Weekend 151

6 Madhur Canteen

9 Adda stories

19 Bhitargarh | vo l 1 I ssu e 51 | F R I D AY, A PR I L 18, 2014

CONTENTS

1

A Weekly Pro ducti on of

DhakaTribune

Issue 51 | April 18, 2014

Editor Zafar Sobhan

News

Magazines Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

2 This Week 4 Say What

Assistant Magazine Editor Rumana Habib

Features

Weekend Tribune Team Esha Aurora Promiti Prova Chowdhury Faisal Mahmud Shah Nahian Syeda Samira Sadeque Adil Sakhawat James Saville Farhana Urmee Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain Cartoons Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Priyo Rio Shuvo

6 Cover Story Madhur Canteen 9 Literature Adda stories 10 Dhaka Scene Tea talk 11 Feature Baishakh at Geneva Camp

12 Photo Story

A vibrant Baishakh

Contributors Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi Tausif Sanzum Dina Sobhan

Regulars

Graphics Mohammad Mahbub Alam Alamgir Hossain

5 Listology The adda agenda 8 Post-Riposte Wifi buses 12 Photo story A vibrant Baishakh 18 Digital Bangladesh

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood Production MasumBillah

Bangla eBooks

22 Legalese WHO’s in a name 24 Tough Love Sweet and sour

Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Website dhakatribune.com/weekend facebook.com/WeekendTrib Email your letters to: weekend@dhakatribune.com

Editor’s note Cha & Adda

16 Feature Baishakhi feast 19 Heritage Bhitargarh 23 Feature Coffee IQ 25 Analysis Western media bias 28 Interview Amitabh Reza

Extra

19

It’s our first anniversary tomorrow, and we wanted to pay homage to that grand Bangali institution: the adda – the original way to catch up on news.

In teahouses, people exchange information and opinion. In times of unrest, addas have birthed political revolutions, most famously at “Madhur Canteen: The adda crucible that forged history” (pg 6-7).

To get a sense of our classic cha and adda culture, check off the typical topics on the “Adda agenda” (pg 5), peek through a literary “Window to a bygone Bengal” (pg 9), follow our wanderings with “A young chawallah

26 Stay In 27 Go Out

HERITAGE Bhitargarh

at Chhobir Haat” (pg 10), and meet the man behind “North End Coffee Academy” (pg 23).

The cultural celebration continues with our vibrant photostory “1421: Pahela Baishakh, new beginnings” (pg 12-15), and see how they celebrate the new year at Geneva Camp in “Chaos in a different language.” We also visit a festival of “Bangali comfort food for the new year” (pg 16) and relax with Bangla ebooks “In Boipoka’s world” (pg 21).

We also debate “Do we really need digital buses?” (pg 8) and ponder “Who is setting the news agenda?” (pg 25).

Finally, we turn back the pages of history, “Unearthing Prithu Raja’s lost city” (pg 19-21). Enjoy.

About the cover Rainy days are here, in all their glory. Don’t forget your umbrella, and watch out for those puddles.

Cover PHOTO Syed Latif Hossain

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2 THIS WEEK

Palm Sunday in Egypt Orthodox Christian alter boys hold fans made of palm leaves during the Palm Sunday service on Sunday in Cairo, to celebrate the triumphant return of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem when a cheering crowd greeted him waving palm leaves the week before his death.

The nine-month-old who was charged for murder Nine-month-old baby Musa Khan is being carried by his grandfather Muhammad Yasin as they leave after appearing in a court in Lahore April 12, 2014. A Pakistani judge threw out charges of attempted murder against the nine-month-old baby on Saturday, lawyers said, in a case that cast a spotlight on Pakistan’s dysfunctional justice system. Khan appeared in court in the city of Lahore, sitting on his grandfather’s lap and drinking from a bottle of milk. He and his adult relatives were charged this month with attempting to murder a policeman after his family clashed with police and gas company workers trying to collect overdue bills.

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To India’s rescue?

Independent election candidate in India, Gaurav Sharma, also known as the Indian Spider-Man, climbs a residential building during an election campaign in Mumbai.

Around 815 million people have registered to vote in

the world’s biggest election – a number exceeding the population of Europe and a world record – and results of the mammoth exercise, which concludes on May 12, are due on May 16.

News and photos: AFP

3

Thai new year This past week celebrated New Years of many cultures including Bengali, Nepalese, Tamil and Thai. This photo shows the celebration of Songkran water festival in Thailand’s Ayutthaya province. Songkran, the most celebrated festival of the year, marks the start of Thailand’s traditional New Year.

Somali refugees to fly back Women having their lunch hide their faces as they wait to be vetted at a temporary centre last Friday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Dozens of Somalis have been expelled from Kenya, officials said on Friday, as security forces maintained a major crackdown on suspected Islamists that has

seen thousands rounded up in the country. Kenya’s Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said 3,000 people have so far been detained in the operation, and 82 of them flown back to Somalia’s Mogadishu. He said hundreds more were still undergoing identity checks.

The conversation in Venezuela National Guard members take position during an antigovernment protest in Caracas on Saturday. About 2,000 people took to the streets called by opposition leader – and recently dismissed deputy – Maria Corina Machado.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leaders traded barbs during six hours of nationally televised talks that ended at dawn on Friday, a rocky first attempt to end deadly anti-government protests. Opposition leaders demanded amnesty for people arrested in two months of protests and the disarmament of radical pro-government civilian groups they accuse of terrorising demonstrators.

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4 SAY WHAT?

a 45kg buzz She Ping, a 34-year-old beekeeper, is seen during an attempt to cover his body with bees, in Chongqing municipality, last week.

He used queen bees to successfully attract more than 460,000 bees, weighing over 45kg, within 40 minutes, local media reported.

Reuters

TO THE DOGS The quote “the country has gone to the dogs” finally comes true (pun intended).

Zeus, a pup belonging to Russell Hoyle from the northeast of England, was recently sent a polling card to vote in the upcoming elections for the European Parliament. Hoyle told reporters that when the offcials came around to do the census, he had mentioned only himself and his wife as

For the love of normalcy

Four young women born with abnormal or missing vaginas were implanted with lab-grown versions made from their own cells, the latest success in creating replacement organs.

All four of the women are now sexually active and report normal vaginal function. Two of the four, who were born with a working uterus but no vagina, now menstruate normally.

Reuters

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potential voters. “My son is not old enough to vote. We have got Zeus living here as well and he is 63 in dog years,” he supposedly said.

When the polling card addressed to the eight-yearold Rottweiler actually arrived, Russell did a double take.

Gazette Live

Adda Hot Topics | LISTOLOGY

5

The adda agenda

Drop in to any tea house in Bangladesh and witness adda, which can turn from idle gossip to an impassioned debate in the blink of an eye.

Here are some topics you are sure to overhear Tausif Sanzum

Politics & Corruption

Living in Bangladesh amid the fluctuating and often dramatic political scenario, this is easily the most popular topic of discussion. It’s been around for ages, and today involves participants of different generations.

Be it the Awami-BNP divide or bemoaning corrupt politicians in general, this discussion is never ending.

Cricket & Football

For that matter, neither will blaming Yuvraj for losing the T20 World Cup for India, discussing how badly the Bangladeshi cricket team played, or fighting over who is better – Messi or Cristiano.

Kutnami

Literature

Kobitha na likle kisher chhele (You’re no man if you haven’t written poetry)! Poetry or prose writing is a requisite in Bangali culture. You will find people reading their own verse or quoting from favourite authors, a list to sure include Humayun Ahmed, Masud Rana or Kazi Anwar Hossain.

Ah yes, you can’t avoid this at any gathering in Dhaka: Chit-chatting about who’s got a new girlfriend or boyfriend, who’s been ditched or celebrity rumours. Gossip has always been our guilty pleasure – as has discussing people’s looks, exercises and beauty remedies. This topic will never get old.

Facebook

Flaunting your wallet Bragging about how expensive a cow you bought on Eid, or the recently purchased designer wear or what you intend to buy on a trip to Thailand. The sun never sets on the topic of shopping.

“How many likes did my post get? Did you see that comment so-and-so made on so-and-so’s status update?” This social media site has managed to become a hot topic among young peple, and an important yardstick for student leaders to measure their digital clout.

Gambling & Games

Amid cups of tea, the table is often set with a game chess or ludu.

Less innocent are card games. Popular gambling options are three-card and international bridge.

Food

This is a new trend in urban areas, thanks to the explosion of the local restaurant scene. While one half of the population discusses how much they love eating, the other half complains about dangers of gluttony.

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6 COVER STORY | Madhur Canteen

Madhur Canteen The adda crucible that forged history

There is no adda-house which rivals the historic significance of the canteen sitting at the centre of Dhaka University Promiti Prova Chowdhury

T

he Language Movements of 1948 and 1952 were born here. The movement of fourth-class Dhaka University (DU) employees in 1949, the student’s revolt against the “kalakanun” of the university, the observation of February 21 ignoring a government ban in 1962, the initial 1969 movements of uprising in East Pakistan, the non-cooperation movement of 1971, the historic moment when the national flag of Bangladesh was hoisted for the first time on Dhaka University premises.

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At the heart of all of these glorious incidents lie the meetings and addas that took place at Madhur Canteen.

Whispers and shouts of revolution Today, Madhur Canteen still serves food and tea like any other canteen.

What makes it so unique?

Mujahidul Islam Selim, president of Communist Party of Bangladesh and former vice-president of Dhaka University Central Students Union

(DUCSU), answers this question.

He recalls that he visited Madhur Canteen for the first time in the 1960s, after passing school.

“The canteen is different from other canteens for three reasons. One, it is situated in Dhaka University, the pinnacle educational institution of the country, from where many significant political movements have been conducted.

“This canteen is not just a silent spectator of the movements, but is intricately linked with the

struggles. During those days, if we needed to contact each other to discuss something, Madhur Canteen was the place to meet.

If a rally had to be organised, it would definitely start from Madhur Canteen. This is the second dimension,” explained Selim.

“The third dimension is that this was not just an establishment inside Dhaka University. Students from all over the country used it as a platform to connect with each other. It was a communication hub for students across the country.

“Ayub Khan was implementing a lot of strategies to suppress student movements back then as suggested by the Americans,” he said, “They established the Teacher Student Centre (TSC) to divert students from Madhur Canteen. TSC’s ambience looked better, and lunch and dinner items were available at cheaper rates. Madhur Canteen did not have any rice items. This was a very subtle but planned political move. But this move did not detract from the popularity of Madhur Canteen. “ All students, particularly the leaders of different student bodies,

7 would gather here regularly.

“During Ayub’s tenure, it was a difficult time. Many students were burdened with the constant fear of arrest. There were not as many student organisations as we have today. There was the Chhatra Union, which was a left leaning party, and the Chhatra League [the precursor of the Awami League]. Ayub and Monem Khan’s infamous organisation was the National Students Federation (NSF). Members of the NSF would occasionally visit the canteen, but only to create terror and intimidate students. They used to roam around with snakes coiled around their shoulders, wielding hockey sticks,” Selim continued.

He said every morning students came to the canteen to meet and have a breakfast of bread, butter and omelettes, with rounds of tea.

Student leaders would sit at the tables all day long, and Madhu prepared a bill for them at the end of the day.

Interestingly, many prominent political figures were listed in the “bakir khata” (credit ledger) of their Madhu Da, as he was affectionately called, being unable to pay their dues back then.

“For some particular student leaders, Tk23 was their fixed rate for the day,” said Selim with a grin.

“Though he would pester them to pay their dues, he never forced them to do so. Because he saw the boys doing politics and assumed that one day they would become established in respective sectors and start earning well. Even five or ten years later, he would approach one of them and claim good-naturedly: “Bhai, you have Tk300 due!”

To Madhu Da, with love

“We used to discuss issues related to our ideologies. Loud debates were always erupting over some international event or philosophical issue. But Madhu never identified himself with a particular organisation or ideology. He was Madhu Da for everyone, even for the NSF men. His door was open to everyone. He was definitely against communalism. In my opinion, he had a progressive mind. That is why when the oppression broke out against students, he conveyed to us the secret information that he had overheard from NSF discussions,” added Selim.

Madhu Da helped students in other ways as well.

“We took loans from Madhu Da to make posters and hire microphones during the struggle for independence,” said Selim.

“We have lots of memories of Madhur Canteen. During the preparation period of the Liberation War, we used to hide the explosive making materials under his shelf. But we ensured that he did not get hurt. Sometimes we would keep money with him. He

This canteen is not just a silent spectator of the movements, but is intricately linked with the struggles. During those days, if we needed to contact each other to discuss something, Madhur Canteen was the place to meet. If a rally had to be organised, it would definitely start from Madhur Canteen. This is the second dimension was like a guardian.

“Whenever I go to DU today, I always visit Madhur Canteen once.

Now Arun runs the canteen. He was a kid back in the 60s. Pratima, Madhu’s elder daughter resumed operation of the canteen after independence,” said Selim.

Madhu Da: Shaheed Madhu Sudan Dey Swarak Grantha, published by Madhu Da Smriti Sangsad Publications, is a compilation of writings by various academics and cultural personalities, each in remembrance of Madhu.

In the book, Professor Rafiqul Islam wrote: “In Madhur Canteen, there were three big tables that could accommodate around 30 people ... which were unofficially reserved for renowned student leaders of that time. From morning to night, those law students would occupy the three tables.

Before partition, I would see prominent leftist student leaders there, including S M Ali and Munir Chowdhury.

“The planning, preparation and activities of March 11, 1948, and February 21, 1952, were conducted from Madhu’s shop, so he again and again became the target of police and EPR operations, his canteen was destroyed several times in those attacks.

“Madhur Canteen became the hub of cultural activities as well.

Institutes like Sangskriti Sangsad

and Drama Circle were born out of tea conversations held at Madhur Canteen during the first half of the 1950s. The drafts of many write-ups by Shamsur Rahman, Hasan Hafizur Rahman, Alauddin Al Azad, Syed Atiqullah, Abu Zafar Obayedullah, Syed Shamsul Haque, Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Zahir Raihan were written in Madhur Canteen.

“In the 1950s, the university’s best sportsmen would gather at Madhur Canteen after practice.

Excluding the holidays, everyday Madhur Canteen was vibrant with the presence of the university’s finest political, cultural and sport personalities. There was no other place in Dhaka where one could find such a huge conglomeration of contemporary rising talent,” Prof Rafiqul Islam said.

Madhu the martyr

In the preface of the book, Bangla literature Professor Anisuzzaman wrote: “Madhu’s love for the students, the students’ respect for Madhu – all of these made Madhu a suspicious character to the oppressors. How could such an affectionate relationship develop during business transactions?

Surely there was something fishy.

Madhu’s exceptional personality and the students’ dependence on him, none of these was understood by them.”

Prof Rafiqul Islam recounts the

tragic events of March 25, 1971.

“The Pakistani military group entered Madhu’s residence inside the university premises, and killed him and his family members. After cutting down the old banyan tree, they tried to blow up Madhur Canteen with dynamite.”

The canteen today

Arun Kumar, Madhu’s son and the current director of Madhur Canteen, said: “Right after independence, there was a desire among the students to build the nation, to do something for the country, which was evident in their adda. Now I feel less passion among them regarding the country or our history.”

He recalls the stormy days of anti-Ershad movement in 1983. He was arrested along with many other students on February 14, 1983.

“During the nine years of Ershad’s tenure not a single day passed peacefully on the DU campus. On February 14, 1983, police started arresting whoever they found around,” Arun said.

Another change he witnesses today is that Chhatra League and Chhatra Dal activists no longer sit together inside the canteen and have chats over tea, as they used to. They would draw conclusions on different topics through debates and discussions, no matter how many rallies and activities went on outside.

“This, however, is unthinkable today,” said Arun with a sigh.

His day now starts around 8:30am by putting flowers in front of the portraits of his parents, hanging on the walls of the canteen. He operates the canteen until 10pm. It is still a place with a retro ambience, where you can enjoy a plate of mishti for Tk25, four slices of bread with butter for only Tk12, and imagine the founding fathers who once birthed a nation in its halls.

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8

Post-riposte | Wifi Buses

Do we really need digital buses?

Last week, the government inaugurated 20 special buses equipped with 3G wireless internet connectivity for commuters in Dhaka

Yes

It’s a great way to pass the time Faisal Mahmud It’s wifi and you get it for free! What’s not to like? An astonishing amount of Tk26,000 crore is lost every year due to Dhaka’s traffic clog, according to studies from different research organisations, including BUET and the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA). Dhaka’s average vehicle speed has come down to 7.2kmph, even though the standard for a metropolitan city is 24kmph. These long hours of “waiting for nothing” has a negative impact on the economy. If the people can at least utilise their time by googling, e-mailing or facebooking, then they have at least spent their time on something fruitful.

Almost four-fifths of the bandwidth we get from the international submarine cable consortium through our lone submarine cable SEA-ME-WE-4 remains unused.

As of now, commercial internet service providers only use 42GB out of 200GB for data and voice services, so if the government decides to utilise some of tha t spare bandwidth for free wi-fi, then that step should be lauded.

Photos: Syed Zakir Hossain

NO It is a waste of money Shah Nahian

The introduction of digital buses emitting free wi-fi is certainly an interesting concept. However, this is not something that we need at the moment. The funding used for these buses could be used to tackle so many other issues.

Dhaka’s public transport system has been degrading since the shutdown of the first air conditioned buses, Premium and Nirapad. The ticket counter system no longer exists and there aren’t enough buses to accommodate those who use public transport on a daily basis. How most of these buses are passing their fitness tests is a mystery. To make matters worse, the drivers are reckless and often bump into other vehicles as if to make a point.

We need more buses to accommodate everyday passengers, road rules need to be enforced, and getting on and off of a bus shouldn’t have to be so chaotic. If we don’t even have enough room to move our arms or legs inside a bus, what good is access to free WIFI?

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Adda STORIES | Literature 9

Window

to a bygone Bengal The old storytellers of West Bengal pay homage to adda culture Faisal Mahmud

C

ha and adda is a quintessential part of the Bangali experience.

This was wonderfully captured in novels and stories from West Bengal, and newspaper columns in Bangladesh.

This is not to say these tea and chat sessions went entirely unaddressed by Bangladeshi novelists. Humayun Ahmed mentioned tea stall addas in several of his books, and mojlishi adda (living room chats) came up in Abdus Shakur’s write-ups.

Kolkata para adda

As an avid reader of Bangla literature, it’s hard to miss the prominent role that para addas (neighbourhood chats) played in a number of literary masterpieces from West Bengal.

Ghana Da, Pindi Da and Teni Da (Da is a term of endearment) – three beloved characters by writers Premendra Mitra, Ashutosh Mukherjee and Narayan Ganguly – epitomised adda as discussions with no agenda – conversations that are not just gossip, debate or mere crib sessions, but a blend of all three. “Telebhaja” (fried food) complement the tea sessions in these stories.

All stories featuring Ghana Da

by Premendra Mitra start with one common scene: Ghana Da comes down to the living room on the second floor from his third floor room, and he and his fellow lodgers arrange different fried snacks like peyaju, alu chap, and

cutlets. While munching on the snacks with steaming hot cups of tea, Ghana Da regales his audience with his “gulbaji” (tall tales).

Stories on Pindi Da by Ashutosh Mukherjee have a similar scene.

Every afternoon Pindi Da and his five friends sit down together in the corner of a field. Over street food and tea, Pindi Da narrates his colourful life experiences.

Funnier still were the stories about Teni Da by Narayan Ganguly. The adda of Teni Da and his four friends gives the reader a flavour of the adda that takes place in urban Kolkata. With sentences like “chatujjoder rowak e boshe paanch murtir gultani” (perched on Chatterjee’s porch, the five idly chatter) and “parar telebhajar dokane dariye omelette shatano” (standing at the neighbourhood eatery munching on omelettes) the author paints a lively scene for the readers.

The Kolkata neighbourhood culture that comes up again and again in these stories signifies the spirit of community that prevailed back in mid 20th century. Typically, every para had its own community club, with a “club ghar” (club room) and often a park where locals played sports and had prolonged addas on leisurely summer afternoons.¬In these stories we see how people of a neighbourhood would habitually indulge in adda on their rowacks (porches) and at tea stalls every day after work. The addas usually took place over a bhaar (cup) of tea and the topics ranged from politics to sport and film.

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo

Reading those stories, I could actually visualise the paras and addas in my mind. During those times, such neighbourhood adda culture was also present in Dhaka, but unfortunately, none of the prominent Bangladeshi writers of that time captured this specifically in their work.

Dhaka adda and politics My favourite column published in the monthly Rohossho Potrika was a piece entitled “Botomuler Adda Kahini,” which did justice to the relationship between cha, adda and politics in Bangladesh.

It described how people used to sit under a banyan tree in the park to analyse the current political situation It also highlighted the “picchis” (the young boys who roam the parks selling tea) who would serve them endless cups of tea. The picchi tea sellers would chime in with their opinions on the various topics as well. As portrayed in the column, the remarks made by the illiterate tea seller inject humour into the discussions, as well as working as satirical remarks about the political situation from the perspective of an everyday citizen.

Today you can see the same scene taking place at a number of spots across the capital.

Not many Bangladeshi writers have written about this phenomenon, but there are a few. In his book “Bishonnotar Shohor,” the writer Maskauath Ahsan writes about cha, adda

and politics. Moinul Ahsan Saber also brought it into his writing on several occasions.

But undoubtedly the ambience of the coffeehouse, the birthplace of a number of political as well as literary giants, was portrayed better by the writers of West Bengal.

Among them Sunil Ganguly, Sanjib Chattopadhyay, Samaresh Majumdar, Buddhadeb Guha deserve a mention. They also wrote about political addas that took place at the Basanta Cabin, another hub for adda in Kolkata.

Writer Shantanu Ghosh wrote an entire book, entitled Basanta Cabin describing its ambience.

Sheh adda aj ar nei

The milieu of cha, adda and politics seems to have vanished from the literary scene of both Bangladesh and West Bengal in the past few years.

This was bound to happen, as multi-storeyed buildings have replaced roadside verandahs, and hawkers and construction materials occupy the footpaths.

The number of parks is on the decline. Today’s youth are more preoccupied with planning a career, browsing the internet, and loading up on extracurriculars.

Thus the curtain has fallen for the “cha and adda” scene in contemporary writing in both sides of Bengal.

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10 Dhaka Scene | Tea talk

A young chawallah at Chhobir Haat Farhana Urmee strolls through Chhobir Haat in search of cha and adda, and finds an unlikely guide

F

or Bangalis, nothing is more cherished than a cuppa and a chat.

The tea in the cup may become cold as you sip, but it warms up the conversation and relationships among the drinkers.

Nowadays, even virtual chats come with teacup emoticons.

Chhobir Haat is a hub of tea and of casual conversations for the young and old. Every once in a while, the police come by and shut down the long line of teashops. When I dropped by, the police had just visited the day before.

It was a sunny afternoon, and only one stall had reopened, just opposite of the Institute of Fine Arts in Dhaka University. A middle-aged man with a heavy bag hanging from his shoulder was having a cup of tea and a cigarette. I observed the man having three cups of tea by himself, deep in thought. He was working on this fourth cup when he received a phone call, and began a heated argument with the caller. From the nature of the conversation, I knew it had to be his wife… or girlfriend.

After my own third cup, I went for a walk around the area and found a group of men selling fried food. They worked at a makeshift stall, designed to be quickly abandoned whenever the police came.

I asked them why the other stalls were not there. They assured me the other chawallahs would be back. They had already paid six months rent – although to whom, it was unclear. They always come back, they said.

A skinny young man came over to the food stall and inquired whether I wanted to have tea. I said yes, and he ran off, swiftly returning with a transparent cup filled with hot water and a tea bag. The cup was garnished with a tiny slice of lemon, some ginger and mint. The flavoured tea was

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Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

exotic and delicious, particularly so because I was enjoying it sitting on the ground under a giant tree.

The young man introduced himself as Mohammad Imon Hossain Pavel. He smiled and said he had brought over this cup

for a fellow tea lover. How did he know? Through his finely-honed chawallah telepathy, he somehow realised I was a tea addict who needs a hit every 20 minutes.

He continued to offer me tea all afternoon.

I saw at least 20 people,

students and service holders, coming over to greet him and ask the same question I had: “Where have all the tea stalls gone?”

I asked him about the reason for their recent eviction. “When there is any political gathering or meeting planned, the police always evict the tea stalls,” he said good-naturedly.

He was a smart young man indeed. He name-dropped some famous media personalities who would only have tea made by him whenever they came here. Each time he offered me tea, he had to run to over to the tea stall across the street and bring me a cup. We decided to go over to that tea stall together. He ushered me over with a cup. Whenever someone approached, he would whisper to me who they were. He often knew the relationships among people coming here. There were former students both employed and unemployed, current students, student leaders, university professors, doctors and mere wanderers.

He offered me a tour of the campus, which was a fun excursion, especially since the Fine Arts Institute was abuzz with preparations for Pahela Baishakh.

I also enjoyed the eagerness with which he showed me around campus, greeting people as he went. I did not spoil the fun by revealing that I had been a student here myself, and knew it like the back of my hand. It was nice to see it through his eyes.

Pavel had been working at tea stalls since his childhood. He has grown up selling tea, watching people come and go, mingling with strangers over cups of tea.

Pavel was a reminder to me that a tea staller does not make only make tea, but also builds relationships with customers. The warmth of the cup of tea is raised one degree higher with his care and cordiality.

Baishakh at Geneva Camp | FEATURE 11

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

Chaos in a different language

Photo: Quamrul Abedin

Pahela Baishakh knows no boundaries: religious, cultural or political. Syeda Samira Sadeque talks to refugees in Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur to find out how they welcome the new year

I

n the nooks and crannies of every community, there exists an inherent – and beautiful – chaos: Loud haggling with shopkeepers, children playing on the street happily (or angrily), words being exchanged on the phone, or laughter being shared over tea.

These are the sounds that identify a community; the sounds of a home. And it is precisely what I hear as I walk through the alleyways of Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, only in Urdu.

It is barely a week before Pahela Baishakh, but the shops aren’t donned in red and white, or vibrant with new-year-spirit like most places in Dhaka. There are some shops with a few clothes for Pahela Baishakh, but most places appear as normal.

The words flutter among the sellers and buyers, and around my guide Rubel as he speaks to those around him. They all converse in Urdu – even with me – until I ask their Pahela Baishaakh plans, and the Bangali in them spurts out: “Ilish khabo! [I’ll eat Hilsa!] ” The Pakistani Bihari refugees residing in Geneva Camp are relics of our liberation war 43 years ago – a community living in poor conditions, with questionable rights and little acceptance to the outside world. It is an issue we

still are, in many ways, unable to address. Yet, they are no different when it comes to celebrating the most vibrant celebration of the year: Pahela Baishakh.

“It’s the same day as my daughter’s birthday, so it’s double the celebration in our home,” says Jasmine, who is Bangali but married into a family here in Geneva Camp.

In between our conversation, she talks, laughs and makes jokes in Urdu with her sister-in-laws.

“They’re here from Mirpur to buy clothes from me,” she explains. Jasmine, now a mother of three, brings in clothes from Tangail to sell them in the camp, and was just unloading her Baishakh stock as we walked in.

She adds: “The markets have their own sales, but there are no fairs or rallies here. There is no place for that, so we all just go out.”

Fifteen year old Chandni, who attends the local school, says she celebrates with her friends and family both in school and at home.

“Our school arranges a cultural show where students sing and dance, so we attend that in the morning,” she says, adding that her 9-year-old little sister also performs in the show.

As the day goes

Following the morning festivities with panta-ilish and school shows, people go out in the afternoon and evening.

“My daughter has made it a point that the mornings have to be about Baishakh and pantailish. But in the afternoon, we celebrate her birthday with cake and polau,” says Jasmine.

While Jasmine’s family is busy with these celebrations, others go out.

“Sometimes we go to Shangshad Bhaban, sometimes even to Smriti Shoudh,” says Nahid, a neighbour.

“We all raise money and have a small function on our rooftop,” says Chandni.

Tania, who also lives in the camp, says she follows the same routine: waking up in the morning, eating a breakfast of panta-ilish, and then heading out with the family.

For a Muslim community However, this spirit of embracing the Bangla new year is not prevalent among all of the residents of the camp, which is made up of Muslims mostly.

Ruma, who lives in the camp with her in-laws, says she does

not celebrate the event as it is “not for Muslims.”

Her comment triggers off an unavoidable debate between her and rest of the crowd.

“It’s just my belief, and I follow it,” she insists calmly.

Ruma is not alone in believing this. As I walk around talking to people at shops and tongs, I don’t see the vibrant chaos of the Bangali spirit awaiting Pahela Baishakh. A street-side vendor, when asked about preparations for the festival, evades the question a few times before replying: “What Pahela Baishakh?

No, we don’t do anything. It’s not ours to celebrate.”

His assistant chimes in: “Who said anything about celebrating?

Where do they celebrate? We don’t know of any.”

Baishak spirit in the Geneva Camp may not live up to that on the streets, but it definitely reins in the homes (and rooftops) of those who do celebrate. Perhaps, the sentiment expressed by Tania in the simplest words explains it best: “Whatever the Bangalis do, we do,” she says. “We celebrate everything with joy!”

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12 PHOTO story | A vibrant Baishakh

Chhayanaut performing at Ramna Botomul

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

1421: Pahela Baishakh, new beginnings

Every year on April 14, we welcome newness into our lives: a new season, a new year, a new start.

Every year, we celebrate old traditions: we don festive garb, we parade, we paint the ground and each other, we sing and we dance. The vivid colours, the music, the food, infuse all our senses.

The photo story captures the small, grand things with which we embraced yet another Baishakh, on Monday, at Ramna Park and Charulaka in Dhaka.

A bangle-clad girl swirls the dugdugi, a traditional South Asian drum, during Pahela Baishakh celebration

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Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

13

Students wearing handmade masks and face-paint hold hands for a Pahela Baishakh celebration at Shahbagh

A girl holds a painted kolshi as she looks on at Baishakh celebrations

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

Photo: Rajib Dhar A girl wears a garland of flowers in the traditional Baishakh red and white

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

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14 PHOTO story | A vibrant Baishakh

Processions with hand-painted masks (above), dances with dhaak-dhols (top right), pottery paintings (center right), and murals (bottom right) festoon the area around Dhaka University area as students to welcome the new year

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15

Photos: Syed Zakir Hossain

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16 Indulge | Baishakhi Feast

Bangali comfort food for the new year

Getting in touch with our food heritage at the Taste of Dhaka Festival Faisal Mahmud

T

he capital’s Kalabagan Cricket Ground was transformed into an oasis for food connoisseurs, with a nagordola (ferris wheel) and merry go round for the children, and the sound of live baul music drifting through the air.

The occasion was the third instelment of the Taste of Dhaka festival, held from April 11-15, and intended to re-kindle interest in the city’s traditional cuisine.

The first festival was first organised back in 2008 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary

of the city’s founding. The second festival took place in 2010.

For this year’s edition, despite the summer heat, thousands of people attended the festival to indulge in traditional dishes. The celebrations throughout town for Pahela Baishakh on April 14, the concluding day of the festival, only increased the festive mood.

Dhaka’s residents embraced the traditional food. I met Mahadi Abdur Rauf, a doctor by profession and a local resident of Dhanmondi, as he was enjoying some Haji’s Biriyani at the fair on

Sunday.

He said the taste of the biryani was something he couldn’t find in his neighbourhood. “With my busy schedule and Dhaka’s traffic problems, it is not possible for me to go to Old Dhaka. But here they have this famous biriyani, so I had come to taste it.”

Mahbubul Haq, an expatriate living in Canada, was roaming around at the festival. He said he felt lucky to be able to attend such an occasion during his short visit to Bangladesh. “I used to live in Bakashibazaar, Dhaka, and I grew

up eating all these delicacies. It is good to taste some of them again.”

Meanwhile, the festival also introduced local delicacies to visitor from other different countries. Eric Bruitile from France said the kebabs from old Dhaka were better than any kebabs he had ever tasted. He also loved the lassi.

Ellenor Regbrand from the Netherlands loved the festive Pahela Baishakh mood. “It’s a unique experience, finding all Dhaka’s delicacies in one place.

Plus it’s Bangla New Year!”

Photos: Syed Zakir Hossain

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17 All sorts of famous delicacies from Dhaka were all available at the festival, including: Haji’s Biriyani, Nanna’s Morog Polau, Shamsher Ali’s Bhuna Khichuri, Bashir’s Kebabs, New Purnima’s Jilapi, Master Chef, Subrat Ali’s tehari, Muslim’s chap, Royal’s almond shorbot, Beauty’s lassi, as well as bakerkhani and various pithas.

The Weekend Tribune talked with some of the chefs and learned the history of these classic dishes.

Haji’s Biriyani In 1939, Haji Mohammad Hossain

started cooking and selling this delicious biryiani at 70 Kazi Alauddin Road. His son, Haji Mohammad Shahed Hossain, took charge of the business after his death.

The dish is served in a signature style: inside a basket of jackfruit leaves. Shahed Hossain said it would actually be cheaper to serve it in plastic boxes, but they wanted to keep the tradition alive. “We have expanded our business and opened some branches in newer parts of Dhaka, but if you come to our old shop where Abba used to cook and serve the biriyani, you will find the original ambience.”

Nanna’s Morog Polau Haji Nanna Mia opened his

famous morog (chicken) polau shop at 41 Becharam Deuri in the early 80s. Nanna Mia began by catering morog polau for parties, especially weddings. When he opened a shop, it became a major hit.

A secret element in this special morog polau is the deep-coloured onion paste with its rich flavours.

Haji Nanna Mia’s two sons now look after the business, and only they know the secret of the recipe.

Aside from the signature morog polau, Nanna’s shop now sells kacchi biriyani, khashir tehari and rice pudding. Nanna also sells special “aasto murgir morog polau” (made with a whole chicken) on the fifth day of every month.

Shamsher Ali’s Bhuna Khichuri Shamsher Ali started his business at 113 Bongshal Road only six

years ago. Within six years, his bhuna khichuri attracted rave reviews from all over the city.

Shamsher Ali cooks the khichuri himself every day; and he cooks only a certain amount.

Often, people go to his shop and find the khichuri has finished.

“I want to maintain a certain standard, so I cook limited portions.”

He said khichuri was the most popular dish in Dhaka’s nawab’s houses. “Biriyani and morog polau came from the Mughals, but khichuri was the creation of Dhaka’s nawab bari.”

Shomsher Ali said he had recently started cooking a new dish called katari chal er polau, an unusual twist on mutton biriyani.

Bashir’s Kebab Old Dhaka has always been

famous for its different kebabs.

The nawabs of Dhaka were reportedly very fond of kebabs; many kebab chefs were trained in their kitchens. Bashir Mia learned the art of Kebab preparation from one of those chefs before starting his own kebab business in 1972.

Since then, Bashir Kebab has become one of the most famous kebab houses in Dhaka.

I used to live in Bakashibazaar, Dhaka, and I grew up eating all these delicacies. It is good to taste some of them again Now Bashir Mia’s two sons, Mohammad Sagir Aahmed and Mohammad Sabbir Ahmed, are in charge of the business.

Sagir Ahmed says kebab making is a true art. “You have to know your spices and the ways of using them, otherwise you cannot prepare a good kebab. You must also have a clear idea of how hot the coal will burn so the kebabs do not become overdone or underdone.”

Bashir Kebab now sells chicken and beef chap in addition to its previous menu of shish kebab, chicken tikka, khiri kebab and gurda kebab. Sabbir Ahmed is the specialist in this area.

Beauty Lassi and Faluda Beauty Lassi and Faluda is one

of the oldest shops in Dhaka. It opened around 92 years ago at 30/A Johnson Road. As of now, the shop has not opened any other branches.

The main attraction of Beauty Lassi is its cheap prices. During the hot summer months, the lassi, faluda and lebur shorbot (lemonade) are in great demand.

During winter, the shop serves puri and beef bhuna.

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18 Digital Bangladesh | Bangla eBooks

In Boipoka’s world A new mobile app lets Bangla book lovers read on the go Faisal Mahmud

D

uring this year’s Ekushey book fair, one particular stall piqued the interest of Dhaka’s bookworms.

That may have been because of the stall’s name – “boipoka” is the literal Bangla translation of “bookworm.” Or maybe because it was one of the only stalls at the book fair that did not have any books – at least not of the paper variety.

What Boipoka did have was plenty of ebooks, available for the Android and iOS platforms.

“Boipoka is an app, the first of its kind for the country,” says Asruf-Ul-Jubair, the business development officer of MobiOApp, a local software company who designed and released the app.

Jubair says by downloading the app, the reader can read ebooks on their smartphones or tablets.“And it’s for free. You don’t need to pay any money to download it.”

An easier option Jubair says ebooks are turning

out to be a popular choice among book readers across the world.

“They are cheaper, you can carry hundreds with you at all times and they don’t take up any space at all, except for the device in which you have your collection of ebooks stored.”

Considering those factors, he says, MobiOApps has been planning to develop an app with

which readers can get ebooks by their favourite authors. By downloading and installing Boipoka, a reader has access to Boipoka’s online bookshelves. In those bookshelves, the reader can find his/her desired books and purchase them.”

The e-versions of the books are priced at half the price of the printed editions. Customers outside the country can also purchase books from the app by using their credit cards. Locals can get the books through cash payments or by bKash.

Jubair says since Bangladesh still doesn’t have a national payment gateway, purchasing anything online is still a problem.

“We are also trying to sign contracts with the local banks and telecommunication companies to initiate a payment system by using their services.”

Why Boipoka?

Why would readers buy Boipoka’s

ebooks when they can get the free pdf versions of almost all the books on the internet?

Jubair said the pdf versions and the ebooks of Boipoka are not same.

“Just take a look at our ebooks, and you will find the difference.

They are crisper and clearer and have many reader friendly options. You can highlight any portion of the book, crop or copy an excerpt – a feature that would be useful for those who like to share their readings on social media platforms.”

And that’s not all.

“The main feature of our ebooks is that they are legal and we have made contracts with the authors to get their copyrights.

We have already signed contracts with leading publishing houses and authors. All the books are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM).

He explained DRM as the practice of imposing technological restrictions that control what users can do with material on digital media platforms like ebooks.

“When a program is designed to prevent you from copying or sharing a song, reading an ebook on another device, or playing a single-player game without an Internet connection, you are being

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Boipoka Features • Purchase books

• Yellow highlight, underline, strikethrough the text • Bookmark or let the app auto-remember the last-page • Increase font size • Search books easily with filters • Take notes through annotation option • Scroll through pages easily • Jump to your desired page • Open other books on your device with app • Share on social media

Boipoka Security • Books are DRM protected

• Book saving and sharing option are disabled • Device is monitored • Two-tier checking set • Secure web panel access for publishers to view sales information in real time

Boipoka Download Links Google Play Store Link: http:// goo.gl/4RMGb9 Apple Store: http://goo. gl/1LvCEb

restricted by DRM,” he clarified.

Jubair says by purchasing Boipoka’s ebooks, the reader “actually” purchases the book, unlike when they download free pdf versions of a book.

He adds: “Downloading free pdf versions of any book is basically violating intellectual property rights, which is a crime.”

“I know, in Bangladesh, this concept of buying an original ebook would be hard to implement as people would prefer free pdf versions than the paid versions. But if you juxtapose the two versions, you will clearly see the difference.”

Bhitargarh | HERITAGE

19

Photos: Adil Sakhawat

the History behind

Bhitargarh city T

here used to be a king named Prithu, commonly known as Prithu Raja or Maharaja. He ruled the kingdom of Kamarupa, which covered Assam and North Bengal.

Many relics from his era that have survived the ravages of time are named after him, such as Maharajar Bhita, Maharajar Kacharighar and the famous Maharajar Dighi.

During the last part of the 6th century, he was forced to flee from central Kamarupa after losing a battle. The defeated king then settled on the far western margins of his former kingdom, and founded a city, named Bhitargarh.

Bhitargarh grew to play an important role in trade because of its strategic location on the ancient overland connecting Tibet, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Cooch Bihar and the

regions of the middle and lower Ganges valleys through river routes.

The place where Bhitargarh used to exist evolved into what is now known as Panchagarh, the northwest district of Bangladesh.

Prithu Raja’s entire city was discovered in 2008, buried in Panchagarh.

According to many archaeologists, this settlement is believed to have been hidden under the eastern bank of the River Talma for almost 1,400 years.

What is more surprising is that this seemingly insignificant settlement is now being considered the country’s largest archaeological site, covering an area of 25sq-km, and has stood the test of time for almost 1,400 years. Bhitargarh is now regarded as a place of great importance, not only for the history of

Bangladesh, but the history of South Asia.

From what can be found about him in history, Prithu Raja was well-liked by his subjects. British surveyor Francis Buchanan, who visited the area around Bhitargarh in the early 19th century, claims the Hindu locals he came across during his visit considered Prithu Raja to be “a holy personage, who was much afraid of having his purity sullied, for which, on the approach of an abominable tribe of impure feeders named Kichok, he threw himself into a pond, and was followed by all his guards, so that the town was given up for plundering, and the family ceased to reign.”

The most significant fact about this ancient fort is that it is enclosed within four concentric quadrangles built with ramparts and moats, something that has never been seen in any other

Photo: Dr Shahnaj Husne Jahan

Photo: Dr Shahnaj Husne Jahan

fortified sites in the country.

During the five-year excavation programme, we discovered brick ramparts of the first and second enclosures, foundations of seven monuments including a pyramidal structure (possibly a Buddhist stupa or temple), and three other temples (including a cruciform shaped one), all situated in the first quadrangle and roughly dated in the 6th or 7th century.

It is the most important archaeological discovery in the region, and is expected to shed some light on the past cultural landscape of the Panchagarh district in particular, and Bangladesh in general.

– Dr Shahnaj Husne Jahan, Archaeologist

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20 HERITAGE | Bhitargarh

Unearthing Prithu Raja’s lostcity

Adil Sakhawat gets a tour of an ancient city from Dr Shahnaj Husne Jahan, the archaeologist leading the excavation

T

he remains of the ancient city fort of Bhitargarh are located around 443km from Dhaka, at Bhitargarh Mouja and Sonarban Mouja under Amarkhana union, nearly 16km away from Panchagarh sadar police station. The site is spread across two countries, as a portion of it lies in India’s Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal.

Since 2008, Dr Shahnaj Husne Jahan has conducted seven excavation projects there with the permission of the Department of Archaeology under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and funded by the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) where Dr Jahan is a professor.

Initially she worked and travelled alone, depending on rickety buses and cycle vans for transport from her base camp.

When she first arrived on September 25, Dr Jahan found to her great dismay that local residents were pillaging one of the archaeological sites.

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She saw a woman taking some bricks from a rampart. Workers were digging around the same mound, piling up ancient bricks in their tractors in order to construct a poultry farm. Another group was busy constructing an Eidgah (a large open-air mosque) by levelling the south rampart that surrounds what is known locally as Maharajar Kacharighar (Court of the King). The ground was already being used by a family as a graveyard. A betel nut garden and a few homesteads stood in a space known as Maharajar Vita (King’s Estate).

To date, the investigations have revealed that within the citadel of Bhitargarh, an area covering 53 acres of land, were 10 ancient ponds including the famous Maharajar Dighi, with brick stairs descending down to the water and high embankments around the sides.

In addition to the brick and earth walls of the four quadrangles, eight monuments, including a Buddhist stupa with a pillared hall, and a cruciform temple, have already been discovered at the site. All structural remains mentioned above were roughly dated to the 6-7th century CE. In addition, various types of pottery, copper and iron objects, earthen lamps and terracotta beads have been discovered. The pottery found at the site mostly consists of plates and bowls, often with motifs of concentric circles.

“In the light of the archaeological explorations and excavations done during the last five years, it may be suggested that sometimes between the sixth and eleventh century, Bhitargarh was an independent city-state governed by a sovereign administrative system. The site plan of Bhitargarh is very similar to the recommendation of Kautilya’s Arthasastra regarding construction of moats, ramparts, gates and streets, as well as the allocation of different

Photos: Dr Shahnaj Husne Jahan

areas dedicated to different communities or purposes.”

Two artefacts recovered prior to the archaeological investigation are a fragment of an idol in black basalt and an oval shaped sandstone seal, which are now preserved in the Panchagarh Rock Museum.

“Though the idol is quite fragmented, one can still recognise a female in the centre, whose right breast is still visible.

She sits on a double lotus in the ardhaparyanka pose. She holds a

child on her lap with her left arm, and to her left there is a seated male figure holding a staff in his hand. All this suggests that this is an image of Manasa with her son Astika and husband, the Brahmin ascetic, Jaratkaru. The artefacts are important because one of these reflects religious practices of the inhabitants, while the other signifies social organisations imbued with authority,” says Dr Jahan.

21 Photos: Adil Sakhawat

A lack of protection at the site Although ULAB received Tk5 lakh in funds last year from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to conduct the research, it has yet to be declared an official heritage site and gazetted under the Antiquity Act 1968. As it has not been registered as a “protected site” by the Department of Archaeology (DoA), the ancient fortified settlement is under threat.

Despite a High Court order issued on January 24, 2012, forbidding any kind of construction work in the area, it has come to light that locals, including members of the Tokapara branch of Border Guard Bangladesh, have continued to carry out construction work and mining on the site.

This is the most important archaeological discovery in the region. I expect it will shed light on the past cultural landscape of our country, and the South Asian region Sargent Sahibur, a BGB member told me: “While digging, we found an ancient building structure. Then we started our construction work over that structure.”

“Some local landless people are being provided with land inside the fort by the government, and they are cultivating the ground, which is causing serious damage to the site,” said Dr Jahan.

Aklima, Ofijuddin and Kafuron, three locals who claimed to have received land from government officials, said they had been growing vegetables and tea.

Violating the court order,

two locals, Alamgir Hossain and Mohammad Rayhan, have constructed a graveyard inside the first quadrangle, while two mosques are under construction beside the Maharajar Dighi pond.

But Dr Jahan carries on, bolstered by her firm belief that if the excavations are completed without disruption, the nation will gain an affirming monument to our country’s ancient heritage.

“This is the most important archaeological discovery in the region. I expect it will shed light on the past cultural landscape of our country, and the South Asian region.”

Why Bhitargarh is such an important site Based on data obtained from archaeological excavations, Dr Jahan said the Bhitargarh fort was the largest fortified settlement unearthed in Bangladesh so far, and possibly the oldest. It has a number of unique features: • •

The city was built following ancient Indian homestead patterns.

Pyramid shaped porch columns found in this

•

•

settlement are the only archaeological relics of its kind in Bangladesh. a Modern water management system, built with stone, signifies its contribution to modern agriculture.

The stone-made high fringe in Maharajar Dighi is the only high fringe among ancient tanks found in Bangladesh.

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22 Legalese | With Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi is a barrister and solicitor of England and Wales.

She is currently Senior Partner at Legacy Legal Corporate.

Q

WHO’s in a name?

A

Cartoon : Priyo

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My friend and I have just embarked on a business venture – concentrating mostly on export of delicacies which can be sourced abundantly in Bangladesh. We wish to concentrate on the export of olives, an item which is valued quite highly in the western countries. We were looking for a flamboyant name (something easy to remember) and came

up with “Wild & Hot Olives”; our cans will also be bearing the abbreviated name, making it easily recognisable in superstores abroad. Recently, however, an elderly advisor has recommended that we change the name, stating that it could turn out to be controversial in future. Is he right? If yes, then how should we approach this?

Dear Reader, It took me a while to realise it, but it appears that your elderly advisor means well and could possibly be on to something here.

“Wild Hot Olives” abbreviated comes down to ‘WHO’, which is also known globally as “World Health Organisation”. Of course, the company name itself seems harmless enough but you mentioned that you are intending the abbreviated version to be displayed prominently on the cans to make them recognisable and this could very well act against you in the future. The Companies Act 1994 is usually the first piece of legislation we would turn to in Bangladesh to address any company issues, and this Act provides some good guidance in this respect.

Any new or existing company cannot be registered by a name which is identical to another existing company’s name, except in cases when the other company agrees and gives its consent in the formal manner (in writing or otherwise) as required.

Although one of the prerequisites is that such a company cannot register under such a name with the intention to deceive, it is difficult to rebut an accusation of intending to deceive – better to err on the side of safety. The Act also provides for such a defaulting company to take action to change the name within a period of one hundred and twenty days. If the company does not comply with the name change within this time period, a fine is applicable of five hundred taka for every day during which the default continues and, additionally, every officer in default will be punishable with a fine of one hundred taka for every day during which the default continues.

The Companies Act also contains a specific provision stating: “No company shall be registered by a name containing in any form the name or any abbreviation of the name of the United Nations or of

any subsidiary body set up by the United Nations or of the World Health Organisation unless the company has obtained the previous authorisation in writing of the Secretary General in the case of the United Nations or the subsidiary body as aforesaid or of the Director General of the World Health Organisation in the case of that Organisation.” I’m guessing you’re starting to see the problem here now. Whilst the name “Wild & Hot Olives” is innocent and flamboyant in its own right, your aim to make it memorable by abbreviating it has massive potential to backfire. As mentioned in the first paragraph, it’s better to err on the side of safety.

On the subject of how your company can change its name, this can be done by Special Resolution, and will be subject to the approval of the Registrar which will be signified in writing. The Registrar will then enter the new name of the company in place of the former name on the register. Additionally, a certificate of incorporation will be issued in the new name to meet the circumstances of the issues specific to your case. The new certificate of incorporation will signify that the change of name has been successfully completed.

Lastly, I also want to stress the fact that the mere changing of the company’s name will not change any rights or obligations of your company, and neither will it affect any existing legal proceedings initiated by or against the company. Any such proceedings initiated against its preceding name will be able to continue in spite of the name change. And it’s a good thing too, otherwise every time a company ran into any legal difficulties they would, in all likelihood, seek to alter their name by special resolution, and gradually this would have evolved into a nightmare! I hope you’ve had your queries answered adequately – my advice is to not delay and change your company’s name as early as possible. It’s a relatively simple process and, forgive the repetitiveness, better safe than sorry!

Got a problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

Coffee IQ | Feature

23

North End Coffee Academy Rick and Christina Hubbard share their expertise with local cafes and coffee lovers Ishrat Jahan

Coffee may not be a big thing, but sometimes it’s the best part of somebody’s day

“I

’m a coffee nerd,” Rick Hubbard says contentedly, as we sit down beside his old roasting machine, which is emanating a sense of well-being along with the aroma of fresh coffee.

Amid the chaos and traffic of Pragati Sharani, the husbandwife team of Rick and Christina Hubbard opened North End Coffee Roasters in 2011, introducing Dhaka to the art of brewing fresh, locally roasted coffee.

“My favorite coffee story is about the rickshaw-pullers at the little tea-stalls you see on the roadsides. What they do is they put a packet of Nescafe in their tea and make a mixed brew out of it. So you see, coffee is something that everyone enjoys, and we want to contribute towards making that experience even better.”

The idea behind North End was to strengthen the community, and at the heart the initiative was Hubbard’s passion for coffee.

Coffee has become something of a staple in the cafés that have

Photos: Sadia Marium

sprung up around Dhaka in recent years.

“We would much rather be involved with the entire coffee scene, than just simply concentrate on our own business.

I’m a roaster. That’s what I do, and I want everyone to enjoy my coffee. I’m always very happy when I see other cafes enjoying our coffee and using it well.”

But among the hundreds of coffee houses and cafes that crowd Dhanmondi and Banani Road 11, few have the knowledge or ability to brew the perfect cup. Roughly six months after it opened for business, North End decided to provide advice and training to other coffee makers aspiring to improve their product.

So far, North End has consulted and worked with around 20 coffee shops, and even some embassies, providing them with training and quality coffee blends. The resultant improvement in quality is evident at many of the new coffee hubs opening around town.

Flourishing coffee houses such as George’s Café, Kiva Han and Tabaq (at Jamuna Future Park) have all had North End’s assistance.

North End’s initiative hasn’t been limited to Dhaka. They have begun growing coffee crops with the help of a few farmers in Chittagong, from which they make their specialty Hill-Tract blend. The intention is to expand local production, improving the livelihoods of farmers in the process.

Before opening North End, Hubbard opened and managed a Starbucks Coffee store in the US. “Years before coffee, I was a football trainer.” Hubbard said.

“We conducted a few football camps in Chittagong, and I was offered to work at a school.

My wife and I ended up living in Chittagong for two years,

but teaching was not what I essentially wanted to do, though it was a good experience and it introduced us to Bangladesh.

After that point I got into the coffee business back home in Boston, I was with Starbucks and then later a roasting company.”

“But in our minds we always wanted to come back to Bangladesh, or a country like Bangladesh, and build a business that gives back to the community,” Hubbard said.

“At the moment, 95% of our coffee is imported. But we are looking forward to bringing in more of the local crop as soon as we can facilitate the production.”

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24 Tough Love | With DIna Sobhan Dina Sobhan is a freelance writer, and cautions readers not to take her ‘advice’ here too seriously!

Q A

I’m a pretty cheerful, bubbly person, but this seems to irritate my husband.

People say my positivity is what they like most about me. But my husband tells me “stop smiling so much,” especially around other men – which, OK, I understand, because people think I’m flirting when I’m not – so I restrain myself. More hurtful is how he keeps telling me to “be real”. I’m not trying being fake, it’s just how I am! Occasionally I’ll get really blue and need to hide out for a couple days, but mostly I’m upbeat. My husband – well, I absolutely adore him. He’s a little grumpy, but also a brilliant artist and intellectual who prides himself on being “authentic”, something I really admire. I just wish… I don’t know. How can we make this work?

So, if I understand this correctly, your problem is not that you’re slovenly, an awful cook, or have curiously odd fashion sense, but that you’re just too gosh darn nice?? Most people would agree that it’s quite churlish for a man to take offense to his partner being too cheerful. In fact, that may well be a first in any marriage yet. It should be your husband putting that question to me, not you, because your biggest defect is a poor taste in men, in my opinion. I have little to go on other than your gushing to convince me that your husband is, in fact, a “brilliant artist and intellectual” and not just a grumpy old man who hasn’t actually created anything but gas in the past decade. His “authenticity” is a trumped up excuse for having poor social skills and questionable hygiene probably, and he is constantly annoyed with you because he can’t believe you stayed with him when any sane woman would probably have high-tailed it outta there before the first dirty sock hit the bedroom floor. Have you ever heard the Groucho Marx quote, “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member?” Your husband embodies it.

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Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy

Sweet and sour Q

A

I am 26 and I work at an advertising agency. I had been involved in a relationship since I was in graduate school, and I was devastated when we broke up a year ago. Recently, I met a guy at a professional conference.

He seems to be an interesting, straightforward type, and he’s sympathetic to my emotions. I also like that he is in advertising,

and understands the crazy lifestyle, which my previous boyfriend did not. The new guy has proposed getting married.

Yes, I am still heartbroken, but my family is insisting that I get married, and they don’t much care to whom. Would it be wise to say yes to a guy that I have hardly known for five months?

Would it be wise to marry a man you barely know? Probably not. In the initial stages of romance, you merely get a taste of what the person is really like.

You can laugh off their quirks and imperfections as odd but adorable. It’s when you marry them that all those quirks quickly become flaws that aren’t so easy to overlook. For instance, when you dated, you found his candid opinions on politics and your new dress refreshing and honest, but after marriage, you just wish

he would give you a compliment once in a while or shut the hell up. While before you thought his habit of wearing t-shirts and Bermuda shorts showed how laid-back he was, afterwards you realise he hasn’t shopped since he left college and doesn’t have anything else to wear. And so on.

So, if you do like him enough to see which set of teeth-clenching habits he will bring to the union, wait until your heartbreak is over and see if he’s worth it.

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune. com

Western media bias | ANALYSIS

25

The business of Information What you need to know about who is setting the news agenda Esha Aurora

E

ver wondered who is setting the news agenda that is feeding you information about the world? For instance when it comes to Ukraine, we are bombarded on a daily basis about Russian aggression. We hear things from a decidedly western perspective. Information is power, and who ever sets the news agenda has the power to disseminate it through their own perspective and agenda.

Not to get too technical but news agenda setting theory was first developed by Dr Max McCombs and Dr Donald Shaw in 1968, the study was conducted in University of North Carolina at

and the selection of frames for thinking about these objects are powerful agenda-setting roles,” in his research entitled “The evolution of agenda-setting research: Twenty-five years in the marketplace of ideas.”

Who sets this news agenda is a slightly more complicated question to answer; mainly because a great many factors intertwine and they have over the years formed a complex labyrinth of a systemic bias for certain agendas.

At the heart of the Ukrainian crisis lays a deep rooted story of geo political history and alliance. As it stands today, Eastern Ukraine is slowly being

identity.

National identity is crucial in defining the idea of belonging.

Many people on the eastern border of Ukraine are of Russian origin and feel a bigger connection that country.

That is not to say that what is happening in Crimea or Donetsk isn’t alarming or the fact that Russia feels as though it has can go into a sovereign nation with armed forces and occupy it while ignoring the boundaries set by international law isn’t making the global community uneasy.

The media reports on a daily basis about how the west is trying to bring Russia into a fruitful dialogue ,and then if

Chapel Hill. The simple premise of the theory is that, people regard news as important when the mass media deems it to be important. This is done by constantly emphasizing that fact and by constantly replaying that bit of news. This theory is still applicable today; just look at the case of the Ukrainian crisis.

Now “who sets the news agenda?” is an equally important question as “what is news agenda?” Both of these questions are central to the motive behind what we perceive to be the news and why we perceive it be important.

The setting of news agenda is not only telling us what is important but also how to perceive that importance.

Maxwell E. McCombsan expert on the subject asserts: “Agenda setting is considerably more than the classical assertion that the news tells us what to think about. The news also tells us how to think about it. Both the selection of objects for attention

annexed by Russia as Russian territory. The mass media is full of big bold headlines about chaos and anarchy. But that is just one side of the story. The Russian media however seems to have completely different coverage.

Their story is about how Russia is protecting its citizens, at least according to RT (the Russian television news network) which states that it is registered as an autonomous nonprofit organization but there has been an assertion that is a state funded organisation.

To delve deeper into the matter, we must first consider the geo-political relationship Russia has with Ukraine. Just the last one hundred years has seen these two counties in turmoil over language, borders and identity. Starting from the Russian Revolution, to the Ukrainian Civil Ear, two World Wars, the Cold War, the Soviet Union and finally the borders drawn as we know them in 1991 – has left that region in a constant state of flux in terms of national

that doesn’t work, it threatens Russia with sanctions. On April 14, Reuters reported, “US President Barack Obama warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in a call on Monday that Moscow would face further costs if its actions in Ukraine persisted. The White House said in a statement: “The president expressed grave concern about Russian government support for the actions of armed, proRussian separatists who threaten to undermine and destabilize the government of Ukraine.” The president noted Russia’s growing political and economic isolation as a result of its actions in Ukraine and made clear that the costs Russia already has incurred will increase if those actions persist,” it said.

This news bit isn’t really new. We have been hearing of this agenda about sanctions for months now. What we haven’t heard as much is why Russia is such a super villain in global politics. Back track to the Warsaw

Pact which was a counterpart to NATO, a defense alliance of the soviet and soviet satellite countries. Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO had agreed to not encroach to close to Russian territory which it breached and according to the Pew Research Center Russia opposed this expansion into Poland and former soviets states as a breach of that agreement.

Now this bit of elaboration is very hard to find in tradition mass media. Agencies like BBC, CNN or Sky News will give you an agenda that is strictly based on the NATO perspective. There is a certain untold narrative that permeates these agencies who are either state funded or by private funding of the large global conglomerates.

Such as the British Government or News Corp which is one of the largest companies in the world of mass media. This monopoly dictates a certain narrative that is sanctioned by the larger umbrella of either foreign policy of business interest.

Setting a news agenda is not a bad thing at all. The length we go to sell one perspective is alarming; especially when there is such a monopoly in the market and the lack of watch dog agencies. There are two things that are missing in this scenario; sufficient balance in the business of dissemination of news and proper media watch dogs. There cannot be just one narrative that dictates the world’s perception of what is important and how it is important. There are seven more than billion people in the world, and most of them are from the developing nations. Which means their voices and stories aren’t portrayed in view other than that of “look at how these poor people suffer” kind of way.

If there is anything we can take away from the Ukraine coverage of events it’s that facts cannot be omitted just because it suits a certain agenda. If it is your responsibility to tell the world what is happening then you need to tell the whole story, the good and the bad. Not just the narrative that suits your liking.

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26 Stay in | Throne of Happiness

A Feline Friend Shah Nahian

S

taying in with nothing to do can be excruciatingly boring. However, if you’re willing to take on a little responsibility, having a pet cat can really brighten up the time you spend at home.

Cats are said to be the cleanest animals on the planet.

They’re almost self maintaining, independent and, if spayed or neutered, they make great indoor pets.

Every cat comes with a different

Sudoku

Use the numbers 1-9 to complete each of the 3x3 square grids such that each horizontal and vertical line also contains all of the digits from 1-9

Last week’s sudoku solutions

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E F R I DAY, AP R I L 1 8 , 201 4

and distinct personality. Some might be moody, some might be a little aggressive and some might be a little clingy. No matter what personality your kitty has, a shoe lace, stuffed-animal or a ping pong ball is bound to unleash their inner predator and keep you entertained for hours.

However, you also have to realise they’re not toys though.

Owning any pet comes with a few responsibilities. Most cats usually take very good care of themselves

on their own, but you’ll still need to feed them a balanced diet, buy them toys - so he or she can

be entertained when you’re not around and bathe them once or twice a month amongst other things. Read up on how to take care of cats online if you’ve never owned pets before.

If you’re up for taking on the challenges of owning a cat, getting bored while staying in will be a thing of the past.

A Taste of Jazz | Go out

27

Exile in Calcutta

Weekly Planner April 19

RockNation Overload When 4pm-11pm Where Winter Garden, Ruposhi Bangla What The first season of RockCity will be feature rock stars like Artcell, Black, Cryptic Fate, Nemesis, The AllStars, Shunno, Arbovirus and Powersurge. The price of a ticket is Tk800.

German photographer Thomas Meyer has come to town with his exhibition on the lives of the inhabitants of Kolkata forced to leave what is now Bangladesh during the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. A total of 18 photographs will be exhibited at Drik Gallery.

The photographs document the faces and their surroundings. The title of the exhibition gives you a

sense of the lives of the subjects who were uprooted from their ancestral home which were the current territory of Bangladesh. The photographer also tried to represent the struggle of those people for the search of a new identity.

The exhibition will run from April 15-21. Gallery opening hours are 3pm-8pm.

Documentary Photography Workshop When 10am-5pm Where Counter Foto Uttara, 29 Gareeb Newaz Avenue, Uttara What Giulio Di Sturco will hold the workshop for students. The registration fee for the workshop is Tk10,000.

April 24

English Club The American Center provides you with the opportunity to learn English and learn about American culture as well. Every week they hold interactive discussions led by native English speakers at their English Club. It is scheduled for Sunday at 2-3pm and Wednesday

April 21-April27

at 3:30pm-4:30pm.

There is no requirement for prior registration to attend the discussions. Just need in to the American Center, Plot 1, Progati Sharani, Block J, Baridhara.

Photo Exhibition: Life and struggle of Garment Workers in Bangladesh When: 7.30pm Where: Official Residence, High Commission of Canada, United Nations Road, Baridhara What: A photography exhibition by photographer Andrew Biraj has been arranged to pay homage to those who died at Rana Plaza.

April 24

Electronic Music Concert: Room 2 When 7pm Where Goethe-Institute Bangladesh, Dhanmondi What This audio-visual event provides a platform for underground musicians who

have enthusiasm for electronic music. From noise to festival anthems, the music lovers will be able to explore different kinds of music from this internationally acclaimed music community.

April 24

Classic Motown Tribute When 7pm Where Red Shift Coffee Lounge, 57 Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka What Popular musical band Renaissance will be covering Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ on?, Diana Ross’s You Can’t Hurry Love, Martha Reeves’s Dancing in the Street, Michael Jackson’s Bille Jean and Smokey Robinson’s Tears of a Clown.

Tickets are available for Tk600.

April 25

Karma Coffee When: 7pm Where: International School Dhaka, Bashundhara What: A play written by Shazia Omar portrays the lives and loves of the people living in this society. This portrayal of a sister’s attempt to get her brother married will reflect a sense of living in Dhaka.

April 26

Volunteer For Intellectual Property When: 9am-5pm Where: Dhaka University What: Day long boot camp arranged to raise awareness about intellectual property issues and to observe World Intellectual Property Day.

Send us your events to weekend@dhakatribune.com

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28 Interview | Amitabh Reza

Blending

Art and Non-ART An interview with Amitabh Reza, considered one of the best TV commercial producers of his generation Shah Nahian

H

aving initially worked on Bangladeshi natok (theatrical dramas), Amitabh is now the director and producer at one of the biggest post-production companies in the country, Half Stop Down, and has been involved with the company from the beginning. We hear the secrets to his success: How did you get into advertising?

I got into advertising about 14 years ago. I wanted to work as a film-maker but working with fiction is not the most lucrative option in our country. Working with advertising allowed me to have more freedom with my work; I got to experiment with a lot of different things and it was a lot more fun in general.

How has the industry progressed over the years? Where are we still falling behind?

The industry has been developing at lightning speed. This is mostly because of economic growth and consumerism. Advertising has nothing to do with art or culture.

It is purely commercial and it is a part of communication. However, I feel the most important factor in this growth is the large amount of work being done. Companies are spending a lot more on creating ads and in return a lot more quality ads are being created.

However, creating great ads also requires skill; you need a lot of skilled specialised workers – whether it’s working with cameras, lighting or playing any role in creating the ad. The industry has been growing at a fast rate, however it is still not turning up enough skilled people in comparison to its growth.

How much power does advertising have on people? Do you think people make conscious decisions on what to buy based on ads?

I don’t think advertising has anything to do with increased sales. I think people make conscious rational decisions

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on what to buy on their own.

All advertising does is create awareness of the product and curiosity within potential consumers.

From a consumer/spectator’s point of view, I often hate having to sit through ads. How do we make advertising more alluring to viewers?

To create ads that are more alluring, the people responsible for creating the ad need to have a team of creative, skilled filmmakers. They need to realise what they are doing, why they are doing it and whether it’s

What are the most important ingredients for making a great TV ad?

The most important thing in creating a great TV ad is coming up with a good idea, which will lead to a good script. A good script is usually the deciding factor.

Working professionally means you often have to work to crazy deadlines. How do you summon inspiration on such a regular basis?

I don’t mind deadlines. I love working with deadlines as long as time is not being wasted. Every

Photo: Courtesy Amitabh Reza believes advertising is about growing curiosity, not just increasing sales

strategically correct. Everything needs to make sense. We have “hits and misses” on TV because these questions are often left unanswered. There is a delicate formula for creating good ads, and we will never achieve success if people don’t look at things from a professional point of view.

project requires a certain amount of time. An TV ad usually needs about three weeks of preparation and four weeks for filming and post production. However, if you cut down that time to one and a half weeks, you will never create something of quality. And what inspires me on such a regular basis? Good money.

Do you consider yourself more of an artist or an advertiser?

I don’t consider myself an artist.

I am an artisan. I know the skill of filmmaking and that’s what I work with. What is the difference between art and nonart? Art has to fall under four criteria. It has to be manmade, it has to be non-pragmatic, it should be communicable and it has to have a statement. My work does fall under a lot of these criteria but because it is for commercial purposes it is always pragmatic; I cannot consider this to be art.

What kind of ads do you prefer working with? What kind of ads do you try and avoid?

I like working with ads that are short, to the point and, most importantly, uniquely scripted.

It has to have the magical flavour that separates it from everything else that’s out there. The most fun I have while working is when I’m dealing with something that provides a challenge.

The ads I hate working on, or try and avoid, are the ones with flat scripts. I don’t like doing the same thing over and over. The product always has something to say. I like adding stories and a flavour of fiction to that, as opposed to just telling the viewers what it does.

What was the key to your success?

I don’t have any morals or ethics about advertising. If you give me good money and something interesting to work with, I’ll do it. I also dedicate my sincerity to the product I’m working with. I love all of my scripts and I believe in whatever my product is trying to say. If I’m working with a soap I believe it is the best soap in the world, if I’m working with Grameen Phone I believe it’s the best company, when I’m working with Airtel, I believe it’s the best.

Whatever I might be working with, my motto is: Be sincere and honest to it.