weekend tribune vol 3 issue 37

vol 3 Issue 37 | FRIDAY, JAnuARY 8, 2016 Dhaka Tribune

4 ConFeRenCe ClImAte ChAnge 14 DInIng All

You CAn eAt 20 the Bong mommA

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, JAN UARY 8, 2016

1CONTENTS

Volume 3 | Issue 37 | January 8, 2016

EditorZafar Sobhan

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Asst Magazine EditorFarina Noireet

Weekend Tribune TeamSaudia Afrin

Moumita AhmedN Anita AmreenFaisal MahmudSakib MridhaSaqib Sarker

Syeda Samira SadequeShuprova Tasneem

ContributorsMinu Ahmed

GraphicsMd Mahbub AlamAlamgir HossainTahsin Momin

Colour SpecialistShekhar Mondal

AdvertisementShahin Ahsan

ProductionMasum Billah

CirculationMasud Kabir Pavel

Websitedhakatribune.com/weekendfacebook.com/WeekendTrib

Email your letters to:[email protected]

Editor’s note About the coverDear Readers,If the start of a new year wasn’t enough to put the critical issues surrounding climate change on the forefront, the earthquake that recently jolted the country should definitely get people talking.

And that’s what we’re doing a lot of this week – talking about climate. Joining hands with the Gobeshona Climate Conference 2016, which starts today, we bring you event highlights and a full schedule.

Our photostory this week puts the spotlight on just how precarious our situation is vis-a-vis earthquake resistance.

A special focus goes to rising salinity in the coastal regions and what that may mean for our long-term food supply.

But don’t worry, we’ve got plenty to brighten the mood too. From fashion, to food, to travel, to networking, we’ve got all of that good stuff, and a little bit of parenting advice too, from Agony Aunt and the Bong Momma.

Have a great week and stay safe!

-Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

News 2 News

3 Meanwhile

FeatuRes 5 Event

Climate conference

8 Focus Climate resilient rice

12 Men’s Fashion The classics

13 Women’s Fashion Trends

14 Dining All you can eat

15 Tea with WT Networking

16 Tourism Thailand

RegulaRs17 Tell

18 Stay In

19 Go Out

20 The Bong Momma

CONFErENCEClimATe ChANge

PhOTO STOry VulNerAble CiTy

4

9

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain


2 NEWS | This week

Punjab attack threatens India-Pakistan peace progress

North Korea says conducted ‘successful’ H-bomb testNorth Korea last week said that it had carried out a “successful” hydrogen bomb test, a claim that – if true – massively raises the stakes over the hermit state’s banned nuclear programme.

In a surprise announcement Pyongyang said it had carried out a hydrogen blast.

“The republic’s first hydrogen bomb test has been successfully performed at 10:00 am on January 6, 2016, based on the strategic determination of the Workers’ Party,” a state television news

reader said.A hydrogen, or thermonuclear

device, uses fusion in a chain reaction that results in a far more powerful explosion than the fission blast generated by uranium or plutonium alone.

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un had suggested Pyongyang had already developed a hydrogen bomb – although the claim was greeted with scepticism by international experts.Source: AP

Venezuela’s opposition took majority control of the National Assembly in last week after years in the political wilderness, setting the stage for a potential power struggle with embattled President Nicolas Maduro.

Lawmakers were sworn in during a heated parliamentary session that saw pro-government representatives walk out in protest after pushing their way onto the dais as the new leadership tried to lay out its legislative agenda.

It’s the first time in 17 years, since elections in December 1998, that opponents of the socialist revolution begun by the late President Hugo Chavez have held a majority in the legislature, and many leaders seemed

rapt in disbelief.The opposition won a two-thirds

majority in a landslide election victory last month, giving it unprecedented strength to challenge Maduro’s rule. But that key super-majority is now in doubt after a government-stacked Supreme Court barred four lawmakers from taking their seats at the last minute while it considers allegations of electoral fraud. As a result, only 163 of 167 lawmakers were sworn in during Tuesday’s ceremony.Source: AP

A pre-dawn attack on an Indian air force base has left four gunmen and three soldiers dead and has also threatened to derail attempts to revive a dialogue between Pakistan and India.

A group of gunmen attacked the base in the Indian north-western state of Punjab that borders Pakistan, local officials said.

The attack, 50km from the border with Pakistan, comes just a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a surprise Pakistan visit to meet his counterpart in a bid to revive bilateral talks that had previously been derailed by militant attacks.

Sporadic gunfire continued for three days and five militants and seven Indian soldiers had been killed during three days of fighting.

Later, A Kashmir-based militant coalition has said it carried out the deadly attack on an Indian air force base. The United Jihad Council – a coalition of militant groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir - claimed its “national highway squad” was responsible.

The attackers had earlier hijacked a police officer’s car and driven it to the heavily guarded base - tactics used in earlier attacks believed to have been perpetrated by Pakistani-trained fighters, Punjab’s police chief Suresh Arora told Reuters.Source: AP

It was a surprise wake up call for people across Bangladesh at dawn Monday when a 6.7 magnitude earthquake jolted Dhaka and other parts of the country.

The earthquake hit at 04:35am local time (23:05 GMT) about 33km (20 miles) northwest of Imphal, the capital of Manipur state, in northeast India, near its border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS estimated that as many as 98 million people in the region may have felt the earthquake.

Strong tremors were felt in Dhaka and its adjacent areas around 5:05am

when most of the city dwellers were asleep. Panicked people rushed out of their residences and came to their nearby roads following the jolts.

Deaths due to panick have been reported from capital Dhaka, Jamalpur, and the northern districts of Rajshahi Lalmonirhat and Panchagarh.

At least 29 others in Dhaka were taken to hospital with injuries sustained during the panic rush.

In Sylhet, which borders northeast India, 32 people injured in similar circumstances were admitted to hospital.Source: Dhaka Tribune

Dhaka wakes up to sudden earthquake

Venezuela opposition controls congress after 17 years

The world at a glanceWeekend Tribune

Desk


. . . MEaNWhIlE 3

Photo of the week

A Japanese sushi boss paid more than $117,000 Tuesday for a giant bluefin tuna as Tokyo’s

Tsukiji fish market held its last New Year auction ahead of a much-needed modernisation move.

Bidding stopped at a whopping 14 million yen for the enormous 200-kilogram (440-pound) fish – a threatened species – that was caught off Japan’s northern coast.

The price was three times higher than last year but still far below a record 155.4 million yen paid by the sushi chain operator in 2013 – when a Hong Kong restaurant chain weighed in and drove up bidding – for a slightly larger fish of similar quality.

The New Year auction is a traditional feature at Tsukiji, where bidders pay way over the odds for the prestige of buying the first fish of the year.

But it came as Japan, the world’s largest consumer of bluefin tuna, faces growing calls for a trade ban on the species, which environmentalists warn is on its way to extinction.

The population of Pacific bluefin tuna is set to keep declining “even if governments ensure existing management measures are fully implemented,” Amanda Nickson, director of Global Tuna Conservation at the Pew Charitable Trusts, said in a release.

Bluefin is usually the most expensive fish available at Tsukiji, the biggest fish and wholesale seafood market in the world.Source: yahoonews.com

say what?

While in a CNG, I noticed the driver had a mini garden hanging beside his seat. I asked him about it, to which he replied: “I need some oxygen. I can’t breathe while driving in

this city. I feel suffocated. So they give me oxygen when I need it.”Photo: Sabiha Akond Rupa

Japan sushi boss pays $117,000 for endangered tuna


4 CONFErENCE | ClimaTe Change

At the crack of dawn just a few days into 2016, Bangladeshis across the country were jolted,

literally, into a rude awakening: earthquakes weren’t anymore just scary, devastating natural disasters that happened in distant places. They could happen here – at home – as well. Just did.

Early in the morning on Monday, at about 4am, an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude shook through North-Eastern India, its affects rippling across the borders to Myanmar and Bangladesh. Those in Dhaka were shaken up from their sleep, many claiming that it was the strongest they had ever felt.

The earthquake may have been a new experience for many, but it’s part of a greater, global change that has already pawed its way into Bangladesh for years: climate change.

Climate change is a pressing issue, both globally and at home, and yet remains a mere jargon that many consider too distant an issue.

“Formal awareness of the term climate change in Bangladesh is still low despite the significant level of public and NGO adaptation work – two-thirds of adults say they haven’t heard of climate change,” says Risalat Khan, a climate change activist in Dhaka. “The awareness rates seem to depend a lot on education.”

This is rather problematic, given Bangladesh currently faces grave threats to climate change, and Monday’s earthquake was an eye-opener. According to a 2012 report in The Guardian, earthquakes are an effect of climate change as much are droughts and floods. And floods have been such a common phenomenon in our country that until recent years, Bangladesh was known internationally as a case-study for floods.

It is thus alarming that climate change is not at the forefront of many discussions given the number of factors it can affect ranges from livelihoods of the people, to climate refugees, the economy, as well as our heritage sites.

“Projected sea level rise due to global warming will not only inundate the houses and lands of millions of people living in Bangladesh’s coastal belt, but will also destroy the country’s UNESCO heritage site and the world’s largest tropical mangrove forest the Sundarbans, which in addition to being the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger, supports the livelihoods of people from neighboring districts,” says Sohara Mehroze Sachi, who recently attended the COP21 climate conference in Paris, France, as a GCCA Climate Tracker Youth fellow.

While the common people largely remain unaware about the issue, there is still a lot of work being done in this field, especially research. “Tackling climate change is inherently a learning-by-doing process. Bangladesh has actually done quite a lot,” says Dr Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD).

Activists and researchers now feel it is time to bring together the various stakeholders involved in the research of climate change in Bangladesh.

Gobeshona Climate Change ConferenceIn an effort to create a platform that brings together activists and other stakeholders in the field of climate change, the second annual Gobeshona Conference for Research on Climate Change will be held this weekend, starting today. The conference is expected to bring together multiple stakeholders both nationally and internationally, to discuss recent research findings related to climate

change in Bangladesh.The Gobeshona conference is an

international conference set out to evaluate how such research findings can help in tackling the impacts of climate change. The objective of the conference is to make better use of the research, producing information that will help policy makers and practitioners make effective decisions and responses to climate change.

This year’s schedule, which will be held at the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) from January 8-10, will feature plenary sessions and presentations on various sectors that are affected by climate change.

These include practitioners and researchers from academic, governmental, non-governmental, research, media and private sectors. Topics covered include national adaptation planning, climate change and livelihoods, local adaptation planning, climate change modelling, coastal zones, migration, gender, disaster risk reduction, health, water, waste management, loss and damage, political economy and finance, natural resource management, renewable energy, ecosystem resilience, adaptation technologies, mitigation and urbanisation.

The inaugural session of the conference took place this morning, and was chaired by Dr Ainun Nishat, Professor Emeritus, BRAC University. Dr Saleemul Huq, and Professor M Omar Rahman, Vice Chancellor at IUB were also present.

“There’s just so many reasons to focus on climate change in Bangladesh,” says Risalat. “Even if you think of economic opportunity, the world is headed towards a massive energy revolution, and countries that orient themselves accordingly will prosper, others will lose – it’s as simple as that.” n

Bringing climate change to the shoreThe second annual climate change conference in bangladesh aims to bring together various stakeholders in the field Syeda Samira Sadeque

The Gobeshona programme is funded by USAID and a

steering committee including, among others, ICCCAD, IUB, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, and the Government of Bangladesh, will be held on the IUB campus

Other committee members include International Institute for Environment and Development, Volunteer Services Organisation, BRAC University, BRAC, North South University, Centre for Climate Justice Bangladesh, Khan Foundation, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, Waste Concern, Practical Action, The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Water Aid, RAJUK, Shahjalal University, Wageningen UR, World Fish Centre, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Climate Knowledge Bangladesh, Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh, and BBC Media Action.

Chief and special guests include Dr Karl Wurster, Deputy Director-Economic Growth Environment, USAID, Bangladesh (TBC), and H E Sophie Aubert, Ambassador, Embassy of France, Dhaka

The closing ceremony on Monday, from 4:00pm - 5:30pm, will feature a keynote address from Professor John Timmons Roberts from Brown University, followed by speeches by the Canadian High Commissioner, Benoît-Pierre Laramée, Member of Parliament Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Environment and Forests Minister Anwar Hossain Monju.

Photo: Dhaka Tribune


ClimaTe ConferenCe | EvENT 5

Plenary Session 1 – National Adaptation Planning (11:15am-12:45pm) Location: Multipurpose Hall Chair: Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director, BCAS Presenters:1. Mohammed Faruque Uddin: CBOs

and community adaptation under catastrophic events: A study from northeastern Bangladesh.

1. Eliza Drury: Leveraging geographic vulnerability analysis for national adaptation planning.

Parallel Session 1 – Climate Change and Livelihoods (14:15-15:45pm) Location: Room 5002, Level 4 Chair: Shabel Firuz, Country Director, Islamic Relief, Bangladesh Presenters: 1. Sonia Ferdous Hoque: Poverty

and ‘double vulnerability’: Understanding livelihood strategies across socio-economic groups in southwestern Bangladesh.

2. Munirul Islam: Livelihood security in a changing climate: Insights from farmers’ field laboratories.

3. Farzana Rahman: Climatic shocks on local market systems:

Experience of northern ‘char’ areas in Bangladesh

4. Md Ashiqur Rahman: Governance matters: Climate change, corruption and livelihoods in Bangladesh

Parallel Session 2 – Climate Change and Gender (14:15-15:45pm)Location: Room 7002, Level 6 Chair: Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director, BCAS Moderator: Dilruba Haider, Coordinator, Gender and Climate Change, UN Women, Bangladesh Presenters:1. Nazzina Mohsin: Union Disaster

Management Committees (UDMCs): Understanding the roles of women members of the UDMC.

2. Md. Ehsanul Hoque: Perception and adaptation need assessment of the foothill dwelling women of Bangladesh: Case study, villages adjacent to Chittagong University Campus.

3. Amy MacMahon: Gender relations and climate change adaptation in Bagerhat.

4. Eshrat Sharmen Akand: Climate change impacts on women and

gender responsive adaptation in Bangladesh.

Parallel Session 3: Climate Change Modelling (14:15-15:45pm)Location: Multipurpose Hall Chair: Kamrul Hasan Sohag, Deputy Town Planner, Rajuk Presenters: 1. Animesh Kumar Gain: Impact

of climate change and upstream development on water security in Bangladesh.

2. Shammi Haque: Future changes of flash floods in the northeast region of Bangladesh using HEC-HMS Modeling.

3. Ali Shafqat Akanda: Understanding hydroclimatic extremes over Bangladesh with new gridded products and daily bias correction of CMIP5 regional climate projections.

4. Dewan Abdul Quadir: Recent changes in temperature and rainfall trends and variability in Bangladesh.

Plenary Session 2: Coastal Zone (16:00-17:30pm)Location: Multipurpose Hall

Chair: Joyanta Adhikari, Executive Director, CCDB Presenters: 1. Dr Anjan Kumer Dev Roy: An

investigation into the major environment and climate change policy issues in southwest coastal Bangladesh.

2. Pronab Kumar Halder: Implication of water resources for seasonal shifting of livelihoods of the southeastern coastal island population in Bangladesh.

3. Syed Hafizur Rahman and Muhammed Atikul Haque: Stocktaking and assessment of adapted technologies related to water use in coastal areas of Bangladesh.

4. Md Hafiz Iqbal: Impacts of land transformation from crop farms to shrimp ponds in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh: Application of the Chow Test Method.

Reception and Dinner: (19:00-21:00pm) Venue: Ascott Palace, House #14, Road #06, Block K, Baridhara, Dhaka Host: International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)

Day 1 – Friday, January 8th, 2016 – Research on Climate Change in Bangladesh

Day 2 – Saturday, January 9th, 2016 – Research on Climate Change in Bangladesh

Plenary Session 3: Migration (9:30-11:00am) Location: Multipurpose Hall Chair: Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director, BCAS Presenters: 1. Rohan Thakker: Climate change,

climate justice, human rights and India.

2. Zakia Naznin: Climate change and migration in Bangladesh: A gender perspective.

3. Khan Ashfaqur Rahman: Assessing climate change, environmental degradation and

the migration nexus in South Asia.

Parallel Session 4: Local Adaptation Planning (11:30am-13:00pm) Location: Multipurpose Hall Chair: Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director, BCAS Presenters:1. Timothy J. Finan: The effective

use of climate services in building local level resilience: The IRAP project in Bangladesh.

2. Nabir Mamnun: Exploring the

knowledge systems that support adaptive governance in northeast Bangladesh.

3. Shekhar Kanti Ray: Local Adaptation Plan: Perspectives and ownership of the community.

Parallel Session 5: Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (11:30am-13:00pm) Location: Room 5002, Level 4 Chair: Dr Hamidul Huq, Professor and Director, CSD, ULAB Presenters:1. Bayes Ahmed: Landslide hazard

mapping: Applying statistical techniques in Cox’s Bazar Municipality, Bangladesh.

2. Ishrar Tabassum: Vulnerabilities and coping mechanisms.

3. Junanjina Ahmed: Investigating barriers to community involvement in DRR.

4. Md Shafiqul Islam: Use of local knowledge systems in drought prediction and weather extreme management.

Parallel Session 6: Climate Change and Health (11:30am-13:00pm)


6 EvENT | ClimaTe ConferenCe

Location: Room 7002, Level 6 Chair: Dr Peter Kim Streatfield, ICDDR,B Presenters:1. Khurshid Jahan: Impact of

climate change on suitable aquifers for drinking water supply and agricultural water use in southwest coastal areas.

2. Sudipta Adhikary: A multivariate approach to assessing district level health vulnerability considering high end climate change in Bangladesh.

3. Salima Sultana Daisy: A review of cholera dynamics due to climatic variables and modelling.

4. Gourab Adhikary: Impacts of saline water on reproductive health in coastal Bangladesh.

Parallel Session 7: Water Sanitation and Health (14:00-15:30pm)Location: Room 5002, Level 4

Chair: Dr Md Liakath Ali, Director, Programmes and Policy Advocacy (PPA), WAB Presenters: 1. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman:

Potential impacts of climate variability and change on waterborne and airborne diseases in Bangladesh.

2. Anwar Zahid: Prospects of low-cost recharge tanks to augment safe water availability by very shallow hand tubewells in the arsenic and saline-prone coastal delta of Bangladesh.

3. Arif M Faisal: Channeling climate change funds to local government institutions of Bangladesh: Existing mechanisms, challenges and recommendations.

4. Dr Mohammod Lutful Kabir: Climate financing for WASH resilience in Bangladesh: Harnessing opportunities through mitigation.

Parallel Session 8: Waste Management (14:00-15:30pm)Location: Room 7002, Level 6 Chair: Dr Abdul Khaleque, Dean, SESM, IUB Presenters:1. Hasin Jahan: Faecal sludge

management – a second generation sanitation problem.

2. Zaber Ahmed: Reuse of industrial waste water in the construction sector and its impact on concrete structures.

3. Shamrita Zaman: Determination of the degradation rate of a selected organic waste mixed with compost.

4. Md Arif Chowdhury: A solid waste management scenario and people’s perceptions of environmental and health impacts: A case study on Raipura, Narsingdi.

Plenary Session 4: Loss and Damage (16:00-17:30pm) Location: Multipurpose Hall Chair: Dr Saleemul Huq, Director, ICCCAD Presenters: 1. S M Saify Iqbal, Monjurul

Ahsan and M Hafijul Islam Khan: Understanding non-economic loss and damage resulting from climate change: Contexts of damage to ecology and biodiversity and wetland management in Bangladesh.

2. Md Kamrul Islam: Spatio-temporal assessment of ecological disturbance and its impact on the environment in cyclone prone coastal areas of Bangladesh.

3. Md Gulam Kibria and Dr M Shah Alam Khan: Loss and damage due to a cyclonic event: A case study on cyclone Aila.

Plenary Session 5: Political Economy and Finance (9:30-11:00am)Location: Multipurpose Hall Chair: Dr Saleemul Huq, Senior Fellow, IIED Presenters: 1. Mir Rabiul Islam, Valerie Ingham,

John Hicks, Ian Manock, Richard Sappey and Sultana Dilara: A ‘production model’ of community disaster resilience and psycho-social recovery: Application to flooding in rural Bangladesh from an economics perspective.

2. Dr Nazneen Islam Khan: Climate finance at the local government level in Bangladesh.

Parallel Session 9: Natural Resource Management (11:30am-13:00pm)Location: Multipurpose Hall Chair: Dr A Z M Manzoor Rashid, Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, SUST Presenters:1. Hasan M Abdullah: Natural

sal forest cover monitoring in Modhupur, Bangladesh by using Temporal Landsat Imagery during 1972-2015.

2. Md Emdad Hossain: Exploring a traditional farming approach for climate resilient production in southern Bangladesh.

3. T A Robin: Mega water development projects and their impact on crop productivity in southwest Bangladesh.

4. Dr Anjan Kumer Dev Roy: Local community attitudes towards mangrove forest conservation: Lessons from Bangladesh.

Parallel Session 10: Renewable Energy (11:30am-13:00pm) Location: Room 5002, Level 4 Chair: Dr M Abdur Razzak, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, IUB Presenters:1. Dhiman Sen: Household energy

consumption patterns in Hathazari, Chittagong.

2. Muhammad Abdur Rahaman: Biogas and bio-fertilizer as effective means of renewable energy, GHG reduction, food security and women empowerment.

3. Zaima Tasneem: Design and implementation of solar powered induction cooking systems to reduce carbon emissions and health hazards.

4. Sajib Chakraborty: Design and implementation of solar power systems in fishing trawlers.

Parallel Session 11: Ecosystem

Resilience (11:30am-13:00pm)Location: Room 7002, Level 6 Chair: Dr Saleemul Huq, Director, ICCCAD Presenters:1. Wali Uz-Zaman: Impacts of

resource use on forest life and the deer population of the Sundarbans.

2. Ajwad Alam: Ecosystem resilience from deforestation and climate change.

3. Shahzia M Khan and Md. Shams Uddin: Building climate change resilience for ecosystems.

Parallel Session 12: Adaptation Technology (14:00-15:30pm) Location: Room 5002, Level 4 Chair: Dr Md Khalid Hossain, Head of Climate Change Programmes, (CCDB) Presenters:1. Muhammad Manjurul Karim:

Adaptation through application of potential Azotobacter spp. as biofertilizer in coastal agriculture in Bangladesh under changing climate conditions.

2. Dr Mohammad Mahfujul Haque: Integrated Floating Cage Aquageoponics Systems (IFCAS): Technological potential for adaptation to flooding in climate change.

3. Md.Jaman Sharif: A new effective

model of rainwater harvesting systems.

4. Nuzhat Imam: Potentials and challenges of using ICTs for climate change adaptation: A study of vulnerable communities in ‘Char’ lands.

Parallel Session 13: Mitigation (14:00-15:30pm) Location: Room 7002, Level 6 Chair: Prof Lutfor Rahman, SESM, IUB Presenters: 1. Faisal Ahmed: Empirical study on

the relationship between human development and carbonization of economies.

2. Mohiuddin Al Faroque: Impact of biochar amendments on the germination rate and initial seedling growth of Swietenia mahagoni and Albizia lebbeck.

3. Shanjida Easmin Nupur, Sudipto Bosu and Sami Towsif Khan: Impacts of climate change on groundwater depletion and mitigation options.

4. Abdullah Hasan Safir: Be clean, go green: A two in one sustainable solution to fight against climate change.

Plenary Session 6: Urbanization (16:00-17:30pm)

Day 3 – Sunday, January 10th, 2016 – Research on Climate Change in Bangladesh


77

Location: Multipurpose Hall Chair: Mohammad Qayyum, Additional Secretary and National Project Director of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) Presenters:1. Sarder Shafiqul Alam, A T M

Jahangir Alam and Sowmen Rahman: Urban climate resilience, water and sanitation: Improving multi-stakeholder collaboration in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

2. M. Aminul Islam: Prospects and problems of promoting low carbon urban development in Bangladesh.

3. A S M Riyad Hassan Gourab: Climate change resilience in urban areas: The current story of Bangladesh.

4. Michael Chew: Images of hope and change: Participatory visual approaches to North-South dialogue in urban climate resilience.

Session 1: Climate Finance (9:30–10:30am)Location: Multipurpose Hall Keynote Speech: Prof John Timmons Roberts, Brown University Chief Guest: Md Mejbahuddin, Senior Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Session 2: National Climate Planning (11:00am-12:00pm) Location: Multipurpose Hall Keynote Speech: TBC Chief Guest: Prof Dr Shamsul Alam, Member Planning Commission, Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Session 3: After Paris (12:00-13:00pm) Location: Multipurpose Hall Keynote Speech: Dr Nurul Quadir, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Chief Guest: Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Session 4: International Experiences (14:00- 15:30pm)Location: Multipurpose Hall Keynote Speech: International speaker Chief Guest: Catharien Terwisscha

van Scheltinga, Director Wageningen UR, Project Office Dhaka Discussants: Dr Karl Wurster, Deputy Director-Economic Growth Environment, USAID, Bangladesh (TBC)

Closing Session: 16:00-17:30pm Location: Auditorium Chair: Prof M Omar Rahman, Vice Chancellor, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) Opening Summary: Dr Saleemul Huq, Director, ICCCAD Keynote: Prof John Timmons Roberts, Brown University Special Guests: H E Benoît-Pierre Laramée, Canadian High Commissioner (TBC) Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Member of Parliament,

Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Paul Sabatine, Deputy Mission Director, USAID, Bangladesh (TBC) Chief Guest: Anwar Hossain Monju, Minister, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Vote of Thanks: Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director, BCAS

Certificate Award Ceremony and Dinner: 18:30-21:00pm Venue: Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) Host: International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)

Day 4 – Monday, January 11th, 2016 – Science Policy Dialogue Day

Photo: Bigstock


8 FOCuS | ClimaTe resilienT riCe

Day by day, the prospect of rice cultivation is getting drier for the farmers of the coastal regions of

Bangladesh.Rising salinity has taken a toll on

crop production and thus turned these southwestern coastal areas, once known as the ‘food basket’, into a food buying zone rather than a food producing one.

At the same time, rice varieties that are tolerant of salinity developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) – fail to gain popularity among the farmers because of their futility against ever increasing salinity.

Farmers refuse rice varieties “I cultivated the BRRI developed rice in my field, but the yield was very poor. Most of the plants didn’t survive. The ones which survived produce very low quality rice,” said Amal Saha, a farmer in Khepupara in Patuakhali.

Saha said that after Sidr, the salinity in the soil of the area has increased immensely. “The problem is I didn’t have many options but to use the rice varieties developed by the BRRI because the local ones which they used for generations cannot tolerate the level of salinity in the soil.”

“But I was disappointed with the results,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sazzad Hossain of Bhola said that he tried one of the salt tolerant varieties after the local agricultural officer told him to do so. “Initially, the sapling was growing well. But the crop was damaged in the dry season when

the water flow reduced and the river water became more saline.”

“The crops that I planted couldn’t stand that salinity. Thus I had a very poor yield,” he said.

Salinity above the tolerance levelThe salt tolerant rice varieties – BRRI 53 and BRRI 54 developed in 2010, can tolerate a salinity of up to 8 deci Siemens per metre (dS/m, equivalent to 512 parts per million) but salinity is now well above that level in more than half the arable lands in 19 affected coastal districts of Bangladesh.

More than one million out of 2.85 million hectares of coastal and off-shore land in the south have lost potential for agriculture due to increasing salt content over the past four decades, according to Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) of the government.

SRDI data shows that the level of salinity in these areas ranges from 12 dS/m to more than 16 dS/m (deci Siemens per metre, a unit for measuring salinity).

Jiban Krishna Biswas, director general of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) said that the BRRI developed rice varieties cannot tolerate the increased salinity in many of the coastal districts.

“Coastal saline soils are distributed unevenly in 64 upazilas of 13 coastal districts covering portions of 8 Agro Ecological Zones (AEZ),” Biswas said adding that the larger portion of saline land (0.65 million ha) exists in the districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Barguna, Patuakhali, Pirojpur and Bhola on the western coast.

A smaller portion (0.18 mha) is located in the districts of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni and Chandpur on the eastern coast, he added.

The DG of BRRI said that the salinity varies with season. “In dry season soil and river water salinity increase, while during the monsoon season, it goes down. Therefore land use has temporal and spatial variations with season.”

He said that BRRI is continuously working on to develop more salt tolerant rice varieties but the tolerance cannot go beyond 12dS/m, a level now surpassed in some areas of coastal Bangladesh.

The bleaker pictureMeanwhile, a research of Dr Anwar Zahid, deputy director of groundwater hydrology of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) showed that due to sea water intrusion, the salinity in groundwater in many areas has increased.

As the seawater first intruded through rivers and canals, farmers have extracted more and more groundwater over the last two decades or so. As a result, aquifer levels have fallen, hastening the process of seawater intrusion, experts say. Dr Zahid’s study found saline water in aquifers that are just 600-700 feet (183-213 metres) deep.“This means, very soon the people of this area will face difficulty in finding potable water,” said Zahid. n

Farmers shun salt tolerant riceFaisal Mahmud


Vulnerable CiTy | PhOTO STOry 9

Photos: Syed Zakir Hussain

Life in the concrete jungle

This week, the earthquake renewed focus on the vast urban sprawl that is Dhaka, with fears that old and unplanned structures can put its residents at risk. but within the chaos there still exists beauty, and this week, we take a trip to Old Dhaka to look at the quaint, old buildings that stand as silent witnesses to this ever-expanding concrete jungle.


10 PhOTO STOry | Vulnerable CiTy


11


Happy New Year, gentlemen. A new year means a new you. Well, not really. People are too worried

about making life-changing decisions and dwelling over resolutions. The smarter gentlemen will focus more on their swagger before anything else. We all know how amazing one can look in a tailored suit. Not only can you pull off the cool factor, people will take you more seriously. So how do you go on about wearing a suit the right way, without breaking bank? By keeping things simple and tracking back to basics.

The grey areaLife is never really black or white, things can get complicated. Not when it comes to suits though. Wearing a tonal grey tie with either your black, navy or grey suit diverts you from the one-dimensional look and still look completely clean.

Reaching your peakNowadays, nothing is off-limits. No, not even those dreaded skinny jeans some men simply cannot let go. However, concerning suits, there are classic characteristics that will never go out of

style. We’ve taken a turn through the 60s, with narrow lapels and ties. This time around, aim for those peak lapels. Peak lapels can make a statement without you having to work extra hard by reaching out for a patterned shirt or a ridiculous looking pocket square.

Do yourself a solidKeeping things simple isn’t just about the colour. Sure, you can wear an endless amount of white dress shirts to keep things minimal, but something slightly different won’t hurt either. We’re taking about a light blue (pale blue) shirt with spread collars with your navy suit. The navy on navy can easily become playful if you pair with the right shade, keeping you away from wearing a uniform or making you look like a politician. Just add a cotton-knitted navy tie and you’ll stand out like the best.

These style tips are ridiculously simple so there really isn’t any excuse for you to comeback to the most important basics of suiting. There’s plenty of more steps to take to cover all those basic style cues to follow, but for now, these will serve you well for the new year. n

12 MEN’S FaShION | The ClassiCs

Timeless classichere are three very simple ways of obtaining a classic lookMahmood Hossain


Trends | WOMEN’S FaShION 13

Trendy pieces for transitional weather

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

SwitcherooSwitcheroo

Our five minutes of winter weather are over (damn you, global warming!) and the mercury is once

again on the rise. Until we get to Spring proper, and temperatures stabilise, the days start brisk and cool, warm up in the middle and then get nippy in the evenings again – a perfect recipe for the season-change colds that are going around. Here are a few trendy ways to battle the transition blues.

It’s a wrapBeautiful, colourful shawls and wraps can add dimension to your spring-ready outfit. You can fold them narrow and wear them as long scarves when it’s warm, and then shake em out and get comfy when the temperatures drop. Pashminas are always popular for that luxe feel, but give the tie-dyed khadi ones from Kay Kraft a try too, this season.

Toasty feetSpring, or this comfy pre-spring weather is also perfect for strutting

around in some super cute booties. Whether you’re rocking the season’s Denim Obsession, aka the cropped flare jeans, or a tea length skirt and sweater, or even leggings and a kurti, ankle boots will keep your feet warm (but not too warm) and make quite the statement. Apex, Bata and Jenny’s have a bunch of really nice ones.

Trench warfareWhile the weather is past the peacoat range, there’s no reason why you can’t rock the street smart look in some lightweight trench coats. Add a pair of killer shades, and you’ll feel like a magazine spread. Grab some serious bargains by heading to Doja for this one.

Serious lengthsThis year will be a big one for long layers. Whether you’re throwing on a long koti over your sleeveless kameez for that Middle Eastern look, or go nerd chic with one of Urban Truth’s long cardis, play with oversize layers, and you’ll always be in vogue. n

Trendy pieces for transitional weather

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Photos: KayKraft


The offerAt Tk 2,499 all-inclusive package for lunch, and Tk 2,999 all inclusive for dinner, what you’re getting is a menu with over 90 appetizer, entrée, and dessert items, comprised of Korean, Thai, Japanese and Hunan cuisine.

You can tick off the items you want, and they come in tasting-size samples. If you like what you taste, you can re-order at no extra charge. It affords you all the freedom of a buffet with the ease of an a la carte system. That’s right, for under Tk 3,000 a pop, you can keep ordering till you’re full to bursting.

Please note, that the “all-inclusive” offer is limited to the items on the AYCO menu. Additional orders for drinks will have a surcharge, and be subject to VAT and service charges. Some of the items marked “Premium” are also subject to additional charges. Also, if you’re ordering more than you can finish, you will be charged the a la carte rate for wasting food.

The foodEvery menu has its hits and misses and Bunka is no different. Here are a few of our favourites:

The chicken cashewnut salad is the perfect interplay of sweet and sour, crunch and texture, definitely something worth starting the meal with.

While the sushi menu is small and basic, the tiger roll, a green prawn tempura maki of pure crunchy delight, is definitely a standout.

Meat lovers must give the beef teppanyaki a try. Cubes of succulent beef cut in bite size cubes, drizzled with a savoury pepper sauce will have you hankering for more. The tori kara-age and the braised oxtail are also fan favourites.

The deep fried banana with honey, from the dessert menu, is definitely interesting and worth a shot, although this reviewer felt the addition of either chocolate sauce or chantilly cream would have vastly improved it.

The experienceIf there’s one thing you’re not going to regret, it’s the service. From the waiter who will fuss over you until you’re sure you can’t eat another bite, to the maître d who will check in on you, to the smiling live chefs, the dining experience is a good one. The food comes promptly, which is another big win over the traditional a la carte system.

The warm red and gold tones of the décor, the soothing, unobtrusive ambient music, and the vantage point over the city all work together to enhance the feel good factor.

The verdictIf you’re looking for a good meal with a special someone, the AYCO offer at Bunka Restaurant is a decent combination of affordability, affability and variety, so definitely something to keep in mind. n

14 DINING | all you Can eaT

AYCO days, AYCO nightsbang for your buck at bunka Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

If there are two things any red-blooded Bengali loves, it’s food and a good bargain. When you put the two together, you’ve got an

unbeatable combination. Now, “bargain” is a funny word to use

in conjunction with a fancy restaurant at a luxury hotel like Six Seasons Dhaka, but that’s pretty much what you’re getting with the new All-you-can-order (AYCO) offer at their Bunka Restaurant.


In the last two odd years, the word ‘startup’ has become a buzzword in Dhaka. Platforms had been created where like minded

entrepreneurs gathered, socialised and exchanged ideas but only on occasional basis. A ‘regular networking event’ was something that was missing from Dhaka’s scene.

DrinkEntrepreneurs stepped in to fill up the void. Weekend Tribune recently talked to Sakib Jamal, one of the co-founder of this exciting new startup, to talk about his venture.

What are the ideas behind forming Drink Entrepreneurs? Whose idea was that?The umbrella organisation of DrinkEntrepreneurs was founded in 2010 in Paris by Guilhem Bertholet, Gilles Poupardin, and Alexandre Delivet as an alternative to extremely formal networking events that often intimidated people.

On the other hand, DrinkEntrepreneurs is a laid back monthly event where entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and like-minded people come together to meet and have a good time. Even though the organisation’s motto was: “It all starts here over a drink!” we at Dhaka have molded the events to suit our local tastes – we don’t serve alcohol, instead we go hard with cha (tea), snacks and a whole lot of adda (chit-chat).

Who are the partners and brain child behind the venture?My co-founder, Junaid Rafique, saw an opportunity in DrinkEntrepreneurs. He then summoned his childhood friend and current CEO of Buckets Engineer, Mahenaz Chowdhury to join the ranks as Co-Founder. At the same time, I stumbled upon DrinkEntrepreneurs

during my high school stint in Hong Kong. From there, it all started over a Facebook thread that is still active today.

We recently had another incredibly talented individual join us – Tanzeev Haque. Due to my studies abroad, I’m not able to contribute as much as I had done previously, so I stick to PR, database management and strategy formulation. Tanzeev bhai now takes care of a lot of the logistics and operations I did over summer, and is doing a much, much better job.

What do the members of DrinkEntrepreneurs do?We don’t like to see people who join our events as ‘members’ as we are not a club. We like to think of ourselves as a community of diverse people who are interested in a common goal – to advance business in Bangladesh, especially through startups and early-stage business.

How does this platform aid Dhaka’s start up scenario?There are a number of ways we aid the startup community in Dhaka. The most obvious one being that we provide a platform for both local and

international founders/professionals to network, collaborate and share ideas. We also partner with a number of organisations if they need to communicate a certain program. Recently, we partnered with SD Asia to promote the GP Accelerator program, as well as Orinus Partners Japan to brand Link Business Collaboration Platform.

The team, as individuals, also look to help out startups in whatever way we can. We talk a lot about approachability, and make sure that we are doing the best we can whenever someone asks for help or an introduction to a certain individual or group. We also aid people with their job-search

Does Bangladesh have any such platform for young entrepreneurs? If

so, please name it.As far as I know, there aren’t any other established organisation who do what we do (networking events and info sessions) on a regular basis. However, as you probably know, there are plenty of other organisations we run.

What is the future plan for DrinkEntrepreneurs?To keep expanding and help as many people as we can! Our team is determined to add value to the startup community and beyond – we want to play our role in making Bangladesh the next Asian Tiger!

To keep up with DrinkEntrepreneurs and their activities, you can sign up for their mailing list by sending an email to [email protected] n

Entrepreneurs over a drinkA toast to innovationFaisal Mahmud

nTeworking | TEa WITh WT 15

Photos: Sakib Jamal


16 TOurISM | Thailand

The land of the freeFoe some reasons Thailand is always perceived, at least in Bangladesh, as the same as Bangkok: party, night life and shopping spree. While all of that is true, the reason Thailand attracts so many tourists is that it is every bit as worthy of a tour as the Tourism Authority of Thailand would have you believe. It is the deep eastern experience for the westerners and equally appealing to the people of Asia.

Big TourismTestament to that fact is the influx of tourists in the land of the free (“Thai” means free). Just in 2014 alone the total number of tourists in the country was an incredible 26.6 million. Tourism is so big a market for Thailand that the Financial Times (of UK) reported in 2015 that the country will go into recession without the income from tourism. It generates over 2.4 trillion baht, which is over 20 percent of the GDP.

Why so beautiful?

What does attract the humongous number of people from all over the globe to Thailand? It is the natural beauty. The country is filled with and surrounded by sea and mountains. There are also temples and national parks and, most popular of all, mysterious islands straight out of Jules Verne’s novel.

Luxury tour on a budget “We have been coming here since 2013,” said Koushik, sitting on sea side bench in Ao Nang beach. Koushik is from Kolkata and he visits Thailand with his family and friends every year for the last couple of years. He says it is better than travelling to Europe.

The convenienceJust a few kilometers from Ao Nang beach is one of the main attritions in Krabi (a province at the south of Thailand), the Railay Beach. Railay beach looks like nature made a miniature model of an island beach and bestowed it with 5 start hotels and spa. Well, the latter are a contribution from the humans.

Thailand is, to put it bleakly but accurately, quite opposite of Bangladesh in terms security and convenience for travellers. Everything from price of hotels to availability of food and drinks to nearest medical centre is immaculately convenient for tourists.

LanguageAlthough the language barrier can be a bit of a struggle, because Thai people in general do not speak English. The most useful phrase in Thailand is going to be “have” and “no have” and a permutations and combinations of these with “yes” and “no”.

SwadhikaBut the language problem is not that big a deal considering how nice Thai people are. The hotel staffs are very professional and everybody everywhere will greet you with a smile and “swadhika” (hello). “Khaponkha” (thank you) is also frequently heard everywhere. From the huge metropolis of Bangkok to little floating village of Koh Panyi in deep

south, you feel welcome everywhere.

White sand, snorkeling, and awesomeIt’s very easy to go snorkeling and it is unbelievably thrilling. You can see large stone mountains under the clear water. These are the remains of corals and marine organisms that laid deposits and created these mountains on and around sedimentary rocks.

And there are fishes of all kinds. You can see the most common yellow black stripes swimming in packs. There are big blue and golden ones swimming by themselves and a lot other.

The cleanlinessYou will have to look really hard to find litter anywhere in the country. The beaches are so clean that the sand on the beaches looks fake. The beaches and Islands are part of national park and everyone visiting must pay 400 baht fees that goes to the maintenance and conservation of the natural landscape.

The unexplored northThe south of Thailand, particularly Krabi and Phuket, are most popular tourist destinations. But a whole different side of it exists in the north, near the Myanmar borders. “It’s completely different and serene,” said Scarlett Lilly, a British traveler who has visited Thailand many times and plans to continue to come. “The north is like a different country and not so many tourists, so I loved it,” Scarlett said.

The medical touristsThe Bumrungrad Hospital near Sukhumvit in Bangkok gets lot and lot of Bangladeshi patients. The same is the case for Vejtani hospital, also in Bangkok. Both of these hospitals have Bengali speaking staffs for accommodating Bangladeshi patients.

“People come here because of the service they get,” said Sadia Iqbal, a medical liaison officer at the Vejtani Hospital, who oversees administrative procedures for Bangladeshi patients.

Bangkok is, in fact, the most popular place for medical tourism in the world, according to the BBC. n

Thailand: a tourism whirlpoolAnd justifiably soSaqib Sarker

Photo: Sarker Afif


Q&a | TEll 17

The bilingual child

Choosing between the ex and the nice guy

I have a three and a half year old daughter and both me and my husband speak two different languages. I speak to him in Urdu but my

husband and I speak to our daughter in English. As parents raising our child in Bangladesh, we are slightly worried about what language she’ll be picking up and the difficulties she may face once she joins school. Should I continue to speak to her in English, or should we speak to her in both Bangla and English? What’s the best way for us to teach her all three languages without confusing her?

Every child is different and have different learning capabilities and skills. Some children, especially when young, will pick up several

languages at once while others don’t. Begin by separating the language you speak to her in. Make a conscious decision to speak to her in English only if that is your main language of communication at home. Later, you can also prioritise Bangla and/or Urdu by speaking to her in either of those languages. Remember that you can’t

leave your child’s education on any of these languages to chance. Take an active role in providing your child wirth enough exposure to the languages you want her to pick up. If you are speaking English with her, she will become

fluent in the language. For successful learning, two core conditions must be fulfilled. These are the active use of exposure and need. In other words, your daughter must be exposed to the language and should also feel an

organic need to use it. If either of these requirements are lacking, she might learn one language and understand another, but she will always respond in the language she is comfortable in. n

Eight months ago I met a man called T and we hit off instantly. He was seemingly the perfect guy for the first couple of months. We saw each other often, but things weren’t as rosy as I would hope. Although we fell for each other, there were times when I doubted his intentions. When he was infront of me, he would make me feel like I’m the his one and only and he

can’t live without me. When we wouldn’t meet, he’d make excuses, cancel dates and wouldn’t really make that much of an effort. It was a deep, very emotionally dramatic relationship. We didn’t have a typical break up, we just completely stopped calling each other with both of us expecting the other to call to fix things. It’s been a few months now and two months ago I met K, another very nice man and we have been on several dates. A week ago, T called me and said he made a mistake, he treated me horribly and he wants to make amends. We met the next day and all my old feelings for him were rekindled. I love him deeply, but I’m not sure if this is a smart move. Should I let go of K and get back with T? I don’t know if I should trust his word or not. Please advice.

Your predicament is simple – you either choose between the two or lose the two. Go with your gut feeling. If your heart says T is the right one for you then perhaps he is. However, just remember that no matter what decision you make, be prepared to be hurt just in case the T hasn’t changed his ways. You’ll never know if he has unless you accept him

first. Keep your fingers crossed, go ahead and follow your heart. n

Letters to Venus

Q

Q

A

APhotos: Bigstock


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 For drinking and reading (7)4 Los Angeles is less than clean (7) 6 A gentle mix up, but stylish (7)7 Enemy of short Ned, me and little sibling (7)

DOWN1 Gone crazy about the entire ship (7)2 A sweet looking type of angle (5)3 Trusts a new cloud formation (7)5 Hands out cards and bargains (5)

Last

wee

k’s

solu

tion

s

aCROss1 Sprite deed has influence (6)6 Flattens golf equipment (5)7 Escape egg from that chicken (5) 8 Criticise attempt at food store (6)

DOwN2 Add water and change no times (7)3 A different woman, one more (7)4 Mouthful of mised treats (6)5 Store under bit short chess piece (6)

Clues

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

Mini crypticsho

rosc

opes

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19): Long distance exchanges will be in your favour. There shall be heightened awareness of faith. Close relationships maybe very stimulating this week. Money wise, this is a fruitful time. Taurus (Apr 20-May20): One part of your life will find closure this week and you maybe be both joyous and sad about this change.In the excitement of it all, do not get carried away and slow down your pace.

Gemini (May 21-June 20): You have to increase your wittiness quotient to help you progress with you people skills. Work shall be your main priority this month but you will still end up socialising more than usual.

Cancer (June 21-Jul22): Several changes shall mark this week

as you struggle to make payments. On the love front, you feel especially affectionate. You will be motivated to take on a more dominating role in a major relationship.

Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22): You shall find inspiration this week both creatively and emotionally. You might be

rash when it comes to a romantic relationship and this may leave you heartbroken. Home life will prosper.

Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22): This week may bring in interesting opportunities for you and you may invest in different endeavours. This is the ideal time to build trust in your family. You shall find great value in the exchange of ideas.

Libra (Sep 23-Oct22): Try your best not to ignore important correspondence as any carelessness this week will make you stray away from reaching your goals. On the home front, you shall be called upon to take charge.

Scorpio (Oct23-Nov21): This month is all about doing. Enough has been said and discusses, this week calls for action. There will

be income from property and real estate. You may just end up falling in love with yourself this week.

Sagittarius (Nov22-Dec 21): This week you will scrutinise the real you – your personality, health, assets. You will try to reform yourself, however, try not to lose yourself to stress. Secret love affairs are a possibility.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan19): In the time period leading to your birthday, you will have a heightened sense of emotional awareness. Try not to be too short tempered or aggressive this week. Take charge of your life, but try not to be a bully.

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18): You shall broaden your horizons this week as you seek warmth in your relationships. This is the perfect time to follow your dreams and plant a seed in the form of a wish for the future.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20): In every front of your life, there shall be prosperity. Your vision is very practical, leading to tangible results. You shall achieve recognition and your assets/property/belongings shall be greatly enhanced.


GO OuT 19

Weekly Planner Jan 9-23Art | Painting by Shameem Subrana: What I Talk About When I Talk About LifeWhen Inauguration 5:30, every other day 12am-8pmWhere Gallery Twenty One, Taj Lily Garde, 751 Satmasjid Rd, Floor 11, Dhanmondi, DhakaWhat Gallery Twenty One invites all to Shameem Subrana’s first solo exhibition of paintings, What I Talk About When I Talk About Life, at its premises.

Like a novel spread over forty chapters, these paintings tell seemingly unrelated stories that together present a continuum — the story of life.

Artists Professor Hashem Khan, Professor Rafiqun Nabi, Professor Nisar Hossain, executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra, Sultana Kamal, and editor of The Daily Prothom Alo, Matiur Rahman, will inaugurate the exhibition as Guests of Honour.

All proceeds will be donated to Shabab Murshid Development Foundation (SMDF) — a non profit organisation dedicated to child and youth development.

Queries: 01839938703, 01704007007

Jan 10Education | US University Application ProcessWhen 6-8pmWhere EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old), 9th Floor, Midas Center, Dhanmondi R/A What US University Application Process is a weekly event from EMK Center to help them who are trying to get into US universities. Group advising on the US University application process including how to provide attested transcripts, how to write a strong essay, preparing financial documents, etc.

The session is run by EducationUSA advisor. The event is open for all and everyone is encouraged to join with relevant papers.

Jan 11Education | Experience Sharing: Arts & Social SciencesWhen 4pm Where Bangabandhu International Conference Center What Mahbubul Hasan will be talking about education, research, financial aid and assistantships in USA for students who are interested to pursue the fields of Arts and Social Sciences. He is now a doctoral student of the

Human Development area in the Dept of Educational Psychology, University of Memphis. He received his both Bachelor and Masters from Institute of Education and Research(IER), University of Dhaka.

Student from any discipline in the Arts or Social Sciences, this can be a unique opportunity to talk first hand with a person who has experienced it all.

Jan 13Education | MOOC: English Grammar and Essay WritingWhen 5-6pm Where EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old), 9th Floor, Midas Center, Dhanmondi R/AWhat If one is willing to improve your academic writing skills, they can join the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) English Grammar and Essay Writing, a collaborative program offered by the U.S. Embassy and University of California, Berkeley. This course will be tremendously helpful for those who want to develop English-language writing and communication skills or planning to apply for U.S. higher education.

Starting on January 11th, the course will continue for 5 weeks.

Topics to be explored are essay

development, grammar, self-editing skills, vocabulary building.

Contact for more information: 9119752, 9119768, 9119776, 9119783

Jan 14Theatre | Usha Utshob By Dhaka Theatre When 6-8pmWhere Experimental Theatre Shilpokola Dhaka, ShegunbagichaWhat Play Usha Utshab was written by renowned playwright Selim Al Deen. The play will the directed by Samiun Jahan Dola and Md Shahzada Somrat as assistant director. Wasim Ahmed will be on the lights. Costume is designed by Shimul Yousuff and Samiun Jahan Dola. In music there will be Shimul Yousuff and Soujonno Adhikary.

Jan 14Festival | SakrainWhen Morning Where Throughout Old DhakaWhat Preparing threads for kites with gum and glass dust the whole day and then flying kites, blowing fire with kerosene is the charm of Sakrain. Sakrain is celebrated with a huge festivity only in Old Dhaka. People from various places in Dhaka gathers to enjoy this colourful event which is observed throughout the old town rooftops.

Jan 5Photography | Kid’s Camp on Photography organized by TTL

Jan 11Cinema | Red shift classic movies: Persepolis

When 9am-1pmWhere Shanti School of Yoga, House#33, Road#64, Gulshan-2, DhakaWhat Through The Lens(TTL) is arranging a photography workshop for the kids to help them develops visual imagination through photography. The objective of this workshop is to familiarise them with a camera and give them different activities they can do. This photography workshop will be fun, interactive and creative as well as educational.

This fun and hands on digital photography kids workshop has been designed for ages 8-14 with absolutely no camera knowledge, and for those use/own any kind of digital camera. Child is required to bring their own or

parents digital camera (simple point and shoot is preferred).

Workshop contents are how to hold a camera, understanding the camera button, get in close, capturing subjects from different view point, learn the colours, learn the light, how to focus, rule of thirds, fill the frame, nature photography, portrait photography.

There will be On field Photography from for an hour starting at 11pm.

Each student need to accompanied by guardian. Cost: Tk2000 per head.

How to register: Please send a text message to the following contact persons your child’s full name, age, your full name and phone number.

Contact person: 01711507894, 01713426518

When 7pmWhere Red Shift Coffee Lounge, Radius Centre, 5th Floor, Bay’s Galleria, 57 Gulshan Avenue, GulshanWhat This extraordinary animated film is based on the graphic novel by an Iranian woman called Marjane Satrapi. It is a powerful blending of the tumultuous events of recent Iranian history starting from the advent of the Shah followed by the Islamic Revolution and the long bloody Iraq-Iran war with the more domestic, and sometimes hilarious, travails of a young girl growing up through her childhood- teenage years and an uneasy early adulthood.

These two themes, of great large-scale social events on the one hand and personal, family

issues on the other, are expertly intertwined in the movie and make for a truly engrossing, and inspiring, experience, one which will certainly resonate with a Bangladeshi audience.

Ticket for this event is only Tk200 with popcorn.

More more information: 01730054403


It was around this time, three years ago, that Jellybean turned three months old. Her little body had plumped up and was a big

difference from the wrinkly creature I had given birth to. Her neck muscles had strengthened and she could hold her head up without help. Her feeding had improved and since she consumed more, any scope of mastitis was soon diminished for me.

As for me, I had healed up quite well after my episiotomy and there was no pain whatsoever. One thing I always emphasise on is the need to give your body time to heal. Doctors say it takes around three months for the uterus to shrink to normal size and recover completely from the arduous task of baby-making. So, if possible, take a break from hubby dearest and give yourself some ‘me’ time. It’s for your own good!

Now that Jellybean was having more milk, her tummy filled better, which means she slept better and longer. She would take up to two naps a day, ranging from an hour to hour and half each. I would also try to sleep with her during the naps, and co-sleeping was becoming much more enjoyable as her bigger size assured me that I wouldn’t squish her in my sleep. We even tried different positions, where we’d place her near the headboard, away from us; or we slept on the breadth side of the bed, to have more room. Nevertheless, Jellybean between us was the best position ever. I would wake up from time to time and help her switch sides from left to right. Be careful to not put your baby back on the bed/cot right after a feeding and without burping, because there might be spit up which the baby will choke on if lying on his or her back.

We have had a bad experience regarding this, when Jellybean was around 7 months old – she was slightly gassy one night and after feeding and rocking her back to sleep, I had put her on the bed on her back. After a while I heard choking sounds because the gas had made her regurgitate the milk and in her sleepy state she couldn’t turn her

head. I immediately turned her head and body to the side towards me so that the remaining vomit oozed out. I then picked her up and let her head hang over my shoulder, while she cried and I

rubbed her back and made soft calming sounds. After she quietened down, I washed her mouth and face and patted it dry. Be very careful if you sense that your baby is gassy, some anti-colic syrup usually does the trick.

Jellybean, like her father, slept very little, and it is only now that I can get a full night’s sleep. Unless of course a little voice calls out, “Mammaaa….hishiiii” in the middle of the night and I have to wake up to take her to the loo. Or even worse, sometimes Jellybean won’t bother waking up and will soil her katha and oilcloth. There have been so many nights that I’ve felt the cold wetness of a freshly soiled katha, slowly seeping onto my clothes. And there have been even more nights when Jellybean would sleep frog-like on my tummy, and then I would feel a hissing sound followed by a warm liquid trickling into my clothes. Sigh.

There was this one time when Jellybean was asleep with no pants on (I can’t remember why for the life of me!), and she chose that very night to poop in bed. The Husband and I

weren’t aware of that little fact and as she woke up crying, we thought she had peed into the katha. I proceeded to lift her while The Husband removed the katha, and in the last split second I noticed the dark brown mass of poop.

Everything happened in slow motion after that (this tends to happen to me a lot during crisis situations), and as the katha was pulled, the poop went flying all over our bed sheet.

Right after that everything went at warp speed (which is how I remember situations that my brain tries to forget). The Husband held Jellybean while I cleaned her, pulled off the bed sheet, baby wiped any area that may have come into contact with the poop, disposed the poop, washed the bed sheet, changed my clothes, put on a fresh bed sheet and tucked Jellybean back into bed. Imagine that, with Shankar Mahadevan’s “Breathless”

playing in the background, and you’ll get the picture. Or even “Flight of the bumblebee” would do, if you’re feeling particularly western!

Jellybean had stopped becoming cross-eyed by the time she was three months old, and would respond when called to. She would coo and raise a hand towards me. I also would speak to her nonstop, and my in-laws would find that highly amusing. I told them that one day she would respond, and it came true, now Jellybean talks back nonstop. Literally!

In fact, Jellybean is so enthusiastic to talk and ask questions, during a family trip a few days ago, she had to pee while we were in a shopping mall. So I took her in, and then proceed to use the toilet myself. I told her to stand still near the stall door, and not open it. So when Jellybean heard someone come into the bathroom, she went on to announce quite innocently how she had peed, and now her mamma was peeing. I quickly finished and ran out of the loo with her, staring at the floor embarrassedly the entire time!

Since babies learn to move their arms and legs in coordination and grab things at three months old, it’s a good idea to get them toys that would help develop their strength and motor functions. Colourful and noisy rattles, baby play gyms, cot mobiles and soothers (toys that play music and flash lights softly) are a great start! n

20 ThE BONG MOMMa | Tales from a firsT-Time mom

Minu Ahmed

Minu Ahmed is your not-so-average homemaker, norm-shirker and abomination of awesomeness, juggling a career in communication, mother- hood and a fatter half. Questions? Send to [email protected]

Rattle, rattle, toilet trouble

Photo: Bigstock

weekend tribune vol 3 issue 37

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