Weekend Tribune Vol. 2 Issue.10

| vo l 2 I ssu e 10 | F R I D AY, J Uly 11, 2014

Sleepless

6

Nocturnal creatures

in dhaka World Cup Night 12 finals 17 crimes

CONTENTS

1

A W e ekly Productio n of

DhakaTribune

Volume 2 | Issue 10 | July 11, 2014 Editor Zafar Sobhan

News

Executive Editor Shahriar Karim

2 This Week

Managing Editor Jahangir Hyder

3 Oddities

Features Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Features

Assistant Magazine Editor Rumana Habib Weekend Tribune Team Tasnuva Amin Nova Promiti Prova Chowdhury Farhana Urmee Rifat Islam Esha Faisal Mahmud Shah Nahian Syeda Samira Sadeque Tausif Sanzum James Saville Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain Cartoons Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo

4 Listology Graveyard shift 5 Feature Student nightlife 6 Feature Noctural creatures

8

12 Sport World Cup final round

Interview

14 Sport World Cup history

rafi haque

17 Crime file Night crimes 20 Funny bone Flirting fail

Contributors Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi Rashad Banna Badiuzzaman Bay Yamin Khan Dina Sobhan

Regulars 15 Legalese Verbal contract killer

Graphics Sabiha Mahmud Sumi Mohammad Mahbub Alam

16 Tough Love Boring fool and daddy cool

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

18 Stay In

9

Website dhakatribune.com/weekend facebook.com/WeekendTrib Email your letters to: weekend@dhakatribune.com

the cover A sleepless night at Hatirjheel, Dhaka.

PHOTO: Mashruk

19 Go Out

Photo story Life after dark

Sleepless in Dhaka I

f you’ve been staying up late for sehri and/or football, you are hardly alone. Insomnia is the new normal (pg 6-7).

In fact, after the final four battle it out in the World Cup final games this weekend (pg 12-13) and 2014 becomes another episode in World Cup history (pg 14), we may very well go into withdrawal.

Can’t kick the habit? Try working it out with art (pg 8), or consider venturing to the late night haunts of university students (pg 5). But beware the innovative new muggers

Editor’s note in our Gotham City (pg 17).

Some people are just natural night owls. You can find them working the graveyard shift (pg 4), wandering the streets like Himu (pg 18), or just enjoying Dhaka’s unseen life after dark (pg 9-11).

Nightlife also means the party scene, along with some hilarious flirting fails (pg 20).

If you ever do fall asleep, sweet dreams.

- Rumana Habib

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2 News | This week

The world in 60 seconds Badiuzzaman Bay

Palestinian teenager beaten by Israeli police

Last week saw further developments in the wake of the declaration of a medieval-style “caliphate” in Iraq and the massive crackdown on Palestine following the discovery of the bodies of three kidnapped Israeli teens.

While the Iraqi problem was compounded by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s refusal to give up premiership to make way for a more inclusive government and partly defuse the seething sectarian tensions – no sane thinking seems to be following the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Interestingly, the self-proclaimed “caliph” gave a 30-minute sermon at a mosque in Mosul last Friday. It was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s first public appearance – a person otherwise known for his reclusive nature.

The emergence of “Caliph Ibrahim,” the name he took after Sunni-Arab insurgents under his leadership declared the Islamic caliphate, underlines the extent of confidence felt within his organisation and will, in all likelihood,

Shakib banned for ‘attitude problem’ Cricket all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been suspended from playing competitive cricket for six months and international events for 18 months due to “severe attitude problems,” according to the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

The star cricketer was handed the punishment because of his misbehaviour with newlyappointed national coach Chandika Hathurusingha, and also for his scuffle with a spectator during the first ODI against India at Mirpur last month.

This the highest punishment received by a national cricketer after Mohammed Ashraful, who was recently banned from cricket for eight years for his involvement in match-fixing in the second edition of Bangladesh Premier League.

BCB President Nazmul Hasan said the decision to suspend Shakib had been taken unanimously by the board members.

“We have a series of allegations and reports against [Shakib] that clearly shows that he has a severe

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aggravate the crisis unless Iraq and Syria show real determination to rise above party interests and form unity governments.

Meanwhile in Europe, there have been wild speculations about the future of the European Union after a voter backlash in European Parliament and the increasingly strident demands by Britain for a looser relationship with Brussels.

After six decades of relentless incremental integration, might the EU be about to go into reverse?

The future looks no longer assured.

The task for the 28-nation bloc, for now, seems to have boiled down to keeping the British in, the Russians out, the ever-dominant Germans down.

Elsewhere in the world, proRussian rebels were flushed out from Slavyansk, their main eastern stronghold, in Ukraine’s biggest success since separatists started their often-violent secessionist movement. Slavyansk is the symbolic heart of an uprising sparked by the February ouster of a pro-Kremlin administration in Kiev,

and fueled by Russia’s subsequent seizure of Crimea. (AFP) In Northern Yemen, the air force bombed Shia Muslim fighters in fighting that killed at least 70 people, according to local officials, after a truce reached last month between the insurgents and government forces collapsed.

Meanwhile, in two separate areas on the Kenyan coast, gunmen killed at least 29 people in raids – nine losing their lives at the Hindi trading center in Lamu county while the remaining 20 were killed in the Gamba area of neighbouring Tana River county.

(Reuters) Closer to home, in a move celebrated by the new government in India as an early diplomatic success, a group of 44 Indian nurses returned home after being held captive by suspected militants in war-ravaged Iraq. Two-hundred Indian nationals, trapped in the country, returned home subsequently and a further 600 Indians are supposed to come back shortly.

News and photo: AFP

Presidency battle in Afghanistan Supporters of presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah beat a poster of President Hamid Karzai, ripped from the stage at a rally in Kabul on Tuesday.

As fears rise of instability and ethnic unrest, Abdullah claimed victory in Afghanistan’s disputed election, blaming fraud for his loss in preliminary results. Abdullah told the rowdy rally with thousands of supporters that he would fight on to win the presidency. He called for patience from loyalists who demanded he declare a “parallel government” to rule the country.

News and photo: AFP attitude problem, the extent of which we have never [seen] ... in the history of Bangladesh cricket,” Nazmul told the media after the board meeting yesterday.

Shakib’s offences in the recent past include leaving Dhaka for the CPL Twenty20 tournament without acquiring a valid No-Objection Certificate. The 27-year-old also threatened to quit playing Tests and ODIs for the Tigers after he had been told by Hathurusingha to return early from the CPL T20 and join the national camp.

News: Desk. Photo: Reuters

Hundreds sacked in Bihar over fake teaching degrees India’s Bihar state has sacked 1,100 school teachers in the last five years for faking their education qualifications, an official said Tuesday.

Bihar’s government has launched an investigation into the state’s primary and secondary teachers to check the authenticity of their degrees, the official said.

The sackings underscore the immense problems facing the school system in India, where

teachers are underpaid and overworked, and tens of millions of children struggle to receive an adequate education.

The investigation was launched in the wake of a massive recruitment drive by the government in Bihar, one of India’s most impoverished and underdeveloped states, in a bid to improve its schools.

News: AFP

oddities | News

3

Say Finger device reads to what?

the blind

S

cientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing an audio reading device to be worn on the index finger of people whose vision is impaired, giving them immediate access to the printed word.

The FingerReader, a prototype produced by a 3D printer, fits like a ring on the user’s finger, equipped with a small camera that scans text. A synthesised voice reads words aloud, quickly translating books, restaurant menus and other important information.

Reading is as easy as pointing the finger at text.

Special software tracks the finger movement, identifies words and processes the

Argentina fans mock Neymar’s injury information. The device vibrates to alert readers when they stray from the script, said Roy Shilkrot, who is developing the device at the MIT Media Lab. Developing the gizmo has taken three years and feedback from a group of visually impaired people. Much work still needs to be done before the product will be ready for market, including making it work on cellphones.

The FingerReader would not replace Braille – the system of raised dots that convey words, interpreted by touch. But the new device would enable users to access a vast number of books and other materials not currently available in Braille.

Cup. Yet it would seem Argentina fans aren’t quite as sympathetic.

Neymar, who carried Brazil to the semifinals, suffered a broken vertebrae during the 2-1 quarterfinal win against Colombia last Friday, and will miss the rest of the tournament.

News and photo: Mail Online

News: Desk. Photo: AP

Rickshaw art in Germany Bangladeshi Aneela Haque and Michael Schuermann, an art-loving couple, have donated a life size rickshaw to Munich’s renowned Buchheim Musuem, introducing the rickshaw art of Bangladesh.

The couple have been trying to find opportunities to promote

Argentina fans have mocked stricken Brazil star Neymar. They were filmed celebrating his injury by waving around a doctor’s model spinal column.

Argentina Coach Alejandro Sabella ignored his country’s bitter rivalry with Brazil when he said: “Football has shed a tear” after Neymar was ruled out of the World

Bangladeshi art in Germany. It was Michael’s idea to donate to the museum. This is the first time anyone has promoted Bangladeshi art in Munich. The rickshaw was inducted into the museum last Friday.

News: Desk. Photo: Courtesy

Indian girls practice self-defense Indian girls from Durga Vahini, a hardline women’s organisation, take part in a week-long self defense training camp at Jammu, the winter capital of Kashmir, India. In the wake of an increase

in crime against women in the country, these young girls are being given training to defend themselves with sticks and guns.

News and photo: EPA/Jaipal Singh

Icelandic teen falls to death from Spanish rollercoaster A teenager from Iceland plunged to his death from a soaring rollercoaster ride called “Inferno” at an amusement park in eastern Spain’s tourist resort of Benidorm, officials said Tuesday.

The 18-year-old, who was on holiday with his family and a friend, flew out of the greencoloured, twisting ride on Monday at the Terra Mitica, or Mythical Land, amusement park, police said.

“He hit the ground and

died shortly afterwards in the ambulance,” the source told AFP. Police said the seat’s harness opened but it was unclear if the cause was a mechanical fault. The ride had been closed during police investigations.

The victim has not been named.

Terra Mitica issued a statement saying the rollercoaster had been officially certified as safe and it was checked daily by amusement park staff.

News: AFP

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4 listology | Graveyard shift

NIGHT OWLS AT WORK

For most of us nighttime is synonymous with bedtime, but not for all. As darkness takes over, the so-called “night owls” bid farewell to slumber, though not always by choice or insomnia. Many people work until the wee hours because of the very nature of some professions Tasnuva Amin Nova

Truckers

When the rest of the people go to sleep, huge and howling trucks loaded with livestock, cement, and various trading goods are brought to life by the drivers. Trucks used for commercial transportation travel during nights mostly to avoid unnecessary traffic jams during the daytime. They travel from one place to another, often covering long distances across

the country.

Enamul drives a lorry that often transports goods from Narayanganj to Sylhet, and Chittagong. He says: “Driving at night is extremely difficult as we often doze off on the highway. Many times the drivers fall asleep while driving and collide head on with another vehicle, often causing deaths.”

Policemen Guess which owls keep policemen awake? Thieves, smugglers, poachers, and kidnappers are highly active in the darkest hours of night. To protect the sleeping city from these culprits, police have to stay alert right through the night.

After working in the police force for 12 years, spending hundreds of nights on duty, Kadir, a policeman on duty at

Nightguards

It seems nightguards have existed as long as there have been whistles. When we think of these “knights” who guard our homes, we think of an invincible man, walking with a thick rod tucked under his arm, with a gun hanging on his shoulder, blowing a whistle hidden by his long moustache.

Night guards have to be brave people, for they have to loiter around on dark unsafe streets

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the Baridhara DOHS entrance gate says: “What makes night shifts difficult is that you can never be trained well enough to resist shutting your eyes in the sleepy hours of the night. After all, we are human beings. Thus it’s very natural for us to doze off while on duty. Being policemen, it’s doubly difficult to work with sleep deprivation because our job is to stay alert.”

Photos: Syed Latif Hossain

Shift workers Many organisations, either involved in manufacturing or providing direct services to customers, have to operate around the clock. They divide the day into several “shifts,” typically morning, afternoon, and night. Employees alternate work hours between these shifts.

Nafis Hussain works as a

Journalists

Those who work in the media, especially morning news, have to work on news content all night to present it early the next day. During daytime they cover different events and news, which are written up at night.

Syed Latif Hossain, a photojournalist at the Dhaka Tribune, cruises around Dhaka

Intern doctors on their own.

Mintu, a 45-year-old man, looks nothing like the guard I just described. He is a nightguard in the city’s Basabo area.

He said the worst part of working nights is that he has to leave his wife and children at home alone. As he guards the houses of strangers, he fears for the safety of his own family sleeping unprotected at home.

The medical profession does not discriminate between night and day. Each hour is as important as the other. Medical students get used to the call of the night as they are required to work night shifts during their internships.

Often doctors, taking advantage of their seniority, pass on their duties to these interns, adding to the waking hours of these trainees.

Nurses too disappear at

supply chain executive at a tobacco firm, where production is run 24 hours a day.

His night shift starts at 10pm and lasts till 6 in the morning.

Nafis says: “We have to be extra careful during night shifts because chance of production inefficiencies rises if we doze off during any point of the night.”

on his bike at night.

He says: “Looking around the city in the dark of night is marvellous. You see a different city. I often come across muggers, prostitutes, and unexpected things. It’s very interesting.”

He is the author of this week’s photo story (pg 9-11).

night, leaving patients in the hands of students.

As an intern at Suhrawardy Medical College, Dr Faisal Hossain spent countless nights treating and attending to hospital patients: “Sleeping was not in our vocabulary during internships. We would continuously move from one shift to another. There were days when the only time we got to shut our eyes was between shifts.”

Student nightlife | feature

5

student nights

Munchies, movies and video games dominate the nocturnal activities of students in the capital Faisal Mahmud

T

he idea of “nightlife” might not mean bars and clubs in a predominantly Muslim country like ours, but Dhaka has a plethora of intriguing attractions to cater to the city’s insomniacs – particularly in areas close to Dhaka University, the oldest and largest public university in Bangladesh.

With three of the best universities in the country nearby, the area around Ramna police station is thriving at night.

BUET Having studied at Buet, I’ve

been lucky enough to experience the vibrant culture firsthand.

Nightlife at Buet is fascinating. If you visit the halls at night, you’ll find many hardworking students ensconced in study groups, but not all are so studious.

“Playing Age of Empires with my friends has become my life.

We usually start playing at night when the internet speed is fast,” says Sajib Hossain, an electrical engineering student.

A student says the best part of working late nights is relishing food with friends between study sessions: “A number of restaurants in Najira Bazar, Chankharpul and Becharam Deuri remain open till 1am just for us.

During the exam season, many restaurants in Chankharpul even stay open until 2am.”

For committed night owls, the most popular place is Palashi Bazar, where students can munch away on paratas until 3am.

DU Dhaka University residential

halls accommodate students of a wide range of disciplines, so the students having varying workloads. Yet one thing is common: They all love addafying throughout night. The most popular adda spot is by the beautiful ponds situated near the residential halls.

DU students having late night cha and adda at a tea-shop near Jagannath Hall

Another popular place is the famous Chobir Haat near the university’s TSC. Despite being stepped in history, the police have recently imposed restrictions on gatherings here after a spate of incidents.

“I miss the adda at Chobir Haat,” says Suagata Sarkar, a former student of fine art at DU. “I remember the good old days when we used to have adda on art and literature there late at night. There was one guy named Hridoy who used to visit Chobir Haat after midnight. He’s a gifted singer. We used to wait for him to listen to his songs.”

Many DU students visit Nilkhet to go to Sabuj, a popular restaurant. It is probably the only

place in Dhaka where customers can enjoy paratas, eggs, vegetables, and lentils 24/7.

“Food is not served in the halls after dinner. But when you stay awake late at night, you feel hungry. Also, it feels great to go out with friends,” says Hasib Muammar Rashid, a student of applied statistics.

DMC If you have a craving for hot

shingaras at 2am, the Fazle Rabbi hall of DMC is the place to be. A small tea shop, Anwar’s shop, situated near the hall, is probably the only place that serves the nation’s favourite snack at this hour.

Photo: Chanchal Kamal

“Almost all students stay awake at night. I prepare this snack for them so that they can eat and study hard,” says Anwar, the stall owner.

Rajib Choudhury, a fourth year medical student at DMC says: “People working at the hospital stay awake at night, but we, the medical students, are not supposed to. However, perhaps due to living so close to the hospital, we seem to have turned into nocturnal beings as well.”

“We usually have exams at least three times a week,” Rajib said. “But the most popular activity during late night hours is watching movies with friends.”

.

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6 feature | nocturnal creatures

Insomnia: A beast within?

As Dhaka evolves, so does its lifestyles – sleeplessness being one of them.

What causes it? What are its effects?

Farhana Urmee, Rifat Islam Esha, Syeda Samira Sadeque

F

rom love to medical conditions, sleeplessness is associated with a world of factors. There is a sentiment attached to sleeplessness – something that fills one with a sense of incompleteness. But beyond this, sleeplessness has its own set of causes and effects – both sociological and psychological.

“I have a messed up internal clock, for which I can’t go to sleep before 1 or 2 in the morning,” says Anindya Dutta, a programme associate at an international NGO. “Other reasons are work or random surfing on the internet.”

Oyon, 22, claims that several

daily activities keep him awake at night.

“My studies and work push the sleeping hours past midnight. My mind isn’t really calm from all the work and it keeps me awake,” he says, adding that “Facebook-ing” also often disrupts his sleep.

There is a concerning lack of literature on this topic in Bangladesh. While there are many international sources, a local research study in context of Bangladesh is much needed as a reference point.

The US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has categorised sleeplessness,

or insomnia, into two sections: primary and secondary.

Primary sleeplessness, according to their website, is not a side-effect or symptom of other disorders, but is a disorder in itself. While it may be triggered due to life changes, travel and/or work, it does not necessarily leave once these habits are changed. And this is when sleeplessness may settle in one’s life. Dutta, who complains of having “an internal clock setting” that doesn’t allow him to sleep before 1am, may have fallen prey to this disorder already.

Secondary insomnia, on the other hand, is the side effect or

symptom of other problems, often emotional, neurological, or other medical disorders. While this may vary according to age or gender, there is no overall pattern distinguishing sleeplessness based on these factors.

Insomnia may have seeped into many of our lifestyles subtly, but it sure is creating ripples of effects – both on our social lives as well as our physical and mental health.

While for some of us it can be tamed through daily practices and lifestyle changes, for others more effort is needed.

.

Trying to keep up

How our evolving society is changing our sleep patterns

L

eonard Cohen said: “The last refuge of the insomniac is a sense of superiority to the sleeping

world.”

Dr HKS Arefin, a sociologist and anthropologist who used to teach at the Dhaka University, suggests that for some, it is not the inability to sleep as much as it is a need to be a part of the trend of staying up.

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“Staying up late in the night might be one of the those new lifestyles that we are adopting these days, although we can find few empirical research findings on it. Sleeplessness has become a habit for different pockets of our population, but not for all. Say for day labourers, who are working hard during the day – sleep is not a problem for them at night.”

There are professions, mostly

urban jobs, that make one stay up late at night, and there are others that require night duty. But apart from that, why would anyone just stay awake at night?

Jahangir Alam, 26, says he stays up talking over the phone with his friends when he can’t sleep – a habit that makes it apparent that his peers are also staying up late.

Sanjay, a 32-year-old musician, has suffered from insomnia for 12 years. He had never consulted a physician but found his own remedies for sleep. Now Sanjay does all his music practice and research at night. Currently, he has taken two online courses to use his nighttime more productively.

Sanjay believes that it is about the work he needs to do. Whether it is by day or night does not matter for him as long as he keeps active.

Furthermore, globalisation has forced different time zones to meet. The internet has made it much easier to stay in touch

with our loved ones, though it may mean talking at odd hours.

Many stay up in order to catch a quick (or three-hour-long) chat with a friend, loved one or family member.

“Also, there is a growing dependency on browsing streams of Facebook or Twitter feeds. It is becoming the popular thing to do,” says Dr Arefin.

Other than the internet, our local mobile phone operators have extremely cheap call rates after midnight and are indirectly encouraging this habit.

Dr Kaberi Gayen, associate professor of mass communication and journalism at the University of Dhaka, blames media exposure.

“There is surely a relationship between sleeplessness and the habit of media consumption. The connection is very clear. People use Facebook and mobile phones a lot, and sometimes remain awake almost the whole night.”

.

7

The Noise in my head Psychological causes of insomnia

A

ccording to Maleka Pervin, a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Dhaka, there isn’t a definite age for experiencing sleep disorders. For many, it settles in during adolescence – which is a transitional period.

“This is when an individual undergoes puberty, emotional maturity, and experiences different ways of mixing with people and building relationships,” says Maleka.

“There are many changes, there is much confusion about these changes, which may cause sleeplessness in a lot of people.”

“Sleeplessness is often caused by depression, frustration and stress,” she says. “If someone is stressed at work, they are likely to stay up late at night.”

Salman (not his real name), 28,

sums up the three things that keep him awake at night: “Love, loss and work.”

He says he also keeps reflecting on how he can contribute to the country through his work, and that mixed feelings of “passion and excitement” keeps him wide awake. Salman’s explanation of what loss means to him can be filed under what Maleka calls anxiety.

Some suffer from sleeping disorders because of failures in their lives, such as in academics or their career. If someone is facing problems in their personal life – with their family or friends – they may stay up worrying.

As a result, many resort to taking sleeping pills and can get addicted. Salman mentions that he sometimes took medicine (unprescribed) to help him sleep, but never formed a dependency.

Maleka explains that often

many individuals resort to “drugs to help themselves fall asleep.”

But, ironically, the drugs often make them sleepless.

For many, the habit of staying up due to web addiction results in a sleep disorder. Many young people have no idea that staying up repeatedly is starting a sleep disorder in them.

Photo: Bigstock

Kashfia Arif, 25, says she reads, watches movies or dramas, writes sometimes, and always listens to music. Listening to music helps her fall asleep eventually. Joining the dots of the changing daily activities, in not just adolescents but adults, reveals a pattern of the “habit” that Maleka talks about.

.

sound Treatment

Insomnia takes a toll on our health and daily activities

“B

ecause of sleep deprivation, I feel dizzy the next day and don't feel like going to work,” says Farzana Mirza, who has been experiencing insomnia recently.

Dr Pervin says while anxiety and depression may cause insomnia, they are also the effects of the disorder. She suggests some remedies:

• Change your routine and maintain proper timings of when to eat and sleep.

• If you are suffering from a sleep disorder and go to bed at 1 or 2am, you won't be able to fall asleep. Start by going to bed early, setting a routine around that time.

• Diagnose which type of sleep disorder you have. If it is because of anxiety or depression, see

a therapist. Counselling is the most effective treatment in these cases.

Other than these, there are always prescribed medications that you can get through the help of doctors.

If taken properly and for a limited time, they can help reset your system.

There are also sleep clinics that you can take help from.

Several hospitals in Dhaka provide services to find out what sort of sleep disorder one may have and then come up with a cure. These places can guide you through sleep hygiene – a list of different practices that are essential for sleeping normally.

Hospitals in Dhaka that offer sleep disorder treatment include: Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital, Labaid, and Apollo.

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Photo: Bigstock

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8 interview | rafi haque

JOURNAL OF AN ARTIST

An interview with artist and poet Rafi Haque Tasnuva Amin Nova different media and sources of inspiration to create a single artwork.

Intaglio Rafi Haque

Which aspect of Bangladesh did you portray in Chicago?

Artists have always played a role in the revolutions that have taken place since the birth of our country.

Be it the Liberation War, the famine, the Shahbag movement or any other cause, artists have always showed respect for good governance in the country and they have worked hard to bring change to society.

They asked me what our artists are doing to stop injustice towards our indigenous people and garment workers. They asked whether artists in our country face restraints from religious extremists.

I also introduced them to the vibrant art culture of our nation, young artists doing great work.

In night-dawn dreams today I have seen Biscuit colored girls Stepping on shadows And I have seen them go The dream, all of it, Unfolding in Prussian blue.

The notebook full of angry sunlight Piercing chrome yellow Van Gogh’s sunflowers and The pain of a shameless ear Which the Seine does not understand

R

afi Haque is a visual artist, specialising in printmaking. His work has evolved over time into a unique mixture of printmaking and painting.

Earlier this year, Rafi was invited to be a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago, where he was offered a fellowship. His series entitled “Journal of an Artist” was exhibited there from April 4 to May 23. He also gave a lecture in April on the “Quest for identity and emerging trends in the contemporary art of Bangladesh.”

In this interview with the Dhaka Tribune, Rafi Haque reflects on his last exhibition, “The Evolution of Art in Bangladesh,” and the relationship between art and poetry.

You combine art and poetry in your recent exhibition, “Journal of an artist.” How did those come together for you?

If you ask me how I relate art to poetry, I would say the two are interconnected.

Before I was an artist, I was a writer. I used to write poetry. I have won many awards for my writing. It is my passion.

I like keeping records of my thoughts, so I keep a diary. I often like to add a few lines about my paintings. My words speak to my colours and the two get intertwined, sometimes taking the form of collages in my paintings.

To me, painting is a form of writing.

Your paintings “Inner Burn” is said to be an expression of your personal experience with the Liberation War. I was born in Kushtia and much of my adolescence was spent there.

During the Liberation War, the

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, J U LY 1 1, 201 4

How do you view your journey as an artist?

I can’t paint or write about something I have not personally experienced. I have tried to simplify or solve puzzles – art is my only refuge. I don’t intend to change time or society with paintings.

.

Photos: Courtesy

Pakistani army burnt down our house. I was very young then, but the memories of the charred remains of our house are still fresh in my mind.

The suffering of my family, and those of the others in our village, is portrayed through my paintings for the Inner Burn series. The etchings on burnt paper embody my emotional response to the horrors of the war.

The marks of a wheel penetrating the roads, the marks of an axe on a tree, the wounds on a human body symbolise confrontation between nuclear superpowers. They reflect growing distrust between human relationships and a decay in human values.

Tell us about your lecture on the “quest for identity in Bangladeshi

art.” How does national identity impact art?

I will explain this in the context of Inner Burn. The fire that burnt my house during the war left a scar on my mind as a child. I grew up with the wounds, and these have shaped my identity. They made me who I am.

Today when you see fires in Tazreen Fashions, or Neemtoli, the wounds are not only mine. They spread across the nation. People can relate to it more. That is how art merges one generation with another, one nation with another.

Contemporary art is a mixture of

Rafi Haque is editor of Shilpoprobha, a Bangladeshi art magazine, and is working for the Society of Promotion of Bangladesh Art (SPBA). Many of his creations are part of permanent collections at: Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, the Singapore National Art Museum and Chamalieres Contemporary Art Museum. His works have been exhibited worldwide in Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

LIFE AFTER DARK | Photo story

9

Sleepless in Dhaka

1:30am

Moo-torcade A man traveling with his cows, by foot from Gabtoli, takes a break. He needed to get to Khilgaon by the morning Location: Pathapath

Many of us stay awake late into the night, but we rarely give any thought to what happens beyond our immediate neighbourhood.

Yet, out in the dimly lit corners of the city, nocturnal Dhaka rolls on – never quite falling asleep Photos: Syed Latif Hossain WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 1 4

10 PHoto story | LIFE AFTER DARK

11:45pm 1:30am

1:30am Shooting the breeze

A man grabs a cigarette in front of Al Razzak Restaurant, waiting for a seat ahead of the sehri rush Location: Old Dhaka

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12am

2am In remembrance

Relatives pray at the graves of loved ones Location: Azimpur graveyard

3.15am Twilight jamming

Atom, Biplob, and Azim are musicians who can't afford their own studio so they practise on the road Location: Near Kamlapur railway station

11 11:45pm Ticket to ride

Men counting the minutes until a bus arrives Location: Dhanmondi

12am Painting the town red (and green)

Patriotic vandals paint walls with the colours of the flag during the ICC World Cup Location: Green Road

1am 2am

1am Night market

Men sell boiled eggs to night hawkers near Golapsha Majar Location: Bangabandhu Avenue

3:15am

3:45am 3:45am Late edition

While sleeping passengers line the floors of the station, this night owl catches up on world events Location Kamlapur railway station

WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 1 4

12 sports | world cup finals

Football fans gather in Hatirjheel to watch Argentina beat Switzerland Photo: Syed Latif Hossain

The four football giants Rashad Banna

All that remains now of the 20th Fifa World Cup are the thirdplace playoff and the grand finale at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Here, we take a look at the four semifinalists, two from South America and two from Europe, as they bid to battle it out.

Germany Great expectations: Forget Brazil or Argentina, Germany are perhaps the most consistent nation at the World Cup. Their semifinal appearance on Tuesday was the 13th time they made it to the last four, a record ahead of Brazil’s 11 outings, with three world titles to their name. It is only normal for the football public to expect high

standards from the Die Mannschaft.

Experienced team: The Brazilian footballers may have had a few jitters as most of them are playing their first World Cup, but the current German squad boasts five survivors from the 2006 World Cup at home, and 10 from 2010 in South Africa.

Hot and cold: Playing a brand of power football and heaping continuous pressure upon the opponents when not in possession of the ball are often features of the German style of play, but it is failing to garner the maximum effect in the ongoing edition. With the exception of the convincing 4-0 victory over 10-man Portugal in the opening game, Germany loitered their way to the semis thereafter. It will be safe to say that the Germans have blown hot and cold in Brazil.

A good defence: Netminder Manuel Neuer, more a sweeper like the legendary Franz Beckenbauer than a goalkeeper, has continued to exude confidence at the back, although the established centrehalf pairing of Per Mertesacker and Jerome Boateng has been shaky at times. Step forward centreback Mats Hummels who has not only been solid but vindicated coach Joachim Loew’s faith by scoring two goals.

Middling effort: Toni Kroos has probably exhibited the most impressive displays, but the

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German midfield has been found wanting as the usually reliable Mesut Oezil produced some subpar performances. Veteran Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira, both coming to the tournament with injuries, have played well below expectations while the talented Mario Gotze has been painfully frustrating.

Record breakers: And then there is the curious case of lanky Thomas Muller. Do not judge his footballing skills by his slight build. Known as Ramdeuter (space navigator), the Bayern Munich midfielder has already conjured up a bagful of World Cup goals. With Muller deployed in an unfamiliar role as the only forward in the playing 11, evergreen forward Miroslav Klose broke the record for highest number of goals scored in the competition with 16 goals.

Germany is the only team in the history of the World Cup that beat Brazil seven goals to one in the semi final stage.

13 The Netherlands

Brazil to be getting better with age. There are fewer better sights in football than watching him in full flow, rampaging the opposition defence at will. The controversial dive against Mexico and the subsequent penalty awarded to the Dutch in the round of 16 is unlikely to diminish Robben’s reputation one bit. Last but not least, many glowing tributes have already been written about Van Persie so to put it simply, he is still one of the world’s most lethal finishers.

New school: The Netherlands have always been revered for their enterprising play but the Class of 2014 is a bit different than its predecessors. Thrust on the grandest stage, the mostly twentysomething players have confounded expectations, and enthralled everyone with their promise. Van Gaal should be credited for injecting the vibrancy of youth in his side.

Whatever the fate of the Dutch in the remainder of the World Cup, coach Louis van Gaal, who will manage Manchester United this season, can consider it a huge success.

Flying Dutchmen: Big things were expected from veteran quartet Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt and they have duly delivered. Sneijder might by plying his trade with Galatasaray in the less-fancied Turkish League, but he is never short of inspiration when he pulls on an Oranje shirt.

And the marauding Robben seems

Wind under their wings: Defenders Stefan De Vrij, Bruno MartinsIndi and Daley Blind and forward Memphis Depay have simply lit up the World Cup. Van Persie’s flying, swan-like header against Spain in the group stage, already the stuff of legends, can be largely attributed to the brilliant cross delivered by Daley, son of Ajax legend Danny.

The industrious De Vrij and Martins-Indi have already attracted potential suitors. Depay on the other hand has linked up well with the midfielders and is all set for an illustrious career with the Oranjes.

Football carnivale: No matter what is said about the Brazilian football team, it is never enough.

The Brazilians re-invented the game, adding more colour, pomp and variety on its way to five world titles. Brazil are perhaps the only country where winning is not considered good enough – one has to do it in a majestic way. In that aspect, Brazil have fallen short of perfection their fans demand. With the exception of brief moments of breathtaking elegance against Cameroon and Colombia, Brazil have been rather subdued under the watchful eyes of their oftenanimated coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Without the golden child: No prizes for guessing who has been the best player for the Selecao.

Until an unfortunate back injury in the quarterfinals ruled him of the World Cup, Neymar never stopped giving hope of glory to the nation of 200 million people. The number of goals, assists and shots on/off target kept on piling up before a cruel intervention by Colombia’s

Juan Zuniga wrecked his chances of guiding his country to the summit.

Thiago Silva and Neymar’s absence in the semifinals could have been the main reason behind the lack of zeal in Brazil’s play - something that cost them dearly.

Sidekicks: Ball-playing defender David Luiz, captain Thiago Silva, goalkeeper Julio Cesar, left-back Marcelo (notwithstanding his own goal against Croatia) and defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavo gave their all and somewhat succeeded.

In the shadows: On the contrary, Brazil’s midfield was the biggest letdown. The talented Oscar was a shadow of himself, defensive midfielders Paulinho and Fernandinho needlessly committed one foul after another. The forward line of Fred, Jo and Hulk was even more disappointing. Suffice to say they hardly had any impact on any game, paling in comparison to legends like Romario, Ronaldo and Pele, who once struck their opponents with fear by their sheer presence upfront.

Secret weapon: No Dutch review in this World Cup will be complete without custodian Tim Krul, Van Gaal’s masterstroke last-moment substitution against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals. A few inches taller than regular goalie Jasper Cillessen, Krul’s extra height came in handy as the Newcastle United goalkeeper denied the Central Americans in the tie-breaker.

Argentina in the round of 16 rescued his side from the scare of a looming penalty shootout.

Football haven: Since the turn of the 20th century and when economic superiority began to shift, the Brazilians had great fun mocking their neighbour and eternal rival Argentina as their “poor cousins.” Things could not be farther from the truth, at least in footballing terms. Argentina have always boasted a plethora of talents at their disposal ever since the inception of the World Cup, none more evident than Andres Lionel Messi.

Hopes dashed: Messi, from Rosario, was quite young in 2006 so it would be wrong to blame him for Argentina’s quarterfinal exit to Germany. Greater things though were expected of him four years ago but Messi failed to replicate his club form in the World Cup, much to the dejection of the Albiceleste fans. According to a poll conducted a few years ago, the Argentinian people were so disenchanted that they voted tennis player Juan Martin del Potro as the most famous Argentine sportsman in

recent times, ahead of Messi.

Faith renewed: Messi, “Football God” to some and “The Messiah” to the others. The fans back home in Argentina can have no complaints this time around. Messi has been brilliant and has often been the difference between a victory and a defeat. When most

of his teammates were lagging behind, Messi was there, making up for the mistakes committed by his compatriots. He has scored some brilliant goals, including the free-kick against Nigeria and the superlative winner against Iran when the game was petering out in a draw. His last-gasp assist for Angel di Maria against Switzerland

Battered knights: Other than Messi, the best performers have probably been goalkeeper Sergio Romero and promising left-back Marcos Rojo. Di Maria was just starting to look menacing when a cruel injury, in all likelihood brought to an end his involvement in the rest of the tournament. Sergio “Kun” Aguero was also an injury doubt and never realised his full potential when he did play while Gonzalo “El Pipita” Higuain and the dependable finishing that we normally associate him with started coming back in the quarterfinal against Belgium.

Fantastic four: Los Quatro Fantasticos – Messi, Di Maria, Aguero and Higuain – may not have fired from all cylinders but Messi certainly has. And when Messi portrays himself fully, we all know what the outcome is.

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WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 1 4

14 sport | world cup history

Controversial moments

of World Cups past

If you thought Suarez’s biting incident was bad, check out these stunners from previous tournaments Tausif Sanzum Zidane: From hero to zero (2006)

Zinedine Zidane, a Muslim of Algerian descent, almost singlehandedly led France to the finals against Italy, only to fall stunningly from grace in the 110th minute of the match when he head butted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the chest, drawing a red card that left his side one man down. Materazzi scored the equalising goal, taking them to a penalty shootout that won Italy the cup. Zidane said that he would rather die than apologise to Materazzi, who had reportedly made nasty comments about his mother and sister.

The rain of yellow and red (2006) Russian referee Valentin Ivanov handed out four red cards and sixteen yellow cards in a single match, setting a new record with four dismissals, two each for Netherlands and Portugal. One of his more controversial decisions was awarding only a yellow card to Portugal’s Luis Figo for a headbutt (a popular infraction that year), which is an automatic red card under Fifa rules. Fifa President Sepp Blatter later quipped that the referee should have given himself a yellow card for his poor performance.

Kuwaiti sheikh vetoes a goal (1982) During a game between Kuwait and France, Sheikh Fahad AlAhmad Al-Sabah walked onto the field and asked his players to stop playing in protest of a French goal. Al-Sabah, the then president of the Kuwait Football Association, believed it was scored after his players heard a whistle from the stands and had stopped playing. The match referee, Ukrainian Miroslav Stupar, reversed his decision and disallowed the goal. For the first time in World Cup history, a

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decision was vetoed by a single member of the crowd. This was also Kuwait’s first and last appearance in the World Cup.

Patrick Battiston breaking his vertebrae and losing his teeth (1982) The semifinals of the 1982 World Cup will always be remembered, but not by Patrick Battiston, as he was knocked unconscious

by West German keeper Harald Schumacher. When Battiston chased down to kick a lose ball in the box, little did he know that Schumacher – with his twisted body and butt facing forward – would hit him so hard that he would lose his teeth and break his vertebrae. The worst part of the incident was that the referee did not even award a penalty to Schumacher.

The dubious Argentinian win, 1978 Argentina was under a military dictatorship, which came to power after a coup in 1976.

Conspiracy theories started floating when Argentina needed to win by a margin of at least four goals to qualify for the finals.

It did so by defeating Peru by a margin of 6-0. Argentina won its first ever World Cup that season.

The only time England won, 1966

When England’s Geoff Hurst’s shot hit off the crossbar, went down on the goal line and then went out, Soviet referee Tofik Bakhramov ruled it as a goal, helping England win over West Germany in the extra time they gained thanks to the 2-2 draw.

Many people did not believe it to be a goal. Reportedly, when Bakhramov was asked on his deathbed if it was a goal or not, he said only one word: “Stalingrad” – a place in Soviet Union where 75,000 soldiers died against Nazi Germany.

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Hand of God (1986)

Football maestro Maradona etched his name in the Fifa World Cup with the “Hand of God” incident. In the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico, Argentina faced England in the finals. In the second half of the match, when the ball was crossed into the English box, both the English goalkeeper and Maradona went for it.

Maradona then used his hands

to steer the ball into the back of the net and scored the winning goal. The referee did not see the hand contact and allowed the goal to stand. When Maradona was asked later how he scored the goal, he replied: “Un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios” meaning “A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.”

Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi | Legalese

VERBAL Contract killer

Q

“I recently opened up a shop on a family friend’s property, with an agreement to pay him a certain amount.

However, after a few months of the shop operating very successfully, he raised the rent, claiming that he had the right to do so because

A

Every cloud has a silver lining.

The silver lining here, obviously, is that your shop has turned out to be a fantastic and successful venture.

The cloud here, obviously, is your landlord. He is most definitely of the impression that he has stumbled upon a gold mine (namely you) and is eager to extract his weight in gold.

The sad part is that you cannot blame the man for doing so, because this is primal human nature. Now let us have a look at a few legal intricacies and see how I may be able to advise you.

Nothing is more exasperating than individuals or even corporate organisations underestimating the benefits of seeking legal advice.

Unfortunately we, as a nation, all tend to save a few additional pennies and attempt to DIY everything, from designing our own houses to drafting our own legal agreements or, in your case, not making an agreement at all.

The Contract Act 1872, applicable in Bangladesh, outlines which agreements may amount to contracts. Section 10 states that all agreements are contracts if they are made with the free consent of parties, competent to contract for a lawful consideration, with a lawful object, and are not expressly declared to be void.

Therefore, on the surface of it, there appears to have been some sort of contract between you and your family friend.

However, the absence of a written agreement will actually

15

Got a problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

he didn’t realise the shop would be doing so well.

This is unfortunate, because this land was lying empty for years before, and now I am being threatened with eviction if I don’t pay the increased price.

What legal action can I take? We don’t have a written contract, only a verbal agreement, do I have any option other than coughing up?”

mean that, at the end of the day, it’ll come down to your word against his.

You may be a big fan of the truth, but that does not mean the same would apply with him.

In fact, more often than not, it is common for people to embellish their accounts of events when presenting to an authoritative figure.

Thus, even if you do try and bring a claim against your family friend for breach of contract, chances are you will fail.

But surely there must be some sort of rent control law which would govern this arena and prevent innocent tenants from being exploited mercilessly by fradulent landlords?

Yes, there is. Section 7 of the House Rent Control Act 1991 states that where the rent of any premises has been increased so as to exceed the standard rent, the amount of such excess shall, not withstanding any agreement to the contrary, be irrevocable.

Additionally, the law also states that if a notice claiming rent at the enhanced rate is given by a landlord to his tenant, giving him the option to vacate in case he is unwilling or unable to pay the enhanced rent, and the tenant continues to be in occupation of the premises without protest, the landlord would be entitled to recover rent at the enhanced rate, unless the court finds that the enhanced rate is itself unreasonable or penal.

Is the new rent, that your family friend is asking, unreasonable or penal? Does it massively exceed the standard rate in the particular

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo

neighborhood?

Also, the landlord cannot unilaterally determine what the fair or reasonable rent for the premises is and claim it from the tenant, so long as the relationship of landlord and tenant between them has not come to an end.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? There’s only one little problem. You do not have an agreement – therefore it is difficult to establish a landlordtenant relationship, especially

taking account of the fact that it has just been a couple of months.

Your only solution: Leave or cough up. I know this is definitely not what you were hoping to be told, but let this serve as a cautionary tale.

Next time, make sure you seek the appropriate legal advice before taking any major decisions. It makes no sense to lose out massively in the future, just to save a few pennies in the present.

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

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16 TOUGH LOVE | DINA SOBHAN

Boring fool and daddy cool Q

I have been in a relationship with a guy for the past six years. It is, more than anything, comfortable.

However, recently I went to a retreat and met another man, who I can’t stop thinking about.

He struck a chord with me and I can’t get over it. This has also made me think that perhaps my current relationship is more of an emotional settlement than “true love.” I am tempted to step out of it and give it a shot with the new guy, but am afraid to move out of my comfort zone. What do I do?

A

Well, I guess that is a decision you’re going to have to make for yourself. But let me paint a scenario for you: You’ve been in a relationship for some time. It’s nice and familiar. Your average evening consists of reheating leftover khichuri and watching the new episode of Suits or whichever American TV show is making the rounds on Star World.

And…yawn…. Zzzzz…Oh, I’m sorry, I must’ve fallen asleep.

If you want to spend the rest of life in an “emotional settlement,” which I’m assuming is similar to a love gulag then, by all means, be my guest.

I should warn you that marriage is pretty much the

equivalent but usually with children and a lot less sex. Given the option, no sane person would decline a whirlwind romance full of passion and excitement for the love gulag.

Unless, of course, that person is pathologically boring, an impeachable coward, or utterly kangaroo-hopping mad.

I am giving you the benefit of the doubt in presuming you are none of these things. Therefore, you must go home, dump your boyfriend and invite the hot, new man over for a drink.

Of course, it could be an utter fiasco, in which case you can always call your ex, who will be waiting patiently in the wings licking his wounds, and reinstate him back into the dull routine of your mundane existence.

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune. com

Q

My daughter wants to get married to a man 22 years her senior. The guy seems nice and comes from a good family, but I can’t help thinking it’s a bit strange.

I’m worried she’ll end up caring for an old man while she’s still in the prime of her life. Yet another part of me thinks that if they’re in love it doesn’t matter. Am I right to worry?

A

It seems to me your daughter has a daddy complex. To clarify, that is when a young woman dates a man significantly older than herself to assuage whatever unresolved issues she has with her own father.

Maybe your husband was caring but distant, maybe he was an alcoholic abuser and your daughter was the product of a divorced home. Or maybe he was just one of those guys unfit to father and more comfortable in the Gulshan Club with a scotch in his hands.

Either way, your daughter feels the need to compensate for that in this somewhat odd but not uncommon manner. Deal with it.

If the guy is nice and will give her the emotional nurturing she clearly needs, then you should support it 100%, unless you’re prepared to spend the next two decades of your life picking up the pieces of her broken relationships with men her own age who couldn’t nurture a cactus if their lives depended on it.

Chances are she will have a happy, if brief, first marriage with the old geezer and, once he moves on to greener pastures on the other side, she will go on to have a second marriage without all the emotional baggage of unresolved father issues. It’s a win-win.

.

Dina Sobhan is a freelance writer, and cautions readers not to take her ‘advice’ here too seriously!

Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

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night crimes | crime file

Dhaka: Gotham City

17

The troubling rise of smoothly executed, innovative forms of crime Promiti Prova Chowdhury

R

ecently, there have been many stories circulating on social media about terrible muggings occurring in the Gulshan and Banani areas. These incidents have triggered a lot of fear.

The nature of these crimes not only indicates the prudence and genius of those behind them, but also send a cold shudder through the spine.

The denizens of Dhaka are already familiar with the term “molom party.” Now new gangs have sprung up across the city, since the time of “molom party,” that spread out during the dark hours.

Dhil party

“Dhil party” is one such kind of gang that is mostly found in the area around the airport in Dhaka.

If a car is running on the highway after midnight, the dhil (brickchips) party men will throw brick chips at the car, trying to break its windows or windshield. Naturally the driver would stop the car and come out. This is the moment when the criminals attack, and may take away the car and other belongings from those present inside.

Egging party

Sometimes, the act is carried out in the same manner, with the only difference being the use of eggs instead of brick-chips. When eggs are thrown on the windshield, the driver will naturally start the wipers. But because of the wiping, the windshield becomes opaque. Consequently, the driver stops the car and the muggers carry out their job.

Crocodile tears

To be a victim of such heinous acts, you need not necessarily wait till the dark hours of night.

Some unprecedented forms of crimes are there to shock you right after the sun sets. In particular,

women are targeted. A crying child would go to a lady and say that he or she has gotten lost. The lady sympathises and is likely to offer help. The child will then show some address and request her to take him or her there. Once the lady reaches the spot, the men behind this act come out, and there is a good chance that the lady would be gang-raped besides being mugged.

Lift party

Then there is the “lift party.”

This one is fascinating as a large number of good looking males, females and fancy cars are involved in this criminal act.

Suppose that you are waiting at the bus station at night. A good looking person with a fancy car (often lacking a number plate and stolen) and a gentle smile stops and offers you a lift. If it is a man and the imposter is a beautiful woman, it is likely that the man would accept the offer for the lift.

Thus the victim is carried to a spooky, quiet place and mugged, injured or even murdered by the

rest of the gang members.

Cycle thief

Be extra watchful while driving a motorbike on the flyovers or highways at night. It is highly unlikely that you will notice the thin rope or wire that is lying just ahead of you.

These are bike hijackers, who wait there holding a rope from both sides of the flyover or road.

Often the rider is caught by his neck and severely injured on the spot, sometimes even killed. Thus the goons - hijackers or muggers, whatever you call them - easily take the motorbike away.

Besides ropes and wires, of course they have guns.

Sometimes they might shoot the rider on his leg to steal the bike.

Hard hearted

Being humane can also bring dire consequence for someone these days. A person pretending to be ill might just show up and act as if fainting in front of your car. It is natural that you will stop the car to see what’s happening. In the

meantime, the other bats come out of the bushes to attack you.

Or a beautiful lady might stop your rickshaw and ask you for a certain address. She might even cry, saying she has been mugged or is lost and helpless. If you opt to help her by taking her to the address, know that her gang members are eagerly waiting for you there.

Bad dealer

Let’s not forget the drug peddlers who sell yaba and alcohol which are more popular among the privileged youths, while ganja is the choice of the less privileged.

Hatirjheel, Beribandh in Mirpur, lanes of Gulshan 2, areas around Dhanmondi Lake have become the party zone of these youths at night to freely consume these drugs.

Lady killer

As always, there is eve-teasing.

If a female is passing the New Market or TSC area by a rickshaw after 10, there is a chance that the roadside romeos will snatch away her orna.

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18 Stay in

Dhaka nights through Himu’s eyes

Faisal Mahmud

YouTube: How it should have ended

M

ost of us love watching Hollywood movies. They have talented casts and crews and usually work with a really big budget, creating a feast for the eyes. However, in every movie, there are almost always enough loose ends for one to be able to brainstorm an alternate ending.

The YouTubers of “How It Should Have Ended” (HISHE for short) take advantage of this, with hilarious effect.

Each episode deals with a single movie. HISHE creates humour by coming up with a different ending to the original movie. The episodes are

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

animated and voiced by a very talented cast.

This channel will keep you entertained for hours. When you get sucked into it, you’ll be rolling on the floor with laughter.

So, if you have time to spare this weekend, check out the channel first hand: www. youtube.com/HISHEdotcom Note: Each episode contains spoilers from the original film, so make sure to watch only the episodes about movies you’ve already seen.

Recommendations: Oblivion, Spiderman 3, Titanic, Captain America, Lord of the Rings, 300 and Aliens.

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N

o other writer in Bangla literature has better portrayed nightlife in Dhaka than the late Humayun Ahmed. With his immortal yellow punjabi, he roamed the nooks and crannies of the city barefoot. In the book “Himu Remandey,” Himu is captured and taken into custody

by RAB, and they too became his disciples.

Himu also observed the lifestyles

Mini cryptics Clues

ACROSS 1 Where one lives is partly in Panama (7) 4 Scene shows Mario in commercial returns (7) 6 Twisting road ran to mountainous land (7) 7 Elation about something that requires clipping (7) DOWN 1 Messily try hand at firefighting equipment (7) 2 Fair secret agent holds first of lessons (5) 3 A five in way of effort (7) 5 Courts temptress initially in song (5)

Last week’s sudoku solutions

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Last week’s Mini Cryptics solutions

HISHE Shah Nahian

of the floating people in the city, who lived inside municipal drainage pipes. On many occasions, he spent the night inside the pipes with the people who came to Dhaka seeking better fortune, but end up living in a state of destitution.

In the book Himur Ditio Prohor, Badal, Himu’s cousin and a big fan, gave him an expensive sleeping bag as a gift. Later on in the book, Himu gave that bag away to a person living on the footpath, because Himu received hospitality from that person, who got him a space on the footpath so that Himu could sleep.

In that very book, Himu got scared during the night for the first and last time. He went inside a narrow lane of Kalabagan and saw something that scared him so bad that he had to consult a psychiatrist.

With that incident, we also get a picture of the paranormal and scary side of Dhaka’s nightlife.

But the best thing immortalized by the nighttime roamings of Himu is the passion for the observation of moonlight. Himu mainly walks the streets of Dhaka to feel the moonlight. In his own words: “When the whole city sleeps, the moon comes down and I start eating the moonlight.”

ACROSS 1 More than one friend has confused URL (6) 6 Amusements nitrogen oxide has me in (5) 7 Hide poncho (5) 8 Damned confused question (6) DOWN 2 Match kitchen, for example, to space (7) 3 Dish maker in resort (7) 4 Hear 51 songs first, then X more (6) 5 Serene comes first in tartan (6)

Go out

19

Weekly Planner

SHOPPING |Social Entrepreneurs Expo When July 17-19, 10am-6pm Where Gulshan Shooting Club,

Gulshan 2

What With Eid on the way,

shopping is foremost in everyone’s mind. To assist you with those last-minute purchases, White Collar Events is hosting an Eid Exhibition.

The exhibition will display the products of renowned designer boutiques and online stores

carrying jewelry, cosmetics and other accessories. A variety of products will be on display.

All shoppers are welcome to browse the stalls. There is no entrance fee.

The event will be supported by the business clubs of the following universities: NSU, BRAC, AIUB, ASIA Pacific, Ashanullah University and EastWest University.

July 11

July 12-22

Travel | DhakaSundarbans-Dhaka (Deluxe Package)

Charity | The Art of Cinema: Editing Workshop

by Insight Tours Bangladesh.

Activities include a visit to Karamjal Eco Tourist Park, a river cruise along the Harbaria channels, and a hike inside the Sundarbans forest to the Harbaria watchtower. Food and drink will be complimentary. The fee is Tk8,500 per person.

519, Road 1 (beside Bel Tower), Dhanmondi What Asian Institute of Media and Communications-Bangladesh (AIMC) is hosting this workshop in Dhaka again. Interested parties should register on the Facebook page. The course fee is TK10,000. For more information call 01953007303 or email aimcbangladesh@gmail.com

When 7am-11pm Where Aarong at Asad Gate What A one-day tour conducted

Charity | Football for All – Share Your Happiness

July 14-29 Charity | Zakat Clothing for the Ultra-poor

When 10am-12pm Where Gulshan Youth Club,

Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan 2

What BD Football and Socially

Active Youths are jointly hosting Football for All – a charity drive – in celebration of the World Cup. All football enthusiasts are invited to donate their old jerseys, footballs or boots to poor children who cannot afford to buy their own gear.

July 12 Screening | Tareque Masud and the Journey to Adam Surat When 3:30pm-4pm Where Daily Star-Bengal Arts

Precinct What Second Sight’s closing ceremony will feature the screening of an interview with Tareque Masud on how he and his friends made “Adam Surat” - Tareque’s first film, a documentary about the artist SM Sultan.

Music | Flip Flop Jazz When July 17, 8pm-10pm Where Goethe-Institut

Bangladesh, House 10, Road 9 Dhanmondi WHAT While still rare in Bangladesh, Ramadan concerts are common in many other Muslim countries. The Goethe-Institut Bangladesh arranged such a concert for Ramadan.

Following the tradition of former years, they will once again have Sascha Pinkas on saxophone for an inspiring evening of jazz.

Sascha will be accompanied

by Saad on piano, Mitun on percussion, Nafeez on drums, Pandu on guitar and Morshed on bass. The show is is open to all.

Send your events to weekend@dhakatribune.com

JULY

2014

When 10am-2pm Where Akash Varanda, House

When 10am-4pm Where House 20, Road 4, Block

F, Banani

What The Citizens Programme

for Human Development (CPHD) will start distributing clothing on the 15th of Ramadan. Anyone interested in donating clothes can do so at the CPHD head office (address above).

July 15 Education | Self Development Workshop

When 9am-9pm Where EMK Center, 9th

Floor, House 5, Road 27 (old), Dhanmondi What Life Carnival Foundation will be hosting a workshop to help individuals discover their passions and work towards their goals. The workshop will be conducted by professionals, and the two time Mt Everest conquering mountaineer MA Mohit will be the guest speaker. For more information, and for registration, contact 01839138452, 01716513719 or 01684252299.

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20 funny bone | flirting fail Photo: Abu Naser

Photos: Abu Naser

A hater’s take on Dhaka nightlife Yamin Khan

A

s an 80s kid, late 80s to be precise, I was born into a Dhaka where any kind of male to female interaction outside the family would fall under any one of the three categories: “tanki,” “line mara” and “fielding.”

All the neighbourhood aunties would take pride in the fact that their daughter was perfect while everyone else’s children were corrupt.

In hindsight, this sentiment actually helped them get along with each other. No matter what your differences were, as long as you hated other people’s children, you could become friends.

Fast forward 25 years and you’ll realise Dhaka has changed a lot.

Those angelic teenagers have become parents themselves, and are at the other end of the spectrum now.

As a result, romantic relationships are not frowned upon any more.

Parents have become more liberal but at their core they are still very conservative. They realised that maybe falling in love isn’t as bad as going to an evil DJ party.

A 21st century teenager revolts by staying out late and dancing with strangers. Or if their social skills

Yamin Khan is a comedian and CEO of Bangladesh Struggling Artist Survivors Foundation

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don’t permit that, then they sit at home and create the impression that they are out dancing with strangers.

After all they just need to click “Join” on the Facebook event page.

As for myself, I am old so can’t be a teenager and I don’t have any

touching stories, most of which revolved around her glorious childhood days back in her village home in Gulshan 2.

Most of the girls who attend these parties have three sets of clothes: salwar kameezes for everyday

In order to save myself from the potential embarrassment I have a dancing quota of 20 minutes per party qualities to attract the ladies.

So an average night in Dhaka would consist of either watching a movie at home or going out for dinner with some close friends.

Sometimes it amazes me that we manage to remain reasonably fit in a city with so many restaurants and zero night life. Okay, zero may be too harsh. You obviously have those occasional DJ parties I was referring to earlier.

During one such party, I was having a conversation with this rich guy whose elder brother just bought a brand new Ferrari the day before.

Being a car enthusiast myself, I wanted to take it for a spin, but it wasn’t meant to happen since, quite conveniently, the car got stolen that very morning.

Then there was this other time when this really nice girl entertained us for hours with her

use, some saris for weddings and “western” for the big night out.

As for the guys, they hand pick their most expensive formal suit in preparation for the dance floor – which is a tad bit disappointing, for the famous 90s band Inner Circle who had a somewhat different idea in mind when they came up with their hit single: “Girl, I want to make you sweat…”

As for my dancing skills, a lot of people would like to describe me as a “reserved” dancer, which is the most polite way of narrating my incompetence.

In my opinion, if noise can be labelled music then maybe – and I am stressing the “maybe” – my movements could also be called dancing.

So in order to save myself from the potential embarrassment, I have a dancing quota of 20 minutes per

party. That is, if they are playing only Beethoven or Mozart.

The positive is that some of my friends actually do try to help me out. Their weapon of choice is William W Purkey: “You’ve got to dance like there’s nobody watching…” and they never get tired of repeating themselves: “Yamin, you’ve got to dance like there’s nobody watching …. Hey man, dance like there’s nobody watching.”

Well guess what? Whenever I dance, everyone is watching!

Even the nice guy who works as a motivational speaker during the day.

When I am not dancing, I like to sit and colour people, in my mind. I put them in different categories and start colouring them. “I love brands but it’s a one-way relationship” will get yellow. “I’ve been to way better parties than this” gets blue.

And “I can’t dance so I will hate on everyone else” will get black.

Sometimes if you are lucky you can dodge the 20 repetitions by drunken friends: “I love her more than my life” or “Why doesn’t she love me more than her life?” and actually strike up an interesting conversation with someone.

And this is exactly how I met my current girlfriend. By God’s grace, things have been smooth so far.

The only glitch is that her husband disapproves of this relationship.

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