Weekend Tribune Vol 1 Issue 14

humayun ahmed 6

robbery in narayanganj 12

FRIDAY JULY 19 2013

vol 1 Issu e 14

A scoreboard supervisor 24

1

CONTENTS 2 THIS WEEK 4 Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Justice served?

5 Big mouth strikes again Curse of the unspoken 8 Post-Riposte Are we missing the point?

A Weekly Pro ducti o n o f

DhakaTribune

9 Top 10 Hall of fame

Vo lume 1, Issu e 1 4 JULY 19, 2 0 13

12 Crime file Of hired goons and heists

Editor Zafar Sobhan

17 realpolitik Playing it smart

Magazine Editor Faruq Hasan Weekend Tribune Team Fahim Razzaq Sumaiya Shams Faisal Mahmud Tamoha Binte Siddiqui Sheikh Mohammed Irfan Yusuf Banna Fuad M Hossain Joseph Allchin

18 Digital bangladesh Fruity fun in summer

6 editor’s pick Stories untold

19 interview Television, films and beyond 20 what’s the problem?

It’s raining cats and dogs 21 stranger in a strage land Busted and furious: Dhaka drift 22 Tough love

Art Direction/Photography Syed Latif Hossain

23 WT|Leisure

Cartoon Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Rio Shuvo Contributors Naheed Kamal Adil Sakhawat Ikhtisad Ahmed Farzana Afrin Baseema Karaki Phil Humphreys Design Mohammed Mahbub Alam Sabiha Mahmud Sumi Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email: weekend@dhakatribune.com Web: www.dhakatribune.com Cover Illustration Humayun Ahmed

by Khaled Muntasir Deep

24 Day in the life of A scoreboard supervisor 25 The way dhaka was Baitul Mokarram 26 Game on Child’s play 10 Thought plot An instinct for animals

13 Photo story Guava galore

EDITOR’S NOTE

Lasting legacies

27 Obituary Dr M Zahir 28 Last Word RMG in trying times 6

Murder in savar 12

two weddings and a hartal 28

FRIDAY JULY 12 2013

vo l 1 I s s u e 1 3

H

umayun Ahmed was not Bangladesh’s best author, but he was certainly our best-selling one. At a time when Bangladeshi literature was at ebb, Humayun sparked a renaissance of sorts with his mixture of deadpan humour, eccentric characters and a tableau of sci-fi, romance and history that catered to a variety of taste-buds. And that was the secret of the man’s genius: every single Humayun Ahmed work of fiction (and even non-fiction to a large extent), may it be a script for a TV drama or his latest Misir Ali novel, was ingrained with a sort of Bangladeshi essence that we could all relate to. On the eve of the great author’s first death anniversary, the DWT team, pays tribute, looks back at his life and rounds up his best works.

Elsewhere, Adil Sakhawat follows up on criminal elements in Narayanganj, Phil Humphreys writes about Scottish pride and the Wimbledon and Tamoha Binte Siddiqui walks us through noteworthy personalities’ love for animals, while Bassema Karaki introduces us to the bizarre world of Bangladeshi bus drivers. As always, should be an interesting issue! n W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

2

THIS WEEK

INTERNATIONAL

Right: Children raising slogans in a protest rally against the recent gangrape of a medical student, in Mangalore on July 16 PTI Photo

Right: A supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi holds a Koran during a protest in Cairo July 9. Egypt’s interim President Adli Mansour on Tuesday named liberal economist and former finance minister Hazem elBeblawi as prime minister in a transitional government, as the authorities sought to steer the country to new parliamentary and presidential elections REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Right: Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officers form a line in front of the federal courthouse in Boston prior to the arraignment of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Wednesday, July 10, 2013.

MIT police officer Sean Collier was allegedly killed by the Marathon Bombing suspects. The 19-year-old Tsarnaev has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction AP Photo/Steven Senne

Above: View of what seems to be weapon parts aboard a North Korean-flagged ship on July 16, 2013 which tried to enter the Panama Canal last week. President Martinelli tweeted a photo of the suspected weapons cache, which weapons experts have identified as an ageing Soviet-built radar control system for surface-to-air missiles AFP PHOTO/Rodrigo ARANGUA Left: Rescue workers head to the site of a massive landslide on Wuxiangang Hill of Sanxi village in Dujiangyan city in southwestern China’s Sichuan province on Wednesday, July 10. Flooding in western China, the worst in 50 years for some areas, triggered a landslide Wednesday that buried about 30 people, trapped hundreds in a highway tunnel and destroyed a high-profile memorial to a devastating 2008 earthquake AP Photo

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

3

NATIONAL Left: Ghulam Azam, the Jamaat-e-Islami former amir is being taken to the War Crime Tribunal on Monday, July 15. Finally the court declared “Golam Azam will spend the next 90 years behind bars and die in jail�

Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune

Left: Shibir men attempt attack on English daily Dhaka Tribune office, Some of the vandalised car and CNG-run autorickshaws, Jamaat-Shibir men explode a crude bomb in front of Dhaka Tribune office at Panthapath on July 16.

Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Above: A bus fell into the river in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka on July 16. At least seven passengers were killed when a four-wheeler collided head on with a bus and plunged into the river at Ashulia. (Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune)

Left: Kamalapur Railway Station witnesses crowds of passengers because of lack of other public transport during an ongoing nationwide strike called by the Jamat-e-Islami in the capital on 16 July Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune

Left: Jamaat Secretary General, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed is being taken to the central jail after announced sentenced to death by the state as a punishment for war crimes, on July 15 Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

4

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

Justice served?

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

I am not fully happy over the verdict. If the allegations against Ghulam Azam are proved, there is no scope to show leniency to him. If my father would have been alive, he would have been 87, but he was killed at the age of 46 by war criminals like Ghulam Azam.

My father has been killed, but it is really sad that Ghulam Azam is still alive.

Asif Munier, son of Munier Chowdhury

This is not acceptable, he must be hanged. This court has turned dirty, it must be cleansed. We are still alive; we will take up arms again.

This is not acceptable, he must be hanged. This court has turned dirty, it must be cleansed. We are still alive; we will take up arms again.

A 91-year-old man has been handed 90 years of jail. It is a fair judgement.

Everything is possible in Bangladesh. Ghulam Azam committed serious crimes by holding the maximum responsibility as the then chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, but leniency was shown to him.

Shahjahan Sarder, freedom fighter from Barisal

HM Ershad, chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Party

Shahjahan Sarder, freedom fighter from Barisal

Turin Afroz, state prosecutor

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

The prosecution has failed to prove beyond doubt any of the 61 counts of the charges brought against him [Ghulam Azam]. It is an utter failure of the prosecution. We would appeal to the higher court against the verdict.

Barrister Abdur Razzaq, chief counsel for Ghulam Azam

The man who handed over our women to the Pakistanis terming them booty escaped death sentence. We reject this verdict of compromise.

Jewel Das, freedom fighter from Brahmanbaria

Big Mouth strikes again

5

Naheed Kamal

Curse of the unspoken Confronting shame and secrecy about perfectly natural bodily functions!

T

For women, it is important to break free of entrenched ideas for any meaningful step forward. But men must realise that access to the vagina is a privilege that demands respect for the female body and all that it entails, so knowledge of the entire body would help. Stop reacting childishly and don’t expect to be protected from adult topics and discussions. In short, men and women need to grow up!

hings we may or may not discuss openly seem to include a disproportionate number of issues concerning women, perversely, women’s natural bodily functions.

Menstruation and anything to do with it, pregnancy, contraception and birth control, abortions, examining breasts for lumps, getting a cervical smear test, even the mundane visit to a gynaecologist, make uncomfortable topics of conversation.

You’d think basic knowledge of these subjects would be welcome, because they would help us make informed choices about our bodies.

It does matter a great deal for men and women to be able to talk about certain topics without squeamishness, disgust, or shame getting in the way.

Unfortunately, it seems no one actually speaks about them without embarrassment, even with health professionals.

Other then religious reasons, why do we continue to think of these topics as taboo?

I choose to confront them head on. There are very few things I find embarrassing; I am not ashamed of my body or what it does naturally. So I gleefully broach topics that challenge you, drag you out of your comfort zone and force you to face up to why you think you can’t talk about them. Once out there, it – whatever “it” may be – no longer has the power to make you squirm with discomfort, eventually.

I had to ask friends (male) to bring tampons and panty liners for me, things I cannot find in Dhaka, because those who buy them from the shops here haven’t got a clue about sanitary pads and tampons. I count myself lucky I can ask my father and brother to buy sanitary pads if I need them to.

Why should I be ashamed?

In class VIII, our biology teacher skipped the reproductive system because she was too uncomfortable to teach teenage boys and girls about it. When my flatmate in university confessed she had never bought sanitary pads, we went to the corner store so she could cross an important milestone by purchasing them, with threats and cajoling on my part and immense confusion on her part. We were 19.

Mention condoms or contraceptive pills to see people squirm and make stupid excuses, though unprotected sex can have fatal consequences. Even in elite educated circles, very few of those 20 years and above who are sexually active use condoms, birth control, or any form of protection. It seems the young in Dhaka are giving up all control over the choices they

make, which scares me. Ask a young woman if she goes to a gynaecologist, and chances are she doesn’t have a clue why she even needs to!

I understand people are squeamish about blood, but how much conditioning shapes our thoughts is evident when even women feel menstruation is too shameful to speak of. Modern women are still self-conscious buying sanitary pads, birth control pills or condoms, and are reluctant to use them with confidence.

Is it because we unconsciously hold on to superstitions?

But we know menstrual blood is not poisonous. Plants do not wither and die if we water them during our periods, yet we continue to consider ourselves unclean when we menstruate.

I

f you have read this far, I should congratulate you, because most people would have stopped, appalled and disgusted in equal measure to read about a “gross” subject.

So why am I writing about periods and tampons and condoms?

Because there is nothing disgusting about menstruation or female bodies, but words such as “sanitary” and feminine “hygiene” imply something unclean to begin with. Such learned ideas are juvenile and lazy. We must have the wherewithal to walk into a shop and ask for sanitary pads, tampons, birth control pills and condoms without beating ourselves up over it. It is the 21st century after all, and we have come a long way.

Way back in 1970, Germaine Greer wrote in “The Female Eunuch”: “If you think you are emancipated, you might consider the idea of tasting your own menstrual blood. If it makes you sick, you’ve got a long way to go.”

But it was Gloria Steinem’s seminal “If Men Could Menstruate” published in Ms. magazine in 1978 that turned the tables on gender stereotypes and broke some notions about menstruation.

Imagining how the world would perceive menstruation as powerful if men, not women, menstruated, she predicted that men would use the fact they bled to justify their superiority, the same way it is used against women to signify weakness. I loved her tonguein-cheek but unambiguous statement: “Clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, worthy, masculine event” if men menstruated.

Steinem’s points are still valid and explain why we can’t get help with PMS, why medical science lags behind on dysmenorrhea research, why sanitary supplies cost so much,

and as a woman in Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Monologues” said, why tampons are made so crudely.

O

nly if women speak openly and transparently, can we overcome the barriers. We can start by speaking to our sons and daughters clearly about sexual health and hygiene.

Most of all, we must stop trying to protect men from topics we were taught are unsuitable for their ears. And for ourselves, armed with knowledge, which is powerful, women can confidently introduce such topics, without mortification turning us mute.

It is important because women’s reproductive health means big money for big pharma and big corps. Do we really need feminine hygiene products to perfume and whiten our vaginas?

No. What we do need is access to safe and affordable birth control. More than 200 million women across the world want but don’t have access to modern contraception.

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!

At the root of the belief that women’s ability to bear children should be controlled, we find misogyny and sexism at work. When women are denied control over their bodies, when it is politicised and choice is inaccessible, then millions of women in desperate need of safe and affordable family planning are denied access Religious, cultural, gender, or social norms stand in the way of safe family planning, as do poverty, restrictive legislation and lack of knowledge and services. Absence of systems and skilled health professionals and supply are further barriers.

“Menstrual activists,” or “menarchists” (menstrual anarchists) took Greer’s advice and tasting, as well as baking, creating art, and painting lips with menstrual blood as a defiant gesture against shame and secrecy associated with menstruation, prevalent even today, even in modern, secular, Western cultures.

At the same time, women are on the march battling for gender rights with occasional steps forward and several steps backwards.

Feeling ashamed of something that happens naturally doesn’t make sense.

What would make sense is to learn about menstruation and accept it for what it is – part of life. n

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

6

EDITOR’S PICK Humayun Ahmed

Stories untold

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 are

Yusuf Banna sees the famous writer from a close acquaintance’s eyes

“I

t was respect, fear and mostly joy that I felt when I got to spend time with Humayun sir, whenever he called,” said Swapan Mitra, personal hairdresser of Humayun Ahmed, the celebrated author, of many best-selling books, and a notable filmmaker, of 15 years.

From how he talked about the writer, it seemed Swapan had an emotional connection with Humayun and was privy to many ups and downs of his life. He likes to believe Humayun treated him as one of his close and loyal acquaintances; that is probably why Swapan is reluctant to divulge stories.

However, he can tell stories that concerned him, and stories Humayun used to tell him.

“I used to see Humayun sir sitting in front of his writing table for hours, but he would grow impatient if I made him lean his head on one side for too long. That’s when he used to look up at me and say: ‘Swapan, let’s take a break. Have I told you what happened in the interview I gave earlier today?’”

Swapan especially remembers that day because he had seen the journalist leaving Humayun’s house and was planning to ask the writer about that.

“Somewhere inside, Humayun sir was still a little child. He discussed things with me even though I was not the right person for those conversations.

Often, he stopped in the middle of a story and, with an amused look, he asked whether I was following him. I think he probably just needed someone to openly talk to. Maybe I seemed perfect for that, because sir knew I would never judge him,” he said.

Humayun had the ability to captivate people with his witty charm, humour and liveliness. The man strongly believed in himself and his works. So much so that he was confident in claiming it was his books that brought Bangladeshi youth back to reading. Swapan isn’t much of a

Khaled Muntasir Deep

His versatile interests Humayun wasn’t a singer, but knew everything about the art – be it classical or modern. He featured songs of Hason Raja, Shah Abdul Karim and Ukil Munshi in his films, which were instant hits

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

He was a food enthusiast.

He even wrote on Bangali cuisine. He had books written by food critics in his collection and he followed recipes by people like eminent poet Sayed Ali Ahsan and Nobel laureate Pearl S Buck

Though he never performed it in public, Humayun was adept in palmistry and magic.

Even Jewel Aich, the famous magician in the country, vouched for his magic skills.

He was fascinated by voodoo, black magic, ventriloquism and witchcraft. On of his books is on magic, titled “Magic Munshi”

Humayun was a nature lover. He had a huge garden of rare trees in Nuhash Palli. He wrote “Brikkho Kotha,” an encyclopaedia of medicinal plants with historical and mythological context

He was a fan of Rabindranath Tagore. His idea of Nuhash Palli was shadowed by the concept of Shantiniketan. He even acquired a bazra, a huge boat, to enjoy quiet rides in the nearby haor, just like Rabindranath

7 “Humayun sir used to tell me stories in his own humourous way. I used to make him tea during our conversations. Once he told me that the most difficult thing in cooking is to make tea in the right way and keeping the right temperature.”

Humayun Ahmed’s family at the solo photography exhibition By Nasir Ali Mamun, hosted in Gallery Chitrak after his death

Tidbits about the writer from Swapan

Swapan Mitra

Humayun spent his time with his friends and admirers every day.

He called the group Old Fools’ Club Courtesy

reader, but he knew about this – he probably heard it straight from the writer. He even argued that if one had a free afternoon and got to choose from Bangla fiction to read, most would pick Humayun Ahmed.

This is a fine example of how the writer, with his majestic powers, transformed a hairdresser into a fullfledged reader, with the ability to judge Bangla fiction, just by talking to him.

“One day, I was late by an hour in my appointment with sir. I was feeling bad for my tardiness, even though I had valid reasons. When I reached sir’s house, I found him chatting with

a few of his friends. When he noticed me, he smiled and said: “Do you know Bangali people usually have tin haat (three hands) – daan haat (right hand), baam haat (left hand) and ojuhaat (excuses).” Before I could understand the joke, he burst into laughter and told me to come another day.” Swapan recalled. This proves how easy going the author was.

Humayun took interest in painting too. “Sir painted a lot in his last couple of years. He usually painted natural sceneries, but sometimes I saw him doing portraits,” Swapan recalled.

“Once I saw an unfinished portrait; as it had a moustache, I asked him whose

Humayun Ahmed with his sons, Nishad And Ninit

portrait it was. He went close to the unfinished painting, looked at it for a while, looked back at me and with his witty smile and usual tone of humour, said: ‘It can be yours. Do you want it?’

I was so shocked and embarrassed by his offer that I instantly said no, and asked him to paint the person he had intended to paint. I still regret it. If I had said yes, I could have had a token of his memory,” said Swapan.

“The most memorable day for me is when sir made me tea and asked me to stay, just to talk. He was in a good mood that day. It was raining. He mentioned one of the reasons that he had decided to not settle in the US, was the

monsoon.” Then Humayun proceeded to tell Swapan the story of his son Nishad singing “Esho Nipobone,” a famous Rabindra Sangeet; that event had made Humayun feel proud of his son. “Then sir asked me a lot of questions about myself and wrote down two or three things in his note book,” Swapan continued. “It seemed as though he was planning a story on a person who was a hair dresser too. But I suppose sir didn’t start it, or maybe never finished it, as I never came across such a story. The conversation went very well; I was mesmerised by the way he explained his idea. In the middle of the conversation, he suddenly stood up and said: ‘Swapan, stay here. I’ll be right back.’ And he did, with two cups of tea in his hands. He placed one in front of me and went back to his seat, asking: ‘What was I saying?’

“It was probably nothing to him.

Most of the time, I was the one who made tea for him when no one was around, but it will be the most memorable day in my life, because Humayun Ahmed made tea for me, his hairdresser”, Swapan said with a smile on his face.

“On his birthday, he used to get lots of gifts. I once went to wish him with flowers; he hugged me like he had hugged others, with equal warmth and love. It will be his first death anniversary on July 19. I don’t know what to do, whom to go to,” a teary eyed Swapan said. Like him, thousands of Humayun’s fans and admirers will miss him today, his name etched in their hearts for ever. n

He used to write during the day and read or watch movies at night He never wasted the waking hours sitting idle; he was either with writing, or reading, or meeting his visitors He established a school named Shahid Smriti Bidyapith in his home town, which has had 100% pass rates in the SSC exams for years in a row He researched all the documents on the Liberation War, going over every page, in order to write “Jochhna O Jononir Golpo” and “Matal Hawa.” When he was writing a book, he used to discuss plots and characters with Swapan

Courtesy

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

8

POST-RIPOSTE

ramadan in bangladesh

Are we missing the point?

Yes, we are!

Tamoha Binte Siddiqui

R

amadan is supposed to be a month of abstinence, a time to refocus on God and re-evaluate one’s life in the light of Islam’s ideals.

However, Ramadan to most Bangladeshis is synonymous with gluttony and unrestrained consumerism. One only needs to look

around the streets of Dhaka to see why.

Banners screaming “All you can eat” iftars are all that you see in the streets during Ramadan. Bangladeshis love to show off their powers of abstinence and restraint at these buffet iftars.

They achieve this by having “moderate”

amount of food (about 40 pieces of pizza or so) at very “affordable” prices (going up to Tk5,000 each person) in a very “civilised” manner (gobbling, choking, and burping aside).

Even when having iftar at home, the thought of prayers or duas is often chewed down along with mouthfuls

Definitely not!

of piyajus, jilapis and begunis. Why Bangladeshis think that wasting piles of leftovers during buffets and devouring unholy amounts of food during iftar is not an insult to the very purpose of Ramadan remains a divine mystery. n

Razib

Sheikh Mohammaed Irfan

R

amadan is not only a time of sacrifice, but also a time to better serve our Creator and each other with love, promoting peace in our community and around the world. During this holy month, Bangladeshis unite to thank God

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

for the gift of guidance and stand in solidarity as we worship Him throughout the night. The afternoons are bustling with people buying iftar items and giving charity, the evenings are filled with families breaking fast together, and the nights echo with

prayers from mosques throughout the country. People shop for Eid and businesses flourish, as this is one of the few Islamic holidays Muslims get to celebrate. During Ramadan, the food, sustenance and earnings of a believing Muslim increase and

they are blessed. That is exactly what happens in Bangladesh, in which fasting develops the real spirit of social belonging and gives us a break to think about ourselves, our families and our future. There’s no reason that anyone should believe otherwise. n

TOP 10

9

humayun ahmed’s works

Hall of fame

On the occasion of Humayun Ahmed’s first death anniversary, Yusuf Banna compiles a list of his most popular works. This list has been created based on a popularity vote run on social media

10

Gauripur Junction

According to poet Nirmalenda Goon, this novella could easily win Humayun a Nobel Prize in literature.

9

Brishti Bilash

8

Aj Chitrar Biye

Another romantic novel by the author, it takes the readers on an emotional roller coaster. Once you start reading it, you cannot put it down unless you’re finished.

This classic love story is a perfect example of Humayun’s almost flawless and effortless writing, It’s a sweet, yet complex, tragic fiction.

7

Nondito Noroke

6

Ghetu putro Komola

5 4

2

It’s the very first novel written by the writer, with which his genius was recognised by the country’s intellectuals as well as common readers.

It’s the last film directed

by Humayun, released after his death. Set in the colonial period, the story revolves around a teenage boy.

Shonkhonil Karagar

The second novel written

by Humayun, it is yet another war story. It has been adapted into a film as well.

Kothao Keu Nei Written and directed

by Humayun, this is probably one of the most popular dramas in the history of Bangladeshi television. The legendary character of Baker Bhai was from this drama.

3

Srabon Megher Din A novel that was adapted into a feature film, this one is considered to be the best directorial project of the writer.

Jochna O JononirGolpo This novel is one of many that Humayun wrote on the Liberation War. The epic story revolves around a family and how they cope during the war.

1

Aguner Poroshmoni Another Liberation War story, this novel is also the first that was adapted into a feature film, directed by the author himself. It won several awards, including the National Award in the Best Film category.

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

10

FEATURE

obhoyaronno

An instinct for animals Tamoha Binte Siddiqui writes about the organisation’s efforts to create a utopia for animals Tamoha Binte Siddiqui is staff correspondent for Weekend Tribune, because weekends are the highlights of her life. True story!

Obhoyaronno’s biggest achievement came in January 2012, when its persistent advocacy for three years resulted in the government ending dog culling in Dhaka; the capital was also declared as the country’s first “no-cull” city. Since then, Obhoyaronno has been working tirelessly to manage the city’s dog population on behalf of Dhaka City Corporation

I

n Bangla, “Obhoyaronno” means sanctuary. The animal welfare organisation surely lives up to its name in its perpetual fight to create a safe environment for animals all over the country. One of Obhoyaronno’s visions is to create a Bangladesh where people recognise the intrinsic value of animals and show compassion and respect towards all living beings.

Obhoyaronno is a charitable organisation, headed by Rubaiya Ahmad, chairperson and founder of the organisation. Currently, it’s the first and only animal welfare organisation in Bangladesh working to end animal cruelty through advocacy, education and humane programme implementation.

Obhoyaronno is primarily a CNVR (catch-neuter-vaccinate-release) clinic that works in partnership with the government to vaccinate and sterilise stray dogs. It put together the first Bangladeshi team of vets and paravets trained from India on modern sterilisation and humane dog catching. After treating the dogs, the organisation ensures their safe rehabilitation. However, in a few cases, when a dog rescued by the organisation is severely injured, Obhoyaronno either provides a shelter for it at the clinic or finds it a good home. On Saturdays, the clinic is open for pet owners who seek basic services for their pets.

However, the welfare society’s activities are not restricted to only vaccinating and sterilising dogs.

They also want to make an impact regarding people’s awareness on animal cruelty. “Obhoyaronno is not only a clinic; it is a movement to change the mindsets of people.

We want to create a compassionate future generation,” Rubaiya says. In order to achieve this, its volunteers hold educational programme sessions with street children and working children by developing partnerships with other local organisations, such as Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) and Jaago Foundation.

Obhoyaronno has also developed a partnership with WHO, and it follows the rabies control strategy recommended by the world renowned organisation. Currently, Obhoyaronno is working towards passing a legislation that will make dog culling in Bangladesh illegal. It is also working towards updating the existing 1920 Animal Cruelty Act. n

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

Leading by example

Dr Gowher Rizvi spends quality time with a rescued kitten adopted from Obhoyaronno

Why do people assume that, just because you are caring for a dog, you don’t care for humans? People who care for dogs are more likely to care for a human being. One cannot be compassionate selectively. Also, animal welfare is not an isolated issue. If the animals we share our habitat with are not healthy, it will affect us directly Rubaiya Ahmad

Dr Gowher Rizvi, the international affairs adviser to the prime minister, has worked closely Obhoyaronno in its mission to end dog culling in Bangladesh for more than a year.

Dr Rizvi, as well as his wife and daughter, are ardent animal lovers. Therefore, he was willing to support Obhoyaronno’s cause in any way possible when he learned of it.

“Dr Rizvi is one of our secret weapons,” Rubaiya confesses. “He is an ‘out of this world’ kind of an individual.

He was instrumental in ensuring government support while we were lobbying to stop dog culling in Dhaka.”

11

Things money can’t buy According to Rubaiya, Obhoyaronno has seen the kindest gestures from the poorest people. She proudly shares the story of a group of street children who live near Dhanmondi Lake. They collect leftovers from community centres that host weddings and feed about 30 dogs every night.

Each dog has been vaccinated and sterilised.

“We’ve met all kinds of people. We’ve even had rickshawpullers and CNG drivers coming to our clinic to help an injured animal or get them vaccinated. I think we don’t give people enough credit.

Most people in Bangladesh are kind to animals,” she says.

More about the organisation Founded in 2009 Registered with the Joint Stock Companies and Firms as a non-profit charity organisation in 2011 Has seven trustees and about 10-15 dedicated volunteers Treats 75-80 dogs on average every week Employs 15 full-time staff including three veterinary surgeons, four para-veterinarians and three animal handlers

Little ambassadors of Obhoyaronno

Singing praises about pets

According to Shakila Zafar, the famous singer, showing love and compassion to animals is the reflection of a pure and kind soul. “Like human beings, animals, especially the ones which can be domesticated, expect love and want to be treated kindly. They can also understand basic human emotions like joy, sorrow, anger and even sense the impending deaths of their masters. Moreover, they can communicate in their own way using body gestures and facial expressions” she says.

Though Shakila has been fond of all animals since her childhood, she confesses to being more of a cat person.

As a child, she could not resist cuddling cats and keeping them in her lap all day long. She has also kept pigeons and various kinds of birds as pets during her childhood.

Shakila Zafar is a supporter of Obhoyaronno’s activities and participated in the organisation’s Celebrating a NoCull Dhaka concert held earlier this year, among many other artistes such as Arnob, Habib, Nemesis and Shayan. “People should show more compassion to animals, and this compassion should come straight from the heart,” Shakila says.

Awards won by the animal welfare organisation Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Advocate of the Year 2012 award Humane Society International’s Animal Care Expo Scholarship in 2010 Humane Society International’s Animal Care Expo Scholarship in 2012 Shakila Zafar, the famous singer, happens to be a big animal lover

Photos: Courtesy

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

12

CRIME FILE Adil Sakhawat is an intern at Dhaka Tribune, currently assigned for crime reporting.

Any information can be sent at

adilsakhawat@gmail.com

Robbery in Narayanganj

Of hired goons and heists Adil Sakhawat investigates a case of organised robbery in Narayanganj

O

n July 11, eight armed robbers allegedly robbed Abdur Razzak’s (60) rented flat in Jallarpara, Narayanganj. One of them, named Russel, assaulted Razu Ahmed (29), Razzak’s son, with a knife, when he found them escaping the scene.

As per reports, the robbers were all men, aged between 20 and 22 and were armed with knives. They broke into Razu’s home at 9:10pm while he and his father were away praying at their local mosque. The robbers supposedly broke into their flat, situated on the second floor of Idris Moulovi’s three-storey house at Jallarpara. Mithila Akhter (20), Razu’s wife, said the robbers bound and gagged her and her mother-in-law Jahanara Begum (50), and robbed the family of 139.97gm of gold, three mobile phone handsets and approximately Tk60,000 in cash. The robbers allegedly asked Mithila about Tk1m, which Razu was supposed to bring back to the house the very same day.

The affected family has requested not to publish their photos.

“When they were robbing us, I noticed only two of the eight men wearing masks. One of them kept asking me about the money that my husband was supposed to bring from his office. All of them had knives in their hands and they threatened me by holding a knife at my two-year-old baby’s throat. My husband’s lung was damaged as one of the robbers stabbed him.”

Mithila Akhter, wife of Razu Ahmed

Civilian “I was coming back home when I heard the on the second floor of the building. on site scuffle I didn’t go upstairs at the time. But when

I saw the robbers fleeing, I caught one of them and in the process was struck with a knife. Such crimes have become a nuisance for the residents of this area, as they are on the rise. The police needs to provide a safer atmosphere for the people.”

Delwar Hossain, neighbour

The room from where the robbers stole ornaments and money from the wardrobe on July 11.

The robbers bound and gagged Mithila and Jahanara Begum on the bed Photos: Adil Shakhawat/Dhaka Tribune

June 20 20-22 armed robbers attack Amin Jewellers at Kalir Bazar, taking 793.14gm of gold, setting off a bomb.

A case was filed with Narayanganj sadar model police station June 26 8-10 armed robbers break into the house of Jahangir, a businessman in Mollikpara, Sonargaon, taking Tk115,000 and 52.49gm of gold.

While fleeing, they stab Jahangir’s father. A case is filed with Sonargaon police station W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

Manzur Kader, officer in-charge, Narayanganj sadar model police station

Prime suspect

Russel was arrested from the crime scene. During the interrogation, he revealed Bappy’s name as an accomplice, who was arrested soon after. Mithila confirmed to the police that Russel was one of the robbers.

“Both arrestees said they were hired from Munshiganj to join a team of robbers who were involved with similar crimes in various places of the country.

They also revealed to us that in this robbery, they were prepared as some locals had agreed to aid them with their escape.”

A source from the police station who wished to remain anonymous

Crime timeline

February 2 4-5 robbers rob Rifat Jewellers in Minabazar and injure 10 shopkeepers, blasting a bomb and fleeing with 29.16kg of gold from the shop. A case is filed with the Narayanganj sadar model police station June 10 20-25 robbers pose as police and force entry into the house of Habibullah, a businessman in Dharmaganj, Fatulla, injuring four house members, taking Tk1.4m and 233.3gm of gold. They also set off a bomb. A case is filed with Fatullah police station

“We have already visited the spot and Sub-Inspector Ataur Rahman is assigned to arrest the robbers and investigate the case. A case was filed with our police station by Razu’s father the very same day.”

RUSSEL AND BAPPY TWO OF THE EIGHT ROBBERS

Robberies in Narayangaj in 2013

January 3 10-12 armed burglars break into Nazimuddin Bhuiyan Degree College and Madanpur Rahmania Degree College, stealing Tk100,000. A case is filed with Bandar police station

First police on site

Witness

July 11

The robbers broke in through the main door of the flat. While fleeing, Razu encountered them and was subsequently stabbed by Russel, one of the eight robbers

Lead investigator “Following Russel’s remand, we have arrested Bappy and also found the knife he used in the robbery. Both of them have confessed to us correlating information regarding the identities and locations of the other robbers. I am, however, not at liberty to disclose that information as it may jeopardise the investigation. But I can say the courts have granted us two more days for remand to bolster the investigation. I am confident the rest of them will be arrested soon.”

Ataur Rahman, sub-inspector, Narayanganj sadar model police station

8.30pm Razu and Razzak leave home for Tarawih prayers 9.10pm Robbers enter the house, bind and gag Mithila and Jahanara 9.30pm The robbers try fleeing the scene when Razu arrives home and is stabbed by Russel 9.32pm Russel gets caught by Delwar 9.50pm Police arrives and takes Russel into custody 10.00pm Razu is taken to hospital for surgery 10.30pm Razzak files a robbery case with Narayanganj sadar model police station

July 12

Police arrest Bappy

July 13

Both the arrestees are sent to court

July 14

Court grants two days’ extension on remand

13

PHOTO STORY

Guava Garden photo story by

Shafiqul Alam Kiron

Traders in Jhalakathi use small boats to carry guavas to sell to the wholesalers. Atghar Kuriana, a village in the district, is famous for the seasonal fruit, which has an excellent harvest this year.

However, due to poor transport facility, they are not getting the fair price.

Bhimruly, Dumaria, Kirtipasha, Ata, Madra, Ganopatikathi, Jausharm Adamkathi, Cairn, Atghar, Alta, Dalohar, Brahmonkathi, Kaporkathi, Satadaskathi, Narerkathi, Adabari, Zindakatyhi, Bangkura, Kathurakathi and Zindakathi are the villages famous for guava production in the region.

The largest guava orchard, which is nearly a century old and covers 5.22sqkm of area, is located at Atghar Kuriana, under Swarupkathi upazila in Pirojpur. A total of 1,234 growers in 10 villages union have developed 2,005 guava orchards on a land area of 6.34sqkm. They are now selling guava at Tk400-500 each maund (37.3kg).

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

14

PHOTO STORY SIRAJGANJ

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

15

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

16

PHOTO STORY SIRAJGANJ

Shafiqul Alam Kiron is a freelance photographer. He has been one of the key members at Map Photo Agency. An award winning photographer, his works have been published in a wide range of media in the local arena as well as in international.

His interest and area of work is social documentary. He can be reached at

shafiqulalam@gmail.com

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

REALPOLITIK

17

Awami League-India Relations

Playing it smart

Ikhtisad Ahmed is a writer and an erstwhile lawyer. He is bound by absurdity, and exists, therefore he is

Ikhtisad Ahmed analyses AL’s policies concerning India 1971 Indira Gandhi visits Washington DC in November. While she fails to alter President Nixon’s pro-Pakistan stance, her trip helps bring international political attention to the Liberation War of Bangladesh After supporting and assisting with the Liberation War effort, India joins the war on December 3. The actions mark the country as a great friend of Bangladesh. The Pakistani army surrenders to General Aurora of India on December 16 1972 Bangabandhu concludes his speech in Calcutta on February 6 with the declaration “India-Bangladesh bhaibhai” Indira Gandhi is the first foreign leader to pay an official visit to Bangladesh, doing so on March 17. She signs the Indo-Bangladeshi Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace with Bangabandhu on March 19 1996 India signs a 30-year water-sharing agreement for the Ganges River with Sheikh Hasina’s government in December. The two countries also start sharing more information regarding flood warnings and safety 1997 Bangladesh and India sign an accord to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshi tribal insurgents who had fled to India (beginning in 1986) from the Chittagong Hill Tracts 2001 The Tin Bigha Corridor is finally leased to Bangladesh indefinitely in September 2010 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits India in January, paving the way for greater collaboration in the region 2010 The Human Rights Watch issues an 81-page report titled Trigger Happy: Excessive Use of Force by Indian Troops at the Bangladesh Border in December, condemning the unlawful actions of the Border Security Forces 2011 Manmohan Singh travels to Bangladesh in September, accompanied by five chief ministers.

His official visit is the first of an Indian prime minister in 12 years, the last one also coming during the tenure of an Awami League government

AFP/Prakash Singh

A brief history

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (L) wave to media during Hasina’s ceremonial reception in New Delhi on January 11, 2010

F

riendship, particularly of the foreign relations variety, is not an act of selflessness. It is defined by benefits, its strength reliant on validation and appeasement. In the wake of the Conservative Party’s illadvised posturing to leave the EU, the Obama administration took the view that it “value[s] a strong UK voice” in the EU – a warning. That the UK, led by the party of the “special relationship,” is risking that friendship demonstrates the fickle nature of foreign policy and the importance of acting rationally.

Decorated British Prime Minister William E Gladstone commented: “Here is my first principle of foreign policy – good government at home.”

Bangladesh has repeatedly worked very hard to refute this claim by an unconditional renouncement of good governance. Given such dire circumstances, common sense needs to prevail when forging diplomatic relations.

Acknowledging the significance of one country being almost entirely surrounded by another geographically, having to share territorial water and sharing a common cultural and political history is an example of common sense.

Awami League has practised this rarest of senses with regards to India.

It is folly to entertain the thought that India did not stand to gain from

an independent Bangladesh. Emerging as the undisputed dominant force in the subcontinent, a weakened Pakistan, and another socialist nation, with the added bonus of Bangabandhu’s socialism mirroring Nehru’s beliefs, were the cornerstones of the former’s desire for and help with the latter’s freedom. Imagining the birth of Bangladesh without the role India played – from the military and aid assistance, to lobbying the superpowers – too is to clutch at straws.

Geo-political gains aside, there is a belief that India’s support partly stemmed from the inevitability of an Awami League government led

by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was a personal friend of the Indian premier. The post-independence years gave credence to this argument.

India was very accommodating to Awami League’s requests, such as the unconditional withdrawal of troops from Bangladeshi soil in 1972.

Bangabandhu’s assassination in 1975, however, brought amity to an abrupt end. An ongoing migrant problem, the dispute over the Farakka Barrage and the issue of South Talpatti Island’s ownership marked strained relations.

1974 saw an agreement between the two leaders to hand over the sovereignty of Tin Bigha Corridor and

South Berubari to each other in order to allow access to their respective enclaves. Sheikh Mujib’s untimely death before India fulfilled its obligations left the issue unresolved until the next time Awami League came to power. This incident highlights India’s preference for Awami League and vice versa, and the sour relationship between the two countries in the intervening years. The migrant and migration problems show no signs of abating, however, and the current government has seemed powerless to deal with them in spite of enjoying India’s friendship. A failure to reach an agreement over sharing water from the Teesta River has also been a major setback for Bangladesh.

India has been a friend in need in the past, but that does not afford it carte blanche over Bangladesh. Those worried that this may be the case under an Awami League government can take heart from the fact that it did not grant India overland access across Bangladesh to its landlocked north-eastern states. However, while not bowing to India’s every will may be popular, the two sovereign nations need to maintain friendly relations on as equal terms as possible. Awami League can and should guarantee this. n

Barisal is the only Bangladeshi division that does not share a border with India

India was the first country to recognise Bangladesh as a separate and independent state on December 6, 1971

At a glance Bangladesh and India share a border of 3,910km

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

18

DIGITAL BANGLADESH

Fruit Bandits

Fruity fun in summer

Faisal Mahmud writes about innovative homegrown mobile apps and web tools

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

Tidbits People can get information about fruit cycle and fruit maps in fruitbangladesh.com This is the only website that provides informatoin about Bangladeshi fruits with info-graphics Fruit Bandits is one of the top 25 free apps in Google Play This game is designed in five different levels – Orange-Mango, Mango, Pineapple, Orange and Lemon and features power-ups such as Freeze, Fly net, and Bonus Score

T

here was a time when Bangladesh was called the land of fruits. But due to rapid urbanisation, people growing up in the cities have become oblivious to the numerous fruits our country has to offer, as well as their benefits.

Ogilvi Bangladesh has come up with plans to change that by introducing a web reference tool titled Bangladesh Fruits, which presents facts about Bangladeshi fruits with attractive graphics. Ogilvi teamed up with Tang to develop the web based tool.

Ogilvi, , has also created a unique game called Fruit Bandit that can be played on mobile platforms like Apple iOS and Google Android.

Sabih Ahmed, associate account director of Ogilivi Bangladesh, said this venture was first of its kind.

“Nobody has ever tried to document Bangladeshi fruits in such manner,” he said.

Bangladesh Fruits has two features: fruit cycle and fruit map.

Ahmed explained: “In fruit cycle, one can see the pictorial representations or icons of all the fruits in the country.

Clicking on one particular fruit icon directs to its information graphics, presenting facts about that fruit and in which season it’s available.”

In fruit map, clicking on a fruit icon direct to the locations where it grows and is available on the map of Bangladesh, he added.

“These web tools are very useful, as well as fun for both kids and

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

Photos: Courtesy

adults,” he said. When asked about Fruit Bandits, Ahmed said: “The game has five levels and can be played on all mobile platforms. It will challenge the gamers and intrigue them with great action and graphics.”

Fruit Bandit’s story revolves around Tonty and Monty, the twin brothers who have similar tastes in everything except fruit juice. One

brother likes orange juice, while the other likes mango.

As a band of rogue monkeys kidnap Monty, Tonty sets off on a quest to rescue him. With only a slingshot in hand, Tonty must take the challenge to the evil monkeys, giraffes, gorillas and bees. With limited stones, incoming fruits and a glass to fill, Tonty needs to be alert at all times

and keep an eye out for power ups.

“The game has five levels, keeping in mind the five flavours Tang has to offer: mango, orange, lemon, pineapple and mango-orange. It is mainly designed for kids, but adults will also find it very interesting,” Ahmed said. n

INTERVIEW

19

shafiul Alam Bhuiyan

Television, films and beyond

Courtesy

Farzana Afrin chats with the journalist and educator

A

bu J M Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, founder chairman of the Department of TV and Film Studies in Dhaka University, reveals the goals and dreams of his journey as a helmsman of a completely new discipline, its possibilities and its limitations.

Ours is not an organised society like that of the West.

In most cases, things don’t go according to the plans. We had to initiate the department, and the temporary limitations we faced hasn’t been much of a hindrance as we found alternative ways to run efficiently Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan

TV and film studies is a new academic field in Bangladesh. As the founder chair of this department, what goals do you expect to attain in the future?

My short-term goals include enrolling students in the department, developing the curriculum, managing academic resources and ensuring class rooms for them.

We have already achieved those goals. Our long-term goal, however, is to bring about a qualitative change in Bangladesh’s film and media industry.

Since this industry is lacking qualified people, we aspire to give just that.

What inspired you to take up the challenge of running this entirely new department?

Well, for one, there were no academic institution, prior to this department, to educate people in television and film media.

Our TV industry is booming, while our cinema suffers as it lacks quality

filmmakers. As I have studied this subject, I thought if I undertook the challenge, I could create something that would meet international standards.

Paired with my overall education, experience, and confidence, I believe I can make some significant contribution. Hence, I took the job.

Where does Bangladesh stand with regards to the global competence in this field?

TV and film studies have been part of the academics in many universities in the US and Europe for a long time. So, we are rather behind.

However, if we consider the curriculum, ours holds its own in comparison to theirs. I don’t see any big differences between the curricula, because when I developed ours, I reviewed the syllabi from different universities located in North America, Europe and Australia.

We tried to establish a curriculum that would be the most appropriate in Bangladeshi context. However, we are lacking in the applied fields of the discipline due to inadequate equipment.

We are borrowing them from various media houses for now.

We hope to build the studio by

December and the lab has already been functional since June 15. The communications departments in the North American universities have their own TV and radio stations. In the next phase, I’ll try to establish a TV station here.

What recent achievements are of significance in relation to your goals and dreams?

Our first success was introducing Janet Wasco, an internationally renowned professor . She also happens to be the president of International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).

That is rare in DU. For the masters’ programme, we introduced a full fledged online admission system.

We have established a multipurpose resource centre with cameras, editing panels and books. We have also amassed funds for our studio, which is, as mentioned before, due to be operational in December.

What challenges and limitations are you facing while running the department?

The major challenge at this moment is the lack of quality educators. We are trying to mitigate this crisis by adopting some temporary solutions.

At a glance TV and film studies is a very new subject compared to the other disciplines taught at the country’s public universities. Naturally, opening of a new department on the same subject at Dhaka University has sparked interest among many who aspire to work in the TV stations and films.

In addition, maintaining this discipline is very expensive. The equipment required to facilitate the education will take a long time to accumulate for a department in a public university.

Despite the limitations, university administration has been extremely helpful to us, and therefore we have been able to receive funding from a few foreign universities. n

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

20

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM

monsoon

It’s raining cats and dogs

Sheikh Mohammed Irfan describes the struggles faced during the rainy season

S

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

tarting in June and lasting till October, the monsoon season of heavy rainfall, high temperatures and humidity takes its course in and around the Tropic of Cancer (that goes through Bangladesh). Although the monsoon is considered a blessing, the common woe that follows it constantly seems to undermine its benefits.

During the monsoon, cities in Bangladesh, especially Dhaka, face crises ranging from waterlogging and road damage to power shortages, phone and internet line problems and many more.

The question here is not why the rain causes such accidents, but what measures we have taken to control the situation. As Bangladesh lies in a region of certain climate, the adverse weather conditions we face are inevitable. The problem, however, is that every year we face the same obstacles we faced the year before. In other words, we have systematically neglected the necessity of having a contingency plan to face the monsoon.

Wretched waterlogging

Pests, pollution, plague

Transport torment

Each year, the government takes steps to improve the water drainage system.

Yet, “accidentally” or “coincidentally,” water still happens to flood more than half of Dhaka.

Preventing this situation is not impossible, as countries like Malaysia and Singapore, with regular rainfall throughout the year, manage to uphold a proper water drainage system without much difficulty. Of course, eyebrows have been raised and fingers have been pointed towards the corruption of the city corporation’s projects, yet they are not the only ones to blame.

Littering has always been a common practice here; people dump all sorts of rubbish in the drainage system and cause major blockage in the pipes. The result of this clogging is a disaster during the monsoon season.

Water floods the streets, creating chaos on the roads and damaging utility lines. It also pollutes the water system, which poses a severe health hazard.

Many diseases spread like an epidemic as polluted water flows throughout the city. To make matters worse, waterlogging combined with pollutants turns Dhaka into a foul-smelling city. It also becomes increasingly difficult to control the influx of pests, which occupy our houses during this time. Due to the pests and polluted water ravening the city, diseases like typhoid, hepatitis, diarrhoea, flu and viral fever break out.

Roads are destroyed or flooded and become impossible to walk on, and as such, people’s dependence on transportation increases. On the other hand, transportation itself does not increase to meet this demand, which creates the unholy combination of demand and scarcity. The prices of regular transportation are hiked, and people merely avail them on the basis of chance. This problem becomes a serious deterrent for any people having to travel for work. The government is failing to increase transportation, repair roads or even control the price hikes by most transport companies every year. The result is, of course, more misfortune for regular citizens.

The rain pours, the lightning strikes and thunder fills your soul.

The roads flood, the power cuts and now you’re trapped at home!

Lights out!

Power outages every monsoon has become incorporated into Bangladeshi lifestyle.

Although modernisation found ways to provide permanent power during the monsoon at least two decades ago, our power department is still dwelling in the Victorian era. During the monsoon, our power generators trip, poles tumble and transformers blow up. Considering the weather is expected every year, for such accidents to happen is simply ludicrous. The inability to develop or purchase waterresistant equipment results in added public woes and higher costs.

AFP/Munir uz Zaman

A

Bangladeshi pedestrians holding umbrellas hitch a ride on a rickshaw van as they attempt to stay dry over flood waters in Dhaka.

Did you know?

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Dhaka recorded 341mm of rain in 24 hours in 2004, and in 2010, it recorded 333mm of rain

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

Every monsoon season, Dhaka has an average of 6,566mm of rain

s the most anticipated weather event of the year, the monsoon is a beautiful phenomenon that brings life to earth. We Bangladeshis love listening to the downpour outside our windows combined with the glamour and gloom of ghazal. However, unless we are willing to brave the miseries of flooded roads and lack of transport in the city, the constant rain also traps us at home. Even then, it is impossible to get anything done with the continuous power outages and bouts of illnesses we face throughout the season. It’s true the government needs to take action towards solving these problems, but we citizens must be proactive and address what we can, like preventing littering and drinking clean water. n

21

STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND maniac bus drivers

Busted and furious: Dhaka drift Bassema Karaki shares her wild experience of a local bus ride

B

efore coming to Bangladesh, the word bus would trigger images in my head of a yellow school bus drifting slowly down the neighbourhood street, or a transit bus at a bus stop waiting for passengers to safely take their seats. My experience in Dhaka has altered these images, and instead of seeing a bus as a friendly, safe means of transport, I now see it as a weapon of mass destruction.

Between tilted double-deckers in more danger of collapsing than the leaning tower of Pisa, and bus drivers more daring than Evel Knievel himself, it’s no wonder the percentage of road fatalities every year is so high in this country.

I can’t begin to explain the amount of shock I had the first time I saw the condition of Bangladeshi buses. The average buses have no headlights, no tail-lights, broken windshields and windows, peeling paint and old diesel engines that emit tufts of black soot into the already suffocating atmosphere.

To complement these dysfunctional vehicles are the average mobster bus drivers and their apprentices. With an attitude of superiority and animosity, these drivers are ready to bully and even run over anyone who gets in their way – be it a pedestrian, rickshaw, car or even a lorry. The manner in which they carelessly speed their enormous weapons through condensed roads, swerving right and left with not so much as a glance to the side, gives a whole new meaning to road rage.

What is even more shocking is the behaviour of the passengers. I learned early on that, in Bangladesh, the number of seats on a bus is irrelevant to the number of passengers who can board it. In fact, there is no limit to how many people can enter an already loaded bus. These passengers would stack up until they were standing halfway outside the door and windows, holding on for dear life. Once every inch of the bus was occupied, they would actually mount the bus and sit on its roof! Whether they are adrenaline junkies, or consider their lives less valuable than time wasted waiting for the next bus, I am still baffled by such reckless behaviour.

I was once forced to ride one of the local buses I so dreaded, and it was quite like riding a roller coaster, except in this case I wasn’t looking for the thrill and my life was actually in danger. As a woman, I was seated at the front of the bus, with my husband next to me. We both laughed as we tried to fit our legs into the ridiculously small space between the seats.

This turned out impossible for my husband, who was forced to stand in the back between a bunch of sweaty

Bangladesh is a land of wonders, where you can witness everything-from stuntmen sitting (and sometimes dancing) on the roofs of overcrowded buses, to bus drivers street racing in broad daylight.

I remember meeting a group of Japanese tourists claiming they had travelled all the way to Bangladesh to verify the rumour that people here sat above buses and trains. At least someone is working to boost the tourism sector

men ogling anything that moved. The seats were so uncomfortable, I would have preferred to stand with him had I not been trying to avoid the putrid stink of those men’s armpits. With the seat in front of me only 10 inches from my face, I tried not to laugh at the repulsive look on my husband’s face as he gasped for air.

Not long after the bus driver began zooming down the road and narrowly avoiding what his apprentice termed “plastic,” did a young boy stick his head out the window to puke, only for it to hurtle back into the windows behind him and onto other passengers’ clothes, including my husband’s!

To our dismay, the bus driver didn’t even bother to stop during all this commotion, because apparently he had important places to be, and time was money. A while after that, a hawker mounted the bus selling chotpoti, and many passengers had no problem buying and eating it right there in the defiled bus of vomit

and stink. Although it was probably more traumatising for him than me, I warned my husband that next time he felt like taking me on a joy ride, he should remember that the vomit on his clothes might end up coming from me.

It will never cease to astound me how buses are allowed to roam freely in such dreadful conditions. Let alone how bus drivers are allowed to drive with no regard for safety, how passengers are so impatient that they would risk their lives rather than use an alternative method of transport or wait for the next bus.

It will also never fail to amaze me how well passengers and bus drivers collaborate to complement the outrageous conditions of the buses. From passengers hopping onto moving buses, to bus drivers driving at full speed on the wrong side of the road, it seems the daredevils of the country have met their match in a paradise of chaos. 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

Rio Shuvo

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

22 Fuad M Hossain is a sub editor at Dhaka Tribune. He is also exceptionally geeky and loves to play video games

TOUGH LOVE

Fuad m hossain

1

The other day, a maniac driver ran over a puppy in front of my house. When the driver and his friend got off the car and saw that it wasn’t a human being, they actually laughed it off and drove away, like it was no big deal. It seems people in this country could care less about animals. I really want to bring about change in people’s mindset, but don’t know how. Do you have any advice?

If it were up to me, I’d have these people crucified, but sadly it’s not!

You and everyone else can always make a difference. Although taking on the challenge to change everyone’s behaviour is a rather arduous task.

Having said that, there are many non-profit organisations that take such matters seriously and are only a phone call away. Why don’t you track them down? Once you do, you will be able to participate in their awareness programmes and get involved proactively. Let them know about the area that you live in and see if they can host an awareness programme there. n

2

My present girlfriend and I have been dating for nearly a year now. Last week we decided to go to Narsingdi to celebrate my friend’s 26th birthday.

After a few, she started yelling at me, saying: “We’ve been dating for a year and the other day you told me that you are not in love with me. How long does it take for someone to fall in love?” This is something that has been happening a lot recently. Is there really a time frame for people to fall in love?

In response to her question, you promptly should have responded with: “Keep going at this rate baby, I doubt it’s going to happen anytime soon.” You have a few problems here; your girlfriend is a light-weight, she is in love with the concept of “love”, seems to think your relationship is a romance film, and lastly, your ability to communicate with her is ludicrously ridiculous. My suggestion for you is to either tell her that you love her, if you do that is, or, you could always go for ending this movie! n

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

|

23

WT LEISURE DILBERT

Across

PEANUTS

1 6 7 8

Rio ten moved around the East (6) Best 100 or 500 pieces of paper (5) US city container of Roman origin (5) Extravagantly shrewd about 550 (6)

Down 2 3 4 5

Article ordered for performance (7) Bird sits in stirred ale forever (7) Toward mother, toward fruit (6) Renegade dismissed rule (6)

Solution and clues for last week’s crossword

WIZARD OF ID

Across 1 5 6 8 10 11

From the sun, fly around Leatherhead (5) Ball, or beginning of bat (3) Grand plea about syrup supplier (5) 500 rows about weapon (5) Vote in hospital department to sack (3) Runner Sebastian grabs an Olympic boat (5)

Down 1 2 3 4 7 8 9

Warrior us and Maria confused (7) Where a cat sits and how it drinks (3) The eggs of heroes (3) Shorten river crossing (7) Behold, West is downhearted (3) Cheese course contains dry wine (3) Possess topless dress (3) W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

24

DAY IN THE LIFE OF

A Scoreboard Supervisor

Flashing the tin placards Faisal Mahmud spends a day with Tanvir Mahmud

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

In this era of electronic scoreboards, manual scoreboards have become almost obsolete, but people like Tanvir Mahmud still have jobs, as the national cricket stadium in Mirpur maintains a manual scoreboard

T

hink about a job where you have to spend over seven hours a day on a two-foot wide and 20-foot long steel platform attached behind a 30-foot high board. That’s not all; you have to be agile, quick, good with numbers and have patience like a meditating monk.

That’s the job description of Tanvir Mahmud, who has spent over 24 years of his life being a scoreboard supervisor for Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

This middle-aged man, with a big beard, agreed to chat while he was on duty during a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) semi-final match. The game was on; the southern stand of Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla stadium was jampacked. Chris Gayle was on fire, which made Mahmud’s work nightmarish.

“It’s a tough job covering T20 matches. The scoreboard is always ticking, and everything happens so fast here,” he said.

Gayle smacked another six. “Put an ‘8’ on left and a ‘4’ on right,” Mahmud instructed the man assisting him to keep the score. “There are 10 of us to run the scoreboard: two operators for the batsman, two for the bowlers, one for the total runs and wickets and one for the extras. There are also two pairs of scorers and supervisors for the scoreboard,” he explained the process.

“A scorer updates the score and a supervisor gives instructions to the operators to update the score. I’m in charge of back-board supervision.

There’s another one at the stand for the front-board supervision accompanying a scorer.”

How did Mahmud make his way to his job as a scoreboard supervisor?

“I’ve worked as an operator for more than 15 years. I also worked as a scorer.

A supervisor’s job, however, is more difficult, as he has to watch every bowl of the match carefully and give instructions to the operators in order to update.”

So, is the work fun or boring? “I don’t know; I never think about it.

Probably good when I think that the numbers I put here are actually being seen by a lot of people. Sometimes, I feel bored, especially during a test match, when very little happens during a long stretch of time,” he said.

Mahmud has covered over a thousand cricket matches so far.

“I started as an operator in 1989. I still remember the first match. It was a first division league match between Kalabagan Krirachokro and Surjo Tarun Club, at Dhaka Stadium (now Bangabandhu International Stadium),” he said.

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

Tanvir Mahumd at Mirupur Sher-eBangla Stadium “The India-Bangladesh match in the last Asia Cup was definitely the best match I’ve ever covered. I got emotional in the end, when Bangladesh was

chasing the mammoth total of 296.

Every time a boundary was struck, I vehemently instructed the operators to update. That was a surreal feeling,” Mahmud reminisced.

When asked whether he had ever witnessed anything awkward while covering a match, Mahmud recalled: “Once, during a match between Bangladesh and Australia in Fatullah, a tin placard fell down from the board and injured a person sitting directly under the board in the gallery.

We were attacked and the security personnel had to intervene to control the situation.”

Mahmud has visited all the cricket venues of Bangladesh, but doesn’t get much chance to cover cricket matches abroad. “In 2004, BCB took some of us to the Sydney Cricket Ground (the ground with the second oldest manual scoreboard), where we took part in a training on how to operate manual scoreboard efficiently. I also visited Eden Garden in Kolkata and Firoj Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi,” he said.

Mahmud is not at all threatened by the emergence of electronic scoreboards and disposal of manual ones. “An ideal ground should have two scoreboards situated on the opposite sides of the field, so that all the spectators can see the score updates.

Maintaining an electronic scoreboard is two times more expensive than the manual one, so most of the grounds have a combination of both types.

Also, many grounds want to keep the tradition alive,” he said. n

A regular match day for Tanvir Mahmud Early morning Starts the day with morning prayers 7am Goes to the stadium, prepares the scorecard, gives instructions to the scoreboard operators and fixes their shifts 11am Mostly occupied after the match begins, looking after every minute detail 2pm Lunch break, but not for Mahmud; he submits the official match scorecard for half of the day to the cricket board official present on site 2:45pm The match resumes and Mahmud gets back to his business 5:30pm The day ends, but Mahmud’s job isn’t finished. It’s time to submit the official scorecard for the day to the board official. Following that, he needs to pay the daily allowances to the scoreboard operators

Photos: Faisal Mahmud/Dhaka Tribune

One of the operators working under Mahmud’s supervision

THE WAY DHAKA WAS

25

baitul mukarram Baitul Mukarram in the 1960s

Bangladesh Old Photo Archive

I have been going to Baitul Mukarram for prayers for more than 30 years. Every time I go there, it feels as though all my prayers will be answered. Three decades back, the mosque did not have an entrance from the north side. That side used to be blocked by a huge pond, with a jungle surrounding it on all sides. People used to enter the mosque from the south entrance. Now the mosque can be entered from both the sides. Over the years, donations from various people have helped make the interior look a lot more beautiful Abul Khayer, 55 A hawker at Baitul Mukarram

Today Navila Kabir

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

26

Game On

Traditional games

Child’s play

Sheikh Mohammed Irfan reminisces over the joy of playing old-school games

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

A

s a child, I was always known to be a study dodger, and I’m sure there are many among us known to be the same. Eventually, I gave into the whole fuss over education and the career-orientated system of our society. However, I still remember the way I used to spend my time.

Games were an essential form of entertainment that brought much joy into my life. By games, though, I am not referring to PlayStation, Gameboy or Pokemon cards. I am referring to some long-lost Bangladeshi games, which used to be the heart and soul

I can vividly recall the exhilaration of playing tilo express on a large scale one night before Eid. With all my cousins and neighbours included, we hid and ran in delight throughout the neighbourhood KITE RUNNER until our Kite flying is a very old game that mothers literally originated in China and became an dragged us integral part of Bangladeshi culture.

I remember how excited I was at the home after age of six when my dad bought me midnight a colourful paper kite from a fair.

My parents took me to the field and showed me a simple way of flying it.

First, one of them held the reel and the other pulled the kite away from the reel. When a favourable wind blew in, the kite was tossed into the air and its flight was balanced with the help of the thread.

Another way of achieving this was by holding the thread end of the kite

of millions of children. Kite flying, shatchara, tilo express, hadudu, bagaduli, danguli, bombastic, etc are a few that will for ever be etched in my memory. Today, these games are virtually on the brink of extinction and I believe most children are missing out on an incredible experience.

Recalling the traditional games that brought me so much joy, I can’t help but pity the sedentary lifestyle of most children today. I encourage parents to take time off their busy schedules to introduce their kids to the excitement and fun they were once part of as kids.

STACKING STONES

Md Altaf Rahman/Wikimedia Commons

and running as fast as you could till the kite took off. This method was so exciting for me that I continued playing that way for years after. I also learned how to play at a kite match, whereby you spot other kites in the air and pick a battle, leading to cutting their threads. These games were traditionally played on the roof. As the city grew, so did buildings, and the game got even more exciting as height was an advantage for kite flyers. This was and still is an ideal game for a crowded city, and I believe it can still be as exciting for children today as it was for me.

While kite flying was an exciting solo game, shatchara was an exhilarating team game. Shatchara, which literally translates into “seven pits,” is a game between two opposing teams. It comprises a solid brick, a tennis ball and several smooth pieces of brick, dice or stones. The tiny pieces of brick have to be stacked on top of the big brick. The team that wins the toss aims the ball at the bricks. The players of the other team attempt to catch the ball. If the thrower manages to hit the target and knock down the little brick tower, he/she and his/her teammates move very quickly in an attempt to restack the pieces. Meanwhile, the opposing

Bassema Karaki/Dhaka Tribune

team tries to prevent them from going near the bricks by throwing the ball at them. Anyone hit by the ball is eliminated from the game.

As I got accustomed to it, I came to love shatchara. The best part of it was assembling the team and gear.

We had to balance both teams with the best runners and the most agile among us. We would then vigorously search for the best stones on the field.

We used to play this game most often when the older kids occupied the field.

When I showed my nephews how to play this game, their excitement made me believe that shatchara can still entertain kids today.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN! Tilo express is another team game that was exciting for both boys and girls. This game is a modified version of hide-and-seek that involves saying “tilo” or “express.”

Groups of kids assemble and choose, usually by lottery, either one or a group of seekers. The seekers close their eyes and count from one to 100 while allowing the other

players to hide. It is a perfect indoor game – you’d find ideal places to hide in the houses, garages or storerooms. While searching, the seekers have to make sure not to let those hiding touch them and say “tilo.” When the seekers find someone hiding, they address the name of the hidden player followed by the Aword “express.”

Bassema Karaki/Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

OBITUARY

27

Dr M Zahir

Practising the laws of carpe diem

Tamoha Binte Siddiqui is staff correspondent for Weekend Tribune, because weekends are the highlights of her life. True story!

Tamoha Binte Siddiqui remembers the eminent lawyer and Constitution expert After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.

–JK Rowling

D

r M Zahir was anything but one dimensional. To the world, he was a renowned lawyer and jurist who served as a senior advocate at the Supreme Court. To his friends and family, he was a passionate musician, an avid tennis player, a gardening enthusiast, and most importantly, a kind soul.

Zahir’s journey began in Bhobanipur, Kolkata, where he was born in 1939.

Though his initial schooling was in Kolkata, he started studying at St Gregory’s High School, Dhaka from the third standard onwards. Upon completion of his matriculation exams in 1954 with top marks, Zahir enrolled in Notre Dame College, appearing for his HSC exams in 1956.

The son of Mohammad Asir, a judge at Dhaka High Court during the era of East Pakistan, Dr Zahir wanted to pursue a career in law as per his father’s wishes. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s in English Literature from Dhaka University so that he could learn to express himself well in English - a necessary skill for a lawyer. After completing his master’s in 1960, Dr Zahir went on to study LLB at Dhaka University as well.

After attaining an LLM degree from the University of London, Dr Zahir

When I was a student at Dhaka University in 1966, he taught us Islamic Jurisprudence. I have no idea whether anybody could have as vast knowledge on company laws as him Justice ABM Khairul Haque on Dr M Zahir

specialised in mercantile practices under the pupillage of Christopher Staughton, who later became Lord Justice Staughton of the English Court of Appeal. In 1966, Dr Zahir completed his PhD, and came back to Bangladesh to resume his law practice in Dhaka.

Alongside his legal practice, he also taught the laws connected with how businesses may or may not operate,

at Dhaka University for about 20 years. Later, he was elected a member of the Court of Arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

Zahir owned the law firm Dr M Zahir and Associates and was considered an expert in company laws. He was often consulted in Constitution-related affairs, and the High Court used to appoint him as an amicus curiae in such cases. Moreover, he published authoritative works on company and securities laws and the stock exchange that serve as reference to lawyers across the country. He is remembered by many for his role in the movements for democracy and restoring constitutional rule in Bangladesh. He was also known as a man of principle, a man who always focused on establishing independence of the judiciary and the law.

At home, he was a family oriented man who loved spending time with both his immediate and extended family, including cousins, nieces and nephews. He is described by friends and family members as being very lively, fun-loving and witty. A closet musician, the esteemed jurist was adept at playing the guitar and the electric organ and often arranged musical jolsha (gatherings) at his home where he charmed guests with renditions of old songs.

According to Professor Shahida Zahir, Zahir’s wife, he slept, ate, and dreamt music. “He would start listening to music from early morning.

Even when he went for a bath, he would put on music and turn it all the way up,” she said. His choice in music was eclectic and ranged from classic English songs to old Hindi film songs to Rabindra Shongeet. Some of his favourite artistes included Hemanta, Shyamal Mitra, Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey. In 1964, by sheer coincidence and due to the lack of availability of guitarists, Zahir got the opportunity to play alongside Mohammed Rafi in London. It was a memory he cherished till he passed away.

When he was not busy with work or music, the eminent lawyer was busy playing tennis. He started playing tennis in 1963 and won the Doubles Championship of Dhaka Club two times in a row. He also liked to indulge in the simple pleasures of life, such as gardening or savouring shorshey ilish (hilsha in mustard sauce) cooked by

Dr Zahir’s career at a glance

Dhaka Tribune

He was a very simple and straightforward man.

He was not only friendly with everyone, but also immensely considerate about others’ feelings. He would chastise us if he ever thought we were being hurtful to others Professor Shahida Zahir, wife of Dr M Zahir

his wife.

Lawyer, musician, familyman, tennis player, literature student, gardening enthusiast: Dr Zahir personified the word “multidimensional.” He lived his life to the brim, soaking in all the colours,

flavours and symphonies that this world has to offer. Though he died of bone marrow cancer on July 11, in Bangkok General Hospital at the age of 74, his legacy of seizing the day has not ceased to exist. n

1962 Enrolls as an advocate of Dhaka High Court in March 1963 Passes English Bar exams 1964 Acquires LLM from University of London 1965 Becomes a barrister at the English Bar, Lincoln’s Inn 1966 Receives PhD in company law from the University of London 1967 Starts teaching company law at Dhaka University 1974-75 Works at the Australian attorney general’s Department where he is involved in drafting the securities laws of Australia.He becomes a barrister at the Australian Bar in Canberra 1978 Enrolls as a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh 2009 Wins Padatik Natya Sangsad’s Kochi Memorial Award for his contribution in the filed of law June 20, 2013 Handles and wins his last case in court on June 20

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 20 1 3

28

LAST WORD Phil Humphreys

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

Game, set and match for Great Britain?

Andy Murray’s triumph and its consequent impact on Scottish politics

L

ast summer, following his historic win for Great Britain in the 10,000m final at London Olympics, Mo Farah was asked whether any part of him would have preferred to be representing Somalia. At the age of eight, the aspiring footballer had escaped the war-ravaged country to join his father in London, where he later swapped his studs for running spikes.

“Look, mate,” began his uncompromising response, “this is my country. This is where I grew up; this is where I started my life. And when I put on my Great Britain vest, I’m proud.”

Fortunately, nobody among the press pack was crass enough to hijack Andy Murray’s moment of triumph earlier this month. If so inclined, they might have asked the newly-crowned Wimbledon men’s champion about his voting intentions for the upcoming Scottish referendum on independence from the UK. Of course, this was a sporting triumph for arguably Scotland’s greatest-ever athlete, but the political undertones were nevertheless hard to ignore. By the time of the independence vote, Murray will only be 27 and, barring injury or a dramatic downturn in form, he should still be competing in major finals and probably winning more of them. But under which flag?

You cannot fault the Scottish First Minister for laying claim to the crown jewels of Scotland “for” Scotland. Like North Sea oil revenues, he would be failing in his duty if he was not seen to be making every possible bid for what is rightfully theirs In the Royal Box behind the Centre Court baseline on July 7, the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) Leader Alex Salmond cheekily raised the Saltaire of St Andrew over the head of Prime Minister David Cameron, who sat a couple of rows in front. Salmond is pushing the case for Scottish independence ahead of the vote, which has already been scheduled for September 18 next year.

Salmond, of course, was just doing what all cheap politicians do: trying to

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, J U LY 1 9, 201 3

make political capital from anything and everything, at every turn. The prime minister, though, held all the trump cards. He could fly the national flag of Scotland over 10 Downing Street on the afternoon of the final, and he was able to ask the new champion round for a cup of tea on the day after it.

“It was a fantastic day for Andy Murray, for British tennis and for Britain,” he said, conveniently omitting to mention Scottish tennis and Scotland as the pair shook hands before the flashbulbs. Speaking afterwards, a candid Cameron said he could not think of anyone who deserved a knighthood more than Murray, while acknowledging that such gongs are not his to hand out.

In his response, an ever-modest Murray mused over whether winning Wimbledon “merits that.” For one thing, he would have to dry clean the suit for a visit to Buckingham Palace, and he looked even more awkward wearing that than Alex Salmond sitting in the Royal Box.

S

outh of Hadrian’s Wall, the Andy Murray brand has long waged a PR campaign against the perception that he is just another dour Scot, and, an even worse charge, that he is positively negative about England.

Though indifferent at best to his own image, Murray has taken note of the detrimental impact an “Anti-English” tag would have on his own marketing value. Consequently, he has been noticeably more guarded with the press since joking with them that he wished for “anyone but England” to win the 2006 Football World Cup. There can be little doubt that, with the Wimbledon victory and his humble acceptance of it, brand Murray has won the PR battle.

If ever he did truly hate the English, he could not possibly now.

“I won this for myself, but I understand how much everyone else wanted to see a British winner,” Murray said after the presentation. “I hope you guys enjoyed this.”

You bet they did. He had entered Centre Court to roars that Boris Becker described as “the biggest I have ever heard.” And Becker should know: the German took only two weeks to win the admiration and affection

of the Wimbledon bleachers as the youngest-ever champion in 1985. For Murray, it has taken seven long years and multiple failures to hit the same high. The fans may still gather in their thousands on Henman Hill, but they

I was a member of a team, so if I didn’t succeed it wouldn’t be the end of the world for the whole nation. I have no idea how he [Murray] deals with that expectation. Now after 77 years, we can celebrate a British winner of Wimbledon

Sir Chris Hoy, a fellow Scot and London 2012 gold medallist now scream Andy’s name. Beyond Wimbledon, the straight sets win over Novak Djokovic was watched by a peak television audience of 17.3 million making it the most viewed event of the year according to the BBC. I watched the final from a hotel room in Kolkata, having crossed from Bangladesh into West Bengal to follow the roads well travelled by Rabindranath Tagore, the great Bangali writer and poet. In the same month of 1936 that Fred Perry clinched the last of his three Wimbledon titles, Tagore was fetched to Kolkata to deliver a lecture denouncing the communal policy of “divide and rule” of then British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. But, as the Indian writer Ramachandra Guha later observed, Rabindranath only said: “Indians should desire for a secular democratic country.” Tagore was a staunch patriot who loved India, without being a nationalist who saw his nation as necessarily superior to others. The lesson is still there for Great Britain.

Andy Murray will first have to defend his Wimbledon crown before the Scottish people vote on seceding from the British one. The path they choose next September, however, will determine the extent to which the man who has single-handedly breathed new life into British tennis is further suffocated by the coils of national pride. The Centre Court crowd and the wider British public could yet be turned, and that might have more of an influence on this great young Scot than at any point during this year’s Wimbledon final for Britain. n

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