Weekend Tribune Vol 1 Issue 11

Digital democracy 4

Dublar Char 13

FRIDAY JUNE 28 2013

vol 1 Issu e 11

nepali encounters 26

1

CONTENTS

A Weekly Pro ducti o n o f

DhakaTribune Vo lume 1, Issu e 1 1 J UNE 2 8, 2 0 13 Editor Zafar Sobhan Magazine Editor Faruq Hasan Weekend Tribune Team Fahim Razzaq Sumaiya Shams Faisal Mahmud Tamoha Binte Siddiqui Sheikh Mohammed Irfan Yusuf Banna Fuad M Hossain

6 Feature The invisible champions

Photography Syed Latif Hossain Cartoonist Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Contributors Naheed Kamal Zain Mahmood Ikhtisad Ahmed Albab Masud Bassema Karaki Dina Sobhan Muktasree Chakma Sathi Design Mohammed Mahbub Alam

Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email: weekend@dhakatribune.com Web: www.dhakatribune.com Cover Photo Shahbagh activists demanding punishment for war criminals

by Syed Zakir Hossain

10 post riposte War crimes trial

19 REALPOLITIK Founding pillars of bangladesh

2 THIS WEEK 4 Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Digital democracy 5 Big Mouth Strikes Again Contemplating life and death 11 Interview It’s all about perseverence 12 6° of Connotations The Oval and the office 13 Photo Story Dublar Char 18 Game On Who’s in, who’s out?

20 What’s the Problem?

Freaky Fridays 21 Stranger in a Strange Land Method to the madness 22 Tough Love 23 Backbenchers’ Club 24 Day in the Life of A traffic police 25 The Way Dhaka Was Ruposhi Bangla swimming pool 26 Travelogue Charming Kathmandu 27 Obituary Atiqul Haque Chowdhury 28 Last Word

EDITOR’S NOTE

A paean to democracy I

was only 10 when Ershad was booted out of power, but I vividly remember the processions, chants and slogans in favour of democracy, leading up to Ershad’s ousting.

More than two decades later, and although we have become disenchanted and embittered with our political leaders, the recent mayoral elections in Sylhet, Rajshahi, Barisal and Khulna show that our thirst to choose our own leaders remains unquenched. Bangladeshis love a good election, and our Staff Correspondent Faisal Mahmud reviews the recent polls and decides whether fair polls at the local level can be a bellwether at the national platform.

Meanwhile, cricket refuses to leave the WT agenda.

Phil Humphreys writes about how cricket, politics, and the odd bet or two make uneasy bed partners. Elsewhere, Sheikh Mohammed Irfan predicts the top summer football transfers, and Rifat Islam Esha chats with diva Shakila Zafar to understand what inspires her music. Advice for the weekend: snack up as much as you can, Ramadan is right around the corner! n

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

THIS WEEK

INTERNATIONAL

AFP PHOTO/SIMON MAINA

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A Kenyan man reads a newspaper on June 25 in Nairobi with the front page carrying a headline concerning Nelson Mandela being in critical condition in hospital in South Africa.

REUTERS/Murad Sezer

AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK Weapons and ammunition seized from suspected members of Islamist rebel force Boko Haram are displayed during a military patrol in Hausari village, near Maiduguri on June 5.

REUTERS/Joe Brock

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

A protester stands in front of an armored crowd control truck from which the riot police fire water cannon at Taksim Square in Istanbul on June 22.

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi gestures as he attends a meeting in Milan, Italy. A Milan court has convicted former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi of paying for sex with an underage prostitute during infamous “bunga bunga” parties at his villa and then using his influence to try to cover it up.

AP Photo/Alberto Pellaschiar

A fan visits the final resting place of Michael Jackson at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, on June 25 on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the pop superstar’s death.

3

NATIONAL

Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune

Construction of Birulia Bridge, near Ashulia, was started in 1996 and continued until 2001 and remained incomplete since then.

Four persons were injured as the railing of a two-storey building at Bara Katra in old Dhaka broke down around 4:30pm on 24 June.

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

Mumit M/Dhaka Tribune

Mohammaden players burst into joy after Mintu Sheikh (unseen) scores the decisive penalty in the shootout of the Super Cup final held on June 25, as Sheikh Russell players dejectedly look on.

Discarded polythene bags of toxic industrial chemicals are washed, for recycling and reuse, in the river Buriganga adding to the pollution level of the river. The photo was taken at Kamrangir Char on 25 June. Syed Zakir

Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Dhaka Tribune

A policeman allegedly beat up a rickshawpuller, near Sadarghat area, causing wrath of the local people who beat up the policeman in return.

However, there were some who took the side of the policeman as well. The photo was taken on June 23.

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

4

whose line is it anyway?

Digital democracy Monirul Haque Sakku Comilla City Corporation mayoral aspirant

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Common Man

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

Big Mouth strikes again

5

Naheed Kamal

Contemplating life and death

It’s a simple, yet profound truth: without understanding death, we can’t truly understand life

D

Death in the age of the web reminds us how much technology has become part of the fabric of our personal and social identities. Once we’re gone, what we leave behind is a rich resource of who we are

eath is inevitable; we will all die. But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier when we lose friends and loved ones without warning.

In general, people avoid thinking or talking about death. It is not a topic most of us are comfortable with, and death is considered too morbid or unnecessary to bring up in conversation, until life forces us to do so by confronting us with the reality and inevitability of death.

We grieve and feel the loss of someone in different ways, depending on how we deal with trauma, on our relationship with the people who die, if the death was sudden or expected, such as after a long illness, on how old or young the person was, and many, many other factors, all of which makes the process of bereavement harder for some than others.

As I grieve for two friends – one who knew me since I was born, and another I knew since his birth – I can’t find solace in these facts. My only point of reference is to consider how hard it must be for my friends’ parents, spouses, relatives and children.

As usual, I turn to reading and research to deal with any given situation.

Only to learn there is no science of grieving, it is an imperfect process that the human mind is surprisingly well equipped to handle. So I face the loss of dear friends without relying on any models, cliches or trite comments.

For the religious, prayers and rituals help with the mourning process. While cliched ideas about going to a better place may be comforting for some, it may be the believer’s belief that gives them strength to continue. Well-intentioned people may and do offer platitudes about death, referring vaguely to heaven and life after death in paradise.

But faced with the finality of death, these ring hollow and perhaps do little to console those left behind.

I feel that such comments only serve to focus attention on the absoluteness of death. Because talking about death and the afterlife does little to make death less tragic. The only solace one can perhaps find is in the fact that the dead do not feel anything, it is for those left behind to endure the pain of loss.

In 1969, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a psychiatrist, wrote “On Death and Dying,” and propagated what became known as the Kubler-Ross Method with five stages of grieving: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

But there is new research and studies that disprove her theory. People can ac-

cept the death of a loved one without having to necessarily go through the five arduous steps. In a new book “The Truth about Grief” Ruth Davis Konigsberg says there is no method or right way to grieve. As anyone who has lost someone to death will know, we all have different coping mechanisms.

When I lost my youngest aunt in a car crash, the only thing that kept me going were the wonderful memories I had. The comfort of memories is something the five steps completely ignored.

While I mourned my aunt briefly, another aunt grieved for months on end. In stark contrast my grandmother was surprisingly resilient, given the fact she had lost the youngest of 12 children to a tragic and senseless accident she should have been in the throes of grief but she wasn’t. She mocked my long grieving aunt’s endless bouts of depression. She taught me to be grateful for the time we have together, and to make the most of it.

W

hen my aunt died, I could no longer avoid death and the practical reality one must deal with when death comes calling. From graves to autopsy to other mundane matters, and once these are dealt with, only then do we have the time to sit back and take stock of our loss.

Once I started to think about death, I found a great deal of comfort and clarity, because contemplation of death, as philosophers tell us, help us appreciate the here and now and reminds us of what gives our lives meaning.

When someone dies, the only thing we can say is sorry, a small word for a big emotion. For those of us left behind, the pain is greater, so it helps to share memories and to cry when we feel like crying. Not everyone feels the same way at the same time. Grieving can never be sans pain. There will always be a large hole in our lives left by the death of a loved one.

People live on in the memories of those who knew them and those who loved them, even when we may cease to exist. We have new ways of grieving and remembrance in the digital age.

Facebook has shown us how we can continue to mourn and celebrate lives.

For family and friends, the digital afterlife of a loved one can be disconcerting, if not alarming. Yet, virtual memorials can also be a source of real comfort for loved ones. The emotional and biographical archive online grows daily and now, even when we die, we do not fade away quickly from the minds of those we knew.

As an atheist, religious rituals often exasperate me, and the endless talk of salvation that death entails leaves me cold. We are all comforted by any acknowledgment life has meaning and worth even if we do not believe in god, religions, heaven, hell or an afterlife, but those who believe seem to think atheists have nothing to offer people suffering. But it is mostly when faced with suffering, I am most reminded of what atheism offers me. I do not deny believers the comfort of faith, but for me it is a positive understanding, not a negation of belief. My conviction lends a greater, not a lesser, significance to life. I do not ask, as people of faith do, why an all-powerful, all-good god allows terrible things to happen.

On hearing the news of the two friends who left us suddenly, numb with shock and unable to find a way to go to either of their homes and express my grief, I chose to celebrate their lives and their memories. Mingling tears with laughter, I walked around Ramna Park in the early hours of Friday, taking photographs, an art Napo excelled at, and as I sat in quiet contemplation, street kids who know me from the park came around and wanted to know the reason for my silent tears. On learning about the death of my friends, they sat with me for a while, until their natural joie de vivre overcame my sorrow.

Their laughter and ability to find joy in even the worse situation reminded me of both my friends, who never failed to make everyone who knew them smile. They lived their lives to the fullest and have left behind a treasure trove of wonderful and priceless memories to cherish. Napo was an amazing photographer who captured everything and everyone in awe inspiring ways, those images will continue to amaze us and remind us of him, while Sohrab was an artist and a joker, whose art and laughter lives on in all those who knew him.

I do not know how best to mourn their deaths. I do not find solace in religion, but in life and memories; but I am also unable to find the right words to express my feelings so, I turn to the words of Marcus Aurelius: “Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.” n

Naheed Kamal is an irreverent and irreligious feminist.

An old soul of indeterminate age, with one too many opinions and a very loud voice (for a little person), she laughs a lot, mostly at herself.

She lives in Dhaka, against her best judgement. Mostly, Ms Kamal rants, a lot!

(In memory of Najmul Huq Napo and Sohrab Khan)

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

6

FEATURE

Mayoral Elections

Morning shows the day?

Faisal Mahmud analyses the outcome of the city corporation polls

T Rajshahi

he Bangladesh Awami League (AL) probably needs one great flack catcher to control the damage bestowed upon it in the recently held elections in the country’s Total voters: 286,888 four city corporations – Khulna, Sylhet, Khairuzzaman Liton: Or 83,726 Rajshahi and Barisal. maybe it doesn’t, considering the elections Mosaddak H Bulbul: 131,058 themselves are publicity enough. To Results from 137/137 catch the big centres: fish, one has to let go of the small ones, especially during a trying time. But that’s just a guessing game, no facts.

The truth is, AL lost and BNP won, just six months before the scheduled national election. If this fact does not postulate a “guessing game,” what does?

Many observers opined that the elections were a win-win situation for AL. Had it won, the party men would have remained the city fathers of the four metros, and since it has lost, it can now boast that the Election Commission (EC) is capable of conducting a free and fair election without any influence from the government. The opposition’s demand for a caretaker government would also be dealt with a massive blow, or so the thought went.

On the contrary, many observers Mosaddakit won AH damned whether said AL was Hossain Khairuzzaman or lost.

The party is caught in a peculiar Bulbul Liton situation that rules out any escape from the elections’ outcome with its credibility intact. There would have been little comfort had the AL won half the seats, and winning all would have been a political disaster – much similar to defeat.

Meanwhile, very few are talking about the BNP-led 18-party alliance’s victory. Few observers and even fewer die-hard BNP supporters believed that the BNP candidates would sweep the elections, that too by huge margins.

There was virtually no contest. It was an early round knockout victory, and that is what scares the party. For BNP, the results are indeed ironic. It won, but it can’t celebrate the victory. Deep down, the party men know the results can ruin their wish to catch the bigger fish.

Khulna Total voters: 440,566 Talukdar A Khaleque: 92,712 Moniruzzaman Moni: 141,873 Results from centres: 288/288

n In Khulna, BNP’s Monirujjaman Moni won Total voters: 210,855 Total voters: 291,046 against AL’s Talukder Abdul Khalek. Moni got Showkat H Hiron: 66,741 Badar Uddin Kamran: 72,173 181,265 votes, whereas Khalek got 120,058. In AhsanhisH instant Kamal: 82,751 Ariful H 107,330 reaction, Moni expressed hisChoudhury: deep Results from centres: Results gratitude to the100/100 voters for electing himfrom centres: 127/127

n

n

AL SUPPORTED

Talukdar Abdul Khaleque

Photos: Focus Bangla

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

Khulna City Corporation pollsSylhet Barisal

n

BNP SUPPORTED

Faisal Mahmud is a staff reporter at Weekend Tribune who specialises in writing IT and telecom articles with depth and analysis

Moniruzzaman Moni

The EC put in 288 presiding officers, 1,428 assistant presiding officers and 2,856 polling officers to conduct the polls at 288 centres, 1,428 permanent and 33 temporary polling booths According to Rasida Begum, deputy commissioner of the special branch in Khulna Metropolitan Police, more than 9,000 members from different law enforcement agencies were deployed on the election day 31 mobile teams of the police, BGB, armed police battalion and RAB-6 patrolled the city, and two police teams kept vigil on the nearby river routes. Also, 30 executive and judicial magistrates were on duty to help law enforcement agencies Ahsan in maintaining peace Showkat Badar Hossain Hiron

Habib Kamal

Uddin Kamran

Ariful Haque Choudhury

7

An 103 years old woman came to cast her vote in RCC polls

T

Rajshahi Total voters: 286,888 Khairuzzaman Liton: 83,726 Mosaddak H Bulbul: 131,058 Results from centres: 137/137

Rajshahi City Corporation polls Khulna Barisal n BNP’s Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul defeated AL’s Total voters: 440,566 Total voters: 210,855 Khairuzzaman Liton in Rajshahi. According Talukdar A Khaleque: 92,712 Showkat H Hiron: 66,741 to the unofficial count of votes from 136 poll Moniruzzaman Moni: 141,873 H Kamal: centres (there were 137), Bulbul Ahsan bagged 131,76982,751 Results from centres: 288/288 Results from centres: 100/100 votes, while Liton won 83,389 n

n

BNP SUPPORTED AL SUPPORTED

heoretically, the city corporation elections, or any local government body elections, are meant to be held on a strictly nonpartisan basis. In practice, however, the situation is quite different, with even union parishad candidates nominated by the political parties.

Many observers see this election as a platform to gauge the popularity of different political outfits. Local government polls do not always reflect the national trend, as regional issues are considered during voting.

However, free, fair and peaceful polls undoubtedly augur well for the coming general elections.

As indicated earlier, the city polls took on a national character, rather than a local one. There were some local issues at stake, but they proved negligible. The elections took place and the results demand careful rumination. Now the question is, do these results reflect the achievements of the erstwhile mayors during their tenure, or of the coalition government’s performance so far? Or could it be the religious card playing a hand, as speculated by a part of the media?

It’s difficult to put the blame entirely on the defeated candidates, as reports show they did a fairly good job during their tenure. That being said,

n

AH Khairuzzaman Liton

Mosaddak Hossain Bulbul

n

Sylhe

Total voters: 291,046 Badar Uddin Kamran: 7 Ariful H Choudhury: 10 Results from centres: 1

The RCC election went off peacefully, with no reports of untoward incidents. According to the EC officials, the percentage of votes cast was also satisfactory The three mayoral contestants – the Nagorik Committee-backed and former RCC Mayor Liton, Sommilito Nagorik Forum-backed Bulbul and independent candidate Habibur Rahman – cast their votes at their respective polling centres Tension prevailed among supporters of Liton and Bulbul at the Kasiadanga Primary School centre in ward 1. Law enforcers brought the situation under control EVMs were used for the first time at three Moniruzzaman Talukdar Showkat Moni Abdulof ward 8: centres the Laboratory HighHossain School, TTKhaleque College and the Laxmipur Girls’ HighHiron School

Ahsan Habib Kamal

Badar Uddin Kamran

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

A H Cho

8

FEATURE

Khulna Total voters: 440,566 Talukdar A Khaleque: 92,712 Moniruzzaman Moni: 141,873 Results from centres: 288/288

Mayoral Elections

Barisal Total voters: 210,855 Showkat H Hiron: 66,741 Ahsan H Kamal: 82,751 Results from centres: 100/100

Barisal City Corporation polls Sylhet n BNP-backed candidate Ahsan Habib Kamal Total voters: 291,046 won the election, getting 83,751 votes and Badar Uddin Kamran: 72,173 beating his rival Shawkat Hossain Hiron from Ariful H who Choudhury: AL, bagged107,330 66,741 votes Results from centres: 127/127 n

n

n

n

Talukdar Abdul Khaleque

Moniruzzaman Moni

Showkat Hossain Hiron

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

Ahsan Habib Kamal

This was the third BCC election, held peacefully with over 70% of votes cast, though it was marred by stray incidents of violence Abul Hossain Khan, BNP national committee member and former lawmaker, was injured during a clash, as was Kamal The voters were heard complaining about the voting procedure, as a result of which vote casting slowed down Returning officer Mujibor Rahman said the election was held under an independent EC and steps were taken to ensure a free and fair election Badar Uddin Kamran

Ariful Haque Choudhury

the only other plausible conclusion is the voters were influenced by the ruling coalition’s non-achievements, and whatever achievements it might have had were either not projected adequately, or were overshadowed by the authority’s record of poor governance.

While the current government has achieved much, major blunders have been made, which the ruling party leaders have not come forward to accept responsibility for. The alleged corruption regarding the Padma Bridge, the Suranjit Sengupta saga, the BDR carnage, the “Abul, the great patriot” fiasco and involvement of advisors and ministers in the Hallmark scam have all contributed to the erosion of popularity of the coalition, which came to power with an overwhelming mandate.

A culture of immunity prevails in the police force and other law enforcement agencies. Many of the police personnel are acting like government party activists. This trend of impunity also dominates many members of the ruling party’s student and youth wings, who are getting away with rampant arson, extortion, rape, murder and more. They are not content with crushing opponents, and violent intra-party feuds have become the norm.

al

5 741 51 100/100

Ahsan Habib Kamal

9

Overconfidence played a part in AL’s debacle as well. The leaders just couldn’t believe they could lose. They became too complacent and ignored the fact that the opposition parties also have strengths. AL has alienated many well-wishers because of their

Sylhet Total voters: 291,046 Badar Uddin Kamran: 72,173 Ariful H Choudhury: 107,330 Results from centres: 127/127

intolerance towards the mildest dissent. They have also estranged and sidelined the other members of the alliance. The top leaders have ridiculed the opposition party in the coarsest of language. Intra-party disputes are widely prevalent. In at least one city,

Sylhet City Corporation polls n

n

n

Badar Uddin Kamran

Ariful Haque Choudhury

this was a deciding factor for their loss.

As for the religious issues, Hefazate-Islam, the Shapla Chattar episode and the “atheist” issue played an important part in the election foray.

The question is how decisive these factors were in the final outcome and

BNP’s Ariful Huq Chowdhury won, bagging 107,330 votes, defeating AL’s Badruddin Kamran, who got 72,173 votes. Accepting the result, Kamran congratulated Ariful and said he would extend his full cooperation towards the new mayor Observers monitoring the voting centres said the voters cast their ballots peacefully, adding that they were satisfied with the environment for voting this year To ensure safety of voters and candidates, RAB and BGB personnel patrolled centres all over Sylhet during the voting. Over 3,000 policemen and 1,800 Ansar members were on duty in the voting centres

why AL did not anticipate and counter them.

Religion has always played an influential role in Bangladeshi politics.

The former military rulers used it to reinforce their hold over the state, and the two major political parties never fail to miss an opportunity to exploit it either. Such abuse can be seen in the party leaders’ campaign in a particular city, as well as their preference of certain leaders during elections.

If religion and the Shapla Chattar incident were exploited, then what is it that convinced the people to vote against the AL nominees? Shouldn’t AL have expected its opponents to use propaganda to their advantage, particularly when its actions had created grounds for speculation? As for the good work, if any, done by AL, the benefits should be obvious to the people and should not require “propaganda” for projection. It’s all very well for the AL to put on a brave face by calling the election results a victory, because it maintains it has demonstrated that a free and fair election can be held under an incumbent government. An AL victory would have given the BNP the chance to term the elections as unfair and rigged, which were the grounds for which BNP had already started preparing a pre-mid day press conference on the day of elections.

Paradoxically, this proves that either the BNP was unsure of the final outcome, or very certain that the results would be tampered with. If it is the former, then no credit goes to a party that claims grassroots links, yet is unable to read the pulse of the voters. n W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

10

POST-RIPOSTE

War crimes trial

Time to get it right T

here are many reasons why we want the trials to take place, even if it’s 40 years too late, and thankfully we’re in the majority. It’s imperative for us as a nation to have those accused of war crimes tried, along with all the other crimes that took place over the years. That’s why the trial of Jamaat-e-Islami’s top brass is necessary for our collective moral

Time for a new beginning Faruq Hasan

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

and ethical revival. This quest for truth and justice isn’t new; it was always there, rudely interrupted and put on hold until now. We have to begin at the beginning, seeking to address where and when things began to go wrong. To do this, we need to first address where, how and who set a precedence for such behaviour to become the norm, bringing us to the

T

he Liberation War has been over for more than 40 years; it is in the past. The biggest problem in trying crimes from four decades ago is the evidence, or lack of it. We have yet to decide on basic facts about the war: how many people died, exactly how were Bangladeshi conspirators involved with Pakistani Army, etc.

Then, there are the problems that exist because of the legal system: disappearance of evidence, witnesses changing their opinions, dying, or

war crimes trials.

Truth, however terrible, must be known, and once we can face up to the worse truths about ourselves, we learn to take responsibility for our actions, which in turn teaches us that no one is above the law. These trials will ensure that all the wrongs piled up over four decades of political impunity and injustice can at least be dealt with. n

Justice must be served Naheed Kamal

Dhaka Tribune

moving on. If our Constitution alone changes a few times over the past decades, I have a hard time believing how an ever-evolving justice system will try crimes that were committed such a long time ago.

Questions, too, have to be asked about the present government and their true intentions about bringing war criminals to justice. If they really wanted justice, why wasn’t this trial held when they first came to power?

Why the delay? And who will ensure

that the trial is met with international standards, making certain the prosecuted have an equal voice in all this?

I am not saying we let bygones be bygones. But admitting that we have missed the window of opportunity to try people who have scarred our country is not admitting defeat; it’s simply accepting reality. n

INTERVIEW

11

Shakila Zafar

It’s all about perseverance

Rifat Islam Esha chats with the renowned singer

H

ow does it feel to be famous?

Have you ever wondered how famous people think of fame, or how they see themselves?

With her beautiful smile and grace, Shakila Zafar is known for her melodious voice. Anyone who has listened to her songs or seen her perform is bound to be enchanted by her personality. She has a distinct voice, placing her among Bangladesh’s most admirable singers.

Weekend Tribune had the chance to have a little chat with Shakila, who gave us a little glimpse into her life.

Tell us about how you started your career.

My career started off around 1980, but I was trained to sing from a young age.

I was a tomboy and very mischievous as a child. My parents hired a music teacher for me who used to teach me at home. That is how I got into singing, and such exposure compelled me to learn more. Back then, I never thought I would be a singer one day.

My paternal cousin and my parents have consistently encouraged and supported me to sing.

What is your most memorable experience on stage?

I have many memorable stage experiences, but I can tell you about one. I wasn’t a professional singer back then, but I had a chance to sing at London’s Albert Hall.

I was there for a folk festival.

There was pin-drop silence during my performance. After I finished, just before I could explain the meaning of the song I had performed, a gentleman came on stage, held my hand and asked: “My dear, was it a sad song?

Somehow, I feel it is. My wife passed away a few days ago, and when you were singing, I was thinking of her.” I got goose bumps listening to him. I told him it was, indeed, a sad song. That day, I realised how music transcends language barriers. It was wonderful, and I was just an amateur singer back then.

What is your take on reality shows, like Bangladeshi Idol?

PIB/GovBD

I think reality shows mostly have commercial purposes. I only get upset with the fact that the participants are egged on to become something big. They then struggle very hard; as a matter of fact, the whole unit works very hard, but ultimately there is only one winner.

What comes out of the whole

process should be taken into consideration. The participants get hopeful, then depressed. There are no promoters to take care of them after the competition. They should be given opportunities to continue their pursuit.

How would you define talent (in singing)?

Some people are trained and some are not. Then, there are some Godgifted singers who deserve to be acknowledged. There are some people who lack good quality, yet they sell CDs and albums using technology and mixing. I don’t approve of that; singing should not have any shortcuts.

Many call me up for suggestions on singing. Some of them want to be famous quickly and without sufficient training. I keep telling them that it cannot be done that way; one needs to learn, just like we used to, by going to the teachers, or gurus, of the Indian classical music. Perseverance is very important. I don’t want to belittle anyone, but if we look at our neighbouring countries, we can see the kind of devotion they have for classical music. If only we still had such devotion, we would have gone a lot farther.

Rifat Islam Esha is staff correspondent at Dhaka Tribune, who throws words around at her whims.

She is also social media editor at the newspaper.You can reach her on Twitter: @rifat_islam

How important is originality in singing?

Originality is essential. I don’t want to be recognised as Asha Bhonsle, or

Besides singing, Shakila is also passionate about interior designing and cooking. To her, family always comes first Kishore Kumar, but I want to learn from them. I’ve always believed in taking inspiration and not copying.

What’s the secret behind your beauty?

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I don’t think I have a secret. I was born this way. You can say I got it from my mother. I think beauty comes from within. I think one needs to be positive and always smiling. I have been like that since childhood. One can make your day with a smile and good behaviour. Sometimes, we don’t smile when we talk, and when I was young, I used to find it strange and think: “Why is this person not smiling?

Why is he/she talking like this?” I have always kept a smile on my face. That’s everything. n

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

12 Phil Humphreys is a British former journalist currently working as a development consultant in northern Bangladesh.

As a committed Yorkshireman, he likes what he says, and says what he likes

6o of connotations

Phil Humphreys

The Oval and the office The line between sports and politics gets blurred here quite often

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fter weeks of roundtable negotiations between bickering parties, the big differences were settled and the contest was scheduled to begin on July 3. Then it got thwarted – again.

For once with Bangladesh, we are not talking about election-time politics.

This is about the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) and the maddening politics of cricket. Here, the interchange of the two can seemingly transform something as straightforward as a Rahul Dravid defensive push into a dizzying reverse slog-sweep of a Muttiah Muralitharan doosra. Off the pitch as on it, the stumps are often left scattered.

The premier one-day competition got postponed for an indefinite period of time. In announcing the news to the assembled media hordes, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hasan Papon said he was not sure about holding the competition when the ICC’s investigation report on match fixing was due at the end of the month. Before, while announcing the dates for the player recruitment programme and the commencement of DPL, he had modestly said he hoped “everyone will play.” In this single short comment, I first noticed the parallels with politics. Nazmul – himself a member of parliament – could so easily have been Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, imploring the BNP to enrol in an election which is due by January, but expected at the end of the year.

It would be easy to dismiss the importance of cricket in this country, especially at a time when political tensions are running high. In many nations that claim obsession with one game or another, the language of sport and politics may be all too interchangeable “If they don’t participate as a political party, they will lose,” she said in terse warning to her own opposition during a BBC interview in March. She, too, is hoping everyone will play.

The uncertainty has shrouded the staging of the 12-team tournament for a while now. The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), the clubs and the BCB were all at loggerheads, while around 50 of the country’s elite cricketers were camped outside the Sher-E-Bangla national stadium to protest the delay in arranging their most substantial pay cheques of the domestic season. Under mounting pressure, CCDM Chairman Jalal Yunus acknowledged they “could not ignore” the need to schedule the DPL any longer.

“We want the tournament to run smoothly,” he told ESPN Cricinfo. “So, as a result, we have to come into a midW E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

dle ground.”

Sound familiar? In cricket, of course, the middle ground is the wicket, where batsman and bowler can be brutally exposed while isolated from their captain, coaches and supporters. In politics, the wicket becomes the debating chamber or negotiating table in their various guises, on which all weaknesses will be revealed and no quarter given.

Minhaz Uddin Khan wrote in the Dhaka Tribune on May 21 that the 2013 edition of the DPL would “break tradition” by using a new lottery to apportion players to franchises. He reported lingering feelings among some of the elite that it would “deny them their real value.” Once again, this smacked of sportspeople playing politics with the system, just as Khaleda Zia might refute the departure from non-aligned caretaker government during election time.

In no country that I have visited, however, do the actual substance of sport and politics mix as freely on the field of play and in the corridors of power as in Bangladesh.

Cricket captivates here like nothing and nowhere else. On the overnight buses I must frequently ride up and down the country, I am amazed to peer out at first light and see kids playing cricket, often as early as 5am. In Europe and the US, children of their age would be only just downing their Xbox controllers to steal a few hours’ sleep before school. These early risers adopt anything they can make a bat from and use for a ball. With open space at such a premium, impromptu pitches are marked out on roadside verges and flat rooftops, and in the narrowest of alleyways in the slums of Old Dhaka.

Back home, I am accustomed to seeing sixes dispatched onto railway lines; last week in Rangpur, I hit one myself from a wicket laid down alongside one.

This is not an obsession a Bangali will easily grow out of with age or office, either. While an MP is a common enough face in the crowd at a Lord’s or Oval test match in England, here they run the national board. Cricket penetrates at each and every level. Even the Shahid Minar monument resembles three white stumps set against the red dot of the national flag. Where else would you see that?

This interplay can only partly explain the deep sense of shock felt across the country at the recent match-fixing confessions of Mohammad Ashraful, former test captain.

For reasons only he may clearly understand, the Dhaka Gladiator outed himself, walking across his stumps and seeing the timbers of his career splinter in his wake. Surely, in cricket, corruption was the Indian disease? Surely, in Bangladesh, it was the scourge of

the politicians and business elite? How could the structures of the national game collapse as intractably as the tender for the Padma Bridge?

India may cast a long sporting, cultural and geopolitical shadow over Bangladesh and claim cricket as its own religion, but the game’s financial powerhouse cannot love and live it like they do next door. More is the pity, then, that in misguidedly searching for something similar to the megabucks and fizz of the shotgun wedding reception that is the Indian Premier League, the politicians in the BCB decided to delay the DPL. In its place came the Bangladesh Premier League. Not so much IPL-lite, as IPL lights out.

Ashraful called a press conference to publicly beg forgiveness ‘for all the wrong things I have done.’ Even with the bat, he never played so straight, but this level of betrayal cannot be easily overlooked The BPL may have only completed two seasons, but it is a tournament already beset by difficulty and inextricably mired in politics. Hopes of attracting marquee players were dashed when Pakistan withdrew its contingent just days before the opening set of matches in January, in response to Bangladesh cancelling a proposed tour of Pakistan late last year. Then came the hartals, hitting attendances at the two Dhaka rounds and prompting organisers to delay the start times by two hours, to the obvious inconvenience of the broadcasters.

All the while, the BPL was competing for the nation’s attention with the Shahbagh protesters. Remember them? When the momentum of that movement seemed as unstoppable as Chris Gayle leaning into another lofted straight drive, the pre-revolutionaries were joined by representatives of the national team and every player from the Duronto Rajshahi franchise.

It was at the final round of BPL matches that I witnessed a candle-lit vigil for the movement. Impeccably observed, it followed the appropriately-named Barisal Burners romping to a 26-run win over my Rangpur Riders.

The cricketers, then, left the safety and familiarity of their own square for the irrepressible energy and excitement of another, while Shahbagh lit up the cricket through the candles and mobile phone torches of the crowd.

Both acts demonstrated how cricket here is interwoven with politics, or, at the level of Shahbagh, with the politics of non-politics. Now, cricket has fallen into uncertainty once again.

Let’s hope it finds its way forward, and so do the politicians. n

PHOTO STORY

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dublar char

Dublar Char photo story by

K M Asad

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PHOTO STORY dublar char

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PHOTO STORY dublar char

K M Asad is a freelance documentary photographer whose works have been published in numerous national and international publications including LA Times, New Internationalist, Art and Witness-INDIA, Guardian-UK. Apart from his works having been published and exhibited worldwide, Asad has also been nominated in 2012 for the Prix Pictet Commission Award.

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

17 Towards the southern region of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh lies this island called Dublar Char, facing the Bay of Bengal.

On the eastern side of this island, River Passur flows, while on the western side there is River Shibsha. This small, picturesque island is mainly a home to a community of fishermen who conceal their pains of poverty under their weather-beaten skin and ever smiling faces.

The beauty of the island is overshadowing its underlying picture of poverty as the island is gradually turning into a tourist attraction.

One can have the first hand experience of the fun filled activity of fishing here and even watch a few spotted deer grazing at the helm of this island.

This quiet island is also famous for Rash Mela – a Hindu festival surrounding the story of love between Radha and Krishna and involving the holy bath which has ritualistically been taking place for over two hundred years. The Rash Mela attracts thousands of people from different parts of the country every year.

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18

GAME ON

european transfer market

Who’s in, who’s out?

Sheik Mohammed Irfan anticipates the moves within the football transfer market

Part 1 Sheikh Mohammed Irfan is a pragmatist, bringing spotlight to the persistent problems in Bangladesh

last season in the English Premier League (EPL,) the world would never be the same for Bale. He is described as a player with tremendous speed, great crossing ability, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities. During last season, he was conferred the PFA Young Player of the Year, the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year, awards respectively. That comprises all the different awards EPL has to offer in a year.

The players

Cold Wayne Rooney Robert Lewandowski Thiago Silva Carlos Tevez Hulk

The clubs

Cold Chelsea Manchester United Paris St Germain Borussia Dortmund Liverpool

contrary.

The market has been extremely “hot” around the British Isles and French Pyrenees. Clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Paris St Germain and Monaco are some of the clubs that were making the most headlines. Players such as Gareth Bale, Robert Lewandowski, Neymar, Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the players to attract massive attention.

Of course, the Mediterranean coast is hotter than last year. The Goliaths of world football, such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, are so “hot” they’re sending chills throughout the rest of the footballing world.

The hottest player this season is without a doubt Gareth Bale. After his eye-catching performance throughout

AP

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

AP

Hot AS Monaco Real Madrid Manchester City Arsenal Internazionale AC Milan

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he European transfer market is officially opening on July 1.

So, what’s so special about the off-season transfer market? As the saying goes: “Rome was not built in a day,” and in the world of football, creating a team of champions requires substantial squad reinforcements. The curtains may be down on last season, but football clubs are just as active, developing their players and investing in players who may eventually have a formidable impact on them. The bottom line is, the transfer market determines the overall growth of a club by maintaining strong trades.

To get to the top, clubs either invest in young players, top players or both. To make it simple, the transfer market can be divided into two segments:“hot,” referring to the most influential targets and prospective clubs in the market, and “cold” referring to the

Reuters

Hot Gareth Bale Neymar RademalFalcao Luiz Suarez Cristiano Ronaldo

deemed “hot” for next season.

Another player who has been a top target among footballing giants, Neymar of Brazil, has been the best South American footballer for the last three years. The battle for his signature went right down to a tug of war between archenemies Barcelona and Real Madrid. But this time, it was Barcelona who triumphed by securing his transfer for 57m from Santos. Unfortunately, his fresh arrival

At the age of 23, Bale has an immense amount of time left in his football career. The results of his accomplishments mean only one thing: he becomes the most coveted target for the biggest teams in the world. His price tag is above 80m (Tk8.15bn) and the club willing to match this price is none other than Real Madrid. According to the president of Real Madrid, Bale and Madrid are “a match made in heaven,” which without a doubt fits the galactic status Bale has earned himself. There are others speculated to put up a fight for Bale, most notably Manchester United. However, being bitter rivals of Tottenham (Bale’s current club) United are unlikely to get the chance to sign him. In other words, the anticipation of Bale going to Real Madrid is rather hot.

The man who pops up right after Bale is without a doubt Radamel Falcao. His approximate 60m move from Atletico Madrid to AS Monaco created tremors across the footballing world. His immense striking ability has made him the most dangerous “hitman” in football. Although his move to Monaco was somewhat frowned upon, his intention to play for a top club has made him the most prized asset acquired by any club this season. He is on the list of players

in Europe means he will take time adjusting to European football, hence he may not be a “hot” target for next season. Regardless, his talents provide him with immense potential for the many seasons to come.

The hottest club of the market in terms of transfer is none other than AS Monaco. They have already splashed a record sum of 130m during the first period of the transfer market.

The have obtained players like Falcao, Joao Moutinho, James Rodriguez and Ricardo Carvalho in their ranks, and this is just the beginning of their activities.

In contrast, AS Monaco’s French rivals, Paris St Germain, who dominated last season’s transfer market, have definitely grown cold feet. After winning the Ligue 1, they were expected to be busy in the market. Yet, they are engaged in a tug of war with Real Madrid to keep their title-winning coach Carlo Ancelotti.

On the other hand, Arsenal, Inter and Milan are looking to spend heavily this summer in order to make up for the loss of titles last season. All that being said, we can keep our eyes open for some of the biggest moves this summer, and expect another great, challenging year in European football. n

REALPOLITIK

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Founding pillars of bangladesh

Socialism, secularism and democracy

Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer.

He is bound by absurdity, and exists, therefore he is

Ikhtisad Ahmed writes about the origins of the Bangladesh Constitution

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to embrace socialism in its entirety in order to establish a just society sans exploitation. The East Pakistani leaders of the time did precisely that, their rise and prominence in politics coming from the left.

Instrumental in this fight for equality was the Awami League, formerly the All Pakistan Awami Muslim League. The active role of prominent Hindus and the potential offered by the inclusion of the large Hindu population in Pakistani politics necessitated the word “Muslim” to be dropped from the name in 1953.

Thus, secularism, which stems from the same principle of equality that is the lifeblood of socialism, explicitly became a mainstay in the province’s nationalistic politics. It has to be noted that the principle of secularism in this instance adhered to the common definition of leaving religion out of objective decision-making in order to avert discrimination.

Secession may have been toyed with, but until 1970 East Pakistanis were concerned chiefly with equality. West Pakistan’s refusal of the six-point demand and the denial of the democratically elected Awami League’s constitutional right to form government made it impossible to achieve equality without independence. The struggle, thus, became one for freedom, with its secular, socialist heart beating strong. The USA’s blatant support of Pakistan drew the would-be nation of Bangladesh closer to the then USSR. The desperate need for

Did you Know?

Socialism is a political theory that advocates the utopian vision through equality, nationalism, development, reform and revolution

Wikimedia Commons

mperialists can be trusted to divide former colonies efficiently by studying geopolitics, ethnicity, culture, history, principles and heritage of the regions that cease to be their wards. One only need take a closer look at the straight lines that serve as borders of African nations to know this to be true. After all, dividing villages into different countries is innovative. The British are better than most, doing a sterling job with the Mandate for Palestine.

They followed the dubious precedence when abandoning geography and common sense to realise the Two Nation theory. The partition of India took place on the basis of religious demographics alone, with the largely Muslim East Bengal becoming East Pakistan despite its similarities with and closer ties to West Bengal. The British knew best and disregarded the principles of secularism espoused by people of the region, which included Gandhi and Allama Mashriqi. They opted for communalism over allowing Hindus and Muslims to live in amity, choosing conflict over harmony.

The British were leaving, so they did not have to care. Neither they nor anyone else seemed to take into account Bangali nationalism and the socialist principle of equality. They inevitably became the prevailing sentiments when East Pakistan was consistently treated as a colony rather than a part of a nation. The rightwing politics of the West Pakistani oppressors meant that any force seeking to counter them would have

assistance from India, already allied to the same socialist superpower, and their intervention in the Liberation War firmly established socialism and secularism as the foundations for an independent Bangladesh.

The injustice of the 1970 election meant the lack of democracy was the catalyst for this independence. Rooted in equality and one of the principles of the Awami League, it became enshrined as a founding principle of the

country. The current government has managed to contort the Constitution in a bid to preserve the sacred founding principles while simultaneously trying to please everyone. Nevertheless, socialism, secularism and democracy are reflected to this day in the name of the country: the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. It ought to be hoped, if not expected, that the citizens live up to that name and the principles behind it. n

George Jacob Holyoake coined the term “secularism,” which in politics refers to the separation of government persons and institutions from religious dignitaries and institutions Democracy, originating from the Greek term “demokratia,” meaning “rule of the people,” entails all citizens having an equal say in decisions that affect their lives

Evolution of Bangladeshi governance 1905 Lord Curzon, the viceroy and governor general, orders the partition of Bengal, separating the largely Muslim eastern areas and the largely Hindu western areas 1911 The Bengal partition is revoked

1932-1942 The overwhelming consensus among movements and political parties, including those of a Muslim nature, working to free India from British rule opposes the partition of India as per Jinnah’s proposal and the Two Nation theory 1947 The British Empire divides the region of Bengal into East and West Bengal along religious lines

1949 The Awami Muslim League is formed by Bangali nationalists as the East Pakistan alternative to the Muslim League in West Pakistan 1952 Students and activists protest against Urdu being decreed as the sole national language of Pakistan on February 21, a very public statement about the flaws of religious demographics

1966 A coalition of Bangali nationalist political parties puts forward six demands to end the exploitation of East Pakistan by West Pakistan. These are announced by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Realisation of these demands lead to the six point movement for equality

1970 The general election is held on December 7.

Awami League wins 167 of 169 National Assembly seats of East Pakistan, giving it an overall majority in the 313 seat parliament 1972 The Constitution of the now independent Bangladesh establishes socialism, secularism and democracy as three of the four pillars of independence W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

20

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM

Bangladeshi Weekend

Freaky Fridays

Sheikh Mohammed Irfan observes the horrors of Fridays in Bangladesh

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With endless stretches of traffic and thieves around every corner, Friday fun has become a far- fetched phenomenon.

emember the time when there was no cable network, and we would wait for Bangladesh Television (BTV) to air shows on Friday mornings? During that time, Friday was the only day BTV would air shows, and they were definitely worth waiting for. Remember spending Fridays receiving numerous visitors or visiting your relatives or friends? Friday was the day of social bonding and fun.

Remember waiting for Friday to eat mouth-watering food? It was the day everyone looked forward to filling themselves with delicious, homecooked meals.

Though we were stumped for options, the cultural bonding that would take place on Fridays was entertainment enough for most of us, and relaxing on Fridays became part of the Bangladeshi identity.

Unfortunately, what was once a welcome holiday is now a day of dilemmas. From stolen cars to the massive crowds, the countless unexpected and unwanted events that occur on Fridays have turned it from a day of rest to a day of woes for many.

Every Friday, when Muslims gather at mosques for prayer, we hear reports of missing shoes or stolen slippers.

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Other complaints include missing wallets, mobile phones, keys and sometimes even cars. Although theft is a regular occurrence in Bangladesh, according to a police report of missing property filed in Gulshan police station, 4 out of every 10 thefts occur on Fridays.

In fact, when some of the apprehended thieves were interrogated about this, they admittedly preferred stealing on Fridays because most people were “cosy and comfortable, which made them easy prey.” If you were ever a victim of such circumstances, you are well aware of both the stress and misery that occurs afterwards, as well as the fact that no matter how hard you try, you will never regain what went missing.

Then there’s the lack of entertainment during the weekends.

After a hectic week of work, one craves an enjoyable weekend. The old habits of visiting friends and family are seldom practised now, as most adults want to avoid the exhausting and time-consuming horrors of Friday traffic. No matter how you wish to enjoy your Friday – whether it’s outdoor experiencing the sanguine beauty of nature, or indoor watching the latest blockbuster on a big screen –

you can’t expect it to happen here.

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ith very limited and poorly maintained parks, the closest you will get to outdoor fun – assuming you are not a victim of the prevalent crime in such areas – is pushing through crowds and trash. If you’re looking to catch the latest Hollywood movies, you’re in for an even bigger disappointment. The one acceptable theatre in the country that screens decent cinema, shows films which are at least two months old, and you’ll be lucky to get a ticket on Fridays. As for the other cinemas, their conditions are simply appalling. Going to dance is out of the question; Bangladesh has no proper dance clubs as they are considered social taboos.

If you’re looking to entertain your kids, you will have to get stuck in traffic all day in order to take them somewhere worthwhile. To make matters worse, Wonderland, the best amusement park in Dhaka, was abolished by the government.

Moreover, if you wanted to take your kids out for some Friday fun, they’d probably be so piled with homework that they wouldn’t be able to go out.

Not only do they attend schools with

Zonayed Azim Chowdhury

Sheikh Mohammed Irfan is a pragmatist, bringing spotlight to the persistent problems in Bangladesh

no playgrounds, but they are loaded with homework by teachers who assume the weekend is a time for them to study harder. Moreover, the continuous stretches of hartals seize all chances to spend time with their relatives and friends.

The confusion of what we are and where we stand as a society is one of the main reasons behind our lack of entertainment. We are unable to choose what we want due to varying social stigmas and taboos. Rather than integrating ourselves into a uniform society of economic stability, we have created divisions among ourselves.

Crime is, after all, the product of the mismanagement of our wealth and education. We fail to provide proper education for our children, yet, we expect a new society bred with moral and ethical values.

The weekend is an important time for people to re-energise. Until now, no society or nation has achieved success when its masses are deprived or demotivated. After all, the best results are achieved when people have an optimum balance between work and recreation. n

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STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND mayhem in dhaka

Method to the madness Bassema Karaki writes about how confusing living in Dhaka can be

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o live in Dhaka is to become accustomed to the bustling confusion and overcrowded space within the city and to develop a pattern of predictability from the city’s seemingly erratic activities. But what does Dhaka look like from an outsider’s point of view? How would a person feel walking into this lively and slightly chaotic city for the first time? As a foreigner myself, I can give you a firsthand account of what it’s like. When I first came to Dhaka, I had been used to living in a very peaceful, sanitary neighbourhood where everyone was acquainted with one another and nature was held above all else. All that changed the minute I stepped off that airplane and walked into Dhaka’s airport.

While walking towards my destination, every man and woman

in the airport conspicuously stared at me with their undivided attention, and this made me feel quite like an alien from outer space. Where I came from, it was rude to stare, but apparently here that was not the case. There was no such thing as a “line” in the immigration zone, which seemed to be running a “first come, first serve” policy. Outside the airport, the parking lot reeked of urine and garbage, which was scattered all over the ground. To my dismay, I discovered later on that this filth and stench was not limited to the airport’s parking lot, but was the standard condition of every street and nook in Dhaka! My husband, being Bangladeshi, was particularly amused by the amount of shock I experienced the first time I saw a man urinating in public.

The first thing I noticed when I

After witnessing such outrageously objectionable conditions, I can say with certainty that, to an outsider, Dhaka appears to be a land of chaos and unpredictability

entered the roads of Dhaka was the massive amount of people gathered around. I had already known Dhaka was overpopulated, but to see so many people in one spot made me feel as if some huge event was about to occur, which was not the case. What surprised me even more was the fact that Bangladeshis seemed to have no sense of “personal space” and it was part of their culture to bump into and shove one another.

Driving in Dhaka was a completely new experience, something that I would never get used to. People didn’t seem to realise that roads were meant for vehicles of transportation and not pedestrians. In fact, they didn’t seem to care much about getting hit by cars either. The roads were completely chaotic, with everything from rickshaws and bicycles to doubledeckers and trucks, all seemingly incapable of driving in one lane for more than five seconds at a time and all making full use of their horns.

The roads themselves were unpaved, dilapidated, and tortuous, or paved but spotted with potholes deep

enough to damage a car beyond repair. Surprisingly, this didn’t seem to bother most people, who simply drove around or through the damaged roads with skill that could only be acquired through years of driving experience.

I would, in fact, like to take this opportunity to commend the drivers of Dhaka, who are experts at evading the millions of accidents that should be taking place on roads such as these.

After living in Dhaka for a while, I came to realise that the madness stretched beyond the roads and streets of the city and engulfed every aspect of the country. The stock market crashed unexpectedly and nothing was done about it, the people randomly went on strikes and disrupted whatever order was left in the city, and the lawenforcers were repeatedly exposed, as bribe-takers but their harassment of citizens did not stop. Yet if you live here long enough, you will develop a sense of order from the chaos. Until then, it will remain a place of adventure and excitement, which can only be experienced in a society as seemingly wild and uninhibited as Dhaka’s. n

Bassema Karaki is a LebaneseAmerican married to a Bangladeshi. She shares how strange, crazy, and humorous life in Bangladesh can appear to an outsider looking in

Razib

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22

TOUGH LOVE

Dina Sobhan

Dina Sobhan is a freelance writer and cautions readers not to take her “advice” here too seriously!

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I think my husband is cheating on me. He’s started having suspiciously long meetings at work all of a sudden. He also disappears at odd hours to play poker with his friends, even though he never played poker before. He gets calls from unknown numbers, which he never answers in my presence. And lastly, there have been unusually large withdrawals from our joint bank account. A part of me wants to throw him out without a second thought, but another part of me hopes I’m wrong. Is there any way to be sure about what he’s up to without actually confronting him?

If you think that dirty louse of your hubby is having an affair, you have every right to shout, scream, throw things at him and create embarrassing scenes in public at will. I propose you march into his office during one of these “really long meetings,” and proceed to threaten all his employees if they don’t fess up to his actual whereabouts. Of course, if you’re wrong, then people will just think you’re deranged, shun you quietly and mock you at the parties you’ll no longer be invited to for being a nut job.

If this was a Hollywood blockbuster, you would’ve hired a detective to gather some incriminating evidence, sued him for everything he was worth and spent the rest of your life eating caviar and sipping Krug in Boracay. Or you would’ve come up with some cunning and diabolic revenge scheme and sat back rubbing your hands with glee while his life unravelled bit by bit, leaving him a broken man, on his knees begging forgiveness for ever having wronged you.

But since this is the real world, I’m forced to point out that your man is not cheating on you, but he has developed quite the gambling addiction. Not that you should be reassured by this even remotely, because he’s spending all the money on something other than you. Unless you confront him double quick and get him some help, you’re going to be living a long and humble life in some backwater village, wishing that your husband had had an affair after all. n W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

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I am addicted to the TV show “Game of Thrones.” I watch every episode a dozen times.

I have started dressing up like Ned Stark (if you don’t know who he is, shame!), and have bought several expensive props to design my room.

I am expecting a baby, and I want to call her Khaleesi, ye of Dragonborn.

My friends and family think I’ve lost the plot, but I really don’t see what the problem is. It’s an amazing show, so what’s wrong with showing your love for it? Please help me convert my family into an extension of the Stark family.

You are in need of a level of psychiatric help that extends beyond the purview of this column and even my expertise. I am so disturbed by your question that my own love for GoT has waned a little. You ought to be flayed for that alone.

I have no advice for you. My advice to your wife, however, is run as far away as your little legs can carry you

and save yourself. The only stark I envision in this scenario is your life.

As for your parents, they ought to be punished for allowing you to become such a weirdo in the first place. n

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BACKBENCHERS’ CLUB

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

Across 1 4 6 7

Huge disaster (7) Rice dish, mix, stir too (7) Good times and pastry for arriviste (7) Length and maturity of back garden (7)

Down 1 2 3 5

Coastal town hill secret, we hear (7) Treetop demands missions (5) Sit last in church or the French giggle (7) Sparkly headgear put up top mark in art (5)

Solution and clues for last week’s crossword

Across 5 Vase holding coin confused rare beast (7) 6 As found in Italian repast always (5) 9 Eve rang about Emma Peel (6)

Down 1 2 3 4 7 8

Regret French thoroughfare (3) Copies Blackbeard’s crew (7) Price of mailing after time (7) All together on everything initially (3) Heavily criticise Greek god (3) Cook a young fish (3)

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24

DAY IN THE LIFE OF

A Traffic Police

A star amidst lost gazes Rifat Islam Esha spends a day with Sergeant Mamun

Rifat Islam Esha is staff correspondent at Dhaka Tribune, who throws words around at her whims.

She is also social media editor at the newspaper.You can reach her on Twitter: @rifat_islam

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hen we were children, most of us heard stories of nomads getting lost in the deserts on their journeys. They relied on the stars, using them as the compass, which eventually led them to their destination. Just like them, many of us lose our way sometimes when we’re out and about. Even in the tight and unyielding traffic jams that we experience in our beloved capital, we can always find some people looking lost, not sure whether they are headed in the right direction. And there is someone who helps them find their way, even if his job entails regulating and ensuring that people are not breaking traffic rules.

Sergeant Mamun has been serving as traffic police for 15 years. He is a well-spoken, sober man who doesn’t fail to show empathy that most of us wouldn’t expect from a “tough” guy. He took his time to speak while continuously keeping track of what was being told to him on his walkietalkie.

Being a traffic police isn’t Mamun’s dream job. “It is not a choice for anyone who comes to the service,” he said. “I got into this profession as I got the chance.”

Yet, he is aware of what his responsibilities are and acts accordingly. “Whatever I do falls under government duty,” he said. “For example, a lot of old people come and can’t get transportation during office hours. I try to help them out. I try to get the old people into vacant pickups or cover vans going to places like Gazipur, instead of public transportation. Their safety comes first to me and I do my

job with full vigour.”

Being a traffic police means Mamun has to deal with different types of people on a regular basis. And they include those who want to reap benefits out of being “important” or ask for favours during emergencies.

In Mamun’s own words: “I have never come across the type of people who were genuinely helpless. I had to face a few people who were “important,” though, and didn’t want to comply with the rules.”

During his duty, Mamun has witnessed a number of accidents.

“There was one accident at the

Gulshan 1-Gulshan 2 intersection,” he recalled. “A boy, around 17, was getting off a no 6 bus when his hand slipped off the bar and he fell. The helpers saw what happened, but the driver didn’t; he ran over the boy, who died on the spot.” Watching a young life end so tragically left Mamun numb, but he didn’t fail to do what he was supposed to do. “I chased the bus down to Mohakhali, caught the driver and filed a case against him,” he said.

Mamun does find satisfaction in his job. “When you are working in a profession like mine, you sometimes get to help people,” he said. “You meet all sorts of people in traffic. A few days ago, on Bishwa Road, I came across an old man and a child who wanted to go to Gaibandha. The man asked W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

me how to get there and which bus to take. He told me that he had come to see his daughter, who worked at an RMG factory, the day before. He had planned to take money from his daughter for the bus fare to go back home, but unfortunately he didn’t get to see her. So he planned to go home on foot by asking people around. They hadn’t eaten anything for a day. I gave them some food, and then stopped a bus and sent the two of them home.

That is the best part of my job: helping people who are lost.” n

THE WAY DHAKA WAS

25

Ruposhi Bangla swimming pool

My first swimming lesson was in the Ruposhi Bangla swimming pool. Back in the 70s, it was called Hotel Intercontinental. My father, a diplomat, used to drive my sisters and I to the pool for lessons. Back then, the swimming pool was filled with foreign kids and some Bangladeshis from privileged background. The pool itself was open and big, and my favourite part was the big after-lesson lunches we used to have.

Those cherished memories will stay with me forever.

Sarah Anderson, 38, New York resident

Inter Continental swimming pool 1978

Today W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

26 Sabiha Mahmud Sumi is a editorial assistant and graphic designer at Dhaka Tribune. She is also an artist, flute player and a published author

TRAVELOGUE

nepali encounters

Charming Kathmandu Sabiha Mahmud Sumi recounts her visit to the capital of Nepal

S

hangri-La or archaic city-village, the valley of Kathmandu is cheerful even in the rain.

It’s best if seen with the eyes of backpacking hippies, instead of conventional travellers, because Kathmandu is hardly about just the gambling and the booze; it’s about the life that is present in the heart of the city. The colours that comes alive with the people who stumble upon the mountain for a visit makes it the charming city it is today. All it takes is a weekend to find how much Kathmandu has to offer.

I remember watching Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie “The Beach,” where in the first few scenes he talks of most tourists as people travelling in search for the same luxuries they find at home. In all honesty, staying in a fivestar hotel away from the “maze-like roads of hippie Kathmandu” screams that same sentiment.

Speaking of maze-like roads of hippie Kathmandu, there is a district named Thamel, located 10-minutes

of walk away from Darbar Marg.

Also known as the traveller’s hub of the city, Thamel is filled with cheap accommodation, restaurants, pubs, shops, laundry, internet cafes, currency exchange booths, trekking equipment stores and courier service offices. It’s buzzing with tourists, hikers, backpackers – you name it. This is almost the rest stop for replenishing supplies and such for travellers on expeditions – either to the Himalayan range or to India, China or East Asia.

Old Thamel curves out and is a complete change of perspective, as it is almost nothing like modern Thamel. The streets seem to grow narrower, the cars seem to be louder, the tuk-tuks and motorbikes seem to create more of a tangled mess, and the pedestrians seem more local. Even the air of old Thamel is different as the smell of spices, dust and gasoline overwhelms any onlooker. With every step, the streets seem to evolve into something different, so as to capture one into the old, weathered round

architecture and infested doors that still house domestic and commercial uses.

It’s said that a trip to Kathmandu can leave any traveller enchanted even with the city’s highs and lows. Not to mention the fact that, at this time of the year, a trip to Kathmandu will give one a taste of its fickle weather, with hours of sweltering heat and hours of pouring rain. Crammed in with over a million people, this capital has moved up the ladder from the monarch times into pizza, falafel, pad Thai, tempura, quiche and moussaka.

Kathmandu’s constant bustling state has left its people and refugees with much-unwanted identity crises.

If you are not looking to climb the Everest, Kathmandu stands still for you to be one of the most attractive valleys in the South Asian region. n

A stone statue in the heart of Darbar Square.

Thamel at a glance A full Wi-Fi zone

A tourist heaven because of low cost accomodation The shops sell everything from bakery goods, roadside snacks, hiking gear, camera gear, antique buddhas, thanka paintings, hippie-style clothing, tattoo parlours to puts and cuised-based restaurants

Chairs and table for customers of Pumpernickel Bakery on Mandala Street, Thamel on an average week day.

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

Photos: Sabiha Mahmud Sumi/Dhaka Tribune

Pre-base camp for mountaineers

OBITUARY

27

Atiqul Haque Chowdhury

A life of drama

Yusuf Banna reminisces about the life of a leading playwright Among the large variety of work, his most notable TV productions are: Shesher Kobita, Maloncha, Chokher Bali, Drishtidan, Khoka Babur Prottabortan, Guptadhan, etc

People like Atiqul Haque Chowdhury are born once every thousand years Tanisha Munir veteran artiste and actor

A

Ranadipam Basu

tiqul Haq Chowdhury, a true aficionado of drama and plays in Bangladesh, died on the eve of June 18. He took his dying breath in Shamarita Hospital, at the age of 82.

Being one of the leading personalities of BTV during its golden era – late 70s to late 90s – he delivered a myriad of quality drama and plays for both TV and radio. His literary insight, sense of humour and grip on dialogues had reached such heights that he was capable of making the audience cry, sob and laugh at will.

During his last days, Atiq was involved with the private TV channel

Ekushey TV, where he worked as an adviser on producing programmes.

Employees of the channel have woefully mourned his passing. “I still can’t believe that on a regular day, I’ll go to the office and not see Atiq sir in his room. I have lost a guardian, because he was not only a colleague but a mentor to us,” Fatema Shilu, a producer at Ekushey TV, said.

Due to the media fraternity becoming saturated with unskilled people, the quality of programmes has been on the downfall. Given the already dire state of the industry, it is sad that we have lost a learned,

Yusuf Banna is a staff writer at Weekend Tribune. He would be happier if he could be a poet. He also dreams of being a painter and is envious of those who can paint

devoted and passionate contributor.

Dihan, an actress, said: “We have lost a genuine devotee of drama and his absence will be felt immensely.” Dihan was scheduled to work with Atiq on a programme about the young minds of Bangladesh.

Raqib Hasan, a close acquaintance and companion to Atiq, said: “He was like a father to me. I have thousands of memories with him and these memories alone prove his love for drama. In the 90s, he used to stay with me rather than going to his house, just so he could finish editing his dramas.

It was during the chaos caused by Ershad’s autocratic regime.”

Atiq had a versatile career. Besides his drama production, he retired as the deputy director general of the state run TV station. He was also a guest lecturer at the Department of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University for 11 years.

His first namaz-e-janaza was held at the Dhaka University central mosque following the afternoon prayers. His body was then taken to the BTV building, and finally he was put to rest at the Mirpur Intellectual Graveyard in Dhaka. n

Atiqul Haque Chowdhury: At a glance 1930 Born on December 15 1976 Won best TV producer award for BTV

1970s to 1980s Made over 450 TV plays besides writing and directing several radio plays

1990 Honoured with a degree from the World Development Council, New Delhi

2010 Won Bangla Academy Fellowship

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U N E 28, 20 1 3

28 Badiuzzaman Bay is a senior editorial assistant at Dhaka Tribune. He can be reached at: badiuzzaman.bd@ gmail.com

LAST WORD Badiuzzaman Bay

No sugarcoating for Khushwant Singh The “dirty old man” of Indian journalism

K

hushwant Singh has a charm that you can’t resist. He will drive a wedge right through your heart, and yet it will have a calming effect on you. His lucid style, inimitable wit, sharp insights and emotional arguments make a combination rarely seen on the pages of newspapers.

Yes, I am talking about the journalist that Khushwant Singh is, and the columns that he writes in that capacity.

You know the man mostly as a novelist. Some of his novels were bestsellers in India and Pakistan. I can rattle off quite a long list of his work, but chances are you are already familiar with it. His fame is partially due to his fascination with sex, scotch and scholarships, which are some of the recurring themes in his books.

If you have read “The Company of Women” (whose protagonist’s sex escapades had many young readers develop early puberty!), you know what I mean. That brings us closer to our point of discussion.

Singh has been editor of The National Herald, the Hindustan Times and The Illustrated Weekly of India. The Illustrated Weekly enjoyed its golden era during his tenure, with the circulation skyrocketing to 400,000 from 65,000 Singh is still remarkably fit for someone only two years shy of his centenary. Having lived a life to its fullest, he could have easily been termed the “Dirty Old Man of Indian Journalism” judging his track records.

But, rather than his personal history, it’s his role as one of India’s most influential journalists and his one-ofa-kind columns that have earned him his title.

“With Malice towards One and All” is the signature column series that endeared sign to millions of readers – young and old alike. He ran the column for decades, and it appeared on a

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U N E 28 , 2013

weekly basis in leading Indian dailies, syndicated by multiple publications.

Each column dealt with three to four dissimilar subject matters, starting with a discussion on an important political/cultural/social/ literary issue, followed by a memoir of his travels around the world and then a liberal dose of adult jokes. Apart from the Malice columns, he wrote various other columns, too.

His adult jokes were mostly sent in by his readers, which he would use in his own characteristic way. “Dirty,” you may say, but being Khushwant has its privileges. He can make the most divisive of subjects appear like a normal phenomenon, and is never afraid to write what other didactic, image-conscious columnists – whose pens he called “as limp as their penises” – would shy away from.

“Dirty” Singh is called dirty not only because he sometimes uses sexually explicit language and jokes in his columns, but also because he doesn’t mince his words, but simply says what he believes in.

After the Delhi rape last year, when there was a near-unanimous demand to sentence the rapists to death, he took a stand against the current: “Death sentence imposed on murderers has not brought down the incidence of murders – nor will it have any impact on the incidence of rape. The punishment for a rapist is to render him incapable of repeating his crime. He should be castrated and once for all be unable to repeat his crime!”

In another column, he said: “Prostitution should be legalised so that men who are unable to control their libido have other outlets to vend their lust and not force it on unwilling women.” You may not agree with this line of thought, but his forceful argument will win him some points.

Dhiren Bhagat once jokingly wrote an obituary on Khushwant. Khushwant replied by writing a counter-obituary only after his death. In that, rather than saying a few kind words about someone who died very young, he started by taking pot shots at him

and showed how he was nothing more than a show-off. His conclusion?

“Penguin India is left poorer by a few thousand rupees!”

Mean? Not in the world of the nonagenarian. In his column titled

One of Singh’s striking qualities may be his brutal honesty; there’s no sugarcoating in what he says, and who he says it about. While readers may find his columns oddly offensive, his arguments tend to be rather solid “Hijab as emblem of backwardness,” he called Hijab an “irritant” – something that confines its wearer more than it liberates.

“I regard the Hijab as the emblem of jihalat (backwardness). The sooner Muslim women liberate themselves from it, the better,” he said. In another column, he said the subcontinent needs a Kemal Pasha who would abolish institutions that are “outdated,” such as Hijab.

You can imagine the angry protests that followed publication of the two columns. Hijab advocates showered him with hate mails and telegrams, calling him “atheist” and his columns “blasphemous.” But Khushwant, as always, was past caring.

On another occasion, he raised quite a few eyebrows by his observation on the sex life of Indians: “Indians have sex more often in their brains and not where it should be!”

If being sexual, controversial, provocative and nonconformist means being dirty, he is every inch of that. Dirty or not, however, one thing is clear: Khushwant is a guaranteed entertainer and still the best bet around for 10 minutes of uninterrupted reading. Check out his coloumns for yourself! n

AV EN UE T TH UR SD AY, JUNE 6 , 2013