Weekend 1 26

Improvements since Rana Plaza 6

POST-QURBANI BUSINESS 18

FRIDAY OCTOBER 25 2013

vol 1 Issu e 26

Bruno Metsu 27

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CONTENTS 1 Editor’s Note 2 This Week in Pictures 4 Bottled Up 5 Whose Line Is It Anyway?

It’s all about priorities 10 Post-Riposte Nobel Peace Prize

A Weekly Pro ducti o n o f

DhakaTribune

11 Top 10 Censorship

Vo lume 1, Issu e 26 OCTOB ER 2 5, 2 0 13

12 Big Mouth Strikes Again Bridget’s back

Editor Zafar Sobhan

13 Photo Story A month of fun

Magazine Editor Faruq Hasan Weekend Tribune Team Sumaiya Shams Faisal Mahmud Yusuf Banna Joseph Allchin Shah Nahian Phil Humphreys Adil Sakhawat Rohini Alamgir

6 Pick of the Week Improvements since Rana Plaza

20 Digital Bangladesh Telecom zones 21 Crime File Murder in Mohammadpur 22 Tough Love 23 WT | Leisure

Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain

24 Interview Samina Alam

Cartoon Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo Contributors Syed Samiul Basher Naheed Kamal Ikhtisad Ahmed Dina Sobhan Nadia Chowdhury Prima M Alam Design Mohammed Mahbub Alam

25 The Way Dhaka Was Gulistan outer stadium area 26 6° of Connotations If love could kill

Circulation Wahid Murad Email: weekend@dhakatribune.com Web: www.dhakatribune.com Cover Rising out of the debris

by Rajib Dhar

27 Obituary Bruno Metsu

18 FEATURE Post-Qurbani business

Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed

17 Realpolitik Women’s rights

28 Last Word

EDITOR’S NOTE

Too ready to move on I

t’s nearly six months since the collapse of Rana Plaza in Savar, and the blame game goes on.

Unfortunately for both the survivors and those who died, the government and the business community are all too ready to move on. There have been a multitude of reports about businesses continuing to flout safety measures, and politicians cosying up to unscrupulous entrepreneurs all too eager to make a quick buck at the expense of workers’ concerns. Joseph Allchin talks to the deputy director general of the International Labour Organisation, Gilbert Houngbo, about

preventing a catastrophe like the Rana Plaza disaster ever happening again.

Elsewhere, our Top 10 features the most controversial banned books and movies, Crime File spotlights murder and sex in front of a harmless ATM machine, while we interview Samina Alam, who loves playing with fire, literally. Hope everyone had a festive Eid! n

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3

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THIS WEEK

INTERNATIONAL

The US Ambassador to France Charles H Rivkin, right, leaves the foreign ministry in Paris, after he was summoned on October 21 to explain why the Americans spied on one of their closest allies. According to the Le Monde newspaper, documents leaked by Edward Snowden show that the US National Security Agency swept up 70.3 million French phone records in a 30-day period

An Egyptian youth takes in the scene beneath him at a Coptic Christian church in the Waraa neighbourhood of Cairo on October 20 after gunmen on motorcycles opened fire, killing a man, woman and child.

Egypt has been on edge since a July 3 military coup ousted the country’s Islamist president. Since the coup, Coptic Christians have been killed and their churches attacked by angry mobs

AP

AP/Claude Paris

US Secretary of State John Kerry has a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the State Department in Washington on October 20 AP/Cliff Owen One of the Greenpeace International activists Iain Rogers, from Britain, attends his bail hearing at a court in Murmansk, Russia on October 21. Iain Rogers is one of the Arctic 30 who are in custody charged with piracy, punishable for up to 15 years in jail, after being caught on board the Arctic Sunrise, which was seized a month ago

by Russian security forces after some activists tried to scale an offshore oil platform

AP/Greenpeace International, Igor Podgorny

Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who broke the first stories about the National Security Agency’s global spy programme, speaks via teleconference from Brazil at the 69th General Assembly of the Inter-American Press Association in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 21. Greenwald, an American reporter based in Rio de Janeiro who broke his stories for Britain’s Guardian newspaper, spoke to a group of reporters from around the Americas who have gathered in Denver and promised there are many more to come, including details about the United States’ spying on its own citizens AP/Gustavo Miranda, O Globo

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NATIONAL

A fire gutted at least 350 houses in a slum in Dhaka’s Hazaribagh neighbourhood.

The photo was taken on October 17 Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Police Mehedi Hasan assaults BNP chairperson’s security staff while detaining party leader Sultan Salahuddin Tuku from Khaleda Zia’s motorcade on October 21 Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune

World Bank Country Director Johannes Zutt speaks at the organisation’s report publishing programme on “Bangladesh Development Update” at Agargaon in the capital Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune

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4

BOTTLED UP

letters to the editor

LETTER

of the week Eid Mania W

eekend magazines usually come out with an Eid themed issue and the WT was no different. What I did like about the issue, however, was the different spin you put on the festivities. I especially liked Faisal’s piece on the lesser known occupations that are in high demand during the festivities. However, it’s sad that you folks did not have a special photo feature to cover the preparation for the occasion. Hope you remember that next year! n Abul Hai Wari, Dhaka

Top 10 misses the mark

I am an avid reader of your Top 10s, but have to see last week’s issue had a rather tepid list. Most readers are deluged with suggestions of what to do to spend Eid day, so I was rather disappointed that you did not offer anything different. Hope to see your customary unusual lists again soon.

Fariba Shahriar, New Elephant Road, Dhaka

Cows need data

I have been enjoying the Everyday Economist section of the WT. Last issue was great, I believe it really got into the dynamics of explaining how the cattle market works. However, I think the writer should present more empirical evidence to support his data. Sometimes the section felt more like an opinion piece rather than a mini-study.

Samir Shaker, Mohammadpur, Dhaka

Fairytale lost

I sincerely appreciate Ms Nilufer’s attempts to integrate lessons into her ‘fairytale’ columns, but her efforts have been more misses than hits. I think her writing needs a more ‘grown-up’ edge to it, because right now they read more as a part of a children’s supplement than a weekend magazine.

Ayesha Maruf Gulshan, Dhaka

Send us your feedback at: weekend@dhakatribune.com

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5

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

It’s all about priorities I am proposing an all-party interim government to conduct the upcoming elections, instead of bringing back the caretaker system Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Ninety percent of the people want a free and fair election under the caretaker government. There is no alternative to that.

Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, acting secretary general, BNP

I must be in the 10% who don’t care about elections and just want food and shelter.

Mr Mango

Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

We would not participate in the election if all the political parties do not take part.

Without all party participation, the election would not be acceptable.

HM Ershad, chairman, Jatiya Party

We proposed to form the new caretaker government, comprised of 10 members from 1996 and 2001 caretaker governments, as both the party won the national polls under these two caretaker governments.

The polls were credible and accepted by the people.

Khaleda Zia, chairperson, BNP

We are already in the middle of a process to approach all the parties on the caretaker government issue. We will stand on the same platform to rejuvenate the movement for reinstalling caretaker government system.

Mahi B Chowdhury, joint secretary general, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina’s role was controversial as she came to power through the caretaker government system, and then abolished it to stay in power for ever. There is no instance in the democratic world about elections under ruling parties without dissolving the parliament, and people will resist such kind of elections.

Kamal Hossain, president, Gano Forum

Hasina launched the movement for the caretaker system, but now she is acting like a mother willing to kill her own child for power and self-interest. We should not play any political game on a non-level playing field with Sheikh Hasina as the referee, because the country and its people are not safe under her leadership.

Kader Siddiqui, president, Krishak Sramik Janata League

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6 Joseph Allchin is a senior reporter at Dhaka Tribune.

Follow him on twitter: @J_Allchin

PICK OF THE WEEK

Improvements since Rana Plaza

Six months later Joseph Allchin speaks to the deputy director general of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Gilbert Houngbo about the progress in the RMG sector Scenes of chaos gripped the world as the scale of what ultimately was a multinational tragedy became clear. Multinational, because those who went to the site were all too often standing on products that were destined to clothe far flung European nations. A rapacious industry has led to brands and retailers seeking to cut corners on costs, and here in Bangladesh that means cutting corners on worker’s wages and ultimately their safety. The efforts to rehabilitate the industry will be crucial to the sustainability of Bangladesh’s industrial economy.

Six months since our worst industrial tragedy, we should ask ourselves: what progress has been made? Do the promises that were made by the politicians, NGOs and foreign stakeholders stand the test of time and their world? The ILO thinks it can, and Gilbert Houngbo tells us how.

Photos: Joseph Allchin

What’s your evaluation of the new labour law amendment?

Our assessment has not changed. In July, when the new labour law was issued, we made a statement. Let’s be all clear on that: we have made a lot of improvements when compared with the older labour law and on freedom of association and collective bargaining, and quite frankly, there have been a lot of strides there and we are already seeing much more union registration than in the past. However, we at the ILO are still a little bit unsatisfied by some dimensions – namely the requirement of signatures from 30% of the workforce before you can form a union. There is no convention, really.

This 30% requirement is quite high if you compare it to the regulations within the region or even worldwide.

That being said, I’m of the opinion that you don’t want to wait till things W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3

are perfect before you start working with the government. We have to constantly engage the government and work together to continue improving. Our colleagues here in Bangladesh have been working tirelessly with the authorities to implement the new law, preparing the decree and the regulation of the laws, and the modus operandi to enforce the said law.

In terms of the labour law, is there any chance that Bangladesh will make changes based on your recommendations?

As part of the European Sustainability Compact, the Bangladeshi government agreed they would continue working with the ILO to improve the law.

At Rana Plaza, it was often implementation that was the problem in this environment.

Considering this, how do you affect change?

Well, in the past, the law was not that conducive for the organisation of workers. The position that we are taking is that, had the workers been free to associate and organise themselves, maybe the tragedy could have been avoided. The new law allows them to be better organised, to be assisted by experts with implementation, etc. Part of what we are going to launch is an increase in capacity through the equipping and training of inspectors, and the implementation thereof.

Right now, they have about 60 inspectors for the whole country.

However, it’s estimated that the garment industry alone needs

400-500 of them, giving you some impression of the magnitude of the gap. So the government has committed itself to recruit 200 in the first batch and up to 8,000 by next year. Part of the reason why I came here is not only for the launch, but also because we have agreed to have a follow up. And I know that the process will go on. And now, they are in the process of recruiting the 200 they promised. The devil is in the details: on one hand, you do have laws that ask the government to follow certain procedures in the recruitment, but on the flip side, we need to find ways to speed this process up.

7 But the government started an industrial police, and in places such as Liberty Fashions, the police opened fire on the workers for asking for their wages, and so there seems to be impunity for bosses. Why is that?

The problem of Liberty Fashions is quite complex. There is the issue of inspections. Now the fact is that the report was not unanimously accepted. That’s why I am calling for better coordination. I believe it’s important to have the steering committee that has been established with the government, with the social partners, and with the different actors. I will see the international buyers, the international unions, etc so that the big decisions are part of and vetted by that committee, and a sense of ownership and what to do would not be left simply to an international buyer such as Tesco, or just an owner that is trying to use a loophole to get away.

There’s also a capacity issue about being able to do the right thing and to enforce it. But how? We believe it’s going to be put together, for example in fighting against corruption or suspicion of corruption. We may want to find a way where the result of the assessment, once its been vetted by

the committee, is put on the web for everybody to have access to what the report says. Therefore, the attention and expectation from the government to act will increase. Finally, the issue of impunity is a serious one. My point is: how do you go and fight impunity if there is no consensus about the findings? See, that’s what I think is pitiful. I want to insist again to find ways to have consensus or the buy-in from the government, because there is nothing you are going to solve without the government and the national social partners.

In terms of compensation, why is it taking long?

You know, I’m afraid if you look at the history of disasters elsewhere, especially in the international scene – compensation is always very complex and it takes time. It’s very painful for me to say that, because the victims can’t wait that long. That’s what makes it more complicated. There has been some discussion with the key partners, the international buyers, the local employers, the government, and the ILO, though I believe there’s no concrete result that I can talk about now. But the work is going on underneath, and I’m very hopeful that in the coming weeks something concrete will be on

the table. Though by now it’s easy to identify the victims, legally speaking, how do you identify the beneficiaries for the compensation for those who have unfortunately lost their lives, may they rest in peace? How do you determine the amount and identify the amounts to be shared?

How do you operationally make the money available and make sure the right people receive the amount?

So there are a lot of issues that you need to dig into, so we are looking for international expertise that has gone through similar cases in other catastrophes.

credibility. Going about this issue is like dealing with a baby who is trying to crawl: either you’re patient and give it some time to do it on its own, or carry it, and get there faster. Some may feel: I better go straight, I better go alone, I better get it fast. You can get short-term, faster results, but in the medium to long term, if you want sustainability, it’s better to have a coordinated road and make it clear that if it occasionally takes longer, it’s not because you are not willing. I do understand that the short-term goal might be more attractive, but it’s not a sustainable result.

Who’s coordinating that?

What would you say to the industry figures who say increased regulation will harm employment?

Coordination has been an issue; everybody needs to act to speed things up. Obviously a lot of the actors are concerned about their image and

Well, clearly the ILO are fighting for

Latest initiative On October 22, the government along with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched a new initiative as part of the national tripartite action plan. This plan, funded by the UK, Netherlands and other donor nations, will seek to train

workers and managers in factories, to train and equip inspectors of factories and capacitate disabled and injured from the recent tragedies with skills training. This program would be worth Tk1.87bn over three and a half years.

What’s happened since April 24 Rana Plaza collapses April 26 Workers across the country riot against the industry April 28 Sohel Rana is arrested near the Benapole border crossing after a national outcry over the tragedy May 4 ILO team arrives in Bangladesh and institutes National Tripartite Action Plan, to now include structural safety as well as fire safety May 13 The search for survivors trapped in the building ends May 16 Global unions and brands sign the Accord on fire and safety, which now has over 100 signatories June 27 US suspends GSP status because of concerns over lack of action on RMG safety July 8 The EU threatens removal of GSP status and then Foreign Minister Dipu Moni signs a ‘Safety Compact’ with EU trade commissioner Karal De Gucht July 22 Government releases new amendment to the 2006 Labour Law October 8 Fire at Aswad Factory which produced for H&M and Wal-Mart, kills nine October 22 The ILO and Bangladesh government launch a major intiative to fund capacity of workers and inspectors

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PICK OF THE WEEK

Improvements since Rana Plaza

Who died?

As of yet, no complete list of the deceased has been compiled. This makes giving compensation difficult, particularly when it comes to next of kin - who should receive what? The German government development agency GIZ has been active in this

respect and has conducted an “assessment,” but as of yet no full list has been made public, and the victims and next of kin continue to wait.

the respect of fundamental worker’s rights, our fundamental conventions, freedom of association, collective bargaining, ending forced and child labour; we need to fight against those. That being said, ILO is a tripartite organisation. You have the union on one side, the government and the employers on the other, and we are saying it’s an economic model that Bangladesh chose, to lift people up and out of poverty. We need to do it in a way that doesn’t kill the economy. We firmly believe that fixing those working conditions will not jeopardise the economy. On the contrary, it will boost productivity.

And when you think about it, there is also an issue of productivity behind that; when you get into the workplace in the morning and you don’t know if you’re going to go home safe, obviously your productivity is not going to be the same as in countries where you know you will.

When we look at it, we do not believe, here at the ILO, that by fixing this problem it will make Bangladesh less competitive.

Bangladesh can create truly democratic unions?

In terms of the formation of unions here, how do you think

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It’s a fair concern. We are calling for more transparency across the board.

But my point is, Bangladesh is not unique in facing this sort of problem, and I don’t want to create some sort of double standard. Clearly, it’s an issue, and I think you’d agree with me that the devil is in the details. We have to be mindful that we are not going to solve all the problems over night.

It will take some time and it will only happen if the Bangladeshis choose to not give up. It’s a fair point, but elsewhere in the region or across the globe, we have the same challenges.

Wages are a big issue here every three years. How can a better system of arbitration for wages be developed?

In the current system, some kind of committee is set up, a body of independent thinkers, to advise the partners. My unofficial contact suggests it seems to work well. Let’s see what happens between now and the end of the year. I think things are going to move positively.

But is it not problematic if workers have to riot to have wages increased in line with inflation?

Yes, that’s why we are having, as part of our fundamental workers rights, a social dialogue. When you have a social dialogue, that’s a function that works well and that, on a continuous basis, helps to avoid problems. Yes, we should avoid having to go on strike before you get any increase in the minimum wage, but as part of the implementation of the new law, we need to treat both the employer’s associations and the worker’s associations in context with how to really improve the social dialogue from the actors.

How do you achieve that?

Well, the ILO has quite a vast amount of expertise in that, but we remain neutral, and so, leave it to the national parties. But one of the issues you face here is minimum trust.

Would you say this is related to class?

Maybe. I want to believe it’s not, but I don’t think we should exclude it.

What is the main message you bring for the Bangladesh government?

Well, to the government, all the social partners and the people, I want to say: When we were here in May, together with the government, we agreed to have a follow up in six months. For the government to stick to that is a sign

9

What will more regulations do to the RMG sector?

The increased attention and inspections of RMG factories will have an effect on the nature of the industry. Already, western buyers have cancelled orders from factories that they have audited and found to be unsafe.

The reputational damage, therefore, means brands will only work with bigger players.

These “industry heads” will make it much more difficult for smaller players to enter the industry. If smaller units don’t enter the market and take on subcontracting work as has been common, this will push up prices that bigger, regulated factories will offer brands. Smaller units also act as training centres for unskilled new employees, who after learning the trade move into better, bigger factories. The natural choice then is to invest in machinery, which will increase productivity. But this may also push many female employees out of the industry. “There is a long history of mechanisation leading to a decline in women’s formal employment,” says academic Dina Siddiqi. This has already been seen in knitwear, where it is more mechanised. Culturally, mechanised jobs are associated with men who also tend to capture the more desirable, lucrative jobs. This would be a big blow to Bangladesh, where women’s employment has been credited with impressive development achievements. The challenge, then, will be to break down cultural barriers towards women continuing to power our most important export industry.

of willingness to keep the momentum up. Secondly, there has been a lot of work in the two months since I came here. In May and June, we focused on the new labour law. After the passing of the labour law, we have had to deal with the accord, the alliance and the EU Sustainability Compact. After that, it’s trying for better coordination –

bringing what was signed in March and what was signed in May to a new national action plan. Now, we have prepared the ground for recruiting people to work on the project. We are ready to move to the action, the operation, so I am calling to sustain the momentum. I am also calling for everybody to be vigilant that we

don’t slack. And though we are going to face some challenges, we are going to have to be patient. Sometimes, operationally, you have to accept that things can sometimes go speedily and sometimes they slow down, before you have to jump again. n

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10

POST-RIPOSTE

Nobel Peace Prize

Did Malala deserve one?

She faced down the extremists Philip Humphreys

T

he Nobel Peace Prize should have gone to Malala.

She has become the symbol of a struggle against a brand of radical Islam that breeds armed conflict wherever it is found.

The Taliban’s world outlook is embedded in a belief that women should be held separate under lock and key, and denied their basic human rights of association, expression and education – a doctrine that says, “If you are not with us, you are against us,” and enforces its aims through violence, not mediation. In 1908, Begum Rokeya Hossain, a pioneer Bangali writer, imagined in her seminal book “Sultana’s Dream,” a place where the opposite is true, her rationale being that if men lock away their women to protect them from other men, then is it not the men who should be locked up? Yet, this vision of equality has never been more distant.

Malala’s campaign for universal education strikes a chord with young girls across the globe, in Islamist countries and wherever else they face oppression, through the literal interpretation of a religious text. The Taliban, by choosing to board Malala’s school bus, asking for her by name, and then shooting the 16-year-old point blank in the head, paradoxically did more to advance her cause, served to make her stronger, and turned more people against their oppressive strain of radical Islam.

After cheating death, it will take far more than a Nobel snub to weaken Malala’s resolve. For her, an education remains the ultimate peace prize. n

She promotes education, not peace Faisal Mahmud

T

he purpose of the Nobel Peace Prize is to reward those who work toward and promote the cause of peace. While Malala was a victim of the highly misinterpreted fundamentalism of the recalcitrant Taliban, that doesn’t necessarily make her a peacemaker. As Iqbal Khan, a hotelier from of the town Mingora, Swat Valley, said to The Telegraph: “The schoolgirl has left the local population at risk of attack.”

The peacemakers who got the Nobel Prize all have one thing in common: they reflect on the issues harming their own communities and others like themselves, then figure out a way to stop or at least hinder these problems. This is why they get considered for the peace prize.

Malala Yusufzai hasn’t done that – to be precise, that’s not her “motto” or the “cause” for which she has been fighting so ardently. She promotes education and gender equality, and while she deserves to be considered for prizes related to those topics, the fact that her work has been divisive purely in her own country, Pakistan, immediately invalidates a nomination for a world peace prize.

This isn’t to say that Malala isn’t praiseworthy, although it does seem she is increasingly serving as a puppet W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

of secular Western interests, but a Nobel Peace prize? It doesn’t make sense. It seems the Nobel Peace Prize has become an award that simply goes

to people we like and not people who necessarily promote peace. n

TOP 10

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Censorship

Silence is (not) golden

Faruq Hasan looks at some of the most infamous books and films that have been banned in Bangladesh

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6

The title is a derivation of Bertrand Russell’s “Why I Am Not a Christian” and was penned under a pseudonym which means ‘bookseller’ in Arabic.

The book is an apologia for leaving fundamentalist Islam and offers insight into why the religious-political movement is dangerous. It was banned in Bangladesh for hurting religious sentiments.

Bangladesh banned the Hindi-dubbed version of this popular Japanese cartoon, Doraemon, from its TV screens for fear that youngsters hooked to it might struggle to learn their native tongue. The ban has yet to be raised.

In his controversial book, the author, a former aide to Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, criticised the then ruling AL administration for the government’s poor handling of freedom fighters, and specifically targeted some of its leaders, including party chief Hasina. The government banned the book almost as soon as it came out on the grounds that the contents were inflammatory and could provoke hatred toward the government.

Why I Am Not a Muslim

by Ibn Warraq

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Fitna

This is a 2008 short film by Dutch parliamentarian, Geert Wilders.

Approximately 17 minutes in length, the film attempts to demonstrate that the Quran motivates its followers to hate all who violate Islamic teachings.

The film was immediately banned by the Bangladeshi government.

Doraemon (Hindi dubbed)

7

Innocence of Muslims

This title is attributed to a controversial anti-Islamic movie “trailer” that was written and produced by Nakoula Baseley Nakoula.

The 14-minute video clips were initially uploaded to YouTube in July 2012, and were instantly banned in Bangladesh.

Amar Fashi Chai by Motiur Rahman

5

Meherjaan

Directed by Bangladeshi auteur Rubaiyat Hossain, the film is set on a backdrop of the Bangladeshi Liberation War, and depicts a romance between a Pakistani soldier and a Bangladeshi woman. The Bangladesh Censor Board eventually banned this film from public screenings for “distorting history.”

4

Ka by Taslima Nasreen

An infamous autobiography of the author, the book was banned both in West Bengal and Bangladesh because of “strong sexual content” and “derogatory remarks” against religion.

Faruq Hasan is the Magazine Editor and the resident devil’s advocate

3

Nari by Humayun Azad

An eloquent analysis of the patriarchal and male-chauvinistic attitude of religion towards women, the author attracted negative reaction from the conservatives.

The Government of Bangladesh banned the book in 1995. The ban was eventually lifted in 2000, following a legal battle that Azad won in the High Court of the country.

2

Satanic Verses

Salman Rushdie’s book, first published in the UK in 1988, caused a huge controversy in Bangladesh for fanning religious hatred and distorting the Quran. Processions were brought out in parts of Bangladesh against the author, which prompted the government from banning the sale of the book.

1

Lajja by Taslima Nasrin

Taslima Nasrin describes a country immersed in religious and political conflict through a story which revolves around the aftermath of Babri Masjid demolition, and its aftermath in Bangladesh.

The Bangladeshi government in 1995 decided to ban the book on allegations of being anti-Islamic and stoking communalism. Since then, the author has been living in exile after receiving death threats from extremists. n

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12

Big Mouth strikes again

Naheed Kamal

Bridget’s back 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!

What havoc will the neurotic heroine wreak on women’s psyche this time around?

I

am not a fan of chick lit, because everything the genre stands for insults my intelligence.

From the few I have read, I found the stories to be dismissive of women with a stereotypical female narrator, how women today can possibly identify with such a personality is beyond me. I am dreading the onslaught of Bridget Jones on popular culture, because I found her ditzy, indecisive, self-loathing personality particularly annoying.

There was nothing endearing about Helen Fielding’s exaggerated literary doppelganger, and the experience of reading her “diary” was excruciatingly painful. I have never bothered to count how many cigarettes I have smoked or how many glasses of wine I drank on any given night – perhaps I counted the number of bottles, occasionally.

And I try to avoid uncomfortable knickers, but Bridget even managed a crisis about underwear. I did not want to know Bridget, and in the intervening years since she first pushed hordes of women over the edge of reason, my opinion of her hasn’t changed. I still can’t stand her. If that woman defined a generation of women, my concerns are bigger than those granny pants.

“Chick-lit” was coined by writer Cris Mazza in an alternative women’s fiction anthology. Several years later she tried to defend herself when she wrote in an essay – for her, the term was about exciting women’s stories, so it is not her fault the genre came to revolve around one-dimensional characters. I am not ready to let Mazza off so easily, because my issue is with the label itself, which says a whole lot about Mazza the woman.

So I turned to ChickLitBooks.com (seriously!). The website says it is a genre “written mainly by women for women” – which makes me want to scream and curse – and is different from women’s literature, because chick-lit stories are “told in a more confiding, personal tone, like having your best friend tell you about your life.”

Make no mistake; the chick lit market is worth millions, earning authors and publishers good money.

So naturally they defend the genre.

Faced with diminishing sales, couple of years back some concerned authors

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and publishers shared the importance of the genre in an article. Am I wrong to think they are out of sync with the world today? How can Bridget, Carrie and their chick-lit sisters be relevant for women when our reality is defined by sites such as Everyday Sexism and Project Unbreakable?

Not even as light, easy reads can chick lit be justified as a worthy niche genre.

In the article, one author is said to “presuppose” the ideal woman, and actually questions if sexy and sophisticated contemporary women want to read intelligent “romantic” literature, while another author says chick lit opened the doors for readers who might not otherwise read at all, and then concludes by saying “surely writers everywhere” would appreciate how people who wouldn’t read “at all” are inspired to read by chick lit, and only chick lit.

The genre’s specialists say the criticism is unfair, because they sometimes address “both light and serious” topics, and “legit” subjects that are “both empowering and validating.” Some claim their heroines have changed how society views single women, because historically “spinsters” were scorned, pitied and derided, while their stories always end with marriage. And that doesn’t undermine single women’s standing in society?

That, dear readers, is sexism.

I understand why those who benefit from the sale of the genre want to keep it going. Publishers, also often women, with writers and fans of the genre, preach about freedoms, to read what we like. They tell people to stop sneering because millions of copies are sold, bought by women who know what they want: they want chick lit!

The stories are not funny after you’ve read several, because they have very similar storylines and settings. But accusations of stupidity are rampant.

Sophie Kinsella, one of the genre’s leading ladies, said in an interview that ditzy does not mean stupid. I agree. So tell me Sophie, why are so many of your leading ladies so exasperatingly vacuous, when you clearly know there is a difference between a klutz and a bimbo?

In my ideal world, all kinds of different women would write and be published and read –I see it online- countless women’s blogs written as crassly and as wittily, as men’s, read by everyone.

In the real world, too many women waste too much time on restrictive and sexist mores, worth nothing, so we don’t need, and I don’t want, books shoving these down my throat. I want books that shows exism is stupid, repressive and a waste of time, and our time would be better spent on having fun and being happy. Like reading a good book, which is fun and makes me happy

P

ersonally, I have too many concerns with the term and the genre, so I will try to stay focussed … can you explain why women call it a guilty pleasure when it is written for them?

Could it be the ridiculous covers, so cute and so often pink?

I love pink, but all too often, the label implicates all books written by women, which is why so many writers disguise their names, to avoid the dreaded label.

My biggest issue with chick lit is this: I find the label distasteful. Chick and lit, are two wrong words. When a woman is called a chick, it diminishes and dismisses her worth, as a person.

You don’t hear women calling men cocks, do you?

While we are here, same goes for using female – it is not a substitute for women. Neither is girls acceptable when addressing or referring to adult women. Avoid madam, try ladies instead, and stop using obsolete, sexist and offensive terms. If you are in the habit of calling women chicks, don’t.

Stop it now.

Then there is that half-arsed tag at the end – “lit.” What is that? It is not literature. Lit is not “light” reads, a label used for John Grisham and what’s-hisface of the “Da Vinci Code” fame – they do not write “cock lit.” The books are read by men and women, so what is it with chick lit and why is it “only for women”? This needs to stop.

I don’t appreciate how the genre claims to speak about the lives, fears and aspirations of ordinary women – like myself, and I am no chick. Instead,

it confines women by trying to fit us in boxes, and tries to define us by ticking off boxes. In a world where we are told to fit in, it is hard to decipher if we really want or need any of the things made especially for us and served on pink platters.

Women already have enough on their plates; we don’t need labels designed to grab a corner of a diminishing niche market, to define us. Adding to our burdens, drum rolls … research indicates chick lit affects women’s body image negatively. Why am I not surprised calorie counting and weight obsessed heroines are partly to blame for female readers’ body image issues? Duh! In February, Virginia Tech published research that studies “the effect of protagonist body weight and body esteem on female readers’ body esteem” and warned health officials should be concerned about the effect chick lit might have on women. I rest my case. n

PHOTO STORY

13

A month of fun

A festive month

G L I M P S E S F R O M F E S T I VA L S I N O C T O B E R

Technological advancement finds its way into how we celebrate religious festivals, too. Above, laser lights largely replace the more traditional light bulbs and oil lamps jazzing up a mondop of Durga Puja at Gol Pahar area in Chittagong. Below, a digital print replaces the hand drawn ornamentation on the wall outside the mondop at Bananai, Dhaka

SYED LATIF HOSSAIN/Dhaka Tribune

Mumit M/Dhaka Tribune

With diminishing summer heat and promises of winter, October always puts the Bangladeshis in a joyous mood at the same time, making them upbeat with the rhythmic drumbeats as the celebration of Hindu religious festival Sharadiya Durga Puja falls within the second week of the month. The Puja seems to touch the hearts of a larger audience regardless of the creed they follow. This year, October has been unique with two other festivals, Eid-ul-Azha for Muslims and Probarona Purnima for Buddhists, following one another in a row.

Here, we put together glimpses from these festivities for you to enjoy.

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14

PHOTO STORY A month of fun

Above: A worker at the site of Durga Puja dismantling the mondop at Banani after the festival is over Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Right: Crowd of home-bound people at Sadarghat launch terminal before Eid-ul-Azha Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3

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Right: Sacrificial animals, being brought mostly from remote places out of the capital, get scared with honking horns and busy urban traffic, and bringing them to buyers’ home is always a battle-like experience Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Below: Both the cow seller and the cow, having walked a long distance, doze off at a Banani neighbourhood Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

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PHOTO STORY A month of fun

Buddhist devotees flying lanterns at Sobuj Bagh Bouddha Bihar in Dhaka, celebrating Probarona Purnima on October 18

Photos: Mohammad Asad

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REALPOLITIK

17

Women’s Rights

Silence no more

Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He is bound by absurdity, and exists, therefore he is

Ikhtisad Ahmed writes about One Billion Rising

Did you know?

•

I

n two decades of democracy, Bangladesh has only ever had female prime ministers. They seem to have done very little for their kin, however.

Women’s rights remain a critical issue, regularly making the news due to violations, and protests by activists and organisations. The country’s participation in the much vaunted One Billion Rising (OBR) global campaign that calls for an end to violence against women, culminating in the events organised for Valentine’s Day this year, once again put the matter front and centre.

On the aforementioned day, over three million men and women, through more than 335 organisations, exercised their constitutional right to freedom of assembly and took to the streets to demand an end to violence against women. Less than a year prior, Eve Ensler of the Vagina Monologue fame (who had visited Bangladesh in January 2013) had announced OBR. It

was a call for the one billion women worldwide who, statistically, suffer violence – forced marriage, domestic abuse, torture, trafficking, acid attack, rape, murder – and for those who love them to strike, to rise, and dance on February 14.

Ranking fourth (down from second 10 years ago) among the world’s nations with respect to violence against women, Bangladesh partaking in the movement should not have come as a surprise. On the other hand, the constitution makes the equality of women and their rights absolute (Article 28). If that were not enough, as party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the country has a legal obligation to comply with the provisions contained therein, which it seeks to do by amending domestic law now and again. In light of that, what should come as a shock is the systematic

66.8% of women in Bangladesh experience some form of domestic violence during their lives, up from 60% in 2006 • There were 19,617 reported incidences of violence against women in 2012 alone.

According to police figures, there have been 184,422 reported cases since 2001

mistreatment of women in a society and family structure that undermines them, and denies them equality, security, self-esteem and dignity.

The government has, from time to time, introduced various measures to address gender discrimination and violence against women. Laws from the Dowry Prohibition Act 1980 to the Domestic Violence Act 2010, however, have not changed the overriding mentality. This stems from the fact that the very constitution that establishes equality, also takes it away. It recognises personal and religious laws, which govern, amongst other things, the four most important events in the

life of a woman: marriage, divorce, custody of children, and inheritance.

The prevalence of patriarchy that dictates the religious and social value systems makes chauvinism acceptable and instils male dominance as the natural law, thereby taking away the right to equality.

These are the underlying messages hidden behind the colour and celebrations that marked OBR’s programmes in Bangladesh. The problem with activism and the hype surrounding OBR is that they fail to address the main problem: the women’s rights movement does not need the wheel to be reinvented, it needs the existing laws, specifically the constitution, to be enforced by legal and law enforcement systems that are not inherently discriminatory. For instance, the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 exists only to be made a mockery of on a daily basis, especially in the rural areas. Other favourites of these areas are dowry and polygamy, but for men only. Incidentally, these, and not urban areas like the capital where literacy rates are higher and where OBR had activities planned in 40 locations, are where women are more likely to fall victim to violence. Perhaps the events planners and managers behind OBR Bangladesh would do better to focus their attention on educating and empowering women in rural areas so that they are able to treat men as men treat them, thus achieving true equality.

Activism will only go so far. In a country where the top office in the land has been monopolised by women, the solution lies in asserting every woman’s constitutional and Godgiven right to be treated the same way. Putting the prime ministers on a pedestal and making them appear to be special, while enacting new measures without enforcing them or the existing ones, only compounds the problem. Then again, when the problem is such that the only solution is reprogramming people’s minds, it is already a mammoth task. n

How the laws came to be

1972 The Constitution comes into effect on December 16. Article 27 establishes the principle of equality before law: ‘All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law’ 1980 The Dowry Provision Act is passed 1983 The Cruelty to Women (Deterrent Punishment) Ordinance becomes the second major legal provision relating to violence against women 2002 The Acid Control Act and Acid Crime Prevention Acts become law 2010 The Domestic Violence Act comes into effect specifically to deal with the widespread issue of domestic violence that had risen alarmingly

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18 Adil Sakhawat reports on crime for Dhaka Tribune. Any information can be sent at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

THOUGHT PLOT Post-Qurbani Business

The raw deal Adil Sakhawat looks into the details of the cow hide trade after Eid-ul-Azha

W

hile observers were celebrating Eid-ul-Azha by sacrificing cattle, tension was mounting at rawhide markets nationwide due to the fixing of prices by the Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather goods and Footwear Exporters’ Association (BFLLFEA), Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) and Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association (BHSMA).

According to the BTA, around 50% of the annual supply of cattle skin comes from animals slaughtered during the Eid-ul-Azha. Now experts are worried that if such stress in the leather industry continues, it could affect the country’s third-highest foreign currency earner (after Ready Made Garments (RMG) and frozen food).

On a visit to Amin Bazar, one of the largest rawhide markets in Dhaka City,

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Chanchal Kamal/Dhaka Tribune

the Tanners Field level officers said they are facing a big problem to collect rawhides at the fixed price during this year’s Eid festival.

“The seasonal businessman and the wholesalers are buying the rawhide without maintaining the announced rate. We are also trying to collect rawhides from the retailers but they think that as this is the election season, so many cattle are slaughtered and price must be higher,” said Nuruzzaman Ripon, the Senior Purchase Officer of Appex Tannery.

Price fix comes unstuck

Prices were fixed on October 12 at Tk85-90 per square foot of cattle skin in Dhaka and Tk75-80 elsewhere, Tk5055 per square foot of goatskin and Tk40-45 per square foot of buffalo skin.

After Eid-ul-Azha, however, it became obvious that these fixed rates were

not being maintained by retailers, wholesalers and even by the tannery owners themselves. In the three days after Eid day, for example, wholesalers of rawhide in Amin Bazar, Posta, and Hazaribagh in the capital were buying rawhide from seasonal businessmen, madrasas, and middleman for Tk110120 per square foot.

Nur Islam, a rawhide wholesaler of Amin Bazar, said he had bought rawhide at a higher rate than the declared rate of the tanners association.

“The middlemen - the retailers - do not want to sell the collected rawhide from different areas of the capital and even from outside of the capital according to declared rate,” he said.

Amin Hamza, a seasonal rawhide businessman, travelled to Posta in Old Dhaka to sell the rawhide he had collected from Banani. He sat with 25

Rawhide prices were jointly fixed ahead of Eid by three organisations representing traders and manufacturers of leather goods in Bangladesh, but the price of sacrificial animal skins at market was up to a third higher

19

pieces from 2pm to 4pm on Eid day.

“I have bought these for an average of Tk2,200,” he said, “If I cannot sell them for in excess of Tk2,700 each then I have to face a loss. Here the wholesalers offer me Tk2,400-2,500.

When I went to collect these rawhide, people told me that this year the price was higher than last year.”

Fortunately for Amin, by 5pm he had sold his hides for Tk2,750 per piece on average.

Tipu Sultan, general secretary of BHSMA, told Weekend Tribune, “If tannery owners will not collect the salted hide from us according to the market price then we will face huge loss. We have to collect the rawhide

by Tk110- 120 per square foot and after preserving it with salt, the actual price will be nearer Tk150. Maybe the Tanners Association will sit with us over the next two days about this matter and we expect they will take decision keeping the market situation in mind.”

Exports still buoyant

Experts do not think this will impact the international market of leather exports, but the domestic leather industry will be adversely affected as the market price is too high.

Tipu Sultan, former president and present adviser of BFLLFEA, said, “This year will be a bad year for us as the market price of rawhide is so much higher. Maybe we the tannery associations are responsible for this hazardous situation, or maybe it is the wholesalers who buy the rawhide without maintaining declared rates.

“We were aware that the price of rawhide will jump this year as this is election year, but this will not affect the export situation as this year the supply of rawhide is higher.”

When asked about the unsustainable market price in spite of a fixed rate, the BFLLFEA president decried a lack of perfect monitoring from the association: “In this case either tannery owners or the wholesalers will face the loss. The wholesalers have to make a profit without their buying cost. So this will affect our market badly.”

The leather industry in Bangladesh has grown exponentially since 1970, and leather is now exported to over 50 countries worldwide. Over 50 local companies are involved with manufacturing various leather goods such as footwear, suitcases, briefcases and attaches, and fashion accessories like belts, wallets, hand bags and

case holders. According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh earned around Tk43.6bn by exporting leathers and leather goods in the 20122013 fiscal year, up from Tk33.4bn in 2011-2012 fiscal.

The seasonal opportunists

The tannery owners estimate that over six million cows and up to four million goats were slaughtered during Eid-ul-Azha this year. In general, most Eid observers have no intention of making a profit by selling the skin of their sacrificed animals. Some will donate their proceeds to a madrasa, an orphanage institution or to poor people, rather than keep it in their own pocket. Nevertheless, cattle skin is a lucrative business for some.

“Those culprits could not be barred from the market as some syndicates are becoming active across the country only on this occasion, aiming to grab a large amount of money by creating a hazardous situation in the market,” says a tannery owner, requesting anonymity.

Four state-owned commercial banks - Bangladesh Janata Bank, Rupali Bank, Sonali Bank and Agrani Bank - are providing loans worth Tk472 crore for the purchase of cattle hides

The leather industry in Bangladesh has grown exponentially since 1970, and leather is now exported to over 50 countries worldwide this year, up from Tk3.55bn in 2012.

The privately-owned City Bank are also providing loans to small leather traders during the Eid season, to the consternation of the tannery owner.

“They do not know the local or international markets and they do not even have any interest to rise up this leather business to a better situation,” he says, “They have only the intention to grab money from the root level.” n

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DIGITAL BANGLADESH

Telecom SECTOR

Zoning out

Faisal Mahmud discusses the new BTRC plan to improve telecom services in the country Faisal Mahmud is a staff reporter at Weekend Tribune who specialises in writing IT and telecom articles with depth and analysis

The five telecom zones

Zone 1 Dhaka city and parts of Zinzira, Savar, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Tongi Zone 2 Brahmanbaria, Comilla, Narsingdi, Chandpur, Lakshmipur, Noakhali, Feni, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Bandarban Zone 3 Sunamganj, Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Netrokona, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Tangail, Munshiganj, Manikganj and the rest of Narayanganj, Gazipur, Tongi, Savar, Zinzira Zone 4 Kushtia, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Jhenaidah, Magura, Jessore, Narail, Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Barisal, Bhola, Jhalkathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Rajbari, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Shariatpur Zone 5 Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra, Jaipurhat, Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon, Nawabganj, Pabna, Sirajganj

B

angladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has revised the rollout plans for Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN) licensees and has divided the country into five telecom zones in order to bring the whole country under a fiber optic cable fast and even network.

The plans were reworked in the amended regulatory and licensing guidelines for the NTTN to ensure internet penetration at the grassroots level, according to a BTRC official. He said: “The previous plan didn’t have

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Illustration: Asmaul Hoque Mamun

that specific zone-wide development.”

According to the draft guidelines, Zone 1, comprising Dhaka City and parts of Zinzira, Savar, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Tongi, will be open to all the NTTN licensees.

Each licensee will work in two zones. They will have the option to choose one zone, and the BTRC will assign the other.

However, according to the draft guidelines, the licensee may deploy its network anywhere in the country, provided the place included in the network plan is duly approved by the

telecom regulator.

Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of the BTRC, said: “The decision to (divide the country into five zones in order to lay out the NTTN) was made to ensure that the internet facilities percolate to the upazila level.”

In Bangladesh, the internet is still an urban phenomenon as the infrastructure to carry it to the rural parts of the country is still insufficient, according to the BTRC chairman. He added: “It’s partly because the service providers in this sector don’t find it profitable enough to lay out a network

and take the information revolution to the grassroots.”

Fortunately, one of goals that the government plans to reach is to bring a digital revolution in Bangladesh, where even the remotest villages would have internet facilities. “Therefore, as per the amended guidelines, each operator has an obligation to lay out its network in all the divisional headquarters within the first year of receiving its licence,” Bose said.

Networks in all district as well as upazila headquarters of the designated zones will have to be laid out by the NTTN licensees within three and five years respectively, according to a BTRC official.

Meanwhile, the two current NTTN providers – Fiber@homes and Summit Communications Ltd – said that they had already reached many parts of the country.

Arif Al Islam, managing director of Summit Communications Ltd, said they had laid out nearly 600km of network in the Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.

“We are gradually expanding our network. Before we entered the market, the rent per metre of fibre optic cable was Tk150, as the market was still a monopoly, but the price has come down as the current NTTN service providers are renting the cables to the internet, mobile or cable services operator at Tk2 a metre,” he said.

Abbas Faruq, Head of Public Affairs of Fiber@homes, said they had already reached all the divisions. “We have laid over 7,000km of network so far,” he added.

“The government is yet to ensure a lucrative business environment for the NTTN providers,” Faruq said. “As per the licence agreement, we the NTTN providers can’t directly reach the subscribers; we can only offer the network to the internet service providers (ISP), mobile operators and cable operators.

“If the government doesn’t bring those entities under a common NTTN network, setting up the network throughout the country would not bring the desired result. It will also force the NTTN providers to shut down their businesses,” he added. n

CRIME FILE

21

Murder in Mohammadpur

Sex, death and an ATM machine Adil Sakhawat reports on the killing of a Dutch-Bangla Bank security guard

E

Crime timeline

namul Haque, 22, an employee of a private security provider had been working for DutchBangla Bank’s fast track automated teller machine (ATM) booth number P-28 on Nurjahan Road in Mohammadpur. He was allegedly killed in front of the booth early on October 6. The Police recovered the body from in front of the booth where the locals had spotted him. Enamul, who came from Bhauail village, Kishoreganj, lived in a slum in Mohammadpur

October 6

Among them, Parvej gave a confession statement under Section 164 of the Penal Code. After interrogation, they were sent to jail.”

Sub inspector Ratan Kumar, Mohammadpur police station

First police on site

“The miscreant hit Enamul on his head. This occurred in front of the booth on Nurjahan Road, between 4:00am and 5:30am. Local people found him lying in a pool of blood there and informed the police.

Later, the police recovered the body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for an autopsy. No money, however, was looted from the ATM booth.”

Sub inspector Ratan Kumar, Mohammadpur police station

First public on site

“When I was coming back home after saying my prayers, I saw the guard and realised that he was seriously wounded and bleeding from his head.

Adil Sakhawat reports on crime for Dhaka Tribune. Any information can be sent at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

It seemed to me that the miscreants had attacked him mere minutes ago.

Then I, along with some other locals who were also present, informed Mohammadpur police. But I was astonished to see that the other guard was sleeping inside the locked booth.”

Amir Salehin, a resident, Nurjahan Road

Lead investigator

“We have arrested four people, including a woman, in connection with the murder. They are: Meghla (40), Sunny (25), Parvej (28), and Jewel (26). We have arrested them from different areas of the capital. After the incident, Enamul’s father lodged a case with Mohammadpur police station. The Court allows us three days to interrogate the arrestees.

“Police first arrested Meghla after identifying her from the CCTV video footage taken from the booth. We arrested the others based on the information provided by her. On that night, Meghla first called Enamul out from the booth and talked to him. She left at 5:10am according to the video footage. A little later Sunny, Parvej, and Jewel strangled and stabbed him to death. Then the footage shows a group of four to five people gathered in front of the booth around 5:26am.

These locals later informed the police about the murder.”

Inspector Abdul Matin, Mohammadpur police station Meghla was a sex worker and had an illicit relationship with Enamul.

They had a clash between them, according to Meghla. She also told the police during interrogation that Enamul owed her some money, but did not pay the money on time and subsequently refused to pay the money back. After quarreling with Enamul, she then assigned the three youths to kill him.

Prime suspect

“From the interrogation, it was determined that Meghla, the sex worker, ordered the other three, Sunny, Parvej, and Jewel to stab Enamul. These three are professional muggers and have been arrested several times before for various criminal charges.”

Sub inspector Ratan Kumar, Mohammadpur police station

Witness

“I talked to Enamul at 3:30am that night, in front of that ATM booth.

At that time he was sitting outside the booth. After talking with him for some moments, I came back. When I was coming back home from work at approximately 5:15am, I saw Enamul sitting with three or four young boys standing beside him.”

A CNG driver, Enamul’s neighbour, requesting anonymity

5.10am Meghla comes, talks with Enamul and leaves 5.10-5.26am Suspected time frame of Enamul’s murder 6am Police recover the body after being informed by local people 8am Enamul’s body is sent to Dhaka Medical College & Hospital for autopsy 3pm A case is lodged with Mohammadpur police station by Enamul’s father

October 10

8pm Meghla is arrested

by Mohammadpur police 9pm Police arrest Sunny, Parvej, and Jewel according to the information received from Meghla

October 11

10am A three-day interrogation of the four arrestees begins

October 14

11am After interrogation, the four arrestees are sent to court 12pm Parvej gives a confessional statement under Section 164 of the Penal Code and the court orders them to be sent to jail

Azizul Huq, officer in- charge, Mohammadpur police station

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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 live in a joint family, and it’s difficult to find some ‘alone time.’ This is a problem especially during Eid when the whole extended family is in a boisterous mood and I feel pressured to participate in the festivities. Do you think it’s a good idea just for me to disappear during Eid for a couple of days without really telling anyone?

Or is that a cop-out?

DINA SOBHAN Eid is an important holiday for our people. It is also a monumental pain in the ass for introverts who barely like their immediate family, much less the extended family they are forced to hobnob with in forced gaiety and merriment. Of course it’s a total loser move to bail on everyone without an announcement; however it may be your only recourse. You should hightail it to Bangkok for three days of fun-filled family-free frolic and make sure you get in all the good stuff that you can never do with them around,

like going to a movie you want to see, not the latest Hindi blockbuster or Pixar family flick, or getting drinks in Soi Cowboy (if that’s your thing…) and so on. When you return home, look suitably po-faced as though you’ve been through a massive ordeal. Turn on the waterworks at first sight of family and proceed to tell them how you had a nervous breakdown and found yourself in a Thai hospital with no memory of how you got there. [Make sure you go to one of the hospitals for a quick visit during your trip to get

your alibi straight.] The story is farfetched enough to be believable only if your acting is Oscar-worthy. Practice on the plane if necessary. If you pull it off, not only will you get away with having missed Eid, you may never have to attend another family function again. n

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

2

My first big job interview is coming up and I want to make sure I am dressed right.

I’m pretty attractive and leggy, and although I don’t want to look unprofessional, I do want to use my natural “assets” to impress, if you know what I mean. What do you advise?

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I am marginally troubled by the fact that you plan on landing a job based on your ‘assets’, as you so charmingly put it, as opposed to, say, your qualifications. Of course, it is possible that you have none and the only way you get a job or anything else, for the matter, is by flaunting your wares. If the latter is the case, use what you got while you got it because that plan is going to go downhill in about 10 years when you do, if you catch my drift. Having said that, however, I’m

sure you’ve noticed that you live in a fairly conservative society, where dressing suggestively will get you that necklace you’ve been coveting from Jawra House but probably not the job. In fact, it may work against you to be too hot, as attractive women are considered less intelligent and capable than their homelier counterparts. In western countries, where superficial appearance is everything, that wouldn’t be an issue but in Bangladesh, I would advise

you to wear that salwar kameez you got for Eid from your grandmother.

You should look pretty, but God forbid you’re smart and sexy, you’ll seriously threaten the status quo (i.e. the imminently fragile Bangladeshi male ego) and risk being labeled a ‘fast’ girl in the process. Moreover, you don’t want to advertise all the goods from the get-go. Land the job on the strength of your merits and use the good stuff to climb the ladder and become the boss. n

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WT LEISURE DILBERT

Across 1 6 7 8

Apt season for a leap year? (6) Magistrate concerning first lady (5) Thin glass instrument (5) Greeny sort of power (6)

Down

PEANUTS

2 3 4 5

Smell of each French smoke (7) Shipping hazard of lettuce (7) Actress Jackson might dangle oddly (6) Not much of a pudding (6)

Solution and clues for last week’s crossword

Across 1 5 6 8 10 11

Animal that is all about Mum (5) In London a china version of 2 (3) Fail to please, strangely (5) Iron newspapers (5) Endless ale for queen (3) Unit of the Royal Marines (5)

Down 1 2 3 4 7 8 9

Tune a bully plays after first light (7) A record peak (3) Copy primate (3) Prosper on May’s first after British defeat (7) Knight of the Zambesi river (3) Favourite Geordie term of endearment (3) Look for sounds of Scottish approval (3)

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24 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

INTERVIEW

Samina Alam

Spiralling fire

Shah Nahian learns that playing with flames isn’t just fun, but is also a profession During the workweek, Samina Alam is a hardworking pharmacist – a product executive at Eskayef Bangladesh Limited. However, her leisure hours bring out her inner persona: she is a real-life fire spinner who has been doing it professionally, as part of the fire spinning group Naur.

What inspired you to be a fire spinner?

My friend Saiful used to be a fire spinner. Watching his performances back in the day, it just seemed like a lot of fun and I really wanted to learn.

When did you start?

I have been fire spinning since 2007, right after I finished my A-levels.

How often do you have to practise?

When I initially started out, I had to practise almost every day to pick up different moves. We used to have a lot of fire nights – like every Friday. We got to show off the new moves that we had picked up over the week to people on those nights. The moves looked pretty easy, and they were, but you need a lot of drive and hard work if you want your moves to be fluid. You can’t put up a good show if you’re not sure of what you’re doing. However, now that I have a job, it gets really difficult to make the time and frankly, I’m just too lazy.

What are the perks of being a fire spinner?

You get to go to a lot of places you normally wouldn’t be able to visit. I get

to travel all over the country; I even got to go to the national parade ground for a show.

This all sounds dangerous. Is it?

Not if you know what you’re doing. A designated “safety” person is always ready with a wet towel and a fire extinguisher throughout the show.

Furthermore, we carefully check our gear to make sure nothing comes off.

One time, during one of our shows, a burning poi tore off from the chain and went flying into the nearby pool.

The audience thought it was all part of the act and cheered us on. Little did they realise that we were as surprised as them.

Have you ever been burnt?

You know how every time you go for a swim, you end up drinking a little bit of the pool water? Fire spinning is a lot like swimming. When you spin fire you get burnt every now and then, but every burn is so minor that it’s negligible.

Out of all of your shows, which one was the most memorable?

All shows have a feel of their own.

However, the most memorable one for

Did you know?

•

With enough drive, practice and proper training, anyone can learn to become a fire spinner. Naur gives professional training to anyone interested • Fire spinners use lighter pois to master moves before trying to perform with fire • To be a fire spinner, one must be ready to get hit by his/her pois repeatedly without getting frustrated • Samina and her brother Tihan Shah perform a sibling duet, which is one of a kind in the country • Naur can be found online at www.facebook.com/Naurbd

me was not because of the act itself, but rather the journey there. We had a

show at Khulna. The clients had paid for our bus tickets, but as soon as we got to the station, we realised we had left all our gear back at my place. The bus would not wait for us a minute longer, so two of us started off, while three of us went back for our gear.

By the time we got back, the bus had already left, so my dad drove us till Savar trying to chase it down. We kept on just missing it every time. We had to take two taxis from Savar till we finally caught up with the bus at the port, because luckily, the ferry was running a little late.

What are the cons of your work?

I don’t know if these count as real cons, but we never get to dress up for the events we go to! We see people all dressed up in saris and suits, smelling nice, and here we are in our old Naur t-shirts, drenched in the smell of kerosene, unpacking our gear from a backpack which is equally drenched in that same smell. n W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3

THE WAY DHAKA WAS

GULISTAN OUTER STADIUM AREA

25 Gulistan, 1956

Bangladesh Old Photo Archive

Today

Chanchal Kamal

The Gulistan outer stadium area was not built over a year, it took almost a decade to finish. Amidst political tension in the 1950s, most people in Dhaka didn’t think it would be built in the first place. I would pass the skeletal remains of the construction site every day on the way to school, and wonder

what a grand sight it would be if it ever got finished. Eventually it was, and it opened to the public within the first day. Kicking around a football in the stadium is one of my all-time favourite memories.

Ishtiaque Taleb, Doctor, Gulistan resident

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3

26 Nadia Chowdhury contributes to the Weekend Tribune because she loves writing, oh yes she does. Read her works, you will love them

6o of connotations

Nadia Chowdhury

If love could kill There is a fine line between emotional attachment and stalkeresque infatuation Watching ‘Darr’ as a kid, I remember it giving me goose bumps. It was certainly masterful in its ability to convey the horror of an obsessive love: a one-sided fantasy that manages to blend into, and become, one person’s reality

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3

A

lmost everyone and anyone who is South Asian has watched “Darr.” You know what “Darr” is? You don’t? Well, it is a film that stars Sunny Deol, Juhi Chawla and Shah Rukh Khan, and it is about an obsessed lover who is clearly off his rocker and goes after the “girl of his dreams,” leaving a trail of bodies and blood in his wake. In the end, he dies: a love-consumed hero, not a murderous villain.

Enchanting.

Wait, that is not so enchanting.

That is horrific.

But how is one to know what a person is thinking about another?

How is one to know what one is feeling toward another, for that matter?

When one thinks about it, emotions built on possession and obsession often lead to tragic results. In real life, abuse and violence is greater in intensity and occurrence, often built on simple greed and hate. As a child, I remember films such as “Darr” having an incredible impact on me with how they depicted the destructive forms of human nature let loose by unrequited love. Yet, the idea of being shamelessly and persistently pursued by someone, regardless of whether one feels the same way, is a fantasy shared by many.

Who would not want to be loved that passionately?

But when that passion borders on sadism, it stops being a dream and rather becomes a nightmare. What is the connection between human emotions and violence, then? While word limits deter the addressing of issues relative to emotional wellbeing and violence, it is still necessary to get the conversation started. Indeed, movies such as the aforementioned aim to do exactly that, as do others

like “Devdas” and “Agni Sakshi,” not to mention “Daraar,” “Tere Naam,” “Vaada” and “Gupt.” For those who have not watched these films. While they all have contrasting storylines, and they all focus on the detriments and pitfalls of human emotions gone awry.

One of the best examples of this is found in the TV series “Game of Thrones,” where Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish’s obsession for Catelyn Stark nee Tully is enough for him to cause a string of events that would lead to her husband’s death. In this case, it is not just love for Catelyn – or Cat, as he often calls her – that inspires his actions, but also the fact that, by obtaining her, he might also obtain her land, wealth and title. Regular viewers of the show know Baelish to be quite wealthy and influential, even in the King’s Landing, but even then, the desire for Cat (and her property, perhaps) still remains, and will possibly be accomplished through Cat’s daughter, Sansa Stark.

A certain attraction to these types of characters, however, is not unusual, since we all value persistence and consistency of emotions in our partners. And yet, there is the flipside to this coin: what happens when the roles are suddenly reversed? I mean, what if the victim turns out to be a psycho killer and kills the stalker instead of the other way around? See, that would make for splendid irony.

I have barely touched upon the topic of obsessive desire on which there is a wealth of literature out there, but if you were to ask me, it is never a good thing to obsess over anyone; you never know if they will obsess over you back. Instead, a healthy, boring life is always best. One never knows when excitement might kill people. n

The line that separates passion from obsession is rather thin. For one’s own peace of mind, one needs to know when to simply stop

OBITUARY

27

Bruno Metsu

End of white magic

Faruq Hasan recalls the career of a football coach who weaved tactics and inspiration to spur a nation to glory

W

hen Senegal’s Papa Bouba Diop scored the only goal of the game, a glancing header to the bottom-right corner of the goal, in the first match of the 2002 World Cup against world champions France, a small piece of history was made.

Diop’s 30th-minute lone strike in front of 15,000 French supporters in Osaka, Japan not only meant a first ever win for the African minnows at the highest stage of the game, but also gave them a crucial three points. As Senegal drew the next two games against Denmark and Uruguay, they qualified for the second round for the first time in the nation’s history, and only the second time for an African nation at that time.

While football pundits who had predicted an early exit were made to eat humble pie, and journalists were fast running out of superlatives to describe the athletic but tactically savvy team, one man seemed unfazed.

Coach Bruno Metsu stood in the background, relaxed and confident, plotting his next move. He seemed to have anticipated success when all around him were sceptical.

Except that he couldn’t have, really.

In fact, nothing in the Frenchman’s playing career, and later his stint as a coach, had indicated his meteoric rise. For Metsu, Senegal proved to be an exception to an otherwise largely pedestrian career.

Bruno Metsu was born in January 28, 1954, in Coudekerque-Village, a suburb of Dunkirk, in northern France.

He worked on Dunkirk’s docks before starting his professional football career. A gritty midfielder, he played out his peripatetic career with stints in France, Spain, and even in the Middle East, eventually returning to French clubs like Valenciennes and Lille, where he later coached. He ended his playing career with Beauvais Oise in 1987 and became a manager there that year.

After 13 years of plying his trade in Europe, Metsu made the bold leap for Africa. In 2002, Metsu began coaching several smaller clubs in Nigeria, Cameroon and Kenya, before landing the Senegal national team position.

Before the World Cup, Senegal sent out a strong signal to the footballing fraternity by defeating Nigeria to reach the final of the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. It eventually lost to Cameroon on penalty kicks in the championship game, but that was just a beginning.

Later that year, Metsu guided the team to its first ever World Cup. Few thought the team would survive its opening game in 2002, in which it faced heavily favoured France, the defending champion. Some

members of the French team, as well as high-profile players on other teams, publicly dismissed the Senegalese.

Metsu obviously had other ideas.

In a passionate speech to the team before the game, Metsu used the criticism levelled at his team to spur his players forward.

“When I read them Pele’s remarks that Senegal was the weakest link of the group, I immediately noticed a revolt in their eyes,” Metsu told the African newspaper Vanguard later that year, referring to the Brazilian superstar’s disparaging comments before the game.

“I knew they were going to fight like lions. And in the end they did.”

Metsu’s long and unruly blond curls earned him the moniker White Sorcerer, and indeed he seemed to wield some sort of magic as Senegal made remarkable progress throughout the tournament. After beating France and qualifying for the next round, they

knocked out Sweden in the Round of 16 on an extra-time goal by Henri Camara.

Their run finally ended in a quarterfinal 1-0 loss to Turkey, again in extra time.

Senegal had become only the second African team to advance that far; Cameroon went to the quarterfinals in 1990. Since then, only one African team has reached the quarterfinals: Ghana in 2010 after ousting the US. Metsu’s inspiration and tactical acumen had attained himself legendary status in Senegal, and indeed much of Africa as well.

After the 2002 World Cup loss, he coached in the Middle East, leading Al Ain of the UAE to the Asian Champions League title the next year. He was still coaching in the region, but prolonged illness (he was diagnosed with colon cancer) finally caught up with him, and he died on October 14.

Even a sorcerer’s magic, it seems, has limitations. n

Faruq Hasan is the Magazine Editor and the resident devil’s advocate

Metsu’s life at a glance

1969 Starts playing career with SC Hazerbrouck in France 1987 Retires as a player and starts his coaching career in the same year with FC Beauvais 2000 Changes continent and becomes the national coach of African nation, Guinea. Resigns later that year to take up the national coaching position of Senegal 2002 President of Senegal declares national holiday after the national team beats France. After the tournament, Metsu marries a Senegalese woman and converts to Islam 2004 Travels to the Middle East in a career spanning six years where he coaches several clubs to domestic success

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, O CTOB E R 25, 20 1 3

28 Prima M Alam is a social researcher based in Dhaka. Last year, she conducted a study on female sex workers in the capital as part of the Liberation and Empowerment: Attaining Dignity and Rights (LEADR) project for sex workers and their children in Bangladesh

LAST WORD Prima M Alam

Making sense of rehabilitation How humane is the rehabilitation process imposed on sex workers?

S

ex sells – sometimes for as little as Tk20. From seedy hotels scattered across the city, to poorly lit street corners and parks in prominent neighbourhoods – sex sells openly and in abundance.

Despite this ubiquity and increasing visibility, the state does not recognise prostitution as a legitimate profession.

Yet, it does not explicitly prohibit the trade either.

Sex workers in Bangladesh, therefore, exist within this murky grey area of the law. In most cases, the women and girls providing sexual services have to bear all the risks of this transaction, and yet are not afforded any basic rights. Indeed, violence and harassment, particularly at the hands of their handlers, corrupt policemen, local goons and aggressive clients, is a widespread phenomenon.

The commercial sex industry has seen vast improvements over the past two decades, largely due to the donorfunded STI/HIV/AIDS and health initiatives. Sex workers have also taken on leadership roles through various organisations, most notably Durjoy Nari Sangha and Sex Workers Network of Bangladesh. These have garnered tremendous support and exposure in recent years.

Nonetheless, the stigma surrounding the trade continues to pose a major challenge for development practitioners and policy makers.

‘In the eyes of society, we are bad women.

No one will support us,’ Rupali (not her real name), a young sex worker from Gazipur, says. This opinion seems to resonate with many in the sex workers’ community In a patriarchal society like ours, women who depart from cultural norms of chastity are seen as social deviants. Irrespective of how a woman joins the sex trade, she is almost always considered a “fallen woman.”

Sex workers are conditioned by this forced identity and suffer from low self-esteem as a result. They struggle with significant internal stigma, often labelling themselves as noshto (ruined) and sex work as kharap kaaj (bad work). This perhaps stems from the deeply ingrained belief that sex outside of marriage, consensual or otherwise, is immoral and women who engage in such sinful activities are at fault. Even women who are

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 25, 201 3

trafficked may perhaps feel that, since they are already “ruined,” sex work is the only viable option. And so, despite the change in terminology from potita (prostitute) to jounokormi (sex worker), female sex workers continue to be fallen women.

For these reasons, it is not surprising that many well-meaning politicians are adamant that sex workers must be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society as “respectable women,” categorising these women as either victims of circumstance or a source of disease. Is this what rehabilitation means? An incredibly pertinent and pressing question, given the heinous attack on a Madaripur brothel by Islahe Qoum Parishad activists. Incidentally, during an NGO-organised advocacy meeting, local elites and religious leaders of the area purportedly refused to acknowledge that these brothelbased sex workers were even human.

Although organisations, such as Ain o Salish Kendra, BLAST, Manusher Jonno Foundation and PIACT Bangladesh, are tirelessly pursuing legal action, the brothel was violently evicted despite a stay-order from the High Court. If past experience is anything to go by, then we must think ahead and devise an in-depth action plan of what a rehabilitation programme should entail.

The forced closures of the Tanbazar and Nimtoli brothels in 1999 and the subsequent “rehabilitation” efforts are testament to the fact that mandatory rehabilitation is inhumane and redundant. Moreover, governmentrun vagrant homes, described by sex workers as “crime centres,” are not serving their intended purpose. “We have been cheated all our lives; people always misbehave with us. How can you expect us to act like saints if you treat us like sinners?” quips a defiant Rupali (not her real name), who was sold into the trade at a very early age. After all, rehabilitation cannot mean sweeping the problem under a proverbial carpet and ridding the country of these “sinners.” Even voluntary rehabilitation is riddled with numerous social, economic and psychological barriers. According to a human rights activist, some women may want to leave the profession, but tend to return to sex work as they are either rejected by their relatives or cannot adjust to “normal” life.

The eviction of a brothel must follow a legal procedure; it cannot be a decision dictated by hostility or political clout. In the same vein,

The challenge is psychologically adjusting to patriarchal family life; listening to the head of the household, not having decision-making power, or a source of income, all the while grappling with an internalised stigma local or national rehabilitation efforts should not be reactionary in design.

Commercial sex work is essentially a multi-faceted and ever-changing trade and sex workers are far from homogenous.

The government must collaborate with development partners, legal aid organisations, sex workers and civil society to formulate an operational action plan. For instance, aged sex workers, underage sex workers and children of sex workers are considered to be most at risk. Programmes could target these groups in an innovative and confidential manner.

There is also a need to simultaneously address ambiguities in the legal framework governing the sex industry. Besides comprehensible prostitution laws, ensuring stringent enforcement of existing antitrafficking legislation is critical. For most of us, the illegal eviction of the Madaripur brothel is a disturbing yet distant reality – one we can connect to previous injustices that have collectively led to an increase in the marginalisation of an already vulnerable group. It is perhaps something we passively frown upon, for whatever reason. Irrespective of one’s viewpoint on prostitution, the incident has also provided an opportunity to discuss the current situation and stand up for the rights of sex workers, not as victims or villains, but as fellow citizens and as human beings.

As Rupali so eloquently puts: “We are sex workers, but above all we are human beings.” Only by truly appreciating this sentiment can one begin to understand the meaning of rehabilitation and thereby increase the effectiveness of such efforts, if and when these are required. n Findings from a study conducted under the Liberation and Empowerment: Attaining Dignity and Rights (LEADR) project were used for the purpose of this article.