Weekend 173

vo l 3 I ssu e 17 | F R I D AY, A u g u st 14, 2015

Dhaka Tribune

Set in stone 4

1째 Initiative

16

Sharing Spaces

20

The Bong Momma

Editor’s note Dear Readers,

If there’s one thing that is truly set in stone for human history, the various transformative experiences captured by all that is happening in this bustling city.

Relive a journey that spanned a decade with our coverage of 1

Degree Initiative’s ten-year anniversary event.

with a special art exhibition showcasing the work of autistic children.

A two-day conference at Dhaka University covered various

aspects of the complex relationship between humans and the environment. We bring you the front row review.

On the same days, the Shilpakala Academy screened a number

The Indo-Bangla Land-Boundary Agreement has changed the

course of history for the dwellers of the enclaves shared between us and our neighbour India. Our beautiful photostory this week Another thing that has been changing at a rapid pace has

been the nature the workplace, particularly against the backdrop of Dhaka’s startup revolution. Our piece on shared workspaces

Bong Momma.

Here’s wishing positive changes for the week ahead.

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Questions? Comments? Send them to weekend@ dhakatribune.com

Artwork by sculptor Iftekhar Wahid Iftee.

Photo taken from the Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi road 32.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

CONTENTS

Volume 3 | Issue 17 | August 14, 2015

Editor Zafar Sobhan Features Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Asst Magazine Editor Farina Noireet Weekend Tribune Team Saudia Afrin Moumita Ahmed Faisal Mahmud Sakib Mridha Shaida Prodhan Saqib Sarker

4 Anniversary 1째 Initiative

News 2 News 3 Meanwhile

Cartoonists Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Priyo

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal

Features

9 Photo Story

India-Bangladesh enclaves

Advertisement Zia Ur Rahman

Art exhibition

6 Event Conference on Eco-criticism

8 Book Launching Eco-criticism of the Global South Sharing spaces for work

20 The Bong Momma Tales from a first-time mom

Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel

Email your letters to: weekend@dhakatribune.com

5 Event

16 Feature

Production Masum Billah

Website dhakatribune.com/weekend facebook.com/WeekendTrib

Tea with WT Rahul Roy

Contributors Minu Ahmed Towheed Feroze

Graphics Md Mahbub Alam Tahsin Momin

14

Regulars 18 Stay In

12 Feature

19 Go Out

Underground alcohol culture WE E K E N D TR I BU N E | FR I DAY, AU G U ST 1 4, 20 1 5

1

2 News | This week

The world at a glance Boko Haram has been ‘decapitated’: Chadian leader Chad’s President Idriss Deby declared Tuesday that efforts to combat neighbouring Nigeria’s Boko Haram jihadists had succeeded in “decapitating” the group and would be wrapped up “by the end of the year”.

Addressing reporters in the capital N’Djamena on the 55th anniversary of Chad’s independence from France, Deby said: “Boko Haram is decapitated.

There are little groups (of Boko Haram members) scattered throughout east Nigeria, on the border with Cameroon. It is within our power to definitively overcome Boko Haram.”

“The war will be short, with the setting up of the regional force, it will be over by the end of the year,” Deby added, referring to a new fivecountry force aimed at ending Boko Haram’s bloody six-year Islamist insurgency that he said would be “operational in a few days”.

Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger

and Nigeria have all pledged troops towards the new force.

Deby further claimed that Boko Haram was no longer led by the fearsome Abubakar Shekau and that his successor was open to talks.

“There is someone apparently called Mahamat Daoud who is said to have replaced Abubakar Shekau and he wants to negotiate with the Nigerian government.

“For my part, I would advise not to negotiate with a terrorist,” Deby, whose country has been spearheading the regional fightback against Boko Haram, said.

Photo: AP

Stinking seaweed is trashing ecosystems and tourism in the Caribbean Decaying seaweed that’s infested with biting sand fleas and smells like rotten eggs is polluting beaches across the Caribbean region, putting a damper on some beach vacations along gorgeous coastlines.

Tourism-reliant businesses are doing their best to convince visitors that the brownish smelly algae, known as sargassum, is nothing to worry about. The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, a coalition of global hotels, insists the seaweed is harmless to human health and isn’t all bad—after all, it can be used as fertilizer and compost if properly cleaned and dried.

Authorities on the Caribbean coast of Mexico are spending an estimated $9.1 million and hiring 4,600 workers to remove the seaweed, which has crept up along about 112 miles of coastal beaches, including tourist hotspot Cancun.

The Dominican Republic, which pocketed over $6 billion

from tourism in the region last year, hired experts this past July to evaluate and offer recommendations on controlling the growing levels of the stinky seaweed. They’re trying to avoid a repeat of a 2011 incident when a mass influx of the brownish algae native to the Sargasso Sea was blamed for closing a $600-a-night luxury resort for a month. That’s how long it took clean up of 10,000 tons of the smelly seaweed.

Local non-profit, the Caribbean Youth Environment Network, is working with authorities to clean up sargassum from affected beach areas, and spent time just this past week raking mass quantities of the algae off shores.

Photo: Reuters

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Weekend Tribune Desk Kerry says China and Russia ‘very likely’ reading his emails US Secretary of State John Kerry accused China and Russia of “very likely” reading his emails, adding that the US has and will continue to discuss cyber attacks with China.

“The answer is it is very likely.

It is not ... outside the realm of possibility, and we know that they have attacked a number of American interests over the course of the last days,” Kerry said on the TV show CBS Evening News, on Tuesday.

His comments came in response to a question from host Scott Pelley about whether he thought the two countries were reading his emails.

Pressed by Pelley, Kerry elaborated. “It’s very possible ...

I certainly write things with that awareness,” he said.

Kerry added that cyber attacks had been a topic of ongoing discussions with China and would be so again when US President Barack Obama hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington in September.

“Unfortunately, we’re living in a world where a number of countries,

the Chinese and Russians included, have consistently been engaged in cyber attacks against American interests, against the American government. And it’s an issue that we recently raised very, very strongly in our dialogue with the Chinese,” Kerry said on the program.

“It’s on the agenda for the discussions between President Obama and President Xi when they meet in September. We have agreed to begin to have a working group dig into this more directly because it is an enormous concern.”

China is suspected of being behind the cyber attacks, revealed in June, in which massive amounts of personal data on federal employees were stolen, and such attacks were a prominent topic at the Strategic and Economic Dialogue held between the two countries in Washington in late June.

China has said claims it was behind those attacks are unfounded and that it is opposed to all forms of cyber hacking.

Death for Siraj the Butcher A war crimes tribunal in Dhaka has awarded the death penalty to Bagerhat razakar leader Sheikh Sirajul Haque alias Siraj Master and imprisonment until death to another razakar leader Khan Akram Hossain for genocide, murder, abduction and forceful conversion of Hindus into Islam in 1971.

Former Muslim League leader Siraj Master, who was also known as Siraj the Butcher, was sentenced to death on five charges and acquitted of one charge. Three charges were brought against Akram Hossain of which he was found guilty in one.

The International Crimes Tribunal 1 pronounced the judgement yesterday morning. It said that Kosai Siraj could be executed by hanging by the neck or by firing squad, as decided by the government.

Siraj was so vicious that he used to slit the throat of at least one person captured by his followers, before taking breakfast. He was also a key associate of razakar founder

AKM Yusuf during the war.

According to a 2001 report of the daily Janakantha, Siraj used to kill 10 freedom fighters every day with an axe. He was also named in the list of Peace Committee members of Khulna as a razakar. The verdict says that Siraj was a surrogate of local Razakar commander Rajob Ali Fakir.

In its observation, the threemember tribunal led by Justice M Enayetur Rahim said that no punishment other than death can be proper for Siraj Master’s horrific crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War. “...The fierceness of the events of genocide and crimes against Humanity were extremely detrimental to basic humanity. It deserves to be evaluated as ‘crimes of serious gravity’ intending to demean the human civilisation,” it said in the judgement.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

. . . Meanwhile

3

Photo of the week

A boy playing cricket in Dhanmondi Lake area Photo: Sakib Mridha

Say what?

How to know when it’s time to give up

Thirsty elephant drinks toilet water

How do you know when it’s time to give up? Here are three signs that might help you decide.

You get thirsty eating all those peanuts.

An elephant in Botswana showed it had a lot in common with humans when it started sucking up a trunk full of water from a toilet at the Elephant Sands Lounge.

There is a water hole nearby, but the water is salty so the more particular pachyderms prefer the taste of toilet water, Barcroft TV

reports.

Even though elephants have the right of way at the lodge, some tourists are still shocked when the animals try to grab a drink when people are washing their hair in the shower, according to the Daily Mail.

Despite the invasion of privacy, visitors like Carina Blofeld, who took the videos, don’t see an elephant drinking their toilet water as a crappy experience.

“It’s one of the best experiences you can ask for in the wild and as close to nature as you’re ever likely to get,” she told Barcroft TV. Source: Huffington post

You’re welcome

Your quest to solve a problem takes over all other aspects of your life.

If you feel that you’re not enjoying life to the fullest because you can’t stop thinking about your situation, it might be time to reconsider the reasons you continue trying.

Working toward a worthwhile goal should be elating and exciting. Lack of excitement about achieving what you think you want probably means that you’ve become used to striving and never arriving. It’s “what you do,” and this routine doesn’t serve you.

Also, you may be justifying a painful situation in the name of psychological comfort. Fear of the unknown or of upsetting other people could be the true driver of your efforts because perceived safety and popularity are comforting.

You aren’t able to visualise a positive outcome.

If you continue working to achieve a goal and yet, it seems like an impossible dream to be successful,

you’ll sabotage your own efforts.

In a quiet place, contemplate the realisation of your goal in detail. Can you clearly picture the resolution of your problem? Can you see yourself succeeding and feeling good about your success? If not, it’s a good idea to reassess your commitment to the goal.

You start to feel poorly about yourself.

Not being able to achieve your goal might result in self-doubt about your abilities. You might wonder whether there is something wrong with you.

In most cases, a job, relationship, or project that hurts your self-worth isn’t worth it.

You’re the only person who shows interest in solving the problem or reaching the goal, but the outcome also depends on other people.

This is particularly relevant in relationships.

If you are the only person who initiates contact with a friend or the only one who takes action to improve a relationship, it’s unlikely that the relationship will thrive or even survive.

Source: tinybudddha.com

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4 Anniversary | 1° Initiative

10 years of change making One Degree Initiative foundation celebrates their ten year anniversary Moumita Ahmed

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good ten years ago, a group of young high school students believed that today’s youth could be tomorrows change makers.

They took it upon themselves to do something about their passion, to really bring the change they hoped to see in the world. True believers in the idea that today’s youth can solve some of the world’s biggest problems, they took their ideas forward, undaunted by the enormity of it all, unshaken by the hurdles that came their way.

“Failure is natural; if you don’t fail maybe you’re doing something wrong,” says Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, founder of One Degree foundation during their 10 year anniversary celebration at Lakeshore hotel on August 6.

They began their humble journey with a simple tube-well project situated in a remote village in Sirajganj. Their pilot project aimed at combating the problems that arose every time there was a flood in the area, leaving all the previously built tube-wells inundated. “It was a very simple idea – install tube-wells on raised platforms. Every time there were floods, the tube-wells would be flooded leaving villagers without basic clean water. We wanted to change that and Sirajganj is where we began our journey.”

While the idea may have been simple, difficulties arose when they weren’t able to find adequate funding to see their plans through.

Despite their efforts, they came face to face with failure time and again as several leading bodies rejected their project. “Nobody will take you seriously, until you do something, it is about doing more than talking, and we’ve learnt something everyday along the way,” she commented.

Undaunted by their minor hiccup, they decided to take matters into their own hands, funding and managing the project on their own.

“We gained the most inspiration from our several failures and grew better,” Diya said. “We tried to mentor the younger generation that besides academics, they can accomplish something better and become important figures in our country. We supported their ideas and tried to create something effective and sustainable out of it,” she added.

From that evening ten years ago, One Degree Initiative has come a long way. Ever since their inception in 2006, they have implemented 90 projects, mentoring and empowering 6,500 youth through education, arts, advocacy, community service and social enterprises. From being called a team of teens with empty ambition, they’ve now created their own platform where they train youth to become the leaders, change makers, and innovators they believed in.

The anniversary celebrations began with a performance by Praccho Natto, as they illustrated the foundations extraordinary history and goals. The performance was followed by a documentary film featuring some of One Degree’s volunteers and their journeys.

Diya delivered the opening speech where she talked about the various mentorship programmes and projects that the organisation started. She also announced that she would be stepping down as the Chief Executive; handing the position to Asmina Rahman, the previous Head of Administration.

“I cannot express the happiness I feel when I see that a project has been successful and touched many people’s lives,” stated Asmina, while discussing the several projects came to fruition as result of their staunch teamwork over the years.

Present at the event was Nazim Farhan Choudhury, Managing Director at Adcomm and serial entrepreneur who complimented Diya for her efforts and gave his

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best wishes to organisation for their future endeavours.

Sujoner Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar also present at the even commented: “Nothing effective will ever occur unless there is peace in the communities.” He challenged today’s youth to collaborate and change society by taking matters into their own hands.

Following in line with Secretary Majumdar’s thoughts, renowned journalist Zonayed Saki also emphasised how the younger generation needs to be more aware of the societal problems so that they can tackle them. To close the event, President of British Council Arts and Society Department Sayeed Masud Hossain voiced his appreciation for the foundation: “One Degree is a wake up call for the younger generations here. It already holds an important role in shaping society and I hope it will continue to do so in the long run.”

To bring the event to a close, Diya talked about the Youth Report she and her team created to compile the organisations’ accomplishments

Photos: Courtesy

throughout the last five years, as Circus Police took the stage to close the ceremony by performing an anthem for the youth. n

Art exhibition | Event

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The secret in their eyes An exhibition of paintings by autistic children Saqib Sarker

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hat does the world of autistic people look like? It looks a lot like ours if the paintings are anything to go by. But they definitely do not look at the world the way we do, we know that much.

It is truly a mysterious condition of the human mind that many among us found themselves in.

Autism is a range of developmental disabilities that are caused by a brain abnormality.

A person with autism will have difficulty with communicating socially and expressing themselves in general.

The exhibition at the Drik Gallery showcased paintings by a huge number of participants. The eightday exhibition which concludes today, has been organised by HANS in association with Surf Excel. HANS is a non-profit student organisation founded in 2005 by Mir Sohrabul Hossain. The central purpose of the organisation is to raise awareness about autism. Other than the painting exhibitions, HANS also

Photos: Courtesy

organises a discussion programme every year under the title Share with innocence.

The exhibition is being organised for the seventh time this year since 2005. HANS aims to change the public perception of autism and autistic children by showing that these children have unique talents and they are not unproductive and devoid of imagination and creativity.

The paintings certainly demonstrate enormous creativity in the participants. There were a lot of different subjects and expressions that came through the artwork.

There are no apparent signs in the paintings that indicate that these children and young adults may be mentally handicapped. There were pictures of landscapes, flowers, birds among a varied range of subjects. Twelve-year-old Fariha has drawn quite an imaginative quasiabstract painting in which a hand is placed on a multi coloured striped background and then the hand was made to blend into the background by painting over it with the same

colours.

Nazneen Akhtar, mother of 16-year-old Adiba Ibnat Poshla, mentioned how very enthusiastic her daughter is. Nazneen first noticed unusual behaviour in Poshla when she was about a year and a half old.

“But she has made tremendous progress since then. She doesn’t have any speech impairment at all,” Nazneen Akhtar said.

Nazneen and her husband Akhtar Hossain did not face any negativity from their families. “We are lucky.

Everyone loves Poshla. Everyone around my neighbourhood knows her and sometimes I need to introduce myself as ‘the mother of Poshla’.” she said proudly.

Aquib’s mother, however, has different experiences. “Yes, there were people in my family who had problems accepting Aquib. I do not like disrespecting people but if my son is not welcome somewhere I don’t want to be there,” said Sarmin Islam, mother of 15-year-old AKM Aquibul Haque. She looked tearful but happy.

Amina Aziz Anni, SWID Bangladesh

Samith, Bangladesh Protibondhi Foundation

Sheikh Shah Alam Rony, SWID Bangladesh

AKM Aquibal Haque, Parents Forum for Differently Able

Tanvir Anjum Abir, Autism Welfare Foundation

Adiba Ibnat Poshla, Autism Welfare Foundation

People at HANS are enthusiastic college and university students who dedicate their time voluntarily. The General Secretary of HANS Anik Shovan Bala Sonnet introduced the other members and volunteers of the organisation, as well as the President, Saima Siddique and the Vice President, Abu Nowshad Asif.

All of them found dedication and inspiration to work for HANS after participating in their school visit programme, in which they visit schools for autistic children and meet and interact with them.

They all expressed their gratitude to founder, Mir Sohrabul Hossain and Shaanto, the founding president of the organisation.

Nusrat Jahan Ely, a first year college student, who volunteered at the exhibition talked about how she came to work for HANS: “I joined because of Sohel sir (Mir Sohrabul Hossain). I went to visit a school and it affected me very deeply,” Nusrat said.

Another volunteer Anindita Khan said that how she learned that autistic children have very delicate feelings. “The first time around, Poshla and Aquib didn’t want to talk and interact with me. But this year that changed. They trust me more because they saw me last year,” said Anindita who apparently had a powerful experience when the two teenagers unexpectedly opened themselves up to her.

The inauguration ceremony for Emerged from the unknown VII was held on August 7 and was attended

by Meer Sohrabul Hossain, Chairman of HANS, Professor Abul Barq Alvi, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, and Zaved Akhter, the Brand Building Director at Unilever, among others. n

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6 Event | Conference on Eco-criticism

Man vs nature

Photos: Farhana Urmee

Sohara Mehroze Shachi

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n International Interdisciplinary Conference on the theme, Eco-criticism, Environmental Justice and Literature, organised by ASLE Bangladesh Planning Committee and the Edward M Kennedy Center, took place from August 7-8 at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Dhaka. The event comprised of key note speech, plenaries and individual sessions on relevant topics.

Day 1 The first day of the event was inaugurated by Md Akhtaruzzaman, Dean of the Faculty of Arts of Dhaka University, which was followed by a welcome speech by Munasir Kamal, Assistant Professor of the Department of English, University of Dhaka. Calvin L Hayes, Cultural Affairs Officer of the US Embassy was the special guest and Mizanur Rahman, Chair of the National Human Rights Commission was the chief guest. Scott Slovic, Professor

and Chair of the Department of English of Dhaka University delivered the keynote speech on The Importance of Non Eurocentric Ecocriticism.

The second session of the conference was a plenary on the long term health effects of some occupational and environmental hazards. Among various issues, the impact of passive smoking on children was highlighted, as it leads to accumulation of long lasting high carcinogenic metabolites in their bodies. Dioxin, the most toxic carcinogen known to man, maybe consumed via meat and dairy products, can be transferred through breast milk from a mother to a child. Moreover, pesticides cause neuro degenerative diseases such as Parkinsons, Alzheimers, multiple sclerosis etc. Greater number of children are being exposed to lead poisoning today. Lead stops brain cells from growing further and negatively impacts intelligence.

Companies dump mercury chloride

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into water which leads to abnormal contents of methyl mercury and cause damage to fish industry as mercury is poisonous if consumed.

It will take centuries to stop these effects even if humans stop further contamination.

The third session consisted of three parallel sessions, including a session on Environmental Law. The speakers focused on environmental laws and policies, rights, social justice and recommendations.

They pointed out that while the constitution identifies 18 fundamental rights, the right to environment is not considered as a fundamental right, so environmental protection is very weak. Hundreds of laws exist for protection of environment however, they are not very effective. According to article 18A, the state shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment, but this cannot be upheld by the court of law as it is not a fundamental right. Moreover, it was noticed that in the lower

court there is no provision to file cases for environmental protection.

Thus the speakers noted that there is a necessity of incorporation of the Healthy Environment Right in the constitution as a fundamental right. In this context, they defined “healthy environment” as a safe, hygienic, harmless and secured elements or conditions that have a strong impact on development of specific organisms. They also pointed out the need for adequate access to environment information so that participatory mechanisms exist, and for constitutional guarantee of citizens’ responsibilities in protecting the environment, the way Indian Constitution does.

The session concluded with the consensus that the worst victims of environmental impact are the poor, who are suffering from arsenic contamination, climate change etc. So protection of environment is necessary even to ensure social justice. It is also necessary to amend and implement the existing rules and

7 laws of our country and to spread more awareness on these issues for a lasting impact.

The fourth session was titled “Literature and Environment.”

The first speaker was Fakrul Alam, Professor of the department of English of Dhaka University. He presented his paper on ‘“Are the green fields gone?” Melville and Eco consciousness.’ Stating that Melville is a great passion of his, he said the interrelationship between a whale and a human depicted in Moby Dick is representative of how humans and nature can exist in synergy. He said Melville had an extraordinary sensitivity to environment being degraded by urbanization and industrialism.

Next spoke Professor Shamsad Mortuza of the Department of English, University of Dhaka. The title of his paper was “Deleuzian Assemblages and the Algae Island in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.” He elaborated the aspect of the forest changing color as an urgency to survive from the Meekest. He said the floating island was a Gandhian, it resisted by not resisting. The floating island is an anthropomorphic selfsustaining ecosystem, managing fresh water from algae. Ecological crisis occurs when the subject indulges in overconsumption.

Meerkats are described in terms of “unlimited multitude, either nibbling at the algae or staring into the pond”, showcasing environmental unsustainability.

Day 2 One of three parallel sessions on the second was on animation. Three

draft papers were discussed in this session, the first of which was titled “Nature as Miyazaki’s Bushido Warrior and Creation of Ecospace in Children’s Psyche”. This paper tries to understand the unique magic of animes that Hollywood films fail to instigate. It argues that the magic lies in the ecocritical space that Bushido warriors create within children’s psyche. Bushido means way of the warrior, and comprises of 7 principles including Gi-Integrity, Rei-Respect, Yu – Heroic courage, Meiyo – Honor, Jin – Benevolence, Makoto – Truthfulness and Chugi Loyalty. Bushido principles connect to Shintoism, which embodies the idea that everything within an environment has a soul and transformative quality. The paper suggests that nature was Miyazaki’s Bushido warrior because nature is personified in the form of the central characters in his films who display the Bushido principles. For instance, like a true Bushido warrior, Ponyo (the titular character of the Miyazaki film) displays loyalty, thinks of others and takes responsibility for her actions. Arietty from the film Secret World of Arietty displays the Bushido principles Yu and Meiyo by representing endangered species.

Lastly, in My Neighbor Totoro, the title character displays Rei by not showing off power in spite of being omnipotent and Jin by being benevolent towards the little girls.

The paper argues that Miyazaki creates an ecocritical space through his movies which can be experienced if one can retain the spirit of childhood. For instance the sisters Satsuki and Mei do not fear Totoro in

spite of his gigantic size and strength and befriend him instead. Similarly, the little boy Sosuke doesn’t perceive Ponyo as a fish but rather as a friend.

Through such elements Miyazaki’s animes depict that a symbiotic relationship exists between nature and children, whereas Hollywood movies rarely portray nature in its pristine state. Miyazaki provides a lens to recognize reciprocity between nature and human beings.

The second paper was titled “Avatar: Feigning EcoConsciousness”. This paper argues that James Cameron’s blockbuster movie Avatar manipulates the eco concerns of people for profit making. Like many other movies of the past, it portrays the white man as the savior of “lesser” people, exoticising the Na’vis to allure audiences. The film stereotypes the subaltern as people who cannot protect themselves. The movie ends on a false sense of happily ever after, ignoring the fact that the imperialists who were temporarily driven away can return any day, thus offering no sustainable solution.

The last paper was titled “Ecocriticism in the world of Hollywood Animation”. It discussed various animated films including Pocahontas, Ice Age, Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, Finding Nemo and Bee Movie and how they incorporate elements of ecocriticism. The central argument of the paper is that while animated movies might look simple to the naïve eye, if one looks deeper, there is Eco consciousness embedded in many of them.

This intriguing session was

followed by a heart-wrenching documentary on the trials and tribulations of ship breaking workers of Chittagong, titled “Lohakhor/ Ironeaters”, directed by Shaheen Dill-Reaz. It depicted in vivid detail the inhumane conditions in which the workers carry out the dangerous tasks of cutting metal and dragging ropes which can snap and amputate them. Workers recounted harrowing stories of how many of their peers have died from toxic fumes or explosions while working in ship breaking yards. Perhaps the most agonizing aspect was that many of the workers did not receive their payment even after months of working when it was time for them to go visit their families. The money was withheld from them as a cruel mechanism of ensuring that they return to work, which many don’t.

The two day event came to a close with the performance of the drama “Modhushikari” by BotTala including a discussion by theater personality Mamunur Rashid, and with a closing session chaired by Mesbah Kamal, Professor of the department of history of Dhaka University, with Mamunur Rashid as the chief guest and Manzill Murshid, President of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, as special guest.

Jonathan Held, a US Fulbright Scholar working as an English Lecturer a Premier University Chittagong, who attended both days of the conference, said: “It was a terrific experience to hear the presentations of a wide range of speakers. The conference sparked some great conversations.” n

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8 Book launching | Eco-criticism of the Global South

A love-hate relationship A book the study of literature and the environment from an interdisciplinary point of view Saudia Afrin

“E

Photo: Courtesy

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cocriticism” is comparatively a new movement for the world that certainly brings up a fresh concept to humanity. On the recent occasion of international interdisciplinary conference at the University of Dhaka on Ecocriticism (environmental justice and literature), the event also hosted a launching of the book titled – Ecocriticism of the Global South.

In Ecocriticism, literaturescholars focus on environmental concerns to achieve an effective interdisciplinary point of view on how environment has been treated in literature. It becomes more clear through Lawrence Buell’s definition: “The study of the relation between literature and environment conducted in a sprite of commitment to the environmentalist praxis.”

The book is a collaboration

by Scott Slovic, Swarnalatha Rangarajan, and Vidya Sarveswaran, with immense contributions from numerous other contributors across the world. All of the three editors were present at the launching programme.

The planning for this book had started back in 2010, when Swarnalatha Rangaraja and Vidya Sarveswaran approached Scott Slovic to work on a single book that will talk about culture and environment across the world through its own literature. It also brings out views of the intersections of nature and culture from the perspectives of developing countries.

Scott Slovic is a Professor and Chair of the Department of English at University of Idaho. He has been working on Ecocriticism for the last 30 years and understood the project instantly. Swarnalatha Rangarajan is a Professor of Humanities and Social Science at IIT, Madras and Vidya Sarveswaran is an Assistant Professor of English under the Department of Humanities and Social Science at Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur.

“We need to understand the beautiful and troubled relationship between human beings and the planet, how they differ, overlap and complement each other,” Slovic commented. He also said that along with English, scholars from different disciplines also feel the need of sharing the vision.

At first, the team had planned for one book, but due to the massive amount of content amassed after their research, they decided to split the text on the global south project into two books. The first book came out in 2014, with 12 articles focusing on the environmental issues in countries like India, China, Japan, South Africa, Ukraine, and so on.

The second book is titled, Ecocriticism of the Global South, and consists of case studies on Iran, South Africa, and New Zealand. The book documents different cases from different parts of the world.

The term “Global South” does not refer to the physical south, rather it denotes any place in the world where people live in underdeveloped environments and places with migrants. Thus it may include United States, Europe, Bangladesh, Pakistan, etc.

In every possible case, the team tried to find writers or scholars from the respective country to write from their expertise. They also collected articles from people who have intimate knowledge about the cultural and environmental issues of a certain area.

At the launching ceremony, Md Mofizur Rahman, Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism, referred to this academic initiative as activism. n

India-Bangladesh enclaves | Photo story

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The homecoming

Photos: Syed Zakir Hossain

Shortly prior to the Indo-Bangla Land Boundary Agreement on August 1, that settled once and for all, the disputes over the 162 enclaves (small pockets of land amidst borders) and their residents across the border, flags are hoisted amidst the celebrations of the locals of Dasiarchhara, located in Kurigram’s Phulbaria.

The land-swap means some 50,000 people who have been living in the isolated enclaves since 1947 will now become part of the

countries that surround their homes.

This week’s photo story features images of the jubilant crowds and their joy in finally being able to identify themselves as Bangladeshis; of newborns citizens born into a new era, no longer under the ignominy of being nobody’s people in a no man’s land; and also of some families preparing to leave their homes to cross the border and settle in India.

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10 Photo story | India-Bangladesh enclaves

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12 Feature

| underground alcohol culture

If the liver can take it then…

For a city with an alcohol ban, Dhaka is anything but dry Towheed Feroze

A

perfunctory glance around the area won’t reveal much; that is the idea! One may have passed it hundred of times without even finding anything out of place.

But then, any ordinary fellow was not looking for the local spirit and a quick high. Right in the heart of the city with a five star hotel not too far away and just about five hundred yards from the biggest kitchen market of Dhaka, is the spot to get the local hooch. I mean ‘spirit’ that is what it claims to be.

You want proof? The seller will pour a little on your finger and light it with a match. See, hundred per cent.

Can your liver take it?

No? Then get out!

From serious low income bracket drinkers to the odd jilted lover who

has decided to spend the evening pining for his lost love Urmila, these kinds are all regulars here.

In the haunting light of the kerosene lamp, some drink silently, others tear their heart out for amour, staring purposefully at the rail tracks not too far away. The train comes, rattles the small establishment and goes away. Forlorn Majnus sigh, ask for another drink and decide to live another day.

With another glass in front, he decides to murder Urmila’s husband who drives a spanking new car; someone consoles him: “Maira ki hoibo, try to outshine him!” The lover nods in consent thinking, “Plenty of time to be successful….. let’s be lovelorn for a few hours!”

Tk100 is what you need, if you have more, then better. There is food

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available. Out of the blue, someone will emerge with a bamboo casket holding hot boiled eggs. In a state of immaculate high some take two, others, more.

“Oi ar khais na..blood pressure baira jaibo,” an inevitable warning comes from the light and shadows inside the tin structure.

On the way back from the bazaar, the law may stop the few who act like clowns on the road, while some may be allowed to go their own way.

The dumped Romeo will awaken with a splitting headache the next day – just like the extraordinary high the previous night, the beating in the head will be unforgettable.

The following resolve comes from the pain. “Won’t go there anymore, ever,” they promise.

That, of course, changes when

Photo: Kamrul Hasan Babu

Urmila is seen on campus cavorting with her hubby!

“Can I have the moon in my drink?”

But that’s just a banal request, sir!

Here, we also provide star dust with the booze and angels to take you up to paradise! Let’s say, a five minute brisk walk from the kitchen market shanty will take you to a place where luxury is accompanied by all the delicious sins the mind can think of. Singers sit in front on a podium, delivering melody topped with goose bump inducing mischief.

One can either choose a secluded corner or a place from where everyone present at the bar can see him. The sitting spot is chosen for a reason. Let’s say you have come across some huge money in recent times and want to make a show of it.

13 In this case, sit right in front with the wad of cash in view of the waiters and all the women present. Word goes around….’mama’ with the multi colored shirt and a shiny gold watch is the man for the night.

Our mama will certainly not know how to spell or pronounce whisky!

He will imperiously ask the waiter: hooski dao… the latter is only too happy to serve. Who the hell cares about spelling….

All eyes are stuck on our mama!

Sitting on one corner with a glass of white wine, I am ignored by most.

Soon a lithe singer takes the stage; the mama is in top spirit. He lets out a rather beastly grunt, walking unsteadily towards the singer, throwing Tk100 notes in the air.

Sometimes, they decide to throw the notes right at the singer who burst into appreciative, often beguiling laughter.

There are plenty of ways to give money: release a wad into the air, shower notes on the singer, dance around her and give her the notes or, stand in front of her with a wad, asking her to take as much as she wants….

Some just sit on the table, sending their acolyte with the notes…..in the darkness grateful singers try to locate the benefactor who enjoys this

cloak and dagger.

All depends on how much you have drunk of course!

The selection of drink is mouthwatering though could not see anyone asking for Martini with an olive. If Tequila consuming competition with one of the many girls walking about is something you desire then that it’s just a wink away.

Drink and ideas of other more unorthodox wagers will surely spring up and, you can take them to the rooms upstairs. Don’t fret the police are guarding the establishment!

In the morning, our mama will be short of a lakh or so but that’s no worry; he tasted heaven on earth in the golden village last night; after all, can’t take cash to the grave!

Brother, do you have a drinks permit?

This is supposed to be in between the five-star and the minus star establishment – the licensed bar which is again about ten minutes from the city kitchen market. They have Swiss chalets in the mountains we have one in the city.

As I am entering the premises, three guards greet me and add: if you do not have a drinks permit, please tell the waiter, he will arrange it for you.

I am puzzled! Drinks permit are given in the bars now a days! Who signs them?

Questions swirling in my mind I enter through a door reminiscent of the saloon entrance seen in spaghetti western films. Honestly, felt like Clint Eastwood when I pushed through the door.

Inside, it’s total chaos. All sorts of people: The good, the bad and the ugly!

The sound is deafening with food items outnumbering drinks glasses on the tables. From one angle that’s not a bad thing! At least the liver won’t be scarred.

Do you have wine? I ask the waiter who looks at me as if I am from Pluto and walks away, muttering something under his breath.

I take the hint: this is not a wine place! In fact, no licensed bars in Dhaka serve wine or champagne.

They do serve brandy but it’s wise to banish the image of taking decent sips from a cognac snifter with a cigar held in one hand, from the mind.

The core objective here is ‘pinik’, the Bengali slang for high! Who cares if it’s Napoleon, Martell or Carew as long as it allows you to see double in ten minutes!

I try to find a place but not a single

table is empty. From in front of me, a guy wearing what appears to be a Hugo Boss shirt looks up. The ‘O’ in Hugo and the two S from the Boss are missing, making the word: Hugbo, the Bangla word, meaning I am going to defecate.

His companion, sitting with a large plate of chicken with vegetables, shouts at me: vegetable khaan, eat vegetables!

I am fascinated.

The sign for the washroom is unique: there is luminescent image of a guy, a little bent to the front and from his mid level a flow of urine is created by blinking lights. Who said we are not creative?

Alas! Too old to sit in a boisterous bar so bid farewell and came out convincing the macho looking guards expecting tips that I just came for a look. On the stairs met a group of young men heading into the night from the bar with expressions of Roman gladiators fresh from victory.

The phrase ‘Dutch Courage’ has a curious expression in the local lingo: Maal khaia lord. Maybe the lord bit is a left over from the colonial era!

The best place to drink: go home, put Chris de Burgh’s ‘Moonlight and Vodka’ on the CD player/computer and then choose your drink for relaxed chilling. n

Photo: Kazi Riasat Alve

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14 Tea with WT | Rahul Roy

Seeking justice

An Interview with Indian filmmaker and activist Rahul Roy Saqib Sarker

R

ahul Roy came to Bangladesh on the occasion of the screening of a film he made.

Bangladesh Film Institute (BFI) and Bangladesh Documentary Council hosted the screening of five documentaries from five countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) of The Justice Project on the 8th and 9th of August at the National Art Gallery Auditorium.

The screenings were a follow-up to a Justice Project seminar hosted

by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Service Trust (BLAST) on the same days.

As we began our conservation, one of the first things he explained was what the Justice Project is about and the subject matters of the films: “This project started with the goal of carrying out a series of studies through films and research papers which will eventually bring forth and challenge the idea and practices of justice in different countries of south Asia.”

He also spoke about the other documentaries from the rest of the countries, and described what the films were about. The Nepali film investigates the sudden disappearance of an anthropologist who became a controversial figure because of his opposition to Brahmanism. The Sri Lankan film is about the story involving a person who rapes two women but was never charged with the crimes. The Pakistani film shows the story of an old school teacher forced to live in a camp as an internally displaced person from Khyber Agency. And

The Indian film follows the Maruti Suzuki case which saw 147 workers jailed for over two years without bail on charges of murder.

Rahul is no mere film maker.

Speaking with him it becomes apparent how deeply he is invested in the whole project. He knows everything about the various academic researches under the project. Roy graduated from the Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi in 1987 with a post graduate degree in film making. His films won several prestigious awards from across the globe. Rahul’s films “explore the themes of masculinity and gender relations against the larger background of communalism, labour, class identities and urban spaces.” He has also been been researching and writing on issues relating to masculinities. His graphic book on masculinities titled A Little Book on Men was recently published

by Yoda Press.

Rahul Roy is also the Director of Aakar, a Delhi based trust that works in the area of media, culture and research. Aakar has been engaged in several interventions on masculinities across the South Asian region for more than a decade now.

But have you been able to reach the mainstream media?

“Both yes and no,” he said. He feels that the media have been responsive but it is still not quite the amount of exposure he had hoped for.

Rahul is very optimistic about the work. He says that there has not been

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15

Photos: Courtesy

any hostile responses from any authorities.

But he did concede that some of the researches have been on quite sensitive issues. “But the researchers have their own strategies as to how to operate in certain situations.

It’s definitely difficult to gain access in war afflicted regions.

But we deal with these situations appropriately,” he said.

Rahul’s film The Factory indeed deals with the touchy subject of corporation interests and labour rights. The film tells the story of the 147 workers in India’s biggest automobile manufacturing company Maruti Suzuki who are on trial for the murder of a senior manager.

Following the death 2500 workers were also dismissed. It has been two and a half years and the case has not reached a conclusion. The bail application of the defendants has been rejected by the courts.

“On each hearing they are led to the court room by the police while families line up to catch a glimpse.

The defence lawyers plan their strategy in the court canteen. Justice seems a dim hope,” as The Justice Project website describes. The film

follows the fate of the workers under trial. Essentially it is also a story of the families and dismissed workers who are faced with enormous hardship. The film investigate the underbelly of industrial conflict and the elusive nature of justice.

Rahul thinks that one of the main obstacle to an effective rule of law in the South Asian countries is the manipulations of nationalistic sentiments. He feels that emotionalism and hatred are being perpetuated to keep people divided. But that does not deter him from being hopeful and optimistic about the Justice Project and its future. He encourages people to visit the their website at justiceprojectsouthasiablog. wordpress.com. n

Special thanks to Barrister Sara Hossain, Honorary Director, BLAST

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16 Feature | Work place trend

Sharing spaces for work In a world where resources are fast becoming scarce, and in a city where ‘space’ is one of those highly sought after resources, sharing is indeed all about caring Faisal Mahmud Besides, freelancers and other professionals who don’t work for the whole year can save their expenditure during under-utilised times of the year if they rent a co-working space to conduct their business, she added.

“Nowadays people don’t necessarily need a landline all the time that’s plugged into a wall that they have to go to and sit in front of every single day. An office worker can be mobile and an on-the-go entrepreneur. It would simply be wasting of money to pay for a full time office for many of them,” said Nabila Nowrin.

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he rising property rates in almost all parts of Dhaka are making people work from their homes and meet their clients or teams at restaurants or coffee shops. This is especially true in case of startups, which are perpetually working on a shoestring budget.

This trend however gave birth to a relatively new concept in the capital – the common workplace or most popularly known as co-working space which addresses the space crunch faced by start-ups, sales teams or individuals.

The concept of co-working space is clear and simple. Hire a workplace suitable to your time and location.

Use free and speedy Wi-Fi, have an appropriate ambience and privacy to conduct your meetings or get your work done!

“We founded ‘Moar’ to address our own problem, that was getting things done in a cost effective manner,” said Nabila Nowrin, co-

founder of ‘Moar’ – the newest and the trendiest co-working space in Dhaka.

What is it about?

Nabila, an architect by profession was facing problems in meeting her clients. “My partner Nahid Sharmin and I had to meet clients in coffee shops as we couldn’t afford renting an office space in a decent location.

The problem is, that sometimes our clients didn’t feel comfortable in coffee shops. Once we met a contractor at a coffee shop at Gulshan and he felt alienated in that ambience”, she said.

“Our expense was also growing as we needed to pay the expensive bills of the coffee shops”, said Nahid Sharmin, the other founder of ‘Moar’, “Then we thought of establishing ‘Moar’, a co-sharing workplace where young start-ups could work as well as meet their clients in a proper official ambience,” she said.

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The emergence of the concept The concept of initiating a shared space for professionals like ‘Moar’ emerged in Dhaka in the beginning of 2014. Much vexed with the dearth of a proper place for a business meeting; Sajid Islam, a computer

science graduate who had years of experience in Silicon Valley thought of initiating this concept to build up Dhaka’s start up eco-system.

He founded a common office space named ‘HubDhaka’ in Mirpur in March, 2014.

Sajid said that after he got back to Dhaka from US, he wanted to create an accelerator program for startups in Bangladesh. An accelerator is basically an incubator program that combines both mentor-ship as well funding opportunities for the entrepreneur.

“My goal was to share what I had learned working in Silicon Valley as well as be a part of the startup scene in Bangladesh. To that end I established ‘Shetu’, an education and training program designed to prepare and equip budding entrepreneurs.”

Photos: Courtesy

y

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However, he quickly realised that there was a more pressing need in Bangladesh for a platform for startups. A physical location where rising entrepreneurs could work and collaborate with a wide range of people, from other entrepreneurs to mentors and investors.

He said that startups often rely on open and engaging workspaces.

This is often because startups don’t have much choice but to locate themselves within an inexpensive open space, but in reality, these spaces also foster a constant and crucial exchange of ideas, creative thinking and access to expertise.

“Thus, ‘HubDhaka’ was born.

‘HubDhaka’ forms the foundation for the training and educational services of ‘Shetu’, events and seminars aimed at the development of entrepreneurs as well as the networking, collaboration and co-working opportunities a startup needs,” he said.

The boons of sharing workspace About the benefit of co-sharing space, Sajid said that even big corporations like Google, Yahoo rent spaces in the co-working spaces and send their employees to work

in such an environment to reduce the humdrum of their work-life and increase innovation.

“Co-working spaces consist of members who work for a range of different companies, ventures, and projects. Because there is little direct competition or internal politics, they don’t feel they have to put on a work persona to fit in”, said Nazmus Saqib, a freelancer who has been renting space in ‘HubDhaka’ since its inception More then just Moar Working amidst people doing different kinds of work can also make one’s own work identity stronger, he said adding that co-working spaces are great platforms to communicate with start-ups and get conversant with their business dimension.

While ‘HubDhaka’ was initiated in Mirpur, another cool co-working space named –‘The Wave’ emerged in Kamal Atartuk Avenue, Banani.

In fact, The Wave was launched in February, 2014, before the official launching of ‘HubDhaka’.

The Wave was founded by Fayaz Taher and Mustafizur Khan, two serial entrepreneurs who have long track of working with the startups.

The price of renting a space in these three co-working spaces varies with each other. While The Wave offers daily and monthly package (Tk500 for a day, Tk1,000 for 3 days and Tk1,500 for 5 days), Hubdhaka charges a single monthly subscription fee of Tk3,500 for any business or freelancers.

Moar charges Tk250 per hour for an individual. There are different packages available in their respective Facebook pages.

“The idea was to create a place where all you have to do is to walk in, get your desk and get going”, said Fayaz Taher.

Given the intense interest in startups these days, more and more young entrepreneurs are looking to co-working facilities to grab relatively inexpensive office space, said Mustafizur Khan. “In addition to WiFi, fax, conference rooms, kitchen and snack-prep areas; these ‘rental’ business studios also offer new companies the opportunity to rub elbows with others in their world”, he said..

The partners are the beneficiaries ‘The Wave’ is also home to four permanent office including Magnito Digital, LightCastle Partners, Startup Dhaka and Root Marketing Services as well as an investment company called Empty Ventures.

“Each of us has a dedicated space for operating, but we share common facilities such as the event space, conference room and kitchen. We split the rent and common costs among ourselves,” says Bijon Islam, co-founder of LightCastle Partners.

“We needed an office space since we are expanding, and The Wave was the right place for people like me who found rigid corporate offices discomforting. Working in an open space with like-minded people seems very rewarding to me. I really value the cross-pollination of ideas that takes place while working with other businesses”, he said.

He said that by working together, they also generate client referrals and can offer complete solution suites to their customers. “Work becomes more fun and the scope of innovation widens”, he added. n

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18 stay in

Keep your house damp and mould free this monsoon

Mini cryptics Clues ACROSS 5 Always is French mountain (7) 6 Search for what Spanish saint (5) 9 The rain destroyed coiffeur protection (7)

Moumita Ahmed

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Clear the air: The fewer mould spores, the less growth you’ll have to worry about. Hence, increase the ventilation of your house by keeping the doors and windows open as often as you can, and also for a long time. Ventilate kitchens and bathrooms when in use, by opening the window wider.

Vinegar Spray: Plain white vinegar is one of the best all-natural cleaners for cleaning your entire home.

Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82

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

Photo: Bigstock

percent of mould. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the mouldy area and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. Let it sit for a few minutes to kill and dissolve the fungus, then wipe away with a cloth or sponge. If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, you may use other fermented liquids in a similar fashion.

Condensation: Those water droplets that appear on windows and walls during damp weather can also lead to dampness in the home if left alone. Wiping away condensation with a dry cloth as soon as you notice it will keep it under control,

removing a potential source of dampness from your home.

Tea Tree Oil: It is a powerful natural fungicide. To use this essential oil to kill existing mould growth, and keep your house free from the dampness, simply add around ten drops of tea tree oil to a spray bottle filled with water. Spray onto hard surfaces where mould are growing or you can even spray it into a damped room, and let this amazing oil go to work. You might have to scrub a bit, but with repeated use this all-natural cleaner will kill the fungus and help to prevent future growth. n

Last week’s solutions

onsoons are by far one of the most awaited seasons of the year, when you can sit in the balcony of your house and watch the rain drops kiss the surface of the earth. However, there is no denying the fact that this season causes the maximum damage to your crib.

Due to this moist weather, dampness may find its way into one or more areas of your home, especially if the room does not receive a lot of sunlight. If left damp, mould may develop on walls, under carpeting or even behind walls.

One of the worst affected with the downpour, would be the walls of your den. Leakage, cracks, mould, and the list goes on. It can be a nightmare for any woman of the house.

However, there are some natural ways by which you can rid your home of the dampness and mould caused due to rain water.

DOWN 1 Moisture sounds like it is ready (3) 2 Tuna pie arranged like a flower (7) 3 The first relaxation of playful mocking (7) 4 Consumed blended tea (3) 7 Which person found in straw house? (3) 8 Best yacht contains enclosure for pigs (3)

ACROSS 1 Work the soil and renew danger (6) 6 The measure of a King? (5) 7 MIlitary junior acted strangely (5) 8 Stayed different and solid (6) DOWN 2 Shorten a card game (7) 3 Diet lad arranged and became wider (7) 4 Slim projectile follows last of beaten (6) 5 Endless debate on athletics equipment (6)

Sudoku

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

Last week’s sudoku solutions

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Go out

Weekly Planner Aug 15

Photography | MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY Exhibition When 10:30am- 4:30pm Where Drik Gallery, House 58, Road 15A (New), Dhanmondi R/A What ‘Rhythm of Photography’ is going to organise the first ever macro photography exhibition named Dekha hoy nai chokkhu melia. This is going to be a great opportunity for macro photographers to show their talent as only the best macro photographs will be displayed in the exhibition.

Aug 16

Education | A guidance to complete the Common Application form (Undergraduate Students) When 4:30 pm Where EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old), 9th Floor, Midas Center, Dhanmondi What The speaker at this event is currently a student at one of the most competitive universities in USA, Tufts University. He will guide students on how to complete the common application form and ensure that their application is strong. He will also give tips to ensure that your application stands out.

Aug 18

Education | Info Session by Macquarie University Sydney When 3-8pm Where Trade International,

House 40, Road 27 Dhanmondi R/A What Meet Tanveer Shaheed, Senior Country Manager (Asia) of Macquarie University. It’s a great opportunity to find out what it’s like to live and study in Sydney, Australia. One can ask anything there is to know about studying in Australia.

Interested students are suggested to bring their relevant academic documents (including transcripts / certificates, IELTS results, etc) and a copy of your passport.

To know more please visit their official website: www.mq.edu. au

Aug 20

Fashion | August Meet-up When 5-9pm Where House 50, Road 10/A, Dhanmondi R/A What After the overwhelming response at their store launching event, Made in Bangladesh they are back with another meet-up event. This event will bring the creative and business folks all under one roof.

Visit the store and also get an exclusive tour of the design studio. With great complementary appetisers, bottomless tea and great music, the event will showcase their all new Summer 2015 collection along with the retro Fall 2014 series.

The event is open for all and no registration is required.

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Aug 17

Seminar | Seminar on Youth and Social Entrepreneurship

When 2pm Where EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old) , 9th Floor, Midas Center, Dhanmondi What Youth and Social Entrepreneurship is a seminar for those who are planning to implement transnational youth initiatives and strategic partnerships in the framework of YSSE, with main priority in the field of social entrepreneurship.

This seminar aims to promote social entrepreneurial attitude by creating transnational youth initiatives and strategic partnerships. YSSE intends to host a transnational training course concerning the sustainable social value of entrepreneurship focusing on

the social entrepreneurship of young people. Through structure dialogue procedure and potential programmes, participants will discuss, analyse and pursue opportunities to serve the mission of social entrepreneurship. The main aim is to support structure dialogue with young people and encourage their active participation in social entrepreneurship.

Participants must be between 15 and 35 years of age.

Registration deadline is August 14. Only 65 seats are available at a fee of only Tk100. For registration and further information, contact: 01615222537. n

Aug 13-15

Expo | Smartphone & Tab Expo 2015 When 10-8pm Where Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), Agargaon, Sher-E-Bangla Nagar What The most awaited Expo of the year, Smartphone & Tab Expo 2015 will be an exposition of different smartphones and tablet brands under one hub.

The event is being organnnnised for the fourth time in the country. and will be held on

August 13-15, at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).

Leading mobile operator Robi is sponsoring the expo while Samsung, Symphony, Elite, Huawei, Goldberg, Stylus and ZTE are co-sponsoring. A lot of electronics companies will be displaying their latest products (phones, tablets) at the fair.

Discounts will be offered for different products. n

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20 The Bong Momma | Tales from a first-time mom

The Secret Minu Ahmed

S

uperstition is a lot like a husband. You can’t live with them, you can’t live without them. They cling to you like burnt sugar on a cooling fry pan, and you can’t get rid of them no matter how much you try (or scrub!). They creep up on you when you least expect it, and then leave you feeling doubtful about everything you believed in!

So during the first trimester, everyone told me to keep hushhush about my pregnancy, so that I wouldn’t be affected by kalo nojor, or ‘the evil eye’. My doctor gave me another reason to keep quiet, she said that the first three months were most crucial in the development of a child, and harboured the highest risk of a miscarriage. Once three months were over and the baby was safe, the doctor gave me the nod to a healthy pregnancy.

Now that we had the ‘green signal’, it was okay to inform everyone about the pregnancy.

However, as much as I wanted to announce the good news to the world via a funny picture or quote on social media, I still couldn’t. I had my akht many moons ago, but the big, fancy and unnecessarily expensive wedding reception was still coming up.

While I fretted over the issue that I might look like a glittery disco ball on the reception day, here the pregnancy hormones were working their magic on me.

Photo: Bigstock

Hair fall had reduced and suddenly my mane had recovered some of its long-lost volume. My skin had cleared out and blossomed, and for those few short months, I basked wholeheartedly in the ‘pregnancy glow’.

Until now I had been home for three long months, and the first time I ventured out was during Pohela Boishakh or the Bengali New Year. The weather, as every year, was terribly hot and sticky, but The Husband and I still walked around, not to be deterred. I saw little children dressed in traditional attire and perched on the shoulders of their dads or walking with their mums. It felt nice to imagine, that next year we would be one of those couples trotting a little cherub around. In reality, the following year we were so tired and exhausted from lack of sleep, we didn’t bother to get out at all.

Sometime after that, my best friends decided to pay me a visit at my in-laws. They came over for lunch, and mind you, I hadn’t told them about my pregnancy yet. I wanted to tell them in a nice and relaxed manner, while we would be lounging around after lunch. So there they both were, sitting around on my bed before lunch, and I see one of them shift their gaze towards my dressing table. I looked at the dressing table, only to find that a file of the folic acid tablets my doctor had given me was peeping out from the medicine box.

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Normally, no one would have reacted seeing them, because most people don’t know what they’re for. But this particular friend of mine, let’s call her S1, was a pharmacy student.

I could see her puzzled expression turn into slow bewilderment as she asked me, “Dost, why are you taking…” Before she could finish her sentence, I blurted out that I was pregnant. My friends stared at me in stunned silence as I murmured a weak, “Tadaaa!” and looked at them sheepishly. My other friend, S2, smirked and shook her head slowly and I could sense her going, “Tsk, tsk” in her head.

What ensued was an explanation of sorts, not as to how it happened (duh!) but why I didn’t tell them earlier. I told them I wanted to wait a few months until the critical period was over and the baby was okay.

They shot me with question after question, did I pick a name, what if it’s a boy, what if it’s a girl, and so on.

I guess it didn’t dawn on them that I was going to become a mum until they saw me a few months later, with what looked like a basketball hidden underneath my dress!

When the pictures from my Pohela Boishakh outing made rounds of the internet, I suddenly had a gaggle of interested souls who sent me virtual pokes, hint-hints and

nudge-nudges, dying to know if they should expect any ‘good news’. Turns out some of them were pregnant themselves, so I guess their ‘mommy radar’ must have picked it up.

While I was keeping mum (see what I did there?), my in-laws were busy informing the rest of the clan(s) about me. I received congratulatory messages and felicitations from family all over the world. My mom-in-law’s younger brother who lives abroad, absolutely refused to believe that he was going to be a grandpa (he was only in his early forties). He finally met Jellybean when she had just turned two years old, and when she called him dadu, he winced and taught her his nickname. Great going, Non-Non! Another person who could not relate with the fact that he was going to become a father was The Husband. Like I mentioned before, he had put on a brave face, but I did find out (about a year later) at how vulnerable and lost he had really felt. I had read up about pregnancy on whatever I could find online, but it took some pushing to really get The Husband to communicate with me about this. I would feel excited about every little thing, and he would play along, but I knew he wasn’t as into it as I was. I didn’t question it too much back then, because I couldn’t deal with the stress of pregnancy plus deal with someone who didn’t feel the same things as me. Of course it took time, and The Husband finally found his groove. Jellybean and her daddy are inseparable now and carry twin-like character traits. It’s annoying, but that’s why I married him right? Hah! n

Minu Ahmed is your not-so-average homemaker, norm-shirker and abomination of awesomeness, juggling a career in communication, motherhood and a fatter half. Questions? Send to thebongmomma@gmail.com