weekend tribune vol 2 issue 27

Dhaka Tribune | vol 2 Issue 27 | FRIDAY, NovembeR 21, 2014

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WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, NOVEMBER 21 , 2014

1CONTENTS

Volume 2 | Issue 27 | November 21, 2014

Editor’s note

Gateway to heritageLiterature is in the air with Hay Festival happening this weekend. We are

happy to bring you all kinds of literary things in this issue, starting with a migrant worker poetry competition in Singapore (page 6-7).

Jump to our interview with star professor and critic Syed Manzoorul Islam on the Hay Festival (page 12-13), and a rare serious moment with the irrepressible Saad Z Hossain on the tribulations of English-language writers in Bangladesh (page 17).

Don’t miss the Tedx Dhaka story on breaking barriers, and the photo story on the tales from 1971.

November is a month to raise awareness on men’s health issues, and also a chance for men to showcase their manly styles on the occasion of Movember. Check out our Movember feature (page 5) to remember that tough guys sometimes need help too.

Winter is coming, so check out our list of things to do at home in winter. In the meantime, stay warm!

- Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

News

2 News

3 Meanwhile

Features

4 Listology Wedding wishlist

5 Feature Movember

8 Feature TEDxDhaka

9 Photo Story The Liberation War

12 Interview Syed Manzoorul Islam

15 Environment Managing calamities

20 Funny Bone Yamin Khan

regulars14 Legalese Passport to profit

16 Tough Love Love networking

18 Stay In

19 Go Out

This derelict building of aesthetic architectural value evokes the memory of the Zaminder (landlord) of Nagorpur, Tangail. A cluster of beautiful structures were built at Chowdhury Bari during the heyday of Zaminder Umesh Chandra Chowdhury in the 19th century.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

the cover

EditorZafar Sobhan

Executive EditorShahriar Karim

Managing EditorJahangir Hyder

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Weekend Tribune TeamTasnuva Amin NovaMark S BaidyaFarhana UrmeeIshrat Jahan Farina Noireet Faisal Mahmud Tausif SanzumSabrina Toppa

Art Direction/PhotographySyed Latif Hossain

CartoonsSyed Rashad Imam TonmoyRio Shuvo

ContributorsN Anita AmreenJennifer Ashraf KashmiMahmud Hossain OpuYamin KhanShah NahianAbdul Hamid RaihanDina Sobhan

GraphicMd Mahbub Alam

Colour SpecialistShekhar Mondal

ProductionMasum Billah

AdvertisingShahidan Khurshed

CirculationMasud Kabir Pavel

Websitedhakatribune.com/weekendfacebook.com/WeekendTrib

Email your letters to:[email protected]

FEaTurEDESHI poETS In SIngaporE

6

LITEraTurEInSIgHT

17


Toyota to start sales of fuel cell car next month

There will only be a few hundred and they won’t be cheap but Toyota is about to take its first small step into the unproven market for emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The world’s largest automobile manufacturer announced Tuesday that it will begin selling fuel cell cars in Japan on Dec 15 and in the US and Europe in mid-2015. The sporty-looking, four-door Toyota Mirai will retail for 6.7 million yen (US$57,600) before taxes. Toyota Motor Corp hopes to sell 400 cars in Japan and 300 cars in the rest of the world in the first year.

“In time, the fuel cell vehicle will become mainstream. We wanted to take the first step,” said Mitsuhisa Kato, a Toyota executive vice president at the vehicle’s launch Tuesday. “We want to be at the leading edge.”

Fuel cell vehicles run on compressed hydrogen gas, which in the Mirai’s case is stored in two tanks mounted underneath the vehicle. They emit no exhaust, though fossil fuels are used in the production of hydrogen and to pressurise it. Both Honda and Hyundai are also experimenting with limited sales and leases of fuel cell cars. Honda showed a fuel cell concept car on Monday.Photo: AFP

Top German spy says Berlin under cyber attack from other statesGerman government and business computers are coming under increasing cyber attacks every day from other states’ spy agencies, especially those of russia and China, germany’s

domestic intelligence (BfV) chief said on Tuesday.

Addressing a cyber security conference in Berlin, Hans Georg Maassen said that of an estimated 3,000 daily attacks by hackers or criminals on German government systems, around five were the handiwork of intelligence services. The latter are so sophisticated that they can easily be overlooked, he added.

“We have seen that there are ever more frequent attacks by foreign intelligence agencies on the German government IT infrastructure,” he said.

These occur most frequently, Maasen said, before major international meetings such as a G20 conference, where government advisers might receive a virus email purporting to be from another country’s negotiators.

He described Berlin as the capital of “political espionage,” saying Germany’s economic, defence, foreign and arms policies were all targets for hackers, as well as major firms for their cutting-edge high technology. Photo: AFP

2 NEwS | This week

Weekend Tribune DeskThe world at a glanceMyanmar parliament chief throws doubt on Suu Kyi’s presidential chancesMyanmar’s constitution cannot be changed until after next year’s general election – the speaker of parliament said – casting doubt on the chances of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi becoming president and weakening the military’s political power.

Lower house chairman Shwe Mann reaffirmed his intent to run for president himself and said that amendments to the constitution, which bars Suu Kyi and gives the military a legislative veto, could only be changed after a new parliament convenes after the poll late next year.

Shwe Mann’s comments are likely to cause a stir amid simmering political tensions between political leaders ahead of the vote that will decide who will run Myanmar until 2020.

After several years of astonishing change in the wake of the country’s shift from military rule to a semi-civilian system, critics say Myanmar’s reforms have stalled and the military is reasserting itself amid challenges to a political stake it guaranteed itself when it drafted the 2008 constitution.Photo: AFP

Journalist killed in Somalia, third this year says unionGunmen shot dead a journalist in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, the third killed in somalia this year, a colleague and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) said.

Radio journalist Abdirisak Ali Abdi, nicknamed Silver, was killed in the Puntland town of Galkacyo late on Tuesday, said Faduma Yusuf, who worked with him at Radio Daljir. “Gunmen hit him with several bullets,” she told Reuters.

Abdi, who was 25 and married with two sons, also worked for a London-based television station, NUSOJ said.

It was not clear what motivated the attacks, but journalists have often been targeted since Somalia’s descent into conflict in the early 1990s. Sometimes attacks have been prompted by reports on corruption or clan fighting, while coverage of the strict implementation of

Islamic law has angered some Islamists.Peru attacks illegal mining ahead of

climate talksPeru has sent 1,000 policemen into its

south-eastern jungles to dismantle illegal gold-mining camps, just weeks before the country hosts global climate talks.

Even before the officers began blasting away at miners’ makeshift shelters, the Amazon rainforest nearby looked like a war-scape, pocked with

craters and littered with the trunks of amputated trees.

Peru’s anti-illegal mining czar, retired army General Augusto Soto, marched the men 6 miles (11 kilometres) to the wasteland known as La Pampa, where 50,000 hectares of rainforest have been obliterated in the past six years.

They destroyed motors and dynamited a dozen motorcycles as they tore down dwellings that included at least one mud-flanked bordello. The miners had removed and hidden some machinery.

Peru first criminalised unlicensed gold mining in 2012 but only began enforcing the law vigorously this year with serious manpower and explosives. The operations have displaced thousands of the estimated 40,000 people who authorities say moved to the jungle to mine gold.Photo: Reuters

Prof Yunus campaigns for Wasfia Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus has urged all to vote for Bangladeshi mountaineer wasfia Nazreen to win the National geographic People’s Choice award.

Prof Yunus also congratulated wasfia for becoming the first ever Bangladeshi to be selected as a National geographic adventurer of the Year.

In a statement at the Yunus Centre, the Nobel laureate said: “You [wasfia] have made us incredibly proud. we want to see wasfia and ‎Bangladesh win the People’s Choice adventurer of the Year award too.”

In a picture posted on the Facebook page of the Yunus Centre, Prof Yunus is seen holding a placard saying: “I vote for wasfia every day...Do you?”

It is the National geographic’s second category of awards – People’s Choice award – in which your vote matters for wasfia.

Names of the winners of the People’s Choice award will be announced in February 2015.

wasfia is the second Bangladeshi woman who conquered the world’s highest peak, Mount everest.News: DeskPhoto: Dhaka Tribune

Police destroying mines in Peru


3meanwhile ... | NEwS

Now Norway has the world’s prettiest passport too

You’re welcome

How to undo a sent email in GmailMeet Gmail’s Undo Send feature, a lifesaving little hack buried in the Gmail Labs settings. It gives you a 30-second window to “undo” sending an outgoing email.

You just have to enable it first.

Here’s how it works:1. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of your Gmail window and select Settings from the dropdown menu.

2. Select Labs from the row of tabs.

3. Scroll all the way to the bottom where you see Undo Send and click Enable.

4. Hit Save Changes at the bottom.

5. Relax. Now when you send an email, the yellow dialogue that displays “Your message has been sent” will also give you the option to Undo. Click it, and the email will reopen, un-sent, in the compose new message window.

Say what?

After vendors dump rotting oranges in a roadside garbage dump near the Beribadh in the capital’s Shahbagh area yesterday, three street children dive into the pile to sort out the

salvageable ones that they can eat and sell.Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

Photo of the week

Earlier this year, Norway announced the most gorgeous currency to ever occupy a

wallet. Now a redesigned passport design for the country is perhaps the most beautiful one the world has ever seen.

Like its currency design, Norway’s

new passport is the result of a nationwide competition. The competition, sponsored by the national Norges Bank, called for designs which resulted in some absolutely gorgeous concepts.

The firm “Neue” however, designed the winning entry which, according to an interview with The Guardian, will start to

roll out in two years. The proposed designs come in three bright colours. The pages are cleanly and minimally designed, offering lovely imagery of Norwegian fjords.News: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo


4 LISTOLOGy | wedding wishlisT

In addition to love, there is a list of expectations attached to a Bangladeshi weddingTausif Sanzum

Great expectations

Photo: Big stock

Fair and lovelyForget tanned skin, our obsession with fair skin continues. A girl's chances of being selected as a bride increases tenfold if she is “blessed” with a lighter skin tone.

The good girl/boyWho says nice guys finish last? You’re free to date the free-spirited “bad” boy, the outgoing “bad girl,” but when the wedding bells toll, you take home the guy with the 9-5 and the girl who’s tied to the kitchen.

Maleficent modeWhile the evil fairy took offense for not being invited to Snow White’s christening, even our distant relatives, whom we haven’t met in years, are obliged to feel offended in case we don’t invite them to the big day.

Anti-agingWhile the rules are comparatively more relaxed for men when it comes to marrying at a particular age, come 26, and most unmarried girls end up overhearing snide asides about their youth passing away along, with their prospects of ever finding a good groom.

36-24-36

If you’re a South Asian Woman, you are expected to be nothing short of perfect, with the dimensions of a model, if you want to be even considered for marriage. The oncoming suitors, on the other hand, may come in all shapes, sizes and statures.

Food and venue

Admit it, food is the sole reason we visit a lot of wedding functions. The other consideration is the venue. If the food you serve isn’t up to their standards, your guests will remind you of this fact for years to come. And God forbid if the venue is not posh enough. Your grand kids will live to hear the tale.

Our very own Master chef

One major expectation from any would-be-bride is that her culinary skills should be on par with that of Siddiqua Kabir’s.

Gifts and more gifts

Since there is a long list of things which are exchanged between the groom and bride’s family, at some point it ends up changing from a tradition of love, to a tradition of one-upmanship.

In a lot of cases, the bride drowns under a pile of precious metals, playing a living billboard for the in-laws who may have gifted them to her. Similarly, grooms sometimes have to don sherwanis shinier than Bappi Lahiri’s jewelery collection, if provided by their in laws.

The Green card speaks

Guys living in Bangladesh face tough competition from those with US or Canadian citizenships. Somehow guys with foreign degrees and residences have it easier at getting jobs and also finding their “fair lady.” .


5movember | FEaTurE

A First World War soldier discovered that his handlebar moustache, complete with twisted

ends, prevented his gas mask from sealing tightly during a gas attack in a trench. So he trimmed down the facial hair into a neat square, creating an infamous style.

You might not remember his face or his hair style, but simply describe his moustache and everyone knows who you’re talking about. He was an evil dictator, guilty of genocide, who brought forward the Second World War.

I am talking about Hitler, of course. It was this toothbrush moustache that was as much his hallmark as the swastika that made him instantly recognisable.

Using the power of the stache for goodThe power of the moustache can instantly change the way you look and create, for better or worse, a memorable appearance.

However, unless you’re a bloodthirsty monster with plans of world domination, you can actually use the power of the stache for good every November.

The annual event started by the Movember Foundation, the leading global organisation committed to changing the face of men’s health (pun intended), challenges men to grow a moustache for the 30 days of November to raise awareness and to save and improve the lives of men affected by prostate and testicular cancer.

According to the foundation, the men taking part in this hairy annual event are Mo Bros. However, Movember isn’t just a boy’s club though.

The women taking part in Movember, known as Mo Sistas, do everything that Mo Bros do, without the facial hair.

Airheads? Hearing terms like Mo Bros and Mo Sistas, it’s easy to imagine a couple of loud, obnoxious airheads crushing beer cans with their foreheads.

However, this is not the case for Movember. The idea behind the plan is actually much smarter than one might realise.

So what does a moustache have to do with prostate and testicular cancer?

Absolutely nothing. However, on a much closer look, the purpose of the moustache is nothing more than a trigger. Men taking part in Movember, become walking, talking billboards for the entire month of November.

They use the moustache as conversation starters and from there they educate and raise awareness of these neglected men’s issues. But it doesn’t end there.

Mo Bros, apart from donating their face, are also encouraged to try and raise funds. Much like taking part in a run or a walk for charity, they are expected to ask their family and friends to sponsor their efforts.

The Mo Sistas help out by supporting and encouraging the men in their lives to get involved. They also play a vital role to help

november is the month for growing a moustache to raise awareness and funds for those affected by prostrate and testicular cancer

Shah Nahian

raise funds and raising awareness themselves.

At the end of the month, the Mo Bros and Sistas celebrate their Movember journey by attending one of the official gala parties held around the world, or organising one on your own, where Mo Bros come dressed to suit their Mo.

Talking to a Local Mo BroMovember has officially become a global movement since its humble beginnings during 2003 from Melbourne, Australia. Walking down the streets in Dhaka, I ran into Ahanaf Chowdhury, a real life Mo Bro. • HowdidyoufindoutaboutMovember?From my wife.

• Whatmadeyoutakepartindoingthis?My wife bullied me into it.

• Thisisthefirsttimeyou’retakingpartinMovember?Yes, this is the first time.

• HaveyoutriedraisinganyfundsforTesticularorProstateCancer?Not yet.

• HowwelldoyouthinkthisconceptofMovemberplaysoutinDhaka?Most people don’t really know

about Movember, but I’ve been asked why I haven’t shaved. So that’s a start I guess.

• CouldMovemberbejustanothertrend?I doubt it. It’s for a good cause.

• Whatwasmostpeople’sreceptionwhenyoufirststartedgrowingthemoustache?They were pretty indifferent.

• Doesitbotheryouwalkingaroundwithamoustache?Not really. Though sometimes I wonder if I look weird.

• HowsuccessfuldoyouthinkMovemberisinDhaka?Notvery sure, but it probably has potential for future years. .

Photo: Saudia Afrin

The Power of

the stache

Fact Box:

• Since 2003, over 4 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas around the world joined the movement, raising USD $559 million.

• To date, 4 million moustaches have been grown worldwide

• To officially take part in Movember, log on to www.movember.com to register.


6 FEaTurE | deshi poeTs in singapore

the winning poem of the first Migrant worker Poetry Competition in singapore by Zakir Hussain Khokhon

Pocket 2Still in the same world, we belong to different spheres

You on that side and me on this: We can do nothing but remember each other

The memories of you and me hang like postersOn the wall of the Ekushe bookfair

At the Doel Chattar, under the shade of the bakul tree at CharukalaAt Hakim Square, in the hoodless rickshaw

At the florists of Shahbag, at the open field of TSCOn the water of Ramna lake

In a night of shades and lights On our bed of love

I remember when I returned this time My heart dissolved in your tears The pocket of my shirt was wet

Reaching the end of my memoriesI wear that shirt every night

And write love poems to you Do I really write poems

Or do my poems cry with me?

“The memories of you and me hang like posters on the wall of the Ekushe book

fair, at the Doyel Chattar, under the shade of the bakul tree at Charukala,” recited 36-year-old Zakir Hussain Khokhon, a Bangladeshi construction supervisor in Singapore.

Performing before a large crowd at Singapore’s National Library, Zakir’s “Pocket 2” poem won first place in this month’s Migrant Worker Poetry Contest in Singapore. The event marked the first time the city-state of Singapore hosted a poetry contest for its migrant workers.

Singapore hosts over 60,000 Bangladeshi workers, 15% of Bangladesh’s total migrant population. Last year, the Dhaka-based Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit listed Singapore as the number two destination for Bangladesh’s migrant workers.

Bangladeshi workers in Singapore account for approximately 3.5% of Bangladesh’s annual remittances, according to Singapore-based Transient Workers Count Too. In a country of 5.26 million Singaporeans, 46% of Singapore’s construction and marine-related jobs are filled by low and semi-skilled workers from countries like Bangladesh.

How it all beganA few months ago, Indian writer and management consultant Shivaji Das spoke with noted Singaporean poet Alvin Pang about whether Singaporeans knew about the poetic talents of migrant workers. Das had attended a few poetry slams held by Banglar Kantha, the only Bangla newspaper in Singapore. AKM Mohsin, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, was hard at work gathering Bangladeshi workers every Sunday, the only day off for the construction and shipyard workers. As part of a club called Banglar Kontho Sahitya Parishad, the men would sit together and recite verse, launching their own lyrical battles.

It was apparent that the average Singaporean had no idea Bangladesh

produced such great verse, and the men at their construction sites were capable of performing this poetry: “When we see migrant workers toiling in construction sites and shipyards, is it possible to imagine that they too could harbour great literary talents?”

The event invited poets to submit up to three original entries in Bengali, Tamil, or English, judged in mid-November.

“Mohsin has been instrumental in encouraging cultural activities among the workers,” said Das. “I thought why not let the wider Singaporean community know about this other aspect of workers’ lives.”

Shivaji approached Mohsin about highlighting the poetic prowess of Bangladeshi writers. Soon, donors he had never met were offering to donate money for prizes, certificates, trophies, and cash prizes from $50-$200. Media outlets even asked how they could amplify the unheard voices of Singapore’s migrants.

The final result was a body of 84 poems from 28 poets. Das was surprised: “I was expecting only 10-12 participants.”

The participantsBangladeshi worker Monir Ahmod was encouraged by the weekly Bangla poetry club to participate: “I dream of a revolution for some of the workers to write poetry, where men can write poetry about their dreams,” he told Dhaka Tribune.

Ahmod and fellow poets explored themes of love, family, nationalism, and labour toils. Five entries were short listed by November, and selected finalists recited their poems in front of a jury in November.

“Here they are, for the very first time in public, recognised for the creative human personalities they are, not just lost figures in the distance,” said Hungarian-British attendee and poet, George Szirtes.

Although working difficult jobs, some of the poets were well-known individuals in their homelands. “Many of the contestants are published poets and novelists back in Bangladesh. They have other talents too, including singing or acting,”

Migrant poets societyBangladesh’s migrant workers in Singapore recite poetry as a way to remember home

Sabrina Toppa

Rajib Shil Jibon won second place in the contest Photo: Courtesy


7

said Das. Entrants like Masud Parvez Opu writes lyrics for popular modern Bangla songs in Bangladesh, and men like Monir Ahmod appear regularly in Bangladeshi magazines.

Although the focus was on all of Singapore’s migrant workers, the event drew mostly Bangalis working in the shipyard and construction industries. “Next year we will reach out to Filipino, Indonesian and Chinese domestic helpers and workers,” Das said. Banglar Kantha was the key force behind the strong Bangladeshi participation.

The winner was Bangladeshi poet Zakir, who submitted three poems centring around the pocket theme: one for his son, wife, and father. The poem dedicated to his wife – entitled “Pocket 2” – charmed the crowd, and the judges declared him the victor.

Singapore’s situationAccording to judge Alvin Pang, who runs the non-profit The Literary Centre (Singapore): “Poetry is not an elite art – it is a basic human joy. There is also such a rich tradition of poetry in South Asia that we would be remiss to ignore. I am delighted that poetry can bring people together across so many social, political and cultural boundaries. In a way, art always has done this, and here’s another opportunity to celebrate it.”

Singapore has made positive steps toward ameliorating the social welfare of migrant workers. Last year, it instituted a weekday holiday rule, giving workers’ respite from long hours.

Although Singapore is hailed as an Asian economic miracle, the situation for its transient workers is less glittering. Last year, Singapore was roiled by the Little India Riots, sparked by the death of the Indian construction worker Sakthivel Kumarvelu. Run over by a bus in Singapore’s Little India enclave, the incident precipitated mob violence resulting in 40 arrests and 27 reported

injuries, with hundreds of South Asian rioters demonstrating on Singapore’s placid streets.

“There is either very little awareness, or sometimes unfortunately even casual contempt toward migrant workers,” reported Pang. “It’s a class thing: the chauvinism of affluence. Of course many Singaporeans also see the hard work these men put in to help our city grow, but the recent Little India Riots has sharpened distinctions. It has torn open the veil of polite invisibility with which our society regards its working guests.”

“I think this competition reconnects us with the basic humanity we all share,” Pang said. “Not only the dignity of cousin-Asians who have come here to work and serve, but who bring with them a deep, rich cultural heritage that we should respect and learn from.”

And one of the primary benefits of the competition was broadening exposure of contemporary Bangali verse to a non-Bangali audience. “Because of language barriers, I never had access to these poetic riches in my own home city,” said Pang. Though Singaporeans like Pang see Bangladeshi labourers everywhere in their city, they seldom have the opportunity to engage them in real conversation.

“Many of the poems I’ve read in translation I found incisive, and barbed but not bitter,” Pang said. “Some are wonderfully lyrical, full of human longing. These are not hollow, pretty words. I think they should be more widely known.”

And with the rate of migration accelerating, it’s more important than ever before. “We share this city together,” Pang said. “Why should one set of human voices be less heard and less valued than others? We all need to listen more attentively to each other. This is a late start, but better late than never.” n

I dream of a revolution for some of the workers to write poetry,

where men can write poetry about their dreams

Photos: Migrant Worker Poetry Contest, Singapore


8 FEaTurE | Tedxdhaka

Talking TEDThis year, TEDx Dhaka, will be “breaking barriers,” at the KIB Complex on November 22

Faisal Mahmud

The organisers of TEDx Dhaka – an independently organised annual TED event running since 2009 in Dhaka – claim that they

came up with the “Breaking Barriers” theme because it suits TEDx Dhaka’s motto and the ideas that they want to spread through this one of a kind intellectual gathering.

“We started off with ‘Different Bangladesh,’ followed by ‘Be the Change’ and then ‘Problems as Catalysts,’” said the organisers.

The story of a great idea doesn’t end

at the dream and philosophy stage. At first someone needs to think differently. Then those changes are needed to be made to move forward by turning problems into catalysts.

So the purpose behind the choice of this year’s theme is to connect,

celebrate, and share the stories of those who have crossed hurdles and gotten remarkable things done, in an attempt to realise their dreams and philosophies.

“We recognise that these barriers help shape who we are, and what we do today,” the organisers said.

List of speakers at TEDxDhaka 2014

abrar Jawad and safwan rahman

Nine-years-old Abrar and 11-years-old Safwan are students/education and R&D apprentices at The Tech School.

Monira rahman

As the first employee of the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF), Monira developed the bio-psychosocial model which transformed the lives of hundreds of acid victims to an active change agent.

Mohammad anisul Karim

A doctor, health and nutrition researcher, who is currently working as a researcher for the ICCDR,B.

Moktadir Dewan shanto

An acappella enthusiast and a beatboxer, who, has worked with versatile bands like GrooveTrap and Old School and is currently a member of Blunderware.

Manik and ratan

Young cartoonists, graphic artists and animator duo Manik & Ratan have had their creative work regularly featured in almost every major newspaper and magazine in Bangladesh.

arild Klokkerhaug and syeda gulshan Ferdous Jana

Founders of “Somewhere in…,” the first social media company in Bangladesh.

He is among the most well-known environmental activists and architects of the country and is the joint secretary of “Bangladesh Environment Movement.”

Iqbal Habib

He is an associate professor in computing and information science at Cornell University and directs the People-Aware Computing group, which works towards inventing technology to support individuals with serious mental illnesses.

tanzeem Choudhury

Popularly known as Shayan, she is an eclectic musician, lyricist and composer.

Farzana wahid shayan

Iftekhar, a civil/environmental engineer and urban-planner and Maqsood, an architect-urban planner, are co-founders of Waste Concern.

Iftekhar enayetullah and Maqsood sinha

This dynamic duo are roboticists and entrepreneurs, making great changes in the field of robotics and mechanical engineering in Bangladesh.

rini eshan Khushboo and rakib reza

He is a high school student, software developer and entrepreneur based in Dhaka, who started computer-coding at age 10 and is now the founder and president of ITTW Conferences and the National Olympiad in Software Innovation (NOSI).

shehzad Noor taus

TED?TED is an annual event where some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers are invited to share what they are most passionate about. “TED” stands for technology, entertainment, design – three broad subject areas that are collectively shaping our future. And in fact, the event is broader still, showcasing ideas that matter in any discipline. Attendees have called it “the ultimate brain spa” and “a four-day journey into the future.”

The diverse audience – CEOs, scientists, creatives, philanthropists – is almost as extraordinary as the speakers, who include Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Frank Gehry, Paul Simon, Sir Richard Branson, Philippe Starck and Bono.

TEDx?TEDx is a programme of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share ideas worth spreading. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks videos and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organised events are branded TEDx, where x=independently organised event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx programme, but individual TEDx events are organised locally.

TEDxDhakaTEDxDhaka is an “independently organised TED event” in Dhaka, organised by a prolific group of TEDsters and TED enthusiasts. TEDxDhaka is organised under the license and guidance of the TED Conferences LLC, New York, USA.

Photo: TEDxDHAKA


9The liberaTion war | PhOTO STOry

1971 through the lens of Abdul Hamid RaihanPhotos: Abdul Hamid Raihan

Turn for more photographs

In 1946, armed with a Kodak-127 camera, abdul Hamid raihan started capturing images, framing portraits of friends, relatives and scenes from nature. However, his devotion to photography actually started when he bought a Yashica-635 camera in 1965 and made it his permanent companion.

During the Liberation War in 1971, Raihan joined with his camera in hand and acted as an assistant in-charge of Karimpur recruitment camp till September 14, 1971. Afterwards, he joined the volunteer service core of the then Mujibnagar government as a photographer. His responsibilities were to capture the training of freedom fighters as well as the devastation caused by Pakistani soldiers and their local collaborators.

After the Independence, he returned to Kushtia and established Rupantor Studio, where he has been holding photographic exhibitions since1972. His valuable photographic assets left its mark in many publications and in several museums: 290 photographs by him are preserved at

Mukhtijuddha Jadughor, 175 photographs in Dhaka cantonment’s Bijoy Keton museum, as well as other museums across the country.In 1987, Bangladesh government published the book, Muktijuddhayer Alokchitra, which includes 27 of his photographs.For his life long work for his country, Counter Foto is honouring him with the Lifetime Achievement Award on the occasion of their second anniversary.

This week’s photo story features some of his award winning work.

A group of razakars caught by freedom fighters in Munshiganj of Alamdanga thana under Chuadanga District

Counter Foto is one

of the leading independent photography institutes in Bangladesh


10 PhOTO STOry | The liberaTion war

Minister of Mujibnagar Government, AHM Kamruzzaman, in discussion with a Bengali military officer about the occupation of Kaliganj by the Pakistani army. Kaliganj and Debhata under Satkhira district were freed from Pakistani army on December 20. This photograph was taken on December 2, 1971

Minister Kamruzzaman and barrister Amirul Islam of the Mujibnagar government in Ranaghat youth training camp. This photograph was taken on November 24, 1971

Picnic Corner field in Jessore. This photograph was taken on December 1971

Volunteers’ training at a refugee camp in Salt Lake, Kolkata. About half a million refugees took refuge in Salt Lake. This photograph was taken on September 1971


11

Picnic Corner field in Jessore. This photograph was taken on December 1971

Tajuddin Ahmed, prime minister of the Mujibnagar government, giving his speech in Jessore Public Library field. Standing behind him are M R Akhtar Mukul, the narrator of “Chorompotro” (broadcasted from Sadhin Bangla Betar), Upen Tarafder (correspondent of Indian radio station Akashbani), and Zahir Raihan (filmmaker who was lost after the Independence). Jessore was freed from the Pakistanis on December 6. This photograph was taken on December 12, 1971

Mosleuddin, a freedom fighter standing in a camp in Debhata under Satkhira district. This photograph was taken on December 2, 1971

Gyadon Sheikh, a victim of the Pakistani army’s torture in Uttar Mirpur village of Kumarkhali Thana under Kushtia district. Pak soldiers brutally mutilated his neck and stomach area with bayonets, but he was saved by a village doctor. This photograph was taken on December 14, 1971


12 INTErvIEw | syed manzoorul islam

Dhaka University’s renowned writer of short stories and critic Syed Manzoorul Islam talks about this week’s Hay Festival in Dhaka

Farhana Urmee

HowdoyouviewHayfestivalinBangladesh?It has brought the world to Bangladesh and has taken Bangladesh to the world. Of course, before Hay, we also reached audiences beyond our borders, but Hay is a meeting place of writers, publishers and book lovers. And when there is a network of related festivals, news travels so fast.

This is the way to disseminate information about literature. Ours is a very rich literature. I myself have seen how positive last year’s participants have been about Bangladeshi literature.

HowcantheHayfestivalbroadenitsreadershipinBangladesh?Any international exposure, even in small ways, means a lot to a young writer. If five books are sold overseas, that generates a critical response. There is also a vital judgement received beyond one’s border – either an appreciation or genuine criticism. People from different cultures are judging our literature, from their own perspective or from a global perspective. Thus our shortcomings come to the surface more easily. We realise where our strengths lie and where our weaknesses also lie. Accordingly, we try to form ourselves.

Secondly, this festival creates a readership, even within the country. When people realise there is a festival going on and plenty of books are coming out, it encourages a dormant

readership to get involved and start patronising books. I can cite my own case. Last year my collection of short stories came out and sold very well. It would not have sold that well if the launch did not take place at Hay, or if there was no stall where people could easily locate, find and buy books. So, in that sense, it is an organised way of bringing together readers, writers and publishers. And when publishers get interested in the literature of a region, they start patronising. Ultimately, this further disseminates our literature around all corners of the globe. So that is the kind of healthy effect promoted by this festival.

I have also noticed it’s a very youthful festival. The writers who come are very young, not always in terms of age, but in terms of their enthusiasm towards life and literature. That kind of young participation is welcome for our writers because most of them are also very young. There is a kind of synergy between our writers, publishers and readers. It has not yet translated into a big readership abroad, I understand, but eventually, many of our Bangladeshi authors will make their mark abroad. One important part of this year’s Hay is Zia Haider Rahman, who made such a splash in the world literary scene with the publication of his book. I am sure he will inspire many more authors who probably would not have found the encouragement to write. Zia can be a role model.

The Hay hype

Hay is purely a literary festival to bring readers,

publishers and authors together

Syed Manzoorul Islam at his library Photo: Quamrul Abedin


13

WriterswhowritebothinBanglaandinEnglish,howcantheybehelpedbyeventslikeHay?Not many people write in both languages, unfortunately. In our country, those who write in English very well neglect their mother language. They have not developed equal expertise in their mother language and in English. But Hay stresses the importance of one’s mother language. You don’t have to write in English to be global. In fact, most of the world’s best authors wrote in their mother languages. All Latin American authors wrote in Spanish. In fact, I learned Spanish for two years just to be able to read their original work because in translations many things are gone or lost. We cannot assume that only writing English guarantees a global audience.

What we need is strong and good translations of the original Bangla text, which we lack. That facility is not available here in our country, because we have not invested enough in the “language capital.” We have not even developed a proper Bangla culture in this country, let alone an English one. We need a strong group of bilinguals equally good in English and Bangla, as well as experts in English. They can work as collaborators, producing excellent translations. Not simply translations by the locals but translations in association with people whose mother language is English. We need institutions for that. I am happy that University of Liberal Arts in Dhaka has opened a translation centre and brought out three excellent translations last year. With institutional support, some excellent works can materialise. If the government sets up a translation centre, maybe in Bangla Academy, and takes up joint collaboration translation projects, they can invite prominent

translators from abroad to work closely with Bangladeshi authors.

So, Hay has brought an opportunity to show our writings to the world. Some publishers are always there. Over the last two years, we at least have two more publishers making their debut who are bringing out books on Hay.

Howdoyoufeelaboutbookstoresdisappearing?We have lost the thriving reading culture that we grew up in. Earlier, there was no visual culture to clash with our reading habits. With the arrival of visual culture, our eyes have moved away from books to the screens. It will take another

generation to understand the limitations of screens.

Children in our country are overwhelmed by their textbooks. The more we burden our children with textbooks, the more they spend leisure time looking at screens instead of books.

WhatisyouropinionaboutBanglaAcademyhostingtheevent?One of the founding philosophies behind Bangla Academy was to make Bangla literature known to the world. Hay is purely a literary festival to bring readers, publishers and authors together – it’s just a platform. People from overseas will definitely be

interested in Bangladeshi literature, which gained more prominence thanks to Hay. I do not like insularity in the name of culture. Culture is a global thing. Our culture is not for us only. I am happy when I see my culture being appreciated abroad. It is a matter of pride when our culture goes to the West and gives something to the West. It’s not Bangla Academy’s gain to host the festival as much as it is Hay festival’s gain to widen its understanding of Bangladesh and its literature. Hay came here not to colonise or hegemonise, but rather, they came and learned from us.

Whatdoyouhavetosaytoyoungwriters?Discover the richness of your mother language. Without standing firmly on your own ground, you cannot touch anything in the world. You cannot touch the sky standing on someone else’s shoulder. Do not ever have the illusion that you can become a globally acceptable author by only becoming a writer in English. One can only cultivate a global sensibility after understanding his own literature. n

Culture is a global thing. Our culture is

not for us only

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

Photos: Amirul Rajiv


14 LEGaLESE | Jennifer ashraf kashmi

Dear Reader:Thank you for writing in to me. Firstly, congratulations! This is exciting news indeed. Foreign investment is booming in Bangladesh,

and that can only mean good things for the days ahead. Now, with reference to your queries, let us evaluate the legal position below.

The law in Bangladesh is silent regarding the recruitment of employees prior to complete establishment of a legal entity in Bangladesh. However, the relevant law in the instance of foreign currency remittance is currently governed by the Foreign Exchange and Regulations Act, 1947 (hereinafter referred to as: FER Act) which stipulates that any agent, advisor or employee receiving foreign exchange from an entity abroad, will require permission from the Bangladesh Bank. This is referred to in 18A of the FER Act, and states as follows:

(1) Notwithstanding anything

A

got a

problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@

dhakatribune.com

contained in any other law for the time being in force, no person shall, except with the general or special permission of the Bangladesh Bank, act or accept an appointment to act as an agent in the trading or commercial transactions, or as a technical or management adviser or any other employee, in Bangladesh (whether or not a citizen of Bangladesh) of a person resident in Bangladesh (but not a citizen of Bangladesh) or of a company (other than a banking company) not incorporated under any

law in force in Bangladesh.(2) A person acting or holding

an appointment to act as an agent or as an adviser or any other employee in Bangladesh of a person or company referred to in sub-section (1) immediately before the commencement of the Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 1976 (Ord. No. LXXVI of 1976), may continue to so act for a period not exceeding six months from such commencement unless the Bangladesh Bank has, upon an

application made in this behalf in such form and containing such particulars as the Bangladesh Bank may direct, granted him permission to continue to so act thereafter.

This does clearly state that an 18A application will be appropriate in your situation. Before processing a remittance application, the authorised dealer (ie the local bank dealing with the remittance of funds) will check whether the concerned company/their local agents have valid approval (with up to date renewal) of Bangladesh Bank, under Section 18A/18B of the FER Act. Employees will be applying under 18A and employers will be applying under 18B of the FER Act.

Any 18A application will require the approval/permission issued by the BOI for the branch office, or a confirmation letter that the BO application has been received by the BOI and is under process.

In terms of Section 18A of the FER Act, 1947, permission of Bangladesh Bank will have to be obtained by any person (which includes individuals, firms, business organisations or concerns incorporated or not) to enable the person concerned to act or accept an appointment to act as an agent in trading and commercial transactions or as

a technical or management advisor of any person resident outside Bangladesh or of a person resident in Bangladesh but not citizen of Bangladesh.

Therefore, I strongly recommend that you make an 18A application as soon as you receive your appointment letter/employment agreement from the company. The employer will also assist you during the 18A application process. A word to the wise – it may be pertinent to hold on to your current job just until the 18A permission is approved and, once again, congratulations! .

QI have just been offered a lucrative job position with an international company. They are quite well known and reputable, so I am excited about the

opportunity. The company is planning to open a branch office in Bangladesh and have already made an application to the Board of Investment. They are anticipating being in business once the branch office set-up is completed, which is predicted early next month.

I was celebrating with my friends one evening, when one of them (he works in a bank) mentioned that I need to make an 18A application ASAP for remittance of foreign currency. This is the first time I have heard of it. My friend also said that I should talk to a lawyer prior to signing any agreement. Could you advise please?

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

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

Pa$$port to profit


15managing calamiTies | ENvIrONMENT

Learning to live with disasterBangladesh’s unpredictable rivers leave us needing better preparationFaisal Mahmud

The earth is in need of a few friends promoting better environmental care and management, and last month’s event “Redraw the Line,” aimed to change youth attitudes toward the environment.

The awareness campaign to reduce our carbon footprint was organised by the Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies at Dhaka University, in collaboration with Media Alliance.

It featured a six day (October 25-30) student experiment called No Impact.

The week of events started with Vegetation Day, where students abstained from consuming meat and planted trees on campus.

Day 2 advocated green transportation options like bicycles, rickshaws, or walking. Bins for biodegradable materials were set up around campus on Day 3. The students also discussed climate change on Day 4.

In the last two days, the way trash transforms into craft was on display, and artist Asad Iqbal Sumon led an interactive workshop session on “trash turns into ornaments.” Students converted things that seemed like trash in to toys and flower vases. The participants crafted some items by collecting waste materials from their house, such as unused shampoo bottles, water bottles, coke cans and broken ceramic or glass utensils.

No Impact weekAfsar Ali is a middle-aged owner of a ravaged teashop that sits in front of another ramshackle structure he

calls home.He doesn’t bother to repair his

house’s leaky roof, or stock anything but biscuits and puffed rice in his shop.

“Why bother? The river will eat up my shop and house anyway. Besides, where would I get the money? Or the customers?”

Near the banks of the Jamuna River, Afsar lives in Bashuria and speaks in resigned tones: “I had to shift my house several times over the years, as it was grabbed by the river. I have simply learned to live with it.”

His story is common in our flood-prone nation, but his nonchalance about being continuously uprooted is striking.

Risk managementThere is a flood risk management programme in Aona upazila, Jamalpur. Aona is a union, and its disaster management committee has been trained by the NARRI. A union disaster management committee is the last trial of the government in disaster management. Usually different NGOs, with government approval, provide necessary preparation for a flood.

Runa Jesmine, a training coordinator in Aona, said disaster risk reduction occurs to reduce a community’s losses during a disaster.

“With our limited capacities, we have been training people: What to keep, what to leave, where to go and whom to ask. We have also trained a group of volunteers to conduct rescue operations to help vulnerable people – such as children, pregnant women and the disabled – to transfer them to

a secure location,” said Runa.Local people said the training better

equipped them to fight floods. Farhad Hossain, a farmer by profession and member of the committee said: “We now have learnt where to find clean drinking water and a safe place for defecation during a flood. We didn’t know before that people die during a flood due to diarrhea,” he said.

River erosionFloods are an inevitable phenomenon for a downstream country. But the cruelty of river erosion can be reduced.

For homes sitting on the side of a beautiful river, one unpropitious moment can spell doom. Losing shelter to rivers forces citizens to uproot or desert their homes and move to another place. Most citizens simply run out of new places to move to, and join Bangladesh’s floating communities.

This is precisely the predicament Afsar Ali finds himself in. Years of perilous weather and personal trauma from home-uprooting have made him accept his fate. And his story is a common one – 6 million Bangladeshis across the country share this fate.

Dim prospectsExperts do not predict a brighter future. Erosion is expected to take a serious turn in the major rivers – Jamuna, Padma and Meghna – due to adverse impacts of climate change.

Deputy executive director of the Centre for Environment and Geographic Information Service (CEGIS) Dr Maminul Haque Sarker said the erosion rate in the three rivers had declined in recent years, compared to the 1980s.

But erosion will continue to increase in the coming years due to the impact of climate change.

The rate of river bank erosion depends several factors, he said. Flooding and sediment load are responsible for river erosion and the rate of erosion largely depends on the flow of flood water and sediment.

Both flooding and sediments have increased in the river due to the impact of climate change. The decay of soil produces large amount of sediments in the river which increases erosion in the country.

Work ahead“We can do something to mitigate the problem, but very little,” said Professor Abdul Matin, Department of Water Resource Engineering of BUET. “The problem is we live in a downstream land and we don’t have control over the three main rivers of our country,” he said.

“You can control floods and river erosion by river training and building embankments. But sometimes even those are not enough if there is excessive rain. China is a good example of that.”

Prof Matin said there is increasing global understanding that basin-wide management of international watercourses is a better option for ensuring sustainable development. But South Asian countries fail to adopt these measures. “We haven’t a single agreement with India for basin wide management of the mentioned three rivers even though they are international rivers.”

Solutions“To stop river erosion, we can at best increase afforestation in the lands bordering the river to check decaying of soil. We can also construct embankments along the vulnerable banks and maintain it over the years. But these are all temporary solutions. For permanent ones, we really need to go for a massive joint basin wide management venture with India,” said Matin.

As for now, Bangladesh still lacks sufficient financial capital to build mega-structures to train rivers. The relevant authorities remain indifferent to changing the status of this, leaving men like Afsar Ali to build smaller structures to show something needs to be done. But with a resigned tone, it seems he embraces a dismal fate and leaves his shop stock with nothing but puffed rice and biscuits. .

Photos: Progga


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

16 TOuGh LOvE | dina sobhan

I am a student in high school and I had met my new classmate, who used to live abroad, about a year ago. She is like a refreshing breeze

on a hot summer day. Though many guys flirt with her, I know she is still single. Recently, she opened up to me during lunch break and we had our first real conversation. I had thought there were sparks, so, I sent her a friend request on Facebook, because, why not? That was two weeks ago, and I know she uses Facebook every day. I don’t know if I should bring it up in conversation that she had already said that she would accept the friend request earlier. How come she’s friendly in person but not on Facebook?

Q My girlfriend goes through my cell phone (when I’m not around) and she noticed that an old friend of mine was “number one”

on Snapchat. She is convinced that something dodgy is going on when I

was only sharing pictures of my new guitars and such with my old friend. Sadly, there is no way I can prove this as Snapchat keeps no records. She is really upset and I can’t seem to change things for the better. How can I break her suspicion that I have been cheating on her somehow? Should I butter her up?

It’s a peculiar world we live in where kids determine the quality of their friendships based on their Facebook interactions. Who gives a flying monkey’s butt if she doesn’t “friend” you

on FB, “cause you have a friendship in real life!”

Spend more time actually talking to her and getting to know her and you’ll probably learn more about her than you would staring at her quotes and photos on the computer.

If she’s as popular as you say, she’s probably got a hundred desperados sending requests to her daily and she just can’t be bothered raking through them for the one or two people she may either actually know or want to know.

I am assuming she too is of the opinion that if she can grace you with her presence during the all important lunch break, it shouldn’t matter that you can’t stalk her online…yet.

A A

got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@dhakatribune.

com

Love networking

Q

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

I feel like we’re setting new standards in how pathetic we are by allowing social media to dictate our every move and define our every relationship.

First of all, your girlfriend should not be going through your phone. That is not okay, and it serves her right for snooping and demonstrating how little faith she has in you as a person.

Secondly, you should not have to justify using Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook or even Pinterest, and with whom you wish to share that useless information.

Why do you need to butter her up and how? Will you now fall all over yourself making her your numero uno on Snapchat? Or unfriend everyone who she disapproves of on FB? Or simply send out a tweet saying that you are the sole property and possession of your girlfriend and anybody wanting any sort of interaction with you has to go through her first?

Being in a relationship doesn’t mean you’ve signed your soul – or any other body parts – over to her. Do absolutely nothing. Let her be upset but make it clear that she brought it on herself and that if she’s going to try and put you on a leash, she should expect to get her foot dirtied every now and again.

Of course, if your “old friend” is an ex, and the pictures of “and such” you were sending her are of the body parts that rightfully belong to your girlfriend, then consider all of the above stricken from the record. .


“Writing in English, how do I capture the essential cunning of a

tea-shop guy? Everything sounds fake,” questions Bangladeshi writer Saad Z Hossain. His debut novel, Baghdad Immortals, will be released in America in March 2015 under the new title “Escape from Baghdad!” by an independent North American publisher, Unnamed Press.

“It’s very difficult to convey the richness of another language because so much is based on context and connotation that you lose everything,” Saad argues.

Educated in Bangladeshi English-medium schools, Saad says he lacks the lexiconic tools to write in Bangla, which has its own literary traditions and mythology built into the language.

“I don’t have nearly enough

of a vocabulary to make an effort to write in Bangla. That’s just the schooling – it’s not a conscious choice,” Saad adds. Metaphors and extended metaphors run the risk of disappearing altogether. The word petni (witch) has a painful dearth of English equivalents to evoke the rich, fearful connotation it commands, he notes.

Likewise, words like djinn metamorphosise when strung over a new language. “In English, the word djinn is flawed. It’s a genie you find when you rub a lamp that provides you with three wishes, and it’s from Aladdin, a cartoon.”

In contrast to this, djinns in Arabic or Islamic theology invoke devils, demons, and other fearful qualities. “In Bangla folk-tales, the djinns haunt you, they talk to babies, they’re the dead. Common people – including educated people – all believe in djinns because it’s written in the Quran.”

While writing his novel, Saad relied on Norse and Greek mythologies, asserting that these myths were inherently braided into the English language: “It’s given to you by the language you read and write in.”

The main witch character of his novel is one of the Three Furies, or gods of vengeance, from Greek mythology. “Even the gods were afraid of them because they controlled destiny – that’s a Greek myth, and that’s the only thing that fit. I didn’t know any equivalent in any other mythology, including Bangla mythology.”

Writing in English forces Bangladeshis to enter a literary dialogue with other cultures. “We’re in a timeline where being a subcontinental brown person means you’re at the wrong end of a colonial

experience and a bunch of wars that you lost. More people need to write in English to take part in a global dialogue where you’re redefining what it means to be a winner or loser.”

But Bangla writers who ignore the dialogue have the added advantage of producing works more accessible to the laity and thereby more profitable for the writers themselves – at least for those still living in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh also suffers from a dearth of English-language editors. Under his American publisher, Hossain’s words received greater scrutiny: “In the Bangladeshi version, they just checked for grammar, spelling, not really content.”

Saad pointed out that Bangalis hang laurels over writers, while the same profession will collect muted derision overseas. He noted that English writings do not enjoy mass appeal in Bangladesh, where only 18% of the population speaks English. This leaves litterateurs like him pursuing writing stuck in a commercially risky business, while relying on a family business for their true financial support.

“What you’re dealing with here is also class,” Saad said. “Those writing in English are essentially English-medium kids, and the English readers are also English-medium kids. So, yes, there’s going to be a disconnect between that and Bangla-medium kids. As a writer, I don’t see too many people who write equally well in both languages. At a certain point, I think you have to pick one and do the bulk

of your reading and writing in one language.”

As a science fiction and fantasy writer, Saad is a strong proponent of genre fiction, which he believes is painfully absent in Bangladesh. “The readership is there but for some reason, unless you’re writing about real life, pain, and tragedy, it’s not worth it.”

He places the onus on publishers and literature outlets to build variety. “A healthy literary body has to include everything. It can’t just be more stories about 1971 or rape or violence.”

Saad notes that South Asian writers in English face the issue of writing in “exotic Indian English” a la authors like Salman Rushdie.

“The mango and monsoon are now available to the Western lexicon. But what we need to make the writing healthier is actually genre-fiction. Why aren’t there detective novels in English set in Bangladesh? That is a big, huge, beautiful genre – and there’s so much crime. You have everything you need in Bangladesh: you have the crime, the corruption, and the true life, unbelievable, incredible stories.” .

Hussain’s book, “Escape from Baghdad!” is available for pre-order now at :

http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Baghdad-Saad-Hossain/dp/01939419247

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escape-from-baghdad-saad-hossain/1120251340?ean=9781939419248

17insighT | LITEraTurE

In a country where Bangla is the dominant language, sci-fi and fantasy writer Saad Z Hossain discusses the difficulty producing and finding readers for English literature

Sabrina Toppa

lost in translation

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

Photo: Courtesy


18 STay IN

S u d o k uUse 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

Mini cryptics

aCrOss1 Opening confused cat between hotels (5)5 Employ American energy (3) 6 Near to the first darkness (5)8 Say yes to rage about last of pie (5)10 Sounds like a lion not ready to eat (3)11 Beer makes stately return (5)DOwN1 Eager about a country (7)2 Pull stomach up (3)3 House of chutney (3)4 Ever confused about hesitant painter (7)7 Take more than your share of animal (3)8 For making holes in bad law (3)9 Material for jazz tune (3)

Last

wee

k’s

solu

tion

s

aCrOss1 Bird place in disarray (7)4 Abbreviation a friend made initially (7) 6 Assorted Danes aboard SS Blue Mood (7)7 Containers for sketch artists (7)DOwN1 Messy diapers enthusiastically received (7)2 Bright and free after lunch starters (5)3 Enemy seems in confusion (7)5 French resort holds first of events for relative (5)

CluesWinter slumberN Anita Amreen

And finally it’s that time of the year again where the days are shorter, nights longer and the

lazies have comfortably settled into the folds of our comforters. Laying in bed, snuggling under the covers and spending hours in idleness seem to be the order of the day. Here’s a quick listing of a few ways to surrender to the comfort of our homes and the cocoon of winter.

Sweet slumber

What better way to while away time than spending time under the covers (don’t read between the lines). Give yourself a well deserved holiday and take a weekday off to just give in to those sleep cravings. Snooze away!

Escape in fantasy

If sleep doesn’t cut it for you and you’ve exhausted yourself in bed (no pun intended) then allow yourself to

escape into the world of fiction. Pick up your favourite read and finally get to the book you’ve been waiting for all summer to finish.

Foot spa

As much as you’d like to let those calluses fester and grow, you can’t help but admit that there is a certain pleasure in just laying back and having your feet dipped in a mini home spa. Get a large bowl of lukewarm water and let those feet loose. Ladies can sit back, relax and luxuriate in pampering themselves while the male homebodies may even spend some quality time on their gaming consoles as their feet take on some loving.

Show marathonWhether it’s cheap thrills in the form of reality shows such as “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” or secretly watching the Hindi shows you take a private pleasure in – this is your time to make the best of staying in. Give in to your embarrassing needs and entertain yourself however you please. Our idea of choice is having a TV show marathon where you finally get to kick back and watch your favourite shows back to back, uninterrupted.

Bat away the mosquito bluesIf you thought winter sports were limited to badminton only, think again. Nothing spells winter like those beautifully crafted mosquito repelling racquets. This night-time friend of yours is a true trooper. If you’re too lazy to step out, worry not because these addictive devices were made for people like you in mind. Switch off the lights, turn on the torch on your racquet and hunt those pests down. Allow yourself to feel the victory of every zap, and the pleasure of a winter war that is won.

Wake and bake

Whether it’s winter or summer, there’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh out-of-the-oven brownies or even the aroma of steaming hot chocolate. It’s time to cosy up, and what better way to snuggle up than having your hands wrapped around a seductive cup of hot chocolate as you sip away it’s heady concoction. Add freshly baked cupcakes to that and you have yourself a recipe for winter chocolate therapy. n

Solved it? Email answers to [email protected] and win one free month of the Dhaka Tribune.


GO OuT 19

This year’s TEDxDhaka theme is “Breaking Barriers,” which is aimed to overcome all obstacles and forge a new era.

This year there will be stories of individuals rising from ashes, tackling difficulties, turning problems

into catalysts and thus breaking the barriers to create, innovate and change. The speakers at the event are a diverse group of individuals.

The speaker nomination form is open throughout the year. TEDx looks forward to finding unheard voices, amazing new chapters of known stories, brilliant ideas, technological marvels, scientific discoveries and stories of changing people’s lives.

EMK Center is hosting the screening of The Singing Teacher, a short film by Inshra Russell. This is a free event. You have to register online at: http://goo.gl/SvXTig. The Singing Teacher is a story of a young girl who goes for a singing audition to a revered but restless music teacher and sings a song that strikes a magical chord.

In her directorial debut, Inshra Sakhawat Russell, who has studied film-making at London Film Academy, cast a colourful crew of talented actors including Shatabdi Wadud, Tanvin Sweety, Mac Haque and newcomer, Ariba Tahrim Chaudhury.

Grameenphone presents Innovation Xtreme (I/X), an initiative of StartupDhaka.org, a content and event platform for startups, entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses.

The event will bring together the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem: investors, experienced entrepreneurs, corporate professionals, media and everything in between to showcase

the potential of innovators and entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.

The event accommodates networking with international investors, successful entrepreneurs and learning from the best on

how to make business deals, talent funding and partnership and media exposure.

This year the event has multiple renowned venture capital firms attending under one roof. Be one of the select 10 startups to get an opportunity to present to VCs at the Innovation Xtreme Grand Finale.

Conference | TEDxDhaka 2014 “Breaking Barriers” Film | The Singing Teacher

Event | Innovation Xtreme

WHEn Nov 22, 9am-7pm WHErE Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh, Khamarbari Road, Farmgate

WHEn Nov 22, 6:30-7:30pm WHErE EMK Center, Midas Center,House 5, Road 27, Dhanmondi

WHEn Nov 22, 10am-7:30pmWHErE Radisson Water Garden Hotel Dhaka

Weekly PlannerNOv 20-21

PHOtOgraPHY | PHOtOgraPHY exHIBItION 2014: alO aDHarIr gOlPOwHeN 3-8pmwHere Drik, House 58, Road 15A, Dhanmondi Residential Area wHat The group, Alo Adharir Golpo is organising a photography exhibition titled “Photography Exhibition 2014: Alo Adharir Golpo.” For details contact 01559 203503.

MusIC & DaNCe | “tOwarDs lIgHt - alOr PaaNe PraNer CHawla”wHeN 7pm wHere Hay Festival Dhaka, Bangla Academy wHat “Towards Light,” produced by Shadhona, is a short presentation through words and movements describing the journey of our life force, towards the illuminating light of knowledge. It is based on excerpts of songs and poems by Rabindranath

Tagore, who himself was continuously journeying towards enlightenment.The presentation includes singing, dance and recitation of Tagore’s works with English recitations of their translations.

NOv 21-23

PHOtOgraPHY | CeleBratINg 2ND aNNIversarY OF COuNter FOtOwHeN 10am-8:30pmwHere Counter Foto, UttarawHat Counter Foto department of photography is going to celebrate its second anniversary. This celebration is a three day long festival. The programme will include photography book show, portfolio presentation, lectures, wall painting, candle lighting and a workshop on book-making.

PHOtOgraPHY | BOOK lauNCHINg - “BelONgINg” wHeN Nov 22, 2:45-3:45pm wHere Hay Festival Dhaka, Bangla Academy

wHat Ten years in the making, Munem Wasif’s photography book on old Dhaka is making its debut in Bangladesh. The book also includes discussions with architect Salauddin Ahmed Polash and photographer Shahidul Alam. Photos and texts are by Munem wasif, the preface is by Christian Caujolle, the design by Nelly Riedel, and published by Clémentine de la Féronnière. The book will be available in both English and French and is priced at 36 euros/Tk4000.

NOv 25

eDuCatION | COuNsellINg aND INtervIews BY NIagara COllege, CaNaDawHeN 5-8pm

wHere MIM Study Abroad, L 361, Pan Pacific Sonargaon HotelwHat Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology is within the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario, Canada. The College has four campuses: the Welland Campus in Welland, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Maid of the Mist Campus in Niagara Falls and the Taif Campus in Ta’if, Saudi Arabia. With 9,000 full-time students, including more than 500 international students from more than 60 countries, the college offers over 100 post-secondary diploma, baccalaureate degrees and advanced level programmes. The Continuing Education Division attracts approximately 15,000 registrants to more than 600 courses each year.

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20 FuNNy BONE | yamin khan

Be‘you’tifulWe try so hard to please others that often, in the process, we forget that the secret to impress, is simply being ourselves

Yamin Khan

If I could ever go back in time and give a piece of advice to my younger self, it would have to be – always be yourself. Which,

forgive my honesty, is also applicable for a lot of my peers. Faking the accent

Once an interviewer asked cricketer Shoaib Akhtar what was the secret behind his British accent. To which his response was the illustrious part of his life that he spent in England.

Now I never understood what was so special about the British weather that it forced someone to change his accent in three months.

Interestingly, Shoaib Akhtar is not the only person who suffers from the foreign accent syndrome. I know of people whose accents changed just because their transit at a certain airport exceeded 12 hours.

To be fair, it’s true that in some places people do face discrimination because of their exotic accent. And being able to speak in different accents is always a good weapon to have in your armoury.

But using the accent to change your identity only reflects your own inferiority complex.

PS This rant has nothing to do with my own insecurities over my deshi accent.

All about brandsDo you have that certain friend who will refuse to walk unless the shoes are made by a particular brand? The ones who will happily embrace immobility over the distress of having to wear non-branded shoes?

Do you remember that friend of yours who always chooses to rest her chin on top of her wrist for every photograph?

Even when standing up? Or while lying down? The one who is naive enough to believe that no one notices her flaunting the super expensive watch?

And lastly, don’t we all know that one person who walks into a room and ceremoniously finds a table for her high-end handbag before finding

a chair for herself?If you do, then your friend has

been affected by the disease known as “brand enslavement.” This is not to be confused with buying a nice pair of jeans because you genuinely like them.

These people seek validation though their possessions. It’s more about how others perceive them as opposed to enjoying what they have.

And unfortunately, they will spend their entire lives worrying about what they don’t have as opposed to being content with what they already posses. Guilty pleasuresAs a kid, there were many songs that I would bash in public and then secretly listen to when no one else was around.

And if ever caught, I would immediately start pretending as if I was mocking the song. This was such a common practice that, till date, many of my friends genuinely believe that mocking cheesy songs is my favourite pastime.

Fortunately for you guys, I was not the only one like this. I know this guy who is a champion pool player with tattoos, muscles and an extremely macho persona.

His only weakness, he cannot resist breaking into a dance every time he hears a certain Hindi song.

So once he was playing in the finals of a local competition and the speakers started blasting his jam.

Not knowing what to do, he instantly started pretending a fit and was making random spastic movements as if he was struck by lightning.

And right when the song was over he was as focused as a cheating husband talking to his mistress next to his wife.

If I ever meet him again, I will ask him why we give so much importance to what others have to say about our own music tastes. Twerking trendsIn the society that we live in, people are dictated by trends. Otherwise,

how can you explain humans willingly moving down the hierarchy and acting like ducks in order to appear more desirable?

I mean, has our generation stooped this low that we need to twerk in order to attract a mating partner?

Future Mother-in-law: So how did you guys meet?

Son: Mom, I first saw her twerking at a club. And right at that moment

I knew that she was going to be the mother of my child. I want my daughter to have the best duck face in the world.

So before it degrades any further, I would request everyone to have the courage to follow their individuality. Refrain from the pressure to become just another sheep in the herd. Be yourself. Be amazing. .

Photos: Homayra Adiba

weekend tribune vol 2 issue 27

Documents

movember feature page

photo story

fuel cell cars

hay festival page

singapore page

bangladesh page

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