Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 32

Dhaka Tribune | vo l 2 I ssu e 32 | F R I D AY, D ECe m b e r 26, 2014

REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST YEAR

6

Verbal misfires

12

TRUE CRIME

21

Yamin Khan

Editor’s note Reflection of the past year Dear Readers, And what a year it’s been. From political somersaults to witchy weather, from football fever to Hay-hem, from flashmobs to cowfies, we’ve had an interesting twelve months, to say the least.

Since the close of the year brings about a tendency to look back and reflect, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing all over this issue.

As you count down the days and hours to 2015, we take one last look at 2014. Join us as we look at the biggest news stories in and out of our country.

We’ll showcase the most exciting developments in science and tech (page 5), revisit the scenes of the worst crimes to take place in the country this year (page 12), and then celebrate our proudest moments (page 7). Want to know the biggest waves on the Internet (page 4)? The most viral memes (page 17)? We’ve got it covered.

It’s been a pleasure bringing you all the exciting developments over the year. On behalf of the Weekend Tribune family, we wish you all a very happy new year.

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

CONTENTS

1

Volume 2 | Issue 32 | December 26, 2014

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

5 Top 10

Techs inventions

3 Meanwhile

Features

7 Listology

Bangladesh wins

6 To 10 Verbal misfires 8 Top 10 Legendary ads 12 Top 10 True crime 17 Top 10 Memes

21 Funnybone Yamin Khan

Production Masum Billah

Regulars

Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel

Email your letters to: weekend@dhakatribune.com

4 Top 10 Viral Events

20 Listology Obituaries

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal

Website dhakatribune.com/weekend facebook.com/WeekendTrib

Political events

2 News

Cartoons Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo

Graphics Md Mahbub Alam Alamgir Hossain Tahsin Momin

TOP 10

News

Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain

Contributors Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi Syed Zakir Hossain Yamin Khan Pragya Rahman Dina Sobhan

15

14 Legalese 16 Tough Love Friendship or relationship?

9 Photo Story

18 Stay In 19 Go Out

Story Bangladesh in 2014 WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26, 2 0 1 4

2 News | This week

The world at a glance Weekend Tribune Desk

genteel exchange of Christmas greetings into a public dressing down of the Curia, the central administration of the Holy See which governs the 1.2 billion strong Catholic Church. He made clear that his plans for a radical reform of the structures of church power must be accompanied by an even more radical spiritual reform of the men involved.

Ticking off 15 “ailments of the Curia” one by one, Francis urged the prelates sitting stone-faced before him in the marbled Sala Clementina to use the Christmas season to repent and atone and make the church a healthier, holier place in 2015.

Photo: Reuters

Taiwan launches its largest ever missile ship North Korea’s Internet briefly down again: US experts

North Korea’s connections to the Internet were briefly cut for the second day running Tuesday, according to a US Internet research group that has been tracking the country’s struggle to stay online.

Dyn Research said North Korea’s online connection, delivered by Chinese communications firm China Unicom, went offline at 1541 GMT and were restored just over an hour later.

They continue to face “connectivity problems” and the brief blackout happened after several hours of an unstable connection, similar to the results of an external attack, the research group said.

On Monday, North Korea had been cut off from the Internet for more than nine hours, triggering speculation that the isolated dictatorship had been targeted by United States authorities.

Washington has accused North Korea of being behind the hacking of Hollywood studio Sony Pictures, and President Barack Obama has promised a “proportionate response” to the alleged attack.

Photo: Reuters

He said the Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-i-Taiba – the group responsible for the attacks on Mumbai in 2008 in which more than 160 people were killed – were also taking part in the battle.

“That 17 foreign fighters were killed during the battle prove that foreigners are supporting local insurgents in the area,” he said.

“As Dangam is so close to the border, it is very easy for them to cross the border into Afghanistan and help the insurgents here. We are very careful with conducting our operations to prevent civilian casualties,” he said.

The presence of foreign fighters in Taliban battles in Afghanistan is not unusual. The Afghan Taliban leadership is believed to be based in the Pakistani city of Quetta, and Kabul has long accused Pakistan of turning a blind eye to the group. Dangam is four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the porous border.

The Taliban denied losing so many fighters but did not provide their own figures.

Photo: AP

To the Catholic Church’s “seven deadly sins,” Pope Francis has added the “15 ailments of the Curia.”

Francis issued a blistering indictment of the Vatican bureaucracy Monday, accusing the cardinals, bishops and priests who serve him of using their Vatican careers to grab power and wealth, of living “hypocritical” double lives and forgetting that they’re supposed to be joyful men of God. Francis turned the traditional,

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First conviction in Sierra Leone under Ebola laws

A village chief has become the first person in Sierra Leone to be jailed under laws aimed at preventing the spread of the Ebola virus, court officials and lawyers said.

Amadu Kargbo was sentenced to six months in jail by a court in the southwestern city of Moyamba for secretly burying the dead and failing to report a sick patient, court official Foday Fofanah told AFP. He was also fined one million leones ($235) and ordered to spend 21 days in quarantine before going to jail.

Lawyers in the capital Freetown said it was the first known conviction under the country’s Ebola laws.

Fofanah said the chief had pleaded guilty to secretly burying his daughter, who had died of Ebola.

Death penalty for Qaisar

Sri Lankan leader promises reforms to presidency

Pope in blistering critique of Vatican bureaucrats

Afghan official: 150 Taliban killed in 12-day fight

At least 151 Taliban fighters have been killed by government forces during 12 days of fighting in the volatile east, near the border with Pakistan, the police chief of Kunar province said Tuesday.

General Abdul Habib Sayedkhaili said at least another 100 insurgents were wounded in the fighting in Dangam district.

Taiwan on Tuesday launched its largest ever missile ship as the island strives to modernise its armed forces in response to a perceived threat from China.

The 500-tonne corvette named “Tuo Chiang” (Tuo River) is the first of its kind ever produced by Taiwan and was touted by defence minister Yen Ming as “the fastest and most powerful” in Asia.

Armed with 16 missiles including eight supersonic Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) anti-ship missiles, it will boost Taiwan’s defence capabilities against its giant neighbour, which considers the island part of China’s territory awaiting to be reunited by force if necessary.

Photo: Reuters

a two-term limit for the presidency and give himself the power to appoint all key officials, including top judges, election officials, and police and military heads.

Photo: AFP

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised Tuesday to reform his country’s powerful presidency as part of a new constitution that he intends to introduce if he is elected to a third term next month.

Rajapaksa’s promise in his policy statement comes in response to increasing public support for his main challenger in the Jan. 8 election, Maithripala Sirisena, whose campaign has centered on democratic reforms, including heavily reducing presidential powers and strengthening Parliament.

Rajapaksa said he would ask Parliament to draw up a new constitution and reform the presidency within one year of being elected.

He had used an overwhelming election success previously to scrap

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) on Tuesday awarded death penalty to former state minister for agriculture Syed Mohammad Qaisar for his crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. The tribunal, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, found the 73-yearold former minister guilty on 14 charges out of 16 charges brought against him for wartime atrocities.

The tribunal sentenced Qaisar to life imprisonment in four charges, 10 years in jail in Charge number 2, seven years’ imprisonment in Charge number 7 and five years of imprisonment in Charge 11.

All the charges were brought against him for wartime offences.

The ICT stated that Qaisar, former head of “Qaisar Bahini,” an anti-liberation militia group that collaborated with Pakistani forces, had conducted “horrific and criminal acts” during the Liberation War. News and photo: Dhaka Tribune

meanwhile ... | News

3

You’re welcome Five different ways to enjoy your morning cup of joe

Photo of the week

1. Long Black

This is your regular cup of coffee, for those who are strong willed and like it pitch black. This will most certainly give you the jolt of energy needed to wake up in the morning that will keep you going for the rest of the day.

2. Vanilla Suprise Sometimes, perspective makes for interesting contradictions Photo: Syed Latif Hossain

Say what?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s hometown built a terrible statue of him Madeira is a pretty big Portuguese island that is known for two things: wine and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid superstar is the island’s greatest export and they honoured him by unveiling a statue of him.

The only problem is that the statue looked nothing like him.

Some of the problems are: • They got his free kick stance

right! Kind of. It’s right based on the curve established by the rest of the statue • Ronaldo has a very unique face, and yet the face on the statue is entirely generic • He hasn’t been using that hairstyle for years • That statue had to make Ronaldo’s upper body more muscular because regular Ronaldo isn’t in absurdly impressive shape, apparently News and Photo: Bloomberg

Wake up, get dressed and pour yourself your typical boring cup of coffee and then maybe you can add some vanilla essence to that. No more than 1-2 teaspoons and let the aroma of vanilla take you to the wilderness and enchantment of madagascar so that you can start your day all relaxed and refreshed.

3. Holiday Spiced

Nothing like feeling Christmassy all year round. You can wake up with the Christmas spirit filled with joy and peace. Just add some ground cinnamon and nutmeg to your regular cup of coffee and voila you have Christmas in a cup!

4. Cocoa Loco

If you like cocoa and you still feel like a kid inside, you’re going to love this one. Just add two spoonfulls of cocoa powder to your regular cup of coffee and you’ve got yourself a hot cocoa and a cup of coffee!

5. Rose Bud

This is only for a special few who may find it palatable to their liking. Just add a little bit of rose water and saffron to your coffee and enjoy.

Pragya Rahman

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4 Top 10 | Viral events

Breaking the internet

In this age of Facebook and social networking, we are only a scroll away from the most talked about events happening around the world. From the crashing of a plane to the posterior of a reality star, see what kept cyberspace awake in 2014 Tausif Sanzum Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

During the time of its disappearance the flight was carrying 227 passengers along with 12 crew members from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite being one of the most expensive searches in aviation history, no concrete evidence has still been found as to where the plane disappeared. The event flooded the Internet with condolences pouring in from around the world as well as various disappearance theories.

Ebola outbreak

one of the most trending events of 2014. The challenge consists of a person nominating three of his/her friends to overturn a bucket of ice over their heads within 24 hours.

If the nominated person fails to do so, they should donate to a charity working with raising awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

picture which featured her displaying her posterier causing an uproar over the net.

Flappy Bird

Fifa World Cup

The Amal Clooney Wedding

Even those of us with no connection with football, couldn’t resist posting a pro/anti World Cup status on Facebook. While the tournament was held in Rio de Janeiro, every score tab and movement was readily available on our Facebook Homepage or Tweets.

You play it once and you will be addicted to it for a long time. The game developed by Dong Nguyen was released in 2013 but became a rage in early January 2014, becoming the most downloaded free game. The developer also made headlines when he briefly removed the game from being downloaded over guilt of it being addictive.

The sudden death of Robin Williams

Break the Internet While Ebola has been existing for quite some time, it is only this year that it has became the cause of major epidemic fear around the world. Till date there have been 19,078 reported cases mostly in countries of West Africa. However, the news of the outbreak spread like wildfire when there were four cases reported in the USA.

The internet went berserk over the news of the actor and comedian committing suicide at his home in California. The death of the beloved actor was one of the most trending searches on Google.

Ice Bucket Challenge

Although the origins of the Ice Bucket Challenge is hotly debated, it became

his bizarre comments and conducts including beating up an engineer with a stick leaving him seriously injured.

However, all these past events hardly measure up to the number of headlines he made when he passed an anti-Hajj pilgrimage during his visit to America in September. The comment and events relating to Siddiqui’s reentry into Bangladesh still remain a hotly discussed topic over the net.

What happens when the hottest man on the planet marries the sexiest barrister? The Internet goes crazy. Every minute of the romance, followed by every detail of the wedding related functions, clothes, honeymoon destination, gifts for guests became the talk of the world. The Amal Clooney wedding extravaganza made the wedding of power couple, Brad-Angelina look like child’s play.

Honourable mention

Remarks of Abdul Latif Siddiqui

2014 saw booty becoming the most talked about part of a woman’s body.

Jennifer Lopez, Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj displayed their rears leaving little to the imagination but none garnered as much publicity as the queen bee of the Kadarshian clan, Kim Kadarshian herself. The reality star intended to “break the internet” with her Paper magazine cover

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26 , 2014

The ex-minister is pretty infamous for

Brad Pitt being attacked by celebrity stalker Vitalii Sedouk, the wedding of Railway Minister Mujibul Haque, death of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Maya Angelou and the Sony hack. n

Techs inventions | Top 10

5

tech it or leave it Major scientific breakthroughs of 2014 Faisal Mahmud

T

he world of technology was full of incremental developments in 2014, but few of them were true milestones. Here are the list of top ten technological inventions of this year. These advances from the past year all solve thorny problems or create powerful new ways of using engineering. They are breakthroughs that will matter for years to come.

Agricultural drones

These relatively cheap drones with advanced sensors and imaging capabilities are giving farmers new ways to increase yields and reduce crop damage.

Breakthrough: Easy-to-use agricultural drones equipped with cameras, for less than $1,000.

Why it matters: Close monitoring of crops could improve water use and pest management.

Key players: 3D Robotics, Yamaha, PrecisionHawk

Brain mapping

A new map, a decade in the making, shows structures of the brain in far greater detail than ever before, providing neuroscientists with a guide to its immense complexity.

Breakthrough: A high-resolution map that shows structures of the human brain as small as 20 micrometers.

Why it matters: As neuroscientists try to understand how the brain works, they need a detailed map of its anatomy.

Key players: Katrin Amunts from Jülich

Research Centre, Alan Evans from Montreal Neurological Institute, Karl Deisseroth from Stanford University

Ultraprivate smartphones

New models built with security and privacy in mind reflect the Zeitgeist of the Snowden era.

Breakthrough: Mobile phones for the consumer market that transmit minimal personal information.

Why it matters: Governments and advertisers gather intimate details from cell phones.

Key players: Blackphone, CryptoPhone, Open Whisper Systems

Neuromorphic chips

Microprocessors configured more like brains than traditional chips could soon make computers far more astute about what’s going on around them.

Breakthrough: An alternative design for computer chips that will enhance artificial intelligence.

Why it matters: Traditional chips are reaching fundamental performance limits.

Key players: Qualcomm, IBM, HRL Laboratories, Human Brain Project

Genome editing

The ability to create primates with intentional mutations could provide powerful new ways to study complex and genetically baffling brain disorders.

Breakthrough: The use of a genometool to create two monkeys with specific genetic mutations.

Why it matters: The ability to modify

targeted genes in primates is a valuable tool in the study of human diseases.

Key players: Yunnan Key Laboratory, Jennifer Doudna from UC Berkeley, Feng Zhang from MIT, George Church from Harvard

Microscale 3-D printing

“Inks” made from different types of materials, precisely applied, are greatly expanding the kinds of things that can be printed.

Breakthrough: 3-D printing that uses multiple materials to create objects such as biological tissue with blood vessels.

Why it matters: Making biological materials with desired functions could lead to artificial organs and novel cyborg parts.

Key players: Jennifer Lewis from Harvard University, Michael McAlpine from Princeton University, Keith Martin from University of Cambridge

Mobile collaboration

The smart phone era is finally getting the productivity software it needs.

Breakthrough: Services that make it fruitful to create and edit documents on mobile devices.

Why it matters: Much of today’s office work is done outside an office.

Key players: Quip, Quickoffice, Box, Dropbox, Microsoft, Google, CloudOn

Oculus Rift

Thirty years after virtual reality goggles and immersive virtual worlds made their debut, the technology

finally seems poised for widespread use.

Breakthrough: High-quality virtualreality hardware that is cheap enough for the consumer market.

Why it matters: Visually immersive interfaces will lead to new forms of entertainment and communications.

Key players: Oculus Vry, Sony, Vuzix, Nvidia

Agile Robots

Computer scientists have created machines that have the balance and agility to walk and run across rough and uneven terrain, making them far more useful in navigating human environments.

Breakthrough: Machines with legs that stride over uneven or unsteady terrain.

Why it matters: Much of the world is used to and has access wheeled machines but not legged ones.

Key players: Boston Dynamics, SchaftHonda

Smart wind and solar power

Big data and artificial intelligence are producing ultra-accurate forecasts that will make it feasible to integrate much more renewable energy into the grid.

Breakthrough: Ultra-accurate forecasting of wind and solar power.

Why it matters: It provides an invaluable answer to dealing with sporadic renewable energy.

Key players: Xcel Energy, GE Power, National Center for Atmospheric Research. n

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6 Top 10 | Infamous quotes

Verbal Misfires From politicians to celebrity kids, these verbal malfunctions created quite an uproar this year Tausif Sanzum

President Obama quoted an alleged verse from the Bible during a speech in Nashville about immigration reforms:

The good book says, don’t throw stones in glass houses, or … make sure we’re looking at the log in our eye before we are pointing out the mote in other folks’ eyes The verse is nowhere to be found in the Bible.

Tarique Rahman him a Razakar after analysing facts.

When we called him Pakbandhu [friend of Pakistan], we did that on the basis of facts” “I am talking on the basis of evidence. Sheikh Mujib was a Razakar, a murderer and Pakbandhu.

When lakhs of people were on the battlefield, Sheikh Mujib’s family was living a secured life in Dhaka under the watch of murderer Yahya”

This year at the Victory Day’s programme of the London chapter of the BNP, Tarique Rahman shared his version of history: “If Sheikh Mujib started the war along with the Bangali army officers on March 7, Pakistani soldiers would have been defeated and the loss of lives could have been lessened” “It is Mujib who is to be held responsible for the losses. And we call

Abdul Latif Sidduiqui

Willow and Jaden Smith

On September 28, during a programme in the USA, former minister and Awami League leader Abdul Latif Siddique made several controversial comments: “Hajj is a waste of manpower.

Those who perform hajj do not have any productivity. They deduct from the economy and spend a lot of money abroad” “If 100,000 people perform hajj every year on an average and spend Tk5 lakh each, then the total cost stands at Tk500 crore” “Tabligh Jamaat brings together about 20 lakh people every year. It has no specific duties. It just clogs

traffic across the country” “Why do you often mention Joy? Who is Joy Bhai? Joy is nobody in the government. He cannot make any decision”

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Some quotes from The New York Times’ T magazine’s interview of Will Smith’s kids: Willow: “There’re no novels that I

like to read so I write my own novels, and then I read them again, and it’s the best thing” Jaden: “Kids who go to normal school are so teenagery, so angsty” n

BD wins | Listology

7

this is how we do it

After a long list of notorieties, Bangladesh is finally, slowly, but steadily paving its way towards achieving global recognition and its time we looked at some of the wins that we, as a nation have finally earned Farina Noireet Bangladesh wins test series against Zimbabwe

Mars adventurer

As a nation that breaths, sleeps and eats cricket, any accomplishment that our Tigers achieve is celebrated amid massive cheering, fun and festivites.

And consecutive wins against a big contender like Zimbabwe is certainly not something to be let simply pass by.

Bangladesh won the Bashundhara Cement Test Series beating Zimbabwe by 162 runs in the second match, and sealing in the glorious win at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna on Nov 7.

Zimbabwe scored 151 runs losing all 10 wickets in 51.1 overs in the second innings.

Wasfia gets nominated for a NatGeo award

Wasfia Nazreen, the second Bangladeshi woman to conqueror Mount Everest, has been named as one of the National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year.

According to National Geographic, she had been nominated as one of the recipients of the honour for the year 2014 in recognition of her achievement in empowering Bangladesh’s women and girls though her campaign.

The National Geographic has also announced a People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year for which one vote can be given to any of these ten adventurers every day on the website.

The names of the winners will be announced in February 2015.

Lulu Ferdous, a research assistant at NASA, may be the first Bangladeshi to take a one-way trip to Mars. Ferdous, 35, is one of 1,058 people from around the world who advanced to the second round of applicants to be chosen for this extraordinary mission that may take up to seven months.

The mission is sponsored by Mars One, a Dutch nonprofit foundation that aims to establish a permanent human settlement on the planet by 2025.

More than 200,000 people applied for the programme, out of which only four astronauts will be chosen for the trip.

Hay Festival

Bangladeshi writers writing in English are making quite a name for themselves in the international literary arena, and the Hay Festival is an event that promotes this. The three-day event, which has been hosted at the Bangla Academy grounds in the Dhaka university campus since 2011, is getting bigger and better every year.

Drop-down on the international corruption list

Photo: Syed Latif Hossain

Bengal music festival

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

Not too long ago it was difficult to imagine that people would listen to anything but contemporary music, but the Bengal music festival proved that theory wrong.

Hosting one of the largest musical events in the capital, the festival hosts some of the most talented classical musicians in the subcontinent, and biggest event of its kind the world has seen.

Hijra pride festival

In a society such as ours, it is not sot something a person can easily comprehend growing up as a third gender. However, a cabinet meeting on November 11 last year decided that hijras were to be considered a separate gender in Bangladesh and would be given priority for education and other rights.

This year, the Hijra community hosted a festival, the first of its kind in Bangladesh, where around 1,000 hijras took part.

Crime and corruption is probably what Bangladesh is most known for, and an actual international recognition in having somewhat reduced its corruption level is no easy feat.

Bangladesh improved its position in this year’s Transparency International (TI) survey report, dropping three notches to rank 16th in the list of most corrupt countries in the world.

On a scale of 0 to 100, Bangladesh scored 27 gaining one more score than previous year, says the report released globally on Tuesday.

TEDx Dhaka

Bangladesh has been hosting the Ted conference for three successful years now, and each year the event features incredibly talented Bangladeshis making headway, not just locally but on an international level, in fields such as medicine, IT, adventure and exploration and much more. n

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

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8 Top 10 | Legendary ads

Catchy Jingles

The Bangladeshi way There was a time when televisions were a luxury that came with a tangled mess of wires, awed neighbours and a sense of pride. Families, neighbours and the occasional unknown faces cramped into living rooms watching the “natoks� (plays), cinemas and English series with the enthusiasm of children.

Yet, one thing that has been an irreplaceable part of the television culture in every other Bangladeshi home is the advertisements. The jingles and dialogues eventually became a part of the household clamour, punctuating the colourful conversations of politics and hushed gossips.

We take a look back in the memory lane of iconic adverts that have preserved a snippet of old days and fond memories for many Bangladeshis. Here is a compilation of ten advertisements with catchy jingle that is a signature essence of Bengali-ness.

10

Pakija Print Saree

Narir prothom bhalobassha, Pakija print saree

7

Keya Lip Gel

Chokhe Chokhe kotha hoye,mone mone bhalobasha

7

Roxy Paint

Manaye bhalo, dekhaye bhalo-rong bolte Roxy

6

Lux Beauty Soap (Mou)

8

Starship Condensed Milk

Beshi shadh,beshi laabh,beshi cup cha

4

Sharif Melamine

Bhinno, notun, atulonio.Ghore ghore shobar priyo

3

Amar shundorjer rohosho janiye dilam kintu

Olympic Battery

5

2

Red Cow

Poribarer Pushtir Bondhon

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26 , 2014

Alo alo, beshi alo

Family Planning Ad

Ashchilam Boka, Hoilam Buddhiman

1

Philips Light bulb

Macher raja Ilish, ar baatir raja- Philips

Bangladesh in 2014 | Photo story

9

The year that was Turn for more photographs

The mighty tidal wave of the Padma has swept away most the belongings of the people who used to live in the bank of the river. Life in the bank of the Padma has become uncertain. This family attempts to relocate what is left of their precious home.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

This week’s Photo Story features everyday moments from around the country, throughout the year and all the events, celebrations that 2014 bore witness to.

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10 PHoto story | Bangladesh in 2014 Rally on the occasion of Janmashtomi, celebration of Lord Krishna’s birth day

Students of Fine University prepa Shobhajatra, we Bangla new yea

Photo: Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune

World cup hype has spread amo children too.

Hundreds of cyclists bring out a rally from Central Shahid Minar to celebrate the Independence Day. The rally was organised by the enthusiasts of group BD cyclists

Just like every y a canal near the The fruit is sent Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26 , 2014

11 Structures of pavilions are being set up prior to the start of Dhaka International Trade Fair 2015 starting on January 1 in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar

e Arts, Dhaka ares for Mongol elcoming the ar.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/ Dhaka Tribune Photo: Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune

With heads held high and the red and green flag flying higher, Bangladesh is ready to celebrate the spirit of liberation once again on the eve of another Victory Day

e in Bangladesh ong the street

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

year, a floating guava market sits on e Bhimruli Bazar in Jhalakathi district. t across the country from here.

Photo: Mustafiz Mamun

Photo: Rajib Dhar/ Dhaka Tribune

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12 Top 10 | Crimes in BD

true crime The biggest crime of 2014 was of course the sensational seven murders of Narayanganj. Aside from that there were many others. Here is Weekend Tribune’s list of the top ten crimes of 2014 Faisal Mahmud Bela chief’s husband abducted in Narayanganj

Miscreants abducted Abu Bakar Siddique, husband of award-winning environmental lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan, executive director of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association (BELA), from the Fatulla area on Dhaka-Narayanganj link road on April 16.

Siddique, who is currently working for Hamid Fashion in Narayanganj, was alone in his Sedan when the miscreants intercepted his car around 3:15pm.

Ripon, siddique’s driver, said a gang of seven to eight, riding in a blue micro-bus hit their car from behind near Bhuigarh Delpara Bhuiya filling station. When Siddique and the driver got down from the car to assess the damage, the abductors sprayed chilli powder into Ripon’s eyes and picked up Siddique at gunpoint, Ripon added.

Siddique was rescued after 36 hours but the police are yet to find the miscreants.

Ambush freed JMB convicts

In an apparently well-planned move, a gun-toting gang ambushed a prison van at Trishal on the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway in broad day light and managed to free three high-profile convicted members of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on February 23.

A policeman was killed during the attack. Police however arrested one of the three convicts five hours after the surprise attack.

Police and witnesses said the gunmen opened fire and blasted bombs at around 10:15am at Trishal upazila on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway before they freed their apparent colleagues Salahuddin alias Salehin, JMB in charge of Sylhet-Mymensingh region, Mohammad Rakib Hasan Russell alias Hafez Mahmud, Khulna divisional commander of JMB, and Jahidul Islam alias “Boma” Mizan, an explosive expert of the outlawed group.

The convicts were being taken to a Mymensingh court in connection with a sedition case from Kashimpur jail in Gazipur. Of the three, two were sentenced to death while the other was sentenced life imprisonment.

Three days later they all were arrested again.

Feni upazila chairman killed in broad daylight

The newly elected chairman of Fulgazi upazila in Feni, Ekramul Haq, was burned to death after being shot by a group of armed miscreants inside his own vehicle on May 20 at the city’s Academy Road area. The criminals also beat up three of the victim’s associates on the same spot.

The police, quoting eyewitnesses, said 20 to 30 unknown miscreants with firearms attacked the upazila chairman’s vehicle near Bilasi Cinema while he was on his way to his polling area after visiting a hospital in Feni town around 10:30am.

They assaulted him, as well as former chairman of Fulgazi union parishad, Mohiuddin Shambhu, and

Mohibullah Farhad, executive editor of a local newspaper Feni Protidin, which belonged to Ekramul Haq and two others whose identities could not be ascertained immediately, said Shamsul Alam Sarker, assistant superintendent of police of Feni Sadar circle.

Later on May 25, two local Awami League leaders – Jihad Chowdhury and Abdullahel Baki Shiplu – were arrested for acting as the mastermind behind the murder.

arms haul since the Chittagong 10-truck arms smuggling incident in 2004.

RAB seized the arms and ammunition that include more than 200 rocket launchers and 200 mortar shells. Later on, the RAB also discovered a total of 184 HEAT (High Explosive Anti-tank) 40 millimetre shells and 153 rocket charges from the nearby Satchari area.

The law enforcement personnel are yet to solve this case.

Huge arms haul in Habiganj

Six Bangladeshis shot dead in Bay

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on June 3 seized a large cache of sophisticated arms and ammunition from Satchhari forest in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj district. This is considered to be the country’s largest

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26 , 2014

At least six people were killed and 40 injured as a Malaysia-bound trawler, carrying 321 Bangladeshi nationals, came under fire near St Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal on June 11. The Bangladeshis were

being trafficked to Malaysia by the 30-metre Thailand-made trawler.

Twenty-seven of the injured were hit by bullets. The Coast Guard rescued 315 passengers.

Victims said traffickers and their accomplices opened fire on the passengers when they protested against delay in taking the ship towards Malaysia.

Five bodies were found on the trawler and another was missing.

The dead were identified as Rubel and Selim of Jessore, Saiful (Bogra) and Munir (Sirajganj). The Coast Guard also found the body of one Mohammad Islam. Details about him could not be confirmed.

The Coast Guard said three crew members of the trawler, owned by a Thai national, have been arrested. Of

13

Seven murders at Narayanganj

Three days after their abduction, the bodies of seven people, including Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) councillor and panel mayor Nazrul Islam, were retrieved from the Shitalakhya River on April 30, triggering a shock-wave among the public who were stunned by the brutality and cruelty of the incident.

The ill-fated victims were identified to be: Nazrul Islam’s associates Moniruzzaman Swapan, Liton and Tajul, lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarker, and his driver, Ibrahim. Nazrul’s driver, Jahangir, who was also abducted, is still missing.

All the bodies were recovered with their hands and legs tied with rope and blindfolded, the police said, adding that each of the bodies were tied with two brick-laden bags, to ensure that they remained submerged.

Three former officials of RAB have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the shocking seven murders in Narayanganj. They were Lt Commander MM Rana, Lt Col Tareque Sayeed Mohammad and Major Arif Hossain.

Nur Hossain, the prime suspect of the murder was arrested from Kolkata on June 14.

Ten killed in Bihari camp clash in Mirpur

Nine people including four women and two children were burnt alive and another was shot dead in a tripartite clash in the city’s Mirpur area on June 14. The clashes erupted after the Fazr prayers. There was an altercation over bursting of firecrackers by ruling party activists in front of the Bihari mosque, at the “stranded Pakistanis’ slum,” known as the Kalshi Bihari slum, on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat.

Among the victims, seven were identified as Baby, 40, her 10-years old twin sons Lalu, and Bhulu, her daughters Shahana, 20, and Afshana, 18, daughter-in-law Farzana, 23, and Shahana’s son Maruf, 3.

Abul Kalam Azad, 35, son of Badsha Mia, a designer at Benarasi Palli and a resident of the Kurmitola Stranded Pakistanis’ Camp, was hit by bullets in the chest, neck, face and two arms.

The people of the Bihari camp blocked the area and protested on roads for the next two days. Police didn’t find the miscreants.

them, two, including the captain of the trawler, were Thai nationals and one was from Myanmar.

Five secretaries stand accused

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on September 2 accused five senior bureaucrats, including three in service secretaries, a former secretary and a joint secretary, of obtaining fake freedom fighter certificates.

These five top officials are: Secretary of the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs KH Masud Siddiqui and Joint Secretary (now OSD) of the same ministry Abul Kashem Talukdar, Secretary of Public Service Commission AKM Amir Hossain, Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Ministry Niazuddin

Miah and Chairman of Privatisation Commission Mollah Wahiduzzaman.

Later, on September 15, the freedom fighter’s certificate of the five secretaries were cancelled.

RU teachers stabbed to death

A professor of Sociology Department at Rajshahi University (RU), AKM Shafiul Islam, was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants near his residence adjacent to the university campus in November 15.

Police arrested two people for their suspected involvement in the killing. According to police, a group of assailants equipped with sharp weapons swooped on the RU teacher when he was returning to his residence riding a motorbike after class lecture around 2:30pm.

Assailants ambushed Shariful when he reached the alley near his Binodpur residence adjacent to the Bihas residential area in Rajshahi city, the police said, adding that the teacher received severe stab injuries on his neck, head and left side of the forehead.

Biman DGM among five remanded for gold smuggling

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested five people, including three senior officials of state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines on November 19 for their alleged involvement in gold smuggling.

The arrested people were Emdad Hossain, deputy general manager (flight scheduling) of Biman, Capt

Abu Mohammad Aslam Shaheed, chief of planning and scheduling, Tozammel Hossain, scheduling manager, Harun-or-Rashid, owner of Farhan Money Exchange, and Mahmudul Haque Palash, a contractor of the airlines.

The arrests were made on the basis of information gleaned from Mazharul Afsar, a Biman cabin crew member who was arrested with smuggled gold on November 12, DMP joint commissioner Monirul Islam told a press conference at the DMP media centre. The DB chief said Shafiul Azam, a Bangladesh national residing in Dubai, controls a major part of gold smuggling in and out of Bangladesh. n

WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26, 2 0 1 4 Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

14 Legalese | Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi

Of contracts and agreements

Q A

Got a problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@ dhakatribune.com

We are considering applying for a tender in Bangladesh and forming a consortium with an International organisation for the purposes of the tender. Our partner organisation had a few queries regarding the enforceability of contracts and agreements in Bangladesh and what options are open to the wronged party if they are affected by a term of the contract being breached. Can you please shed some light on this matter?

Dear Reader: Thank you for writing in to me. It is not unusual for international organisations to be a little worried about the enforceability of contract, especially in foreign jurisdictions. After all, it’s the age old maxim – better safe than sorry.

Contract enforceability is dependent on the contract itself and the provisions contained within. I can provide you with a brief overview of the implications of contract breaches and the potential options available to a wronged party in case of breached contract provisions.

An agreement to become a contract must give rise to a legal obligation ie, a duty enforceable by law. If an agreement is incapable of creating a duty enforceable by law, it is not a contract. Thus an agreement is a wider term than a contract. “All contracts are agreements but all agreements are not contracts.”

When all the general formalities of a contract are fulfilled, the contract is lawfully enforceable for example, offer, acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations, legality of object, competency of parties, etc. If any party fails to perform his part of the obligation he shall be liable to pay the damages and all other damages incurred directly for that non-performance. When a contract is broken the party affected by it has the one or the other, and at times more than one of the four remedies: (i) damages, (ii) specific performance, (iii) quantum merit and (iv) injunction. The remedy must be obtained through the court unless

mutually settled by the parties and what relief will be given in a particular case depends as much on what the effected party claims on the nature of the agreement breached.

Damages under Bangladeshi law are of two types. Nominal damages are granted by way of vindication of a right, generally in those cases where the party complaining has either suffered no actual damage as a result of the breach as a result of the breach or the loss suffered is not accurately estimable. Whereas, substantial damages are awarded whether the damages naturally arose in the usual course of things from the breach and whether the plaintiff had the means of remedying the inconveniences and has neglected to avail himself of it.

Unlike damages, specific performance cannot be claimed in every case as a matter of right.

As per the provision of the statute namely Specific Relief Act, the court may, at its discretion, direct specific performance of a contract only in very specific cases. When a contract ends by repudiation at the middle of the contract when a party has done some work under the contract, the party who has performed the work may sue for compensation of the part of the work which has been done so far.

Injunction is also discretionary remedy granted by the Court available in those cases where damages would not afford adequate relief.

An injunction may be temporary or perpetual. Specific Relief Act states ‘temporary injunctions are such as are to be continue until a specified time or period or until the further

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26 , 2014

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

order of the court. They may be granted at any period of the suit and are regulated by the Code of Civil Procedure. A perpetual injunction can be granted by the decree made at the hearing and upon the merit of the suit the defendant is thereby perpetually enjoined from the assertion of a right or from the commission of an act, which would be contrary to the rights of the plaintiff.

A positive injunction may be issued which is known as “mandatory injunction” as laid down by the Specific Relief Act, which states that “when to prevent the breach of an

obligation, it is necessary to compel the performance of certain acts which the court is capable of enforcing, the court may, in its discretion, grant an injunction to prevent the breach complained of, and also to compel performance of the requisite acts.

Therefore, as illustrated above, there are adequate options to allow for enforceability of contracts – the trick is to ensure that the contract is well drafted and legally binding to begin with. Best wishes for your business endeavours! n

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

Political events | Top 10

New faces dominate 49-member cabinet

After the election, the 49-member cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, saw the return of “reformist” AL leaders, the exclusion of some “controversial” faces and inclusion of opposition JP members.

As many as 35 influential figures of the previous government could not make it to the new Cabinet. 21 of them were ministers and 14 junior ministers.

The new Cabinet also saw some young faces like Junaed Ahmed Palak, Shahriar Alam Mirza Azam, Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, Abdullah Al Islam Jacob and Arif Khan Joy.

Nizami, Babar and 12 others get death sentence

TALKING POLITICS

The tenth parliamentary election

AL wins upazila polls

A decade after the seizure of the country’s largest-ever arms consignments, a Chittagong court on January 30 awarded the death penalty to 14 people, including former industries minister Matiur Rahman Nizami and former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar in the sensational 10-truck arms haul case.

The verdict was announced for the case filed for smuggling of arms. In another case filed under the Special Power Act, the same 14 accused were given life imprisonment, while 38 others were acquitted. The 14 convicted were also slapped a fine of Tk5 lakh each.

On April 1, 2004, law enforcers and Coast Guard personnel seized 10 trucks carrying 4,930 types of sophisticated firearms, 27, 202 grenades, 840 rocket launchers, 300 rockets, 2,000 rocket launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 1,140,520 rounds of bullets while they were being off-loaded from two trawlers at the CUFL jetty on the southeast bank of the Karnaphuli river in the Karnaphuli police station area.

information technology was expelled from the cabinet following widespread criticisms against his comments in New York on Hajj, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Tablighi Jamaat and Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the decision following protests from different quarters, over the comments Siddique made at a programme in Jackson Heights on September 28.

Later an arrest warrant was issued against Latif Siddique on October 15. He returned to the country on November 23 and was arrested.

The year 2014 had some major political events that changes the course of the country. Here is a list of the top events Faisal Mahmud

The election took place on January 5 this year amid massive protest and eventually the boycott by the main opposition party BNP. Out of 40 registered political parties, only 12 parties contested the election as the 18-party alliance and other political parties boycotted the election with demands that the election be held under a non-party administration.

According to the preliminary

The ruling Awami League (AL) emerged as the winner in the upazila polls as the party-backed candidates bagged 51 chairman posts in the final phase on March 31, taking the tally to 223 out of 464 upazilas where the elections were held in five phases.

AL’s main rival BNP, which had a clear lead in the first two phases, finished the race in second position bagging 153 posts of chairman, including 12 in the last phase.

Candidates supported by Jamaat-eIslami, BNP’s main ally, bagged three posts of chairman in the fifth phase and 36 in all five phases.

Firing along Myanmar border flares tension

Bangladesh and Myanmar border security forces traded heavy gunfire along the Naikhongchhari frontier in Bandarban on May 31, as tensions between the two sides escalated following the killing of a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel by Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) on May 29.

Both the countries had deployed additional forces along the border after the hour-long firing, triggering panic among the people in the area.

BGB officials said the Myanmar side had opened fire when BGB men went to collect the body of Nayek Mizanur Rahman, the in-charge of the Panchhari BGB camp at Dochhari in Naikhongchhari, who went missing on May 29 and was suspected to have been killed in indiscriminate firing by the Myanmar Border Guard Police at Panchhari.

results, the voter turnout was over 40% but it is alleged that massive rigging was conducted by the ruling party activists to jack up the turnout ratio. Meanwhile, according to the witness accounts, the voter turnout was as low as 10%.

Ghulam Azam dies

The tension and gunfight went on for the next two days. The issue was later resolved by the two countries’ foreign ministries.

Cabinet okays 16th amendment draft

The Cabinet, in its 26th meeting on August 18, approved the draft of the Bill of the Constitution (16th Amendment) Law, 2014, to restore Parliament’s authority to impeach judges of the Supreme Court in cases of “misconduct or incapacity.”

By approving the draft law, the country is going to restore the provision in the 1972 Constitution after 36 years by reviving Article 96, so as to uphold the spirit and ideals of the Liberation War. Under the proposed amendment to the Constitution, a minimum of twothirds of the total number of MPs will be able to impeach any SC judge for his or her misconduct or incapacity, after taking the president’s approval.

Latif Siddique is removed from cabinet Abdul Latif Siddique, minister of posts, telecommunications and

15

Former Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Ghulam Azam, who was serving a 90-year jail term for crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War, died of cardiac arrest at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on October 23.

Azam, who had been kept at a prison cell of the BSMMU since his arrest on January 11, 2012, was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital on October 9 as his condition deteriorated due to kidney problems and lung infection.

Nizami’s death sentence

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT), on October 29 awarded death sentence to Jamaat-e-Islami ameer, Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, for crimes against humanity committed during the War of Liberation in 1971.

The tribunal held him guilty for his superior responsibility as a political leader and chief of Al-Badr, during the Liberation War, which led to the death of two million Bangalis and violated more than one million women. The three-member tribunal, chaired by Justice M Enayetur Rahim, with its members Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Anwarul Haque, delivered the verdict.

Mir Quasem’s death sentence

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2), on November 2 awarded death penalty to Jamaat-e-Islami’s central executive committee member, Mir Quasem Ali, for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

The ICT-2, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, delivered the verdict.

While delivering the judgement, Justice Hassan said the prosecution has able to prove 10 out of 14 charges brought against the 62-year-old Mir Quasem Ali, who is known as a key financier of Jamaat, for his crimes against humanity and other offences committed in Chittagong during the 1971 Liberation War. n

WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26, 2 0 1 4

16 tough love | dina sobhan

Friendship or relationship?

Q A

I have always been sensitive to the feelings of another and can’t help being the nice guy. For instance, I’m still good friends with my ex girlfriend because I know we care for each other, but it is not romantic at all. Recently, I met someone who I would like to pursue but I know my ex will feel bad about it once she finds out. I don’t know what to do. I feel as if I’m tied up in knots.

There’s a distinct difference between being a nice guy, as you put it, and being a chump. You and your ex are a thing of the past and you have no business sitting around contemplating her feelings visà-vis a new relationship. If you know you have no feelings for her, why are you wasting time being tied up in anything that’s not remotely fun? You need to man up and move on and let your ex contend with her own emotions, whether they are sorrow or delight. For all you know, she’s been sitting around wrestling with the same idiotic feelings of guilt over some guy she’s been dying to tie up in knots.

Do yourselves both a favour and tell her about the new girl.

Ten to one, she’ll breathe a huge sigh of relief, pick up her kameez and run in the direction of the closest single man in town. And even if she doesn’t, the fact is she should. You’ll be doing her a favour eventually, because sitting around pining for the one that got away but refuses to go away is worse than being dumped and forgotten.

At least in the latter scenario, you can grieve and get the hell on with your life. Exes have no business being friends until a good few years have elapsed and all that is left is a strong sense of having escaped a vile fate.

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26 , 2014

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune. com

Q

I’m scared of even thinking of getting into serious relationships because often it doesn’t last, and people get hurt. A close friend of mine has shown interest in me but I laughed off his suggestion that we date. He’s been unlike himself and jittery when he’s around me lately. It makes me uncomfortable, and I’m not quite sure how to approach him. Any ideas?

A

Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

News flash, Mata Hari, he’s feeling rejected. Guys don’t usually take kindly to women laughing at their request for a date. For you to expect him to go back to acting like he did before you humiliated him and made him feel like a big, fat loser is just plain silly. I’m surprised he’s even hanging out with you these days, which means he’s more of a man than you are giving him credit for.

You have two options: Take one for the team, and suck it up and go on a date with him.

If you know that there is zero chemistry between you two after that, then shake hands and go back to being friends with no hard feelings. If you already know that he’s as appealing to you as a mouldy sponge, then sit him down and explain to him that you have the tendency to destroy most relationships that you touch, and have no desire for that to happen between you two because his friendship is worth a thousand crappy relationships. As long as you shoulder all the blame – ie, the classic “It’s not you, it’s me” manoeuvre, in other words – you should be good to go.

.

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

memes | top 10

17

Meming 2014 Here are a list of this year’s memes that quite literally infested the internet

10

Argentine fans all over the world were deeply disappointed when the golden boy Lionel Messi, missed his free kick to win the World Cup this year. The Germans really proved to the world that there was no longer one god in football (Messi), well in fact there were many (German team) much like in Greek tragedies.

5

Well this is a tough one isn’t it? Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj or Marilyn Manson? None of them are a good influence on your kids.

Perhaps it’s best to heed the parental advisory warning.

Pragya Rahman

9

4

8

3

We’ve all said it but none of us have ever done it. Even the most trivial of things, like where your cat keeps it’s litter, is everyone’s business in our community and word gets around pretty fast among us.

Leonardo Di Caprio running topless on a beach in Italy, sporting a squirt gun now who doesn’t like that? This won him a multitude of fame on the internet and a flood of memes overflowing servers all over the web. Who needs an Oscar when you’ve got the world wide web?

The ultimate bite to the ultimate game occurred when Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez literally used his teeth to bite Italian player Giorgio Chiellini. With twelve minutes left to spare and his teeth locked into his rival’s shoulder Suarez decided to rely on his animal instincts to win this game.

7

The unimpressed lizard took the internet by storm when it first showed up on reddit in July

Pharrell’s hat worn during the Grammy’s, designed by Vivian Westwood, became the subject of many a thousand memes this year. For something that expensive he could have gotten something that looked a little more tasteful, useful and far less ridiculous.

1

Kim Kardashian’s photo for Paper Magazine has to make our number one spot. You can see her trying to “break the internet” in the best way she can. Sadly she failed and all’s well in the world but that doesn’t mean she won’t try again. Beware world!

2014, when a man sent a picture of a “I can’t be bothered with or about anything in life” lizard to his girlfriend. This went viral and voila – memes were made and there we have it the emotionless and unimpressed lizard.

6

During Qurbani Eid we had a lot of these means flying around our walls and newsfeeds. They all make you feel a little sad but what can you do? You’ve got to eat meat

and you can’t run from it – like your own religion forbids from being healthy and tempts you to be fat!

2

Well that’s what stereotyping will do to you! Our sympathies go out to the person who made this meme. Not all Muslims look the same you know!

WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26, 2 0 1 4

18 stay in

Throwback to inspiring Ted talks of 2014

Mini cryptics Clues

ACROSS 1 4 6 7

Small explosion care of Royal Navy snack (7) No night is disturbed for naught (7) Manager of hydrogen and the french king (7) Lots of boats make a target complicated (7)

DOWN

use social media — and thinks about ways to improve their interactions.

1 2 3 5

Criticise relation’s first cat (7) Include Russian leader (5) Country I regain following revolution (7) Bay home permitted (5)

“What the Social Progress Index can reveal about your country”

by Michael Green Video length: 14:56 mins

Video length: 7:18 mins

Elizabeth Gilbert was once an “unpublished diner waitress,” devastated by rejection letters. And yet, in the wake of the success of “Eat, Pray, Love,” she found herself identifying strongly with her former self. With beautiful insight, Gilbert reflects on why success can be as disorienting as failure and offers a simple — though hard — way to carry on, regardless of outcomes.

“How to live passionately- no matter your age” by Isabel Allende Video length: 8:16 mins

Isabel Allende writes stories of passion. Her novels and memoirs, including “The House of the Spirits” and “Eva Luna,” tell the stories of women and men who live with passionate commitment — towards love, to their world, to an ideal.

Isabel is 71. In this candid talk, meant for viewers of all ages, she talks about her fears as she gets older and shares how she plans to keep on living passionately.

“How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are” by

Andrew Solomon

Video length: 20:27

A writer on politics, culture and psychology, Andrew Solomon has spent his career telling stories of the hardships of others. Now he turns inward, bringing us into a childhood of adversity, while also spinning tales of the courageous people he’s met in the years since. In a moving, heartfelt and at times downright funny talk, Solomon gives a powerful call to action to forge meaning from our biggest struggles.

“The curly fry conundrum: Why social media “likes” say more than you might think” by Jennifer Golbeck Video length: 9:55 mins

Do you like curly fries? Have you Liked them on Facebook? Watch this talk to find out the surprising things Facebook (and others) can guess about you from your random Likes and Shares. Computer scientist Jennifer Golbeck explains how this came about, how some applications of the technology are not so cute — and why she thinks we should return the control of information to its rightful owners. As the director of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland, Jennifer Golbeck studies how people

“The future of early cancer detection” by Jorge Soto Video length: 11:17 mins

“Today, most of us have to wait for symptoms to indicate that something is wrong. Today, the majority of people still don’t have access to early cancer detection methods, even though we know that catching cancer early is basically the closest thing we have to a silver bullet cure against it,” says Jorge Soto. Onstage at TEDGlobal 2014, Jorge demonstrates a working prototype of the mobile platform of a simple, non-invasive, open-source test that looks for early signs of multiple forms of cancer. n

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

Last week’s solutions

“Success, failure and the drive to keep creating” by Elizabeth Gilbert

The term Gross Domestic Product is often talked about as if it were “handed down from god on tablets of stone.” But this concept was invented by an economist in the 1930s. We need a more effective measurement tool to match 21st century needs, says Michael Green: the Social Progress Index. With charm and wit, he shows how this tool measures societies across the three dimensions that actually matter and reveals the dramatic reordering of nations that occurs when you use it. Michael Green has created the Social Progress Index, a standard to rank societies based on how they meet the needs of citizens.

ACROSS 1 Small explosion care of Royal Navy snack (7) 4 No night is disturbed for naught (7) 6 Manager of hydrogen and the french king (7) 7 Lots of boats make a target complicated (7) DOWN 1 Criticise relation’s first cat (7) 2 Include Russian leader (5) 3 Country I regain following revolution (7) 5 Bay home permitted (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

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, DE C E M B E R 26 , 2014

Go out

19

Weekly Planner Dec 26

Carnival | Bondhu Garage Carnival When 9pm Where Banani Bidyaniketan,

Road-23/A, Banani Model Town

What Grameenphone Bondhu

Garage has arranged a Winter Carnival, which feature stalls that will be selling a variety of foods, fashion, gadgets, cycles, cameras, fish tanks and many more. There will also be arrangements for fun games, including crazy chorki rides and a musical event.

Those interested will need to collect a free pass from the Bondhu Garage club website.

Culture | Banglalink Bangladesh Festival 2014 When 9am-9pm Where Ramna Park What Banglalink has organised a

Bangladeshi folk cultural festival, which will be sponsored by Huawei.

Dec 26-28

Astronomy | 7th Adbul Jabbar Astronomical Workshop 2014 When 3-5:30pm(26th), 10am-

6pm(27th), 2-5:30pm(28th)

Where Curzon Hall, University of

Dhaka

What The Bangladesh Astronomical Society is arranging a workshop, where attendees will get a chance to know sbout the the the history of the earth and an introduction to the ecistence of star.

Only 25 seats are allocated at a registration fee of Tk600.

Those interested are to contact: 210/2, Sheltech Niribili Community Floor, Elephant Road.

Dec 26-27

Science | 4th International Homeopathic Scientific Conference 2014 When 8am Where Institution of Diploma

Engineers (IDEB), Bangladesh, Karail What The Centre for Advance Studies in Homoeopathy, Bangladesh is organising this with the support of BJAIN Pharmaceuticals (India) & Radar Opus Program and Database (Archibel, Belgium). Speakers from Bangladesh, UK, Australia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan will be present t the conference.

For more information contact

contribution in photography.

Dr. Md. Abdul Majid at 0088-029347286, 01552317500, 01731508265.

Dec 28-30

Debate | DUDS 5th National Debate 2014 When 8am Where TSC, University of Dhaka What The Dhaka University

Dec 27-29

Photography | 9th East West University Annual Photography Exhibition 2014 When 3-8pm Where Dhaka Art Center, House

Debate Society (DUDS) will be arranging their fifth annual debating event.

60, Road 7/A, Dhanmondi R/A

What The East West University

Photography Club (EWUPC) is arranging a photo exhibition showcasing images taken by its student members.

Treasurer of East West University AZM Shafiqul Alam will inaugurate the festival as the chief guest. The program will be chaired by the university’s Registrar, Air Commodore (Retd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, ndc, psc.

EWUPC will also honour Mr Shafiqul Alam Kiron by awarding him with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding

Dec 28

Seminar | Canada Express Entry When 5pm Where Institution of Diploma

Engineers (IDEB)

What A seminar for skilled workers

wishing to work in Canada.

Registration fee is Tk500.

Those interested should contact - 01730327501, 01730327502, 01730327514

Send your events to weekend@dhakatribune.com SUN

DECEMBER

2014

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TUE

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Event | 2nd Pet Photography Exhibition and Pet Care Fair 2015 When Jan 1-3, 3pm Where Dhaka Art Center, House 60, Road 7/A, Dhanmondi R/A

Photo: Bigstock

Dr. Sagir’s Pet Clinic is going to organise this fun event for pet lovers in city, with the aim to raise awareness on good pet care practices. The event will also be platform for pet owners, pet breeders, pet food and accessory suppliers and pet medicine companies

to all come together under one roof.

This knowledge management event will be in two phases: 1. Exhibition of photographs of pets 2. 2nd Photogenic Pet Award 2015 - A

photogenic competition among pets of this country.

Pet owners (pet types include: dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs and other exotic pets and others) are request to submit their pet’s

photograph (10 images) with power point presentation/flash or 1 minute video to: bdvet.com@gmail.com or fairooz26@dhaka.net and confirm over telephone: 01912251312- Mr. Lipton Jhon, 01752987436- Dr. Sagir U. Ahmed) by 31st Dec.n

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20 Listology | Obituaries Firoza Begum

The famous Bangladeshi Nazrulgeeti singer breathed her last on September 9, 2014 at the age of 87. The singer, who had lessons from Kazi Nazrul himself, had been suffering from kidney and heart complications for some time.

Her many awards include: Independence Day Award, Shilpakala Academy Award, Best TV Artist Award (Pakistan, Bangladesh), Nasiruddin Gold Medal, Deennath Sen Gold Medal, Sir Salimullah Gold Medal and Satyajit Ray Gold Medal. She was honoured with the Nazrul Shommanona by the West Bengal government in India in 2012.

She was a brilliant singer of Urdu, ghazal, thumri and modern Bangla songs and had remained an iconic artist in the music industry for six decades.

Qayyum Chowdhury

The popular artist breathed his last on the stage of Bengal Classical Music Festival on November 30 this year at the age of 82. Qaayum Chowdhury was very well known for his cover designs in contemporary art. In his paintings, one can see the love for rural Bangladesh, its folklore and nature. His paintings on the liberation war was also in rural settings. He embraced the traditional paintings, motifs of Nakshi katha and Pakha in his illustrations.

He received the Shilpakala Academy Award in 1977, Ekushey Padak in 1986 and Swadhinota Padak this year.

Some of his acclaimed paintings are My Sister (oil painting) and Boat in Moonlight (water colour).

Those we lost this year

Khalil Ullah Khan

The Bangladeshi actor passed away on December 7 this year at the age of 80 in the capital. Born in 1934, he started his career as a theatre actor. Later he started acting in film and television.

He has done more than 800 films.

He won the Bangladesh National Film Award for best actor for his role in the film “Gunda.” He is still remembered for the role he played as Mia in the 1980’s television drama “Shangshaptak.”

This year, the world lost a number of gifted individuals, all of whom have inspired many with their unique talents Farhana Urmee Robin Williams

The American actor and stand-up comedian Robin Williams committed suicide on August 11, 2014. The 63-year old actor was found dead in his apartment in Paradise Cay, California. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the 1970s. After gaining a good name and fame in comedy fraternity he started acting in feature films in 1980. His first film was Popeye. As he was a stand-up comedian his skill of improvisation while acting was praiseworthy.

His most popular films were Dead Poets Society, 1989, Good will Hunting, 1997, Jumanji, 1995, The Birdcage, 1996, and The Night in the Museum, 2006.

He received Academy award for best supporting actor in Good Will Hunting. He also won Golden Globe Aeards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards.

Maksudul Alam

The Bangladeshi scientist who is the genome sequence decoder of jute passed away on December 21 at the age of 60. He was a professor at the University of Hawaii. He breathed his last at Queens Medical Center in Hawaii, USA while suffering from liver cirrhosis.

Maya Angelou

The AfricanAmerican poet, civil rights activist, dancer, film producer, television producer, playwright, film director, author, actress and professor has passed away on May 28 at the age of 86 in North Carolina, US. Her series of autobiographies have always been an inspiration to readers and her book – I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969 – is the most widely read one.

Phillip Seymor Hoffman

Actor, director and producer Plillip Hoffman passed away on February 2. He was found dead in his apartment Manhattan’s West Village. The 46-year old actor succumbed to drug overdose. Born in July 3, 1967 Hoffman started his acting career in 1991.

Hoffman was a very successful name in theatres too.

He gained his recognition as a theatre artist in 1999.

In 2005 Hoffman played the role of Truman Capote which is considered to be a turning point in his career.

Hoffman was nominated in Primetime Emmy Award for Empire Falls, an HBO miniseries. His first film directed by him was released in 2010. Hoffman started taking smaller roles in the 1990s and continued playing supportive roles. Hoffman was not any typical Hollywood actor. He grew with time and built a strong actor with the twist of humanity, complexity and unorthodox reality.

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Pete Seeger

The American folk singer passed away at the age of 94 on January 24, 2014 in New York city. Seeger, the songwriter and television host sang for the rights of children and countrymen. For him music was a tool for protesting odds and speaking for the rights to live.

He played Banjo, guitar, recorder, tin whistle, mandolin, piano and ukulele.

He has been awarded a number of times throughout his career.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Colombian Nobel laureate writer and journalist who is widely praised for his short stories and novels passed away on April 14. His books – Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera and The Autumn of the Patriarch – are widely loved across the globe.

Born in 1927 he died at the age of 87 in Mexico, having suffered from Pneumonia.

He was the kind of writer who could let the reader become a part of the development of the story. Reality has always been significant component of his writing, further he has experimented with the approaches of reality in his works. He has received Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1972 and later he was awarded Nobel Prize in literature in 1982. n

Yamin Khan | Funnybone

21

Krusty the Clown & Co Of people who’ve left lasting impressions...not all necessarily good Yamin Khan

W

e meet various kinds of people in our lifetime.

Some are part of our regular lives, be it your colleagues, close friends or family.

And then there are those who you don’t meet every day but they still hold a very special place in your mind. And since I am a comedian by profession, it’s only natural that humour is a major route if you want to leave a footprint in my autobiographical memory.

Hence, today I am going to talk about some of those people whose memories I recollect with a grin on my face and a bit of mischief on my mind.

Mochu Sohel

This gentleman used to be our neighbour when I was a kid and has been a family friend ever since.

Back in the day, Movember was an annual ritual. The level of facial hair used to be a strong determinant of your manhood. And our beloved Sohel uncle was a man! Hence, affectionately we called him Mochu Sohel. Not that he is aware of it, but I am sure he wouldn’t mind.

A few days ago, I had the pleasure of meeting him, after many years, at a social gathering. By then, unfortunately for him, I had grown up a fair bit, and my bald head made me look even older. Whereas our Mr Sohel, was still clinging onto the residue of his youthful blessings. And maybe that’s why, when I addressed him as “uncle,” he whispered into my ear that he would take no offence if I address him as “bhaiya” in public.

And then he introduced me to his girlfriend.

Hawlati Hashem

Hashem uncle, he doesn’t mind, is my father’s college buddy and our families go a long way. Unfortunately though, I have not met him in a long time. But I am sure that when we meet, we will bond even better than before, since both our foreheads extend till the back of our heads now.

The odd difference though, is the fact that he was never very confident with his bald look. So he used to keep really long hair next to his left ear

Photo: Bigstock

and then use them to form a bridge between the ears. And hence, he earned the title bestowed upon him by others.

By nature, he is very laid back and an extremely jolly fellow. Everyone loved his company and all the kids looked forward to the family picnics courtesy of his presence. The only odd thing about him though, and I have known him for more than 20 years, he would never take the window seat of a car. And the only time that he did, it was so special that his own hair gave him a standing ovation.

seen appear on TV. And you may say that I am biased, but he is the worst actor ever to walk on this earth.

His portrayal of tragedy on screen has made us laugh harder than any comedian ever could. And let’s not talk about his attempt at humour. I guess he is one of those guys who can invoke more laughter just without putting any effort.

So one day he was very excited and told us that he is working on a biographical film based on the life of legendary folk singer and composer Shah Abdul Karim, where he himself will be doing the music.

So when I asked him whether it was a documentary. He replied, “No. Shah Abdul Karim.”

A few days later, we met again as my mom got really ill and she was admitted into ICU. Now when you have a patient in the ICU, it’s strictly monitored that not more than one visitor is allowed entry at a time.

So by the time I was done paying the advance at the counter, he was already inside. And we all had to wait for him to return. And then finally when he did, this is the exact conversation we had” Shapan bhai: What a fantastic room! The bed is right next to the window. Not too close to the AC and not too far away either. Just at the perfect place. Plus everything is so clean and polished. Even the nurses are so friendly and well behaved.

They greeted me with a smile and a salaam. Just fantastic!

Me: And what about ammu?

Shapan bhai: Her condition is not very good. n

Shapan bhai

This gentleman is my cousin’s husband. He works for a local national daily and is a hobbyist when it comes to acting. In fact, he is the only member of our family that we have

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

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