weekend tribune vol 3 issue 4

4 ObhOyarOnnO 6 DiscOver banglaDesh 20 Funny

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vOl 3 issue 4 | FriDay, May 15, 2015 Dhaka Tribune

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, MAY 15, 2015

Dear readers,

This week is about moving and shaking, in more ways than one. In the wake of the massive earthquake in Nepal, and the milder tremors that continue to tremble through our country, we’re looking at disaster preparedness. From making our buildings safer, to developing emergency protocols, we’re looking at a number of options.

As the ground slowly settles, we’re looking at the feet moving on it. We visited a camp which provides new ones to the wounded, while our photo-story captures the flying feet across the dance floor.

Take a trip through history with our new columnist Jackie Kabir, or join our furry friends with Obhoyaronno’s “Doggy and Kitty Day Out”. And as always, weekends are incomplete without Dina Sobhan’s sagely advice and Yamin Khan’s witty wonderings.

Hope yours is a good one!

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

Furry friendsPhoto: Shahad Raju

the cover

Editor’s note


1CONTENTS

ArChiTECTurEDiSaSteR pRepaReDneSS

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Volume 3 | Issue 4 | May 15, 2015

EditorZafar Sobhan

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Asst Magazine EditorFarina Noireet

Weekend Tribune TeamFarhana UrmeeFaisal MahmudTausif SanzumSakib Mridha

Lameya Alma Amin

ContributorsJennifer Ashraf Kashmi

Jackie KabirYamin Khan

Sabrina MunniDina Sobhan

CartoonPriyo

GraphicsMd Mahbub Alam

Tahsin Momin

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

Features6 Travel Discover

Bangladesh

14 Focus earthquake safety

15 Slice of Life Job market

20 Funnybone Yamin Khan

regulars16 Legalese

17 Tough Love

18 Stay in

19 Go Out

hEALThFitneSS Camp 2015

PhOTO STOryDhaKa DanCing

4

8

9

FEATurEOBhOYaROnnO


2 NEwS | This week

Another major quake rattles Nepal, killing at least 42

Strong 6.8-magnitude quake hits northeastern Japan

North Korea executes defence chief with an anti-aircraft gun: South Korea agency

Along with Saudi king, most Gulf rulers to skip US summit

Thousands of fear-stricken people spent the night outdoors after a fresh earthquake killed dozens of people and spread more misery in Nepal, which is still reeling from a devastating quake that killed more than 8,000 nearly three weeks ago.

A U.S. Marine Corps helicopter carrying six Marines and two Nepalese soldiers was reported missing while delivering disaster aid in northeastern Nepal, U.S. officials said, although there have been no indications the aircraft crashed.

Home ministry official Laxmi Dhakal said Wednesday that army helicopters were scouring the Sunkhani area, nearly 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Kathmandu, for the missing helicopter.

Tuesday’s magnitude-7.3 quake, centred between Kathmandu and Mount Everest, struck hardest in the foothills of the Himalayas and triggered landslides that blocked roads to remote villages in several

districts. Most of the 65 people confirmed dead by Wednesday morning were in Dolakha district, located northeast of Kathmandu, the district’s chief administrator Prem Lal Lamichane said.

“People are terrorised. Everyone is scared here. They spent the night out in the open,” Lamichane said, adding the administration was running out of relief material.

He asked the government to send more helicopters and supplies, and said there were many injured people stranded in villages.

Tuesday’s quake also left nearly 2,000 injured, according to the Home Ministry’s latest count. But that toll was expected to rise as reports trickled in of people in isolated Himalayan towns and villages being buried under rubble, according to the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.Photo: Reuters

A strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan early Wednesday, authorities said, but they did not issue a tsunami warning and there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake struck at 6:12 am (2112 GMT Tuesday) off the east coast of Japan’s Honshu island in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 38.9 kilometres (24.1 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.

Japan’s meteorological agency

said there was no immediate tsunami threat from the quake but urged residents to stay on alert as the risk of landslides had increased.

The quake hit 33 kilometres southeast of the nearest city of Ofunato.

Large areas jolted by the latest tremor were among those damaged by the 2011 quake and tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people and triggered a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima power plant.

North Korea executed its defence chief by putting him in front of an anti-aircraft gun at a firing range, Seoul’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers, the latest in a series of high-level purges since Kim Jong Un took charge in Pyongyang.

Hyon Yong Chol, 66, who headed the isolated country’s military, was charged with treason, including disobeying Kim and falling asleep during an event at which North Korea’s young leader was present, according to South Korean lawmakers

briefed in a closed-door meeting with the spy agency on Wednesday.

His execution was watched by hundreds of people, they said.

It was not clear how the NIS obtained the information and it is not possible to independently verify such reports from within secretive North Korea.

Experts on North Korea said there was no sign of instability in Pyongyang, but there could be if the purges continued.

It is not just the Saudi king who will be skipping the Camp David summit of U.S. and allied Arab leaders. Most Gulf heads of state won’t be there.

The absences will put a damper on talks that are designed to reassure key Arab allies, and almost certainly reflect dissatisfaction among leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council with Washington’s handling of Iran and what they expect to get out of the meeting.

Rulers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman never publicly announced they would attend the summit — so officially at least, there was no reversal of plans.

However, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in Washington on Monday that Saudi King Salman had formally accepted the invitation to meet with President Barack Obama ahead of the summit.

Late on Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced that newly installed Salman will not be attending. The ostensible reason was because the upcoming summit on Thursday coincides with a humanitarian cease-fire in the conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Shiite rebels known as Houthis.

The world at a glanceWeekend Tribune Desk

BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed was discovered in India’s Shillong on Monday, two months after he had gone mysteriously missing from Dhaka. But the reappearance of the former underground crisis communicator of the BNP is also wrapped in equal – if not more – mystery.

Around 2:30pm yesterday, Salahuddin’s wife Hasina Ahmed told reporters in a briefing that her husband had called her up around 10am and told her that he was at a mental hospital in Shillong in the Indian state of Meghalaya.

By then though, journalists here had already learned from sources that Salahuddin was alive and called his wife. Hasina, however, did not disclose the matter before meeting BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia around noon.

Several hours before that, the Shillong Times had carried a two-sentence news about the arrest of a 54-year-old Bangladeshi man named Salahuddin Ahmed in the city’s Golf Link area.

At the afternoon press conference, Hasina Ahmed said: “InshaAllah my husband is alive. He is currently

undergoing treatment at Mimhens [Meghalaya Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences] Hospital in Shillong.”

She said that they would try to go to Shillong today after getting their visa application processed, which could not be done yesterday.

Hasina got the phone call from her husband when she was bringing home her daughter from Scholastica school. She then dropped her daughter home and went straight to Gulshan to meet Khaleda Zia. Sources said Khaleda had also talked to Salahuddin.

A high official of a state intelligence agency told the Dhaka Tribune last night that Salahuddin had sneaked into India in the last week of April.

Since disappearing from Dhaka’s Uttara on March 10, the BNP leader had been continuously trying to cross over to a neighbouring country. His initial plan was to flee to Nepal, but because of the earthquake, he changed his plan. Then, with the help of a broker from Jokiganj of Sylhet, he sneaked into the Indian state, the official said.News: Dhaka Tribune

Salahuddin reappears in Shillong


MEANwhiLE 3

Photo of the week Say what?

You’re welcome

Cop sues Starbucks after spilling free cup of coffee on himself

A fisherman in Kuakata begins to pack up for the day, as the sun goes down and it’s time to go home.

Photo: Martin Hannan

Here, five easy, effective ways are discussed, in which you can almost effortlessly conserve water that require little thinking:Turn off the faucetOne of the simplest ways to conserve water is simply by turning it off when you’re not using it. Turning the faucet off while brushing your teeth can save several gallons of water per day. That’s a lot of water when you stop and think about it!

Fix that leaky faucetIt’s not uncommon for faucets to acquire leaks, causing them to drip. Whether it’s in your kitchen sink, bathroom sink, bathtub, or an outside faucet, the fact of the matter is that little leak is actually causing you to lose about 10 gallons of water each day, possibly more if more than one sink is dripping! Fixing a leaky faucet is not that hard to do. Simply replacing old, worn washers or valve

seats with new ones will do the job.

Is your toilet running? You’d better catch it.Another common culprit of water waste is a running or leaking toilet. You can typically hear when your toilet is running. It sounds like constant running water coming from it. You can usually stop a running toilet by lifting the toilet ball in the tank, but this is merely a temporary fix. It doesn’t really solve the problem. A running toilet can cause up to 60 gallons of water to be lost every day.

There’s a simple test you can perform at home to determine whether your toilet is leaking or not: add a few drops of food colouring into the tank and wait a few minutes. If the colour appears in the water of the toilet bowl, then you have a leak. A toilet leak can be fixed by replacing worn valves, making a few minor

repairs, or removing calcium buildup from the toilet ball.

Turn off the hoseDon’t simply turn off the hose nozzle when you’re through with it. Be sure to close the main faucet as well. Check for drips and repair as needed. Leaving the garden hose running is a wasteful habit most of us are guilty of. The amount of water loss from a hose left on overnight can be equivalent to the amount used by a whole family in an entire month.

Use common senseOne of the best words of advice when dealing with anything is to just use common sense. If it’s raining outside, you don’t need to water your lawn or wash your car. If water is overflowing from your garden area across your driveway and down into the rain gutters, you’re over watering.Source: Planetsave.com

Top 5 ways to save water at home

A North Carolina police officer is suing Starbucks for $750,000 after he spilled a free cup of coffee in his lap and burned himself in 2012.

In testimony Wednesday, Matthew Kohr, a lieutenant in the Raleigh Police Department, told the jury “I didn’t know it was that hot,” reported ABC News. Kohr said the spilled coffee caused third degree burns which aggravated his Crohn’s disease, caused anxiety and sleeplessness and led to a loss of intimacy with his wife, according to ABC.

He said the pain of the accident precipitated a whole host of health problems and he eventually needed surgery to remove a section of his intestine.

“Nothing was making him better,” Kohr’s doctor, Dr Charles Barish, said during the trial. “He was deteriorating. He wasn’t eating. He was losing weight. He was malnourished and ended up in the hospital.”

Kohr originally wanted to ask for $10 million from the coffee company, but only $750,00 is allowed in the civil suit, local TV station WRAL reported.

“We said, ‘Well, what’s our life worth? What’s a year and a half or two years of your life worth?’” Kohr told the jury. “I thought it was worth $10 million.”

Lawyers representing Starbucks contend the officer’s health problems started long before the spill and the two are unrelated.News and photo: Huffington Post


4 FEATurE | ObhOyarOnnO

Fur love Any sort of movement for animal rights in this country is usually greeted with opposition, bandied

with the excuse that “we don’t even have human rights here”, as if animal rights is somewhat of a luxury. Fotunately, there are also many here who believe that humanity and humane behaviour is not confined to people only, but also includes being compassionate to all living creatures.

About the organisationFounded in 2009, Obhoyaronno– Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation, was initiated by a couple of individuals with a strong desire to end animal cruelty through advocacy, education and humane programme, and do something for the overall well-being and rehabilitation of animals in Bangladesh.The organisation strives towards creating an environment where people recognise the intrinsic value of animals and consistently make choices that demonstrate compassion and respect.

For the past two years, the organisation has particularly focused

on the most neglected animal in Bangladesh – dogs. Bangladesh carries a heavy burden of rabies with over 2000 deaths per year and in a vain attempt to eliminate the disease, the local government authorities kill thousands of dogs every year all over Bangladesh. In 2012, through Obhoyaronno’s persistent advocacy, the government ended dog culling in Dhaka, and declared the city as the country’s first ‘no-cull’ city. Since then, Obhoyaronno has been running the country’s first CNVR programme in Dhaka with support from Dhaka City Corporation, and other international organisations such as Humane Society International and FAO.

Recent eventsObhayoronno recently organised an event at the Gulshan Ladies Park on May 8. Sponsored by Ali Arsalan, Farzana Ahmed Sobhan, Zafar Sobhan and Hissam Khandker, the event was arranged with the aim to bring together Dhaka’s animal-lovers and pet-owners to enjoy a day of fun activities and socialising, as well as raising awareness on issues relating to animal wellfare. The event included dog and cat grooming

a better place for our furry friendsFarina Noireet

Photos: Amirul Rajiv and Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo


5

sessions, a running clinic, a photo booth, puppet show, food and drinks, and a puppy play pen where there were puppies up for adoption. The venue also had an information booth on Obhoyaronno, where T-Shirts and gourmet homemade dog biscuits were also available for purchase, as well as a stall by Jatra, which launched their vibrant and eco-friendly line of pet toys, beds and accessories.

On being asked about the challenges behind organising such an event for the first time, Rubaiya Ahmad, Founder and Chairperson of Obhoyaronno replies: “Organising the event wasn’t hard at all. We had generous sponsors, we put up posters at different clubs and advertised through Facebook and people just came. The response was definitely better than what I had anticipated.”

On a happy note and as a success story, three out of four of the puppies and a kitten were adopted by caring families. Also, all proceeds from the event went to helping the street dogs of Dhaka.

Campaigning for awarenessAmong many of the awareness

programmes the organisation works tirelessly towards promoting, one of their major campaigns is on the issue of animal welfare. While there are many animal-loving urbanites who are genuinely compassionate towards animals and are willing to aid in their well-being, many are unaware of the problems that they create through their pet-adoption decisions.

For a while now, the organisation, through their street dog population programme, has been campaigning against breeding and importing of foreign, exotic dog breeds, the buying and selling of which leads to local dogs remaining homeless.

“The biggest challenge by pet owners is probably lack of proper veterinary assistance. But from an animal welfare point of view, breed fascination really hurts the overall dog population,” Rubaiya explains, when asked about the possible challenges faced by pet owners in the country.

In talking about the ‘breed dog fascination’, she explains: “There is only a tiny facial difference between a Pomeranian and a deshi breed”. She elaborates that while most people opt for pets that meet

the usual criteria of being “furry and cute”, this invariably leads to decisions that pose severe problems to both the pets and the owners. This is because, foreign, exotic dog breeds, particularly ones with long fur coats, are not suited to the local tropical climate, and this results in various health problems, leading to a vicious cycle that adversely affects both the owner and the pet.

The organisation campaigns for the adoption of local dogs because they are better suited to the local climate and hence have a better immune system over foreign breeds, which undergo a myriad of health disorders. This not only makes it difficult for the animal, but also the owner, who shares in the misery of having to watch a beloved pet in ordeal, not to mention having to spend huge amounts of money on its healthcare.

Obhoyaronno strives to reach out to people who genuinely love animals because only though their help, can any true difference be made.

For more information, check out their Facebook page called ‘Obhoyaronno – Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation’, or contact: [email protected] n

to donate to Obhoyaronno: PrIMe BaNK lIMIteDHouse 62, Block-EKemal Ataturk AvenueCity: Dhaka Country:Bangladeshaccount Name:Obhoyaronno BD Animal Welfare Foundationaccount Number:13211010019616swift Code:PRBLBDDH020

Achievements since

2009• Secured Dhaka City

Corporation’s commitment to end dog killing in Dhaka in 2012, having signed an MOU with Dhaka City Corporation (North) and Dhaka City Corporation (South) to manage the city’s dog population on behalf of DCC.

• Secured a high court’s order in 2014 to ban dog culling, bull fighting, goat fighting and cock fighting all over Bangladesh.

• Had the old animal cruelty legislation re-drafted and submitted to the ministry. The new act now awaits approval.

• Vaccinated and sterilised over 10,0000 free roaming dogs in Dhaka.

• Vaccinated and sterilised over 2000 owned cats and 3000 owned dogs through their Saturday pet clinic.

• Rescued and rehabilitated hundreds of puppies and kittens from all over Dhaka.

• Educated thousands of children and adults on animal welfare through their humane education programme.

• Won two international awards including the HSI Animal Advocate of the Year 2012 and the Ritchie Memorial Grant.

• Built local veterinary capacity through their international network of veterinarians and animal welfare professionals.

• This year, Obhoyaronno has been chosen for a large grant by the Humane Society International and are in the process of expanding their DPM programme all over Dhaka city.


6 TrAvEL | DiscOver banglaDesh

a trip through ruins leads to fantastic re-imaginingJackie Kabir

A postcard from history

A few friends and I have always wanted to visit rural Bangladesh with its ancient historical

background. After a lot of plan and preparation we started our journey at nine in the morning of May 1, 2015, towards Munshiganj. Since it was a holiday the roads were free. We ripped through the green meadows with our seven seat micro-bus. Our first stop was at Idrakpur Fort. It only took us quarter of an hour to reach the fort which bore the signature of Mughal rule in Bangladesh or Bengal as it was called then. It is around 24 km away from Dhaka. The first

impression I got was: “Oh! it’s just an enclosure with a curtain wall with machicolated merlons!” But when one came inside through the arched entrance, the magnificent view of the architecture would impress any visitor. An oblong enclosure with two segments. The western part is 97m by 52m open space surrounded by a wall with corner bastions while the eastern part is 77m by 44m roughly rectangular in shape. When one came to the foot of the stairs which led to the eastern part, the door way at the top of some 30 or more steps provided a preview of what the structure looked like. This

is common for many of the Mughal structures all around the Indian subcontinent. Upon climbing the stairs, the ruins of what may have been a place to house some kind of machine canon comes into view. It is a cylindrical drum-like structure at the middle. There were numerous “arrow slits” throughout the whole of the circular curtain wall. Soldiers may have used these for putting the barrel of the rifle for shooting the enemies. There was a secret staircase that led to an underground room, where the ammunition were kept perhaps. Some say that it led to a tunnel which connected to the

Lalbagh fort in Dhaka. It could be a myth, but then people living nearby confirmed that some young people who have tried to go there never made it back. So there must be some inauspicious spirit that may have killed them. Experts opine however, that the tunnel must have collapsed and been barricaded in some places due to mud, stone or other debris and hence stop the supply of oxygen, suffocating people who might have gone inside.

The fort was built by Emperor Aurangzeb’s Subadar Mir Jumla II, who was Persian in origin, to protect the town from the Magh

The stairs leading to the main structure of Idrakpur Fort


7

and Portuguese pirates. It was built in 1660, as part of a triangular protection plan for Dhaka, his new capital.

Two other similar forts were built, Hajiganj and Sonakanda Fort. Idrakpur was a low land and the criss-crossing of rivers Meghna, Ichamati, Dhaleswari and Shitalaksya turned it into a huge water body which was known as Kalidas Shagor. So Idrakpur fort stood with its head high above everything else. Nowadays many structures are as high as the fort itself, if not higher, somewhat diminishing its majestic look. Even then, the maintenance of the fort and the serenity of the two ponds on both sides gives it a unique stature of standing apart from any other structures around the place. This fort was also used as a naval base of 200 frigates under Mughal Admiral Abul Hossain. The archaeology department under the government is turning part of the fort into a museum which was used as a prison for the captured pirates in olden

times. Six people from different

professional backgrounds were brought together with the quest of finding out about ancient Bangladesh which led us to our next destination, Bojrojogini, some 53 kilometers from Dhaka. As we drove past the green fields, pumpkin gardens and huge paddy fields, we had to ask quite a number of times about the direction. Finally we came across a placard hung on a tree which said ‘Shukobashpur’ meaning a ‘ a happy home’ with an arrow pointing towards the home of Atish Dipankar, born during the Pal Era (750- 1174). His parents named him Chandragarbha. He was a scholar of astrology, Sanskrit and science. He also mastered the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. The archaeology department is also rebuilding the place so renovation was underway when we visited. It was, however, tragic to see the beautiful curtain fence, which may have been from ancient times, being brought down to make way for the new construction. There was a poultry farm right next to the house.

I remembered a few years ago, a friend came up to me and excitedly said, “You must write something about the poultry farm that had sprung up next to the house which belonged to the scholar Atish

Dipankar.”Our next destination was

Nateswar where they have excavated an ancient Buddhist shrine that may have been as old as 2000 years. It was amazing to see the stairs made of concrete, the yard and some rooms’ outlines below the ground level. The recent earthquake in Nepal or any future quake in our country may leave our cities and towns just the way we found this remnant, a friend reminded us. A very scary thought but a plausible one; We went around the site where archaeologists may have toiled week after week to find what was visible to us then. The sun was unbearable and we had to seek shelter under the hijol tree, next to which grew some short white kash-ful. It is thought that the Buddhist shrine and home town of Atish Dipanker are very close to each other so it may have been the scholar’s endeavour.

We came back to the vehicle that had carried us for so long. We were famished and had to look for a place to eat. The micro bus just wouldn’t start; it had really given up on us. We were some 10 kilometers away from the nearest market. The driver looked very much worried as it was a holiday and it may not find a mechanic. There was a young girl standing nearby and we asked if they had a tube well and if yes, then could

we have some water? She was very prompt and brought us a jug of water and a mug. We all finished the water in gulps. She was this beautiful girl with big brown eyes and very sharp features. She even took us to her house. And when hours passed without our car being fixed, she offered us to share the lunch that she had cooked for her family. I don’t think that would have been possible in any other country. The driver went inside the village bazaar but couldn’t find a mechanic for quite a while.

My friends, while trying to find a way to kill time, thought of going for a swim in the pond. They then needed a change of clothes. The girl, whose name was Maliha, generously offered to lend them her mother’s clothes for swimming. And so they all dived into the pond. It was an unforgettable experience for us. I didn’t know how to swim and envied my companions as they splashed about in the middle of the pond. It turned out to be quite an outing. Even though we came to see the ancient remnants of rural Bangladesh, we discovered the magnanimity of a simple village girl that will forever remain in the hearts of the six of us. n

Photos: Courtesy

The mausoleum of Atish Dipanker built with the help of Chinese government


8 hEALTh | FiTness camp 2015

The ambience of National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) popularly known as ‘Pongu Hospital’ in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar is not a pleasant one. Aside from murky lighting, uncomfortable odours and occasional groans (from patients), one would frequently encounter people with wounded limbs, half limbs or with no limbs.

Room no-102 on the ground floor is a bit different though. It looks more like a mannequin factory than a hospital. But instead of the whole body, the machine there produces body parts like feet and hands.

For the last one week, starting from May 7, the room has only been producing prosthetic lower limbs.

“It’s light. The movement is more fluid with this,” said Fawzia, a 23 year old female who was found wearing a new pair of Jaipur Feet. Fawzia had a horrible accident three years back. She was run over by a bus at Dhanmondi 27 and lost both her legs.

“I have been wearing a pair of artificial legs for the last few years. It cost me Tk76,000. Now I am getting these Jaipur Feet for free. Its way better than the ones I had earlier,” said Fawzia.

“Of course it’s better. The Jaipur Foot and Knee are made of self-lubricating, oil-filled nylon and is both flexible and stable, even on irregular terrain. Comparable devices include a titanium replacement, which can cost US$10,000 or more,” said Prakash Bhandar, media advisor of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), the world’s largest limb fitting society based in Jaipur, India.

The world’s leading organisation for the handicapped and the makers of the world famous Jaipur Foot, BMVSS is holding a 20-day camp in Dhaka from May 7 to May 24 to provide on- the-spot artificial limb fitments to the disabled of Bangladesh.

Prakash Bhandar who is leading the camp said, a total of 500 of Bangladesh’s poorest amputees will be fitted with artificial limbs free of cost. The camp is sponsored by Bangladesh Orthopedic Society, NITOR and Asif Moyeen and Sadia Moyeen of Far East Knitting and Dyeing Industries.

About the world famous Jaipur Foot, Bhandar said, the beauty of the Jaipur Foot is its lightness and mobility, as those who wear it can run, climb trees and pedal bicycles. One of Jaipur foot’s knee replacements developed in cooperation with Stanford University costs a mere $20, and was named one of the 50 best inventions in the world by Time Magazine.

Showing a sample of that famous knee Bhandar said: “That’s a marvellous invention”. He said all of the Jaipur Feet are custom fitted. “At first we select the amputee, then we take his/her measurements. After that, our team produces the limbs,” he said.

It is superior to its counterpart Solid Ankle Cushion Heel (SACH) in certain ways, mainly in the range of movements it offers. The articulation at the ‘ankle’ allows not only inversion-eversion movements but also dorsiflexion (essential for squatting, standing up from prone position, etc.) and a shorter keel

‘Jaipur foot’ steps up in Bangladesh to walk againFaisal Mahmud

• Founded in 1975 with less than US$10,000, Jaipur Foot is now operating with an annual budget of US$3.5M, and funded by donations, government support and earned income.

• About 60% of the budget is a collection of donations, small or big, and from India or abroad. Roughly 30% of the budget is in the form of government grants, and the remaining 10% is met by their own income on the corpus built up over time.

• In 1975, during their first year of operation, the Jaipur Foot team fitted 59 limbs. Today, nearly 400,000 people have such limbs fitted. In addition, there are mobile clinics setup in 26 countries around the world, including the war torn regions of Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan.

• The Jaipur foot costs about $21 to make.[The beneficiary of course pays nothing]. It can be made by an averagely skilled team of five, which can produce 15 limbs a day.

helps achieve this. “Also, the materials used at

the foot-end are waterproof and moderately mimic a real foot.”

He said that during the 20-day camp, approximately 25 patients are being treated each day. “About 1000 patients are being screened by NITOR and 500 will be selected on the basis of medical criteria laid down by BMVSS,” said Bhandar.

This is our second trip to Bangladesh from BMVSS. In 1994, we held a camp in Khulna and treated and provided Jaipur Foot to 1000 patients. n

Photos: Courtesy


Dhaka Dancing | PhOTO STOry 9

in Bengali literature, there is a special drama based on music and dance, called ghitinatto. the great poet tagore was a pioneer of ghitinatto. today, this cultural art-form is particularly popular among the country’s urban middle-class.

this week’s photo story features Bengali

traditional dances performed during popular events around the capital. there are four forms of classical dance in Bangladesh: Kathak, Bharatnatyam, monipuri and Kathakali, all of which have their roots right here in the subcontinent since many years.

Happy feetPhotos: Sabrina Munni


10 PhOTO STOry | Dhaka Dancing


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12 ArChiTECTurE | DisasTer prepareDness

Nepal’s earthquake acts as a wake-up call to neighbouring countries which have

failed to learn lessons from their own disasters and where shoddy construction and rapid urbanisation could lead to death on an even greater scale next time round.

Given its location on a seismic fault-line, another major earthquake along the Himalayan plate could potentially prove fatal for Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka where millions are crammed into apartments, whose owners have skimped on building materials.

Triggered by an unusual rise in the cost of land, Dhaka’s skyline has changed with increasing number of high-rises in the past couple of years. But about 80% of those structures are in grave risk of fire hazards and earthquakes, experts said.

Various studies conducted by the urban experts have repeatedly warned about the lack of maintenance of the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) and Fire Safety Code (FSC) in the construction of most of the high rise structures in the capital.

But several real-estate companies

are mushrooming in the meantime and those are out to destroy the rivers, canals and wetlands in and around the city with illegal housing projects, mostly high-rises to pile up their ill-gotten wealth, experts concerned observed.

What the data saysAccording to data from Rajdhani Unnayan Kortripakkhya (RAJUK), about 340 high-rise designs have been submitted to RAJUK in the last one year, among which, 40% are not being approved due to the lack of compliance with either BNBC or the FSC.

As per the Dhaka Metropolitan Building (construction, development, preservation and removal) Rules, 2008, RAJUK, on June 30, 2010 in a circular, stated that the private land developers and real estate companies, who are not registered with RAJUK, will not get its approval for developing plots and constructing apartments from July 1.

But not more than 150 out of 728 members of Real Estate Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), have so far applied for registration in prescribed forms, made mandatory by the authority, RAJUK sources

said, adding that there are around 1,500 other private companies, who are neither members of REHAB nor affiliated with Rajuk.

The realtors are cashing inRAJUK chairman ZM Zainul Abedin said that city dwellers have been asked to contact the urban planning department of the capital development authority to get any information about approval of plots and apartments before buying them from private land developers and real estate and housing companies.

But very few people have contacted them in this regard as they fall for the attractive advertisements about plots and apartments of different projects having no approval from RAJUK, said Abedin.

Meanwhile, the scarcity of land in the capital, marked by an increasing demand of it from developers, has resulted in the price of land in the capital to soar by at least 400% in the past couple of years.

The government’s regulatory body couldn’t do much about it since an age-old land record system, taxation structure and cumbersome land transfer procedure have made the whole land system in the city

unmanageable.Various real estate companies

are taking advantage of the old land records and land owners have a tendency to fall for lucrative offers by real estate companies, said Prof Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansari, director of the Bangladesh Network Office for Urban Safety (BNUS) of BUET.

Dr Ansari said that the land owners especially opted for giving their land to commercial high-rise developers as it is more lucrative, both for land owners and for developers.

The earthquake risksAbout the risk of earthquake in high-rise buildings, Dr Ansari said that more than 40% land of the capital is filled-up land and high-rises on those once marshy lands are at high risk of sudden collapse.

He said, with the increase of land price and real-estate companies, low-lying lands across the capital are filled up without appropriate measures. “But these filled land are in great dangers of earthquakes due to the soil’s liquefaction, ground subsidence, and soil resonance,” he added.

Explaining the risk of earthquake

While rapid urbanisation and development in the real estate sector, which is otherwise desirable, has fast changed the façade of our major cities, how safe are we in the face of calamities such as the recent earthquakes?Faisal Mahmud

Rubaiyat Hossain Photo: Courtesy

Strengthening structures


13

in filled up lands, Prof Dr Md Ali Murtuza, former vice-chancellor of BUET and a structural expert said that with the declining of ground water, the high-rises on filled-up land can face sudden structural collapse even without an earthquake.

“If the water level falls, like that is happening in Dhaka, the soil

under the buildings adjusts itself to being without water and when it rains heavily in the monsoon after a long break, the groundwater water pushes the rainwater upwards, causing movement in the ground,” Prof Murtuza said adding that the buildings can face structural collapse even without an earthquake.

Dr Murtuza also said that another risk in constructing high-rises in filled-up lands is the resonance (the shaking in the structure), as the magnitude of resonance of an earthquake is much greater in the filled-up land and therefore on the structures built on it.

Retrofitting as a solutionDr Mehedi Ahmed Ansari said, the retrofitting of the existing buildings could be a potential solution to avert the disaster that a major earthquake can create in the country.

Explaining about building retrofitting, Dr Ansari said, it means making changes to the systems inside the building or even the structure itself at some point after its initial construction and occupation.

“Typically this is done with the expectation of improving amenities for the building’s occupants and/or improving the performance of the building. The development of new technology means that building retrofits can allow for significant reductions in energy and water usage as well as improved earthquake tolerance.”

Retrofitting brick structures would cost 10% of the total construction cost and 30 to 35% in the case of reinforced concrete cement (RCC) structures, he said, adding that with

polypropylene bands (PP bands), the cost of retrofitting RCC structures could be reduced.

Ansari said it costs around Tk450 to retrofit one square foot of a building, whereas only Tk10 of the additional cost is required to design and make a building earthquake resistant at the time of construction.

Retrofitting work currently under-wayThe government has already taken the initiative of retrofitting some of the most essential buildings of the capital including Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters and the Secretariat, which were found vulnerable to moderate tremors in March 2010 after a government probe committee, given the task of identifying risky buildings of the capital, submitted its report.

On July 20 last year, a systematic retrofitting of the Tejgaon Fire Station building to make it earthquake resistant had started for the first time in the country. Local engineers with support from Japanese experts made the building earthquake resistant within a few months.

The initiative was taken under “The project for Capacity Development on Natural Disaster Resistant Techniques of Construction and Retrofitting for Public Buildings (CNCRP).” The Public Works Department has been implementing the project with technical support from Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).

Abdul Malek Sikder, additional chief engineer at PWD and also the project director, said the PWD is planning to take a project to retrofit more of such vulnerable public buildings in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet in phases.

Japan’s initiative to retrofit RMG buildingsThe Japanese government has taken an initiative to retrofit Bangladesh’s vulnerable garment factory buildings in order to make them jolt-resistant and safe for workers.

Senior Representative of Jica, Hiroyuki Tomita, at a recently held seminar titled “Development of Safer Building”, said that Japanese experience and technology for making earthquake-resistant buildings can help Bangladesh avoid any tragic incident like the Rana Plaza collapse.

The Jica high official also said Japanese experts have already started retrofitting two RMG factory buildings and the Jica will soon implement a large project to work on more vulnerable buildings.

After the Rana Plaza collapse, Jica undertook a programme titled ‘RMG Sector Safe Environment Project’ and created a fund of Tk100 crore along with Bangladesh Bank for financing RMG owners to make their buildings safe for workers, said Jica’s Assistant Programme Officer Kaniz Fatema.

Jica’s Expert Team Leader Fumio Kaneko said there is a misconception that retrofitting is very expensive and it is not economically viable for countries like Bangladesh. It usually costs only 10-30% of the construction funds. n

Bleak scenarios from CDMP• -An estimated 2.61 lakh

people will be killed in Dhaka city alone due to building collapses in the event of a major earthquake striking midnight, said the findings of Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP).

• -The figure would be 2 lakh if it happens in midday

• -Nearly 73% of 3.26 lakh buildings in the capital may collapse beyond repair during such a seismic event

• -The death figure was estimated to be 95,183 in Chittagong and 20,709 in Sylhet if a strong earthquake occurred at midnight.

• -Nearly 78% of 1.82 lakh buildings would collapse beyond repair in Chittagong, while 98% of 52,000 buildings would collapse in Sylhet.

• -The three cities together would suffer an aggregated economic loss of $20,000 million due to the damage of properties.


14 FOCuS | earThQUake saFeTy

the ground beneath our feetFarhana Urmee

The shaking

Photos: Dhaka Tribune

On the strenuous afternoon of a working day, someone may suddenly ask you, “did

you feel it?” and before you answer the question, you do not know what you should do, run or stay calm? People scrambling down to the open street from multi-storey buildings for safety after mild to moderate tremors that took place in the last couple of weeks, have become familiar

to the nation who is aware of its vulnerability to disaster, especially earthquakes.

Bangladesh also felt the remnants of the jolts of the recent major earthquake in Nepal on the very day of the disaster and later the aftershocks too. The situation is getting worse as Bangladesh is experiencing frequent minor tremors, especially the 7.3 magnitude one that took place on

May 12. Is this still the after-effect of the major quake or an early warning of something big coming up or is something really wrong underneath? This time, the epicentre was located 611km North-West of BMD Seismic Centre, Agargaon, Dhaka, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Is it only Nepal, that is the most earthquake prone area in the area? The epicentres were quite far from Bangladesh the last couple of times, thankfully, saving the country from huge devastation and massive deaths.

Bangladesh too, for its geographical location and proximity to tectonic faults,

is at high risk of having major earthquakes. Our location is at the north-eastern part of the Indian sub-continent and Bangladesh lies on the junction of three tectonic plates. The interconnected earth plates could be easily affected by one another’s tremor.

Bangladesh is surrounded by at least five fault lines, which are cracks in the earth plate that generate quakes. Those fault lines are situated between Cox’s Bazar-Feni, Feni-Srimongol, Srimongol-India, Dawki and including one in Modhupur, which is only 70kilometer away from Dhaka.

Studies conducted by different international bodies say, at least 30% of buildings in Dhaka will be damaged if a magnitude seven earthquake strikes Dhaka.

The earthquake is a type of disaster for which early warning system has hardly been innovated. The only way to cope with such calamities is it after the event. An appropriate earthquake adaptive urban plan can save thousands of lives and cautions at the micro level is also important. A few people died during the recent jolts felt in Bangladesh only out of anxiety or while rushing out, panic stricken, which is unfortunate indeed. If earthquakes occur, it is wise to stay calm and take the stairs to get down to a safe place from home or office or in case it happens in seconds, it is better to take the decision to stand beside pillars or to take shelter under a table or desk and wait for help. n

List of Major Earth Quakes in World: 1. Jan 23, 1556 Shaanxi province, China Magnitude about 8 Death toll: 830,000

2. July 27, 1976 Tangshan, China Magnitude 7.5Death toll: 655,000

3. aug 9, 1138 Aleppo, Syria Aug 9, 1138 Death toll: 230,000

4. Dec 26, 2004 Sumatra, Indonesia Magnitude 9.1 Death toll: 227,898

5. Jan 12, 2010 Haiti Magnitude 7.0 Death toll: 222,570

List of Major quakes in Indian Sub-continent: 1. april 25, 2015 Nepal Magnitude: 7.8 Death toll: 10,000

2. Oct 8, 2005 Kashmir Magnitude: 7.6 Death toll: 130,000

3. July 26, 1941 Andaman Islands Magnitude: 8.1 Death toll: 7,000

4. May 31, 1935 Quetta, Baluchistan Magnitude: 7.7 Death toll: 30,000

5. april 4, 1905 Himachal Pradesh Magnitude: 7.8 Death toll: 20,000

6. January 15, 1934 Nepal Magnitude: 8.0 Death toll: 10,000

7. January 26, 2001 Gujarat Magnitude: 7.6/7.7 Death toll: 20,000


jOb markeT | SLiCE OF LiFE 15

every year, a huge number of students graduate from public and private universities, this year being no exceptionLameya Alma Amin

Bangladesh has a booming population with 37 public universities and 85 private ones spread throughout

the country, providing higher education to thousands of students. Naturally, the nation witnesses many students graduating each year, with this year already hosting the graduation ceremonies of East West University and North South University, officially graduating 1,445 and 2,034 students respectively. Naturally these students would be gearing up for the job sectors, or for higher education.

The job sector has become difficult over the years, with so many students offering their degrees to a limited number of work opportunities. Also with it, raised the concerns that the qualities of the students in terms of knowledge are not up to mark as expected.

“We get huge numbers of applicants each year, but a great number of them fail to impress us. The exams we hold for them reveal that they lack a strong basic knowledge of the subjects that is needed for the job, in spite of the fact that they have shining certificates with good CGPAs. Another biggest problem that we as employers face is their lack of command in the

languages, both English and Bengali. This makes things harder for both the parties, though we have found some incredibly smart people who tried their best to overcome it, along with others who didn’t bother much,” said Md Shakir Amin Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director of Dhaka Bank Limited.

This puts light into the reality that achieving a certificate is not the only goal and ticket to the job sector, but practical knowledge is of utmost importance too. Mr Chowdhury further noted: “We get huge numbers of business graduates applying for different positions in our bank, along with students of other concentrations, and what’s surprising is that, they don’t have the level of standard knowledge that is needed for a real job. It seems, the younger generation lacks dedication and interest to become careerists; rather they are more materialistic with concerns only for promotions and higher salary.” The students work hard for more or less four years to graduate, but that quality of education fails to prepare them for real life.

Education is a basic component, and our society needs its people, this younger generation to educate themselves in order to change

the way of life for the better. For this, one needs to not only have knowledge about their specific fields according to the guidelines of their institutions, but an in-depth idea of the whole. “It is surely important to know a lot in order to survive in the real world, in real jobs, but people around nowadays don’t have the patience to go that extra length and read a book outside the required syllabus to gain some extra information. The persisting trend is to study as much as is needed to finish the course and get a grade, failing to realise that this much information wouldn’t be enough for a job,” said Naeer Jawad Amin, an undergraduate student studying in IUT.

With time, it is imagined that students of the country would be improving, with the level of education expected to rise with passing times. Though there are vast numbers of students doing well in the job sectors, there also seem to be people present struggling with poor quality of command over their subjects.

“It’s a common feeling, especially among older people now that the quality of education is going down. Because of the huge number of graduating students every year

from both public and private universities, the general quality of knowledgeable graduates have gone down but there are a good number of highly qualified young men and women among them too. It’s true most of higher education-seekers in our country are spoon-fed by their parents, and teachers, and are deprived of being properly equipped to take up the challenges of the real world. The number of such graduates, is unfortunately in the rise because of the rapid growth of profit-driven private universities that have inadequate entrance exams and inefficient programme curriculum. We need education that grooms people to survive economically with dignity and that too should be provided according to their aptitude. Aptitude for a particular discipline is the key to be knowledgeable,” stated Dr. Abdus Selim, an English professor from North South University.

It is often easy to think that graduating and getting a job is easy, but the real world has its own way of working. Recognising this, the thriving younger generation would need to equip themselves better, with self-learning and self-teaching as a great way to start. n

Quality of mass graduating students

Photo: Bigstock


Dear Reader:Thank you for writing in to me. The shipping industry is a risky one, true, but if managed properly it can prove

to be quite rewarding to all the parties involved. However, care must be taken and due diligence should be carried out before purchasing a ship, as it is quite a major responsibility. I am pleased to note that you are undertaking the necessary research before embarking on this project. Let us now look at the existing legal provisions dealing with ship arrest in Bangladesh.

A mortgagee shall be entitled to recover the amount due under the mortgage by bringing proceedings in the High Court Division for decree. The High Court Division may direct that the mortgaged ship be sold in execution of the decree. No direct sale or otherwise disposal is permissible. The mortgagee has two distinctly separate causes of action available in case of default on part of the mortgagor, both of which may be initiated simultaneously. The first is the initiation of a civil suit

for the recovery of the mortgage monies against the mortgagor itself. This is referred to as an action in personam. The second course of action is against the very asset over which the security is created- that is to say- an action against the mortgaged vessel. This is referred to as an action in rem. This is a special course of action that may be initiated only in cases of admiralty jurisdiction.

An action in rem is directed against the ship itself to satisfy the claim of the plaintiff. The time that may involve depends on circumstances. However, a minimum time period of 3-4 months would be required to enforce the mortgage. In suits in rem a warrant for the arrest of property may be issued at the instance either of the plaintiff or of the defendant at any time after the suit has been instituted, but no warrant of arrest shall be issued until an affidavit by the party or his agent has been filed. Order 38 Rule 5 of the Code of Civil Procedure 1908 provides for attachment before judgement of any property of the defendant would not be available to the Admiralty Court.

Any claims which are related to the ship can be adjusted to by selling the ship after following the relevant procedure.

Claim varies according to its nature, e.g. any contractual claim must be made within 3 years – as specified in Schedule 1, Section 59 of the Limitation Act 1908. In case of damage or loss to the ship, or loss of life or injury suffered, the limitation period is 2 years. In a voyage chartered ship, the charterer is not the disponent owner of the ship neither he has any control over the Master, Crew and overall management of the ship. Therefore it is not possible to arrest the voyage chartered ship for a claim against the charterer if the claim is not against the ship.

Yes a subsequent arrest of another vessel can be effected if the original security is insufficient, but the court will only allow the release application of the subsequent vessel upon the submission of a sufficient bank guarantee, which will cover the whole claim. Such an application must be made to the Admiralty court. n

My company is considering purchasing a ship for trading purposes, as the shipping industry appears to be one

which is constantly flourishing. However, we’ve heard countless stories about ship arrest and eventual loss of ships. It would be great to have a few queries clarified. What are the types of claims for which a ship may be arrested in your country eg, a claim under an MOA or other ship sale and purchase agreement; claim for unpaid insurance premiums; or a claim for arbitration proceedings, to enforce judgement or an arbitration award etc? Are the claims in respect to which a ship can be arrested subject to any time bar (or prescription) and if so, are these different according to the nature of the claim? Is it possible to arrest a time or voyage chartered ship for a claim against the charterer? After having arrested a vessel, obtaining security and released the vessel, can we effect a subsequent arrest of the same or of another vessel belonging to the same owner for the same claim if the original security will be insufficient?

16 LEGALESE | jenniFer ashraF kashmi

ahoy!Q A

Cartoon: Priyo/Dhaka Tribune

got a

problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@

dhakatribune.com

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


Dear Dina, A few years ago, I married my father’s best friend’s daughter. Since she is a couple of years younger and us being “pithapithi”,

there has always been an element of bickering, teasing and fighting over things like chocolates, TV shows and blankets between us. Regardless, I have been madly in love with her, as I know she is with me. Upon attending the same university together, we decided to keep the marriage a secret due to privacy issues. However, I am constantly being hit on by this classmate of mine. Even though I made it very clear to this girl that I am taken, she flirts with me all the time, especially when my wife is around. This woman is attractive and immensely popular with men, and makes my wife feel insecure and she misunderstands me completely. It breaks my heart to hear her sobbing all night because of this. I just don’t know what to do. Help?

Dear Mouse,Well, firstly I don’t understand why your marriage is such a secret. It seems

ridiculous to me that you would put on this charade on a regular basis. If it’s not against the rules of the college or some such technicality, there is no

reason to continue hiding the marriage, if for no other reason than your wife’s psychological well-being. And, honestly, there is nothing more pathetic than a man who acts as though being pursued by an attractive woman is some sort of punishment. You can’t have made it clear enough that you’re off limits if the brazen hussy keeps throwing herself at you. She probably senses you have something going on with the ‘friend’ who is your wife, or else she wouldn’t make her advancements more pronounced in her presence. She’s toying with you and your wife, like a big fat tabby with a particularly meek mouse it has cornered. Stand up for yourself and your woman by coming clean and dealing with the repercussions. And the next time that woman throws herself at you in the presence of your wife, put your arm around her and say, “Have you met my beautiful wife.” There’s no reason for her to feel unloved if she isn’t.

Dear Dina, My husband and I have been married for almost six years now. While things are otherwise well in our

relationship, we have absolutely nothing going on in the bedroom for quite a long time now. He spends most of his leisure time with exclusively male friends, and I am seriously beginning to wonder about his sexual orientation. I have tried to talk to him about this on several occasions but he always seems to come up with an excuse or we end up fighting. I don’t think I can go on like this for much longer. What do I do?

Dear Questioning,It’s taken you six years to figure out your husband might not be into women? I’m not

sure if I feel bad for you or just mildly annoyed. But before you jump to any conclusions, there are many reasons why men might not want to engage in relations after a point in the marriage. Those fiery passions do tend to die down after a bit, but were they ever there to begin with? Before you start ascribing his lack of desire to a preference for men, ask yourself

some other pointed questions. Is he under a lot of duress? Is he suffering from some underlying health condition which prevents friskiness? Have you put on 50 pounds in the last six years and stopped waxing your legs? If none of the obvious questions have affirmative answers, then drag his behind into counselling and get to the bottom of this profound mystery. *All puns intended n

Dina sObhan | TOuGh LOvE 17

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

boys to menQ

QA

ACartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune

got a problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@dhakatribune.

com


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 Rat returns to achieve his goal (6)6 Insecure, forget about nothing (5)7 Start, for example, in trash (5)8 Selfish person destroyed stogie (6)

DOwN2 Al Gore about 50 moved at a brisk pace (7)3 Reasons for coffee deposits (7)4 Bigger than 5D? A belter cocktail! (6)5 Stiff drink for doppelgänger (6)

Last

wee

k’s

solu

tion

s

aCrOss5 Soldiers surround our weapons depot (7)6 Bird a couple better than 1 Down (5)9 Florida town or country duck (7)

DOwN1 Knock up an average score (3)2 French pal can be good natured (7)3 Run golf badly from a distance (7)4 Organ of the year (3)7 Knot for laces or part of ship (3)8 Container for peas, or whales (3)

Clues

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

Even if you’re not a neat freak, there’s something called “too much clutter”,

and it can waste a lot of precious time, and occasionally endangered you. Here are seven simple ways to reduce the chaos and make life more manageable:

At work:Plan for a weekly “de-clutter” session, in which you take about 15 minutes to turn your workspace from “creative” to “efficient”. Throw out the excess bits of paper that invariably accumulate on your desk;

file what you don’t immediately need. Stash stray stationery into large mugs or pen-holders, and things are already looking cleaner. Remember the 80-20 rule: you only use 20% of your things 80% of the time, so keep those things handy, and stow away the rest.

In your wardrobe:This one will probably be best done once every 2-3 months. Take everything out, and sort into three piles: Keep, Fix, and Toss. Anything you know you won’t get tailored or laundered this month actually gets

tossed. Ditto for those jeans you’re hoping to fit back into after you lose some weight. Try on the items you’re not sure about. If you can’t think of three events this year that you can wear them to, toss. If they’re not fitting well, toss. When you’re done, you (and your closet) will feel much lighter. And then let the shopping begin.

In your meals:As our lives get busier, it gets

harder to cook healthy and keep track of what you’re eating. This can be mitigated with a little planning. Every once a week, take inventory of your fridge. Toss out anything that’s past the safe-to-eat stage. Cook three large meat/fish/veggie dishes and store in large containers. You can alternate between the three throughout the week, just adding fresh rice and salads to the mix. Eating well becomes a lot simpler. n

3 ways to get organisedSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Mini cryptics


GO OuT 19

May 15

Lecture | DCP Bangladesh Photo Walk in support of Global Snapshot, Great Nature ProjectwheN 7-10amwhere Jahangirnagar University, Savar

DCP Expeditions team has been conducting nationwide photo walks and BioBlitzes in support of National Geographic’s Great Nature Project. In continuation of the series, from May 15 to 25 this year, Team DCP will be organising several photo walks involving all interested people from two countries, India and Bangladesh, for documenting biodiversity to support a global snapshot of biodiversity for National Geographic’s Great Nature Project. The Great Nature

Project is an ongoing initiative that encourages direct exploration of nature by sharing photos of biodiversity from anywhere in the world.

It is a worldwide celebration where people of all ages are invited to appreciate nature by taking pictures of plants and animals in their worlds, and then sharing those pictures with the whole world. One can register for this event by following the event’s page in Facebook or contact at 01717112559.

May 17-19Fair | Career Bootcamp 2015wheN 9am-5pmwhere EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old), 9th Floor, Midas Center, Dhanmondi

Weekly Planner May 15

Culture | Pretty Shitty Art Exhibit

When 12pmWhere HackHouse, House 34, Road 10B, Floor 8, 10B Enamul Hoq Chowdhury RoadPretty Shitty Art is arranging an exhibition where you will find funny things: art pieces, art prints, tees, undergarment, coasters, hand painted sneakers and lots of other interesting products will be displayed for sale.Music of Indalo, Zubair and Jon and Desserts by The Flourist will be at the event.

May 15

Education | INFERNAL RIOT Part-1

When 3-8:30pmWhere National Library Auditorium, Besides National Radio Office, Sher-e-Bangla NagarInfernal Riot, a congregation of prominent, rising and even newly created extreme metal bands of

the country, is an offering from the thrash metal band Inferno.The motto of arranging the gig is simple – to enthral the audience and to provide new and rising bands to showcase their tenebrous musical ability while sharing stage with the great names of the Bangladeshi metal scene. Powersurge, The Triad, Alternate Illusion, Gene-split, Thrash, Inferno, Enmachined, Sent Men Revolt, Sacrilege will also perform at the eventGate opens at 2:30pm and the show starts at 3pm. Ticket are available at Tk200 at the gate.

May 16

Workshop | Go Green 2015

When 8:30am- 4:30pmWhere Uttara Sector-14 Society OfficeGo Green is an event where volunteer participants will clean the streets of Uttara between Sectors 5, 10 and 14 with the aim

to spread awareness about the environment among people on the streets. Volunteers can also register online: http://form.jotform.me/form/50991411837459 Those interested can participate at a fee of Tk200. Interested volunteers are to contact via their event page on Facebook or through: 01755713646.

May 17

Carnival | Understanding Classical Dance – Chapter Five: Rabindra Nrityadhara

When 7pmWhere The Daily Star Centre, 64-65 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Farmgate

“Understanding Classical Dance” is a monthly series of lectures and demonstration programmes, curated and presented by celebrated artist, choreographer and educator, Sharmila Banerjee in commemoration of Rabindranath

Tagore’s 154th Birthday. The fifth chapter in this series will be about the local favourite – Rabindra Nrityadhara. The event is open and free for all.

May 21-23

Networking | Bangladesh International Tourism Fair (BITF) 2015

When 8am-9pmWhere Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), Agargaon, Sher-E-Bangla Nagar

Bangladesh International Tourism Fair (BITF) 2015 is the biggest international travel and tourism event in the country. It is an opportunity for Bangladesh and overseas travel and tourism related agencies/service providers to showcase their products, meet overseas/local contacts and negotiate business deals and find business associates for both out and inbound tours.

Career Bootcamp is a three-days long career build-up certificate workshop for university students. All the modules are carefully selected and implemented with an aim to develop career and leadership traits among different private and public university students of Bangladesh. Modules offered are: interview, writing CV, leadership and many more.To register one has to fill up a form here: http://goo.gl/forms/CTY1j5F5wG

After registering make your payment of Tk3000 (that includes the whole workshops fee, lunch and snacks) via Cash, bKash or deposit it in the bank account provided during registration. For more information please check the Facebook event page. The event is sponsored by EMK Center, Media Partners are ColoursFM, Shout, popcornlive.tv, Knowledge Partner: University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).


20 FuNNybONE | yamin khan

the recent times have been very happening for the social media enthusiasts in Dhaka city. there was the pakistan-Bangladesh cricket series, earthquakes in nepal and the much awaited City Corporation mayoral elections. So being a loner by circumstance, i’ve spent countless hours observing how the social media responds to various national as well as global issues and will try to share some of the more entertaining insights with youYamin Khan

Social Media Recap

Pakistan’s tour of BangladeshVery few topics manage to generate as much heat in the social media circuit as a cricket match where the Bangladesh team is participating. To the extent that outbursts of hateful racial slurs, by your otherwise timid school teacher, seems completely acceptable to everyone. You’ll even find the nicest guy in your class, who once got assaulted for mediating between a mugger and an angry mob, getting into heated arguments with strangers, where they end up replacing each others’ ancestors with characters from the book Animal Farm.

However, the opposite is also very true. In fact, for the majority of us, cricket manages to unite us as a nation where we are always looking to push each other away in the name of religion, gender, socio-economic class, political ideology and many other reasons which we continue to invent every day. So don’t be surprised if you are to attend a wedding someday, where the husband and wife met over a Facebook post, while jointly hurling out racial slurs at strangers, and replacing each other’s ancestors with their favourite characters from the story Jungle Book.

Earthquakes in Nepal One of the worst calamities to hit this region in the recent past was the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25 this year. I have no words to explain how difficult it must be for the nation and its inhabitants, and I genuinely hope that they manage to make a turnaround in the quickest possible time.

Pardon my modesty, but I am considered to be fairly courageous

by all those who know me. And, on that day, it took me a while to realise that the strange emotion that I was experiencing is usually termed as fear by everyone else. Plus, I am one of those people who can never tell during an earthquake. So it was a

while before I could figure out that this ‘sudden hangover’ that I was experiencing was quite different from all the other hangovers that I have had before.

And the following morning, only few hours after the earthquake, the entire social media community was enraged over the more pressing issue of whether people should have clicked on the ‘I am safe’ option of a Facebook app. And at this point I didn’t know whether it made any difference to the rescue operations or the ongoing rehabilitation process in Nepal, but out of curiosity I went

and checked out the app and it clearly mentioned that the app was applicable for all those areas that are affected by the earthquake. Now, did we feel the earthquake? Yes. But did it cause any damage? No. So if you are sitting in Gulshan, sipping

on your masala cha, while watching Kyun Ki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and clicking ‘I am safe’ on Facebook, then I don’t want to waste my words talking about you.

Mayoral electionsWe witnessed a mayoral election after about 13 years. And the whole

nation was obsessed over the hype created by the candidates. Now I am not a very politically savvy person but I know for sure that brooming the streets on camera and hugging everything in sight does not make you the best mayor in the world. And to prove me right, I had the pleasure of meeting this mayoral candidate, or rather I should say, hugging this mayoral candidate, quite involuntarily if I may say so. After the awkward hug, which lasted a few extra seconds for the still cameras, I told the candidate that my residence falls under the Cantonment Board so I will not be able to vote in the elections. He gave me a look similar to that off a Biman air hostess when you ask for a refill of your drink, and walked away.

However, I did have sympathy for this one candidate who got ‘Tiffin Box’ as an election symbol. I mean how can someone expect to be taken seriously when his election campaign involves walking around the streets with a tiffin box hanging from his neck.

There was this other candidate, who was smart enough to create WiFi hubs in different parts of his constituency, with posters and banners for accompaniment. However, what he could not predict was that his competitors used the WiFi connection that he paid for, to drive their social media promotions and then eventually went on to beat him by a landslide margin. n

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

Photo: Bigstock

weekend tribune vol 3 issue 4

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