weekend tribune vol 2 issue 34

Dhaka Tribune | vol 2 Issue 34 | FRIDAY, JANuARY 9, 2015

ClImAte CoNFeReNCe4 17DhAkA

eNteRtAINmeNt 21 PeRsoNAl sPACe

Editor’s notePROTECT AND PRESERVEDear Readers,

Part of ensuring a brighter future is to preserve the resources we have now. And that is precisely what we are talking about this week.In our second installment of the Gobeshona conference, we discuss sustainability. We’re taking to the hills of the CHT to examine the immediate impact of climate change (pages 6-7). But its not all gloom and doom. We’re also looking at innovations in the healthcare sector with the advent of telemedicine (page 15). Check out our beautiful photo story on Panam Nagar (pages 9-11) and take a walk through the pages of history to see the Dhaka of old (page 8).Here’s hoping you have a great week.

Sabrina Fatma AhmadTree-felling by local villagers in the CHT is a prime example of deforestation, which contributes to climate change.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, JAN UARY 9, 2015

1CONTENTS

Volume 2 | Issue 34 | January 9, 2015

News 2 News

3 Meanwhile

Features 4 Gobeshona Climate

Conference

Sazzadur Rahman

5 Environment AKM Saiful

Islam

15 Digital Bangladesh

Telemedicine

17 Top 10 Dhaka entertainment

20 A day in the life Fire-fighter

21 Rant Personal space

regulars14 Legalese

16 Tough Love

18 Stay In

19 Go Out

EditorZafar Sobhan

Executive EditorShahriar Karim

Managing EditorJahangir Hyder

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Weekend Tribune TeamTasnuva Amin Nova

Farhana UrmeeFaisal MahmudFarina NoireetTausif Sanzum

Art Direction/PhotographySyed Latif Hossain

CartoonsSyed Rashad Imam Tanmoy

Rio Shuvo

ContributorsJennifer Ashraf

Syed Zakir HossainMahmud Hossain Opu

Ishrat JahanIshraq Khan

Ruwaida KhandkerTamoha Binte Siddiqui

Dina Sobhan

GraphicsMd Mahbub Alam

Colour SpecialistShekhar Mondal

AdvertisementZia Ur Rahman

ProductionMasum Billah

CirculationMasud Kabir Pavel

Websitedhakatribune.com/weekendfacebook.com/WeekendTrib

Email your letters to:[email protected]

ENvIRONMENTCHT ClIMATe CHAnge

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REfLECTIONSCITy of HeRITAge

8

PhOTO STORyPAnAM nAgAR

9

fEATuREBonSAI

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circulated on the Internet.The viral dissemination of the

image underscored the perils of life in the White House fishbowl – particularly when its occupants are trying to raise children there – in the age of the Internet and social media.

The White House – which has jealously guarded the Obama girls’ privacy – so far has not commented on the photo. Photo: AFP

North Korea boosted ‘cyber forces’ to 6,000 troops, South saysNorth Korean military’s “cyber army” has boosted its numbers to 6,000 troops, the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Tuesday, double Seoul’s estimate for the force in 2013, and is working to cause “physical and psychological paralysis” in the South.

The new figure, disclosed in a ministry white paper, comes after the United States, South Korea’s key ally, imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. Pyongyang has denied involvement in the attack.

For years, North Korea has been pouring resources into a sophisticated cyber-warfare cell called Bureau 121, run by the military’s spy agency and staffed by some of the most talented computer experts in the country.

Its long-term target may be telecoms and energy grids in rival nations, defectors from the isolated state said.Photo: AP

Doorless Indian village sure thieves won’t be knockingMembers of the Gade family proudly show off a stash of Indian rupees kept in an unlocked tin barrel in their bedroom, despite their home not having a front door.

In Shani Shingnapur village in western India, residents see little need for such security, thanks to their belief in special protection from the Hindu deity Shani.

As farmers trundle the roads in bullock carts piled high with sugarcane, they pass rows of homes

2 NEwS | This week

The world at a glance

Female suicide bomber attacks Istanbul’s tourist heartOn Tuesday, a female suicide bomber killed herself and a Turkish policeman in a strike at the heart of Istanbul’s tourist district, the second attack on city police within a week.

The government denounced the bombing as a “heinous terror attack” against the “new Turkey” under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said only the bravery of police had prevented a higher toll.

The attack came five days after a member of an outlawed Marxist radical group DHKP-C attacked police on guard outside the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul on the Bosphorus.

There was no immediate official indication of a link between the two attacks. But some Turkish media reports said the suicide bomber was a young woman in her mid-twenties who was a member of the DHKP-C.

The woman went into the police station in the Sultanahmet district and told the police in English she had lost her wallet before setting off her explosives, governor Vasip Sahin said on Turkish television. Photo: AFP

Thousands flee homes in Indian-held Kashmir to escape firingThousands of villagers in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have fled their homes because of artillery battles between Indian and Pakistani soldiers along the highly militarised border, officials said Tuesday.

Authorities have evacuated more than 6,000 people to relief camps as of Tuesday, nearly a week after the

shelling broke out, said Shantmanu, a senior official in Indian-held Kashmir. About 4,000 other people have fled their homes and are staying with relatives, he said.

At least a dozen people have been killed in the border skirmishes.

While there was no shelling reported Tuesday, tensions have heightened along the 200-kilometer (125-mile) border that India and Pakistan share in Kashmir, the Himalayan region claimed by both countries and divided between them. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of Kashmir since they won independence from Britain in 1947.

Indian officials have set up about 20 relief camps where food and medical care is available to villagers, many of whom fled their homes with no belongings.Photo: Reuters

Rare glimpse of Obama daughter causes online stir

After years of careful White House control over her few public appearances, a mysterious online image of first daughter Malia Obama, 16, has gone viral.

The rare glimpse of a personal side of President Barack Obama’s oldest daughter – sister Sasha is now 14 – shows her wearing a tee-shirt printed with the name of the Brooklyn rap group Pro Era.

The photo shows the lanky high school student – or someone who looks very much like her – mouth agape, looking directly into the camera as she arranges her long ponytail.

But no one seems to know who took the picture, or how it came to be

Weekend Tribune Desk

The High Court has banned publishing, broadcasting or reproducing speeches, statements of BNP’s senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman in print, electronic and social media as long as he is absconding.

Justice Kazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman passed the order on Wednesday morning.

The bench instructed the information secretary and home secretary to carry out the order within two weeks.

The court also pressed a rule asking the respondents why publishing and broadcasting Tarique’s speeches, statements would not be banned.

The directive came following a writ petition filled by lawyer Nasrin Siddique Lina on Tuesday seeking HC’s directive upon the media for not publishing or broadcasting speeches of BNP’s senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman and other fugitives.

Tarique Rahman, information ministry and people concerned were made respondents to the writ.

Tarique, from London, recently made various derogatory remarks on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mijubur Rahman and the history of Bangladesh.

Following his comments, a good number of cases were filed in different courts across the country against Tarique and several arrest warrants were issued against him.

Tarique has been in London since September 11, 2008 on medical grounds after securing parole in various cases.

He faces 14 charges, of which four, including the August 21 grenade attack case, are on trial and the rest are stayed.News: Dhaka Tribune

Tarique’s speech banned in Bangladesh

media

bearing empty door frames - a village tradition that goes back for generations.

“Years ago, Shani came in the dreams of devotees and told them you don’t need to put any doors on your homes,” housewife Jayashree Gade told AFP.

“He said: ‘I will protect you.’ That’s why we don’t have any doors.”

According to legend, an iron and stone slab washed up in a nearby river during a flood more than 300 years ago, and began oozing blood when cattle herders poked it with a stick.Photo: AFP


3meanwhile ... | NEwS

You’re welcome

1. WHAT IS BITCOIN?Bitcoin is a global, virtual currency that serves as a payment system. It is also thought by many to be a commodity. Users can convert money from a variety of traditional currencies into Bitcoin, or they can create new Bitcoin by processing and verifying (also known as “mining”) existing Bitcoin.

2. HOW IS IT CIRCULATED?Before anyone can obtain Bitcoin from its current holder, someone must verify that the seller does indeed own the Bitcoin in question, is willing to sell or trade it, and has not promised it to another buyer.

3. HOW IS BITCOIN DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL CURRENCIES?Because the Internet is always “on,” you are never limited by banking hours or holidays. Also at 0.004%, Bitcoin transaction costs are significantly lower than those of credit card transactions, which average between 2-3%. Besides, unlike traditional currency, Bitcoin do not require a Central Bank.

4. IS BITCOIN REGULATED?Bitcoin has no regulation, but that’s by design. The creator, Satoshi Nakamoto (a pen name for an unknown person or group of people) purposely set out to create a monetary system outside the controls of the government or a central bank. Instead, Bitcoin users regulate themselves by publically declaring and validating all transactions before they are executed.

5. WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF BITCOIN?At times, the price of a single Bitcoin has fluctuated greatly day-to-day, but has shown less volatility in recent months. Also, Bitcoin has recently been in the news for association with the online black market sale of drugs and illegal goods. One recent example, the CEO of a Bitcoin exchange was arrested for facilitating drug sales through his exchange.News and photo: Bloomberg

Photo of the week

Students at Quamrunnesa Government Girls’ High School celebrate the first day of the year with new books in their hands.

Photo: Rajib Dhar

Say what?

New Zealander ISIS fighter accidentally Tweets secret location

Five things you need to know about bitcoin

A New Zealand man thought to have been fighting with the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) inadvertently revealed his precise location by posting geotagged tweets, a security researcher revealed.Abu Abdul-Rahman, also known as Mark Taylor, left New Zealand to join the

fight with ISIS in May 2012. Soon after, he tweeted that his mission to Syria was a “one-way trip” that featured a picture of his burned passport, the Guardian reports.Taylor has since deleted 45 tweets after learning that they were geotagged with his precise coordinates. Security researcher Jeff Wyers, who runs an open-source intelligence group called iBrado, used the tweet geo-location information to place Taylor in a specific house in the Syrian town of al-Taqbah.News and photo: TIME


4 GOBEShONA CLIMATE CONfERENCE | sazzadur rahman

Need for climate change tolerant riceAs part of a deltaic country where rice is the staple food for millions, and yearly floods are a major obstruction, advancing in rice production technology is a necessity we cannot ignore

Faisal Mahmud

Climate change has already begun affecting most of Bangladesh’s traditional agricultural practices as the

seasonal cycle and rainfall pattern have changed. Droughts have become more frequent, natural disasters like cyclones, earth quakes, prolonged floods, salt water intrusions are increasing day by day.

Sazzadur Rahman, senior scientific officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) believes that if timely measures are not taken, very soon, the country will face severe food crisis.

It is projected that the temperature will rise 1.30°C by 2030 and 2.60°C by 2070, the sea level rise will be up by three feet and a greater part of the coastal area will be inundated.

“We have to understand that the most productive region of the country will be affected directly because of the sea level rise. As a consequence 17% of total cultivable land would be affected. Around 30 million people would lose their farms and homesteads.”

Food security means rice securityIn Bangladesh, agriculture is the main source of food and nutrition of 156.6 million people. Out of the 14.8 million hectares of net cultivable land, rice covers 10.43 million hectares in three seasons.

Rahman said that food security in Bangladesh may be regarded as rice security in the country. “The present population growth rate is 1.2%. In contrast the growth rate of rice production is 2.85%. So we are running ahead in terms of rice production,” said Rahman.

The population growth rate in Bangladesh is around 1.2% which includes approximately 2 million extra people per year in total population. This additional population requires over 300,000 tons of rice to meet their demand for food.

“Fortunately, per capita consumption of rice has almost reached a saturation point in the rural areas and has started to decline in urban areas. Projected production of rice in 2021 would be about 37 million tons based on 60% of present yield gap minimization.”

On the other hand, projected demand will be around 32.60 million tons based on population growth falling from 1.4% to 1.2%, increasing GDP growth and reduction in income elasticity of demand for rice from 0.31 to 0.20, indicating total demand that exceeded total production by 6.59 and 4.21 million tons by the year 2015 and 2021, respectively.

“The projected scenario indicates that the country will remain food

sufficient unless any major disaster happens. But there are some other factors which could affect the production of rice in our country.”

The factors that we need to consider Seasonal variability in rice production is one of the important aspects to consider in rice sufficiency in Bangladesh. Boro rice, largely depends on underground water, occupies only 41.7% area but contributes about 54.5% in production.

Sustainability of underground water has a direct relation with the sustainability of rice sufficiency in the country. “Expansion of irrigated area in Bangladesh, for rice

production, has little window. Rather some irrigated land has been shifted already to non-rice crop because of severe drawn down effect,” said the rice scientist.

Road and other infrastructure construction as well as conversion of rice fields to small rice-fish farms, along with improper drainage facilities converted normal rice fields to water stagnant area in different parts of the country, particularly in south-western regions.

“Due to climate change, salinity intrusion has gradually increased in the coastal region. Saline water affected areas have increased from 0.75 million hectares in 1973 to 0.95 million hectares in 2009 and 1.05 million hectares in 2012.

“So developing rice breed which is tolerant to saline water, drought and submersion has become a top priority of BRRI.”

Rice varieties to tackle climate changeThe BRRI has already released two saline-tolerant rice varieties named Brri 53 and Brri 54 in 2010, as well as two submersion-tolerant varieties Brri 51 and Brri 52 in the same year.

“In 2012, we released two more draught-tolerant varieties – Brri 56 and Brri 57. In addition to these six extreme-climate-tolerant rice varieties, we also released eight more varieties between 2009 and 2013.”

However, these varieties are yet to gain popularity among the farmers because Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), the agency that works to distribute seeds, have been late in their efforts to get the seeds to the farmers.

“I think collaboration should be strengthened with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and other donor agencies in order to develop high yielding rice varieties with enhanced salt tolerance, submergence and water stagnation tolerances,” concluded Rahman. n

Photo: Courtesy


5akm saiful islam | ENvIRONMENT

What is the state of research on climate change in Bangladesh? As a nation we are really climate resilient. We can naturally cope with disasters and calamities. Yet, the bottom line is, we suffer a lot. But sufferings can always be curtailed with knowledge about the calamity, and that knowledge eases the ways to preparednesses and having protections against disasters.

A consortium of research, having proper projection of the situation, assessment of data and information, is an essential first tool to successfully operate any programme. Climate change is such a multi-dimensional and long-term problem for a poor country like ours, that initiating good research programmes, having first hand information from field level, and implementing that knowledge in coping with the actual problem will be a very timely and appropriate step towards the solution of the problem.

How is climate change affecting the flood situation in the country? A number of studies are in progress regarding the impact of climate change. Since our country has a good number of rivers that we are heavily dependent on, the impact of climate change on our rivers is a major concern.

The sea level rising will impact the entire internal river system of the country.

Firstly, the increased water level in the sea will actually flow inward to the land and rivers. Different assessments and reports say quite a significant amount of land in the coastal areas will be a submerged due to this. For a densely populated country like ours, this will be a massive threat.

In addition, the sea’s saline water, on coming in contact with the land and fresh-water bodies, will adversely affect soil fertility, severely damaging agriculture, which is a major mode of

subsistence in rural Bangladesh. The lives of rural people will also

be affected with the change of the hydro-logic cycle, which is another impact of climate change. The temperature will increase, the time-cycle and frequency of rain will be changed. For example, pre-monsoon rain may decrease and may increase again during monsoon, which will affect the cultivation of crops badly. A number of reports say, the monsoon

period will increase up to 6-10%. Another risk of increased rainfall is that it will not increase evenly. Thus the frequency and magnitude of floods in the country will be changed.

Where are we in the climate change situation? Man-made disasters are also a major contributor towards the climate change situation in the country. We have a total of 57 trans-boundary

rivers, three out of which, flow in from Myanmar and the most of the rest from India, with a few from China and Bhutan. We have a number of infrastructures like dams and barrages, which alter the flow of the rivers and cause additional threats to the local environment, along with the ones caused by climate change. Deforestation is another massive problem.

What is the solution?Climate change is not a disaster like cyclone in that its effects can be seen easily and measured instantaneously. Our approach should be adaptation and not mitigation, since we are not among the countries producing large-scale emissions. However, there is a limit to the extent to which one can adapt. All the global conferences claim the situation will not escalate to a point that it goes beyond adaptation.

In terms of flood management, we can focus on the benefits that the annual flood waters provide, which is the minerals it brings in, that contribute towards enriching the soil.

In the case of urban areas, the government should work on improving an early warning mechanism and plan how to manage prolonged floods, as they have a long term effect on GDP and economic growth.

What can the government do? The government must initiate a proper coordination among the disaster management and environment protecting bodies. This can ensure having a proper action plan and more importantly, the preparedness to fight floods and other disasters.

And further, awareness regarding climate change issues needs to be enhanced, and that can be done once the government itself has sufficient information and data in its hand regarding climate change and its impact. n

Coping with climate changeDr AKM Saiful Islam, Professor, Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), BUET, speaks on climate change adaptation and having sufficient research to combat the problem

Farhana Urmee

Photo: Courtesy


6 ENvIRONMENT | ChT ClimaTe Change

For people like Kunjang Tripura, “border” is nothing but a meaningless six-letter word.

Growing up in the arduous and unforgiving Raing Khiang valley at the deep of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), hardship is something that he was born and brought up with.

“But I can’t read the hills anymore,” he said, in his native Tripura tongue (translated to this correspondent by a guide) when he was found cutting bamboo in the forest, from where a ‘special’ border named Tinmukh (the confluence border of Myanmar, Bangladesh and India) is just a five minutes trek.

“I cut bamboos and sell this to the market in Mizoram, sometimes at

the Arakan market of Myanmar,” he told this correspondent who recently made a visit in that area.

“Ruma bazaar (the nearest Bangladeshi market) is just a bit too far for me as I have to walk for more than 20 hours with these heavy bamboos along the narrow mountain trails of some 3,000 feet high hills,” Kunjang said when asked why he doesn’t go to the local market.

In comparison, nearest market in Mizoram are just a 3 hours trek and the Arakan market is just 5 hours. Besides, there are neither any check posts nor any barbed wire to check the intrusion at those remote hilly parts.

The migration“My ancestors used to live in the

‘Pranzog Para’ by the side of Raing Khiang Lake. But as the hills for the jhum cultivation under that Para (hill village) became too scarce, a group migrated from there and went further east to establish a new Para named ‘Charching Para’,” Kunzang said.

But even the hills for jhum cultivation under that ‘Para’ became too scarce for its growing population over the years. So again a group migrated from that Para to further East and established a new para named ‘Dhupanichara para,’ Kunzang said.

“I was a resident of ‘Dhupanichara Para,’ but just a year ago I, along with three other families moved out and established our huts under the ‘Sinog Hills’ near the Tinmukh border,” he

says. Kunzang said that he is no longer

a farmer any more. “Strange things have been happening in the hills. We were ready to grow jhum, but the rains never came on time. The crops were so few, we could not even gather enough for taxes to the Karbari (Village Head) and our Raja,” he said.

“We can’t even hunt any animals as there are very few of those because the water is drying up. So, we prefer to cut bamboos and cane from the jungle and sell those to the markets,” he says.

Breaking century’s old customsKunjang is not alone in the remote part of CHT. Many like him are unknowingly facing the consequences

nowhere to hideClimate refugees are struggling to make ends meet

Faisal Mahmud

Photos: Ashraf Ul Zubair


7

of the global climate changes. They are forced to change their traditional professions, leave their homes and search for a new and uncertain beginning.

Ejis Bom, a resident of Passingpara, the highest locality of the country at the elevation of about 2,700 feet, said ‘things’ are changing inside the deep hills of Bandarban. “A good number of hills are not producing crops anymore; water-sources- centering which, hill peoples usually establish their villages, remain dry even in the monsoon. We are forced to leave our old villages and migrate to other places for establishing new ones,” says Ejis.

His words ring true. This correspondent has been visiting the deep of Bandarban for the past few years, and has witnessed the hill people migrating, from one place to another, and establish a new village by breaking their old customs to share with other tribes.

In the last ten years, nine new villages were established in Chimbuk range alone, five others in the Sippi range. It’s quite unusual when

the fact is taken into account that only a decade ago, a new village was established (in geographical proximity of that village) due to population increase, once in every eight years.

NO ENTRYNow it is however not the population (in fact population rate is lower than before in Bandarban) that forces them to migrate. It it rather the lack of water-sources, the lack of cultivable hills and overall the climate change that force the move.

Sujon Tripura, popularly known as ‘Sujon Master’ to the local people, lives in Pranzog Para. He is involved with several NGOs working in the CHT. According to him, the burgeoning problem of the CHT is the drying up of the water sources.

“I, with the help of NGO forum (an NGO working in the water sector), in last few years have identified more than 110 ‘jiri’ (small water stream, by the side of which a Para is normally established) which either have dried out or changed their courses”, he says.

Sujon Master said, due to these drying up of the water sources, the irrigation water for the jhum cultivation becomes more and more scarce. “Also the hills become infertile only after five of six crops yield, which forces the people of one Para to migrate to another so that they can get new hills for cultivation,” he said.

Some of the people migrated to Ruma Bazaar, Thanchi Bazaar or at the outskirt of Bandarban Sadar where they live their lives in congested slums and earn living thorough various professions including hill cutting, construction and many others, he said.

“A good number of people even migrated to further East in Mizoram or Arakan as there they have found work in the timber factories”, he adds.

What lies beneath?Weekend Tribune had a conversation with Adam Trivet, a researcher from the University of Houston, Texas who visited CHT and conducted research on the climate change effects in that

part of the country.“The cultivation period of a

particular crop has lessened in the CHT hills over the years. This is actually a result of global climate change. The problem is neither the government nor the NGOs have come forward in this regard. No focus has been put on the issue of developing new varieties of high yielding crops for the jhum cultivation that can withstand factors like aridity and altered climate patterns,” Adam Trivet wrote in an e-mail.

“The years-old practices in the CHT area have served the hill people long when the successive cultivation period was 12 years or longer, now with the climate change the period is less than five years. As a result, the soil fertility is decreasing and reversible degradation of the environment is taking place,” he writes.

“The only solution to this problem is to develop high yielding crops for the hilly terrain that can stand against the changing climate. Philippines faced the same problem and they tackled it by doing so,” he opined. n


8 REfLECTIONS | CiTy of heriTage

Dhaka: city of recollection & forgetfulness

An excerpt from Muntasir Mamun’s “Dhaka: Sriti Bisritir Nogori”

Translated by Ishraq Khan

AzimpurAzimpur happened to be a deserted region at the beginning of the 20th century, even though it is counted among the oldest areas of the city. It is believed to have been established during the Mughal era and might have begun its descent into decay during the British Raj.

Azimpur was marked as an uninhabited area on the Surveyor General’s map of 1850, but was re-established as a residential area for government employees during the 1950s.

There has been considerable debate as to the origin of the name – Azimpur. Many are of the opinion that it might have been named after the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s son, Prince Azam.

Azam was Subehdar of Bengal from 1677-79 and began construction of the Qilah Aurangzeb or Lalbagh Fort during this tenure. His labourers were housed in the area that is now Azimpur.

Many disagree with this theory, claiming that the area owes its name to Aurangzeb’s grandson, Azimusshan instead, who was Subehdar between 1697-1703. Towards the end of his tenure as Subehdar, he developed a

feud with Nazim Murshidkuli Kha in Dhaka.

His attempt at Murshidkuli’s life failed but following the incident, the capital was relocated to Murshidabad and Dhaka became deserted, as did Azimpur.

Whatever the debate regarding its nomenclature, one can assume that it was towards the end of the 17th century that Azimpur assumed its role as a Modern residential area.

AtishkhanaThere is much debate about the origin of the name of Atishkhana and its meaning. One theory is that the name originates from the Farsi word “Atish” meaning fire.

Hakim Habibur Rahman was a firm believer in this theory. He believed that there had been a grave in No 13 Hakim Habibur Rahman Road, which was encased in a metal windowed structure.

The grave was eventually buried 8 feet deep into the ground and other structures were built atop the site. Rahman believed that a follower of Emperor Akbar’s religion Deen e Elahi might have lived on the site, who had been buried in such a way that the

sun’s rays may reach his grave.The grave could have also

belonged to a Zoroastrian, which would require the body to be buried in a manner that allows the sun to catalyse its decay. Excavations on the site conducted in 1927 is said to have revealed an atishkhana or the Zoroastrian devotional fireplace.

Abdul Karim did not agree with this claim. Atishkhana flourished during the Mughal era. The area is close to the Lalbagh fort and there may have been an armoury at the site, which earned the place its name.

Professor Karim’s theory is indeed the more logical of the two as there has never been a large following of Zoroastrianism in Dhaka, thus it is unlikely that an area might have been named after its rituals and beliefs.

Hakim Habibur Rahman wrote that even at the tail end of the nineteenth century, the area had been in its entirety, nothing more than a graveyard.

AmligolaThere was a time when Amligola was famous for the buffalo horn combs, buttons and bangles crafted by the Muslim community living there. The area was established during the Mughal era, and was initially named Amirgola or Amirganj.

The area is situated in close proximity to the Lalbagh fort, to its west – a location which suggests that a number of Mughal amirs had probably decided to lodge there in the vicinity of the fort.

In the 1765 revenue collection records for Dhaka, the area was mentioned as Gola Amirganj. One of the first records of the Amligola can be found in the 1793 East India Company list of bazars and markets.

There has been no reliable record of how Gola Amirganj came to be called Amligola.

An old inhabitant of the area, Nazir Hossain wrote that once the Mughal amirs had left the area, a Hindu community developed there. The famous banker of Bengal, Jagath Seth had his bank just East of Amligola (at least until 1840).

The bank site was flanked by a field and a pond, none of which exists any more. But Hossain wrote that in his childhood, he had heard the bank area being called Shether Ghaat. n

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain


9Panam nagar | PhOTO STORy

The forgotten townTurn for more photographs

The decaying structures standing in Panam Nagar was built in the 18th century by the Bengali Hindu

businessmen, who settled there and made it their trade centre. They collectively built different structures there and lived in the township surrounded by canals. After partition in 1947 most of the Hindu families from Panam left for India leaving the township abandoned.

Gradually most of the historic structures their started to disappear. World Monuments Fund (WMF) has listed Panam City of Sonargaon in their Watch List of 100 endangered sites. Unfortunately, the government’s attempt at the restoration procedure has made some damages to the heritage rather than saving it. n

Photos: Syed Zakir Hossain


10 PhOTO STORy | Panam nagar


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12 fEATuRE | Bonsai

little green majesties

The unique art of bonsai over the years – from mystical Babylon to BangladeshFarhana Urmee

Who wouldn’t want to gaze at a view that provides comfort to the eyes? A scenic

view of a forest or other similar greenery will most definitely be appreciated by most living within the confines of a concrete jungle.

While an artist may create a spectacular picture of a tree or a floral landscape on canvas, which one may gaze at over many an hour, there is, however, no substitute for the real deal. Roof top or balcony gardening, in this case, provides an easily accessible way to relishing greenery in big cities.

Bonsai is not a collection of trees from the forest, but a single tree planted in a shallow pot or tub that retains all the features and look of a complete and matured tree. Bonsai has evolved as a form of art where exquisite miniature versions of fully-grown trees are created with the living plant itself.


13

little green majesties

Photos: Quamrul Abedin

OriginsResearch suggests that it might have been started by travelling healers who would carry leaves and other extracts of particular trees for healing purposes. This speculation indicates bonsai’s origin to be India or Egypt. It is believed, however, that bonsai was not invented only for healing and portability.

The craft of bonsai dates back to 2,000 years in China. In his blog, bonsai researcher Will Heath suggests, that since the bonsai craft involves growing miniature trees indoors in pots, it was actually started from the practice of gardening, which dates back to the time of Babylon’s famous hanging gardens. However, China has also contributed immensely to the development of this particular form of art, and in the process, popularising it as well.

Controversial craftControversies are rife in this craft, with widespread concerns about the supposed mutilating of a tree and hindering its natural growth. Md Borhan Hossain Kakul, training director at Bangladesh Bonsai Society says: “This art is not killing any plant, where many other forms of art do.”

“The artist here is blending his or her thoughts with the growing tendency of a tree without stopping the growth through any unnatural synthetic way. Only trimming is required to achieve the desired image that the artist has in the mind.”

Regarding the general trimming of trees Kakul says: “We trim our big trees once a year to achieve better

growth. If that is not considered wrong, how can bonsai be wrong?

MaintenanceMany are under the misconception that bonsai is very costly and requires high maintenance. It is true that the older the tree, the more expensive it is, when buying, one has to keep in mind the cost, energy and patience that the grower/artist has put into it.

However, other than buying a delicate and high-priced one, there is also the option of growing one on your own. The grower just has to keep a few things in mind, such as making sure that the tree is getting sunlight for at least 2-3 hours a day, regular watering and the right amount of trimming. The soil in the bonsai pot should never be dry. And applying fertilisers once a month is a must.

Bonsai in Bangladesh Bangladesh still has a long way to go in terms of creating international standard bonsai. Bangladesh Bonsai Society, which was started back in 1999, holds a yearly exhibition to exhibit the work of the bonsai artists here, and of course, to promote the art among the general public.

According to Kakul, many come with the interest to learn how to do bonsai and even take up the art, but most give up after while, as this craft requires a lot of patience.

All our native species of trees can be beautifully transformed into bonsai, using the proper techniques, and one does not have to necessarily import specific trees. n

Membership at Bangladesh Bonsai Society

• You have to fill in a form with the organisation.

• They will call you during their training once or twice a year

• The training duration is 2-3 months, one class in weekends (10 classes)

• After attaining the basic training one can also go for advanced level workshop with the organisation

• The basic training cost is Tk3,000• Contact 01819168445

1. The Ficus bonsai tree at Crespi, Italy is reported to be the one of the oldest bonsai in the world. This 1,000-year-old bonsai is at the Italian Bonsai Museum.

2. This 400-year-old Japanese White Pine bonsai survived the Hiroshima attack in 1945. It is displayed at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington.

3. This wild Bonsai in Japan is tested to be 1,000-year-old. It is still in nurturing and is kept at the Mansei-En bonsai nursery of Japan’s Kato family in Omiya.

4. This 800-year-old bonsai won the Japanese Prime Minister Award and is reported to be one of the most expensive bonsai’s in the world.

5. The Kunio Kobayashi’s 800-year-old Bonsai in Shunka-En, Japan is one of the most spectacular Bonsai in the world.

Five famous Bonsai on the world


14 LEGALESE | Jennifer ashraf

Dear Reader:Thank you for writing in to me. Admiralty and shipping law is always an exciting aspect of the legal profession and it is a welcome

change to find a query relating to this field. In order to perfect a mortgage over a Bangladeshi flagged vessel, the mortgagee is required to execute a standard form and produce the same before the registrar of the ship’s port of registry for registration of the mortgage. Every mortgage so registered is referred to as a registered mortgage.

The owner of a vessel registered in Bangladesh may create a charge over the vessel by way of a mortgage under Section 40 of the Bangladesh Merchant Shipping Ordinance, 1983. A registered ship or a share therein may be made a security for a loan or other valuable consideration, and the instrument creating the security in the form of a mortgage is required to be registered with the registrar of the ship’s port of registry.

There are standard Bangladeshi forms, namely form 9A, 9B etc, used for creation of mortgage. The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), a subordinate office under the Department of Shipping based in Chittagong is responsible to maintain the register. An authorised person from the mortgagee (Bank) and a person not below the rank of Managing Director of the Company on behalf of the Shipping Company should be present at the time of mortgage registration at MMD. A Power of Attorney should also be executed in favour of the mortgagee (Bank) by the owner of the ship. A Government fee of Tk6,000 (+/-) will be charged as registration fee.

The Registrar shall record the

Amortgage in order of the time in which it was produced before him and not the time when the mortgage was created. However, it must be noted that the creation of a ship mortgage and the registration thereof does not create any ownership or possessory rights of the mortgagee over the vessel. Therefore, unless the collateral deed gives the mortgagee specific rights to interfere in the operation or management of the ship, the mortgagee has no inherent right to interfere unless his security is being impaired.

The required documents for registration of mortgages are executed appropriate forms affixing common seal, supporting board resolution, letter from mortgagee bank, No Objection Certificates from mortgagee bank (in case if there is a pre-existing mortgage) and appropriate government fees etc, are required to be submitted to the MMD for registration. The discharge of a mortgage registered as described above shall be discharged only upon the production of the mortgagee deed with a receipt for the mortgage money endorsed thereon, duly signed and attested, to the Registrar at which point of time, the Registrar will make the appropriate entry in the register to that effect.

In conclusion, I would need to state that the information here is simply a consolidation of the procedures, and that they should only be referred to as an outline. Please note that ship mortgages and ship arrests and other aspects of admiralty and shipping law is a complicated arena indeed and therefore you must seek independent legal advice from a competent admiralty and shipping lawyer before engaging in any shipping related activities. Hope this clarifies! n

What is required in order to grant a mortgage over a Bangladeshi flagged vessel? Is there a standard Bangladeshi form of ship mortgage, or is the form of mortgage typically used in the international ship market sufficient? I would also like to know the registration requirements applicable in this instance. Thank you for your help in advance.

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

Admiralty and shipping mortgage

Cartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

Q

got a

problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@dhakatribune.

com


15TelemediCine | DIGITAL BANGLADESh

Siraj Ahmed, 31, owns a small grocery shop in Kaliganj upazila of Gazipur district. A father of two, Siraj had

been suffering from a painful rash on his left thigh for a long time, but could not afford the trip to visit a dermatologist on his paltry monthly earnings of Tk10,000.

“One day, I saw that Belal, a familiar face in our Kaliganj Bazar, had put up a signboard on his Photostat shop. The signboard said that all sorts of skin problems were being treated there with the help of a specialist from Dhaka,” he explained.

Ahmed said he went there and found that the shop had arrangements with which a skin specialist from Dhaka would see and treat all sorts of skin problems live with the help of a computer and a specialised webcam.

“The doctor saw my rash, took my medical report through the video call, gave me prescriptions and asked me to follow it for a month,” he said.

“I spent just Tk100 on this,” he said. “Now I am 100% cured!”

A modest but new beginningSo far, only 0.00001% among the population – that is a little more than 16,000 people – have the chance to avail telemedicine services.

But numbers do not tell the whole story. Telemedicine service is not a new concept. It has been tried out in different countries since the 90s. But this service was introduced in Bangladesh only as recently as February, 2012.

Grameenphone, the leading mobile operator of the country, introduced the service in four upazilas across the country as part of its corporate social

responsibility (CSR).Grameenphone has also provided

funding to transform some 15 Union Information Service Centres (UISC) of the government to be converted into telemedicine centres. It has also provided enough funding so that entrepreneurs in those centres could be trained on the system to assist the consultants as telemedicine assistants.

With its network, the operator has also ensured smooth video conference between the consultants and patients with a bandwidth of at least 1mbps.

In addition, 20 rural sites are being added to the project along with 20 Service Delivery Points on smartphones/tablets in hard-to-reach communities in partnership with Concern Worldwide and Smiling Sun Clinics of NHSDP.

What the doctors sayDr Reza Bin Zaed, chairman of Telemedicine Group Bangladesh (TWGB) and the head of dermatology of Labaid Hospital, said over 30% of the population of the country suffers from different skin diseases at some point in their lives.

There are not more than 300 dermatologists in the country and all of them live in the big cities. “Ironically, it is people from rural areas who mostly suffer from skin diseases,” he noted.

He explained that the telemedicine service is the combined use of telecommunications and information technologies so as to provide remote clinical health care.

“This is not as if a patient is calling a doctor over the phone, telling him about the problem, and asking for a remedy. Real telemedicine service

ensures the same quality of medical care that a doctor can provide face-to-face,” he explained. He said that as a skin specialist, he provides teledermatology services.

“Teledermatology is a sub specialty in the medical field of dermatology and probably one of the most common applications of telemedicine and e-health,” said Dr Zayed.

In teledermatology, telecommunications technologies are used to exchange medical information (concerning skin conditions and tumours of the skin) over a distance using audio, visual and data communications, he added. Dr Zaed said he has been working on teledermatology since 2005.

“When I was abroad, I used to see my patients in Dhaka through video conferences. Also, from 2008, I used to see patients at the Crescent Hospital in Uttara through live video calling over the internet. After learning about my teledermatology service, Grameenphone asked me to introduce the service for rural people. They initially installed the set-up at four community information centres (CICs) in different parts of Bangladesh,” he said.

About the patient examination process, Dr Zaed said he has dedicated a certain chamber time for his teledermatology service. “A person at the CIC is being trained to operate the set-up, He receives the patients, fills up their medical history forms, takes several pictures of the patients’ skin problems, sends those to me and makes the video call,” he explained.

Dr Zaed said he saw the patients and talked with them live through video calling, “I meticulously

examine the patient’s problem and then give both online and printed prescriptions. I also maintain a database of each consultation for future references,” he said.

He then asks the patients to come back after a certain period of time. “If the patient is not cured by then – I examine his problem again and if the problem becomes severe – I refer him or her for specialised hospital care,” he said.

In most cases, his services have proved to be successful, “This service will not be confined to just teledermatology. I plan to gradually increase the services in other fields of medical care, tele-cardiology, tele-pharma, and more.”

But specialised doctors need to be trained in those areas to properly purvey telemedicine services,” he added.

Optimistic project officials Dr Arakan, founding project director of the Grameenphone teledermatology project, said DICOT (Digital Imaging and Communication in Telemedicine) – an innovative tool made locally – is used to provide teledermatology services.

“We have carried out a feasibility study to add other medical devices (eg stethoscope and scanner) for transmitting ECG, X-ray and ultrasound reports in order to create avenues to provide more services apart from dermatology,” he said.

“With this advanced technology we will be able provide maternal, child and primary healthcare services and eventually treat other specialised ailments, such as cardiovascular and renal diseases.” n

Medical services over the wire, though in its infancy, may provide affordable quality treatment for millions in the near futureFaisal Mahmud

Remote healing


16 TOuGh LOvE | dina soBhan

Dear Dina, I lived with my husband for a year before we married, so I thought I knew what I was getting into. At that time, he split the

chores evenly, was spontaneous about making plans, and most importantly, gave me space. Ever since we married, however, he’s turned into this absolute man-child. He is needy, and careless, and refuses to clean up after himself. It’s almost heartbreaking to come home at 10pm after a long day of work to find him waiting for me to make him dinner. How do I make him revert back to his responsible ways without coming off as a shrew?

Sincerely, Single Mom to the Hubby

got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@dhakatribune.

com

Q

Dear Single Mom,I don’t know what happens to men when they get married, but somehow they all revert to some age-old conditioning that causes them to confuse

their wives with their mothers, and suddenly become incapable of lifting a finger. I am afraid you’re going to have to crack the whip, lay it on the line, and tell your big baby to man up. Let him go a week without you picking up his dirty socks and wiping his chin after he dribbles and let’s see how he fares. What do you think will happen when you stop taking care of his every need? In all probability, he’ll start taking care of it himself. Nature abhors a vacuum. You signed up for an equal partnership and it’s time you demand your fair share. Tell him to revert back to the man he was pre-marriage or expect to remain dirty, hungry and lonely. .

Q

A

A

Baby Mama and in-law drama

Dear Hermit,I’ve got some disturbing news to share with you: things change after marriage. Being in a no-strings relationship is a far cry from being in a committed

relationship, in which you are merely one player. As many have learned from unfortunate experience, marriage involves a whole slew of

people, namely family and all its extra appendages. Since you kept your lady on the back burner for six long and lonely years, she is merely now asserting her rights as a wife by making her presence felt in your family and asking you to partake in your husbandly duties. She bided her time putting up with your nonsense for long enough to now demand some reciprocity. For God’s sake, man, she’s not asking you to dance a naked jig

in New Market, she’s asking you to have dinner with your family. Surely you didn’t think you were going to slide through life attending only to your own needs and ignoring those of everyone else, including the one woman who tolerated you for all these years, and even consented to marry you. The only way to preserve your sanity is to relinquish your ego and embrace a little selflessness. In other words, suck it up.

Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

Dear Dina, Until I met the woman who became my wife, I had always thought of myself as the non-committal type – too fond of my own space

to resign to spending my life with someone else.

And then I met this girl who was okay with a very low-profile, no-strings-attached relationship for six years, and we were compatible in all the important ways, so I married her.

But recently I feel like I don’t even know my wife. She’s very demanding and exact – just

because she feels it necessary to “do her duty” by my family, she thinks I have to reciprocate by going to these inane dawats with my in-laws. I still love her very much, but how do I preserve my sanity?Sincerely, The Hermit


17dhaka enTerTainmenT | TOP 10

Dhaka is rapidly developing with new opportunities and establishments in which we can keep ourselves entertained. Here are a few examples of how this is apparent

Ruwaida Khandker

Fun in the city

The introduction of the first multiplex cinema in Dhaka, Star Cineplex, followed by Blockbuster Cinemas at Jamuna Future Park, has enabled the city to host its own red carpet premiere events. This is a good way of showcasing how advanced Bangladesh is in the film industry and also for creating buzz and excitement for movie fans in Dhaka.

These premieres are now a popular form of entertainment because of the increase in Bangladeshi films being made. People don’t only visit the cinema to see the latest Hollywood blockbusters, but also those of their own country. Films like Most Welcome 2 and Honeymoon starring popular actors such as Mahi and Ananta Jalil are loved by people throughout the nation.

Bangladesh is now a much more tech-savvy place, starting from the introduction of electronic banking to the rise in use of smartphones. Symphony Mobile introduced Dhaka’s first QWERTY keyboard smartphone in 2012. Smartphones had a very low market share in previous years, but now they are becoming more and more popular. The availability of WiFi over the past couple of years has also made it easier for people to connect with each other.

No longer is classic Bangla folk music the only widely loved genre in the country – new genres have started to emerge. The hip hop scene is certainly more recognised now – with cool and contemporary rap acts like Uptown Lokolz. The “DES” – Dhaka Electronica Scene – is a rapidly growing new network for lovers of electronica music. Their album “Explorations” includes 12 tracks from 9 different independent Bangladeshi electronica artists.

Acts which stray from tradition are proving popular among theatre fans. Stages now boast incredible contemporary dance and darker, edgier plays – often in English. The theatre has now become a hub for new cultures and showcasing unique talents.

Not only has the increase in large shopping malls enhanced Dhaka’s consumer culture, but also the introduction of Western clothing establishments. There are plenty of shops for you to stay in touch with you desi side, but shops like Yellow, Artisan, Ecstasy, Sciccoso and Westecs will help you keep up to date with the latest Western trends.

Naveed’s Comedy Club in Uttara is the first live stand-up comedy club in Dhaka. The recent opening of the club has created a popular comedy subculture – an activity basically unheard of in Dhaka. Members of the club can go and witness the work of comedic geniuses every week, and on the club’s famous open mic nights, anyone can go to show off their hilarious comedic talent.

The country was privileged enough to have Bryan Adams perform at the ICC World Cup a few years ago, but now international pop sensations such as Shakira, Benny Dayal and Arijit Singh are also flying in to the country to make musical magic.

Sport has always played a big part in Bangladesh but now people are playing a wider range of sports. Archery has been newly brought in to the nation and golf is also more popular now. People are now able to use sporting facilities provided by international clubs. Engaging in sport with your friends is a great way to stay healthy and happy. .

A huge range of eateries and cafes are now available in Dhaka city. Chains which are popular in the Western world such as KFC and Nando’s have been welcomed into Dhaka with great fondness and admiration. As for coffee fans, however you like your brew in the morning, there is definitely at least one café suitable for you. The classy yet vibrant Gloria Jean’s in Gulshan and its newly opened branch in Dhanmondi, is popular amongst workaholics and also for catch ups with your friends – Bangladesh’s answer to Starbucks!

Advancement in Technology3

Film Making2 New Music Scene4

Theatre5 Shopping Opportunities 8

Stand Up Comedy6

Concerts9

Sport10

Food Festivity7

Movie Premieres 1


18 STAy IN

S u d o k uUse the numbers 1-9 to complete each of the 3x3 square grids such that each horizontal and vertical line also contains all of the digits from 1-9

Last week’s sudoku solutions

Mini cryptics

ACROSS1 Release of French organ (7)4 Paddle in circle making lots of noise (7) 6 Risk small note first in the middle (7)7 Fast, like an old reporter? (7)

DOWN1 Change bad rule for long-term (7)2 Hurdled broken plate (5)3 Rulers, for example in charters (7)5 Woman caught in fire nearly (5)

Last

wee

k’s

solu

tion

s

aCrOss1 Where one lives is partly in Panama (7)4 Scene shows Mario in commercial returns (7) 6 Twisting road ran to mountainous land (7)7 Elation about something that requires clipping (7)

DOwN1 Messily try hand at firefighting equipment (7)2 Fair secret agent holds first of lessons (5)3 A five in way of effort (7)5 Courts temptress initially in song (5)

Clues

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

The sub-continent has developed it’s very own style of customer service throughout history. The customary term of “khatir-daari” involves surrounding your guests with the best spread of scrumptious, ghee-filled dishes. No one dares to get up without being stuffed to the satisfaction of the server/host and by the end of the meal, the mere act of standing up is an impossibility. This particular scenario is a reality for anyone who has grown up in a Bengali household.

There is only one thing Bengalis love better than feasting – feeding their guests.

This inherent Bengali quality has trickled down into hundreds of “restaurants” or Bengali versions of coffee-shops. Here’s paying homage to a few categories that make up the Bengali’s vocabulary of customer

service. From the stomach to the heart and everything in between:

One of the best things about places that resemble the likes of Star Kabab are the little or no waiting time in between ordering and being served. It’s super-fast and it’s efficient without the fancy frills attached.

The waiters in these places are equipped with an incredible memory and fast reflexes. They can recite the entire menu, without slip ups along with all ingredients in each of the 20-something items, if their customers are curious enough. The exchange between customers and waiters can be described as a rapid fire round that lasts for less than a minute. Moreover, their best skills involve carrying around more than four plates at once and knowing when they are needed without the

customer having to call them. The phrase “value for money”

is a rule of thumb that all Bengali restaurants follow. The quantity of food and the price share a particularly inverse relationship – a greater quantity at a lower price, just the way we like it.

Quality is not a matter that these places ignore despite the infamous reputation of the Bengali’s ignorance regarding quality or hygiene. It is astonishing how these restaurants have maintained a strictly consistent quality of food and a low price range that had been set at the time of their ancestors.These places do not offer promises of fancy ambience and extraordinary experiences. They believe in being straight-forward with their offers – the best food, the lowest price, the fastest service and consistency. n

Ishrat JahanBeing Served: The Bengali take

Photo: Bigstock


GO OuT 19

Weekly Planner

“Maine Dilli Nahin Dekha” is a film about an experiential journey of an outsider who discovers a city through the relationship with its people. Humayra Bilkis, the film maker, discovers the soul of the city not in its museums, mausoleums and architecture but in her relationship with its people. The process of looking at the new urban space offers the maker an opportunity to look at her own space, identity and cultural moorings.

Programme schedule: 3.30-4.00: Registration

4.00-4.30: Screening of “Maine Dilli Nahin Dekha”4.30-5: 00: Refreshments5.00 -6.00: Artist Talk on “Documentary & Fiction-the fine line within”

Seats are limited and will be provided on first-come-first-serve basis. Registration fee is Tk100. Seats can be booked over telephone, please contact 0171712101. The event is open for all.

About the Director: Humaira Bilkis is a Dhaka based

The biggest platform for Dhaka’s food lovers

Dhaka Foodies is arranging an event that will bring cuisines from around the world, all under one roof. There will be Bangladeshi, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Japanese cuisines and many more stalls from MadChef, Super Sandwich, Burger World, Dhaba Nanna, Hanif, Beauty Lacchi, Tabaq,

Naga Burger, Amigos, Shwarma House, Zaatar, Time Out, Sky Room, Cuppies, Sweet Sensation, Sugar puff, Shaad Tehari, Dekchi and others.The programme will also include a contest, where 100 photos by “Foodographers” taking pictures while at the festival will be judged. For further details please contact 01766684133. n

Film | “Maine Dilli Nahin Dekha” & Artist Talk with Director Humaira BilkiswheN Jan 9, 3:30-6pm where Pathshala Tv-Film, House 58, Road 15/A, Dhanmondi

wheN Jan 9, 11am-8pmwhere Army Museaum Field, Bijoy Sharani Road

JaN 9

Cause | rally- suNDarbaNer JONNO amrawheN 2:30-5:30pmwhere Shahabaghwhat A rally is being arranged in protest for shutting river routes through Sundarbans, as well as to stop shipping oil and coal through the river route of Sundarbans that pose a threat to the local environment.

JaN 9

exhibitiON | “NakshikaNtha: ZaiNul abeDiN”wheN 12-8pmwhere Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts, Road No.16, Dhanmondiwhat On the occasion of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin’s

birth centenary, an exhibition featuring selected Nakshi Kantha from his personal collection is being exhibited at Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts. The exhibition is open to all.

JaN 9

musiC | FriDay Night buFFet aND live musiCwheN 6:30-10:30pmwhere Platinum Terrace, House 58, Road 11, Block F, Bananiwhat Enjoy your weekend with Platinum Suites at their rooftop restaurant Platinum Terrace. There will be a live music show performing all types of songs, as well as on request and a mouth watering buffet dinner & BBQ.For reservation, please call 019221110953.

JaN 10

eDuCatiON | gmat PreParatiONswheN 1:45am-3:30pmwhere EMK Center, House 5, Midas Center, Road 27, Dhanmondiwhat EMK Center invites you to a seminar where a recent GMAT test taker will share his first-hand experience. This seminar will benefit both current students and job holders.

JaN 10

musiC | emk PlatFOrm PreseNts: JOy shahriarwheN 7-8:30pmwhere EMK Center, House 5, Midas Center, Road 27, Dhanmondiwhat Joy Shahriar, an American Center alumni, started his musical journey when he was a child. He achieved several awards as a child artist. He began his

career in music in the year 2000. His debut album came in 2006 with his band Nirjhor. In December 2014 he released his third album titled Thik Ebhabei. The event is open for all. No ticket is required to enter the show.

JaN 14

Festival | shakraiN Festival OF kites aND FirewOrks at OlD Dhaka’15wheN 6:00amwhere Shakharibazaarwhat The first day of the Bangla month “Poush” is welcomed through a puja, kite festival and fire works. The festival is also called Poush Shonkranti and is avidly celebrated in the neighbourhoods of old Dhaka.

Send your events to [email protected]

Festival | Dhaka Foodies presents “Grand Foodies Fest 2015”

independent film maker. She has just finished a diploma film as part of her one-year study in Creative Documentary Course in Sri Aurobindo

Center for Arts and Communication, Delhi. Humaira has also worked as an associate producer in several international documentaries.


20 A DAy IN ThE LIfE | fire-fighTer

Playing with fire

After his graduation, Md Tanharul Islam thought that he had found his calling in teaching. In 1995, he started

teaching at Carmichael College, Rangpur, his home district. For five long years, Tanhar sought fulfilment and purpose as a teacher. But something was missing. He wanted a more challenging job that would bring him closer to people and enable him to serve those in need, but he didn’t know where to look.

Then, in 2000, he found his answer when he saw a circular by the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, encouraging people to join the department. After a discussion with one of his cousins who was also a fire-fighter, Tanhar decided to sit for the entrance exam, a decision that changed his life forever.

Tanhar not only passed the written exam, but also aced the physical test, coming first in running due to his athletic and sporty nature. After being selected, Tanhar had to undergo a rigorous nine-month training period.He then got posted to different districts across the country. His dedication, hardwork and good results in physical training courses soon led to his promotion and he became an instructor in the Mirpur 10

Fire Station. Throughout his career, Tanhar

has earned a number of personal achievements to be proud of: In 2009, he receieved the Rotary Club Award for outstanding rescue mission work after the Pilkhana tragedy, he was one of the first 14 to receive specialised CSSR (Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue) training, and he was appointed as a training instructor to give CSSR training to police and army officers in Nepal.

According to Tanhar, life as a fire-fighter is not easy, as they have to go through gruelling training sessions everyday. “One of the most important qualities needed in order to be a fire-fighter is being athletic, as often we have to climb down vertically, or crawl through debris during rescue missions, and physical fitness is paramount in such cases,” says Tanhar. For this reason, Tanhar and all the other fire-fighters in the station start physical exercise sessions as early as 6am. After two hours of draining workout, the fire-fighters then have to attend various training sessions and workshops throughout the day, and hardly get any time to rest.

More physical exercise follows in the afternoons in the form of different sports such as football. Though the fire-

fighters are involved in various activities during their shifts from 6am to 10pm, they are forever alert in case there is a disaster and the alarm goes off.

“We are trained to be ready within 30 seconds, no matter where we are or what we are doing, so that we can reach the scene of disaster as soon as possible.”

Despite the long shifts and challenges of being a fire-fighter, Tanhar still deems himself to be fortunate for being able to save people’s lives. “Allah has given me a unique opportunity to help save lives, and I feel blessed,” says Tanhar. “Although the job that I do is risky as anything can happen at any time, I am never fearful. There is a sense of self-confidence as I feel that Allah will look after me as I am risking my life to do good for others.”

Tanhar shares scores of heart-warming stories of operations in which he was able to rescue people from the throes of death – from saving a young boy named Tozammel who was trapped precariously behind a rod after a building collapse and which took about seven hours to remove, to a woman in Rangpur who fell inside a septic tank 25 to 30 feet deep, to a truck driver who fractured his legs after an accident whom the

doctors refused to treat due to lack of money, but who received treatment due to Tanhar’s personal initiative in contributing funds.

However, the stories that come back to haunt Tanhar are of the

people the he could not save – such as Shahina, a victim of the Savar garments tragedy. Tanhar becomes emotional as he speaks of the fatal day. Tanhar had been working day and night for 36 hours straight when they discovered Shahina trapped deep into the debris. He remembers with tearful eyes how Shahina kept asking him to not leave her. “I will not leave you, apa, don’t you worry,” Tanhar reassured her. “But I have no money, how will I pay the doctors?” Shahina worried even while trapped under the rod. “Apa, I earn about Tk50,000 per month, and once you are rescued, I will give you my entire month’s salary. So don’t worry about these things,” Tanhar reassured her, and he admits now that he was not lying when he said he’d give her his entire salary.

However, due to a tragic turn of events, an intense fire broke out which could not be controlled by the fire-fighters. Shahina could not be saved. “I still think of her,” says Tanhar, “and how she has left behind a year and half year old child. I myself have a one and half year old child, but if I die, my wife can look after her, but who is going to look after Shahina’s son? I could not save her, though I had promised her that I would.” Guilt and remorse fills Tanhar’s voice as he recounts Shahina’s story.

Despite having passed such trauma, life moves on as usual for this brave and compassionate fire-fighter. Currently posted in Rangpur, Tanhar goes through the daily drills and training sessions as usual, hoping and praying that next time, he will not have to leave anyone behind. n

Md Tanharul Islam taking the head literally

Tamoha Binte Siddiqui

Photos: Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune


21Personal sPaCe | RANT

I’m not a big fan of queues – especially in Bangladesh. There is no system, there is no strategy. The concept of

specified arrangement is simply a myth. Plainly put, there is a half-hearted attempt to provide some structure, and even that is rarely seen.

As a general rule, I do my best to avoid queues at all times. I bribe people if I have to (the well known “ghush” to the “dalal” facility), or find an alternative means to get what I need or want. Circumstances have been kind to me and allowed me to get away with it for as long as I can remember.

But even circumstances can get a little mischievous sometimes. And that was exactly why, one Friday, I found myself stuck in a queue after a long hiatus of five years.

It’s not that I am an impatient brat and wish to have everything ready at my fingertips. In fact, to be honest, the exact opposite is true. I like order – I am a big fan of structure. I am also a big fan of people who believe and also have reverence for order and structure. I like people who are respectful of personal spaces and display common courtesy. And, it goes without saying, I absolutely love people who can refrain from climbing up on me when I am standing in the queue, awaiting my turn at the ticket counter.

Which would explain exactly why, on that Friday, my not-so happy mood quickly started to escalate into a bit of a temper when the lady behind me in the queue started pushing up against me. I mean, is it too much to ask for if I just like keeping my personal space intact? So sue me.

I decided to give her the benefit

of the doubt and, against my better judgement, took a tentative step forward. She obviously (bless her ignorant soul) took this as a sign of my acquiescence and pushed forward again, actually making me stumble and bump into the person ahead of me in the queue, who then turned around and gave me an inquisitive look.

“Hey, don’t blame me. I have respect for your personal space – trust me, I do. Unfortunately, the nincompoop behind me apparently doesn’t. Not only is she unconcerned with the breach of her own personal space, she obviously does not give a damn about yours or mine either,” is what I tried to convey as I stared back.

Was I being a prima donna? I don’t think I was. I have been in plenty of queues abroad: in airports and in supermarkets, in pubs and in universities during registration, at visa embassies and at tourist attractions. I’ve had my share of

waiting patiently, sometimes even for hours, without almost no complaints. And that, I believe, is largely because people in those queues were … let’s just say civilised. They had respect for their own personal space and for others, too.

I don’t fancy being part of a human centipede, for goodness’ sake! Even the mere mention of that movie freaks me out. Unfortunately, the lady behind me had different ideas.

Movie comparisons aside, my wait in the queue was beginning to stretch and feel infinitely torturous. And this was starting to get coupled with anger that was slowly bubbling up inside me. What is the meaning of this? Just because you are female, and I am female, does not automatically give you licence to rub up against me. For all I knew, she could have covert motives. I took a tiny step forward to attain some distance and she moved almost simultaneously with me, this

time bumping into me hard enough to make me stumble. For me, that was the last straw. Against my better judgement, I turned back, looked her in the eye and calmly asked her to stop pushing me and to give me my space.

What followed would make an Ananta Jalil film look tame. She took personal umbrage and, lips quivering in indignation, demanded to know what I meant. I repeated myself. She asked me the same thing, again. I repeated myself, again.

Imagine being on a dance floor when the music suddenly starts repeating itself – not the entire song, just two lines. That was exactly what we were starting to sound like. Even I couldn’t help thinking that it was a losing battle. So, I gave her an exasperated look and turned around. And that was

when she turned into a high pitched squealing banshee.

Needless to say, for the next few minutes, a massive crowd gathered around us. Some were trying to determine what the fuss was about, and some just wanted to enjoy the free show. And, somewhere amongst the crowd and the banshee-like squealing, I was converted and held to be the bad guy. I was held to actually be the one at fault for even bringing this up in the first place. I was accused of not following proper queue etiquette and squashing as closely as possible to the person ahead of me in line.

To this date, I have not been able to figure out how exactly my asking for a bit of space offended the lady behind me. Whatever her reason may have been, her melodramatic reaction surely saved the day for her – at my expense n

The human centipedeGive me back my personal space, thank you very much

Jennifer Ashraf

Photo: Bigstock

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