Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 15

| vo l 2 I ssu e 15 | F R I D AY, A UG UST 22, 2014

state of mind

4

parenting misfires

8

meditation in jail

17

mad movies

CONTENTS

1

Volume 2 | Issue 15 | August 22, 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 Parenting Modern misfires 6 Feature Schizophrenia 7 Feature Youth and mental health

9

8 Feature Meditation in jail

Photo story self-reflection

17 Top 10 Mad movies 18 Obituary Lauren Bacall

Contributors Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi Ruwaida Khander Reza Shahriar Rahman Dina Sobhan

20 Profile A fighter in need

Graphics Md Mahbub Alam Tahsin Momin

Regulars 14 Legalese The extended draw

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood

16 Tough Love Obsessive & repulsive

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

This “dokra” looks over Dhaka, all alone in the big crowded city.

A dokra is a traditional metallic sculpture originally from India’s Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

This particular dokra was sculpted by Matia Banu Shuku.

Photo: Syed Latif Hossain

15 Number Crunch Less is more

19 Go Out Corporate football cup

12

interview

martijn crowe

State of mind Mental health matters, as the UN reminded us with their youth day campaign last week (pg 7). Even today, schizophrenic patients in Bangladesh are mistakenly thought to be possessed (pg 6).

Local organisations offering much-needed support, including the hotline Kaan Pete Roi (pg 7), and Quantum Foundation, which is teaching meditation in jail (pg 8).

As Freud said, our nature is all shaped in childhood, so we have some tips for good parents in modern times (pg 4-5).

Nowhere is our state of mind better reflected than in our arts.

Editor’s note

Hold on to the mood of madness with our top 10 mad movies. Get self-reflective with Reza Shahriar Rahman as he walks us through the pages of his life (pg 9-11). And meet Martijn Crowe, who travelled from Brazil to create mixed-media work about the homeless in Dhaka (pg 1213). Check it out his exhibition this weekend, along with our other event picks of the week (pg 19).

Finally, we honour two fearless ladies: the late screen legend Lauren Bacall, and Alamtaj Begum Chhobi, a Bangladeshi freedom fighter figure who is battling cancer.

- Rumana Habib

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2 News | this week

The world at a glance

Tasnuva Amin Nova

enclave.

“This rocket attack was a grave and direct violation of the ceasefire,” Mark Regev, a spokesman for Netanyahu said.

“In response to Hamas’s violation of the truce, the prime minister and defence minister have ordered the Israeli Defence Forces to once more attack terror sites in the Gaza Strip,” said a government official.

News: Reuters Palestinians flee their destroyed neighbourhood on a horse and cart in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Hanun, on Monday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel will hit back hard if Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza resume, speaking just hours before the midnight expiry of a five-day ceasefire Photo: AFP

Gaza truce breaks down, blame game continues Three rockets fired from Gaza

hit Israel on Tuesday, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to strike back, Israeli officials said, hours before a truce with Palestinian militants was

health Ebola kills more than 1,200 The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed more than 1,200 people since it began in December 2013, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday.

More than 2,200 have fallen sicken, according to the UN health agency’s latest numbers.

Authorities have struggled to contain the outbreak, which started in Guinea and has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. There are quarantines and travel restrictions for the sick and those in contact with them, sometimes including whole villages and counties.

But officials warned that the restrictions have sometimes hampered food deliveries.

The UN World Food Program stated it is preparing to deliver food to 1 million people over the next three months.

“I think now there is a high vigilance in all countries,” Fadela Chaib, a spokeswoman for WHO, told reporters in Geneva. “I can’t remember the last time we fed 1 million people in a quarantine situation.”

News: AP

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set to expire.

Rocket salvoes were launched as Egyptian mediators, holding separate meetings with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, struggled to reach a long-term deal on the future of the Gaza Strip. A military spokeswoman said the three rockets landed in open areas near the city of Beersheba and there were no reports of casualties.

Reuters witnesses in Gaza City said they heard the sound of launches from the Palestinian

Unarmed US teen shot by cop Protesters have gathered daily,

with some crowds turning violent, since a police officer fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug 9, in Ferguson, a suburb of St Louis, Missouri.

The National Guard arrived in Ferguson on Monday, but kept its distance from the streets where protesters clashed again with police.

Despite the lifting of a curfew, authorities told protesters they could not assemble in a single spot and had to keep moving.

As of Tuesday, police said at least two people were shot and 31 arrested.

Protesters have gathered nightly since Brown’s death, with some demonstrations resulting in looting and property damage. Police have used tear gas and smoke bombs, and some people have hurled rocks and bottles at officers. The protesters often chant: “Hands up, don’t shoot.” *News updated as of filing on Wednesday News: AP

US journalist allegedly beheaded

by IS Islamic State (IS) militants posted

a video that purported to show the beheading of American journalist James Foley in revenge for US air strikes in Iraq.

As of Saturday, IS has executed 700 members of a tribe in eastern Syria.

News: Reuters

A woman holds her baby as they evacuate by bus from the town of Makeyevka, Ukraine, on Monday.

Pro-Russian rebels were accused of shelling a convoy of civilians fleeing the war-torn east, leaving 'many' dead, as crisis talks to halt months of bloodshed failed to make a breakthrough.

Photo: AFP

Floods all over Bangladesh are driving people from their homes and impacting access to food and supplies. The water level of Jamuna River has increased to 12cm, flooding Bahadurabad Ghat, Jamalpur. This photo shows residents of Kulkandi wading through water.

Photo: Focus Bangla

Meanwhile... | News

I am Dhaka

Swedish father takes gamer-kids to warzone

C

arl-Magnus Helgegren is a journalist, university teacher and proactive dad. Like so many other dads, he had to have the violent video game conversation with his two sons, Frank and Leo, ages 10 and 11.

Helgegren, who spent some time in the Middle East as a freelance journalist when he was younger, was reminded of his own experiences with guns and missions – where he faced violent demonstrations and grenades to get a story.

“I thought I had a pretty good idea from television, but when I was 29 I realized I had absolutely no idea what war was.”

So Helgegren struck a deal.

The family would take a trip to a city impacted by real war. The boys would meet people affected, do interviews, and visit a refugee camp. When they came back home, they would be free to play whatever games they chose.

But he held out. First he

3

Say what?

considered Iraq or Afghanistan, but concluded that current war zones were too dangerous. So in April, the family booked tickets to Israel and the Palestinian territories, “the closest you can get to war on a tourist ticket,” Helgegren remarked.

“It wasn’t until the second day when we were there, eating at an Israeli street food stand, when they asked: ‘Dad, are we really here because of the games?’ And I said: ‘Yes, we are here because of the games. You need to see this.’”

Helgegren said he is proud of the family’s trip, and did not understand the psychology of parents who wanted to “protect” their children from seeing real war but let them play warlike video games.

“Sweden is a nation that hasn’t been at war for centuries. Our notion of war is naive. While our Swedish children play war and shoot digital missiles, Palestinian children are being blown up by soldiers in Gaza.”

News: Desk

Violinist plays during own brain surgery

C

At IDB Bhaban, these little boys saw me testing my newly-repaired camera, and ran up to me to insist that I take their picture.

The two buddies asked to see the image on the camera screen, before smiling with approval and cheerfully going off for jummah prayers.

Photo: Amer Habib

oncert violinist Roger Frisch’s career was in jeopardy when he was diagnosed with essential tremors in 2009, a mild condition in which abnormal signals are sent from the sections of the brain responsible for movement.

It took a few years of convincing for the Minnesota Orchestra musician to agree to undergo an experimental procedure known as Deep Brain Stimulation.

The procedure involves the implementation of a tiny electrode in the brain so that Frisch could control his tremors by the simple push of a button.

Doctors can see if the tremor is responding to the electrode in real time, but because Frisch’s condition was so mild, his surgeon was concerned about not being able to

tell whether the device was put in the exact spot in his brain.

The medical team concluded that the only way to make sure the electrode was in the right location was to have Frisch play his violin during the surgery.

According to Daily Mail, an accelerometer was put on the tip of Frisch’s violin bow, transmitting his tremors onto a graph on a computer screen. Surgeons implanted the electrodes while watching the screen, with Frisch playing his violin to generate the readings.

The operation was a total success.

Frisch told Ovation Press’s String Visions that his tremors are currently “nonexistent” thanks to his newfound ability to turn them off with a portable device.

He played a full-length performance just three weeks after the operation and has since resumed his position as associate concert master.

News: Desk

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4 parenting | modern misfires

Raising Hell

Kids these days! Raising children in Dhaka today has new complications. Here are some ways to keep them – and the rest of us – healthy and sane

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

I

f we, as a nation, diverted the amount of energy and enthusiasm we normally reserve for bullying the unencumbered to marry and procreate, towards matters of greater social welfare, we’d probably be living the whole clean, shiny, poverty-free “digital Bangladesh” life by now.

Instead, we wait until XYZ arrives at a marriageable age before all the friends, relatives and socalled well-wishers pounce on them with innuendo, threats and emotional blackmail until a match is made. No sooner than the rings are swapped and the biriyani consumed, than the baby talks begin.

For a society that is so obsessed with producing babies, it’s mindboggling how irresponsible we become when the storks finally deliver. The catalogue of parenting fails that occur all day every day in plain sight is absurd.

Let me count the ways:

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Photo: Syed Latif Hossain

Always underfoot

Hypercommercialisation meets lack of planning. Shiny malls and shopping strips popping up everywhere with little consideration for parking space and the resulting impact on traffic. This adds pressure on shoppers during peak seasons like Ramadan or the February shopping season, leading to the kind of Darwinian deathmatch we see during any special sale.

How we’re making it worse: Dragging knee-high tots and hyperactive little children into these loud, crowded places, exposing them to the risk of getting lost, or worse, trampled underfoot.

What we could be doing: Pooling parental resources to find a childminder at home while parents go make their necessary purchases.

All aboard the fat train

Vanishing playgrounds, lack of

space, traffic and time constraints make exercise a luxury for most children. The threat of food adulteration has made fresh fruits and vegetables a little more risky than one would like. It’s hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle in this city.

How we’re making it worse: Hitting the FCs for lunch and dinner, and packing some more of that greasy fried goodness for tiffin, to be washed down with sugary soda drinks, of course. And when they’re done eating, they’re handed video games or set in front of the television. Any wonder child obesity is on the rise?

• Government regulations in Dhaka decree the acceptable noise limit to be 80db • The average sound level (ambient+music system) at a busy cafe is 110db Source: Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba)

What we could be doing: Investing a little more time and thought into giving them a more balanced diet.

Replacing the fried chicken with grilled options, and the carbonated beverage with fresh juice. And if the park is not an option, finding a fun, child-friendly exercise routine that doesn’t require much space.

Caffeinated Chaos

After a day of battling... just Dhaka, it’s nice to wind down over a warm cup of java and chat with friends over some dessert. The number of cafes that stay open late is hardly adequate, so they get crowded pretty fast. The management tries to cling to some semblance of ambience by turning up the volume, thereby defeating the purpose of the whole exercise.

How we’re making it worse: Bringing the munchkins along. It’s common knowledge that exposure to high levels of noise can lead to hearing loss and cause migraines.

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Stop the fat-shaming Rifat Islam Esha

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here are some parents who constantly pick on their children’s eating habits. The kids are always either too fat or too skinny.

These parents interrupt your enjoyment of a delicious bite of bhaat during lunch by saying something “subtle” yet spiteful, such as: “You should think of cutting down on eating junk food.”

Or: “You should come out and walk with me in the evenings.” The oneliners are punch lines straight in the gut. As you eat your food, you live

in constant fear of being targeted by your parents’ gravest concern.

It is usually parents themselves who trigger the worst eating habits of children with their hurtful words.

According to an article published

by Think Progress, a new research in JAMA Pediatrics reveals that girls who are called “too fat” before puberty are more liable to be obese later in their lives.

According to Tara Islam, 22, she used to get bullied by her parents every time she ate something “unhealthy.” She revealed that her

warped idea of a “perfect body” was crafted mostly by the way it is portrayed by media, society and of course, “the body of a girl who takes care of herself by eating healthy” as her parents would affirm.

Parents must find a healthy way to talk about “healthy eating habits” or a “healthy lifestyle,” without labelling them with “fatness” and obesity.

Continuous fat-shaming can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Photo: Bigstock

Photo: Syed Latif Hossain

• A single piece of fried chicken breast has about 320 calories, 126 calories from fat, 145mg of cholesterol and 1130mg of sodium • A 12-ounce serving of cola has 140 calories and 39g of sugar • Source: Caloriecount.about.com

Zombie Nation

In children and the elderly, there are additional problems, such as stress, fatigue, increased heart rates, blood pressure, to name just a few. And when they’re already irritable from the noise, they’re being handed sugary treats to jack up the hyperactivity.

Increased competition in the job market means a spike in competition in the academic sphere as well. Schools succumb to the pressure by “juking the stats” and you have all the easy shortcuts, from grade inflation to rote-based learning, which means children get sucked into the numbers game without really learning anything.

Even a decade ago, this could be supplemented by reading outside the curriculum, but if the dwindling bookstores provide any evidence, it is that the reading habit is on the decline.

What we could be doing: Leaving the kids at home. It’s past their bedtime anyway.

How we’re making it worse: Unrestricted access to television, video games and the Internet.

Photo: Bigstock

Buying them toys instead of books, and treating reading as bitter medicine when it should be an enjoyable activity.

What we could be doing instead: As stated by Professor Rahela Banu, Institute of Modern Languages, Dhaka University: “Children learn by example. When parents read, children learn to read as well. They wont need coaxing.”

In other words, a little less Star Jalsha might well lead to a populace that doesn’t want to off itself for want of the Pakhi dress.

Monkey see, monkey do

Ultimately, parents need to remember that they are meant to be role models and not the “cool

Photo: Bigstock

friends” for their children. Why this isn’t happening anymore may be a result of the change in family dynamics over the past few years.

Shajib Sarker, a senior lecturer at the department of media and communications, State University of Bangladesh, explains: “A few generations ago, the existence of joint families meant that child-rearing was a group effort.

Traditional wisdom was handed down from the experienced to the neophytes.” As families become more nuclear, he said, they lose that organic support system.

What parents could be doing: “Maybe it’s time that parents in nuclear families do a lot more research on childcare,” says Sarker.

.

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6 Feature | Schizophrenia

Voices in their heads

No, it’s probably not a jinn. Schizophrenia is the most commonly misdiagnosed mental illness, particularly in superstitious Bangladesh Shah Nahian

I

magine moving in with a roommate with whom you get along famously. He is humble, soft spoken and a very honest person in general.

However, after a few days, you notice some troubling changes. He sits alone in the dark, late at night, staring into space. He becomes increasingly moody. There is an absence of emotion and expression.

He avoids eye contact and displays no hand or head gestures while speaking. He becomes increasingly paranoid.

He confesses to being stalked by demonic beings.

They whisper voices inside his head, constantly reminding him that he’s worthless and should take his own life. At other times they bicker amongst themselves. He even claimed to have seen them lingering inside the apartment a couple of times, getting bolder by the day.

He was convinced that they were out to get him.

Soon he transformed into a completely different person. He hadn’t bathed in a while, always had a dishevelled appearance, stopped going to work and really did look like a man possessed.

Who you gonna call?

Jinn-busters?

Scared for your roommate, you contact his family, who decide to call a witch doctor to shun the evil spirits back from whence they came. This is a prequel to every exorcism story ever told. The story would probably reach a great climax after the arrival of the witch doctor.

In reality, however, this is a man suffering from a mental disorder known as schizophrenia.

People suffering from schizophrenia have long been confused with someone possessed by demons. They have been feared, and often tormented to rid them of evil spirits, sometimes exiled or locked up forever. Most people rarely understand this disorder, and fail to address this as a medical issue.

In rural Bangladesh, ghosts, demons and black magic are still all too real in people’s minds. It is not at all uncommon to hear stories about demonic possession treated by exorcism, but these stories have all the hallmarks of mental illness.

For a serious disorder such as schizophrenia, its symptoms are what horror stories are made of. So before fearing someone suffering from the illness, or condemning

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them as being damned, it is vital to understand what schizophrenia is.

Symptoms

Schizophrenia is a disorder characterised by disturbances in thought, emotion and behaviour. A person suffering from schizophrenia usually has a difficult time distinguishing what is real from what’s been imagined.

People often imagine a person with schizophrenia to be violent or out-of-control. Yet schizophrenic patients are rarely ever violent. But if a person does commit an act of violence, it may be due to other complicating factors, like childhood traumas.

People suffering from the disorder are most likely to experience delusions and hallucinations, which cause the person to believe bizarre things. Hallucinations are more often auditory than visual, and can be the person’s own thoughts spoken in a different voice, other voices arguing, commenting or telling the person to do certain things.

Other symptoms include: lack of motivation or inability to maintain a routine (avolition), poor social skills (asociality), lessening experience of pleasure (anhedonia), lack of outward expressions (blunted affect), disorganised speech, and disorganised behaviour such as acting childlike or silly.

If left untreated, schizophrenia might also result in catatonia, in which the person’s reaction to their surroundings decreases. They may assume a rigid posture and not move for hours.

Treatment

Treatment of schizophrenia requires integration of medical, psychological, and psychosocial inputs.

Professionals are required.

The patient might need a multidisciplinary team including a psychopharmacologist, a therapist, a social worker, a nurse, a vocational counsellor and a case manager.

Treatments are primarily provided on an outpatient basis, but some patients may at times require hospitalisation with increase in the severity of the disease, which can come with: noncompliance with pharmacotherapy, substance abuse, adverse effects or toxicity of medications, medical illness, psychosocial stress, or the waxing and waning of the illness itself.

Hospitalisations are usually brief

and are typically oriented towards crisis management or symptom stabilisation.

Local treatments for the illness are provided under the National Institute of Mental Health & Research (9118171, 01711027705) and by the psychiatric ward at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (9663429, 8616744).

Explanations

Despite its long history and devastating effects, the root cause of schizophrenia has yet to be discovered. However, it is known to be a disorder with a biological basis.

Schizophrenia cannot be cured, and requires an ongoing, often lifelong treatment, to control the effects. It is very important to recognise the symptoms as early as possible.

According to various studies, both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of this disease.

A collection of influences that affects the development of schizophrenia, including an imbalance in brain chemistry, abnormal brain structure, or certain outside influences such as intense stress. It has also been linked to abusing drugs like marijuana.

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Facts

Warning Signs

Schizophrenia begins gradually, usually in a person’s 20s. Early warning signs can be detected by friends and family long before the primary symptoms of schizophrenia occur.

While one or two of these symptoms will not necessarily lead to schizophrenia, several of them occurring together should be cause for concern. Warning signs that may indicate someone is heading toward an episode of schizophrenia include: • Social isolation and withdrawal • Irrational, bizarre or odd statements or beliefs • Increased paranoia or questioning others’ motivations • Becoming more emotionless • Hostility or suspiciousness • Increasing reliance on drugs or alcohol (to self-medicate) • Lack of motivation • Speaking in a strange manner unlike themselves • Inappropriate laughter • Insomnia or oversleeping • Deterioration in their personal appearance and hygiene

• 30-50% of people with schizophrenia fail to accept their illness or recommended treatment • Men are more likely to develop schizophrenia than women • Schizophrenia is strongly linked to an increased risk of suicides and attempts • 74% of schizophrenia patients experience auditory hallucinations • Schizophrenia reduces life expectancy by 25 years

Youth and mental health | Feature

7

Mental health matters Why we should care about the mental well-being of our youth Tasnuva Amin Nova

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he world has 1.2 billion people aged btween 15-24.

Out of this youth population, a reported 20% experience varying degrees of unstability in mental health. In recognition of this pervasive issue, the UN chose to focus on the state of youth and mental health this International Youth Day on August 12.

Young people with mental health issues are often subject to discrimination and stigmatisation, which can be crippling at an age when people are hungry for acceptance among peers. This deters victims and their families from acknowledging the problem in the first place and then seeking the help they require to get better.

Often youth who get negatively labelled with mental health conditions are unable to re-enter mainstream society, and the resulting isolation makes it that much harder to maintain long-term stability.

Many social and biological factors can trigger mental illness. Being susceptible to social pressures makes

Photo: Bigstock

young people more vulnerable to unhealthy mental conditions.

Young people who experience bad or absentee parenting, poverty, bullying, or peer pressure may develop mental illnesses, or unhealthy behaviour traits that may not always be obvious to the untrained eye.

In order to live full and healthy lives, they need treatment, support, and freedom from shame and isolation. There is also a need to facilitate an environment conducive to the needs of these people by creating a tolerant and an educated society.

In every society, the youth population is important because they are its future leaders. Their physical and mental soundness determine how well a nation will perform in the long run.

In Bangladesh, mental health is becoming a major concern for the youth faction. With almost 20% of the population in the age group of 15-24 and a youth dependency ratio of 46%, ensuring a healthy youth population is crucial for

spearheading the nation towards a prosperous direction. About 10% of our population suffers from some sort of mental illness, many of who are in the age group mentioned.

Being a developing country with a society that is mostly conservative, we have made a bad name in treating people suffering from mental illnesses with proper care and compassion. In Bangladesh, we have only 1 physician per 4000 people, whereas it is 1 per 400 in US, and 1 per 2500 in India.

Often the saddest part about treating mental health in youth is that we are not even aware of their suffering. In a society with wide inequalities among social classes and inter-class mingling, seemingly harmless feelings of inferiority, jealousy, loneliness, and depression can lead to the development of mental illness.

Oh Oishee Last week was the first anniversary of Oishee’s murder of her parents, who were stabbed to death by their 17 year old daughter.

As soon as the tragic news came into

media, it did not take time for Oishee Rahman to get labelled as a spoilt, drug-abusing, murderer.

It was reported that the accused was an abuser of drugs and had killed her parents to avenge them for restraining her freedom. One year after the murder, Oishee remains under the clasp of law and public scrutiny for the heinous crime that has not only ended the life of her strongest custodians, but also pushed her into a bleak future.

No evidence of external influence, drug abuse or peer pressure, can adequately justify the emotions overriding Oishee when she stabbed the people who gave birth to her and brought her up, without a condition of acute mental illness, which she might have been a victim of.

Treating the slightest anomalous traits in behaviour and social conduct of young people with as much empathy and analysis as possible is the smallest step parents and guardians can take to ensure better mental health of the young members of the society.

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Kaan Pete Roi Shah Nahian

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f you or someone you know is going through loneliness, stress or depression, you can get in touch with Kaan Pete Roi, first ever emotional support helpline in Bangladesh.

People can call to receive immediate emergency counselling.

Run by trained volunteers, the objective of the helpline is to lighten your burden from despair, isolation, distress, and suicidal feelings.

The information shared is kept confidential so that one can more easily open up without having to worry about stigma.

Helplines such as these exist in over 40 nations in the world, and play an important role in suicide prevention and the promotion of mental health. Kaan Pete Roi is the first of its kind in Bangladesh.

You can also get involved with the group, by funding or volunteering, by

going to http://shuni.org/ Helplines are open Sunday to Wednesday, 3pm to 9pm, and on Thursdays from 3pm to 3am.

The numbers are: Grameen: 01779554391, 01779554392 Airtel: 01688709965, 01688709966 Banglalink: 01985275286 Robi: 01852035634

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8 Feature | Meditation in jail

Quantum of solace for jailbirds A meditation programme in Dhaka jails run by the Quantum Foundation helps prisoners cope with their stressful lives

Faisal Mahmud

F

akhrul Amin, 36, has almost seven years left of his prison term. But instead of being engulfed in the darkness of his cell, he has found solace in the hope of a better future after he is finally released.

Amin’s perseverance comes through a course introduced by Dhaka jail authorities that trains inmates on how to meditate.

“Nowadays, I sleep well and feel free of tension and stress. Even the rancid food and the dirty bedding of the prison don’t bother me,” he told me.

“The serenity of meditation makes me want to do something positive in life when I am released.”

Life is not easy in Bangladesh’s overcrowded prisons. The 67 jails in the country hold more than 75,000 inmates – three times their official capacity.

The biggest of them, the Dhaka Central Jail, has more than 8,000 prisoners. No official rehabilitation programmes have been effective in lowering the rates of recidivism among the prison population.

As a result, the meditation programme in the Dhaka Central Jail is being followed with interest by several people, who see the approach as a way to lower the urban crime rate.

“This overcrowding has severe consequences including lack of proper sanitation, which results in the spread of infectious diseases.

But health hazards aside, the stress levels among the prisoners are also high due to their confinement, resulting in violent incidents on the premises,” said Suraiya Rahman, director of coordination for the Quantum Foundation, the Dhakabased non-profit organisation that holds the sessions.

“Inmates all across the world are given some counselling. But the traditional counselling methods to reform prisoners did not prove successful in Dhaka Central Jail, as we see a lot of relapses,” she said.

“This is why jail authorities have planned to go spiritual.”

The sessions, which first began in November 2010, train both male and female inmates to channel their energy into meditation, and find

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new meaning in life away from the material world.

The programme, which started with a batch of 40 inmates, has now trained more than 600 inmates under the supervision of expert trainers.

“Inmates are given a two-hour instructional class, including counseling, quantum exercises, and spiritual discussions – after that they are given assignments to practice by themselves,” Suraiya said.

“Even security officials at the jail want to take part in the programme,” she said.

Jail authorities are happy with the response. “Dhaka Central Jail has more than 8,000 prisoners at present,” said senior jail superintendent Tauhid-ulIslam. “As this meditation course is receiving good responses, we are planning to provide training

Justice is not only the way we punish those who do wrong.

It is also the was we try to save them - from Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

to all the prisoners in rotation.

The prisoners inside the jail need something that will not only bring out the good in them, but will also provide them with entertainment.

This training process gives them both.”

Tauhid said the meditation programme is the latest of the government’s efforts to improve the quality of life inside prisons, following criticism of the conditions. If the programme proves successful, the government plans to introduce meditation classes gradually at all the jails of the country.

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Photo: Bigstock

self-reflection | Photo story

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Pages from my life Photos and text: Reza Shahriar Rahman

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his is my very own visual dairy depicting my feelings towards life. This photo story is the collection of my memories.

It focuses on the important chapters or events, such as the first time I had sex, the first day I

smoked, or the first time I had my heart broken.

There are funny and warm moments that I spent with my friends and family.

This project helped me become more close to my parents. I asked them to take my photo – in the

way they saw me now or the way they wanted to see me. My mother pictured me like a corporate guy as she always wanted me to be. And my father said he always saw me sleeping, so he took my photo while I was sleeping.

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All those memories.

The past I will never erase.

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10 Photo story | self-reflection

To live life my way Do I need to ask you?

I want it back, all that’s mine.

I’ll take back all my rights.

I’m rude, nameless from the street Who has no dignity nor shame.

Rules, customs are downfalls of life Where the world is enemy, Everything belongs to someone else.

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The smell of your skin, Touch of your hair, The memory of us Being together for the last time Under the same moon.

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When the sun kisses the green field There’s no tree, that used to be, Only the dream of a house and my grandfather remains.

And the killer river that’s still there in the light, But now she is dying too.

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12 interview | martijn crowe

urban artist hits dhaka streets

The Dhaka Project is a collaboration between local artists and the Faketory, a Brazilian art collective. Work will be exhibited this weekend at Dhaka Arts Centre (Aug 22-24), and at Athena Gallery (Aug 15-31). We caught up with Faketory’s creative director Martijn Crowe James Saville Tell me a bit about the project. I gather its part of an international series?

We began in Sao Paulo, some five years ago. We decided to go with four subjects that we found interesting: old people, young people that have been through bad situations in life, the homeless and drag queens.

These groups piqued my interest. I feel I can relate to young people between 14-15 that are already deemed outcasts because they are not interested in the economy or such. The lives of homeless people are very interesting and perplexing. The very concept of homelessness here is totally different.

Photo: Aleid Dernier van de Gon

I haven’t captured the soul of Bangladesh yet, but it’s an interesting soul. It’s an old soul Martijn Crowe is a writer and artist based in Brazil. He is also psychotherapist and has a PhD in Cultural Anthropology

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | FR I DAY, AUGUST 22, 2014

How is homelessness in Dhaka different than in Sao Paulo?

Well, for instance, People here are clean and they work. They are an economic power because they contribute and have some way of staying in the same place. I talked to a man who has been living near the rail tracks since 1971.

In Sao Paulo, you will find a group of people that works. They take garbage from the street, separate them, and sell them to the big companies that come and buy it [for recycling]. So they are the tribes living in the street, and they fight with the police because the police always move their factories and then they go somewhere else. I lived three months with a group like that.

So what work are you doing here in Dhaka?

I take photos of people in the streets. I haven’t captured the soul of Bangladesh yet, but it’s an interesting soul. It’s an old soul.

I usually pay people because I

think they must benefit in some way. But here, they didn’t want money for being photographed. I was told by a group of homeless people: “You can take your photo.

We don’t want your money.”

I have gathered so many interesting experiences. I was on the street and there was a little boy, a four-year-old (like my own son), and he was totally naked, but he had an expression that had power.

Just at the moment I was taking the photo, the police came by and wanted to know what this crazy foreigner was doing taking photos of nude boys. I went to them and I said “Hello! I’m Martijn, I’m from Brazil.”

“Braaaazil! Woooah!” And everything’s fine [laughs]. This was before Brazil v Germany. And then (afterwards) every time they came by, they waved, that was nice.

There are more flags of Brazil here than there are in Brazil.

Your project poses the question ‘What can I contribute to the world?’ What’s your answer?

I think 99% is listening, and only 1% is doing something. You can inspire other people to do something just by being there.

Why do you choose not to plan your art?

A seed of a tree doesn’t plan to become a tree. It doesn’t know which way it will grow. It’s just organic.

Most human minds are always searching for security, so we make images, and we make behaviour, and we make our surroundings.

This process is called reification.

Then we make images and surroundings unquestionable. So everyday we go to the same grocery

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Art: Martijn Crowe

I have had this experience with Asia already, that the intellectual effort is very low, they don’t read books, they don’t know anything.

And then, there I was discussing Nietzsche store, we talk with the same people and we have the same ideas as the group we are a part of.

My aim as an artist is to put a question mark there.

I always give the example of the fruit of the Amazon. Do you know how many different types of fruits there are in the jungle? Forty thousand edible fruits – of which the indigenous people living in the forest eat about 4,000, Brazilians eat approximately 20 or 30, and the rest of the western world only eats bananas.

People make a small world for themselves, and that world becomes very important, and they don’t really see the rest of it. My message is simple: the world is so big that there is always so much to see and do.

people living in poverty, yearly floods, garments factories, etc.

So I came, and after two days, I met Emran Sohel on Facebook, and we started to discuss Nietzsche at his residence. I found a really strong intellectual interest here.

People are really interested in western thinking, but also they have their own traditional philosophies.

This world is much more interesting and complex than many other worlds. When you go to Phnom Penh, there is no intellectual life, maybe because the Khymer Rouge killed them all. I don’t know.

Bangladeshis are very politically aware, all the students, they all have ideas.

What led you to Dhaka?

I think I found something attractive about the city while in a discussion.

Perhaps that’s some part of my planning. Nobody knew anything about Dhaka, nobody. There were only preconceived ideas, like

Was Bangladeshi intellectualism a surprise to you?

Yes. I had this idea of travelling to the middle of nowhere with only poor people. I have had this experience with Asia already, that the intellectual effort is very low,

Art: Martijn Crowe

they don’t read books, they don’t know anything. And then, there I was discussing Nietzsche.

Emran was telling me about the Sufi idea of superman, and he was relating it to the idea of Ubermensch from Nietzsche – which I think has no relation but that’s another discussion. This was the reason why they were studying Nietzsche here in Dhaka. That was interesting.

Later I was in an office, and on someone’s desk was a book of Ronald Laing, a very famous psychiatrist from England. Ronald Laing was one of my teachers.

In Europe, nobody reads him anymore, but here they do, and he’s very interesting and important.

I read you also practice psychotherapy?

Yeah, so if you need anything... [laughs] Actually I don’t want to be a scientist anymore because they are dealing too much with this concept of truth. They are totally self-

referential. All scientists know each other and they don’t have contact with the world anymore. You can do a case study on the homeless by reading books and not actually meeting any homeless person.

What I do is different. When there was a conference on homelessness in Sao Paulo I took those scholars to the slums. They would prefer to just come up with five questions, then ask other people to go ask them these five questions. You can do this kind of job then say that you have done your research. But you don’t have any idea who is really there. And there are 25,000 homeless people in that neighbourhood.

I was involved in the science of social constructionism, and I specialised in research. You have to go to the children, you have to sit there, and you have to wait until they come out with their stories.

That’s the approach of social constructionism. It is called the narrative approach. You don’t get data. But you do get the story.

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14 Legalese | Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi

THE EXTENDED DRAW Q

I am currently involved in litigation with another company, as the defendant.

Initially, the lawyer I consulted provided me with a lot of his time, and explained the procedures and merits of my defence to me in detail. I was quite happy to have appointed him as my lawyer. He was also a man of political clout and he utilised it to sway the case to my favor quite a bit.

Recently however, things are starting to seem quite dodgy to me.

It appears that he is extending the case constantly in order to make money from each hearing.

I also found out that my opposition contacted him in order to reach a settlement outside court, but he refused without even communicating this news to me.

I want to appoint another lawyer. Can I do that? Will it still be possible to reach a settlement with my opposition outside court?

about the situation before it was too late.

Now, let’s take a look at how your situation can be salvaged.

The first thing you will require is a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your lawyer, along with all your documents that are in this possession. The lawyer will usually require all his legal fees/dues to be settled before issuing this certificate.

Most of the time, lawyers happily provide the NOC as soon as their fees are cleared. However, if for any reason, your lawyer bears a grudge against you, things could get a tad complicated. They could wish to hold on to your documents and refuse to hand them over to you.

It’s important to realise that these documents consist of documents you may have yourself

A

Dear Reader, I’m quite saddened to hear that you’re facing this issue. One of the core principles that lawyers are taught about during their Bar Professional Course is the principle of upholding ethics, and always ensuring that the clients’ best interests are adhered to, first and foremost.

Unfortunately, as it the case in quite a few professions (I will avoid mentioning names as that would land me in hot water), ethics seem to take a backseat in the minds of a few lawyers. This is disappointing really, as a few bad apples can effectively ruin a good harvest.

Thankfully, you have found out Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi is a barrister and solicitor of England and Wales. She is currently Senior Partner at Legacy Legal Corporate.

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | FR I DAY, AUGUST 22, 2014

Got a problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

handed over to the lawyers, along with the Court orders and litigation documents that have accumulated over the years.

In this instance, I do hope you did the sensible thing and made a copy of the original documents before handing them over to the lawyer in the first place. The litigation documents are public records and you will be able to get a copy of them from the respective offices.

There is also a side option of making a formal complaint to the Bar Council and Dhaka Bar Association, but these usually turn out to be long-winded processes.

But since you mentioned that your lawyer has political clout, this route may not be very effective and it may be sensible to end things amicably.

Assuming that you successfully manage to change lawyers, let’s now look at how we can solve this litigation situation for you.

It’s definitely good news when your legal opposition gets in touch and wishes to reach a settlement outside court. In legal terms, we refer to this as “Alternative Dispute Resolution.”

There are a range of alternative dispute resolution methods available to anyone who wishes to partake of the advantages they confer – conciliation, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, etc.

While the most cost-effective form of these methods is probably negotiation, and the most expensive being arbitration, these methods will probably be most beneficial in the long term, as compared to litigation.

In your situation, I advise getting in touch with your opposition and communicating to them the fact that you are willing to reach a settlement outside court. There’s no need to inform that your lawyer never communicated the offer. Why give the impression that there’s trouble in paradise? Just inform them you have reconsidered, and you would like to hear what they have to offer.

Hope it all works out.

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less is more | number crunch

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WebAble is a digital media consultancy based in Bangladesh. Learn more at webable.com.bd

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

16 TOUGH LOVE | DINA SOBHAN

Obsessive & Repulsive Q

A colleague at work is interested in me and he doesn’t miss an opportunity to make it known. Often, he makes silly passes at me, and what’s worse is some of our colleagues think it’s funny. I find all of this very disturbing, but the job is good and I don’t want to let it go because of one guy. I fear that no one will take me seriously if I bring it up, especially as my colleague is married and very senior to me.

What should I do?

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

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | FR I DAY, AUGUST 22, 2014

A

I believe facing things head on is always the best course of action. Confront your unhinged former lover and demand an explanation for his psychotic behaviour.

However, try to determine if his delayed response to the breakup has a biological basis before you tell him to snap out of this loathsome love-sickness that has taken hold of him, and to move on, as you have done so heartlessly.

A

Yes, I agree that no one would take you seriously if you brought it up. If anything, it would not only make you a laughing stock at the office, it might even get you fired if the employing powers think that you are dispensable and he is not.

I suggest you stop playing coy and give the old man a taste of his own meds. Next time he hits on you, reciprocate in kind. Blush and giggle when he teases you

Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune. com

Convey as sternly as possible that nothing good can come of his persistent stalking, and will instead earn him a cosy spot in Gulshan thana if he does not cease and desist forthwith.

If he’s one of those Neanderthals with whom reason has no appeal, enlist the help of your best friend’s large older brother to intercept the next few messages/phone calls and let your ex know that great danger will befall him should he choose to not discontinue the harassment.

It’s really sad and pathetic

that you have to go to such lengths with someone who not long ago was sharing your, um, toothbrush. But some men are just not very good at handling rejection.

Don’t allow yourself to believe, even for a moment, that it has to do with you being particularly special or lovable, etc. It’s just that his fragile male ego can’t comprehend that you would actually choose not to be with him.

It’s imperative that you, on behalf of all women everywhere, ensure that he suck it up and deal.

and make sure the whole office hears it.

Start telling some of your female colleagues that you’ve had a change of heart and think you may actually have a future with him, that you’re sure he will leave his wife and family for you.

Once the sleazy old goat thinks that you may actually be serious, and that all the office gossip might make it back to his wife, he’ll back off tout de suite. You may even generate some sympathy from the office staff, who will now believe that he led you on unnecessarily

and that you were the victim of that shyster’s wicked ruse.

You can further capitalise on this turn of events by dropping hints that you might take action against him or the company, which is liable for his behaviour in the office. If you play your cards right, you may be looking at a promotion or a raise in exchange for your silence.

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Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy

Q

I am a 25-year-old wowan who has just ended a three year relationship. My ex initially seemed to be taking the break-up in a mature way, but last week I began receiving threatening phone calls and hate mails from anonymous Skype accounts and unknown numbers. Due to the content, I am pretty sure it is him sending these disturbing messages.

I am confused and nervous. How do I handle this? Should I report him to the police?

Got a problem?

mad movies | top 10

17

A walk on the crazy side

Many of us fear the insane, but when it comes to movies, we can experience the thrill of that twinge of madness from the safety of your sofa. Here are the top 10 films that will take you on a psychotic ride-along with characters on the verge of madness Ruwaida Khander Fight Club (1999) starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter “It’s only after we’ve lost everything

1

that we’re free to do anything.”

Edward Norton plays a bitter insomniac with a dead-end job. His entire life gets turned upside-down when he meets the mysterious Tyler Durden. They form a fight club, in which men join to fight each other and work out their angst. The club catches on in several towns and all goes well for Norton – until one day he discovers Tyler may not be all he seems.

Shutter Island (2010) starring Leonardo DiCaprio US Marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the case of a missing person in Boston’s Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital, an institution for the criminally insane. The doctors are unhelpful, and their “operations” often unethical and perverse. As more patients disappear, Teddy begins to question his purpose in the

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investigation, his memories, and even his own sanity.

Silence of the Lambs (1991) starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins

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Young FBI agent Clarice Starling is investigating a brutal serial killer nicknamed Buffalo Bill, who skins his victims. But she must seek help from his ex-psychiatrist, Dr Hannibal Lecter, a notorious and psychotic cannibal. As a “quid pro quo,” Clarice starts to confide in Dr Lecter, revealing stories from her past that still haunt her. (Also check out Hannibal, a current prequel TV show).

American Psycho (2000) starring Christian Bale Patrick Bateman is a wealthy Wall Street investment banker in the 1980s. Patrick has a healthy daily routine: shower, exercise... and oh, also fantasizing about killing, raping and mutilating women.

Patrick’s materialistic obsessions often bring out the homicidal monster inside him, when he kills people brutally. Can Patrick hide his psychotic desires from his

4 friends and co-workers? Does it matter?

The Shining (1980) starring Jack Nicholson Jack Torrance, along with his wife and his son, is appointed to take care of an isolated hotel during the winter season. His son

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Danny soon becomes able to see visions of the hotel’s terrifying past using a telepathic gift called the “shining.” As the winter grows colder, Jack’s insanity grows more apparent. He befriends the ghosts of the hotel’s former guests, who convince him to “fix” his family in a murderous rampage.

Black Swan (2010) starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis

6 Nina Sayers is a conservative young woman whose life revolves around dance. She lives with her

incredibly controlling ex-ballerina mother. When Nina’s dance director is looking to cast the lead in Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice, as she perfectly fits the elegant and beautiful White Swan. But she must also play the mischievous and sinister Black Swan, who is better epitomised by a newly arrived rival dancer.

The two bears a striking resemblance to each other, and they develop a twisted friendship.

A Woman Under the Influence (1974) starring Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk, directed by John Cassavettes Mabel is a loving mother and devoted wife, but prone to erratic and impulsive behaviour. Confused and desperate, her husband Nick commits her to an institution for six months. Left alone with his three children, Nick proves to be neither wiser nor better than his wife in relating to them.

7

Psycho (1960) starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins, directed

by Alfred Hitchcock Lila Crane, a secretary in Phoenix,

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is on the run after embezzling from her employer. She comes across the desolate Bates Motel, owned by a young man and his mother, and finds the remoteness hotel a perfect hideout. But there is something very wrong about the young man, and the strange domination his mother has over him. (Also check out Bates Motel, a current prequel TV show).

Donnie Darko (2001) starring Jake Gyllenhaal Donnie Darko is a troubled, darkminded teenager. His only two friends are Gretchen, a quiet girl who soon becomes Donnie’s girlfriend, and Frank: a large bunny that is a figment of Donnie’s imagination. Frank convinces Donnie to commit a series of crimes which he believes will lead him to the end of the universe.

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One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) starring Jack Nicholson

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McMurphy cannot stop committing crimes. To avoid going to prison, he untruthfully pleads insanity and is sent to an

institution, where he witnesses the awful wrongdoings of the devious Nurse Ratched – who manipulates her obviously mentally challenged patients by using their weaknesses to make herself more superior. McMurphy gathers a few other patients to lead a rebellion against the devious nurse.

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18 Obituary | lauren bacall

Remembering Lauren Bacall Tausif Sanzum

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ne of the last living legends of the golden era of Hollywood, Lauren Bacall took her last breath on August 12 at age 89.

Setting her signature

Her Harper's Bazaar cover from back in 1943 could give any current A-lister a run for their money.

There is an interesting story behind her being nicknamed “the look” for her piercingly come-hither gaze.

During auditions for the 1944 movie “To Have and Have Not,” she was pretty nervous and to keep herself from appearing jittery, she pressed her chin to her chest and moved her eyes towards the camera. The effect was such a hit, this became her signature style.

This movie sealed the 20-year-

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

Clues

ACROSS 1 4 6 7

Game animal (7) Small country with or round about first (7) Enjoy a book and choose to use again (7) Power type can rule in a new order (7)

Solved it? Email answers to weekend@ dhakatribune.com and win one free month of the Dhaka Tribune.

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

She had another major release with Bogart in 1946, The Big Sleep. She was also cast opposite other major stars of her era like Gregory Peck and Kirk Douglas, but the onscreen chemistry she had with Bogart was without comparison.

Lauren said she never considered herself a major star, as she felt the film industry was not making movies with great parts for women back then. She made a major splash in a supporting role in “The Mirror Has Two Faces.” Bacall repeated her early onscreen magic on the stage, later on in her career, particularly in the Tony-winning,

Mini cryptics DOWN 1 Smile following tea humiliation (7) 2 Popular assistance up country (5) 3 Land area or vehicle to farm it (7) 5 River of lavender honey (5)

Last week’s sudoku solutions

Career on screen and stage

Applause and All About Eve.

Firebrand

The actress had strong political views and took part in various political protests. She was also notable for not mincing with words. Some of her quotes have become part of popular culture.

Her famous dialogue from the movie, To Have and Have Not: "You know you don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow."

Her famous opinion on men after divorcing her second husband: “A woman isn't complete without a man. But where do you find a man - a real man - these days? Find me a man who's interesting enough to have dinner with and I'll be happy.”

After her breakup with Frank Sinatra, she quoted “Frank did me a great favour. He saved me from the complete disaster our marriage would have been. But the truth is that he behaved like a complete shit.”

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Last week’s Mini Cryptics solutions

One last Look

old's image as “steel with curves.”

It is also where she met her future husband, Humphrey Bogart, who was 25 years her senior. Film historians tell tales about how electrifying it was to watch the reel couple become a real couple right in front of the camera.

After the death of Bogart, she was briefly engaged to Frank Sinatra, before marrying Jason Robards Jr, who she ultimately divorced.

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)

Go out

19

Sport

9th Ascent Corporate 5-A-Side Football Cup

Weekly Planner August 16-September 4

When Aug 22-30 Where STM Hall premises, Scholastica, Uttara

Art | Boyon Boyan ‘Threads of Testimony’

When 12pm-8pm Where Bengal Art Lounge, 60 Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan What Bengal Art Lounge organises the exhibition of painting, drawing, site-specific installation and sound and videos by Dilara Begum Jolly. She explores the many imbalances and vagaries of society.

The artist has studied painting and printmaking at Government Arts College in Chittagong, the Institute of Fine Arts in Dhaka and Santiniketan in India.

August 20-28

Regarded as the most prestigious sporting event for the corporate fraternity, this indoor football tournament is back again for its ninth year. It is sponsored by the Ascent Group and organised by Excalibur Entertainment.

During the first year in 2006, there were 24 teams playing at the ISD Gym. Since then, the number of participating teams has grown to more than 50 companies, some preparing extensively, for the coveted cup.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

Last year, our very own Dhaka Tribune team – new entrants and underdogs – stole the show and bagged the cup. Dhaka Tribune defeated the defending champion IIDFC in the semifinal, and defeated five time champion Beximco in the final game.

The games are open for everyone to attend. Come see the great sporting skills of Dhaka’s local desk jockeys – and cheer on the team of your favourite newspaper.

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Film | Looking at the Big Sky

When 2pm-6pm Where Berlin Hall, Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, House 10, Road 9, Dhanmondi What A short film exhibition of 14 videos by students from German art schools, which were chosen to be exhibited in Goethe-Institut around the world. The young artists offer an astonishing variety of motifs and practices. They tell fictional stories, individual assertions, and pseudodocumentary formats.

August 22 Art | Group Exhibition “Show: Yourself”

When 10am-8pm Where Athena Gallery of Fine Arts, Progoti Shoroni, Uttar Badda What Artists Rezaun Nabi, Ronald Merkestein and Martijn Crowe (see interview on pg 12-13) will be showcasing their work, which uses video, mixed media, oil painting, watercolours and photography. This exhibition is part of the three month long Dhaka project, initiated by The Faketory, where many local and international artists co create art on social subjects.

Music | Lohor presents “Music Fest Reloaded 2014”

When 10:30am-8pm Where National Library Auditorium, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar What The music festival is a platform for local bands. The lineup includes: Shrapnel Method, MeTroNomE, Sin of Carnage, Quanta, Lohor, Silent Time, Cross Bones, Messianic Era, X-Guild, Revive Saddle, pacemaker, BLOOD N WINE, NINAD, Wicked Bug, Gradient.

Tickets are available for Tk100 at the venue gate before the programme.

Cause | Awareness Campaign on Road Safety

When 3pm Where University of Dhaka What Youth Movement arranges a campaign programme on road safety. The campaign is primarily targeted in Dhaka University campus area covering TSC, Nilkhet, Curzon Hall, Shahbag, Suhrawardy Udyan. A rally will start from the vice chancellor’s residence area to Doel Chattar. Volunteers will stand in at different points of the university area to distribute flyers, put up banners and attempt to motivate people through their slogans.

August 25 Career | News presentation workshop

When 10am-6pm Where United International University (UIU) auditorium, Dhanmondi What 15 renowned TV news presenters will conduct the day-long workshop on news presentation techniques. The lectures will cover: presentation skills, pronunciation, CV writing technique, photography rules, the interview process, experience sharing and the certificate giving ceremony.

Registration fee is Tk200.

Send your events to weekend@dhakatribune.com

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20 profile | A fighter in need

TO HEAL

A WAR HERO Alamtaj Begum Chhobi is an indomitable figure whose legacy cannot be ignored

Manisha Gangopadhyay

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n the 14th floor of PG Hospital, on the corner of Shahbagh Square, a woman lies crumpled on a freshly-made cot, her shriveled arms wrapped loosely around her wasted body. This is not how I expected to see Alamtaj Begum Chhobi, a strong-willed war hero who helped Bangladesh achieve independence in 1971, and a woman who featured larger than life in my memories.

I first met Alamtaj Begum Chhobi ten years ago, when I interviewed her for an article assignment.

We met at her home, where she lived with her daughters and granddaughter. She was beautiful, her laughter contagious. They welcomed me so warmly that I felt instantly like a member of the family.

It was incredible to find that the courageous freedom fighter, who survived numerous tragedies and

Photos: Courtesy

challenges in life, was one of the most personable individuals I have met.

Mukti Bahini

In 1971, at only 16 years of age, Chhobi left home against the will of her elders to join the Liberation War. In step with her two elder brothers, she joined the local army contingent in Peyara Bagan, Barisal.

The young Chhobi tracked the movements of Pakistani soldiers and engaged in tactical grenade attacks, often placing herself in harm’s way.

When asked what inspired her to pursue such a path, she replies without skipping a beat: “To achieve real freedom and a sense of liberation for future generations.”

A fighter’s life

Like many freedom fighters of 1971, Chhobi survived the war only to struggle in life. Chhobi had lost her younger brother in the war. A

Return to Health fund

An online fundraiser was recently established to help finance the final phases of her treatment with help from the broader community.

To donate to Alamtaj Begum Chhobi’s Return to Health fund, visit: https://www.youcaring.com/ medical-fundraiser/chhobi-sreturn-to-health/201592 For regular updates on Chhobi’s health, visit: https://www.facebook.com/ pages/1971-Freedom-FighterAlamtaj-Begum-Chhobi/ 634000243337653?sk=info

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | FR I DAY, AUGUST 22, 2014

year later, soon after the birth of Chhobi’s first child, her husband and remaining brother were murdered in a politically-devised event. A much older brother in-law married Chhobi in support, but he too did not live long, leaving Chhobi twice-widowed with two daughters to care for on her own.

But that same fiery spirit that compelled Chhobi to join the war continued: through marriage and loss, through poverty and relative prosperity, through children and grandchildren.

As a single mother raising two daughters, Chhobi often worked in domestic service, achieving enough financial solvency to provide a roof over their heads, food on the table, and clothes on their backs. Both her daughters were educated and went on to lead comfortable lives with stable careers – no small feat for a woman who left home as a teenager with few resources.

It was 30 years later, when next I met her. After years that clearly must have been a struggle, she still carried a light in her eyes that conveyed a sense of triumph rather than defeat, and a strong sense of personal will.

Crushing blow

So it was with great shock that I received the news earlier this year that something had finally crushed this indomitable spirit who survived, loved, and succeeded against all odds.

Nothing could have prepared me for the transformation I witnessed that sweltering day: A shriveled and darkened stick of a figure curled on her bed, hands and feet burned by chemotherapy, the light in her eyes replaced by fear. She was virtually unrecognizable. What could have done this to her in such a short period of time?

“Colo-rectal cancer,” her elder daughter, Shelima, informed me.

Circle of support

She has been under the care of Shelima, who quit her job in Barisal to take care of her mother. Chhobi’s younger daughter, Nijhum, contributes her modest teacher’s income to help pay for the flat rent in Dhaka.

Since January, Shelima has enlisted the help of friends and supporters. A recent fundraiser by the Liberation War Museum raised Tk1.5 lakh. Beyond this, a portion of Chhobi’s medical care has been subsidised via a fund reserved for Mukthijodhhas. Some has been provided for free by a caring doctor, or covered by small donations.

These gestures of support have carried Chhobi through several months of chemotherapy sessions, surgery, and cancer-related treatment at a modest government hospital in Dhaka. Yet it is still not enough to cover the full expense of cancer treatment and medication.

Chhobi maintains her resolve to shield her loved ones from financial ruin. In the spirit reminiscent of her old self, she declares: “I refuse to sell our house and home [in Barisal] to fund my treatment.”

It’s easy to understand why: She wants her children and grandchildren to inherit a legacy of strength and freedom, and not the extreme struggles she faced in her own life. She takes pride in her teenaged granddaughter Tasfia’s ability to laugh out loud, freely and unfettered.

Her single wish for Tasfia is that she would be able to fully embrace the freedom that her grandmother struggled throughout her life to achieve. But Chhobi worries that the cost of her treatment will drain resources away from that dream.

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