TMAG Volume 1 Issue 50

Dhaka Tribune

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Tuesday, April 8, 2014 Volume 1, Issue 50

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Status of the week A weekly production of

DhakaTribune Editor Zafar Sobhan Magazine Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad TMAG Team Sabiha Mahmud Sumi Rubab Nayeem Khan Munira Fidai Natasha Rahman Saudia Afrin Tahsin Momin Baizid Haque Joarder Fuad M Hossain Rad Sharar

Happiness is when your parents urge you: “Go, sleep a bit more!!” And that too in a non-sarcastic way!

Quote of the week If you haven’t found it yet, then you need to keep looking.

Lingo of the week All up in my grill Meaning - the act of being on someone’s case, or pestering someone continuously Girl 1 “ You still haven’t started on your homework?”

Girl 2 “ No I didn’t ,but you don’t need to be all up in my grill because of it”

More inside

Contributors Zaki Adnan Fardeen Ameen Syed Azraf Zaman Raheel Bardai Nasif Chowdhury

PICKS OF THE WEEK 2 Room of the week Nabela Noor 3 Doodle of the week Sakib Mahi 11 Gadget Logitech’s wireless boom box 10 Good Sheet of the week “Shlock” by Black

Graphics Tahsin Momin Mohammed Mahbub Alam

YOUR WORLD 5 Car Porsche 911GT2 RS 5 FFPB 9 Fiction A clearing 9 Non-fiction Questions in an Adolescent Mind 9 Comic book The Fifth Beatle 9 Book The Illegitimate Read 11 Comic strip The Boy

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed

FASHION 4 Beauty check Clocking the make-up to last

Circulation Wahid Murad Email: tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

4 Wardrobe check Bringing the mela out in your wardrobe Real Life 3 Event Tweets 6 Hot topic Export Quality Bangladeshis 12 Illustration Types of people you meet at at a pohela boishakh TMAG SAYS 2 FYI Botshorer Aborjona 3 School Survival Second, only to myself 10 Playlist Top ten Boishakhi tunes 10 Music Born to Die by Lana Del Rey 11 Cricket T20 Commentary 11 Game A knack for vengeance HOROSCOPES 5 Your forecast

Editor’s note Dear Readers, Pohela Boishakh brings forth discussion on our cultural identity, and the one thing that always comes up is the subject of cultural appropriation. There is always the fear that the forces of globalisation will end up diluting our cultural heritage.

This week, we’re talking about embracing the fear instead of hiding from it. No, this isn’t support for brain drain; that is not what the Export Quality Bangladeshi is about. We’re talking about building ourselves to be able and competent representatives of our own culture at home and abroad, and being able to hold our own on a global platform. Join us on Hot Topic for the discussion.

Elsewhere in our pages, we’ve got a nice mix of sports (page 11), cars (page 5), music (page 10), and fashion (page 4) to make sure there’s something for everyone.

Let us know how we did! Check us out on Facebook, and like, share and comment to help us make your magazine better. If you want in on the action, send your stories, artwork, selfies and room pics to tmag.dt@ dhakatribune.com Love from the TMAG desk

About the cover Teens who can represent their culture at home and abroad.

2 Funk up your room Noboborsho in your room

4 Look of the week The Wonder Woman in you

10 Spotlight Anoushka Shanker

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Photo Syed Latif Hossain Model Rad Sharar Bin Kamal

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8 Written in the stars Center for Research and Information

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Your Life Courtesy

TMAG’s Room of the week!

Name

Nabela Noor Deshi fusion

Neons and pastels explode in sweet symphony in this room that combines the traditional with the contemporary in a trendy twist.

Funk up your room

FYI bigstock

Noboborsho in your room Beauty expert, Nabela Noor gives us a lowdown on how to deck up your room, Baishakhi style

Botshorer Aborjona All through the year, we laugh, we cry, we fight and we make up. Everything we do has to do with emotions. We accumulate memories, some good and some bad. The good memories carry us afloat through the trials and tribulations of life while the bad ones often become grudges and slow us down. As we approach the end of another year of the Bangali calendar, let’s see how we can rid ourselves of this emotional baggage and start with a clean slate

Acceptance

Many people will hurt you. Things will not go as planned, people will try to bring you down and friends may backstab you. Accept that people have flaws, and that some people think differently. Victory follows defeat as surely as night follows day. When things don’t go your way, take a deep breath and accept it as the greater will. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Abstain

You know the people who have wronged you. If it has not been wilful on their parts, try to accept or, if it has not been too harsh on you, forgive.

If you feel that trusting some people will be a mistake for the future, simply abstain. We all meet people who give out negative energy. The best way to

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rinse out those people from your life is to abstain from them; make sure you follow the “once burnt, twice shy” rule.

Smile

The sign of an emotionally healthy person is not, to never get upset but to have the strength to carry on in the face of sadness with the belief that better days will come. Your happiness should never depend on anyone else but yourself. Be comfortable in your own skin and know what makes you happy. The world can never put down a person who is happy with themselves. The more heed you pay to others’ expectations, the more they’ll try to step on you. Exceed your own expectations - trust that you’ve got this. Munira Fidai

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Living in the US, it is very important for me to keep Bangladesh close to my heart. One way I do this is by making my room look and feel like a typical bedroom in Dhaka. Most of the décor in my room is actually from Bangladesh, like my bed sheets and wall decorations. In honour of Pahela Baishakh, I want to share with you, how I keep Bangladesh in my heart and home while living here in the US. One thing about Bangali culture that I love is the richness in color and patterns within the fashion and home decor. This is why I keep my room very colourful with vibrant patterns and textures everywhere. I also love the beautiful art that can be found in every corner of Dhaka University. To celebrate the beautiful fine art from my country, I keep many paintings on my wall, most of which I have painted myself. Another fun addition to my

room is the countless pillows I have that are made in Bangladesh. You can never have too many decorative pillows!

I also keep beautiful lights in my room to remind me of the candles lit in honor of Pahela Baishakh.

When I think of my homeland, I think of colourful flowers and beautiful scenery. Because Bangladesh’s national emblem is the water lily, I have painted a water lily that I hang on my wall. After a long day of work, I love entering my room and relaxing because it is where I find peace. My room is a reflection of who I am and where I am from. When decorating your own room, always remember to keep your personal style and taste in mind and incorporate things that bring you happiness and peace. Good luck and Shubho Noboborsho!

Nabela noor

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Schoologistics

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EVENT Tweets

DISA Festival

Celebrating anniversary

On April 2, The Disa Festival, held

by International School Dhaka (ISD) presented its magnificent cultural performance to the community to celebrate the Bangali new year.

Seven more schools participated in the show; International School Dhaka, Aga Khan School, Pledge Harbor School, Australian School Dhaka, Canadian International School, Chittagong Grammar School, and Scholastica .

The programme comprised performances to classical music,

Dhaka Electronica Scene April 17, 7:30pm-10:30p,

Ticket Price Tk500 (available from April 9) Venue Berlin Hall, Goethe Institute Dhaka

recitals, and dances. The show ended with the song “Esho Hey Boishakh Esho Esho” sang by all the schools.

On April 4, Tiny Tots and Summerfield International School celebrated their 40 years of founding anniversary at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).

Members of the parliament, Dr Dipu Moni graced the programme as chief guest. Also Dr Begum Jahan Ara was present as the special guest.

Science fair at Australian International School Inter-school football tourney The Ruchi School Champion’s Trophy 2014, organised by Root Marketing Services, is an inter-school football tournament initiated from March 30. It is a two-week long event, in which 16 schools will battle it out in the football field to bring home the glory. The matches are being held at the Army Museum Field in Bijoy Shoroni.

On April 3, Australian International School held a science fair in the school premises. Principal of AUSIS Michael Bowmer attended as the chief guest and advisor of AUSIS and Iqbal Rahman was present as special guest.

Besides the administration, almost 100 students, teachers, and guardians together made the event a grand success. Out of the 26 projects, two projects named “Volcanic Eruption” and “Wind Turbine Generator of Alternative

Energy Resource” won first and second prize respectively. Certificates were awarded to the participants of the science fair.

School Survival Sakib Mahi doodled this while taking notes in English class.

Second, Only to Myself A lot has been said about us Bangalis as people - we are lazy by nature and we give up easily.

Much of this is true. We feel sleepy after eating rice, and no doubt, can give other people a run for their money when it comes to procrastinating. Let us look at some reasons why we choose to be second best

Low expectations

There is an inherent calling in people where they feel they can’t do it. Fear kills more dreams than failure ever could.

It is this fear that keeps people from challenging themselves and hence, lowering their own expectations about themselves. Once the insecurity about oneself is built up to a sufficient degree, we embrace second best like a lifelong dream.

Lack of effort

If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to tmag@dhakatribune.com and see it in our weekly!

If you want to be the best, you have to work for it. People who do not strive with their best efforts, simply do not want it badly enough. The reason being second best is so upsetting is because of the realisation that you are better than everyone else who is competing except a one, that you are so very close to being the best but still not quite there. To bridge the gap between the second best and the best, one must be willing to put in that extra mile.

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TMAG’s Doodle of the week!

Less pressure

Being the best means a whole load of expectations. Nobody wants to carry baggage and wearing the “best” crown can weigh you down plenty. A lot of people find it easier to be second best for the sole reason that they cannot deal with all the pressure that comes with it. Remember, however, that successful people thrive on pressure.

One last shot

When people believe there is no time for them to train up (occasionally due to an imaginary clock inside their minds), they give up on first position and opt for lower grounds. If you have missed out on important revision time, why not make it up with sheer will and optimism? People, who already give up in their minds, usually bring on a self fulfilling prophecy since there is simply nothing but their psyche pulling them down.

Munira Fidai

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FASHION FACE-OFF

Look of the week

Wardrobe Check

the wonder woman in you The bright blues, the fiery hues of red and the sparkle of the gold are enough to set you off to a right start, this Baishakh. Very spunky, very Bangali, this look will bring out the “mela” in you like nothing else will!

Clocking the makeup to last The hot, humid weather may set you off in the wrong mood, but hey it’s the New Year, and your best bet is to embrace the heat, and lighten up. This week, TMAG canvasses how you can make peace with the menacing sun and still look astounding

Ice, ice baby

Before getting into a “what makeup do I use” frenzy, wash your face with an oil free facial wash like Neutrogena Visibly clear facial wash.

Rub ice cubes in circular motions all over your face. This will close your pores, widen your sleepy eyes and prepare your skin to keep the make-up in place. If you don’t have a primer, worry not, because these crystal cubes will save the day.

Moisturise and blow dry

Darrell Redleaf, president, founder, CEO at RedLeaf America Beauty Systems recommends the body lotion, Dermalogica.

He adds: “They make a body hydrating cream that is terrific. For your face, they offer ‘multivitamin power firm for eyes and lips and barrier repair’ a waterless moisturiser.” Apply a pea sized amount of oil free moisturiser on your skin, and stand in front of your air conditioner for two minutes or so.

You can also apply the Maybelline dream matte mousse foundation; it’s

Photographer Syed Latif Hossain Model Afra Anam Make-up Wasifa Ahmad

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light and doesn’t feel like you have caked up your face with foundation.

This will set your base in place.

Go mineral

Mineral make-up is the way to go for Baishakh. Lily Lolo mineral cosmetics will give you a host of mineral goodies that will keep your make-up lasting all day. Pick out matte eye shadows that go with your outfit. Keep the blush minimal and apply a matte bright lipstick.

Waterproof eyeliner is a must. If all else fails, keep those blotting papers ready to dab off the trickles of sweat and say hello to the sunny beauty in you.

Where to buy: Almas, Priyo,

Bodyline outlets.

Natasha Rahman

Beauty Check

Bringing the mela out in your wardrobe Festivals and Bangalis go hand in hand and to think of one without the other just doesn’t feel right. And TMAG won’t let that happen so here we are, advising you on how to bring out the mela in your wardrobe, this Pahela Baishakh

Materials

With the ever increasing heat, even before summer has set in, wearing anything apart from cotton can be termed as “suicidal.” So unless there is some amount of rain or the “Kal Baishakhi” storm is upon us the day before, chances of which are slim, it would be wise to opt for cotton or other such breathable material.

Panjabis

It’s one of those days when your inner “Bangali” takes over and you get to celebrate it. What better way to celebrate the day than going all out

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and wearing punjabis? One may wear a pair of jeans with a punjabi if that’s more comfortable but considering the heat, pyjamas would probably be a better option for comfort. A straight cut pyjama with a narrowing near the ankles never fails to look good.

Saris

Girls wearing saris on the day is a norm but try to incorporate something different when it comes to accessories or with the way you wear the sari.

Comfortable footwear is a must if you are planning to go to melas and other gatherings.

Colours

The ideal colours of Baishakh are red and white but never let this stop you from trying out other bright and festive colours. Opt for solid colours and go easy on the jari-chumki designs in your wardrobe because firstly, in daylight, they look a bit over the top and secondly, they look downright weird if badly done.

So go out on this Pahela Baishakh, feel confident, feel our culture and bring the mela out in you. After all, it is a New Year!

Baizid Haque Joarder

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Street

HOROSCOPE

Car Talk

The bug legacy This is the fastest, most powerful production Porsche ever.

In development, Porsche’s engineers who don’t tend to over state things code named it “The Beast”

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)

Expect to feel a rush of emotions at the start of this week. Try to find out what’s causing it.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)

Your head seems to be out of the game. Don’t get too consumed with temporary happiness.

Gemini (May 21-Jun20)

If you and your significant other have been drifting apart, take the week to clear the air.

Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)

Speculating the reason behind happiness will be sheer stupidity this week. Live it, love it; don’t question it.

Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)

This is the Porsche 911GT2 RS. It has over 622hp, a top speed of 205mph and it will do 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds. It doesn’t eat the asphalt - it devours it.

To get these figures, Porsche had to cut down the weight drastically.

So, they got out the axe and made the GT2 RS just over 3,000 pounds, an astonishing 400 pounds lighter than the next model down the line, the 911 turbo.

They took out the rear seats, the all-wheel-drive, and even the metal badge on the carbon-fibre bonnet; it became a sticker.

Even though this car started out as the mechanic’s pipe dream, eventually 80,000 engineering hours and nearly half-a-million miles of testing were invested in it.

If you want to buy the GT2 RS, it will cost you $245,000, but Porsche has only made 500 of these, and they have already sold the lot.

As of all 911s, the engine is buried in the rear, a legacy the Volkswagen Beetle was derived from, and is the key to strong handling. Sum all that up and you get a good old fashioned beast that could get you into trouble.

The remarkable thing about Porsche, especially the 911, is that if you take it easy, you can even call it practical. With all the business at the back, you get pretty good cargo space up front. The visibility is second to none and this 911 is just about as comfortable sitting in traffic as it is shredding up the tarmac.

You can’t say that about too many cars in the 200mph club.

So, the Porsche 911GT2 RS could be

the world’s fastest car that you could legitimately take shopping.

Porsche have always made cars with split personalities. There is the practical shopping car, and then there is the raging, snarling beast, clinging to the gravel. The GT2 RS is no exception.

This car has actually lived up to its fearsome reputation. In its 45 year run, there hasn’t been a bad 911. You can’t really say that about Corvette, Lamborghini or Ferrari. And there is the temptation to call this one the latest, greatest, and fastest ever; the ultimate 911. It seems to have found the perfect balance between a liveable supercar and the ultimate driving utensil. But then again, that’s what we thought about the last 911.

Tahsin Momin

New opportunities will knock on your door this week; you’ll never know what it is until you check it out.

Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)

Hypocrisy in people will try your patience this week. You can’t expect everyone to be like you.

Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22)

Social gatherings will allow you to showboat your skills this week. Everything else will fall into place.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)

You might have to brush up on your creativity. A little reading and free writing should be on your agenda this week.

Sagittarius (Nov 22Dec 21) You

need to get disciplined when it comes to making commitments. It’s time you either shape up, or ship out.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan19)

If you’ve been talking to someone, find out how they view you, before coming to any conclusions.

FFPB

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)

Fantasy Football Players of Bangladesh (FFPB)

Fantasy League Top 10 after Gameweek 32 Rank Team 1 Da_Dreamers 2 Dream United FC 3 Underdog FC 4 mclovin..

5 Tomahawk Galacticos 6 ABRAR FC 7 Firehouse 8 Thunderbirds 9 Khilgao BrotherHood 10 mudd™

Manager Fazle Rabbi Fahim Al Ifran Rahim Shazzadur Rahman Asif Khan Rax Rahman Abrar Moeen Quamrul Hassan_FFPB Hasan Mahmud Tamim Aideed Ahmed Ishtiaque Amin

GW 56 34 52 52 55 48 51 62 47 80

TOT 2,161 2,093 2,085 2,085 2,073 2,054 2,049 2,041 2,040 2,034

You’re good company until you start throwing your weight around. Ease up. There is no need to be so uptight.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)

Take the week to organise yourself. Sleeping patterns, eating habits and academic performances need full attention.

The code to join FFPB fantasy league is 975-707

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HOT TOPIC

Export quality Bangladeshis Shuprova Tasneem talks about thinking globally, acting locally The month of independence may have just passed, but with Pohela Boishakh right ahead, we see a resurgence of the debate on whether teenagers can relate to a sense of national identity, and to what extent. In an age when globalisation has filled our heads with dreams of becoming the next Wolf of Wall Street

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and dancing the night away with Rihanna (for some, at least), how do we compete globally and still hold on to our culture?

We at TMAG are not at all for propounding stereotypes, but there is a general feeling that the older generation is constantly disappointed by teenagers in skinny jeans, living their lives

through Facebook and Twitter, wired up to their iPods like it’s life support. The divide between unpatriotic “English medium” students who can barely pronounce “Amar shonar Bangla” and “khyat” teens from Bangla schools is another stereotype we find difficult to swallow.

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HOT TOPIC

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s Photos Syed Latif Hossain

What it means to be me Nevertheless, there is no denying that our generation may have a difficult time constructing a national identity in today’s information society, when we are constantly being bombarded by mass media and pop culture pouring out of the West and our neighbours.

So how do we find a balance between holding on to our own culture and adopting the positive influences from

others? In this case, what is often perceived as our worst enemy can actually be our greatest ally – the Internet. Yes we Facebook a lot, yes we are obsessed with uploading pictures of delicious dishes and adorable puppies (and why not?), but we can also use the net to make our voices heard and learn about what is going on in Bangladesh and all over the world.

Of course we’re not suggesting that everyone spend their days just reading the news, but whether it’s art, literature, movies or music that interest you, let’s use the resources we have at hand to get past Twilight and Beiber and Ananta Jalil and find out about not just our own culture, but everything that you find interesting and beautiful from all over the world.

thing at all; in fact it can inspire us to innovate and adapt and create more beautiful things of our own.

Rabindranath himself was inspired by the Scottish “Auld Lang Syne” when he composed “Purano Shei Diner Kotha,” so let’s allow our youngsters to experiment with music, let’s stop shutting out foreign films in our cinema halls and promote healthy competition

instead, and let’s encourage teens to wear saris and panjabis and participate in national cultural events, even if it is for the sake of the perfect selfie.

We sincerely believe that the more we encourage good art, from anywhere in the world, the more likely we are to appreciate all the beautiful art that exists in our own nation.

Bach and Beethoven in Germany.

Maybe it’s time we stop comparing new and old, classic and fusion, English and Bangla, and just focus on loving and creating good art. Maybe instead of calling others out on their

choices and creating divisive identities between classes and nations, it’s time we have unity that is not based on race, nationality or religion, but a love of art and culture from all over the world.

Enemy at the gates?

At this point you might ask, why aren’t we stressing on learning just about our culture and stopping the massive influence of Western and Indian media in our everyday lives? The truth of the matter is though, the more you shut out globalisation, the more teenagers will rebel and seek for what’s new in the rest of the world. That influence does not necessarily have to be a bad

Live and let live Maybe it’s also time to come to terms with the fact that at the end of the day, there will always be people who choose One Direction over Rabindranath in Bangladesh, in the same way that people might choose pop music over

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written in the Stars

raise your voices Courtesy

Not a lot has been said about men pursuing dance as a profession. Often, in doing so their masculinity has been questioned. However, this week, we speak to someone who begs to differ. A keen learner and the newest addition to mainstream talent, Mehraj Haque Tushar breaks the stereotypes about performing arts by winning the title of Channel I Shera Nachiye in 2012.

Rubab Nayeem Khan has a hearty conversation with him about his journey to success

With aims of fostering dialogue between politics and citizens, the Center for Research and Information (CRI), a non-profit organisation, creates a platform for public discussion on contemporary and important national policies of Bangladesh. They have done this through two of their unique initiatives called, Let’s Ta!k and Policy Cafe. Explore both of the programmes’goals, visions, and achievements with Saudia Afrin The Bangladeshi youths are full of innovative and creative ideas. However, given the state of policy making and politics, they get very little chance to engage in it. Secondly, whenever an initiative is taken to accommodate their open expression, the purpose is entirely lost, owing to matters of protocol.

Also, a norm prevalent in our society is that only the nobles speak and the rest just listen. The other question posing concern is, do the youth want to participate and discuss serious matters? Armed with these talking points, CRI envisioned creating a stage where young people would talk on

contemporary politics, and development policies, barring any formalities. As a result, last September “Let’s Ta!k” was incepted as a communication medium between the youth and the ministers /MP’s. CRI claims their steps should really help to change the existing stigma. As a result, many politicians are thinking positively and feel they should talk to and know about the youngsters’ dreams and aspirations.

Moving on to Policy Cafe, the focus is on one particular policy and the CRI picks a different national policy for each session. Let’s Ta!k is a place for students aged 18 to 24 while Policy Cafe

lets the youth sit in with policy holders, policy makers, youth entrepreneurs, and professionals. Through facilitating this youth forum, they (CRI) are getting closer to facts about particular policies, which in turn help them to discuss strategies, explore effectiveness, and various opportunities. However, the most important part of this programme is getting the opinions from experts, practitioners, professionals and grassroots workers.

Besides different public and private universities, many of the policy cafe forums occurred in Dhaka, while some of Let’s Ta!ks were held outside Dhaka

as well. The organization, as well as its youth worked relentlessly to advertise each Let’s Ta!k and Policy café.

Regardless of whether youths are going to accept this new initiative or not, or if they will come, they were able to break down all conventional ideas.

Policy makers are available whenever they are required. Though CRI believes they have been able to conquer all their obstacles, they realise that it can be done more expansively but for the many logistic problems that prevail. n

Guests so far in policy Cafe and Let’s Talk: • • • • • •

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Sajeeb Wazed Joy Dr. Dipu Moni, Saber Hossain Chowdhury Mostafizur Rahman Mr. Shahriar Alam Zunaid Ahmed Palak

• • • • •

Nasrul Hamid Bipu Abdul Wadud Dara Nahim Razzaq Tarana Halim Tanvir Shakil Joy

Discussed topics: • • •

Employment policy National skills development policy Information and technology policy

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YOU WRITE IT

book

The illegitimate read Images are hard to make, but quite easy to destroy. Maybe that’s what went through the minds of Roger Ailes, Fox News Chief and the people at Fox News when they decided to step back and out of the book, “The loudest Voice in the Room (How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News - and Divided a Country).”

As a result, what we find ourselves with what is an unofficial biography of Ailes by Gabriel Sherman,a contributing editor at New York magazine. Why? Because Sherman was not provided any direct access to Roger Ailes for his research, his biography lacks fresh quotations from the subject.

When Sherman attempted to secure Ailes’s cooperation, Fox News PR hotshot Brian Lewis, stipulated that the author must “refrain from using any background quotes or anecdotes that Ailes could consider ‘negative,’ according to the book.” But “No deal,” said Sherman.

With 22 chapters and 500 pages of exacting prose and prolonged source notes, Sherman delivers a great portrait of a “manipulating, conniving, controlling, petty, and fear-mongering man;” which suggests that the only worthwhile biography of Roger Ailes is an unauthorised one.

On the other hand though, it is such because of Fox News, because, if you strip out Fox from Ailes’ CV, then you have a fairly typical broadcasting executive whose childhood had classic success against the odds. Sherman definitely does a great job of exposing them to the readers and that too in an exciting way.

It might not be as interesting as a crime thriller or as authentic as other bestselling biographies, but it is as exhilarating as it gets; the very nature of how it was born suggests it. And just for that, it is worth giving it a try.

Khandokar Ashif uz Zaman

fiction

A Clearing

Comic

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The little clearing beckoned. Between the grey gravestones. Behind the back alley behind the corridor behind the last room in the building. The darkest corner. The long dark corridor, water dripping from lonely taps, a hundred year old window looking towards the clearing all saying the same thing. I know what you did last summer. What had she done last summer? Had it mattered? Was it like the conversation at the clearing? Had they disturbed the sleeping moss on the stones with their errant breadcrumbs as they talked over lunch? Talking over lunch was a bit like the Bangali phrase “eating a wedding.”

In Bangali it fits right in, you eat your heart out over the hitched parties, eat biryani and eat the photographer’s liver with your eyes as he catches you in the

act of devouring a whole potato. One could grow potatoes in the clearing but only manured manicured flower beds seemed to sprout from the soil there.

All of a sudden without notice. A surprise from Michael Jackson’s thriller gardeners’ midnight yoga. Not for her, yoga, she told him as small talk began to get longer and longer, like the tail end of a second yawn. A sudden memory hit her of a lizard’s tail falling off after an unfortunate encounter with the door to the storeroom.

It had come alive and danced around like a fish out of water, or a desperate half trying to find its match in a dust stained terrazzo chessboard. Ah chess, finally common ground from beneath the breadcrumbs. Her jaws were hurting from the exercise. Qarshi

Behind Beatlemania!

If your ears haven’t been exposed to The Beatles, you’ve been terribly unlucky and need to act accordingly to save yourself from a lifetime of musical deprivation. The British group took first Liverpool then the world by storm with music that struck a chord with the hearts of the people, while simultaneously being innovative and constantly evolving.

But as fascinated as people were by their music, there was always a deep societal fascination with the story of the men (and the women in their lives). Everyone wanted to know what John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr were up to but little did people know that there were further forces at play. The Fifth Beatle is the tale of Bryan Epstein, who discovered them, and went on to manage them, thus paving the way for them to revolutionise music the way they did.

The most striking thing about the book is the passion that was quite evidently poured into it; it avoids being about just historical facts but instead weaves a tale of supreme highs and miserable lows. Tiwary does a fantastic

job of pulling the readers in and you’ll find yourself celebrating when Epstein succeeds and being just as crushed when he struggles.

The artwork is simply put – majestic; it’s akin to a 1960s cartoon strip and helps pace the comic well, while certain aspects of the artwork mirror the psychedelic nature of many of the iconic tracks the super-group from England have penned.

Accompanied by witty dialogue, a tangible love for The Beatles and spellbinding but purposeful art - Tiwary and illustrators, Robinson and Baker, have given us a tale where we track Epstein from his beginnings. It’s the re-telling of a story that one should just not miss out on, an absolute must-read.

Fardeen Ameen

non fiction

bigstock

Questions in an Adolescent Mind The other day in school, I randomly asked a friend: “Do you respect yourself?” She was, no doubt, caught by surprise. But she answered immediately, almost too quickly, “no.”

That made me wonder. I went on asking everyone the same question, and got mixed responses. Some said: “I probably respect myself more than anybody could ever respect me, because I know myself better than anyone else.” And some, including me, would sit on the fence and say: “somewhat.”

Most of us are at a point in life where the “best friend” label fades out to a few close friends, and it is more important for us to get to know ourselves better.

This is where we start to feel a bit more isolated. It is where we are confused about our emotions and priorities. Maybe things that seemed obvious before don’t seem that way any longer. Where is the you who wanted to be a doctor? Who wanted to be a dancer? The architect?

We are in a continuous process of changing, developing. Some become too boisterous, some too introverted, and some in-between. Maybe our friend circles are changing, and we unconsciously deviated from the paths we set for ourselves.

Maybe we are now a little less innocent than before. The innocence that we define as seeing things with a fresh, trusting and unbiased mind, the pure inner voice amid an accusing crowd, may not exist.

There are some who think too much about what others will say, while some don’t at all. We may not realise it, but we are all living in a web, interdependently.

At the end of my philosophical ramblings, I’d like to ask you: Do you think you’d be your friend, if you were someone else? Namira Shameem

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stereo

The goodsheet

Tunes and tones spotlight

Shlock Black Tuning: Half Step Down (D# G# C# F# A# d#) Verse Bm

G

D

Stroke of Sitar-ical Genius

A

Amader jekhane

Bm

G

D

A

jete icche kore

Bm

G D

A

Shei shopno ta muche dile

Bm

G

D

A

Keo mukhosh porbe na

Bm

G D

A

Nijer chayar bairey

Bm

G

D

A

jawa jae na

Bm G D

A

Eta mene nile

Bm

G D

A

Nirghum raat katbe na

Chorus F# G

D

A

D

A

Kaar jole bhaashate gele phul

F#

G

F#

G

F#

G

Kaar chokhe hoyecho nisshhwo

D

A

Kano shwikar koro

D

Dukkho shob chetonar mul

A

TOP Boishakh

10

With so much expectation looming over her head as the daughter of a virtuoso and the half-sister of a modern-day jazz jewel, Anoushka Shankar paired up with the pioneer of funk-folk-electronica-fusion in the Asian Underground arena, Karsh Kale to produce an exceptionally marvellous record, “Breathing Under Water.”

Anoushka’s mystical, ornate, heartsinking sitar-playing guises as the crux while being encapsulated with the science of Karsh’s techno-tabla beat. The duo’s attempt to produce songs that are distinctive in nature is absolutely praiseworthy. If you listen very closely, you can hear the sounds of exotic instruments such as the

“Mridangam,” “Kanjira,” “Tanpura” and the “Mohanaveena.”

This album is luxuriously rich in terms of music and features some of the finest musicians from all around the world. The maestro, Ravi Shankar blesses the two-part Sitar jam “Oceanic Part 1 & 2.” Shankar-Sisters reunite, as Norah Jones lends her soothing vocal

in “Easy,” a song where the protagonist relishes the innocence of love with the feeling of ease.

Furthermore, Sting, Sunidhi Chauhan, and Ravi Shankar among others uplift the brilliance of this 13-track masterpiece. So without any delay, treat your ears to the magnificent album, “Breathing Under Water.” Zaki Adnan

some of the songs that have gained popularity over the years; and each of them fits the profile of a Lana Del Rey song. If you haven’t heard the album

yet, then you’re certainly in for a treat.

Tune into soundcloud or Youtube to listen to songs from “Born to Die.”

tunes

1. Shomoi Kaate Arnob 2. Chatok Lalon 3. Dhushor Bhabna Nemesis 4. Tor Jonno Arnob 5. Tomar ghore Anusheh 6. Prantorer gaan Utpala Sen 7. Lolita oke aaj chole jete bolna Manna Dey 8. Atoh megh atoh je aalo Utpala Sen 9. Dekhechho ki taake Subhamita Banerjee 10. Jao pakhi bolo Shreya Ghoshal OST Antaheen

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music news

A touch of vintage Even though it’s 2014, the songs from Lana Del Rey’s 2012 album “Born to Die” are still playing in our ears. After recording Kill Kill under the stage name “Lizzy Grant” in 2008, she clutched the “Del Rey” label and continued to release albums under that name till today. Within six years her music has gone through various transitions, so it goes without saying that the “Del Rey” name won over Lizzy Grant.

Despite the versatility in her music, the quality of her voice remains constant as ever. A hauntingly beautiful voice that goes from being extremely dainty to extremely deep sounding ever so magnificent in most of her songs. The music videos are also a perfect fit; there is an eerie sense of Del Rey being a “damsel in distress” in most of her songs. The lyrics are saddening yet powerful, through which she manages to nail the emotions. Songs like “Blue Jeans,” “Dark Paradise,” “Summertime Sadness,” the album title “Born to Die” and “This Is What Makes us Girls” are

Rubab Nayeem Khan

tmag 11

playroom

WE RECOMMEND cricket updates

the very best of T20, 2014 PAK v AUS: After Maxwell’s assault, Pakistan was down and out, before Afridi, the man with a golden arm, took on Maxwell and changed the game in barely 10 minutes.

Eng v SL: A hail-storm may have made Sri Lanka go through to the finals, but earlier, a Hales-storm had taken the game away from them. Alex Hales seemed to have saved his best for the big match against the Lankans- what a ton!

NZ v SA: It was all New Zealand till they faced the Steyn-storm! And defending just six off last over too- you deserve a bow, Steyn.

BD v WI: Tamim pulls a Jonty Rhodesinto the boundary, caught it for a six, an intentional toss up, out of the boundary and what a save...oops, catch!

PAK v BD/WI: Ahmed Shehzad,

the young Pakistani opener may have scored a century against BD but the entire team saw its batting demise against WI at 82. Oh Pakistan, this team can be so unpredictable.

SL v NZ: Sri Lanka- whatever they do, turns into gold! Rangana Herath was the 12th man for the entire world cup till they brought him in against NZ in a do or die game! But Lanka, they never die, they always do it! Rangana’s magical figures- 3/5. Unbelievable.

SA v IND: 172 was a stiff target for

Indians against the likes of Steyn and Tahir but when it comes to chasing, Virat is a genius! Calm and composed, the 25-year old lad does everything right. Raheel Bardai

* This article was written during the T20 matches. To checkout the updates on the T20 finals, log on to www.facebook/dhakatribunetmag.

Gadget

A Boom for Your Thought Portability is a game changing factor for our generation; we are always looking to make things smaller, smarter, and essentially, better. A cell phone or laptop can easily replace your television or computer nowadays but what of your sound needs?

To make your life easier, Logitech has come up with the no-nonsense, wireless “Boom Box” to meet your sound requirements. This upcoming Logitech Mobile Boom Box X100 will blow your mind away! Not only is it portable, it is wireless as well; just slip it into your backpack and you are carrying the party

Game

with you. With a range of up to 30ft, and a battery life of up to five hours, the Boom Box will work with any and all mobile devices; be it smartphones, tablets, or laptops. As long as the device supports Bluetooth wireless audio, or has a 3.5mm audio outlet, you are good to go.

It is available in vibrant colours at any Computer Source outlet for Tk3,500.

Add a 12 months warranty period to that and you’ll have yourself a sweet deal. True, it’s no surround sound system, however, it will get the job done.

ASM fOYSAL

A knack for vengeance If you’re into stealth based games, Arkane studio’s “Dishonored” should definitely be up your alley.

The game is set in the plague struck industrial city of Dunwall, the capital of the Empire of Isles. An oppressive government came into power due to the assassination of its Empress and the kidnapping of her daughter.

Corvo Attano, once a body guard to the Empress was framed for her murder, and he is now a masked crusader battling for the honour he was disbanded from. Imparted with stern combat skills, stealth manoeuvres and his burning resolve for revenge, he makes for the ideal hero. Also, Corvo possesses supernatural powers that triggers some really awesome moves.

This game gives out a very monotonous vibe depicting the characters emotional state; however the gameplay and graphics will most certainly send chills down your spine. It is true that in order to get the best possible ending to the game you have to kill as less as possible and avoid being detected.

It is a very interesting feature, and makes it stand out among games similar in nature. The game is available for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Try it out!

Syed Azraf Zaman

comic strip

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TEENARAMA

People you meet at the mela Rad Sharar and Natasha Rahman

Bangali for a day – With the bindi and the garland on the hair for the ladies, and the crisp panjabis and face paint for the guys ; they are dressed up in colours of red and white looking perfectly Bangali.

However, throw them a simple question about the history of Pohela Baishakh, and watch their faces go blank.

The foodie – Hopping from one place to the other, they start with breakfast at their neighbours, make way for panta bhaat and Hilsha fry in the afternoon, they sip on kacha aamer shorbot (green mango juice) in the evening, and end with a platter of bhorta and steamed rice. The foodies make sure to enjoy every delicacy of the Bangla cuisine, and sometimes mooch off others’ others’ plates too.

SNIPER – His gaze goes far and wide like a trained war marksman. Worse than the boulders, the snipers have a way of x-raying your body with their creepy eyes. If you happen to cross paths with these googly-eyed creeps, you should bulldoze your way out of his line of vision.

Selfiegram – In the strangest of poses, they make it a point to go to these gatherings JUST so that they can snap away a few shots of themselves. What’s most annoying is that they stand in front of the walkways, click away, and completely ignore the stampede of people trying to get out of there.

The boulder – Hit, smack, elbow – these fellows take immense pleasure trudging their way through tight knit groups. However unintentional it may seem, the boulders are thick skinned and pay no heed to their stunned victims.

The brat pack - The kids want to try every ride they can see, taste all the cotton candy and pitha, and won’t take no for an answer. Woe betide anyone who denies them their wishes! The parents that accompany them are busy checking out sales, anything to distance themselves from the mayhem created by their offspring.

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