Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 45

Dhaka Tribune | vo l 2 I ssu e 45 | F R I D AY, M arch 27, 2015

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OBE awardee

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Uniquely local

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Yamin Khan

CONTENTS

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Volume 2 | Issue 45 | March 27, 2015 News 2 News 3 Meanwhile Editor Zafar Sobhan

Features

Features Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Asst Magazine Editor Farina Noireet Weekend Tribune Team Farhana Urmee Faisal Mahmud Tausif Sanzum Sakib Mridha

6 Feature OBE awardee

4 Feature

12 Feature Tools of the trade 14 Origin Story Uniquely local 15 Tea with WT Shahid Hussain Shamim

Handmade paper

17 Event Poetry competition 20 Funnybone Yamin Khan

Contributors N Anita Amreen Syed Zakir Hossain Reema Islam Yamin Khan Dina Sobhan Cartoon Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Graphics Md Mahbub Alam Tahsin Momin Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Advertisement Zia Ur Rahman Production Masum Billah Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel Website dhakatribune.com/weekend facebook.com/WeekendTrib Email your letters to: weekend@dhakatribune.com

Regulars 16 Tough Love 18 Stay In 19 Go Out

9 Photo story

About the cover

I am made in Bangladesh

Editor’s note Dear Readers, We just observed the 44th anniversary of our Independence Day, and at Dhaka Tribune, our celebrations have been on a Made in Bangladesh theme. Transitioning from the laurels of achievers to the everyday tales that make up the fabric of the narrative that is Bangladesh, this issue is dedicated to those people who are striving towards economic independence for the country.

We meet Shahid Hussain Shamim, the scary driver who gives you a tour of Dhaka like no other. We see how Haridash Shaha took a look at something we throw away and found a way to make something we can all use, reducing waste, creating jobs

and making some beautiful products all at the same time. We pay our respects to those tiny workshops that build the tools which drive our industries forward. Our photo story this week is about all the many people across the country that contribute to keeping it running in countless ways. We’ve also sat down for a chat with Shiban Akbar, awardee for her stellar work in putting Muslim women in the spotlight in the UK. Finish off on a light note with some poetry, and some tongue-in-cheek observations of some quirks that are also made in Bangladesh.

Have a happy week!

-Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Flying Spirits Celebrations over the National Parade Ground Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

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2 News | This week

The world at a glance Weekend Tribune Desk

Plane crash kills 150 people in French Alps

A German jetliner took an unexplained eight-minute dive Tuesday midway through a flight from Spain to Germany, apparently killing all 150 people on board.

The Airbus A320 operated by Germanwings, a budget subsidiary of Lufthansa, was less than an hour from landing in Duesseldorf on a flight from Barcelona when it unexpectedly went into a rapid descent. The pilots sent out no distress call and had lost radio contact with their control centre, France’s aviation authority

said, deepening the mystery.

While investigators searched through debris from Flight 9525 on steep and desolate slopes, families across Europe reeled with shock and grief.

Sobbing relatives at both airports were led away by airport workers and crisis counsellors.

“The site is a picture of horror.

The grief of the families and friends is immeasurable,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said after being flown over the crash scene. “We must now stand together.

We are united in our great grief.”

It took investigators hours to reach the site, led by mountain guides to the craggy ravine in the southern French Alps, not far from the Italian border and the French Riviera.

Photo: AFP

Obama praises Singapore’s long-time leader as a visionary President Barack Obama is paying tribute to modern Singapore’s founding leader, calling him a “giant of history” as well as one of the great strategists of Asian affairs.

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first and longest-serving prime minister, died at age 91. Obama met with him during a trip to Singapore in 2009 and credited the former prime minister Sunday with helping him reshape US policy toward Asia. Obama described

Lee as a visionary and a “remarkable leader’ who led Singapore from its independence in 1965 to its days as one of the world’s most prosperous nations.

Lee was both admired for Singapore’s efficient government, economic growth and safe streets – and feared for having jailed political rivals for decades without trial and for cracking down on protests and the press.

Pope finally gets his pizza – albeit hand-delivered Pope Francis, who recently lamented he can’t slip out and get a pizza like he used to, finally got a pie – albeit one hand-delivered to his popemobile.

Pizza maker Enzo Cacialli had a pie on hand as Francis sped by the Naples waterfront Saturday during his one-day visit to the city famous for its pizza. In a video made by a co-worker at the “Don Ernesto” pizzeria, Cacialli is seen getting close enough to the popemobile to make the delivery as the crowd behind him cheers.

Cacialli, whose father made pizza for a visiting President Bill Clinton in

1994, told Naples’ Il Mattino that he used yellow tomatoes rather than red to reflect the colours of the Holy See. He said he was “full of joy that he accepted a pizza straight from my hands.”

In a recent interview with a Mexican broadcaster, Francis said what he misses most being pope is going out to get a pizza. Now, he eats in the communal dining room of the Vatican hotel, serving himself cafeteria-style like the rest of the guests at dinner.

Photo: AP

China gives ‘priority list’ of wanted officials to US The Chinese government has provided a “priority” list to the United States of Chinese officials suspected of corruption and are believed to have fled there, a top state-run newspaper said on Wednesday.

Last year, Chinese officials said more than 150 “economic fugitives”, many of them described as corrupt government officials, were in the United States.

Xu Jinhui, head of the anti-graft

bureau at the state prosecutor, told the official China Daily that “a priority list of alleged Chinese corrupt officials” believed to be at large in the United States has been provided to US authorities.

Most suspected corrupt officials overseas either worked for the government or state-owned enterprises and took bribes or embezzled public funds, Xu said.

China says it agrees with India to maintain border peace China and India have agreed to maintain peace and tranquillity along their Himalayan border while they work on resolving a long-festering boundary dispute, China’s foreign ministry said after talks in New Delhi.

The talks are aimed at fixing a dispute over the border that divides Asia’s largest nations, part of a push to make progress on the festering row before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits China.

China’s foreign ministry said in a statement released on Monday that both countries would build on the results of previous negotiations and push forward in “the correct direction”.

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“Both sides reiterated the appropriate management and control of the dispute and joint maintenance of the peace and tranquillity of the border region before the border issue is resolved,” the ministry said.

As major neighbours and developing countries, the development of relations is good for both peoples as well as for regional and global peace and development, it said.

“Both sides ought to work together to push for practical cooperation in all areas, and further increase coordination on global and international issues.”

Two abducted Bangladeshis freed in Libya Two Bangladeshi workers abducted in Libya by suspected Islamic State militants have been freed after more than two weeks, Dhaka said on Wednesday.

They were among a group of nine people including four Filipinos and an Austrian reportedly taken hostage in southern Libya this month in an attack blamed on the jihadist group.

The two Bangladeshis were released on Tuesday and were in good health, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

They spent the night at a local hospital and were due to travel to Tripoli on Wednesday.

At least eight guards were killed in the attack on the Al-Ghani oilfield in southern Libya on March 7.

Bangladesh initially blamed the Islamic State group for the abduction, but a junior foreign minister later said no militant group had claimed responsibility.

An estimated 30,000 Bangladeshis are believed to be working in Libya.

The country has been awash with weapons since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi, and opposing militias have since been battling to control its cities and oil wealth.

There are two rival governments and parliaments – those recognised by the international community sitting in the far east and the others in the capital backed by Fajr Libya.

News: AFP

meanwhile ... | News

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Say what?

Photo of the week

Worker fired over ISIS lip tattoo

“Claiming property” A couple of painters at work as they paint in big, bold letters, the name of the property’s new owner across its surrounding wall in Baipail, Savar.

Photo: Sakib Mridha

Did you know?

Putting the ‘Bang’ in Spider-man Spider-Man was once assisted in his heroic adventures by a Bangladeshi!

Tara Virango, who later comes to be known as Enigma in the series, is a Bangladeshi-born Buddhist superheroine who first appeared in Peter Parker: Spider-Man (Volume 2) #48. In the story, she hails from the village Malpura, where one AGK Inc had tested a CIA-commissioned intelligent metal nano-virus capable of enhancing latent mutant abilities. This resulted in death of four thousand villagers, which Tara miraculously survives, the virus “infecting” her with superhuman powers, including superhuman strength, durability and agility. .

Apparently she can also teleport, can nullify SpiderMan’s spider-sense and either carries or generates a large number of scarves and lotus flowers. To top it all off, she has some unspecified mental abilities and is likely to possess some mystical connection with the Buddhist Goddess Tara. In the series, the

A worker claims to have been fired because of his ISIS tattoo, inked on the inside of his lip.

But Kirk Soccorso, who worked at a Home Depot store in New York, insists that his tattoo is not a pledge of allegiance to the vile terrorist militants.

The now unemployed man claims he got the controversial tattoo four years ago when dating a girl named after the Egyptian goddess of nature.

“I feel a little lost,” he said. “It was a good paying job.

“I want a chance for my job back.”

Soccorso claims he was unaware until recently that the term ISIS was used in referring to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, currently carrying out atrocities across the two nations within its name.

A spokesman for Home Depot however claims the decision to give Soccorso the sack was not based just on the tattoo.

In a statement, a spokesman said that the decision was taken due to a “personnel issue.”

News and photo: CNN Online

red and yellow scarves used by Enigma symbolises Buddhist goddess Tara’s fierce and violent aspect.

In her quest to take revenge against AGK, she moves to New York and adopts the identity of Enigma and steals the $50mn Star of Persia diamond from AGK vaults. The plan was to wrench $50mn from AGK to be paid to the Malpura survivors as compensation, in return for the diamond. Meanwhile, she telepathically contacts Spider-Man and shares her experience of the Malpura disaster; Spidey quite literally gets visions of the thousands of people dying from the virus attack. After a shaky start, the two of them collaborate and battle Corman, AGK’s security, who eventually infects himself with the nano-virus turning into Virus and escapes.

Story: Samira Sadeque

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4 Feature | Hand made paper

From trash to treasure Farhana Urmee

T

he stem of a banana tree, a waste product after harvesting the fruit, can be useful round the year. That which was previously considered a neglected and unnoticed object, can be transformed in to probably the most useful of products – paper – which can be hand made from the fibre of the pseudo-stem of the banana tree.

This one-of-a-kind, 100% natural paper can be used in the manufacturing of notebooks, bind books, art paper, lamp sheds, shopping bags and many more decorative items. It can also be exported as a very useful and ecofriendly craft item from Bangladesh.

Banana fiber, which is actually a leaf fibre, is collected from the stems of the tree. Bananas, a year-round fruit, are cultivated in large scales across the country, in any open space to compliment other cultivation or gardening. Thus the disposal of the banana trees, after harvest, became a big concern in waste management as the abundant tree stalks are hard to dispose overnight. Recycling banana fibre, however, is the best way to dealing with this concern.

The paper-making process

After cutting down the banana trees the pseudostem of banana trees are cut into little pieces. Then they are boiled in an organic aqueous solution for three to four hours depending on the quantity.

Once the stems are boiled, the hot water is drained from the fibre and rinsed again. The fibre is then pounded into pulp for hours with a wooden mallet. Then the pulp is stirred for a while in a wide shallow container with water. When the dilute fibre is well mixed with water, it is drained through a nylon screen. The product is then laid out to dry before being turned into sheets of paper.

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The artisan behind the process

Haridash Shaha has been making paper out of natural fibre for years.

He has worked in a non government organisation where he learned the technical aspects of dying, vegetable dye, making dry fish and food products, and other crafts too. He joined Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in 1989 after graduating and worked there for 25 years.

Haridash worked in a project which aimed to create job facilities for people with bleak prospects scope and recycling waste for useful purposes. The project aimed to create job opportunities for impoverished village women. After learning so much and investing such a long time in hand-crafts and research, Haridash did not want to change his sector of expertise and started his venture with crafts and researching crafts in 2005. “Since I have learned a host of technical aspects in crafts, I just wished to create a market for those and expected that the market too would depend on me to some extent for products,” says Haridas.

When he started making paper on his own in 2005, his motto was to start a venture where he could collect raw materials easily or from waste. He planned a production procedure which would not require electricity so that he could easily set up his production in villages without technological barriers. Now Haridash makes paper and sells them as raw material to local consumers and boutiques who further use the paper to make different handicraft items.

Besides making hand-made paper on the basis of pre-order by clients, Haridash is also involved in an ongoing government project of using banana fibre in textile production.

An environment-friendly product Since the invention of the papermaking machine in the 19th century, paper has been made out

5 of wood pulp, which also results in deforestation. Paper made out of fibre, however, is considered to be of higher quality in comparison to the one using wood pulp.

Hand-made paper needs ingredients which are abundant around us. Banana fibre is one of them, while fibre extracted from pineapple leaves, grass, bamboo and water hyacinth are also great raw materials for quality paper.

Manufacturing paper through the use of indigenous techniques is not only completely environment friendly, but also more efficient. There is no industrial wastage here while the paper itself is being made out of wast products and the entire job can be done in regular household premises in rural areas. Even by-products from the process, such as water from boiling the fibre to soften it, is not harmful to the environment and can even be cooled and re-used to water plants.

Creating employment

Through his work in a non government organisation, Haridash learned how to create job opportunities for villagers, especially the unpaid or under-paid female labourers in villages. But there was a problem with the scope of work for females. “I saw when women came to work leaving their young children at home, most of them used to remain unmindful during work.

Again, working outside of home often made them guilty about being unable to stay at home and look after their families. This would eventually lead them to discontinue work,” says Haridash.

While making hand-made paper, since the technology is authentic and indigenous, no machine or technical aspect is required to be installed in a factory, woman can take their work home, do the cutting, preparing and boiling of the fibre and and even the pounding and drying stages, all from home. So this can keep them guiltfree and their families content.

Haridash has at least one hundred workers – all female, who make paper and other crafts from home.

“Paper making is not a technique that needs to be learned through high end training or workshops,

rather it is a job that is very similar to chopping vegetables, boiling rice and smashing potatoes, which can be done thoroughly by village women like all the other day-to-day chores,” says Haridash.

The challenges faced

Haridash and a few other artisans are making paper manually from natural fibre which can advocate our indigenous technology, handicrafts and small scale stakeholders to the world. But artisans like Haridash cannot produce paper in massive scales in comparison to machinemade paper. Again, where human labour is directly involved in production, the cost of making the paper increases. “Crafts is not a concept that can be available at a cheap price, since artisans and workers are using their skills, creativity, knowledge and labour in the creation of the product, which should not be compared to machinemade products,” thinks Haridash.

Entrepreneurs are already investing in small cottage industries of the country. The Government is also giving easy loans, facilitating research and providing other support too. But there is yet more to be done to raise awareness about using deshi products, promoting handicrafts and taking the country to the world through crafts. Countries like India and Nepal also make paper manually, but they often have smart tools to cut the paper, which makes the whole process faster. The Government can provide support in developing such minor technology which can be helpful in the production process.

Haridash has yet not exported his hand made products directly in the international market. He feels his shortcoming of producing paper in big volume is a drawback in exporting. “If the government notices this promising sector of recycling fibre into paper by centralising workers and artisans, hand-made paper has a huge potential to becoming a very popular export item. Furthermore, for domestic use, government can subsidise the sector by becoming a regular customer and consumer of hand-made paper,” thinks Haridash. n

Did you know?

•

First paper was made in China

•

First sheet of paper was made from Mulberry

•

Paper printed money was introduced in 960-1279 CE Earliest reference of paper mill

•

is found in medieval Islamic world •

It took till 19th century to produce paper in continuous roll other than in individual sheets

Photos: Courtesy

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6

Feature | OBE awardee

Shiban Akbar:

a BritishBangladeshi shaking up the status quo Shiban Akbar, a British Bangladeshi based in Oxford was recently appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Civil Division by HM The Queen in 2012 for her outstanding contribution to the Muslim community in the UK. At an investiture held in July 2014 at the Buckingham Palace, she received her Honour from HRH the Prince of Wales himself.

N Anita Amreen

A

kbar has more accolades to her name than the title alone conveys. As a woman of Bangladeshi origin, from the very offset she has broken stereotypes and has helped advance the case for Muslim-friendly policy across UK government departments and the public sector. From the Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to New Scotland Yard – they have all consulted her on several issues related to Muslim needs. On her feelings regarding the honour, she said: “‘Alhamdulillah’ all Praise is due to Allah. It is a huge privilege and an honour and I am grateful to the British Crown for considering me worthy of such a recognition. While my parents and my husband were thrilled at the news, I was in a state of disbelief for a long time. I find it hard to believe still. I miss my late ‘Nanu’ (maternal grandfather AKMN Alam).

He would’ve been so very pleased.”

A nonconformist

In the UK, one 2007 study found that 91% of articles in national newspapers about Muslims were negative. For Muslim women, stereotypes run Photo: Courtesy

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even deeper – they face a dual problem: a general lack of fair media representation because they are women and misinterpretation because they are Muslim.

Shiban has shattered any such stereotype from the onset. Not only has she stood tall and proud as a Muslim Bangladeshi alone, she has also made consistent efforts to challenge, break and reshape stereotypes associated with the Muslim community at large. From building tolerance between different religious, ethnic, and racial groups to advocating cases for minorities, Shiban’s diverse background in teaching and training has helped her make significant contributions to the British community at large. When asked about her illustrious journey and how she keeps herself, she stated, “I am very driven. Either work finds me or I find work. ‘Through many a mountain high and countless rivers deep’, my journey has been manifold.

It has been quite a journey but several roads remain untravelled.”

Academic achievements

Hailing from Bangladesh, Shiban is

7

Photo: Bigstock

an alumna of Holy Cross College and the University of Dhaka. Standing first in all four examinations in the Humanities section, in 1986 she also topped the BA Honours exams in English Literature. She finally went on to get an M.Phil in English Studies from Somerville College, University of Oxford and a Cambridge CELTA (Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults). She even ventured into educational consultancy, teaching and developing academic courses and modules for Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, University of Gloucestershire and Oxford Brookes University. Her consultancy consists of toolkit development, video and audio case studies and stewards’ training for Islamic multimedia exhibition for 27 linguistic backgrounds. What’s more is she implemented needsbased participatory development programmes for Asian women and youth in Oxford as well as London.

When asked about her Bangladeshi-British status and if it has been an obstacle or an asset, she believes it’s neither: “Bangladesh

is my country of birth and Britain is my adoptive country. Both are part of the layers of identity I have and will always have, more as a natural process rather than a conscious effort to integrate the two. Life is full of obstacles and I’ve had a fair share of them too but I don’t know if they had anything to do with my twofold status.”

A professional consultant, trainer, assessor and bespoke product developer for the third and statuary sectors, she has worked extensively with several UK regions. Providing training on everything from “community cohesion” to “Culture and Race relations training”, Shiban’s diverse professional history has paved the way for her to help create positive change in the community and rise above stereotypes. Shiban believes in keeping herself busy to constantly empower and educate minorities: “I feel I have to justify my time on earth.

I just try to do what needs to be done and I have been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. The people I’ve served felt comfortable with me and responded to my efforts. There is no good in keeping

knowledge or privilege to yourself if it can’t benefit those who haven’t had the same opportunities.”

Going beyond in bringing welfare to others

In the 90s, after gaining experience in training in basic counselling skills and self-harm in youth, she single handedly spearheaded a pilot Drop-in Surgery project for ethnic minorities and refugee women in East Oxford, overseen by Oxfordshire County Council. At that time, there was absolutely no other service of the kind, and Shiban was the first one to sense and fulfil the imminent need for such a service. The initiative’s ultimate goal was to consciously asses the real needs of women and then pave a path for long term projects that could help sustain them in the long run. Despite the fact that the programme was meant for a specific clientèle, Shiban not only served women, she also served white women, Asian as well as Muslim men who came to the surgery seeking advice, information, guidance as well as referrals. The impact this programme had was immense – it

Served as:

• An independent candidate on the Selection Board of Her Majesty’s Prison Services to appoint the Muslim Prison Advisor • A committee member on the National Council for the Welfare of Muslim Prisoners (NCWMP) • A Foreign & Commonwealth Office delegate to Bangladeshi • A Faith delegate at Buckhingham Palace • A delegate at Windsor St Georges’ Chapel with Her Majesty The Queen in attendance • A delegate to the Royal Navy HQ, HMS Victory and HMS Richmond, at the invitation of the Second Sea Lord

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8 Feature | OBE awardee Shiban’s personal favourite quote:

• I don’t have only one favourite quote. So I’ll give you my own which has relevance to the current climate of Bangladesh: • “Learn from your past and move on. Hatred, hostility and oppression have never done anyone any good. Your history is not only your past but also what you do with your present.”

provided both social and educational empowerment to people from all walks of life, especially people who suffered from domestic violence, depression, social disaffection and even those who contemplated suicide. One of the most challenging part of her counselling session was her ability to provide suicide prevention counselling. Ethnic minority youth and women were the ones who benefited most from her boundless efforts to rehabilitate them. The highlight of her efforts was when she successfully liased with law enforcement authorities in a different UK region to aid a victim of domestic violence escape her in-laws’ house.

The young woman was not only held captive for an indefinite period of time, she was also forbidden from contacting her Oxford based family.

From 1995-97, Shiban was coopted and then elected to Oxford Citizen’s Advice Bureau Committee.

At that time she helped make “Action for Blind,” a mobile bus unit advice surgery for the visually impaired visit a Muslim centre in Stoke Newington, London. The event got local media coverage and garnered massive positive response from the local community. Her efforts allowed a service provider to gain access to a disadvantaged community and identify the types of challenges target groups from the community faced when planning for the future.

According to her if there were three ways to foster understanding in diverse communities, they are: “A genuine commitment to foster understanding rather than simply paying lip-service to it; demonstrate respect for others and their way of life even though it may be different from your own; implement transparent and effective policies based on consultation.”

From 2006 to 2011 Shiban also acted as the associate of Community Development Foundation (CDF), the leading national organisation in community development and engagement in the UK. Under this role she also worked as an assessor for five UK government funds, assessing grant applications, conducting visit-assessment of organisations

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Photo: Bigstock

and academic bodies for evaluating effectiveness, identifying problems and providing remedies.

Interestingly, she also worked as a consultant for BRAC Bangladesh and helped review pilot an urban street children project in Mirpur and Dalpotti. In this capacity she delivered bespoke staff training in capacity building in “Child-centred approach” and “Good Practice in Behaviour Management of Children” as well as social enrichment workshops for children in both locations.

As a leading speaker in several conferences and seminars, Shiban provides interviews on social issues and actively writes about religion and society. Furthermore, she holds advisory roles and has served as a delegate in the UK and elsewhere, facilitated national conferences and also chaired committees with a national remit and organised professional networking and community cohesion events. Most importantly, Shiban was the Vice Chair of the Advisory Group for an independent review of the training provisions for Imams and Muslim faith leaders in the UK, commissioned under the Labour Government.

In 2014 Shiban was one of the signatories to the religious leaders anti-female genital mutilation declaration represented by all faiths in the UK. In the wake of the ISIL threats to the holy places in Karbala and Najaf, a joint declaration by British Sunni and Shia Muslim organisation calling for “Protection of Shrines and Places of Worship in Iraq” in July 2014 was Shiban’s brainchild. The main aim was to combat sectarianism between Shia and Sunni groups in the UK and to give out a clear message that the shrines in Iraq are revered not only by Shia’s but also very much by Sunni’s.

She is the published author of two children’s books and frequently contributes to a global e-interfaith forum.

Recognition for her work

Shiban was awarded with the OBE, the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, the British order of knighthood instituted in 1917 by King George V to reward both civilian and military wartime service. Today the Order of the British Empire is the order of chivalry of British democracy.

Currently the order is used to reward service in a huge range of activities, and valuable service is no longer the only criterion for the award. Shiban Akbar was honoured with this award for her services rendered to the United Kingdom and its people.

As an incredibly energetic visionary and a talented changemaker, Shiban Akbar is an exceptional woman who doesn’t allow gender, faith or even geographical boundaries stop her from using her identity to bravely pave the way for herself and work for causes she truly believes in.

She really is the ultimate embodiment of a woman who has held strongly to her identity as a Muslim Bangladeshi while overturning conventional roles to rise above stereotypes. However, before anything else, she claims that she is first and foremost a Muslim woman and those ideals have shaped who she is today: “Islamic ideals and my upbringing have primarily shaped me. However, my shortcomings are mine. My Bengali roots are part of that small tapestry that is my life.” Not only has she blazed an extraordinary path for herself, she has also represented Bangladesh and given her motherland reason to take a minute, pause and proudly claim, that she is “Made in Bangladesh.” n

Photo: Courtesy

Areas of training include • Community Cohesion • Culture and Communication • Interpersonal Communications Skills/Conflict management • Learning point for Muslim community and police liason: Culture & race relations • Staff training in diversity awareness for Her Majesty’s Youth Offenders Institute • Road safety awareness for youth workers • Understanding Islam and Outreach to Asian Youth • Women in Islam • On Islam and British muslims for final year Church of England trainee priests

I am made in Bangladesh | Photo story

9

Garment workers singing the National Anthem on Independence day 2014

Threads in the fabric Photos by Syed Zakir Hossain

We are a country that is slowly, yet steadily making economical, technological and social progress in the world arena. Bangladeshis around the world and within the country are being noticed through the hard work that they put in their various fields of expertise and are proud to claim their heritage and background.

This week’s photo story feature a few moments from the lives of rural, everyday people who are the main life force of our country. Made in Bangladesh, these these men and women are those who make Bangladesh the proud nation it is today.

Turn for more photographs

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10 PHoto story | Holi

A brass artisan at work in his workshop in Dhamrai

A baul singer in Langalband, Narayanganj

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A traditional music

A fisherman in Manikganj district

cal instrument-maker in Dhamrai

11

An NGO in Dhaka trains woman in handicrafts

A female soldier during a parade

In villages across the country, a number of people live on poultry farming. This girl in Mongla district smiles holding her precious ducklings

A farmer smiles during harvest season in North Bengal

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12 Feature | Tools of the trade

Engineering dreams

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

Faisal Mahmud

E

ver wonder what people are making inside those tiny roadside workshops? With all those strange looking machinery, nerve cracking noises, oil, sweat and darkness… those are not the places you want to be unless it is needed.

Though policymakers have not paid the least attention to this sector, some 50,000 light engineering workshops, located in different major cities and townships of the country, account for around 50% of the country’s import-substituting items.

These small workshops, operated by self-motivated entrepreneurs who have never got any institutional or governmental support, are currently manufacturing products worth Tk 250 billion with local technology as import substitutes for spare parts for automobiles and major industrial sectors.

A sector with unlimited potential Experts, however, have long been saying that the turnover of the

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growing rudimentary engineering workshop industrial sector could be ten times higher, if it receives support from the government.

Just by investing another Tk 60 billion every year, they point out, the country could save Tk 650 billion in import substitutes. Also, these items could be entered in to the country’s export basket, which is confined to a very few select items, add the experts.

The crude engineering industrial units currently produce a total of 3,815 types of quality machinery, spares and accessories, including automobile spare parts, railway engine and rail line spare parts, bicycle and cycle rickshaw, machine tools, jute and textiles machinery and spare parts, machines and spare parts for chemicals, sugar and food industries, spare parts for engineering and metal industries, spare parts for the shipping industry and accessories and spare parts for agricultural machinery.

Most of the industrial units

are located in Dhaka, Chittagong, Narayanganj, Bogra, Gazipur and Kishorganj. According to an estimate, around 7 million technically educated and skilled people and innovative entrepreneurs are actively engaged in this sector.

What the data says

A study, conducted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in partnership with the UK’s Department for International Development and the Norwegian government, shows that the sector employs 600,000 people involved in 50,000 micro enterprises, and 10,000 small and medium enterprises.

Another study, conducted by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), however, estimates that the sector comprises around 40,000 enterprises, employing some 800,000 people.

The expert’s opinion

Professor Kamal Uddin, director of the Institute of Appropriate

Technology (IAT) at BUET, said, “With a little help from the government, Bangladesh can not only meet the local demand, but can also earn billions of dollars by exporting light engineering products. Around 90% of light engineering industries are serving local needs. The consumers of light engineering products and services are both the public and private sectors. With appropriate incentives from the government, we can move into the next stage of exporting these products.”

Listing Bangladesh’s industrial facilities – ranging from a competitive, easily trainable workforce to investment-friendly policies – he said many spare parts could be produced here for many giant economies in the world thanks to the availability of such facilities. “Full-scale exportoriented light engineering industries can be developed here.”

Prof Kamal said: “There are a pool of skilled workers all across country the and if the government can train them with modern technology

13

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

and the financial institutions can provide them with loans for support, the sector can earn a lot of foreign currency, after meeting the local demand for engineering products.”

“Some workshop owners have already proved that support from government and financial institutions is vital for the sector’s growth. They have set up high-tech machines with financial aid from the government and have been providing quality spares and different tools to the big industries,” he said, but rued that the majority of them are not getting financial assistance and technological support.

Prof Kamal observed that a number of quality engineering products, including spare parts of paper and cement mills, bicycles, fancy light fittings, construction equipment, batteries, voltage stabilisers, iron chains, cast iron goods, carbon rods, automobile spares, electronic items and stainless steel ware, have been going to foreign markets on direct and subcontracting terms.

Referring to the apparel industry,

the BUET academic said the sector, alone, accounts for 80 per cent of the country’s total exports, adding that this was not safe for Bangladesh.

“Light engineering products have the potential to be the next big export item and proper measures should be taken to create incentives for the sector.”

The industry people blame lack of investment

People connected to the industry, however, complained that the main impediment for the sector’s growth, was inadequate investment. Bank loans that can meet the needs of this sector are still not available.

Benedict Gomez, owner of Seven Star Engineering, said he had applied for two loans to two different banks.

“I heard there were some collateralfree bank loan opportunities for this sector and I applied to expand my business. But, I still haven’t got them because of some complications in the procedures.”

Sheikh Mohammad Delwar Hossain, owner of Aziz Metal Engineering Works and joint

secretary-general of the Bangladesh Engineering Owners’ Association (BEIOA), said many foreign investors have expressed interest to invest in this sector under joint collaboration, but because of the scarcity of land and other facilities, they have not made much progress.

Hossain said in Bangladesh, light engineering firms are operating in various clusters in different districts.

Despite repeated appeals by the BEIOA, no single common facility centre (CFC) has been established in any cluster. “Establishing CFCs is vital for upgrading the technological edge of the light engineering sector,” he said.

BEIOA president Abdur Razzaque said they have already submitted a proposal to the government seeking assistance so that the light engineering industry can flourish.

“The sector only needs support in terms of land availability, appropriate technology, access to finance, availability of raw materials and a consortium of the small workshop owners. We do not need aid from the government or foreign donors.

If the government provides policy support, the sector will show how it can change the country’s economic status,” he said.

“It is a matter of frustration for us that if we do not upgrade and improve our own engineering industries within a short period, foreign products, made with better technology, will dominate the market at cheaper prices,” the BEIOA president said, adding that some foreign companies have set up offices in Bangladesh to promote their branded products, which are already being manufactured by the owners of local workshops and are being sold at cheaper prices.

About the complications in receiving bank loans, Razzaque said the central bank had received loans worth Tk. 500 crore from Japan, at a rate of 0.01 per cent, but the leasing and financing institutions have taken these from the central bank at 5 per cent and are lending them out to the light engineering manufacturers at 18 per cent. “There can’t be sustainable development with such high interest rates,” he cautioned. n

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14 Origin Story | Uniquely local

The Odd Fish Menu Rice, lentils, bhortas and shutkis: a common spread on a Bangladeshi dinner table. Now add a twist of flavours and use sticky rice which has been fermented, lentil ground into flour, mashed up skin of a vegetable and a fermented shutki that can easily claim to be the odd fish in this line up of Bizarre Foods of Bangladesh. We review some of the oddest favourites across the country Reema Islam Kalai er Ruti

The perfect dal makhani with raw onions, plain yoghurt and a huge naan ranks amongst the top favourites on any Indian menu, but it is a lesser known fact that the Urad daal, an essential ingredient of dal makhani, is a leguminous pulses known as Kalai er daal in Bangladesh.

This daal enjoys a comfortable place on the official dinner tables of people from Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, where it is first ground into a powder, then mixed in a 1/5 proportion with rice flour. This flour mixture is kneaded into a dough by adding water, then little balls torn off and slapped into a rough ruti shape and toasted on a skillet. Kalai er ruti is happily lapped up with a chilli paste or morich bhorta, or any kind of tangy bhorta.

Chapa Shutki

Dried, locked and stocked in smoking barrels is almost how we can describe our next entrant as one of the smelliest dishes in our list. Small fish called puti maach is dried for a week or two, washed then immersed in water overnight while vats or earthen pots are lined with fish oil, possibly obtained from the guts of the fish. The fish is then stocked up in these pots and often times buried underground or the lid closed tightly to allow anaerobic fermentation. The pots are left for a few months and the end product is a pungent-smelling shutki. This uniquely fermented fish is made into a bhorta in Mymensingh

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, M ARC H 27, 201 5

where they fry it in mustard oil with onions, chillis and garlic for a few minutes before mashing it and adding salt. It is also wrapped in pumpkin leaves then fried in mustard oil, yet Bangladeshis from the Eastern belt of the country get all starry eyed at the mention of this fermented affair as their favourite kind of shutki bhorta!

Kumra Chhaal er Bhorta & Khuder Polao

The perfect left over dish: a reminder of how everything we consume can truly be used up effectively.

The combo of a bhorta with rice is common, but a mash up of pumpkin (in some cases gourd or lau as well) with the wastage left after rice has been cleaned, is a sure inclusion in our list! Pumkin peel is sautéed with onions, garlic and chillies in mustard oil to add that zing then mashed up and the waste rice grains left over after cleaning the actual rice is collected and boiled and made into a simple polao with spices and mustard oil. It looks somewhat like couscous, and together with the bhorta make a killer combo. Folks in Tangail even add the chapa shutki bhorta to this pseudo couscous dish.

Kaoner Chaal

A healthy, gluten free alternate to rice and wheat which was eaten by the Incas, travelled to India and eventually to us in the Bangladesh with four times the calcium and twice as much iron and magnesium than in wheat. This wonder food is

Kalai er ruti

Photo: Sagar Razib Rabbani

still to gain widespread popularity although it leaves me dumbfoundd as to why we all are not raving about it! Kaon er chaal is also known as Rajgira or Ramdana (God’s grain) in India and consumed as a super food in the Himalayas mainly but is a fairly lesser known food otherwise. In Bangladesh it is consumed in the form of succulent payesh while a more modern uptake would be to cook it like couscous with a dash of olive oil.

But due to various reasons Kaoner chaal has been over taken by the more staple crops like wheat and rice.

like beef or mutton go well with this root dish as they can be cooked for a long time. Tasting like horse radish, this root herb is said to be the remedy to ailments like arthritis.

Chui Jhal

As a fresh graduate posted for a job in the Sundarbans, my visits to Khulna always included trying out their culinary specialties and I soon got hooked on to the famous Chui jhal. A meat dish laden with oil and spices with short objects like a bark of wood sticking out of it which was spicy when chewed upon, my trips to Khulna could not get any more exotic!

Chui jhal or Piper Chaba is a plant in South-Western Bangladesh whose uniqueness mainly lies in the fact that we only use the roots and stems of this plant instead of the leaves.

They cut down the stems and roots, peel then and chop them up and cook them thoroughly so only meat dishes

Modhu Bhaat

Glutinous or sticky rice was used to even make mortar during the building of the Great Wall of China during Emperor Xian’s time and plays a central role in Japanese cuisine.

Yet many forget it is also found in Bangladesh… A slightly sweet, fermented rice dish that lulls you into a restful sleep follows next on our list as an odd fish. Binni chaal/bhat is mostly famous as the equivalent to sticky rice which the more expert chefs amongst us love using. But our list includes dessert made out of Binni bhaat in Chittagong called Modhu bhaat that actually does not use any added sugar. Normal rice paddy is first soaked in water for a few days to let it germinate. The sprouted rice is dried with its husk then ground into flour. This processing already makes it taste sweet but then it is added with warm binni bhaat, submerged in water and left overnight. In the morning consume this sweetened delicacy with grated coconut, milk or simply as it is! n

Shahid Hussain Shamim | Tea with WT

15

Discovering Dhaka

Photo: Courtesy

A guided tour of beautiful Bangladesh by a Bangladeshi

Farhana Urmee

A

scary driver he is. He will give you a roller coaster experience of touring Dhaka – fun and fast. His cornucopia of knowledge about the local art, history and culture will undoubtedly pique your curiosity about the wonders our capital has to offer – experience the city and see it in a different light, that no amount of Wikipedia-browsing or travelogueskimming can adequately provide.

A glimpse of the real deal

Shahid Hussain Shamim, the speedster, is the go-to man for all your local sight-seeing needs. Some morning, on a sudden break, he may whisk you away to the fish market on Chittagong Road or vegetable market in New Market or the meat market at Karwan Bazar. While these may not pass as the fancy hot spots of Dhaka, particularly to foreigners, Shamim’s treasure trove of fascinating stories about the different places around the capital, however, will give you a glimpse of the “real Dhaka” – faces of the city’s dwellers, real people and their livelihoods, their daily hardships

and their small moments of freedom, relaxation and pleasure.

Shamim, 55, is a crafts entrepreneur and also the owner of Ajiyer Fair Trade Tourism Ltd, a tourism organisation through which he provides ex-pats the opportunity to visit places around the country and experience our culture through crafts, food and music. In his recent endeavour “Scarydriver”, he offers himself as the tourist guide to foreign delegates who come to Dhaka with a very hectic schedule.

“The Scarydriver will show them Dhaka and adjacent areas as per demand, their crafts, craftsmen’s lives, a true picture of the real Bangladesh,” says Shamim, “While visiting Dhaka only for a week or less, for work, foreigners often feel too lazy to go out, or, are rightfully apprehensive about depending on stranger people.

My priorities are security and hygiene wherever I take them and the rest is about my passion to tell stories.”

The man behind it all

Shamim, who is also General Secretary of National Crafts Council of Bangladesh (NCCB) and Director

of Industry Skill Council, became interested in tourism while pursuing his passion in crafts.

“I saw numerous tangible and intangible aspects that can be brought into crafts. Stories and folklore can be told through music or Pattachitra (scroll painting), a taste of the livelihood of our countrymen can be experienced through our music and food. Yet, that’s not enough about Bangladesh. Tourism is such a sector which can contribute to our economy and cultural identity,” says Shamim, while explaining his reasons for coming into tourism business.

Regarding the tourism sector in Bangladesh, Shamim feels, we are a country tightly woven with the threads of rich culture, heritage and history but our idea of showcasing what the country has to offer is confined to a few scenic places only.

“We should dig into the treasures we have, we should let the world know us better. A projection of the real Bangladesh will also include the struggles we have as a third world country. By proudly showing this, we can let the world see that despite

so many obstacles, we are a nation who know how to move forward and how to smile,” says Shamim, ever the optimist.

Shamim has taken 60 hours tour guide training from Industry Skill Council to give further training to the tour guides. His vision is to train and develop at least two tourist guides in every district of Bangladesh by 2016.

He prefers young and enthusiastic women who pursue the profession, as researches state that visitors better respond to and depend on female tourist guides. He believers this will also enable empowerment of rural women.

“Bangladesh has a lot to offer.

We are layered with amazing stories about our history, archaeology and anthropology. Every tiny bit of anything Bangladeshi makes me proud,” says Shamim. “I sincerely believe that the prerequisite to making Bangladesh known to the rest of the world is to bring the world to Bangladesh first – to bring the world to everything that is made in Bangladesh.”

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16

TOUGH LOVE | DINA SOBHAN

Make peace not war

Got a problem?

Write to Dina at

weekend@dhakatribune. com

Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tonmoy/Dhaka Tribune

Q

Dear Dina, I have always been an unapologetic careerist, and make no excuses for my lack of domestic prowess. I have been fortunate to marry into a family that respects and supports me, and to have a husband who doesn’t make too many demands in this regard. My mother is the complete opposite. She has spent her lifetime cooking and building a beautiful home for my father, and is an impeccable homemaker. She expresses this disappointment by constantly criticising me, even hinting at some sort of mental deficiency on my part. I really want to just cherish whatever years I have with her, instead of wasting energy arguing.

How do I make peace with this precious and difficult person?

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

WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, M ARC H 27, 201 5

A

Dear Undomesticated, At some point in your life, you have to make peace with the fact that not everyone is going to like you or even agree with your lifestyle. It is certainly unfortunate that, in your case, that person is your mother. I would think by now she would have come to terms with the fact that her daughter is no domestic goddess, but as she has clearly refused to do so, it’s incumbent upon you to not give a damn. Apparently, your mother has not entered the 21st century, where a woman’s worth is not determined by her ability to cook a mean curry or yield a dust cloth. And you are lucky your husband is neither interested in eating or inhabiting a germ-free environment – or so you make it seem; treasure him, because he is a rare commodity. As for your mother, limit your interactions to once a week when you savour her culinary skills over Friday lunch and leave with leftovers.

Q

Dear Dina, A month ago, some members of my extended family who live out of town, came over for treatment and have been staying with us. It’s not a problem except that I have to share my room with one of them, and sometimes, particularly after a long day, coming home to have my bed, TV and bathroom occupied can be a little trying. I’m really starting to miss having my own space.

On top of that, two more relatives have joined them, and now I’m forced to sleep on the floor, having completely given up my bed to our guests. What’s most annoying is that I have to spend every moment at home with them. If I try and escape to another room, I am quickly called back to “sit and chat”, which largely comprises of sitting in the background while they all watch Zee Bangla at the highest volume possible.

At the cost of sounding selfish, I have to admit I’m beginning to get quite irritated. I don’t mind any of this as long as I get some personal space, which I’m severely missing.

Sincerely, Family guy

A

Dear Faux Family Guy, I think it’s safe to say you can stop sounding so apologetic about being annoyed in what is clearly a pretty insufferable situation. We all love our families...in moderation. And no one, especially a single guy used to living alone, will take kindly to being forcibly made to host his family with no reprieve in sight.

I think you need to invent some plausible excuse immediately to make them realise that they need to relieve themselves of your kind hospitality on the double. I would suggest producing a girlfriend/ would-be wife to dangle in front of them, in hopes that they respect your need for privacy, but I’m aware that this would probably not work in Bangladesh. What may work is for you to pretend to go out of town on a business trip and just stay with a friend, or even at a hotel, until they decide to go home. The expense will be worth the peace of mind you’ll have for a few days.

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Poetry competition | Event

17

Battle of poets

Bangladeshi poets come together in one of the biggest poetry competitions in the country Tausif Sanzum

“O

nly the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry.”– Cassandra Clare Poetry is a major part of art and literature but it is not the most popular one these days particularly among the younger generation.

Keeping this in mind, the British council in association with Monsoon Letters hosted the second season of the Muse Muster Poetry competition. The final leg of the competition had notable poet Kaiser Huq, Sajjad Sharif, Managing Editor, Prothom Alo, Rubana Huq, Editor, Monsoon Letters and Eeshita Azad, Head of Arts, British Council selecting the winners.

The bilingual poetry competition was divided into two strands: one comprising of performance poetry and the other being written poetry.

The winners of the written poetry context won a book publishing opportunity while that of performance poetry contest won an exposure trip to the UK. In addition to this all of the selected winners got a workshop session with notable performance poet, Indigo Williams.

Photo: Courtesy

What is performance poetry?

Eeshita Azad explains: “It goes by different names such as poetry jams, spoken words poetry, action poetry. There is the traditional paged based written poetry and then there is performance poetry where somebody somebody stands and performs in front of you. It is different from recitals where you first write the poem and then read it out to your audience. In performance poetry you think about the audience for whom you are going to perform even before you write the poetry in most cases.

Relevance in Bangladesh

“Bangladesh has a long history and tradition as far as poetry is concerned. It dates back longer than the west. However, if we observe carefully, these days people are writing fictions in Bangla but the same cannot be said about the poetry scenario where people are rarely reading poems. Performance poetry is a way of making this old genre more popular, give access to a greater number of audience and get young people interested in poetry again. When you see

a classical performance they have a different kind of crowd but to reach a younger crowd you need something vibrant and more interactive,” says Eeshita.

Hall of Fame

Ironically, the two winners of the performance poetry contest were brought up in two different parts of the world. While S M Jarif was born in Rongpur and brought up in Dhaka, Sayeeda Tahera Ahmed lived a major part of her life in the US. After travelling across different parts of the country in his younger days, S M Jarif is currently a student in the Bangla department doing a Bachelor’s degree in Bangla.

When asked about how he got inspired to write poetry in the first place, he says he has forgotten by now when the poetry bug first hit him. However, even during his school days he fondly remembers how he would participate in drama, national debate and performance poetry. He is inspired by the works of great literary laureates such as Shahidul Jahir, Sayed Waliullah, Binoy Mazumder, Pablo Neruda,

Franz Kafka to name a few. When it comes to his ideological inspiration, he looks up to Karl Marx, Michel Foucault and Freidrich Nietzsche.

Sayeeda vividly recalls when she was bit by the poetry bug. It was many moons ago in her eighth grade when her English teacher asked her to participate in the school district competition.

Sayeeda is somewhat of a pro when is comes to winning poetry competitions. She has previously won Selina Terry Poetry Award and has been a finalist at the Atlanta Review Poetry Award. Her poetry works have been published in Ditch magazine, Stone’s Throw Magazine, Monsoon Letters and Dhaka Tribune’s Arts and Letters magazine.

The Journey Ahead

British Council is planning a collaboration between The Muse Master winners and Unstable Poets to produce a play, “And the World Went On.” based on the events of the Rana Plaza collapse. The play is scheduled to be stages on the second anniversary of the collapse, 24th April 2015. n

WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, M A RC H 2 7, 2 0 1 5

18 stay in

Mini cryptics

Weekend’s Writing Challenge!

Clues

ACROSS 1 4 6 7

Study spot in Scandinavia (7) Red fringes in Conservative party (7) Clan die horribly in volcanic isle (7) Body part solved a murder(7)

DOWN 1 2 3 5

Refuse slide (7) Sound refusal is beginning of end (5) Monk dig ruined sovereign land (7) Street oxygen used on the way up (5)

Photo: Bigstock

Attention, Fictionistas!

Do YOU have what it takes to win Weekend Tribune’s Drabble challenge? Grab your writing tools of choice and give it a shot.

The rules:

• We’re looking for original fiction in exactly 100 words, excluding the title. That means, a 99-worder or an 101 worder will be disqualified.

• The stories must have a beginning, a middle and an end • Mail them to weekend@dhakatribune.com, and include your name

Last week’s solutions

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

ACROSS 1 Half a dozen use chair or guest (7) 4 Vegas resident Dave held back by relative (7) 6 Grant title to none about odd ballet (7) 7 99 in game returning to warmer climes (7) DOWN 1 He makes French wine for a penny (7) 2 Spotted holding five, or a couple more (5) 3 Don’t hurry so much to have duck (7) 5 Call top notch city on the Arabian Gulf (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 date for submission: April 11, 2015 Five lucky winners will get their stories printed and receive a special Dhaka Tribune goody bag!

Last week’s sudoku solutions

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Go out

Mar 28

Music | Experimental Jazz Ensemble When 7pm Where EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old), 9th Floor, Midas Center, Dhanmondi

The event will be featuring the Imran Ahmed Quintet, which will be combining harmony and improvisation to create their signature music. With Imran Ahmed on guitar, Rahin Haider on saxophone, Apurba Mustafa playing trombone, Mohaimin Karim on bass and Towfiq Arifin Turjo on Drums this quintet will mostly be playing their originals.

Composer and guitarist Imran Ahmed is heavily influenced by Jazz and Indian classical music and also practices the sarod. He was also the lead guitarist of Band Lalon.

Apurba Mustafa started taking Indian classical music training at the age of eight. He studied

Musicology and graduated from University of Poitiers (France) and also worked as a vocal trainer.

Mohaimin Karim picked up the bass because of its unique sound and possibilities and played with some of the finest musicians in Dhaka, including bands like 42.

Rahin Haider is a saxophonist, aand as a member of 42, he always tries to use combined elements of music as he has a love for versatility.

Towfiq Arifin Turjo is a renowned session drummer who collaborated with many artists as well as international artists.

Ticket for the event will be available at EMK Center for is Tk100 only.

19

Mar 27

Poetry | Shekol Vangar Podyo - 2015 When 5pm Where Robindro Sarobor, Road 7A, Dhanmondi

The month of March brings the vibe of independence, giving us the hope to keep our spirits high and rise from the ashes. In commemoration of our 44th Independence day, Bakshilpangon has arranged a recitation session focusing our Liberation War a Muktomoncho, Robindro Sarobor. Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor will inaugurate the event, while Safina Lohani, who worked for the welfare of war heroines after the liberation war will be honoured at the programme. There will also be performances by renowned artists.

Weekly Planner Mar 27

Mar 27

Education | Higher Education in Germany

Lecture | Why SALES & MARKETING can be your DREAM JOB?

When 11 am Where United International University – UIU, House: 81, Road: 8/A, Dhanmondi Students interested in higher studies in Germany are invited to UIU campus for a free information dissemination session. The Directorate of International Affairs of UIU is helping scholars to find out more about studying in Germany with information including requirements to apply, how to learn German at home, etc.

For more information please contact: 01842-447831 between 9am to 5pm.

When 3-6pm Where Startup Restaurant & Cafe, 4/2, Shobhanbag, Dhanmondi Sales and marketing is one of the main functions in today’s business.

Many sales and marketing executives find it difficult to increase the sales of their company as our business environment is very competitive.

This workshop mainly aims to focus on how to be successful in sales and marketing related jobs and how this kind of job can be your dream job.

The events resource person will be Imdad Hossain Khan, Head of Sales & Marketing, BRAC IT Services Limited.

Registration process: Please send an e-mail at: tea@rcl-bd.com or inbox them writing your details: (i) Name,

(ii) Location, (iii) Phone Number and (iv) Name of the workshop.

Registration fee is Tk500 only (limited seats). Certificates will be given upon the completion of the workshop.

Mar 27 Lecture | Nowroz (Iraninan New Year) Program in Dhaka

When 3- 4:30pm Where Bangla Academy Auditorium, Ramna The Iranian New Year (Nowroz) will be celebrated in Dhakaat the Bangla Academy. Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor will inaugurating the programme where the Iranian and Russian Ambassadors will be present as special guests.

Mar 28 Education | IELTS Preparation Workshop

When 6-9pm Where 383/2, Free School Street, Hatirpool (near My TV office) With a registration fee of Tk300 per participant, anyone can join the IELTS Preparation Workshop arranged by IELTS Tutorial.

The workshop will help to familiarise participants with the IELTS, enhance fluency, accuracy with appropriate vocabulary and collocations for IELTS interview, share tricks and insight on how to tackle shyness, fumbling and stammering, etc.

Seats are limited to 15. Interested people are to contact 01711313926 or message to Ohidur Chad (on Facebook).

Send your events to weekend@dhakatribune.com

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20 Funnybone | Yamin Khan

Made In Bangladesh The term ‘Made In Bangladesh’ got its popularity thanks to the success stories of all those people who made our garments industry what it is today.

But the term itself has its relevance in many facets of our society. And today we are going to look into some of those practices, which are exclusively ‘Made in Bangladesh’, but without the label.

Good Bye but no Good Bye

How many times have you witnessed that you are at a dawat and the conversations with the lift doors open or with one foot inside the car are usually longer than the duration of the dawaat itself. I guess we should cut all the façade and start planning our dawats around the exit points itself.

Thus allowing you to get rid of the pretence and minimal housekeeping tension to go along with it.

Who loves you more? Abbu na ammu?

Deceptive Marriages

The concept behind grooming is to make a person look better, not changing her whole identity.

But that is not the case when you meet our local brides. They look nothing similar to the way they look in real life, on the day of their wedding. I mean who are they trying to deceive here? They look extremely different on one day and then look exactly the same for the rest of their life. So what is the whole point behind all this?

And some of these brides get so carried away that they look like two different bodies, from two different continents, have been surgically joined together along the neckline.

As a kid, I would get traumatised every time some adult would ask me to pick a favourite between the parents. And I don’t know why, but adults for many decades found this to be their favourite ice breaker with the kids. But did they even consider that they are asking the poor soul, whose second biggest worry is to decide which cartoon to watch the following day, to make a pick between the two most closest people in their lives? I mean, for someone like me who’s obsessed with detail, I’d spend countless nights evaluating and re-evaluating my parents’ contributions in my life and adjusting my attitude towards them accordingly.

Say no evil…in public

Good people talk less

Emigrate to greatness

My neighbour is looking for his son to get married. And when people want to know about his son’s profession, he confidently replies, ‘He lives in America.’ Yes, being the owner of a visa can become your profession, your identity and the rights to social worship. It doesn’t matter whether you are homeless, a junkie or even a serial killer. As long as you ‘live in America’, it’s all cool.

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In our society, talking less/being shy is automatically considered to be a likeable trait in a person.

Apparently, that individual is the proud owner of a good ‘personality’. I mean there is nothing wrong with being shy, but it is definitely unfair to label someone as simple-minded just because the person is more expressive than others. And that is why, a person who’ll be considered as friendly in other parts of the world, will get labelled as a ‘bachaal’ in Bangladesh. In fact, this social perception has reached such alarming heights, that we are one of the slowest nations in the world, when it comes to identifying speech impairment in kids.

If you attend any local wedding, you must follow this one unofficial rule.

You get free food from the host, and in exchange, you must give a gift, and praise the looks of the bride. To help you understand the importance of this praise, I need to share an incident with you. This other day, I went to a cousin’s wedding and saw this blind lady praising the bride.

And it is only after the beards were pricking into her hand she had realised, that she was talking to the groom all this while.

Now although it is compulsory for you to praise the bride, but it doesn’t mean that our ladies find all the brides beautiful. However, such comments are exclusively reserved for the ride back home and the phone conversations the following morning.

Romantic relationships are a gateway to hell

Although things have changed quite a lot now but even 10/15 years ago, if a mother was given a choice between her son having a girlfriend, and her son beating up an old man on his way to the hospital, she would happily pick the second option. In fact, there are people in my family, who got disowned by their parents, only because they wanted to marry someone of their own choice. And by parents, I mean those kind of parents, who listen to Tagore’s love songs every morning.

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