- Dhaka Tribune

Dhaka Tribune | vo l 2 I ssu e 21 | F R I D AY, OCTOB ER 3, 2014
4
Interfaith
marriages
7
True
sacrifice
15
Gandhi in
Noakhali
CONTENTS
1
Volume 2 | Issue 21 | October 3, 2014
Editor
Zafar Sobhan
News
Executive Editor
Shahriar Karim
2News
Managing Editor
Jahangir Hyder
3Meanwhile
Features Editor
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
Features
Assistant Magazine Editor
Rumana Habib
4Listology Interfaith marriages
Weekend Tribune Team
Tasnuva Amin Nova
Mark S Baidya
Farhana Urmee
Ishrat Jahan
Farina Noireet
Faisal Mahmud
Tausif Sanzum
Sabrina Toppa
5 Feature Adivasi beauticians
Art Direction/Photography
Syed Latif Hossain
Cartoons
Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy
Rio Shuvo
6 Origin story Puja in the Raj
9
Photo story
7Feature True qurbani
8Business Dirty jobs
15Feature Gandhi ashram
Holy cows
17Standpoint Violence against minorities
20 Social Construct On being Hindu in
Bangladesh
Contributors
Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi
Shadman Hasan
Reema Islam
Demitra Katyani
Dina Sobhan
Regulars
Graphics
Md Mahbub Alam
Alamgir Hossain
Tahsin Momin
14Legalese
Colour Specialist
Shekhar Mondal
Kazi Syras Al Mahmood
18 Stay In
Production
Masum Billah
Advertising
Shahidan Khurshed
Circulation
Masud Kabir Pavel
Website
dhakatribune.com/weekend
facebook.com/WeekendTrib
Email your letters to:
[email protected]
the cover
This cow was imported from India for sale
in the Eid-ul-Azha cattle market, while
wearing traditional Hindu decorative art. It
made us ponder the coexistence between
Muslims and Hindus, as well as between
man and beast.
Photo: Syed Latif Hossain
16 Tough Love
14
feature
Shankhari
banglemakers
19 Go Out
Coexist
E
Editor’s note
id Mubarak and happy Durga
Puja.
It is not often that we get to
say those in the same breath, but this
extra holy holiday weekend reminds us
of the virtues of peaceful coexistence.
Once upon a time, Bengal was
known for harmony among its
different ethnic and religious groups,
but with the anniversary of Ramu and
the recent Durga statue vandalism, we
are troubled (pg 17).
On Gandhi’s birthday we recall the
Noakhali ashram he founded, but
we may have forgotten some of his
wisdom (pg 15).
Being Hindu in Bangladesh is not
without its challenges (pg 20).
Still, this is a time of celebration,
and we do that too: highlighting
interfaith marriages (pg 4), shopping
for gorgeous shankha bangles (pg 1213), and visiting parlours to prep for
both holidays, where we meet adivasi
beauticians (pg 5).
Durga Puja has a fascinating story
in Bengal, bearing influences from
Muslim and British friends (pg 6).
The story behind Eid-ul-Azha
stretches back to the time of Abraham.
We remember its origin and check if
we’re still upholding those original
values. (pg 7).
And in our photo story we honour
the cow, holy to Hindus, and holding a
sacred place for Muslims too (pg 9-11).
Have a blessed holiday.
- Rumana Habib
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
2 News | This week
The world at
a glance
Weekend Tribune Desk
Telecom minister sued for antiHajj statement
Six separate cases have been filed
against Bangladesh’s Post and
Telecommunications Minister Abdul
Latif Siddique for hurting the religious
sentiments of Muslims with his recent
comments about Hajj.
Two cases were filed with
Dhaka courts, three were filed with
a Chittagong court, and another
was filed with a Sylhet court on
Wednesday morning.
On Sunday, addressing a
programme organised by immigrant
Bangladeshis in New York, the
minister said: “I am strongly against
Hajj and Tabligh Jamaat. I am more
against Hajj and Tablilgh Jamaat
than I am against Jamaat-e-Islami.
Just think how much manpower is
wasted. Two million people have gone
to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. They do not
have any work to do. They do not
have any production. They only do
deduction. They only eat and spend
the country’s money there. How much
money is spent if one lakh people go
from Bangladesh and spend Tk5 lakh
each on an average? Tk500 crore.”
31% female migrants physically
abused
At least 31% of Bangladeshi female
migrants have been physically abused
in destination countries due to a
lack of proper security measures,
according to a study of Ovibashi
Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP)
yesterday.
“Bangladeshi female migrants face
many challenges in their destination
countries. They face different forms
of abuse – physical, sexual, and
verbal – and this poses a barrier for
female migration,” said Shakirul Islam,
chairman of OKUP, a grassroots
migrant organisation.
ISIS closes in on Kurdish border
town
Turkish soldiers and tanks took
up position along the border with
Syria on Tuesday as its government
debated whether to deploy troops
to battle the Islamic State terror
group, a move that comes as tens of
thousands pour into the country to
escape ISIS fighters.
The flood of refugees from Syria
has escalated – with 150,000 people
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
fleeing to Turkey in recent days –
as ISIS fighters armed with tanks
and heavy weapons advance on
the predominantly Kurdish town of
Kobani, known in Arabic as Ayn al
Arab, destroying villages in their path.
First Ebola case diagnosed in US
A patient being treated at a Dallas
hospital has tested positive for Ebola,
the first case of the disease to be
diagnosed in the United States,
federal health officials announced.
Officials at Texas Health
Presbyterian Hospital said the
unidentified patient is being kept
in isolation and that the hospital is
following Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention recommendations to
keep doctors, staff and patients safe.
The patient is a Liberian national
who was admitted on Sunday.
Modi announces lifelong visas for
Indian diaspora
Amid cheers from thousands of
Indian-Americans, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Saturday
announced several measures to ease
travel to their motherland including
lifelong visas.
“Happy?” he asked as the crowd
cheered his announcement with
chants of “Modi, Modi” at the huge
Madison Square Garden community
reception for him.
“There is even more to come,” he
said smilingly as he announced that
People of Indian Origin (PIOs) staying
in India for long periods of time would
not have to report to police. “There is
no need for them to do that anymore.”
In addition, the Indian missions in
the US would grant long-term visas to
US citizens, and US tourists will get
visa on arrival in India.
Pro-democracy protesters raise their umbrellas on cue on Wednesday, as part of the
demonstrations blocking central Hong Kong, in what has been dubbed the ‘umbrella
revolution.’ Hong Kong has been plunged into the worst political crisis since its
1997 handover, as pro-democracy activists take over the streets following China’s
refusal to grant citizens full universal suffrage
Pro-democratic protests
wrack Hong Kong
H
ong Kongers marked China’s
National Day in unprecedented
fashion on Wednesday, as huge
crowds of pro-democracy protesters
thronged the streets of the Asian
financial hub. It is shaping up
as a critical day in the territory’s
“Umbrella Revolution.”
Huge crowds are anticipated to
take to the streets throughout the
annual public holiday marking the
anniversary of the founding of the
People’s Republic of China. Since
1997, when the sovereignty of Hong
Kong was handed back to China, the
holiday has been marked by a massive
fireworks display, which was canceled
this year due to the political unrest.
News: Desk. Photo: AFP
Endangered river terrapin
discovered in Bangladesh
Japanese volcano may erupt again
Increased seismic activity on Tuesday
raised concern about the possibility
of another eruption at a Japanese
volcano where 36 people were killed,
forcing rescuers to suspend plans
to try to recover at least two dozen
bodies still near the summit.
Volcanic tremors rose to a level not
seen since Saturday evening, hours
after Mount Ontake’s initial large
eruption, said Shoji Saito of the Japan
Meteorological Agency. The tremor
levels were oscillating.
A
female Sundarbans River
Terrapin (Batagur baska), a
critically endangered species, was
discovered in a family pond in
southern Bangladesh.
The turtle had been kept as a pet
for 16 years. After much discussion,
the turtle’s owner agreed to sell
the critically endangered turtle to a
breeding colony, adding a seventh
female and diversifying the genetic
base. In this photo, the previous owner
says goodbye to her beloved pet.
The breeding program at Bhawal
National Park is collaboratively
managed by the Turtle Survival
Alliance (TSA), Vienna Zoo, and IUCN
Bangladesh, with financial support
from Columbus Zoo and Save Our
Species.
News: Desk. Photo: Facebook/Turtle
Survival Alliance
meanwhile ... | News
3
Photo of
the week
Arohi
This small boat on Kaptai Lake was
seen from a bridge, and is used
for ‘kheya parapar’ (crossing from
one bank to the other). The title
Arohi means rider, emphasising
the people who travel by boat on a
daily basis.
Photo: Rupom Atiul Ehsan
This photo was submitted for a contest in honour of World Tourism Day
last Saturday and World Rivers Day last Sunday, organised by the tourism
company Ghuddee.com
Say
what?
T
Barbie-fication of Kali
outrages Hindus
wo Argentinian artists,
Marianela Perelli and Pool
Paolini, have hit headlines
after previewing pieces from
their upcoming exhibition The Plastic
Religion, which features Barbie and
Ken dolls altered to resemble religious
figures such as Jesus and Virgin Mary.
One of the figures that resulted in
mass condemnation by Hindus is of
the four armed deity, Kali, holding a
severed head.
Rajan Zed, a Hindu cleric based in
the US, has said the Barbie-fication of
Kali is “simply improper, wrong and out
of place,” reports The Hindu.
“Hindus welcome the art world to
immerse in Hinduism,” he added, “but
taking it seriously and respectfully, and
not refashioning Hinduism concepts
and symbols for personal agendas.”
Mr Zed commented that Hindus
strongly believe in free speech, but
claimed that “faith is something sacred
and attempts at belittling it hurt the
devotees.”
The artists told BBC Mundo that it
was not their intention to disrespect
any beliefs, and that they have
“nothing against religion.”
News: Desk. Photo: Facebook
Anti-rape device with teeth
Rape has become endemic in South
Africa, so a medical technician named
Sonette Ehlers developed a product
for woman to fight back.
Ehlers never forgot a rape victim
who told her forlornly: “If only I had
teeth down there.”
Ehlers created a product she called
Rapex. It resembles a tube with barbs
inside. The woman inserts it like a
tampon, and any man who tries to
rape the woman impales himself
on the barbs, and must go to an
emergency room to have the Rapex
removed. Some critics say it is a
medieval punishment.
News: Desk. Photo: KCCN FM100
You’re welcome
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
4 Listology | Interfaith marriages
All you need is love
These courageous couples break boundaries in our religiously diverse
subcontinent, and show us that love can conquer all Tausif Sanzum
When Jemima met Imran
The Grace Kelly of Pataudi
What happens when a screen
goddess meets royalty? We get
our very own Grace of Monaco.
When the then-reigning queen of
the silver screen Sharmila Tagore
met Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the
brooding young Nawab of Pataudi
and captain of the Indian cricket
team, sparks were bound to fly.
MORE Tales from Pataudi
Following the footsteps of his
parents, Saif Ali Khan married
Amrita Singh, who was born in a
Sikh-Muslim family and raised as
a Sikh.
Even though Amrita converted
to Islam before the wedding, their
union still raised many eyebrows,
as Amrita was 13 years older than
Saif. They split in 2004. Saif made
up for this when he had his second
marriage to another Bollywood
actress, Kareena Kapoor who is
10 years his junior and is from a
Hindu family.
Saif’s younger sister Soha Ali
Khan recently got engaged to longterm boyfriend Kunal Khemu, who
is also from a Hindu family.
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
However, it was only after
courting for four long years that
they finally tied the knot in 1969,
amidst a lot of controversy, owing
to their different religious faiths.
Thereafter, not only did they lead a
happy married life until the Nawab’s
death in 2011, but became proud
parents to three beautiful children,
who were raised Muslim.
It started back in 1995 when
young heiress Jemima Marcelle
Goldsmith met Pakistani cricket
captain Imran Khan. Even though
they had an age difference of more
than 20 years, that didn’t stop
cupid from striking.
In addition to their religious
differences – Jemima belonging to
a Jewish family and Khan from a
Muslim one – they also had cultural
differences to overcome. Jemima
converted to Islam and even
studied Urdu to be with Imran, and
they married that very year.
After retiring from cricket,
Imran started pursuing a political
career. As he climbed the ladders of
politics, controversies arose about
Jemima by opposition parties.
Under all these strains and added
pressure of Imran’s linkup with Sita
White, the couple split up in 2004.
They have two sons together.
The truly royal romance
Heer Kunwari, popularly known
as Jodha Bai, was the third wife of
Akbar, the great Mughal emperor.
When they married as part of a
political alliance, they probably
didn’t know that their romance
would be the benchmark for
centuries to come.
Jodha was able to win the heart
of the emperor, who showed his
fondness for his wife by allowing
her to continue to follow her
religious beliefs. Since she was
the mother of the future heir to
the throne, Jahangir, she enjoyed
unprecedented power in Mughal
court.
Bowled over
There’s something about cricket
players... Sangeeta Bijlani and
former Indian cricket captain
Mohammad Azharuddin had a
controversial wedding. However,
more than the fact that they
were from different religious
backgrounds, it was Azharuddin
leaving his first wife for Bijlani
that fueled the controversy.
three Khans of Bollywood
Three Bollywood superstars
Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and
Aamir Khan are living proof of
interfaith marital harmony.
It all started with Salman Khan’s
father, noted scriptwriter Salim
Khan, who married famous cabaret
dancer Helen in 1981 while still
being married to Salma Khan, who
herself converted to Islam after
marrying Khan. After initial friction,
the family became a symbol of
religious and marital harmony, with
Helen and Salma seen sharing a
warm relationship.
Salman’s younger brother Arbaaz
Khan has a successful marriage with
another famous Bollywood “item
girl” Malaika Arora, who hails from
a Punjabi-Malayali Catholic family.
Their youngest brother Sohail Khan
also had an interfaith marriage with
Seema Sachdev.
King of Bollywood Shahrukh
Khan has been married to Gauri
Khan, who was born a Hindu, and
has had a successful marriage since
their wedding in 1991.
Aamir Khan married his
childhood sweetheart Reena Dutta.
The couple divorced in 2002. Like
his first wife, his second wife Kiran
Rao also comes from a Hindu family.
Bangali connections
Legendary Bangladeshi Nazrul
sangeet singer Firoza Begum
married musical genius Kamal
Dasgupta back in 1956.
Human rights activist Sultana
Kamal, who serves as the executive
director of Ain o Salish Kendra, has
had a successful interfaith marriage
with husband and fellow lawyer
Supriya Chakraborty.
Notable stage and television
actress Ferdousi Mazumder also
found marital bliss with Ramendu
Mazumder.
.
ADIVASI beauticians | FEATURE
5
wonder women
Both Muslim and Hindu women will be flocking to beauty parlours
this holiday weekend. Here is the story of an adivasi worker on the
other side of the thread Sabrina Toppa
B
efore 27-year-old Shoma
Ritchil relocated to Dhaka
in 2011, she had worked as
a substitute teacher in her
hometown Netrokona, and never visited a beauty parlour. Today, her hair
coiled into a tight bun, she works in a
small, local parlour in Dhaka.
Ritchil is a member of the Garo ethnic group, whose young women gravitate toward Dhaka’s beauty parlours
in large numbers.
Although 98% of Bangladesh belongs to the Bangali ethnic group,
almost a million members of various
Sino-Tibetan groups are dispersed
throughout the country.
Originating from the Chittagong
Hill Tracts, Mymensingh, Sylhet, and
adjoining areas, indigenous women
form the backbone of Bangladesh’s
urban beauty parlour service industry, which has ballooned since the
1970s as a product of rapid urbanisation and increased demands for bridal
services.
Most parlour clientele expect, even
prefer, adivasi women, who are perceived as loyal and disciplined staff.
The all-female environment – men
cannot enter parlours – engenders
a safe occupational zone absent of
sexual harassment or ethnic discrimination. For Ritchil, who is part of the
predominantly Christian Garo community, working in a parlour in the
Christian neighbourhood of Farmgate
provides added security.
Parlours provide stable income, but
suffer from underpayment and lack of
trainee salaries, irregular compensation, and limited long-term prospects.
Changing Customs
The Garo are a matrilineal group split
between Bangladesh and India. Women inherit family property, and men
move into their wife’s home upon
marriage.
At least that was the case back
home.
In Dhaka these days, Garo families
are re-negotiating the terms. Ritchil
says many young men opt not to
move into their wife’s home – one
alteration to the social fabric in an urban context, where Garos mix freely
with Bangalis.
Traditionally, Garo women bear a
household’s economic responsibility, and become adroit savers in the
process. A 2011 study in the Asian
Journal of Business Management recorded that 67.1% of adivasi women
in parlours were able to save money
for property purchases and children’s
education.
But women like Richtil demonstrate that it may be taking longer for
urban Garo women to reach marriage.
Waiting to thread a customer’s eyebrows, she explains that her family
expects her to complete her degree
and switch to a different field, such as
teaching.
Parlour work remains the province
of lesser-educated Garo women, she
says.
depriving them of identity in a Bangladeshi national framework.
“For economic development,
Garo women are forced to displace
themselves from their territory. They
come to Dhaka for survival. But in a
new area, they are also excluded once
again. They become economically
self-dependent and empowered. But
simultaneously they are excluded
socially.”
Misconceptions about Garo women
are rife in big cities. In the parlour,
one Bangali beautician married to
a Garo man says: “Bangalis usually
think all Garos eat frogs, snakes, dogs,
and strange insects.”
But Ritchil does not allow this to
perturb her. Often working 9am-9pm,
Ritchil reduces her daily work shift by
four hours each day to attend classes
at the Open University.
She lives above the parlour, earning Tk5,000 monthly after food and
lodging costs are deducted. Married
Garo women commute from home,
but young unmarried women often
have accommodations arranged by
parlour management.
Most of Ritchil’s earnings pay for
schooling, while her small savings
languish in a Christian credit union.
Her colleagues are given one day off a
week, but Ritchil only takes off during
exam periods.
Ritchil does not return to her hometown for the annual Christmas celebration, though she is granted leave.
With Bangladesh’s accelerated urbanisation, more adivasi women are
settling in Dhaka’s parlours than ever
before.
In the upscale Farzana Shakil
beauty parlour in Dhanmondi, like
parlours all across the city, most of
the women ladling hot wax are Garo
or Chakma. As customers pile in and
out of the shop, women like Ritchil
prepare their threads anew for the
tasks ahead.
.
Parlour clientele expect, even prefer, adivasi
women … and the all-female environment
… engenders a safe zone absent of sexual
harassment or ethnic discrimination
Social Exclusion
As rural-to-urban migrants, Garo
women are vulnerable to social exclusion. According to Dr Asrafi Bintay
Akram, Garos are “neither Bangali
by ethnicity nor Muslim by religion,”
Shoma Ritchil Photos: Courtesy
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
6 Orgin story | durga puja
Durga Puja in the Raj
A truly Bangali affair, Durga Puja evolved over time from a private
affair to a grand communal spectacle that included British and Muslim
friends Reema Islam
T
he British had a surprising
influence making Durga
Puja the lively festival we
know today.
In the 16th century, one of the
first recorded mass celebrations
of Durga Puja occurred in Malda
and Dinajpur. The British were
honoured guests, and the hosts
considered British presence a
marker of status.
The pujas were also patronised
by the era’s nawabs. The six
zamindars (Nadia, Burdwan, Natore,
Dinajpur, Birbhum, and Bisnupur)
displayed their wealth, fervour
and joy with their communities.
The zamindars helped unify the
Hindu community and maintain a
relationship of religious tolerance
with ruling nawabs.
Offering to Clive
Raja Nabakrishna Deb, founder of
the Shovbazar Raj family in Kolkata,
celebrated the decline of Muslim
rule at the hands of Robert Clive.
After the battle of Plassey and
the crushing 1757 defeat of Nawab
Siraj-ud-Daulah, Warren Hastings’
clerk Nabakrishna offered Robert
Clive his own home and the goddess
Durga in thanks.
The famous dancing girl Nikki Bai
was invited, ham and alcohol were
consumed, and religious pretences
more or less disappeared.
Goddess Victoria
Since that time, many Kolkata
Hindus considered it a privilege to
invite the British over for Durga Puja
festivities. They even went so far
as to fashion the mother goddess
statues to look more like Queen
Victoria.
The British encouraged this show
of fervour until 1840, after which
Many Kolkata
Hindus fashioned
statues of the
Durga to look
more like Queen
Victoria
they totally banned it. So much for
religious harmony.
Puja for all
As upstarts like Nabakrishna used
his position to create a lavish
affair of a simple religious ritual,
the Barowari (twelve friends) of
Guptipara became responsible for
making this a communal festival in
1790.
This could also be as a result
of the Cornwallis Agreement, by
which zamindars could not extract
tax from tenants any longer. The
community members, led by the
Barowari, chipped in, later resulting
in 1910’s sarbajanin (all-inclusive)
Durga Puja. The traditional food
served was niramish (mixed
vegetable dish) with rice and
chholar daal, customarily cooked
with coconut, and followed by
malpoa dessert.
In Mirzapore, Tangail, RP Shaha’s
family of the Kumudini Welfare
trust still hosts the most organised
and festive pujas in the country.
Neighbouring Hindus, countrywide
guests and trust patrons congregate
for the sarbojanin puja.
Rani Bimola Devi, of the
Muktagacha family of zamindars,
built a twin Shiva temple, where
Durga Puja was also celebrated as a
sarbojanin affair.
As Dashami (the final day of puja)
nears, and Hindus far and wide
prepare to bid their mother goddess
a teary farewell – we pay homage to
the course of events that led to the
transformation of this once private
tradition into a public one.
It brings people of all religions
and sects closer – through music,
artwork, and food.
.
Puja food founders
Nobin Das was no inventor. At
least he didn’t mean to become
one until he learned the complex
art of making a cheese dessert, or
chhana. He discovered it in Orissa
and recreated it in Kolkata in 1868.
The journey had been long, and
Mr Das believed in saving time,
so he invented what became the
most popular dessert in Bengal:
the revered sponge roshogolla.
Mr Gopal Pal enjoyed the
privileges of being the official
sweetmaker of the Maharajah
after he presented the Maharajah
with his unique creation, the
Muktagacha monda, in 1824.
Today, his shop is still open and
is run by his great grandchildren.
Muktagacha Monda
Photos: Courtesy
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
True sacrifice | feature
7
The spirit of qurbani
Our best laid plans for cows and goats often go awry Farina Noireet
E
id-ul-Azha, the festival of
sacrifice, commemorates the
prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail,
in submission to God’s command.
According to the Quran, Abraham
had a recurring dream in which God
asked him for his most beloved possession. He took his son to a mountaintop to end his life, but God was
moved to spare Ismail’s life and replace the sacrifice with a ram.
In keeping with this example, able
Muslims around the world are also expected to make a sacrifice in the name
of God, in the form of a cow, goat,
camel or other four-legged herbivore.
Choosing the sacrifice
What it’s meant to be: Sacrifice is
about giving up something of significant personal value for a higher cause.
In conforming with this concept,
the tradition of acquiring the animal
to be sacrificed has a few prerequisites
regarding the age, the health condition
and the ownership of the animal.
At least one month prior to Eid,
usually an adult male member of a
Muslim family would go to buy the
animal. Then he and the family spends
the time leading up to Eid tending to
the animal. This process leads to a
spiritual bond between the family and
the animal, and a sense of ownership.
Hence when the day comes to carry
out the act of sacrifice, it actually
means something to give up what has
been cared for and is close to the heart.
What it usually becomes: While
there are still those who uphold this
custom, many people in Dhaka sidestep it. Apartment-living and the pace
of modern life can make this beautiful
tradition an inconvenient one.
Instead of being involved in the
process of buying and caring for the
animal, most of us end up sending
an employee to buy the cow/goat
at the very last minute, on the eve
of Eid. Often not bothering to even
look at the animal, let alone spend
time bonding with it, we are only too
happy to move on to the next phase:
Feasting on the meat of the sacrifice.
Making the Sacrifice
What it’s meant to be: While “slaughter”
is the word most commonly used to
describe this procedure, the intention
behind it is not to assault the animal, but
to sacrifice it in the name of God.
According to tradition, particular
care should be taken to not let the
sacrificial animal see the knife beforehand, nor should it be slaughtered in
front of another animal.
What it usually becomes: This concept is often disregarded.
The animals are brought to markets in massive numbers, often in
inhumane conditions, over-packed in
vehicles and lacking room for breathing or movement.
It is not uncommon to see animals
all gathered up and slaughtered in the
same place. Witnessing the slaughtering of another animal puts the creature in shock.
This goes against the hadith (saying) of Prophet Mohammed that
states that it is wrong to subject the
Photo: Bigstock
animals to any sort of inhumane
treatment.
Sharing the Sacrifice
What it’s meant to be: The tradition
behind the sharing of the sacrificial
meat includes dividing it into three
shares – one third retained by the
family, one third given to relatives
and friends, and one third distributed
among the poor.
What it usually becomes: While
this tradition is possibly the one
most diligently followed, a tendency
remains of keeping the best cuts at
home, while the portion meant for
the poor is the least desirable allotment.
This tradition is all about sharing and caring, particularly with the
needy. But many of us spend more
time picking out the choicest raan
(leg) of the cow to be sent over to the
daughter’s in-laws, while conveniently giving away the scraps to the poor.
While it’s understandable that
most city-dwellers may not have the
luxury of space that is required for
keeping a large animal for an extended period of time, we could expend
more effort to strike up some semblance of egalitarianism in the name
of sacrifice.
.
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
8 business | dirty jobs
the qurbani
aftermath
With Eid-ul-Azha around the corner,
it’s not only the cattle owners who are
banking it
Faisal Mahmud
A seasonal tanner
temporary tanners
When Eid-ul-Azha approaches every
year, Salat Uz Zaman takes a leave
from his software company job and
becomes a full-fledged leather businessman for one week.
“I first started this business during
qurbani Eid of 2007,” Zaman told me.
“One of my friends who had a leather
business asked me to collect all the
raw hides I could from my residential
area in Uttara.”
“At first, it was challenging and I
was new to it,” he said. “But I bought
nearly 300 raw hides from different
households and gave it to my friend,
who then later processed it in his tannery and sold it.”
It proved to be a very lucrative
business. “I earned a good commission by doing so, and since then every
qurbani Eid, I do this business with
my friend,” said Zaman, a quality assurance engineer at a local software
firm.
Zaman is not alone in this, however. There are thousands of other
seasonal leather businessmen like
him who are taking advantage of the
occasion to make quick money. Shamsul Huda, former president of the
Bangladesh Tanners Association, said
these seasonal leather businessmen
are helping the tannery industry.
“Every year, nearly 4-6 million animals are slaughtered across the country in commemoration of Eid-al-Azha.
One-third of these are slaughtered
in Dhaka alone. It would have been a
hard job for leather businessmen to
collect all these raw hides from the
different parts of the country if there
were no seasonal leather businessmen. They collect hides from various
areas and sell them to the tanneries.”
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
Photo: Hasan Habib
According to the data from the
tanners association, in 2013, around
4.5 million pieces of raw hide were
collected from different parts of the
country. This year the tanners predict
that the number will be around 6 million.
Hazardous chemicals
With millions of raw hides to look
forward to, chemical businessmen are
already stocking up their warehouses
with the different types of chemicals
required for the tannery process,
ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
Many of these chemicals are highly
flammable, including sodium bisulfite
and dimethylamine, which are used
in the leather industry for the removal
of hair from hides. These are being
stored in residential buildings in old
Dhaka, flouting a forgotten government directive to remove the chemical godowns from residential areas.
In June 2010, a devastating fire
flared up in the Nimtoli area in old
Dhaka, killing 134 people.
One of the chemical godown
owners, Akmal Hossain from
Chankharpul, said he supplies chemicals to a number of tanneries in the
Hazaribagh area, the centre of the
tannery industry.
“Business is high during this time
of the year, as tanneries require lots of
chemicals to process leather.”
When asked whether he was aware
that storing chemicals in residential
areas violates regulations, he simply
stated that the businessmen no longer
abide by that directive.
“If you roam the local area, you
will find that chemicals are stored in
almost every household here, particularly this time of year. This is because
most people here are chemical businessmen, and their storage spaces
at Armanitola are too small to hold
all the chemicals needed during this
time. So we store chemicals here.”
All about garbage
If you think cleaning up after cows is
a task no one wants, you haven’t met
Dhiraj.
“I clean cattle dung – in fact I collect it,” he said.
Nothing at the qurbani haat goes
to waste, especially not cattle dung.
Workers like Dhiraj clean the shallow
drains that run between the rows of
cattle and collect the dung in baskets.
Dhiraj said the dung will later be
dried in the sun, and “ghute” would
be made from this. According to him:
“Ghute has great demand in the slum
areas, where it is used as a fuel for
cooking.”
Shumon’s people cleaning the area
Dhiraj says he would also sell the
dung to nurseries, where it would be
used as fish feed.
While men like Dhiraj attend to
the cow dung, Hemayetul Islam in
Bakshibazar, deals with the sacrificial
animals’ waste.
Islam collects waste from the
households in his area, and charges
a little money for the service. “First,
I started it as a community service,
back in 2003. Later on, I thought I
could make a business out of it.”
“It serves two purposes. Each
year, during this time, around 40,000
tonnes of garbage are produced during the three days of Eid-ul-Azha. The
cleaners of the civic body are not sufficient to clean up that mess.”
“I love to play a small part in cleaning the mess,” he said.
.
Photo: Heyatul Ismal Shumon
holy cows | Photo story
9
sacred sacrifice
Photos: Syed Latif Hossain
It is that time of year again, when the megacity of Dhaka suddenly
looks and smells like a hometown village grazing field. Cows and
goats can be found around every corner, and citizens both rich and
poor ready themselves for the meat festival.
This year, a total of 16 qurbani haats (cattle markets) are being set
up across the city. An estimated 6 million cows will be sacrificed
across the country, one-third of which will take place in the capital.
Turn for more
photographs
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
10 PHoto story | holy cows
Cowabunga
• Bovine buddies – Like humans, c
much of their time with 2-4 prefe
years, and may dislike particular
• Red herring – The colour red doe
the colours red and green. In bull
bull’s attention, not the colour.
• Longevity – Cows can live more t
that long, and cows raised for me
horns, you can guess their age by
• Formiddable creatures – Cattle w
exception of those found in Sout
cies of wild cattle which evolved
extinct in 1627. Very different to m
huge in stature. The bulls measu
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
cattle form close friendships and choose to spend
erred individuals. They also hold grudges for
individuals.
esn’t make bulls angry. In fact, cows are blind to
lfights, it’s the motion of the cape that draws the
than 20 years (although dairy cows rarely live
eat are lucky to live to be 2 years old). If they have
y counting the number of rings.
were domesticated about 5000 years ago with the
theast Asia, descended from the aurochs – a spein India about two million years ago and became
modern cattle, Cows were strong, fearless and
ured as much as six and a half feet at the shoulder,
11
and weighed 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lbs) with very long horns.
• Foster mothers – Cows are referred to as the foster mothers of the human race
because they produce most of the milk that people drink.
• Bed time – Cows like to sleep close to their families, and sleeping arrangements
are determined by individuals’ rank in the social hierarchy.
• Sentimental – Cows display emotions and have been shown to produce more milk
when they are treated better and as individuals.
• Jump for joy – Cattle get excited when they solve problems. When faced with a
challenge of finding out how to open a door to reach food, their heartbeats increase, their brainwaves show excitement, and some even jump into the air.
• Large tummies – Cattle have one stomach but it is divided into four compartments, the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen is the largest
compartment and this arrangement helps cattle digest grains and grasses more
efficiently.
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
12 feature | Shankhari banglemakers
Bangles
for my
beloved
Conch bangles
are an emblem
of a married
Hindu woman,
but do you know
how they’re
created?
Farhana Urmee
E
nveloped in white dust from
the conch shells, Bhandari
Sur is busily labouring over
his motorised saw.
Bhandari Sur and Shadhu Rokkhit
work together in the crowded room
that is their conch bangle factory.
Rokkhit, the elder of the two, is bent
over his traditional tools used to carve
out intricate designs.
This is the world of the beautiful,
authentic conch shell bangles –
essential adornments for married
Bangali Hindu women.
Bhandari Sur and Shadhu Rokkhit at their factory WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
Photos: Shadman Hasan
The puja season is peak business
time for shankharis, the conch shell
bangle artisans. During Durga Puja,
the largest Hindu celebration in the
country, the “harvest season” of the
conch bangle business comes alive in
old Dhaka’s Shankhari Bazar.
One of the more popular stores is
Sur and Rokkhit’s shop, Maa Manasha
Shankha Silpalaya, at 35 Shankhari
Bazar. During puja, they work from 10
am until 3 am.
For artisans these days, the entire
design process is done by machine.
The traditional shakher korat, a
moon-shaped big saw, is seldom seen
anymore.
Sur works on engraving heavy conch
bangles that he will embellish with gold.
This handcrafted artisanry is in
danger of disappearing. Sur says: “We
are in a rush now because of puja. But
artisans are leaving their forefathers’
professions, as the scope of their work
has been decreasing.”
Ten years ago, one could find at least
80 shankharis in the neighbourhood.
These days, only 10-12 remain.
“Craftsmen are losing their work
here, as raw conch slices are directly
and easily smuggled from India,” he
says. “Many of us have started to move
to Kolkata for work, and do not let our
children continue in our professions.”
Sur and Rokkhit both have sons
We are
in a rush now
because of puja.
But artisans are
leaving their
forefathers’
professions, as
the scope of their
work has been
decreasing
Types of shankha bangles:
1. Tin gachi: two thinner
bangles. Durga is fond of this
kind
2. Bada: four thinner bangles are
joined together to create one
3. Guru Dakshina bangle: broken
bangles joined strongly by
wires
4. Pati khilna: two broken pieces
joined with copper wire
5. Bala shankha: thick bangle
which is equal to eight thin
bangles
who will not take up this profession.
During the last 3-4 days of
the Bangla month of Bhadra, the
shankharis in India and Bangladesh
do not touch or trade the holy conch
element, according to the Hindu
ponjika (calendar). Often, this means
customers cannot buy the bangles
when artisans are observing Paloniyo
at the end of Bhadra.
13
Raw materials
Shankha bangles are made from the shell of a species of large sea snails
in the Indian Ocean and are collected from India and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh imports the conch shells with 35% VAT, from Sri Lanka or
India. Craftsmen have protested this steep tax.
Tools used:
• Hammer, motor/
grinding machine,
filer, piercing machine
• Kush karan: the
moon-shaped large
saw
The sacred conch
Construction Timeline:
The conch, used for worship by
Hindus, has religious significance
for both Hindus and Buddhists.
The sound made from the shonkho
(conch horn) is believed to drive
out all evil and signify the start
of good things. Conch shells are
thus played by the pujari (priest/
worshipper) before any worship
ceremony. According to Hindu
scripture, the conch brings one fame
and prosperity. The conch is also
the abode of Laxmi, the goddess of
wealth.
1. Cleaning and whitening
2. Sun drying and selection
3. Malui daga, or breaking the
shankha into two pieces to
make bangles
4. Slicing bigger pieces of malui
daga and shaping into bangles
5. Rubbing
6. Designing
Types of conch shell
• Jajir: heavy and clean, milky
white
• Titkuti: costliest, light weight,
garlic white
• Patir: light
• Selamat: light and looks like
banana flower
• Pati: reddish and light
• Kanya Kumari: bright and light
• Kelakar: light, collected from
Tamil Nadu
• Rameshwari: best variety,
collected from Rameshwar
Ghat
• Moti shankha: round and flat,
pearl colour
• Khoga shankha: dull coloured,
collected from Tamil Nadu
• Kachcham: light reddish,
thicker inside
• Kori: a variety of snail
• Padma shankha: a variety of
snail, used as trumpet
• Panchanakhi: slightly reddish,
light, found in Tutikarin Port
• Nakshinabarta: Rare type with
right sided opening, believed
to be owned by Lord Vishnu
• Dhola shankha: breakable,
heavy and rare
• Devagari shankha: Artisan’s
favourite variety
Mythical adornment
How to make it
T
he process of making authentic
conch bangles is a unique one,
and needs excellent craftsmen.
A conch needs to go through many
phases before it transforms into a
desirable ornament. The first phase is
cleaning.
After cleaning they are dipped into
water for a couple of days to get soft
enough to work on. Nitric acid is also
mixed with the water to whiten the
shells further.
After a good soak, the conch pieces
are dried under the hot sun. The most
perfect ones are selected for bangles.
Conch shells are broken into two
pieces from the middle of the conch,
where the pieces are the most round.
This conch cutting process is called
malui daga. Malui daggas are sliced
into further pieces of bangles. This
process is called rekh kata.
Once these cuts were done by a
traditional kush karat saw, but that
has now been replaced by machines.
For rings that are 2.5 inches wide, a
total of five bangles can be made from
one single conch. Although it used to
be cut by shankharis in Dhaka, this
part of the job nowadays is solely
done in India.
Next is rubbing, to turn the raw
pieces of bangles into more polished
ones. Conches have inner nodes
which need to be cut off too.
The final phase of the design
transforms the plain white bangles
into a piece of art, which a woman
wears with love and gratification.
Motifs are engraved into the conch
rings – from flower and leaf motifs to
historical images. At least 25 types of
motifs are engraved in conch bangles.
A married Bangali Hindu woman
wears a pair of conch bangles until
her husband dies.
According to Hindu mythology, a
demon named Shankhachur had
become a symbol of uncontrollable
terror, using a sacred gift of power
from Shiva to defeat kings and gods.
Shiva and the defeated kings
appealed to Brahma to intervene.
But even Brahma was helpless, as
he had blessed Shankhachur’s wife
Tulsi, so that Shankhachur would
not die unless she lost her chastity.
Hearing this, Vishnu disguised
himself as Shankhachur and laid
with Tulsi, enabling Shiva to defeat
Shankhachur.
Tulsi was outraged, the repentant
Vishnu promised to honour Tulsi
with the presence of tulsi leaves in
many holy rites. Shankhachur would
be given a new life under the sea,
and the shankha shell would become
the symbol of purity and chastity
of women, and loyalty to their
husbands.
Shiva’s own wife Parvati wore
the very first pair of conch bangles,
made by Viswakarma, gifted to her
by her husband at a fair, where all
the ornaments of universe were
present.
.
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
14 Legalese | Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi
The sympathetic sibling
Q
It’s been seven years that
my father passed away.
He left me and my sister
ownership of the flat
where we live. What steps
should I take if I wanted
to split ownership of the
flat equally, as I received 70%. My sister
deserves more than just 30%.
A
A. Dear Reader:
I applaud you. Frankly
I do wish that more
and more people
would develop the
same mindset that you
have. The world, and
Bangladesh, would have been a better
place. Sadly, it appears that we are
still a long way from this.
It seems every single family is
embroiled in some sort of land and/
or property dispute, which is really
quite sad if you think about it. This is
why mentalities and thoughts such
as yours need to be appreciated and
applauded.
Let me start off with a brief
background of the inheritance law
applicable in this instance.
According to the Muslim Law there
are three kinds of heirs: (i) “sharers”
who are entitled to a prescribed share
of the inheritance, (ii) “residuaries”
who take on prescribed share, but
succeed to the residue left after
satisfying the claims of the sharers,
and (iii) “distant kindreds” who
are blood relations other than the
sharers and residuaries, and succeed
generally in the absence of sharers
and residuaries.
The Muslim Law of Inheritance
does not differentiate between
collective and individual property,
as well as between ancestral and
acquired property.
The share of a daughter is half the
share of a son whenever they inherit
together. To summarise and in easy
terms: you will inherit two-thirds of
your father’s property, whilst your
sister will inherit the remaining one-
Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi is a
barrister and solicitor of England and
Wales. She is currently Senior Partner
at Legacy Legal Corporate.
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
Got a
problem?
Write to Jennifer
at weekend@
dhakatribune.com
third. In such cases, as per the law, a
100% property (flat) will be divided
into 3 shares of 33.33% each. The
daughter will get one share (33.33%),
and the son will get the other two
shares (66.66%) as residuary.
Here, if you want to split the flat
equally then you will have to give the
16.67% shares from your share with a
“hiba” deed to your sister.
It should be borne in mind that
a hiba deed must be registered in
the registry office. A hiba or gift
is “a transfer of property, made
immediately and without any
exchange, by one person to another
and accepted by or on behalf of the
latter.”
According to section 122 of the
Transfer of Property Act, a gift means:
“The transfer of certain existing
movable or immovable property
made voluntarily and without
consideration by one person, called
the donor, to another, called the
done, and accepted by or on behalf of
the done.”
A voluntary transfer of property
is one in which nothing of value is
received in return. If the Internal
Revenue Service is to recognise a
transfer as a gift, the donor(s) must
unconditionally transfer all title
and control of the property to the
recipient(s) at the time the gift is
given.
If I may suggest another
alternative, the best thing to do here
(for the both of you) would be to sell
the property and divide the proceeds
of the sale between yourselves as you
see fit, keeping in mind (of course)
that the minimum entitlement of your
sister would be 33% as per Muslim
inheritance law.
Once again, I applaud your train of
thought, and do pray that we see a
similar thought evolution very soon
in the near future.
.
Cartoon: Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune
Gandhi ashram | FEATURE
15
Gandhi in Noakhali
For Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday today, we remember the time he came
to our country to spread his message of non-violence and communal
harmony Demitra Katyani
I
first became curious about the
Gandhi Ashram in Noakhali a
couple years ago, when I read an
article on Gandhi’s visit to the
remote regions of Bangladesh after
the heinous 1946 Noakhali riot.
Since then I had been dreaming of
visiting the ashram, but it was not until last year that I found like-minded
travel companions.
The day after we finalised our
travel plans, we heard the refreshing
news of the nomination of Jharna
Dhara Chowdhury, the ashram’s secretary, for India’s Padma Shri award
for social work.
We departed from Shahbagh
in Dhaka at 10am, and arrived at
3:30pm. As soon as our vehicle halted
at the premises of the Gandhi Ashram
– with the adjoining green fields and
ponds – we felt pacified within.
Some employees of the ashram
greeted us and led us to the guesthouse. We still had an hour to visit
the Gandhi Museum (open 9am-5pm).
Here’s what we learned.
Purnima), the Hindu families of Noakhali were preparing for bed after
the day’s celebration.
Suddenly, a violent communal riot
erupted with full ferocity, and lasted
for three weeks. Thousands were
killed and hundreds of women were
raped.
Mahatma Gandhi rushed to Noakhali on November 7, 1946, and
addressed the mass gathering at
Chowmuhani railway station. He remained in the area until February 17,
1947, travelling from village to village,
working with traumatised locals.
Gandhi visited Joyag, a village in
Lakshmipur, on January 29, 1947.
Greatly inspired by Gandhi’s ideology,
Hemanta Kumar Ghosh, the then zamindar of Joyag, donated 125 acres of
his property to Gandhi to implement
programmes for the welfare of local
people. He established the Ambika
Kali Ganga Memorial Trust in 1949 as
an emblem of Gandhi’s stay at Joyag.
A women’s volunteer team from
Indian congress – comprised of eminent women political activists – had
also come with Gandhi to search for
and rescue the thousands of kid-
napped and raped minority women
in the now-deserted villages of Noakhali. A number of male activists
had come as well.
Gandhi’s followers working on the
peace mission established a permanent settlement at the Joyag property,
known as Gandhi Camp. They took on
many projects, such as rehabilitating
the riot-affected people, introducing a
hygienic water and sanitation system,
and rebuilding feelings of fraternity
between the communities.
On March 1, 1947, Gandhi had to
leave for Bihar to pacify another communal riot. Before his departure, he
instructed his follower Charu Chowdhury, a native of Sylhet, to remain in
Noakhali until he could return. That
was not to be, as Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948.
After partition in 1947, the Pakistani government earmarked the land
as “enemy property.” Most of the volunteers of the Gandhi Peace Mission
were held captive. Charu Chowdhury
was imprisoned several times. His last
imprisonment was in 1963 until he
was freed after the Liberation War.
Several other Gandhi followers of
the ashram, including Madan Mohan
Chaterjee and Debendra Narayan
Sarker, were brutally killed by the
Pakistani army and collaborators in
1971, while they were in meditation.
In 1975, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman re-established the Ambika Kali Ganga Memorial Trust under
a special amendment, and renamed
it the Gandhi Ashram Board of Trust,
with representatives from Bangladesh
and India on the Trustee Board.
Charu Chowdhury stayed on at
the Gandhi Ashram until his death on
June 13, 1990. Of the ardent followers
of Gandhi who decided to stay, none
are still living. Today, of the 125 acres,
only 25 acres is still retained by the
trust, after decades of illegal grabbing.
At present, the trust is implementing development activities in
livestock rearing, vocational training and training to enhance human
consciousness among the 115,000
members of 20,000 families in 332
villages, 34 unions and four upazilas
of the Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Feni
districts.
.
It was October 10, 1946. On the full
moon night of Lakshmi Puja (Kojagori
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
16 TOUGH LOVE | DINA SOBHAN
Generous boyfriend
& distant husband
Got
a problem?
Write to Dina
at weekend@
dhakatribune.
com
Q
I don’t understand my
girlfriend sometimes.
She thinks I’m more
interested in her twin
after this one incident
when I hugged her
sister. It turned out to
be a “generous” hug,
but it didn’t mean anything, I swear.
They’re not identical twins, but they
are the same age. I guess she enjoys
giving me guilt trips, because she
has been doing that a lot lately. How
do I help her to just get over it and
move on?
A
Women are quite
perceptive when it
comes to sussing out
flaws and weaknesses in
men. Crushing on your
girlfriend’s twin sister
definitely falls under the
category of creepy and weird, which
– it can be argued – reflects a serious
deficiency in character.
While it’s certainly possible that
you’re just a kind-hearted individual
who felt compelled to show affection,
it is more likely that you’re a dimwitted opportunist who seized the
moment and embraced another
woman “generously” … in front of her
sister.
I’m afraid the only way out of this
fix is to elevate your girlfriend by
denigrating all other women, even
those in her immediate family. Your
job is to convince your GF that when
you look at her sister, all you see is a
broken-winged bird who envies the
soaring grace of her more beautiful
and talented sibling.
You need to somehow make her
believe that you were so flooded with
sadness for the pathetic existence
of her sister that you had no choice
but to hold her to your bosom as an
act of compassion. The only way she
will forgive your transgression is if
she truly believes that all you feel is
sympathy – not blind lust – when you
look upon her sister.
Whenever you see her, shake your
head with a sigh of resignation and
say: “Poor kid.” Your woman will get
over it soon enough. And word to the
wise: Keep your hands to yourself in
the future.
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune
Q
A
My husband was
recently promoted and
now works abroad. I’d
fly to be with him, but
he wants me to stay
home and doesn’t want
Well, the idea that
immediately jumps to
mind is that you pay
your husband a surprise
visit and see what
exactly is going on over
there.
I am very suspicious of a husband
who lives apart from his wife and has
no interest in seeing or talking to her.
Doesn’t that strike you as a little odd?
How do you know that your husband
hasn’t started leading a separate
existence, replete with new wife, new
kids and a new lease on life?
Naturally long-distance
me to work. He used to call more
often. I’m worried we’re growing
apart. Everyone says that longdistance relationships don’t work. Is
that true? What should I do?
relationships don’t work if one party
is no longer interested in the other. It
requires a great deal of commitment
and dedication to keep a marriage
alive based on phone conversations
and occasional visits, especially
if said conversations and visits no
longer exist.
While it could be perceived as a sad
thing, the alternate scenario is that
you start enjoying your life and your
new found freedom from the ol’ ball
and chain. Get yourself a pretty new
dress, a pretty new ‘do and a pretty
new boyfriend!
Go out and enjoy yourself, much
like he seems to be doing without
you.
However, before you strap on
the dancing shoes, do find out if the
hubby has actually checked out on the
marriage, or if he’s quietly saving up to
surprise you with a beach holiday or a
3-carat ruby ring.
.
Dina Sobhan is a freelance
writer, and cautions readers
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Violence against minorities | Standpoint
17
Stop the insanity
A region once known for harmonious coexistance is stained with
communal violence in recent times
Faisal Mahmud
during the partition of Bengal in
1905, Muslims and Hindus began
to think differently about their
political interests.
This was the first use of religion
as a means of manipulation and
political motivation, which resulted
in Bengal’s division into two wings,
West Bengal and Bangladesh. A
great migration resulted, predicated
solely on religious grounds.
Since then, minorities in other
territories have remained nothing
but the political scapegoat of the
rulers.
Revolutionary thinking
Idols vandalised at Ramu on September 29, 2012
T
wo years ago on September
29, all that it took to
spark the destruction of
22 Buddhist temples in
Ramu, Cox’s Bazar, was allegedly a
Buddhist posting a link on Facebook
to content denigrating Islam.
At the beginning of this year, the
nation witnessed sudden postelectoral violence against Hindus.
In the last week, neither
derogatory Facebook links nor
elections nor political games
materialised. Yet Hindu idols were
destroyed in Natore’s Lalpur and
Barisal’s Kawnia ahead of the
annual Durga Puja festivities.
It seems violence against
minorities has transformed into a
chronic disease.
Election nightmares
Minorities are the perennial
political pawns of each successive
government in Bangladesh.
To minorities, each
parliamentary election is a
nightmare. Hate speeches and
rumours are frequently used
to unleash communal terror
on marginalised groups. The
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist
Christian Unity Council and
other rights groups conducted
independent research studies,
concluding that “widespread and
systematic” communal violence
occurred in 1992, 2001, 2013 and
2014.
Photo: Rajib Dhar Durga’s head found chopped off in Natore on
September 18, 2014
Photo: Dhaka Tribune
A distinctive feature of our
country is religious co-existence
and communal harmony
According to a 2003 report by the
UN High Commission for Refugees,
an unknown number of Hindus
and other religious minorities from
Bangladesh became internally
displaced or sought asylum in
India due to post-election violence
beginning in October 2001.
The Internal Displacement
Monitoring Centre of the Norwegian
Refugee Council observed that
the post-election violence of 2001
compelled up to 200,000 Hindus to
flee the country.
After the 2014 post-election
violence against minorities – which
included rape, arson and murder
– the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist
Christian Unity Council and
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad
rallied in as many as 25 districts,
demanding the formation of a
speedy tribunal to prosecute the
attackers.
They inculpated the culture
of impunity as the primary force
behind the recurrence of violence.
The recent idol vandalisms
– which continues unabated –
illustrates the feebleness of the
government’s minority protection.
A history of nonviolence
Ironically, Bangladesh was never
a communal country. The region
Bangladesh occupies has served as
an exemplar of religious harmony
for centuries.
While ancient Europe was
struggling with feuds among
competing religious dogmas,
Gautama Buddha pioneered an idea
of fraternity, freedom and peace,
even though he was a prince.
People in ancient Bengal
embraced Buddhism widely from
the Sanatan religion, without any
pressure from the ruling class. After
Muslim conquest of the region, no
one was forced to abandon their
religions.
In this way, people of all religions
in Bengal have lived together.
There was also a very powerful
bond among different communities
during various movements like the
Fakir-Sannyasi Movement, Indigo
Movement, Sepoy Movement,
Tebhaga Movement.
Divisive British rule
The communal harmony
deteriorated thanks to the British
“divide and rule policy.” Imposed
At the beginning of Bangladesh’s
statehood, things were different.
Minority groups, regardless
of religion, had fought in the
Liberation War alongside with
the majority. This was part of the
vision for our country: religious coexistence and communal harmony.
Nowadays, things have changed.
As the spirit of the Liberation War
fades away, anti-minority state
policies and bureaucracy – along
with communalisation of politics
and social relations, and the
rise of religious extremism – are
jeopardising the very existence of
minority communities.
The gradual marginalisation of
minorities in politics, economics,
public services and social welfare
opportunities places them on the
brink of extinction.
On December 18, 1992, the
UN General Assembly adopted a
Declaration on the Rights of Persons
Belonging to National or Ethnic,
Religious and Linguistic Minorities,
in order to ensure effective
implementation of international
human rights instruments for
minority rights worldwide.
Bangladesh was signatory of
that charter, but it still failed to
establish a national commission for
minorities to create an enduring
safety net in compliance with the
1992 declaration.
The time has come to wipe off
the communal stain of shame
from the country that was once
considered the epitome of
communal harmony.
.
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
18 stay in
Meat market 2.0
Put off by the crowds at the qurbani haat? Order
your sacrificial animals online Faisal Mahmud
Digi-qurbani sites
1. Amardesheshop.com
2. Bikroy.com
3. Biponi.com
4. Ekhanei.com
5. Akhoni.com
to ensure the online financial
transaction,” Sejuti says. The prices
are inclusive of service and bank
charges, ranging from Tk50,000100,000. Payment is taken by card,
direct bank transfer or bank draft.
Amardeshshop.com has centres
in eight districts across the country:
Narsingdi, Tangail, Jamalpur,
Kushtia, Mongla, Sirajganj, Rangpur,
and Jessore. “Farmers in those
areas can come to our centres and
upload information regarding their
Clues
ACROSS
1
6
7
8
Cunning shout holding back (6)
Scent of a European capital (5)
Distances from centre air I’d relocated (5)
Run when a boy becomes grown up? (6)
DOWN
2 African was in charge of holding stick (7)
3 Calf finally making noise and moving along
(7)
4 Before time after your first annual (6)
5 A marsh transformed into religious retreat (6)
6. Clickbd.com
7. Expatads.com
8. Olxbd.com
9. Ajkerdeal.com
10.Ehaatbazar.com
cows,” she says. “We have two
trained individuals at each centre to
help farmers with the process.”
Sejuti says the company
offers home delivery services for
the clients at an average cost of
Tk5,000. According to Sejuti, the
website sold 72 cows last year.
This year the website has so far
uploaded information on 110
cows.” n
Last week’s solutions
ACROSS
1 Lettuce for boy from South Africa (5)
5 One card? (3)
6 First of games in red sport (5)
8 A step forward once more (5)
10Place to exercise in soggy mud (3)
11Delivery of venue for 6 Across (5)
DOWN
1 Unusual saint was General Electric boss (7)
2 Record piece of wood (3)
3 Diary, oddly, of movie star Doris (3)
4 Arrange hens and vet after the 6th (7)
7 Listen secretly to insect (3)
8 Current unit of map arrangement (3)
9 Painting of confused rat (3)
Solved it? Email answers to weekend@dhakatribune.
com and win one free month of the Dhaka Tribune.
E
-commerce websites are
again selling cows and goats
online. Over the last few years,
online cattle markets have become a
popular and trustworthy trend.
Amar Desh Amar Gram is the
frontrunner in the business. The
trade for qurbani took off in 2012,
as an extension of their existing
agricultural business.
“Once a prospective customer
logs in and has chosen a particular
cow, the rest is taken care of by
the website – from the moment
of purchase till the delivery of the
product,” explains Sadequa Hassan
Sejuti, managing director of Amar
Desh Amar Gram’s parent company
Future Solution for Business.
“The customer only needs
Mini cryptics
Sudoku
Use 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
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
Go out
another big mandap at the Kalabagan
field by 3pm. On your way there, you
are sure to come across trucks carrying
the devi, followed by processions of
festive devotees, towards the river for
immersion.
The festive trucks join the huge
procession towards Sadarghat. Each
and every truck will be playing loud
music, and the people riding the trucks
often dress up as different gods and
goddesses. Everyone is in full festive
mode, with dancing and singing and
basking in the general revelry of the
joyous occasion.
October 4 |
Dashami tour
of Dhaka
W
ant to join in the Durga Puja
festivities? Dashami is on
Saturday, the day of the
goddess’ departure. Follow her daylong procession from mandap to river.
A) Banani mandap: The puja mandap
in the Banani field on Kemal Ataturk
Avenue is a must-visit if you want
to take part in the Bijoyar Mongol
Shobhajatra, which is organised by
Gulshan Banani Puja committee. Be
there in the morning.
The goddess from this mandap will
be immersed in the Turag River, which
lies towards the north of the city. While
some spend their last day of celebration
with drums, dancing, vermilion and
sweets, you can start moving toward
the southern part of the city to explore
more.
B) Kalabagan mandap: If you start from
Banani soon after lunch, you can reach
C & D) Dhaka University mandaps: The
more budget a puja committee has, the
bigger, more beautiful, and louder are
their puja celebrations. There are a total
of 205 pandals set up across the city. Do
not forget to drop by the two big puja
mandaps in the Dhaka University area:
at Jaggannath Hall and Ramna Kali
Mondir.
E) Dhakeshwari Mandir, Lalbagh: The
800-year old temple, which is also
the national temple of the country,
is possibly the most famous mandap
during Durga Puja.
They serve a special bhuna
khichuri to all visitors on the day of
Ashtami, with the objective to enhance
communal unity. On the occasion
of the puja, the national temple also
arranges the distribution of clothes
to the poor and a voluntary blood
donation programme.
On Dashami, the temple also
holds a Bijoya Sammiloni at the
temple premises, featuring cultural
programmes and performances of
devotional songs.
F) Shop in Shankhari Bazar: While
following the festive procession,
you can take a small detour through
Shankhari Bazar. The entire area looks
like a massive puja mandap. The
streets are blocked, so the only way to
navigate is either on foot or bicycle.
With puja mandaps sprouting
up every ten steps and the smokey
smell emitted from dhup (traditional
incense), you will feel like you are in
a completely different world altogether.
G) Sadarghat immersion: The final
destination of the procession will
bring you to Sadarghat around sunset.
The area is well patrolled by Dhaka
Metropolitan Police to ensure security
for the people participating in the
festivities. Here you will see hundreds
of idols being immersed into the river
from boats, thus ending the Durga Puja
this year.
19
Eid getaways
Can’t handle the bloodshed in Dhaka? Or
need to recover after the back-breaking
business of qurbani? Get out of town without
breaking out the passport. These hotels and
resorts are in our very own Bangladesh
DuSai Resort & Spa
Location: Moulvibazar district
Telephone: +88086164100
Room rate: Tk9,600-72,000
dusairesorts.com
Find refuge from the city at the
picturesque DuSai Resort. Pamper
yourself in the open air jacuzzi, allow
Thai therapists to be your stressbusting mechanism, or arrange for
some family bonding sessions while
boating, canoeing or cycling.
Grand Sultan Tea Resort & Golf
Location: Srimongal
Telephone: +8801730793551-8
Room rate: Tk23,280-75,280
grandsultanresort.com
This five star resort is expensive,
but seriously, your thinking will
change once you lay eyes on this
grand structure surrounded by
several acres of lush green land,
state of the art facilities and
amenities. Plus it is the festival
of sacrifice, so you might as well
splurge and sacrifice some extra
money to get this luxurious
vacation for your Eid.
Hotel Naz Garden
Location: Bogra
Telephone: +8805162468
Room rate: Tk2,800-16,000
hotelnazgarden.com
If your destination lies north, Naz
Garden may be the place for you.
This four star hotel is spread over
15 acres of land, and provides you
with all facilities and amenities at an
affordable price.
Nazimgarh Resorts
Location: Sylhet
Telephone: +8801730712600
Room rate: Tk8,222-20,240
nazimgarh.com
Nazimgarh Resorts provides not
one but three exciting getaways,
spread over the lush locales of
Sylhet. Nazimgarh Garden Resort
will allow you to stay luxuriously on
a landscaped hillside. You can have
your big slice of nature at Nazimgarh
Nature Park located on the banks of
river Sharee. Their sister property,
Nazimgarh Wilderness, will fulfill
your desires of living in a forest.
WE E K E N D TR I B U N E | F R I DAY, O CTOB E R 3 , 2 0 1 4
20 Social Construct | Being Hindu in Bangladesh
Walking the Hindu
Streets of Puran Dhaka
Although Bangladesh’s secondlargest religion is Hinduism, the
country still struggles to achieve a
society that has religious harmony
devoid of prejudice Sabrina Toppa
B
angladesh is home to over 15
million Hindus, representing
under 10% of the country’s
population.
In old Dhaka’s Shankhari Bazar,
Dr Debnath watches the clay-master
work in a gray-walled shop adjoining
a Hindu temple. Horipada Pal, now
in his sixties, has worked on Durga
figures since he was a teenager. His
deft craftsmanship traces back five
generations, and clients often use his
designs instead of their own.
“There are few men like him in this
subcontinent,” Dr Debnath says about
Pal, the ageing Hindu statue maker.
“He has been cheated many times
and lived a hard life, but he is full of
wisdom.”
Each day, after his work ends at
Dhaka Medical College, Dr Debnath
arrives to sketch statues at Pal’s shop,
where preparations are underway for
the Durga Puja festivals.
Hinduism in Bangladesh matches
the form practised in India’s West
Bengal province with heavy devotional
emphasis on Durga and Kali –
incarnations of the goddess Shakti.
Pal’s work is so popular that he has
been commissioned for pieces as far
away as Washington DC. However,
for Dr Debnath, the spiritual lessons
imparted by Pal are as important as
the artistic.
“This place is like a sanctuary,”
Dr Debnath says, pointing out all the
religious statues under construction.
“It is a temple for me. Pal teaches
me not only how to sketch Durga,
but also about life, truth, and trust. I
receive lessons about philosophy and
spirituality, in addition to art.”
Under strain
But Dr Debnath admits that the
condition of Hindus in Bangladesh
is ailing. “We are suffering under
our political system. Our freedom is
hindered in workplaces, schools, and
even in our own homes. The situation
for Hindus in Bangladesh is like that
WEEKEN D TR I BU N E | F R I DAY, O CTO B E R 3, 201 4
Dr Debnath watches claymaster Horipada Pal
at work
Photos: Courtesy
of Kashmiris in India,” Dr Mithun
Debnath says in accented Hindi. “We
have freedom, but we are not free.”
Although Bangladesh hosts
the world’s third-largest Hindu
population, the percentage dwindles
each year. In 1941, almost a third of
Bangalis were Hindu, but today the
figure is less than 10%.
Hindus face many challenges from
political representation to property
rights. Hindus are particularly
vulnerable to the Vested Property Act
(formerly the Enemy Property Act),
which enables the government to
expropriate the property of anyone
labelled an enemy of the state. It is
estimated that over 10 million Hindus
have fled Bangladesh – often settling
in India, North America or Europe –
during periods of high political unrest.
Given the link between
Bangladeshi Hindus and India,
rumours circulate that Bangladeshi
Hindus hold two passports: one
Indian and one Bangladeshi.
However, when asked, no one in
Shankhari Bazar claimed to hold
anything other than the Bangladeshi
passport.
Coexistence
“I never felt any kind of wall between
Hindus and Muslims,” says Amar Sur,
the Hindu owner of a shop selling
shankha bangles worn by wedded
Hindu women.
He works in a team of 5-6 people
to create bracelets from seashells,
flattening the white parts and cutting
them length-wise. From a single Sri
Lankan seashell, which he buffs with
a round brush, four bangle pieces
emerge after 2-3 hours of cutting,
shaping, designing, and smoothing.
Sur reports an increase in sales
during the week-long Durga Puja
festival – the most prominent social
event of the year among Bangali
Hindus.
“In general, our communities
embrace each other. Hindus
partake in Eid festivities and
Muslims celebrate Holi,” he says,
clasping a seashell. “We don’t really
differentiate. Since my childhood, no
one has bothered me.”
Gold standards
Nearby atop a rickety staircase,
shirtless men toil in a tiny room,
meticulously stitching together
ornaments of gold. Drops of gilt
pieces dust the floor. Once a month,
a Hindu nihar-wallah (gold dustcollector) pays Tk2,000 to sweep the
floor for remnants of gold, which he
separates in water and resells.
“It is impossible to fool him,” the
sweat-drenched men laugh. “He pays
us based on the quality and weight of
the gold.”
Next door, in earshot of the Muslim
call to prayer, a temple’s statues greet
entrants strolling down the narrow
streets. Dr Debnath, sitting near to
the temple, adjusts his glasses and
asks Pal about the Durga statue he is
chiselling.
“Look at the way he renders the
proportions,” Dr Debnath says. “If you
visit other places in Dhaka, you will
not find this skill.”
For Dr Debnath, though, the
chance to build a statue in Dhaka is
itself celebratory. Earlier this year,
many Hindus had been dispossessed
of homes and temples during a
violent election period.
“I am Hindu,” he rejoices, “and I
am Bangladeshi.”
.