Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 17

| vo l 2 I ssu e 17 | F R I D AY, se pte m b e r 5, 2014

state of mind

4

playing doctor

6

3000 years in bengal

12

talking bots

CONTENTS

1

Volume 2 | Issue 17 | September 5, 2014 Editor Zafar Sobhan

News

Executive Editor Shahriar Karim

2 News

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 Health Playing doctor 6 Origin story 3000 years in Bengal

9 Photo story

8 Event Gender Diversity 12 Digital Bangladesh Talking Bots 15 Funny Bone Yamin Khan

CALL ME HEENA

20 Last Word Street racing

Contributors Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi Dina Sobhan Promiti Prova Chowdhury Muktasree Chakma Shathi

Regulars 14 Legalese All that you can leave behind

Graphics Md Mahbub Alam Alamgir Hossain Tahsin Momin Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel Website dhakatribune.com/weekend facebook.com/WeekendTrib Email your letters to: weekend@dhakatribune.com

the cover

This creative rickshaw allows you to pause and reflect, if you know what we mean

Photo: Syed Latif Hossain

16 Tough Love Motor mouth polished pout 18 Stay In

17 FEATURE

THE DHAKA PROJECT

19 Go out

Editor’s note

THE DELTA “The Bengal delta is … why there is now a Bangladesh,” historian Prof van Schendel tells us in an interview (pg 6-7). “Things work differently here.”

Indeed they do.

Here we sell aphrodisiacs on the side of the street (pg 4-5) have a third official gender, though Hijras continue to fight for mainstream acceptance (pg 8, pg 9-11).

Yamin Khan offers a handy and hilarious guide to our quandaries (pg 15), while the Dhaka Project tries to capture the kaleidoscope of our quirks (pg 17).

We are still a developing country, but we’ve started building our very own robots (p 12-13), and dealing with the #firstworldproblems of spoiled kids racing in the streets.

We aren’t Kissinger’s basket case anymore. We’re forging our own road on this delta.

And that has made all the difference.

- Rumana Habib

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2 News | This week

The world at a glance

Tasnuva Amin Nova

Pakistan protests ease as rival leaders seek negotiated settlement Rival Pakistani politicians on Wednesday explored the possibility of a negotiated solution to weeks of protests aimed at the removal of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that eased after turning violent over the weekend.

Thousands had tried to storm Sharif’s house in protests led by former cricket star Imran Khan and firebrand cleric Tahir ul-Qadri, destabilising the coup-prone nation.

But by Wednesday, only a few hundred people were camped out outside parliament in the high-security Red Zone area in the centre of the capital Islamabad, with the army protecting key government installations.

Sharif has refused to step down, while protest leaders have rejected his calls to come to the negotiating table, creating a dangerous deadlock and prompting fears the military might seize power.

But in the latest twist, Khan and Qadri agreed to talk to a committee

of opposition politicians seeking to mediate between the government and the protesters and help find a political solution.

“The entire nation is disturbed by the ongoing crisis,” Siraj-ul-Haq, a conservative Islamist politician leading the mediation effort, said. “(Khan’s party) has accepted our request (to hold talks) with an open heart and we are thankful to them.”

The crisis has taken many turns since protests broke out in midAugust, subsiding at times and erupting in violence again, with most commentators saying it was too early to say whether a negotiated solution was in sight.

Violent scenes in the usually quiet capital have alarmed many people in a nation where power has often changed hands though military coups rather than elections, with some officials accusing the military of orchestrating the protests as a way of sidelining or

Pakistani cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan addresses supporters during an anti-government protest near the prime minister’s residence in Islamabad on Tuesday even toppling Sharif, a charge it denies.

Few commentators think the army is bent on seizing power again but even if Sharif survives, he would emerge significantly weakened and likely play second-fiddle to the army on key security and foreign policy issues.

On Tuesday, parliament threw its weight behind Sharif who has

convened a week-long joint session of the chamber where he enjoys a solid majority following last year’s landslide election victory.

He chaired another session in parliament on Wednesday when more lawmakers were expected to deliver speeches in his support.

News: Reuters, Photo: AFP

World’s worst Ebola outbreak

This photo released last Friday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), shows Syrian refugee, Dayane, 24, holding her daughter Yemen, 5, who was severely burned in an accident with scalding water during a bombing raid in Yarbroud, Syria. The family fled to northern Lebanon six days after the accident but they could never afford treatment for Yemen. Six months on, the little girl is still in great physical pain, with some of her wounds unhealed, and she remains in trauma.

Photo: AFP

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On Tuesday Doctors Without Borders President Joanne Liu told United Nations members the world is “losing the battle” to contain the Ebola outbreak and slams “a global coalition of inaction.” The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says the Ebola epidemic has endangered harvests and sent food prices soaring in West Africa, and the FAO warns that the problem will

intensify in coming months.

Thursday last week, WHO said death toll climbed above 1,550, and warned that the outbreak could infect more than 20,000 people. The UN health agency announced a strategic plan to fight the epidemic-said that $490 million will be needed over the next 6 months.

News: Reuters, Photo: The Daily Vox

Relatives mourn at the funeral of two brothers 16-year-old Omar and 12-year-old Mohammed Breem, who were killed by an Israeli airstrike last Friday ahead of long-term truce agreed between Israel and the Palestinians, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on August 27.

The skies over Gaza remained calm as a long-term ceasefire took hold, ending the deadliest violence in a decade with Israel and Hamas both claiming 'victory' in the 50-day war.

Photo: AFP

meanwhile ... | News

First test-tube baby penguin says hello to the world

T

o science, she’s simply known as “184.” But on the empirical cuteness scale, the world’s first test-tube penguin scores

a “100.”

The still unnamed baby Magellanic penguin was hatched at SeaWorld in San Diego 12 weeks ago, but the first images of her were released to the public earlier last week.

She’s the first penguin to be born using artificial insemination, a technique researchers say will help them increase diversity in the captive penguin population and help their studies of the creatures.

The baby penguin is reportedly doing well. Twelve weeks after her birth, she is mingling with the naturalborn penguin population and has transitioned from being hand-fed by a team of biologists to eating fish on her own.

There are an estimated 1.8 million Magellanic penguins living in the wild.

The species is typically found in South America around the Falkland Islands,

3

Say what?

Chile and Argentina. The species is considered “near threatened,” as its numbers have been affected by oil spills, diminished fish populations and climate change.

Penguin 184 has a special place in history. Hundreds of baby penguins have hatched at the Sea World facility, but they were all natural births. Sea World says that it successfully completed the first artificial insemination of an animal in captivity in 2000 but that this was the first time the technique had worked on a penguin.

Sea World’s reproductive centre Scientific Director Dr Justine O’Brien says 184 mixes in perfectly with her four adult penguin companions.

“You could not tell if she was from frozen-thawed or fresh, chilled semen or even from natural breeding,” said O’Brien. “She’s happy and healthy, and that’s what we want to see.”

News: Daily Mail Photo: Daily Mail

Bangladesh bags 3 awards #RiceBucketChallenge at Google Community Summit I AM DHAKA

T

he Google Community Summit, Asia 2014 took place at the Blue Water Resort at Colombo, Sri Lanka from August 29th to 30th.

More than 160 community managers from Google Business Group (GBG) and Google Developer Group (GDG) from South East Asia, China and India joined 22 Google employees at the two day summit. The summit concluded with an awards night, rewarding the best performing communities across Asia.

GBG Dhaka has once again been awarded as the top GBG chapter of South East Asia for the second

time in two consecutive years and bagged an award for being featured in Google Spotlight with two stories from Bangladesh at the Google I/O, an annual software developerfocused conference held by Google, in Mountain View, California, USA. GBG Sonargaon, the second GBG chapter of Bangladesh, has also won an award for being one of the top five GBG chapters of South East Asia.

The Google Community in Bangladesh as a whole, have won three awards, making Bangladesh one of the most highlighted countries at the prestigious summit.

News: Desk, Photo: Courtesy

I

n the photo, cricketer Shakib Al Hasan is seen giving a bag of rice to a recipient.

This is a localised version of the ice-bucket challenge called the “rice-bucket challenge.” The icebucket challenge was created to raise awareness about ALS, a progressive neuro-degenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Facebook users can nominate friends to take up the challenge of pouring a bucketful of ice water on the head, film it, and upload it the same day on the web or donate money to the ALS Association within 24 hours.

An Indian woman has come up with the “rice-bucket challenge” on Facebook to show a way to potential donors who want to help the poor.

The message has now gone viral on social media with users, including celebrities, posting photos of them with rice and those in need.

Rules of the game

The Google Community Bangladesh posing with their awards at the Google Community Summit, Asia 2014

The “rice bucket challenge” was first posted by Manju Latha Kalanidhi giving rice to a beneficiary in Hyderabad, seeking friends to cook or buy one bucketful of rice and feed the poor in the locality.

Those who take the “rice-bucket

challenge” are supposed to film their act of charity and upload the posts on social media as #RiceBucketChallenge and pass on the challenge to their friends. One can also donate medicines to the nearest government hospital.

Recently Shakib has shown support for the initiative with a relevant Facebook post, where he says, “I think it is a very good idea and I thank whoever nominated me. I accepted the challenge and I nominate all my Facebook friends and fans. Hope you guys will accept my challenge.”

News: Desk, Photo: Facebook

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4 health | bad practice

Roadside Kama Sutra

Farmgate, among many things, is also the hub for the marketing of socalled herbal medication, which, in contrary to their selling pitches, can be very hazardous to health Promiti Prova Chowdhury

“G

entlemen! This medicine is made of the leaves from a holy tree. The divine tree is so powerful that if a girl eats its leaves, she will be able to sleep with 30 men in a day. So think what it can do for the men!”

The speaker, a man with curly hair who everyone calls “Chandan Da,” spoke through a microphone as he addressed a small crowd in front of the capital’s Ananda cinema hall in Farmgate.

At his side, a dwarf performed a panoply of magic tricks like transforming paper flowers into different colours or turning an open bottle of water upside down without any spills.

Chandan promised to demonstrate tricks like levitating a glass in mid-air, but instead he moved on to advertise medicines while encouraging the crowd to stay until the end of his pitch for the “ultimate” magic.

Liberally using the word “khanki” (prostitute) to refer to women, he continues: “The extract from the leaves of this tree are used in medicine. If you write down the name of your favourite girl on the leaf and wear it as an amulet, that girl will never be able to have intercourse with any man except you—however, she might still talk with other men,” he cautions.

Arriving around noon, I had found the performer setting up the stall and sound system. Initially, he began by reading from a book called “Bissher Kamasutra Samagra”. The book contained illustrations of different sexual positions that he gleefully showed to the gathered crowd.

Chandan kept saying he would bring out the medicines after finishing his lecture, but there was no medicine around the stall - only a few props for magic tricks lay scattered on the table.

Not too far from Chandan’s stall, however, was a car parked in the

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Photos: Syed Latif Hossain

5 middle of the footpath. Some boxes and sachets of herbal medicines had been displayed on the bonnet of the car. One medicine named “Castom”, which was on display, claimed to give men better sexual strength. The owner of the car wouldn’t tell me his name, but did inform me he was a Jatra performer by profession.

A laminated certificate, apparently a licence to manufacture drugs under the Drugs (Control) Ordinance 1982, contained the signature of Major General Md Jahangir Hossain Mollik, director general of the Drug Administration and Licensing Authority.

Another man, setting up a microphone atop the car roof, said they were employees of Sadek Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd, which produces the “Eunani” medicine. Both of them said they made a good profit by selling the medicines, and that the medicines were in high demand.

This man started to speak over his microphone, reciting a few lines of the Quran. He went on to say that the medicines were available at this stall for a reduced price of Tk100 compared to the normal price of Tk300 everywhere else.

When I later asked Major General Mollik, he said he’d never heard of Sadek Pharmaceuticals. “They do not have the authority to advertise like this. It is a punishable act. They cannot just name any medicine as ‘herbal’ and sell it,” he said.

He added that such makeshift stalls were regularly evicted from Farmgate. When I told him Sadek Pharmaceuticals was running a stall there, the DG said he would send his officials to investigate.

According to the Drugs (Control) Ordinance 1982, which was amended in 1997, the publication of advertisements relating to the use of drugs is illegal, as is promoting unsubstantiated claims about therapies or treatments without prior approval from the licensing authority. Such offences are punishable by imprisonment of up to three years and/or fines of up to Tk2 lakh.

Sharif Md Farhad Hossain, the former executive magistrate at RAB-10, said the certificates and the medicines were likely fake. Even if the medicines were authentic, according to sections 36 and 37 of the Drugs Act 1940, publicity or advertisement of any medicine on the streets is illegal.

A mobile court led by Magistrate Farhad evicted some of these “herbal” drug sellers from Farmgate and Gulistan a year ago.

“I seized their car, medicines and other materials and sentenced 11 of them to one year of imprisonment each. But after coming out, they are back to business,” he said.

When asked about the identities of these sellers, Farhad said “You can call them simply a ‘group of cheats.’

They keep on chanting indecent things and showing albums full of nude photos to people – particularly to the young crowd – to stimulate them. Their customers are mainly adolescent labourers, students and people who come to watch cinema at the adjacent cinema halls. They have deliberately chosen the spot at Farmgate as it is full of coaching centres and cinema halls.”

Farhad, who has been researching fake medicines for the last two and

half years said, “Although these oils and tablets might stimulate one instantly for the first two/three days, it ultimately makes them sexually disabled if they keep taking these for over a month. This is how the business rolls on. These people then come back to these sellers to buy more medicine. But this time they demand higher prices.”

“Diseases related to sexuality need to be addressed by a physician.

There are proper medicines for better sexual strength, and there are different doses for men and women of different ages,” he said.

Farhad explained that these group of cheats sometimes contaminate the actual medicines and change the packaging. And when they use authentic medicines, they often recommend a higher dose.

Farhad believes that such businesses have a harmful longterm impact on society. Although their customers include men and women belonging to different spheres of society, these businesses rely largely on labourers their main customer demographic. According to Farhad, the increased number of rapes that occur in the country may be a consequence of such illegal businesses.

Such medicines stimulate one instantly. Take peppermint, for example. It refreshes one’s mouth for two minutes, but then it is gone forever. However, when it comes to sexual strength, if it is gone, and you need it again, you will go back to the herbal medicine repeatedly and this is when herbal remedy sellers will charge you triple the price, or more.

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6 origin story | willem van schendel

Professor Willem van Schendel speaking at the International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities organised by Independent University, Bangladesh

3000 years in bengal Tasnuva Amin Nova visited Prof Willem van Schendel who talks about his research on the historical origins of Bangladesh

We are more interested in political history, revolutions, wars and political leaders but we should strengthen our anthropological history also WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, S E PTE M B E R 5, 201 4

W

illem van Schendel is a professor of Modern Asian History in the University of Amsterdam. He first came to Bangladesh as a research student in the immediate post-war days when Kissinger labeled us as an “economic basket case.” Since then, Willem says the country has come a long way.

“What has been really impressive is the growing wealth of this society.

When I first came here, it was at its worst point in history perhaps- very poor, disorganised people struggling

for survival. Since then, things have really improved for many people, not all though.” Willem views the growing inequality in our society as a threat to future socio-economic stability.

A historical analysis

For Willem, the history of Bangladesh stretches beyond 1971, its birth year. When I asked him about the transition of our economy from agrarian to manufacturing, he took me back to the pre-colonial era when the land of Bangladesh, part of then British India, was a flourishing

7 Bangla as a language, is a latecomer. About a thousand years old, the language of Bengal was adopted by the people as the language of law He says, “We should look at how the common people developed, how they changed over the course of time in this region. For them, the state was up there somewhere. We are more interested in political history, revolutions, wars and political leaders but we should strengthen our anthropological history also. For example, many Bangladeshis now live in urban areas, an extremely new phenomenon. Forty years ago more than 90% of Bangladeshis lived in villages. What does this mean about the way people think about themselves? How do they cope with the urban environment? How do they dress? There are lots of things you can look at from a historical perspective to understand the local people.”

Early settlements

industrial sector with major textile manufacturers of silk and muslin. He tells me how Dhaka, then Dacca, had been de-urbanised by the British. All the industries disappeared and the land remained agricultural up to the 20th century.

“The rapid ‘re-urbanisation’ in the last few years of the Bangladeshi economy is interesting, historically speaking, because everything slowed down until the end of the colonial rule. The 20th century was a time of stagnation, the Pakistan period hardly saw any improvement since most of the economic growth was in the West. The first decade of Bangladesh was very chaotic. Basically in the last 10-20 years, there really has been an upswing.”

It is not just the economy of the land of Bengal that is interesting, but also its people. Willem tells me what separates the people of this country from its neighbors: the Bengal delta. “The Bengal Delta, the wetter parts of Eastern Bengal have had a very specific history that is quite unlike Assam, Bihar, Arakan and surrounding areas.

“This delta is one of the reasons why there is now a Bangladesh.

Things work differently here. The water and the heavy monsoon have created different structures of

society. You can see that in villages, for example. In Bengal you never had nucleated villages, instead the settlements were dispersed. It was quite difficult for outsiders to say where one village began and another ended. That is just the settlement pattern. From such patterns, social institutions like competing “paras” or areas developed. You can find strong families in villages, but no centralised power. It is, hence, very difficult for people to accept centralised power in Bangladesh unlike India, where there is a village head or Panchayet.”

An identity crisis

Having fought a War for freedom from West Pakistan, it is deplorable how Bangladeshis still suffer from an identity crisis, often having mixed identities with India or Pakistan.

“But you don’t understand all these different identities if you don’t know your own history. If you know how things started you can understand how it works through the society now and how it will work in the future.”

Also a curious anthropologist, Willem asks me whether I am from the village. As I try to think why he must think so, he moves on to explain the importance of studying the common people.

Just when I thought Willem was done talking about a certain time period or race of people in history, he kept going back to the past to bring out a clearer picture of our origins.

According to him, the first settlers in the land of Bengal may have come from Africa more than 3000 years ago as the language we speak in is a precursor of the African dialect.

In fact, the languages spoken by people in the hills of Chittagong such as Garos and Khasis for more than 2500 years are closer derivations of those African dialects than Bangla.

Shonar Bangla

Comparatively, Bangla as a language, is a latecomer. About a thousand years old, the language of Bengal was adopted by the people as the language of law. People who were interested in trade and power took up Bangla as their language in the valleys. The language could not climb up to the hills and remained a valley language, hence spoken by people who came down to the land. Those in the hills continue to speak their native languages.

Hence, according to Willem, referring to certain groups of people living in the hilly areas as “Upojati” is a form of racism, which should be condemned. People who claim to be Bengalis may have had ancestors from these races. In the true sense of the word, all people living in Bangladesh are Bangladeshis and should be referred to that way.

A recent issue that concerns

Willem is the government banning the use of the word “Adivasi” to refer to indigenous people on International Day of World’s Indigenous People.

He says, “The word Adivasi perfectly describes the word indigenous in Bangla. These people do not consider themselves to be Bengalis so why should outsiders interfere in a term they associate themselves with?

There are two ways of referring to indigenous people, one political and another historical. There is nothing wrong in the historical association of the term.”

Seperate myths from facts

When talking about the history of Bangladesh, the Liberation War is a subject that cannot be ignored.

Willem regrets the scanty amount of academic historical research that has actually been done on the War. He says, “There is a world discussion about how many people were actually killed at the genocide- 3 million or 300,000 or 26,000 as the Pakistani military says- it is a huge number of deaths anyway. I would like to see more dynamic research about the War and the best time is now as the direct survivors of the War will survive, at best, for two more generations. Projects like oral history collection should be carried out more seriously.”

“One particular research area I would like to see is about agriculture during the War period. There was a prediction that a severe famine would occur in March of ’71, but it did not. Who did the agricultural tasks during a time when hundreds of thousands of people were fleeing to neighbouring countries while others were fighting the War?” Willem also stresses on the importance of social science studies to understand our society and national identity better. It is through research that we can find answers to the questions that matter.

Although while growing up he had never heard of Bangladesh, Willem says that his university teachers were pivotal for him to know about Bangladesh. His curiosity in our history and its people keeps bringing him back to the land of Bengal. Through numerous books and research activities that Willem authored and lead in Bangladesh, it seems, Willem is no foreigner to our people.

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8 event | gender diversity

Mily Bishwas, additional Police Commissioner of Dhaka has inaugurated Diversity Voices exhibition. Next to the members of embassiesCanada,The Netherlands & Sweden

A visitor in front of one of the exhibits Photos: Courtesy

“Diversity Voices”

Dance performance by Shakib, Essence of Soul group

An extraordinary photo exhibition that sheds light on the current situation of Bangladesh’s LGBT community and their struggles towards being accepted in an overtly inhospitable society Muktasree Chakma Sathi

“E

very time a Hijra (transsexual person) asked for money in the street shops, I wondered why people didn’t just form a mob and beat them up rather than be afraid of them,” said a friend’s Facebook status. I saw people commenting on his call for open violence. His friends held the same opinions- hatred, fear and most importantly, utter ignoranceof the hijra community’s life and extraordinary struggle to engage in survival amid such hostility. None of the commenters took notice of how hijras had to alter their behaviour, often resorting to employing more aggressive postures, to merely exist against the impending peril of harm.

They also failed to notice how little our society accommodates the hijra

community by offering them suitable available jobs.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people made headlines in Bangladesh when they formed a movement and gathered enough courage to talk about their sexual preferences. Doing so flew in the face of a fear of being arrested by law enforcement agencies for “committing an unnatural act.”

Unfortunately, law enforcement agencies commonly invoke section 377 section of Bangladesh’s Penal Code to arrest the LGB people.

However, as a country, let’s remind ourselves of one significant fact: the British ruler who kindly blessed us with this Penal Code has already revoked this section in the UK, although we are still enthusiastically carrying out these laws in post-

Muktasree is a researcher, feminist, rights activist, columnist and roving reporter for The Dhaka Tribune. As a daughter of a Bengali mother and an Indigenous father, she has understandings of customs from both sides. Find out more about Muktasree by following her on Twitter @SathiChakma

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colonial Bangladesh.

Dhaka’s recent “Diversity Voices” photo exhibition at EMK Center from 24th-28th August highlighted the tremendous gender diversity that exists in Bangladesh, a country which denies the existence of LGB people in international forums due to the religious sentiments of its citizens.

The exhibition was organised by the Bandhu Social Welfare Society consisting of 30 photographs by French photographer Sebastien Chatelier and Bangladeshi LGBT rights activist Rofiqul Islam Royal, who has been working on this issue for the last 17 years.

The exhibition was exceptional since it represented the first time Bangladesh was successful in exhibiting photographs of indigenous gay and lesbian couples. The exhibition was also remarkable for showing photographs of LGBT Bangladeshis from every class, religion, and geographic district of the country. It also successfully portrayed the myriad occupations pursued by this multifaceted community, ranging from roles as entrepreneurs to businesspeople.

Overall, this exhibition not only sheds light on these vulnerable people’s existence but also showcases the challenges they face as a socially, economically, and culturally marginalized community. It also offers a much-needed perspective on how hijras are normal people struggling with common problems like finding a job, an undertaking layered with the added stress of battling a society sometimes unwilling to embrace their differences.

Both the photographers and the organisers believe this exhibition took a small step towards breaking the silence and hatred in society against LGBT people. I hope the so-called normal and mainstream people will try to receive the message sent out by this exhibition. The best demonstration of its success would be if people stopped spreading hatred against LGBT people in Bangladesh.

It would be more constructive for Facebook statuses to evaluate the historical oppression, denial and negligence toward our local LGBT community, with the ultimate objective to accommodate hijras in our broader society.

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blurred lines | Photo story

Call me Heena

9

Counterfoto is one of the leading independent photography institutes in Bangladesh

Photos: Shahria Sharmin (in partnership with Counterfoto)

“I am like a flower, a flower that is made of paper. I shall always be loved from a distance, never to be touched and there is no smell to fall in love with,” says Heena, 51.

Hijra, a term used in South Asia, has no exact match in the modern western taxonomy of gender. It is used for people who are identified with the gender they are born with. Hijras are often grossly labeled as hermaphrodites, eunuchs and transgender or transsexual women in

literature. Presently, a more justified social term for them is the Third Gender.

The overall social acceptance and present conditions of Hijras vary significantly in countries like Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The Hijras in Bangladesh face a lot of difficulties which force a good number of them to leave their motherland and migrate to India.

Traditionally Hijras used to earn their living based on the cultural belief that they have the power to bless

one’s house with prosperity and fertility. Because of our shared geographical and cultural history of the subcontinent, this particular Hindu belief was assimilated with the Muslim culture of this land. Times have changed and Hijras have lost their sacred space in the social fabric. Now they make a living by walking around the streets collecting money from shopkeepers, bus and train passengers or by prostitution.

I, like almost everyone else in my society, was

raised to see them as less than human. Their habits, way of life, and even their looks marked them as apart, different and deviant. Then I met Heena and she made me see how wrong I was. She opened her life to me, made me a part of her world and helped me to see beyond the word Hijra. She made me understand her, and others who live in her community, as the mothers, daughters, friends and lovers that they actually are.

And this is a glimpse of her story.

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‘I feel like a mermaid. My body tells me I am a man and my soul tells me I am a woman,’ Heena, 51

Turn for more photographs

Shahria Sharmin is a Bangladesh based documentary photographer

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10 PHoto story | blurred lines For Shawpna, 21, there is no way to get a long term lover, so she ends up burning herself

‘I am taking an exam, the result is unknown to me,’ Tina, 21

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Knowing that Shumi, 22 (left), and Priya, 26 (right), have no chance to return to their families, they have learned to live under the guidance of a guru (the leader of the Hijra community)

11 Priyanka, 23, trying to start her new life with a new lover

Nishi, 21, waiting for the man of her dreams.

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12 Feature | talking Bots

The future is now Despite our title of being a ‘developing country’, technology in Bangladesh, particularly in the robotics field, has come a long way Shah Nahian

“T

hus did man become the architect of his own demise. But for a time it was good.

The machines worked tirelessly to do man’s bidding. It was not long before seeds of descent took root. Though loyal and pure, the machines earned no respect from their masters, these strange and loosely multiplying mammals. B166-ER, a name that will never be forgotten, for he was the first of his kind to rise up against his masters... At B166-ER’s murder trial, the prosecution argued for an owner’s right to destroy property. B166-ER testified that he simply did not want to die. Rational voices dissented. Who was to say the machine, endowed with the very spirit of man, did not deserve a fair hearing?” –Second Renaissance Part 1, Animatrix (2003).

Remembering the not so distant past, the technological boom man has experienced over the years has enabled us to live in a science fiction world. Robots and autonomous machines have always been one of mankind’s biggest fantasies. Jumping right out of science fiction films and novels, these machines have already passed on through the gates of reality.

Yesterday’s Science Fiction is Today’s Reality By definition, a robot is a machine capable of carrying out a series of complex actions automatically. The factor that separates robots from other machines is their decision making capability and autonomous or semi-autonomous nature.

Robots have existed as far back as 1937 and continue to exist inside the walls of factories and industries to

TOPAI, a bipedal humanoid robot designed to play table tennis against a human being battlefields and warzones. In the real world, robots have replaced humans in the assistance of performing repetitive and dangerous tasks.

There are a series of machining works which are not humanly possible and when employing robots on a production level, not only is it more cost effective but the work is significantly less time consuming, efficient and is consistent with quality, as long as they’re programmed in the right way.

As Bangladesh is still lacking on the industrial sector, without industrial development, the idea of introducing robots is not feasible at this point. However, with the construction of the nuclear power plant, employment of robots might not be a thing of the distant future as they are often needed for fuel handling and other purposes.

Academia

While industrial robots are yet to become a reality for Bangladesh, undergrad students from the Mechanical Engineering department of BUET have successfully created robots within the country and has taken part in a robotic contest, organised by Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) with a collection of over 20 countries of the Asia Pacific Region, called Robocon, since 2005 to 2009.

BUET offers its students a total of three optional courses that deal with robotics at an undergrad level: Control system, Mechatronics and Robotics. The creation of robots in Bangladesh used to be extremely difficult due to the lack of resources

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, S E PTE M B E R 5, 201 4

available.

“In the past, around the year 2002/2003, most of the components weren’t available very easily. It would get excruciatingly difficult to find the required control systems or even obtaining something as simple as a motor. However, at present, acquiring components is as simple as ordering and getting a delivery. There are a lot more suppliers now and this availability enables us to work with a lot more complex projects and advance in this field,” said Dr Md Zahurul Haq, Professor and Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department of BUET and team supervisor of the participating Robocon teams.

Dr Zahurul Haq also added, “We had to abandon our participation at Robocon after 2009 due to a lack of time, funding and as I also needed to go back to working in my field of expertise, which is working with energy and designing engines.

However, while Robocon was abandoned, I’m still working with control systems on a post grad level.

Students participating in Robocon had to be undergrad students to enter the competition and you can only go so far that way. But working on a post grad level, we’re focusing more on industrial applications of robotics.

reconnaissance or surveillance, or to go into heavily booby-trapped areas where it might be too risky to send in troops.

The US military demonstrated a miniature tank this year, only a metre in length, firing with deadly accuracy. While there’s no question about the tank being lethal, it is not independent. The vehicle relies on a soldier controlling it remotely, and only operates up to distances of about 800m (2,600ft).

However, independent autonomous weapons are already in use with the capability of deciding whether or not to attack a target.

Israel’s Harpy drone, for instance, can make its own decisions on whether to attack an enemy radar or not. Once launched from a vehicle behind the battle zone, Harpy - effectively a guided missile with wings - loiters over an area until it finds a suitable target, in this case enemy radars.

Crucially, once a radar is detected it is the drone itself that decides whether or not to attack.

While there are no official statements from the Bangladesh military, according to Dr Zahurul Huq, most people are focusing on bio medical robotics, which can be used for surgery and healing; and not weaponised.

Killer Robots

Destroy all Humans?

More than 90 countries in the world now operate with robots, which have been weaponised. Companies such as Qinetiq, a British multinational defence technology company, are manufacturing roaming robots that are designed to aid soldiers in

Deploying robots against human soldiers raises ethical concerns of its own. Earlier this year, delegates from 117 countries met at the UN in Geneva to discuss a ban on such lethal autonomous weapons systems.

While the technology for creating

13

MQ-9 Reaper, a hunter-killer surveillance UAV killer robots does not exist as of yet, “There are so many people who see these as inevitable and even desirable, we have to take action now in order to stop it,” says Stephen Goose of Human Rights Watch.

It is very possible a robot might get out of our control. If an algorithm that is capable of self-improvement and re-writing its own code, the machine might become self aware and just like B166-ER from The Animatrix, could

ASIMO, a humanoid robot designed by Honda

even become endowed with the very spirit of man.

However, that scenario is not likely to happen in the near future. The real obstacles the current Artificial Intelligence (AI) needs to tackle are getting it to tell friend from foe.

“A tank doesn’t look that much like a pick-up truck,” says defence expert Paul Scharre, from the Centre for a New American Security.

“But an enemy tank and a friendly

tank might look pretty similar to a machine. Militaries are not going to want to deploy something on the battlefield that might accidentally go against their own forces.”

General Larry James, the US Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence, also stated, “We are years and years away, if not decades, from having confidence in an artificial intelligence system that can make those decisions.”

Dr Md Zahurul Haq also echoes this point, “We just don’t have the technology to develop an AI capable of becoming self aware and rise up against its human masters. To even develop an arm for a robot as flexible and complex as ours, we’re at least 100 years away from achieving that.

Self aware intelligent machines are far from reality still.”

.

A prototype of BUET’s garbage collection robot

WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, S E PTE M B E R 5, 2 0 1 4

14 Legalese | Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi

all that you can leave behind

Q

I am 54 years old and have only one child, a daughter. My husband and I have performed Hajj and have been pursuing a religious life. When it comes to the property that belongs to me and my husband, our serious concern is whether Muslim law allows my daughter to inherit our property?

Since I don’t have a son, I don’t want my nephews to have my property after we die. What is the solution?

A

Dear Reader: This is actually a legitimate concern and you did the sensible thing by writing in.

It is unfortunate, but the truth of the matter is that the majority of families and households in Bangladesh are entangled in some form of land dispute or the other.

Families (even brothers and sisters) tend to forget their bonds and upbringing and seem to be taken over by extraterrestrials, intent on nothing but the simple ownership and possession of property, not caring what havoc is wreaked along the way.

I personally have witnessed many situations where the body of the deceased had just been laid to rest and people (strangers even!) suddenly start turning up, barely after two hours have passed, demanding money “owed” to them or offering to take care of property, etc.

Now, let us look at your specific case in question here. The inheritance rights of Muslim women in Bangladesh are governed by The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act (1937) and The Muslim Family Laws Ordinance (1961). Article 2 of The Muslim Personal Law Application Act provides that questions related to succession and inheritances are governed by Muslim Personal Law (Shariat).

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

Got a problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

Under this religious and legal framework, Muslim women in Bangladesh generally inherit less than men. A daughter that is an only child inherits half the estate of her deceased father or mother.

I can go into details regarding succession laws and inheritance, but I figure that you have already gotten the answer you were looking for. Since it would appear that your daughter would only inherit half of your estate, the sensible thing to do here is to “gift” it to her. Take stock of your possessions, ie land, flats/ houses, cars, stocks & bonds, jewelry, FDRs, etc.

Consider opening a “Joint” bank account with your daughter, to keep your money in it. Also, as mentioned earlier, making a “gift” or “heba” for your daughter is also wise. A heba or gift is “a transfer of property, made, immediately, and without any exchange by one person to another and accepted by or on behalf of the latter”.

According to section 122 of the Transfer of Property Act, gift means “the transfer of certain existing movable or immovable property made voluntarily and without consideration by one person, called the donor, to another, called the done, and accepted by or on behalf

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, S E PTE M B E R 5, 201 4

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

of the done.” In other words, a gift is a voluntary transfer of property for which nothing of value is received in return. If Internal Revenue Service is to recognize a transfer as a gift, the donor(s) must unconditionally transfer all title and control of the property to the recipient(s) at the time the gift is given.

Under Muslim Law the condition for a gift are as follows: (a) a declaration of gift by the donor; (b) an acceptance of the gift, expressed or implied by or on behalf of the done and (c) delivery of possession of the subject of the gift by the donor to the

done. However, there does exist some exceptions on the ground of deliver of possession that delivery of possession is not always necessary when a gift is made. Few examples are: donor and done reside in the same house; husband to wife; father to child; mother to son; guardian to ward, etc.

In conclusion, consult a lawyer with the details of your case and circumstances, following which you can get a “Heba” deed drafted and executed. Hope this has been helpful and, since you seem to have strongly made up your mind already, do not wait too long!

.

Yamin Khan | Funny Bone

15

The Beauty of Ignorance Yamin Khan’s compilation of questions scouted from various blogs and asked by first time travellers to Bangladesh

I’m p said t retty su re h was et Lalbagh he his w f ay... ort

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

Photo: Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Question: Do they serve alcohol in Bangladesh?

Answer: Nope. It’s exclusively selfservice only.

Question: Bangladesh falls under which state of India?

Answer:

It DOESN’T. Get your facts right! It’s actually a branch of the State Bank of India.

Question: Is it safe for children?

Answer: Not anymore since Gary Glitter has just moved in.

Question: How long do I need to walk for safe drinking water?

Answer: Is flying an option? Or

gliding? Even hovering would do.

You don’t want to walk that far.

Question:

I heard that people in the streets stare at you like you are an alien? How am I supposed to deal with it?

Answer: Come on! Be a rockstar.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

Question: I don’t have a beard. Is that cool with the Taliban?

Answer: They are not judgmental to

begin with. However, having a tattoo with coloured hair will definitely help you score in the coolness meter.

Question: Which is the best market for snake anti-venom?

Answer: Cox’s Bazaar. It’s a 4 hour

drive from Chittagong which in itself is a 40 minute flight from the capital city Dhaka. So in case of a snake bite it’s better to just call your loved ones.

Question: Does Bangladesh have a national football team?

Answer: We actually have 34 national football teams. Seven of which even went on to became World Cup champions. Sadly they never got much attention from global media.

Question: Are there any nude beaches in Bangladesh?

Answer: Not at the moment but don’t

don’t want to risk it, dude.

Facebook meme of the week

Question: Are the ladies in general friendly towards strangers? (if you know what I mean)

Answer: They are extremely friendly.

You can “have her at hello” as she will end with a “Kobul”.

Question: A childhood friend of mine now works in Bangladesh. How can I get hold of her?

Answer: “And, when you want

something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” — Paulo Coelho

Question: What is the punishment for

not covering your face?

Answer: Exotic sunburn with a fine layer of dust.

Question: Do you get Diet Cola in Bangladesh?

let that discourage you. Listen to your heart.

Answer: Yes, but with added sugar.

Question: Do the hotels have toilet

Question: Hello my name is Justin

Answer: One lady was killed last

Answer: It’s not compulsory, but you

papers? If not then is it considered rude to ask for one? month for not saying ‘please’. You

Case. Do I need a local name before traveling to Bangladesh?

.

may just in case.

Yamin Khan on his Top 10 list of books to read Recently, many had received nominations from Facebook friends to list 10 most memorable/influential books. I was eagerly waiting for someone to nominate me for this challenge but I guess no one believes that I could have read more than 10 books in my lifetime. So, I’ll just name them anyway: 1. Amar Boi 2. Tomar Boi 3. Midnight’s Children’s Mother Salman Khan 4. Love At First Site - Rajmistri Abul Hashem 5. How To Enjoy Your Retirement Mohammad Ashraful 6. Jegey Achi - Korvi Rakhshand 7. No One Killed Nazrul - Shamim Osman 8. La Vinci Code - Niaz Hossain (Chief Security Offficer - Hotel La Vinci, Kawran Bazaar) 9. Lonely Planet - Tareque Zia 10. How To Turn Failure Into Success - Sajib Wajed Joy

WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, S E PTE M B E R 5, 2 0 1 4

16 TOUGH LOVE | DINA SOBHAN

Motor Mouth Polished Pout

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune. com

Q

My sister-in-law has always hated me, even before I got married to my husband. Now, living under the same roof, I know she’s talking about me behind my back. I’ve been returning the favour by giving her attitude and talking about her behind her back. Things are going nowhere, and I really need her to just shut up.

What can I do to put an end to this feud, and possibly win?

A

Well, the biggest problem – as I see it – is that you live with your sister-in-law. If you just move far away enough, nothing she says about you will matter and you can stop behaving like a petty little cow.

However, since that probably won’t be possible tomorrow, I would suggest you have a nice little chitchat with her when the whole clan is seated around the table enjoying their chapattis and bhaji. After asking her to kindly pass you the begun’er bhorta, casually mention that you’ve been chatting with soand-so, who happened to mention the nasty thing she had said about you at the ‘kitty party’ last week.

(Of course, you must ensure that you quote only the most reliable and respected of individuals and that the information you have is accurate before doing this, or it may backfire dreadfully, leaving you the victim of your own scheming.)

While she gasps and sputters, trying to deny all allegations, you will pointedly turn to your husband, in-laws and all else present and casually mention the other delightful things that have issued forth from your sis-in-law’s mouth and then ask her why she feels the need to sully your reputation, thereby indirectly ruining that of the entire family.

Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

Once again, I urge you to first ensure that none of the things she is saying about you are either true or, if true, not the sort of thing that is indefensible in the eyes of the in-laws, for example a voracious appetite for prescription medication.

While I’m not a fan of tittletattle, I think it only fair that the family knows what is going on and can then – in the interest of saving face and keeping the peace – all collectively tell her to shut up and save you the trouble.

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

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Q A

My boyfriend has always been a little metrosexual. He has all these magazines for men, is obsessed with what he wears, etc.

I didn’t mind at first

Well, I don’t think he’s turning gay.

Like a bottle of milk left out in the heat, one doesn’t turn gay, darling, one IS gay. And I hate to be the one to tell you, but your boyfriend is most assuredly of

because I like a polished look, but recently I’ve noticed he uses very sexual terms when complimenting other men and at times checks out other guys working out at the gym.

Could he be turning gay? Should I be worried? the homosexual persuasion.

Don’t waste another moment agonizing about it. Leave him in the gym with his bag full of men’s magazines and find yourself a scruffy, unfashionable guy who will let you be the pretty one in the relationship.

.

the dhaka project | feature

17

Playing with the germ cell Artist Alia Kamal talks about her experience in The Dhaka Project Rifat Islam Esha

I

had to track Alia Kamal down through Facebook—I had only known her vaguely from my high school years when we happened to talk for the only time about a teacher we both, let’s say, were fond of. Journalism requires a little stalking—she gracefully accepted my request and agreed to meet to discuss her experience as an artist in The Dhaka Project. She also invited me to meet Martijn Crowe, an artist and creative director of The Faketory art studio, who had initiated the project with artist Ronald Merkesteijn.

We agreed to meet at North End Coffee Roasters. I reached the place at the exact moment Martijn Crowe and his son were getting into the café— thankfully, we were all a few minutes late. But Alia had already ordered biscotti and a cup of cappuccino. We all exchanged our greetings without further ado.

Alia and Martijn met at a protest –the project was already under way for more than a month. Martijn was documenting the protest at Charukola. One of Alia’s artist friends was part of The Dhaka Project already. Alia and Martijn talked and ultimately Alia was part of the project too. She remembered that Martijn had one condition for all the artists who were involved: “Anyone can contribute, but no one can fight,” which Alia translated as, “Don’t try to spread negative energy.”

Prior to this project, someone had referred to Alia as an “amateur artist” since she hadn’t attended any art schools. She admitted that it

Photo: Shamsul Alam Helal

had taken her a while to gather her guts and call herself an “artist.” To this, Martijn explained, “there is no actual concept of “amateurism” but it is only defined by people who have the power of definition. In Dhaka, Vincent van Gogh would have been called an amateur, because he never sold one piece or had any exposition.”

For Alia, art is “something deeply personal”. She had always painted

Dhaka traffic

whatever she felt like. The Dhaka Project, however, had a specific theme to adhere to. The purpose was to have a deeper connection with the city’s inhabitants and listen to their stories by using a more anthropological approach.

Alia continued, “We believe things we tell ourselves. I used to believe I was not an artist. When I was in New

York from 2010-12, I took classes in a studio called The Art Students League of New York. It had an open door policy. I learnt mostly about figure and oil painting from there. But I had no formal training.”

By now, I had ordered a cup of cappuccino for Martijn and a cup of mocha for myself, and Martijn’s son had won my heart by drawing me a doodle and giving me a soda

Photo: Martijn Crowe

cork which I promised to keep forever. When asked “Why Dhaka of all places?” Martijn answered, “There is no answer for that why.

I had no clue about Dhaka, only the image of brown, poor people working in garments factories and being exploited by their bosses—the Western depiction.” When asked what he thought regarding that, he joked

and said, “It’s true. I have been to many cities and my project is about working together with artists and showing the people of the cities and the world those cities.”

Before, it was really hard for Alia to try to have a relationship, but through this project it was easier for her to develop a different perspective on an old relationship. For Alia, she chose to make contact with her father and address the discomfort attached to it. She didn’t intend to pick him at the onset, she was thinking of going into the streets and interacting with street people and see if that morphed into some project. But one day, she just decided to go to her Dad’s house, sit him down and paint him. “It was probably the first time we talked for more than 5 minutes in years. I painted a very small portrait and showed it to Martijn who said that this should be my project. Thus, it was. But I didn’t indicate the relationship in the paintings.” She could give a different dimension to a much strained relationship through her paintings.

The evening came to an end slowly as we talked a little more – I now feel as if I have trapped the sounds of laughter and a good conversation in my recorder. Martijn was kind enough to send me two of his lectures, leading me to conclude that for any form of art, as Martijn said “The process is more important than the result, any result” and “Art will always be the germ cell, never the tree.”

.

WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, S E PTE M B E R 5, 2 0 1 4

18 stay in

window to the future?

Shah Nahian

The matrix is an instant classic and never fails at keeping its audience engaged throughout the entire film. The story revolves around a computer hacker who learns of shocking truths about his reality and his role in events to come. It’s highly unlikely one has missed out on watching such an iconic film, but a rerun still has a lot of entertainment value left in it.

I, Robot

Set in the year 2035, Robots have become the common assistants and workers for their human owners.

The machines are programmed by three laws: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey

ACROSS 1 6 7 8

Repeat nonsense after knockback (6) Burning the Spanish inn (5) Marry in south east european country (5) Number left in empty tray (6)

2 3 4 5

Confused the tale of sports star (7) Back off about gift (7) Gift for holding beer in explosives (6) Shut top of the wardrobe (6)

DOWN

the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first and second law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.

However, as a detective investigates an apparent suicide, he begins to suspect foul play and a robot capable of violating the three laws.

The Terminator Trilogy

The Matrix

Clues

Robot, or a cybernetic organism, travelling back in time to take the life of mankind’s saviour or to save him. A concept that has proven time and again that it never gets boring. While the fourth movie from the franchise fails to meet expectations, the first three still has great entertainment value left in them, even as reruns.

Iron Giant

The Iron Giant is a story of a nine year old boy who makes friends with an alien robot from outer space. However, a paranoid government agent arrives in the town, determined to destroy the giant at all cost. The film is rated 7.9 on IMDB and good enough to be enjoyed by the entire family.

WALL·E

WALL·E is another film fit for the entire family. In a distant future, where the earth has become covered in trash, abandoned by mankind and unable to sustain life.

However, in the vast wasteland, a tiny robot named WALL·E was left behind to clean up the mess. One day, he encounters a sleek looking reconnaissance robot named EVE and inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.

Robocop

Robocop is a title that needs absolutely no introduction.

While the old films surely made for long hours of entertainment when we were much younger, the remake certainly does a justice to the concept. As far as action movies go, the film is highly entertaining.

Transformers

Based on the 1984 animated series, the high budget movie shook the cinema screen in 2007. With all the other transformer movies living under the shadow of the first film, this is one film that can be watched over and over. n

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

Last week’s Mini Cryptics solutions

I

ntelligent machines have existed on the television screen for decades. Heroes or villains, the certainty of an entertaining weekend is definitely guaranteed.

Mini cryptics

ACROSS 1 Steal from the French in afternoon catch (7) 4 Garble a strange kind of maths (7) 6 Caught up fish in hollow thread (7) 7 Mythic creature makes coin for gold King (7) DOWN 1 Photograph contains final fake (7) 2 Instrument makes confused groan (5) 3 Myself and Queen Elizabeth wander about (7) 5 Lifted up a big chunk of wood (5)

Sudoku

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

Last week’s sudoku solutions

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Go out

Ganga-Jamuna Natya O Sangskritik Utsab 2014 (Ganga Jamuna Theatre Festival) When Sept 1-8, 7am Where Bangladesh Shilpakala

G

oing out to enjoy a festival that show cases theatre work and performance arts would be the best entertainment of the weekend. Ganga Jamuna Theatre Festival is jointly organised by India and Bangladesh.

India has been arranging the festival in west Bengal for 15 years. This year the festival is featuring a total of 14 theatre troupes, of which three is from India, one Jatra troupe, one dance troupe among other cultural organisations.

The festival was inaugurated in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) last Monday and will be open till Sept 8.

Programme schedule:

Friday-7pm “Konjush” by Loko Natyadol, Banani at Main Theatre Hall, BSA

Weekly Planner Sept 5

Academy

Biking | Friday Morning Ride

When 6am-8am Where Bicycle Shop BD LTD, 8 South Avenue, Gulshan 1 What Bicycle Shop BD Ltd has arranged an event which is open for any cyclist to join. The ride route is Gulshan 2 - Notun Bazar - Bashundhara (300 feet) - Apollo hospital and back.

“Iswar Eshechhey” by Jugagni, India at Experimental Hall, BSA Saturday-7pm “Circus Circus” by Prachyanat, Dhaka at Main Theatre Hall, BSA “Amena Sundari” by Theatre Art Unit, India at Experimental Hall, BSA Sunday-7pm “Dhaboman” by Dhaka Theatre at Main Theatre Hall, BSA “Kobi” by Arindam Natya Shamproday, Chittagong at Experimental Hall, BSA Monday-7pm “Prometheus” by Mohakal Natya Shomproday Dhaka at Main Theatre Hall, BSA “Ekusheyr Golpo” by Anik Natyadol, India at Experimental Hall, BSA n

Voice Debate Academy When Sept 12-13, 9am-10pm Where Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), Plot 16,

Block B, Bashundhara

Football | Inter University Champions Trophy 2014

When 8am Where Army Museum Field, Bijoy Sharani What Purple Communications arranges the 11 A Side “Inter University Champions Trophy 2014” this season.

Players from different Universities from all over Dhaka city will be fighting for the Championship. For detail contact 01620856422 and 01854289902.

Fair | Food-Ball

When 9am-9pm Where Banani Model School Ground What Club Orange in association with FoodBank presents “Food-Ball” - a coed football tournament and cart fair.

The tournament entry fee is Tk3,500.

Winners will get medals and trophy.

For the Cart Fair there will be 12-15 carts and stalls. The fair will also include “Burger Eating Contest” and “ Best Cart Award” which will be given to the cart with the highest sales over the whole day. Carts and stalls that have been confirmed are - MadChef, Uff Hungry, Bat Gone Broke, Yellow Submarine, Hotbox, Chips n’ Gravy, Wrapped, Tabaq, SubCity, The Palate Circus and Kaajer Chele.

Entry fee for the spectators is Tk50 and there will be a fire spinning show as well.

Sept 6-22

T

he program will feature the intense debate academy model with lectures, small group drills and exercises, fully

critiqued practice debates, and a lot more.

The purpose of this program is to provide comprehensive and intense training in the WUDC debate format and to learn more about debating and the skills that it entails.

The academy provides an active learning session by providing proper debate training as listening alone never helps learning in learning debates.

This session will help the participants in developing thinking and speaking through some scientific methods.

The academy model also involves repetition on many levels. n

19

Art Exhibition | MONTAGE Painting Exhibition

Where Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Road 27, Dhanmondi What Noted artist Samarjit Roy Choudhury’s paintings will be showcased in this exhibition.

Sept 5 Comedy | Naveed’s Comedy Club at Coffee Republic

When 7pm-8.30pm Where Coffee Republic Bangladesh, 54/A Gulshan Avenue What Naveed Mahbub, Yamin Khan and Mosharraf Yaafi are all together in this stand-up comedy show. Tickets are available at Tk300 at Coffee Republic.

For further detail contact 01755618541

Sept 5-8 Exhibition | bonsai

When 4pm-8pm Where Women Volunteers Auditorium, Road 27, Dhanmondi What Carefully chosen Bonsai, harmonised in colours and proportions will be a great treat for your eyes.

Sept 6-14 Painting exhibition | Art Beat

When 11am-8pm Where Athena Gallery of Fine Arts, Progati Sharni, Badda A nine day fund raising Group Art Exhibition is going to start from tomorrow.

The exhibition, titled “Art Beat”, has been organised by Sir John Wilson School in cooperation with Athena Gallery of Fine Arts to raise funds for the construction of the school’s permanent campus at United City, Satarkul, Dhaka.

Over 121 paintings donated by at least 113 artists of Bangladesh for the cause will be on display for sale at the exhibition.

When 6pm-8pm

Send your events to weekend@ dhakatribune.com

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2014

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20 last word | street racing

spoiled kids, fast cars

Shah Nahian has good reason to rail against the irresponsible youths terrorising Dhaka’s streets

I

knelt down on the floor as I felt the life slip away from the threemonth-old puppy. With one last whimper, I felt her whole body go limp and she was gone forever.

The puppy was our neighbourhood pet. All the neighbourhood kids, tea stall owners and guards in that area, used to feed her. They had named her “Chulbul” because of her hyper and playful nature.

She had been run over by a speeding driver the night before, and mortally wounded.

In Dhaka the traffic starts clearing out after 9pm – leaving the spacious roads empty. At night the streets are taken over by speed-obsessed young drivers eager to prove their credentials as the “coolest kids around”.

They like living life on the edge and ignore the consequences. In Chulbul’s case, the irrational behaviour of these drivers consumed the life of an innocent animal.

At one point of my life, I didn’t see anything wrong with such actions.

But that all changed back in 2009.

I was on my way back from a Halloween party, drunk and tired. My cousin, who was driving at the time, thought it would be a good idea to speed up to 180kmph.

I vaguely remember almost crashing into a blue Allion, and our car spinning out of control before everything went black.

The next thing I remember is sitting on the side walk, surrounded by strangers. I couldn’t remember anything that had happened. I recall seeing the car and registering that it was completely totalled.

Till this day, I have no idea how I got out of the car and on to the side walk, and more importantly, how I managed to survive.

I had nothing to show from the crash apart from a black eye, a pain in my left leg and a really bad hangover.

My cousin who had been driving, on the other hand, had broken his jaw in three different places. His mouth was clammed shut for months and he has metal bolts holding his jaw in place even to this day.

Photos: Courtesy

We both managed to evade punishment simply because our parents were so glad we were alive. That night’s incident had taken our families through hell.

For the next few days I would see the skid marks on the road and the divider and the couple of lamp posts we took out. I’ve heard many different versions of the crash from the people who saw it happen, but I still don’t know what exactly happened that night, and neither does my cousin.

I learnt my lesson. Never again.

Not because I was afraid of death or injury, but because I thought: What if we actually hit someone? What then?

On the flip side, my cousin would eventually boast about everything that happened that night – as soon as his fear of death subsided of course.

Kids like my cousin - they’re a dime a dozen. They like speeding, drifting and looking cool in their father’s “sedan turned sports cars.” Under-age drivers are a common sight.

They drive without licences, under the influence, recklessly and risking, not just their own lives, but the lives of others.

You see parents buying these very kids ever-newer and faster cars.. But I seriously wonder at times: What kind

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of message are they sending their children? That it’s okay to act selfishly as long as it looks cool? Or that it’s okay to grow up to be a complete idiot who does not understand the consequences of their own actions?

These people don’t deserve cars in general, let alone fast ones. It’s perfectly fine to be a car enthusiast. But the second it crosses a boundary and puts anyone else at risk, it’s not okay.

My cousin, who failed to learn from our escapade, lived to repeat his mistakes. This time however, it was much worse. While he and his friends were speeding, they crashed so badly that when my dad and uncle arrived at the scene, they found the car not only totalled but upside down.

This time around, everyone in the car was injured with broken bones and bleeding from the shards of glass that had gone through their limbs and face. The boy who was driving, went into a coma for a day and lost his sanity for months after regaining consciousness. But worst of all, they had hit a person.

The man they hit did not come from a privileged background. He made his living selling clothes by the side of the road. The money he made he spent feeding his wife and child.

He had survived the accident, but

with part of his skull and countless bones shattered, ruining his life for the rest of his days.

My cousin’s friend’s excuse for the accident was, “that man was walking like an idiot.”

My cousin, just like his circle of friends, had become garbage. Maybe there is a part of me that still loves and cares for him, but I have lost all respect for him.

Even after all this, I noticed a picture of a speedometer accelerating at 180kmph on his Instagram just recently.

These stories aren’t uncommon in Dhaka. As I scroll down my Facebook news feed, I can see a post by “Moja Loss” about the search for a boy named Ehsan Ahmed, who had killed a person in a hit and run.

At the end of the day, the real question here is: Where can the line be drawn? At what point will speeders in Dhaka realise that these road rules exist for a reason. Just because our system is corrupt and can easily be influenced by bribery, we shouldn’t take advantage of rules that concern our safety. Or have we become so self-obsessed that we’re incapable of learning from our mistakes? If that is the case, our future looks bleak indeed.

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