MADE-Up lAngUAgEs gEnERAtIon gAps stREEt FooD At BoI MElA

Transcription

Made-up languages
5
Generation gaps
18
FRIDAY
FEBRUARY 21
2014
vol 1 Issue 43
Street food at Boi Mela
21
1
CONTENTS
EDITOR’S NOTE
A Wee kly Pro ducti o n o f
DhakaTribune
Vo lume 1, Issue 4 3
FEB RUA RY 2 1, 2 014
Editor
Zafar Sobhan
Assistant Magazine Editor
Sumaiya Shams
Rohini Alamgir
Weekend Tribune Team
Faisal Mahmud
Adil Sakhawat
Shah Nahian
Farhana Urmee
Natalie Siddique
Art Direction/Photography
Syed Latif Hossain
Cartoon
Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy
Rio Shuvo
Contributors
Tausif Sanzum
Quamrul Abedin
Dina Sobhan
Jennifer Ashraf
Chanchal Kamal
Priyo
Design
Mohammad Mahbub Alam
Natalie Siddique
Colour Specialist
Shekhar Mondal
Kazi Syras Al Mahmood
Production
Masum Billah
Advertising
Shahidan Khurshed
Circulation
Wahid Murad
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.dhakatribune.com
Cover
International Mother Language Day
by Rio Shuvo
Speak your mind
I
t’s February 21, or as it’s more commonly known as, International Mother
Language Day. It’s one of those days when Bangladesh gets a throwback
to 1952, and we begin to remember how it all started. We feel a sense of
unity and nationalism that otherwise evades us in our day-to-day lives,
because we can stand tall and claim that the day the world heralds as a
day to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism, is the
starting point of our independence.
So this weekend, flip through our pages, and take a look at The Way
Bangladesh Was back then. If that’s way before your time, or too much
of a painful look back, come into today’s world and find out from Faisal
Mahmud and Shah Nahian what made-up languages are in vogue instead
of the national language we fought so hard to keep. Hear what Syed
Manzurul Islam has to say about our tendency to mix languages as he
interviews with Farhana Urmee. Side with either Tausif Sanzum or Faisal
as they debate over whether English deserves to be the global language.
Or take Tausif’s advice and make some time
to think about your mothers.
If all this gets too overwhelming, take a
step back, and check out how the Ekushey
Boi Mela’s newly added children’s book
section is doing from Adil Sakhawat, or the
taste bud tantalising street foods available
there from Faisal.
As always, we at Weekend Tribune enjoy
your patronage, and hope you all have a very
wonderful weekend! n
5 feature Made-up languages
2 This Week
3 Letters to the Editor
4 Say What?
7 Interview
Syed Manzurul Islam
8 The Way Bangladesh Was
1948-1952
10 Post-Riposte
World language
11 Top 10
Know your Bangla!
12 Photo Story
Feb 21 children
16 Out and About
Code-Love
17 Out and About
Boi Mela Beat
20 In Review
Children’s books at Boi Mela
21 Feature
Street food at Boi Mela
23 WT | Leisure
24 Tough Love
25 Legal Eagle
26 Crime File
Bodysnatching in Savar
27 Obituary
28 Last Word
18 Thought Plot Generation gaps
W E E K E N D TR IBUN E FR I DAY, FE B R UARY 21 , 20 1 4
2
THIS WEEK
Februar y 14-20
RAB arrested Mohammad
Russell bin Sattar Khan,
a 21-year-old student, at
Tangail Textile Institute.
He has been identified as
the main receiver of an
Al-Qaeda audio clip and
the admin of the extremist
militants’ page on Facebook, Basher Kella and other
similar pages.
Dhaka Tribune
Somayya Jabarti has been
named the first female editorin-chief of an English Daily
in Saudi Arabia, signifying a
huge leap for female workers.
Jabarti has been practising
journalism since 2003 under
her long-time mentor Khaled
Al Maeena. She faces the
challenge of being a female
leader in a male dominated
society and working in
a highly censored media
country.
The Guardian
Hailemedhin Abera Tegegn, co-pilot
of an Ethiopian airline surrendered to
the police after he hijacked his own
aircraft. He claimed to have no longer
felt safe in his country and wanted
political asylum in Switzerland.
If found guilty he may face up to
twenty years in prison, according to
Ethiopian law.
Reuters
Gravity won the most BAFTAs
including best British Film. Chiwetel
Ejiofor won the Best Actor BAFTA
while Cate Blanchett won Best
Actress for her critically-acclaimed
role in Blue Jasmine. 12 Years a Slave
won Best Film while Frozen won Best
Animated Film.
BBC
Compiled by: Tausif Sanzum
W E E K E N D TRIBUNE F R I DAY, F E B R UARY 21 , 2014
to the editor
3
LETTERS
A mistake!
I think you guys published the wrong photo for The Way Dhaka
Was. In addition to that, there was no date. You guys should really
look out for those.
Zeba Hannan
Gulshan, Dhaka
Good job
I really like the way you guys have changed the look of your
magazine. It looks much more attractive now. Good going, guys.
Meraj Islam
Baridhara, Dhaka
Time to wake up
I loved the story on sign languages. It is time the government took
an initiative to help physically challenged people. They are part of our
community and should not be ignored like this.
Sabrina Akond
Niketon, Dhaka
Great photo story!
The photo story by Syed Latif Hossain was incredible. It was perfect for
the Valentine’s weekend. Thanks for the amazing photos!
Kaushik Khan
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Out of the box
I really like what you guys published in your
magazine, but the page designs have always
been a turn off for me. However, from how
your last issue looks, it seems Weekend Tribune
has finally broken out of the four walls (layout
wise) it was confined in. It was a very good
change and I hope you guys stick with these
creative layout styles.
LETTER
of the week
Shah Jibran
Uttara, Dhaka
Send us your feedback at: [email protected]
SAY WHAT?
4
11
Bangladeshis return from Iraq after living in
sub standardised condition and engaging in
unpaid employment for one year.
Rabiul Islam/Dhaka Tribune
Tarun Tejpal, former
editor of Tehelka
charged with the
rape of a female
colleague.
BBC
Communications Minister
Obaidur Quader recently
said the main work of the
Padma Bridge project
would be completed within
three and a half years.
According to a USDA report, 13%
of Americans consume pizza on any given day.
Dhaka Tribune
Dhaka Tribune
According to a
research published in
Psychological Science,
“Prosperous
Bangladesh in India’s
interest.”
if you pretend to
be Voldemort, it will
make you more devious
while pretending to be
Superman will make you
good natured.
wired.co.uk
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee talks
about how it is in India’s interest to have
a democratic and economically stable
Bangladesh.
Dhaka Tribune
Actress Ellen
Page comes
out as a gay
woman at
the Time
to Thrive
conference in
Las Vegas.
Anna Timoney/wired.co.uk
“
“
Fashion Fringe winners Fyodor Golan in
association with Kin Design and Nokia creates
a dress using Lumia 1520 smart phones for
London Fashion Week.
I’m here today
because I am gay.
Compiled by: Tausif Sanzum
FEATURE
5
made-up languages
Faisal Mahmud
is good at memorising
seemingly
unnecessary
information and
finds that journalism
actually appreciates, if
not nurtures, that sort
of futile flair
e
gs
th
an
of c o
d
l
r
nl
o
w
Shah Nahian is
a staff writer at
Dhaka tribune with
a passion for music
and art. When he’s
not being forced to
work, he spends his
time daydreaming
and hanging out with
friends
FAISAL MAHMUD
& SHAH NAHIAN
write about the fictional
languages that have taken
root in the real world
”
ena!
v
h
z
e
oyiv
hq
hek
“Ass
Imagine receiving this strange line in a text
message on your birthday morning. You’re
baffled, because you don’t know what this
gibberish even means. Purely, out of curiosity,
you look the word up on Google, and bingo!
Google says it means “Happy Birthday!”
The word is part of a language that does not
exist in the real world. It is Dothraki, a language
spoken by the Dothraki people in George R R
Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, which was
adapted into a TV series titled Game of Thrones.
The author came up with the words and phrases
in the books, which were later developed into
a fully-fledged language for the TV series.
Fictional language as it is, it now has a grammar
and a vocabulary that comprises 4,000 words.
There are even Dothraki-English dictionaries
out there. What’s more, over 35,000 people can
speak in Dothraki at present – in real life! There
are more languages like Dothraki, which are
typically termed as constructed languages – or
conlangs, in short.
WHY THE OBSESSION?
What drives a person to go through the trouble of learning conlangs? The
obvious reason would be one’s love for the fiction a particular conlang belongs
to. However, others include:
1. An entertaining hobby that makes them feel like being part of that universe and make the artistic work come to life
2. It can be used as a type of encryption
3. It is sometimes prestigious to have unusual skills
4. Gives a common ground to make like-minded friends
5. Can be used in pranks
6. Can be used in music
7. Can be used as a reference for a better conlang that might be created
8. To use for movies or novels a person may be planning on creating
And the list goes on. Interesting, isn’t it?
6
IN NUMBERS
250,000
is the number of copies of Klingon-English
dictionaries sold so far
900
is the number of conlangs invented in the last two
centuries
3,000,000
is the number of speakers of different
conlangs across the world
1887 was the year when Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof created
Esperanto, one of the most famous conlangs of all time
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN
Linguistics suggest five basic steps to creating your own conlang
1. Get a pencil and paper
2. Write all the letters of the alphabet and put a line under
each letter
3. Write a different way to pronounce each letter under the
line you drew
4. Be creative and try to make the sound for each letter
different
5. Put the sounds of the letters together to make words
(Start with your name and siblings’, then move on to others)
Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune
Note: Creating a conlang can be as simple as adding foreign
sounds to every syllable for its encryption. This method can be
used for English, Bangla or any language you can think of. You’ll
be surprised just how different it sounds and can be a fun way
of conveying secrets to friends in public without anyone knowing
AN INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF CONLANGS
Klingon (Star Trek)
THE CHALLENGES OF
CONSTRUCTING A LANGUAGE
The world of invented languages is a difficult place to
succeed in, and those who have the patience to create
their own tend to have a hard time gathering followers.
Until recently, expanding the number of speakers was
a challenge. Different conventions were the only places
where enthusiasts could meet and greet, and sporadic
publications are the only other method of sharing their
passion.
Now, with the internet, mobile app markets and other
possibilities, these languages have easily accessible
platforms to grow.
The globally accepted criterion for any language is that
it should be generative – that it should produce an infinite
number of unique sentences under an infinite number
of circumstances. This is the standard that linguists use
to determine if conlangs can be considered “real.” Most
conlangs involve vocabulary changes, borrow words from
a lesser-known language and re-assign their meanings,
or simply run dialogue through a computer program to
produce ethereal sounds.
Linguistics across the world have opined that, though
fictional, these conlangs reveal a great deal about the
fundamentals of real human communication and help
us understand the essential components of a successful
language – extensive vocabulary, consistent grammar
rules but peppered with exceptions, and just the right
amount of room for messiness and evolution.
Perhaps one of the most used conlangs in the world, Klingon was developed in the 1980s by Marc Okrand
for the Star Trek film franchise. In the years since, it has considerably expanded and been embraced in the
non-Trekkie universe. Dictionaries have been published, Shakespearean plays have been staged, and the
language has been referred to in many movies and TV shows (The Big Bang Theory, people!). The fandom
goes so far that some fans have even tried to teach their children Klingon beside their mother language.
Na’vi (Avatar)
You must know this one. Na’vi is spoken by the blue-skinned humanoids living on Pandora, the fifth moon
of the planet Polyphemus in the Alpha Centauri star system, 2009’s sci-fi epic Avatar. James Cameron,
director of the movie, concocted several words in the early pre-production stage, inspired by Polynesian
languages. Later, linguist Dr Paul Frommer (of the University of Southern California) used those words to
come up with the entire language. He also coached the actors on the “proper” pronunciation on set.
Dothraki (Game of Thrones)
Even before Game of Thrones was adapted for a TV show by HBO, the network contacted linguist David J
Peterson to expand the Dothraki tongue from a few words that appear in the novels into a grammatically
complex, yet easily learnable and pronounceable language. He took inspiration from Turkish, Russian,
Estonian, Swahili, Inuktitut and Martin’s initial descriptions in the books.
Peterson, who also constructed the Valyrian language for the series, explained: “In designing Dothraki, I
wanted to remain as faithful as possible to the extant material in George R R Martin’s series.” Interestingly,
the BBC notes that more people are exposed to the fictional languages of Dothraki and Valyrian on a
weekly basis than they are to Welsh, Irish Gaelic and Scots Gaelic combined.
Elvish (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, etc)
There are two primary, widely studied Elvish languages created by The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien,
who was a fervent philologist by trade. A long-time tenured professor at Oxford University, the Britishborn polyglot (he was fluent in more than a dozen languages) built the secondary world of Middle-Earth
and all of its mythology around a fictional tongue constructed in the LotR series.
The two major languages in question are the ancient, Finnish-influenced Quenya (high-elven) and the
Welsh-influenced Sindarin (Grey-elven). There are other languages that Tolkien constructed for the elven
residents of Middle-Earth, including Nandorin and Telerin, but Quenya and Sindarin, the latter being best
known as the native tongue of bow-touting, bilingual Mirkwood resident Legolas, are more prominent.
Interview
7
Syed Manzurul Islam
Speaking in tongues
Farhana Urmee
is a forgetful
journalist who is very
serious about taking
her notes, because
without those she is
of no use
Speaking in our mother tongue is
instinctive. Yet most people today tend
to speak in a chaotic blend of Bangla,
English and Hindi. Farhana Urmee
speaks to Dhaka University English
literature professor Syed Manzurool
Islam about the hodgepodge that is
our language and urges him to give
us a solution
Quamrul Abedin
I am a believer in the use of standard
Bangla language, which is truly a
pleasure to hear.
W
hen questioned about the
unfortunate blending of
languages in Bangladesh
today, Syed Manzurul Islam says that
he thinks that it is utterly shameful
when we take words from other
languages while we have a very well
structured language of our own.
Since sixth grade, Manzur has been
an active writer. To him, a language
performs through its verbs. “Bangla
is a very rich language. It has words
that express abundant expressions.
We hardly need to mix it up with
other languages while we are fluently
speaking in Bangla,” he says.
Language and expressions are ever
growing and ever changing. Isn’t it
only natural that we take on new
words or expressions from other
languages that we are constantly
exposed to?
Manzur agrees, but thinks this has
both a positive and a negative side.
“Language is an ongoing stream;
it takes various shapes over time.
It will certainly take on new words
and expressions, but that should not
be done unduly and unnecessarily.
The absorption of new things has
a positive impact as it indicates the
young energy of the language. But it
may harm a language very badly if the
absorption is not contributing to the
n
Bangla Academy award
winner Professor Islam
writes most of his fictions
in Bangla, yet he advocates
speaking in any pure
language in his columns
and interviews
enrichment of the language, but rather
destroying the distinctiveness when
the language speakers use foreign
words pointlessly,” he explains.
cannot be used in formal occasions,
written form or in any platforms
which are taken as a model by the
people,” he explains.
In today’s world, we often find a
scarcity in our vocabulary when
trying to explain scientific or
technological ideas.
“As the discoveries and innovations
are not ours, so the signifiers of those
things must be in the language of
origination. But when we speak
to things that are common to our
culture and society, why should our
language be inadequate to express
my feelings?
“It has become a trend for us to
borrow and beg words from English
and Hindi and mix them up with our
mother tongue. This is an absolute
insult to our mother language and
above all to our mothers,” Manzur
says, criticising the trend and calling
it a “pollution” of our language.
So who’s at fault here, really?
Manzur blames families, schools
and mass media. He says, “The initial
responsibility lies with the family.
The family is the first school where
a child learns how to speak, and that
education is extended in schools. If
the children are given books instead
of video games they will learn to
express themselves better and will
not be struggling for words when
they speak.”
Every generation has a different way
of speaking, and different slangs
that enter their vernacular through
popular culture.
“There is nothing wrong with using
dialects or having a particular style
of speaking among the youth. But
we should be concerned with their
usage. Slangs may be trendy, but
n
Radio broadcasts, TV shows, and
other forms of video and print media
have also started using mashed-up
forms of language.
Manzur is terrified by the
predictable impact of this on the
new generations. “Speaking Bangla
but using English adjectives and
verbs and Hindi expressions has
been established as a new form
of discourse in our language, and
mostly by RJs. This has come to be
known as FM languages,” he states
with a frown of disapproval.
What’s the solution?
Manzur thinks that the government
As an academic, writer and critic
he takes a stand against speaking
and writing in a distorted and
impure Bangla and advocates the
use of standard Bangla language
in formal occasions, writing and in
media as well
n
has to notice this “malpractice”
immediately and start eradicating
the problem from the root. “Say
our public primary education can
be improved. Good schools with
good environments promoting real
learning and complementary meals
will attract more students. And
well-paid, qualified teachers can
also change the whole culture of
slacking in primary schools. A good
basic education is a must for an
individual to learn his/her mother
tongue well, and have the respect
towards it,” he expounds.
He
also
feels
that
the
government can arrange open
discussions with mass media along
with representatives of the leaders
in our society. Such a discussion
can urge the media to work
toward preserving and protecting
our mother language rather than
propagating a distortion of it and
hegemony of foreign languages.
“It has been 62 years since we
fought for our language. We have
responsibilities. I have personally
started using a number of Bangla
words from the dictionary that were
becoming unfamiliar. If we do not
speak in Bangla, the language will
be lost. And our struggles will have
been in vain,” Manzur urges. n
He thinks that for
the sake of selling,
the media and MNCs
and other business,
cannot really let
our language be
destroyed
n
He underscores the
importance of mass
media advocating a
standard language
8
The Way
Bangladesh
Was
ait
forces w
8: Police
Language Movement
dent
to foil stu
trations
demons
, 194
March 11
Muham
mad
1948,
A
where li Jinnah
only
at th
he m
Urdu
e Ra
ade
shall
c
be th the fatefu ecourse,
March
l dec
e sta
la
te la
nguag ration: “U 21,
e of
rd
Pakist u,
an.”
Febr
u
anniv ary 21, 195
3
ersar
y of t : A rally to
he la
ngua commem
ge m
o
ovem rate the
ma
ent, le
d by rtyrs on t
h
Dr Sh
amsu e first
zzoh
a
hind
eople be
ts and p edical Coln
e
d
u
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n of
aka M
processio ing (present Dh
e placd
1948: A
il
gan on th ure.”
,
u
o
11
b
sl
y
h
e
it
h
rc
T
rs
e
Ma
t.
ult
iv
a
c
n
ri
U
d
ta
n
Dhaka
tion a
the Secre
the old
of educa
towards
ts
o
g
in
ro
h
e
rc
th
lege) ma
ack on
: “An att
ards said
9
1948-1952
B
A
N
G
L
A
M
A
R
T
Y
R
S
Febru
a
ry 21,
1952:
Stude
n
ts pre
parin
g to
defy
Sectio
n 144
Abdus Salam
Abdul Jabbar
Khan
Hamid
l
archu
d
m
b
na A Rahman,
rs
la
w
o
a
M
m rty
r
1953:
Mujibu es to the vement
1,
2
h
o
t
ik
u
e
Sh
ary
trib
e m
Febru i
heir
and
nguag
pay t of the la
an
Bhash efoot to
rsary
ar
annive
ing b
first
e
h
t
on
Abul Barkat
Rafiquddin Ahmed
Sofiur Rahman
Photos: The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs
10
POST-RIPOSTE
world language
Should English be the
global language?
This is the only solution
Cartoons: Priyo
Tausif Sanzum
I
nstead of just associating the usage of English as a global language
with power politics, one should see it practically. The usage of English
is so widespread around the world that having it as a global language is
reasonable. Tracing back to the 17th century, when Britain was the colonial
leader of the world, to the rise of the USA as the sole superpower, English has
attained a hegemonic status over time. The roots of English are too deep to be
uprooted in the near future. With globalisation being the trend of the world,
interaction is no more limited to any particular territory. It is impossible to
survive without having a global language in such a scenario. English permits
diversification and, as such, various dialects have taken birth. Since the base
of these dialects is English, people of one community understand dialects
from another community. Even from a nationalist point of view, if local artists,
writers, etc want the world population to know about their culture, presenting
it to the audience in a language, which the majority of them understand, is the
best possible solution. n
There is no point
Faisal Mahmud
L
anguages are tied to the way humans think. English shouldn’t be the world’s
lingua franca, just as it shouldn’t be French, German or any other language
in this regard. Languages are vectors of culture, and boiling the world’s
culture down to one language is dangerous for humanity. Besides, globally
standardising a language is an impossible task given the fact that languages are
constantly changing. Any attempt to standardise a language worldwide will fail
because languages will diversify to mutually unintelligible dialects over time.
This is shown by the fact that many separate varieties of English exist in the
world, which over time may drift farther apart in similarity. Also the dominance
of language depends upon the dominance of a country. Now, English has more
dominance than other languages because the English speaking countries are
the major economic powers of the world. But in the future, the situation might
change and the dominance of English might end. So there is no point making a
language a global one. n
TOP 10
11
Know your bangla!
Everything evolves – languages, too. And our beloved mother tongue is no different. As we celebrate the anniversary
of the glorious Language Movement, Farhana Urmee lists 10 best additions to our Bangla vocabulary over the
past few years, voted by our readers, of course. To take part in the next poll, please visit the WT page on facebook
at www.facebook.com/WeekendTrib, or the Dhaka Tribune page at www.facebook.com/DhakaTribune
1
Farhana Urmee
is a forgetful
journalist who is very
serious about taking
her notes, because
of no use
Ontorjaal (Internet)
A nice way to describe the World Wide Web –
quite literally. Ontorjaal is not a word that you
would hear people say on a regular basis, but
in reality it is quite widely used. And it seems
quite popular too, hence the No 1 spot on this
list.
2
Uralshetu (Flyover)
The new addition to our roads, flyovers
are a big part of the regular vocabulary
of working Bangla-speakers. So it makes
sense that its Bangla counterpart will
make an appearance in our vocabulary.
Uralshetu is frequently used, especially
in the media, which is why it has taken
second place here.
3
4
Dhoboldholai
(White Wash)
Every hot-blooded Bangladeshi, especially of the cricket-loving variety, knows this
word. It got quite popular especially after
Bangladesh whitewashed New Zealand in
two ODI series. No wonder it has the No 3
spot on the list.
5
Kothabondu (Radio
Jockey)
Now this is a word that is both spoken and
written. Kothabondhu is Bangla for radio
jockey, widely popularised by the radio
shows over the past few years. The word’s
acceptance among the radio listeners
make it fourth on the list.
Muthofon (Mobile
phone)
The word is used as widely as the
object is used, mostly in print. A
prominent part of today’s Bangla
vernacular, muthofon literally
means “phone in your fist.” It has
gotten around enough times to
make it No 5 on this list.
6
7
Khudebarta (SMS)
Another widely used term that
relates to the mobile phone lingo. This one, too, is mostly used
in print, but is common in spoken
Bangla too, which is why it is sixth
on the list.
9
8
Bostro Balika (RMG
Worker)
Relatively new, bostro balika is the
Bangla term for the women workers
in the RMG factories. With the
recent RMG accidents that claimed
hundreds of lives, the substandard
work conditions of bostro balikas
have come to light in global media, so
this term has been frequently used.
Hence it has earned a place as the
seventh position.
A new genre of TV entertainment, this word has been around
for a while, used frequently in TV
media, which is why it is eighth
on the list.
10
Khadyangon
(Cafeteria)
Quite a fancy word for a place for
eating, isn’t it? Well, we Bangalis are
food-loving people, so naturally we
would come up with such a word for
cafeteria. Well, fancy or not, it is well
accepted, which justifies its place at
the No 9 spot on this list.
Telechhobi
(Telefilm)
Chabitepa (Key press)
Barely making the list, you will find
this word mostly on websites that
features Bangla to help users read
and follow instructions. It is not a
widely heard of word, yet has gotten
a few votes.
12
PHOTO STORY
Feb 21 Children
Born to be proud
by
QUAMRUL ABEDIN
Shaheed Al Mamun, psc; Wing
Commander (Retd); Captain, ATR-72
ac
At a younger age I felt embarrassed
celebrating my birthday as this is
a day of mourning for the country.
However, as time passed, my
views started changing. I started
embracing this day as the day we
stood up to protect our mother
tongue which led the world to
celebrate International Mother
Language Day. Now I feel proud and
I thank the Almighty for letting me
be born on such a historic day.
13
Hridita Afrin, Student
(EEE), MIST
Growing up I never
really understood the
significance of my
birth date. However, as
I grew older and wiser,
I started realizing what
this day really meant.
Every year I feel more
proud and patriotic of
being a Bangladeshi
and I consider myself
a very lucky person for
being born on such a
day.
Chetona Rahman
Vasha, actress
As a child, I never really
thought about my
birthday in terms of
its full significance. As
I grew up and learned
more about my
country and our long
standing struggles, I
started taking pride in
the fact that I was born
on such a momentous
day. I finally feel like I
belong and I feel very
connected with my
country.
Shahrear Kabir
Kheya Mezba, Graphic
Designer,
I came to existence
exactly at 2am on
February 21. After a
child is born, there is a
ritual of calling people
for prayers in Islam.
However, when I was
born, I was surrounded
by patriotic music all
around me.
14
PHOTO STORY Feb 21 Children
Niyom Mahmud, Business Entrepreneur,
CEO- Krypton Terminal
February 21, to me, is
not just my birthday
but also a day that
inspires me to be free
and brave enough to
take on any challenge
life might throw at
me. Every year this day
drives me to want to
be stronger, wiser and
much more patriotic.
Shakila Yasmin,
Account Executive,
GREY Advertising,
Bangladesh.
I should start by
saying my nick name is
Falguni like the Bangla
month of Falgun and
with the combination
of being born on such
a historic day, anyone
who knew me never
got the scope of
forgetting my name
or my birthday. All
my friends would
scream out a very loud
Happy Birthday to me
right after the school
assembly and this
continued till I joined
university. In addition,
I take great pride in
being born on the
International Mother
Language Day and this
makes me feel really
special.
15
Aninda Rahman,
Journalist, bdnews24.
com
Growing up in the 90s,
the day was still an
occasion of mourning,
a serious national
thing. Today we
celebrate it differently.
I remember getting
mostly books as
birthday gifts because
of the book-fair.
However, I’m not a
great fan of the whole
‘birthday’ ritual.
Nila Marma, Sales
Advisor, Hutchison 3G,
England
Even when living
abroad, when people
wish me for my
birthday, they never
forget to mention the
International Mother
Language Day. Some
even want to learn
about the history
behind this day and
it makes me feel
proud and patriotic
to tell them our story.
Our language is our
nation’s pride and joy,
so that’s why I always
celebrate my birthday
in style.
Courtesy
16
Out AND about
code-love
The art in love
Faisal Mahmud
seemingly
unnecessary
information and
of futile flair
out &
DHAKA
Celebrating the weekend of love, Code-Love took place at Bengal Art Lounge in the capital’s Gulshan
area, from February 12 to 16. The idea was “to connect with the most passionate and creative
Dhakaites,” according to the event’s description on Facebook. There were 14 different installations
to “explore, flaunt and give love,” trying to depict its various expressions. There were also several
love-themed products like mugs, notebooks, candles etc, available for purchase at the event.
Along with the exhibition, there were renowned personalities and city socialites who had discussions and
debates sang songs, read letters and recited poetry about love for five evenings at the art lounge premises.
?
e
v
o
de-L
How i
o
C
s
i
hat
t deve
...
Code-Love was an initiative taken by the organisation Carefountain. As its
founder Kazi Monirul Kabir said, “Code-Love was neither an art project, nor
a Valentine’s Day campaign.”
This is the genesis of a Global Social-Good Initiative that engages with the
audience taking the most basic human emotion, love, as a platform. We
have put up 14 artworks based on 14 famous quotes on love that will invite
the audience to think, look and engage with the concept of love and how
it can be used collectively to achieve something much greater.”
The idea of forming Carefountain came to Monirul’s mind when he visited
Norway in 2011. There, he saw the peril of older people, the lack of love in
their lives and he wanted to do something for them.
Photos: Faisal Mahmud
loped
W
“I plan to do an exhibition based on the theme of love and raise funds by
selling the products, which I plan to merchandise, along with the themed
installation artworks. The fund will be spent on the elderly people of old
homes who need love the most but are deprived of it,” Monirul said.
Khaled Mahmud, creative director of Headoffice Communication, a
PR firm, said most paintings and creative art are inspired by love. He
created most of the installations at Code-Love.
“Love is probably the most common source of inspiration behind
anything creative. So it is difficult to come up with something completely
original. So we thought of focusing on mixing love with a digital mode
of communication,” he said.
The funds raised by selling different products, which were developed in
line with the themed installation works, will be donated for the welfare
of old people.
Love schedule
Day 1
Love Letters: A reading on Love Participated
by Shehzad Chowdhury, Amitabh Reza, Ronni
Ahmed, Reetu Sattar, Shabnaz R Diya
Day 2
done?
s
k
r
o
w
t
r
a
e
h
How were t
As Khaled explained, the installations were done with
paper, placards, typewriters, empty bottles, trumpets and
diving masks. The artworks were based on 14 famous
quotes on love, from 14 famous people, which were carefully blended with seemingly mundane things. Pink was
chosen as theme colour.
“Finally, the quotes were converted into quick response
codes and framed,” Khaled said.
Love songs performed by Waqeel Ahad,
Protick, Probar Ripon, Shobhyota, Shagota,
Shondhi, Mayeesha, Maher and Mou
Day 3
Colors of Love by Gousal A Shaon, Rubaba
Doula, Afzal Hossain
Day 4
Love poems by Shimul Mustafa
Day 5
Love Actually? by Anisul Hoque and Kazi
Monirul Kabir
Words of
ap
preciation
Ronni Ahmmed, an artist with global fame
who participated in the letter reading session,
said: “The arrangement was a fresh breath of
air amid the mundane city life. It was original
and wonderful. I hope to see Code-Love taking
place every year.”
Waqeel Ahad, who performed a love song
on the second day, said: “Love is something
that should be celebrated, and Code Love did
exactly what the doctors had ordered.”
& about
A
17
Boi Mela Beat
Farhana Urmee
is a forgetful journalist
who is very serious
about taking her
notes, because
of no use
WEEK 3
FUN FAIR FACTS
Ekushey book fair is well into its third week, and this brings to mind last year’s unexpected accident. For those who don’t remember, there was a
fire on the Bangla Academy premises, causing massive damages of around Tk500,000. Initially it was assumed that a short-circuit had caused
the fire, but allegations were later made by publishers that the fire was set by the opponents of the Shahbagh movement since some of the
publishers had expressed solidarity with the cause. This year though, political strife or not, the book fair seems to be running fairly well.
HOT ON THE SHELVES
•
The book fair this year has had a number of
books published by eminent and new writers on
the Shahbagh movement such as Shahbag- Rajniti
Dhromo O Chetona by Bidhan Riberu, Gono Adalot
Theke Gono Jagoron Moncho by Shahriar
Kabir, Shahbag 2013 by Shahaduzzaman and
the compilation, Shahbag Andolon: Dosh
Buddhijibor Chokhey, by Arif Rahman.
•
1 Golposholpo
Abdullah Abu Sayeed
ALMANAC
Nature’s unfriendly behaviour was
exasperating to book lovers and publishers
alike. The constant drizzling spring rain,
which started on February 15, made the
authorities cut the power at the fair in order
to avoid accidents like last year’s. What with
the rain, the mud and the power-cuts, the
book fair has been less populated this week.
2 Mayorer Bari
Selina Hossain
3 Merir Khojey Manilay
Muntassir Mamoon
4 Rabindrajibon
Abdush Shakur
5 Shobujpondit
Dhrubo Esh
IN FOCUS
BOI MELA BLOW-BY-BLOW
A lot of books are being released everyday in the book fair. On the 13th day,
Kazi Shahid Ahmed
WHO’S IN?
Sadia Mahjabin Imam
Broadcast journalist, Sadia Mahjabin Imam, got her very first book
published that was released at the Boi Mela this year. Unlike other
debut writers, she is doubly happy as her father is also having his book
released at the book fair. Titled Paa, her book is a compilation of 15
stories that have previously been published in different newspapers
and supplements earlier.
Courtesy
Courtesy
An autobiography of a person is the
documentation of pleasant or unpleasant
incidents that life has experienced over the
course of time. Former newsman and army
official Kazi Shahid Ahmed has brought out his
autobiography at the book fair this year. The
biography, titled Jiboner Shilalipi, tells the tale
of the author leading from his childhood, to
becoming an army officer and finally an editor,
publisher and writer.
Readers will not only get a glimpse of the
author’s life, but also a complete picture of
different political scenarios that Bangladesh
went through not only during the British and
Pakistani rules, but also post-independence.
Ahmed narrates his life in 47 defined chapters
with corresponding, momentous pictures.
Jiboner Shilalipi will definitely be a motivational
read. Readers will get to know the personal ups
and downs of the author inter-mingled with
his professional life through different political
contexts of Bangladesh. The book is available at
the publisher’s stall (Agami) at the book fair for a
price of Tk600.
110 books were released. On the 14th day, this number spiked to
196, the highest number so far this year. The 15th day saw 126 books
being released, though the 16th day saw a drop in that number to 59. A total
of 58 books were released on the 17th day and 109 on the 18th day, while on
the 19th day it was 126.
a total of
“My inspiration for writing is my father. He has always been a reader
and critic for all my writing since childhood,” says Sadia. The 30-yearold is a fact finder by profession and a dreamer of fiction stories by
passion. She has found that writing stories and novels is a great way to
relieve the overwhelming stress of news broadcasting of the miseries
of our people: “While covering the news, I couldn’t express my opinions.
Writing fiction has given me the opportunity to speak my mind.” Her
book was published by Ananya Prokash and is priced at Tk150. n
Courtesy
18
Thought Plot
Generation Gaps
THE
LANGUAGE
OF OUR
MOTHERS
Tausif Sanzum learns that despite living in a society where English reigns in every
sphere of life, a lot of women, especially our mothers, are not adept in the language
As toddlers we could not utter
words to express our feelings
or desires, and yet our mothers
understood us. As we grew up, we
became capable of expressing on
our own. We started claiming that
our mothers don't understand us
anymore. Some of us claim that
the discrepancy comes from their
inability to communicate with us
in our language of choice. Today,
there is a veritable generation gap
between them and us and English
plays a pivotal role in it.
19
Not our mother’s language?
W
ith globalisation, English
as a language has become
a necessity rather than
just being a marker for social status.
The number of English medium
schools has increased drastically
within a very short span of time.
Children of families from various
walks of life are now enrolling in
these English medium schools. With
the advent of MNCs, blue-collar
workers are picking up the language
and allowing it to be on par with our
national language. Home makers
who are usually the first to wake
up in the morning and the last one
to sleep somehow got neglected in
this transition. While they laboured
to get their husbands comfortable
and their children ready to face the
world, acquiring this international
(and now national) language
for them sidled to the by-lines.
Bangladesh might be “progressing”
into English language, but many of
our mothers have been lost in this
mad rush forward.
Losing her identity
Shamima Karim studied at the Central Women’s College, Dhaka followed by an
Honours degree in management from Government Azizul Haque College, Bogra.
She was 23 when she got married and by 26 she had a child. She left with her
husband for Kuwait in 1996. Despite being educated and qualified enough to do
a job there, she hesitated to take one up; her son needed her attention and her
English skills were weak. She recalls the fear she felt when she had to accompany
her husband to his office parties. As most of his colleagues were foreigners, she
felt embarrassed because she was unable to communicate with them efficiently
in English. Her husband never encouraged her to learn English. Despite living in a
mostly English-speaking environment, she shut herself from it. Now, years later,
she regrets waiting for her husband to communicate on her behalf. She feels that,
had she not exploited her own talents, she could have been much more than just
someone’s wife or mother.
The bigger picture
Shahana Nazneen is a gynaecologist who got her degree from Rangpur Medical
College and currently works in Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College, Bogra.
Despite not having the need to converse in English at her workplace, she tries to
acquaint herself with learning the language. She says that it is vital for women to
see the bigger picture. She feels that women, particularly housewives, are in a box.
There is much more to the world than buying groceries, guiding the house help,
taking the kids to school or laying out a perfectly matched outfit for their husband.
She asserts that English is the international language and in this age, where most
posters, menus, directions, etc are all in English, it is essential for women to acquire
basic linguistic skills in English at the very least. Women should not feel that they
are doing this to impress someone else, but rather, they should realise that this
step is essential to boost their own morale and self-respect.
Practice makes perfect
Jesmin Rahman is a homemaker in her late 50s, the wife of a retired government
officer and the mother of three young successful men. Though she has never
attended university owing to her early marriage, it did not deter her from being
the better half of a couple who have successfully raised a family together. She
says that she never faced any embarrassing situations within her family for not
knowing English since they all are mostly Bangla speakers at home. However, she
does feel left out of conversations once in a while when her sons begin speaking in
English. Despite her linguistic barrier, when it comes to conversing in English, she
has always encouraged her sons to speak English in order to help them become
more proficient in the language.
While she never directly felt any embarrassment on the part of her family because
of her incapability of conversing in English, she did feel a bit of awkwardness when
going to her sons’ schools for PTA meetings. She also soon learned that she could
no longer assist her kids with their education. She confesses that despite wishing
to know English, she never prioritised it, as she did not require it for work.
Lately, she feels some inconvenience for not knowing English because she is not
able to use all the latest technological innovations. During her recent stay with her
elder son in Canada, she felt a little lost because she doesn’t speak English. Among
the different obstacles that have blocked her path to learning English, she thinks
that the main problem has been the lack of practice.
So what’s the problem?
Bangladesh is predominantly a
Bangla-speaking
country
and,
though that scenario is fast changing among the youth, it remains
more or less the same among the
older generation. It is unsurprising, therefore, that a lot of Bangali
women, in their late 30s and older,
remain monolingual. They could not
foresee how essential English would
become in the near future. As such,
they did not prioritise learning the
language. In addition, 20-30 years
back during their youth, the literacy
rate for women was not as high anyway. Hence they lacked the drive and
Photos: Big stock
motivation to learn English.
The history and culture of
Bangladesh is a complicated one.
Traditionally, a lot of women sacrifice
their career, education and ambitions
after marriage to devote all their
time to their family. Though they
end up successfully raising a family,
their individual identity is lost in their
familial one. The family members
take her for granted and they do
not see her as anything more than a
mother or a wife. In the long run, the
question repeatedly arises: is their
sacrifice worth it?
A lost generation
Can we ignore our mothers, sisters,
aunties and grandmas? Are they a
lost generation? Let’s ponder this
for a minute: if, without being an
expert in English language, they
were able to raise us well enough to
read, write and converse in English,
imagine the potential they had to
achieve greatness in life. We might
never be able to give them the
glorious careers they deserved, but
we can do things to make them
feel good about themselves. We can
make them realise that it is never
too late to groom one self and learn
something new. All it requires is a bit
of patience and time from our busy
schedules: we can re-prioritise and
spend that time to help them brush
up on their English skills.
Remember the first day of college
or university when you were really
nervous in a (seemingly) completely
different environment. This is the
very feeling these cherished women
in your life feel every time they are
exposed to an English speaking
community. With a smile on their
face, they do not let you realise their
embarrassment and fear. If they
could understand our every toddlerlanguage word, it is now time for us
to help and understand them in turn.
We need to lend a hand and help
them find a space for themselves
with no fear or embarrassment, a
comfortable, loving space like they
have given us since time immemorial. n
IN REVIEW
20
B
Adil Sakhawat wanted
to be in the army, but
failing that, fights
crime by reporting
on it. Send him
information at
weekend@
dhakatribune.com
ook lovers gather at the book
fair to collect books. And the
children? They come along
with their guardians to enjoy madeup adventures in the milling crowds,
or to sit down with some amazing
literature written just for them, or
to simply enjoy the day with their
families and have fun. But this year,
the book fair fell short: guardians
have been complaining about lack
of children’s literature.
The fair organiser, Bangla
Academy, has created a children’s
corner this year, for the first time in
history, exclusively for the children.
They declared February 8, 15 and 22,
from 10am till 3pm, as Shishu Prahar,
or Days for Children, as a special
consideration for children and their
parents, allowing them to avoid the
chaos of regular fair hours.
This corner, located in front of the
Nazrul Mancha, was a cacophony
CHILDREN’S BOOKs at BOI MELA
of excited young voices and some
admonishing parental ones on the
first day of Shisu Prahar. A large
number of children arrived, ready
to test their reading skills or show
off their talents, but on arrival, they
unhappily realised that their desired
books were either unavailable or
could only be procured by ordering.
Disappointed, Prema Ghosh,
13, said: “I have come here to
collect new books, but all I see are
old publications. The new ones
that I did find were far below my
expectations.”
Added to that, many guardians
found incorrect spellings, poor
cover designs, terrible binding work
and overall weak stories. While the
booksellers did their best to placate
angry parents and disheartened
children by promising to pass on
their critiques to the writers for
correction, few left feeling satisfied.
The next issue that was raised
was the high prices. For the products
that were so poor in quality, the
price was simply not justified in
the eyes of irate parents. Hasan
Mahmud from Mohammadpur,
who took his two children to book
fair, said: “I have brought my kids
so that they can be introduced to a
real Bangladeshi tradition, learn our
history after reading history related
books for children, and leave feeling
proud of our cultural heritage and
our strong literary legacy.
“The quality and content of the
books are not only unsatisfactory
when compared to the prices, but
the only worthwhile book I found
was at the Bangla Shishu Academy
stall. It was on Sheikh Mujib, the
father of this nation. It was a good
publication and the children can
now learn about him,” Mahmud
added.
I b e l i e ve I ca n re ad
Adil Sakhawat takes a trip to the children’s section of the book fair, and learns that not everything is running fair and square
Just the facts
• Out of the 534 stalls in the book fair, 27
were dedicated to children
• There have been fewer publications
this year for children and demand has
surpassed supply
• Eti Prokasoni published 13 new juvenile
books this year (compare to last year’s 35)
• Aro Prokash published only 2 books
• Jhingeyphul published 12 books
• Toitumbur published only 5 books
• There has been no new publication by
Bangla Academy for children this year
For the kids
Photos: Adil Sakhawat
1 Robot Kore Homework, Shelai and Amar Ekti Posha
Doitto Achhe by Anisul Haque
2 Komando Ovijan and Moru Ovijan by Rakib Hasan
3 Ekhon Tokhon Manik Ratan by Zafar Iqbal
4 Chiriakhana by Amirul Islam Amir
5 Rabindranath O BhashaVabna by Hasan Azizul Haque
6 Agnijole Kobita Komol by Shamsur Rahman
7 Pa by Syed Shamsul Haque
8 Reporterer Source by Tushar Abdullah
9 E Ek Odbhut Lajja by Nasrin Jahan
10Batayane Baka Chad by Kamal Pasha
Alongside books, many stalls
were seen selling CDs and DVDs
of animated Bangla and English
rhymes. But to the dismay of many,
a number of stalls were found
selling pirated books like Mr Bean,
Doraemon, Pokemon, Barbie, etc,
even though the Bangla Academy
clearly stated in their protocol
guide for the Ekushey Book Fair
2014, under article 13.14 (Section:
Kha), that selling pirated books are
prohibited inside the fair.
Murshiduddin Anwar, deputy
director of Bangla Academy, said
the authorities would monitor and
take necessary steps against those
who are violating the rules, adding:
“Publishers should not sell books
that can harm the moral growth of
our children.”
“But this is a place for books. A
man wishes to see books only at the
book fair. This should be prohibited,”
explained Mahmud further when
asked why he felt dissatisfied by the
trip.
Mr Alim Seikh, a banker from
Mirpur who also brought his
daughter to book fair, was equally
disgruntled. In an effort to teach his
daughter of his country’s traditions,
he was left feeling shocked at the
number of spelling and printing
mistakes, saying: “The writers of
our country have no idea about
children, it would seem. They have to
remember that these children are the
future of the country. Writers should
write constructively and on wellchosen topics. Publishing children's
books is one of the most lucrative
parts of the industry in India. A
growing number of publishers in
India are exporting activity, story
and educational books to countries
like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, Middle-Eastern nations,
Spain, South Africa, Nigeria and to
Southeast Asian countries. But our
publishers do not think about the
children.”
Novelist Anisul Haque feels that
the renowned writers of our country
should write books for children.
They can thus raise awareness and
garner understanding among our
children about the glorious history
of our country through stories and
illustrations. “This will motivate the
children to know about own culture
rather than foreign cultures,” he
said.
Famous children’s literature
writer, Ali Imam, the winner of the
Bangladesh Shishu Academy prize
in 2012, concurs: “Writers like Selina
Hossain, Azizul Hakim are writing
for children. So every renowned
writer should write to build our
future assets.”
He blames fraudulent publishers
and commercial writers, saying:
“These people limit our children’s
knowledge to things like ninjas,
Doraemon, Pokemon, etc, which
are simply destroying the childrens
abilities to think. This year I have
edited the Buddhadeb Basu series
and the Aubonindronath Tagore
series, in the hopes of getting the
children to learn about our golden
past.” n
FEATURE
21
street food at boi mela
Faisal Mahmud
seemingly
unnecessary
information and
of futile flair
BOI MELA
FOR THOUGHT
FAISAL MAHMUD
gets lured in to the month-long book
fair, not by the books, but by its food
D
on’t get me wrong. I am an avid
reader, previously of books,
and now of the contents found
on the internet. But, like everyone else, I am also
just a willing slave to my taste buds. And I don’t
know whether you have noticed it or not, but the
book fair is a veritable carnival of street foods.
Street food is an entirely different genre of a country’s culinary culture. I have
been told by my foreign friends that Dhaka doesn't have too much of it and
hygiene is pretty much out of the question. This is, in a sense, true. Normally, our
choices are limited to phuchka and chotpoti, but during an occasion like the book
fair, you see the true street food artists coming out.
I discovered this during my very first visit to the book fair. It was in 1995. I was
a fourth grade student then. Ramadan was in February that year, and I used to go
for the Tarabih prayers with some of my local friends to the nearby BUET mosque.
As far as I can remember, instead of praying, all we did was run around and make
a lot of noise inside the mosque until some of the musollis (devotee) lost their
patience and threw us out.
It was on one of those days when we were scolded and thrown out, that
someone suggested going to the book fair. It was magical. Never before had I
seen such a large number of books in once place. The first book that I bought from
the fair was Abuder Adventure by Shahariar Kabir.
But more than the books, I was fascinated by the foods. For me, the most
memorable thing from that visit was the taste of hawai meethai (candy floss),
badam papri (sugary nuts), chatni and ghugny. At that time those were my dream
foods, since I was rarely allowed to eat them.
Since then, whenever I visit the book fair, I indulge in the food, whether it is
from the canteen of Bangla Academy, or from a street vendor with dirty hands,
three-day old stubble and unhygienic offerings.
In the 1998 book fair, I spotted actor Shahiduzzaman Selim eating something
strange in front of a van. Curious, I approached. The aroma (of deep fried shrimp
head) that was coming from the van instantly tickled my taste buds. Forgetting
Selim, I got lost in the moist, delicious golda chingrir matha (prawn head). Now,
however, I refuse to eat it, but that first time was delightful.
Photos: Chanchal Kamal
In 1999, there were two stalls inside the fair premises. One was named Khana
Khazana and the other was Khao Khao Khande Rao. They were located opposite
to each other. These were immediate hits at the time, not because of their names
or the strangely succulent foods, but rather for their rivalry with each other. If
one stall cooked a tasty tehari one day, then the other came up with a delicious
khichuri the next. Unlike today’s vendors, these guys were in competition to
provide good meals at cheap prices. They both also served foods like Marichni
(green chilli dipped in flour) and payagni (onion dipped in flour); sadly, I have
never seen either again.
In last two or three years, the concept of “meals on wheels” has attained
popularity in Dhaka, but it was on February 21, 2000 that Dhaka saw its first few
meal trucks.
Amid the huge crowd at the book fair, two beautifully decorated mobile cars
came and started selling food inside the fair premises. One of them was Sajna
(a restaurant in Banani) and the other was Yan Tun Khai Jan. I remember being
pretty fascinated by these large truck-like vans selling food, since, at that time, it
was a new and fresh concept.
It became so popular that we had to fight to get food from them. The long
lines made it clear that hardly anyone was bothered about buying books that day.
We simply stood in line again and again and had some scrumptious raj kachuri
from Sajna and unforgettable Thai-style noodles from the other.
The Bangla Academy canteen serves a cutlet that has remained one of my
favourites. I still can’t figure out what it is made of, but served with the sauce,
it tastes like heaven. Their vegetable roll was also very good, though it has
deteriorated in taste recently.
These days, the book fair boasts bhel puri and egg pancakes. I first tried an egg
pancake at the book fair in 2008. It was awesome. That vendor also sold chocolate
pancakes (or crepes). But it feels like a lost street art, though I believe crepes are
available at cutthroat prices in Gulshan.
And obviously, there are the old school usuals: phuchka, chotpoti, jhalmuri,
chanachur, chola, murali, nimki, tele bhaja (chop, piaju, beguni and shingara),
located both inside and outside the fair premises. Unfortunately, the varieties
have depleted these days. The worst thing: I don’t see any new food to indulge in,
especially because I don’t consider two-minute maggi soup proper street food.
What happened? Are people getting more health conscious, or don’t they have
even a moment to spare for a raw gourmet delight? If it’s the latter case, then it is
just sad. As renowned novelist and poet Buddhadeb Basu said:
“Bangalis have an unbelievable appetite for
tasty food. It’s an identity that we are proud of.”
n
|
23
WT LEISURE
?
DID YOU KNOW?
The word
“Checkmate”
in
chess comes from the Persian phrase
“Shah Mat,” meaning “the king is
helpless” though many think it means
“the king is dead.”
ACROSS
1 Normality is found in France (5)
5 Semi-action of negative particle (3)
6 Young soldier acted out (5)
8 One second or a longer length beam (5)
10 Outrage about being stuck behind one (3)
11 Give birth with initial assistance (5)
DOWN
1 Lift cap if I count first ocean (7)
2 Embarrassed about the last of kind (3)
3 Pose Miss Italy displays (3)
4 Wept and ran about Belgian city (7)
7 Tree from the Spanish mainland initially (3)
8 Use needle for all points except North (3)
9 Rocks of topless French resort (3)
5.52%
of the world’s
population speaks English.
What’s more interesting is
3.05%
speak Bengali.
A Dictionary of the English Language
was the most commonly used and
imitated dictionary for
years until the completion
of the Oxford English Dictionary.
150
Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune
24
Dina Sobhan
is a freelance writer
and cautions readers
not to take her
“advice” here too
seriously!
Got a problem? Write
to Dina at weekend@
dhakatribune.com
TOUGH LOVE
DINA SOBHAN
I believe I am a kleptomaniac. I am embarrassed to
let my friends come over
because my apartment is like
Aladdin’s Cave. Everywhere I go,
I see things that I appreciate
because of their beauty or the
aesthetic pleasure that they provide, and the next thing I know,
I’m at home, and that object has
come back with me. I can’t seem
to stop. My mother (who checks
in on me regularly since I moved
out) keeps asking to come over
because she’s worried about me,
but I can’t let her come over and
see this. What can I do?
1
Well, for starters, you can stop filching
other people’s belongings. Easier said
than done, my little magpie, I know.
But I’m assuming you do not want to
be a social pariah for the remainder
of your young life, and actually be
able to invite people into your home
someday. As for your mother, she
should have steam rolled into your
apartment ages ago and made you
do squats while holding your ears
for your wanton, criminal behaviour.
Furthermore, I’m curious to know just
what kind of excuse would deter a
Bangali mother from visiting her child
regularly, if not parking herself on
your doorstep permanently. Anyway,
the DSM categorises kleptomania as a
form of mental illness, but you don’t
fit the criteria. I think we both know
what your problem is – it’s just plain
old greed and the lack of an adequate
guilty conscience, otherwise known
as shoplifting. However, if there are
voices in your head telling you to steal
things, that’s an entirely different
matter. You should run out, steal a
car and get yourself to a psychiatrist
pronto. n
I have a really annoying
newspaper deliveryman.
I’ve recently moved into
a new apartment in Gulshan,
and for the first month or so,
it’s been great. Every morning,
I’d open my front door and find
my newspaper on my welcome
mat. Recently however, over
the past two weeks or so,
I’ve found my welcome mat
2
covered
with
pamphlets
and advertisements and my
newspaper buried underneath
that mess. I’ve spoken to my
newspaper guy about it, but
the problem has only increased.
Yesterday, the pile of leaflets
and advertisements was almost
an inch thick. I don’t know why
he’s doing this, but I need to
make him stop. What do I do?
I’m not entirely sure that this qualifies
as a problem that requires my
particular brand of expertise or even
a problem at all, but I shall humour
you in this one instance. So, let me
see if I’m getting this right: you think
your newspaperman, in a fit of pique,
is littering your front step with fliers?
I have a simple solution for that:
cancel your newspaper. You can just
as easily pick it up from any store, or
better yet, get a subscription with a
different newspaper delivery service.
Done. This is, of course, if you’re a
humble man, not given to anger and
a thirst for vengeance. If so, you can
intimidate your newspaper man into
never darkening your doorstep with
anything but a fresh and folded paper
by simply reporting it to the head
honcho. Or having a stern talk with him.
Although more entertaining would be
if you made ammunition out of all the
rubbish meted out to you, and proceed
to chase after him during his morning
rounds, pelting them at his head and
other body parts. He will write you off
as a crazy person and steer clear of you
and your doorstep in the future. n
LEGAL EAGLE
25
Jennifer Ashraf
Jennifer Ashraf
is a barrister and
solicitor of England
and Wales. She is
currently Senior
Partner at Legacy
Legal Corporate.
When she is not
solving complicated
legal problems,
Jennifer is usually
found travelling
to exotic locations
sampling the
indigenous cuisine
1
In our company, which is a private limited company, there are two director/shareholders: Mr A and Mr
B. The company’s focus is to buy, sell, and develop land and properties. In 2012, we purchased a plot of
land in order to construct a multi-storeyed building. We took a loan from the bank for this purpose. Both our
directors stood as guarantors for said loan. And therein lies the problem. For personal reasons, Mr A has been
out of the country for around six months now, and during his absence, Mr B has fraudulently transferred all
the shares of the company to his own name. Now Mr B is trying to sell off the plot to a third party. How can
he be stopped? What’s the way forward?
Dear Reader,
Oh me, oh my. This is always a downer.
Obviously, from what you have just
described above, Mr B will have to
be stopped before he successfully
manages to sell off the plot to a third
party. Also, since a loan was taken from
the bank prior to purchase of the land, I
am presuming that there is a mortgage
on it and the bank’s permission will
also have to be obtained before sale
of the aforementioned property,
provided that the loan has not yet
been discharged.
Now, looking at the fraudulent
shareholder Mr B’s actions, let’s look at
the few aspects which are of help to Mr
I am a Muslim man and I married
a Hindu girl about five years back.
She converted for the sake of our
marriage, but never changed her name
or anything in her personal and official
life. We now have a one-year-old son.
Unfortunately, our relationship is on the
rocks, and I’m thinking of getting a divorce.
My wife says she cannot find any of the
paperwork relating to her conversion,
and since nothing else has been changed
in her life, I’m not sure how to proceed,
since I cannot prove that she’s Muslim.
I’m obviously ready to take custody of
our son and/or provide her with financial
assistance, but I still don’t know how to
begin the divorce process. Please help me
out.
A. The first issue to look at is whether
Mr B actually had authority to transfer
Mr A’s share in his own name. Since Mr
A was out of the country for around
six months, the question arises as to
who has acting authority on those
shares during that timeframe. Did Mr
A give a power of attorney to Mr B for
that time? I surely hope not. But even
if such a power of attorney was given,
it’s too early to lose heart. A thorough
inspection may reveal loopholes. Also,
if a power of attorney was not given
and Mr B fraudulently transferred the
shares into his own name, then such a
transaction would be void and invalid,
and Mr B would be looking at prison
time.
In conclusion, the primary objective
here is to stop Mr B from successfully
selling off the land to a third party
and making this entire situation much
more complicated. My advice would be
for Mr A to immediately apply to the
court and get an injunction to prevent
Mr B from selling off the property. In
all likelihood, he will also be able to
obtain the support of the bank in this
instance. n
Got a problem?
Write to Jennifer
at weekend@
dhakatribune.com
2
Dear Reader,
Oh dear, this is a nightmare.
Different religion marriages
are always a nightmare – not
in the actual sense, but from
a legal perspective. You mentioned that your wife converted for the “sake” of your
marriage, but didn’t mention
under which law your marriage was registered. Was your
marriage registered as per Islamic law? If so, differing provisions will apply than if the
marriage was registered under
Rio Shuvo/Dhaka Tribune
civil law.
Since your wife did not
change her name, I am presuming that your marriage was
registered as per the Special
Marriage Act, which permits
inter-religion marriages. If this
is the case then divorce is an
option, provided that certain
grounds exist. You mentioned
that your marriage is “on the
rocks” but didn’t mention why.
Was adultery an issue? If it
was, then divorce is certainly
possible and applicable here.
However, if not, then you can
file for “judicial separation” by
way of petition with the Court.
In practical effect, this would
have pretty much the same
consequences as a divorce. In
conclusion, I’ll just say that the
current context has made it
very easy for divorces, judicial
separations and the like, and
this makes me quite sad. If it’s
salvageable, I’d suggest working on repairing it. Take care! n
26
Crime File
Bodysnatching in Savar
No bones left unturned
Adil Sakhawat investigates the disappearance of skeletons from a Savar graveyard
Adil Sakhawat wanted
to be in the army, but
failing that, fights
crime by reporting
on it. Send him
information at
weekend@
dhakatribune.com
Human skeletons – 18 of
them – were stolen from
a graveyard in Rajaghat
area in Tetuljhara, a union
in Savar, on the night of
January 31. The local people
found out about the
missing bones when a few
of them went to investigate
the source of stench coming
from the nearest graveyard.
They found the body of
Hasan Pagla, a local who had
died a month ago, outside
his grave, and discovered
that there were 20 other
graves dug out, and 18 of
them empty. This created
a huge commotion later as
people in the locality came
to the graveyard to find out
whether their loved ones
were among the missing
bodies.
First police
on site
The police were notified about
the stolen skeletons over phone
right away. As they went in to
investigate, they found that
the thieves had only dug graves
that were two or three years
old. “They did not take bodies
from the new graves. That’s
why they left Hasan Pagla’s
body. We think this was an
organised crime,” said Khalid
Hossain, sub-inspector at Savar
model police station.
Witnesses
Saiful Islam, an inhabitant of Rajaghat area, is sure the bodysnatching
took place the night before. “We discovered it after our Fazr prayer.
Those thieves took the bodies last night. As I had visited the
graveyard yesterday, attending a villager’s burial, and everything was
as it should be then.”
Hazi Mohiuddin, another Rajaghat resident, thought lack of security
caused the theft. “This graveyard is 100 years old, and covers a huge
area. It has no boundary walls and there are no guards to look after
the graves.
“The police should investigate this incident and arrest the miscreants
who could not leave people at peace even in death.”
Idris Ali, member of Tetuljhara union parisad, said: “At first, we
thought the graves were dug up by dogs, or foxes, but we could not
find any animal footprints around those graves. That’s how we knew
that it was bodysnatching.”
The families
What’s being done
Family members of the missing bodies claimed that the bodysnatchers
tried to cover it up by filling up the empty graves with soil. “We buried my
mother in this graveyard two years ago. When I went to see if her grave
was all right, I found it empty,” said Anwar Hossain, a Rajaghat resident.
Kamrul Hasan Mollah, the upazila nirbahi officer of Savar, said they had
been informed about the bodysnatching. “The police are already looking
into the matter,” he said.
Kutum Akhter, whose father Abu Bakar Siddique was also buried in the
same graveyard, was lucky to find her father’s grave intact. “My father died
six months ago. They did not take my father’s body, as his body still had
flesh. But they dug up the grave. My family buried him again, following all
the rituals again,” she said.
Mostafa Kamal, officer in charge of Savar model police station, said: “No
case has yet been filed regarding this incident. But we are investigating it.
We are assuming the thieves stole the skeletons either to sell them to the
medical students, or to prove that those were bodies of the missing Rana
Plaza workers. We are investigating this case keeping those possibilities
in mind.”
27
OBITUARY
Just a dreamer
Remembering Ralph Waite
Rohini Alamgir
Ralph Waite, the American actor
heralded by the New York Times
as the “craggy-faced, big-hearted
patriarch of a rustic Depressionera clan” (in reference to his most
famous role in the 70s drama
series The Waltons), passed away
on February 13 in his Palm Desert,
California home at the age of 85
from age-related illnesses.
Born in White Plains, NY, as the
oldest of five, Waite served in the
US Marine Corps from 1946 till
1948 and then graduated from
Bucknell University, Pennsylvania.
Armed with a Master’s degree from
Yale University, Waite became an
ordained Presbyterian minister and
religious editor at Harper & Row.
He also had a brief stint in politics,
though rather unsuccessfully. He
ran for Congress in California as a
Democrat on three occasions (once
in 1990 and twice in 1998), but failed
to win in elections each time.
Having shuttled around looking
for his calling, Waite finally found
his niche in the Peninsula Players
summer theatre program in 1963. As
an actor, Waite was diverse, ranging
from Shakespeare to Broadway soap
operas like Days of Our Lives. He was
nominated for two Emmy awards
for playing Slater in the 1977 miniseries, Roots, and another for his
role as John Walton in The Waltons.
Though he had a long, successful
film career, he is most noted for his
TV roles, most recently those in The
Practice (2004), CSI (2008), NCIS
(2008-13), Grey’s Anatomy (2009),
and Bones (2009-11).
In 2010, Waite returned to
organised religion as an active
member of the Spirit of the
Desert Presbyterian Fellowship in
California.
As we remember Waite, his own
words (said in an interview to People
Magazine) sum him up best: “I was
never taken to a play or concert
or church … yet I was a show-off, a
dreamer, a storyteller.” n
From this world
to the other
Remembering Leanne Hecht Bearden
Shah Nahian
O
n January 7, Leanne Hecht
Bearden, 33, left her inlaw’s house (in Texas) for a
morning jog. That was the last they
saw of her. According to the missing
person’s post that her family put
out, Leanne had left wearing jeans,
hiking boots and had $60 in cash,
some credit cards and energy bars
carried in a red backpack.
After travelling the world for two
years with her husband, Leanne,
a marketing graduate, was left
anxious and stressed when it was
finally time to return back to her
normal life. The couple had intended
to stay briefly in Texas before flying
to their home in Denver to begin
searching for work.
Yet the pressure of transitioning
back to a normal life proved to be a
burden too great for Leanne.
It came as a shock to her family
after she went missing, though her
relatives later suggested that she
might have left on her own accord,
based on an earlier post on her
Facebook page.
After three weeks of searching,
her body was found hanging from a
tree in the woodland close to where
Leanne and her husband, Joshua,
had been staying.
Leanne and Joshua published
their travelogues on their blog, and
had an avid readership. With Leanne
gone today, leaving barely any clue
as to why she felt compelled to take
her life, her vicarious readers can
only echo the words of her family in
mourning: “Leanne was a lovely and
remarkable young woman, and we
will all miss her greatly.” n
Death goes
viral
Neknomination
Faisal Mahmud
D
eath from sheer stupidity has
always drawn less sympathy
and more irritation. It
has now entered a new phase of
absurdity due to an online drinking
game called Neknomination.
Neknomination is an online
drinking game where people post
videos of themselves performing
ridiculous stunts while chugging
alcohol, then nominate friends to do
the same within 24 hours.
How? Here are some scenarios:
A woman rides a horse into a
supermarket while chugging from
a pop can; A 19-year-old strips down
to her lingerie in a department store
and downs a beer; A man soaks
naked in a bathtub full of canned
beans while downing a cocktail of
apple juice, cognac, gin and Icelandic
vodka.
Seemingly harmless fun, and yet
a total of four people died in the
last week in Ireland and the UK.
All of them in their 20s. The last
victim, Bradley Eames, drank two
pints of gin mixed with tea bags,
the equivalent of 30 shots, in two
minutes. He complained of feeling
sick and was found dead the next
day.
Social media sites like Facebook
and Twitter are already being
blamed for the spread of this new
drinking craze. In response, Facebook
has issued the following statement:
“We do not tolerate content that
is directly harmful, for example
bullying. Yet behavior, which
some people may find offensive
or controversial, is not always
necessarily against our rules. We
encourage people to report things
to us that they feel breaks our rules,
so we can review and take action on
a case by case basis.”
Created in Australia earlier this
year and since going viral, the
game has reached high schools
and universities around the world
with the stakes getting higher
and the stunts more dangerous.
Even the administrator for the
Neknomination Facebook page has
backed off, stating: “Neknomination
was fun while it lasted but even I
admit it has gotten out of control.
This will be Neknomination’s last
post.”
Last post or not, the trend has
taken on a life of its own, and
stopping it may prove to be difficult.
They’ll just keep upping the ante,
fear analysts across the globe. n
The unfortunate victims
1. Jonny Byrne, 19, Ireland
2. Ross Cummins, 22, Ireland,
3. Matthew Loveday, 19, UK
4. Bradley Eames, 20, UK
28
All it takes is one
A touch of familiarity in an unknown world
Faisal Mahmud
seemingly
unnecessary
information and
of futile flair
A
s the sun came up, the valley’s
misty slopes looked golden in
the morning light. There was
a man on the hilltop, coming down
through a trail that appeared like a
moving snake from a distance.
He stopped at the end of the trail,
lifted up his worn out bag over his
head and carefully started to cross
a narrow jhiri (hill river) that had
strong currents and sharp boulders.
Crossing that gracefully, he climbed
atop another little hill on the other
side to reach a pleasant plateau
covered with green grass.
A small one-storey bamboo
cottage with red rooftop was there,
on the raised ground. He stood in
front of the house, drew a key out
from his threadbare trouser pocket
and opened its door.
I watched the whole incident
from a little distance. It was very
early in the morning and the para
(hill village) named Shiplampi,
where I had stayed the previous
night (on my way to Tajindong)
along with my trekking group, was
still asleep. I had a restless night, so
I went out at the daybreak to get
some fresh air.
I had yet to realise that the little
red-roof house was a school, and the
man was its lone teacher – Maijesh
Tripura.
Utterly curious, I went to that
house. Inside, I saw 10-12 wooden
benches, a blackboard, a map of
Bangladesh, a picture of Jesus Christ
and a medium-sized cross hanging
on a wall.
Maijesh Tripura was kneeling in
front of the cross, offering a silent
prayer. I waited.
After a while, he stood up and
looked at me. His clothes looked
more tattered up close than it had
Finding a local in
the hills who was
fluent in Bangla
was a treat, and
Maijesh’s passion
for my mother
tongue reminded
me of its history
from the distance. He had thin grey
hair, a lean muscular body and a
monk-like smile.
“Good morning,” he greeted me.
From a bird’s eye view, that
school would look tiny amid the
vast greenery of the Chittagong
Hill Tracts (CHT). The nearest place
with mobile phone reception and
electricity is about 10 hours of
trekking away. The nearest village
(Shiplampi) is inhabited by Mros,
the most primitive, and matriarchal,
tribe in the country.
Yet I was greeted with a “good
morning!”
M
aijesh Tripura was, indeed, a
unique person. He originally
hailed from Sherkorpara, a village
inhabited by the Tripura tribe. Unlike
other hill people, he wanted to do
something different than jhum
(slash and burn cultivation), or
hunting.
“Early in my childhood, I went to
Saikotpara (a village of Bom tribe)
with my uncle. There, I saw that a
Christian NGO had opened a school
in the village. I wanted to study
there, but my parents did not allow
me then, as we had no relatives
living in that village,” Maijesh told
me in fairly good Bangla, quite
unlike most hill people.
“But by seeing the Bom people, I
realised one thing: if we, the Tripura
tribe, did not learn to speak and
write in Bangla like them, we would
never achieve prosperity. That is
because the hill people need to
communicate with the Bangalis in
Bangla at the bazar for business,” he
said.
“So I persuaded my parents and
went to the school in Saikotpara. I was
taught Bangla, a little English and
mathematics there. A father (priest)
at the school was pleased with my
performance and enrolled me at the
school in Thanchi Bazar (one of the
six upazilas of Bandarban). I passed
the Matriculation (now SSC) exam
from there.”
After passing the Matriculation
exam, Maijesh decided to go back
at Sherkorpara to establish a school.
“The karbari (head of a tribal village)
gave me the land, and the villagers
built a school house and sent their
children to the school. However, the
main problem that I encountered
was the lack of study materials. Most
of the villagers were very poor and
they could not afford books, pencils
or notebooks for their children. Also,
the study books were very rare even
in Thanchi Bazar,” he said.
So Maijesh went back to
Saikotpara and asked the Christian
NGO to provide funding for his
school. His prayers were heard, as
he received fund from them a few
days later. “It helped us purchase the
benches, blackboard and other study
materials,” he said. Now, the school
at Sherkorpara is a governmentregistered primary school. It has six
teachers who receive monthly pay
orders (MPO) from the government.
“The Tripura tribe is also prosperous,
as a number of people from our
village have various businesses at
Thanchi Bazar,” Maijesh added.
It would have been easy for
Maijesh to stay with the school in
his own village and receive MPO, but
he had something different in his
mind. “I wanted to spread the light
of education among other tribes.
More importantly, I wanted them
to learn Bangla. So I moved here, to
Shiplampi. Mros have the highest
rate of illiteracy among all the tribes.
I persuaded the karbari of Shiplampi
to grant me a piece of land. The
Christian NGO built the house and
bought us the study materials, and
I started the school.”
begin in 10 minutes,” he explained.
By then, my friends had woken
up. We also needed to start our
trekking for the day. But we waited
for a few more minutes to see what
happened next.
In a short while, a number of little
children came in, and the lessons
began. “Au te auzogor ti ashlo terey,”
“Aa’ te aam ti ami khabo perey” –
those familiar sounds of learning the
alphabet of our beloved language –
which our forefathers had fought
and died for 62 years ago – had filled
the air by the time we left the hilly
terrain. n
In the bigger picture,
Maijesh’s efforts may
not be noteworthy, but
his passion to bridge
the gap between
his people and the
outside world certainly
demands respect
H
owever, Maijesh does not teach
Bangla only. He also teaches
basic English and Math right
after the students have learned
to read and write in Bangla. After
graduating from his school, many
students go to the primary schools
in Thanchi Bazar and the other large
villages.
Maijesh’s efforts to spread light
has not stopped at one school. He
has established another school in
Kunchingpara, where the Khumi
tribe lives.
“I don’t take donations from
anyone. I come here (Shiplampi)
from Sherkorpara three times a
week to run my school,” Maijesh
told me, a slight hint of pride in his
voice.
It was about 8 in the morning.
Maijesh excused himself from the
conversation, took out a bell and
rang it for a while. “The lesson will
LAST WORD

MADE-Up lAngUAgEs gEnERAtIon gAps stREEt FooD At BoI MElA

Transcription

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