Weekend Tribune Vol 1 Issue 6

More Hatirjheels in the offing?

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The German invasion 20

FRIDAY MAY 24 2013

vol 1 Issu e 6

A child hawker 24

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CONTENTS This Week Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Hide and seek Big Mouth Strikes Again We need feminism because the patriarchy is alive and kicking!

10 Post-Riposte Is photography for everyone?

11 Top 10 Phuchka Vendors 12 6° of Connotations Of mice and women 13 Photo Story Four years since Aila 19 Realpolitik Build it up with iron and steel 18 Digital Bangladesh Warning on the go 17 Interview Fooling people for 50 years 20 Game On The German invasion 21 Stranger in a Strange Land Dark and lovely 22 Tough Love 23 Backbenchers’ Club 24 Day in the Life of A child hawker 25 The Way Dhaka Was Hotel Purbani International 28 Last Word 2 4

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A Weekly Pro du cti o n o f

Vo lume 1, Issu e 6 M AY 2 4, 2 0 13

6 Feature More Hatirjheels in the offing?

Acting Editor Zafar Sobhan Magazine Editor Faruq Hasan Weekend Tribune Team Fahim Razzaq Sumaiya Shams Faisal Mahmud Tamoha Binte Siddiqui Sheikh Mohammed Irfan Yusuf Banna Photography Syed Latif Hossain Cartoonist Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy Contributors Naheed Kamal Wajed Al-Rahman Bassema Karaki Dina Sobhan Ibtisam Ahmed Phil Humphreys Nilufer Ahmed Design Asmaul Haque Mamun Mohammed Mahbub Alam Production Masum Billah Email: weekend@dhakatribune.com Web: www.dhakatribune.com

26 Culture Vulture An envelope full of remorse

27 Obituary Asghar Ali Engineer

EDITOR’S NOTE

The brick-andmortar issue B

angladeshis love a good bridge. Or a road. Or a highway. Or a new railway station. Politicians, of course, love taking advantage of our love interest with all things brick and mortar. Charged with massive corruption? Build the public a new flyover.

Lagging behind in the national polls? Give the voters a new airport. Just don’t build us a new foot overbridge, we hate them. Fortunately for us, the new Hatirjheel Bridge is not a sop to an angry mob.

As Faisal Mahmud explains, the project grew out of a genuine demand for balancing ecology and our growing need to manage transport and traffic. And it looks like it’s a keeper.

Elsewhere, Sheikh Mohammed Irfan looks forward to a unique Champions League final match between a German David-and-Goliath duo, Wajed Al-Rahman writes about the infamous bridge that never got built, and Phil Humpreys ends the issue explaining why patriotic fervour and jingoism is more of a hurdle to the tourist sector than lack of good roads, bridges and airports. And lo behold, the title has been explained. Have a good and restful weekend everyone! n

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THIS WEEK

INTERNATIONAL REUTERS/Mohsin Raza

On May 14, a boy covers himself from the rain with an improvised shelter in a Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDP) camp outside of Sittwe.

REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

On May 19, supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan protest against the killing of Zara Shahid Hussain, a leading member of the PTI, in Lahore. An upmarket constituency of Karachi voted again under tight security, a day after gunmen killed Zara Shahid Hussain in the district and a week after general elections. It was not immediately clear who killed her.

REUTERS/Andres Piscov

On May 13, head of the Belize Institute of Archaeology, a backhoe claws away at the sloping sides of the Nohmul complex, one of Belize’s largest Mayan pyramids in northern Belize. A construction company has essentially destroyed one of Belize’s largest Mayan pyramids with backhoes and bulldozers to extract crushed rock for a road-building project, authorities announced.

On May 17, Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos (L) receives a document from Jose Miguel Insulza, General Secretary of the Organization for the American States (OAS), during a meeting at presidential palace in Bogota. Insulza Santos presented a report analysing the fight against drugs trafficking in America.

AP Photo/Jaime Awe

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi

On May 15, a masked Palestinian throws back a tear gas canister during clashes after a rally marking the Nakba Day outside the West Bank town of Hebron.

Palestinians annually mark the “Nakba,” the term they use to describe their defeat and displacement in the war that followed Israel’s founding in 1948.

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NATIONAL

Focus Bangla

On May 16, people run to cyclone shelters and other safe places under the threat of cyclone Mahasen that crossed the Bangladesh coasts in the afternoon, killing more than 20 people.

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

On May 19, the families and relatives of Rana Plaza victims stage a demonstration in front of National Press Club demanding action to find the missing dear ones. The whole country being under a law and order directive proscribing meetings and processions, the rally could not continue a few minutes .

Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

On May 14, the rescue operation at Rana Plaza was officially called off.

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4

whose line is it anyway?

Hide and seek

“We are trying to get the opposition party to have a dialogue with us, but so far they have refused.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

“We have received no official letter from the government asking us to have a dialogue, and so we cannot sit with them.”

Opposition Leader Begum Khaleda Zia

Cartoons:Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

Big Mouth strikes again

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Naheed Kamal

We need feminism because the patriarchy is alive and kicking!

If you believe women’s rights are human rights, then you recognise that the personal is the political

D

oes the idea of women’s rights resonate with you? Do you believe feminism is not just a women’s issue, but beneficial for men as well? If you answered yes, then pat yourself on the back. You are a feminist, even if you are a man.

Feminism has had a bad rap. So many women distance themselves from the movement that it’s not surprising to find the losses mounting.

Contrary to popular belief, the women’s movement for equality is not based on hating men. It entails removal of gender disparities by means of legislature, judiciary, as well as through education and awareness, across all spheres of society – culturally, economically, physically, mentally.

Gender stereotypes become discriminatory labels, based on biased attitudes shaped by social norms, which are in turn formed by a society where patriarchal views dominate all thought and action, ie women are defined by men’s ideas about who and what they should be. So women are seen as weak, while men as strong, but these are gender stereotypes that are equally harmful for men in society.

These “taboos” are social constructs, so society is free to break free of them, right?

Easier said than done. Even the most beautiful Hollywood star faces insecurities about body issues. Last week, Angelina Jolie revealed in an oped for the New York Times she’d had a double mastectomy as a preventive measure against breast cancer. There are many reasons to praise Jolie: for taking charge, for being pro-active, for deciding to share the facts about the surgery, so other women facing the scary choice realise they are not alone or helpless.

The removal of her breasts – though she had corrective surgery and she does gloss over the pain and gritty details those invasive procedures entail – and the expensive screening process are cause for concern. A drug company owns the patent on the DNA screening, which is very expensive and beyond most people’s reach. But my admiration stems from Jolie’s hope, her decision will give others hope and courage.

For women, breasts are intrinsically linked to beauty. Take Jolie’s case: Lara Croft’s breasts are famous. So, it

is commendable of her to expose herself to public views and commentary.

Of course, the backlash was soon appearing online, where, to my horror, I found posts that seem to infer these people had the right to criticise Jolie for removing her breasts! Her life and health versus some people’s need for gratification ... I know, it’s ridiculous.

Surely, Jolie should have risked her life and health so a few men could get off by ogling her mammary.

Of course, where women’s beauty and worth in general are linked to appearance, Jolie assures women that the absence of breasts does not make her any less feminine. Granted, there is the corrective surgery that entails silicone implants, but for what it’s worth, this may save women the agony of doubt and despair.

Jolie’s empowering action and decision played a decisive role in influencing my decision to write this column and speak of one of the last taboos, ie violence against women.

Where women are seen as “victims” and also made to feel guilt for being vulnerable, where a violent man places the blame squarely on the women he attacks, empowerment is a hard road to climb.

An offhand comment triggered the most cringe-worthy reaction from a young man, with whom I had been briefly intimate. Trusting his capacity to misbehave and act up, and assuming I would be too ashamed and embarrassed to fight him, he came at me with all guns blazing. Turning up at my work place, and threatening to create a scene, as if I would care, which lead to a show down that any self respecting “man” would be ashamed of, involving shouting and tearing my clothes. My reactions: appalled, shocked and disappointed. Self-control won that day, but there was a price to pay for the moral upper hand.

All the pent-up rage, which I had oodles of, manifested psychosomatically in the form of raging fever and blood pressure shooting up, then came the mother of all fevers. I learned my lesson: next time, let rage reign free.

See, for as long as there are taboos to break, secrets to overturn, lies to uncover, violence to resist, and labels to redefine, feminism will be relevant.

While I proudly identify or label myself with the feminist tag, I am cautious. I

know how easily words and labels can become counter-productive.

Labels serve a purpose, on files, boxes, items on sale in shops, for food or other products. Labels list ingredients, mark each as edible or poisonous, as animal or plant, organic or inorganic; they include instructions, warnings, safety and other related information.

But what purpose do labels on people serve? They only promote stereotypes and misconceptions.

Until recently, I was tempted to try and convince every woman that they must recognise and identify themselves with Feminism, and announce they are all Feminists. But luckily, I came to realise it’s not my responsibility or place to make anyone believe in anything. Feminists must help create a world where negative stereotypes are debunked, so women don’t need convincing or distancing from feminist ideals, where they become one and the same.

In Afghanistan, extremists who think lifting a ban on child marriage and not accusing women raped of adultery would destabilise society vetoed a bill in parliament. Elsewhere, life continued as usual. In fact, in some parts, the clock was turned back, with neo-conservatism becoming the norm.

In America, the debate raging between pro-choice and anti-abortion (I find the term pro-life misleading; everyone is pro-life, surely!), with states legislating to limit women’s control over their bodies, access to contraception is now a battle. Health, especially women’s reproductive health, is going to be a decisive factor both personally and politically in American society.

friend after watching a film. The incident cracked open all the horrors of ingrained cultural attitudes that keep women under constant fear, and men unaccountable for any wrongdoings against women. When judges decide someone is a liar and pass judgement on their sexist ideas of feminine behaviour, it is not possible for justice to prevail. The debate rages on.

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!

Bangladesh is where over 60% of men surveyed think it is okay to beat their wives, where nearly 40% don’t have any idea what constitutes as violence, where 40% think it is perfectly justified to keep women socially dormant so they can be controlled by men.

It is number four in the world for violence against women February found mass protests taking over Dhaka, and with it came a welcome change; women in the public arena were not immediately and automatically subject to harassment.

Where on Millennium New Years a young woman was assaulted and stripped naked in a frenzy, images of which still leave me cold, I was free to come and go as I pleased at any time of night or day, without fear! The absolute absence of threats was such a positive result for all Bangladeshi women, who took the lead at the epicentre of protest. n

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ow, men having difficulty with feminism I can kind of understand, though not accept, but women who fight against women’s rights and demean other women, assuming a superior position, they hold a special place of scorn in my books.

2013 has so far been a year of ecstatic highs and morbid lows for women. The New Year found Indian women finally raising their united voices against the very high prevalence of violence against women after the Delhi gang rape on a bus, of a young woman returning home with her boyW E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, M AY 24, 20 1 3

6

Development Projects

More Hatirjheels in the offing?

Faisal Mahmud writes about initiatives like Hatirjheel to save Dhaka’s water bodies

Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

Faisal Mahmud is a staff reporter at Weekend Tribune who specialises in writing IT and telecom articles with depth and analysis. He is also in charge of the weekly Tech page for the newspaper

FEATURE

H

Hatirjheel personifies what local government can do if it puts its will to it: convert a veritable garbage dump into one of the most picturesque and eco-friendly spots of the capital

atirjheel, with its spacious roads, beautifully lit bridges and neat walkways centring a picturesque water body, seems to be what the city dwellers used to envisage when they thought of a modern Dhaka. The embodiment of that vision seems to be loved and embraced by the Dhakaites in a euphoric manner.

Following the huge success of Hatirjheel, now the government has two other mega projects in the pipeline, aiming to strike two birds with one stone. Ergo, the beautification of Dhaka and revival of its dying water bodies.

Officials at Rajdhani Unnayan Kortipokkho (Rajuk) said that the two projects – the Gulshan-BaridharaBanani Lake Development project and the Kamrangirchar area development project – will cost over Tk 800 crore.

The tentative date for completing both the projects is set in 2017.

“We’ve undertaken two mega projects similar to Hatirjheel to protect the city’s water bodies. It will ensure the ecological balance of the expanding city as well as its water retention capacity,” Rajuk chairman Nurul Huda told Weekend Tribune.

Huda also said that Hatirjheel used to be as a waste dumping zone for the capital before the government took up the project. The lake there used to be a ditch that carried household and industrial waste coming from the surrounding localities.

“Moreover, as massive sedimentation took place due to the choking of Begun Bari canal, people living in areas surrounding Hatirjheel, including Magbazar, Tejgaon and New Eskaton, suffered waterlogging during the rainy season, as the rainwater couldn’t get drained away,” he said.

“Now look how beautiful the whole area has become. It not only

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

serves as a recreation area, but also serves the purpose of a flood draining system to avert waterlogging during the monsoon. It also serves as a much needed bypass to reduce traffic congestion,” he added.

Hatirjheel is also a reminder to the city dwellers that conservation of water bodies, including lakes and canals, is imperative to ensure a

healthy environment for a liveable city, as Huda implied.

He also informed that there are preliminary plans to construct an amphitheatre on the banks of the lake behind Tejgaon Industrial Area, where people can enjoy small events while sitting in the open air, by the waters.

There is also a plan for a water deck at Magbazar, which will be an open

platform on the lake for entertainment purpose. Another plan includes a forested island called Eco-Centre in the middle of the lake near Badda and West Rampura. “None of these, however, have been finalized yet; they’re still ideas,” Huda commented.

The Rajuk chairman said that planning the development of GulshanBaridhara-Banani Lake has long been

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Dhaka Tribune

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source at Rajuk informed Weekend Tribune that the cost of the Gulshan–Baridhara-Banani Lake Development project estimated at Tk 410 crore.

Under this project, a 6,200 metrelong walkway, 2682 metre-long driveway, 189 metre-long causeway and over 20 open spaces and parks by the side of the lake with recreation facilities would be constructed, the official said.

The concerned official also said that the Ministry of Housing and Public Works is going to lead in the project, along with Rajuk, while Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and Local Government Engineering Division (LGED) will be supporting partners.

Rajuk has taken the responsibility of land excavation, site protection and waste disposal. WASA is put in charge of building the storm water and sanitary drainage system and water supply network around the lake. LGED is given the responsibility of constructing roads, wide walkways and bridges at the project site.

Rajuk consulted an architectural firm named Vitti to finalise the design of the whole project, and the firm already submitted the design, according to the official.

Architect Iqbal Habib, managing director of Vitti and a renowned environment activist, said that after completion of the project, it would change the look of the whole GulshanBaridhara-Banani area.

“As of now, Badda and Baridhara areas are devoid of any sewer system. As a result, all the waste

from the residential buildings in the surrounding areas is being dumped into the Gulshan-Baridhara-Banani Lake on a regular basis,” he said.

Also, the biggest slum (Karail) in the capital is located right beside the lake.

“In truth, about 40% of that slum is on illegal land, occupied by land grabbers on the side of the lake,” Habib said.

“That’s not all,” he continued, “Systematic sedimentation has long been going on there in the name of development of the lake. More than 100 plots have been created by filling up the lake over the years,” he alleged.

Incidentally, the GulshanBaridhara-Banani Lake was declared an ecologically critical area in 2002 and

Gulshan-Baridhara Lake project l Estimated cost Tk4.1bn l Detailed design completed l A 6,200m walkway,

Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

underway. “We have already prepared the final detailed design of the project,” He said. About the project on Kamrangirchar area, he said that the feasibility study of the project was still ongoing, after which a detailed design would be created.

The successful implementation of Hatirjheel is also a boon for homes around the area.

Not only has there been a significant jump in the property and rental value in the locality, residents actually wake up to the sight of a beautiful lake with no sight of trash or dumpsters

2,682m driveway, 189m causeway and over 20 open spaces and parks

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FEATURE

Development Projects

Kamrangirchar development project l

Estimated cost Tk4bn l

Feasibility study ongoing, after which detailed design will be done l

The project includes a detailed systematic plan for sewage and rainwater drainage for the area l

Focuses on the beautification and establishment of recreational facilities on the 3km stretch between Kamrangirchar to Babu Bazar

Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

the Department of Environment (DoE) was given the charge of monitoring the situation, according to Habib.

He also said that Rajuk had previously leased the lake to Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC). BFDC was in charge of introducing land and aquatic organisms as well as fish through appropriate and sustainable technology.

At that time, four amateur fishermen committees (AFCs) were also involved in the cleaning of the lake. “Those committees kept the lake clean of weed and hyacinth so that they could cultivate and catch fish there,” he said.

However, Rajuk stopped leasing the lake out to the BFDC from 2005. “Since then, the lake’s condition only grew from bad to worse,” Habib claimed.

In the detailed design that Habib’s firm has prepared, they have ensured a balanced environment for the lake where it could be used for recreational activities, like fishing, as well as an exit for rainwater to flow away.

“This would serve two purposes: the water that will be drained into the lake during the rainy season will ensure continuous recharge of groundwater. Not to mention that it will help avert the waterlogging during the monsoon,” Habib said.

However, Habib feels that,

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

9 Other development projects

Preliminary plans for an amphitheatre on the lake side behind Tejgaon industrial area

alongwith the implementation of this project, the community around the area should be informed and educated to keep the lake free of pollution and littering. “The area surrounding Dhanmondi Lake was developed long ago, but lack of maintenance and ignorance on people’s part have nullified the purpose” he said.

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Engineering in BUET who is working as a consultant on the Kamrangirchar development project, told Weekend Tribune that, after the completion of the project, the riverbank of the Kamrangirchar will be an attractive place.

“When you think about a large metropolitan city, the picture of buildings by the side of a beautiful river comes to your mind. Unfortunately, the river Buriganga can’t serve that purpose for Dhaka. If what we are planning for that area bears fruit, that vision will come true, if only partly,” he said.

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xperts lauded the government’s initiative to retrieve Dhaka’s lakes and build planned constructions around them to increase their recreational values, improve the sewage and sanitation system, and ensure floodwater transportation.

Dr Sarwar Jahan, professor at Department of Urban and Regional Planning in BUET, said that Dhaka was once a city like Venice or Amsterdam.

“It was a city known for its canals and lakes, which were connected to the three main rivers that encircled it,” he

Another plan to create a forested island called Eco-Centre in the middle of the lake near Badda and West Rampura

said.

“The interconnected canals and lakes were once a part of its natural drainage system; in the not-so-distant past, they formed a convenient network of communication as well.

Besides, they used to function as water retention basins during the monsoon,” he said.

“There was a time when Hatirjheel and Begun Bari canals were connected to Dhanmondi Lake. Then government planned to develop Panthapath, so box culvert and box drainage lines were placed at the Dhanmondi Lake and Begun Bari intersection,” he added.

If the connection among the Dhanmondi Lake, Begun Bari canal, Hatirjheel, Mohakhali canal, Gulshan Lake and Banani Lake still existed, it would have been a great means of communication.

“Interestingly, it is still possible to link them up, except for Dhanmondi Lake, perhaps,” he said.

About the projects, Dr Jahan agreed that Gulshan-Baridhara lake has been one of the last remaining big water bodies in the capital. As the land price of the surrounding area kept skyrocketing over the years, many

encroachers devoured a good part of the lake. “A permanent solution is to develop the area like the way Hatirjheel is developed,” he said.

However, Dr Jahan was sceptic about the implementation of the Kamrangirchar Development project, fearing that it would be difficult for the government to make it a reality.

“It is not like retrieving a lake and carrying on with the development activities. The project will be carried out on the banks of river Buriganga, and Buriganga needs to be elevated from its appalling state,” he said.

Brig Gen Abu Saeed Mohmmad Masud, project director of the Hatirjheel project and Chief of the Engineering Core of Bangladesh Army, said that if the engineering core is provided with feasibility study and detailed design, it can implement any project.

“We implemented the Hatirjheel project in a disciplined manner amidst various problems and pressure from different groups. We can successfully complete similar projects anywhere in the city,” he claimed. n

Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

s for the Kamrangirchar project, the Rajuk official said that it was still in its early stages. The planning division of Rajuk started studying the feasibility of the project, with the help of experts from Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET).

According to Rajuk data, Kamrangirchar has nine residential mouzas, namely Bag Chand Khan, Char Kamrangir, Daksin Sona Tengor 1 and 2, Kalunagar, Enayetnagar, Nawab Char, Rajmusuri and Baroikhali under Mouza-3, all of which has been subjected to unplanned urbanization over the years.

The official said that most of these areas of the char doesn’t have proper sewage system and dump all the household waste in the Buriganga.

This makes the environment around the river appalling.

He also said that, under the proposed project, a detail planning of the whole Kamrangirchar area will be made to prevent unplanned urban sprawling in the area.

Under the project, around three kilometres on each side of the Kamrangirchar Lohar Pool will be developed and beautified with walkways, parks and recreational arrangements. The scheme will be integrated with Buriganga river cleaning project taken by the government.

While speaking with Weekend Tribune, Rakibul Islam Talukder, an engineer at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said that a total of Tk. 16.93 crore has already been spent in the river cleaning project.

However, the consistent waste dumping on the riverbanks between Kamrangirchar Bridge and the second Buriganga Bridge has made river cleaning a futile exercise.

“Hundreds of tonnes of waste are dumped into the Buriganga every day, polluting the water severely.

Also, there are many factories on the shores of Buriganga, who release their industrial waste into the river, and cause further damage,” he said.

He warned that, unless the factories are removed or the waste dumping is stopped, the river cleaning project will not see success.

Dr Abdul Matin, professor at the Department of Water Resource

Plan for a water deck at Magbazar, which will be an open platform on the lake, mainly for entertainment purpose

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POST-RIPOSTE

Photography

Is photography for everyone?

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ver since digital photography was introduced, there has been a massive growth in all aspects of visual art. Over the last few years, imaging sensors have been incorporated into all sorts of communication devices and gadgets, giving people an opportunity to take photos as they please. This is where I see people getting self-educated, motivated by an inspiration towards the aesthetic sense of art.

American poet Amy Lowell once said: “Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.” I’ve come to think that those who are bugged about there being more photographers than viewers nowadays is actually a good sign. With the grace of modern technology, there’s a camera in everyone’s hand. People can capture everything happening around them in frames – both the good and the bad ones. With this practice, they are not only getting skilled and knowing their tools better, but also representing individual perspective.

Consider the Shahbag Movement, for instance; the different points of view of numerous photographers, amateur yet contributing to the bigger picture,

were very moving. Their works might not be pieces of art, but they shot from their soul. Just like renowned photographer Peter Adams said: “Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.”

Even 20 years ago, there was little encouragement from the society for those who wanted to take photography as a profession or hobby. Photographers in those days lacked both the financial stability and the advantage of gadgets that even an amateur can get their hands on today. Many youngsters are getting self-established, creating their own identities and even receiving international recognition for their work. Photography is not only confined to being visual art, but has become an integral part of our lifestyle. n

I’m a photographer, deal with it Fazle Rabbi

Bigstock

Everyone’s a photographer ... really?

Fahim Razzaq

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

L

et’s assume for a second that anyone can become a photographer. The way to being one would literally boil down to following a few simple steps: 1. Buy a camera that has a built-in function of taking continuous shots 2. Simply point and shoot a thousand pictures in any direction 3. Choose the best 100 out of the lot and tune up using a photo enhancing software. Voila, a rare talent is born!

Picture a scenario where that was really the case. In that scenario, the great works of, say, Charles C Ebbets, known for his iconic photo

titled “Lunchtime atop a Skyscraper,” wouldn’t be anything of significance.

The same would apply for revered photographers from Bangladesh, such as Rashid Talukder, who is famous for his images of the Liberation War. The many patrons who went out of their way to buy posters of the works of these great artists just wouldn’t exist.

Photography is an art. If anyone could be an artist, then today there would be a thousand Dalis, Picassos, Poes and Keats. The difference between the masses and the greats, the icons and those capable of taking a photograph that speaks a thousand

words, lay in knowing what angles to look for, how to use the light to your advantage and what moments are worth capturing. While some of these can be learnt, most of it comes naturally to only a select few.

In the end, while today one can find an array of photo enhancing software, without a vision nothing great can come out of it. So go ahead; buy yourself a camera and a good software. If anything, it will get you an inch close to becoming “great”! But, actually, becoming one is …

I rest my case. n

TOP 10

11

Phuchka Vendors

In search of tangy delights 10

Mofiz Mama’s Phuchka and Chotpoti, Uttara

For people living in Uttara, Mofiz Mama’s Phuchka and Chotpoti is a household name. His van is a hotspot for the Uttara-dwellers, who indulge in afternoon addas over mouth-watering phuchkas and “tok.”

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WT team lists 10 places in Dhaka that serve the best phuchkas in town. They have been selected based on their taste, hygiene, popularity and accessibility

Lalbagh Fort

The phuchka stall owned by Selim Hossain near Lalbagh Fort in Azimpur offers phuchkas whose taste is one of a kind. Selim’s dexterity in serving delectable phuchka and chotpoti to his customers is enough to make him stand out from the rest.

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New Market

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Situated right across the bustling Lalmatia ground for the last 15 years, this stall’s spicy phuchka is served with hot and sour sauce made from tamarind juice and chilli flakes that can make you sweat with just one plate. The best part about these crunchy delights is the kick they give you when you first swallow them.

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1

Mamar Phuchka, Lalmatia

Kumudini, Gulshan

Tucked away a couple of blocks next to Gulshan 1 square, Kumudini Phuchka Place is a rare commodity in the phuchka market, a place where hygiene and taste happily merge. It’s a bit quixotic to see gloved phuchka merchants handling their plate with the utmost care and cleanliness without compromising on taste. They have been serving for a decade now, to customers who want a mouthful of taste without getting a bellyful of ache.

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TSC

The phuchka stall at Teachers Students Canteen (TSC) in Dhaka University is a renowned and one of the oldest phuchka stalls in Dhaka. The hot, tangy taste of the phuchkas spice up the addas which are a common occurrence there. The crunch of those puffed up dough and the filling is somehow addictive.

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Gulshan 2

Ideally located in Gulshan 2 market, this phuchka vendor offers choices of sweet and sour “tok,” a variety of phuchkas and chotpotis and a hygienic environment.

Be warned: great food comes with high price.

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Dhaba, Banani

The perfect combination of taste, hygiene and accessibility, Dhaba is mainly an Indian restaurant, so they have phuchkas and chotpotis that are heavily doused with Indian flavours.

Nonetheless, the taste is amazing and the setting is more than agreeable.

The food is a little pricey too, but then, all good things are.

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Dhanmondi Rd 6

Every evening, people flock towards the lone phuchka stall beside Mirpur Road at Dhanmondi Road 6 (not to be confused with Road 6/A) for its delectable phuchka and chotpoti, with a tok so tasty that you won’t find anywhere else in Dhaka. By the Dhaka standard of hygiene as far as road-side food is concerned, this place is pretty much above average. n

Iqbal Road, Mohammadpur Imran, the proprietor of Imran Phuchka and Tea Stall, has been making chotpoti for the last 15 years. One crunchy phuchka bite, and you know this guy is a connoisseur. “The key to making either good phuchka or chotpoti is the right mix that goes behind the tok that goes into every plate.

And I have perfected my secret recipe over a decade and a half,” confides Imran with a grin. And his loyal customers will never disagree. n

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Bellayet/Wikimedia Commons

When roaming through the hustle and bustle of New Market, it doesn’t take long before you start craving a refreshment and snack. The phuchka stalls in the area will take no more than a minute to whip up – just what you’re looking for. With a mouthful of crispy delight in every bite, these phuchkas will give your taste buds the perfect mix of spice and tanginess.

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6o of connotations

Nilufer Ahmed is a columnist, gourmet cook and a profound thinker, presently mediating between the President of the Bangladesh Beggars Association and the Chairperson the Part time (chhuta) Maids Organisation of Dhaka City (south)

Nilufer Ahmed

Of mice and women

When pest and vermin is the order of the day

L

ately, Dhaka city has had the look as if it has been bombarded by aliens from outer space.

The humongous holes in several plots, especially in Dhanmondi, are a common picture. Walking on the footpath is next to impossible, and the five- and six-storey buildings are overshadowed by the 14-storey underconstruction buildings. The noise is there all day and even till the middle of the night, and all the creepy crawlers including mice and rats from the huge craters scurry to the nearest buildings and houses.

The other day, a friend called and asked if I could give her contact details of any pest control organisation.

“Cockroaches?” I asked.

“No,no no! You won’t believe it. It’s mice! MICE! Mice in my kitchen, mice in the storeroom, mice in the cupboards, mice everywhere! What shall I do?” she sounded pretty desperate.

The Pied Piper is perhaps the best allegory to describe about life in Dhaka: we dance to someone else’s tune every day of our lives “Hmm ...” I thought. That situation called for a drastic action. Something no less than the Pied Piper of Hamelin himself to the rescue.

“Listen,” I told her, “How about rat poison? There are several kinds in the market. The super-glue like that’s mixed with food, and when the mouse touches it, it gets glued to it. In the morning, you’ll find culprit stuck and at your mercy, and you can do whatever you please. Then there is the little device like a mini guillotine – you know, the French used it during the Revolution. It’s mentioned in ‘The

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens.

It has a hook for the bait; as soon as the mouse or rat gets to it, its head is chopped off. It might be a bloody affair for your tastes. If you are stoic enough, you can watch the criminal being guillotined. Didn’t you read ‘The Tale of Two Cities’?”

I went on and on with different kinds of mouse traps there were.

“There is the old-fashioned devices too, remember? During our childhood days, we used to have traps that kept the mice or rats hanging upside down until morning? If you are not the screaming type who jumps on the nearest chair or bed as soon as she sees a scurrying rodent, take the trap along with the mouse and throw it into the crater that the developers made for the 14-storey building. “After all, that’s where they all came from, ejected from their cosy holes.”

She listened, and finally said: “You know, I’m not joking.”

“Neither am I,” I said sympathetically. “I was just trying to help you.”

“I was standing on the chair for half an hour until my maid came. That mouse followed me from the kitchen to the dining room,” she confessed, her voice full of tears.

So, she was the screaming type, I concluded.

I

was genuinely sympathetic, as I myself had jumped on the bed as soon as I found one tiny creature sitting on my husband’s revolving tie rack in the wardrobe, having a joy ride on it in broad daylight! As I jumped away and on the bed, that mouse kept staring at me, sitting on its haunches, wringing its tiny front paws.

I was pretty much tired of my friend’s rambling. Why couldn’t

Promises are made, promises are broken.

Yet we still keep hoping that one day it will come to an end, and it will all get better she just tell her maid to go kill it?

My household help had found and killed all the mice in the flat. When I suggested that, my friend told me her maid had refused to kill a mouse and said she was not paid for it and it was not in her contract, killing pests and all.

“Listen, I need to hang up,” I said.

“I would prefer to call the Pied Piper, the Bangladeshi edition, of course, to play his flute and make all the mice and rats in Dhaka follow him to the River Shitalakhya or Buriganga, and make them jump into the waters. The water in those rivers are so toxic from the chemical, industrial waste and the garbage that Dhake City Corporation dumps into those rivers, that those mice will be killed instantly.”

“What bliss!” I thought to myself, “if that were to happen ...”

“But what about the rivers?” my friend retorted. “The rivers are so polluted with garbage and grabbers that thousands of mice will be floating in the rivers, rather than drowning.

Even Shakespear’s Ophelia in “Hamlet” did not drown when she committed suicide, and was found floating as the water was shallow.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” I replied, a trifle complacently.

The concerned authorities promised to dredge all the rivers in Bangladesh.

That is on their agenda. The City Corporation can rid Dhaka of all the mice and rats, and we women will not have to jump on a chair at the sight of a scurrying vermin inside our “digital” and designer flats and houses. n

PHOTO STORY

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four years since aila

Aila A photo story by Shekhar Mandal It’s been almost four years since cyclone Aila lashed the shores of Khulna, killing 300 people and destroying almost 4,000km of roads and embankments.

And yet the scars of that tragedy linger on.

Livelihoods were forever destroyed, thousands of people displaced from their homes, never to return, while the reality of what climate change can do became all too apparent.

And yet people fight on. These pictures reflect some of the bravery and resilience that Khulna residents still exhibit on a daily basis just to make ends meet.

For them, Aila was just another storm. And they are ready for more. n

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PHOTO STORY

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

four years since aila

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W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, M AY 24, 20 1 3

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PHOTO STORY

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

four years since aila

INTERVIEW

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Mainul Khan

Fooling people for 50 years Faisal Mahmud talks with the veteran magician

More about Mainul Mainul is the president of Ring 295 of International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM). IBM is the biggest society of magicians, which has its branches known as rings in more than 50 countries n

Arif Asgar

I

t is not easy to enjoy being fooled.

Magicians like Mainul Khan would make you think otherwise, though.

It’s not only the tricks or the dexterity of the classy magician that brings you sheer joy; the serene smile with which he greets you and fools you would make you like him, instantly.

His first encounter with magic was in 1952, in Asasuni thana of Satkhira, when a snake charmer came to a young Mainul’s home and showed magic tricks and snake charming.

“I was mystified with the tricks that artless snake charmer showed me that day. I fell in love with the art and decided to learn magic,” he said.

Mainul’s formal training began in 1958 when he met Professor Abdur Rashid of Mina Magic Party, later known as Sadhona Lion Circus.

Rashid introduced him to the world of professional magic.

“The main attraction of the circus, Professor Rashid used to perform all kinds sleight of hands and illusions in the circus,” Mainul said, adding that he had also played a significant role in the life of renowned magician Jewel Aich.

The beginning of the ’60s saw

Mainul doing many shows in Khulna city. Then he moved to Dhaka to study architecture in BUET. In 1965, at the age of 22, Mainul appeared on his first ever television show on PTV (now BTV), which was also the first ever magic show of the channel.

After the independence, Mainul helped form the first magicians’ society in Bangladesh in 1972, named Bangladesh Gono Jaduchakra (BGJC).

He was its founder secretary general.

BGJC organised the first magic show in the newly liberated country on November 19 and 26 in 1972 at the British Council Auditorium, where Mainul’s performance was much applauded by the audience.

“In 1978, I went to work in Saudi Arabia as a senior architect. I lived there for 19 years, and during this time I performed in seven-star hotels, homes of sheikhs and on the Saudi national television,” he said.

Mainul came back to Bangladesh in 1997. Besides his profession as a fulltime architect, he started performing in private parties and posh hotels.

Mainul can be dubbed as the pioneer magician who brought the

modern sleight of hand technique on stage in Bangladesh. Even with all the technological development in the art of magic, he still awes his audience with simple tricks using ordinary objects like coins, ropes, thimbles or cards.

“I

still prefer the old school tricks.

I believe in the old saying that magic is not in the magic props, it is in the magician,” he said, adding that his favourite style is close-up magic.

Close-up magic, or table magic, is performed in an intimate setting usually no more than 10 feet away from the audience. It’s worth mentioning that Mainul performed table-hopping magic in Hotel Intercontinental in Saudi Arabia for five years.

As he is reserved about stage illusion using modern techniques and props, Mainul usually does not take the offer of performing at a stage in front of large audience. “I would rather perform in front of a small audience of magic connoisseurs,” he said.

However, in the magic community, he is held in the highest position, as he has taken hundreds of magicians

from all around the country under his wings, nurtured and honed their skills and eventually created professional magicians out of them. In the magicians’ community, he is known as the “professor of magic.”

When asked about the current state of magic in Bangladesh, he said the new generation has potential for great performances, but the number of events has dropped in recent times.”

“Magic has a broad appeal and people of all ages enjoy it, but the organisers are yet to realise it,” he said. In his opinion, the solution of this matter is to take the good shows to the people, and the number of events will increase automatically. “I think magic has a great prospect in Bangladesh.

People here has a natural inclination for being fooled,” he said with a smile.

So, can anyone fool this master magician? In his words: “I do not know about fooling, but a good performance of even a known magic trick never fails to amaze me.”

Note: Arif Asgar, a physicist and a magician, who is also one of Mainul Kahn’s disciples, contributed to this article. n

Mainul was awarded the Order of Merlin in 2002 and the Order of Merlin Shield in 2012 by IBM in recognition of services for magic and magicians. He is the only magician in the Indian Subcontinent to receive these awards n

In 2006, he published a book named “Closeup Magic,” which is quite popular in the magicians’ community.

He recently retired from his architectural firm and now spends his time doing magic shows, reading books and mentoring professional magicians n

Dai Vernon, Tony Slydini and Paul Daniels are among his favourite magicians

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DIGITAL BANGLADESH Mobile Forecast Asmaul Hoque Mamun/Dhaka Tribune

Dial 1 to know about weather forecast

Faisal Mahmud is a staff reporter at Weekend Tribune who specialises in writing IT and telecom articles with depth and analysis. He is also in charge of the weekly Tech page for the newspaper

DIAL 10941 Dial 2 to know about alert in river and sea ports

Dial 3

to kno w flood a about lert

Warning on the go

Faisal Mahmud writes about disaster forecast on mobile phones

W

ith over 90 million mobile subscribers in the country, the Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) of Bangladesh has come up with an innovative idea to warn people about the imminent disasters within a short time.

The DMB, in coalition with the state-owned mobile phone operator Teletalk, has started providing the updated information on weather conditions, including floods and the alert signals at river and sea ports, through mobile phones.

As a part of its pre-disaster management programme, DMB has jointly taken this step with the Teletalk on an experimental basis.

Later on, based on the outcome of the initiative, the service will incorporate all the mobile operators in the country, sources from DMB said.

An official from Teletalk said that the mobile operator gathers all sorts of primary information from the Bangladesh Metrology Department, Flood Forecasting Centre of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, and the office of

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP).

The interactive voice system (IVR) is used to disseminate the information, such as regular weather updates, the rise and fall of water levels in the major rivers, any update on the signals at the sea and river ports, and updates on potential natural disasters, the sources from Teletalk said.

Ahsan Jakir, the former director general of DMB, said: “In the past few years, disaster management in Bangladesh has achieved a paradigm shift. Instead of solely focusing on response, it has put equal importance on preparation and adaptation.

“In Bangladesh, with the rapid development of communication outlets, different media has taken on an increasingly important role in promoting preparation measures at the local and international levels, as well as advocating for stronger policy frameworks for disaster management and climate change adaptation,” he said.

“Disasters like floods, cyclones and droughts are recurring. There are

About the service n

An initiative under the CDMP

n

Teletalk has been chosen to forecast the potential disasters through SMS

n

Same service from other mobile operators by June this year

n

Each call to be charged Tk2/minute

patterns in the vulnerable areas and the sections of the populace over the years. As the country now have 98% coverage for mobile phones and the technology is accessible even to the poor and rural people, DMB planned to incorporate disaster forecast with the mobile operators’ value-added service,” he added.

Teletalk was chosen for the experimental run as it has better network coverage in the coastal areas of the country. “By the middle of this year, we will incorporate the service with other telecom operators of the country,” Jakir said.

He also said the DMB had sent a letter to Teletalk and the BTRC to change the number 10941, as it is too big and difficult to remember. DMB had asked for a three-digit easy-toremember number in its letter.

Meanwhile, when contacted, officials from other mobile operators said they were interested to integrate the disaster and weather forecasting to their value-added services. n

REALPOLITIK

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Padma Bridge

Build it up with iron and steel Wajed Al-Rahman writes about the much controversial Padma Bridge project

Wajed Al-Rahman is a student of economics with a great love for theatre

A

lmost like a children’s game, it seems Padma Bridge rises and falls down repeatedly.

The cold hard facts about the project seem to have been swallowed up in the process of who will be paying for its construction. The project itself is a bridge be built from Louhajang, Munshiganj to Shariatpur and Madaripur. The plans drawn up speak of a four-lane highway on top and a rail track on a lower level.

The bridge will also accommodate electric and telephone lines, and gas pipes, with a provision for fibre optic cables as well. To emphasise on why it is so important, we must consider that the area benefitted socially and economically by the bridge is estimated to be roughly 29% of the country, home to more than 30 million people. It takes roughly 10 hours or more to get to Khulna – the majority of this time spent agitating at the ferry crossing in Mawa, Munshiganj, waiting for ferries that take hours to arrive and load and more hours to cross. That whole ordeal would take about 15 minutes, including the line at the toll plaza, should the bridge be built according to the plan. For those frequenting the southwest Bangladesh, that’s more than enough, but the bridge will also allow us to take full advantage of our second and less used sea-port Mongla in the Barisal division. The project, in any light, is a win-win for us. Unfortunately, economists claim that the bridge is out to wreck our economy, rather than revitalise it.

While that may sound counterintuitive, the problem lies in who pays for this project, which costs roughly $3bn (Tk233bn). Originally, when the plans were presented to the World Bank in 2011, the bridge was supposed to be up and running by 2013. The money was supposed to come from a variety of sources, including $1.5bn from the World Bank and the rest from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and others. The problem: World Bank accused Bangladesh

Padma Bridge plans n

Length 6.15km n

Width 21.1m Bigstock

government of corruption in association with funds intended for the bridge’s construction and made the provision of future funds in this project conditional to said corruption being rooted out.

Thus, the only reasonable course of action was followed, and in early 2013, Bangladesh withdrew its application for funds from the World Bank. This resulted in both ADB and JICA ultimately going back on their commitments towards the project as well.

In February 2013, Finance Minister AMA Muhith finally informed the nation that the bridge would now be built with “our own funds,” adding that this was not impossible.

While the National Board of

Revenue (NBR) and various financial institutions scrambled to take up the challenge, as well as the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) offering up the suggestion that shares be floated on behalf of 50% of the bridge’s construction, economists cried foul.

Quite simply, while on the outside, the economy may look robust at this point. However, such a move would radically redirect funds from priority sectors urgently in need of government spending, chiefly the building and upkeep of hospitals, schools and such, not to mention other road and development projects.

Such a manoeuvre may debilitate any developing country and stagnate growth.

Fortunately, it seems that talks

have begun with India in line of $200m (Tk16bn) being diverted from their previously promised $1bn (Tk78bn) line of credit for development purposes. Also, as the old allies fell out, Malaysia and China have offered a helping hand.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed with Malaysia, and the China Railway Engineering Corporation is said to have presented a better offer than the World Bank.

That being where it currently stands, unfortunately, all of these talks and arrangements will take some time to reach fruition and we will not be seeing Padma Bridge before 2018 at the earliest. n

n

Approach roads 15.1km n

No of lanes 4 n

No of railway tracks 1 n

Estimated cost $3bn

The progress so far April 2010 Bangladesh Bridge Authority invites tenders for the project

2011 Construction scheduled to start

February 2012 Bangladesh withdraws application of funds from WB

April 2012 MoU with Malaysia signed

2018 Tentative completion date of Padma Bridge project

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20

Game On

Champions League final

The German invasion

Sheikh Mohammed Irfan anticipates an exciting UEFA Champions League final

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

REUTERS

The European Champions League, aka the UEFA Champions League, is a competition where the best clubs of Europe compete each year for continental supremacy.

Winning this competition is an unparalleled honour for players and the highest achievement possible in club football

T

his year, we will witness the fourth Champions League final between clubs of the same country – played by the Germans for the first time. Wembley is the showcase for an epic finale between two of the biggest rivals in German football. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have managed to reach this year’s final in comprehensive style.

It may come as a surprise to observe an all-German final in the Champions League, but rest assured that the rise of the Germans was no fluke. Most football pundits have already signalled German supremacy in Europe, and the final is a perfect way to summarise the achievements of the German League (Bundesliga). For the last five years, German clubs have been improving, as opposed to their counterparts like the Italian and English.

In the past five years, Bayern Munich has managed to reach three finals, including this one, and at least one German club has consistently represented the country in the last four of the competitions. This year, three German clubs managed to reach the second round of the competition, as opposed to two from England. This improvement was further cemented

by Pep Guardiola’s decision to join Bayern Munich the next year.

On the other hand, Bundesliga

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has managed to create a competitive environment, as clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04 and Bayer Leverkusen rose to challenge the usual monotony of Bayern Munich. This not only created renewed enthusiasm in the Bundesliga, but also attracted a large number of foreign players to ply their trade to Germany. This influx resulted in a large number of attendance.

The Bundesliga is the number one football league in the world in terms of average attendance: out of all sports, its average of 45,134 fans each game during the 2011–12 season was the second highest of any sports league in the world. It is also ranked third among the leagues in Europe in terms of UEFA coefficients – statistics used for ranking and seeding teams and leagues according to their seasonal performances – overtaking the likes of Serie A, Ligue 1, etc. Therefore, the emergence of German domination is not at all surprising and, after this year’s performance, the Germans will most probably be able to snatch the second spot from the English.

Bundesliga is looking at a bright future; they are not only facilitating foreign stars, but are also breeding grounds for the brightest new stars in the world. Take the likes of Mario Gotze, Marco Reus, Xherdan Shaqiri and Robert Lewandowski – a few of

the stars developed by Bundesliga.

The most benefitted is, of course, the German national team, which now lists second in FIFA rankings. They are ready to pounce on this rise of the Bundesliga and finally manage to win major trophies. With the World Cup knocking on the door, timing couldn’t be more perfect for the Germans to snatch the spotlight from Spain.

T

his year, German performances in the Champions League were cutting edge. They blended a fine game of attacking and counter-attacking techniques that enthralled millions of football lovers. They dominated the beginning of the league and exposed their pedigree in the semifinals. During the group stage, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 were group winners.

Borussia Dormund was placed in the “Group of Death” with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Ajax Amsterdam. They managed to win this group in style and made sure the likes of Manchester City would not even progress to the next round.

This was followed by Bayern Munich’s demolition of FC Barcelona in an unimaginable manner. Finally, the best of the Germans have managed to secure a final all for themselves, leaving the rest of the world in awe of

their performances.

Although there was no power shift in the Champions League for over a decade, this year’s shift was actually expected. Since last year’s Chelsea triumph, it was known that traditional powerhouses would have to battle with new, upcoming powers in football. The additions of Paris St Germain, Manchester City and Zenit St Petersburg in the event meant that games would be tougher, as these financial powerhouses decided to spend heavily for continental supremacy. Hence, we are looking at an exciting new era of football where the Champions League will be more challenging than ever before.

Bayern Munich deserves to win as they have played phenomenal football throughout the season. However, history and statistics go in favour of Borussia Dortmund: they won the Champions League trophy in 1997 and surprisingly handed their two years of domestic supremacy over to Bayern that same year. Both the teams seem to have the potential to be champions as they worked to grant Germans a dream final. Whoever may win, a great final is pretty much expected this year, and new faces in next year’s league. n

STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND

21

Obsession with Fair Skin

Dark and lovely

Bassema Karaki observes how the Bangladeshi society is infatuated with fair skin

W

hy is it that most women in Bangladesh strive to be “fair and lovely”? As if one cannot be “dark and lovely”? Miss Universe 2011 was dark, and she was voted most beautiful among all the fair-skinned contestants in the competition. Yet, women here insist on covering their faces in powder and foundation in a struggle to look as pale and dull as Bella from “Twilight.”

Perhaps it began during the British reign, when people were brainwashed into believing they were inferior to “blue-eyed, white devils,” as Malcolm X would call them. Or maybe it’s a belief that has been adopted from the Hindu culture, in which the darker you are, the lower your caste is (the caste system is called varna, which literally means colour). Whatever the case is, the entire Bangladeshi society seems to be programmed to believe that fairness is a sign of beauty. Women aren’t only judged by their skin tone; they are ruled by it.

Recently, I read the unfortunate account of a Bangladeshi lady suffering discrimination because of her dark skin tone. She wanted to get married and received several proposals, but as soon as the potential groom and his family met her in person and saw how dark she was, they rejected her. Now, she’s struggling to find a suitor who will not run for the door the minute he lays eyes on her.

This particular woman claims that, had she been born with a lighter skin tone, she would have had a completely different life. She believes she would be distinguished by her looks and have suitors lined up at her door. She believes she would’ve married into a wealthy family and lived “happily ever after.” The saddest part about all of this is, along with everybody else, this woman judges herself based on her appearance. She blames all of life’s misfortunes on her skin colour, and she is mentally bound by the notion that her appearance determines her fate.

Switch on the TV, and the first thing you’ll probably see is a commercial for face cream, face wash, or face scrub. Such ads have infested every TV channel there is – cable or no cable.

Garnier, L’Oreal, Fair and Lovely, Dove, Neutrogena – the list goes on and on, and their targets are both women and men. Use this face mask, and you’ll be as beautiful and happy as Priyanka Chopra; use that face wash and you’ll be as handsome and successful as Shah Rukh Khan! Not only do all the actors

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

Ladies, unless you have some hidden desire to be a vampire, please stick to your natural colour. Michael Jackson looked much better with his natural complexion, and so do you

Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

starring in these advertisements have fair skin, but so do all of Bangladesh’s idols, who are mostly Bollywood stars.

The media promotes skin fairness so strongly that people have become conditioned to believe that skin is a representative of social status, and the lighter your skin, the better!

M

edia has a way of penetrating the subconscious, so whether you believe it or not, this fairness campaign will get the best of you. Several months after moving to Bangladesh, I found myself unnaturally concerned with my skin. I began buying face creams and scrubs of different brands in order to determine which was best. All of them claimed to have magical effects that would make the skin glow and shine,

and after a year my bathroom cabinet was completely stacked with products I had never needed or used before. It was only when one day a friend pointed out how ridiculous my cabinet looked that I realised what was going on. I had fallen prey to the media! Because of the constant display of commercials promoting smooth and fair skin, I had spent a large sum of money on products I didn’t actually need. I was even using sunscreen for all the wrong reasons (ie to prevent a tan rather than cancer). I had become a victim of their mind-control, and I was ashamed of myself for being so gullible.

After my rude awakening, I struggled to free myself of this subconscious obsession. I disposed of all unnecessary creams and went out

for a tan, which looked much better than the pale skin I had before. For all the readers out there, remember that white people get tans because they think dark skin looks better than light skin. So, if you want to be “Western,” start by adopting their mentality! Or simply accept the fact that white is not superior to black, and there is beauty in every creation. I encourage you to listen to Bruno Mars’ song “Just the Way You Are” and stop obsessing over an idea that has been planted in your head. You don’t need fair skin to be radiant. Just free your mind and your soul will shine through! n

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

TOUGH LOVE 1

I am 45 years old, have been happily married with two kids for the last 10 years, and have a very well-paid and reputable job.

Recently, I started coaching my son’s football team, which led to the school principal offering me the position of full-time coach. I was very passionate about football at one time, and gave up a shot at the big league when I got married. Now I want to quit my job and finally follow my passion even thought my wife will have a fit and everyone else will probably think I’m having a midlife crisis. What should I do?

DINA SOBHAN

Newsflash, old-timer: you ARE having a mid-life crisis, which is basically that period in your 50s or 60s when you take stock of your life and attempt to rectify past mistakes and relive your youth to avoid the stench of mortality that looms over your very existence.

Most men (man)handle it by getting a hair transplant, a spray tan, a fast car and/or a fast woman to make them feel sexy and 17 again. You, on the other hand, just want to be a humble football coach. While it’s not the most thrilling of mid-life crisis solutions, it’s a rather innocuous one. Make sure you emphasise the other options

you might have embraced when explaining to your wife why you have to move from Gulshan to Badda, and maybe she’ll be more accommodating of this one. Also, you better hope you’re a damn good coach, because with your new salary the only way your son is going to college is on a scholarship. n

Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

2

For the past couple of months, I’ve been getting bullied by a kid from school. To get back at him, I hacked his Facebook and Twitter accounts and wrote a fake status about how he’s gay and ready to come out of the closet. I even doctored some pictures of him making out with some other douchebags from our class. What I thought would be a funny joke has turned nasty and everyone has now started bullying him. I’m feeling a little guilty and want to confess my crimes, but that will mean facing the wrath of the school bullies all over again. Should I just keep quiet and let him get a taste of his own medicine?

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

Wow, talk about revenge of the nerds!

Unless he was routinely giving you wedgies in the cafeteria, I think you might’ve taken the retaliation thing a bit far. It’s a little late to own up to your ploy, and you will definitely get kicked so badly, the past bullying will seem like a happy memory. So, your only viable option – as I see it – is to hack into his accounts again, as well as the account of the other people bullying him (or even your whole class, while you’re at it) and post something that will convince them all that an evil genius intent on revenge was responsible for the whole thing.

That will take the heat off him, and simultaneously broadcast a message

to the bullies to be nicer to the geeks, who might not be able to hit back with their fists but can bring the pain in a whole new kind of way. n

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BACKBENCHERS’ CLUB

Across 5 Unprofessional Don in a true pickle (7) 6 1D some more, you can’t drink on it! (5) 9 Floating junk floats around moon (6)

Down 1 2 3 4 7 8

Witty person, like Cheryl Cole? (3) Bullfighter boy on a twisted road (7) Guilt about fictional detective (7) Sounds like path travelled by big boat (3) Back of a boat, a boat with no front (3) Hon. person increases volume (3)

Solution and clues for last week’s crossword

Across 1 5 6 8 10 11

Sweetener for apprenticed knight? (5) Movie legend spotted in Havant (3) I am in a nutshell after one Northern race (5) Alien in car, nothing old-looking (5) For example, nil self-esteem (3) Reminder altogether about big end (5)

Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

Down 1 2 3 4 7 8 9

Mistake for Cinders’ footwear? (7) Wrong gun for antelope (3) Whittington’s enemy found in crate (7) It holds a ring, a noble honour (7) That is around a hundred diamonds (3) The man in front (3) A little bit of citadel (3) W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, M AY 24, 20 1 3

24

DAY IN THE LIFE OF

A Child Hawker

Life on the crossroads Sumaiya Shams meets a flower girl

Sumaiya Shams is senior staff sub-editor at Weekend Tribune.

When she isn’t busy with grammar corrections, she tries to write. You can reach her on Twitter: @sumaiya_s

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

Photos: Syed Latif Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

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first noticed the little girl with the big brown eyes when she approached my car at the traffic lights. Unlike most street children who are rowdy and loud, she went about selling flowers in a businesslike manner, with no banter. Intrigued by her personality, I tried to get her to talk, but with no luck. I thought if I agreed to buy her flowers, I could keep her attention long enough to learn a little about her, but she quickly moved on without revealing much. I found

myself trying to catch a glimpse of her as we drove away.

My curiosity made me return on a weekend to try and find the intriguing flower girl. She sat on the sidewalk, with the other street children and assorted hawkers. To my delight, she noticed me as I approached. She ran towards me with flowers in hand, but when I tried to make conversation, she lost interest. Absurdly I asked: “How is business?” “Not good,” she stated with a nod at the road. “Not many

cars today.” Most of the children were talkative, but Nargis was the silent type. She was reserved and dreamy when not focused on work.

Nargis likes to talk about her work.

Hartals are not good for business. “We can only sell flowers when people are commuting. During hartals, there is no one to sell to,” Nargis said with a nod. “Weekends and public holidays are also slow but it picks up in the evenings.” One of the girls (an older sibling) declared: “Except on Bhalobasha Dibosh (Valentine’s Day); people buy lots of flowers then!”

Nargis is one of five brothers and sisters. They live in one of the slums in Dhaka with their mother, who sat nearby sorting flowers. Their father lives in Gaibandha and they only see him once a month. When asked how long she had been selling flowers, Nargis shrugged. “A long time,” she said. The family is up and ready by 6am, so they can be at Shahbagh flower market to make their purchases. They are ready for business by 8am to catch the first of the day’s many traffic jams.

The street children work all day, with barely any lunch breaks or time for rest. It isn’t unusual for them to stay till past midnight to try and sell all their stock.

“No time to spare, not even for school?” I asked, surprised. Nargis

revealed her sadness at having to drop out of school. Touched, I wondered aloud if there was a school she could attend if she wanted to go; the look in her eyes answered my question.

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very time cars stopped at the traffic lights, the children made their way with flowers, but mostly they returned without much luck, even though they sold the flowers for as little as Tk10. Life on the busy intersection is dangerous and harsh; when I asked Nargis about how people treated her, she shrugged. “There are good and bad people, but most are good.” On a good day, the family can earn Tk1,000.

“We get to eat a good meal then,” Al Amin, Nargis’s brother, quipped. I had to ask Nargis if she saw her future only as a flower seller, to which she replied without hesitation in a clear and firm voice, “No, I don’t always want to do this. I want to go to school.”

As the day turned to dusk, I could see their mother giving me uncomfortable looks as I said my goodbyes. I assured Nargis I would try and find out where she could enrol for classes. Before she headed towards the cars with her flowers, she had a question for me.

“Apa, are there really schools where I can go to study again?” n

THE WAY DHAKA WAS

Hotel Purbani International 1978

Bangladesh Old Photo Archive

For me, Hotel Purbani is synonymous with their quality pastry that they used to have. Back in the 70s, my father used to take me to the bakery for a treat if I did well at school. Sometimes I would even cut a haircut at the hotel barbershop. It was a grand treat! Nowadays, we are spoilt for choice as far as entertainment is concerned, and Purbani has become a lost gem to us

25

Hotel Purbani International

Fuad Aktar, 42, physician

Nashirul Islam/Dhaka Tribune

Today

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, M AY 24, 20 1 3

26

CULTURE VULTURE

Shumon Ahmed

A page from Shumon Ahmed’s Novella

Yusuf Banna is a staff writer at Weekend Tribune. He would be happier if he could be a poet, 24x7. He also dreams of being a painter and is envious of those who can paint

An envelope full of remorse

Shumon Ahmed

Yusuf Banna talks to the visual artist about his past and inspirations Of all his photographs, the most hauntingly beautiful is the photo of a very young Shumon and his mother, carefully montaged on a mystic foggy scene of winter trees, symbolising the fragility of memories that he’s tried, heart and soul, to keep alive

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humon Ahmed likes to identify himself as a visual artist, rather than a photographer. In his own words, he takes his photographs in such a way that “redefines the actuality of the subject by placing it in a centre, and then exploring and experimenting with its periphery.”

And that periphery is surrounded by nostalgia, repentance, angst and isolation. Almost all of his photographs show these subliminal human elements.

“I don’t know why my photographs are like that. It probably has something to do with my traumatic childhood,” Shumon, a man with dark look and permanent stubbles, confessed.

It was indeed difficult for him to reveal that bit of his past. “My mother was diagnosed with mild intellectual disability due to iodine deficiency. I did not understand it when I was a child, and grew up seeing both sides of my family ridiculing her,” he said.

“I was traumatised by the humiliation my mother had to face. My aunts used to tell me: ‘Your mother is mad.’ I was ashamed of her.

Somehow, I felt guilty,” he said.

W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

For a greater part of his childhood, Shumon hated his mother, Khaleda Begum. “I simply didn’t want to be a mad woman’s son. But, as I grew up, I started to see the sadness behind my mother’s eyes and realised how helpless, beautiful and caring she was,” he said.

When Shumon realised how unfair his thoughts and behaviour towards his mother were – which were the reflection of how people around him behaved – he became angry, then guilty, and then sad.

This anger, guilt and sadness pushed him towards uncovering the deeper feelings he has always hidden away. “Taking snapshots then became my refuge, my way of expressing how I felt,” he said.

Interestingly, when digital SLR camera is all the rage nowadays, Shumon uses old-school devices – from different models of Polaroid camera to cheap, medium-format plastic camera, or even large-format camera – when taking his photos. “I love to see the instant print-out of my photos,” he said. “I love it when an photo appears instantly on a Polaroid

print, or an unexpected light leak on my film that I shoot with a plastic Holga. Going against the dogma of the so-called perfect frame, perfect moment or perfect exposure, I choose to showcase imperfections through my photographs.”

His subjects are trivial – ordinary household things like a light bulb, or a plant in the tub. He also takes a lot of self-portraits; they are out of focus sometimes, as if to indicate the meditative state of his memories, figuratively.

“I

like the idea of investigating ‘self’ by characterising them in a different way through photography.

Sometimes, I take the shots and make those images emerge from the waves of ocean or a foggy forest in winter, or I simply use a dull background to give them a haunting look,” he said.

He has also created several collages with original letters from his mother, as well as different envelopes. “These collages are my favourite. I expressed my remorse through those,” Shumon said. His book, a novella, was launched on May 11 at Bengal Art Lounge in

Dhaka and on May 17 at Sylhet Station Club. Its cover and content page are designed as an envelope to depict an allegory for the longing to reconnect with near and dear ones. In the book, there are lines from his mother’s letters to him, photo collages and a series of snapshots depicting both memories and remorse.

“I know that my photographs aren’t for everyone. They were recently exhibited at Whitechapel Gallery in the UK, and a visitor there told me that my photos are very sensitively dark and dour. I am aware that,” he said.

Shumon thinks that people who can stand the darker side of human emotions can relate to his photos.

“Photography is not about just taking the perfect shots. Artists have colour to lay out their emotions on canvas.

What we photographers have is just the visual sense. A traumatic past would surely reflect on that,” he said.

His novella, titled “What I Have Forgotten Could Fill an Ocean, What Is Not Real Never Lived,” is available at Bengal Art Lounge at Tk800 only. n

OBITUARY

27

Asghar Ali Engineer

He thought ahead of his time

Ibtisam Ahmed is a student of history and politics. He lives in a fantasy and writes about reality

Ibtisam Ahmed remembers the noted theologist

Asghar’s life at a glance 1952 After graduating with a degree in civil engineering, begins work for the Bombay Municipal Corporation 1972 Voluntarily retires from his post after violence in Udaipar makes him focus his attention on religious reform 1980 Sets up the Institute of Islamic Studies

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t is becoming increasingly rare to see theologians actively seeking positive reform in mainstream religion. It was, therefore, a huge blow to the Muslim community when Asghar Ali Engineer passed away on May 14. He was known internationally for his liberation theology and leading the progressive Dawoodi Bohra movement within the Shi’a Muslim community. He was a strong advocate for religious tolerance and worked hard to prevent communal violence in India and in South Asia at large. An advocate of a culture of peace, nonviolence and harmony, Asghar has left behind a truly indelible legacy.

Asghar Ali was born on March 10, 1939 to Shaikh Qurban Hussain, a Bohra priest, in Rajasthan. He was trained in Qur’anic tafsir (commentary), tawil (hidden meanings of the Qur’an), fiqh ( jurisprudence) and hadith. He learned

AshLin/Wikimedia Commons

to fluently read, write and speak in Arabic from an early age, despite growing up in a region where the dominant language was Hindi. After graduating from Vikram University in Madhya Pradesh with a degree in civil engineering, he served for 20 years in the Bombay Municipal Corporation. In 1972, he took voluntary retirement to dedicate his life to the reformist Bohra movement after a revolt took place in Udaipur, Rajasthan. He made a strong impact in a very short time. In the first ever conference of the Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community five years later, he was unanimously elected as their general secretary.

1980 saw him set up the Institute of Islamic Studies in then Bombay to bring together progressive Muslims from around the world, but especially in India. Through the next few decades, he wrote extensively on Hindu-Muslim

relations as well as communal violence in India. In 1993, a year after the Bombay Riots, he founded the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism to promote religious harmony. He authored more than 50 books in his lifetime and held various posts, including the director of the Institute of Islamic Studies, chairman of the Asian Muslim Action Network and working closely with reformers from other religions, like Dr Ram Puniyani.

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sghar was particularly vocal about women’s rights, stating that the interpretation of Islam that forced women into subservience was grossly incorrect and that women deserve equal rights and respect according to the Qur’an. He pointed out that religions needed to ensure that they did not become obsolete at the same time as maintaining their strongest

principles and creeds, something he felt that mainstream Islam was failing at in the 1980s. He was not without detractors, however. His comments about the Dawoodi Bohra religious establishment becoming stagnated led to him being expelled from the community. Nonetheless, he kept working to improve relations within and between various religious communities.

Asghar Ali Engineer is not an individual many people might have heard of. But with religious tensions once again boiling over in the subcontinent – especially in Bangladesh – it is time that his lessons combining common sense and spirituality were remembered and practised. n

1993 Founds the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism 2004 Expelled from the Dawoodi Bohra religious community for criticising it

W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, M AY 24, 20 1 3

28 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

LAST WORD Phil Humphreys

The tourists are not coming The inherent shortcomings in the tourism sector of Bangladesh

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here is no point planning for when the tourists come. Nor should Bangladesh be asking at what point they will come. It is not even, I am afraid to say, a question of “if.” The tourists are not coming, and this is why.

Right now, I am working as a development worker in Rangpur.

There is an inherent assumption here that all such work must be good, that development must necessarily take something undeveloped and make it better. Even if that were proven true, the word evokes very different emotions when applied to construction. Then, it becomes possible to “over-develop,” or develop in the wrong way. You might build it, and still they will not come.

Worse than that, you could ruin what was already there in the first place.

Music legend has it that when John Lennon was asked whether Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world, he retorted that Ringo “was not even the best drummer in the Beatles.” In a similar vein, I have heard friends and colleagues laud Cox’s Bazar as though it were the one beauty spot on the whole face of South Asia, when in the warm light of a summer’s day, it is not even the best beach in Bangladesh.

It may be the longest continuous natural one on earth (is there a longer unnatural one?), but I do not need 125km of sand on which to build a sandcastle.

National pride is also a national blindfold: amidst patriotism, Bangladeshis lose sight of how far the country is falling behind as far as tourism is concerned Many years ago, I spent a long weekend on Fraser Island, just off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia. It is the world’s largest sand bar and can boast a 120km beach, running more or less uninterrupted up one side. They let you hire 4x4s and drive all over it. They even call the flat sands a “highway.” But there are no hotels, and there is mercifully little concrete. It may not be heaven on earth to all, but what it does, it does well.

In my eyes, the national pride of Bangladesh is both the country’s greatest marketable asset and its biggest obstacle to the development of W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, M AY 24 , 2013

a tourist economy. The Bangali people are wonderful, but their assumption appears to be that Bangladesh is the greatest country in the world, without having any firm basis for comparison.

Those bases are found in Australia, Russia, western and northern Europe – the places where the tourists will come from – and in the bounteous countries in south and southeast Asia, where they already go. In any market, you cannot hope to sell your produce if you do not understand your competition, or know your customers’ every want and whim.

In discussing the rationale for this article, Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” came up. The philosophical construct holds that a prisoner brought up watching only shadows dancing on the walls of his cave will deem these superior to what causes them, were he ever to be freed. More than that, in time he would even begin to resent the one who freed him. In other words, it can often seem preferable to preserve the illusion, rather than face the reality by shattering it. In the film “Shawshank Redemption,” a name is given to this: Institutionalism. You are what you know.

Samuel Johnson saw travelling as a means to “regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” Accordingly, tourism broadens the mind and opens it to new possibilities.

Of course, it is not the fault of the Bangladeshis if they do not possess the means to move beyond their own borders. It is not even their fault if their mind remains closed to the possibility, however remote, of one day doing so.

But it is negligent of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to have not accepted things here for how they are.

Instead of imagining what tourists want, have they actually been abroad to see what they already get?

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he development of Cox’s Bazar continues at a pace, of course, presumably to cater for the bus loads of weekend trippers who will flock there from Chittagong, Dhaka and elsewhere. But someone, somewhere, has surely asked the developers why anyone would travel from outside Bangladesh to visit this vast expanse of hotels and nothing? It is not just that they face a 10-hour bus journey to get there from Dhaka, their likely port of entry, or still half that from

Chittagong, or even that given a choice, they would rather not go near either of those two places. It is because on holiday, people want a break.

For me, I want as little stress as possible, and I want convenience. I want everything I can and cannot get at home in less than five minutes. I want to sunbathe and I want to strip down to my trunks and swim. I want a cocktail or two for less than the price of the bus ticket back, and I may want to let my hair down in ways I might not ordinarily consider at home. None of these, I readily accept, will ever be permissible here.

The world is getting smaller and international tourists are a finicky bunch.

The slightest drop in local competitiveness can mean a substantial loss for domestic tourism as a whole So, if my body needs a beach holiday, I know I could peg myself out on the golden sands of Goa, Kerala, Sri Lanka or Thailand. If I seek adventure, I might try trekking in Nepal. And if a guided tour of ancient wonders tops my bucket list, I will find them nestled deep inside the dense forests of Cambodia, Vietnam or Laos, or Thailand again.

Of course, there is far more to Bangladesh than Cox’s Bazar, just as China can offer many wonders beyond the Wall. Here, the Sundarbans is the undoubted jewel in the crown, but if it cannot promise tigers, then tourists must at least be delivered there with ease. When I visited, it took an arduous bus journey from Dhaka punctuated only by a one-hour crossing of a river that looked like a sea, on a boat which felt ready to sink.

These harsh words should not be misconstrued. I love Bangladesh. I love living and working here, and I love everyone around me. But what makes me stay to work for two years is not the same as what made me leave my work in the UK for two weeks of every year. The world is shrinking. The world has choices. The world is filling up with tourists, only they are not coming to Bangladesh. It is time to let the reality regulate your imagination, and start seeing things for how they are. n