legal problems, Jennifer is usually found travelling to exotic locations sampling the indigenous cuisine
LEGAL EAGLE 1
I live next door to a big supermarket chain. Recently, they have put up a huge billboard that covers one side of my building completely, blocking all sunlight from coming in. Some of my neighbours and I have complained to their manager, but he said that since the billboard is on their side of the property, we can do nothing about it. I wanted to ask you whether there is any legal action I can take against the store to make them take down the billboard?
Got a problem? Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com
Jennifer Ashraf Dear Reader Everyone has a few basic rights – rights to air, light, water, etc to name a few. Your neighbours and you obviously have the right to enjoy natural sunlight coming in, especially if you have done so for years. This right, in legal terms, can be defined as an “easement.” What is an easement you ask? Put simply, an easement is the “right” to use someone else’s land to confer an advantage or a benefit to the user. Your building and the supermarket building have been structurally adjacent for quite a few years. I am also assuming that you and your neighbours also enjoyed this uninterrupted right of light till only recently, as you mentioned that the construction of the billboard is relatively new. Hence, in legal terms, the good news is that you do have a remedy available.
Also, the technical meaning of the term easement is to use a land that does not belong to the person using it, and the definition in law is broad enough to include amenities such as light. The acquisition of the right of easement also includes a right not arising from contract and for beneficial enjoyment, such as the one applicable here. Easements may normally be classified into 3 categories: a continuous easement is one whose enjoyment is, or may be, continual without the act of man; a discontinuous easement is one that needs the act of man for its enjoyment; and a permanent easement is one where the existence of which is shown by some permanent sign that, upon careful inspection by a competent person, would be visible to him. In my opinion, your right of easement
Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune
2
My father died recently and has left his property divided among his two children, my brother and I. He never left a will behind, but assumed that there won’t be a problem since he had no other living family. But a long-lost aunt, who we thought had died long W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 1 0, 201 4
ago, has now made an appearance and wants a slice of the pie. Are we legally beholden to give her any property? Is there any way we can prevent her from claiming a stake?
Dear Reader This is quite a legal and ethical dilemma! I say “ethical” because, even in cases where relatives do not have a legit claim on property left behind, we often feel ethically beholden to give them some. However, since your question here is from a legal perspective, I’ll try to explain the legal
to sunlight here would belong to the first category, thus being classified as a continuous easement. The law states that the right of easement regarding enjoyment of light, air, way, watercourse, use of water or other easement shall be absolute and indefeasible if it is enjoyed continuously for a period of 20 years in the case of enjoying private property, or 60 years in the case of public property. This is subject to a few conditions: peaceably (enjoyment of easements must not be by force stealth or violence of any sort); openly (easement must be open and not by stealth or surreptitiously or in disguise); as of right (the enjoyment must be rightful for both the parties and not unfair); without interruption (this means without any obstruction on the part of the person against when the easement is claimed). However, this legal right will be extinguished if there is any interruption for 2 years. So, if any such right is acquired and subsequently obstructed, the person who acquired it must file a suit within 2 years claiming such a right. Therefore, the next step for you and your neighbours, in order to safeguard your right, is to file a suit within the next 2 years, in order to ensure that your right to sunlight is adequately safeguarded. n
aspects of this situation to you. The main issue here is the issue of the Islamic Inheritance law. In this perspective, there are three categories of relatives on the basis of closeness to the dead person, and their share is also different. If someone from group one is not present, then the second group can claim the inheritance, and if no one from the second group is alive, then the third group gets the fortune. The parents, children, grandchildren (in case of the absence of children), fall in the first group. The paternal grandparents, brothers, sisters and their children (in a case where brothers and sisters are absent) fall under the third group. The third group consists of paternal uncles, paternal aunts, maternal uncles, maternal aunts and their children (in a case where the aunts and uncles are absent). In conclusion, brothers and sisters of the deceased (in this case, your long lost aunt!) will only inherit if there are no other descendants. Since you and your brother stand to inherit your deceased father’s estate, in this instance your aunt will not have any claim whatsoever. To cut a long story short, you seem to be in the clear from a legal perspective – the ethics, however, is a different issue. n
THE WAY DHAKA WAS
25
Race course Maidan
Race Course Maidan, 1966
Bangladesh Old Photo Archive
Today
The Race Course Maidan, (presently known as Suhrawardy Udyan) was once quite a hotspot, both culturally and politically. Although the last horse race in the area actually took place more than half a century ago, the historical significance of the place has usurped all other uses. I was only five when I went with my father to see Sheikh Mujibur Rahman deliver his stirring speech in March 7, 1971. I was also there when the original flag of Bangladesh was hoisted for the second time ever a few months later. The place is also very famous for many political congregations and gatherings. I just wish contemporary administrators took more care of the place; there is not a single sign in the area highlighting its significance!
Chanchal Kamal
Nuruddin Sarkar Elephant Road, Dhaka
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TRAVELOGUE
Bhutan
Trekking through the last Shangri-La
Sarah-Jane Saltmarsh and Muntasir Mamun recount their journey through the country’s rocky terrain
Bhutan is incredibly wellpreserved, and the Bhutanese are passionate about making sure that landlocked country in the eastern Himalayas, bordering does not change. India to the south and Tibet From the moment to the north, Bhutan is a haven for you step in and people who crave real, old-fashioned pay the daily adventure. Around 80% of Bhutan is still covered completely with forest entrance fees, and at no time is this more evident you’re not just than when you have your trekking boots on. The more than a dozen putting money trekking routes across the land of the on the window and our taxi rushed into the pockets Thunder Dragon offer a wide range of through the road toward Paro city. Due of tour guides and unforgettable experiences. Whether to the overcast weather, it was quite you choose a short but stunning trek dark before the usual time, so when we accommodation like the Juniper Trail, or a challenging reached the Clock Tower Square, the providers; you’re but extremely rewarding trek like the heart of Thimpu, all the street lamps Snowman, the incomparable views, were lit. Trying our best to dodge the contributing to serene nature, wilderness and unique rain, we found shelter in Hotel Tashi well-kept roads, people you will meet will stay in your Delek. The only room left was on the fourth floor, but it was worth climb up free family mind forever. the stairs as we had a nice view from planning services The perfect break our window. and national We flew into Bhutan’s Paro airport from Bangladesh during the Qurbani Let the adventure begin! environmental Eid vacation in mid-October. It was There are a number of trekking routes initiatives a very short flight to Paro. Bhutan’s are available, but we had something
A
airport authority and immigration system is great: in a matter of minutes, we had a smooth exit out of the green channel and we were gently ushered towards waiting transport by friendly, but not pushy, taxi drivers. “Kothai jaben?” Yes, pure Bangla dialect to grab our attention. And it worked: “How do you know Bangla? “Oh, we have lots of Bangali tourists, from Bangladesh and from West Bengal also, so we learn a bit for our customers.” Well it certainly worked. It was not a hard bargain and we organised our ride within few minutes to head to vibrant Thimpu, the capital.
Chilled to the core
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simple in our minds, so we chose Gangtey Trek. It’s a moderate threeday trek where we could see some magnificent little villages in the Himalayan realm. Also, altitude and temperature weren’t an issue. We were expecting something smooth to go with the flow and to have it easy! Bhutan has a unique system to monitor its tourists. Each tourist can go upto a certain distance from Paro, but going farther requires a travel permit, and there are checkposts along the roads. It took us two hours to get our travel permits. Then, we started toward our destination: Phobjikha Valley, the starting point of Gangtey Trek. By the time we reached there, it was dark. We were greeted by our tour guide Chiring, who was waiting for us, and stopped for the night at a horseman’s house.
Photos: Courtesy
Gogona to Khotokha
This part of the trek began from the picturesque village of Gogona and led to a climb through a forest, taking us to Shobju La pass situated at 3,410m above sea level. From here, there was a trail down to Dolonaga, which had a woodcutter camp. Chorten Karpo was a clearing farther down this trail – an ideal place to camp with a view of the valley.
Khotokha to Tikke Zampa Next morning, we woke up very early and, after having light breakfast, we hit the trail.
Gangtey Gompa to Gogona
This 14km trek had rough and rocky terrain, with the end point at 3,100m above sea level. Usually, it takes five to six hours. Bhutan treks are usually known to showcase the exotic wild flora of the Himalayas. Not only was it a natural trek, but it was a cultural one too. We passed through some of the most beautiful Dzongs (distinctive Buddhist architecture).
From Khotokha, you need to take the well-known route to arrive at Tashi La. The walk down from here takes you through a beautiful forest of magnolia and ferns. This trail has a surprise in store for bird watchers. We continued to travel further down this trail and reached Tikke Zampa, located at an altitude of 1500m, which was also the end of our trek. Trekking in Bhutan can certainly make for a great holiday. It will let you enjoy the beauty of the majestic Himalayas and of the people who call it home. n
OBITUARY
27
Eusebio
The black panther’s final run
Faisal Mahmud is a staff reporter at Weekend Tribune. He is good at memorising seemingly unnecessary information and finds that journalism actually appreciates, if not nurtures, that sort of futile flair
Faisal Mahmud remembers one of Portugal’s greatest footballers
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uring the early 60s, Real Madrid had a dream team which comprised legendary Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskas, Argentine legend Alfredo Di Stefano, and many more. The team used to play with a clinical yet poetic fluidity and made winning a habit, if not a practice. In the 1962 European Cup, Madrid went into the final against Benfica with three titles in four previous seasons of the tournament. Terming them title “favourites” against a seemingly weak Benfica was an understatement. To many, the final was just a ritual to hand over the cup to Madrid. But what happened in the next 90 minutes is a part of football folklore.
A legend is born
Eusebio, a Benefica forward, brought the flying Madrid back down to earth. He scored two goals, created the opportunity to score for another two and ensured the title for his team with a staggering margin of 5-3. Football analysts have long considered that match as one of the best ever played. Ferenc Puskas symbolically handed his jersey to Eusebio after the match, and the message was clear - the torch had been passed. Subsequently, in 1965, Eusebio was awarded the Ballon d’Or. The next year, Portugal qualified to take part in the FIFA World Cup for the first time. Eusebio lit up the World Cup, outshining the great Pele as the star of
the tournament. In a game against the reigning champions, Brazil, he scored twice in the 3-1 win. Then came the famous quarterfinal with North Korea at Goodison Park. The underdogs were winning 3-0 until Eusebio almost single-handedly led the Portuguese recovery, scoring their first four goals in their eventual 5-3 victory. In the semifinal, Portugal faced England at Wembley. Eusebio was nullified brutally in that match by Nobby Stiles and England won 2-1, with Bobby Charlton scoring twice. Eusebio wept at the end of the game, and the occasion is still remembered as Jogo das Lagrimas (the Game of Tears) in Portugal. But even in defeat, Eusebio was the sensation of the World Cup. Portugal finished the tournament in third place. Eusebio scored nine goals and won the Golden Boot. Eusebio retired, and for the next 36 years, Portugal couldn’t qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
The death of a star
The Mozambique-born football superstar, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, popularly known as Black Panther, reigned in not only the Portuguese football arena but in the world in the 1960s, with his trademark surging runs and fearsome attitudes. He died in Lisbon on January 5 from a heart attack, at the age of 71. Over the past year, Eusebio was admitted to the hospital several times,
as reported by the UK Guardian, and diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, acute neck pain and hypertension, but he shook off the conditions before finally succumbing to a heart attack. Portugal has declared three days of national mourning for his death. Portugal’s president, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, addressed the nation on television to praise the “affability and humility” of a man who never let stardom go to his head despite being one of the game’s most prolific goal scorers. “His talent brought joy for entire generations, even those who didn’t live through the most glorious moments of his career,” he said.
It all started in a barbershop
Eusebio was the son of Laurindo Antonio da Silva Ferreira, a white Angolan, and Elisa Anissabeni, a black Mozambican. He was brought up in poverty, playing football on the streets with a ball of rags. But word of the prodigy soon spread beyond his home town – in fact, his destiny was determined in a Lisbon barber shop. It was there that a coach from the Brazilian club Sao Paulo, who was touring Mozambique and later Portugal, waxed lyrical to an old friend about a young Mozambican he had spotted. The friend was Benfica’s legendary coach Bela Guttmann, and he was so impressed with what he heard that the following week he flew to Mozambique and persuaded
Eusebio’s family to let him sign for Benfica. In Benfica, Eusebio showed his class. He was the prototype of a complete 21st-century striker, decades ahead of his time; a superb athlete (he ran the 100 metres in 11 seconds at the age of 16) with explosive acceleration who could leave defenders trailing in his wake. He could also dribble, was good in the air and possessed a fearsome and highly accurate right foot.
An eternal footballer
His scoring record was astonishing. In 15 years at Benfica he scored an incredible 473 goals in 440 competitive games, plus many more in friendlies. He was top scorer seven times in the Portuguese league and was European Golden Boot winner twice. English football hero Bobby Charlton, who helped Manchester United to victory over Benfica in the 1968 European Cup final, said it had been a privilege to have known the man. “He was one of the finest players I ever had the privilege to play against,” Charlton said at Old Trafford, where around 75,000 fans staged a minute’s applause ahead of an English FC Cup game. For the rest of the world, Eusebio is and will be remembered as one of the greatest footballers who ever lived. For Portugal, however, he means more than that. “Eusebio will always be eternal. Rest in peace,” wrote current Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, in a message posted on Facebook alongside a photo of himself and the hero. Jose Mourinho, the star Portuguese coach told the media: “No colour, no clubs, no political sides. For the Portuguese people, Eusebio is Eusebio.” n
Eusebio’s life 1942 The footballer is born 1960 Wins the Campeonato Provincial de Moçambique and the Campeonato Distrital de Lourenço Marques 1961 Joins Benfica 1965 Wins European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d’Or) 1966 Takes Portugal to World Cup semifinals and scores nine goals to win Golden Ball 1976 Plays for a minor Portuguese team, Beira-Mar, in the First Division 1977 Plays in the North American Soccer League (NASL) 2014 Passes away
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28
LAST WORD Faruq Hasan
Here a conspiracy, there a conspiracy Faruq Hasan is the Magazine Editor and the resident devil’s advocate
The murky waters of conspiracy theories, and the science behind it all
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ssst. Let me tell you a secret. Did you know that Hasina and Khaleda have jointly planned the pre-election violence? Or that climate change is a new form of “Western” colonialism over poor countries like Bangladesh? I bet you did not know that the American Embassy in Baridhara is actually the headquarters for the CIA, who is secretly controlling the country. And do not even get me started on the Indian “cultural centre.” Let me give you a hint: there is nothing cultural going on inside.
Into the murkiness
If all this is new and bewildering to you, let me introduce you to the everyday lives of Bangladeshis who travel a circuitous path to objective truth, and where facts change depending on the time of the day. For us Bangladeshis, there is nothing “theoretical” about conspiracy theories. To an outsider tasting Bangladeshi culture for the first time, travailing the sinewy path to a straight answer is seldom easy. Why doesn’t a simple question have a, well, simple answer? Why must all explanations be convoluted, having tiers of clarification, and never short and sweet?
Orwellian control
One of the reasons why we hold on to conspiracy theories might be because it gives us a sense of control in a society where we have anything but control over our lives. For instance, with so much political unrest and constant chaos surrounding us recently, conspiracy theories give Bangladeshis a linear narrative that we
There is a science behind understanding conspiracy theories. Although it is not an exact science, it is deeply rooted in behavioural psychology which predicts how, when and what type of conspiracy theories are palatable to the general public
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badly need in times of stress and, more importantly, destroy randomness of these events. People hate randomness, they dread the sort of random occurrences that can destroy their lives. So, as a mechanism against that dread, it turns out that it is much easier to believe in a conspiracy. Then you have someone to blame, not some chaotic politics in the background that we have no control over.
Create your own facts
But an even more important factor is, for most Bangladeshis, accurate information is very difficult to come by, sometimes impossible. In an age where “Digital Bangladesh” is juxtaposed with slowing rates of literacy, evidence-based explanations are not always easily understood. Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, a cognitive scientist at the University of Western Australia, published a paper last April in the journal Psychological Science that has gone on to show that in societies like ours where numbers, statisticss and facts are difficult to come by, we often choose conspiracy theories to mitigate the information vacuum that exists all around us. When people lack hard evidence to explain a phenomenon, they will simply create them on their own. The human brain, just like nature, abhors a vacuum, and will do anything to fill it up.
Motivated to ignore the evidence
But that does not mean all people are suckers for conspiracy theories: for every idiot who believes that Ershad has actually signed a secret pact with Hasina into being the next president of Bangladesh, most people will actually see through half-truths. Professor Lewandowsky believes there is a strong psychological component to believing in conspiracy theories, and some people are more prone than others. Through a phenomenon called “motivated reasoning,” Professor Lewandowsky believes that some people notice and seek out details that support their own particular views, rejecting evidence that might contradict what they absolutely want to believe. Professor Lewandowsky explains: “If you reject evidence, or reinterpret the
Conspiracy theorists might appear kooky, crazy and even menacing to some, but sometimes what they believe reveal deeper insight into both the psychology and mood of the society they live in
evidence to be confirmation of your theory, or you ignore mountains of evidence to focus on just one thing, you’re probably a conspiracy theorist. We call that a self-sealing nature of reality.”
Add to the fire
Another common trait is the need to constantly expand the conspiracy as new evidence comes to light. For instance, every Eid, a certain section of the population believes that Indian and Bangladeshi farmers form a cartel to force up the prices of onions, eggs and aubergines. Although there have been numerous economic studies to dispel such notions – prices rise simply because there is huge demand for these commodities during Ramadan – our so-called conspiracy buffs simply widen their net: they add to their conspiracy claims, alleging that governments are also involved in the state of play. And so on. To them, evidence is just “eyewash” – dust thrown at you by the government, the CIA, the Indian RAW agents, whatever fits the bill.
Not so nutty after all
So will conspiracy theorists be always dismissed as totally nuts, living on the fringes of our society? Not always. Professor Lewandowsky believes that a bit of conspiracy sniffing is normal, even healthy. “Any extraordinary event will be followed by conspiracy theorising. But more importantly, conspiracy theorists aren’t necessarily mad or loony; they signal a need for more accurate information to be spread through society. And it’s only through proper dissemination of facts that fringe theories can be dissolved,” he says. n