Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 30

Dhaka Tribune | vo l 2 I ssu e 30 | F R I D AY, D ECe m b e r 12, 2014

Cholo Bangladesh!

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The Kora community

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War heroine

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Naila Kabeer

Editor’s note Cholo Bangladesh!

D

ecember holds a special place in the heart of every true and blue Bangladeshi, for it brings with it a reminder of our victory after nine months of bloody war. Forty-three years on, how have we fared?

This week, we look back and around us to answer that question. Our colourful infograph reminds us of the many battles that made up the Liberation War (page 4). We also caught up with some of the children of our martyred intellectuals, as they reminisce about the achievements of their fathers (pages 12-13). Not to forget a very different kind of warrior, we take a moment to applaud the initiative taken to recognise the Birangonas as freedom fighters (page 15).

Looking ahead, we’ve featured the country’s terracotta industry (page 5), and celebrate our first attempt at LGBT representation on an international platform (page 17). However, there remains work to be done. A look at the plight of the dwindling Kora community tells us that not all those who fought for us and with us have benefited from our gains (pages 6-7).

Our photo story also reflects on the transitory lifestyle of people living by the rivers (pages 9-11). Finally, join us in a special interview with Naila Kabir about the state of education in Bangladesh, and the miles we have to go before we sleep (pages 20-21).

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Photo: Khalid Rayhan

CONTENTS

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Volume 2 | Issue 30 | December 12, 2014

12 Editor Zafar Sobhan Executive Editor Shahriar Karim Managing Editor Jahangir Hyder Features Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Weekend Tribune Team Tasnuva Amin Nova Mark S Baidya Farhana Urmee Faisal Mahmud Farina Noireet Tausif Sanzum

5 Heritage

Terracotta tales

2 News

Cartoons Syed Rashad Imam Tonmoy Priyo Rio Shuvo

Graphics Md Mahbub Alam Alamgir Hossain Tahsin Momin

3 Meanwhile

Features

6 Feature

The Kora community

8 Reflections War heroine 15 Recognition Birangona 17 Social Construct LGBTQ 20 Interview Naila Kabeer

14 Legalese The Developer delay dilemma

Production Masum Billah

16 Tough Love Hallucinations and

Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel

Email your letters to: weekend@dhakatribune.com

4 Infograph Liberation War

Regulars

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal

Website dhakatribune.com/weekend facebook.com/WeekendTrib

Intellectual Martyrs’ day News

Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain

Contributors Saudia Afrin Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi Pronov Gosh Reema Islam Ruwaida Khandker Dina Sobhan

Legacy

guitar lessons

18 Stay In

9 Photo Story

19 Go Out

River People

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2 News | This week

The world at a glance Weekend Tribune Desk

predictions of a global apocalypse in 2012, killed a 37-year-old woman in the eastern province of Shandong in May. Two people were handed death sentences for the killing, which sparked a national outcry after it emerged that the woman was beaten to death for refusing to give her telephone number to group members.

Photo: AP

South African judge approves Pistorius appeal

NATO closes Afghan command centre as combat winds down Flags were lowered at Kabul airport Monday as the US-led NATO force in Afghanistan held a ceremony to mark the closure of its combat command centre after 13 years of fighting the Taliban.

NATO’s combat mission will end on December 31 although some troops will remain to support the Afghan army and police, who have taken on the responsibility of suppressing worsening Islamist violence nationwide.

At the ceremonial closure of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) joint command headquarters – based at Kabul airport – the force’s US commander praised the strides made in handing over the mission.

“This is a historic transformation and reflects the progress that our coalition has made with our Afghan partners,” General John Campbell said.

Photo: Reuters

Putin hopes to expand ties with India

Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced hope for expanding ties with India during his visit there and sought to assuage New Delhi’s concern about Moscow’s ties with Pakistan.

Putin, speaking in an interview with the PTI news agency released by the Kremlin on Tuesday, hailed a “privileged strategic partnership” between Russia

and India, and said the two nations would move to expand it further during his visit to New Delhi on Thursday.

He praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “reputable political leader, who has already made a significant personal contribution to the promotion of the Russian-Indian cooperation.”

Russia and India have shared close ties since the Cold War, when Moscow was a key ally and the main arms supplier to New Delhi.

Photo: Reuters

China jails 21 members of banned religious cult

South African prosecutors can appeal double-amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius’ acquittal on murder charges for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge Thokozile Masipa announced the ruling in a Pretoria court, saying she was satisfied that chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel had raised “questions of law” that should be reviewed by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

“This might have had a practical effect on the conviction,” Masipa said.

Nathi Mncube, the prosecution spokesman, said he hopes the appeal will be “expedited,” but acknowledged that the process can take a long time.

Photo: Reuters

Taxes, smoking ban blamed for demise of British pubs

Courts in two Chinese cities handed jail terms to 21 members of a banned religious cult, state media said on Wednesday, in the latest action against a group that saw two of its members condemned to death in October.

China’s Communist Party, obsessed with social stability, brooks no challenge to its rule. It has cracked down on cults, which have multiplied in recent years. Demonstrations have been put down with force and some sect leaders were executed.

China has vowed to levy harsher punishments on anyone spreading superstitions or undermining the law through the use of a religious institution.

Members of the group, Quannengshen, or the Church of Almighty God, which had preached

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Taxation and a smoking ban are to blame for the “decimation” of the British pub industry, according to a study released Wednesday that said 10,000 pubs had closed since 2006.

The report, “Closing time,” by Institute of Economic Affairs found that 21,000 pubs had closed in Britain since 1980, and that this trend was accelerating.

Of the pubs that had closed since 2006, the bulk had shut down due to a ban on smoking in enclosed public places and a tax on alcohol, according to the report.

The British seem to be losing their taste for beer, with a 30% fall in beer consumption among those aged over 15 between 2003 and 2011, the report noted.

Overall alcohol consumption per person has fallen by 18% in the last decade, according to the study, while Britons increasingly choose to drink at home.

January “not real option” for Blatter in FIFA World Cup 2022 FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke says President Sepp Blatter will oppose a January kickoff for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, despite it being a key option under consideration.

Valcke tried to narrow the choice to January-February or NovemberDecember after FIFA hosted leaders of confederations, leagues, clubs and players’ unions last month.

They meet again on Feb 23, Valcke says, but the first option is dismissed by IOC member Blatter.

January-February “will potentially impact the (2022) Olympic Winter Games so that’s definitely not a real option for him,” Valcke says.

He said Winter games think it is “unfair from football” to try to occupy January.

European clubs and leagues still propose a May tournament to avoid Qatar’s hottest summer months.

Valcke says FIFA’s executive committee will decide in March.

Train runs onto Chittagong station platform

Mohanagar Probhati, was on the station track about to head towards Dhaka around 5:45am on Wednesday, when one of its compartments suddenly came off its track, and ploughed onto the platform of Chittagong rail station.

Firoz Iftekhar, Divisional Traffic Officer of Bangladesh Railway (east zone), told the Dhaka Tribune that no casualty was reported.

He suspected that “the train might have been at a high speed” when it hit the platform at the end of its track and ran over the platform hitting the terminal building before coming to a stop.

Two committees have been formed to investigate the incident.

Iftekhar will head one committee while the Additional Chief Commercial Manager will lead the other.

The authorities also suspended Locomotive Master Jahirul Haque, his assistant Emran Hossain, and staff Md Jahangir for their negligence in duties.

Source: Dhaka Tribune Photo: Dhaka Tribune

meanwhile ... | News

You’re welcome

Photo of the week

How to download YouTube videos

The Voiceless Bangladeshi is an initiative by the students of a Public Relations course at the University of Liberal Arts to raise their voices for issues that they feel strongly about. The outcome of the project was 12 wall-art pieces done all over Dhanmondi. The course was taught by Naima Alam, a Lecturer at the university.

Today, there are many websites that allow you to enter the URL of the YouTube video you want to save in your computer and get a link to download the file from. Below is a simple threestep process to download any YouTube video.

Photo: The Voiceless Bangladeshi

Say what?

Pizza Hut launches eccentric Dorito pizza

Just when you thought food hybrids couldn’t get any more disturbing, Pizza Hut decided that pizza and nachos would be a match made in heaven.

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The carb-loaded pizza is available only in Australia but it will soon be available in other countries as well.

A spokesperson for the Pizza Hut Australia marketing department said the

creation was “undeniably fun.”

“As you bite into the crust you’ll be blown away by the crunch – it’s not only seriously loud, but delicious,” she said.

Note: If you are at a school or office computer that is blocking YouTube, these steps may not work.

1. First, go to the YouTube page containing the video you want to save. When you’ve found the page, press Ctrl + L on your keyboard to highlight the text in the address bar, and then Ctrl + C to copy the Internet address.

2. Once this address has been copied, paste that URL into the text field below by clicking inside the box and press Ctrl + V on your keyboard. Then, click the Download Video button.

3. If done properly, a new window will appear displaying a preview of the video, along with the Download links. For most users, we suggest downloading the MP4 format. Other available formats may include FLV, 3GP, and WebM. Once you have selected your format, click the appropriate download link.

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4 Infograph | Liberation war

The great battles in 1971

Panchagarh

Thakurgaon

Faisal Mahmud

Lalmonirhat

Nilfamari

Kurigram

Rangpur

Dinajpur

A war is comprised of different battles at different frontiers. In 1971, our heroic freedom fighters valiantly fought and achieved victory against the Pakistani soldiers at different key points. Here is a list of some of those great battles where the mukti bahini came out as victors.

Battle of Garibpur, Sylhet

The Battle of Hilli or the Battle of Bogra

Took place between November 23 and December 11 -Belligerents: 205 brigade of Pakistani Army and 6th brigade of coalition force -Notable events: Major Quazi Nuruzzaman was awarded with Bir Uttom, the second-highest award for individual gallantry in Gaibandha Bangladesh, but he rejected it as thousands of Mukti Bahini members were killed and did not receive any recognition.

Jaipurhat

Battle of Ajmiriganj, Habiganj

-Took place on November 16 -Belligerents: 43rd company of 6th infantry regiment of Pakistan and 4th platoon of coalition force -It was an 18 hour long Sunamganj encounter where famous Netrokona freedom fighter, Jagatyoti Das, was martyred.

Sherpur Naogaon

Jamalpur

Bogra

Nawabganj

- Took place between November 20–21 -Belligerents: 107 infantry brigade of Pakistan and 45 cavalry and C squadron of the coalition force -This unique battle of one battalion group defeating a brigade attack is being taught at defense school.

Sylhet

Mymensingh Rajshahi Nator

Sirajganj

Kishoreganj

Tangail

Maulvibazar Habiganj

Battle of Kamalpur

-Took place on October 28 in Dhalai of Srimongol -Belligerents: 30A frontier force of Pakistan and 1st East Bengal Regiment -Birsreshttho Hamidur Rahman was martyred during this battle.

-Took place on July 31 in Kamalpur, Mymensingh -Belligerents: Two companies of 31 Belluch regiment and Z-force Gazipur of Muktibahini -Z-force led Pabna by its commander Maj Ziaur Rahman won the battle in one day. For his gallantry in that battle, Ziaur Rahman was awarded with Bir Uttam Kushtia

Manikganj

Meherpur

Rajbari

Chuadanga

Battle of Daruin

Jhinaidaha Magura

Battle of Chandghat

Brahmanbaria

Dhaka

Battle of Dhalai, Srimongol

Jessore

Munshiganj

Faridpur

Shariatpur Madaripur

Narail

-Took place on April 17 in Daruin, Brahmanbaria -Belligerents- 3rd platoon of 47 brigade of Pakistan and 2nd and 11th platoon of company Alpha of Mukti Bahini Comilla -Birsreshttho Mostafa Kamal fought here. On that day he helped his company to retreat.

Chandpur

-Took place on May 29 in Chandghat of Faridpur distcrict Gopalganj Belligerents: 4th platoons of 121 brigade of Pakistan and 3rd company of K force

Barisal

Khagrachari Lakshmipur Noakhali

Feni

Pirojpur

Shatkhira Bagerhat

Rangamati

Jhalokati

Khulna Patuakhali

Borguna

Bhola Battle of Rangamati

Chittagong

-Took place on 18 April -Belligerents: 14th platoons of 178 brigade of Pakistan and 7th company of East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) -Notable events- Birsreshttho Munshi Abdur Rouf was martyred during the battle. On that day, Munshi Abdur Rouf saved nearly 150 soldiers of the Mukti Bahini.

Bandarban Cox's Bazar

BAY OF BENGAL Infograph: Mahbub Alam

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Terracotta tales | Heritage

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Ahmed (deputy secretary), general manager, (Planning Training & Statistics).

The job of conserving the delicate artwork of the four sites has however been given to the Oitihya Onneswan, an archaeological research centre, with Prof Sufi Mustafizur Rahman as its executive director.

Also a professor at Jahangirnagar University, the man behind the Wari Bateshwar and Bikrampur excavations sites often flashed in the news for some discovery or the other, Prof Rahman and his team of archaeologists are training the best potters available for this exciting task of preserving history.

feet of clay An ADB funded initiative for the preservation of anthropological heritage, brings local potters together to replicate the terracotta work of four major archaeological sites across the country Reema Islam

O

n passing the sleepy town of Paharpur as one nears the impressive remnants of the once renowned university, the half excavated ruins of the “Somapura Vihara” speak of a time when art was at its pinnacle.

The terracotta murals within the walls of this famous monastery etch the lives of the common people living nearby as well as religious and educational depictions – giving us a picture of the Pala dynasty in 8 BCE. The terracotta murals are one of the reasons UNESCO designated the Somapura Vihara or Paharpur monastery as one of the two man-made World Heritage Sites of Bangladesh.

The art of baking clay or terracotta had long been a practise in South Asia and the Indian subcontinent, where the kumbhars or potters, would use it to make pots and utensils or to carve them into delicate statues – leaving their legacy carved into the many archaeological sites of Bangladesh.

Photos: Tahmid Nabi

Shat Gombuj Masjid

The Shat Gombuj Masjid is the other World Heritage Site, situated in Bagerhat which also contains a number of terracotta engravings on its walls and archways.

However, in dire need of conservation and preservation, these two UNESCO World Heritage Sites are joined by the Kantaji Temple and the 3rd century BCE site, Mahastangarh monumental ruins, to form an elite list of sites in need of protection.

SATIDP

An Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded project in association with the Department of Archaeology (DoA), called South Asian Tourism Infrastructure Development Project (SATIDP) is looking at a number of issues for the conservation of the four sites.

The project director, Md. Abubakar Siddique states: “The main idea is to improve access and infrastructure of the sites, raise awareness amongst the locals for conservation, build tourism opportunities, develop culture-based tourism and generate employment opportunities for the locals.”

SATIDP involved the Bangladesh Parjatan Cooperation to apply their expertise in training staff and locals to run the restaurants and shops, focusing on better customer care.

“We plan to also work with the locals to encourage them in developing skills for improved tourism activities and set up the infrastructure required to have shops selling local hand crafted items,” said Md Faruque

The replication idea

Potters have been brought together by the Oitihya Onneswan in Bogra, to replicate the art work of the terracotta pieces of these four sites.

“The idea is to make these potters replicate designs from their own respective sites, so when they return, they continue making them and eventually start selling them as authentic replicas,” shares prof Rahman.

“We also plan to help link them to markets so an official channel of selling these replicas brings in added income but more importantly, encourages people to buy authentic artefacts, thus appreciating and valuing their heritage.”

An on-site archaeologist shows the potters high resolution images on the laptop, before handing them out laminated prints of the terracotta pieces to be replicated.

After the image is shown, the potters attempt the designs on their clay slab with a straw stick, painstakingly getting each detail right.

Once the image is finalised (some pieces take two days to perfect), gypsum or “plaster of Paris” is poured over it to make a mould and thus starts the process of replicating.

To stimulate the creativity of the potters, the potters stayed in the house of one of the Bogra potters from the Pal community. “We want to take them to all four sites hoping these exposure visits help them absorb the art work from other sites and learn from each other,” explains Prof Rahman during his visit to this 15 day workshop in the Pol-para village of potters, Shekherkola, Bogra.

“We plan to have workshops at all four sites but for now, we make more moulds and marvel at how those ancient artists created these masterpieces, at one go!”

SATIDP strives to support Bangladesh’s archaeological conservation whilst these authentic terracotta replicas, once sold in the market, will go a long way towards instilling the much needed pride in our heritage. n

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6 FEATURE | The Kora community

Last of the Koras

A little-known ethnic community of 96 souls may vanish from Bangladesh anytime Shudeepto Ariquzzaman

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Photos: Philip Gain

A DAY IN THE LIFE

As the sun sets slowly on the horizon behind, a disappointed uncle and nephew return home with the day’s catch: a pair of tree rats. It is a meagre meal, not enough to feed the entire family. In a few minutes as darkness descends, the ethereal cries of the jackal reverberates throughout the distant fields, a creature that could have provided a more wholesome meal. But Keena Kora, father of one of the hunters does not look optimistic.

“Jackals are sly creatures, it is very difficult to hunt them when the field is full of paddy as they conceal themselves,” he says. If he feels disappointed by the day’s catch, he does not show it. In his long seventy plus years, Keena, like most of his people, has learnt to master the art of hunger. Like many other days in his life he has not eaten anything from sunrise to sunset.

At the same time, on the other side of the village, the village’s most experienced hunter Thopang Kora

parks his rickshaw van, the source of his income nowadays. More than seventy years old, Thopang is still agile and fleet-footed, a deadly foe silently stalking his prey with an aim that won’t quit.

But it is not his hunting skills with animals that has made him famous in the locality. Thopang is a freedom fighter albeit one without any official recognition. For a man who has sacrificed much for Bangladesh, he had to bear the agony of his brother Saotan Kora, a fellow freedom fighter, fleeing to India after being assaulted and then threatened with further consequences by local Bengali miscreants.

Today Thopang, like many others, survives mostly on a single meal a day. He sleeps in the veranda, as his small hut can barely accommodate his three children. Bangladesh, created for Bangalis, supposedly only by Bangalis, have done little for him and his community.

7 THE KORAS

The Koras are a little-known ethnic community residing in the greater Dinajpur area. They speak a dialect of an Austroasiatic tongue, similar to Hindi and Bengali, but have not developed a written script. The Koras practice a form of Hinduism, which is different from the one followed by Bengali Hindus. Their cultural heritage – though extremely rich and diverse – is unknown to the mainstream society.

Once they occupied more than fifty acres of land in Birol upazila in Dinajpur district. Today their numbers have drastically decreased as most of them have fled to the Indian side of Dinajpur after facing threats and lawsuits from Bangalis – who eye their land like the jackals these simple minded folk greatly depend on for survival.

But the Koras have no money, no connections or even recognition, and they have been unable to fend off the land hungry Bangalis who have tried their best to make sure that the last of the Koras migrate to the Indian side of the border. The miscreants have been largely successful. Today there are only 96 Koras left in Bangladesh, crowded in a single village less, occupying less than an acre of land.

Almost all the Koras are solely dependent on agricultural day labour for their livelihood, hunting with their antique bows and arrows, gathering food – not a rewarding venture in a country where development has largely driven out wildlife.

But the development that has improved the lives of many people in the locality has done virtually nothing for this ethnic community. They are still day labourers working in the fields for Tk150 a day and work is not always easy to find, especially in the autumn season. While the infamous seasonal famine of North Bengal, commonly known as Monga, has become history, it is still alive for the Koras.

CONTEMPORARY TIMES

Only three Kora families own their land, which is not much, measuring up to six acres altogether. Of the more than fifty acres once owned by the Kora, these are the last six acres, over which there there is also a case pending in the local court.

Land grabbers are determined to take possession of these last bit of land, as they want the last 96 Koras to leave.

Barring the three families who own land, the others work as day labourers on land, which was once theirs. “All these surrounding lands once belonged to us,” says Krishna Kora, pointing to the lush paddy fields surrounding the impoverished Kora village from all sides. “But nowadays, most work as day labourers in these lands, which is rightfully theirs,” he says. He says that if the Koras had been given their fair share of land, they would be free of extreme poverty that has haunted this community for a long time.

Like most ethnic communities in Bangladesh, the Koras don’t have legally recognised rights to the land on which they have resided on for generations. As a result, influential people with ties to the administration find them easy pickings. As recent as 2012, a magistrate came to the Kora village and told them that they have no rights to this land as they didn’t have title deeds. An UNO also once declared in a public meeting that there are no indigenous people in the region, an attempt to give the land to the land grabbers. Many government officials are alleged to be in cahoots with the miscreants and have evicted the Koras from their ancient lands.

The government’s failure to address the issue of the land rights of indigenous peoples have stirred conflicts in other areas of the country, such as the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

However, the Koras are alone and isolated, and have had little choice but to migrate to the Indian side of the border, abandoning their ancient homeland once and for all.

A SLUM IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

Those who live in this village are crammed in threadbare huts, where there is just enough space to lie down, though not for everyone. Keena Kora, for example, lives with his wife in a 6’ x 10’ room. Others like freedom fighter Thopang, sleep on the verandah, some sleep in the yard.

On rainy nights, family members sleeping outside have to go inside for shelter, which is not always there because the roofs leak. Every available space is taken up at night, it is a slum in the midst of the countryside. Even then, many of the younger people have to leave their home to sleep with their relatives, especially once they get married, as every available space is utilised to the full.

The Koras, in spite of their ultra poverty, are a harmonious lot. Brother shares with sister, neighbour shares with neighbour, even if there is very little to share. They scarcely clash among themselves, and even when there are tensions, matters are cooled off before they reach too far.

For those like Biman Kora, who can extend their homes, there is another different sort of problem. influential people claim that the Koras are encroaching on their territory. Biman with his five family members reside in a single hut, with some family members on the verandah, and others on the yard. But unlike most Koras, Biman has managed to muster the resources for extending his home. But an influential man who owns a banana field next to the Kora village complains that would be encroaching on his land. “Not only that, he says that part of my existing home is partially on his land,” says Biman. There is a lawsuit pending in this regard.

Bangladesh, created for Bangalis, supposedly only by Bangalis, have done little for him and his community Keena Kora who faces a similar problem says, “This is my own land but I cannot set foot here.” One of the more vocal women in the neighbourhood, Keena has faced threats to her life but she could not care less.

“They once threatened to cut my tendons,” she says gleefully, referring to land grabbers. Keena says that rightfully, this land and the surrounding lands belong to the Koras who have inhabited this place for generations.

“For indigenous people, it is difficult everywhere,” she says, “even in India, our people are not well off.” But Keena is steadfast in the pursuit of justice for her people and even other indigenous communities.

In recent times, the Koras have been organising non-violent protests against the government to demand for the most ancient of rights – the right to survival in a land they have resided for generations. “We staged a protest rally a year before surrounding the Settlement Office,” says Keena. She says that other adivasi communities in the locality and even many Bangalis joined them. She also gives kudos to a local NGO, the Community Development Association (CDA) for joining their struggle and ensuring that the last of the Koras have been able to survive in Bangladesh till now. n The writer is a research associate with Society for Environment and Human Development

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8 Reflections | War heroine

An act of significance

This is an excerpt on Dr Shamsunnahar Kamal and her contributions in 1971 Translated by Farina Noireet from the book ‘Muktijuddhe Chottogramer Nari’

T

hroughout the history of the Liberation War, there were many women whose names have never been mentioned on paper. Hence, their heart wrenching sacrifices and acts of immense bravery remain unknown to most.

One such woman is Dr Shamsunnahar Kamal. In 1971, she was the Chief Medical Officer at the Chittagong Port Hospital. When the war broke out, it was through her work at the hospital that she was able to provide support to the freedom fighters.

During the time of the war, Dr Kamal had grown to become a close ally of the locals who had joined the war efforts – not just as a physician whose expertise was needed at times of crisis, but also as a member of the local community of freedom fighters.

Her own three sons had joined the war.

She used her position and authority to provide medical support to the freedom fighters at great personal risk. Dr Kamal also supplied medical rations to the freedom fighters’ camps at the borders, and often opened up her own home in providing food, shelter and medical

Photo: Dr Shamsunnahar Kamal

attention to them. Sometimes she even provided them with invaluable information about the enemy, which she may have chanced upon while going about her duties at the hospital.

I had heard many such stories of the multiple contributions and accounts of bravery of this unique woman from many people, and it was hence small wonder that I eagerly wished to meet with Dr. Shamsunnahar Kamal for an interview for my book.

Through my pursuits in seeking her out, however, I was notified that she was in Dhaka and was unable to meet with me. I therefore resorted to the next best option: I sought out another Freedom Fighter from Chittagong, Chiro Ronjon Bishwas, who was not only a close acquaintance of Dr Kamal, but one who owed her his life, thanks to a valiant act of immense bravery by Dr Kamal one fateful night in 1971.

In 1971, Chiro Bishwas was a tradesman in the tea business who lived with his family on Jubilee Road in Chittagong behind his shop.

His family included his wife, two teenage sons – Atanu and Shantanu, and daughter Lopa. He was a close acquaintance of Dr Kamal’s father, Professor Emdadul Islam.

On the morning of April 1, Bishwas was going about his chores in the house when he suddenly heard loud slogans of “Joy Bangla” being chanted from the vicinity of the DC Hill.

On further querying around the immediate neighbourhood, he learned that there was a mass gathering of soldiers at the DC Hill, but no one was sure yet whether they were Pakistani soldiers or those of the Bengal regiment. On learning all this, Bishwas’ wife made a big pot of tea and handing it to her children along with a big basket of biscuits told them: “Take this to DC Hill and pretend to be tea-hawkers.

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Begum Mushtari Shafi is a freedom fighter and writer. She is also the author of “Shwadhinota Amar Rokto Jhora Din”

Photo: Begum Mushtari Shafi, author of Muktijuddhe Chottogramer Nari

If the soldiers there are part of our Bangali forces, offer them the tea and biscuits for free. But if they turn out to be the Pakistani Army, sell it to them and keep an ear out for news.”

The children carried out their mother’s bidding and found out the soldiers were indeed the Pak Army.

That evening, the soldiers set fire to many of the shops and houses on Jubilee Road, and Bishwas and his family barely managed to flee with their lives.

For the next few months, Bishwas sought shelter and refuge for his family and himself in many villages in the rural outskirts of Chittagong district. However, in mid-October, 1971, he returned to the city with his family and moved into the house of Shukhomoy Rokkhit, a retired teacher who lived in Chandanpura.

This house happened to be situated right opposite to the house of Muslim League politician, Dr Samiuddin.

Bishwas worked closely with the local freedom fighters in relaying valuable information about the enemy’s movements.

One fateful night, around the end of October, the local freedom fighters planned a grenade attack on Dr Samiuddin’s house, after having heard that the Razakars – Salauddin Quader and Jamaluddin Quader – were going there for dinner. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, the targeted Razakars managed to escape with only a few minor injuries and, in retaliation, turned on the Freedom Fighters. This led the enemy group straight to Rokkhit’s house and Bishwas and his family were barely able to escape with their lives.

This is when they sought refuge at Dr Shamsunnahar Kamal’s father’s house, where they discovered upon reaching, that she had already been hiding six other freedom fighters

under the guise of house patients in her “home clinic.”

On the night of November 17, around 10pm, a group of Razakars suddenly surrounded the house and started open firing. In the midst of the gunfire, Dr Kamal sprung to action and ordered Bishwas and the other freedom fighters to lie down on the beds, while she covered them with white sheets and arranged medicines and injections on the bed-side tables to replicate patients.

A few moments later, the leader of the attacking Razakar group, Khoka, along with a three others burst into the house. They pointed their weapons at Dr Kamal and her father and said: “Give up the freedom fighters!”

Dr Kamal looked at Khoka and calmly replied: “There are no freedom fighters here.” But Khoka roughly pushed her aside and rushed towards the beds. As Dr Kamal tried to stop him, one of his accomplices grabbed her while the other yanked at the telephone wire and attempted to tie it around her neck. At this, Bishwas leapt out of his bed to aid her, but Khoka shot him in the right leg and he lay sprawled on the floor, his blood spraying everywhere, gasping for breath.

That is when Dr Kamal screamed out: “If I am a Muslim woman, and if I pray five times a day, then know this, Khoka, I will fight you till the end. I will never let you kill my patients!”

Khoka stared at her for a while and then suddenly ordered his men to let her go. He then gave her one last look and simply left, ushering his men to follow him.

This is how a single brave woman such as Dr Shamsunnahar Kamal, was able to save the lives of a group of freedom fighters that fateful night in 1971.

.

River people | Photo story

9

The land of rivers Photos: Pronov Gosh

Turn for more photographs

S

unamganj is a place of serenity and peace, famous for its huge marsh-like Tanguar haor and Shonir haor and home to many fishermen.

Surrounded by the Surma River and Kushiyara River, which run through the district while the Ratna River criss-crosses its surrounding area and beyond. The River Da’uka or Danuka also runs through Sunamganj.

It is one of the country’s prime fishing areas. The climate, and with it, the subsistence methods of the locals, changes drastically with the passing of seasons. During the rainy season, the river-scape is seen teeming with fishermen at work with their nets on their boats and during the winter season, most locals turn to tending the land, while the rest keep themselves busy with duck farming.

This week’s Photo Story features images of the people of these areas, and those living along the Jadukata river, which is surrounded by hills that leads to Meghalaya, and surrounded by a breathtaking waterfall.

Pronov Ghosh is a freelance photographer

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10 PHoto story | River people

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11

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12 Legacy | intellectual martyrs’ day

The martyred fathers

The sons and daughters of some of the nation’s martyred intellectuals reminisce about their fathers and their invaluable contributions in the Liberation War Faisal Mahmud Tanvir Haider Chaudhury with his father

F

Dr Fazle Rabbi with his family

orty four years ago, on December 14, the Pakistani army had systematically rounded up, tortured, and killed most of the brightest minds in our country as a final act of oppression against a nation yearning to be free.

Bangladesh has still not completely recovered from such a staggering loss of human capital. Many envisage what would have happened if those brilliant minds gave their services to the newly formed nation in 1971.

Their sons and daughters also think about that and Weekend Tribune has accumulated the recollections (of their fathers) and the statements of the sons and daughters of those martyred intellectuals.

Asif Munier on Munier Chowdhury

Asif Munier, son of the late Munier Chowdhury thinks that the martyred intellectuals of December 14 should get more respect from the people of this country because they deserve it.

“I am saying this with full respect to all those brave souls who lost their lives in 1971.”

Asif Munier explained that the thought of killing all the intellectual minds of the erstwhile East Pakistan came to the mind of West Pakistanis when they figured out that they were going to lose the war. To serve that purpose, they formed Al-Badr.

Under the guidance and supervision of Rao Forman Ali, the then Chief of military police, a list with the names of all the intellectuals was prepared. “It was no surprise that my father’s name was in that list.

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My father was black-listed since the partition in 1947.”

In December 1947, a seminar was conducted in Dhaka University (DU) for making Bangla the national language. Munier Chowdhury was one of the main speakers in that seminar. He was a graduate student then. He joined DU in 1950.

He also protested in 1952 and was an active participant of the language movement. He was arrested twice during that time. Each time he was released with the statement that he will not be involved with any direct politics.

“But for a politically conscious person like him, it was very hard to stay quiet against all the oppressions caused by West Pakistani rulers. He expressed his dissatisfaction and protested through his writing,” said Asif Munier.

At the same time, Munier Chowdhury worked and researched relentlessly to develop the Bangla language, taught in DU, wrote novels, plays and translated world famous plays in Bangla. In 1967, he also protested against the Pakistan government’s ban on Tagore songs on radio and television.

“Because of the all these activities, it was pretty obvious that my father was in that list and the Pakistani army, with the help of Al-Badr, executed my father.”

Tanvir Haider Chaudhury on Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury

Tanvir Haider Chowdhury, son of the late Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury thinks that his father was murdered because of his ideas. According to

him, he was not a political man but he expressed his ideas with depth and conviction.

“He simply held that ‘Bangaliness’ is his heritage and there is no reason to downplay that because of his political identity as a Pakistani. A simple enough idea – but it was enough to get him killed along with so many of his compatriots with similar beliefs.”

During the Liberation War in 1971, Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury was an associate professor of the Bangla department in the Dhaka University. He was an acknowledged expert, specifically on the works of Rabindranath Tagore. According to Tanvir, everyone who knew him saw him as a kind, courteous and generous man and the very embodiment of the cultured Bengali gentleman.

Albeit being a generous person, Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury was also blacklisted from the early 60s’ when he expressed his views against the “Tomuddon” movement, which was proposing the creation of an East Pakistani literature that could contain no work by non-muslim, specifically hindu, authors.

“He was scathing about the irony of celebrating Nazrul as Pakistan’s national poet and playing him up as a Muslim icon, when in fact the great man had celebrated all the religions of our heritage, and indeed, the universality of the human experience,” said Tanvir Chaudhury adding that he also took on the people who were conspiring to leave out Rabindranath from the University syllabus.

13

Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury

Munier Chowdury

“So that is the way that my father fought his war. He was never an overtly political man, unlike many of his contemporaries. He never did time as a political prisoner, possibly never shouted himself hoarse in a procession. Even in 1971, he took his classes and attended to all his duties while taking part in meetings denouncing the military action in East Pakistan and helping the cause of the Mukti Bahini.”

But at the end it was those very ideas, which led to some of Chaudhury’s own countrymen, who colluding with the mass-murdering West Pakistani army, to torture and murder him at the prime of his life.

Shomi Kaiser on Shahidullah Kaiser

Shomi Kaiser, daughter of the late Shahidullah Kaiser started to film a documentary about her father in 2006.

Shahidullah Kaiser

“The more in depth I went into my father’s life, the more mesmerised I became.”

At the age of only 17, Shahidullah Kaiser had developed his political philosophy and actively participated in politics. After completing honours in Economics from Presidency College in 1946, he enrolled for Master of Arts in Economics at Calcutta University, but wasn’t allowed to sit for the final examination because of his active participation in various social, cultural and political movements.

He was a member of the provincial Communist Party of East Pakistan and also played an important role in the Language Movement in 1952. As a consequence, he had to go into hiding, but was ultimately captured and suffered imprisonment for a long time.

“Even in jail, my father didn’t stop. He wrote books like Rajbondir Rojnamcha, Sareng Bou, Sangshaptak which all carry views and sentiments of the Bangladeshi people.”

In 1964, after being released from jail, Shahidullah Kaiser joined the Doinik Shongbad and found a new footing to carry on his protest against the oppressions of West Pakistani rule.

During the Liberation War in 1971, Shahidullah Kaiser provided support for freedom fighters in any way that he could. He did not leave Dhaka despite repeated calls from his political allies in West Bengal.

He would often supply rations to freedom fighters using ration cards that many people had left with poet Sufia Kamal when they left Dhaka.

“Because of these activities and his writings, my father was included in

Dr Fazle Rabbi

the black list of Rao Forman Ali and he was killed,” said Shomi.

Nasreen Sultana on Dr Fazle Rabbi

Nasreen Sultana, daughter of the late Dr Fazle Rabbi said that his father was a brilliant student from an early age.

“He received a gold medal for securing top position in MBBS examination in 1955 and obtained two MRCPs in cardiology and general medicine. But all those long hours of studies couldn’t stop him from being politically conscious.”

Dr Rabbi was an activist during the Language Movement in 1952.

From then on he was known as a progressive political personality and social worker. “He thought about the social discrimination and oppression caused by the West Pakistani rulers and he was first to talk about the

Shahidullah Kaiser with his family

concept of a people-oriented health care system in 1969,” said Sultana.

Sultana said she used to have regular meetings in his chamber and talked with others about the social and political movements against the Pakistani ruler. “We all used to listen to the programmes broadcasted by the ‘Sadhin Bangla Betar Kendra’ during the war in 1971 and I saw my father shaking his head and saying relentlessly ‘what can I do.’”

Dr Rabbi helped lots of wounded freedom fighters. He also helped many people cross the borders.

Several times the Pakistani government warned him but he didn’t listen. “My mother used to fear but my father told her that no one would harm him.”

“But at the end, he couldn’t save himself.” n

Photos: Bangladesh old photo archive

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14 Legalese | Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi

Got a problem?

THE DEVELOPER DELAY DILEMMA

Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

Q

My family and I gave this land of ours to a real estate developer roughly around five years ago. He was supposed to hand over all the completed flats to us by the end of 2012. However, till today, construction is ongoing at the property and he has made no attempt to expedite the process. We have personally surveyed the property and were amazed by the small number of workers on site. It appears that he is intentionally delaying and figures that we have no legal recourse or will refrain from taking any legal action against him. What are our available remedies in this instance?

A

Dear Reader: I’m sorry to hear about your dilemma. I’m regularly plagued by similar queries from clients – facing the same situation. The reason your developer is so confident that you will not be taking legal action against him is mainly owing to the fact that the legal structure of our country is a tiresome process. It’s an arduous and long journey which is frustrating and often draining in terms of patience, energy and also monetary resources.

Additionally, they may even be banking on the fact that if you initiate legal action, this will help them to buy time and that may mean handing over the property to you at a later date than expected, which is something you wish to avoid at all costs.

So what is exactly anyone to do in such a situation?

Step 1: Dig out your copy of the agreement (contract) signed by you

Cartoon: Priyo/Dhaka Tribune

and the developer – for your sake I do hope you have one and did not forego this in the excitement/heat of the moment. Once you’ve done this, carefully review the appropriate clauses in the aforementioned agreement, paying special attention to dispute resolution, handover, duration, compensation for delay, etc. If drafted and reviewed carefully prior to signing, it should cover these terms quite comprehensively.

Step 2: Get in touch with the Real Estate & Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB). Also have a look at their Code of Business Conduct which is present on their website. REHAB does an effective job of mediating disputes and disagreements between clients/ customers and developers. All the developers covet the membership of REHAB and it functions as a regulatory body in this arena.

Step 3 – Speak to your developer.

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Once you have completed the aforementioned steps, it is sensible to speak to your developer openly about what is bothering you and figuring out the real reason for the delay. More often than not, it is likely that your developer may be facing some monetary difficulties which are preventing him from engaging too many workmen and completing the tasks within the prescribed time. If this is truly the case then engaging him in a legal battle may actually prove to be futile. However, if you arm yourself with knowledge about your available options, you will find

yourself in an advantageous position of being able to conduct a fruitful discussion without losing your temper or misled by false representations that your developer may make.

In conclusion, I strongly discourage initiating legal action against your developer. At least hold off until he hands over the completed flats.

Once you are in possession of the completed flats, if you still wish, you may then bring forward a breach of contract against the developer. Do keep us posted on the situation as it progresses and wishing you all the best! n

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

birangona | recognition

15

Solace of those soldiers Hundreds of thousands of birangonas can hope to be awarded the much deserved title of ‘Freedom Fighter’ Farhana Urmee

M

osammad Kormuli Bewa has been through a lot since she lost her husband in the Liberation War. She was all alone while raising her only son and two daughters. She is also one of those 200,000 women raped by the occupational Pakistani army and their collaborators.

Kormuli has spent her entire life in a series of struggles for survival.

She was not alone, all widows from Sohagpur village in Nalitabari of Sherpur have spent their lives in woe.

Kormuli says: “The Pakistanis have taken away everything from my life – my husband, my virtue, and they also mortally wounded my little daughter, who survived in pain for a little while, only to succumb to her injuries later.”

Photo: Naibuddin Ahmed

The women who were physically violated during the war were awarded the title “Birangona” after the war.

For the women who fought the war – being humiliated, physically tortured and raped – the award “Birangona” itself became another burden of their awful past.

Other than the middle class and privileged societies, where a few war heroines could take the pride of being Birangonas, the title was rather stigmatising and marginalising in villages with conservative mindsets.

With time Birangonas like Kormuli might have learned to cope with the adverse society and combat marginalisation. However, the news of recognising Birangonas as freedom fighters provide an air of consolation

to her as her miseries before and after the Liberation War have no bounds.

Kormuli Bewa, after spending a significant part of her life in poverty and suffering from war wounds, seems hopeful and listens to the recent development on the news – titling Birangonas as freedom fighters.

It is also good news for impoverished Kormuli as she expects to finally receive a freedom fighter’s identity card that will allow her access to regular monthly allowances, which will make her life a little easier.

Md Kafiluddin, son of Kormuli Bewa is happy that his mother’s struggle and sacrifice is going to be recognised not less than any guerilla fighter who for freedom. But he says: “The state should have noticed my Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

mother’s and thousands of mothers’ and sisters’ contribution in the Liberation War.” There is hardly any specific record of how many women were physically violated during the war although the newly born independent Bangladesh had taken a few steps to rehabilitate the war heroines.

That included providing them with immediate health services, helping them getting rid of unwanted pregnancies, rehabilitating some of them with training and self reliant programmes, rehabilitating warchildren by getting them adopted in foreign countries and helping some of them to get married.

On main-streaming Birangonas as freedom fighters, the High Court raised the question early this year to the government to give Birangonas the state honour as freedom fighters.

The High Court has also asked the government to explain the reason behind not recognising the Birangonas as freedom fighters in 43 years since the Liberation War. In a recent meeting of National Freedom Fighters’ Council in October this year, the definition of the term “freedom fighter” has been changed where the women who were raped during the Liberation War and were called Birangonas previously will now be awarded the status of freedom fighter.

This December, the month of victory is bringing Kormuli Bewa and hundreds like her to another victory – of being recognised by the state and society as freedom fighters and not just remaining mere Birangonas.

The battle these warriors have fought has gone beyond any physical quest as they have survived mass rape yet were not even recognised as freedom fighters. The recent decision of the government to recognise their contribution will bring their unheard and unseen stories to the light. n

Freedom Fighters’ Council awards Birangona Najma Begum with a crest that reads ‘We honour you for your contribution in the Liberation War’

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16 tough love | dina sobhan

Hallucinations and

guitar lessons Q

I want to start by saying that I am not superstitious at all but for the past few nights, I’ve been hallucinating every night. I’ve literally had an incident when I found myself crouching at the end of the bed, having seen weird apparitions. What I would like to ask is – am I losing my mind here or/and do I have to worry about brain damage?

A

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

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

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My immediate thoughts are you should probably stop doing whatever mindaltering substances that are inducing this particular form of lunacy in you, but frankly, you’re not giving me much to work with here. Firstly, why would your superstitions or lack thereof cause hallucinations?

If you’re implying that you do not believe in ghosts, and feel that you might – in fact – be seeing them, for example, I agree that it is a concern. However, I am compelled to tell you that there is still no absolute evidence denying the existence of spirits, so you may actually be getting visits from Casper. Though, I’m not certain that this is of any great comfort to you. Which brings me to my second question: Do you have any reason to suspect brain damage? Have you bumped your head several times in quick succession recently?

Or are you otherwise engaged in some sort of extreme sports that results in routine head injury? If that is indeed the case, I suggest you immediately seek medical attention as you may be in deep doo doo, as they say. If the above is not applicable, you may still need attention, but of the psychiatric variety. I would not waste time, either way.

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune. com

Q

My boyfriend has been on pot ever since I met him. We have known each other for about six years now. I have noticed for the past few months now that he has become very absent-minded. He even started taking guitar lessons and we both know that he is tone-deaf. I blame this change on the pot-smoking because I know he was not like this before. How should I talk about this with him?

He’ll probably deny it and say that I worry too much.

A

So, you just now – after six years – realised that absent-mindedness might be a possible symptom stemming from the marijuana ingestion? Are you his dealer? Clearly, you too have been partaking of the “wacky tabacky” to arrive at this conclusion so late in the game. I will assume your ignorance rests on the fact that pot smokers are indeed a lazy bunch and reading up on their drug of choice does not usually make for good post – 4:20 activity – munchies and cartoons are preferable, I assume.

Allow me to enlighten you. Your boyfriend has not suddenly become more absent-minded now, it has been a gradual development over the past several years – culminating in a form of delusion that now has him believing that he may actually have some sort of talent. Now whether this belief stems from the fact that he has been watching too much TV, where there is the inevitable movie/show depicting some musical genius who just happens to be in the throes of some deep-seated addiction, or if it’s just the by-product of an addled mind that has forgotten its limitations, who really knows?

As long as he’s not really harming anyone with his desire to be the next Jack Johnson, or whichever acoustic strumming musical talents he has been emulating of late, what does it matter? Now, if you’d expressed concern that your pot-smoking boyfriend suddenly decided he wanted to become a doctor and find the cure for AIDS, I might think he was aiming a bit high. Ha Ha!

.

lgbtq | social construct

17

Documenting diversity Be it his stint as the editor of Roopbaan, the first LGBT magazine of Bangladesh, or now his first documentary being screened at Dialogues: The Annual Calcutta LGBT Film & Video Festival, Rasel Ahmed has been making headlines

Tausif Sanzum

T

he documentary starts with shaky footage of a rally.

Initially you might doubt the quality of work. However, 30 seconds into the movie, you see people whom the Bangladeshi society tend to completely overlook. These group of people are not ranting about the discrimination they face on a regular basis. They are proud, out on the street, wearing colourful clothes, dancing, singing and celebrating their diversity.

Instead of opting for a linear narration, the maker cleverly cuts to and fro between two events which mark a new dawn in the lives of the LGBT community in this country. This works in making the narration interesting as you don’t see just two random events but get an idea about the community as a whole.

This week, Weekend Tribune sits down with the man behind the lens to talk about the film, the festival, and the state of LGBT representation in Bangladesh.

A vivid documentation of Bangladesh urban queen event for the first time In conversation with the maker: From Roopbaan, the magazine to Roopbaan, the documentary – what was your journey like?

I never started out to make this into a documentary. The footage was taken over a period of time while we were working on Roopbaan. It consists of people talking about the magazine and LGBT issues in general which we randomly recorded at times on the mobile or on a handycam.

The 20 minute movie documents two events – the inauguration event of Roopbaan and the rainbow rally.

When we did the rainbow rally, we videotaped it to display during the inauguration event of Roopbaan. And we filmed Roopbaan’s inauguration

I think because of the content. The moments that were shown in the documentary are highly important for the whole LGBT community of Bangladesh. Be it the launching of the first ever LGBT magazine or the one of a kind rally (even though we are not terming it as a pride rally) celebrating diversity – the content ceremony just to keep a record of the was very powerful. Also from the event. feedback I have received, a lot of When I had all this footage in hand, people felt that what they saw on it occurred to me that maybe this screen was laudable. can become something concrete. I started by thinking of a theme, when I Where do want to take it from here? finally decided upon these two highly Firstly, I want to edit this controversial events which went viral. documentary further. Being a The outcome of the compilation is magazine editor was accidental but the documentary Proud, which got I always wanted to make movies. screened at Dialogues this year as I have plans to pursue a degree in Roopbaan. movie making.

Representation of a new age Bangladeshi liberal youth

.

What is the scenario of LGBT films/ documentaries in Bangladesh?

If you ask me there are no LGBT films made in Bangladesh. There are a few documentaries made by Bandhu which focuses primarily on the Hijra community with one or two gay people incorporated into the narration. A deep fear and threat comes in the path of people wanting to make more of these movies. In Bangladesh the LGBT issue is highly sensitive and making something that is centred around it always ends up getting a lot of backlash. In addition to this, people end up labelling you. For example: if you make a movie about homosexual men, they either call you gay or stereotype you as someone only capable of working on similar issues.

About the Festival

Dialogues: The Annual Calcutta LGBT Film & Video Festival was launched in 2007 in Kolkata. The Festival is organised by Sappho for Equality, a platform for the rights of lesbian, bisexual women and transgender persons activists and Pratyay Gender Trust working with the advocacy for sexualities and human rights of transgender women. It aims to provide a platform to movie and video makers from around the world who highlight LBGT issues.

A content full of discourse on alternative sexuality and beyond

You mentioned earlier that this is a raw piece of work, why do you feel that it got selected to be screened at such a prestigious event?

Rainbow rally took place on Pohela Boishakh this year.

Following the Mongol Shova Jatra, another rally took place to celebrate love, diversity, friendship.

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18 stay in

Ruwaida Khandker

Given the current tragedy between Israel and Palestine, The Honorable Woman was released at an optimum

time.

BBC Two’s political thriller miniseries revolves around Nessa

Stein, played by the talented Maggie Gyllenhaal, a BritishIsraeli woman who is the heiress to her father’s firm.

She turns the company around into specialising in promoting communications between Israel and Palestine and establishing a charitable foundation. For this she has been made a peeress in the English House of Lords.

Nessa and her brother Ephra, played by Andrew Buchan, are both not only philanthropic on the surface, using their wealth to foster better relationships between the Israelis and the Palestinians, but are also involved with underground deals.

As the drama unfolds, the viewers are slowly given more information about the Stein family’s dark past and the household’s current shady deals.

As Nessa feels isolated when her Ephra resigns as the company’s CEO for mysterious reasons, we are left to wonder if Nessa can keep the company running successfully on her own.

Throughout the series, Nessa tries to speak out against the conflict and keep peace between both countries but is faced with captivity, sexual assault, and constant accusations of bias towards the opposing country from both countries along the way.

Including some powerful performances by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s, as well as those from a particularly talented cast of actors, The Honourable Woman is a must watch. n

Clues

ACROSS

1 US city fashionable in the past (7) 4 Scale of cash used by Tottenham Hotspur first (7) 6 Organic bronze back in mountain (7) 7 Mexican state sauce (7)

DOWN 1 2 3 5

Government furniture (7) Incompetent pet in mix-up (5) Moorish Prince to return greeting (7) Game where points on the board score? (5)

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

Last week’s solutions

The Honorable Woman

Mini cryptics

ACROSS 1 Discover fat free contains raisin first (5) 5 One card (3) 6 Act unconcerned about quiet carpet (5) 8 Painful sound after final gift (5) 10 It writes notes in blue initially (3) 11 Turn left in mix together (5) DOWN 1 Takes heed of tangled tinsels (7) 2 The appearance of ether (3) 3 Badger horse (3) 4 Revitalised Frenchman married (7) 7 Uruguay’s first Royal Navy vessel (3) 8 Go out with Emma’s big brother initially (3) 9 Deer act before end of June (3)

Sudoku

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

Last week’s sudoku solutions

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 1 2, 201 4

Go out

Dec 10-24

19

Weekly Planner

Cause | Human Rights Day – Honouring the Defenders When 9:30am-8pm Where EMK Center, Midas

Center, House 5, Road 27, Dhanmondi What EMK Center has arranged a photo exhibition to highlight International Human Rights Day. The photos have been made available through the generosity of RFK Center. The photographs were taken by Eddie Adams who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1969. The exhibition is open to all.

Dec 12-13

Where Bangabandhu International

Music | Friday Open Mic and Saturday Electro/Acoustic at Jatra Biroti When 6-10pm Where Jatra Biroti, 60 Kemal

Dec 13

Ataturk avenue What Jatra Biroti is arranging an open mic event every Friday.

Enthusiastic musicians can bring their instruments, poetry, voice, magic tricks at the event to present before the audience.

Tickets are available at Tk300.

It will be followed by an electro/ acoustic evening on Saturday.

Tickets are available at Tk400. As always, the funky Don Donadoni will be rocking the set as well as The Speakeasy gang. Phuchka included in the ticket price.

Dec 12 Music | Lets beat!

When 3-5pm Where Chhobir haat, Shahbagh What Dhaka Drum Circle

Dec 12-14

has arranged the open event giving amateur drummers and percussionists a platform to play drums.

Technology | GadgetGang7 at Grameenphone Smartphone & Tab Expo When 10am-9pm

Event | Dhaka Comicon 2014 “Age Of Brilliance” When 2-8pm, Dec 11-13 Where Banani Chairmanbari field, Banani

Bangladesh’s first-ever comic-con returns. This time we celebrate the rise of an “Age Of Brilliance.”

The event will include Cosplay competition (dressing up as your favourite comic character).

Registration is required for this.

One can register at the venue or at dhakacomicon.com. The event also includes a short film competition, action figure photography competition and collectors’ exhibition. A panel of judges will select the best ones to be screened and displayed during the event.

There will also be an artist’s corner to get illustrations drawn to-order by talented artists, themed corners, dioramas.

There will be vendor booths too,

which will be selling tons of pop culture merchandises. For further information call 01791775057.

Incursion Music and sub-labels Siren, Electro, Wreck Records along with Quicksand and Ozone will also highlight the Live Music Section with a wide array of artists. Tickets are available at Tk200 (for one day) and Tk500 (for a three-day pass).

Tickets are available at the venue.

Tickets will also be available for pre purchase online and at different locations.

Dhaka Comicon will also have exclusive items including action figures, statues, comics, and collectibles.

Please Register at www. dhakacomicon.com

one can go to Canada with family with a job paying a minimum of CAD2200 per month. To register please go to: http://j.mp/ECanada For further detail call 09678744223, 01928000800, 01928000400, 01928000900 or 01928000600 Free IELTS DVD courses will be provided to the clients who will register. You can also register for IELTS test on the day if you plan to give IELTS exam.

Conference Centre (BICC), Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar What Grameenphone Smartphone & Tab Expo will be at stall 5 and 11.

Career | Seminar on Canadian immigration and job opportunities When 10am-6pm Where Hotel Washington, 56

Gulshan Avenue, Road 132, Gulshan-1 What With Express Entry 2015,

Send your events to weekend@dhakatribune.com SUN

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Film | Tareque Masud Festival 2014 When 3-9pm, Dec 12-13 Where Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segunbagicha In December 2013 the Tareque Masud Memorial Trust held the 1st Tareque Masud Festival at Shilpakala Academy. The Festival was organised to commemorate the occasion of Tareque’s birthday on December 6 and was envisioned as a celebration of the works, thoughts and visions of the late film maker.

This year, the Trust is planning to hold the 2nd edition of the Festival, again on the premises of Shilpakala Academy in the main Natyashala Auditorium. This year promises to be an equally celebrated occasion, with new and exciting events planned.

In addition to the Memorial Lecture by Sajjad Sharif, there will also be an opening screening of “Remembering Runway,” a documentary on the making of Tareque Masud’s last film.

There will also be a launch of the Collectors Edition DVDs of “Adam Surot,” a special appearance by band Bangla, Boyati, performing songs written by Tarek Masud, and finally a screening and awards ceremony of the 2nd Tareque Masud Short Film Competition, the theme for which this year is “Amar mukti, amar juddho.”

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20 INTERVIEW | Naila Kabeer

Algebra and politics

Naila Kabeer speaks about educational development, social stereotyping and the changes we need to make in order to more ahead and on par with the rest of the world Saudia Afrin What is your assessment of the education system of our country?

Bangladesh has made a huge progress on education, particularly at the primary and secondary levels, and has closed the gender gap. But I think it has done this to some extent in the expense of quality. I think, partly, because Bangladesh wants to demonstrate its commitment to education and focuses on numbers and accepting children into schools – which is very important.

However, not enough attention is paid to what children are learning. I

would like to see more attention on joyful learning so education doesn’t seem like a chore or punishment. The children can choose what to learn in a voluntary manner.

What is very interesting is that though we have seen lots of public, private universities and proliferations of universities – higher education has become very politicised. I do wish education and politics would be separated even further because we need education. We know from every single study that education is not the end of everything but

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the beginning of everything. So we really need to take care of investing quality in education, making it more relevant to people’s lives and putting more enthusiasm into learning mathematics and science.

How could we enlighten a country’s future generation? Is there any specific area that needs further development in education? How could that be made possible?

Education has to include the understanding of society and of injustice – gender injustice, class

injustice and minority injustice.

In our curriculum, we need to add what unfairness and injustice, as social components, are all about. For instance, when do nations prosper?

They prosper when all citizens have some sort of equality and rights.

They do not prosper when half of the population is left behind. You need for them to understand that it is an interest of an entire country and an interest of relationship with people.

How important is it to make parents understand about “letting your

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child be what he/she loves?”

It’s like asking a human being to develop only one aspect of his/her personality – as if one would develop only to run very fast or only to paint very well. But to be a whole human being, to be happy, each human being has to develop the artistic, the emotional and the intellectual sides to their being. For a healthy society needs artists, writers, journalists, doctors, engineers, sports people, scientists, social scientists and historians. We need a holistic country and we will all be benefited from that.

What would our world look like if we didn’t have people singing or dancing? And if anyone was doing it well why don’t we encourage them?

Society needs to value these various contributions and parents also need to realise that if their child is good at art or if their child is good at science then they should not be forced upon a different path – a path they don’t want to follow.

I don’t know if happiness is something parents worry about. All they worry about for their children is good marriage, society, success and status. Happiness, self fulfilment and having a mission in life is missing somewhere.

If you are a mechanic, you get a lot of joy from being a good mechanic.

Similarly, if you sew well you can get a lot of joy from sewing. This is when you recognise that what you are doing has an intrinsic value. Let children find out what they are good at and then encourage them to do better at that.

How can we make Bangladeshi students more competitive on an international level?

They have to improve. It’s a very simple solution. Get the politics out when you select teachers and professors. You shouldn’t reflect the current composition of our government. Let the best teacher teach and this way the students will become more competitive.

Again, you can be very nationalistic about our own language but if you want to compete in the world you must know English. To compete and to survive outside of the boundaries of Bangladesh you have to have good spoken and written English skills. And the business of chopping and changing the curriculum is not a good idea. Continuous and constant improvement is needed.

There is a stereotype in our society, that a girl is less capable than a boy in terms of practising science or related areas. How do you think this preconceived notion can be broken within the general population? What steps can be taken in order to find a solution to this problem?

One of the things about A F Mujibur Rahman Foundation is that it gives gold medals in mathematics in graduate levels in a number of universities including The University of Dhaka. I have been very impressed that about a year ago, out of the five or six gold medallists, five were girls.

And in one of my articles I wrote “even girls can do maths.” There was a story behind it.

There is nothing magical about mathematics that girls can’t do it.

However, there is constant pushing from society that girls are emotional not rational and moreover do not have the logics required for maths.

So society is doing itself a disservice.

Through providing publicity, more and more girls come up to compete.

Even if they don’t win at least they participate in the finals.

Would you please tell us about the future plans of A F Mujibur Rahman Foundation?

Up till now we have been at the top end in providing educational services. Recently, we inaugurated a mathematics building in the University of Dhaka. However, it is helping a very small minority of the country and those who have the ability to get into the university. Now we want to look at the other end of

the spectrum. We want to look at the primary level of education in rural areas – how to help meritorious but needy students who are doing well in school but cannot go further because there are no resources.

I think we should look at both ends of the spectrum. The attention so far has been on university level education. However, we feel that unless we build the base, what comes next is not going to be as good. n

How do social attitudes and norms prevent our country from realising its full potential? In your opinion, what can be done in terms of building up women capable for combating all the barriers and insecurities?

We are trying to get the government and employers to see how important it is to create an accommodating environment in different kind of occupations – so we can expand work options for women. Here, education and skill development are very important. I’m very keen on this kind of work.

The more women come out, the easier it is for other women. The more willing women are to stand up for their rights and in society the more possible will it become for others.

We are bringing about change through the work we are doing. But the change is slow. We are noticing that although we have seen a lot of changes in education, maternal mortality and health, the economic indicators are still very slow in responding to change.

Unless there are more and more women joining in, it will be harder for individual women to emerge victorious.

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