Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 14

| vo l 2 I ssu e 14 | F R I D AY, A UG UST 15, 2014

Supermoon Dhaka

8

pakhi dress

15

Hackers Anonymous

17

Krishna

CONTENTS

1

Volume 2 | Issue 14 | August 15, 2014 Editor Zafar Sobhan

News

Executive Editor Shahriar Karim

2 This Week

Managing Editor Jahangir Hyder

3 Meanwhile...

Features Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Features

Assistant Magazine Editor Rumana Habib Weekend Tribune Team Tasnuva Amin Nova Mark S Baidya Farhana Urmee Rifat Islam Esha Faisal Mahmud Shah Nahian Farina Noireet Tausif Sanzum Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain Cartoons Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo

4 Listology Social pages 5 Funny Bone The new Dhaka 8 Media Free flow of information

6

12 Feature 2nd least livable city 15 Digital Bangladesh Hackers Anonymous

feature

Environment Green Savers

18 Obituary Robin Williams

Contributors Quamrul Abedin Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi Muhammad Zareef Kamal Ruwaida Khandker Dina Sobhan

20 Event World’s Indigenous Peoples Day

Regulars

Graphics Alamgir Hossain Tahsin Momin

14 Legalese When lawyers count

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood

16 Tough love Wishful lover & married flirter

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

the cover

Supermoon over Gulshan Lake, August 11.

A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with perigee (the closest point to Earth in its orbit).

This year we had three supermoons in row. The next one will be visible on September 10.According to NASA, this one was the largest and closest of the year, and 30% brighter, affording this stunning view of the Dhaka skyline at night.

Photo:SK Iftekhar Ahsan

17 Origin Story Krishna

19 Go out Dhaka Planetarium

9

Photo story

Dhaka’s outsider playground | v o l 2 I s s u e 1 3 | F R I D AY, A U G UST 8 , 2 0 1 4

Editor’s note

Supermoon Dhaka This is our city, for better (rooftop garden brigade, pg 6-7) or worse (unlivable city, pg 12-13).

We decided to just own it this week and have a sense of humour: faux violence (I am Dhaka, pg 3), hilarious new trends (pg 5), Pakhi dress disasters (pg 8), and all.

And speaking of humour, we take a moment to mourn the recent loss of Robin Williams (pg 18).

In our photostory, we celebrate Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka’s outsider playground (pg 9-11). We

also celebrate Krishna in advance of Sunday’s Janmashtami holiday (pg 17).

Dhaka is also the capital of “digital Bangladesh,” with our very own Facebook social scene (pg 4) and local hackers (pg 15).

Despite the new Dhaka, some things never change, and we look back at the complicated history of the CHT (pg 20).

But still: Always look up.

- Rumana Habib

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2 News | this week

The world in 60 seconds War files

Migration matters

This picture released by the Italian Navy shows migrants on a boat on the Mediterranean Sea after being rescued on August 3. The navy announced Monday it had rescued more than 2,700 people during the weekend during their crossing the coast of North Africa to Europe, and recovered two corpses near the Libyan coast. Some 93,000 boat immigrants have been plucked from rickety vessels in the Mediterranean since the start of the year.

Photo: AFP/Marina Militare Iraqi Christians, who fled the violence in Iraq’s largest Christian town of Qaraqosh, rest on Tuesday in the garden of Ainkawa’s Saint Joseph church, on the outskirts of Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Iraqi Christians who fled a jihadist onslaught, packed several families to a room in the church, have lost hope in their country and long to emigrate.

Photo: AFP

US and Iran ready to help new Iraq leader Iraq’s new prime ministerdesignate won swift endorsements from both the United States and Iran on Tuesday, as he called on political leaders to end crippling feuds that have let jihadists seize a third of the country. Haider al-Abadi still faces threats closer to home, where his Shia party colleague Nuri al-Maliki has refused to step aside as premier, after eight years that have alienated Iraq’s once dominant Sunni minority and irked Washington and Tehran.

Kiev warns against Russian aid to Ukraine A Russian convoy carrying food, water and other aid, set off on Tuesday for eastern Ukraine,

where government forces are closing in on pro-Russian rebels.

But Kiev said it would not allow the vehicles to cross onto its territory.

Kiev and western governments warned Moscow against any attempt to turn the operation into a military intervention by stealth, in a region facing a humanitarian crisis after four months of warfare.

Gaza ceasefire talks ‘difficult’ but truce holds Talks to end a month-long war between Israel and Gaza militants are “difficult,” Palestinian delegates said on Tuesday, while an Israeli official said no progress had been made so far.

As a 72-hour ceasefire was held for a second day, Palestinian negotiators began talks with Egyptian intelligence after a meeting on Monday that lasted nine hours. The Israeli delegation returned to Cairo on Tuesday.

News: Reuters

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Hundreds of migrants attempt to enter Spain Some 700 migrants stormed a border fence to try to enter Spain’s northwest African enclave city of Melilla from Morocco on Tuesday, while the sea rescue service said it had picked up some 470 others trying to enter the country clandestinely by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, packed into 49 small boats, officials said.

An Interior Ministry statement said the Melilla migrants used makeshift wooden ladders to try to scale the six-meter barbed-wire fences, and threw stones at police.

Some 30 migrants managed to enter the city. Three were treated for minor injuries. Around 50

migrants were still atop the fence several hours later.

The sea rescue service intercepted 299 migrants in 29 boats on Monday.

The boat migrants were taken to the southern port of Tarifa for medical attention by the Spanish Red Cross. They were given blankets and water on arrival. All were said to be in good health.

Thousands of migrants try to enter Spain from northwest Africa by land or sea each year in a bid to reach Europe in search of a better life.

News: AP

Economy

health

Asbestos gets second life in India

Medical ethics on Ebola

The Indian executives mingled over tea and sugar cookies, and the chatter was upbeat. Their industry, they said, saves lives and brings roofs, walls and pipes to some of the world’s poorest people. Their product?

Asbestos. Outlawed in much of the developed world for links to cancer and other diseases, it is still going strong in the developing one. In India alone, it’s a $2b industry providing 300,000 jobs, as businesspeople downplay the health risks.

News: AP

The World Health Organisation declared that it is ethical to use unproven Ebola drugs and vaccines in the outbreak in West Africa provided the right conditions are met. The statement from the UN health agency came amid a worldwide debate over the medical ethnics surrounding the Ebola outbreak, which it has called an international health emergency.

However the agency sidestepped the key questions of who should get the limited drugs and how that should be decided.

News: AP

Meanwhile... | News

3

I am Dhaka

I saw this child playing with a plastic gun in Tejgaon, and asked him: “Are you an activist for Awami League or BNP?” He continued his running and said: “I am RAB, I am RAB! Who are you? Dhishiao, dhishiao!”

Photo: Syed Latif Hossian

Deadly vacation selfie

A

mother and father fell to their death while vacationing with their children in Portugal after attempting to take a selfie on the side of a cliff.

According to reports, the Polish family was visiting Cabo da Roca, Portugal, and decided to spend time on the cliffs. In an attempt to capture the moment, the parents decided to round the kids up and take some pictures. While taking a photo, the parents slipped off the edge of the cliff in front of their children’s eyes.

Due to bad weather, rescue workers were unable to retrieve the bodies from the ocean on Saturday, but after the weather cleared up on Sunday, the bodies were brought to shore.

Say what?

The children are reportedly in the care of Polish diplomats following their parents’ tragic deaths.

They are reportedtly speaking to psychologists in order to deal with what they witnessed.

News: Desk

Inspiring the world’s youth

I

nternational Youth Day (IYD) was celebrated on August 12 – an initiative that takes place on the same day every year to celebrate the potential of our youth as partners in today’s global society.

According to UNESCO: “IYD is an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, as well as an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges and hardships facing the world’s youth.”

This year, the theme of IYD was “Youth and Mental Health” under the slogan “Mental Health Matters.”

[Check out next week’s issue of the Weekend Tribune for more on this important issue.]

5 inspirational quotes for International Youth Day: 1. “Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels, but old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young” – JK Rowling 2. “Young people need models, not critics” – John Wooden 3. “Middle age is youth without levity, and age without decay” – Doris Day 4. “An inordinate passion for pleasure is the secret of remaining young” – Oscar Wilde 5. “Time misspent in youth is sometimes all the freedom one ever has” – Anita Brookner

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4 Listology | Social pages

Battle of the ‘likes’ Facebook has become the voice of the world, and we are no exception.

These are some of the most popular Facebook pages, that have become virtual meeting grounds for local Bangladeshis Tausif Sanzum Desperately Seeking Dhaka Number of members: 46k Genre: Classified, advice Founded in: 2013

The most popular group on the list in terms of sheer number of members, DSD is definitely the Craigslist of this city. The group has become the one-stop platform for people looking for jobs, houses, pets, restaurants, buying/selling materials.

It has also become a forum for soliciting recommendations (“a good repair shop for high-end sound systems”), community information (warnings about the white Allion muggers), and even social and existential questions, such as: “desperately seeking real friends.”

The group admins strictly monitor posts and delete spam, offensive messages, and comments that do not adhere to its core ideology.

FoodBank

Number of members: 28k Genre: Restaurant reviews Founded in: 2014 Want to go to a restaurant but have no idea how the food might be?

Just write a post on FoodBank, and within minutes you will get responses from other food enthusiasts that will help you make your decision.

This group has become a central hub for foodies in the city. According to the founder Shish Swapnik, he and his friends wanted “to create a platform where foodies from all over Bangladesh and abroad can share their experiences.”

When a group is as popular as FoodBank, it definitely requires a lot of monitoring. Shish says they “have tons of spam posts and fake profiles joining the group.”

However their team of admins constantly look out for and deal with irregular and irrelevant posts in the group. They deny any business aspect to this group, but “through hard negotiations managed to pull off discounts for

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Facebook chatter There are 8.4 million Bangladeshi users on Facebook (according to a June 2014 report from Facebook Inc).

Our hectic time-crunched society is making our lives busier than ever, but we are still very passionate about our interests. Some good news for the Green Savers team (see pg 6-7): 7% of people consider gardening a hobby.

Fashion also seems to be big preoccupation across the board.

Women make up roughly one-fourth of Facebook users in Bangladesh, clocking in at 1.2 million users. Though a smaller audience, they are big consumers.

Advertisers of beauty products should take note that cosmetics, haircare, skincare and fragrances are attracting a great deal of interest.

group members” at numerous restaurants and cafes.

Plaantik

Number of likes: 24k Genre: Sports Founded in: 2011 The overflow of football related news during the recent World Cup frenzy made one thing clear: Bangladesh is not only for cricket lovers.

Plaantik has known that for years. They aim to provide a platform for Bangladeshi football lovers to share their views, ideas and knowledge about the latest happenings around the world.

Plaantik was the brainchild of Tawsif B Akkas, Aarony Zade, Abir Ahmed Chowdhury and Majed ul Huq. Tawsif told us that although they do not have a business model as of now, they have had some commercial partnerships with other organisations that helped them finance various events and operations that they are passionate about.

Plaantik also offers an Android app available for download.

bob – boys of bangladesh Number of likes: 5k Genre: LGBT community Founded in: August 2010

Though this one might have comparatively fewer followers, one cannot undervalue the influence this group has in the LGBT community. Tanvir Alim, the current general secretary of BoB, said the idea for this group was first conceived in 2002 as an online Yahoo group, to provide a safe platform for gay men to share their experiences.

Over the last decade, BoB has expanded to become one of the pioneering stages from which LGBT rights could be voiced in Bangladesh. Tanvir told us the page has been helpful in organising diverse events for supporters and members of the LGBT community.

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WebAble is a digital media consultancy based in Bangladesh, which believes in the power of the web to transform the way businesses communicate with its customers. Learn more about them at webable.com.bd

Yamin Khan | Funny bone

5

The new Dhaka

Of Dhaka trends: DSLRs, traffic and burgers Yamin Khan Yamin Khan is a comedian and CEO of Bangladesh Struggling Artist Survivors Foundation

So, back to food...

Before I get derailed any further, let me finish what I had to say about the sudden outburst of restaurants in this city. I have nothing against restaurants and food. In fact, all it takes is a good burger to turn my horrible days into bearable ones.

But did you notice the names of some of these food carts? WOW, Awesome and what not. I mean do they really lack creativity, or is shameless showing off a new trend these days? To be honest, I won’t even be surprised if they come up next with Awe-Inspiring or Breathtaking Burger.

And then there’s this one cart called Chennai Express. Even people from Chennai would find it funny. Incidentally, some of my friends went there last week, and it was nothing more than Shahrukh Khan pretending to be Rajnikanth while serving dosas.

Party town

I

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo

left Dhaka back in 2006 (to complete my undergrad studies). When I returned after four years, I had no job, almost no money in my bank account and a hairstyle that would make even Dr Phil feel insecure about himself.

Now, the advantage of staying away for four years is that the transformations stand out very significantly. In my personal case, Dhaka can be split into two parts: pre-2006 (when I used to be a loser with no friends) and post-2010 (when I continued being a loser with no friends).

In a jam

Talking of the city itself, the change that would unanimously top the list has to be the insane increase in traffic congestion. Let me give you an example to highlight on the gravity of the situation: I have this friend who lives in Banani, and she had to end her seven-yearlong relationship because of long distance complications.

Guess what? Her boyfriend lives in Dhanmondi.

Now let me present you with another piece of information: Did you know that during rush hour, it takes longer to travel from Gulshan 1 to Gulshan 2 than it does to fly from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazaar – that is, if you are not flying on Bangladesh Biman. In that case, the duration of the flight is more like a lady’s real age: Everyone is curious but no one has the answer.

Trendy city

Next up on the list has to be the sudden outburst of cafes, lounges, sheesha bars and food carts. Being a food lover, I am not complaining at all. In fact, I am glad that there are so many cuisines available these days.

What I find funny is the fact that we love to follow trends. For example, at one point it was all about having a guitar and forming a band. The band’s name had to be the least used word in the English

vocabulary and all band members had to wear black clothes with matching sunglasses. I am sure that if you look into their closet you’ll find 20 black T-shirts, all of them looking exactly the same.

Then over time, the “band culture” made way for the DSLR community. These days you can’t attend a single event without finding a guy who has a DSLR hanging around his neck. In fact, the other day this guy introduced himself saying: “Hi. I am Rajib. The DSLR guy of this party.”

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not making fun of photographers in general. There are genuinely passionate and talented photographers among us, who have presented us with amazing work and made us feel proud as a nation.

I am talking about the wannabe photographers who use their camera to appear cool and hunt down chicks. In fact, these days the most popular pick up line is: “Ashen apu, apnar Facebook profile picture ta tuley dei.”

As I mentioned earlier, like the “band culture” made way for the DSLR community, the restaurant culture is a sequel to the “event management boom.” There was a time when anybody and everybody in Dhaka city used to own an event management company, some of them as young as school-going kids.

Facebook Name: MC Syko RiD1 (real name: Sheikh Ridwan Hossain) Age: 13 years Profession: Managing Director and Founder at Devils Nightmare Events

Where the heart is

To sum up, I may have been a bit cynical in my attempt to bring out the humour, but the reality is that our magical Dhaka city accommodates and generates livelihoods for more than 150 million people.

So no matter how much we complain, this is our home, our identity. I love Dhaka because I love myself.

So if we want to see a better Dhaka then we first need to improve ourselves. Dhaka will only give us what it gets in return.

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6 Environment | Green savers

Call in the gr

Need more nature in your life?

These volunteers will come to your home or office and transform your space into a garden - for free Farhana Urmee Used plastic bottles and shoes can be containers for plants

W

ith Dhaka’s greenery being massively reduced due to growing urbanisation, Green Savers arrive on the scene as superheroes. Their sole intention is saving the city’s greenery, in every possible way.

Over the past three years, this group of young people have come together with one goal and has been able to create small but refreshing pockets of green within our grey city.

Creative gardening

This banner hangs outside their offices, and reads: ‘We are Green Savers. We use your discarded household items to make a charming indoor garden.We are ready to make a garden for you for free. You can also be a member of our voluntary organisation.’

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Green Savers’ two prime “crimefighting” methods, indoor planting and rooftop gardening, are effective ways to re-introduce greenery to the concrete jungle.

Their motto is: “Apnar khorochhe, amader goroje” (at your cost, by our effort). Green Savers team will come to your place with their resource store of plants, seeds, and soil to install a garden in your parlour, terrace, rooftop, or staircase. They can even create a hanging garden, in case of space constraints.

They also like to recycle various waste materials from your home, transforming them into beautiful homes for plants. Typical items include: plastic bottles, used shoes/ gumboots, broken jars, old car tires, and rejects from your wardrobe like old shirts or jeans.

Green Savers will install the garden, teach you the basics of caring and maintenance, and offer followup assistance in case any further plant-rearing help is required.

You pay only for the nominal cost of the materials, plants and soil, which they primarily grow in their

own nursery, or sometimes acquire from elsewhere. There is no cost for the service that they provide to you.

Their objective is to promote the concept that it does not cost much to start your very own little home garden, and that in the process, you also get your chance to recycle and do your bit for the environment in a fun, stress-free way.

As they like to put it, the cost is the time and space that you are granting them to make a garden, and save the green from being lost.

Seeds of change

Ahsan Rony, 27, from Jamalpur district, is the leader of Green Savers, and says he got the idea for his organisation soon after he moved to Dhaka, when he began to miss the beauty and calming effect of the greenery of his home town.

He used to earn extra pocket money as a home tutor, and one of his students had a spacious apartment as a family home. He asked his student what his hobby was, and he said he played video games.

“Playing video games is not a hobby,” Rony said, and he got to thinking about more healthy urban activities for young people. He had always been fond of gardening, so he asked his student’s family if they would allow him to install a little garden over their balcony and terrace.

The positive experience was the first step. Rony saw not only that his student’s family loved the new transformation to their home, but also that it brought out a sincere interest in nurturing and caring for

7

reen team Get yourself some green To call the Green Savers team over for free home gardening, call 01711396318 or 01195420128.

To join their monthly lectures, visit their premises at Poribesh Bhaban, E/16, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka

The team choses lowmaintenance plants and places them in optimal light

A bodna beautified with a green growing plant

their new garden.

This was a turning point for Rony, and he soon realised: “If I can provide the service at least, I may be able to change people’s attitudes towards promoting greenery in the fast-paced life of the city.” And so, Rony started planning theoretically how to use minimum space for indoor plants while minimising cost and maintenance efforts.

Common roots

The Green Savers team at your service, including founder Ahsan Rony (centre, wearing a baseball cap)

Coming from a family that earned its living from farming, Rony already had substantial knowledge on agriculture and plant-rearing. With the help of some close friends and like-minded individuals, he decided to put that knowledge to good use.

During the beginning phase of their unique venture, Rony and his friends volunteered their services in the homes of relatives and acquaintances. This served as an effective start-up effort that raised awareness and helped spread the news of what they were doing.

Fruits of their labour

Their mobile plant nursery will come to your door with plants and soil for your garden

The first recognition Rony and his team got for their work was when they were selected as champions in the Environment Fair in 2013. They then went on to win the National Award from the prime minister for their contribution towards environment preservation in 2013.

“Today this recognition is not only a symbol of our success. It has also given us further responsibilities, to provide even better service as well as to come up with new ideas to expand the horizon of work, and make them

more effective,” Rony said.

A rose by any other name

Another initiative of Green Savers is to restore the city’s greenery by restoring the flora glory that inspired the names of some of Dhaka’s famous areas.

They are planting banana trees in Kolabagan, jackfruit trees in Kathalbagan, neem trees in Neemtoli, teak trees in Segunbagicha and so forth. They have already completed plantations on the grounds of government owned schools and office complexes, in a total of 16 areas across the city.

Green Savers wants these places to be known by the trees that highlight them, they say, as was originally intended.

Fresh air for school children

Green Savers works with school children to raise awareness about the environment, and the importance of planting trees, in a programme they call Oxygen Bank.

As part of this initiative, the team has already covered ten schools across the city. Under this campaign, each student will deposit Tk1 everyday in the bank, with the aim of saving up to buy seeds and saplings that they can plant across their school grounds.

One designated teacher, called the Green Ambassador, takes responsibility for the bank and keeps account of the savings and expenditures.

Nursery on wheels

Green Savers plans to further expand

For more information, visit greensaversinfo.org or facebook.com/greensaversinfo.org Photos: Quamrul Abedin

their services by introducing doorto-door visits to take care of the nurseries and gardens at private homes. They also plan to start a mobile clinic for plants, that would work on an on-call basis.

“Krishi Path” to new ideas

The team offers lecture sessions under the title “Krishi Path,” where they discuss agriculture and plantrearing, with the aim of educating people about the importance of: treeplanting, caring for plants, gardening and farming.

Their motive is to raise awareness about farming, so that people in the cities can gain an interest and understanding of the work done by farmers, and share ideas. These ideas can then be carried back to villages to aid farmers, who are often uneducated, in using proper agricultural techniques to produce higher yields that are safe and healthy for consumption.

Dream team

Since their official launch in June 2012, Green Savers has expanded to a team of 40 hard-working young people, who share a common dream and goal.

Since Green Savers was started as a volunteer organisation, the team is constantly on the lookout for more young people who share their interests, particularly those who come from a farming background.

If you are interested in joining their team, they say the primary requirement is love and compassion for trees and nature.

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8 Media | free flow of information

The high price of the ‘Pakhi dress’ The latest craze in Eid fashion led to heartbreak, suicide, and TV censorship Farhana Urmee

T

he “Pakhi dress,” a style of shalwar kameez popularised by a Kolkatabased TV soap, recently became the talk of the town, both for its covet-ability and its many controversies.

This Eid, this outfit worn by Pakhi, the lead actress of the soap Bojhena Shey Bojhena on Star Jalsha, has taken lives in Bangladesh, generated fights between families and created an unbridgeable gap between the expectations and abilities of people.

Allegedly, for want of the Pakhi dress, one girl has committed suicide, one woman divorced her husband, and countless marital disputes erupted in the markets.

An excuse for protectionism

A lawyer sent a legal notice to the government seeking to stop all Indian TV channels in Bangladesh, claiming that exposure to such content creates high consumerism among people.

Dr Shameem Reza, who teaches mass communication

and journalism at the University of Dhaka says: “The audience is highly dependent on local channels for news, political views and other editorial things. But for entertainment and sport viewing, there is high demand for foreign channels.”

Change begins at home

“First of all we need to investigate the flaws of television programmes on local channels. If good entertainment is assured, the audience will stick close,” says Reza.

Latifa Zaman, a housewife and a heavy TV viewer, says, out of the world of options available to her, she prefers watching the daily soaps of Kolkata based TV channels, as she can relate to the Bangla content easily.

When asked about drama serials of Bangladeshi TV channels, she says she can hardly stay tuned to one channel, as she loses her interest during the excessively long commercials breaks.

Research on audience

preferences is vital. One needs to know when primetime is for a target audience, and how to come up with a pro-viewer policy for the acceptable number of commercial breaks.

Stopping foreign channels in the name of cultural conservatism will set a dangerous precedent.

Social deconstruction

Regarding the suicide, Reza recalls the time when the Bangladeshi film “Beder Meye Josna,” based on a folk storyline and setting, became a big hit in the late 80s. Many committed suicide when they couldn’t watch the film. These incidents may seem bizarre to us, but sadly it is nothing new.

“Why blame a particular TV channel then?” asks Reza. “Suicide cases cannot be based merely on the Pakhi dress. Socialisation plays an important part on how we value certain things.”

Regarding the blocking of particular channels, he says: “If the channels are closed off, the content can be found on YouTube, CDs and

DVDs. It is not a good idea to cause barriers to the flow of information in this age.”

Turning the tables

There are debates and speculation on why Bangladeshi TV channels do not air in Kolkata, Assam and Tripura, the Bangla speaking regions of India. Back in 2011, the speech in Dhaka by Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, triggered the expectation of having Bangladeshi channels viewed in India. This assurance was renewed on a recent official visit by Indian ministers to Bangladesh.

There may be technical barriers to investments from the Cable Operators’ Association of Bangladesh (COAB) to initiate the process of broadcasting Bangladeshi channels in West Bengal.

Talks between the two governments are necessary to initiate the required arrangements to have it finally done.

Slippery slope to censorship

Regarding media operations in Bangladesh, the national broadcasting policy recently approved by the cabinet aimed to solve a number of problems in the media sector.

“It is a good thing that we have a policy now. This will take us to full-fledged laws eventually. The licensing issue has been addressed in the policy along with the rights of the audience, which is good,” says Reza.

“However, the policy does allow for restrictions of media content on the basis of these two clauses: ‘Protecting unity and solidarity of the country’ and ‘relations with friendly nations.’ These clauses are very subjective and may be manipulated, and the free flow of information may be hampered.

The phenomenon of banning foreign channels may introduce a culture of restricting freedom of expression. This might feed the scope of restriction of media content facilitated by recent policies.

Banning foreign channels is not a solution for the alleged negative influence. Rather than to impose a ban, alternative ways to improve our local media content should be sought in order to preserve our own heritage, values and mental health.

A still from the TV soap ‘Bojhena Shey Bojhena.’

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Suhrawardy Udyan | Photo story

‘Someday we’ll live like horses’

Dhaka’s outsider playground Counterfoto is one of the leading independent photography institutes in Bangladesh

9

Suhrawardy Udyan is the largest and oldest park in Bangladesh. It has played a role in many historic events of the country.

Today, it has become a hangout space for many artists, as one of the biggest art colleges in Bangladesh is located just beside it. Many intellectuals, writers, filmmakers, photographers and journalists come to this park regularly to spend time with their colleagues.

But at night, the scenario changes.

In many parts, street prostitutes and cheap drug dealers can be seen roaming the grounds. Homeless people and drug addicts are their main clients.

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10 Photo story | Suhrawardy Udyan

Smoking dragon

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‘But we’re stuck floating in between’

11

all night adda

As I lay me down to sleep

Wild and windblown

Devil may care

Gimme Sugar

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12 Feature | 2nd least liveable city

Is Dhaka unlivable?

Taking into account the factors that make our capital nearly unlivable and understanding decentralisation as the likely solution Rifat Islam Esha

Karachi

D

haka’s living standards were said to be gradually deteriorating thanks to unplanned urbanisation, lack of utilities, poor transportation and low environmental standards.

Corrupt law and order systems have also pushed the city to the bottom of the rankings. Then there is the problem of the additional hundreds of thousands of people arriving every year, leaving the 400 year-old city highly vulnerable.

The megacity of noise

I awake every morning, as many in our city do, to the sounds of honking cars and thumping construction work.

It is easy for someone to look around at the limited breathing space left between buildings

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london

Dhaka and dismiss this city as going to the dogs. Our Dhaka, home to 16 million people, is becoming increasingly difficult to live in. The noise of traffic jams have become the soundtrack of our daily lives, and the air is constituted of all kinds of toxic gases.

In 2013, Dhaka was named the 2nd least livable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit, according to their Global Livability Survey. In the survey of 140 countries, Dhaka ranked 139, just short of war-torn Damascus, Syria.

Cost of living

Dhaka houses all the major institutions of the country. It also offers jobs that have not been spread throughout the

country. Thus, people from rural areas migrate to this already overcrowded city. However beneficial it may be for the city’s economic growth, other factors remain problematic: the living standards are bad, and even worse for those at the most poor, level.

According to the study, “Bangladesh – Dhaka: Improving Living Conditions for the Urban Poor” (World Bank, 2007), Dhaka is the fastest growing megacity in the world, with an estimated 300,000400,000 new migrants, mostly poor, arriving to the city annually (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 2007).

This study also reveals that almost 80% of the slums where the poor dwell are owned privately, which creates “considerable

institutional challenges in terms of basic service provision.”

Housing structures tend to be of poor quality, and access to basic infrastructure services is low.

For the poorest segment of the population, only 9% of households have a sewage line, and 27% obtain water through piped supply (compared to 83% of the wealthiest countries).

Many of these city dwellers have no access to public toilets.

According to “Urban Bangladesh: Challenges of Transition,” a publication by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), the chance of buying a house for most Dhaka residents seems to be the poorest among South Asian cities.

The low structure of slum

13 shanties makes it difficult for the inhabitants to prevent flooding during heavy showers. Mofizul Islam, 30, who has a low income job, lives near Kamlapur with his wife and two children. He said: “If I didn’t do overtime, it would be really difficult for us to survive.

My job pays me Tk7,100 but I get Tk4,000 for overtime. We live in a building, my house has two rooms. We have to pay Tk3,100 for rent and pay for electricity and gas separately. We don’t get gas from 7am onwards till evening.

Sometimes we don’t get water or electricity.”

Blaring wait

We have all faced the situation of waiting for hours in traffic jams.

The concept of traffic jams is so ingrained in our lives that we always factor in the hours wasted

before we plan our day. We face relentless traffic jams, with the cacophony of different vehicles vying to heave forward.

According to the communications ministry, traffic jams devour Tk20bn and 3.2 million working hours per year.

This amounts to more than half of Bangladesh’s total annual development spending.

The two executive engineers and transport economists of the Roads and Highways Department carried out the study, which revealed that the economic boost of the country will worsen the traffic situation.

Urban Planner Prof Nazrul Islam recently told us that unless we do something about the unplanned urbanisation and traffic mismanagement, the traffic congestion will not become any better.

Marriage of heaven and hell

Fahmida Chowdhury, 26, an NRB, could not believe her eyes when she came to Dhaka after 7 years for a visit. “The city looks so developed yet so cluttered,” she said. “I remember the traffic jams being unbearable, but now it seems like they have worsened. I think there are more people on the streets now but I could be dreaming.”

The traffic congestion births the noise pollution. According to “Traffic Induced Noise Pollution in Dhaka City,” (2001) a study done by BUET: “Transportation operations are major contributors to noise in modern urban areas. Here, noise is created by the engine and exhaust system of vehicles, aerodynamic friction, interaction between the vehicle and road system, and by the interaction among vehicles.” This study also reveals that the noise pollution in Dhaka city “exceeds

the acceptable limits” which has “serious implications on the general health and well-being of the inhabitants of the city.”

As Nazrul said, the traffic situation will worsen if the government does not consider a strict course in decentralisation.

If we decentralise our institutions throughout Bangladesh, and consider the natural pace of life of the majority of our people – we may come up with better solutions for everyone in our country. Instead of homing in on opportunities within Dhaka, people can consider going to other cities, which may allow urban migrants to live better lives.

But no matter how toxic the air or insufferable the noise of Dhaka is, it is where we live. It seems as if all our problems are tied to one another. It is high time we do something about it.

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WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, AUG UST 1 5, 2 0 1 4

14 Legalese | Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi

WHEN LAWYERS COUNT Q Got a problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

Recently, upon completion of my studies, my father asked me to start learning the ropes around the office of his business. My father started it in 1981, and by Allah’s grace we now employ around 200 workers.

I managed to talk him into letting me take a few chances and expand – perhaps through joint ventures, or even acquiring new businesses. I’ve been doing some

A

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo

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

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | FR I DAY, AUGUST 15, 201 4

Dear Reader, It’s difficult to point out exactly what benefits you would avail once you appoint a lawyer. In fact, your father has his own reasons for taking the stance that “lawyers are … trouble,” mainly because, as I stated last week: a few bad apples have managed to ruin it for the rest of us.

However, since you asked, I will try my best to outline why I would support the idea of ensuring that you have competent legal counsel for your company, principally since you are planning to expand soon.

With the evolution of business and growth of markets worldwide, legal knowledge and aspects are no longer just limited to the courtrooms. In fact, the primary objective of counsel these days is to ensure that the pitfalls of litigation and courtroom drama are avoided wherever and whenever possible.

Since you’re looking at business expansion, I’m sure one of your future concerns will be taxation.

Your counsel can assist you with making the appropriate tax elections, which is critical for management and economic efficiency of the company.

Additionally, there are also other areas where their expertise will be invaluable, such as business issues, employment issues and compliance issues.

research, and it appears almost all organisations these days have their own legal counsel – either in-house or on retainer.

When I told my father this, he flatly refused this idea, and told me lawyers are expensive and nothing but trouble. He’s adamant that since he’s managed so long, we should be just fine going ahead.

Is he right? It’s not like we are planning to go to court anytime soon.

What benefits would appointing an in-house lawyer have anyway?

You will be investing in your employees as well – both in terms of time and energy, and economically. Therefore, the last thing you need is one of your employees resigning six months into his contract and going to work for a rival company. Competition is intense and morals are a fraction of how strong they used to be.

Your counsel can ensure all your employment contracts have adequate protective provisions in place.

There is also the matter of letting yourself being tied down by security, as opposed to flexibility.

Even something as simple as drafting and negotiating a lease or contract of sale for the location of an office or a factory is crucial.

I have witnessed far too many examples of people losing fortunes while attempting to save some pennies, ie neglecting to have their contract drafts vetted by a skilled lawyer, and then having to pay the price in the future. That is the last thing you want happening to your company.

Ultimately, flourishing companies have a legal department for a reason – they help immensely in the growth and development of the company, while countermanaging the pitfalls.

Hopefully now you have a few good lines of reasoning when you and your father approach this topic for discussion.

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Hackers Anonymous | Digital Bangladesh

15

BD Hackers: Anonymous strikes again Their very name infuriates government authorities and internet security firms around the world, in part because they are often harassed by these hackers, and also because their vast numbers and skills leave little trace to implicate them. Muhammad Zareef Kamal Photo: Bigstock

F

or almost a decade, hackers from countries across the planet – including Bangladesh – have come together over the internet for a common cause under one banner: Hackers Anonymous.

@gov.bd

In Bangladesh, there were three attacks in 2013: May 11, July 29 and December 30. The Anonymous, or Anons, attacked websites of the Bangladesh government itself, and took down the official websites of the prime minister (pmo.gov. bd), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mofa.gov.bd) Bangladesh Bank (bangladesh-bank.org), and even the National Portal of Bangladesh (bangladesh.gov.bd).

This attack was reportedly a response to the corruption, crimes and inefficiencies of the government. The attack featured prominent Bangladeshi hackers, known as @firedropper, @nafizasp and @Phr0zenM. Their mystery is only deepened by their rules of not disclosing their identity, and reluctance to talk about the group.

Source code

The idea of Anonymous came from the imageboard site 4chan, which lets users post content on the internet and opt to remain “anonymous.” In 2004, an administrator on the 4chan imageboard caused all posts to be signed as Anonymous. This incident soon sparked off a range of increasingly popular internet memes citing the Anonymous entity as a collection of unnamed

individuals.

Sometimes, 4chan users would join together for mass pranks or raids on internet websites. A famous one occurred on July 12, 2006, when large numbers of 4chan users raided the Finnish social networking site Habbo Hotel, blocking regular members from accessing the site.

Users soon began plotting pranks offline, leading to the first mainstream press report on the Anonymous group by KTTV in Los Angeles, calling them “hackers on steroids.”

Early hacktivism

The Anonymous are now widely known for their stand on social issues and activism. The first instance of Anonymous hacktivism (or hacking as a means of activism) occurred in 2008, codenamed Project Chanology.

In January 2008, the gossip blog Gawker posted a video on YouTube showing Tom Cruise praising his religion Scientology. The Church of Scientology responding with legal action for violation of copyright, sparking 4chan users to retaliate by prank-calling its hotline, sending black faxes designed to waste ink, and launching DDoS attacks (distributed denial of service, where a website is flooded with requests from bot machines, thus blocking access to their website).

In February, many Anonymous members joined simultaneous protests at Church of Scientology facilities around the world wearing the stylized Guy Fawkes masks, popularised by the movie “V for

Vendetta.” This soon became a popular symbol for Anonymous, and gained them worldwide press coverage.

Operation ‘Avenge Assange’

Novice and gifted hackers from Bangladesh came to know of the group through 4chan and press coverages, and joined in on their attacks.

In November 2010, when WikiLeaks began releasing classified US government information and diplomatic cables, companies like Amazon. com, PayPal, MasterCard and Visa shut off their services to the organisation.

Operation “Avenge Assange” was promptly launched, including, for the first time, many Bangladeshi hackers. They managed to temporarily bring down PayPal, Visa and MasterCard websites on December 8 and 9.

World wide web

Continuing their trend of hacktivism from 2011 onwards, the group participated in Operation Tunisia in the spirit of the Arab Spring, launching DDoS attacks on Tunisian government websites to take them offline.

This time too, Bangladeshi hackers stood in solidarity for their Muslim brothers being oppressed under corrupt regimes, and helped hack the Tunisian prime minister’s website, replacing it with a message from Anonymous.

Members of the group went on to continue similar attacks on government websites in Bahrain, Egypt, Libya and Jordan. During

Occupy Wall Street protests in September 2011, Bangladeshi Anons helped spread the movement to other cities such as Boston, and even attacked the website of the New York Stock Exchange in October.

The activities of Hackers Anonymous have led to a number of arrests in countries ranging from the US, UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey.

None have been arrested in Bangladesh, partly due to the weak IT laws of the country, and partly due to the weak Internet systems of the Bangladeshi government.

Binary Heroes

The group does not follow a centralised command structure, but rather a few organisers start off an attack inciting fellow hackers to join in. This is what has made the group so elusive and difficult to track down.

Today, the group remains strong on ideals to protest against issues such as censorship, cyber-bullying and homophobia.

The Anons’ involvement in moral and legal issues worldwide have inspired many to look to the group as the virtual “Robin Hoods” who stand up for ideals encouraging freedom and justice on the internet, and fight against corrupt governments, big corporations and censoring organisations.

Whether they have been effective or not remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that they have received widespread support, and their popularity and notoriety continues to grow.

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WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, AUG UST 1 5, 2 0 1 4

16 TOUGH LOVE | DINA SOBHAN

Wishful lover & Married flirter Q A

I am a BBA student in my final year and have had many female friends.

However, I just never had much luck in the romance department. Almost all the girls

I have shown an interest in said they saw me as a brother and friend.

Does this mean no one will ever find me attractive? Am I doing something wrong? How can I break this trend?

In order to ascertain why this is your unfortunate lot, I would need more information, but I can offer up these possible theories in the meantime:

girls with bland personalities and a B average for you to date. But if you’re attracted to the pretty, popular girl with the radiant smile who also happens to be a solid 8, you’re bound for failure and disappointment. Similarly, if you’re a studious guy, whose idea of entertainment is a vigorous game of chess and a Star Trek marathon, that party girl with the short skirt and raucous laugh is not the one for you.

Please consider the above possibilities at length, and if you find that none describe your predicament, I can provide a list of monasteries for you to join.

Good luck.

A. You are gay – While you may balk at the suggestion, it’s entirely possible that you have failed to see what the girls you want to date have already detected, as women have an acute “gaydar.” This is especially relevant if you love to shop and gossip with said females.

B. You have no sex appeal – You could just be one of those rolypoly/sweetheart types who make fabulous shopping partners and confidantes (see above). Guys who are too nice, too attentive or too sweet tend to be boxed into the category of “just friends” very quickly. And once you enter the friend zone, the only chance you have of seeing that girl naked is if you’re gay and go shopping with her (see above).

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Q

I recently returned to Dhaka after four years, and ran into an old classmate and his wife. It’s always nice to get reacquainted, but he started make passes at me.

At first I tried to ignore it, but it got really uncomfortable after

A

You have one of two options, both of which involve emasculating him in public - just for fun.

You could be upfront with him and say, in no uncertain terms and in full hearing of whomever happens to be standing nearby, that he is a “loathsome idiot” who has more courage than intelligence to be hitting on you so shamelessly. Add that you would not oblige him with a backward glance were he the only human being in a world otherwise

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune. com

his wife left early and he decided to stay back. I made it very clear that I wasn’t interested, but since that night he has been especially difficult to ignore because I keep running into him at social events.

I don’t want to have to stop going out on account of this loathsome idiot. How do I handle this flirtation situation? populated by chimpanzees, so his chances of getting anywhere with you in this reality were particularly nonexistent.

Conversely, the next time you encounter this person with his wife, greet her cheerfully and say: “You have such a fun and flirtatious husband! If you weren’t so darn pretty, I would take all his invitations to sleep with him seriously!” She’ll be so busy fuming at him that she won’t even recognize the backhanded compliment you just gave her.

And she’ll make sure never to leave him alone again, ever.

C. You’re going after the wrong type of girl – It’s an unspoken truth that everyone has a certain level of attractiveness. If you’re a 5, say, it means you’re neither gorgeous nor repellant, and there are plenty of nice, slightly chunky

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

Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy

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Krishna:

Krishna | Origin story

17

Easily the coolest Hindu god Krishna was a complete package – he was the naughty little kid from next

door, an ardent lover, a caring husband, a shrewd war tactician, an indomitable warrior, a cunning politician, a loyal friend, and above all, a supreme leader and a philosopher in the later years of his life Rajib Bhowmick

L

ord Shri Krishna had two wives: Rukmini and Satyabhama.

Wait! What? So what happened to Radha? Didn’t they get married? Isn’t their love story true?

Well, you have also heard of Romeo and Juliet and Laila-Majnu.

Did they ever marry?

Krishna’s romance with Radha was just another chapter of a humongous book. Radha was already married when they met, and Krishna, who had put his life on track for greater things, did not want to tarnish his image by running away with someone else’s wife.

So he spent some lovely moments with Radha. They flirted, they sang, they made merry and love in the bowers of Brindaban. Over the next 2000 years, countless legends and love songs have emerged and been written about arguably the most famous extramarital affair in the history of human civilisation.

The love between Radha – thought to be a reincarnation of goddess Laxmi – and Krishna – a reincarnation of lord Vishnu – appeared to be made in heaven. The love story alone could have given the couple immortality in human records, which of course it did to some extent.

Back to the two wives. You must

From last year’s Krishna Janmashtami celebrations in Dhaka Photo: Nashirul Islam

have come across the tiny, divinely fragrant orange-stemmed, ivorypetaled sheuli flowers. Legend says it actually belonged in heaven, but Lord Krishna brought – or should I say stole it – in order to prove that he loved both his wives equally.

Once there was a severe fight between Rukmini and Satyabhama.

Each claimed that Krishna loved her more than the other.

The fight continued, claims kept mounting, and eventually the two settled for “paarijaat,” the Sanskrit name for the sheuli flower.

Understandably, the gods in heaven were not going to give up their eternal air-freshener just like that. Krishna, being a god himself, knew how these things went, so he decided to steal the flower.

When Krishna brought the plant to earth, both Rukmini and Satyabhama wanted it to be planted in their own yards. For Krishna, making a choice was hard.

He took the beautiful little plant, and planted it in one of the corners of Satyabhama’s yard. But it was sown such that it leaned over Rukmini’s yard, so when the plant blossomed, the flowers would fall on Rukmini’s quarter. That way, none of the wives had anything to complain about: Satyabhama got the plant and

Rukmini got the flowers.

But Krishna was destined for something much bigger and greater in stature than a lover’s immortality.

The word Krishna in Sanskrit means “black.” He was given the name because his complexion was dark. Krishna, along with Kali and Hanuman, are probably the only three Hindu deities with dark complexions. Historians say they were therefore the only deities who were low-born and were later promoted to the level of the highborn Aryan because of their noble achievements, especially in warfare.

He is the central character in Mahabharata – not just the biggest and most widely celebrated epic in India, but also one of the best in the world. In Mahabharata, Krishna knows everything. He is everywhere.

The side he chooses eventually goes on to win the great Kurukshetra war.

The war itself was Krishna’s brainchild. He wanted the war, but not because he wanted to be the most powerful king in the world.

He wanted to win the war so that one of his followers could become the king, and he could become the king’s supreme leader. In that way, he eventually became the most powerful man in the world.

Historians have found evidence

that the Kurukshetra War was not entirely fictitious. Neither were the major characters such as Krishna, Arjuna and Draupadi. The world of Mahabharata – written around 900 years before Christ’s birth – was much much different from ours. It was a world where the powerful were brutally taking down the minnows.

As the story goes, Krishna might have orchestrated the great Kurukshetra War to serve his own ambition, but in the later years of his life, he realised it was only the beginning of many more deadly fights to come. Once his target of becoming the most powerful man in the world was fulfilled, he retired to the life of a hermit – away from the madding grandeur of power and politics.

We have seen similar instances in history. The only difference was that the little man with the moustache thankfully never fulfilled his dreams of becoming the most powerful man in the world. Maybe if he did, he would have also realised that destruction cannot bring anything good. It only leads to more dismantling of dreams, hopes and aspirations.

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WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, AUG UST 1 5, 2 0 1 4

18 Obituary | Robin Williams

Oh captain my captain

Mini cryptics Clues ACROSS 1 6 7 8

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

British company grip on horse (6) Rough ride of politician in purchase (5) Direct a cow (5) Insect could leave the ground (6)

DOWN 2 Theft out of bounds in berry salad (7) 3 Rule man got wrong figure (7) 4 Himalayan phrase translated (6) 5 Gone wrong holding unknowns in gas (6)

Last week’s sudoku solutions

Remembering Robin Williams Shah Nahian

R

obin Williams, 63, was found dead in his home in Tiburon, California on Monday, August 11. The cause of his death was declared to be suicide by asphyxia.

Williams – an Academy Award winning actor, standup comedian, voice actor, film producer and screenwriter – had been battling depression lately.

He recently entered a 12-step rehabiliaton programme for drug abuse. The actor also had a history of drug and alcohol addiction in the past.

His wife Susan Schneider said in a statement: “I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.”

Throughout his career, he won more than 40 awards, including an Academy award, six golden globes and two Emmys.

Robin Williams, born on July 21, 1951, grew up chubby and lonesome, playing on his own with 2,000 toy soldiers in an empty room of a suburban mansion. At the time, it would have been impossible to tell he would grow up to be such a

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | FR I DAY, AUGUST 15, 201 4

memorable comedian. Famous for his impressions and wacky character voices, he described himself as a shy and quiet child, whose first imitations were of his grandmother to his mother. He eventually overcame his shyness after getting in with his high school drama department.

Williams first tasted fame in the late 1970s, after appearing on the hit TV show “Mork and Mindy.” He played Mork from Ork, an alien who befriends a wholesome young Colorado woman. After that, his career took off, and he appeared in various films, TV shows, plays and stand-up comedy tours.

He is most remembered for his roles in several films like: Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Aladdin, Mrs Doubtfire and Good Will Hunting, Though Williams is no longer with us, we can still look forward to a few more movies. He had completed work on several titles that have not yet been released, including a third instalment of the “Night at the Museum” franchise that Fox has scheduled for December, and “Merry Friggin’ Christmas,” an independent comedy about a dysfunctional family. He also provided the voice of an animated character called

Last week’s Mini Cryptics solutions ACROSS 1 Creature first to whisk hot beer (5) 5 Talk of ox in Tibet (3) 6 PC fruit? (5) 8 Become larger and terrific (5) 10 Pin back and catch (3) 11 Churchman, bishop in broken boat (5) DOWN 1 Snow ape crossed arms (7) 2 A record peak? (3) 3 My 6 has one look (3) 4 Cooking pot talent, and French (7) 7 Sound cow makes in valley (3) 8 Health resort sees patients at first (3) 9 Go against the flow? (3)

Dennis the Dog in a British comedy “Absolutely Anything,” planned for release next year, and appeared in “Boulevard,” an independent movie that was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival but does not yet have theatrical distribution.

Williams was an admitted abuser of cocaine, which he also referred to as “Peruvian marching power” and “the devil’s dandruff” during his comedy acts. “What a wonderful drug,” he said in a sardonic routine from “Live at the Met.” “Anything that makes you paranoid and impotent, give me more of that,” he said.

In 2006, he checked himself into a rehab to be treated for an

addiction to alcohol, breaking his clean streak after 20 years of sobriety. He later explained in an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer that this addiction had not been “caused by anything, it’s just there.”

“It waits,” he explained. “It lies in wait for the time when you think, ‘It’s fine now, I’m OK’ Then, the next thing you know, it’s not O.K. Then you realize, ‘Where am I? I didn’t realize I was in Cleveland.’”

The veteran film and television comedic actor is survived by a son, Zak, from his marriage to Valerie Velardi, and a daughter, Zelda, and a son, Cody, from his marriage to Marsha Garces.

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Go out

Immerse yourself in the cosmos

Weekly Planner

Muhammad Zareef Kamal

WHEN Fri 10am-7pm, Sat-Tue and Thur 10:30am-6:30pm.

Closed on Wed. WHERE Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre, Bijoy Sharani, Tejgaon

attraction is its 21-metre dome, which houses the main gallery area, seating a total of 275 people positioned directly below the massive planetarium screen, the Novo Theatre, that is built into the dome’s inner circumference.

The Novo Theatre shows six different films everyday at various showtimes, for a ticket price of Tk100. These include: • • • • • •

Africa: The Serengeti Dawn of the Space Age Mission of the Black Hole Journey to the Stars Goodnight Goldilocks Symphony of the Starry Sky

The exhibits Visitors can also experience

“5D interactive edutainment” simulators, where they can view realistic adventures in strange lands with fantastic sights and creatures, and even an expedition to the moon, all for the mere sum of Tk50.

At a subsidised cost of Tk20, visitors can also go for a spin on the ride simulator and experience a racing car, space shuttle, acrobatic aircraft or even a roller coaster ride through the great pyramids.

AUGUST 16

AUGUST 18-21

Art | Threads of Testimony

Education | 3-day SAT Workshop

WHEN 12-8pm WHERE Bengal Art Lounge, 60 Gulshan Ave WHAT An exhibition of paintings, drawings and videos by Dilara Begum Jolly. Come see a display of beautiful and unique artwork.

WHEN 12pm WHERE The American Center, Shahzadpur WHAT Tips and strategies to get the best results in your SATs

AUGUST 16

Meetup | Animeholics and Xeon Anime Cosplay

Music | Screamers Fest

Situated in the heart of Dhaka city, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre was inaugurated in 2004 with the aim of encouraging students to study science, and learn about astronomy via entertaining means. Built on 5.46 acres of land, the planetarium was established by the science and technology ministry, and furnished with advanced technological equipment from Japan, USA, Korea and India

The films The planetarium’s prime

19

Other attractions Recently, through a treaty

between the Bangladesh government and the Russian Federation, the Dhaka Planetarium has also opened a Nuclear Energy Information Centre, which seeks to introduce students to the concept of nuclear energy and radiation through 3D projections, safety models and dozimeters.

In addition to the entertainment aspect, the planetarium is also engaged in preserving and exhibiting films, journals, periodics, books and research papers on astronomical study in its scientific library.

It also organises symposiums and exhibitions regularly on research issues and documents to raise awareness among citizens.

The planetarium aims to become a centre of excellence through research on astronomy issues, and the dissemination of the research results amongst the public through different media.

It also hosts a variety of rides, simulations, models of planetary systems, scientific exhibits and portraits of world-renowned scientists and scholars.

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WHEN 2pm WHERE Russian Cultural Centre, Dhanmondi WHAT A metal music festival. If you are a fan of the metal genre, this is the perfect place for you to come and view fantastic upcoming metal bands in Bangladesh.

AUGUST 20

WHEN 3:20pm WHERE A&W, Rd 2A, Dhanmondi WHAT If you are a fan of the anime world, this is a perfect place to meet other people who share the same love for anime.

AUGUST 20-28 Film | Looking at the Big Sky

AUGUST 15-21 Art | Jolchhobi Exhibition

WHEN 12-8pm WHERE Alliance Francaise, Mirpur Road WHAT A colourful and intricate exhibition of watercolour masterpieces.

AUGUST 17 Dance | ASA University Dance Competition

WHEN 2:30pm WHERE ASA University, ASA Tower, 23/3 Bir Uttam ANM Nuruzzaman Sarak, Shyamoli, Mohammadpur WHAT Come compete, or just be part of the vibrant atmosphere of the biggest dance competition in Dhaka.

WHEN 2pm-6pm WHERE Goethe-Institut House 10, Road 9 (new), Dhanmondi WHAT A short film exhibition.

AUGUST 21 Competition | Unilever Biz Maestros

WHEN 12pm WHERE Independent University Bangladesh, Plot 16. Block B, Aftabuddin Ahmed Road, Bashundhara WHAT Unilever Bangladesh brings to you a business competition based on real life business challenges.

Send your events to weekend@dhakatribune.com

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WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, AUG UST 1 5, 2 0 1 4

20 event | World’s Indigenous Peoples Day

CHT and the Bengal Boundary Commission In honour of last Friday’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we learn more about the history between CHT and Bengal, during Partition until today

Rifat Islam Esha

“L

eague vs Congress?

The case of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bengal Boundary Commission, 1947,” a lecture conducted by historian Tamina M Chowdhury of Cambridge University, was one of the events of Nations & Notions.

Tamina’s lecture shed light on how and why the CHT became a part of the Muslim state of Pakistan. The discussion enabled a dialogue of comparison of the socio-political ideologies that surround the CHT today.

The lecture was held on Monday at Red Shift. The Nations & Notions series was held in several locations in Dhaka between August 10-14, and addressed various issues that have lived through and beyond Partition. It was organised by the Bayaan Collective, in collaboration with University Press Limited. Dhaka Tribune was a media partner.

Road to the CHT

The following information is based on the findings of Tamina’s PhD thesis: To understand the complex heritage and political history of the CHT, one can start with its people.

Prior to the British Raj, inhabitants of the CHT paid high tributes to the Mughal rulers.

But when the British came, they penetrated into the CHT. Their main objective was to generate revenue and bring the CHT area

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | FR I DAY, AUGUST 15, 201 4

under their control. The CHT was ruled as an “excluded territory.”

In the 1860s, the British officially took over the CHT when they annexed the region. They brought the area under control by keeping three chiefs in the area. Until the 1930s, these chiefs thought of themselves as co-rulers.

By 1947, the CHT elites had lost all their power. Because it had been ruled as an excluded area, a lot of the other provisions that were in place in Bengal were not applied here. Thus the CHT never had any formal representative.

During the partition of India and Pakistan, there was no direct say from the CHT. Their fate was left in the hands of other decisionmakers, mostly the Congress, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League.

The Muslim League played a passive role in the beginning. The Congress and representatives from India were interested in having the CHT be part of India, as the region was mostly populated by non-Muslims – the same reason why Pakistan initially did not want the CHT. However, the Bengal Boundary Commission later decided that it would make more sense for the CHT to belong to Pakistan.

The decision to hold on to the Chittagong Port played an important role in this. If the CHT belonged to India, there would be disruptions in the working of the Chittagong Port.

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Tamina M Chowdhury presents “League vs Congress? The case of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bengal Boundary Commission, 1947,” as part of Nations & Notions, on Monday

Only if we question our past, we can make our country equal for all

Sitting down with historian Tamina Chowdhury

T

amina M Chowdhury, after an invigorating lecture and the breathless discussion that followed, took a little tea break, but was kind enough to offer us an interview. We sat down in the conference room where the discussions had taken place, while she sipped on her tea. She started off with details about the kind of people who live in the CHT, and how the region has been mostly separated by tighter control.

Regarding the condition of CHT before and after the Liberation War, she said we ought to take “moral responsibility” for the CHT. She believes that it is unfair when atrocities are done to the people of CHT in our name. We ought to question this action. “Only if we question our past, we can make

our country equal for all.”

Tamina compared the situation in Gaza with that in the CHT. She mentioned that when we talk about Gaza, the notion of colonisation seems so outrageous to us that we regard it as something unnatural, but unfortunately, we do not ask ourselves similar questions regarding the CHT. “We have to deconstruct the CHT. There needs to be a paradigm shift in our perspectives. How we deal with the CHT tells us a lot about how we are as a nation. We need to consider all the minorities who are within the threshold in the dialogue. If we are not comprehensive with our approach, our attempt to live up to the vision of true liberation is inadequate.”