TMAG, Volume 2, Issue 40

Dhaka Tribune

Sucked into a space-time vortex

| Thursday, February 12, 2015 | Volume 2, Issue 40

Editor’s note Status of the week A weekly production of

DhakaTribune Editor Zafar Sobhan Magazine Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Asst Magazine Editor Khan N Moushumi TMAG Team Saudia Afrin Tahsin Momin Baizid Haque Joarder Rad Sharar Raisa Rahim Contributors ASM Foysal Pragya Rahman Nasif Chowdhury Zubaida Rahman Lameya Alma Amin Graphics Mohammed Mahbub Alam Tahsin Momin

Meme of the week

Dear Readers, There are some exciting things happening behind the scenes at TMAG that we can only hint at for now. It’s also been a week of confusion for us, simply because we’re going through so many changes. This issue of TMAG reflects what’s been going on.

The foremost issue on everyone’s mind is the hartals, and the school days we’re losing because of them.

We chat with some of the schools about how they’re dealing with this situation (pg 2).

Not everyone’s letting hartals get in the way of getting stuff done, so we have a page full of happenings to share in Event Tweets (pg 3).

Since winter’s finally starting to take leave, we’ve also put together a guide on transitioning your wardrobe into spring (pg 4).

Another way to get your education in spite of blockades is virtually, and hence this week’s Written in the Stars features an online school (pg 8).

Finally, join us on the Hot Topic (pg 6&7) as the TMAG team travels back in time through landmark moments in the history of newspaper publishing.

Have a great week!

Goodbyes are never easy, which is why I never say goodbye. I always choose to believe I’ll see these people again, ‘cause life is way too long for you to not bump into them again.

Hashtag trendings #Iliketheremix Used to express positive opinions and compliments about changes made in someone’s life, work, or appearance.

Time for a change, some drastic decisions have been made let’s see where they go. #I like the remix

More inside Picks Of the week 10 Spotlight Spilled ink?

10 The goodsheet Kim Cesarion’s Undressed

Fashion 4 Beauty check Knock knock 4 Look of the week Francisca Gomes 4 Wardrobe check Transitional wear 101

Your world 5 Car Harley-Davidson Dyna 9 Comic Strip 9 Fiction Dreams 9 Book List

TMAG says 2 School Survival Being on track, within the chaos 10 Playlist Tunes from around the world

Real Life 3 Event 6 Hot topic Press Rewind 12 Love Guru

Horoscopes 5 Your forecast

Love, From, The TMAG desk

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Advertising Zia Ur Rahman Production Masum Billah Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel

5 Car talk Harley Davidson Fat Boy Bob

Email: tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com Website: www.dhakatribune.com

8 Written in the Stars

Online school

About the cover The TMAG team gets sucked into a space-time vortex.

Photo Anup Munir Design Alamgir Hossain

2 School Survival

4 Look of the week

Being on track, within the chaos

Francisca Gomes

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Schoologistics

School Survival

Being on track, within the chaos Things aren’t how it is supposed to be, when a third party gets affected amid the altercations between two other parties. And the third party in this scenario would be the student in schools, colleges and universities. The on-going SSC and equivalent examinations are being postponed.

Even though the exams are still taking place, the examinees have to risk their lives to reach the venue

With the blockades and strikes running for over a month now, the authorities are seemingly nervous about getting done with the syllabus within the academic year. On this note, TMAG decided to find out what steps the schools are taking to overcome the situation.

“Regardless of the political circumstances and conditions, the gates of our school are always open.

It is usual for attendance to suffer comparatively, but our messaging systems and online portals keep every student updated on their syllabuses and examinations. Hence, progress is minimally hindered.” -Charmaine Vilijeon, Public Relations, International School Dhaka “The loss of syllabus content is tackled with assignments for home, to be sent in, checked and resent back to the students every Friday with feedback from the teachers. The option to contact the teachers and supervisors always remains open for personal assistance. Hence, with a little help from the parents, the content is covered efficiently and no problems arise.”

-Nurun Nahar Gias, Senior Supervisor, Scholastica

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“Considering the situation, we are keeping the school open on Fridays and Saturdays if no blockades or curfew is imposed. Dropping the extra-curricular classes temporarily and adding tutorial classes for the senior students, the lost content over the week is being recovered. Moreover, homework and assignments are provided to keep the students busy and updated in their curriculum as well.” -Sabrina Shaheed Hafiz, Vice Principal, Sir John Wilson School We also gathered a quote from Advocate Mostafizur Rahman Fizar, Hon’ble Minister for the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.

“We will try doing all that’s best for our children. And to not let any of these chaos hamper their academics, we are trying to arrange exams during weekends. We cannot ask them to forget exams and be a part of this chaos, now can we? Best of luck to all the children” - on the government’s efforts to ensure that the children do not fall behind due to the on-going political unrest. Baizid Haque Joarder, Rad Sharar, Raisa Rahim Photos Bigstock

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Events

3

Event Tweet

Sake of Love Someone needs to be courageous enough to fall in love with someone.

That is because the desperate and heroic heart requires a lot of strength to combat all the barriers that comes out from family and society. Following this theme, Closeup “Kache Ashar Shahoshi Golpo” has arranged a competition for this Valentines Day on January 1 for the third time. The first two teleplays of this campaign “Gaye Holud” and “Police Station” were a massive success.

Countless letters and emails were sent to us with brave love stories from all over the country. After January 20, the last date of sending the stories, selection began and the judges went through a great dilemma to choose the three best stories.

The Names of the three best storywriters are: Reazul Alam Shawon, Hridita Islam and Mehreen Kabir. The stories will be visualised by another three prominent young directors, Golam Kibria Farooki, Imraul Rafat and Shafayet Mansoor Rana. The main characters will be acted by Tahsan Rahman Khan, Jon Kabir, FS Nayeem, Nusrat Imroz Tisha, Aparna Ghosh, Nowrin Hasan Khan Jenny, Shahtaj Monira Hashem.

To feel the season of love once again keep your eyes on Bangla Vision, Electronic Media Partner.

Story 1 Written by Reazul Alam Shawon Directed by Golam Kibria Farooki

Champions of the Earth Acted by Tahsan Rahman, Nowrin Hasan Khan Jenny, Shahtaj Monira Hashem Tiru and Ashfaq are in love with each other for four years. But, suddenly Faria with the mobility of a sparrow, comes in Ashfaq’s life. which causes everything to scatter everywhere. But, who does Ashfaq’s “Kache Ashar Shahosh” begin with?

Story 2 Written by Hridita Islam Directed by Imraul Rafat Acted by FS Nayeem, Nusrat Imroz Tisha

over Bangladesh, each team bearing 3 members and with more than 800 participants. The teams were screened on the basis of an online concept note submission round and a presentation round, leading to 8 finalist teams being selected for the Finale. The 2nd Runner up of the Competition was Team Cranks from Ahsanullah University of Technology, 1st Runner up: El Nino was mixed College Team and Champions from NSU- Team G4U. The 2nd Runner up received 20,000 BDT, 1st Runner Up 30,000 BDT and Champions 50,000 BDT.

Hridi loves Kowshik, on the other hand, an always confused Kowshik doesn’t even try to know the meaning of love.

One day Hridi’s missing, after she’s missing, Kowshik got to know Hridi was more than just a friend. After that, Kowshik’s wait begins. Will Kowshik get back to Hridi?

Story 3 Written by Mehreen Kabir Directed by Shafayet Mansoor Rana Acted by Jon Kabir, Aparna Ghosh Promising player Sara falls in love with Badminton legend coach Farhan. But Sara’s family will never except widower Farhan. Will their love fail. Or they will create their story of brave love by crossing all the barriers.

Celebrating Victory

“JIS Inter School Essay & Quiz Competition” will be held on February 20 in regard of the International Mother Language Day, Independence Day, Victory Day and Liberation War of Bangladesh.

Students from Class I to Class X of English medium and version schools will participate in this competition.

Class I to Class V will sit for the quiz competition on the following day at JIS Campus at Uttara. And students from Class VI to Class X will write an essay

Earth club of North South University organized the Grand Finale of their event “Champions of Earth” held recently at the plaza area of North South University. “Champions of Earth” started as Earth Club’s largest initiative in organizing an idea generating a competition on environmental issues which turned out to be the biggest environmental competition in the country till date.

Tremendous responses were received as the orientation and workshop commenced with 296 registered teams from Colleges and Universities in all

on topics such as “where do you want to see Bangladesh in 2030,” “how do you want to work for Bangladesh to help it become a developed country?” and “what do you know about our Liberation war?”

On February 27, the final celebration including a cultural event and prize giving ceremony will be held in the JIS campus and will have eminent educationalists, freedom fighters and politicians to present at the event.

Samsung launches training project “ARISE” for Dhaka Polytechnic Institute Students Samsung Electronics Bangladesh has launched a technical training project “ARISE” (Advanced Repair and Industrial Skill Enhancement) at the Dhaka Polytechnic Institute.

On the occasion, Nazrul Islam Khan, honourable Secretary of Ministry of Education was present as the chief guest accompanied by the special guest, His Excellency Lee Yun-Young, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea. Choon Soo Moon, Country Manager of Samsung Electronics Bangladesh, and Md Shahjahan Mian, Director General of Directorate of Technical Education were also present at the event.

Under the “ARISE” project, the 75 final-year students or students who have completed final year will be able to receive a free of cost six-month long training to develop basic technical skills and personality development.

The participants of this training will be selected by the Dhaka Polytechnic Institute. Apart from providing free

training, Samsung has also renovated the laboratory with training material.

The training will be provided with lecture and assistance in three areasAudio Visual (TV, Home Theater), Home Appliance (Refrigerator, Microwave Oven and Washing Machine) and Mobile Device.

Choon Soo Moon, Country Manager of Samsung Electronics Bangladesh said, “we are really happy to provide these facilities for the students of Polytechnic Institute. The main aim of our training program is to build a talent pool of manpower for Bangladesh Service Industry as we believe this program will enrich talent in Bangladesh.”

This training program is the first initiative taken by Samsung Electronics Bangladesh under their Creating Shared Value (CSV) initiative, as a social responsibility drive to provide benefit to the students who have taken certain specified and government recognised technical courses.

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FASHION FACE-OFF

Beauty Check

Look of the week

“girl’s day out” It’s your day out with your girls.

Enjoy to the fullest with a simple chic look. This look is very sophisticated with pink tinted lips and a nice, bright cardigan all put together in its simplistic form.

Knock knock Who’s there? Spring. Spring who? *Hachu*

Model Francisca Gomes Photo Courtesy

Spring is around the corner and so are its airborne allergens. With that being said, TMAG is here to help you shield yourself from the month-long sniffing, sneezing and itching the season has in store for you

Causes

Spring carries weeds, spores, grass and tree pollens in its air. These are the root causes of allergies. You can either get allergies due to over exposure to pollens, weeds, grass, dust and even animal fur or if your parents had them; allergies have a solid genetic factor.

Here are a few tests to help you figure out which of these devils is irritating your eyes, nose, and throat.

The allergy skin test

Neil Kao, an internal medicine physician specialising in allergy and immunology at the Allergic Disease and Asthma Center in Greenville, suggests that this test is the quickest and most accurate in testing for allergy.

This very interesting test allows your physician to slightly and gently prick your skin letting an allergen enter the outer layer. After about twenty to fifteen

Wardrobe Check

Transitional wear 101 The weather, recently has been too crazy to deal with! The sun shines and makes you realise that the harsh summer is already peeking through spring but then again, the evenings are so deliciously chilly, that you fall in love with it. Such transitional weather visits us about twice, each year, fall and spring. It’s time to play with layers and finding out what suits you best. TMAG brings you a full-proof guide for this year’s transitional weather, from the cool winter onto the colourful spring

The art of layering

We at TMAG always focus on layering, why? Because it is so important! The theory of piling clothes, bearing in mind their weight and warmth, seems relatively easy as you are using what’s

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already in your wardrobe. However, if you do not put in much thought behind it, you might just end up looking helplessly buff.

The girls can start infusing colours since spring is nearby. “Colourblocking” has been a popular option recently.

Bright coloured shoes, dark fitted denim pants, a light-weight shirt underneath with a pastel jacket can be your day’s outfit. And on weekends, go with a pastel dress- we love the shades during the transitional period- a black leather jacket on top and dark leggings is a perfect mix of femininity and edge.

The guys too, can look amazing.

The trick is to know that you need an outfit that is lighter than your winter wear but warmer than summer. A white, fitter v-neck and a black leather jacket,

teamed up with a dark coloured chino, and you’re set to make an impression on the girls.

The “cooler-warm” clothes

After being bundled up in your favourite jacket during the winter days, lightweight materials are the way to go during the transitional climate. Hipster jackets, cardigans and half sleeved sweaters are welcome.

The addition of scarves, hats and everyday accessories can make your otherwise-ordinary-outfit, stand out in a mass, making a bold and dynamic style statement.

All in all, enjoy the climate to the fullest while you look good.

Baizid Haque Joarder

minutes, any redness and swelling in the skin will help identify which one of the allergens is at fault.

Better be safe than sorry

If you want to avoid going to the doctor or getting asthma attacks, you can do so by taking a few precautious steps. Your hair is likely to catch pollen and other allergens in the air, especially during windy days. When travelling, always cover yourself, especially your nose, skin and hair with a scarf or a mask.

Take precautions

By taking early precautions and proper medications, you’re likely to keep allergies at a good distance. But for that you need to know your over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as topical nasal sprays, inhalants, decongestants and antihistamines. Make sure you switch brands periodically in case your symptoms are not in control. It is highly recommended that you consult a physician for prescribed drugs since some of these medications may cause side effects.

Raisa Rahim

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Street Car Talk

HOROSCOPE Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)

You may be preoccupied with a new friendship this week.

Try not to confide in anyone about this friendship as this could create certain problems for you.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)

This week you’ll be busy rearranging things in your house, trying to come up with new ways to make your house look glamorous, cool and fresh.

Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)

Any creative project at work is likely to look strong and well appreciated. Later towards the week you will see more clearly as to where you want to go with your career.

Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)

Your love life is currently going through an easy going state but that does not necessarily mean you don’t have to spend enough time with the certain someone.

It’s not fat, it’s humongous!

Low fat handlebar, blacked-out finishes, throaty blunt-cut mufflers, fat tyres and a gruff attitude. Now you know you’re riding dirty With its fat tyres, throaty engine and the iconic styling, the Harley Davidson Fat Bob continues to impress us with its bad boy attitude.

The Harley-Davidson Dyna Fat Bob is propelled by a blacked out air cooled, twin cam engine with a displacement of 1,585cc. This unit is more than capable of rewarding 132Nm of peak torque at 3250 rpm, and returns a surprising fuel economy of 5.6 litres/100 km.

The Twin Cam 103 engine in it is a treat for the eyes and there’s no mistaking its roots. With so much attention to detail, this is a perfect example of an authentic HarleyDavidson styling and this is something that you won’t find from any other motorcycle company. From the black powder-coated heads to the cylinders and rocker covers, all of these are highlighted by cooling fin tips on the top three fins. As pure as it can get, this is a jewel machined out of metal and it is dripping with power. The classic edge of the cooling fins and the clean lines, the Twin Cam 103 engine makes an ironclad statement about holding on to its pedigree and staying true to what it stands for!

A ride to release the power of Twin Cam 103 engine; it delivers enough pulling torque to knock you out, while

its electronic sequential port fuel injection jets out a crisp and lively throttle reaction. The performance will hit you with a punch that you’ll appreciate when climbing hills, or rolling with a passenger in the back, added with that signature motor company rumble.

However though, this bike is only for a local bumbling trip, but it does do that in a very satisfying way. The engine is a fabulous as a cruiser, pulling from impossibly low revs to thumping and shuddering when you twist your wrist.

Slide the transmission into the overdrive top gear and it churns lazily at 70mph at less than 3,000rpm.

The Fat Bob, for its size, steers beautifully; stable and obedient at very low speeds even around the tiniest roundabouts, which can be a chore on many other bikes, especially on something as big as this. The brakes would scare you to some extent but they do get the job done. Harley has cleverly hidden the anti-lock braking system equipment so they don’t spoil the bike’s looks.

There’s no escaping the fact that at £15,499, this is an expensive motorcycle and for that price, you don’t even get adjustable handlebar levers. Sigh!

Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)

Seems like you’re juggling way too many things at the moment, you might want to step back and start dealing with one thing at a time.

Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)

Put a hold on your career decisions for a while and focus on your personal life.

Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22)

A lot of unexpected meetings could take place this week and some secrets could be revealed.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)

It is your time to shine Scorpio, perhaps there is an old idea or a pitch that you want your bosses to hear, which could really turn things around for you.

Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)

Seems like you’ve been bottling a lot of things inside of you lately, just try not to explode and be calm.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)

You can find yourself breaking free from a situation that once held you back.

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)

It’ll be quite a challenge to get others to see things from your point of view.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)

Try not to look for problems where there aren’t any otherwise you may miss out on a chance to reach a deeper understanding.

Tahsin Momin

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Press Rewind TMAG embarks on a strange adventure

By Sabrina Fatma Ahmad, Rad Sharar Bin Kamal, Tahsin Momin, Baizid Haque Joarder, Raisa Rahim and Pragya Rahman

“T

o the meeting room!”

The familiar weekly call to action had us all shuffling into the conference room. There were a few worried glances, considering that the recent hartals had been wreaking havoc on everything, and no one knew for sure if we’d get to do the footwork necessary for the stories.

As we walked in, we found a strange tablet lying on the table.

The display screen simply had a calendar on top. Curious as we are, we all leaned in at the same time and reached out to touch it. No sooner had we made contact, than the thing began to vibrate. The lights overhead began to blink on and off, and someone – probably Raisa, screamed as the glass door slammed shut behind us. Without warning, the lights went out.

Rad in Rome Everything disappeared. Silence drowned the darkness of the meeting room and was replaced by a lean, standing scar of light in front of me.

The brightness rose as the gates opened and a roar of the crowd washed over me.

Disoriented and confused, I proceeded forwards into the stands of the Roman Colosseum, and looked below to find a mighty Gladiator basking in his victory over the lions.

To my left stood a slightly elevated podium, holding a man busy scratching symbols onto a metal plate. A look around found a few more of his type, all emerged in their task, hammering down history for the first official publication of human kind, the Acta Diurna, Latin for Daily Acts.

This is where it all came into form, the most basic mass marketed newspaper holding information of public interest. A stroll down to the streets discovered more on the notice boards in the Forum of Rome, a few carved on stone, surrounded by philosophers and thinkers replenishing their memories and theories.

“An initiative of Julius Caesar, the Acta Diurna was an arrangement to let the public be aware of the political and business decisions taken by the senate for the people,” answered a passing fellow, striking suspicious glances at my apparently obvious question. I hurried away grinning, knowing how this story ends, and wondering of why

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21 century schoolbooks only refer to the Roman general as a power-hungry opportunist rather than a brilliant mind who could run circles around any communications teacher of the time.

But as per public interest, the juicy tale of his assassination will always be catered.

Pragya in Germany The year was 1440 in Strasbourg, Germany at the St. Arbogash Parish, or at least that’s where I found myself.

I stumbled upon the mysterious printing base of Johannes Gutenberg called the Kunst und Aventur. We spoke for a while and his English for some reason was not as rusty as I’d hoped and he was enlightening me on the movable type and how all of the idea behind all of this had come to him like a ‘ray of light’.

Four years passed by. Mr. Gutenberg and I met with his brother in law to take out a loan for a printing press. Another four years passed and during this time Mr. Gutenberg started working on copper engravings and met with an artist of printing called the “Master of Playing Cards”. Two years later in 1450 a German poem was printed and both Mr. Gutenberg and I were able to convince a wealthy businessman and moneylender Johann Fust for a loan of eight hundred guilders, Mr. Gutenberg’s son in law Peter Schoffer was also part of this enterprise. I received a letter in 1455 from Mr.Gutenberg when he excitedly wrote that he had printed a complete 42-line bible known as the Gutenberg bible.

And then I woke up.

Tahsin at Times Square When my vision cleared, I found myself no longer in the meeting room, but in a strange, bustling place, which looked like something out of a period flick, but smelled too real to be a movie set.

There was smoke everywhere. It was dark and gloomy. The clothes were the first clue. As I waded through the muck of many an unpaved road, listening to the market vendors shout out prices for their wares, the unbelievably low rates and the absence of cars made everything clear. I had somehow teleported back to New York in the 1830’s!

New York at this point was bustling with immigrants moving in from

HOT TOPIC

different parts of the world in search for jobs. With the nearest source of entertainment, the radio, almost a hundred years away, these people had almost nothing to do in the spare hours of the morning and evening. This also meant that they had no source of news.

At that time, newspapers were available but they were too damn expensive, and were seen a luxury, which was often out of the reach of the working class people.

Benjamin Day, who was already in the printing business, started a newspaper of his own to salvage the losses suffered by his business after a local financial panic caused by the cholera outbreak in 1832. Day’s idea of selling a newspaper for a penny seemed radical at a time when most newspapers sold for six cents.

He backed-up his decision by claiming that many working class people were literate and that they were not newspaper customers simply because no one had published a newspaper targeted specifically towards them. On September 3, 1833, Volume.1, Number.1 of Benjamin Day’s “The Sun” was available for the masses to buy. Day took on a massing gamble by launching “The Sun”, but it proved to be a huge success!

The success of The Sun encouraged James Gordon Bennett to start “The Herald,” another newspaper, which sold for one cent. Soon after, other papers, including the New York Tribune and the New York Times, followed the footsteps of Day and began publication as penny papers.

If it wasn’t for Day, we would not have any newspapers for the masses.

And if it wasn’t for him, people like you me would not be reading this article on a piece of paper, like the one you are holding in your hand.

Raisa in London When the world stopped spinning so fast, I opened my eyes to find myself standing on a station platform. With a hiss of steam, an old-fashioned locomotive rushed past me, forcing me to back up until I landed on a vintage iron-bench.

“Lud! What on God’s sweet earth are you wearing, gel?” inquired a shocked voice in a starchy British accent. I turned to see a woman in a corseted gown, leaning to look at me with the same kind of gaze I would get if I went

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to dine with elderly relatives wearing a miniskirt.

I stammered and stuttered, pulling at my cardigan and jeans, wondering why I should worry about being judged by someone whose collar was stiffer than a traffic cone. Then I noticed she was clutching what looked like a minty fresh newspaper. The year on the date-line of the tabloid said 1903.

My heart began to race. Should I freak out, or just faint?

I did the latter.

A few centuries later, Baizid I opened my eyes and found myself inside a K-6 telephone booth, somewhere in West London. I walked out of the red box, and found my feet taking charge, moving me forward. I ended up in front of a sign that read, “The Independent” on 2, Derry Street.

Like an aeroplane on auto-pilot, I entered the headquarters of the newspaper and found myself sitting at the back of a conference room.

People in suits who looked important were discussing something like “going compact.” The calendar on the wall was from 2003. I should have asked myself how on earth I had managed to teleport back to the past in another country.

Instead, I found myself wondering, “how does a newspaper become ‘compact’ and more importantly, why?”

Sitting there, I had my questions answered for me without uttering a word. The size of the paper was to be shortened from the traditional broadsheet to a sleeker, more compact size, hence the name. The commuters in London, would have an easier time reading the compact paper while travelling.

What they could only guess, and I knew for sure - it proved to be a vital point and it led to a rise in popularity for the newspaper. Soon after, several other reputed papers like The Times and The Scotsman followed suit.

And I experienced the marking of a milestone in the history of newspapers since the use of colours in broadsheets.

Sabrina, Present Day “Boss, you were saying?”

I snapped out of my daydream to find myself clutching the calendar. The TMAG team stared at me, waiting for me to proceed.

“Right...let’s talk about going compact.”

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Written in the stars

Learning Long distance Considering the question of quality education especially at the primary level, there are an insufficient number of schools and good teachers for kids in rural, remote, and slums areas in Bangladesh.

Grameenphone Ltd along with Jaago Foundation and Agani Systems Ltd jointly kicked off the journey of “Online School.” The initiative solely aspires to ensure their vow to provide good and productive education among these unprivileged kids. Find out more about this inspirational initiative with Saudia Afrin When learning is fun A teacher from Rayer Bazaar, Dhaka daily visits different parts of the country to teach the local kids. You might be wondering how that is possible. Have heard about distant learning and how the concept of Online School is similar to it.

In the Online School, the teachers facilitate the class from Rayer Bazaar School, Jaago Foundation through video conferencing technology with the presence of at least two moderators.

These moderators are local and being at the initial level of teaching as an apprentice help online teachers operate the class more closely and efficiently. The initiators behind these projects aspire to facilitate the moderators so that they are able to single-handedly conduct an online class in the near future, even without the presence of a teacher.

Online School is celebrating their third year, along with the students who started with Reception (a mixture of Nursery and Play Group curriculum).

“As these students grow each year, the school will start a new class for them,” added by M. Hafizur Rahman Khan, Specialist, Corporate Responsibility Engagement (CRE). He also mentioned that many local schools are on board to join the project.

To assess and compare the progress of emotional/practical intelligence development among students, as well as their personal grooming habits, the initiators ran a performance comparison between Online School and regular schools in Banani and Rayer Bazaar, after the first year of their journey.

The Online School attained the highest position along with an average GPA of 3.3725 on a scale of 4. The participants of the programme are very welcoming and aspire for a positive change in the future which makes a huge impact on the local community.

At the moment, online school is

earnestly awaiting a report conducted by a team of professors from the department of International Relations, Dhaka University. The entrepreneurs are working relentlessly to achieve new goals including taking more corrective measures in curriculum, making more content for Online School and make it even bigger.

Shedding some light on their future plans, M. Hafizur Rahman Khan , CRE said, “We want the project to sustain and ensure it’s working properly.”

Siad Arefeen, Ummay Tanjina Payel, Mahmmudur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman, Ayasha Hasi and Ananya Islam were all participants of the online school programme. They were all honoured and glad to have been a part of this wonderful project. n

We have targeted the remote areas where underprivileged children do not have the opportunity to go to a regular school. We have used our resources and connectivity to overcome the barriers to provide them with quality (instead of elementary) education. We are hopeful that this initiative will create an example across the nation that communication can overcome any boundaries. Our goal here is to make education the best it can be and continue working towards ‘Internet for all,’ leaving no one behind - Debashis Roy, head of Corporate Responsibility, Grameenphone Ltd.

Facts about the school • •

•

•

In August 2011, the first Online School started off only with 80 Students.

Currently, there are 10 schools located in Gazipur, Gaibandha, Rajshahi, Madaripur Bandarban, Teknaf, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Hobigonj and Laxmipur with 699 students.

Grameenphone has been financing the project by providing free Internet service, while Agni is offering Internet solutions free of cost.

Beside using the video conferencing technology with at least 1.5MBPS data speed (duplex), the kids are familiar with laptops, web cams, sound systems, large screen TVs and sketch boards.

Photos Courtesy

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YOU WRITE IT

Book

fiction

TMAG brings you a list of books from a few fresh yet popular writers. Enjoy reading!

Alapon Ashtami Pias Majid

Camu, Marquez, Elias o Ananno Marquez

Facebook Statuser Kobitara Tarif Mohammed Khan

DREAMS

Sheehan, a 19-year old boy, was born to a less than modest family who lived on the edge of poverty. Regardless, they had high hopes for Sheehan’s future. However, his passion lied in singing. Unfortunately, being the son of the man who was the headmaster of the school in his village, everyone expected him to become an educated man, like his father; “perhaps a professor,” so said his father. But till he passed his HSC exam, he had just proved himself as a mediocre student.

Never wanting to compete his father’s decision of his future, Sheehan hardly ever brought up the topic of pursuing professional singing. He did once, leaving his father laughing and saying: “Don’t be foolish boy!

Education is the only achievement in the world.”

After that Sheehan never brought it up again. But his father’s decision never truly deferred him from his passion. At times when he was alone or with friends, he used to sing his heart out, practising to get better.

After finishing his HSC exams, the he decided to shift to Dhaka to continue

his studies there. His father had saved up to send him off, but Sheehan had thought over it and stood his ground once and for all; only studying would never make him great.

He decided to talk and reason with his father which he was always scared to do. He thought it was best to do so during New Year’s Eve. The occasion symbolised new hope for him. But his father was not an understanding man; to him only his reasons seemed to matter, so his answer to Sheehan was simple: “You will do what I tell you, or you will no longer be my son.”

Breaking his father’s heart and of all those who loved him, Sheehan took the most important decision of his life; off he went to Dhaka, without a penny to his name, or a family to support him. He knew dreams don’t come true easily, however, he believed that one day when he would be accomplished and famous, he would be able to persuade his father to realise that he had taken the right decision. Now, Sheehan looks forward to his long hard journey; we cannot help but wish him well. Akib Sarwar

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10 tmag Goodsheet Undressed Kim Cesarion Am C I feel hazy G F Why is everything black and white?

Am C I feel dizzy G F Like my effing head is full of dynamite Am C Jump in my Mercedes G F But it isn’t quite driving right Am C I don’t get it, I’m not drunk G F A million people in the place and there you are And I was like Am C Hi my name is G F Whatever you call me Am C So let’s get undressed G F Cause you look a little lonely Am C I’ll make you scream yeah, I’ll make you laugh G F Cover your body with my autograph Am C So let’s get undressed G F Cause I wanna see you naked

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Play it forward

1 Be my baby Ariana Grande (feat Cashmere Cat) 2 Kabira (unplugged) Arijit Singh 3 Do I wanna know?

Arctic Monkeys 4 Alvida James 5 100 years Five for Fighting 6 Come and get it Moya 7 hokhi Bhabona Kake Bole Studio58 feat Jannat 8 Massaka Brain Mainland 9 Bhalo achi, bhalo theko Chamok and Rabbi 10 Lost!

Coldplay

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Stereo

Music news

Spilled Ink? Finnish symphonic metal band, Nightwish, has made its name globally and has been building its image since 1996. Every journey has its bumps and Nightwish has had their fair share of them. However recently, a new controversy has come to light

Their new single “Elan,” was set to be released on February 13 as the debut single of their upcoming album ‘”Endless Forms Most Beautiful.” But recently, said single had been leaked.

On their Facebook page, the band had posted a screenshot of a woman uploading a link to the unreleased track with the caption “People, not like this please.”

This action definitely stirred up trouble within and outside the fan base, with fans sending the “leaker” hate mails, threats, etc. Fans also pointed out how the band should not have brought

any publicity to the leak, thereby only making it worse for them. This went on to the extent where the band posted a heated status on their page stating in caps-lock that it was not their intention to attack an individual “BUT TO RAISE AWARENESS THAT SPREADING UNRELEASED PROPERTY THROUGH INTERNET IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ANY ARTIST WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN…” Obviously the anger and disappointment relayed in the post, again stirred up some trouble and upset fans. This lead to another status (a calmer one) being

posted, relaying a statement by Tuomas, founder of the band. It was mentioned that such an incident “is a huge blow to the wonderful mystery which is surrounding the impending release of [their] new music.” Further, he stated that the band cares most about its music and the impact it has on people, thus keeping that in mind, he urged everyone to avoid giving ears to the leak. He concluded saying that there’s a lesson to be learnt for all sides and that he hopes everyone will have calmed down. Zubaida Rana Rahman

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Film 101

SCI-FI FILM in the making There are namely two types of science fiction films: Those which take place in a barren, postapocalyptic future, and those which take place in a “pleasant,” non-post-apocalyptic scenario.

It’s astoundingly easy to reenact the dystopian future in sci-fi films!

deciding factors, we can move on to the theme.

Post-apocalyptic movie Filming has to be done in the desert. One of the deadliest futuristic weapon is the “Atomic Sand bomb,” which, when detonated, is able to reduce entire cities to sand within seconds. As luck would have it, these weapons aren’t very radioactive, and the affected areas are often marked with “Stay away” signs and a green camera filter showing the audience that there is something “off” about the place.

Portraying the ultra-modern utopian future is where it gets a little tricky because there always must be a twist.

Alien Movie Hostile aliens are invading Earth and it’s up to some guy with a chiseled jaw and huge muscles to save the planet! Aliens come is different shape, size and form, here are some prime examples:

Non post-apocalyptic future Filming could be done in downtown Canada. There are some really clean cities in Canada, which gives off a “Big Brother” vibe. You know, because Big Brother has OCD and he spends billions each year for aircraft to fly around town and dump pools of clean water and detergent to keep the city squeaky clean. A wide array of filters can be used to show how meticulous the city really is.

There is a definitive pattern here; sci-fi is all about extremes. Either the future is really dirty or it’s really clean, there is no in-between. The cars are either junked up 1950 Chevy Impalas with a heap of metal bolted on top or they are super sleek Audis with no wheels gliding down the highway at 300 miles per hour. The houses can be depicted as old barns with a broken roof, daylight pouring into the living room or towering skyscrapers standing tall and proud, sunlight gleaming off its surface as if the building is announcing in a deep baritone “You can’t touch this!”

Now that we have our two main

Bug parasite This one is out there, countless cheesy movies and conspiracy theories has moved the body snatching creepy crawlers at the top of the “must make a movie about it” list. These ungodly creatures come to earth in melon sized space shuttles, crash landing in some remote place where one brave soul ventures to see what all the ruckus is about. Alas! the parasite crawls inside the noble gentleman and starts infecting others, multiplying at an alarming rate.

Skinny grey alien with a huge head This type of alien is supposedly based on “real life” descriptions from witnesses who enjoy brewing their own beer, shooting at street lights and yelling “YEE HAA!” whenever it tickles their fancy.

These aliens come to Earth, sets up camp (no one knows where), and methodically starts to infiltrate the top Government offices in the world. Don’t forget, they can change forms! Finally when their plan of invading the rustic planet is at its peak, some hot-shot officer takes it upon himself to rid us of these invaders. Bye bye little green people.

Time Travel Movie The baddie goes back to the past to really mess up the future. He changes a rather insignificant bit of event that results in him being the supreme king of the universe

or something like that. The point is, the protagonist now has to travel back in time in order to “fix” the world and bring it back to its natural state.

The villain always takes a present day technology to the past that astounds and bemuses the past folks, who, as history portrays, are not the sharpest tools in the shed. The hero arrives shortly afterward, severely conflicted and taking a tremendous amount of time “adjusting” to the change in time continuum. Meanwhile, the baddie has been up to his evil schemes to dominate the world in the future, or was it present?

Always a step behind, the hero finally gets a shot to take out the bad guy, preventing him from changing the future but wait, there is more. The protagonist interacts with the people and his surrounding because, let’s face it, only the

baddie can affect the future.

Killer Robot Movie Big giant robots! RUN for your lives or don’t, attempt to negotiate with them and see if they play nice and try not to invade Earth. Now that the bureaucrats have figured out all that peace talk was rubbish and the killer robots had ulterior motives all along, they decide to engage the military to take on the giant robots. After firing ten thousand rounds or so, the good army folks realise the robots are bullet proof!

After everything else fails, the hero gets other killer robots to turn on their species and take them out one by one until only the leader of the invading army of robots remain.

Just before the evil robot leader “dies,” he shares a very perceptive conversation with the protagonist, usually always ending with the promise “I’ll be back.” asm foysal

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teenarama

Love guru Q

TMAG presents, Lola and Mr. Twist to aid you in all of your romantic endeavours. Send in your love/ relationship/crush problems and have them take a stab at it

I care for my boyfriend, a lot. I love spending time with him whenever we get the opportunity but what’s bugging me is that, he always prefers and at times, pressurises me to hangout at my place. He feels it is more convenient that way. On the other hand,

Mr. Twist: So you are in a relationship with A. A cheapskate who won’t take you out, B. A weirdo who fails to register what his girlfriend might want (sorry about my “words” but I couldn’t help it). I believe you

my parents are cool with having guy friends over but I don’t want them to be suspicious about me having a boyfriend. No matter how open they are, it just doesn’t feel right. What should I do?

-Girlfriend of a weirdo

are right to think that it becomes a burden at one point of time. Tell your boyfriend how you feel and make him aware of your position at home. He will try to change if he really cares about you.

Lola: Well, seems like you haven’t talked to your boyfriend about this. If you do want to go out, then please speak up and let him know. Don’t expect him to read your hesitation and your anger, in case you are bottling it all up inside. Maybe he is the

type who prefers being comfy with you at home.

It’s either that, or he has a sorry wallet. If that bothers you too much, leave him be and find yourself a Batman.

Send us your love related problems at tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com Or message us on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/dhakatribunetmag

Take TMAG’s PERSONALITY QUIZ Now!

Question 1 What do you do on a weekend? a) Dress up, put on heels, head out on the town b) Sit at home watch a marathon of favourite TV show c) Spend some quality time with the family, read a book d) Sleep Question 2 What’s your favourite food? a) Fuchka b) Coffee c) I’m on a strict diet of carrots and peas. d) Bread Question 3 What’s your ideal holiday destination? a) The Swiss Alps b) Egypt c) Los Angeles d) Cox’s Bazar

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What kind of publication are you?

Question 4 If you could have any of these super powers what would they be: a) Fly b) Super strength c) Eat excessive amounts without getting fat d) Have a mixture of all the super powers in the world.

Question 5 What kind of music do you listen to? a) Classical b) Blues/Jazz c) Rock/Pop d) I listen to all kinds of music Question 6 What is your favourite colour? a) White b) Grey c) Violet d) Orange Question 7 If your life were a movie, which of these movies would it be based on?

a) The Mummy Returns b) Back To The Future c) Blast From The Past d) Ocean’s 12 Question 8 When flipping through channels you’re most likely to stop and watch a) The News b) A Telenovella c) A trailer for a movie d) Random and funny adverts Question 9 Best way to spend time online a) Browse online stores b) Reading news sites c) Catching up on celebrity gossip blogs d) Planning holidays in advance Question 10 What’s your favourite carbonated soft drink? a) Mirinda b) Mountain Dew c) Sprite d) Coke

Mostly A’s: Daily Newspaper You are dedicated to contemporary culture and society. There is not a single event that goes past you, much like the Reuters, you have eyes and ears everywhere. You are a socialite.

Mostly B’s: Magazine You are a person whose stronghold is cheeky sense of humour used in the darkest of times.

Mostly C’s: Blog You feed on celebrity gossip with the hot and snazzy trends that everyone’s following these days.

You are a person who commands the stage on related matters.

Mostly D’s: TMAG A self made magazine and a complete concoction of all the right things. Specifically chosen, handpicked and then muddled together in a flavour of familiarity to infuse an aroma of authenticity brewed together in simplistic beauty. That defines you!

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