Weekend 1 36

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS 6

BANGLADESH IN 2014 24

FRIDAY JANUARY 3 2014 vol 1 Issu e 36

SYEDA ZOHRA TAJUDDIN 31

1

CONTENTS 2 This Week in Pictures 4 Bottled Up 5 Whose Line Is It Anyway?

One step forward, two steps back

10 Post-Riposte

A Wee kly Prod uction o f

11 Top 10

DhakaTribune

Volume 1, Iss u e 36 JAN UA RY 3, 2 0 14

6 Pick of the Week Young entrepreneurs

23 WT | Leisure 26 Interview

Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email: weekend@dhakatribune.com Web: www.dhakatribune.com Cover 3D artwork Predicting progress: The rise of the future generation

by Zubuyer Kaolin, Ogniroth Studios

Kidnapping in Manikganj

22 Tough Love

Cartoon Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo

Production Masum Billah

What rhymes with listicles?

21 Crime File

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood

The streets at night

20 Big Mouth Strikes Again

Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain

Design Mohammad Mahbub Alam

Clean cookstove

14 Photo Story

Magazine Editor Faruq Hasan

Contributors Syed Samiul Basher Chanchal Kamal Naheed Kamal Dina Sobhan Zubier Abd Jennifer Ashraf Kausar Shahab Quamrul Abedin

New Year’s resolutions

12 Feature

Editor Zafar Sobhan

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

No vote in the elections

Ratib Mortuza Ali and Aaqib Farhan Hossain

27 Travelogue Cox’s Bazar

28 Legal Eagle 29 The Way Dhaka Was

Mohsin Hall, DU

30 Culture Vulture

Performance art

31 Obituary

24 Thought Plot Bangladesh in 2014

Syeda Zohra Tajuddin

32 Last Word

EDITOR’S NOTE

Looking back, looking forward Dear readers, Even if you have the biggest Scrooge living inside of you, the first Friday of a new year cannot but give you a bout of optimism and hope. Here at the WT, we have had a busy and hectic year trying to give you the right mix of information and entertainment. It’s been a year of introspection, rumination and even a bit of speculation, which I think sums up the mood of the country as well.

But amid all the political chaos and uncertainties, the WT team hopes that we were the pole star – the one bright, fixed point of joy – in your Friday mornings. Without further ado, we would like to wish you, our cherished readers, a very happy and hearty 2014. We hope this special New Year’s issue finds you in good health, and is the harbinger of more good reading ahead. n

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THIS WEEK

INTERNATIONAL

Indian policemen inspect the charred carriage of the Nanded-Bangalore Express in Puttaparthi in Ananthpur District, some 300km south of Hyderabad, on December 28, after a fire engulfed the train

AFP Tin Htut Paing (C), a political prisoner, speaks to the media after being released from Insein prison, in front of the prison in Yangon on December 31

AFP/Soe Than Win

A South Sudan army soldier stands next to a machine gun mounted on a truck in Malakal town, 497km (308 miles) northeast of capital Juba, December 30, a few days after retaking the town from rebel fighters

Reuters/James Akena

The MV Akademik Shokalskiy stranded in ice in Antarctica, December 29, for a week with 74 people onboard. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is co-ordinating the rescue

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 3, 2014

Reuters

Thousands of biodegradable balloons are released by members of the city’s commercial association at Patio do Colegio, the site of the city’s foundation in 1554, on December 30 in Sao Paulo, Brazil

AFP/Nelson Almeida

3

NATIONAL

There is no train at Kamalapur railway station because of the ruling Awami League’s plan to resist opposition alliance called March for Democracy. The photo was taken December 28

Nashirul Islam

Kamal Ataur Rahman stands alone in front of the National Press Club, on December 31, holding white flags and a placard demanding the solution of political conflict between the government and the opposition party

BNP supporting lawyers demonstrating inside the High Court gate during the second day of BNP led March for Democracy

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

BNP supporting lawyers demonstrating inside the High Court gate during the second day of BNP led March for Democracy

Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune

The last sunset of 2013 from the Lalbagh-Beribadh area

Dhaka Tribune

Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

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4

BOTTLED UP

letters to the editor

LETTER

of the week A fantastic summary I think the cover of the latest issue of WT was outstanding. It’s the best cover you guys have had so far. The content was very good too. I especially liked reading Last Word. It was also nice to finally see the faces behind the scene. Good job, guys!

Adil Khan Mohammadpur, Dhaka

Digital, indeed The article on the best technological event in Bangladesh was quite an eye-opener. I didn’t know that we had our own search engine and social network. Would love to know more about innovations like this.

Tahmina Khan West Badda, Dhaka

Nice way to say goodbye It was interesting to see how you guys used lists to talk about as many topics as possible, without making the magazine boring. Very clever.

Asaduzzaman Agrabad, Chittagong

A mistake I noticed the death of Zillur Rahman did not make it to the top 10 list in Obituary. One would think his death would be important as far as Bangladesh is concerned. It’s certainly more deserving of space than Lou Reed’s death. An honest mistake, perhaps?

Greta Rahman Gulshan, Dhaka

Send us your feedback at: weekend@dhakatribune.com

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5

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

One step forward, two steps back The government is now preparing the country for 4G services. We will soon have an auction from reputable companies.

Md Abubakar Siddique, secretary, Ministry of Post and Telecommunications

4G? I don’t even get 3G reception anywhere!

Mr Mango

Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

Awami League will introduce 4G services soon, if it is voted to power again in the upcoming national parliamentary election.

As per the news reports, the government has decided to give 4G services to five companies, but many people will not be able to afford the services if the internet price is not lowered, and the initiative will be useless.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Foisal Hossain Mridha, student, BUET

The ruling party has promised to make the country a Digital Bangladesh, and 4G services will be introduced if we vote for them. We are not fool. Many core issues from their previous manifesto remain, and 4G will be only in papers in reality.

Mainul Haque, freelancer, IT sector

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6

PICK OF THE WEEK

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

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

Exclusive enterprising entrepreneurs

Shah Nahian shares the success stories of the young minds who will lead Bangladesh down the path of progress

W

hen it comes to building up a successful business, most of us naturally assume that the most experienced leaders are the only ones capable of starting up a company that will survive. Practice makes perfect and with enough practice you gain valuable experience which you can’t learn anywhere else.

While there is a lot of truth to this assumption, yet some of the greatest slam-dunks in the world of business were made by inexperienced young business entrepreneurs.

Work hard and be patient

Md Ashfaque

Hossain Arko

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Some of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time include the likes of Sergy Brin and Larry Page who started up Google at the age of only 25, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who formed Apple at the ages of 21 and 26, Bill Gates and Paul Allen who created Microsoft at the ages of just 20 and 22, and Mark Zuckerberg who founded Facebook at only 20. The list goes on.

And right here in Dhaka, there are a plethora of young entrepreneurs who have discovered their muses and have started up successful businesses!

AGS

27-year-old Md Ashfaque Hossain Arko is an MBA student who always had a passion for gaming. However, after realising a trend in hiked up prices for

game consoles and accessories from the stores here in Bangladesh, he soon became tired of the fact that we all unnecessarily pay so much more than

the actual price, even after adding the shipping charges, customs fees etc.

Managing contacts of a couple of suppliers and collaborating with friends living abroad, Arko soon cooked up the idea for a store where he would be bringing in game consoles and its accessories, computer hardware and original games where the customers won’t be cheated blind.

Initially lacking the support from friends and family and with very little to invest, Arko still decided to move forward, draining all his savings and allowances, but thankfully gained enough responses from customers to overcome all these initial hiccups.

Starting off with a simple Facebook page, Arko started importing and selling everything game related.

Gaining enormous responses from gamers and enthusiasts with every passing day, AGS (Arko’s Game Shop) soon started branching out to various electronics, action figures and fashion accessories to even taking orders on importing various other items.

Three years into the business and with his very own website underway, Arko plans on renaming AGS to AFEC (Arko’s Fashion and electronic centre) and hopes to sustain his small business for more than a lifetime.

7 It is so important to love what you do because, for me, being an entrepreneur has been about creating something substantial from my dreams. A lot of people lose sight of that in their race towards money and success Nusrat Tabassum

Finding Bangladesh

Adnan M S Fakir is a 26-year-old student of economics, who’s also known to be a poet, social activist, filmmaker, development worker, journalist, but above all a humanitarian.

While conducting a survey on college students with just 10 basic questions about how much they knew about the history of Bangladesh’s liberation war; the results were not really heart warming. Adnan slowly began to question himself, “If this is the scenario regarding 1971 history, how much do we really know about what happened earlier?” That simple question slowly transformed into Finding Bangladesh, a documentary film organisation, to revive histories, mythologies and legends of Bangladesh that precede our language movement in 1952.

While most business organisations seek to make a profit, the goal of Finding Bangladesh is to revive ancient and forgotten stories, remind the people, especially the younger generations, that all the religious, class and ethical boundaries are man-made, that once upon a time, many of these barriers did not exist.

Silver Lining

Nusrat Tabassum is a 22-year-old typical undergraduate student who’s juggling too many interests and in her words “dreadfully proficient in the art of procrastination.” Growing up in a family who appreciates the art of baking, she was often disappointed by the quality of desserts the food industry had to offer.

As her passion for culinary arts grew over time, it only seemed natural to take part in the development of our food industry. Tip toeing around the idea for about a year or two, Nusrat’s elder sister, Rizwana Tasneem, gave her the final push she needed, and together they started the online, made-to-order bakery, Silver Lining.

Initially, working for incredibly long hours, the availability of quality ingredients and equipment proved

to be a great obstacle. However, only operating on a small scale allowed the sisters to pay full attention to the needs of each and every client.

This resulted in the creation of a loyal consumer base, which is still growing every day as satisfied customers never fail to endorse.

For more than three and a half years into the business, the availability of quality ingredients and equipment still prove to be an obstacle today. However, the sisters continue to plan on undertaking a slow and careful expansion of the business that will be able to cater to a larger consumer base without compromising the quality of the product. As long as people who appreciate the joys of quality food exist, Silver Lining will continue to live on.

When starting out, the biggest obstacle standing in the way of keeping Finding Bangladesh from becoming a reality were the financial constraints. However, as Finding Bangladesh remains a non-profit seeking organisation, all incomes are re-invested into the project and with the combination with an online campaign in Kickstarter, an online platform where people can pledge to help with various projects, Finding Bangladesh finally came to life.

As soon as the pilot project, Finding Bangladesh 1, was released during 2008, it received a lot of praise and was instantly a success. While Finding Bangladesh 2, which focuses on the stories and historical sites of Khulna and Barisal divisions, aims for a release date during May of 2014, Adnan and his team plans on working on Finding Bangladesh 3. The third instalment will focus on Sylhet and Chittagong divisions and eventually move on to focus on other creative ways - be it interactive workshops, applications, games, books or graphic novels - on how to take these stories to younger generations.

“Perseverance, patience, setting attainable goals while dreaming big and an insatiable appetite to learn is the key to success.

Loving what you do is always the secret ingredient Adnan MS Fakir

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PICK OF THE WEEK

Ogniroth Studios

Zubuyer Kaolin has always been fond of cartoons. Drawn in the world of animations and animated films, he started studying the art form at the early age of 12. Now, at 28, Zubuyer is the founder/CEO of a successful animation and VFX production company called Ogniroth Studios.

After spending quite a lot of time working in the animation industry, Zubuyer felt like he had something more to give. With no other company managing to attain international standards in animations and visual effects, Zubuyer’s passion driven idea led the revolution into bettering the field! Banding together a couple of friends, they eventually made Ogniroth

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

happen.

Driven and motivated and no matter what ups and downs they faced along the way, Zubuyer and his team always believed that if they worked together and worked hard, they’d be able to achieve great things in the world of animation. It is the unity, the like-mindedness and their vision that makes them successful.

The greatest challenge Ogniroth now faces is when the clients are not entirely educated about the nuances in the process of animation and this often makes it difficult to come to an agreement when working on a project.

There is also a shortage of good animators in the industry at present so when projects start piling, things start to get really stressful.

Still, Zubuyer and his friends plan on eventually moving on to making their own animated films. With some in-house projects already on the way, Ogniroth plans on exploring all sorts of visual story-telling methods and continue to do what they do best.

The only way you’ll be able to battle it out and succeed in sustaining a business is when you’ve put your heart into it completely.

It’s also very important to have similar minded and motivated individuals around you Zubuyer Kaolin

Hungry Naki Anyone brave enough to work through and take on the risks of starting up a business should not waste any time at all stuck in indecisions.

Life is too short for that Irtejaur Rahman

Md Irtejaur Rahman at just the age of 24 is amongst the four co-founders of an online food delivery platform called Hungry Naki.

Irteja and the rest of the cofounders wanted to start an e-commerce business and food being the most thriving consumer market, coupled with the city’s dreadful traffic conditions; they seized the opportunity to serve the food loving populace of Dhaka to enjoy meals from their favourite restaurants from the comfort of their homes.

Hungry Naki’s services tried including much more than the conventional orders taken from phone calls. You can get the liberty to see and choose from the whole menus of numerous restaurants. However, as

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the idea of Hungry Naki was a new concept for Bangladesh, it proved to be a challenge trying to make the restaurant owners understand the system and whether it will attract more customers or not.

After conceiving the initial idea and launching the website within the next two months, they received an enormous response in customers.

Now, only a couple of months into the business, Irteja and the rest of the cofounders are planning on expanding their business so they can cater their services to all parts of the major cities in Bangladesh.

9

Results come from making hard choices and sacrifices. So make sure your work ethic is better than others around you. Also the attitude that you can always keep on learning and having an open mind is a very crucial key for success

LiveSquare

After graduating from IBA, 26-year-old ex-musician Nafis Ahmed started off LiveSquare as a music management company and initially only dealt with organising concerts and music based events.

After working for a similar event management company for some time, Nafis realised he wanted to mix and match his education with his passion.

Starting off with very minimal capital, LiveSquare got to flourish as much solely due to the help and support from friends. Focusing on hosting events aimed at just the audience, LiveSquare didn’t seek to make profit during the first year of its establishment.

The company experienced the taste of success operating over a fan base of people equally passionate about music.

As LiveSquare started growing over time, they also branched out dealing with entertainment and cultural marketing which led them into hosting and organizing various business events in addition to what they did before.

Nafis now sees LiveSquare to be more of an idea company. He explains, “At first we brainstorm an idea and only after when the idea is fully nurtured, we approach sponsors/companies and eventually all of that leads up to an event. That’s our preferred method of working. However, quite often we’re also approached by sponsors/ companies to brainstorm ideas which will lead to an event.”

Recently emerging as a limited company, their current dilemmas revolve around matters related to human resource. Nafis explains, “Working for the entertainment

Kazi Arhab Ahmed

Shomahar Sweaters

industry often carries a certain level of stigma to a lot of people. It is hard to find good people with good educational backgrounds coming to work for event management.”

Even with the lack of human resource flowing in, Nafis sees live square eventually becoming an element of lifestyle, something that will add more value to life. With near future goals of brainstorming more and better ideas, organising much bigger events, building up a better client portfolio and eventually work their way up to diversifying into other areas, LiveSquare hopes to live on beyond a couple of life times.

Don’t see everyone as just competitions. Learn to collaborate and move forward Nafis Ahmed

24-year-old Kazi Arhab Ahmed grew up in a house within the compound of his mother’s garment factory.

Arhab gathered knowledge about the production process of the commodity and developed a very special relationship with the workers as he grew up around them.

Returning to the country after completion of BSc from the UK, Arhab discovered that his mother’s factory would have to shut down its operation in Tejgoan due to external factors. Faced with his first strategic decision, with the help of everyone around him (especially his mother and grandfather), Arhab decided to go ahead and start up his own organisation from scratch.

At the time the project was significantly financed by the bank and not cutting any corners when setting up his factory, starting from machineries to hand picking tiles for the worker’s washrooms, Arhab ended up setting up a beautiful environment for his workers which happens to be efficient in productivity and eco-

friendly. However, in turn, he also took up a serious financial burden.

Winning the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award by the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturing Export Association during 2012, employing a workforce between 1,000 to 1,300 individuals (depending on season), with 40 management staffs, Shomahar Sweaters produce garments for Pierre Cardin, Billabong, Bayern Munich FC, Kenneth Cole, Kitaro, Gintonic, Brice, 3 Suisses, Borrusia Dortmund FC, etc.

Production is the most critical part of garments and each time there is a new technical difficulty, which is unheard of. Every day Arhab is faced with a problem that was totally unheard of the previous day. Adding the insane bank interests, keeping his employees, suppliers, buyers and other stakeholders happy can prove to be a mammoth of a task. However, Arhab still dreams big for Shomahar Sweaters and wants to become the best, not in terms of scale but in terms of quality, compliance and by constantly doing things differently. n

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POST-RIPOSTE

No Vote in the Elections

Does it work?

As the general election inches around the corner, the WT team debates over the pros and cons of ‘No Vote’

Yes to NO

Farhana Urmee

B

eing able to cast No Vote is a sign of true democracy Theoretically, democracy represents the people, giving them the right of choice – to select, or reject.

There is no point in denying the fact that most of our political leaders are inclined to take the power without accepting the responsibility that comes with it. This approach is what is making the country go astray.

In a scenario where all the candidates in a constituency are ineligible to be elected as public representatives – known to be corrupt, has criminal records, has bad reputations among people – what am I, as a voter, supposed to do? What if I don’t want to pick the lesser evil? I certainly do not want to risk losing my vote to an impersonator which might happen if I don’t want to vote for any of the candidates and sit at home instead. As a citizen, I want to cast my vote, and let my voice be heard This is why No Vote is necessary. By casting No Vote, I get to tell the authorities that I deem all the candidates unworthy to be elected. So we should definitely say yes to No! n

Cartoons: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

It’s unnecessary Faruq Hasan

T

he No-vote was first introduced during the 2008 parliamentary elections, but was later revoked, and rightfully so. Frankly, it never made sense. It was meant to symbolise a noconfidence in the contesting political parties, whereby citizens would have the right to reject the candidates, an option that would apparently make elections more meaningful.

But there lies the rub: casting No Vote sends zero political messages to either the vying parties, or the electorate in general.

Let us, for a second, consider how political parties “get” messages: you get together, hold rallies, write to your minister, write to newspapers, etc. In short, make your presence felt. And if all else fails, vote against the ruling party.

Nothing makes more of an impression in someone in politics likes when you vote for their rival.

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On the same note, you are at best indulging in solipsism when you check the no-vote box on the ballot paper, or at worst, just throwing your vote away.

In either case, your message is lost: the party you are voting against will simply switch their campaign to the voters who are willing to listen to them, completely sidestepping your concerns.

At the same time, the same people and issues you did not want to manifest in the next election, will certainly do so now that you have stopped caring.

So do yourself and your country a favour: make each and every vote count.

Vote for a particular party in the next polls. n

TOP 10

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New Year’s Resolutions

Let’s stick to the promise Sumaiya Shams writes about the most popular resolutions going around this year. This list was generated from a social media poll. In order to take part in the next one, please visit the WT page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WeekendTrib, or the Dhaka Tribune page at www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune

1 Learn money management

It’s quite obvious why learning money management is so important this year. Last year has been frustrating, to say the least.

To distract ourselves from the depressing environment around us, some of us have resorted to shopping. And some of us have gotten carried away. And some of us have now lost our sleep seeing our gigantic credit card bills. Since as this has made the no 1 spot on this list, it’s safe to say shopping has been quite a popular way to de-stress in 2013.

2 Stop being a night owl

Because you miss all the day-time activities! Seriously, it’s not cool to stay up all night while the world rests in slumber, and then be tired, cranky and unproductive the next day. It seems people have caught on to the bad affects of pulling allnighters, hence the second place on this list.

3 Less internet and more books

The internet may present a world of information, but books help you be creative. And if that’s not enough, it helps you learn the language. Those who don’t agree should take a look at how our youngsters write their text messages and Facebook statuses.

No wonder it’s no 3.

4 Stick to New resolutions

7 Year’s

Even though this one hasn’t secured a place in the top three, it’s very important. There’s no point making a bunch of resolutions on New Year’s Eve if you find yourself breaking all of them a week later. A resolution to keep the resolutions may help the cause.

5 No fast food and fuzzy drinks

A no-brainer, and very common resolution. Junk food and carbonated drinks add zero nutrients and tons of empty calories to your system. And let’s not forget all the health problems.

Not worth it.

6 An activist, for real

Activism is big in the virtual world.

This past year especially, statuses, tweets and links to blogs and petitions have literally spammed our newsfeed. However, voicing demands for justice would be more effective if done in the real world. Who would know it better than us Dhaka-dwellers? A note of caution: Be careful how you voice your opinion, unless you don’t mind untimely death, or jail time.

Stop procrastinating

Another common resolution, but it seems to have gotten quite popular this year. No one likes to fall behind, after all. Here’s to hoping that we don’t procrastinate in keeping our resolutions.

Sumaiya Shams is senior staff subeditor working at Dhaka Tribune. When she isn’t busy with grammar corrections, she tries to write.

You can reach her on Twitter: @sumaiya_s

8 Stop being potato

a

couch

Living on a couch is not fun; if it were, people around us wouldn’t be getting involved in hobbies and activities that require moving around. Physical activities not only keep you fit, but they also keep your mind busy. It’s a good thing, really.

9 Socialise more

We definitely need to have this resolution so that we don’t lose our close ones. Work will always be demanding, but there needs to be a balance between your professional and personal lives.

Taking some time out to meet family and old friends, and make new ones will keep us from burning out.

10 Stop complaining about everything

This is a surprise, as we Bangalis like to complain. But 2013 has showed us that mere complaining doesn’t bring the change, being actively involved in the process does. People have realised their own power, and there’s no stopping them now. n

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

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Faisal Mahmud is a staff reporter at Weekend Tribune.

He is good at memorising seemingly unnecessary information and finds that journalism actually appreciates, if not nurtures, that sort of futile flair

Feature

Clean Cookstove

Go green, cook clean

Faisal Mahmud writes about a cheaper alternative for fuel for the common household

The perils of the poor

Cooking is not an easy task for Sajeda Begum. That does not say much about her culinary skills, though, and has more to do with the lack of fuel where she lives – it is difficult to find fire wood, or cow dung (commonly used as fuel by slum-dwellers as well as rural people), in and around the Hazaribagh slum in Dhaka.

With a paltry income of Tk3,000 every month, Sajeda cannot afford the low-pressure gas (LPG) stoves in her household, as that would cost her around Tk1,600. However, she would still happily spend that amount, but LPG is not readily available in her locality. Moreover, firewood and cowdung cost her nearly Tk1,000 every month. This is certainly more than what common households in the country pay for gas connections, which is Tk400 and Tk450 for single-burner and double-burner stoves, respectively.

The less privileged have ended up paying more than the privileged ones, in this scenario.

In order to continue raising awareness regarding clean cookstoves at grassroots level, GACC will work with all of its partner countries and its international partners to promote clean cookstoves’ safety regarding health, environment, economy, etc

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Introducing the clean cookstove

Why the initiative?

The Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has recently launched a Country Action Plan (CAP) for “clean” cooking solutions – meaning an alternative for the conventional cookstove that is cost-effective, safe and environment-friendly. The government aims to distribute these clean cookstoves among 50 lakh households throughout the country by 2017, and three crore by 2030, keeping people safe from potential health, fire and environment hazards.

The Washington-based Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC), Netherlands Development Organisation and German Development Cooperation are working with Bangladesh government to achieve the reach the households without government-supplied fuel connections, along with other development partners. GACC is also working with the Power Division to implement the CAP.

Dung 3.6%

Crop Residue 11.0%

LPG 3.0%

Power Division Secretary Monowar Islam said the age-old cooking practices in Bangladesh are prone to cause severe health hazards to the members of the households, especially the women, who breathe in the smoke which has a high content of pollutants.

A study conducted by GACC supports Monowar’s statement.

According to that study, over 49,000 deaths are caused by household air pollution every year, with more than three crore families affected by it.

Over 32,000 deaths are results of acute lower respiratory infections, and around 14,000 are the result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Women and children are the two groups most affected.

The study also states that an estimated 89% of the population uses solid fuels for cooking. The rapidly expanding population and heavy reliance on biomass have put pressure on the country’s limited forest resources, with 50% decrease in the forest area since 1970.

Kerosen e 0.4%

Fuels Used for Cooking: Urban Areas

Dung 9.4%

Natural Gas 0.3%

Did you know?

• There is currently no

national standard for stove performance in terms of efficiency, emissions and quality. This lack of standards and absence of a recognised independent testing body means there is no accountability

•

A rough estimate of market size suggests that, as of April 2011, there were 5,10,000 improved cookstoves in use, up from 4,24,000 in June, 2010

• With an urbanisation rate

of 3.93%, the decreasing availability of gas in urban areas represents an opportunity for higherend fuel-efficient stoves to enter the market (30 lakh households may adopt cleaner stoves in urban areas, according to GIZ)

Other 0.1%

LPG 0.2%

Fuels Used for Cooking: Rural Areas Source: Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC)

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The plan

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Facilitate access to testing services for Bangladeshi organisations GACC will work to build capacity in the regional testing centres by facilitating the exchange of information regarding the latest protocols, upgrading equipment, promoting best practices in testing

Clay Chulha • 5 – 7 days to build and install • Any biomass fuel can be used

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*,= 0DUNHW %DVHG ,&6 3URJUDP LQ LWV ,QIDQF\

$SULO Source: Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC)

and improving stoves, and helping to maintain quality and consistency across testing facilities.

•

Government representatives, NGOs, private sector enterprises and donors are working with GACC to develop a strategic action plan to catalyse the improved cookstoves and fuel market in Bangladesh. The CAP, mentioned earlier, is as follows:

•

1XPEHU RI 6WRYHV

Monowar Islam also said: “Bangladesh has long been planning to provide clean cooking solution to its poorer population, mainly to those living in the rural area. This partnership with GACC is a strategic reflection of that long planning.�

Al Mudaddir Din Anam, regional manager for GACC, said: “Fire wood is becoming increasingly scarce and more expensive, which has pushed many consumers towards other forms of fuel, such as crop residues, rice husk briquettes and cow dung.�

Anam also stated that about 10 lakh stoves are thought to be in use at present – a penetration of 3% - and the market for these stoves are not sustainable yet. However, he added: “Grameen Shakti and GIZ operate two of the largest improved cookstove programmes in the country and have projected further growth in the years to come.�

Ironically, anecdotal evidence suggests that many other stove producers are struggling with the low demand for the improved cookstoves, as not many people are aware of it.

•

of the CAP. GACC will assist the government in facilitating the clean cookstove and fuel programme coordination within the country and the implementation of any policy-related or governmentrelevant interventions outlined in the CAP.

Expand distribution of quality cookstoves and fuels by leveraging current networks GACC will broker partnerships between cookstove and fuel producers and a variety of distribution channels which are already in place in Bangladesh.

These existing distribution channels can include MFIs, NGOs, SACCOs, retail chains and private sector companies with large, existing distribution networks that have a wide can go and reach the last mile.

Support the Power Division to coordinate and implement the CAP The Power Division is leading the coordination in Bangladesh, including tracking the progress

Corinne Hart, programme manager for GACC, said: “We will work with all partner countries to implement guidelines and standards that will enable policymakers, donors, investors,

Concrete Chulha • Installed in 1-2 hours • Any biomass fuel can be used

•

Broaden the available technology options that are locally developed GACC will work with local and international partners to incentivise innovation of new technologies and work with international manufacturers to improve the design of their technologies to better meet consumer needs.

The ambitious plan

Gas Stove • Only for people with access to LPG or natural gas • Highly efficient and no HAP • Relatively expensive compared with biomass stove

manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumers to better understand the impact, quality and efficiency of cookstoves.�

GACC will support the development and enhancement of cookstove and fuel regional testing and knowledge centres that can evaluate performance and compliance with standards, as well as work with cookstove manufacturers to test and modify designs that deliver on quality and performance. “We will work with partners to make important information and knowledge on improved cooking solutions and critical topic areas such as accessing carbon finance and mainstreaming gender available to stakeholders in the sector, as well as regional knowledge that could be useful for informing national actors and market activities,� Hart added. n

Electric

Biogas

• Increasingly used in urban areas, but only available for those with access to electricity • No HAP • Very expensive

• In limited use • Requires 40 -130 kg of cow dung on a daily basis, depending on plant size

Source: Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC)

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 3 , 20 1 4

14

PHOTO STORY The streets at night

When darkness falls A photo story by

Chanchal kamal

I

f you’ve ever complained about the busy, traffic clogged streets of Dhaka by day, perhaps you’ve missed the absolute beauty of these same streets after nightfall. While the vehicle flow might not be less, the lights and sounds truly bring out the magic of our beloved city.

Take the time to travel through Dhaka by nightfall: if not physically, at least through the lens. Whether you’re on the busy streets of Moghbazar, Mouchak or the Airport Road, or you’re traversing through Eskaton, Uttara or Dhanmondi, there’s a different sort of beauty all around you. The night makes the city come alive. The Banani bridge, or the relatively new Hatirjheel bridges not only connect, but also provide a haven for many after sunset.

Political strife and violence may be ripping apart our country, but it can do little to take away the soothing allure of Dhaka city.

Don’t believe it? Then take a walk through, from sundown to sunrise, and watch the city transform.

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 3, 2014

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16

PHOTO STORY The streets at night

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 3, 2014

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PHOTO STORY The streets at night

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 3, 2014

19 Chanchal Kamal is a freelance event photographer specialising in wedding photography.

He regularly contributes to the Weekend Tribune

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 3 , 20 1 4

20

Big Mouth strikes again

Naheed Kamal

What rhymes with listicles?

Tedious cliches disguised and regurgitated as words of wisdom have made me a hater of lists

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

n last week’s Weekend Tribune, notice the lists compiled for the end of the year when people like to take stock and list the pros and cons, the lessons learned, the things left undone … notice how I didn’t have a list? That’s because I can’t stand them. And I am eternally grateful that my editors did not ask me to list anything. (Thank you!)

Part of my problem with lists began with never having anything on any lists that I could relate to. On a list for “How Bangladeshi are you?” I found not one sentence that said I am Bangladeshi.

It got me mighty angry. Bah! What do lists prove? Nothing.

My other problem with lists is how they claim to be definitive, with false authority. No one could have read, seen, heard, or experienced all the things pertaining to any topic in this world to provide a definitive and final list. As for those lists of top 10 voted by readers/listeners/the public: they are insignificant at best and easily fixed at worse, and completely irrelevant.

You may argue some lists have integrity and are based on data manually entered and use top-secret algorithms to churn out ratings.

Poppycock is what I say to you. There is no proof that names weren’t picked

It is telling that lists are so popular online. It is because lists are easily accessible. We can quickly scan them to find the relevant information, unlike this column that you are required to read (slog) sequentially through to reach the bitter end. Listicles are not going to give you any answers or solutions.

Make your own lists that might help with living.

And what was that about life events? Life is an event!

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 3, 2014

out of a hat or that influence, bias and bribes did not play any part. And when lists are not confined to the end of the year, decade or century, but crop up all the bleeding time with bloodcurdling points or advice, you can’t blame a woman for losing her marbles over a mere list!

I feel hounded by listicles (rhymes with testicles, and for good reason), there seems to be an infinite glut of meaningless, space fillers telling women especially what to eat or not to eat, wear or not to wear, to be or not be. Idiotic lists claim to know what is best for me. They are everywhere, and I hate them.

Well, maybe I don’t hate all lists.

I do tend to make detailed to-do lists that I misplace, and find several years later, along with shopping lists that meet similar fates and turn up at the bottom of bags and mock me when I get back from the shops. Nope. I hate lists.

Ticking items off of a to-do list gives us a sense of accomplishment, and we can find lists in varied forms in the most unsuspecting places: navigational routes list directions, while recipes list ingredients and instructions. There seems to be a list for everything, and my research indicated there is method to all the madness.

Numbered lists grab our attention from a stream. They categorise and classify, and information is spatially organised, making it easier to read and recall. Lists are easy because we do not need to do any mental weight lifting, unlike detailed texts that require us to conceptualise, categorise and analyse what we read. Our brains, however, crave nothing more than effortlessly acquiring data.

I disagree. My brain likes a little heavy-duty workout. I do not find lists fascinating, which is not to say I do not find them useful. I know bulleted and numbered points are easier to learn and remember then chunks of text. I also learned that some people find it hard not to categorise everything, and everyone.

Two years ago, a psychology study on how or what – if anything at all – could alleviate the “paradox of choice” (the phenomenon where we feel worse when we have more information and options open to us) concluded that the faster we decide on something, the

happier we become. That certainty is both alluring and reassuring, so much so that list lovers will even click on lists they “hate to read.” Not even sure what that means, let alone attempting to explain it here.

My concern with instant gratification and all of it leading to ADHD/ADD, or vice versa, and how lists are designed “perfectly” for brains that might be strained, is that bite-sized options would not satisfy my hunger. I hate fast food – it is unlikely that bullet points will have the nutritional value found in paragraphs.

I may not like listicles, but loads of people do: some swear by them, others make use of them effectively and numbered lists are a rare but revered media format. In my research I found blogs, posts, research, and lists listing why lists are appealing, but very few admit to not being fans. And when I find over 650 million “lists on the internet,” on Google, I feel alone in this universe of list lovers. For “inexplicable reasons,” lists lure list lovers, even if those lists are inane and insane.

Among those who love lists is Umberto Eco, who curated a Louvre exhibition in 2009, which was an ode to lists. Susan Sontag was a lover of lists. She wrote endless lists, always changing, and her kind of haphazard, ever-changing lists I know and can do – things I love and things I do not love, men I love and men who love me.

I can laugh at the tongue-in-cheek list of Goldman Sachs’ elevator blog from last year, which had everyone fuming at the misogyny and lack of respect. In case you are still fuming, calm down, don’t expect idiots to spew sensible words – ever! My vehemence is saved for the kind women’s magazines were infamous for – with Cosmo’s 10 ways to please your man/ keep your man/steal her man – insert as appropriate. But even HuffPost has seemingly well meaning but toxic lists of what not to do/wear/think!

One particular post was advice dealt out to all women: 23 Things Every Woman Should Stop Doing. It made me laugh thinking it was a farce, then I concluded as realisation struck home: if there’s one thing women need to stop doing, it is to stop telling other women what is or isn’t real or done or not done. n

Today’s random picks: seven things to stop saying, three trends to avoid, ten reasons to quit Facebook, ten great shows from 2013 you probably missed (a bit redundant if you think about it, since everyone and their mother saw Breaking Bad) and last year’s great shows, are not worth bothering about when we have next year’s must watch list

CRIME FILE

21

Kidnapping in Manikganj

Taken at midnight

Adil Sakhawat investigates the abduction of a 14-month-old female from Dhulandi, Ghior

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

Fourteen-month-old Tania Akhter was kidnapped on December 5 from Dhulandi village, in Ghior, Manikganj. She was taken while she was sleeping beside her mother Runa Akhter in their home. According to Runa, who quit her garments factory job to look after her newborn baby, her child was taken in the middle of the night. Tania’s father was out. Since then, Tania remains missing.

Police on site

Victim’s family

“My husband was not with me the day the incident happened, as I was at my father’s house in Dhulandi village.

Around midnight, I felt someone touching my throat. I woke up and saw a person running out with Tania.

I screamed as loudly as I could. But, my parents could not come to help me because the miscreants had locked their room earlier. One of them who was in the room told me that he was taking my mobile phone along with my daughter.

He told me to send Tk300,000 by bKash if I wanted to save my child.

The next day, we called my number and they provided us with a bkash account number and told us to send the money. But, when I said I wanted to hear my daughter’s voice to ensure she was still alive, they refused.”

“We have arrested two people. The first is Aziz, who is the owner of the SIM card that was used to create the bKash account that was provided for ransom.

The second is Anu, who is his associate.

Aziz admitted during the interrogation that he is the one who asked for the ransom from the family.

Aziz also admitted he killed the baby on the night of kidnapping. He, however, committed suicide while in Criminal Investigation Department (CID) custody at the head quarters in Malibagh. He committed suicide after the case was transferred to the investigation branch.”

Ashraful Islam PPM, officer in-charge (OC), Ghior police station

Lead investigator

“I lodged a case with the Ghior police station, but the law enforcement agencies completely failed to find the whereabouts of the child. They have arrested two suspects but they cannot find my granddaughter. So many days have passed. We now do not expect to find the baby alive, but just want her body. Please do something for us.”

“Two arrestees were kept in the same room in custody.

After their interrogation on December 12, they engaged into an altercation with one another at some point during the night. So we separated them. On December 13, early in the morning, Aziz committed suicide and Anu stopped talking. Following the court’s permission to remand Anu for seven days, we interrogated him and tried our best to find out more information about the child, but we got nowhere. He just said they killed the baby and buried her in an open field near the crime scene. But when we searched the area, we did not find any sign of the body.”

Ibadullah Khan, Tania’s grandfather

Golam Mostafa, inspector, CID

Runa Akhter, Tania’s mother

Prime suspect “The two arrestees are organised kidnappers. They were planning this kidnapping since November 30. On February 2, they opened a bKash account after stealing a voter identity card and a passport size photo of a schoolteacher from their village, Veradanga, which falls under the Ghior police station jurisdiction. That account was supposed to be used for receiving the ransom. They use different SIM cards for their crimes.

Being uneducated, it seems more likely that they have powerful gang operating behind the scenes.”

Golam Mostafa, inspector, CID “Those arrestees lived in Veradanga and theirs was a posh life, though they were jobless. They stole my national identity card to commit the crime. May be they carried out many more crimes prior to this kidnapping, as appears that they have always had enough money.”

Mofizul Islam, a schoolteacher, Veradanga village “bKash is being used heavily here for crimes. The criminals just commit such acts like kidnapping and blackmail, and demand ransom to be sent through bKash.”

SK Sonkor, resident of Dhulandi

Photos: Adil Sakhawat

What happened to Tania?

December 5

12:30am Tania is kidnapped 7am Runa calls the kidnappers and they demand a ransom and provide their bKash number 2pm Tania’s grandfather lodges case with the Ghior police station

December 12

Two prime suspects are arrested

December 13

One of the accused commits suicide in CID custody

December 18

Court permits seven days’ remand for the other arrestee

December 25

The accused is sent to jail Present condition Police have yet to recover Tania, dead or alive

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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 love my wife to death, but she has a habit of nagging and complaining, not just about serious things, but silly things like the way I dress, being nicer to her mum, earning as much money as her brother, and even the crappy weather!

I’ve tried several times to have a constructive discussion about it, but she gets defensive and her nagging only gets worse. What should I do?

DINA SOBHAN Your wife sounds like a real beacon of light – a fountain of joy, even. It’s possible that you’ve been lumbered with what it commonly known as a Negative Nancy, or in this case, a Negative Nazia. Such individuals are chronic complainers, engineered to suck the very joy out of the existences of those with whom they keep company. Oftentimes, they’re not even aware they’re doing it. Your lovely wife has probably gotten so used to nagging and complaining about things that it’s become second nature to her. When she tells you your shirt would look better on a homeless

person, she’s probably just making casual conversation. Since having a talk with her has proved fruitless, I suggest you give her a passiveaggressive taste of her own medicine.

Starting immediately, just do as she does. As soon as you wake up, say: “Good morning, honey. I had no idea how scary you look in the morning.

Yikes!” You can follow that up with a bitter tirade about her breakfasting skills – “Is that what passes for eggs in this house? I must’ve been in a boredom-induced coma not to have noticed all this time!” And, for good measure, thrown in a jab about her

housekeeping skills on your way out the door – “In between eating bonbons and your afternoon Star TV marathon, why don’t you actually do something about that dust bunny that’s larger than our second son lurking behind the bed?” Just keep it up and she’ll either get it eventually, or if she’s thick as a plank and asks you why you’ve suddenly started being so mean and critical, simply tell her you’re doing what she’s been doing for the past decade or so. That should make her think twice the next time she opens her mouth. n

2

Some of my friends recently found out that I’ve been seeing a psychiatrist. It’s not for anything serious, but they are making it into a very big deal.

They act as if I am suffering from depression, or will commit suicide soon. Suddenly, I have become mentally incapacitated in their eyes, and they act as if I am some sort of weakling. I am pretty sure they laugh behind my back as well. How should I handle this – have a shouting match with them, or just ignore them and hope their childish behaviour will subside?

Frankly, instead of either option above, I would recommend finding some new friends. But if you insist on fraternising with this cartload of chimpanzees, try milking their faux concern for all it’s worth. Flex your acting muscle every time they’re around by languishing on the sofa, arm thrown over head as though the world were literally coming to an end. When they ask you what the matter is, burst into tears and beat your chest before running out of the room.

When they’re really worried, put an abrupt end to the charade and laugh soundly in their shocked faces. Once they see that you’re willing to make light of your situation, it will lessen in gravity for them and they can go back to treating you as they always have.

Change is uncomfortable, so let your friends see that nothing has. n

Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 3, 2014

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23

WT LEISURE

Across 1 6 7 8

Vegetable rust? (6) Own goal in French street for villain (5) Offer money for alien bathroom equipment (5) Concoct a scare for Emperor (6)

Down 2 3 4 5

Shorten a river crossing (7) Great at organised boat races (7) Idea regarding the gold unknown (6) What Spanish live above Canada’s first city (6)

Solution and clues for last week’s crossword

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) W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 3 , 20 1 4

24 Farhana Urmee is a forgetful journalist who is very serious about taking her notes, because without those she is of no use

Thought Plot Bangladesh in 2014

Through the crystal ball Farhana Urmee predicts what may possibly happen in the New Year To say 2013 has been an eventful year for Bangladesh would be an understatement. Putting the controversies, contradictions and the same old conflicts between our major political parties aside, Bangladesh has endured disasters – manmade, undoubtedly – with the end of the year bringing a series of hartals and blockades ahead of the 10th National Election on January 5. Having gone through a year like 2013, one could be apprehensive about what 2014 could add to the mix.

Now, I cannot see the future, but I can certainly be optimistic, because the cards are still unturned. Based on the events that have taken place in the recent years, and more importantly in 2013, let’s do some calculations and see what we can expect to see in the New Year.

The love-hate relationship

How many people remember the photo of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, smiling together? One such photo was taken during the antiautocratic movement back in 1990. After the movement’s success, these two leaders have never agreed on any issue, even when both were put on house arrest during the tenure of the military-backed caretaker government in 2007-08. We only see them blaming each other, thus instigating violent confrontations between their followers and creating division among the common people.

There’s a fine line between hatred and love. 2014 may be the year when, seeing the common people’s sufferings, they finally come to terms with their differences and decide it’s just not worth it. We might finally see them work together to alleviate the political crisis and focus on the betterment of the country and its people. Let’s hope hatred turns into love this year.

On our own

Brain drain has been a common phenomenon for too long in this country. Brilliant students pursue higher studies and move abroad, and most stay there because of better opportunities. It has been the same for art and culture students as well. Take Shantiniketan for example: every music student in the country has dreamed, at least once, of going there to study music or dance. Why can’t we have our own Shantiniketan? It will cater to music, dance, literature, fine arts, films and theatre enthusiasts. We have already arranged several successful events that garnered global attention.

Our films have been accepted by the Academy Awards. Our singers have fans both at home and abroad. A fullfledged academic institute for arts will ensure this success increases multiplefold, and will put a cap on the brain drain as well. And it will begin in 2014.

Big stock

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25 Golden Bengal

We may have progressed and become modern, but our strength still lies in agriculture. Ironically, it’s the farmers who are mostly behind the veil and ignored. But it’s going to change this year.

We are on the verge of achieving self-sufficiency in food. We have already started exporting flavoured rice. We have discovered the genome sequence of local jute, which is a massive step forward for our agronomy. Moreover, the marriage of technology and agriculture opens the door to a whole lot of opportunities for our farmers.

Let’s also not forget the infrastructural development, which certainly aids the farmers in connecting with the rest of the country, and the world. 2014 will the year for our farmers – they will finally see their lives change. They will no longer be deprived of fair prices for their produces; rather, they will be rewarded for their contribution in growing the golden paddy and truly transform this country into the land of gold.

Out in the field

As far as the sports arena is concerned, 2014 will be golden. The FIFA World Cup will take place in June, keeping the whole world captivated for a month, and Bangladesh will be no different.

But before that, the T20 World Cup will take place in the first quarter of the year, and prior to that, Bangladesh will host the Asia Cup. At the rate that the Bangladesh national cricket team is going, we can expect success in both the tournaments – we might even win them!

Besides cricket, Bangladesh will also be participating in the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3. We might finally see our shooting and swim teams hold up that precious gold medal.

Dhaka Tribune

Getting on the road

We have already seen computers being produced in our beloved motherland – anyone remember the Doel laptops? Are we going to stop there?

I think not. 2014 can be the year when Bangladesh might see the beginning of its own automotive industry. It’s not a far-fetched dream; we already have plants where cars are assembled with the parts brought in from Japan, but the bodies are entirely made here, with the help of Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation.

The number of car enthusiasts in this country is not minimal either. Remember Leepu Nizamuddin Awlia? He built his very first car back in 1988, when he was just a 17-year-old boy. Till then, he has built 13 unique cars in England and sold them all. There are several others who share Leepu’s passion. Moreover, our youngsters are going abroad to study automobile engineering.

Many universities here offer a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. If we gather all our resources, human and otherwise, we can definitely establish a successful automotive industry in Bangladesh. Let’s start this year, shall we?

Big stock

Again, I am not a seer. But I can see the immense possibilities of growth and prosperity that will put Bangladesh under the limelight. So let’s get started and make these “predictions” come true. It’s not that hard, really. n W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 3 , 20 1 4

26

Interview

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

Ratib Mortuza Ali and Aaqib Farhan Hossain

World Cup for debaters Shah Nahian speaks to the two debaters who have managed to really put Bangladesh on the world’s debating map that we’d either be champion or first runner up (there are four teams in each debate, including the final), but I’m a bit of a pessimist, so I was slightly worried before they announced the results.

Aaqib: It’s difficult to dream big because Bangladesh had never broken into the quarterfinals of the ESL category in spite of taking part in WUDC since 1991. There was definitely an impression in international debate that Bangladesh was essentially participators that posed no threats to the title.

We prepped for the tournament with a ‘no one cares about second place’ mentality Aaqib Farhan Hossain

We knew winning would be very hard, but we always had an eye on the gold Ratib Mortuza Ali

How has debating changed for you now that you are the debating world champions?

T

he World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) is the world’s largest debating tournament in the world. The recent WUDC, held in Berlin during January of 2013, Ratib Mortuza Ali and Aaqib Farhan Hossain from BRAC University brought back home the title of World Champions ESL (English as Second Language) for the first time in the history of Bangladesh.

Which School did you graduate from?

Ratib: The Aga Khan School, class of ’09.

Aaquib: Sunbeams, class of ’08.

What Major did you pursue after school?

Ratib: Economics.

Aaqib: I had two majors for my undergrads: one in Finance and the other in Human Resources. I also pursued a minor in Computer Sciences.

What initially got you interested in debating?

Ratib: I like speaking. I get this thrill out of speaking in public and really enjoy voicing my opinions.

Aaqib: I started debating back when I was in grade 6. It was apparent that this was something I would want to peruse. Debating hones your communication and social skills as well as giving you an opportunity to travel widely and meet some amazing people you otherwise wouldn’t.

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 3, 2014

Was this your first time debating internationally?

Ratib: No, my first international competition was the World Championships two years ago in Botswana.

Aaqib: I first debated internationally in Ceylon, Sri Lanka, for Model United Nations when I was in grade 8, though I don’t really consider MUN to be debating anymore. I’ve been attending international tournaments quite regularly since then. Some of countries we’ve visited as debaters include the Philippines, USA, Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, Turkey, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand, China, Macau, Botswana, Qatar, Kenya and South Africa.

Did the university sponsor the trip, or did you have to fund it on your own?

Ratib and Aaqib: It was a shared burden.

BRAC University is definitely far more generous to its debaters in terms of subsidising travel than other institutions in Bangladesh. In the early days, we had to bear much of our own expenses (which was very difficult), but as the University became more convinced of the value of investing in its debate programme, life became easier for us.

Did you enter the competition with the intent of bringing home the title? Or was it more about the experience?

Ratib: To be honest, we wanted to push the boundaries of Bangladeshi debating.

Courtesy

We had won the national titles in 2012, and since this was supposed to be our last tournament ever, it was important for us to do the very best and set a high bar for the rest of the nation.

Aaqib: The World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) is essentially the world cup of debating.

Berlin 2013 was the third time we took part in this competition. In earlier years (Botswana and Manila) it had been all about improvement, but this year there was definitely a huge expectation from the Bangladesh debate community, our university and our families that something big was going to happen.

Which countries proved to be the greatest challenge throughout the competition?

Ratib: The Europeans and the Americans – almost all of them. Their education system is so advanced that their debate arguments are extremely deep and philosophical. It required a lot of mental labour to overcome their ideas.

Aaqib: It’s hard to quantify one or two. There were a total of 12 rounds of debate and we faced 3 opponents per round. Almost all the teams had a more extensive training programme than us, most certainly a greater investment in their debating careers. I guess we wanted it more. That kind of hunger was the great equaliser.

But did you truly believe that you’d be bringing home the title?

Ratib: After the final, I was certain

Ratib: I’ve stopped debating altogether.

My involvement since then has been judging and training young ones. I’ve only judged in a few tournaments in Dhaka, one in the Philippines and one in the USA, as well as training debaters from all around Asia in Kyrgyzstan.

Aaqib: Well world championship status is quite nice. I suppose it has put Bangladesh on the map like never before when it comes to debating. In the immediate aftermath of WUDC there were (and probably still are) a lot of offers to subsidise my travel and stay in order to judge different debate tournaments, but these days I’m a bit too wrapped up in my professional life to take up those offers.

Apart from the competition, what else stood out from your trip to Berlin?

Ratib: We spent New Year’s in Dresden, which is a very artsy and cultural city in Germany. The tour of just the city – even without the museums – was spectacular.

Aaqib: Europe is wonderful; Germany is an amazing model of how a modern country should function. Helpful people, trains run like clockwork, great food, and breath-taking cultural and historic places. I also went on a bit of a Eurotrip, which was brilliant.

What are you doing now?

Ratib: PhD in economics at Boston College Aaqib: I’m currently working at Chevron, Bangladesh. I’m part of the Human Resources team as an HR Administrator.

What are your future plans?

Ratib: Finish the PhD, and then I guess I’ll see where life takes me from there.

Aaqib: Go for grad school, quite possibly change my discipline to law and/or political sciences. n

TRAVELOGUE

27

Cox’s Bazar

The sun, the sea and the horses

Zubier Abd is a writer, thinker, scientist, and avid ice cream lover all rolled into one

Zubier Abd makes a short getaway to the shores of the Bay of Bengal

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hen people think of taking a vacation, the first image that comes to mind is of the sun, the sea and spending a lazy afternoon soaking in the rays in paradise. For the average Bangladeshis, finding that paradise means going no further than the shores of Cox’s Bazar.

Needing respite from the drudgery of day-to-day life in the city, I, along with a few of my friends, decided to take the break on a short notice. We packed our bags, boarded a Scania bus and, in 12 short hours, were deposited beach side in Cox’s Bazar. After a brief stop at our hotel, we changed clothes and started wandering along the beach.

The last time I had been to Cox’s Bazar was five years ago, and my recollections of the place paled in comparison to the real thing. Cox’s Bazar had changed. What had once been a scenic road that skirted

along the edge of the coast was now a thriving marine drive, filled to capacity with restaurants and hotels reminiscent of Miami or the Mediterranean. We saw lots of tourists and the inevitable hawkers selling

Walking down the beach in the early morning light, with the ocean on our left and the golden sand in front of us for miles and miles

their wares.

As one walks down the beach, one will pass many small stores selling everything – from seashell necklaces, beach clothes, sandals to dried fish and achar. Another noticeable change that

I saw was that, there were activities tourists could take part in there. There were Jet Ski rentals, speed boat rides, parasailing, and I even saw a couple of men walking by with surfboards. My friends and I took a scenic ride down the beach on horseback for the price of Tk50 per person. Word of caution to any would-be traveller: some of the vendors in and around Cox’s Bazar can easily tell the tourists from the locals and may over charge so. Like fixing the rickshaw fare in Dhaka, it’s best to do it before you take part in anything, and to haggle a little.

The food in Cox’s Bazar is to die for. If you are not a fan of fish or sea food, you will be missing out on a lot.

Generally a die-hard carnivore, I spent the three days in Cox’s Bazar dining on the denizens of the deep. My personal favourite food experience there is a tie between the savoury grilled Kala Chada fish we had cooked on the beach, and the delicious crab curry

Photos: Wikimedia

we had at the hotel. Aside from those, Cox’s Bazar has a plethora of dining options from high-end restaurants, like the Mermaid Cafe, to simpler, homely food like the famous Jhaubon restaurant. There is even a KFC in Cox’s Bazar to quell those hunger pangs if you’re looking for a taste of the familiar.

Cox’s Bazar offers something that we city dwellers desperately need more in our lives: a return to nature.

There is nothing quite like standing in the middle of the ocean, hearing nothing but the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves in your ears and staring up at the stars to take you away from the stresses of day-to-day life.

After all, isn’t that what vacations are for? n

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28 Jennifer Ashraf is a barrister and solicitor of England and Wales. She is currently Senior Partner at Legacy Legal Corporate.

When she is not solving complicated legal problems, Jennifer is usually found travelling to exotic locations sampling the indigenous cuisine

LEGAL EAGLE 1

Every time I go to a Bangladesh cricket game, I am aghast at what people do to our national flag. I am a proud freedom fighter, and it saddens me to see people painting parts of their bodies with our national colours, wearing the flag like a piece of cloth around their waist, or even throwing it at each other. Surely there is some kind of law they are breaking with all this rowdy behaviour. Aren’t there any laws to protect our national colours and flag?

Got a problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

Jennifer Ashraf Dear Reader, There are legal provisions in Bangladesh which provides guidance about the maintenance of the dignity of our national flag. The first and utmost provision is to ensure that, at all times, the flag is treated with due respect and given the due honour that is befitting. The rules also stipulate that it is also never to be lowered into the grave, or allowed to touch the ground. If people are at the cricket games are throwing the flag at each other, they risk the chance of it slipping and falling to the ground, thereby contravening the flag rules.

There is also legal provision that states that the national flag “shall not be dipped to any person or any inanimate

object.” This provision remains a little vague and unclear as the word “dipped” is not properly defined in this context. If it constitutes “paint,” then that will also be restricting the act of painting our faces during the cricket games or on other occasions. For the moment, I suppose, it remains open to interpretation.

In relation to draping the national flag around the waist, the existing legal provisions also explicitly disallows the flag to be used as drapery of any sort whatsoever, with the exception that “the use of the ‘Flag’ may be permitted for draping the bier of a high personage who is given burial with full military honours of full ceremonials.” This, once again,

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

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I went to the Chittagong Hill Tracts last week and was amazed to see the locals producing their own alcohol. As far as I know, alcohol production and consumption is illegal in Bangladesh. Or am I missing something here?

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Dear Reader, Alcohol’s always a sticky subject here, primarily owing to the fact that we are a predominantly Muslim country.

Bangladeshi law defines alcohol as “spirit and liquor of whatever kind, or any liquid containing more than five percent of alcohol.” I have also previously visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts and come across the local alcohol production, and found it fascinating. What would be regularly be frowned upon in Dhaka is actually a regular, open practice there. Now, the question that arises is, exactly how legal is the practice within the scope of Bangladeshi law? If the alcohol being

produced in the Chittagong Hill Tracts contains less than 5% of alcohol, it falls outside the legal definition of alcohol and therefore the legal provisions will not strictly apply here.

For argument’s sake, let’s assume the alcohol content exceeds 5%. If that is the case, in order to enable someone to produce alcohol, they will need to apply and obtain a licence. No entity, person/company, or otherwise, is allowed to produce alcohol without a valid licence. Only a licence holder is able to establish a distillery or brewery: produce, refine, carry, transport, import, export, supply, buy, sell, keep, conserve, store, exhibit or use alcohol,

serves as an act of honour and respect.

In conclusion, while I can picture what you encounter during Bangladesh cricket games, I am finding it hard to relate it with any disrespect that I have come across directed towards our national flag during these games. I see happy, cheery, patriotic faces, proudly sporting our national colours, geared up to support and cheer our Tigers. We fought hard and sacrificed enormously to gain our freedom, and it is only fitting that we also get a chance to rejoice in it, while also giving and maintaining the due respect that our country and national flag deserves. n

or use alcohol as raw material in the production of medicine. The law also specifies that the consumption of alcohol is restricted to people who have successfully obtained and hold licences, specifically for the consumption of alcohol. It further states that no Muslim is to be “granted a permit to consume alcohol except that he can provide a qualifying certificate written by at least a civil surgeon or an assistant professor of the medicine department of a medical college for medical reasons.” Even the grant of the licence does not simplify things as the medical practitioner granting the licence will have to specify the designation of the illness necessitating the use of alcohol and also attest that necessity.

Breaching any of these laws will have obvious consequences. For example, possession of any tools, machinery or raw materials, required for the production of alcohol will result in punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend from 2-15 years, and may also be liable to a fine. Even the mere grant of a room or place, for the production of alcohol, will result in imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, or a fine, or both.

In conclusion, if the natives of the Chittagong Hill Tracts are producing alcohol, with the alcohol content remaining under 5%, they seem to be in the clear for now. Also, if someone falls under the scope of Islam, the legal provisions do not appear to bear down strictly on them either. n

THE WAY DHAKA WAS

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Mohsin Hall, DU Mohsin Hall, Dhaka University, 1966

Mohsin Hall is one of the most historical dormitories of Dhaka University. I am proud to have been a student at DU during the Liberation War, and I used to live in Mohsin Hall during that time. My fellow students and I discussed politics long into the night, right before the war started.

Sadly, I left Dhaka later that year and could not take part in the war. But the hall will always remain a historical site for all politically-active students of Bangladesh.

Syed Ashraful Hossain Malibagh, Dhaka

Bangladesh Old Photo Archive

Today

Chanchal Kamal

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Culture Vulture Performance Art

A new language of expression 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

Yusuf Banna writes about the new genre of art in Bangladesh

Mahbubur Rahman, 2nd cycle of transformation, 2004

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erformance art is a relatively new art genre of the postmodern era, in which artists use their body as a medium of expression – a performance presented to an audience. It’s the artists’ prerogative how they will execute their act. It can be scripted and choreographed, or spontaneous. Time, space, involving the audience in the act, etc are some of the basic elements of performance art.

In Bangladesh, artists first tried their hand in performance art in 1994.

After overcoming the initial hurdles, it is now quite acknowledged by the artists and the art enthusiasts.

One of the front runners of performance art in Bangladesh, Palash Bhattacharjee, explains performance art: “The human body, if given shape using metal or marble stone, is called sculpture. What if the artist himself appears as a moving sculpture and performs an act? That is the very reason why the practice of performance art started in Bangladesh. It is strictly conceptual and has a lot of loose ends as possibilities that adds to the performance. Like theatre play, props can be used in the performance, or the artist can perform using an installation created by himself. To enhance the intensity of the performance, there are numerous ways, depending on the artist’s choice. Thus it is posited as a post-modern practice of art. In the early 70s, in Europe and America performance art was explored and exploited in many ways, which made the genre difficult to define. But the consensus has now been composed and well described.”

He further adds that performance W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, JAN UARY 3, 2014

Photos: Depart

art has intense spiritual aspects as the artist uses his body as a medium of expression. It sometimes becomes a challenge and for the artist to use his body to the fullest which requires connecting his soul and body with the performance in a spiritual level.

Pora Para Art Space in Chittagong was the first organisation that arranged a performance art festival in 2009. Britto Art Trust also arranged for a residency programme and workshop on this art form. Shontoron, Jog Alternative Art Space and Charukala are among the organisations that have promoted performance art by arranging shows as well. There are several art groups, such as Yupree, that are practising performance art. Surprisingly, the art community in Chittagong is more active in terms of performance art than Dhaka.

Kalidash Karmakar, A F M Moniruzzaman Shipu, Saleh Mahmud, Abu Naser Robii and Mahbubur Rahman are the pioneers of performance art in the country.

Mahbubur Rahman is the most experienced performance artist, with his signature style and unique appeal. Abu Naser Robii’s work has an intense, pleasant human appeal.

Saleh Mahmud was among the first few young artists who experimented with public presentation of performance art. There are a number of artists practising performance art in Bangladesh at the moment – Dilara begum Jolly, Tayeba Lipi, Afsana Sharmin Jhuma and Ronni Ahmed, to name a few. This new language of art is getting popular in the country’s art scene with each passing day.

However, there are some

Palash Bhattachariee, The Road, Seoul Mulle, South Korea, During the Pan Asia Performance Art Festival 2011

Monjur Ahmed, Blue Earth is the Symbol of Pain, performance at Alikadam, Chittagong, 2008. An interdiscriplinary artist and funding member of the art organization Santaran, who consistently exploits the language to work across mediums to raise issues on the environment

misconceptions regarding performance art that question its survival. For one, it is easily confused with theatrical performances. When asked about it, Palash Bhattacharjee says: “This misconception and

doubting cannot halt the rapid emergence of performance art. Rather, we should see it as a part of an ongoing artistic revolution – modernising Bangladeshi art and presenting it in the international platform.” n

OBITUARY

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Syeda Zohra Tajuddin

Farhana Urmee is a forgetful journalist who is very serious about taking her notes, because without those she is of no work

Gone with the wind Farhana Urmee remembers the well-known political organiser and Awami League leader

Ayub Khan’s military rule in the then Pakistan. She also contributed in arranging and re-organising the split of Awami League after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. She took on the charge of being the convener of the party after such a tragedy. She was a presidium member of Bangladesh Awami League for the last three committees of the party.

And her life changed … forever

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he lily flower has a colourful aura and a fragrance that permeates miles at the slightest breeze.

Named after this flower, Syeda Zohra Tajuddin (Lily) also breezed through the life of Tajuddin Ahmed, the Liberation War hero, bringing with her unlimited love, affection and of course the blessing of congenial companionship.

Her recent departure has made a great impact on the politicos of Bangladesh, as she was one of the greatest souls working for the country’s betterment since it came into being.

Connecting with her soul mate

She got married to Tajuddin on April 26, 1959. Being wedded to such a devoted politician and committed organiser, she had to uphold Tajuddin’s values for the nation and obviously bear the trials of the uncertainty of a politician’s life. Undoubtedly she executed the expectations placed on her flawlessly.

Some politics of her own

Not satisfied with just being the better half of such great, patriotic, political personality, Zohra herself got involved in politics. She was an active participant in the movement against

After the assassination of Bangabandhu, the nation had to experience another shock: the murders of the four national leaders who were assassinated at the Dhaka Central Jail during the tenure of Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad as government leader.

Tajuddin, along with Syed Nazrul Islam, AHM Qamruzzaman and M Mansur Ali, was killed on December 3, 1975. She was left behind with her four children. She suffered the great shock of losing her life partner and soul mate, a man who was obviously a compatriot in her political journey.

Yet, she magnanimously took on the challenge of giving her children a good education and teaching them solid values.

influenced by such an inspirational mother. n

Lily’s passing 1.

2.

3.

4.

She breathed her last at the age of 80 on December 20, at 10:37am at United Hospital She was suffering from old age complications She had also undergone surgery in Delhi Hospital for a hip fracture that made her physical condition worse She was buried with state honours on her husband’s grave in the Banani Graveyard on December 22

About Lily

1932 Born in Dhaka on December 24 1959 Marries Tajuddin Ahmed on April 26 1975 Takes over the captaincy of Bangladesh Awami League after the assassination of Bangabandhu and the subsequent killing of the top four national leaders 1977 Made convener of the Awami League party 2013 Passes away

What she left behind

She is survived by her four children.

Sharmin Ahmed Reepi, her eldest daughter and Simin Hossain Rimi, her second child, are both Members of Parliament from the Gazipur-4 constituency.

The youngest, Mehjabeen Ahmed Mimi and her son, Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj, have also been involved in politics and Taj was the State Minister for the Ministry of Home Affairs and now lives in USA. Two of her four children have embraced politics to follow the footsteps of their father, obviously also heavily W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, JAN UARY 3 , 20 1 4

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LAST WORD Kausar Shahab Kausar Shahab is a freelance contributor

Migratory patterns Changes, how necessary are they really?

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hreatening violence, my loved ones have severely barred me from airing any and all political opinions. What torture, considering all the fodder just begging to be satirised.

I am not even allowed to put up a social media suggestion to the Prez’s missus about possible escape routes from her home; airlift, tunnelling, disguise, stilts. Minor inconvenience though, the sari and the bouffant.

Since I’m unable to do a political piece, let’s move to scarier stuff.

You know what’s scary, like on par with Hannibal and Mother Superior on administrative duty together?

Changes. The ones that can’t be helped, but ones you will with all your might to dare to take place, e.g. a subtle loss of enthusiasm in the way a friends greets you, a shift in audience attention (pretty dark stuff considering I teach high school science for a living), a slight rotational shift in the way one places things (and no I don’t have OCD, only a little xenophobic denial). And changes in ones’ parents.

I actually come to Bangladesh for primarily one purpose: to ensure no unsolicited seniority is being imposed on them, health or otherwise. A note to ageist beggars and shopkeepers: they are not your grandparents or chacha/chachi by any means. I may be your khala amma or boro amma, bhai and/or dada, but kindly refrain from tenacious kinship building with my parents. Dhonnobad.

So it goes with every visit, a quick inventory of time-lapse indicator, bated breaths of relief.

Ignoring

It wreaks havoc in my world. Call it a vanity thing, like placental anti-wrinkle cream, but I prefer existing in a world where my parents are at the top of their game, and therefore I, by association.

A much more dignified means of preservation than say, pigtails and the Hello Kitty look

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the rise and fall of Hatirjheel, the impressive “shemai” junctions in Uttara and the hyped and much written about Shahbagh movement, I am happy to report that Dhaka is the same. And my dear parents, you still rule my world. Here are a few things that will help me sleep easy until I come back: 1. The political volatility of the country does little to deter the migratory spirits of seasonal Bangalis. Proof?

A full flight info board at Shah Jalal International Airport. Even the white ‘uns are making their way over. Befriended one in connection.

“Where are you from? Are you visiting Bangladesh?” she asked. I was in suede and checks, so I forgave her and said: “From, for and to.” Then she smiled at a lady in Bexi fabric blocks and asked the same. Good luck bargain hunting, you sheltered North Carolinian Mormon.

2. The porters at Shah Jalal are still placing accents and confusion levels with scientific accuracy and request tips in matching currency.

3. General integrity confirmed at point of entry, overlooking the heightened national security in passenger pick up.

4. Speaking of which, here was Dad. Still the best-looking man in any crowd. But what was he doing inside?

He smiled triumphantly, having played the seniority card to gain access to the inner sanctuaries of the airport.

Stubborn, and ever ready to override my opinions, I could see it was going to be a clash of the Titans as usual. The first goes something like this: “Dad, you don’t need to pay the porter.”

“Did he rip you off, you silly girl?”

“No, I didn’t give him much.”

“How much?”

“Told you. Not much. Have you no faith in my judgement? Do I look like a fool?”

“Must I answer?”

Just then, “Mom, why is the luggage guy still smiling at us? Why won’t he go away?”

Fifteen minutes later, diminishing in the rear view mirror, he is still waving at us. Some things don’t change.

5. Wait a minute, why was Dhaka

looking militarised? And were those new cop cars with the bar sirens? At least I think they were. Honestly, I don’t remember law enforcement having actual cop cars before. They used to have a motorised something with a single hand held emergency bulb, and quite possibly a junior cop beat boxing the siren. First the uniform, and now the cars. I felt cheated, like realising you had missed a nephew’s formative years. However, endearing tradition intact, the driver bahinis of the city were still driving with complete disregard of the thola bahinis. Sigh of relief.

6. At home, a new set of help around the house. Another Dhaka constant, another sigh of relief. Clutching my sheepskin skirt (a talisman of sorts that I had owned since grade 8, meant to help hold my past at a standstill), I quickly scrutinised mom’s porcelain skin. Thank you, thank you, thank you, dear Allah! A quick recovery, followed by a prolonged fending off of how frail, fatigued and dark I looked. Good, good.

7. On to happy lazy days with food, fresh chutneys, obligatory calls, counter calls and catching up over deshi cha in my BD mug, surrounded by books I collect and deliberately avoid reading in other parts of the world lest they take away from the magic of home.

8. Talking about manipulated perspectives, Old Dhaka, my precise longitudinal bearing of yore, refuses to morph. I make a point of visiting. In front of the southeast original walls of the Fort, Dad and I share a moment.

This was the same wall he had painted for an art competition as a child. My own kids were documenting it now, intrigued by the myths and ghostly stories that Dad, the tour guide and I compete in telling.

9. I keep my family up, and when they finally shuffle off to bed, I embark on a jet-lagged vigil. Tiptoeing around the house, checking and correcting sign of changes. Tchick tchick, tchick comes a reptilian call. Ah, croc from behind the dining room cabinet! You may be a little thicker around the waist, but not a day older since I last saw you. Stay put till next time, buddy. n

It’s also reassuring to see the bakarkhani hit it off with the boys, with ‘Jiya beqarar hai’ playing away somewhere, oblivious to the current political incorrectness of the language and playlist trends