Behind The Magazine
w w w . t h e p a g e s n e w s . c o m
EDITORIAL Editor Tauhidul Islam Apu Deputy Editor Sayed Jishan Managing Editor Tanveer Ahmed Shamrat Associate Editor Abu Abid Tipu Planning Editor Mehedy Hasan Albakar Creative Editor Md. Amzad Hossain Business Editor Fahimul Islam Bhutto Mir Nasimul Islam Salim Style Editor Syeda Jemrina Zaman Media & Communication Editor Md. Khaled Hossain Chy (Sujon) Feature Editor Muntaquimul Chowdhuri Sayef Literary Editor Rasedul Islam Lalin Lifestyle Editor Nur Seth Sub Editor Reshma Toha Md. Sarwar Jahan Md. Asifur Rahman Tushar Imran Saif Fuad Bin Mostafiz Wali Ahmed Sujon Sekander M A Dipu Jahirul Islam Bhuiyan Russell Mahbub Irtifa Ali
ART
Graphic Designer Sheikh Md. Alamgir Md.Yeasin Khan A. K. M. Shamsuz Zaman
PHOTOGRAPHY Rasedul Islam Lalin Roothi Mostofa Newaz Rahul Khandaker Abrar Fahim Mustafa Raihanur Rahman M H Bipu Master Prince
Photo Journalist Ashfika Rahman Taushif Ahmed Shoaib Rudro Yousuf
FEATURE WRITERS Hamidul Islam FCA Omar Khaiyam MBA Dr. Hakim Md. Yousuf Harun Bhuiyan Dr. Hakim Rafiqul Islam Tanveer Ahmed Shamrat Prof. Dr. M. Mizanur Rahman Rezaul Karim Mohammad Rabiul Rasedul Islam Lalin Tanvir Sani Kaji Tamanna Keya Zahidul Karim Architect Dipozzwal Sen Rokon Azam Selina Akter Firoz Hasan Siddiquee Md. Lutfur Rahman Liza Akter Salahuddin Howlader Md. Hosne Mobarak Apu
BRAND DEVELOPMENT Manager Salahuddin Sohel Jesmin Arjumand Tariq Hossain Chy Rajon Asst. Manager Kausar Ahmed Sr. Executive Al Mamun Titu Soheli Mollik Khairul Islam Russel Susanta Dus Asma Hossain Avijit Roy Sunmoon Afroz Toma
ACCOUNTS & OPERATIONS Jobayer Tanim Saurav Bishno Kumar Sarkar Joy Md. Rakib Md. Jamal
MAKEOVER Farzana Shakil
Publisher: Tauhidul Islam Apu Reg. No. - 05.41.2600.025.53.169.30-20 Printed by: SN Printers, 7/3 Sarkular Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: House-70 (2nd floor), Road-02, Block-A, Niketon, Gulshan, Dhaka-1212. Tel: 8828866, 01611857312, 01616499869, 01612620701, 01977042327, 01619997701-2 E-mail: editor.thepages@gmail.com, thepagesmagazine@gmail.com, thepagesnews@gmail.com, www.thepagesnews.com
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EDITOR’S LETTER
EDITORIAL As winter fades away and Pohela Fagun knocks on the door, we cherish the memories of spending time with our loved ones, beautiful new memories we created during the transition of years and we bid goodbye to winter- a season that makes us yearn for the illusive Sun. February is the month of love- Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and it is time for the Romeos around the world to profess their eternal love, dedication and commitment to their Juliet. Flowers and gifts and cards with heartfelt messages will be flying around the country in the hopes that Cupid will shoot the lovers with his arrows and make them fall for each other- even deeper into love. It is true that we continue to experience disheartening problems and the moments of joy are often punctuated by disheartening tragedies- our streets often turn into battleground for politics. We pray to the Almighty and hope for a resolution via dialogue and non-violence. May we all stay safe and live each day with renewed hope and aspiration.
Tauhidul Islam
FEATURES
Jan-February 2015
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18 What To-Do on Valentine’s Day
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RAPID FIRE WITH Engr: SM Anwar Hossain
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Love: Conquering All since Time Immemorial Jahirul Islam Islam Bhuiyan Bhuiyan Jahirul
This is the story of long time ago. The time of myths and legends, when the earth was still young. The cruel and greedy Emperor of Rome--Claudius--found that people didn't want to the join army because they didn't want to leave their families.In order to build a bigger army, he decided not to allow any more marriages. Mankind was suffering… until one man arrived. Saint Valentines decided to take a stand and kept performing marriages in secret. His act made the emperor furious. Saint Valentine was sent to jail. He was executed on February 14, 269 A.D. He wrote a little note for his friends and followers just before the execution-- “Love your Valentine”. Valentine’s sacrifices didn’t goin vain. Till today, people still remember the name of Saint Valentine and his note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine’s Day. It’s been almost 2 millennia since Saint Valentine's execution. Since then, we have seen many Emperor Claudius come and go--they tried to create barriers for love--but none succeeded in stopping the flow of love.
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Throughout history, Saint Valentine has made several comebacks. We have experienced many immortal love stories over time. So, here are our Top 5 picks of the most unforgettable love stories that appeared in history and literature.
5. Paris and Helen: The story of Helen of Troy has been written by combining the facts and with a healthy dose of fiction. Prince Paris was the son of Trojan King Priam. Goddess Aphrodite once blessed and promised Paris the most beautiful woman on earth. Destiny drove Paris to meet Helen, but she was married to Spartan King Menelaus by then. Desperate Paris abducted Helen and brought her back to Troy. This eventually triggered a war and the furious King Menelaus burned the wonderful city to ashes. Paris fought hard to defend his country but failed. He was fatally wounded while King Menelaus brought the most beautiful lady back to Sparta.
4. Tristan and Isolde: The tragic love story of Tristan and Isolde has been told and retold in many forms: art- stories, cinema, plays, songs, musicals, sculptures and paintings. This a story from the medieval period, during the reign of King Arthur. Isolde was the beautiful daughter of the King of Ireland. She was the fiancé of the king Mark ofCornwall. On one occasion, King Mark sent his nephew Tristan to escort Isolde back to Cornwall. But they fell in love with each other during the voyage. Upon returning, Isolde married Mark of Cornwall, but she couldn’t forget Tristan. So the affair continued until king Mark found out about it. The furious king banished Tristan from the country. Tristan and Isolde somehow managed to escape death, but Isolde was forced to return to Mark. Tristan escaped to Brittany. There he married Iseult of Brittany but couldn’t forget Isolde as well.
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At one stage, Tristan joined a war and got wounded by a poison lance. By then Isolde became renowned for her expertise on medicinal treatment. So Tristan requested for help in hopes that she would be able to cure him. If she agreed to come, the returning ship’s sails would be white, or else the ship would display black sail. Isolde was returning on the ship with white sail but Iseult lied to Tristan and told him that the sails were black. Tristan couldn’t take the grief and died before Isolde could reach him. Isolde died soon after of a broken heart.
3. Devdas and Parvati: This is a modern day love story, in contrast. Wealth has always been an obstacle inlove stories. But for Devdas and Parvati, it was their caste that kept the pair from each other. The story by the legendary author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay had great influences on Bengali lifestyle, culture and literature. The unique nature of the story, and the beautiful portrayal of love, inspired many directors to produce films based on this single masterpiece. We have seen the film‘Devdas’ in several different languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Assamese, Telugu, Urdu, Malayalam and so on. In the story, Devdas was a son of an upper-class Brahmin family. His childhood friend Parvati (Paro) was from a middle class Bengali family. Young Devdas was sent to Calcutta (now Kolkata) for higher studies. Upon his return the duo suddenly realized their innocent childhood relationship has transformed into something greater. Devdas realized Paro is no longer the little girl he once knew. They were
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planning for marriage. But Devdas's family rejected the idea in order to preserve the supremacy of their caste. Being utterly insulted, Parvati’s family arranged her marriage with another rich, but widower, landlord. Frustrated, Devdas turned to alcohol as the means of forgetting his grief and disappointment. In the midst of all these confusion, Devdas met a courtesan called Chnadramukhi. At her place, Devdas kept on drinking alcohol frantically--which was in fact a drawn-out form of suicide. Quite quickly, his health started to collapse. Sensing that death may be approaching fast, Devdas decided to return to see Paro for the last time. But nobody allowed Paro to meet him. Devdas died in front of her house on a dark and cold night, all alone...
2. Romeo and Juliet: This is probably the most frequently told and played love story of all time--written by the celebrated English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. We often use the term ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in order to convey the idea of a perfect couple. The couple has become a synonym for love itself. It is the tale of two teenagers, from two feuding families, who fell in love at first sight. Everything was going fine until their families found out about the affair. The daring couple decided to get married anyway and risk it all for love. But their families showed no signs of peace and kept on fighting.The fight left no path open for the young couple and they ended the rivalry by taking their own lives. The masterpiece ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has been a source of inspiration for many writers and scriptwriters, and we have seen this influence in different stories and manuscripts.
1. Orpheus and Eurydice: Orpheus was an ancient Greek mythological hero who was renowned for his wonderful singing talent. Orpheus fell in love with beautiful Eurydice and married her. The couple was living happily together until Aristaeus--a Greek god--burst into the scene. Aristaeus had a crush on Eurydice and tried to pursue her. The couple had to run to flee from Aristaeus, suddenly Eurydice got herself bitten by a snake and died. Out of sheer agony, Orpheus sang so mournfully that all the creatures and gods cried with him. They advised Orpheus to travel to the underworld where Orpheus softened the heart of Hades. Hades decided to return Eurydice to Orpheus but imposed one condition--Orpheus would walk in front of Eurydice and wouldn’t look back until they reach earth. But at the gateway, Orpheus turned back to see if Eurydice is following and Hades took her away again. This time, forever.
Once we went through all the stories, it was very much evident to us that the greatest love stories usually end in tragedy. Maybe it is so because the lovers never give up loving each other--no matter how hard the world tries to tear them apart. And this, is the true beauty of love. It is why Saint Valentine sacrificed his life. We hope you have already found or will find your true love … and we wish you a happy life together.
Teenage TeenageLifestyle Lifestyle
Dealing Dealing with with Crushes Crushes Jahirul JahirulIslam IslamBhuiyan Bhuiyan
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TEENAGE TEENAGELIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE
if we areare dreaming dreaming it up it up inside inside ourour introverted introverted in in nature. nature. ‘He‘He loves loves meme if we mind! I acknowledge I acknowledge there there areare many many or or not’not’is is thethe question question being being asked asked mind! scary scary elements elements (or(or persons) persons) awaiting awaiting more more often often at at this this stage. stage. outside, outside, butbut nobody nobody would would ever ever Insecurity Insecurity is is thethe main main component component know know what what is is happening happening inside inside thethe that that occupies occupies thethe greater greater part part of of thethe mind. mind. mind at at this this stage. stage. Perhaps Perhaps this this is is You You won’t won’t have have many many sweet sweet memomemo- mind reason reason why why teens teens usually usually avoid, avoid, This ries ries comparable comparable to to first first love. love. In In most most thethe This perhaps perhaps is is thethe reason reason why why ignore ignore and and hide hide (or(or insult, insult, in in some some teenagers cases cases it happens it happens at at anan early early age. age. teenagers keep keep onon dreaming dreaming and and cases) cases) from from thethe crush. crush. AA little little insult insult portraying Probably Probably this this is is thethe reason reason why why wewe portraying pictures pictures inside inside their their minds. minds. or or rejection rejection might might eventually eventually putput their their He/she find find thethe occasion occasion soso sweet sweet and and He/she fantasizes fantasizes about about becoming becoming lives lives at at risk risk (They (They might might find find their their charming. charming. friends friends with with thethe crush-worthy crush-worthy fellow, fellow, lives lives very very much much meaningless). meaningless). dating dating exclusively exclusively or or even even marrying. marrying. Like Like other other associated associated issues, issues, thethe Under Under thethe circumstance, circumstance, they they find find It’sIt’s hard hard to to remove remove thethe part part of of occasion occasion of of first first love love plays plays a a crucial crucial repression repression is is thethe only only way way to to save save fantasizing fantasizing from from a a teenager. teenager. ThereThererole role to to settle settle thethe direction direction of of life. life. It It their their heart heart (or(or life!). life!). fore, fore, it might it might become become unhealthy unhealthy if if typically typically progresses progresses in in two two particular particular teen teen fantasizes fantasizes tootoo hard. hard. This is is notnot something something very very pleasant pleasant thethe directionsdirectionstransforming transforming a a group group into into This experience. experience. Therefore, Therefore, thethe actact of of achievers achievers or or pushing pushing thethe other other group group to to UnhealthyFixation: Fixation: keeping keeping thethe infatuation infatuation inside inside would would Unhealthy to to follow follow thethe footsteps footsteps of of ‘Devdas’. ‘Devdas’. enable enable thethe young young man man to to have have some some Teenage SoSo wewe believe believe thethe significance significance of of Teenage crushes crushes areare beautiful beautiful gifts gifts more time. time. Maybe Maybe notnot very very timely timely first first love love is is immense immense and and worked worked to to more indeed indeed unless unless thethe teen teen becomes becomes at at least least hehe can can escape escape thethe find find outout thethe ways ways in in which which teenagers teenagers butbut completely completely obsessed. obsessed. This This is is thethe situation situation of of being being ridiculed. ridiculed. respond respond when when they they fallfall in in love love forfor period period when when people people fallfall forfor anan thethe first first time. time. uneven uneven relationship. relationship. The The scenario scenario
We WegotgotFebruary February just just approaching approaching
to to thethe doorknob. doorknob. Often Often wewe can can feel feel thethe presence presence of of love love in in thethe air.air. ForFor thethe young young generation generation thethe concentraconcentration tion level level is is even even higher. higher.
Suppressed SuppressedFeelings: Feelings:
This This has has been been thethe ultimate ultimate choice choice forfor those those who who areare shy shy and and
Usual UsualFantasies: Fantasies:
might might even even getget worse worse with with thethe Alright! Alright! May May bebe wewe repress repress ourour appearance appearance of of a a pedophile. pedophile. SoSo emotions emotions due due to to some some unavoidable unavoidable parental parental discretion discretion is is required. required. circumstances circumstances butbut who who gives gives a a stare stare
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TEENAGE LIFESTYLE Flirtatious Behavior:
The confident chap would rather be hitting the target direct. Flirting is quite a normal act for teenagers as long as they do it in a balanced way. As I said in the beginning, this is the age where the concentration level remains at a higher point and the older people might view the passion as madness. I therefore personally have always preferred to express love no matter what people are saying (Of course in a polite and acceptable manner). Or else,you might lose her foreverduring a tiny occasion of house shifting, transfer of parents, or change of school.
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Uniform
FOR BRANDING Faisal Mahmud
Once our Director, Sales said, “If we can just follow what most successful companies are doing- we can grow as much as 98% of them!”. From cleaning agency PCS to “world’s local bank” HSBC, from security service provider G4F to caterers of Banoful sweet shop- if we study critical components of their success, a well-managed uniform policy can easily be one of them. I’ve worked with the above companies mentioned, still I can say something about their uniform management policies- as I’ve found it “uniform” every time, everywhere. Professor Victoria Seitz puts, “When employees wear professional uniforms, they reflect an image, or brand, that can project instant credibility to consumers”. As examples, the professor points to the mustard-colored jackets worn by Century 21 agents and the blackand-white striped shirts sported by Foot Locker employees. I personally don’t know any Century 21 agents, but I’ve seen several PCS cleaners in our office- they really look nice, and somehow clean, which matches
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with their company objective!
In some cases, uniforms get intertwined with a company’s products & services. Black shirt with some red can often remind us of Pizza Hut, as the Global Brand Management Director for FedEx stated when discussing that delivery service’s careful selection of coordinated employee apparel: “Your employees are your brand.” A good (and right ) uniform policy can really contribute to the success of a company- if anyone have doubt can consider the loyal following of professional sports team. David Beckham left Manchester United long ago, “Phenomenon” Ronaldo no longer plays for Real Madrid. Players get traded, change teams, and even retire; meanwhile fan loyalty toward ‘their team’ remains a constant. Because this loyalty is often linked to the team’s image, team uniform (jersey) can be a big part of it, regardless of who is wearing it.
Office uniform is a best way to show people what work you belong or which type of business you are
running. Many workers feel good and prideful after wearing office uniforms of a reputable company and feel that they belong to one such industry (specially in case of airline industry in Bangladesh), where they are implanting a vital mantra in their brain. Uniforms associate the employees with the office, the company, and the brand. They don’t need to introduce themselves. Trainees of Bangladesh Military Academy gets leave in Friday do their shopping and mingling in shopping malls. They all look like same! They represent armed forces when they wear uniforms, it gives them confidence and liability to approach in their manner.
How important this “brand communication” can be!
A company consistently working with public (companies having large customer service team), may feel the need to project a unified image. I found same uniform, same look on several ATM booth guards (employed by the same third party
LITERATURE agency), somehow it gave me an impression that they are all the same- I expect same level of service from them- and in most of the cases, I’ve received as expected. In case “polished” look is needed, employees prefer to wear business uniforms, as they don’t have to buy expensive shirts for work. Traditionally, business uniforms were simpleplain and single color shirts and
Some brand promoters were running campaign to communicate the new tariff in BTL level. All of them were wearing tri-color t-shirt- white, blue and black. And they were just looking wonderful! New t-shirt, festive look, new tariff, “mela” environmentjust imagine the synergy created!
survey conducted by JD Power and Associates. The survey also reported that respondents had more confidence in employees wearing uniforms and found those in uniforms to be more credible. The UTSA study also found that, when choosing a company from whom to buy, both individual consumers and business-to-business buyers preferred to use companies who had
pants. Color was usually white, sky blue, navy blue etc. Employees are choosing green, white with some stripes/design matched with company logo, “GP” blue (color of Grameenphone logo), ash and what not.
customer service points and interact with customer managers, not with MD, CEO etc. So, customer managers are representing the entire company. If we have to communicate our brand, if we have to make them understand that we care much for our employees, if we have to communicate that we treat every customer equally, we have to do that through them- the customer managers. Very simple logiccustomer managers have to learn the brand, they have to believe the brand, and they have to show the brand- through uniform, through name tag, through other workwears like belts, shoes, kit bag etc.
uniformed employees over those who did not.
Before any customer believes on the brand, employees who are representing the brand should believe in it. Uniform provides physical experience of the brand to employees. Approximately 60% of consumers and B2B survey respondents prefer to buy from employees wearing uniforms, according to a Uniform and Textile Service Association (UTSA)
There are some items which might get out of style soon, like exceptional fold in shirts or pants. Uniform design should be “generic” which stays acceptable over time. At the same time, too much custom-made design might make it complicated. Everything should be standard, only size varies.
At this point, I’d like to concentrate on “why” this uniform thing becomes so important. Harry Davis says corporate identity can be composed of three parts: Corporate design (logo, uniform), Corporate communication (ATL, BTL) and Corporate behavior (internal values, norms). Uniforms of the employees can say how strong the brand name is in the industry. Can you mention any company with a good uniform policy but failed to capture market! Uniforms make employees feel confident and stylish. Apart from regular use, uniform is more effective during campaign or new product launch. I can still remember the day of 2006 when a Grameenphone launch a new tariff for some special hours. That time I was final year student in undergrad level. I was cross Eastern Plaza and got amazed to see a “mela” there.
I work in service industry. In most of the cases, customers come to our
Uniform that provides credibility
What’s even more compelling is that a strong majority of consumers surveyed feel that the quality of the product or service provided is higher when workers were uniformed. They also feel that uniform wearers are more trustworthy and credible.
How to choose right uniform
Style, comfort, longevity, trend- some of the things for consideration before planning for uniform. A good uniform should look professional wherever it is worn- a customer manager may be walking around, discussion, sitting with clients, counting stocks- but he/she should look professional everywhere.
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Fabric becomes an issue for so many reasons- longevity, comfort, replenishment time etc. Even fabric may vary considering the decoration of the office. Cotton-polyester blend just looks good if the office/showroom is made of partexwall or painted with plastic enamel. Pure cotton and check may be perfect for cottage-type offices
Apart from textile details like fabrics, collar, button etc., color can be a vital decision issue. Some companies just put their “logo” color for uniform, but in some cases, the same color may not look good in uniforms. Still, color has something to say, so color should give the same message as logo does. I found ash uniform on some service center employees at Mirpur, because ash suits well with light blue background of the shop. Employees look distinctive on ash, and color combination just looks fantastic as they have light blue in their name tag! Design, color, fabric- all done. Remaining is cutting, or fitting. Yes, it also have to varied considering the type of service. Telecom customer service employees can wear tight-fit polo shirt to make them
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more sporty- that customer relationship manager of a bank may not afford!
Managing the Uniform
Managing uniform obviously does not mean deliver some “same color” clothes to employees. It covers areas like appearance standard setup, employee training, regular replenishment and so on. Besides mine, I believe most of the companies deploying uniforms set some appearance standards which includes: • Natural hair color • Clean shaven or neatly trimmed beards on male staff • Clean, trimmed finger nails free from nail polish for food prep workers • No excessive jewelry • Neatly pressed clothing
In most of the cases, employer pays for the uniform, and its maintenance remains with employees. Still, some motivational campaigns like best outfit, best look might help employees care more for their look and uniform. Employee involvement in design
process can be of great help to get acceptability, obviously this involvement may not necessarily mean that employees will choose as per their wish, but some vital inputs might come from them. I found a company implements “4 polo-shirt per person per month” policy after taking feedback on their pilot launch of uniform.
Uniform to make the voice BOLD
I believe one of the key reasons behind deploying uniform is to communicate the brand. If this is the reasons, then a company needs to be bold in that communication. May be pink or orange is not a good color for shirt in our country, but if the company wants to give its message via bright pink, then its uniform can be tailored up to this requirement. If you have a dress code, make sure it clearly speaks out what you want to communicate and distinguishes your employees from customers.
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What To-Do on
Valentine’s Day IRTIFA ALI
Valentine ’s Day is one of the most precious and important days for couples to celebrate. But this day can become quite a pain if it is not planned properly or we run out of ideas to make this day special for our loved ones. First and foremost to make our partner feel special we need to come up with ideas for gifts that will be unique and meaningful. Depending on the passion or interest of our loved ones ideas for gifts will vary. For example, for a lovey-dovey married couple the idea of presenting something concrete that both can carry with them will be better. A ring or locket with heart-shaped stone will be a classic choice. To be a bit more quirky, a bracelet with an engraved message such as “Partners in Love” also bears enough significance. Buying a card with nice message is a classic gift idea as this tradition marks its origins since the practice of valentine’s day began in late 18th century. However just buying a card from the shops these days can be very generic. It can be made more special if one makes the card himself or herself along with a hand-written note. In this digital age, a hand written note shows you still want to make effort for your romantic interest to feel special. Adding a bouquet of aromatic flowers such as red roses gets you more brownie points. Another nice piece to add with a card would be to send a collection of savory chocolates, cupcakes or pastries for your lover
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to demonstrate that you do appreciate their charm and sweetness. If your partner loves music, you can give a CD with a collection of romantic songs. If you are the creative-couple kind then making a scrapbook using your pictures, cute stickers, hand written notes, etc. is a masterpiece that both will probably preserve. To show the progress of your romance, you can make a dynamic video, slideshow or show reel using your personal images and voice commentary. Another cute idea while keeping in the color code of red of the Valentine ’s day would be to buy eachother something red that they will be able to utilize everyday such as red lipstick, scarf, watch, wallet or shoe etc. After sorting the gifts for your lover, now another aspect would be to make plans on how to spend the actual Valentine ’s day on February 14th. The most common and romantic option is a cozy candle-light dinner in a fancy restaurant. To look for something more dynamic, couples can go to a dance party and dance their date night away. Taking a cruise ride is another good option for an outdoor date. For something bit more toned down, couples can catch a movie, live comedy show or a concert together on that eve. If some couples prefer spending time indoors, they can arrange their own candle-light scenario in their home with home-cooked delicious meals, chocolate, ice-ream and drinks. Activities such as these not only give the couples butterflies in the stomach along with good dose of adrenaline rush but also help to bond better with each other.
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Activitiese not only give the couples butterflies in the stomach along with good dose of adrenaline rush but also help to bond better with each other
satin, georgette or net to make the dress more romantic and feminine. Men can wear a red tie with black or white shirt to get in the groove of Valentine ’s day without looking like a X-mas tree. A nice red handkerchief folded in the pocket of blazer or punjabi is another smart option. Overall the idea should be to keep in classy and clean with a hint of red in your attire.
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After all the planning; another point to stress on Valentine’s day is the style section. Choice of clothes will depend on the level of activity and venue of the day. But all should include the color of Valentine’s Day red-pink in their attire. You don’t need to be wearing red from head to toe but incorporating the colors strategically can work wonders for both male and female. For women who prefer Asian wear, they should opt for a red saree or salwar kameez. Don’t forget the the silhouettes such as A-Line, Babydoll or empire waist. A Disney Princess in red should be your inspiration for the special night with your man. Try to stick with materials such as silk, 30 PAGES
Valentine’s day comes each year of February 14th with the motto of deepening the bond of love between people. With genuine and different ideas and spontaneous approach; there is no way the couples can get bored celebrating that day. And most importantly as it is the day of love, if we arrange things with genuine intention and radiate love towards everybody, that will be the best thing to do on the Valentine’s day.
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If you are the creative-couple kind then making a scrapbook using your pictures, cute stickers, hand written notes, etc. is a masterpiece that both will probably preserve.
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Agi
21February
Hope through the Revolution of Letters
Soheli Mollik
“They stood up together
to protect the honor of the sound that issued from the lips of a new-born baby churning the very core of his existance, the utterance that sanctified for his first lesson of humanity”
I‡`i bMœ cv‡qB gy³ n‡qwQj Aeiæ× ivRc_ i‡³i Avíbvq †m c_ AZ:ci ¯úk© K‡i AvKv‡ki †mŠKh©... A Product of
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Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue. Ekush is Bengali for 21, and Ekushey means 21st. In Bangladesh, 'Ekushey' is synonymous with 'Ekushey February', the day when Bangladesh celebrates its Bangla Language Movement and honors those who sacrificed their lives in its name on the 21st February, 1952--simultaneously sowing the seeds of the independence movement, which was to free Bangladesh
from its Pakistani rulers. International Mother Language Day International Mother Language Day is celebrated every year on 21st February. The main purpose of celebrating this day is to promote the awareness of language and cultural diversity all across the world. It was first announced by UNESCO on November 17, 1999. Since then it is being celebrated every year. In 1947 at the time of partition of Pakistan, the province Bengal was divided into two parts: the western part became India and the eastern part is known as East Bengal which was later known as East Pakistan. At that time there were many economic, social and cultural issues including linguistic issue. In 1948 when government announced Urdu as the national language it sparked the protest among the Bengali speaking majority of Pakistan. The protest got out of control and ended with the death of four protestors of the University of Dhaka who were shot by the police. The students' deaths during the fight for their mother language are now remembered as The International Mother Language Day. 21st February is celebrated in all over the world, while it is a public
holiday in Bangladesh. Shaheed Minar to paytribute to Shaheed The first Shaheed Minar (Martyrs’Monument) built in memory of the martyred Bhasha Shoiniks (language soldiers) is no longer in existence. Even today, the Shaheed Minar is a place for Bengalis to hold anti fundamentalism meetings and cultural programs. In Bangladesh, February 21 is commemorated annually as the Language Movement Day. On the anniversary of the language martyrs' death, students and teachers of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University colorfully paint the Shaheed Minar premises with intricate designs. In general, Floral tributes start pouring in at the Shaheed Minar from midnight on 21 February, called the Probhat Feri (the early morning march), starting with the head of the state. People wear black and white, and come bare-footed as a sign of sorrow and respect. The famous song "Amar bhaiyer roktey rangano Ekushey February, ami ki bhulitey pari" (how can I forget 21 February reddened with the blood of my brothers) is sung with such depth of feeling that it
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never fails to bring tears to our eyes. Throughout the day, people of all ages and from all walks of life visit the Shaheed Minar to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for Bangla language. Bangladeshi Customs This is an occasion to fondly remember the language martyrs, whose sacrifice allows us to proudly speak Bangla today. It is a day to remember those brave souls with love and eternal gratitude. We are a very emotional nation, and the long queues of people from all walks of life, of all ages, laying down their silent floral homage, often with tears clouding their vision, speak their own story. But it is not just a sad occasion, but also one to revel in to commemorate the victory of unconditional love and faith. Of setting a goal and moving towards it. Of not being dejected by setbacks or even death. Of unity. Of faith which does move mountains. Of jubilation. It is a celebration of the beautiful musical language that we speak as our birth-right. A golden monument stands in the Bangla Academy grounds honoring for eternity the language martyrs
Rafique, Salam, Jabbar and Barkat. In commemoration of the day, Bangla Academy also holds a month-long book fair and organizes literary and cultural events throughout the month. We cry on Ekushey February. But we also laugh. We lament. But we are also grateful. And we pray for the eternal salvation of those brave souls. International Recognition On International Mother Language Day UNESCO and other UN agencies take part in the events to promote cultural and linguistic diversity all around the world. They appreciate and encourage people to be knowledgeable about their mother language and provide them with awareness regarding the promotion of their language and culture towards other countries. In Bangladesh on International Mother Language Day people go to Shaheed Minar to pay tribute to the martyr of 21st February and sprinkle flowers on the monument. This is a time for Bangladeshis to celebrate their culture, traditions and their Bengali national language. The prizes are given to those who made
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outstanding performance in language and cultural diversity. Remembrance Bangladeshi people remember 21st February by a memorable song:
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N IO T A N D E IT N U A , E S A UNITED CAU
L O B M O K R O F CONCERT
Arif R Hossain
THE DATE IS 19TH DECEMBER, THE PLACE IS KALABAGAN SPORTS CLUB FIELD, DHAKA.
A Chatra League activist (Tejgaon Thana)--Kamrul, is standing in line for the concert. Bodu, the Sports Secretary of Dhaka College Chatra Dal is standing right next to him. While shouldering with each other, Bodu got his plastic bag torn. An old blanket along with a pair of orange hand gloves slipped out. Everyone at the queue is moving with asly smile on their face.But Bodu isn’t embarrassed at all. Everyone gathered united for the sake of the country today. Riyad, a youngman from Azimpore, brought a sweater. But, the security personnel are not allowing him to enter--“Can’t you see? We are only accepting blankets as ticket!” Everyone is staring--Riyad is kind of embarrassed. That’s all he had at home. Besides, he could not give away the only blanket they still needed at home. It’s like this--when an accident occurs common people from the area come running to help, not the people who are driving past in their expensive imported cars.Which
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simply means that people in similar plights usually understand each other’s pain better.This is why people like Riyad stood in line to help. They are among the people who always stand beside others because they know how it feels. Let them be in the front row…
There are many others--Haydar has come from Gazipur with his mother’s cardigan. His mother passed away a long while ago--Haydar’s sister kept all her clothes as memories in a separate place. Haydar took it from there and he didn’t feel bad about it. He knew it was for a good cause and his mother would be proud. An elderly gentleman, Mizan, brought his granddaughter along. He didn’t actually come here to enjoy the concert, he wanted the granddaughter to watch the craziness of the young people—but, suddenly he realized, it won’t be all that bad if he could live a bit longer. In a country where you find young people willing to help their fellow countrymenlike this—that too in abundance-why would anyone want to die early? I don’t know how Bangladesh cricketers Shakib, Tamim, Mushfiqur and Mashrafee came, especially
without any security personnel with them. Volunteers collected all the clothes under a tent. Spectators forgot about the presence of Tamim and Shakib, they are taking selfies with the tent instead. For the first time in my life, I feelthat taking a selfie is not that bad. You can’t call it “selfish” if it helps and inspires others to do good deeds.
It has been said in Hadith--“A man should give in charity and conceal the act, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity”. From now onwards, nobody will call this initiative just a“showoff” or an excuse for a concert. The Concert for Kombolhas changed it all. This willinspire the people who didn’t liftboth their able handsto help so far. Yes! From now on, the selfie is selfish no more. Stories Behind the project:
- ‘Boss! We will distribute 400 blankets this year!’
- Very good! Where do you want it to go? - Among the poor.
- I understand, but where? The place?
DEVELOPING BANGLADESH
- North Bengal!
- Where in North Bengal?
- Where in North Bengal? Inside North Bengal! - How do you know that nobody reached that place with blanket before you?
- He he! I knew you would ask this question…we have conducted some research before coming here, nobody reached North Bengal before us. - Good…! How do you know that nobody would go there two days after you reach that place with blanket?
No answer from the young man, it shows that the messagewent through.
I believe the quantity of blanket volunteers receive each year is enough to reduce the number of deaths, if it can be distributedevenly. But we can’t do this properly. In some places people are getting more than one blanket--in many places people are getting nothing. Have I made myself clear? Like last year, ‘Project Kombol’ will work.This time, ‘Project Kombol’ will monitor the distribution channel only. We won’t mind if any other group works with winter clothing. We just want the information from them. We would then update the information to our database.
Then, if another group comes and seeks information, we will be able to direct them to a place unattended. In this regard, we have already made arrangements with NGOs of 33
districts. Once the group has finished distribution, we will update the open database (projectkombol.com) almost instantly. Isn’t it simple? Our aim is to combine all the winter clothing distribution events into a single platform in order prevent the problem of duplication. In order to make the concept clearer, we are planning to arrange a concert. The name would be “Concert for Kombol” and for the concert, the ticket would be a single blanket (Kombol). Whatever you have at home, could be your ticket for the concert. It can either be an old jacket, your mother’s old cardigan or any warm clothes.
Our target is to arrange a program where people would come with their families. So we planned to invite all the bands from 90s. First, I emailed Maqsud vai, he promptly replied--“Just tell me where you want me to go and how many songs you want me to perform”. Fazal vai (Nova) replied- “Have you gone mad? You think we would claim payments for aconcert like this? Just tell me where you want me to come”.
Tipu vai (Obscure) replied- “Band singers usually don’t purchase tickets to enter a concert. But this time we will all buy tickets. We have six members in the band, so you are getting six more blankets”.
Tahsan gets a little emotional- “My country has given me so much… now it’s time for a good return.” Sumi Apu (Chirkut) sounds a bit
more professional- “We actually don’t work for anything below our rates, but for this concert, we would rather pay you the same fees” Gradually I received responses from Souls, Bappa Da, Prometheus, Habib, Topu, Sumon (Bass Baba) and many more.
These are the people with Facebook accounts. But, the stage designerhad no Facebook account, so I called and got the reply- “Sir! You just give me the bamboos and nothing else. I will work for free to make the stage”. Elite force sent 100 security personnel. Eventually, the lights and sound supports were managed.
‘Fortunately’ James vai, Bacchu vai, Renaissances, Warfaze or Milesnobody was in Dhaka (Otherwise, how would I have arranged for all of them in a single day!) Yet, Bacchu vai called- Doesn’t matter if I am in Dhaka or not, you just tell me the place to send 50 Blankets. All the above mentioned stars are very much humble in real life.They look pretty modern on stage--but in reality they are very much middleclass like you and me.
Lastly, I called Ananta Jalil vai, He was rather filmy in his response- “No worries, you just count a Pickup (XL) full of tickets from me”. I am a little scared and excited to see what he would actually come up with! Note: This feature has been developed based on the status (stories) written on Facebook. Translation- Jahirul Islam Bhuiyan
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KNORR KITCHEN FRENCH ONION SOUP
Buttery, golden onions and melted cheese are at the center of this classic French onion soup recipe, but add a little Knorr® Homestyle Stock and you get a dish with memorably rich flavor.
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
INGREDIENTS
• 2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced • 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, crushed
• 2 tubs Knorr® Homestyle Stock Beef • 2 Tbsp. dry sherry (optional)
• 6 slices (1/2-in.-thick ea.) French bread
DIRECTIONS
1. Melt Spread in large saucepan over medium heat and cook onions, stirring frequently, until golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until
onions are browned and very tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in water and Knorr® Homestyle Stock - Beef, scraping up brown bits from bottom of saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until Stock is melted. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Stir in sherry. 3. Arrange 6 broiler-proof bowls on baking pan. Evenly ladle soup into bowls, then top with bread and cheese. Broil 1 minute or until cheese is melted.
MOM KITCHEN
ASPARAGUS SOUP
Make the most of the asparagus season with this easy soup recipe. Serve piping hot with bread – or for a soup with a difference, chill thoroughly and serve in cold bowls.
INGREDIENTS • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped • 6 cups water
• 2 Knorr® Chicken flavored Bouillon Cubes, crumbled • 1/4 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in 4-quart saucepot over medium heat and cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in water and Knorr® Chicken flavored Bouillon Cubes and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring
occasionally, 20 minutes or until asparagus is very tender.
2. Blend soup with a handheld/immersion blender until smooth; stir in cream. Garnish, if desired, with chopped dill or chives.
AUTUMN CORN CHOWDER
INGREDIENTS
• 2 slices reduced sodium bacon
• 1/2 cup leek, finely chopped, white parts only • 10 ounces peeled butternut squash, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped • 2 cups fresh corn [or thawed, frozen corn] • 8 cups water
• 1 tub Knorr® Homestyle Stock Reduced Sodium Chicken
• 1 package Knorr® Rice Sides™ Chicken flavor
DIRECTIONS
1. Cook bacon in large saucepot until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon from saucepot. Set aside and reserve drippings.
2. Cook leek, squash, celery and corn in reserved drippings over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to boil then reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 minutes. Remove 2 cups of
broth and vegetables and set aside.
3. Stir in Knorr® Homestyle Stock Reduced Sodium Chicken and Knorr® Rice Sides™ - Chicken flavor. Cover and cook 7 minutes or until rice is tender. 4. Meanwhile, process reserved 2 cups broth and vegetables in blender until smooth; stir into saucepot and cook until heated through. Garnish, if desired, with fresh parsley. • TIP: Nothing beats fresh vegetables - but frozen or canned vegetables save time and can be just as nutritious. Look for no added sugar, fat or salt varieties.
MOM KITCHEN
ANCHO CHILI BEEF & VEGETABLE SOUP
INGREDIENTS
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
DIRECTIONS
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. ground ancho chile pepper* • 4 cups water
• 3 Tbsp. Knorr® Beef flavor Bouillon
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepot over medium-high heat and brown beef. Remove and set aside.
2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook onion and corn about 4 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, tomato paste, ground chili pepper about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in water and Knorr® Beef flavor Bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat, return beef to saucepot and simmer covered about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini and tomato and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
THE STAR IN THE BRANDING FRATERNITY
FAISAL MAHMUD
Faisal Mahmud is now serving
Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd. (BEOL) as Marketing Manager. Being an IBA graduate, he has the experience of working in reputed MNCs like GP, Berger Paints & BEOL, in different functions of Sales & Marketing. Having started his career in Grameenphone Center Rollout Project, Faisal contributed in product management in Grameenphone & Brand Management in Berger. In BEOL, Faisal is responsible for brand building for reputed BEOL brands like Rupchanda, Fortune, King’s, Olivoila & Meizan. Recently the Pages team had the opportunity to sit with Faisal Mahmud for an interview. Mr. Mahmud was frank enough to share his thoughts and philosophy.
The Pages:
Rupchanda won the fourth position in the recent best Brand Award2014. Therefore, in the industry of Edible Oil they are undoubtedly the number one. When it comes to the term ‘Edible Oil’- Trust is a very crucial word. How Rupchanda made it possible to win the ‘Trust’?
Faisal:
Trust for Rupchanda is not a thing that is achieved overnight. It’s a story of two decades. Rupchanda was launched in 1996. Rupchanda has significant contribution behind the transformation of soyabean oil category and nation wide awareness about the vitality of staying fit and healthy.
When Rupchanda made a foray with soyabean oil, the edible oil market was commodity-driven and the consumer awareness was extremely low. The market was dominated by ‘loose selling’- oil in readily packaged format was an unknown concept. Soon a pool of consumers is created for hygienic, safe, bottled
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SPOTLIGHT soyabean oil. Over the last two decades, Rupchanda as a brand never compromised with quality. But it has not restricted itself within just quality assurance. It kept on improving the way it serves the consumers. Pouch pack is launched; recently new bottle design is also in market. In 2012, Rupchanda soyabean oil has further revolutionized itself by successfully fortifying Vitamin A. Rupchanda is the first Vitamin A fortified soyabean oil, under “Vitamin A fortification project” of MOI, Govt. of Bangladesh, under technical support from UNICEF.
Rupchanda’s relentless effort in serving customers in a better way is the factor behind winning the “trust”I believe.
The Pages:
In contrast to other ordinary edible oil brands, how Rupchanda is different?
Faisal:
precious if I put two facts- a) Human body takes Vitamin A in a better way if it comes through oil, and b) It’s easier to ensure Vitamin A to mass people of Bangladesh if it is fortified in edible oil since edible oil is consumed by all the Socio-economic Classes.
The Pages:
In this arena of ‘Globalization’, what strategies do you follow to face the challenge from the competitors?
Faisal:
Regardless of the industry, the key to win is continuous improvement. Let me quote Philip Kotler- “If you continue doing business in the same way you are doing now, within five years you are out of business”. Simple.
The Pages:
‘Rupchanda’ is a secret name of the recipe of many Bangladeshi house
wives. Thisvast group of customer depends on Rupchanda without any hesitation. How Rupchanda plans to response in return? (CSR).
Faisal:
CSR is not about donating some money or supporting any non-profit organization. Social & environmental issues have to be “integrated” in the business operation. For a developing country like Bangladesh, establishing the true essence of CSR has just started. But that does not mean that, we will not initiate the change. Rupchanda plans to offer “Happy Family Moments” to its consumersboth functionally & emotionally. Rupchanda wants to stay firm in the clear stance it takes- for the society & for the environment. Each initiative to be taken under Rupchanda will have a positive consequence on the society & environment it operates.
First point to mention- quality. Rupchanda’s uncompromised endeavor in quality assurance is now clearly visible through how consumers respond to Rupchanda as a brand.
With quality comes assurance, then comes satisfaction. Consumers are rest assured what they are eatingthey are happy that they are getting something worthy of their hardearned money.
Vitamin A fortification is also a clear distinction. This fact becomes more
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BIZ NEWS
ABRAR A ANWAR TO TAKE STANCHART TO GREATER HEIGHTS AS THE NEW CEO Standard
Chartered Bangladesh in a recent announcement revealed that the British banking giant’s local operations will have a new leader in Abrar A Anwar who will take charge as the Chief Executive Officer. He was the head of corporate and institutional clients at SCB before his new role as CEO. He has already taken up his new role since January 1st and will be based in Dhaka. He brings with him more than 23 years of experience in international banking in Bangladesh, India and the UK. His appointment is a noteworthy step and is in line with the recent trend of multinationals appointing Bangladeshi professionals to lead their local operations. It is a very big achievement for Bangladesh and its corporate professionals. Abrar A Anwar will succeed Jim McCabe, who was at the helm for the past five years as the CEO and will now join Standard Chartered Sri Lanka as the CEO. Regarding Abrar A Anwar’s capability, SCB made the statement: “He has delivered impressive revenue growth, diversifying the business beyond traditional banking into sophisticated financial solutions to meet the more complex needs of corporates”
Sunil Kaushal, CEO of Standard Chartered’s South Asia operations,
said regarding Anwar’s appointment: “Abrar is a hugely talented member of our team and he has already made a major contribution to our success, under Jim McCabe's leadership. His deep knowledge of Bangladesh, a key growth market for us globally, and our customers and clients will take this exciting business to new heights.”
Ekhanei.com and OLX to merge Two of the most popular online classified marketplaces Ekhanei.com and OLX.com.bd announced a merger with the aim of grabbing a larger market share in the country. The e-commerce market is growing at a rapid pace. The new company will operate under the Ekhanei.com name and the existing ads will be migrated over from olx.com.bd. Users will still be able to post ads with ease.
The venture will be jointly owned by SnT Classified (50.3 percent), the parent company of ekhanei.com and Naspers (49.7 percent), the parent company of OLX.com.bd. The transaction is part of a larger partnership agreement to join forces in selected emerging markets, according to a statement. Amarjit Singh Batra, Chief Executive Officer of OLX South Asia, said: “By teaming up together, we can accelerate the great momentum we have built to date.”
Arild Klokkerhaug, Managing Director of SNT Bangladesh said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with OLX in Bangladesh, and are excited to bring all of our buyers and sellers into a single destination where local Bangladeshis can connect and buy and sell more easily and more quickly than ever.”
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HOLLYWOOD &BOLLYWOOD
BITES
AS EXPECTED, JULIANNE MOORE WINS BEST ACTRESS AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES
Julianne Moore won Best Actress Drama at the Golden Globes for her role in "Still Alice." Moore plays a Columbia professor diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice," which is based on Lisa Genova's 2007 novel by the same name. Moore defeated Rosamund Pike, Reese Witherspoon, Felicity Jones and Jennifer Aniston for the honor.
KYLE MACLACHLAN RETURNING TO SHOWTIME'S 'TWIN PEAKS' IN 2016
Special Agent Dale Cooper is officially coming back for the limited run of "Twin Peaks" on Showtime in 2016. The show's co-creator, David Lynch, confirmed that Kyle MacLachlan would reprise his role after the network and MacLachlan announced the news- “I’m very excited to return to the strange and wonderful world of Twin Peaks,” MacLachlan said to the crowd. “May the forest be with you.” The cult classic show will return to TV for nine new episodes next year, which will coincide with the 25th anniversary of its two-year run on ABC. Showtime announced the news back in October. At the time, co-creator Mark Frost said that "Twin Peaks" will pick up where it left off. "The story continues," he said. "The seeds of where we go were planted where we've been."
THEY’RE BACK
Disney debuted the new trailer for "Avengers: Age of Ultron" during the College Football Playoff National Championship, giving sports fans the chance to enjoy the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Everyone else can enjoy the new teaser available on youtube, which is high on Avengers fun and low on football.
HOLLYWOOD & BOLLYWOOD BITES KATRINA IS AMUSED WITH 'RING' SPECULATIONS
After Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor shifted together in their new house, latest buzz is that the two love birds have already got engaged.
Although, neither Katrina Kaif nor Ranbir Kapoor has admitted about their relationship in public, this has become an open secret after they shifted together. Nevertheless, those rumours of their engagement got further validated at Farah Khan's birthday bash. Katrina Kaif was spotted in a pretty white jeans coupled with a white tank top and the actress happily posed for the shutterbugs. But the thing that caught everyone's attention was that Katrina kept her left hand inside her pocket and did not bring it out until she was facing the cameras. Although, there are some pics where Kat's left hand was out of her pocket, even then she apparently tried to hide those fingers.
'PK' BECOMES BOLLYWOOD'S BIGGEST SUCCESS
Comedy drama "PK" is now the highest grossing Bollywood film ever, breaking records not just in India but abroad as well. "PK" has accumulated $65.2m of Indian box office returns since its December 19 release. The title has also taken $9.15m to date in North America, making it the biggest Bollywood movie there too, while Australian totals stand at $1.9m so far.One major milestone remains for "PK," which has overtaken Khan's 2013 blockbuster "Dhoom 3" in almost every other regard: the earlier hit's total worldwide tally is set at $89m, with "PK" not far behind on $86.2m. But the picture has not been without controversy, its setup allowing director RajkumarHirani and co-writer Abhijat Joshi to question some of India's established social mores.
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MOVIE REVIEW
THE RIGHT NUMBER:
PK Imran Saif
This
review is about a movie that has managed to stir up quite a bit of controversy in the last few months, right from the get-go—with the release of the poster showing Aamir Khan in the nude with only a radio to save his modesty. But that was just the start, the movie manages to enlighten and provoke while delivering a strong message about organized religion.
PK begins with Aamir Khan playing an extraterrestrial whose spacecraft drops him off in the middle of the desert in Mandawa, India. What happens next sets up the entire movie quite nicely--A mugger strips PK of the remote control that summons his spaceship to take him back home. A chase ensues and the mugger manages to hop on a train and getaway. PK is left with the mugger’s boom box radio. PK seeks help from humans he meets along the way and all of them make fun of him or tell him to ask God where he can find his remote. PK, being a naïve alien with no Earth experience, goes on a relentless search for God—taking up all the major religions, beliefs and rituals in the
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process.
PK manages to generate a lot of laughs with its outrageous slapstick humor and witty dialogue. The clueless, child-like persona that Aamir Khan adopts to play the alien character is both a testament to his acting prowess as well as his fearlessness in terms of delivering a message. As an alien it is possible to be ignorant about nearly every aspect of human culture and that is why this movie works so well. We cannot blame PK for being curious and asking questions that provoke, shed new light, or ultimately shift our perspective on something so obvious that we wonder why it didn’t come to our mind. PK refuses to accept any answer that is not logical and that ultimately leads him to realizations about how complex human behavior and culture can become depending on context and over periods of time. Anushka Sharma gives a great performance as “Jaggu” and her own struggles leads her to cross paths with and ultimately become friends with PK. Without giving much of the story away, it can be said that
“As an alien it is possible to be ignorant about nearly every aspect of human culture and that is why this movie works so well.
”
Jaggu and PK are a match written in the stars but made in Earth. They complement each other very well and keep the movie flowing at a brisk entertaining pace. I can’t imagine anyone feeling bored or breaking away from the immersion. Director Raj Kumar Hirani—who previously directed the controversial and successful movie “LageRahoMunna Bhai” in 2006—is an exceptional storyteller and manages to forge the different elements within the story into a masterful whole. Chances are that you have already watched PK by now--but if you haven’t then you should definitely go watch it now!
EXIM BANK gets ICMAB Best Corporate Award 2014
EXIM Bank Gets ICMAB Best Corporate Award 2014 in the category of Private Commercial Bank (Islamic Operation) for its Capital Adequacy, Asset Quality, Corporate Governance, Adequate earning and profitability, Risk Management, Contribution to the National Economy, Regulatory compliances, Transparency and great contribution to the corporate social responsibilities. Managing Director of Exim Bank Dr. Mohammed Haider Ali Miah received the award on 20-01-2015 from Chief Guest of the program Mr. AMA Muhit, Finance Minister in a program held at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon.
Abu Khayer Md. Muktadirul Bari Chowdhury and Mariyam Sultana awarded PhD Abu
Khayer Md. Muktadirul Bari Chowdhury(elder son of Ex High School Headmaster as well as UP Chairman Md. Rafiqul Bari Chowdhury and Ummey Mostafa Begum Chowdhury) and his wife Mariyam Sultana (inhabitant of ParialpurChowdhuripara, P.S-Bochaganj, District: Dinajpur) have obtained their PhD degrees on Environmental Science from the University of Patrai, Greece.
Abu Khayer Md. Muktadirul Bari Chowdhury is an Associate Professor of HSTU, Dinajpur. He is also the son-in-law of Professor Dr. M.A. Karim and Mrs. Karim, BAU, Mymensingh. 30 PAGES
Late Winter Style Mantra IRTIFA ALI
With the debut of February one thing looms on the horizon- Last days of winter! Late winter means brighter days and bit warmer climate. As winter evolves; so should our style evolve with it. Late winter style mantra mainly includes the classy casual route of clothing and bright hued accessories. It is time to twist and generate quirky themes in our daily fashion. The most important aspect of end of winter clothing is the color. As we are still in winter, we can still play with monotones such as grey, off-white and beige. Try to avoid wearing the oh-so- predictable black and opt for other shades of dark colors such as navy, dark chocolate, dark-inky blues, etc. To match the overall mood of winter pale and soft pastels are excellent options. Try pairing hues such as lavender, light turquoise, blush pink, mauves and mint shades with dark or monotones. Now is the time to jazz up your look with bright pops of colors on your accessories such as red, maroon, magenta, green, orange and purple.
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For menswear, the overall aim should be classy casual with strong and structured silhouettes.Opt for medium to light knitwear and jackets. Pieces such as blazers, hoodies, light leather jackets, half or full sleeved sweaters offer numerous possibilities of layering up in style. In this time of the year, we better avoid acid wash or ripped denims and choose for a darker wash in shades of diesel blue and navy. Stripes can work all season so think of teaming Breton stripes and Burberry inspired stripes with dark jeans or beige pants. Take a look at the everyday style of fashionable dudes such as Bradley cooper and Hrithik Roshan to get a clearer idea of this menswear trend. In regards of accessories we can always choose bright colors such as red and maroon to spice up the overall
classy casual look. Try wearing scarves, mufflers, belts and hats in these bright and fun colors. As for footwear we better stick to closed shoes such as sneakers, canvas or oxford style laced-up shoes in order to avoid the unwanted cold feet and cracked heels! In the department of womenswear, the main essence should be soft yet classy casual. Just because the climate is still cold doesn’t mean the female counterpart should portray the same theme with their clothing. In this particular time women should focus on bringing out the softer knit wears and jackets as opposed to the bulky knits and harsh silhouette they wore earlier winter. So feel free to wear cashmeres, wools, traditional weaves, ponchos, tunics, shrugs and light-weight hoodies in your daily
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lives to feel comfy and warm. For these warmer pieces, opt for pastel colors or monochromes to keep the overall look soft and feminine. Ladies can try accessories in bolder hues such as bright pink, emerald, maroon, orange and yellow. Think of including scarves, pashminas, shawls, quirky hats, fun belts with your casual wear to battle the last phase of winter. Fashionistas such as Halle Berry and Jennifer Aniston embody such fashion style with great ease.Women should try dark wash jeans in boot-cut or skinny silhouettes. Furthermore, women can still pair up their trusty leggings, jeggings and woolen tights. As for footwear the best options are ballet flats and sneakers.However the softer or brighter the color the better! Think Parisian women fashion as a big inspiration for this time of the year.
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It is time to twist and generate quirky themes in your daily fashion
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As winter fades away and leaves its last traces and ushers the beginning of spring , don’t forget to make the best of this amazing opportunity to have fun with your clothes. Late winter style equates with affordable and cool casual style.Try to take your early winter fashion to a bit more quirky and relaxed category and you are good to go!
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Dhaka University Graphic Design
Department Reunion – The Bond between Past and Present
On the occasion of the Dhaka University
Graphic Design Department Reunion, the gates of Charukola were decorated anew and the venue was lit up with beautiful decorations all throughout—it was a spectacular sight for the guests who attended. There was a steady flow of people since morning and people of all ages were at the event enjoying various activities and listening to stories being shared. Everyone was busy catching up and reminiscing. There was a festive atmosphere all throughout the day and people spent their time enjoying the food and drinks—Pitha, coffee, date juice, etc. This festival was for the first ever reunion of the Graphic Design Department. It was for the graduates from 1948 till 2015. After the mass rally around Charukola everyone gathered around and the guests took their respective places at the main stage. The 1st Reunion of the Graphic Design Department was dedicated to renowned artist Qayyum Choudhury and a minute of silence was observed to pay respect to him. In the program, 10 of the best and most accomplished Artists who graduated over the years were highlighted and respect was paid to them. Among them were: Late Artist Imdad Hossain (1st Batch), Quayum Chowdhury (2nd Batch), as well as: Artist Mir Mostafa Ali, Professor Somarjit Rai Chowdhury, SachindraLal Barua, Motaharul Haque Chowdhury, Latf. A. Alam, Professor Mohiuddin Faruque, Zia Haque and Dr. Kazi Mozammil Hossain. The Chief Guest at the event was Celebrated Artist and Organizer MostafaMonowar and as a pioneer—the Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, Professor Dr. A.A.M.S Arefin Siddique. The Dean of Charukola Faculty, Artist Nisar Hossain, was present as the Special Guest. Besides that, Artist Professor Somarjit Rai Chowdhury, Mamun Kaiser, Md. Yunus, staff, lecturers andalumni of Charukola who are established artists in many government and private organizations around the country were present as well. The moderator of the event was the current Chairman of the Graphic Design Department Maqsudur Rahman. The event was successful in creating a bond between the past and present Artists and contribute towards strengthening and inspiring the talent pool within the country.
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