Weekend cober135

Bangladesh in 2013 6

Best art events 26

FRIDAY DECEMBER 27 2013 vol 1 Issu e 35

Most notable deaths 27

1

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

10 Post-Riposte

A Wee kly Pro ducti o n o f

DhakaTribune

6 Pick of the Week Bangladesh in 2013

Weekend Tribune Team Sumaiya Shams Faisal Mahmud Yusuf Banna Shah Nahian Adil Sakhawat Rohini Alamgir Farhana Urmee

Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email: weekend@dhakatribune.com Web: www.dhakatribune.com Cover The best of Weekend Tribune

by Syed Zakir Hossain

18 Digital Bangladesh

Technological progress Domestic affairs

20 Big Mouth strikes again

The littlest things

21 Crime File

Law-breaking in 2013

22 Tough Love 23 WT | Leisure

Cartoon Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood

The year in retrospect

19 Realpolitik

Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain

Design Mohammad Mahbub Alam

Worldwide events

12 Photo Story

Editor Zafar Sobhan

Contributors Ibtisam Ahmed Ikhtisad Ahmed Naheed Kamal Dina Sobhan Ehtesamul Haque Phil Humphreys Chanchal Kamal Quamrul Abedin

New Year’s Eve

11 Top 10

Vo lume 1, Issu e 3 5 D EC EMB ER 2 7, 2 0 1 3

Magazine Editor Faruq Hasan

Boycotting boycotts?

24 Game On

Global Sporting Events of 2013

25 The Way Dhaka Was

Gulistan Cinema Hall

27 Obituary

Most notable deaths

28 Last Word 26 Culture Vulture Best art events

EDITOR’S NOTE

The list issue L

ists are quick and dirty, but notoriously difficult to prepare, especially at the fag end of the year when our readers are in “summary mode” – sum up the year for us, you ask. We at the Weekend Tribune aim to please.

Our special year-end review issue is all about lists and rankings: the top 10 events of the year, deaths, sporting events and cultural events. Of course, our Pick of the Week gives you a more detailed perspective of how 2013 went for us in this neck of the woods, but our meticulously prepared lists are snapshots of the last 365 days from every possible angle.

A couple of things that I wanted to point out: the lists have a strong global feel to it as we have already spent the last 34 issues giving you news and analysis from within the region. And also, we have kept out Quader Molla from a few of the lists as we thought we have devoted enough space to him in the immediate last two issues.

We hope that you enjoy this special collector’s issue and keep us in mind for next year as well. A hearty, healthy new year to all our readers. See you in 2014! n

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

2

THIS WEEK

INTERNATIONAL

A Syrian refugee woman fetches water at a refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal, Lebanon on December 15. Tens of thousands of impoverished Syrian refugees living in tents, shacks and unfinished buildings throughout Lebanon face a miserable winter as aid organisations scramble to meet their needs, constantly overwhelmed by ever-more Syrians fleeing their country’s war.

AP/Bilal Hussein

In this handout image from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, taken on December 17, civilians arrive at UNMISS compound adjacent to Juba International Airport to take refuge.

Sporadic gunfire rang out in the capital, Juba, overnight as the military “cleared out remnants” of a faction of soldiers accused of mounting a coup attempt

AP/UNMISS/Rolla Hinedi

People pedal to produce enough energy to light up the eco-friendly Christmas tree set up at the Basilica de San Francisco explanade in La Paz on December 18. The 14-metre tree was made with 50,000 plastic bottles

AFP/Jorge Bernal

A Cambodian Buddhist monk speaks to supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) during a demonstration in Phnom Penh on December 22.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen rejected opposition calls for him to step down after thousands of protesters massed in the capital calling for fresh elections

AFP/Charly Two

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

In this Friday, October 22, 2010 photo, former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky is escorted to a court in Moscow, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 19 that he will pardon his arch-enemy Khodorkovsky, who has spent the past 10 years in prison on tax evasion and embezzlement charges. Khodorkovsky’s release could potentially be Putin’s biggest political decision this year

AP/Sergey Ponomarev

3

NATIONAL

Law enforcers and Jatiya Party leaders and activists engage in a scuffle in Rangpur’s Jahaj Company intersection yesterday. The situation arouse as Mosiur Rahman, former president of the now-defunct Rangpur district and mahanagar unit Jatiya Party, brought out a procession, protesting the decision. Photo taken on December 17

Banglar Chokh

Four law enforcers patrol the rail tracks in the capital’s Tejgaon area. Vigilances were increased in the railway sector after prohartal and blockade activists went on rampage in this sector during strike hours on December 17 Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune

A group of people set fire to an effigy of Imran Khan, Pakistani politician and former cricketer, in front of Central Shaheed Minar on December 18 after he discredited and commented on the execution of war criminal Quader Molla

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

A policeman uses a shotgun in place of a truncheon to charge at Ganajagaran Mancha activists on December 19 in Gulshan 2. The activists tried to besiege the Pakistan High Commission protesting the Pakistan parliament’s resolution against the execution of Quader Molla

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

Namaj-e-janaza of Zohra Tajuddin, deceased wife of Tajuddin Ahmed, is held in front of Bangladesh Awami League office at Bangabandhu Avenue on December 20

Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

4

BOTTLED UP

letters to the editor

LETTER

of the week Where have all the good men gone?

Reading Faisal Mahmud’s feature on Shib Narayan Das, I realised that we must be the only nation in the world that has such a contested account of our own history.

We can’t even seem to decide who was the founder of our flag. Nevertheless, it pained me to read the story of a man who seems to have been deliberately left out of our history books, but whose modesty actually prevents him from making a big deal out of it.

Thanks to conscientious reporting from the part of the Weekend Tribune team, at least some of your readers will know what truly happened.

Abul Kalam Azad Mohammadpur, Dhaka

All bark and no bite Come on, Joseph Allchin! You can’t be serious about all your warmongering.

China, Japan and the US have been at each other’s throats for more than half a century now and still haven’t blown each other to bits. You know why? It’s the economy. All three countries are irrevocably linked to each other through their economies, and would never risk even a whisper of belligerence for fear of bursting their economic bubble. Next time, please ease off the war pedal.

Sabrina Mehek New Eskaton, Dhaka

O for ominous oborodhs I am sick and tired of oborodhs, which are basically another name for wreaking unlimited violence on the poor, all in the name of practising democracy. As Farhana Urmee points out in her interviews with oborodh victims, the rich and powerful are never the casualties of this veritable war: it’s people like us who have to go to work every single day, rain, shine, or Molotov cocktails raining on us aside, to bring back the bread for our family. I don’t think a single politician will read Urmee’s column, do you?

Moklesur Rahman Mirpur, Dhaka

My vocab is boosted I absolutely loved the Top 10 this week! Kudos to Rohini Alamgir for coming up with such a unique idea. I slightly disagree with the list, though - I think twerk should have made the top of the list. It was all over the internet for months! Otherwise, great job.

Sabiha Rahman Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Send us your feedback at: weekend@dhakatribune.com

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

5

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

Boycotting boycotts?

Because of their anti-Liberation stance, it is time that we boycott all Pakistani products.

Imran H Sarker spokesperson for Ganajagaran Mancha

Unfortunately, because of the nonstop oborodhs, everyone has been boycotting my products, too.

Mr Mango

Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

6 Ibtisam Ahmed is a student of history and politics. He lives in a fantasy and writes about reality

PICK OF THE WEEK

Bangladesh in 2013

Looking back

Ibtisam Ahmed takes a look at the year past for Bangladesh, examining events in domestic, international, culture and sports spheres

Photos: Dhaka Tribune

Amid the tug Domestic candle-light vigils, open-air debates Blogging is hazardous 2013 has seen Bangladesh go through and continuous rallies saw generations to health of war between soaring highs and depressing lows in stand together in their calls for justice.

Shahbagh its domestic scene. As the year closes, The movement saw inevitable counter- Ahmed Rajib Haider, a blogger who protests and the upcoming elections and its related protests, especially by Jamaat-e- was involved with the Shahbagh are the most pertinent topic Islami activists, but the location of the protests, was killed after making Jamaat activists, upheavals of conversations, and it is startling original protests has since become comments critical of Jamaat and the Bangla New how some of the issues dominating immortalised in the national conscious. fundamentalism. Soon afterwards, four other bloggers were accused of Year celebration headlines now saw their genesis earlier in the year.

Turbulent trials defiling Islam – although their posts was rather When the next set of convictions have not been revealed, making the was handed out, including for Delwar claims unverifiable – and became muted, failing Shahbagh revisited The first big event of the year was the Hossain Sayeedi, the reactions were targets of violence. They were taken to salvage the Shahbagh protest in early February. unfortunately less peaceful. Jamaat into “protective custody,” after which sense of Bangali With the International Crimes Tribunal activists demanded the verdict be Shahbagh became the site of a new brotherhood. having handed out its first set of overturned and aimed their wrath at and very different protest. Jamaat sentences, including for Abdul Quader the unfortunate civilian population activists began to demand the death Sadly, it took a Molla, the nation that has often been who stood in their way. Hindu locales penalty this time, with the bloggers as bigger shock to criticised for its political apathy came were particularly targeted, with 50 their primary targets. The blogosphere life. Centring on the Shahbagh area temples and over 1,500 homes being erupted in mass outrage, a nationwide bring back any to of the capital, tens of thousands of vandalised across 20 districts. Violence blackout taking place on April 4 to semblance of demonstrators united in their demand against Hindus was also incited in the protest the attacks on freedom of unity for the harshest punishment of them closing months, the supposed affront expression and freedom of religion. all for the convicted Quader Molla. once again having been fabricated.

In scenes reminiscent of Tahrir and In March, attention was drawn to yet Rana Plaza ruins Pearl during the Arab Spring, peaceful

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

another protest-related controversy.

It would be a couple of weeks before an

even bigger disaster struck the country.

On April 24, the Rana Plaza building in Savar, consisting primarily of garments factories, collapsed, snuffing out hundreds of lives in an instance. And yet, amid such tragedy came immense hope. The nation rallied, temporarily setting aside their differences to help the victims. An outpouring of monetary and supply donations flooded the local hospitals. Firefighters, police and medical teams worked around the clock to save anyone they could, with every rescued survivor being greeted with cheers of sheer joy across the length and breadth of the land.

For once, the liable parties did not escape quietly and were successfully apprehended by an incited police force.

The calamity also galvanised the labour unions, who finally decided enough was enough and demanded greater safety standards. While they might not have completely succeeded yet, there is genuine optimism that the likes of Rana Plaza might not happen again.

7

Hefazat strikes back

The summer months would be dominated by protests once again.

First, the Hefazat-e-Islami group began calls for their 13-point charter to be accepted by the government, including harsh punishment for defaming Islam. The protestors were routed by security forces at the Shapla Chattar in Motijheel on May 5, though it later emerged that magnitude of the operation had been exaggerated. Next, protests against the quota system

employed in the allocation of BCS seats took place in early July. They were aimed at redressing the imbalance of quota-based appointments compared to merit-based ones. Once again, the protests did not lead to a successful resolution, but they were able to raise the national profile of the issue.

The latter half of the year was dominated by political stories, with Jamaat being banned from elections in August, the prime minister and the opposition leader holding a much-

publicised and historic phone call in October, the trial and execution of Quader Molla in December, and the contentious issues of electoral participation and its related strikes and blockades. In the midst of such disruptions, there was a huge victory for civil rights when the hijra community was given legal recognition as a separate, third sex, opening up the dialogue for sexual rights in a socially conservative part of the world.

It was heartening to see multiple online petitions, some originating in Bangladesh, the vast majority originating abroad, taking place to aid the Rana Plaza victims and their families, and actually compelling retailers like GAP and Wal-Mart to reconsider their workplace standards

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

8

PICK OF THE WEEK

Some cheers

Despite the calamities and upheavals, the nation found time to celebrate.

Along with an admittedly muted Pohela Boishakh celebration in April, Eid once again provided the festive high points of the year. Durga Puja and Holi were also causes for revelry. With Christmas and the New Year coming up, we can hope for a calm end to the year and a good start to the next one.

International

Bangladesh’s involvement with the

Sports was the one department that brought in some good cheer. The cricket team’s success in the Asia Cup, its “Banglawash’ of the Kiwis, and Sakib’s consolidation of the number one spot for allrounders brought global accolades. Golf, football, and even chess also grabbed some positive headlines

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

Bangladesh in 2013

international community this year was shaped mostly by its own domestic situation. Following the Rana Plaza collapse, aid was a big talking point, and so was economic policy, with multiple international retailers being pressurised into signing worker safety accords.

Labour safety a concern

European retailers like Primark and H&M led the charge for change and, with their pledges for structural improvements and compensation, it

is possible to see a safer future for the nation’s garments workers. The collapse also saw Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina participate in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Although topics such as politics were also discussed, the main issue was the handling of the factory collapse. The interview did not go down particularly well, with several questions being handled poorly, but it was still the first time that the nation’s leader had addressed such a high-profile figure in the international media.

Our friendly neighbours

Relations with neighbouring India improved on the whole. President Pranab Mukherjee visited in February to improve bilateral ties, a promise that was carried out later in the year.

Starting in October, India began to export electricity to Bangladesh and a joint power plant was unveiled later in the month. There was also the introduction of a border ceremony at the Benapole-Petrapole border checkpoint in November, which has since been carried out every day. US-

9

Bangladesh relations also improved, with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni issuing a joint statement of cooperative intent with US Secretary of State John Kerry in the White House in May. The situation with the Rohingya refugees of Myanmar did not get resolved, but reports have stated that the flow of people between the two countries has stabilised, with hopes that the affected refugees can finally achieve some sort of lasting peace and security.

The majority of international relations were with regards to the complex political situation. Baroness Warsi, the UK’s senior foreign office minister, made two trips to Bangladesh in order to negotiate multilateral solutions to the upheavals plaguing the political sphere. On both occasions, she met leaders from all major parties and urged caution. Oscar FernandezTaranco, the UN assistant secretarygeneral for political affairs, also visited the country in mid-December to try and initiate dialogue between the various sides. None of the visits ended with any lasting solution.

There was also an unofficial international movement for freedom of expression and secularism, with multiple protests taking place in New York, London, Brussels, Berlin and Paris, provoked by the arrest of the bloggers but continuing on through the political disturbances of the last few months.

The Mollah never dies

Meanwhile, Pakistan and Turkey became targets for political ire when their respective parliaments issued resolutions condemning the execution of Quader Molla. Although the trial has drawn criticisms from multiple quarters regarding its political bias, the Pakistani and Turkish resolutions went beyond simple censure. It is difficult to say whether they have complicated the situation further, although it is fervently hoped they did not.

Culture

The Bangladeshi film industry saw an amazing 22 projects get wide releases over the course of the year.

Among these releases was the second Bangladeshi production of “Devdas,” which also received a wide release in India. The Ekushey Boi Mela and the Dhaka Hay Festival were held in February and November, respectively.

Thousands flocked to these events, showing yet again the Bangali love of literature, among both readers and writers.

The nation mourned the losses of Khaled Khan and Manna Dey, the former a young jewel, the latter an ageless icon, whose passing makes our cultural scene that much weaker.

Even with such sadness, however, Bangladesh found time to celebrate a new form of literature, namely the comic book medium, as the Unmad and

JCC Dhaka Comic-Con became a staple of the cultural scene. It was a hugely successful – and colourful – event and it is hoped that it continues to breathe new life into the already diverse heritage of this land.

Sports

Cricket was, of course, the biggest talking point of the sports calendar.

The national team saw its fair share of success, winning multiple matches against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Zimbabwe. The Bangladesh Premier League held its second season, with the Dhaka Gladiators once again being crowned champions.

The spat regarding the participation of Pakistani players notwithstanding, it was a highlight of the year, and its success bodes well for the nation’s plans to host the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2014 Asia Cup. In football, the year saw the completion of the 2012-2013 Bangladesh Football Premier League, with Sheikh Russel KC topping the table and earning a spot in the AFC President’s Cup. The Premier Bank Bangladesh Championship League was also completed, with Chittagong Abahani and Uttar Baridhara SC earning promotion to the Premier League. In international sports competitions, Bangladesh participated in the World Aquatics Championships held in Barcelona, Spain. n

There is much to look forward to in 2014: elections, a new government, businesses coming back to life, the T20 World Cup, and promises of an even stronger remittance inflow all augur well for Bangladesh.

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

10

POST-RIPOSTE

New Year’s Eve

Is 31st night overrated or not?

Definitely, yes!

Shah Nahian

N

ew Year ’s Eve is considered to be something special by most people. Even I remember a time in my life when I really looked forward to the night. However, when I looked at 31st night for what it really is, I had a very different opinion about it.

The truth of the matter is, unless you’re a fictional character from a teen drama, it’s just another ordinary night. Nothing is about to change.

It’s the celebration of the end of one minute and the beginning of the next.

Still, preparing for 31st night puts on an unnecessary amount of pressure that you HAVE to have fun, which leads people to go out of character to prove something. I see people dressing up in their most expensive clothes and putting a huge dent on their pay cheques for tickets to that pretentious “exclusive” New Year’s Eve party, paying for overpriced drinks and acting like a buffoon all night long, only to wake up with a massive hangover the next morning.

That’s not all though. As everyone is trying to prove that they’re having the most fun, this usually brings out the irresponsible side out of people.

Experimentation with illegal drugs, excessive consumption of alcohol is all part of the game. As if that wasn’t enough, some even end up behind the wheels of a car in their inebriated state trying to get back home or headed to a “cooler” scene.

31st night is overhyped, over priced and rarely ever delivers anything more than shallow, pretentious activity, a hole in your wallet and a throbbing headache the next morning. However, if you still want to make your New Year’s Eve special, consider gathering couple of your close friends and family under one roof and avoid indulging in irresponsible and dangerous behaviour.

That too can be a lot of fun. n

Cartoons: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

Certainly not!

Rohini Alamgir

T

o many, 31st night is the symbol of new beginnings. As the year draws to an end, people can finally shed the burdens of the mistakes and regrets of the past year, and look forward to starting off with a clean slate. This, definitely, gives cause for celebration.

Imagine this: no matter what you’re doing to celebrate and enjoy 31st night, people all over the globe are joining you in welcoming the new year. Whether you’re in Times Square, squashed by the crowed with barely space to stand, or in a parade in Thailand, or even getting secretly drunk in one of those “high end” parties at the Westin in Bangladesh, the spirit of unity is undeniable. For one night in an entire year, we do not just come together as a nation or a country, but rather as a world. It’s rather disappointing when people claim to dislike New Year’s Eve, W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

because that just forcefully puts them out of this wonderful and rare harmony.

Growing up, I’ve always celebrated New Year’s Eve with family: a barbeque on the rooftop, a close-knit group enjoying music and lively conversation, adults letting their hair down and enjoying a glass or two of bubbly. Today, with a family scattered across the globe, I find myself faced with a choice.

I can choose to party so hard that I can’t keep my head up the next day, I can choose to go on a binge of alcohol and drugs and carelessly get myself killed in a road accident, or I can choose to have a small gathering with close friends and have a wonderful time.

The point is, to each his own, and it really is our own responsibility and prerogative to stay safe while having fun. Let’s not blame a beautiful night for our own stupidity. n

TOP 10

11

Worldwide events

Reviewing 2013

Faruq Hasan reminisces about the top global incidents of this year. This list was generated via a social media poll. To take part in the next one, visit either the Weekend Tribune facebook page at www.facebook.com/WeekendTrib or the Dhaka Tribune page at www.facebook.com/ DhakaTribune

10

Boston bombings

On April 15, two young Americans of Chechen origin blasted two “pressure cooker” bombs at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring an estimated 265 others, and launching an unprecedented manhunt with thousands of law enforcement officers searching a 20-block area for one of the killers who was on the run.

9

US govt shutdown

On September 27, House Republicans, waging opposition against President Obama’s health care plan, Obamacare, reached an impasse against the government sponsored bill, and shut down all federal spending across the nation, affecting millions of Americans.

8

6

Margaret Thatcher dies

Baroness Thatcher died peacefully at the Ritz Hotel in April 12 this year, where she was recuperating from her surgeries. The 87-yearold former British prime minister, also known as the Iron Lady, was famous for her brand of economics, or Thatcherism, that pulled the UK out of recession.

Her death was “celebrated” by protestors who accused her of holding back social reforms and destroying the welfare state.

5

Scientists clone human cells For the first time, scientists have created human embryonic stem cells by transferring the nucleus of a mature cell into an egg. The cloning technique could nudge the dream of personalised medicine closer to reality.

4

Nelson Mandela dies

Nelson Mandela, the South African who fought racism, discrimination and apartheid and became an icon for human rights advocates throughout the world, died this year, aged 95. His death brought together common people and world leaders, although his funeral was slightly marred by squabbling family members and television rights.

3

Typhoon Haiyan hitting the coast of Philippines

More than 6,000 people were killed as Typhoon Haiyan, the most powerful tropical cyclone of the year, hit parts of the Philippines and Micronesia. Although countries received typhoon warnings almost a week in advance, its sheer intensity and size was too much to handle.

China’s moon landing

The Chinese government landed an automated rover vehicle on the moon’s Sinus Iridum, or the Bay of Rainbows, on December 14, establishing China as the third country in the world capable of carrying out such a rover mission after the US and former Soviet Union.

2

Egypt army president Morsi

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

ousts

On July 3, the Egyptian army chief removed the country’s then-incumbent democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, from power and suspended the constitution. The move came after continuous public protests between pro and anti Morsi fractions. Morsi was put under house arrest and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders were arrested. The announcement put Egypt’s nascent democracy under serious threat, and also showed that the Egyptian Army was still in charge of the country.

1 Syria chemical attacks

7

Kenya mall attack

On September 21, unidentified gunmen stormed the posh Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The attack lasted three days, resulting in 72 deaths, including 61 civilians, 6 Kenyan soldiers, and 5 attackers, and wounding at least 200 people. The attacks also raised fresh suspicions about Islamic fundamentalism in the region.

Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

The Syrian government, under Bashr-Al-Assad, is accused of using chemical weapons throughout the year primarily to gain the upper hand or break a stalemate in areas where it had struggled to seize and hold strategically valuable territory. While human rights activists initially said about 300 people had been killed, by the end of August 21 the main opposition alliance had put the death toll at more than 1,500. A veritable war is still going on between the government and the rebels, and external sources say that the use of lethal gas has not abated. Expect this to spill over 2014 and beyond. n W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

12

PHOTO STORY

The year in retrospect

Once more, with feeling A photo story by Dhaka Tribune

Syed Latif Hossain

A

s 2013 draws to a close, it seems like Bangladesh’s New Year resolution should be to truly wipe the slate clean and start over. It might be the 21st century, but this year has been a massive throwback to ’71. What we had started out to become, and what we have actually achieved lies in stark contrast. This was the year of the Shahbagh movement, the raucous start, and the relatively silent end.

We got what we wanted from that, the hanging of Quader Molla, and yet what have we truly achieved? Zillur Rahman passed away and through all the pomp and circumstance,

who truly mourned? Rana Plaza happened, and yet where was the justice for the victims and their families? 11-year-old Shanto lies silent on his hospital bed with 73 rubber pellets from a Molotov cocktail embedded in his brain. His offence was to be born in a country that is set to self-destruct. Yet not all things have fallen apart: animal rights have taken front stage, with a newly built safari park in Gazipur, while the nation united on December 16 to break the world record for the largest human flag. There is still time to realise what we are doing, and to save ourselves. n Syed Zakir Hossain

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

13

Rajib Dhar

Nashirul Islam

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

14

PHOTO STORY The year in retrospect

Nashirul Islam

Mahmud Hossain Opu

Syed Zakir Hossain

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

Rajib Dhar

15

Syed Zakir Hossain

Mahmud Hossain Opu

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

16

PHOTO STORY The year in retrospect

Syed Zakir Hossain

Mahmud Hossain Opu

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

17

Mahmud Hossain Opu

Mahmud Hossain Opu

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

18

Digital Bangladesh

Technological Progress

A digital year

Faisal Mahmud highlights 10 most noteworthy events that took Bangladesh closer to becoming ‘digital’

Faisal Mahmud is a staff reporter at Weekend Tribune who specialises in writing IT and telecom articles with depth and analysis

5

First UK-Bangladesh e-commerce fair

10 Google doodle on Independence Day

For the first time ever, Google launched a special doodle for the Independence Day of Bangladesh.

Named Bangladesh Independence Day 2013, the doodle was posted just minutes after midnight on March 26. It shows a child holding a small flag in his hand and walking with his parents.

Top flop

The approval of the draft of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act 2013 by the cabinet, and the promulgation of the ICT (amendment ordinance).

According to the Section 57 of the ordinance, if any person deliberately publishes any material in electronic form that creates disturbance in the law and order situation, defames the state or a person, or hurts religious beliefs, the offender will be sentenced with a maximum 14 years and minimum seven years of imprisonment, without bail.

9

Cap on internet upload speed removed

BTRC withdrew the upload speed limit on theinternet on May 18 this year. It is to be noted that that IIGs (international internet gateways) are responsible for providing internet bandwidth to the internet service providers (ISP).

ISPs, which include the mobile and WiMAX operators,then supply the bandwidth to the end users.

8

Digital map of financial services by Bangladesh Bank

On October 26, Bangladesh Bank introduced a new tool mapping all the locations where one could acquire financial services in the country. This project was sponsored

by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, facilitated by Bangladesh Bank and Microcredit Regulatory Authority, and implemented by a specialist firm called Brand Fusion.

7

Beshto

The first social networking site of Bangladesh, Beshto was launched on February 28 this year. Beshto Ltd, the company, has started with providing two online services via the site, both of which are designed to connect the hearts and minds of Bangladeshis.

6

First app contest

EATL Apps, the first mobile application store in Bangladesh, and ProthomAlo, the leading Bangla daily, jointly organised EATL-ProthomAlo Apps Contest 2013. The event was launched following a grand ceremony at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on June 29.

The first UK-Bangladesh e-commerce fair took place in London from September 7-9, which was attended by many major e-commerce-based organisations from both the UK and Bangladesh, showcasing their products and services. The fair gave participants an opportunity to familiarise and integrate with the fastest growing business in the world.

4

US-Bangladesh Tech Investment Summit

The first of its kind, the summit was held at Silicon Valley, in San Francisco, California, on May 7 this year. This summit was especially designed to attract US investors to Bangladesh IT sector.

3

Google street view

In partnership with the A2I Programme, Google kicked off the one-year project in February, putting cars equipped with powerful cameras to record the street views in Bangladesh. Initially, two cities have been covered. All the attractive places and roads in Dhaka have been filmed already.

This will help boost the tourism industry through global branding.

2

Pipilika

The first Bangla search engine, pipilika.com, took off on April 13 this year aiming to bring about further advancement of the language. The search engine, with a storage capacity of 4TB, was born out of an undergraduate project at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), with technical and financial assistance from Grameenphone IT Ltd.

1

3G auction

The first ever 3G auction in the country was held on September 8. Four telecom operators of the country acquired 25MHz of spectrum when the long-awaited auction was held in the capital. In the first phase of the auction, market leader Grameenphone acquired 10MHz at the price of $210m. In the second phase, Banglalink, Robi and Airtel each acquired 5MHz at a price of $105m. n

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

Realpolitik

19

Domestic affairs

A year of partisan politics

Ikhtisad Ahmed rates this year’s governmental and civilian tousles

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

10 Ganajagaran Mancha In a year that proved beyond reasonable doubt that Bangladesh is hostage to two warring factions who care only about power, there is a reason why this barely makes the list rather than being right at the top. What started as a spontaneous, peaceful movement of the people, by the people, for the people on February 5, quickly became politicised and abandoned the populace. It has lost all purpose, direction and credibility in becoming a pawn in the ugly political game.

4 H M Ershad

9 The telephone conversation

The former president is often a figure of ridicule, perceived as someone whose words mean nothing since he constantly contradicts himself. The official line that he joined the pollstime government in the hope that others would follow suit for the sake of democracy only to then announce a boycott of the election because it is not all-inclusive as per his original promise has some merit. If only there was some way for him or his official spokesperson Bobby Hajjaj to speak the whole truth.

Further confirmation of the insignificance of the citizens came in the form of the country’s two most powerful women reaffirming on October 26 that they want the throne at any cost. That each party declared its respective president victorious in the aftermath, espousing her virtues, seems to not only suggest that playground bickering passes for praiseworthy political discourse, but that the comedy that ensued is the very tragic reality that Bangladesh has to live with.

8 Blog controversy

So many unquestionable conclusions, so little time. In a nutshell, it decreed that: a) the blogosphere is a forum for sacrilege and blasphemy, b) freedom of speech does not exist, c) freedom of speech is abused, and does not apply to heathens, d) bloggers should be put to death without due process, as is the norm in Bangladesh, and finally, e) atheists are not human beings.

7 Hefazat-e-Islam

The thirteen steps to utter greatness, or complete ruin. From the ashes of Bangladesh’s great matter of religion in politics, which increased intolerance and saw violence meted out to minorities, rose Hefazat. Another pawn in the filthy political game, its consistency and discipline, and the treatment of its members at Shapla Chattar on May 5 and 6, make it more significant that its rival, Ganajagaran Mancha. One has to wonder where this is headed, since the honourable leaders have decided to touch this third rail.

Photos: Dhaka Tribune

6 Rana Plaza

The political story surrounding this tragedy that cannot be brushed under the carpet goes by the name of Murad Jong. The government should be commended for recognising the value of Dr. Enamur Rahman, choosing him as a candidate for the January 5 election over the MP. However, the former’s culpability, or, at the very least, friendship with and support of the building’s owner, has not been scrutinised satisfactorily. Should his being overlooked be punishment for wrongdoing, it is dreadfully insufficient.

3 Foreign dignitaries and their visits

John Kerry cancelled in summer, while Baroness Warsi and Oscar FernandezTaranco came and solved nothing in December. Pranab Mukherjee kicked off the improvement of bilateral ties with India in March. That Bangladesh is incapable of keeping its house in order without foreign influence is obvious, and shameful. That no one other than India is interested in getting involved is worrying. That foreign dignitaries are given more importance than the citizens is distressing and depressing.

2 Democracy defined

Arguably Bangladesh’s greatest contribution to global politics is defining, refining and redefining “democracy.” The nation can speak with the greatest authority on the subject since democracy is one of its founding principles. Throughout the year, the arguments surrounding the 15th Amendment and the upcoming general election has seen everyone concerned make the most compelling, and simultaneously most frivolous, case for this overrated political philosophy.

5 Jamaat banned

On August 1 the High Court banned Jamaat-e-Islami from contesting the upcoming general election. While an appeal is pending to verify the validity of this judgment, it is important to note that this leaves Jamaat’s current status unexplained and unresolved. If it remains a political entity, it needs to behave and be treated as such. If not, it needs to be disbanded or risk being identified as a bona fide terrorist organisation. What will follow is anyone’s guess.

1 People die, yet no one cares The only thing worse than the loss of a life, any life, to unnatural causes is the casualties of unlawful violence and oppression in the name of politics. When other human beings are clearly directly, or indirectly, responsible for even one

death, it can only be greeted with outrage, with an uncompromising demand for it never to happen again. Instead, Bangladesh has accepted this and the ridiculous, heinous political strife that causes it as normal parts of its existence.

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

20

Big Mouth strikes again

Naheed Kamal

The littlest things It is inexcusable to be rude, unkind, disrespectful and uncivil

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!

I

have been less then inspired because I am angry – I am surprised we are not bursting with outrage.

What else do we need to see to react to the mayhem all around us?

How low we can go can be read in the headlines. When a boy was sold for a few thousand taka, I thought I’d see some reaction. When I read about the nine-year-old “raped to death,” I thought people would respond in anger. If people want the real Bangladesh to stand up, here it is.

I am antagonised enough to respond, so please, do listen up: if you can’t be constructive, you don’t need to start being destructive. Take the change of attitude towards the people behind the Ganajagaran Mancha. Quite a few lethal blows were dealt against what was, and still is, essentially a motley crew of protestors.

With the bitter words and snide remarks, the accusations flying thick in the air, all of it took on an awful hue on the internet, especially on Facebook, with bad spelling and crappy grammar.

So much rancour spread across social media sites surprises me. I am well aware of the nature, related research and facts associated with anonymous commenting online. Some publications, including the Huffington Post, have decided to not allow anonymous comments, meanwhile in Bangladesh, the uncivil state of civil society is a bitter pill to swallow.

Well, so much for unity – how could we forget that we excel at divisive behaviour?

I don’t know about you, but I have conversations with myself all the time.

And from what I can gather from the voices clamouring for attention and clarity, it has gone some way to help

Let’s be clear about one thing: those who hold the reigns of power and ‘rule’ are many things, but leaders, they are not. We are accountable for the situation in Bangladesh today, and though it is hard to maintain any perspective, by taking stock of our circumstances we get a better view. It starts with us – we can have very different opinions, but as long as we treat each other with respect and courtesy, no matter what, we can expect society to be civil

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

me gain a certain sense of self – with accountability just a step away. And with accountability, comes additional responsibility.

These are not words that hold any meaning for people in power, whose work is cut out for them, because, in general we delude ourselves and question anyone who rocks the boat.

Wary as we are of trying anything new, even if it is guaranteed to provide a better experience for all of one, we are still unsure. Yet, accountability starts with people willing to hold themselves to a higher standard and be answerable for their actions, those dedicated to never deviate from dedication to excellence. In these uncertain times, we need leaders who have the courage to look into the future to inspire us on the journey.

The more I ponder on the subject of what ails us, the more amazed I am at the level of confusion and anxiety exhibited by those on top, who seem to be speaking in a vacuum. How can we expect to see constructive and positive changes or reform from people who care nothing for the ordinary citizens?

We are up against the nation’s troubles, conflicting details, rising costs and duelling opinions, plus bad behaviour.

Perhaps we are looking at the wrong end of things. Reform is not about rules and regulations, but simple facts, and for change to come about we must start at the beginning. Perhaps, if we switched off, we wouldn’t forget our manners so often.

In a survey published in July, KRC Research, PR firm Weber Shandwick and public affairs firm Powell Tate’s “Civility in America” indicated that 71% of Americans think civility has declined in recent years and 54% expect the decline to continue, while responsibility is placed on politicians, the youth, the media and the internet.

In fact, incivility has hit crisis levels, as rude behaviour becomes the “new normal.” Americans encounter incivility more than twice a day, on average, and dealing with it has become a way of life for many.

Pam Jenkins, president of Powell Tate, said: “With seven in 10 citizens saying that incivility has reached crisis proportions, we need new solutions and greater leadership to reduce this discord in our daily lives.” But it was interesting because it showed how incivility touches every aspect of society, as a study by the Pew Rescarch Center’s Internet & American

Life Project found that 88% of teens witnessed meanness or cruelty, and 85% among adults.

Now people seem to pick and choose – when and if they can be bothered – to practice good manners, only when and if absolutely necessary, though they expect, rather, demand courtesy and respect. Perhaps because they never learned to practise common courtesy, they didn’t learn how respect is earned.

W

hat I am seeing reflects back on society, which is far from civil.

Increasingly, I find myself navigating through a world where people deviate from doing the right thing all the time, and I no longer know how I should react to such behaviour other than to point out their error.

H Jackson Brown is the American author of “Life’s Little Instruction Book,” which he wrote when his son was leaving for college. A gem of a book, it has fun filled advice on good manners and common sense.

My favourites are: “Be the first to say hello” and “Look people in the eye.” He also adds the magical words “Thank you” and “Please” a lot.

What is proper and what isn’t depends on how we deal with others and interpret manners – it might be acceptable to burp after a meal in some places, but in others it is rude to do so, and we need to know which goes where. Life seems to be ever so complicated, but people’s reaction to this complexity indicates common sense and street smarts have all but disappeared.

While in some places, efforts are being made to revive civil behaviour.

Campaigns urge people to observe nine principles of civility – namely: pay attention, listen, be inclusive, don’t gossip, show respect, be agreeable, apologise, give constructive criticism, and take responsibility.

Brown’s advice also includes keeping a pet, watching the sunrise (I suggest sunsets and the night sky, too), planting flowers, returning things borrowed, and the one I found most effective – “Be forgiving of yourself and others.” So many of us go through life dwelling on regrets, holding grudges and blaming others, which only hurts us in the long run. We waste time and energy, and we are not much fun to be around. So, let’s take a deep breath and let go. n

Ironically, one civility project failed because only three of 585 political leaders agreed to sign a pledge promising two things: they’d be civil in public discourse and behaviour, and they would be respectful of others whether or not they agree with them.

Simple stuff, but so toxic is the political landscape that politicians didn’t even want to try and be civil

CRIME FILE

21

Law-breaking in 2013

Top 10 case files

Adil Sakhawat flash backs to the most talked-about crimes of the year

10

Women as scam artists (Model Ima found guilty of fraud)

Members of the Detective Branch (DB) of police detained a young model, Rezoana Khaled Ima, on June 7 in connection with two fraud cases lodged against her. According to the DB officials, Ima is an expert scam artist who commits her crimes in various ways. Starting from 2007, she has quite a portfolio: she has thus far identified herself as a single woman looking for a marriage match, an owner of many cars, an event organiser, and a lobbyist working with ministers to provide jobs to people, among a multitude of other rather creative ways to cheat people.

In each identity, she has commonly portrayed herself as an upper class, rich woman. She is now in jail.

9

Drug dealing (Manila Chowdhury and her syndicate found with 30,000 Yaba pills)

On June 21, the DB arrested a Titumir College honour’s student Manila Chowdhury and her syndicate with 30,000 Yaba pills when they were caught in a random raid. According to the police, Manila built her syndicate in jail when she had been arrested (several times) before. The enforcement agencies have received information that many employees, students, teachers are involved with the drug supply and are members of the syndicate. However, they are not easy to trace.

8

Political killing (The murder of Towki, a meritorious student, who had been reported missing)

An A-Level student at ABC International School, Tanvir Mahmud Towki, 17, son of Narayanganj Ganajagaran Mancha convenor and district Nagarik committee vicepresident, Rafiur Rabbi, was reported missing on March 6. On March 8, the police recovered his body from a canal by the Shitalakhya River, an area that falls under Narayanganj sadar police station. Towki’s father and city mayor Selina Hayat blamed Awami league leader Shamim Osman. All allegations were contested and denied.

7

Custodial death (Shamim murdered in police custody in Savar)

Shamim Sarkar, a 30-year-old land broker, was allegedly tortured after plain-clothes police picked him up along with his nephew Sohel, 28, at Hemayetpur around 10:30pm on June 5.

On June 6, early in the morning, a group of plainclothes police took Shamim to Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka. Doctors declared him dead after he was taken to the emergency unit. Shamim’s family claimed police demanded Tk200,000 for his release. They threatened to incriminate him in serious crimes if the money was not paid. Five cops from the Savar police station were suspended and several were arrested. Among the arrestees were sub-inspector Emdadul Haque Khan, Savar Model police station’s assistant sub-inspector Akidul Islam and three constables Mofajjal Hossain, Ramzan Ali and Md Yousuf Ali. All are in jail now.

6

Mysterious murders (Six murders in Gopibagh)

A self proclaimed pir (saint), his son and four other people were slaughtered by unidentified assailants in the capital’s Gopibagh area on December 21. The pir had reportedly been attacked by Islamic extremists and was himself arrested three times for his controversial religious views and statements in the past. However, the police have yet to find a motive behind the killing or the identities of any of the murderers.

5

Gang rape (An adolescent girl raped in police custody)

4

Adil Sakhawat wanted to be in the army, but failing that, fights crime by reporting on it. Send him information at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

Communal attack on minorities (Hindus attacked in Pabna)

An angry mob went on a rampage at Bonogram village in Sathia upazila, attacking and looting the houses and shops of Hindu community members following reportedly derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad (SM) and the Holy Qur’an by a schoolgoing Hindu boy on a Facebook page on November 2. Babul Shaha, father of the alleged instigator, Rajib Shaha, had been placed under police custody for four days since the incident. At least 15 Hindu people were injured in the rampage. Police have so far arrested 10 people as suspects.

3

Threats to RMG factories (Standard Group’s garments unit sabotaged)

Standard Group’s RMG factory located at Gazipur’s Konabarhi has been burned down by agitated workers following a rumour of a labour being shot to death on November 29. Police said the perpetrators had mobilised local people, amid the labour unrest, by making announcements through loudspeakers spreading rumours about the garments. Fourteen units of fire service and civil defence finally succeeded in dousing the fire completely, nearly 16 hours after the fire was ignited. Garments authorities claimed the total amount of loss was Tk500crore.

Five police constables of Gobindaganj police station of the Gaibandha district were accused of raping an adolescent girl in their custody on September 28. Locals found the girl, who came from Bhanga, Faridpur, in the Masta area of the Dhaka-Rangpur highway in Gobindaganj on the same day and had informed the police that she claimed she was lost. Led by Sub-Inspector Akmal Hossain, the police took her back to the station. A general diary was filed the next day, but the police did not produce her at court within 24 hours as per the law.

When she came to court on September 30, she was ill. When she was sent to the safe custody in the district jail she told the jail superintendent that she was raped in police custody, but could not name anyone. The OC was later transferred.

Juvenile crime (Killing of Special Branch inspector and his wife)

Oishee Rahman, a student of Oxford International School, allegedly killed her parents on August 14. Police recovered the bodies of the SB’s inspector Mahfuzur Rahman and his wife, Swapna Begum, from their residence at Chamelibagh on August 16. Their bodies bore multiple stab wounds, which forensic experts believed, were the work of amateurs. Oishee, the prime suspect, surrendered to the police and then according to her statement, police detained Sumi, the victims’ housemaid and also arrested Rony and Jony, Oishee’s friends who had assisted her in killing her parents.

2

Photos: Dhaka Tribune

Political violence (Arson attack on a bus at Shahbagh)

A petrol bomb was hurled at a moving bus on November 28 near Matsya Bhaban, Shahbagh setting it on fire along with the commuters inside. The incident took place during the Opposition’s Bangladesh-wide blockade. Eighteen people suffered severe burns in that arson attack. Three of them later died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. So far, 115 people have died for the continuous political instability and violence around the country.

1

According to Oishee’s school records she is an adolescent like her housemaid, Sumi. Oishee and her friends Rony and Jony are now in jail and Sumi is in a juvenile correction centre in Gazipur.

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

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

Recently I have seen my son making some very strong comments on Facebook and Twitter about the current political situation.

Now, although I want him to be aware of politics, I have heard that people get into all kinds of problems while posting online about politics. Should I appreciate that he is getting involved in his own way, or should I just ban all kinds of computer use in the house?

DINA SOBHAN Yes, that’s a fine solution. Let’s just ban your son from using computers. He is clever enough to have “strong political views” but not to find alternative ways to post online? So, just to clarify, if you ban him from using the computer at home, he will use it at a friend’s house or at school and possibly come across other incendiary individuals with similar viewpoints and form a violent

student league that will cause death and destruction all over town. Oh, right, that already exists. Your job is to make sure he doesn’t join it. Although, that said, those who use serious forums such as Facebook and Twitter to express their views in the virtual world rarely do anything about them in the real world. And I think the Powers That Be can probably distinguish between those

that are a serious threat and teenagers trying to impress their peers on social media. However, you should probably sit down and have a talk with him about these views of his and what is inspiring them, and help him find a constructive outlet for them, one that will not involve a potential arrest. n

Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

2

I know that New Year’s Eve is coming up, and my wife has a lot of plans and is throwing a big party. But frankly, I find most of her friends terribly superficial. All they want to do is drink and indulge in all kinds of boorish behaviour. My wife expects that I regale and have a great time, but I have been doing this for five years in a row, and frankly I want it to stop. How to break this to her nicely?

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

Let me get this straight, your wife’s friends want to drink and have fun at a party on New Year’s Eve? Oh my God, they’re savages! You have to put an end to this insanity immediately! Dude, lighten up. You’re probably an uptight twit with a vocabulary consisting of words like “boorish” for 364 days of the year. If New Year’s Eve is the one time a year that your wife can let loose and redeem herself for having married you and inflicting you on her friends,

then be a good husband and let her.

My concession to you is that you don’t have to “regale” or have a good time, as you’ve been forcing yourself to do for five years. This year, be yourself and have a crappy time. Sit in the corner and find reasons to complain about the food and decor, make off-colour jokes to her especially sensitive friends and insist on drinking diet 7-Up all night to protest the rampant and wanton consumption of alcohol. You’ll just be confirming what

everyone has secretly thought all along, that you’re a prize jerk who couldn’t have a good time if his life depended on it. And maybe next year, your wife will be throwing the biggest and best New Year’s Eve party that she’s ever held, and she’ll be doing it alone. n

|

23

WT LEISURE

Across 1 Food for great donkey (5) 5 Eggs finished, we hear (3) 6 Answer about layer (5) 8 Ceramicist doesn’t begin to make animal (5) 10 Immediately took back (3) 11 Bird of prey beats birdie (5)

Down 1 2 3 4 7 8 9

Country resort near gym (7) Peak of astral plane (3) Sauce, therefore initially yes (3) Egg-maker reuses free bag (7) Allow the French first of teacakes (3) Nothing we are indebted to (3) The first silver label (3)

Solution and clues for last week’s crossword

Across 5 Bird nut keeps 51 (7) 6 Predator quietens large ship (5) 9 Cabinet gun anger about nothing (7)

Down 1 2 3 4 7 8

See smarty swap shop for parking (3) Make gold from lacy hem arrangement (7) Caustic right between card and pen (7) Antelope found in big numbers (3) Like a bowler, laugh before start of test (3) Prison writer (3)

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

24 Ehtesamul Haque is a student of business who likes to travel in his free time

GAME ON

Global Sporting Events of 2013

Let the games continue!

Ehtesamul Haque ranks the most memorable events from this year’s sporting arena 10 Baltimore Ravens winning Super Bowl XLVII

3 Confession of Lance Armstrong

This was a truly stupendous display of American football: hosted in the Merceded-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana in front of 70,000+ screaming fans in the arena, and more than 160 million worldwide.

Ravens took an early lead of 28-6 before the partial blackout of 34 minutes; 49ers came back hard after the break poised threat till the last two-minute warning. The final score of 34-29 shows how agonisingly close 49ers were, nevertheless a famous victory for the Ravens who can finally say goodbye to Ray Lewis on a high.

9 Portugal’s victory over Sweden

Top flop Jose Mourinho The self-titled “Special One” has finally met with a disaster as big as his ego: Real Madrid.

Mourinho’s smooth, meteoric rise in the world of football has climaxed and petered out this year in what he terms as “the worst season of my career.”

After fallouts with key players in the Madrid dressing room, he failed to attain the 10th European title that the club owners had their eyes on. With no way forward, this year’s top flop left the club on a “mutual agreement,” headed back to Chelsea.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, two top athletes at their prime, went head to head in a nerve wrecking battle on November 19 to secure a World Cup 2014 spot. After a disappointing first half, the game came to life with a spectacular strike from Ronaldo’s left foot.

The home side quickly levelled the score sheet with two goals from none other than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Sweden still needed an extra goal to go through when Cristiano Ronaldo shattered millions of Swedish dreams with two glorious goals. Would this performance be enough to secure this year’s Ballon d’Or for Cristiano?

8 Sebastian Vettel winning fourth consecutive Formula 1 world title

26-year-old German Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel became only the third driver in the sport to win four consecutive World Championship titles. This remarkable feat was achieved on October 27 at the 2013 Indian Grand Prix held at the Buddh International Circuit in Uttar Pradesh. Dominant performance throughout the season with 13 wins out of 19 races raises the question: is Vettel the best ever?

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

After being charged with having illicit performanceenhancing drugs by the United States Anti-Doping Agency back in 2012, American professional road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted to Oprah Winfrey in January that he indeed used illegal substances during his seven Tour de France victories. This came as a shock to many as he persistently denied the accusations over the years. The public apology may have softened some hearts but others are busy lining up lawsuits against Armstrong who built a personal fortune of $125m through his cancer survivor legend.

7 Bayern Munich beating Borrusia Dortmund in Champions League final

In the battle to become the best football club in Europe, Bayern Munich defeated Borrusia Dortmund in an all German Champions League final. After a goalless first half, Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring for Bayern, which was quickly equalled by Ilkay Gündogan’s spot kick. Arjen Robben score the winning goal from a sublime back heeled pass from Ribery on the 89th minute of match, ending Bayern Munich’s Champions League final woes.

6 Miami Heat winning consecutive NBA championships

Miami Heat successfully defended their NBA championship title by winning the NBA playoff finals on June 20. Much relied on the shoulders of the “Big Three,” Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, as the Western Conference Champions San Antonio Spurs had almost similar destructive arsenal in their store with two of the former MVPs, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

Miami heat has now joined the elite NBA league of six who have won consecutive NBA championships.

2 Aussies winning the Ashes

After three bitter ashes experiences, team Australia put up a brave fight against England, who came down under, to “recover the urn.” It was a much-needed boost for team Australia who kind of lost their way after being ruthlessly good for the most part of last decade. England now finds themselves in deeper trouble with a shock mid-series retirement of Graeme Swann, as Australia add insult to injury by pulling off a whitewash.

5 The return of the King of Clay

The rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic broke barriers as they faced-off six times in 2013. Their most intense battle has to be the Roland Garros semi final tie on June 7, where both of the players had one of their toughest matches till date. This 4hr 37minute match had it all: pulsating rallies and sublime shot making. The game ended in favour of Nadal, who later on won the tournament in straight sets against David Ferrer, extending his existing (and mindboggling) seven Roland Garros crowns.

4 Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement

Regarded as a god in his native country, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is arguably the best Batsman that ever played the game. In a 24-year career, he scored 34,357 runs with 100 centuries, a colossal achievement matched by none.

India saw the back of its favourite son on the second test match against touring West Indies in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Only shortcoming of this match can be Tendulkar’s departure at 74 runs. Nevertheless the millions, who tuned in, had their heart aching when the Master Blaster executed his emotional farewell speech.

1 Retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson

No more “Fergie Time” for the Red Devils as the most English Premier League winning manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, retired on May 12 after serving 27 years with Manchester United. Sir Alex started his managing career with East Stirlingshire but gained popularity from his highly successful spell at Aberdeen football club. He will always be remembered for his role for winning 13 English Premier League titles, two Champions league title, five FA cups and four league cups with Manchester United. Sir Alex’s “My Autobiography” became the best selling print book in the UK with nearly 650,000 copies sold till date.

THE WAY DHAKA WAS

25

Gulistan Cinema Hall

Gulistan Cinema Hall, 1963

Bangladesh Old Photo Archive

Today

Once upon a time, going to a movie theatre was a magical experience. Those were the days when the movie theatre itself added so much entertainment value to the experience, that you would often forget what movie you were watching. I watched my first ever movie at the Gulistan Cinema Hall.

This was before Independence, and they were playing Audrey Hepburn’s ‘Roman Holiday.’ I was eight years old at that time and holding my father’s hand as I made my way into the hall.

It made me feel like very grown up indeed. The seats, the lights, and the sounds added to an unforgettable experience. I don’t think any modern movie theatre will ever be like the Gulistan theatre.

Chanchal Kamal

Shaila Samad Office secretary, Moghbazar W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

26

Culture Vulture Best Art Events

Documenting history Yusuf Banna lists the 10 most significant cultural happenings of 2013 Yusuf Banna is a staff writer at Weekend Tribune. He would be happier if he could be a full-time poet. He also dreams of being a painter and is envious of those who are

10 Ganajagaran

Mancha

The Shahbagh protest may have started on political grounds, but it had cultural aspects too. There were street performances, innovative slogans, screening of Liberation War films, songs written, bands formed. The song “Gonoray,” sung by the band Biskut, became an instant hit.

9 First death anniversary of Humayun Ahmed

The one-year anniversary of the legendary author was celebrated all over the country, reminding the nation of the gaping hole that his death has left in our literary and the cultural spheres.

8 Dual solo exhibition of

was held from January 25 to February 7, at different venues, including Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Drik Gallery and Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts. The exhibition, which featured both local and foreign photographers, gained massive coverage in both national and international media.

3 Hay Festival Dhaka

The third instalment of the literary festival was the largest yet, spanning over three days, and was attended by many noteworthy names in the world of art and literature. It was a nice platform for the emerging writers, especially in English, to interact with the established ones.

Shahabuddin

The back-to-back exhibitions of eminent painter and freedom fighter Shahabiddin were the talk of the town this year. More than 60 of his new works were showcased in these exhibitions. The prices of the paintings ranged from Tk2lakh to Tk30lakh.

Top flop

Dhaka Boi Mela

The governmentinitiated Dhaka Boi Mela failed to stir up the expected enthusiasm among the book lovers as well as traders. The fair is held every year, but the failure of publicising it properly has kept it out of the limelight.

Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

7 The largest street alpona

Sponsored by Airtel Bangladesh and Prothom Alo, the largest alpona in the world, covering one side of Manik Mia Avenue, was drawn by a group of fine arts students from different universities, who spent the entire night before Pohela Boishakh to finish the beautiful art. It was even visible on Google Earth and looked like a massive painting.

6 Largest human flag on

2 Bengal Classical Music Festival

The four-day musical event saw a tremendous turn out despite the volatile political situation in the country. The ustads and pundits of classical music mesmerised music lovers with their performances. The surprising presence of young people on all four days proved once again that quality music appeals to all.

Dhaka Tribune

Victory Day

Organised by Robi, 27,117 volunteers formed the Bangladesh flag at the National Parade Ground in the capital, breaking the record of the largest human flag in the world previously held by Pakistan. Present among the audience at the parade ground was an official from the Guiness Book of World Records.

1 Ekushey Boi Mela

The month-long book fair was as festive as before, but with a slight gloom in the air as it was dedicated to the late Humayun Ahmed.

Organised by Bangla Academy since 1984, Ekushey Boi Mela has been the biggest congregation of writers, readers and publishers in the country. This year, over 3,000 books came out.

5 SM Sultan’s solo exhibition at Bengal Gallery

82 artworks of renowned painter SM Sultan were showcased by the Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts – for the very first time. Some of these unseen sketches and paintings were done during Sultan’s early days as an artist. All the artworks are worth more than Tk1crore.

4 Chobi Mela VII

The seventh instalment of the largest photography exhibition in Bangladesh W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

OBITUARY

27

Most notable deaths

United in death

Although Mark Twain claimed that nothing is more inevitable than death and taxes, funerals are often a tad more interesting. Philip Humphreys walks us through a list of global icons who breathed their last this year, featured in the WT

10 Lou Reed

(d October 27)

The US singer and songwriter formed the experimental and influential New York City rock band The Velvet Underground with John Cale in 1964, before embarking on a solo career that brought him commercial success with the 1972 album “Transformer.”

Noted for his deadpan singing voice and explicit lyrical references to drugs and sex, Reed was publicly gay throughout the 1970s and pretended to shoot heroin onstage, but he later renounced drugs and became openly heterosexual.

9 Tom Clancy

(d October 1)

The Maryland insurance broker with a passion for naval history saw his dream to become a bestselling author realised when then US President Ronald Reagan described his 1984 debut novel “The Hunt for Red October” as “the perfect yarn.” All but two of Clancy’s solely written novels feature Jack Ryan or John Clark and 17 of his 20 novels were bestsellers.

8 James Gandolfini (d June 19)

The New Jersey-born American actor achieved international stardom for his larger-than-life performance as the troubled mafia boss Tony Soprano in the hugely-successful HBO series “The Sopranos,” Eight years in the role brought him three Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and one Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

7 Shahina Akhter (d April 28)

Four days after the collapse of Rana Plaza in Savar, a woman named Shahina was found among the rubble just as hopes of finding any more survivors were fading. Encased in concrete, she repeatedly said she wanted to live for her son, but as the exhausted rescue workers struggled to set her free, their metal cutting machines ignited a fire, which engulfed Shahina. Her death came to symbolise the tragedy of the loss of over 1,130 factory workers, the majority of them women.

studying English at Queen’s University Belfast, he won the 1995 Nobel Prize in literature for “works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past.”

5 David Frost

(d August 31)

Comic actor turned political satirist turned serious interviewer, Sir David famously mortgaged everything he had on securing the rights to interview the disgraced ex-US President Richard Nixon in 1977. The bold gamble paid off; Nixon laid himself bare and Frost’s place in broadcasting history was secured. He went on to present “Through the Keyhole” and “Breakfast with Frost” on the BBC before joining Al Jazeera in 2006.

Phil Humphreys is a British former journalist who worked as a management adviser to an NGO in Rangpur, before joining the Dhaka Tribune as a consultant

2 Margaret Thatcher (d April 8)

Few political figures have divided public opinion in their lifetime and their passing quite like the Iron Lady. Born above a grocery shop in Grantham in 1926, Thatcher set her stall out for achieving public office and became the first woman to lead a UK political party in 1975 and to serve as prime minister in 1979, winning three consecutive general elections.

4 Hugo Chavez

1 Nelson Mandela

The firebrand leftwing leader of Venezuela was born into a workingclass family in 1954 and held his country’s presidency from 1999 until he finally succumbed to a tumour. He won support at home for implementing socialist reforms, but drew the ire of the West for his belligerent brand of autocracy, infamously referring to US President George W Bush as “the devil” in his 2006 address to the UN General Assembly.

Affectionately known as Madiba, Mandela rose through the ranks of the ANC Youth League before receiving a life sentence for sabotage in 1964. His famous “Speech from the Dock” became the rallying call for the armed struggle against apartheid: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” Released in February 1990, he was inaugurated South Africa’s first democratically elected president four years later. n

(d March 5)

(d December 5)

3 Rituparno Ghosh (d May 30)

Born in Kolkata in 1963, the economics graduate began his career by directing TV adverts before moving into film with a low-key 1992 debut picture Hirer Angti (The Diamond Ring). His second movie Unishe April (19 April), released in 1995, brought him the first of his 12 National Film Awards.

6 Seamus Heaney (d August 30)

Heaney was widely recognised, by the time of his death, as one of the major poets of the 20th century. Inspired to write poetry after finding a copy of Ted Hughes’s “Lupercal” while W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, DE C E MB E R 27, 20 1 3

28

LAST WORD WT team

Farewell 2013, here’s to you!

The WT team shares how this year has been for each of them

my indolence that has made my job a lot more hectic. Still, it worked out some how and I did write a lot for WT and even had time to write poetry for myself, and did a lot of pen and pencil drawings. Living life in twenty first century is hard. Being a journalist is harder. Yet, here I am. I made it.

Life is a rollercoaster, just gotta ride it Shah Nahian Neloy I Hossain

The same old story Faruq Hasan

The best and worst parts of working for a newspaper is the same: you never allowed to be out of it. Whether you are working in the news desk, out covering a beat, or doing layouts for a supplement, you are surrounded, no, engulfed with news. There’s a thin line between work and your personal life, and you start carrying work with you wherever you go.

2013 was no different; starting and editing a new magazine is tougher than sustaining an established publication. You are constantly trying to think out of the box and play mind games with your readers. Will a new section about sports add value to a weekend magazine, or simply replicate what’s being said in the rest of the papers. Would increasing the font size dumb down the look of a page, or make it just a tad easier to read while you are sitting in traffic. And how do you coax work out of that one writer of your who seems constantly suffering from writers block. Questions hit you hard and fast, at no particular time of the day.

I carried my office around with me the whole year and it was fun. Work doesn’t engulf you, you engulf work.

2013 was the year of the Energizer Bunny for me. Here’s wishing for more hoppin’ around in 2014.

Dreams do come true Sumaiya Shams

On the last day of last year, I was nervous about starting the New Year at a new workplace. Now, after a year at Dhaka Tribune, I wonder why I was nervous.

2013 has been a smooth, exciting and, most of all, fun year for me. Watching a concept grow into an organisation – being involved in the process – is a heady experience. I am glad to have been a part of a wonderful team, and eagerly look forward to having a longer journey with DT, because if I’ve learnt one thing this year, it’s that you never stop learning, you never stop growing.

On the personal front, 2013 was a W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 27, 2013

year of wish fulfilment. I finally got the tablet and the gaming console I’ve been dreaming of for the last few years. My toy car collection has grown significantly. And I don’t have to wage war against my sister for the TV remote control anymore.

So, looking back, I can’t complain about 2013.

Lessons learned Faisal Mahmud

2013 was tumultuous, in general. Being a part of a republic and especially a newspaperman, I can’t stay out of that commotion. The best example of my claim is my marriage. Or half-marriage, you can say, because the bride hasn’t started living with me yet. Now you get the point, huh?

On a different note, this was also a year of learning for me. From years of working in the news section of a daily I switched to a weekend supplement and learned that you don’t have to meet the deadline here like the news section because if you miss it, you could still make it work by writing news feature. A year of incumbency with the WT has taught me so. Hopefully, sharing this won’t earn me the wrath of my editor. But still, I have to say – as I am writing in the Last Word (finally!) – news feature writing is mostly garnishing stale food with condiments. If you do it properly, it might become the best dish on the table.

Dodging the bullet Yusuf Banna

Deadlines are like a clock constantly ticking every hour of everyday. While working at Dhaka Tribune, this clock has haunted me, even in my leisure.

2013 is worth a chapter of my unwritten autobiography because this is the year I formally joined the journalistic crowd; the year I went from a vagabond to becoming a staff writer in the WT. The opportunity of working exclusively on art journalism is the best part. Maybe fairy tales are in some ways real.

My editor says I kind of live like a hermit – it is either the overall despondency or

Swimming in a sea of experiences.

That’s what 2013 was for me. Starring for multiple Airtel TVCs and billboards, resuming my writing career and going on unplanned adventures with my friends almost every week: it was almost as if I was meeting myself from different realities all throughout the year.

Breaking free from a lazy rut and meeting some amazing new people along the way, it’s safe to say that the year had more hits than misses.

Optimistic and ready to take on the coming year, I look forward to see what 2014 has in store for me.

Staying afloat Adil Sakhawat

Police are supposedly people’s friend, as their motto is: “Service is the ultimate religion.” What I received from the police was far from it. I was taken into custody by the police for a crime without evidence – a crime I never committed. It was a painful experience, but I must admit: I came out of it wiser. My experience of sharing space with convicted criminals will certainly help me as a crime reporter.

I spent 2013 anxious: the political instability and the Rana Plaza disaster had me on edge. Bangladesh is one of the prominent RMG exporters in the world. Amid the labour unrest, Rana Plaza tragedy and the GSP suspension for Bangladeshi RMG sector, it’s going to hit our business hard. Many western buyers and brands want to move their business to other countries already.

This is certainly worth losing sleep over.

However, amid all the bad news, the event that changed my life was the birth of my daughter. Her arrival in my life makes me optimistic; I am hopeful that things will get better in the future.

Onwards and upwards Rohini Alamgir

It feels a little strange to start looking back, when the year is far from over.

What I’ve learned from 2013 is that anything can happen. Whether it’s good or bad, remains to be seen.

On the public front, it’s been a

hard adjustment to come back to Bangladesh and find my country almost literally in ruins, and yet as with every cloud, the silver lining didn’t pass me by: we united in Shahbagh (which was sort of a bust), and then we broke a world record with a human flag. All hope, is far from lost. To the New Year, I ask simply to see this silver lining expand. I’m glad to be Bangladeshi, and I wish for my countrymen to feel the same way.

Personally, I made what I can only think of as progress. My best decision this year: to join Dhaka Tribune. As part of the WT, I made friends, allies, and in some cases, family. I’d become a little rusty, having stepped out of the journalism game for a bit, but WT helped me ease myself back. Work has become my life, but then life feels pretty good, so I’m doing okay. Outside of the red and black world of DT, life has been less exciting, barring a few new friendships (if you know what I mean).

2013, we’ve been through ups and downs, but mostly it’s been fun. 2014, it’s time to be the game changer; to lead the way forward. Here’s to new beginnings.

Sometimes, change is good Farhana Urmee

Since I was born on November 13, a year having the number 13 in it is therefore very much my number. You might say I’m being superstitious, but there’s more. It all started with an unusual incident: one where I lost my lucky birthstone (topaz) earrings. That made me feel like this year was going to be a rather unlucky one. While I cannot say I’m too far off base, it wasn’t all bad in its entirety. I have seen a number of changes in my personal life: I’ve switched professions from teaching to journalism. And that was definitely for the better.

Speaking of changes for the better, I am definitely moved by the progress of our society. I can see that my country has finally started listening to its young people, their demands, their urges and pledges. The next generation is supposed to be the future. Today, we are finally giving them the platform to be exactly that and are actually counting on them to take us forward.

Just stepping into my 30s, I feel good to be one of those young souls, to be counted among those who aspire to change the country, those who don’t let the war crimes pass by unheeded.

As the year draws to a close, we realise that we have attained justice, and we can look forward to a better, brighter and more beautiful Bangladesh the next year. n