October, 2019
Volume IV, Issue I
Fall XlX
As Professor Firdous Azim, the chairperson of ENH, said at the launch, “If you wrote it, it is good enough” and “it is only when we stop ourselves that we stop flourishing.” She spoke of the various languages that have shaped our culture today and hopes to see Resonance open its doors to other languages, to let creative expression be free of language boundaries.
Resonance launches third volume Joutha Monisha, Tasnia Nahla Journalists Brac University’s very own creative writing journal, Resonance, established by the department of English and Humanities, launched its third and official volume Unveiling of the third volume of Resonance in Building 2 Indoor Auditorium on September 24th. The bilingual journal opened its arms to students from all departments of Brac University, giving them a platform to share their creativity in the forms of prose, poetry, and art. Resonance aspires to inspire young writers to simply write and not be plagued by the quality of their content or thoughts of whether or not it is good enough.
Mystic Fall 2019: fun and festivity
The launching ceremony began with a dance performance, followed by an introductory speech by senior lecturer Rukhsana Rahim Chowdhury, who told the audience about her love for literature and the journal’s inception. She spoke of the dedication and hard work of team Resonance, which is comprised of lecturers Anika Saba and Seema Nusrat Amin, along with a panel of students from the ENH department. She especially thanked IFIC and Fragments Magazine for sponsoring the journal. The chief guest for the ceremony was Mr. Rifat Munim, a noted writer, translator and essayist and literary editor for Dhaka Tribune. He encouraged students to continue to write more and spoke about the rising quality of literary works among local writers in Bangladesh. He also generously offered himself as an adviser to any young writer seeking advice or help. The rest of the program consisted of various recitations by ENH students of prose and poetry from the latest issue of the journal, punctuated by another dance performance. The ceremony concluded with a music performance, and a promise to release another issue soon. Resonance is available for purchase in the DCO’s office of the ENH department (UB21302). It is also available to read and download on the ENH page of the BracU website.
Corporate Masterminds: a battle of business enthusiasts
Inaugration of Mystic Fall
Rifa Tamanna, Tiash Roy Journalists From September 29th to October 1st, BRAC University Law Society (BULS) and the Office of Co-curricular Activities (OCA) collaborated to organise this semester’s club fair, Mystic Fall 2019. A club fair is organised every semester to inform students of the purpose and agenda of the various clubs of BracU, and to give them an opportunity to sign up to the ones that appeal to them. The inauguration ceremony took place in the Indoor Games Room with the presence of the chief guest, renowned Bangladeshi singer and journalist of The Daily Star, Elita Karim. Other distinguished guests present at the event included Dilara Afroz Khan Rupa, Director, OCA; Saira Rahman Khan, Advisor, BULS and Professor K. Shamsuddin Ahmed, Dean, School of Law. After the day long sign-up process, BULS organized a special Unplugged Session, where members of the club performed various cultural routines. The day ended with a two-hour performance by the popular band, Ashes. Throughout the day, the organizers also arranged a legal clinic where one could get free legal counseling on issues ranging from marriage to cyber bullying. The second day of the club fair was divided into four segments. BRAC University Film Club (BUFC) screened “Fagun Hawa” at the auditorium during the first segment followed by several performances by members of BRAC University Drama and Theatre Forum (BUDTF). The day was brought to a close with BRAC University Cultural Club’s (BUCUC) “Melodies of Fall” and BRACU Monon’s dance and beatboxing performance. The third and final day initiated with the “Fall Fair” held at the auditorium. Young entrepreneurs from BracU as well as various food chains set up their stalls to serve various products. At 5 pm, the three day-long festive ceremony concluded with a group photograph to capture the memories of a successful event.
First runner-up of Corporate Masterminds, Team Contenders, BracU
Nairita Ahsan Faruqui, Shadman Navid Khan Journalists Corporate Masterminds 2019, the second season of Corporate’s League last held in 2017, was an Inter-University business case competition that took place in Brac University. Organised by the Business and Economics Forum (BeF), the competition started off with almost 120 teams from around 20 different universities and consisted of 3 rounds, which included the Online Inception round, the Intermediacy round and the Grand Finale, called “The Battle of the Masterminds”. On September 3rd, a general workshop was conducted at the Building 2 Indoor Auditorium to discuss the aspects of the competition in detail. Speakers who delivered presentations about the competition included Tania Akter, Lecturer, Brac University; Md. Irfanul Haque Khan, Brand Senior Executive, Marketing, Banglalink, and Mukit Anis Niloy, Head of Business Development, Panacea Live. This was followed by the the Online Inception Round on September 6th, with cases being provided to the participants who registered for the competition to solve. The Intermediacy Round took place within the Brac University premises on September 19th, with 40 talented teams being selected from the Online Inception Round among the initial 120. This round comprised of the teams defending and substantiating their solutions through presentations to three panels of judges. The judges for this round included distinguished faculty members of BRAC Business School, as well as representatives from Arla and Banglalink. On September 26th, 6 teams who had qualified from the second round participated in the grand finale. Team Rolla Costa Riders from Jahangir Nagar University were crowned winners by the judges. Team Contenders, from Brac University and Team FYB, from IBA, Dhaka University were declared the first and second runner-up respectively.
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October, 2019
CAMPUS NEWS
BracU welcomes freshers of Fall
BRIEFS
285 students. One of the highlights of the day was a speech from Associate Vice President for student life Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed. She welcomed the new batch with warm and encouraging words and gave an overview of what the next four years in Brac University might be like for them. Presentations on the Residential Semester, BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL) and the counselling unit were also shown. A representative on behalf of the head of the Relationship Management Office (RMO) briefed the students about the university’s scholarship system. Cultural performances by students of BracU punctuated the programme. Following the end of the event, the new students were taken to their allocated rooms where they met their respective FYAT faculty advisor and peer mentor.
SECS welcomes new Dean Anindita Bose Professor Arshad M. Chowdhury has been appointed the Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS), effective from September 1st. Professor Chowdhury has over 20 years of experience in teaching, research and academic administration. He has also served in many significant posts at North South University, which include his tenure as the Dean of the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Chairperson of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Director of the Confucius Institute (CI). He completed his BS from BUET, MS from Wright State University, and received his PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Mahbub Alam Majumder appointed new Chairperson of CSE Jamiur Rahman On October 1st, Professor Mahbub Alam Majumdar was appointed the new chairperson of the Computer Science and Engineering department of Brac University. He replaces Dr. Md. Abdul Mottalib, who served as Chairperson of the department since 2014. Professor Mahbub is a highly accomplished academic who completed his BS, MS, and PhD from M.I.T, Stanford University, and Cambridge University respectively. He is also credited to be among the core figures whose contributions were instrumental in establishing mathematics and informatics Olympiads in Bangladesh.
BBS appoints new Dean Sarah Nazia Chowdhury Sang H. Lee has been appointed the new dean of BRAC Business School, effective from January 1st, 2020. Hailing from South Korea, Professor Lee completed his BA degree from Yonsei University and has an MBA and a PhD in Finance and Economics from the University of New Orlean. Professor Lee has experience both in the academic and corporate fields, and has vouched to redouble efforts at BBS to achieve accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) after he takes office.
Haematology seminar
Professor Vincent Chang speaking at the orientation
Aysha Zaheen, Farhat Maliha Journalists The Office of Academic Advising (OAA) arranged First Year Advising Team Day (FYAT Day) for the freshers of Fall 2019 on September 12th. The programme, held in the Building 2 Indoor Auditorium, saw the attendance of around
Department of Pharmacy celebrates World Pharmacists Day aimed to promote the integral role of pharmacists in ensuring patient safety with improved medicine. The morning commenced with a panel discussion featuring experts from the pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Jahangir Hyder, Head of Business Development, The ACME Laboratories Ltd. was the keynote speaker. The panelists deliberated upon the topic “Counterfeit Medicines: A Global Problem”. Closing remarks were given by the panelist Dr. Riad Mamun Prodhani, Managing Director and Country President, Novartis (Bangladesh) Ltd.
Pharma Debate
Amal Chowdhury Journalist A daylong event in commemoration of World Pharmacists Day was organized by the Department of Pharmacy of Brac University on September 29th at the Building 2 Indoor Auditorium. The event was sponsored by Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Beacon Pharmaceuticals Limited. This year’s theme, “Safe and Effective Medicines for All”,
The panel discussion was followed by the finale of the first-ever i-TELL Challenge. Participants presented on topics based on the theme, “Future of Medicine”. The afternoon session began with the final round of Pharma Debate 2019. The students debated on the topic of whether it is ethical to use genetically modified mosquitoes to fight mosquito-borne diseases. This was followed by a seminar on “Good Pharmacy Practice in Clinical Settings” by Mr. Mohamed Ramzy Ismail, Technical Officer, Essential Drugs and Other Medications, WHO Country Office Bangladesh. The final competition was the Pharma QuizBee. The event concluded with an awardgiving ceremony where the Chairperson of The Department of Pharmacy, Professor Dr. Eva Rahman Kabir handed out prizes to the winners of the aforementioned competitions.
Public lectures held by CPJ at Brac University Jamiur Rahman, Mashaekh Hassan Journalists
Shehreen Ferdous As Bangladesh suffers from the worst dengue outbreak in years, the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of Brac University hosted a seminar on dengue on September 26th. Haematology expert, Dr Gulzar Hossain, said that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, responsible for the transmission of dengue fever, is well adapted to human habitation and often breeds around dwellings in small amounts of stagnant water. According to him, dengue patients need sufficient fluid intake and adequate rest. Furthermore, patients should rest at least 14 days to heal even after the fever has passed, and most deaths result from patients overlooking minor symptoms.
The Freshman Orientation was held at the Savar Campus of BracU on September 14th. After registration and refreshments, the orientation began with a message from Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG, Chair Emeritus of BRAC and BracU . An overview of BracU as a whole and the plan and construction of the new campus was articulated to the students. Closing remarks were delivered by Vice Chancellor, Professor Vincent Chang who advised the students to be true to themselves and to be kind to others.
The Centre of Peace and Justice (CPJ), a multidisciplinary academic institute with an objective to promote multifaceted education to develop human capital towards sustained peace and social justice, recently arranged two public lectures. The lecture on “Populism, Identity, and Illiberal Behaviour” was held on September 15th at the Building 2 Indoor Auditorium from 3 to 5 pm. The keynote speaker of the event, Syed Mansoob Murshed, is a Professor of the Economics of Peace and Conflict at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam. He initiated his discussion by introducing the concept of and how it is catalysed by hyper-globalisation. He then continued to portray the outline of his theoretical model that explains how activities of political entrepreneurs can manipulate identitybased behaviours. Furthermore, he posits that his model is
applicable to developing countries such as Bangladesh that are beset with ethnic schisms. The lecture on “Forced Displacement, Education, and Opportunity” was held on October 2nd from 3 to 4 pm at the BRAC Centre Inn. The event has been hosted by Mr. Muhammad Badiuzzaman, Research Coordinator of CPJ and conducted by Dr. Zeliha Gül İnanç Walsh, an award-winning lecturer of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Dr. Walsh initiated the lecture by saying that higher education is one of the basic human rights and should be accessible to refugees. To put forward instances regarding the possibility of materializing the idea, she talked about a few cases in Kenya, where people - despite being displaced - are receiving diplomas by the means of distance learning. Other speakers at the conference included Professor Dr. Nasir Uddin Ahmed (BIGD), Professor Dr. Nahid Afrose Kabir (ENH, BracU) and Dr. Monira Ahsan (Research Fellow, CPJ). The event was moderated by Manzoor Hasan OBE, Executive Director of CPJ.
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October, 2019
OPINIONS & ACADEMICS Change, for better or for worse
by #ClimateStrike, a strike movement that transcended all borders, bringing millions of people out on the streets all over the world, to demand action to be taken against climate change. The inspiration behind this strike can be traced back to Greta Thunberg, a sixteen-year-old Swedish climate activist, who garnered international attention when she started her lone protest outside Sweden’s parliament to change the status quo. Greta took the stage at the United Nations 2019 Climate Action Summit as she called out the global superpowers for spending most of their efforts lobbying and chasing after capitalistic greed, while ignoring potential mass extinction.
Protestor holds a placard during Climate Strike protest earlier this year
Sheersho Zaman Journalist During the Global Climate Week of 2019, which ran from September 20th to 27th, a seminar titled “Youth Action Towards Climate Change” was organized by the Centre of Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) at Brac University. Moderated by Professor Ainun Nishat, advisor of the C3ER, the seminar provided an open discussion for issues regarding climate change relative to the country. This year, the Global Climate Week was highlighted
Even in Bangladesh, the topic of climate change has been making waves. Hundreds of children from various schools and colleges gathered in Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka on September 20th to stage a demonstration urging local and world leaders to act against climate change and expressed solidarity with the global climate strike and Greta Thunberg. While the spreading of awareness is a hopeful sight, it is also worth noting that Bangladesh, due to its geography, is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Without drastic measures being taken right at this moment, the only thing we can hope to give to the generation of tomorrow is a bleak and rather dystopian future. To prevent that from happening we must change our ways. Not just influential people and countries as a whole, but we, as individuals, must change our ways as well. One step at a time, we have to work to set this world right again, because if we do not act now, there will be no tomorrow.
BracU extends transport services to new routes starts off at Abdullahpur once at 7 am and again at 9.20 am, and includes stoppages at House Building, Azampur, Jasim Uddin Road, Airport, Khilkhet, and BracU. Route-B is from Mirpur to BracU and the departure time is 6.40 am for the first trip, and 10 am for the second. The stoppages in between are Tolarbag R/A gate, Uttara Bank of Mirpur-01 branch, Sony Cinema Hall, Mirpur College gate in Mirpur-02, Swimming Federation gate, Senpara Parbara, Kazipara bus stand, Shewrapara bus stand, and Taltola bus stand. For Zigatola to BracU university, which is route C, the stoppages are Zigatola bus stand, Shankar bus stand, Mohammadpur bus stand, west end of Manik Mia Avenue and Khamarbari. The boarding time is 6.40 am and 9.20 am for the first and second trips respectively. Students boarding the BracU bus
Halima Hasin Tofa, Nahian Sanjida Naboni Journalists Finding transportation to travel to and from Brac University has been a struggle in one point of every BracU student’s life. To address this issue, BracU has introduced a new transport system that is safe, fully air-conditioned, and comes at a price of Tk 50 per trip for each student. There are currently four routes, each with their separate buses that seat 29 people each. Route A
Buses on route D travel from Jatrabari to Brac University with the departure time being 6.40 am and 9.30 am for the first and second trips respectively. The stoppages between the two destinations are Doyagonj Mour, Baldha Garden, Motijheel over-bridge, Baidha Mandir, Abul Hotel, Rampura TV Centre, Madda Badda bus stand, and Badda link road. The transport services offer two trips, and the outbound timing from Brac University to all of the 4 destinations is 2 pm and 5.15 pm sharp for the first and second trips respectively. This initiative to provide students with secure travel facilities has been well appreciated, and many are optimistic about the future of the service.
Introducing MOODLE Nehrin Siddique Payel, Sadia Sultana Journalists What is Moodle? Moodle, a Learning Management System (LMS), is an interactive software that has been recently introduced at Brac University to enhance the learning experience of students and to facilitate better management of learning resources. It has many features that support learning by providing a space where materials can be stored and organized, assignments can be updated and students and faculty can interact using blogs, forums, etc. A guide on how to use the Moodle: Login • Type lms.bracu.ac.bd in the address bar of your browser. • Use your ID number as username and your Lab PC password as the password for your Moodle account. • Once you sign in, you will be redirected to a page to complete your profile. • After completion, you will be sent an email for the verification of your account. • If you click on the link, you will be taken to the dashboard of Moodle. How to enroll in a course? • Go to the home page and type the name of your course in the search bar. • You will see courses in the format- Course code: Course name: Section: Semester. • Click on the desired course, and press “ENROLL ME” button. • Type in the enrollment key given by your teacher. How do you start a discussion? • Click on “Discussion Forum and Learning Theories”. • Then add the topic of discussion. • Submit your query; you can even add files if you want. How do you reply to a conversation? • Click the topic of the discussion you’re concerned with. Has the font changed here? • Then simply write your reply and post in the discussion thread. In a nutshell, MOODLE is the online TSR we have all been waiting for. It is bound to make our lives easier. We can all now forget the routine collection of notes from computer labs knowing that the lectures for the quiz next day remain safely stored on the internet.
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Tashfia Zaman
October, 2019
SPECIAL FEATURE I joined BRACU Express when my self-esteem was at its lowest. I barely knew how to communicate, let alone put my thoughts into paper for the whole campus to read. But it was the people, the opportunities I got from this platform which helped me mold myself into the headstrong and confident person I am today. So, those who think they’re not doing enough in their university life, take a deep breath because I can assure you that it does work out in the end, it did for me. Don’t give up, and always be.lieve in yourself.
Godspeed, S
It is that time of the year; BRACU Express bids adieu to yet another Stu the efforts they have invested in the campus newspaper. Here’s what the g
Web Media Manager Md Rezwanur Rahman Creative Head Working for BRACU Express has been a great honour to me. From starting the term as confused adults about the big responsibility to passing down the torch to a similar bunch is a ride worth remembering. Be it staying up late to meet deadlines or arguing with colleagues about ideas, at the end of the day, holding the final printed issue in our hands has made everything worth it.
Faisal Bin Iqbal
As a platform, BRACU Express is unlike any other student run publication. It allows the individual to explore his or her writing prowess and at the same time, it helps to showcase the various activities the university and its stakeholders are partaking in. For someone who was involved with the publication for almost two years, it has helped me to understand my own writing style as well as interact with different personalities from the university itself, and for that, I shall forever be grateful to it.
News Editor I stepped out of my comfort zone and actually ended up in BRACU Express. It was supposed to be something to check off from my bucket-list. I worked with amazing seniors who loved and spoiled me. When they left us in charge, I found myself with the weirdest bunch of misfits. Roshni, Subah, Faisal, Rafsan, Tashfia, Safir, the Saads and of course, Rezwan–thank you for making me feel like I belong here. Honestly, we made the coolest team.
Nishat Tasneem Shahara Features Editor
I hope one day, the new Editorial Board will be able to look back and feel the same way about each other. Here is to Volume 4. Best of luck, kids!
and work with some of the best colleagues, advisors, and university personnel as well as truly make something out of my love for writing and managing through the opportunity. After eventually joining the board as Editor-in-Chief, the work was never easy but there was never a day when it didn’t feel worth it. From the whole creative process of making the content plan to actually seeing our vision come to life in print, from all the messages and calls and meetings with fellow EB to all Subah Shaheen the behind the scenes action that Editor-in-Chief comes with working with strong, BRACU Express has been a creative minds, the experience major part of my undergrad has been exhilarating and full experience. In my two years of lessons that have shaped me there, I got to meet, know significantly.
BRACU Express | 5
October, 2019
SPECIAL FEATURE
SEB ‘18-‘19
Safir Zawad Sports Editor
udent Editorial Board. Goodbyes are never easy. We are truly grateful for great minds who have been instrumental in shaping the paper have to say.
I am a struggling Computer Science student who loves sports, writing, food, and oddly, history. I have also been an avid sports fan from a young age. This passion for sports has led me to following sports news, for which I had to read the newspaper from a very young age. This resulted in me being passionate about sports journalism, culminating in me joining BRACU Express, covering sporting events inside BracU. Having recently left BRACU Express, I can confidently say that this has been one of the
most fun experiences in my life, with the best bunch of colleagues.
Rafsan Zia Academics and Opinions Editor Working for BRACU Express was quite an eventful, adventurous year and a half. The one crucial life lesson that I would like to take away from my time here is that deadlines are a horrendous necessity. Finally, I would like to paraphrase and modify Nick Fury’s speech and say that when a group of remarkable people are brought together to see if they can become something more, they Saadman Saif Administrative Head
things, thoughts and tokens. Whether it be the 20 Taka fries from Bottola as the office food staple or snacking on cheesecake ice creams during content plan meetings, every time period is seeped with laughter, love and immense passion for the paper. As we pass down the (now coloured) legacy, I feel a surge of excitement to witness all that the new editorial board will bring to the table. Their grasp toward the humane aspect of subjects Roshni Shamim already indicate that they will not only thrive in this professional Managing Editor space, but precede all of us in My attachment to this paper is the paper’s growing recognition. scattered in all kinds of random
Composing a couple of lines about myself, I feel I am a little piece of this whole world that is loaded up with individuals around. I am humble, kind, caring and most importantly, explosive. My social self consists of friends, family, and my surroundings. I spend most of my time meeting deadlines at the very last minute, not because I am indolent but mostly because I believe that worrying about something before its time arrives is pointless. For now, my fellow readers, that is all you need to know. Kazi Saad Asif Off-campus Editor Kazi Saad Asif was unfortunately unavailable for comment. However, we hope he echoes the sentiments of the other members of the board and will remember his time at BRACU Express fondly.
usually do and I for one am proud of what we have accomplished with the university paper.
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October, 2019
OFF CAMPUS
Moner Canvas by Mohammed Zakir Hossain Raju Sadrina Afrin Mowna Journalist To anyone thinking they need more than 24 hours a day to get their work done, let us introduce you to our very own BracU staff, Mr Z H Raju. You might have seen him on the first floor of Building 4, always with a book in front of him as he smiles and greets students. Mohammed Zakir Hossain Raju has successfully published a book titled Moner Canvas, which contains poems written by him. He has not only written a book while tirelessly working all day at BracU, but has continued his education at Titumir College after a hiatus due to personal reasons. His Teyishti Boshonto Sheshe is due to be published in Ekushey Boi Mela next year, and he has finished many other manuscripts which are yet to be published due to lack of funding. His poems reflect on societal norms, the struggles of villagers from back home and his own personal
trials. Aside from writing poems, he has written several plays and even has videos of stage dramas uploaded on YouTube. He also writes songs and loves to sing them while working. Raju cited Ismat Sheerin and Md. Nurul Islam Bulbul (Deputy Directors at BracU) to be his biggest inspirations. He also credited the students of BracU for encouraging him to go forward and turn his dreams into reality. Despite facing many obstacles in life, Raju persevered and self-published Moner Canvas and was assisted by a student from the department of Architecture to design the cover. When asked to share a few words of wisdom for the students, he said, “There is a positive and negative side to everything. But we should always focus on the brighter aspects of life.” Bringing Moner Canvas to life
A tribute to MAD Unmad, the premiere humour magazine of Bangladesh, recently organised a three-day exhibition at Drik gallery as a tribute to the world renowned American humour magazine MAD, founded in 1952. The exhibition took place from August 23rd to 25th and celebrated the wide influence MAD magazine has had on cartoonists and creative individuals all around the world. The event was inaugurated by Ahsan Habib, the editor of Unmad and a renowned artist.
A rendezvous with the founders of Choturdosh
The creative minds behind Choturdosh
Irfan Akram, Sadman Hasan Journalists
Sadia Rahman with her tribute to MAD
Mahatajin Rumana Shuchi Journalist
The exhibition displayed not only traditional art mediums, but also a dazzling array of double exposure art, sketches, digital cartoons and glass paintings which were crafted by many promising and well-known artists of our country. Sadia Rahman, a student of Brac University, had one of her watercolour paintings featured in the exhibition. She explained, “...to me, honestly, watercolour is more fun to work with as it provides a generous area to learn and it really helps to develop your shading and blending skills before you start with digital media”. We also asked for her thoughts on the global influence that MAD has had on artists and writers. She replied, “MAD magazine ceased their publication after a long 67 years and the whole idea of putting on this exhibition was to inform the newer generations that the satire magazine industry needs more support. This is also a great opportunity for me and others who have come to the exhibition to learn and to be inspired by the work and enthusiasm of others artists”.
Farah Anjum Husain Opinions and Academics Editor
The year was 2014. Two friends dreamt of starting something together. Both were very passionate about storytelling, films, movies and all things artistic. They wanted to build a company that could shape ideas into reality; a production house that can inspire creativity and take the industry of animated films, advertising, and short films to a whole new level. Fast forward to 2019, the friends manifested their dreams to reality and formed Choturdosh, the brainchild of Sayeem Md Abdullah (CSE) and Muhammad Sadman (MNS). BRACU Express sat with the founders to discuss their ambitious journey and its plans for the future. What started out with two friends, now includes other members of different academic backgrounds, adding diversity of ideas to their projects. Work is divided into separate teams for direction, writing, marketing, social networking and so on. Being students, juggling academics and work gets hectic at times. The team never tries to bite off more than they can chew and attempt to keep their work limited to weekends and holidays. They spoke of many obstacles barring their growth - budget constraints, lack of equipment and shortage of talented cast and crew to name a few, but they hope with time and experience they will be able to transcend these limitations. Choturdosh, so far, has produced only a few short films and animated advertisements. The feedback they have received so far has been largely positive, but they believe there is always room for improvement. Choturdosh plans to expand its platform to cater to the growing clientele for quality production houses. The team dreams of contributing to the Bangladesh film industry and collaborating with other countries - their end goal being to turn their fledgling initiative into a global production house. BRACU Express wishes them all the best for their journey ahead!
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October, 2019
SPORTS NEWS
Faraaz Gold Cup 2019: A promising start but a sad ending Sk. Shahiduzzaman Siam Journalist
Brac University recently participated in the “Faraaz Gold Cup”, an Inter-university football tournament organized by Sonali Otit organization. Despite a promising BracU football team at the Faraaz Gold Cup start, BracU had been eliminated in both of the previous 2 seasons. Coach Amit Hasan along with manager, Zami Hasan and mentor, Iffat Rabbani Ovi selected the youngest team to play for the university, this time. Brac University defeated University of South Asia by 11-0 in a 70 minute-match. Later, BracU took on ULAB in round 16. ULAB scored two quick goals in the first half of the game, landing in a stalemate. In the dying minutes of the match, BracU received a freekick. A poor clearance from ULAB’s D-box and with luck favouring BracU , the match concluded with a 3-2 victory. The quarterfinals between BracU and IUBAT kicked off with BracU conceding a goal within the first 10 minutes. In the second half, a penalty awarded to BracU was missed by a substitute player. BracU’s prospects worsened, as the opposing team scored another goal, thereby ending the run in this year’s tournament, losing to IUBAT by 2-0.
RS 42 wins the RS Basketball Cup 2019 Adittya Saha, Safin Mahmud Journalist The Residential Semester is the time in the lives of BracU students when they get ample time to hone their skills and talents. There are always many choices to try and find a calling. Like many other sports events, RS Basketball Cup is organized in the residential campus at Savar once a year encouraging showmanship among the students. Around 6-7 teams participate in the tournament every year. Teams are formed by selecting the best players, based on their dexterity, stamina and skill, from respective RS batches. Hours of practice, dedication, and passion brings out the best in the players, and in turn only a handful get picked into the team since the max count is 5. This year the tournament was held on 30th August with a total of 7 teams competing against each other. All 10 matches and the prize-giving ceremony were held on the same day. The team comprising of members from the 42nd batch were crowned the champions. RS 46, the defending champions, secured the title of runners up. This event in particular always serves to create an atmosphere of elation amongst the students. Re-energizing the bond between students from different batches is a key aspect of the tournament. Other than that, tournaments and competitions as such maintain to motivate and improve these up-and-coming players.
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October, 2019
ENTERTAINMENT
Joker, reviewed: The same coin The clown prince of crime Shafin Haque Joker (2019) is a movie directed by Todd Phillips who is well known for the comedic trilogy, Hangover. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck who slowly transitions into the psychopathic villain we all know as the Joker. Despite being a hit in the box office, it has been met with criticism from both critics and audiences who accuse the movie of promoting violence and lone wolf terrorism. The film itself is frankly a character study and deep dive into the mind of one of the most iconic villains in pop-culture, but the Joker’s portrayal leaves room for misinterpretation that could lead to both copycat criminals and massive threat to public order. It portrays acts of violence as a means for the mentally-ill Arthur to find salvation as he embraces the anarchy within himself. Glorifying violence might not have been the intention of the creators of The Joker, but considering our global political climate it seems particularly tone-deaf to feature violence as a means of finding validation and peace, even if it is fleeting.
Executive Panel Editor-in-Chief - Shahad Muktadir Managing Editor - Hiya Islam Creative Head - Sajid Hossain Administrative Director - Md Tawsif Ur Rashid Web Media Manager - Afra Antara Anjum
Editors News - Jahin Kaiissar Opinions and Academics - Farah Anjum Husain Features - Hiya Islam Off Campus - Zaria Amreen Sports - Samiu Mostafa Ishan
Just another guy Puja Sarker
Entertainment - Subyeta Binte Sarwar
The ultimate agent of chaos and criminally insane - the Joker is one of the most recognisable figures in all of comics. The character which started off as a seditious killer has evolved into a symbol of how society has the power to drive ordinary people into madness and insanity. The movie focuses on Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian trying his best to spread laughter. As the lines between reality and imagination are blurred, the audience gets a glimpse into the protagonist’s mind and what he truly desires; to fit in. It is not that Arthur starts off as the Joker, it is what he is reduced to because of life’s injustices. The elements of violence in the movie are dismaying and can come off as excessive and extreme. But never once does Arthur harm anyone without cause and he remains fair to those who had never crossed him. Is it not human nature to lash out as a coping mechanism when we feel like we have momentarily lost control? The question still remains; does one scrutinise or empathise with this homicidal maniac who exposes the darkest sides of humanity? The Joker is no role model but neither is the world kind. Before the wide grin and the maroon suit came on, maybe the Joker was simply Arthur Fleck. Just like any other person, like you or me, only trying to find his own way.
Hone your craft with Inktober Ahsab Rahman Journalist Nearly a decade ago, artist Jake Parker took a praiseworthy initiative when he created Inktober, which has gone on to become one of the most celebrated trends worldwide. Inktober, as Parker defined, is a month-long challenge of creating artworks to master your inking skills and to develop positive habits. All you have to do is follow the prompt assigned every day of October and post it on social media using designated hashtags! Starting originally in 2009, Inktober has since then become more diverse with thousands of artists from all around the globe, including Bangladesh. Unlike the initial idea, it is not only limited to ink drawing but digital art, poetry, typography and photography with the same themes provided in the prompt list. Introducing a completely new dimension to creativity, Inktober proves that art can be expressed both through words and strokes.
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