Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 35

Dhaka Tribune | vo l 2 I ssu e 35 | F R I D AY, J A N UA RY 16, 2015

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Chobi Mela

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Turtle market

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Yamin Khan

Editor’s note Dear Readers, Mid January kicks off an eventful year with the advent of Chobi Mela. Check out our teaser for what to expect this year. Have you been to the Dhaka International Trade Fair yet? Perhaps you’ve spotted some of the characters we’ve featured in this week’s Listology.

As the weather subtly changes, signalling the beginning of the end of winter, we celebrate Poush Shankranti, another piece definitely worth checking out.

In our final instalment of the Gobeshona Climate Conference coverage, we bring you interviews of noted environmentalist Jean Pascal van Ypersele, highlights from the event itself, and the story of an unconventional honeymoon.

Finally, take a trip down history with tongue firmly in cheek with Yamin Khan.

Have a great week!

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Baikkar Bil, Srimangal. The water body dries up here in winter giving the locals a scope to cultivate seasonal crops in the supplementary land. Fishermen are not deprived either, they get plenty of fish all clustered together in the watery sections of the bil.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

CONTENTS

1

Volume 2 | Issue 35 | January 16, 2015

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

4 Climate Conference Jean Pascal van Ypersele

2 News

Cartoons Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo

Graphics Md Mahbub Alam Alamgir Hossain Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal

3 Meanwhile

Features

6 Feature

Biking for climate

12 Climate conference Views and opinions

14 Climate conference Coastal afforestation

15 Strange commerce Turtle market

21 Funny Bone Yamin Khan

Production Masum Billah

Regulars

Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel

Email your letters to: weekend@dhakatribune.com

8 Spotlight Chobi Mela

17 Listology People at the Trade Fair

Advertisement Zia Ur Rahman

Website dhakatribune.com/weekend facebook.com/WeekendTrib

Poush Shankranti News

Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain

Contributors Gopa B Caesar Reema Islam Rad Sharar Bin Kamal Yamin Khan Dina Sobhan

20 Heritage

16 Tough Love 18 Stay In

9 Photo Story

19 Go Out

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2 News | This week

The world at a glance

BNP chief’s Adviser Reaz Rahman shot

Weekend Tribune Desk

Candles form a heart, near a placard with the message, “I am Charlie” as people continue to pay tribute to the shooting victims on Wednesday at the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, at the Republique square in Paris January 10

Al Qaeda in Yemen claims responsibility for Paris attack Al-Qaeda in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, saying it was for insulting the Prophet Mohammad, according to a video posted on YouTube.

“As for the blessed Battle of Paris, we, the Organisation of al-Qaeda al Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula, claim responsibility for this operation as vengeance for the Messenger of God,” said Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi of the Yemeni branch of al Qaeda (AQAP) in the recording.

Photo: Reuters

World Bank cuts global growth forecast The World Bank has cut its global growth forecast, warning the US alone cannot drive an economic recovery.

In its bi-annual report, the Bank predicted global growth of 3% this year and 3.3% next year, below its June forecast of 3.4% and 3.5% respectively.

“The global economy is running on a single engine ... The American one. This does not make for a rosy outlook,” chief economist Kaushik Basu warned.

However, it said lower oil prices would benefit oil-importing countries.

However, the Bank warned that lower oil prices would hurt growth in countries which export oil, such as Russia, weighing on its global growth predictions.

Malawi floods kill at least 48, damage crops Malawi President Peter Mutharika has declared half the southern African country a disaster zone after torrential rains over the past few days killed at least 48 people and left around 70,000 homeless.

The heavy rains have also damaged crops in the country, which last year harvested a bumper 3.9 million tonnes of the staple maize crop, a surplus of almost a million tonnes.

Malawi’s Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has warned of heavy rainfall and flash floods in the country for the next two to three weeks.

SOUTH Korean activist arrested for allegedly praising Pyongyang South Korean officials on Wednesday arrested a leftist activist for allegedly praising archrival North Korea, just

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days after an American was deported on similar charges and adding to criticism that the government seeks to limit free speech and suppress dissidents.

The Seoul prosecutors’ office arrested Hwang Sun soon after the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant, according to court spokesman Kim Dae-hyun. Hwang is the former spokeswoman for a nowdisbanded leftist party and has long been hounded by claims she supports Pyongyang.

In an Internet talk show she hosted between 2011 and 2013, Hwang dressed in black and mourned the death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in late 2011. She also introduced an editorial of the North’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper.

Hwang angered conservatives in 2005 when she gave birth by cesarean section during a visit to Pyongyang.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war, split along the world’s most heavily fortified border, because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. In South Korea, praising North Korea can be punished by up to seven years in prison under the National Security Law.

Unidentified miscreants shot BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s adviser Reaz Rahman, injuring him seriously, and set fire to his car in Gulshan of the capital last night.

Reaz was returning from Khaleda’s Gulshan office. When his car reached close to the Doreen Tower at Gulshan 2 intersection around 8:45pm, the criminals pounced on him, said Lutful Kabir, deputy police commissioner of the Gulshan division.

He was taken to the United Hospital in Gulshan where physicians said he had taken four bullets on the back of his waist and left leg. Doctors said he was now out of danger.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia harshly condemned the “deadly” attack on Reaz, who was her state minister for foreign affairs, and alleged that it was instigated by the government high-ups.

In protest, the BNP has called a hartal for Thursday. BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi made the hartal announcement in a press statement on Tuesday.

Photo: Dhaka Tribune

Experts propose simplification of VAT laws, cutting VAT rate Speakers at a discussion here on Wednesday on the new law of Value Added Tax (VAT) and supplementary duty (SD) urged the government to simplify the laws and rules, and exempt three essential items – food, education and health – from the tax regime.

State Minister for Finance Abdul Mannan, who was present at the seminar organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) at a city hotel, supported the idea of keeping the low income consumer groups’ essential food items from the tax regime.

Economist Ahsan Monsur said there was a huge gap between the GDP and the tax ratio which must be reduced through increasing the income from VAT and taxes.

He also suggested increasing the number of income taxpayers, saying it was unacceptable that only 1.5 million people paid the income tax.

meanwhile ... | News

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You’re welcome

Photo of the week

Get rid of bad company in bed

Bed bugs are a national epidemic which has existed for as long as beds. Though it is difficult to detect its presence for being really small, it is found in beds, mattresses, and sundry furniture. The parasitic insect feeds on human blood, leaving reddish brown rashes on the body and allergic symptoms.

To rid your house from the multiplication of the nefarious insect, look for the presence of the bugs and kill them.

Inspect the insect

A toddler sitting in the middle of the joggers’ lane at Chhobir Haat, Suhrawardy Udyan, becomes the unwitting subject of many a cameras – both professional and amateur.

Photo: Syed Latif Hossain

Say what?

Man with 94 iPhones strapped to body gets caught

Chinese customs officials on Sunday busted a Hong Kong man trying to sneak 94 iPhones into the mainland – by strapping them on his body.

The man caught the attention of inspectors at the Futian crossing in Shenzhen, a southern Chinese metropolis bordering Hong Kong, when he walked like someone carrying a heavy load despite appearing to travel light, customs officials told CNN on Tuesday.

After finding nothing suspicious in

his two plastic shopping bags, officials asked the man to pass through a metal detector – and the alarm went off.

Photos released by customs authorities show dozens of neatly shrink-wrapped shiny iPhones strapped around the man’s chest, abdomen, crotch and thighs with duct tape.

Officials discovered both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S models and estimated the total value of the devices to exceed 300,000 yuan ($49,000).

The man – whose record revealed numerous previous run-ins with customs regulations – was held for further questioning.

Apple’s iPhones are immensely popular in Mainland China.

In October, it took just six hours for customers of

the country’s three mobile carriers to reserve one million units of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus ahead of their official launch.

Apple handsets are more expensive in the mainland than Hong Kong, however, due to higher import taxes.

An iPhone 6 with 64 gigabytes of storage, for instance, sells for almost $1,000 in the mainland but only about $820 in Hong Kong -and the price difference has created a huge and lucrative black market supplied by smugglers.

Shenzhen customs officials disclosed that they have caught 18 mules strapping smuggled electronic products – including 282 iPhones – on their bodies since December.

For the Hong Kong mule caught on Sunday, he may have lost his 94 iPhones, but likely made the record books.

News and Photo: CNN

Look for presence of bed bugs in the following places: • Cracks and crevices in head and foot boards, attached side railings and supports.

• Mattress tops, sides and bottom. Check all buttons, seams and rips.

• Electrical switch plates, pictures on walls, wall posters.

• Cracks in plaster or seams in wall paper.

• Electrical appliances-radios, phones, televisions, etc.

• Tack strips under wall-towall carpeting and behind baseboards • Secondhand beds, bedding, and furniture. Many newer mattresses do not offer as much shelter and protection for the bed bugs to hide.

Kill ‘em all

Follow these simple steps to get rid of bed bugs: • Make sure you really have bed bugs, not fleas, ticks or other insects.

• Don’t panic!

• Reduce the number of hiding places – clean up the clutter.

• Regularly wash and heat-dry your bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads and any clothing that touches the floor.

• Do-it-yourself freezing may not be a reliable method for bed bug control.

• Kill bed bugs with heat, but be very careful.

• Don’t pass your bed bugs on to others.

• Reduce the number of bed bugs to reduce bites.

• Turn to the professionals, if needed.

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4

Climate Conference | Jean Pascal van Ypersele

The climate man The poor will be hit the hardest Faisal Mahmud

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s the vice chairman of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Jean Pascal van Ypersele is an extremely busy man.

He flew in to Dhaka on Sunday and landed at around 3 pm, came straight to the Gobeshona conference and began his presentation of his key-note paper on climate change effects.

After the conference, it took me nearly two hours to get hold of him.

In the meantime, he talked with some climate change Phd candidates,

Photo: Bigstock

allowed at least 50 people to take pictures with him, gave interview to BBC and some other channels, and was finally able to give me some time.

Candidacy for the IPCC chair

Dr Ypersele had recently thrown his hat in the ring to succeed Rajendra Pachauri, 74, as chair of the IPCC. Given the trillion-dollar global commitments to CO2 emissions reduction, the IPCC chair position would rank as one of the world’s most powerful.

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I asked him what he would do if he became the chair.

He laughed and said: "I will do exactly what I am doing right now, working for a solution to the problem which the world will inevitably face sooner or later.

"IPCC is working very well. We need to keep everything that's working well. But any institution can be improved. The IPCC is an intergovernmental organisation, so it is important to start from what the governments of the world wish.

"If I become the chair, the first thing I will do, is respect the mandate of the IPCC as well as those of governments and build on the heritage left by my predecessors. Dr Pachauri has created a task group which will deliver its auction paper any day from now which will be discussed at the IPCC plenary at the end of February. A lot of plans of the IPCC's, as well as my own, largely depend on the outcome of that plenary."

5 But G8 countries have opted for the 2 degree limit. "What is your stand about this issue", I asked.

Dr Ypersele said that the IPCC has to provide policy basing on the relevant information without being prescriptive. The IPCC has done its best effort in providing information to the policy makers about the impacts of climate change at different level of climate change like 1.5 degree to 2.5 degree Celsius.

So that policy makers can decide the ultimate objective.

"The ultimate objective of 2 degree value wasn't decided by the G8 countries but decided the cop-16 in Cancun in 2010 basing on the research works. The thing is, IPCC is not a research based organisation.

We do not do any research by ourselves, we only assess the research work done by others and prepare our report."

He however said the point of 1.5 degrees was raised in previous COP and would be discussed in the next COP. "It's an ongoing negotiation process. By the end of this year there will be a review which has been prepared for the last one year.

We are hopeful that the G8 countries will be convinced by this review and agree on 1.5 degree Celsius.

Are human activities responsible for climate change?

IPCC has long been careful and diplomatic about directly castigating human activities for the global climate change.

Firstly, we had to make clear that it is not likely that climate change is due to human activities, but very likely. There's a big difference. "Likely" means a twothirds probability, and "very likely" means a 90% probability – that's very close to certainty, that indeed the warming of the past 50 years is really due to human activity, so the controversies about that are really not relevant anymore.

"Only in last November, after combining the three previous reports, the IPCC said, in a report that scientists are now 95% certain that the buildup of such gases from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation is the main cause of warming seen since the middle of the 20th century".

Who are the losers and winners of climate change?

The IPCC vice chairman said that it is very clear from the last IPCC report, and confirmed again by recent scientific literature, that the main losers, or first losers, of climate change will be poor people both in developing countries and in developed or industrialized countries.

"It will be the poor that will be hit the hardest everywhere, and since there are more poor people in developing countries, they'll be hit first."

When asked about effects on Bangladesh or other low-lying coastal countries, he mentioned around 17% of Bangladesh being at less than one meter above the present sea level. If the sea level increases by one meter, which is certainly possible by the beginning of the next century, the people living in that area would have to flee the elevating water.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

If I become the chair, the first thing I will do, is respect the mandate of the IPCC as well as those of governments and build on the heritage left by my predecessors "Is there any winner of climate change phenomena?� I asked.

"There will be winners in an initial phase, in the coming decades, mostly in temperate countries in

Photo: Bigstock

North America and northern Europe, for instance."

He said that warmer temperatures will allow crop cultivation to occur for a longer period - the growing season will increase in length. "But that's only a temporary effect. At some point, it will become too hot there as well. Then, you don't have winners anymore, you have losers everywhere."

2 degrees or 1.5 degrees?

My next question to him was about the much talked about issue of confining the global temperature rise within 2 degree or 1.5 degree Celsius. IPCC chair Dr Pachauri in Copenhagen COP (Conference of parties)-15 said if global warming could not be limited within a 1.5 degrees Celsius increase, vulnerable countries like Bangladesh may be submerged partially displacing millions of people.

About the infamous climate gate incident When I raised the issue of the infamous "climategate" incident, the first thing Dr Pascal said, "It's a very old incident'.

The "climategate" began in November 2009. Several weeks before the Copenhagen Summit on climate change, an unknown individual or group breached Climate Research Unit's server and copied thousands of emails and computer files to various locations on the Internet.

Climate change critics and others denying the significance of human caused climate change argued that the emails showed that global warming was a scientific conspiracy, in which they alleged that scientists manipulated climate data and attempted to suppress critics.

The accusations were rejected by the CRU, who said that the emails had been taken out of context and merely reflected an honest exchange of ideas.

Dr Ypersele said the attacks on climate science that were made ahead of the Copenhagen climate change summit in 2009 were "organised" to undermine efforts to tackle global warming and mirror the earlier tactics of the tobacco industry. "It is a very similar process to what the tobacco industry was doing 30 or 40 years ago, when they wanted to delay legislation." n

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6 Feature | Biking for climate

An unconventional honeymoon In an interview with the Dhaka Tribune, a newly married couple from the United States talks about their months-long journey from Turkey to Bangladesh on bicycles, exploring climate change and its impacts on people Tasnuva Amin Nova

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tarting in April last year from Turkey, David Kroodsma and Lindsey Fransen, a married couple have been gradually biking, at ten miles per hour, eastwards, to Asia. The couple is currently biking through Bangladesh before they cross the border to reach Myanmar, where they hope to conclude their 13,000 plus kilometre journey.

David, a Stanford University graduate and Lindsey, a UC Berkeley graduate, are both academics with years of research and work experience on climate change issues. Through this journey they are trying to learn about climate change as they see it, and not only through what they have read about, in countries like Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Nepal, India, and now Bangladesh. They plan to make a documentary of their journey and experiences to show people in the United States what climate change means for those who are most vulnerable to it.

Welcome to Bangladesh David and Lindsey. How did you reach Bangladesh on bicycles?

We took a couple of trains, buses, and got our bikes transported through a launch before we finally started biking in Bangladesh. This is our first time here and we really like it.

Tell us more about the journey since you started.

We have been travelling for a little over eight months.

The goals were to cross as much of Asia as we could with our bicycles. The route that we travelled was guided much by what we read were interesting sites to visit. We crossed Turkey through an area that is experiencing warming and drying. We went up to the mountains in Georgia, in Tajikistan where the glaciers are melting, the Aral Sea which has its own environmental catastrophe story, less related to climate change, we crossed China, although it was not originally planned, mostly by bike because Beijing is such an important place for climate change decisions, especially from the mitigation perspective.

As we travelled we talked to experts and we also have a few questions that we have translated into the languages

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of the areas that we travel to, and we talk to anybody who is willing to talk to us. We talk to farmers, fishermen, and shop owners asking them if they have observed any changes in the climate. We asked questions like are winters warmers etc.

Our last question is about climate change because we don’t want to colour people’s responses. In the US it is such a political thing which is not the case here. The idea is to get a sense for if people are noticing changes in the climate. We ask people to compare now to their childhood so that it is not just “oh last winter was colder..this summer was hot” but we are looking to identify trends and asking them how it is affecting them with the goal being to share their stories with the people in the US to show what this means to the people all around the world.

Is there anything you noticed about people’s responses about climate change which is interesting?

It is surprising how consistent people’s answers are. A lot of the times the last question we ask people is if they know what climate change is and how it works. Even if they don’t, they all noticed that it is getting much warmer. It is harder to farm now. Things have changed in their lifetime. More than the answers themselves, it has been more interesting to find how consistent they were. In the US if you ask people, if they have noticed changes, you will not get that consistency in answers. It is either happening more strongly/ quickly in Asia or people are more connected to climate because there are more farmers in Asia. As a result when you harvest you notice more when the rain is coming and such climate related issues.

In that respect, how has your interactions in Bangladesh been so far?

Our biggest takeaway is that people from all across Asia are noticing climate change.

In Bangladesh, we crossed the border from India and Benapole and then travelled to Khulna, Mongla, Northern part of the Sunderbans, and we biked through narrow roads in villages. In the US, there is this perception that Bangladesh, we have heard of it, is very

7 low lying, flood prone and vulnerable to climate change so it is amazing to finally see these areas in person. There is so much that we did not know about. Now that we have to walk three kilometres further upstream to get sweet water, we better understand what we had only been reading about back in the US. It is more complex than just the sea level rising. There are so many different factors at play. In the US, people still think that climate change is something in the future so we should prioritise current problems more. Being here and in India, the message that we want to get across is that climate change is not a problem that will happen in the future; this is already happening and is affecting people right now.

Why did you choose bicycles as your mode of transport for the ride?

It is so fun. Besides, there are a couple of different reasons.

The first is that it goes hand in

hand with the message about climate change. It is a really amazing way to travel. It is very economic. We mostly just pay for our food. It is a great way to meet new people. People are really curious about the bike. You are just out there among everyone and you are also very independent. We have been using Google maps and gone to places where we don’t think foreigners have ever been to before. This was possible because when you are on bicycles to get from point A to point B you have to take certain paths. You don’t have to wait for a bus. It is the best way to get to know people. The fact that you are on a bike makes people really interested in you. We were at Kuakata a few days ago when a huge crowd of people gathered around us, intrigued by the fact that we were riding on bikes.

Which country did you find most interesting over the course of this journey?

Bangladesh has the friendliest

people, the best food and is really good for biking. We call it a flat Kazakhstan because that was our friendliest country until we got here.

Even though we are always surrounded by people, we feel very safe in Bangladesh which we cannot say for all the places that we have travelled.

In terms of the most interesting country, China is huge and it has grown very quickly. Its government structure is different from any country that we have been to before. What is fascinating about China is that it has grown so quickly, eventually becoming the biggest polluter, but now they are also starting to take climate change and other environmental issues quite seriously. We were there at this moment of great change, hopefully.

Also, Asia in itself is so incredibly diverse which we had previously read about, but finding it out on our bikes has been much more interesting.

In Kazakhstan, in the Khmer mountains, there is a different language in every valley. People have grown up so isolated from their neighbours because of the topography. When you cross from Turkey to Georgia, you see totally different languages and religions. Then you are at Azerbaijan and then they speak the same Turkish languages and they are muslim again, but they look different. It is the amazing diversity in Asia which is mindboggling.

In Bangladesh, people feed us

wherever we go. We feel like we have a huge debt to the world.

When we go back to the US, we will share this with the people there who do not see climate change as a personal issue; we will tell them that the people we are meeting now are our friends, they helped us and now they need our help too.

What challenges do you have to face while travelling?

The hardest part of crossing Asia is getting visas and dealing with governments. We have American passports so it should be easier for us than most people and yet it is a major hurdle. It just makes you really upset about borders and governments.

How has your married life been so far on bicycles?

We have been on bicycles for about half of the time that we have been married. We got married in November of 2013 and started this journey immediately after that. It is a great marriage.

Marriage as it turns out is one big adventure. This trip kind of expedites relationship issues.

We are together every single day.

We spend very little time apart.

It has been interesting in the sense that things come up which would eventually come up over the course of a lifetime together, but they kind of happen earlier and maybe in a more intense way because one of us has not eaten enough, or we did not get a visa that we had applied for, or it is really hot, and so on. n

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8 Spotlight | Chhobi Mela

Chobi Mela VIII:

Intimacy Unleashed The eighth installment of Chhobi Mela

by Drik brings together works by 31 talented photographers from all around the world Gopa B Caesar

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his first ever regular biannual international festival of photography in Asia is, till now, the biggest photography event to make it to the Asian calendar. This time the curating team has invited a gifted group of visual artists including Mahbubur Rahman and prominent architect Salauddin Ahmed, as well as eminent photographers ASM Rezaur Rahman, Munem Wasif and Tanzim Wahab, who have long been working on ideas under the direction of Shahidul Alam.

These are the very people whom Chobi Mela has been “showcasing” since its inception in 2000 as well as new viewers. This is very much suggestive of the fact that how enormously they are planning to have the final show that will hit the city of Dhaka on the 24th for a most exciting fortnight.

Thanks to a team of creative and dedicated artists, Chobi Mela seems to grow bigger and better each time, with exclusive venues that include the likes of the Northbrook Hall (Lalkuthi), Bokultola, Bulbul Lalitakala Academy and Beauty Boarding. The Chobi Mela team is re-thinking these places and from the program detail that you can find on their official webpage (www. chobimela.org) it is pretty evident that they are doing it beautifully.

On one hand they will be blending myth and magic realism from Luis González Palma’s works in the Northbrook Hall, on the other hand, Mahesh Shantaram’s satirical captures of extravagant Indian matrimonies shown in “Matrimania” will be hung in the walls of Old Dhaka which is also known for flamboyant weddings. Also, for the very first

Gopa B Caesar is a Lecturer in English at BUET and a Master Student in the Department of Television and Film Studies, University of Dhaka

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time Britto Arts is going to host two exhibitions focusing solely on photography. Featured also, are the highly contrasting works by Abdollah Heidari and Alexandra Serrano. While Heidari worked on school-aged girls from Iran, who were burn victims, under the title “Lost Intimacy” in gray-scale, Seranno under the title “Between Finger and Thumb,” worked on nostalgia and selfreflection in soothing, symbolic shots.

The exhibition has been designed to take you on a visual adventure. Other exhibits include outstanding pieces

by Denis Dailleux, Anwar Hossain, Shirin Neshat, Kevin Bubriski and Christina Nunez.

The most fascinating thing about Chobi Mela is the way it provides necessary space and scope to both the artists and the viewers. One such example is Jannatul Mawa’s “Closed Distance” in which she captured numerous urban housewives with their house-maids/helping hands sitting side-by-side on their drawing room sofas. Each of these images offer a myriad of underlying meanings, an almost like as anthropological study.

Similarly, the photographs from the Nepal Picture Library are all collected from old family albums – all of them annotated.

On the topic of preserving past and culture, it is mandatory to mention Rotami Fani-Kayode. With only six active years as a photographer, this talented individual has documented his notion of being an outsider through a strong narrative of sexual

and cultural differences, politics of desire, diaspora, spirituality and identity-crisis. Still, regardless of how busy you may be, you must not miss the fantastic five from Bangladesh whom Chobi Mela has brought you this time: the legendary photographer Anwar Hossain and the four Pathshala South Asian Media Academy graduates all of whom are highly noted in their respective fields, Hadi Uddin, Jannatul Mawa, Tapash Paul and Tushikur Rahman.

The opening rally for the mela starts at 3 pm from the Press Club, and ends at the gates of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy where the opening ceremony is to take place. After the inauguration, the 14-days long event host different exhibitions, lectures, slide-shows and artist talks, which will include fascinating sessions with Swapan Parekh, Teun van der Heijden, Christina Nuñez, Lars Willumeit, Hasib Zakaria, Mahbubur Rahman, Paolo Patrizi, Rebecca Simons and Reema Saouma. The event will also provide budding photographers with the opportunity to get their port-folios reviewed, the application deadline for which is January 18.

After successfully working with themes such as exclusion, resistance, boundaries, freedom, dreams, and fragility over the last seven editions, this year, Chobi Mela’s theme is intimacy and its many aspects. And as with all its previous instalments, this year’s version is sure to be a success with all who participate. n

Framing Moments | Photo story

Light at play

9

Turn for more photographs

This week, we take a moment to showcase some recent shots taken by Dhaka Tribune’s in-house photographers. An exercise of perspective, a play on colours, or simply an interesting moment frozen in time, each shot is a testament to the photographer’s signature style.

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10 PHoto story | Framing Moments

A brick field in Ashulia. Light captures the dust motes, creating a halo around the brick worker.

Photo: Mehedi Hasan .

A female worker in a kerosene lamp factory in Keraniganj. Her colourful garb makes her stand out amidst her drab surroundings Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

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11 Inn Pond the former bowling coach of the Bangladesh cricket team, takes a break from the humans to play with his happy canine friend.

Photo: Mainoor Islam Manik

The gloomy interiors of the Turkish stall at the DITF 2015 are lit up by a cascade of brightly coloured lamps, creating an atmosphere right out of a fairytale.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

This photograph captures a dramatic moment when the photographer attempted to take a candid shot of an indigenous woman, who wasn’t too pleased at being photographed and brandished her fan at the lens.

The tension was subsequently diffused when the photo journalist made friends with the subject’s child.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

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12 Climate conference | FEEDBACK

CLIMATE SOUND A compilation of feedback from the audience members and participants at the Gobeshona Climate Conference Faisal Mahmud

Sally Cawood

Sally Cawood is a PhD researcher from the Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI), the University of Manchester, conducting fieldwork in Dhaka for nine months (November 2014 to August 2015).

“Whilst my own research does not focus on climate change explicitly, it is an issue that affects the lives of those I am working with. I am focusing on the role of Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in accessing basic services (i.e. housing, water, sanitation) in Dhaka’s slum settlements.”

She said that the urban poor are highly vulnerable to climaterelated shocks, such as flooding, waterlogging, fire, but also more

ALEX TROWELL

Alex Trowell recently assisted in the development of an emissions calculator for Bangladesh (BD2050) funded by the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change.

“It is now freely available online for the public to use. I now have plans to hopefully develop the model even further and create greater awareness of it, whilst maintaining a keen interest in international development and climate change both in and outside of Bangladesh.”

About the Gobeshona conference, Trowel said, he particularly enjoyed the talk by Catharien Terwisscha van Scheltinga on the Bangladesh Delta project in the session ‘integrated coastal zone management’.

“I have recently been involved in a similar project, modelling carbon emissions for Bangladesh from now up to 2050, therefore it was interesting to compare the results obtained.

Richard Lace from BBC Media Action had also presented a very engaging message on the importance of creating awareness for climate change in Bangladesh, said Trowell adding that he thought the overall quality of the papers presented were of a very high standard and at the forefront of climate change research.

He thinks Bangladesh is implementing a wide range of climate change alleviation projects and there is definite progress. “I feel funding needs to be more appropriately targeted and the number of small scale projects increased, making more use of local knowledge and engaging the community.”

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, JAN UARY 16 , 2015

everyday discomfort caused by increased heat.

“I want to learn how community organisations and associations of friends, neighbours and relatives tackle the multidimensional aspects of poverty, which are worsened by climate change.”

About the conference, Sally said that she found the session on waste and climate change’ the most interesting. “Although this is not my research area, I learnt about new,

13

BYTES innovative concepts and ideas. For example, I was pleased to see how aquaponics (growing vegetables from fish fertiliser) could be used in small spaces (i.e. rooftops and backyards), crucially important in large, highly dense cities such as Dhaka.”

She also enjoyed the presentation from Waste Concern on utilising organic waste. “I feel that waste is very important issue as regards climate change adaptation. Waste as a resource, rather than a burden is a positive way forward”.

Sally thinks the overall quality of conference papers was good. “The topics were very interesting and

a lot of primary data had been collected”.

She, however, said that there were some presentations that did not do justice to the research, possibly due to translation of concepts from Bangla to English, but also too much detail on presentation slides, which would result in confusion.

About Bangladesh’s position in fighting the effects of climate change, Sally thinks Bangladesh is doing a fantastic job in taking the climate change agenda forward.

“This proactive stance not only was seen throughout the conference, but also when you talk with people on the street. Climate change is widely known and now the challenge is how to address this global phenomenon in a participatory and sustainable way.”

She said, there are clearly many researchers, practitioners and policy makers working on climate related issues. “However, there needs to be greater coordination and greater emphasis on the adaptive capacity of the urban poor.”

She observed that the urban poor, living in towns and cities across Bangladesh, appear to be neglected in discourse, policy and planning on climate change.

“We must acknowledge and celebrate their active capacity to adapt their livelihoods and physical structures not only to climate change, but to the multidimensional aspects of povert.”

“Conferences like Gobeshona offer a central platform to share knowledge for action. I and my colleague Dr Joanne Jordan from the University of Manchester, UK, hosted a theme entitled ‘Urban Poverty and Climate Change’, to bring this issue into the spotlight,” she added.

B

angladesh is fighting the effects of climate change from the front line. For that reason, many researchers from different countries have particluar interest on Bangladesh. During the recently held four day Gobeshona conference, different researchers from various places have come and participated.

Weekend Tribune talked with some of them.

Findley Mostyn Findley Mostyn have graduated with a degree in Exploration and Resource Geology. He is looking for a gateway into Oceanography and Meteorology.

“But I have enjoyed my geological studies and hope to be able to apply them where I can. I would be interested in using my knowledge on Geology to conduct research that is related to Climate Change, in fields such as hydrology, and I would be interested to see where this leads me.”

Mostyn said, among all the sessions of the Gobeshona conference, he found the waste and climate change to be one of the most interesting sessions, especially the research on Aquaponics by Prof Abdus Salam from Bangladesh Agricultural University.

“I also enjoyed listening to the Climate Change Modelling and water Aid hosted sessions. I enjoyed the presentation given by Anwar Zahid, Deputy Director, Groundwater Hydrology of Bangladesh Water Development Board, in the latter session which was similar to the presentation he gave at a Capwater workshop about two months ago.”

Mostyn said, there was a good level of enthusiasm and interest from the researchers to present their research.

“And the discussion sessions after

each presentation were productive and will help researchers direct their future research inputs and outputs.”

About Bangladesh’s position in climate change, he said he believed Bangladesh was a leading country in the knowledge of climate change compared to its neighbouring countries.

“One point made by Jean-Pascale Van Ypersele, vice chair of IPCC, highlighted that 65% of our carbon budget compatible with a 2°C goal has already been spent. This is very interesting and makes me wonder whether carbon cutting goals are even that viable seeing as we only have 1/3 of the carbon budget remaining.”

He said, perhaps all the emissions will have to be stopped in one day, or adaptation will have to occur as climate change takes place. “I think Bangladesh has already started thinking about the adaptive capacity schemes which hopefully in the long run will make a difference.”

“Bangladesh could be considered one step ahead of other countries in dealing with the impact of climate change but this may be due to its geographical location.” n

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14

Climate Conference | Coastal afforestation

Saving THE LAND:PLant trees

An expert’s opinion on how coastal afforestation can be a prime solution to tackiling climate change

Faisal Mahmud

Photo: Bigstock

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angladesh has long been considering coastal afforestation as an effective mechanism to tackle climate change. The country has taken several initiatives regarding that. In August, 2012, the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Bangladesh government won the “Earth Care Award 2012” for pioneering Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change through Coastal Afforestation Project.

We spoke with Dr Paramesh Nandy, award winning project manager of the project and learned a few things about coastal afforestation and its effectiveness.

and unplanned afforestation on the foreshore of embankments affected by the 2007 cyclone Sidr substantially broke the storm surge velocity, reducing damages and losses.

Bangladesh has a 710 Kilometer long coast line. The coastal zone covers 19 coastal districts (153 Upozilas) & Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Bay of Bengal. Out of 19 districts, 12 (51 Upozilas) are ‘exposed coast’ subject to natural calamities.

Dr Nandy said that the landward distance of the delineated coastal zone from the shore is between 30 and 195 km whereas the exposed coast up to 57 km. Coastal zone constitutes 32 percent of the area and 28 percent of the population of Bangladesh.

"Land in coastal area is used mainly for agriculture, shrimp and fish farming, forestry, salt production, ship-breaking yards, ports & industries. Land use in the coastal zone is diverse, competitive and often conflicting. To protect this area, forestation is imperative."

A much needed thing

Dr Nandy said that in the Bangladeshi context, the role of forests as an adaptation mechanism to climate change and disaster is highly significant. "In coastal areas, foreshore afforestation is a proven cost-effective method to dissipate wave energy and reduce floods on embankments during storm surges."

This was evident during the 1991, 2007 (Sidr) and 2009 (Aila) cyclones.

The virtual absence of mangrove forests in coastal Chokoria and surrounding areas resulted in large damages to property and loss of lives in 1991.

He said in contrast, even scattered

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, JAN UARY 16 , 2015

Efforts through the years

He said that the coastal afforestation initiatives have been started since 1966 after devastating cyclonic storm which took toll of huge human lives and damaged property.

"Bangladesh is pioneer in protecting coastal areas from natural disasters and stabilizes land areas by planting Sonneratia apetala (keora) along the coastal belt."

He told the Weekend Tribune that through the ‘Pilot Mangrove Afforestation Project’ during the years 1965-66 to 1974-75 artificial mangrove plantation initiative has been taken by Forest Department of Bangladesh.

"Though major mangrove plantations were undertaken by different projects, small scale mangrove plantations or other types of plantations in coastal areas or in Sundarbans are also carried out by revenue budget."

Community based project

Dr Nandy said that under their “Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change through Coastal Afforestation” project, they have established coastal ‘green belts’ along 14 kilometer of coastline.

"One of the most innovative components of the coastal afforestation project has been the development of the “Forest, Fish and Fruit” (or “Triple F”) model. The model offers a new way to transform barren coastal land into productive again by building mounds and ditches, fruit and timber trees can be grown, and fish can be cultivated.

"In addition, high yielding vegetables were also grown between the trees and along the banks of the ditches. Because the entire model was raised, it is protected from tidal surges and storms," said Nandy.

It had not only enhanced the resilience of coastal ecosystem through establishing 9650 ha of coastal afforestation that will contribute to absorbing more than 965,000 tons of carbon annually, but also improved resilience of 30,119 vulnerable coastal households through livelihood."

"It also adopted an alternative approach to embankment management for coastal island communities,” he said adding that the Ministry of Environment and forest advocated the Bangladesh Water Development Board to incorporate provision for the construction of fresh water reservoirs into their tender documents.

Dr Nandy hope that the benefits could be extended to people throughout other coastal areas in the country and beyond Bangladesh’s borders. "Many countries in the region and globally are struggling with climate change and are more exposed because of deforestation.

Afforestation and rational land use models like the Triple F offer a lifeline for people in vulnerable areas," he said. n

Turtle market | Strange Commerce

A delicacy for the tired tongue

Photos: HI Shumon

We’ve all heard of canned foods. Here’s more on‘shelled’ foods

Faisal Mahmud

T

ired of eating beef, mutton or chicken? Want a change in taste? Just go to 9 Tarabagh lane of Shakhari bazar every Friday morning from 9 am to 11:30 am where you will be amazed to see what a specific group of traders have to offer.

It may look brutal as the traders cut them out of their shell while they are still alive, but the buyers who eagerly stand in queue would tell you that turtle meat is very tasty indeed.

Popular among the buyers

Albeit prices ranging from Tk360-800 per kilo, the traders always end up selling all their wares. Devasis Rai Raza, 31, explains: “I live in Sutrapur.

I have been coming to this place every Friday for the last couple of months to buy this delicious meat which my family loves so much,” Raza said.

He also said that the meat, which, according to his claims tastes much better than chicken or mutton, and

is very versatile. It can be cooked in a curry, can be fried or can even be used in delicious biriani. “Only a few days ago, my family prepared biriani with turtle meat. Those who had it said it’s more delicious than mutton biriani.”

Ayan Biswas lives in Azimpur and he is a regular customer of turtle meat. “It’s very tasty and it has great demand too. Last Friday I came at around 12 pm, but had to return empty-handed as it was sold-out.”

Biswas said that he and his family are tired of eating the same mutton and chicken. “The options of meat is very limited in Dhaka. In this context, turtle meat comes as a welcome change to our taste buds.”

at Bhairab gathers and bring back their wares to Shakaribazar within 9 am.

Bisswanath Debnath, one of the

15

tortoise meat traders, claims that the business is very lucrative as turtle meat has great demand, particularly in the Hindu community.

“The meat of the large tortoise has great demand though it costs about Tk800 per kilogram. A single large turtle has more than ten kilograms of meat,” Bisswanath elaborates.

Alak Sutradhar, another trader, said that all the turtles that they bring on Friday morning are sold within three hours. “In many cases, we have even had customers pay a week in advance prior to the Friday market. I have also received orders to supply turtle meat for weddings.”

He said that aside from the large turtle, he also sells the little ones which are called Dhuur. They cost around Tk250-350. “They also have great demands as people from several gourmet restaurants in Gulshan buy them to prepare special soups,” said Sutradhar.

Even the shell of the turtles have great demands among homoeopaths as they are ingredients used in homoeopathic medicines. “The shells are sold for Tk30-100, depending on their size,” Sutradhar said. n

The source of the meat

Tortoise traders bring their wares from Bhairab, Meghna, where they are mainly caught. The traders go there every Friday morning at around 6 am, when the local weekly market

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16 tough love | dina sobhan

grey areas Q

Dear Dina, I’ve been in a relationship with my younger brother’s best friend for the past five years. He is five years younger than me, and we first met about six years ago, when he and my brother were undergrad students. We get along very well and the age difference has never been an issue. Recently, I told my family about our relationship,

A

Dear Cougaress, If you are, as you say, independent and in a committed relationship, there’s not much you need to do. Your parents are never going to accept the image of their daughter as a large jungle cat preying on her younger brother’s innocent friend/victim. In their eyes, this will always be unacceptable. So, short of clubbing your parents over the head and saying, “You will accept my fate or suffer the consequences!”

and it seems all hell has broken loose.

We both have decent jobs and are independent, so there is no reason why we can’t be together, but my family is adamantly against our relationship, just because he is younger than me and the fact that he is my younger brother’s friend.

But we love each other deeply and are quite determined. How can I convince my family?

there’s not much you can do. The main concern in these cases is that no one is ever convinced that the younger man’s intentions are pure and that he’s not just getting the milk for free, so to speak. If you two are serious, then you will probably settle down at some point, perhaps maybe have an offspring or two. That is when a collective breath of relief will be sighed by one and all. Before that time, however, expect not to be welcome at family dawats and such with your boy toy.

Q

Dear Dina, I have been the best of friends with this guy for six years now. We do almost everything together and, needless to say, he is almost always present at all our social gatherings. He is also very good friends with my boyfriend, who I broke up with very recently.

Since then, however, things have been quite weird with my best friend. He does and says things that hint that we’re more than friends, and he keeps texting and calling at odd times in the

A

At times like this, I’m forced to go with the classic When Harry Met Sally line about how men and women can’t be friends because…well, because men don’t always think with one head. I’m sorry to say that what you believe

night, which makes me very uncomfortable, because I don’t feel the same way about him.

What’s most annoying, though, is that he hasn’t said anything to me directly, so I can’t really confront him either. And neither can I share this with other close friends because he may deny the whole thing and I may come off as a paranoid fool. But I’m also pretty sure about his advances and I know I’m not imagining all this. How do I handle this situation without losing a valued friend?

to be merely a close friendship is probably not how your “best friend” sees it. Guys can oddly spend years in like/lust/love with one woman, with the belief that one day she will realise how charming and witty and brilliant he actually is and fall madly in love with him. They are willing to play the long game. What they are unable to understand, however, is that a woman can spend inordinate amounts of time in their company without ever once entertaining the notion of anything beyond a friendship. This is somehow incomprehensible to them. You will, at the risk of feeling foolish, have to casually mention to him that you are totally appreciative of his friendship and love the fact that you know he will never try to mess it up by assuming otherwise, like all the other knucklehead boys you’re surrounded by. That should subtly yet firmly establish the boundaries of your friendship without any embarrassment.

.

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@ dhakatribune. com

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, JAN UARY 16 , 2015

People watching | Listology

17

Types of people in a Trade Fair It’s truly wonderful to discover how many types of people are dwelling among us, and how widely differentiated their behaviour and personalities can be. It may take years to fully comprehend and find them all, unless you take a crash course and go to a trade fair Rad Sharar Bin Kamal

Thank you, just looking

Here just to be here This guy was just walking past when he saw the trade fair happening … and why not? Paying the entry fee, he walks around among the extravagant pavilions in awe at the majestic sight of balloons, colours and decorations.

On a different level, those with smartphones and a facebook account must have a “check in” to fetch some likes while they wait in a corner counting them.

Creepy shoves Sunglasses. A smile on their face. A back-brush oily enough to signal Morse codes to the US. You know who they are. But those are simply the weirdos who stare and smile. But it worsens when their evolved form comes and glues themselves upon you when there’s a parking lot of walking space to their other side. Their “sorry’s” have no remorse as they look forward and walk away, soothing their mojo and grinning at their own cleverness.

These astonishingly interested folks will take their red carpet entrance to every store – from looking at every item displayed, to upturning every price tag. Well, that’s not really a problem is it? But one may feel a tinge of rage when nothing is purchased by these people from any store but a pack of gum.

Foodies They’re here to eat and look at the wonderful electronic scenery and breezy banners of discounts. Kind of missing the point really, for the food is never impressive at the trade fair. Regardless, they will happily sit with a plate of “phuchka” or tea and bicker away with their friends in blissful adda.

Nah I’m okay right here Technically, these individuals are not IN the trade fair. They prefer to lean on the railings or sit right outside on their bikes, thank you ... the entry fee is too high. You may realise the annoyance this creates, for the entrances are jam packed unnecessarily so because of them and worse, they tend to transform into those staring creeps watching a ramp show.

Swiper no swiping!

Of course. No busy arena in Dhaka is complete with a pocket incomplete of its contents! And these guys shall get all the credit. Positioning themselves in the most bundled of areas, they are experts in picking out laptops, wallets, phones, bellybuttons, piercing (anything really, it’s astonishing) etc. Be careful of these fellows, they’re everywhere.

Let’s buy!

Then there’s the normal people, who genuinely go to shop, find excellent deals and actually buy or sell.

Essentially victims to the delightful list above, they consist of usually 65% of the fair population. Guess who the others are.

.

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18 stay in

Mini cryptics Clues

ACROSS

1 Instrument band used after a pin broke (6) 5 Tree that sounds soft to the touch (5) 6 As yet not ordered raising agent (5) 8 Cloth range non-washable primarily (6) 10 Organ of the yellow (3) 11 Wish the old ran around (5)

DOWN 2 3 4 6 7 9

Chashi nazrul Islam, the Indefatigable film maker

“O

Another famous film, also on the Liberation War, “Shongram,” was released in 1974. The story of the film is a based on the diary of Sector Commandar Khaled Mosharraf. His critically acclaimed masterpiece, “Hangar Nadi Granade,” based on Selina Hosain’s novel, was funded by the government.

He also made films based on the stories of Sharatchandra which turned out to be massive commercial successes, such as, “Devdas” in 1982, “Chondrokotha” in 1985 and “Shubho Da” in 1985. He made films on Bankimchandra’s story, “Biroho Betha,” in 1988 and on folk tales, “Behula Lokkhindor,” in 1987.

Other well-known films by him include “Lady Smuggler” in 1986, “Mia Bhai” 1987, “Padma Meghna Jamuna” in 1991, “Hason Raja” in 2001, “Megher Pore Megh” in 2004,

“Dhrubotara” in 2006 and “Devdas” in 2013.

As a director he always appreciated the richness of Bangla literature and tried to translate them into the language of films. He never overlooked the crisis of contemporary societal system and its conflicts, thus he made films like “Danga Fesad” in 1990, “Shasti” in 2005. He has bagged a number of awards with national and international repute including Ekuchey Padak, 2004, National Film Award in 1986 and 1997, Zahir Raihan Gold Medal, 1995, International Kalakar Award, 2005 and many more.

Chashi Nazrul Islam passed away on January 11 at the age of 73. His brilliant work reflected that he was ahead of his time, and will remain as one of those few who will always be remembered for his work. n

Last week’s solutions

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

Farhana Urmee ra Egaro Jon,” the first movie about the Liberation War, which was released in 1972, was a work of genius by Chashi Nazrul Islam and also his debut in the world of directing. The film was Chashi’s first effort to become a full-fledged director and of course, a project close to his heart as he himself was a freedom fighter. Chashi Started his career in films in 1961 as an assistant director and he also acted in theatres, radio and television until he discovered his talent as a director.

Chashi’s father wanted him to become an engineer but Chashi always had an enthusiasm for films and would always look for opportunities to be involved in cultural activities. He was a lover of films and Dilip Kumar was his favourite actor.

Headless rodents found in freezer (7) Regularly from 22:00 (7) Make royal bird first of nine (6) My last poem left an Alpine song (6) Where to bowl between buildings (5) Used to listen, are confused (3)

ACROSS 1 Where one lives is partly in Panama (7) 4 Scene shows Mario in commercial returns (7) 6 Twisting road ran to mountainous land (7) 7 Elation about something that requires clipping (7) DOWN 1 Messily try hand at firefighting equipment (7) 2 Fair secret agent holds first of lessons (5) 3 A five in way of effort (7) 5 Courts temptress initially in song (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, JAN UARY 16 , 2015

Go out

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Weekly Planner Jan 17 Photography | Dhakafication: Street-byStreet Photowalk

II)

(Part

Where Shilpakala Academy, Shegunbagicha What There will be a total of 40 stalls featuring at least 150 different kinds of pithas from different parts of Bangladesh.

When 8am-5pm Where Bahadur Shah Park, English Road What Dhakafication is back with its second episode of street-by-street photo walk for photography enthusiasts.

It will start from Bahadur Shah Park through a route covering cultural and heritage sites ending at the Lalbagh Fort.

For more information contact 01677494648, 01711282829.

Education | Macquarie University is visiting Bangladesh

Festival | Jatiyo Pith Utshab

When 9am-3pm Where Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Dhaka

When 3-9pm, Jan 19-28

When 10am-5pm, Jan 20-24 Where Spectra Convention Centre, House 19, Road 7, Gulshan 1, Dhaka What Discover where a Macquarie degree can take you.

Jan 22-23 Education | University of Tasmania is visiting Dhaka, IDP Australia Education Fair

What The University of Tasmania is Australia’s premier university for teaching excellence and is within the Top 10 research universities. It is also offering Bangladeshi students free on-campus accommodation for those that qualify for direct entry into selected courses.

Interested candidates should bring relevant academic For more information please visit www.utas.edu.au Education | Acing US University Applications

When 10am-1:30pm, Jan 17 Where Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC), Plot 3, Road 20, Block J, Baridhara What The workshop will be providing necessary guidelines to interested high school graduates who want to apply to colleges in the US. This workshop is only open to students

who are planning on applying to undergraduate programs in the US.

Jan 23 Immigration | Free Seminar on Immigration to Australia, Canada and New Zealand

When 3pm Where Hotel Washington, 56 Gulshan Avenue, Road no. 132, Gulshan 1 What Free seminar on Immigration to Australia, Canada and New Zealand by Pamila Ghai.

Interested participants needs to send their CV to seminardhk@ greenlandmigration.com.

Seats are limited. Registration can be done via email.

Send your events to weekend@dhakatribune.com

Photography | Inuguration Chobi Mela VIII When 3-7pm, Jan 23-Feb 5 Where Press Club to bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

Drik Picture Ltd and Pathshala South Asian Media Institute present Asia’s largest photography festival, Chobi Mela’s eighth edition. This the year the theme for Chobi Mela is “Intimacy.” This year Chobi Mela features works by more than 30 artists from 22 countries around the world.

Chobi Mela will feature big names like Canadian photographer Larry Towell, James Estrin, New York Times Lens Blog Editor, Spanish photographer Cristina Nunez and renowned photographer from home Anwar Hossain. The festival will be curated by Munem Wasif, ASM Rezaur Rahman and Tanzim Wahab.

Workshop: January 14-19

Introspective Photography by Hasib Zakaria

“Introspective Photography” is a workshop that will concentrate on two major areas of photography the craft and then the art. During the course there will be a discussion on the fundamental characteristics of photography, which make this

medium different from all the other visual arts.

January 15-17

Aesthetics in Photography by Hasan

Saifuddin Chandan

In this three day workshop award wining photographer Hasan Saifuddin Chandan, will discuss the visual practice of photography. He will emphasise pictorial composition, proper lighting techniques, and balance forms. With insight to his own photographic practice, Chandan will share personal works and experiences on observing and understanding the subject as well as the content in various shooting conditions. Chandan will provide constructive criticism of participants work followed by group discussions.

January 18-22

Installing from the Inside Out by Philip Blenkinsop

Philip Blenkinsop will bring unframed photographs to install his work. The aesthetic outcome of the installation will be determined by the given

Photo: Alexandra

space, his visual perception, and the utilization of readily available resources.

Blenkinsop will share his experience on the process, curation, the inevitable frustrations and the problem solving techniques that follow. Workshop participants will be accompanying the photographer over the five-day period of the installation.

Programme Schedule: January 23 3pm: Opening Rally, Press Club to Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy 4pm: Opening ceremony, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy 4:40pm: Lifetime Achievement Award, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy 5pm: Gallery Opening, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

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20 Heritage | Poush Shankranti

Poush, pitha and all things mitha

A unique festival that is celebrated across the subcontinent, in varying degrees and many customs, but signifying only one – saying goodbye to winter Reema Islam

T

he narrow alley of Shakhari bazaar rings with the sounds of the jubilant shouts and the patter of many feet on the rooftops of the centuries old houses.

Shakraine is celebrated in full aplomb as Bangalis pay homage to the saying “Baro maashe tero parban (twelve months and thirteen festivals) and bid the winter season of Poush adieu, welcoming the end of cold weather.

The celebration

As the sun enters the tropic of Capricorn, or makar, Poush Shankranti follows the solar calendar and is one of the only Bangali festivals that follows the exact Gregorian date every year of January 14. A season for harvesting the Robi crops of the winter season, Poush Shankranti is celebrated with pithas of all shapes and sizes, especially kuli pithas, which follow the age old agricultural tradition.

Known as Makar Sankranti in North India, Lohri in Punjab, Pongal in South India, Bhogali Bihu in Assam and Maghey Sakrati in Nepal, the solar journey of leaving the Tropic of Cancer to enter the Tropic of Capricorn is celebrated with an initial fasting period by many Hindus.

Poush Shankranti is considered an auspicious time of the year when everything gets a new beginning.

Date palm or khejurer gur and the freshly harvested paddy, make for a range of pithas that we Bangalis relish during this time of the year whereas in other parts of India and Nepal, this festival means a range of laddoos and consuming food that warms the body.

Til or sesame seeds play a surprisingly significant role. They are thought to absorb satvikta or spiritual purity and thus emit the positive vibes required during auspicious festivals like this. It is also a popular offering to the gods during religious ceremonies as it is thought to ward off demons. Thus the humble sesame seed, whether white or black earns its right of being one of the most sought after ingredients in sweets served during Poush Shankranti.

Poush Shankranti across South Asia

The Punjabis celebrate the end of the cold season gathered around a roaring bonfire, at which they throw puffed rice among other foods, signifying the end of a bad phase, welcoming a new one. This festival is called Lohri and occurs a day before Poush Shankranti.

People exchange gifts and food where a combination of til, gajak, jaggery, peanuts, and popcorn are swapped.

Further down South and this festival becomes Pongal in South India, or Thai Pongal where it starts on the last days of the month of Margazhi and ends at Thai. The South Indians celebrate it for several days and a white paste made of rice powder and limestone are used to make kolam, a kind of rangoli used to smear walls of houses with designs and colours, thought to bring prosperity. The use of rice powder is significant as it is meant to feed ants and other insects. Pongal mainly means boiling over, which could signify the boiling of the season as the sun shifts route and thus, a popular

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, JAN UARY 16 , 2015

Photo: Quamrul Abedin

milk dish is also called Pongal. The day before Pongal is called bhogi pallu where old things are discarded and on Pongal day itself, rice is boiled in new clay pots.

The Assamese celebrate this harvest season in a spectacularly unique way. Bhogali Bihu is derived from the word for food – bhog – and other than the usual cuisine of harvested foods, discarding old for new and also lighting a bonfire, the Assamese have sessions of buffalo fights and even nightingale fights.

In Bangladesh we have come to associate the Poush Shankranti mela with the popular custom of flying kites. The goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on the day and the festival is incomplete without the appearance of kuli pitha made with freshly harvested rice, milk and date palm or khejurer gur. In the capital, people mostly head out to the old parts of Puran Dhaka, especially Shakhari bazaar where this festival is mainly known as Shakraine. Kites are meant to transport our wishes and desires up to the heavens, where the gods, revived after a six month long slumber wait to fulfil our wishes. And amidst the din and noise of the devotees flying their kites high and the shouts of the various

team members trying to win the kite fights, Shakhari bazaar is resplendent in colours, as this heritage-rich neighbourhood bears witness to yet another festival being celebrated.

If you get the chance, do visit this long winding alleyway flanked by houses that display a rare mix of architecture dating from the Raj to colonial times. A living vestige of the times when Dhaka began, Shakhari bazaar is in dire need of conservation. Led by the consistent support of the Urban Society Group (USG), their sole voice has tried to bring the Government’s attention towards preserving this invaluable little street for over 10 years now.

But like the rest of our heritage sites, whether man-made or natural, USG’s campaigns and attempts at stopping demolition of some houses within have not been entirely fruitful. The Government’s initiatives have been inadequate whereas the collective vision of the inhabitants, limited. This Poush Shankranti, let us welcome the sun’s Northward journey by hoping that organisations like the USG and common people like ourselves, can actually bring about a change and hold on to our heritage.

Here’s wishing everyone a colourful Shakraine! n

Yamin Khan | Funnybone

21

AC/DC Football Club N

o one knows the exact date when this football club was formed but locals say that the club has been around for as long as they can remember.

During the British rule the club was known as the ‘Ku Klux Klan’ and they would celebrate their victories by burning the trophies which used to be neatly tied to the local peasants.

During the KKK glory days the club had a huge source of revenue, since it was also the exporter of local bed sheets and pillow covers.

Interestingly, those very bed sheets and pillow covers eventually became the team’s jersey.

On the sad morning of 14th August 1947, the handsome British men and their very pretty ladies left this land with sorrow in their heart, tears in their eyes, whips in their right hands and guns in their left. In fact, they missed this land so much that they even took with them an influx of railway workers, the mighty Kohinoor and not to forget – unity amongst the people.

Pretty soon the club was taken over by less white but way hairier men who named the club ‘Burj Al Bhairab.’ They regularly hosted football matches between the Eastenders and the Westenders. No matter which side scored the goal, the Westenders would always come out to be victorious. You could hear them celebrate their victories with late night parties in halal bars as shouts of ‘Jaanis’ and ‘Bohat Alas’ were heard from the distance. It’s not just the halal alcohol but also the Eastend cheerleaders who kept them occupied. After the games the Westenders would leave behind the cheerleaders to return home, thus giving birth to the concept of longdistance relationship.

Just like any other fairytale the blissful run of the fairly hairy fair men had to come to an end. After whining like a kid who’s refusing to give away a lollipop to its rightful owner, they ran away like brats, but not before breaking a glass or two. Soon Burj Al Bhairab experienced another round of change in administration and the new stakeholders decided to name

Photo: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

the club Alal Chondon-Dulal Chondon Krira Shongho (after the local feudal lords), in short AC/DC. AC/DC experienced several years of turmoil as its ownership switched several hands before introducing the vote.

Since there were several parties who were interested in governing the club, a democratic method was accepted so as to elect the future governors of the club.

This introduced Khaled bhai and Hassan bhai (the strongest contenders for the post of governor) to the fans of the club. According to a widely spread rumour, both Khaled bhai and Hassan bhai’s current wives are each others’ ex wives. Thus they have a long history of bitterness which is reflected through their actions. Their animosity reached a point where the locals got split into two groups with separate idealism, principle and belief; yet one strong objective – control over the club.

According to the new rule book, elections are meant to take place every five years and thus ensuring that only the best contenders get to govern the club. Since either Khaled bhai or Hassan bhai wins the throne at every alternate go, they would do their very best to outdo each other.

For eg: if Khaled bhai hired four

of his brothers to referee a game, Hassan bhai would hire four of his brothers to referee the first half and their respective wives to referee the second half. Or if under Hassan bhai’s supervision the team lost in two tournaments, Khaled bhai would pay for a third one so as to ensure a higher losing streak. If anyone jokingly told Khaled bhai that Hassan bhai’s cow gave birth to a donkey, he would instruct his followers to come up with a cow that gives birth to a donkey as well as a sheep at the same time.

While the rest of the world laughed at their stupidity, Hassan bhai and Khaled bhai were enjoying this game of power and vengeance. In fact they got so preoccupied with the game of one-upmanship, that the club came almost last in their list of priorities, just before ‘getting a massage’ and right after ‘a pedicure session with Kaniz Apa.’ Khaled bhai and Hassan bhai’s

famous stories gave birth to the plots for numerous movies, songs and books. Even last year, a movie based on their lives received world wide fame and it was titled ‘P.S. I Love You…..Not.’ All this attention is thoroughly enjoyed by both the great sport enthusiasts. When I caught up with Khaled bhai in his newly opened beauty parlour ‘Happy Ending Beauty Parlour,’ he laughed heartily as he expressed his gratitude towards all the fans and followers and asked for their blessings. Unfortunately I could not get hold of Hassan bhai as he was busy collecting an Honorary Doctorate Degree from a foreign university in Somalia.

As far as AC/DC is concerned, when I last checked, the club’s performance was on the decline. No one wanted to coach the team and the players had no incentive to perform; amidst all this, Khaled bhai and Hassan bhai were happily naming and renaming the toilets of the club. n

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

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