weekend tribune vol 3 issue 3

4 Joy Bangla youth awards 5 Food For

thought 6 literary ConClave

vol 3 issue 3 | Friday, May 8, 2015 Dhaka Tribune

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, MAY 8, 2015

Dear Readers,In a city where there’s plenty to drag you down at any given moment, from traffic to pollution to corruption, any good news, big or small, is a welcome distraction. We hope we can provide you with plenty this week.

As we look ahead to Mother’s Day tomorrow, we bring you some quick, light notes. From the idiosyncracies of our moms discovering social media, to a look at some fictional mothers, to a heart warming photo story about moms of different stripes.

The recently concluded Bengal Lights Literary Conclave brought some lit crit matters to light. We’ve managed to snag a dazzling interview with one of its luminaries.

Also worth mentioning is the Joy Bangla Youth Awards, and what it means for young visionaries dreaming of a better Bangladesh. Check out our coverage of that illustrious event.

Finally, we have our hilarious regulars Dina Sobhan and Yamin Khan making light of the little quirks of life in Dhaka. Enjoy!

Here’s wishing you a great week ahead, and to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Flame of the forestPhoto: Syed Zakir Hossain

the cover

Editor’s note


1CONTENTS

TEa wiTh wTRubaiyat HoSSain

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Volume 3 | Issue 3 | May 8, 2015

EditorZafar Sobhan

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Asst Magazine EditorFarina Noireet

Weekend Tribune TeamFarhana UrmeeFaisal MahmudTausif SanzumSakib Mridha

Lameya Alma Amin

ContributorsJennifer Ashraf Kashmi

Tanushree GhoshSabrina Munni

Pragya RahmanSakib Sarker

Shehzaad ShamsDina Sobhan

CartoonSyed Rashad Imam Tanmoy

GraphicMd Mahbub Alam

Colour SpecialistShekhar Mondal

AdvertisementZia Ur Rahman

ProductionMasum Billah

CirculationMasud Kabir Pavel

Websitedhakatribune.com/weekendfacebook.com/WeekendTrib

Email your letters to:[email protected]

News 2 News

3 Meanwhile

Features 5 Food for Thought

Democracy

8 Feature Migratory birds

14 Slice of life Moms on Facebook

15 Rant a mother’s love?

17 Listology Moms in Got

20 Funnybone yamin Khan

regulars16 Tough Love

18 Stay in

19 Go Out

FEaTuREbenGal liGHtS liteRaRy ConClave

PhOTO STORyeveRyDay MotHeRS

4

6

9

FEaTuREJoy banGla youtH awaRDS


2 NEwS | This week

Hillary Clinton presses advantage on immigration

Rare birds jammed inside water bottles in Indonesia

Pakistan army accuses India of backing terrorism in rare rebuke

Afghan judge sentences four to death for mob killing of woman

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sought to seize an advantage over Republicans Tuesday on the issue of immigration, accusing those who talk of “legal status” of wanting to denigrate undocumented immigrants.

“When they talk about legal status, that is code for second class status,” Clinton said at a small event in Las Vegas, where she conducted a conversation with six young Latino residents of Nevada.

Clinton said that if elected president, she would “go even further” than President Obama has in granting provisional legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants, saying that she would

extend protections Obama gave to young people who entered the nation before the age of 16 — called DREAMers — to their parents.

“There are more people like many parents of DREAMers and others with deep ties and contributions to our communities who deserve to stay, and I will fight for them,” Clinton said.

But her sharpest barb was the one aimed at the Republicans running for president in 2016, among whom, she said, there is not one person who has been “clearly and consistently supporting a path to citizenship.”

“Not one,” she said. Photo: Reuters

Indonesian police have arrested a suspected wildlife smuggler after discovering nearly two dozen rare live birds, mostly yellow-crested cockatoos, jammed inside plastic water bottles in his luggage.

The 37-year-old man was stopped by police on Monday as he alighted from a passenger ship in Surabaya, a city on the main island of Java.

Photographs show the birds, with distinctive yellow plumage, peering out of the bottles after being found by officers. The bottoms of the bottles had been cut off to squeeze the birds inside.

The head of the criminal investigation unit at Tanjung Perak port, Aldy Sulaiman, said police found the birds stashed inside the man’s luggage.

“We found 21 yellow-crested cockatoos and one green parrot,” he said.

“All the birds were found inside water bottles, which were packed in a crate.”

The birds have since been sent to Indonesia’s natural resources conservation office, which deals with wildlife-trafficking cases.

Sulaiman said the man -- whose identity was not disclosed in line with normal criminal procedure in Indonesia -- had admitted carrying two birds for a friend but claimed to know nothing about the other animals.

If found guilty of smuggling, the man, from near Surabaya, could face up to five years in prison.

Pakistan’s military has accused India’s main intelligence agency of whipping up terrorism in Pakistan in rare public criticism that could increase tension between the nuclear-armed rivals.

The accusation came after a meeting of the army’s top commanders at the military’s headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi on Tuesday to review an offensive against militants in the northwest and other security issues.

“The conference also took serious notice of RAW’s involvement in

whipping up terrorism in Pakistan,” the army said in a statement, referring to India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), its external intelligence arm.

While Pakistani army officers often privately accuse India of meddling, it is rare for the military to accuse India’s spy agency in an official statement.

The neighbors have fought three wars since 1947, two of them over the divided Muslim-majority region of Kashmir which they both claim in full but rule in part.

An Afghan judge sentenced four men to death on Wednesday for the mob killing of 27-year-old woman accused of burning a Quran in Kabul, a case that sparked outrage and street protests in the city.

The four were among 49 defendants, 19 of them police officers, on trial in connection with the killing.

The sentencing was continuing on Wednesday as the judge read out the long list of charges and verdicts.

A frenzied crowd beat and kicked the woman, named Farkhunda, to death on March 19 and set her body

on fire as several police looked on near a shrine in central Kabul.

The attack was captured by mobile phone video and distributed online. Some of those arrested were tracked down after bragging about participating on social media.

An investigation later determined that Farkhunda was falsely accused of desecrating Islam’s holy book.

The brutality of the broad daylight attack in the heart of Kabul sparked outrage and rare protests against religious extremism in conservative Afghanistan.

The world at a glanceWeekend Tribune Desk

A member of the gang of robbers, who looted a bank in Ashulia and killed nine people, has confessed that he is an active member of militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team.

This is the same outfit that investigators believe are also behind the murders of secularist activists Avijit Roy, Oyasiqur Rahman, Prof AKM Shafiul Islam, Ahmed Rajeeb Haider and Ashraful Alam.

Late Monday night, police picked up the robber named Jasim Uddin, 22, at Daulatpur of Manikganj. Originally from the Chapainawabganj district, Jasim was hiding at his in-laws in Daulatpur.

Yesterday, he was produced before the court of Shahinur Rahman, a senior judicial magistrate of Dhaka, reports our court correspondent.

Jasim confessed that they had

been planning to rob the bank for a long time and there were 10 members in the gang who staged the robbery, said a source from the court.

He also confessed that he got injured in a bomb blast when they were escaping, the source said.

On April 21, armed criminals robbed a branch of Bangladesh Commerce Bank at Kathgora in Ashulia industrial area near Dhaka, killing nine people. More than 20 sustained bullet and splinter wounds when the robbers opened fire and set off bombs while escaping.

One of the robbers were lynched and two others were handed over to police by a local mob. Jasim is believed to be one of the members of the band who managed to flee. They also left behind more than Tk6 lakh that they had looted.News: Dhaka Tribune

Savar bank robber admits Ansarullah ties


Sumo wrestlers hold aloft screaming babies in a crying contest - with the children’s parents watching on with delight. More than 100 sobbing tots took part in the centuries old ritual, which is believed by many to bring the infants good health.

The bawling kiddies, all aged under-one were subjected to the ritual at the Yukigaya Hachiman shrine in Tokyo.

Some Japanese parents believe that sumo wrestlers can help make babies cry out a wish to grow up stronger. The Sumo wrestlers bounce the babies up and down in a makeshift ring to make them cry.

Many believe their screams reach God and they will then grow up healthy and robust. The ceremony dates back some 400 years and is held at shrines throughout the nation.

The rules vary from city to city.

In some areas the babies are raced against each other to see who will cry first, while in others the first crier is deemed the loser of the ‘bout’.News and photo: Daily Mail

MEaNwhiLE 3

The Ministry of Religious Affairs, in an effort to keep walkways clean and urine-free, recently issued a series of messages on prohibition against public urination on

public walls throughout the city. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

Sumo wrestlers hold screaming babies aloft in ancient crying contest

Photo of the week Say what?

You’re welcome

Pre-earthquake to do list:• Make sure you have a fire

extinguisher, first aid kit, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries at home.

• Learn first aid. • Learn how to turn off the gas,

water, and electricity. • Make up a plan of where to meet

your family after an earthquake. • Don’t leave heavy objects on

shelves (they’ll fall during a quake).

• Anchor heavy furniture, cupboards, and appliances to the walls or floor.

• Learn the earthquake plan at your school or workplace.

What should I do before, during, and after an earthquake?

During-earthquake to do list:• Stay calm! If you’re indoors, stay

inside. If you’re outside, stay outside. • If you’re indoors, stand against

a wall near the center of the building, stand in a doorway, or crawl under heavy furniture (a desk or table). Stay away from windows and outside doors.

• If you’re outdoors, stay in the open away from power lines or anything that might fall. Stay away from buildings (stuff might fall off the building or the building could fall on you).

• Don’t use matches, candles, or any flame. Broken gas lines and fire don’t mix.

• If you’re in a car, stop the car and stay inside the car until the earthquake stops.

• Don’t use elevators (they’ll probably get stuck anyway).

Post-earthquake to do list:• Check yourself and others for

injuries. Provide first aid to anyone who needs it.

• Check water, gas, and electric lines for damage. If any are damaged, shut off the valves. Check for the smell of gas. If you smell it, open all the windows and doors, leave immediately, and report it to the authorities (use someone else’s phone).

• Turn on the radio. Don’t use the phone unless it’s an emergency.

• Stay out of damaged buildings. • Be careful around broken

glass and debris. Wear boots or sturdy shoes to keep from cutting your feet.

• Be careful of chimneys (they may fall on you).

• Stay away from beaches.

Tsunamis and seiches sometimes hit after the ground has stopped shaking.

• Stay away from damaged areas. • If you’re at school or work,

follow the emergency plan or the instructions of the person in charge.

• Expect aftershocks. Source: UPSeis: An educational site for budding seismologists

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, MAY 8, 2015WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, MAY 8, 2015

4 FEaTuRE | Joy Bangla youTh awards

Raising awareness for a good cause and a brighter future through recognitionSaudia Afrin

What is your Joy Bangla?

Whether it is to give sight to the blind through a glass eye, or spreading

a light of education against all odds of ignorance, every corner of Bangladesh is triumphant in making a significant impact on the society by youngsters.

The “Joy Bangla Youth Award” (JBYA) is a milestone platform, initiated by “Young Bangla” and aims to give recognition to the successful contribution of those unsung heroes whose stories remain untold.

On May 2, 30 candidates received awards for they very first time in recognition of their contribution towards society at Krishibid Institute. On the occasion of the award giving ceremony, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the Prime Minister’s ICT advisor, shed light on the story behind initiating Young Bangla which was gradually followed by JBYA.

He said, “Through Policy Cafe and Lets Talk we noticed that today’s youth not only feel strongly for their country and its citizens, but they also have ambition to work for a better future. They have plans, initiatives and are working so hard that we know they can bring real change. After discovering how strong their spirit was, we knew we had to help these people move ahead and make

it big. That’s how Young Bangla was initiated.”

In his speech Joy raised a question to the participant, “Why did we use the title “Joy Bangla?” Answering his own question he shared a childhood memory of how people were ashamed to use the phrase “Joy Bangla” after 1975. He asked, “What is the meaning of the phrase “Joy Bangla?” He then went on to explain that Joy Bangla essentially means the triumph of Bangla. He said that it is not Awami League’s slogan but a slogan of Bangladesh’s independence, its people and the country as a whole. “We believe we will succeed with the strength of our peoples inner spirit and power,” he added.

Boosting up the Vision 2021, Joy mentioned the internship programme that will be made available in different government ministries to create a bridge between young minds and the different ministries in the country.

“Joy Bangla” is the ultimate dream – it’s our dream for Bangladesh. For Sajeeb Wazed Joy, it means building a digital Bangladesh while for Nasrul Hamid, State Minister, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, it means helping light up every home in the country. Having said that, both of them urged

Bangladesh’s youngsters to discover what that phrase means to them and then strive to make that dream a reality.

Joy also said, “Bangladesh will be taken forward by our country’s youth. Nowadays youngsters don’t only think about their jobs or business’, instead they think about the needy and negated parts of the country, taking into account the disabled or poor people.”

Nahim Razzak, Young Bangla convenor and parliament member urged both private and public organisations to work together towards positive goals instead of crossing paths. “This initiative is to enforce the youngsters skill and talent. One person, out of every four, one person is young in our country.”

In order to make this event a great success, Centre for Research and Information (CRI) started and launched the country’s biggest youth mobilisation initiative, Young Bangla (YB), last November to treasure the young champions of our county and bring all of them under one roof.

Also, to reach the level of JBYA and integrate enthusiastic youth from different parts of Bangladesh who’re enthusiastic about engaging themselves into the national development process – Vision 2021. From January to February a total of eight divisional meetings were held across the country. Through these divisional meetings, the nation connected over 610 youth

organisations and received 1,469 potential young achievers’ proposal letters about their initiatives. Passing through a rigorous study, CRI finally selected top 60 potential candidates for their landmark attainments in five different sectors: Business Entrepreneurship, Community Development, Research and Innovation, Social Inclusion and Empowerment and Culture.

At the event, the top 30 candidates received awards in recognition of their contribution towards society. Furthermore, CRI will establish a link with the different ministries and banks to assist all the top sixty nominees in implementing and expanding their work.

The event was graced by, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, State Minister, ICT Division, Md. Shahriar Alam, State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nasima Begum, Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare

Abul Kalam Azad, Principal Secretary, Government of Bangladesh, Meher Afroz Chumki, State Minister, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Aroma Dutta, PRIP Trust, Anwarul Karim, Director General, Department of Youth Development, Ministry of Youth And Sports, Gazi Nurul Kabir, Director General, Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Welfare, MA Arafat, Chairman, Suchinta Foundation, Syed M Ihsanul Karim, Managing Director, SME Foundation. n

Photos: Mehedi Rahman


while bangladesh has come a long way in terms of economic and political stability, institutional capacity building is undoubtedly the first steps towards paving a brighter futureAmeer Sobhan

There has been ample analysis on the recent mayoral elections of Dhaka and Chittagong, and a few

positive changes that were evident in the run-up to the elections are noteworthy.

The election campaigning of the last few weeks showed us that voter interest and participation endures in the face of repugnant political hostilities, and is perhaps even amplified due to the lack of avenues through which to make opinions heard. At a time when even countries such as the United States is experiencing voter fatigue (as seen in the midterm Congressional elections of last November), Bangladesh is lucky to have a populace that is willing to invest its time in politics despite the current state of affairs.

In addition to exhibiting that people are still invested in the politics of the state, one other positive takeaway from these elections was the attempt of media entities such as this newspaper to promote debate between the contenders. Although I am disinclined to characterise the nationally televised events as “debates” due to the lack of substantive back-and-forth interrogation and engagement between the participants, they should be recognised as a healthy development for a country that has more than its fair share of political debate between voters but not the actual candidates.

By working on the format of these events, we can mould a very real public sphere in which the participants can be judged and (later voted for) based on the substance and credibility of their plans rather than the political party they are being endorsed by. That will also allow us to prevent these events from becoming a free platform for the contenders to dole out a

serving of sophomoric political grandstanding on. It will then be incumbent on the media as well as the voting populace to push for the acceptance of these debates as a precedent-setting development that should be emulated in all future local, and more pressingly, national elections.

Finally, it was refreshing to see the civil (and perhaps even friendly) conduct that the contenders displayed in their engagement with each other despite their conflicting political backgrounds. Political parties in our country may be eternally polarised but these elections allowed us to see that a healthy relationship can be maintained between rival political aspirants even in the face of ideological conflict. This not only indicates a sign of maturity in the aspirants but also gives voters a refreshing pace of change from the vitriolic nature of our everyday politics.

The significance of all these developments is their potential to

act as yardsticks for similar political opportunities in the future; yardsticks that will not only help to gauge the capacity for and endurance of healthy politics but also serve as models which should be replicated and improved upon in each subsequent election. These changes have now laid open the opportunity for all actors – the establishment, the individual contenders, the media and of course the voters – involved in this system to push for them to become staples of all our future political endeavors.

Bangladesh has always enjoyed a unique blend of democracy since its inception. From the development of institutions to the adoption of good governance to the conducting of local and national elections- there have been less-than-desirable elements involved in these central tenets of democratic practices that have entrenched themselves in our system over the years.

Whenever debates in our country steer towards the topic of democracy

and its practice in Bangladesh, our elections are always pointed at as the ultimate failure of our attempts to establish democracy in the country. Free and fair elections are, of course, vital cogs of a healthy and well-functioning democratic state and may very well be its symbolic pinnacle. However, democracy also ultimately relies on a foundation of institutions whose efficiency and independence determine the parameters of its success.

It is often easy to forget that institutions take time to cultivate, particularly in developing countries such as Bangladesh that still consists of a sizeable population that is minimally literate and has little experience in enjoying the full extent of a functional democracy. Recognising the importance of these small but significant changes will better enable us to move on and hope for brighter pastures, the hope for which should be bolstered, however minutely, by these developments. n

Small stepsdemocracy | FOOd FOR ThOuGhT 5

Photo: Bigstock


6 FEaTuRE | Bengal lighTs liTerary conclave

when i heard that the bengal lights literary Conclave was coming back for a second year, as a journalist and literary enthusiast, my interest was peaked. with this year’s slated theme being “Dissent, Reportage and literature” and featuring a host of esteemed writers from across the world, this was going to be quite a treat Shafayat Rasul

More than words

To take us off, the editor of their

literary journal, Khademul Islam provided us with a succinct history of liberal arts in Bangladesh, coupled with an amazing defense of why we need: in it “we learn how to learn.”

And then, we were off. And I was not disappointed.

Vollman’s speech, which provided accounts of his travails as a Unabomber suspect and his dealings with the FBI, provided riveting

stuff. He flushed out the perils of mass government surveillance with aplomb, infusing intricate details of his own exploits in a manner both humorous and serious. “Up to a point,” he says, “most of us will give up freedom for safety.”

What followed was a heartfelt recitation of his own poetry by Juan Tomas, translated by David Shook, interspersed with eccentric bursts of harmonica from Tomas himself.

The audience was then treated to the first panel, entitled “Reportage without Reason”, moderated by DT’s own Editor, Zafar Sobhan. Accompanying him were journalists Saba Imtiaz and Femke van Zeijil. The discussion that ensued concerned the plights of journalism, such as maintaining objectivity and the risk involved. Other panels soon followed, chaired by other esteemed authors in their respective fields, featuring interesting topics such as

the causes of insurgency, writing fiction, and being poets of resistance.

Each of these panels, suffice it to say, boasted healthy debate and discussion. It was evident that the writers knew what they were talking about. Each panel also followed with a Q&A that truly engaged with the audience, and definitely pushed the discussion to newer depths.

Coming out, I couldn’t help but commend the organisers for doing a terrific job. With debates being increasingly more interesting as the first day merged on to the next, interspersed with impassionate bursts of poetry from the likes of Sadaf Saaz and Ahsan Akbar, I felt as if the two days had gone by in a flash. As the panels, each with its own unique view on the world as we know it, ended and I listened to the closing words of Kaiser Haq, I couldn’t deny that I had somehow been enlightened.

Photos: Courtesy


7

American novelist and journalist William T Vollman was in Dhaka last weekend for the Bengal Lights Literary Conclave. We sat down with him to discuss his National Book Award for Fiction winning novel, Europe Central.

Tell me a little about Europe Central.Europe Central is about the war between the Nazis and the Soviets. So it was World War II, but it was focused on the people who were under the rule of Stalin.

Is it alternate history? I tried to make it as accurate as I could and it was based on the true stories of certain artists and soldiers. One of the main characters is the composer Shostakovitch, there’s also a Russian General who was captured by the Germans and fought for them for a while and was executed by the Russians. There was a German General who was captured by the Russians and survived and became a police inspector. All these different true people, I tried to get inside their heads and describe them.

The line between fiction and non-fiction is very thin. Do you find it difficult to straddle that line between fiction and non-fiction?No, it’s not too difficult. It depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. And when I’m a journalist I try to make everything non-fiction. Sometimes it’s tempting to change the details a little bit for a better story but I don’t do it. I’d rather have a bad story that’s true. When it’s fiction, I can invent all kinds of things. But then when it’s historical fiction I only want to alter history for some good artistic reason.

What motivated you write this particular story?It’s a very complicated story. One of the main cities in the Soviet Union at the time is what we now call St Petersburg, at that time Leningrad. And Stalin was so careless and stupid, he actually executed people who warned him that Hitler was about to attack. The front quickly caved in and soon Leningrad was surrounded, it lasted for about 1000 days. Many people were killed, many starved to death. One of the most famous incidents of that siege is that Shostakovitch, who had been living there, wrote this so-called Leningrad Symphony, his seventh, and an orchestra broadcast from the city

while it was being besieged. So the Germans were shooting inwards with the music playing in the background, the Russian army were shooting outwards to protect the orchestra in the city, and everything was being broadcast live over the radio. And that’s what made start wondering what it was like for Shostakovitch.

Is he your main protagonist? He is one of the many protagonists. He was a very tormented person. He was persecuted because his music was not what Stalin liked, except in this one case. So I started trying to imagine what it would be like to be in his head. I see pictures when I hear his music because I’m a visual kind of person and Shostakovitch always said that you shouldn’t. That’s why he didn’t like to write program music. But for me that’s not a bad thing. And so I listened to this or that passage, and I started imagining; this passage it has to do with when Shostakovitch was sleeping with this or that girl, this passage has to do with the persecution he suffered and I tried to turn that music into a story. That is one of the examples of how I would alter history but these are based on real things that happened in Shostakovitch’s life. But the real Shostakovitch probably thought and felt some different things. But I tried to duplicate his speech patterns and use all his real friends and so on and so forth while making my own vision.

How did you get into his head?

I started with an oral history of Shostakovitch that I found. I didn’t know anything about him before. One of my books had been translated into Spanish and I was flying out of the airport in Madrid and I was looking for some books to read. There were only three or four books in English and one of them was about Shostakovitch. And I thought, how boring! But I got it and pretty soon I thought wow, this is amazing. And in it, all his friends talked about the way Shostakovitch would speak. He would start talking and he would never finish his sentences. Like “Well, I’m going to talk about the – y’know?” And once I realized what a frightened and miserable person he was – because he was always worried about being sent to prison by Stalin and any number of bad things could’ve happened – and that whenever I make him speak, he’d say something like that. At first, the reader doesn’t really get it and after a few pages the reader realizes that every time he’s saying “you know” he’s started thinking of some nightmarish, horrible thing. So as he gets older, he has more nightmares and more reasons to not finish his sentences.

How did you manage to infuse his work into the text? By describing the pictures that I imagined.

Do you think Shostakovitch is reflective of the fact that you have to be miserable to produce great art?

No, I don’t think so. There can be happy artists, sad artists. If there is a man who really enjoys doing something, then I think his art can be very happy. But if you’re living in terrible times, then even doing that might involve a certain amount of sadness.

But don’t you think that misery adds a bit of flavour to the art?I think that great art is great for its own reasons and that it’s not necessary for us to say what an artist has to feel. Because great art makes its own rules. So there’s no reason someone couldn’t come along and write a great novel that is all really happy.

Generally, which writers inspire you?Well, they change a lot, but the 11th century Japanese writer Lady Mirisaki, and the short stories of the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Finally, what inspires you to write?Well, it makes me happy. And I

feel that everything that is worth seeing, experiencing, or imagining, is worth being remembered. If I see some beautiful jungle or I’m sad because some friend has died, all those things deserve to remain as long as possible. Existences change, nothing lasts forever, and it’s the job of the artist to fight this losing battle against that. We can’t keep things alive forever but we can keep them alive for as long as possible. n


8 FEaTuRE | migraTory Birds

Every year, migratory birds from the Himalayas and faraway places like Siberia fly to the relatively warm,

swampy lands in Bangladesh to escape the freezing cold, and feed on snails and tiny fishes, which are abundant during this part of the year in the rice crops in haors, baors and the swamps in the coastal areas.

Between November and April, about 500,000 birds of 150 different species travel to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh: A host for the guestWinter is the king of all seasons in this tropical land, the equivalent of spring in the temperate countries. It is ideal for the blooming of life, what scientists call bio-synthesis. As global interest veers from material sciences to life and the environment, the Bangladeshi winter gains in importance.

The history of migration dates back to prehistoric times. Birds have been travelling vast distances for hundreds and thousands of years, migrating from one continent to another; in search of food and favourable survival conditions.

Globally the nesting grounds of birds – the wetlands – are being protected by the Ramsar Convention. Bangladesh is also a signatory to this convention and as such has an obligation to protect these sites. There are three Ramsar sites in Bangladesh: The Meghna estuary, Tanguar and Hail-Hakaluki Haors. The latter two are in the north-eastern district of Sunamganj.

Sites for birdsThere are about 207 species of birds that live or visit Bangladesh. Among the birds, 30% are waterfowls, 26% waders, 20% bush and herb land birds and the rest are grassland, air hawking prey. Of these fresh water birds, 129 species (62.3 %) are resident and the other is migratory.

The wetland environment, some of the famous species that visit Hakaluki, include the great crested grebe, widgeon, egret, large egret, heron, night heron and snipe. The

wetland hosts a tenth of all migratory birds that arrive in Bangladesh every winter.

Hakaluki Haor (water body), the biggest lake in the country is spread over Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts, which covers 45000 acres of land.

Also, the urban and suburban places where the guest birds gather are Peelkhana, Dhaka National Zoo and Botanical Garden, Bangabhaban compound, Ceramic Lake (Mirpur), Jahangirnagar University and other large water-bodies around the city.

The species of birds that usually travel the country are: Spotbill pelican, pelican, Scavenger vulture, Bengal Florican, Pinkheaded duck, Greater Adjutant and King Vulture. Endangered migratoey birds species also roaming our lands include: Poceps cristatus, Phalarocorax carbo, Anhinga rufa, Neophron percnopterus, Leptoptilos javancus, plegadis falcinellus,. anser, Carina scutulata, Haliaeetus leucoryphus, Anthropoidis virgo, Rostratula bengalensis, Esacus magnirostris and Palargopsis capanesis.

The arrivals of these birds provide winter entertainment for tens of thousands of residents who travel to suburban areas to watch the birds. Bangladesh Bird Watchers’ Society and Natural Conservation Committee organise bird watching festivals each year at Jahangirnagar and Mirpur Ceramic Lake. Bird lovers feed them

and photographers come in groups to take pictures.

The decreasing number of birdsIronically, people are still unaware of the importance of migratory birds and the global ecological balance they make. Unfortunately, the sale of these birds for their meat, is patronised by many. Dr Monirul H Khan, professor of Zoology of Jhangirnagar University said that affluent urban dwellers are the largest group of wildlife customers.

“There should be a law against the consumers too, which will result in the protection of wildlife,” he said.

Dr Khan has done extensive research on lakes and major rivers in the country’s northern region. Based on his experience, he suggested proactive efforts to preserve water bodies and wetland areas. “Real estate companies are filling up large water bodies and building up apartments. If this trend continues for another five years, I am afraid we might lose all the water bodies which were considered safe havens for the migratory birds” he said.

Mostafa Feeroz, another Zoology professor of Jahangirnagar University said that rampant use of insecticide and pesticide are causing great damage to the environment and also preventing migratory birds from coming.

“The JU sanctuary which is considered the safest haven for migratory birds was almost deserted

at the beginning of this winter. But the numbers have increased tremendously since the beginning of this year.”

Jashodhon Pramanik, an environmentalist and prominent animal rights activist said, “The decreasing number of migratory birds visiting Bangladesh each year can be attributed to bird flu culls all over the world.”

Also, the decreasing number of wetlands and plantation of out-of-place foreign trees after the local ones were cut down are another reason. As incredible as this may sound, there are no actual laws in place to punish poachers or pet shops that sell migratory and extinct birds.”

He said that he has raided Katabon pet shops several times and apprehended dozens of shop owners selling illegally acquired migratory birds. The Environmental Department sadly, does not have any laws in place for the protection of these birds. All the pet shops technically have the license to legally sell “birds”.

The term “Birds” has no further specification in the 1974 Wild Life Conservation Act, which is a major loophole for poachers and traders. No specific laws are in place to protect these birds travelling from foreign lands – they all fall under the category of generic birds under the wildlife conservation act and are illegally sold in licensed pet shops. n

Fine, feathered gueststhe state of seasonal migratory birds in bangladeshFaisal Mahmud

Photo: Bigstock


everyday moThers | PhOTO STORy 9

Mothers come in all shapes ans sizes. in every race and species, there is no other being that will love, support and protect their young as fiercely and unconditionally as mothers can and do. it is therefore small wonder that we have an entire day dedicated to mothers, even though it doesn’t really come close to equating all the things they do and

sacrifices they make for us. But its a start.in light of Mother’s Day on May 10, this week’s photo story features everyday mothers, across all walks (and some species) of life, capturing simple, yet significant moments of mothers as they go about their lives revolving around their children.

It comes naturallyPhotos: Sabrina Munni


10 PhOTO STORy | everyday moThers


11


12 TEa wiTh wT | ruBaiyaT hossain

With her new film, Under Construction being selected in the main competition

‘The New Directors Showcase’ at the Seattle International Film Festival, Rubaiyat Hossain is gearing up for its theatrical release in Bangladesh on July 31, 2015.

In an interview with Weekend Tribune, this dynamic new director shares some insights into her fascinating life and work.

Tell us about your new movieMy new movie recently got cleared by the Censor Board and it is up for release on July 31. It is about a middle class urban Muslim woman’s journey. It’s about her day to day life being a theatre actor. The reason I call it Under Construction is because

what it means to be a female director in a male dominated industryTausif Sanzum

Female Director, Female Gaze

Rubaiyat Hossain Photo: Courtesy


13

Female Director, Female Gazethe background of the film is Dhaka city and if you look at the city, you cannot find a single spot where a building is not being constructed – so the city, as such, is being constructed – it’s in a transitional phase. The urban citizen is also in the making and so is the modern Bengali woman.

And by saying a larger theme, I mean it is about trying to question tradition because she is a theatre actress doing Rokto Korobi on stage for a very long time. She wants to re-interpret the play. Can someone re-interpret something as traditional as Rabindranath Tagore? Are you supposed to do that? What happens when you do that? It is also about questioning womanhood as we know it and how she is actually trying to push the boundary in an effort to find herself.

With your earlier film also being women-centric, how is this movie different?This film doesn’t have a heated political background like the one of 1971. It is a contemporary story and it’s about your everyday life.

Some people might say that you had it easy because of your affluent background. What do you have to say about the challenges of being a woman director in Dhallywood? I think it is difficult for anybody to make films. A lot of people who are making movies are getting funding from somebody else. If you want to make a film it doesn’t happen for free. You have to either have your own money or have somebody give it to you. Either way it’s the same thing. You can say that I have more creative freedom because I don’t have to go to an outside producer. However, in terms of technicality and in working with the crew, it’s totally vague. And also in terms of working in an industry that is predominantly male dominated, the struggle is the same.

At any given time, look at the landscape of female directors even in

places like Bollywood or Hollywood, how many female directors are out there? And how many of them are actually telling women stories. I think Reema Kagti tried to tell a female story in Taalash but still she needed an Aamir Khan in it to sell the movie. I had to go to films where I had to teach myself to make short films and documentaries before I could be in a position to make a feature film. Having said that, it was easier in my second film because my camera person, two of my assistant directors were women, which made it easier for me. But still, most of the rest of the crew are all males.

When did the directing bug bite you?I have always been a very visual person. I remember when I was young and liked a novel, I would make a casting list. As I grew older I started watching Satyajit Rai movies, and that’s when I began to realised just how meaningful films could be really be. I started reading his books on films and watched all his films. Throughout my undergrad studies, when I majored in Women Studies, I took some film production courses. After I finished my undergrads I went to New York Film Academy for a Diploma in Film Direction. It was during this Diploma course when I realised that this is what I really want to do. I still went ahead did my Masters in South Asia studies. Right now I am planning to do a PhD in Cinema Studies from NYU. I am interested in academia and film making. I don’t want to be a completely commercial filmmaker who is making films all the time. My engagement with films is more passionate.

So you never want to make a pop corn entertainer?Never ….maybe I could but that would be de-constructive. I am very fascinated by Bollywood. I go to Mumbai a lot. I am very fascinated by the power that this kind of cinema has over people. I am interested to work on something like that, if I

could make a film that would have real commercial elements, I would like to see how it affects the society. I am really interested to see how films reflect the society – how cinema can reflect, analyse a social phenomena.

A simple rickshaw puller, for example, has his own bag of problems. Why do you think he will spend his hard earned money to watch a movie based on hard hitting social messages instead of an escape-from-reality entertainer?I think we often underestimate the audience. If the story is strong, the audience will relate. Yes, you can entertain them with a lot of bright colours, loud sounds and really good music, but I am sure if you can actually present a film that represents the actual life and trouble of, for example a rickshaw puller, then I think they will enjoy it more. When we watch a film and if we find a reflection of our life in it that makes us really happy as I can relate to that. You never can understand what kind of films audience will like unless and until you give them those options. If you are only giving them one type of films then that’s all they are going to watch.

What do you want to do with your production house, Khona Talkies?With Khona Talkies we basically want to take baby steps. We want to produce some meaningful cinema. We have already produced one documentary which unearthed three individual voices of Birangonas. We have produced a short film which is completed and will come out soon. We plan on producing more documentaries and shorts films. We want to create a platform where we can raise issues which are otherwise not encouraged to be spoken of. We are going to start some films sessions where we are going to watch films and have discussions with people who are interested to engage with films as visual texts.

There is a recent trend for the media

hype for a product out-selling the product itself. What is your take on this?I think in today’s time and age it has become very important because if your film is going to be in theatres and if you don’t let people know then they are not going to come. But I think most of the promotions we do is online on Facebook, Youtube etc. However, I think one has to reach out not saying that my film is the best, come and watch it but at least saying my movie is in theater, come and watch it.

In the long run, do you want people to tag you as a ‘female director’ or just a ‘director’?I think I always want to be identified as a woman. I think every person has one battle to fight and I have always picked my battle to be a woman, to find my space in the world and raise my voice as a woman creating the same space for other women. At the same time, when you make a film, you make a film. For example, in Under Construction there is a scene with this python and I am dead scared of snakes. But the moment we started shooting and I was looking through the camera, I was not scared anymore. At that moment it was not a snake but a part of my film. So when you make a film, you are just making a film and that goes beyond gender roles. But I always want to be conscious of myself as a woman.

Do you feel that be it commercial or art house movies, women are shown in a very sexual way?There is certain amount of objectification. As a director it is your own journey to find your form of representation. I wrote an article called, ‘female director, female gaze’ which dealt with how a female director represents a female character. Do they sexualise the character or do they completely desexualise her? I think that’s a process of which the language will be made clearer as more female make films. n


14 SLiCE OF LiFE | moms on faceBook

while its great to have a ‘cool’ mom, sometimes, especially when you find them on your Facebook friends list, things can get just a little beyond ‘comfortableFarhana Urmee

Networking moms

Photo: Bigstock

You wake up in the morning with your phone beeping with 45 notifications from Facebook. It may give you

the hint of your popularity reaching an all new high or it be the indication of how eventful and active a life you have that reflects in your virtual social network too.

In reality, however, the scenario may look like this: Can you recall the surprise gift you gave your mom last Mother’s Day? If it were a smart-phone, you don’t need to look at those notifications at all. Your mom, newly signed up on Facebook, clicking the ‘like’ button under your pictures and posts from the time when she was not even on Facebook and no wonder she is going Nazi

through your time-line. Hell just froze over; your mom is on Facebook!

Days have changed. Nowadays you might not have regular fights with her on trifling issues as moms today are busier than they used to be. Whether its working moms or home- makers, these days they are all busy on social networks.

Moms are having a good time networking, finding out long lost friends, and of course, making the use of smart-phone well-justified by being on Facebook. Their networking should not bother you until you get her call on a busy day while at work, asking you to immediately check out and “like” the new album that she just uploaded on Facebook. By the way, you may want to explain to your mom how all these social networking sites works: “Mom, whenever you post something it will appear on the ‘newsfeeds’ of your friends”, but then moms will hardly listen.

In the afternoon tea parties, your mom wants to approve your stand on some recent fight with one of your cousins by judging them for not liking her post. “How could she not even click the like button where my post almost became the talk of the town,” frowning mom’s soliloquy might be seeking your approval too on the rightness of her thoughts.

Still more embarrassing is when she comments on a picture of you tagged by someone you barely know, whom you met at a friend’s party or an office get-together. You might still be the little one for her but what about her boldly commenting “my sweetie” or “my child is the best” where you pose for pictures with your boss or your subordinates, posted by friends of friends.

She might not remain conscious about your being a grown up, but she is ever super conscious of her age and never going to let you tag her in any current picture of her. Being very particular about her age and pictures, she would always upload pictures from her college days or honeymoon but never more recent ones.

People from that generation had a practice of writing more or less, especially poetry. Moms often make their wall an everyday journal and jot down little thoughts or rhymes. Again, some downloaded pictures of flowers or birds accompanied by messages of the goodness of God will always be flashing on your newsfeed – all the doings of dear mom. n


a moTher’s love? | RaNT 15

Mothers always have their child’s best interest at heart, but sometimes their efforts towards expressing this can be far from okay Lameya Alma Amin

Mothers are the centre of our universe. Most of us will blindly agree to it. They usually

do anything and everything for us, no matter what. And yet there are the times when some of us find ourselves being judged and belittled by this most loving and revered person.

There are numerous times when people find themselves under the scrutinising eyes of their mothers. For many daughters, in fact, these incidents take place in small measures almost every other day. It’s like a habit that just cannot retire: to comment upon their offspring’s life, starting from their habits, to their dressing sense, to the choice of their friends, to body shape.

If asked, the mothers always say that they get themselves to scrutinise their kids because they want them to improve and do better in life. They do so for the betterment

of their kids. But when asked the people of the descending generation, what they think of it, they have various statements to make.

“I completely agree with the fact that my mother wants the best for me and my life. But there are times she keeps on complaining about every little thing I do, and especially the way I dress and style. I absolutely love wearing skinny jeans, but every time I do, she has to comment something about my thighs looking too big, or my waist bulging too much. I agree I don’t have the super skinny figures that models have, but for once I would like to wear what I want, and not hear a negative comment about it,” said Fairooz Raisa.

There are quite a number of people who can relate to this example, who have gone through comments as such. In another incident, I came across a friend who has beautiful, sharp features, dusky

skin, and amazing long hair. She once said about how she wanted to cut her hair, and her mother had commented that the hair is the only beautiful thing she has, implying that she is not that fair, and so she shouldn’t let go of the ‘only’ good thing she has. This was to some extent really disappointing, but it didn’t affect the girl very deeply, as she is an independent woman with a strong personality.

One thing that mothers sometimes fail to understand is, saying such things is quite likely to take a negative toll in a young person’s though process and over time, that person can grow to have unhealthy perceptions of what beauty really is.

While it is extremely important to stay fit, one doesn’t need to be reminded of it and scrutinised every waking hour. At times it gets quite annoying listening to their mothers comment about what to eat, what not to eat, as you are just getting fat every day.

Almost all the women out there adore their mothers, and believe in their dedication to make their children’s lives better. Sometimes it would be nice if they could let go of their comments about their daughters and sons, and believe in the notion that they are capable of taking care of themselves. When a young girl listens to statements that says being fat or dark is ugly, it can undoubtedly have a negative affect on their perceptions and they invariably become conscious, and shamed about their body type, if it isn’t up to the ‘standard mark’.

Mothers influence a person’s mindset to a huge extent, so it would be very considerate of them to have a broader outlook about one’s body type, so that the younger ones grow up to believe that all types of body shape and skin colour is beautiful, and to be happy and content about their own figure. n

Mothers Body Shaming

Photo: Bigstock


16 TOuGh LOvE | dina soBhan

Dear Dina, I’ve been suffering from fertility issues for a while, and my best friend is aware of this. She’s picked up this

habit of pressuring me to have kids, and she usually does this when other people are around, so I smile and act like children aren’t a priority for me. I’m stressed out enough about my damaged baby-maker without her constantly reminding me. I’m sure she doesn’t realise she’s being cruel, and I’ve told her firmly and politely to stop, but I don’t think she gets how serious this is. What’s a good way to get through to her without being a b-word? Sincerely, Busted Oven

Dear No Buns,While I cannot resolve your fertility issues, I can advise you to stop referring to your parts in derogatory terms

like ‘busted oven’ and ‘damaged baby-maker’. It’s not doing a thing for your self-esteem, which is probably why you’re allowing this ‘friend’ of yours to abuse you so openly. The only way to deal with a ‘B’ is by being one yourself. Either you dump her forthwith, with a colorful description of her horrendous character, or you go one step further and shame her while you’re at it. The next time she brings up your unfortunate situation in public, look very injured and proclaim loudly that you’d love to have children but have been having trouble conceiving, and that it’s really unkind of her to keep bringing it up knowing what she knows and how much it affects you. Then proceed to burst into loud, strangled sobs. Your ‘friend’ should have the decency to look suitably shame-faced, and the others will feel great sympathy for you and great antagonism for her, if you’re lucky. If you’re worried about letting everyone in on your secret, chances are she’s probably beat you to it.

Dina sobhan is a freelance writer, and cautions readers not to take her ‘advice’ here too seriously!

got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@dhakatribune.

comBuns and balanceQ

QA

ACartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

Hi Dina, I can’t seem to find a balance in my life. I just got out of a relationship six months ago and it was a horrible,

disgusting relationship with him treating me like dirt all the time. However, we had one connection - we really understood each other in some ways. We were best friends and were comfortable sharing everything with each other. It was a long distance relationship and that’s why he’d get over-possessive and psychotic. Ever since breaking up I completely love my new-found life so much that I can’t ever imagine being in a relationship again. Then again, when I’m down and out, I feel like I need one. I can’t find a balance and neither can I fully get over my ex, despite the fact that I know that

life is so much better without him.Dear Imbalanced,What you’re experiencing is called life. It’s perfectly

normal to feel fulfilled within oneself at times, and lonely at other times. But when you miss your ex, you’re probably deluded yourself into remembering only the good parts and ignoring the overall reality of what a shmuck he really what and how miserable you were with him. It’s a form of Stockholm syndrome. Once you’ve been in a crappy relationship, you start to believe it’s all you deserve. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that your ex was your best friend and blahdiblah because friends don’t abuse you and disrespect you ever. Be happy that it’s over and

don’t look back over your shoulder even once, because that’s when the back slide begins and before you know it, you’ll be back to being abused in your ‘horrible, disgusting relationship’ all over again. Enjoy being young, free and single – or any of the above – and when the time is right, someone else will come in to your life. Someone who won’t treat you like a doormat. n


moms of goT | LiSTOLOGy 17

Game of Thrones has given us some of the most memorable characters on television. a lot of them stand out because of their equation with their children. Here is a list of mothers from Game of Thrones who would kill for their kids, and also some who are willing to kill their kids Tausif Sanzum

Mothers of Westeros

Cersei Lannister While her three children might be fruits of incestuous love, there is no denying that this woman is willing to go to any extent to protect them and make sure that they sit on the Iron Throne. However, this blind love is also responsible for the pure evil which Joffrey grows into and the price he ultimately pays for it.

Catelyn StarkWho can forget the agonising screams of Catelyn Stark in the Red Wedding episode as they butcher her son, Rob Stark and unborn grandchild right in front of her? Hers is one of the most positive characters in the show, who till her last breath, tried her best to protect and bring all her children together again. It’s, however, sad that she failed to ever accept her husband’s bastard, John Snow, though.

Lysa ArrynWhile her sister Catelyn Stark loves her children, Lysa Arryn takes motherhood to an all together different level. The image of her grown child suckling on her bosom is one of the most disturbing images shown on television. What will happen to her son now that she has been pushed through the Moon Door?

MelisandreTalking about disturbing imagery, who can forget the scene where the Red lady gave birth to what can be called a “shadow/demonic child”. That “child” went on to kill Stannis’s brother Renly. n

Daenerys TargaryenWhile there is no denying how much the Khaleesi loves her three dragons, one cannot deny how they are also the source of her power. Season four saw her chain her dragons in the catacombs as she loses control over them. The question that arises in season five is: What’s a queen who is named “Mother of dragons” minus her dragons?

Lady SelyseShe is the wife of Stannis Baratheon and mother to Shireen, a child with a face that is half deformed due to an illness called Greyscale. She is totally under the influence of her husband’s mistress, Melisandre and willing to sacrifice her daughter at the whim of the Red lady if it means to see her husband on the Iron Throne.

GillyAbused by her father to bear his children, Gilly and her sisters had a nightmare for a life, North of the wall, in Craster’s Keep. While her father’s sons, borne to him by her sisters, are given as sacrifices to the White Walkers to keep them away, Gilly, with the help of the gallant Sam, manages to keep her only son alive. Even when she takes refuge in the Wall amongst the men of the Night’s Watch, she makes sure that she works hard to feed and take care of her child. n


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

ACROSS1 Fair play, it’s only lolly (7)4 Upheaval following tea transport (7) 6 Like Monet, father fences in (7)7 Upset caused by rum cocktail in work (7)

DOWN1 Reorganise pack in tiny Grand Prix (7)2 Religious teacher I crawled before (5)3 Seventh rally has to captivate (7)5 Short introduction in rot arrangement (5)

Last

wee

k’s

solu

tion

s

aCrOss1 Rat returns to achieve his goal (6)6 Insecure, forget about nothing (5)7 Start, for example, in trash (5)8 Selfishpersondestroyedstogie(6)

DOwN2 Al Gore about 50 moved at a brisk pace (7)3 Reasonsforcoffeedeposits(7)4 Bigger than 5D? A belter cocktail! (6)5 Stiffdrinkfordoppelgänger(6)

Clues

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

Laughing it off with BBC Radio 1 on Youtube is a blast with hosts Scott Mills and Chris

Stark. “Innuendo Bingo” is a BBC based

radio show hosted by famous BBC Radio 1 presenter Scott Mills and Chris Stark. The show consists of innuendo filled hilarious clips being played on air whilst a guest and Christ Stark are sat opposite each other. They have to gulp down copious amounts of water then see if they spit it out on each other’s faces. So far the show has had celebrities like Daniel Radcliffe, Gerard Butler, Will Ferrell, Matthew Lewis, Pixie Lott, Danny (From The Script), Union J, The Vamps, Tinchy Stryder, Olly Murs, Ella Henderson, Jessie J and Hugh Jackman (with celebrity guest host Kylie Minogue) on. Each webisode has over 50,000

views on Youtube. There was also a special four week “Strictly Come Bingo” show where contestants from “Strictly Come Dancing” came to play, the set was changed and made more ‘fabulous’ and decorative. This show is hilarious and healthy for the heart and is a must watch Youtube show, highly recommended for people with stressful jobs who only get days off on the weekends. Please feel free to check it out and hit the refresh button on your life, mind and sense of humour.

The show’s co host Chris Stark is pretty famous on the Internet for his interviews with celebrities such as Mila Kunis, Jennifer Aniston and Robert Downey Jr. His first interview was with Mila Kunis on the Scott Mills Show for the film “Oz the Great and Powerful”. His series of ridiculous questions and statements

due to his nervousness included: “Did you enjoy being ugly for once, ‘cause generally you’re hot?” “We could go for Nando’s after a football match”. Towards the end Mila Kunis is seen giving him a summary of the movie after someone from the behind prompts him to ask questions related to the movie. He then asks her to be a date for a wedding to one his friends and whether she’s ever ‘taken her clothes off at a wedding’ during the summer; to be more precise ‘dropped trou(sers)’. Which is basically means people take their clothes off, watch “Baywaytch” and dance around. To this the great Mila Kunis’ reply was with an amazing question: “Did you know I was on Baywatch twice?”. The duo of Scott Mills and Chris Stark will hardly ever leave you bored. n

Laughing MattersPragya Rahman

Mini cryptics


GO OuT 19

May 10

Lecture | Position Yourself for The FuturewheN 2pmwhere Conference Hall, Faculty of Business Studies, University of Dhaka

Career trajectory is very important for a dream job that everyone wants. With the proper guidance it is very easy to reach the desired goal. ‘Voice of Business’, presents ‘Position Yourself for the Future’ with not one, but two experts (Naveed Mahbub and Syed Aftab Hoq) who will share their mantra.

This event presents a fun and interactive way to prepare yourself for today’s competitive and complex job market, as all the employers want to hire someone who is motivated, proactive, and likely to stick around and work hard towards the organisation’s goals and possibly, not complain.

Naveed Mahbub will share his stories from his experience as

a former CEO of IBM and Nokia Siemens Networks and will be providing some valuable career tips, with a dash of humour.

Young entrepreneur/marketeer in the digital advertising and E-Commerce industry, Syed Aftab Hoq, will share his experience in planning and executing successful digital campaigns. A seven years of being in the automotive and retail industry in USA, he is currently heading ‘Bagher Bachcha Digital’ a leading digital agency owned by one of the biggest and oldest advertising houses in Bangladesh, Adcomm.

The event is free and open for all upon registration. For register, visit: http://bit.ly/1FIRLP1

May 14-16

Fair | Laptop Fair 2015wheN 3-6pmwhere Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), Agargaon, Sher-E-Bangla Nagar

Weekly Planner May 8

Carnival | Hatirjheel Dairy, Drink & Chocolate Carnival-2015WHEn 6amWHErE HatirjheelCome to the event to take part in a multitude of activities including cycle riding, kite flying and open art exhibition for children.

May 10

Networking | Dhaka Networking Night - IWHEn 3pmWHErE EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old) , 9th Floor, Midas Center, DhanmondiNetworking is an art. Whether you’re starting your own business, searching for the perfect co-founder, transitioning to a new job-networking can be your life support. While everything is becoming virtual, the one thing that we can still rely on is the power of community. To bring the startup and freelancer community closer, ‘Hubdhaka’ is organising the ‘Dhaka Networking Night’,

an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate and connect with the right people if you have a startup or want to start one.The event is open and free for all. To attend the event one has to register at <http://bit.ly/DNN-1> and go through a screening process.

May 13

Education | Meet Representative from University of Northern IowaWHEn 2-3:30pmWHErE The American Center, Plot No -1, Progati Sharani, J-Block, BaridharaThose interested in higher studies in the United States are invited to talk to a representative from the University of Northern Iowa who will be providing useful information on higher studies in the US and opportunities for international students, including the application process and requirements, available programs to study, scholarships, and campus life.

This program is free and open for everyone interested. No prior registration is required to attend this program; one needs to simply go to the American Center as per the schedule.

May 14

Culture | Chat with a Diplomat WHEn 3-4pmWHErE The American Center, Plot No -1, Progati Sharani, J-Block, BaridharaLearn more about American culture, education and the role of the US Embassy, Dhaka. Join American Center’s ‘Chat with a Diplomat’, featuring lively conversations with diplomats from the US Embassy.Diplomat, Sarah Flewelling, Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer at the US Embassy Dhaka will share thoughts will the audience.This program is free and open for all. Just arrive to the American Center as per the schedule below.

May 14

Workshop | Self Development Workshop - Phase 01, Session-3 WHEn 9am-7pmWHErE EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old) , 9th Floor, Midas Center, DhanmondiThe world is becoming more and more competitive and challenging, where people with craftsmanship, professionalism, presentation skills, great attitude, sense of duty and responsibility to are needed. Life Carnival Foundation, a youth based organization, is working as a bridge to build connection between those qualities and the students as well as professionals who want more competence in their respective fields. They believe that, executing monthly workshops on different topics is an important ingredient to build that bridge. Seats are limited. To register, please contact: 01676124916; 01723773469

The most awaited Laptop Fair is back again with 2015’s latest Laptop models and accessories with unbelievable price tags and mind blowing offers. Many computer brands such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Samsung and others will offer their best products at the fair. Discounts will be offered on

different products,. Including daily-use laptops and high-end graphics and gaming laptops. Besides, laptops flash-drives, hard-drives, routers, modems, laptop and gaming accessories will also be sold.


20 FuNNybONE | yamin khan

Perception and reality, are more often than not, very different thingsYamin Khan

What to expect?

Disclaimer: What you are going to read next is filled with stereotypes and an unabashed use of generalisations. So if you are someone who gets easily offended by such stuff, then please don’t proceed

any furtherThe service sector in Bangladesh

contributes to around 50% of our GDP. This means that it contributes the largest share of our national output. But for an average person out

there, the service industry reflects all those people they have to encounter on a daily basis while going on with their lives. It could be the milkman, the guy at the laundry, the lady who cooks for them and the list goes

on. And today, we are going to talk about all these people, who are not only a major part of our economic progress, but an inseparable part of our everyday lives.

HoSpITAl nurSE By definition: A person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital. In reality: The girl in the family who couldn’t get along with anyone else and had serious anger management issues. CnG DrIvEr By definition: Driver of an auto-rickshaw, bestowed with the responsibility of providing short rides to passengers in exchange for a fare. In reality: The person for whom, everything in life comes down to a difference of Tk20. rADIo JoCKEy By definition: A person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. In reality: That kid in class who always got told off for talking too much. JournAlIST By definition: A person who collects, writes or distributes news or other current information. In reality: A failed spy with a passion for writing. lAWyEr By definition: A lawyer who is authorised to appear and present cases at any court in a jurisdiction. In reality: The kid who would always pick dare over truth. ACCounTAnT By definition: A person whose job is to keep or inspect financial accounts.In reality: Someone who spends their weekends at home, watching movies all by themselves; and not because they enjoy it this way, but simply because they don’t have any friend.

FASHIon MoDEl By definition: A person who wears clothes to display fashions. In reality: Everyone wants to be their friend till they open their mouths.

polITICIAn By definition: A person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of an elected office. In reality: That kid in class who would take lunch from everyone, and then open his own Tiffin box.

TEACHEr By definition: A person who teaches, especially in a school. In reality: Didn’t get a better job. FIlM ACTrESS By definition: A person whose profession is acting in films. Especially in central roles. In reality: Someone who is willing to compromi…*cough cough* someone who is very career driven. BuSInESS pErSon By definition: An individual who organises and manages an enterprise with considerable initiative and risk. In reality: Remember that kid in school who sold you a second hand book after you lost yours from inside your bag? Yes, that’s a businessman right there. DoCTor By definition: A person who is qualified to treat people who are ill. In reality: A business person and a politician, but with very good memory and horrible handwriting.

CoMEDIAn By definition: An entertainer on stage or television whose act is designed to make an audience laugh. In reality: A person who’s actually not funny, they are just really mean and people think they are joking. n

Yamin Khan is a comedian and CEO of Bangladesh Struggling Artist Survivors Foundation

Photo: Bigstock

weekend tribune vol 3 issue 3

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