Weekend 483

vol 3 Issue 48 | FRIDAY, MARch 25, 2016 Dhaka Tribune

5 TAcklIng poveRTY 6 pReseRvIng

hIsToRY 20 The Bong MoMMA

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, MARCH 25, 2016

Volume 3 | Issue 48 | March 25, 2016

EditorZafar Sobhan

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Asst Magazine EditorFarina Noireet

Weekend Tribune TeamSaudia Afrin

Moumita AhmedN Anita AmreenSakib MridhaSaqib Sarker

Syeda Samira SadequeMahmood Sadi

Shuprova Tasneem

ContributorsMinu AhmedDina Sobhan

CartoonsSyed Rashad Imam Tanmoy

GraphicsMd Mahbub AlamAlamgir HossainTahsin Momin

Colour SpecialistShekhar Mondal

AdvertisementShahin Ahsan

ProductionMasum Billah

CirculationMasud Kabir Pavel

Websitedhakatribune.com/weekendfacebook.com/WeekendTrib

Email your letters to:[email protected]

Editor’s note About the coverDear Readers,Tomorrow we celebrate 45 years of independence, a milestone that leaves us at an interesting juncture, demographically speaking.

We are young enough as a nation to have a segment of the population that were born during or before the major events that to the birth of Bangladesh. This means that the violence and bloodshed carried out on the evening of this day 45 years ago is something they witnessed firsthand. On the other hand, almost half a century after that night, a significant majority of the population were born into a free and independent Bangladesh, and this bears thinking about.

How do we then, straddle the past and the present, doing right by the legacy and sacrifices behind our independence, as we stride into the future?

In this issue we take a trip to the Muktijuddho museum, as it prepares to move to its new premises, and learn about the challenges of preserving history. We take stock of an education system that has failed to uphold the same.

We ask ourselves what it means to be “independent” in independent Bangladesh, where moving out and finding a place to live is an odyssey, and yet, having achieved that, how many young people actually have what it takes to strike out and live on their own.

We take to the streets to see how those without a roof over their heads managed to get by and become self-sufficient.

Here’s wishing our readers a very happy Independence Day.

- Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

News 2 News 3 Meanwhile

Features 4 Tailored Cleaning5 Focus Tackling poverty6 Focus Preserving history8 Rant Learning history14 Youth Self-reliance15 Youth Self-reliance17 Craft Clay art regulars16 Drama Mama18 Stay In19 Go Out20 The Bong Momma

LIFeSTYLeBaCheLor woeS 12

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

CONTeNTS 1

PhOTO STORY IndePendenCe day 9


Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton won their parties’ primaries in Arizona and maintained steep advantages in the presidential nominations race, despite victories by rivals in other states.

Trump on Tuesday extended his lead over nearest rival Ted Cruz in the all-important delegate race, although the arch-conservative senator from Texas made a night of it by resoundingly winning the Utah caucuses.

Clinton’s challenger Bernie

Sanders, whose grass-roots campaign has refused to yield to the former secretary of state, snatched much-needed victories in Utah and Idaho, blunting Clinton’s momentum just as she began to project an image as the inevitable Democratic nominee.

The voting gave the candidates another opportunity to pile up delegates on the way to the party nominating conventions, but it did not dramatically alter the basic outlines of the race.Photo: Reuters

2 NewS | This week

Brussels attacks kill at least 34

US President Barak Obama went to Cuba on Sunday afternoon, last week, a journey of only 90 miles from U.S. shores that took more than half a century to complete.

The Obamas, including the president’s two daughters and his mother-in-law, were welcomed by Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba’s foreign minister, and Josefina Vidal, the head of the U.S. section of Cuba’s

Foreign Ministry, as well as Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the

senior U.S. diplomat in Cuba upon arrival

The official welcoming session took place Monday morning when Obama met with Cuban President Raúl Castro at the presidential palace.

“I have come here to bury the last remnant of the cold war in the Americas,” Obama later told Cuban leaders and citizens in a nationally televised address. “I know the history, but I refuse to be trapped by it,” he said. “It is time for us to look forward together. Un futuro de esperanza.”Photo: AP

Jihadist group Dae’sh claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital on Tuesday, last week which killed at least 34 people, with police hunting a suspect who fled the air terminal.

The coordinated assault triggered security alerts across Europe and drew global expressions of support, four days after Brussels police had captured the prime surviving suspect in Dae’sh’s attacks on Paris last November.

Later on Wednesday, Belgian state broadcaster RTBF has identified two of the attackers as brothers Khalid and Brahim Bakraoui. They are believed to have blown themselves up in the attacks.

The report said the brothers were known to police for past crimes, but nothing relating to terrorism. RTBF said Khalid El Bakraoui had rented an apartment which was raided by police last week in an operation that led authorities to top Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam.

Last week, Belgian police said they were hunting for a suspected Abdeslam accomplice, Najim Laachraoui. He is believed to have made the suicide vests used in the November attacks in Paris, in which 130 people were killed, according to a French police official who said Laachraoui’s DNA was found on all of them and in a Brussels apartment where they were made.Photo: AFP

The International Cricket Council on Wednesday, last week announced that Taskin Ahmed’s suspension from bowling in International Cricket has been upheld, following a review hearing conducted by a Judicial Commissioner.

Taskin was reported as having a suspected illegal bowling action by the match officials in Bangladesh’s opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 2016 against the Netherlands in Dharamsala on March 9. He undertook an independent assessment at the ICC-accredited testing centre in Chennai on March 15.

Obama goes to Cuba on a historic visit

This independent assessment found that some of Taskin’s standard deliveries exceeded the permissible level of elbow extension and, as such, his bowling action was found to be illegal and he was suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.

Taskin exercised his right to request an expeditious review of his case by a Judicial Commissioner. The hearing was conducted yesterday by Michael Beloff QC over a tele-conference call that lasted several hours and in which numerous legal challenges were made on behalf of the player.

Having carefully considered those arguments and the responses of the ICC, Mr Beloff has now notified all parties concerned of his decision that Taskin’s suspension from bowling in international cricket shall be upheld and indicated that a written reasoned decision will be provided in due course.Source: ICC

Taskin suspension upheld by judicial commissioner

Trump, Clinton keep edge with Arizona wins, slip elsewhere

The world at a glanceWeekend Tribune

Desk


. . . MeaNwhILe 3

Photo of the week

Protesting for the rights to freedom.Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

A Texas man says he found fossils from “Noah’s flood,” and the director of an anti-science museum that claims evolution is “an old-fashioned theory” is supporting him.

Wayne Propst was helping his aunt out, laying dirt near her home in the town of Tyler when he found snail fossils. He and his aunt believe the fossils happened during the fabled

worldwide flood described in the biblical book of Genesis.

“From Noah’s flood to my front yard, how much better can it get?” Propst said.

He sent photos to Joe Taylor, director and curator of the Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum in Crosbyton, Texas, for analysis. Taylor holds the positions that evolution is not real, that a worldwide flood occurred a few thousand years ago, and that Noah — the man that the Bible describes as building an ark large enough to save two of every animal species from the floodwaters — brought dinosaurs on his ark with him.

However, James Sagebiel, the collections manager at the Texas Vertebrate Paleontology Collections said that the rocks there are about 35-40 million years old, and these little turret snails are commonly found in marine rocks of that age.

Millions of years ago, the place where Tyler, Texas, now stands would have been coastline, he added. nSource: Huffington Post

say what?

This guy is pretty sure he found fossils from Noah’s Flood


White out4 TaILOReD | Cleaning

If you want something done right, do it yourselfMahmood Hossain

We get it, you have a busy life. Some of us are juggling two jobs and a wife. Some of

us are running around after children. But when you leave the responsibility of washing your favourite clothes and cherishable white t-shirts to someone else, you’ve got no one else to blame but yourself when something goes wrong. The latter is of high importance, especially in a difficult city like Dhaka. Our whites lose their pristine shade the moment we step out of our homes. This is exactly why gentlemen must wash their own whites, and do it correctly.If you actually believe that doing your own laundry is not manly thing to do, consider yourself a fool. Once you’ve got the concept down, follow the proper steps on how to take care of your own whites.

1. First thing is first, get yourself a solid detergent. Nothing cheap or doused with floral scents, but a detergent that will be above the average cost of other brands. You want your white t-shirts or other white items to smell great don’t you? Take that bottle of detergent and pour a dash of it into a sink filled with cold water.

2. After you’ve twirled the detergent around a bit in the sink full of cold water, dunk your whites into the sink. Here’s the part most men (or people in general) get appallingly wrong. Do not, and we repeat, do not wash your clothes like you’re trying to scrub the blood stained hands of Lady Macbeth. The best white t-shirts are of genuine quality, and in order to obtain the integrity of the clothes, it’s best to handle with care. Massage your whites into the soapy water as if you were caressing a hand full of dough on a kitchen top.

3. Once you’ve spent some quality time gently applying shiatsu to your whites, reach for the bleach. That’s of course if you actually need to bleach your clothes. Just because they happen to be white, doesn’t necessarily mean you must always use bleach. However, if there is

grime and dirt on them, spill the same amount of the bleach as you did with the detergent. Let it sit for a bit, then move onto the next step.

4. While you’ve spent some time attending various other chores around your crib, come back to the

clothes and rinse away. How do you perform this act? Simple, put the clothes in a tub of cold water and just slosh them around. That’s pretty much it. Yup. That’s it.

5. After rinsing your whites, it’s time to squeeze out all the excess water. Again, be gentle. Simple twisting your clothes won’t do, you’ll want to avoid heavy wrinkling. Look at it this way, it’s like twisting off a bottle of water and not a greasy jar of achar. Keep doing it as much as you can to get the most of it all out and drained.

6. Here’s a step majority of folks have no clue about. The thing about air drying your clothes is that it can take a lot of time. Not unless you’re comfortable with hanging them off your balcony or on the roof, you really can’t spend too much time waiting for your clothes to dry. To avoid all that nonsense, lay out a dry, clean towel on the floor and place your white t-shirts on them, and wrap your whites up. Once wrapped, press down with your hands and drain whatever water might be left in the tees.

7. Now, it’s time to simply hang out. Take your whites out of those rolled towels and hang them properly on a drying rack or a rope outside on a balcony. If you have neither, you can always carefully place them over a chair. There’s no need to stretch your t-shirts out either. Remember you want to keep the shape of your whites and keep away from creases and heavy wrinkles. Well, there you have it, you’re done. Treat yourself to something nice, you deserve it. And yes, that was a very masculine thing to do. n

Photo: Bigstock


TaCkling poverTy | FOCuS 5

how an international nGo is addressing a community no one else wants to touch – the street dwellersSyeda Samira Sadeque

From the streets, a way home

Twenty five year old Ruma sits behind a table in her tiny room, as she speeds up the sewing machine in front of

her. There is a captivating precision with which she holds each piece of cloth under the machine, and makes goods out of them.

“I make bedsheets, kamizes and other kinds of goods to sell to my neighbours and friends,” she tells me.

Ruma, who lives in the heart of a Gabtoli slum, has been in the business for four years. Although she now has a rented apartment, with two sewing machines, and has her own business, it was all intangible dream for her just a few years ago.

With Dhaka being one of the most densely populated cities in the world, in part due to the large migration from rural areas, the class disparity is ever growing. However, even then, many of those – especially those living in rural areas of Bangladesh as well as the urban poor living in slums – are often addressed as a population. Ruma comes from an even lower class – the homeless people of Bangladesh. Or, as they are formally referred to: the pavement dwellers.

“We used to sleep here and there, scattered,” says Ruma, who came to Dhaka with her mother at a very early age. Like numerous people moving to the capital with dreams of finding jobs and stability, Ruma and her mother ended up having to live on the streets.

Things began to look up when Ruma came across a shelter home in Gabtoli that caters specifically to pavement dwellers.

The Pavement Dweller Centre (PDC) by Concern Worldwide, an international NGO that’s been in Dhaka since 1972, caters to the homeless population of Dhaka and Chittagong, with 12 centres across both cities.

A place called homePoverty in Bangladesh is not a black and white picture. There are varying degrees of it – especially in the lower echelon of the society. Those in the lowest,

and perhaps most neglected, rung is the street dwellers – those who belong neither to the rural communities nor the urban slums, both of which have been addressed by various NGOs over the years.

This has left a huge gap in addressing issues of pavement dwellers – and that is the exact gap that Concern Worldwide has been addressing, since 2008, through their Amrao Manush project.

“Why aren’t so many NGOs working on this issue? Because the operation cost is very high,” says Mahjabeen Z Khan, project coordinator at Concern Worldwide in Dhaka. “Pavement dwellers often migrate and are difficult to trace – that’s why it’s difficult to work on this issue. And that is the challenge we are taking, because these people are in dire need of this support.”

The journey of those who have received support from Concern Worldwide is testament to how much the support is needed. Through its “Amrao Manush” (We, too, are human) project of the Urban Integrated Program, established in 2008, Concern Worldwide has so far reached more than 20,000 people through its various facilities.

Bithi, 22, from Khulna, says her life changed around with the Block Grant received from the Amrao Manush project. The Block Grant is a stipend of Tk5,000 provided to a participant who uses that money to kick-start a business.

Bithi, who used to live on the streets,

started availing services of the Amrao Manush project, and eventually was awarded a Block Grant. With this, she started a small business – which started off as a cigarette caddy and has today evolved to a small tea stall in Ananda Bazar. Today, Bithi earns Tk 3-4,000 per

day, and has settled in a home with her husband and child.

For humanityBithi has started off using services at one of the PDCs by Concern Worldwide which offer various facilities for the homeless people of Dhaka and Chittagong. Their centres include showering facilities, cooking area, daycare services for children, and some have night shelters. While the showering and cooking facilities are free of cost, there is a minimal cost for daycare and night shelter services.

“When we started working with pavement dwellers, at first we started with rented premises – and the challenge was that the rent was high and whenever we said we were working with pavement dweller, no one wanted to rent it to us,” says Zahida Fizza Kabir, executive director at Sajida Foundation, one of Concern’s partners in the project.

“That’s when we started this advocacy work with DCC so that they would give us abandoned places so we could establish PDCs there,” she says.

Today, the centres offer a range of services. Daycare services at the PDCs cost Tk 50 per month, and include breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks for the children. The children are bathed, taught, and fed while their mothers – mostly day labourers – are out working in the city. These are mostly children of

household maids, construction workers, cooks in different officers and other similar professionals.

While not all the PDCs have night shelters, the ones that do have their members registered. It offers women and children to stay the night with a cost of only Tk 5 per month. The night shelters host about 40-45 people every month, although this number varies.

The facility also provides for health services for the participants, including intervention through satellite clinics that address severe acute malnutrition of children, and does growth monitoring for lactating and pregnant mothers of the community.

This is also helping establish behavioral changes in the community as the organisation moves to preventive care over curative methods to address malnutrition.

“We can’t just let our children die,” says Asfia Azim, another Project Coordinator who looks after this aspect. She adds that parents often don’t know the signs of malnutrition but bring in their children with the symptoms.

“So we’ve decided to open up clinic services and provide free packages that cure and prevent malnutrition,” she adds.

There are also basic health services offered at every PDC, where the participants can go for a health check-up.

To come homeWith health, hygiene and a sense of community, the Amrao Manush project aims – and succeeds – in reaching the most necessary elements needed to survive in cities in Bangladesh.

“They’re equal citizens of Bangladesh, so they have the right to these services and we to give them that service,” says Mahjabeen. And so far, Concern has helped many touch their dreams, and many more to come home from the streets.

Today, the participants aren’t merely surviving, as on the streets, they are living. And more importantly, they are dreaming.

“I have dreams to make business bigger, then we go higher. This all started with just Tk 5,000, and we’ve come a long way,” says Bithi.

Ruma, sitting behind her sewing machine, says: “I haven’t studied, but hope to raise her as an educated child.”

And in her eyes, in this rented room in the middle of a slum, hope flickers. n

Rupa sits at her sewing machine Photo: Courtesy


6 FOCuS | preserving hisTory

Approximately 598,421 people have visited The Liberation War Museum (LWM) over the last 13 years

since its inception on March 22, 1996. Make of the number what you may but the importance or significance of this museum cannot be reduced to hard statistics. What we know for certain is that our consciousness of who we are is indispensable and consciousness cannot come from ignorance.

“We wanted to build a place where people can come to get the essential knowledge about our Liberation War. And one of the most important matters for us was to make the new generation interested and motivated to seek this knowledge,” said Aly Zaker, one of the founding members of the museum and a member of the board of trustees. The other founding members of the board are Dr Sarwar Ali, Asaduzzman Noor, Rabiul Hussain, Sara Zaker, Ziauddin Tarek Ali, Mofidul Hoque, and Akku Chowdhury.

A symbolic torch of “eternal flame” sits at the entrance to the museum. The torch is always kept ablaze. The flame symbolises what is engraved on a stone at the entrance: “the bloodied soil of Bengal testifies/ the sun and the moon bear witness/ we have not forgotten the memories of our martyrs/ nor have we

forgotten what is written in history.” “We (people who live in Dhaka) have

no clue how much people remember about the war. People know the stories from their elders and the elders have vivid memories of the time,” said Aly Zaker.

“But these are deeply personal memories. They are separate from the larger political narrative,” he added.

The LWM has two active and ongoing program to disseminate knowledge, besides the museum exhibitions. In the “outreach” program the museum invites schools and colleges to visit its premises. The museum arrange bus(es) for their travel to the museum. As a part of the program the students are given a quiz after their visit. They are also asked to write on what they have learned after the visit or they are encouraged to speak to someone who can share with the students, their experiences in 1971. Students can then send their stories/writings to the museum.

“We have collected an enormous number of writings and we plan to publish these in a book. But this will go through proper screening of course,” Zaker informed.

The other program, called the “reach out” program is a countrywide tour where the museum takes some of

the exhibits to different places around the country. Member of the Board of Trustees take part in these tours and reach out to the general public in rural areas. “We set up at school or college premises and in the evening we screen documentaries in a room at those institutions,” said Aly Zaker.

Currently divided into six galleries

the museum exhibits, among other things, archaeological materials from as far back as 500 BC in gallery I. Gallery II exhibits include two bricks from the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands and the names of those freedom fighters who were hanged there by the British, a history of the Pakistan period (1947 – 1971) and united struggle of the people for the

adoption of Bengali as a state language and for a secular democracy, and the personal belongings of Father of the Nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The third gallery displays some of the most famous posters used by the Bangladesh Government in exile. There is also a touch-screen, which gives the visitor an overview of the history

of the struggle. Galleries IV, V, and VI displays include Personal belongings of the martyrs and the memorabilia of the Sector and Brigade Commanders, documents relating to the international efforts, documents and artefacts used by the Naval Commandos, the Free Bangladesh Radio and the Bangladesh Air Force, arms used by the Muktibahini (the Bengali name for the freedom

The Liberation War Museum: Our pride and joySaqib Sarker

One of the most important matters for us was to make the new generation interested and motivated to seek this knowledge

Photo: LWM Photo: LWM


77

fighters), excavated human remains from two killing fields in Dhaka, artifacts and documents showing the atrocities on women and children.

In 2009, the Museum acquired just under an acre of land in Agargaon, Dhaka, to construct a full-fledged museum. The superstructure is nearly complete and it is expected that the museum will be moved to the new premise very soon.

“The challenge now is the sustainability,” Aly Zaker said. “We receive a certain amount in grant from the government. We also get individual and corporate contributions that help us a lot. We are immensely grateful for that. The government has helped us all the way through, particularly with getting the land for the new premise,” Zaker added.

But the vastly larger new premise will require 500 percent more cost to run. That, Aly Zaker says, is a big problem. “What we get from ticket sales is nothing, it’s peanuts. But that is our challenge now,” he said.

The new museum will have many new and exciting exhibits. The Indian government has donated a fighter jet that was actually used in the Liberation War. The new premise also has on display, rocket launchers used by

freedom fighters, broken remnants of a bridge blown up by the Muktibahini, among many other exhibits which are not currently displayed at the present location because of lack of space.

Like every year, the LWM is commemorating the March 25 and 26 by arranging different program from 22 March to 28 March. At 6:30pm on March 25, there will be a candlelight vigil in front of the museum, the program coordinator of the LWM, Rafikul Islam informed Weekend Tribune. The members of the board of trustees are expected to be present, Islam said.

“You know, we say freedom…we don’t really want to say ‘independence’,” Aly Zaker said commenting on what it means to him after so many years to commemorate events of the liberation war. “Because independence is a necessity but ‘freedom’ or ‘liberation’ encapsulates our struggles much more accurately. Freedom of thoughts, freedom from being shackled….that is why we call the war “Muktijuddho” (fight for liberation),” he added. When asked where he wants to see this museum in 10 years, Aly Zaker says he hopes that this museum “will become a national glory for this country.” n

Photo: LWM Photo: LWM

Photo: LWM

Photo: LWM

Photo: Dhaka Tribune

Photo: LWM

Photo: Dhaka Tribune


8 RaNT | learning hisTory

Lest we forgetSyeda Samira Sadeque

Earlier this year, as people piled up in front of Shaheed Minar to pay respect to our language martyrs, a

TV station somewhere in Dhaka got its best byte of the day: a girl saying, on record, that she was here to pay tribute to our Muktijoddhas (freedom fighters).

The clip went viral online. People shared it on Facebook with commentary that bashed the seemingly university-going girl, her ignorance, and the ignorance of an entire generation. When my friends showed it to me, I chuckled – an obligatory response to merely acknowledge the “joke”. But I didn’t share how, earlier that same day, a close friend (much younger) had said something similar, very confidently: “I am going to Shaheed Minar to pay respect to our freedom fighters.”

When the video went viral online, people laughed, joked, bashed her, and showed it to their friends. No one, even by mistake, asked the obvious question: how does an entire generation remain confused about the different stages of history? How does an entire generation mix up Language Movement Day with Independence (or is it Victory?) Day? How does an entire generation remain this much in confusion – without even knowing that they know the wrong thing?

The problem is not our youth, or our generation. If you grew up in the

country in the 90’s, and went to a regular school, you were taught about the kaloraatri, or about shadhinota, words which seeped into our brain and was made to rage through our blood with an undeniable tenacity. We all grew up with a sense of untainted patriotism because that is what was glorified in the pages of Amar Bois –

the struggles and successes of our war, the price of our brothers’ blood, the power of our mothers’ tears.

And yet, despite the very moving anecdotes and details of how each mother’s heart broke with the death of each martyr, somehow, the real history slipped through the cracks. Somehow, an entire generation remains clueless

and confused, unable to differentiate February 21 from December 16, the freedom of language from freedom of state.

Some could (and I would) argue that there shouldn’t be any difference – the sacrifice is similar and so they should be celebrated and remembered the same. But that’s a different argument. The question still remains the same: why is the youth so confused about our different historical landmarks?

Our education system wasn’t helpful. Most of our history was taught through anecdotes in Amar Boi, while our history books told – painfully irrelevant – stories of time periods that we neither understood

nor cared for as teenagers. It was about Europe, and had nothing to do with Shaheed Minar or Smritishoudho or the Liberation War Museum here in Dhaka.While this may be changing, given many schools are beginning to teach a more objective and detailed account of the war, as well as the language movement in 1952 and so on, it is important to keep in mind that the girl whose byte went video online, isn’t at fault alone – it’s an entire generation that was taught to glorify blood, the struggle, and all of that without being taught to differentiate one movement from the other. And the onus falls on all of us equally. n

Cartoon: Syed Rashad Imama Tanmoy/Dhaka Tribune

Somehow, an entire generation remains clueless and confused, unable to differentiate February 21 from December 16


independenCe day | PhOTO STORY 9

as we approach the 45th year of independence, we march together as a proud nation of free-thinking people. From climbing mountains, building robots, to hosting world class arts and literature festivals, and of course, etching its name in cricket history, Bangladeshis are making their mark in many different arenas across the globe.

This week’s photo story features celebration of 45 glorious years of freedom.

Celebrating freedom



10 PhOTO STORY | independenCe day

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

Photo: Mehedi Hasan


11




12 LIFeSTYLe | BaChelor woes

“Apu, don’t worry, as long as I’m here and taken care of, you can come in anytime.

I’ll not tell the landlord. You can even bring your friends,” said security guard Abdur Rob, with a suggestive smile.

“Just if you would be kind enough to give me some bakshish,” he added, as a future thought after.

Shamima Akhtar was dumbfounded. This was the fourth house in Adabor that she had been to in search of an apartment. As a single, 26-year-old woman, finding a place to stay in Dhaka turned out to be a perpetual ordeal while travelling back all the way home to Savar a tedious reality.

The first four houses she visited flatly refused upon seeing her, some even refusing to let her into the house on the grounds that she’s a single woman, making their distaste more than clear.

Abdur Rob, the guard from the fourth house, however, was more forthcoming in his approach. Instantly assuming a single woman is looking for privacy and the ability to have the home to herself, he offered her the freedom of “full privacy” as long as his

hunger was left well fed, all with more than obvious underlying meanings of how any dealings were duly “understood.”

“Most landlords don’t even want to give out an apartment to a single girl – they think single girls are just disasters waiting to happen,” she says, adding that they put strict rules on single women, if they allow them to take the house for rent at all.

This includes: not coming in after a certain time (usually after dark), not having any friends or even family over, and never allowing male presence in the house.

“They think a women living by herself is a sign of promiscuity and of course, potential trouble,” says Sarrat Mushtabin, a 25 year old woman who was apartment hunting in the capital’s Bashundhara area late last year.

Known for having ample “hostels” or student housing options, Bashundara landlords are usually more welcoming to female tenants – but only if they live with other flatmates and follow the house-rules that are strict and iron-bound.

“My father was in the defense sector and that’s how I was able to give myself

some credibility when introducing myself to my Bashundhara landlord,” she explains, adding that she was lucky enough to be allowed by her parents to move out of their home. “I was working alongside studying at AIUB and I wanted to live independently.”

Bumped up – and down Mushtabin belongs to a small group of women who just want to live separately from their parents, while most singles who look for housing are usually those who come to the capital from out of town in search of work or to pursue an education. For them, the landlords aren’t as welcoming.

“They usually don’t prefer to rent out their houses to bachelors,” says Rajesh Grover, Co-Founder and Regional Managing Director, lamudi.com.bd, a Rocket Internet venture that helps people in the property market to find their ideal home, land or commercial property. According to Grover, the stigma and obstacles bachelors face is predominantly because of two aspects – financial and cultural.

“Families are more reliable as tenants – they have a good, stable

income and can prove to be long-term investments. Bachelors are more prone to bringing unwanted attention to an apartment, as you expect them to make more noise, have more guests over and lead a much more free-independent life that may not be to everyone’s liking,” he adds.

However, Grover argues that the stigma of being single and living by yourself is less in affluent areas such as Banani, Gulshan and Baridhara. With rent in these areas running extremely high, only someone who can afford it will rent a place here, which validates claims of financial stability of the tenants.

This reporter called eight landlords from listings available at AnyTolet.com, a property portal website, inquiring about housing for bachelors. Interestingly, six out of eight landlords refused to house singles, while one said he would consider it, given the tenants background and situation while one agreed more easily. The landlord for a three bedroom house at Hathirjheel’s Badda area, priced at Tk5,500 per month on the website instantly bumped up the rent to Tk11,00 upon hearing that a single woman was

Photos: Bigstock

Single in the cityThe unbreakable commandments of apartment rentingN Anita Amreen


13

interested. He also mentioned that no men are to be allowed in the apartment, with gates closing at 11pm every night.

It was seen that bachelors, especially those looking for modestly priced housing, were subject to stricter rules and higher rent than families. However, Grover argues that it isn’t always the money that is the issue. While some landlords bump up the rent or security deposit for bachelors because they don’t find them as reliable, others, often reduce the rent.

“We’ve seen cases where, when we find a really good family that wants to take a house on rent, landlords cut down on rent because they know those families will be stable tenants that will take good care of the house,” he adds.

“My landlord would always charge us unfairly for water and electricity bills, just because it was four female housemates in one house and he thought that immediately meant we used more water,” says 26-year-old model and medical student Fareen*.

Living in Dhandmondi’s Shankar area with flatmates who study at State University, Fareen never got a chance to look at the monthly bills because their landlord would refuse to show it to them. Instead, he’d claim an amount and they had to pay because they weren’t sure how to go against his claim or oppose his authority.

“The reason we don’t live in hostels is so that we are able to host our parents when they come to Dhaka from out of town – but even that I was deprived of,” she adds. Fareen moved

out of the apartment six months ago, unable to deal with the continuous and unfair harassment and accusations that came her way. Currently living in Niketan with a three other housemates, Fareen pays higher rent but is able to move more freely since her housemates have a good rapport with their landlord.

The other sideKazi Farhan Zaman* moved from Chittagong to Dhaka three years ago to find work in the capital. The 29-year-old wanted to tap into the niche, but thriving need for “poker houses” in Dhaka. As a bachelor in the city, it was hard if not impossible to explain to landlords what exactly he did.

“Telling a landlord you want to manage a ‘poker house’ is like digging yourself a grave, they’ll slam you down before you even get a chance to speak,” he says. Looking for affordable yet quality housing in Dhaka’s Bashundhara turned into a headache, with most landlords refusing to let their houses to a single man. When Zaman finally found housing, he hid his true identity and lied to his landlord, saying he worked as a “business analyst.”

Finding housing itself was “a relief” but the rules that came with it were “suffocating and frustrating.” The rules were simple but iron bound – no women can be brought home, no loud music and absolutely no entering the house after 11pm.

There are scores of other singles – both men and women who grapple with the challenges of finding housing

in the capital. When looked at from the other end of the spectrum, landlords admit that they are least comfortable with renting out their houses to bachelors.

“Bachelors are a liability. In a country that’s as unstable and unsafe as ours, it’s only natural we don’t want to allow bachelors to stay in our house,” says Afzulur Abedin, 56-year-old landlord of a Tk14,000/month apartment in Adabor. His family’s wellbeing and safety would be threatened if there’s a single man living alone, he says.

“I live with my daughters, how can I allow a single man to live in my building?” he adds.

While it does seem like it’s the men that struggle more, what’s interesting is the stigma and harassment single women face when trying to look for housing. “There were times when I’d see the to-let sign, and when we’d try to step in to see the apartment, the guards themselves would refuse to let us in,” claims Saudia Afrin.

Afrin, along with two of her female friends, faced this when they were looking for housing since their work was too far away from home.

While both men and women face similar problems when it comes to finding housing, the rudest shock came to 28-year-old Khandkar Tahmidur* when his landlord asked him not to get out of the house wearing shorts.

“He said it went against ‘our culture’ and Islam,” he says. Now, Tahmidur makes sure he wears full pants every time he steps out of his house, so as not to get on the bad books of his landlord.

Some room for hopeToday, AnyTolet.com has 189 listings in Dhaka, with 10 sub categories, but none for a bachelor. The categories include bachelor mess, family houses, female mess, sublet, garage, office,

shop, Warehouse, factory and “others”. “Others” includes five listings. One for a Tk1,20,000 rent house in Baridhara DOHS, a commercial building in Karwan Bazar for Tk2,10,000, a 600 sq ft pharmacy for rent, a fully furmished apartment in Banani for Tk80,000 and finally, a 2550sq ft “godown” for Tk30,600. Clearly, there are no listings for singles alone.

“As an owner, I have no issues with bachelors be it a woman or a man,” says Kazi Arif Hossain, the landlord of a 1182sp ft apartment priced at Tk16,500 in Kallanpur. “As long as the surrounding society or apartment holders make no complains and have no issues, I more than welcome bachelors.”

Arif credits this open-mindedness to his past experiences. As a bachelor himself, he often struggled to find housing, being treated unfairly by landlords and neighbours, finding it difficult to adjust with the 11pm deadlines imposed on him by his landlord. “If I got out late from work and didn’t make it by 11pm, I was stranded on the streets,” he adds.

Three years ago he moved out twice, finally finding housing in Mirpur DOHS where timings are more flexible, and he’s finally able to live independent of restrictions. “I know the struggle bachelors face and that’s why I make it a point to be more welcoming to them. It’s my first hand experience that has made me more understand these struggles, he says.

“I just hope the stigma and the stubborn mindset surrounding singles are slowly changed so that we are allowed to really be able to move and live as freely as we should be,” he concludes.

*These names have been changed in order to maintain confidentiality of the sources n

It was seen that bachelors, especially those looking for modestly priced housing, were subject to stricter rules and higher rent than families


14 YOuTh | self-relianCe

92% of the respondents live with parents

60% said that they hate cooking.

56% of the respondents do their own chores

48% do not depend on their parents to take them to the doctor

72% of the repondents are depend on their parents to pay their bills

56% are well versed about banking

40% claim that they were never asked do grocery shopping

68% repondents claim to help their parents financially

80% know how to change a light bulb

80% of the respondents can drive

60% of the respondents can change the tyres on their own

92% have taken the public bus on their own

64% said they don’t have the emergency contact information for fire service,

ambulance and police

64% of the respondents do not have a source of income

92% of the respondents live with parents

68% said that they help their mothers with cooking

36% of the respondents do their own chores

76% depend on their parents to take them to the doctor

72% of the repondents are do not depend on their parents to pay their bills

48% are well versed about banking

64% claim that they were never asked do grocery shopping

84% repondents claim to help their parents financially

52% know how to change a light bulb

64% of the respondents can not drive

88% of the respondents can not change the tyres on their own

64% have taken the public bus on their own

80% said they don’t have the emergency contact information for fire service, ambulance and police

72% of the respondents do not have a source of income

FEMALEMALE

**There were a total of 100 male respondents and 100 female respondents from both English and Bengali medium backgrounds. All of the respondents were aged between 20-25 years.

Young and independent how independent are the youth of the Bangladeshi middle-class? Raisa Rahim, Tahsin Momin and Moumita Ahmed

If we are to analyse our nation’s political history very carefully, we can clearly see that we have progressed very far as a

country. It has been 45 years since the declaration of independence, and it is safe to say that Bangladeshis have been successful in keeping that spirit alive till date.

However, on a personal level, especially for the young generation, it has been observed that they do not know the significance of the notion that took place 45 years ago. It may be difficult to admit that today’s college students still do not know the true

meaning of liberation. Recently, Dhaka Tribune

conducted a survey on the young, “independent” generation of private university students of Bangladesh in order to investigate how self-supported we really are as individuals. The survey consisted of a set of questions which helped us determine the competency and self-sufficiency of the youth. A group of males and females, aged between 21-25, participated in the survey.

From the responses, it appears that most young people seem to be dependent on their parents or

guardians. As a consequence, most of them

fail to do their own chores, visit the doctor on their own, help with the bills, etc. Ashraf, a student at North South University, had to pay his tuition fees for the first time in his two years of university. As he is used to his father paying the fees every semester, when it was time for him to pay his fees for the first time, he ended up paying a fine due to a miscalculation. It was also seen that most of the students barely had any idea about banking, let alone having a savings account in the bank.

Most of them seemed to know how to drive and even have their own vehicle, but if there was a situation where their car or bike broke down on a deserted road, would they be able to fix it themselves? It was seen from the survey that they don’t know how to change a tyre, or would not know whom to call in that situation (other than their parents).

Overall, it appears from the survey, that a large portion of the youth always have to turn to their parents or guardians to deal with problems, that can otherwise easily be solved on their own. n


self-relianCe | haCkS 15

how can we grow self-sustaining habits?Raisa Rahim

Shafaya is a 19-year-old who lost her way back home from the grocery store. Silly, it may seem, however, to many like

her, it is devastating as it is the first time she is living on her own, doing her own chores and finding her way back home. As her parents’ only child, Shafaya has always been protected and provided for all her needs. She never even had to make her own bed until her parents got divorced and she had to move to Dhaka alone for her studies. “It is frustrating to have to live on your own. But I had to learn to be independent, the hard way unfortunately,” she reckons. When left on her own, Shafaya was forced to live a life free from, the safety net of caretakers.

Are we to blame Shafaya or the likes of her for such dependency issues? It is our societal culture that forces us to remain in an infantile state. From making the bed to doing the dirty laundry, teens depend on either their dear mothers or the house help. If they are to go to the dentist for regular check up, the parents tag along; even outside schools, many women are seen sitting under the scorching sun waiting for the last period bell to ring. These practices have restrained children at a growing age from being self-directed in terms of emotions, acts and thoughts.

The initiative of being autonomous enacted from both parties – teens and their parents.

It is, as of date, very crucial that children as they grow into teenagers, become autonomous. Being autonomous refers to the act of teenagers being independent of their parents. No, it does not mean you leave home and make your own living. It simply corresponds to teens becoming independent emotionally, grow the ability to make wise decisions on your own, and develop your own principles and beliefs. It is very important that both parents and their loved ones figure out a new relationship which helps teenagers become more mature and learn to do certain things on their own, such as taking care of the bills, cooking food and for others, doing groceries, changing the bulb, etc.

These tasks may sound trivial for one, especially when you know that your parents have been doing them for you since your birth. However, encouraging teens to grow the habit of participating in such tasks will only end up propagating a sense of responsibility in them thus, turning them into mature beings.

Like Shafaya, one day you might be left to do things all on your own and take responsibilities. Better be prepared than pressured. n

Fill in those shoesHow about we get rid of the habit of waking our parents to prepare us breakfast or tiffin for school. Here are some simple snack and breakfast ideas for the school goers with which you can not only make yourself a healthy, filling breakfast but also make your parents proud. Let’s take one step at a time towards being independent.

QuesadillaWhat you need to do first is take two flour tortillas (flatbread); you can also use regular haat roti that you can make at home. Grate 1/2 cup of deshi paneer and cut several thin slices of green apple. That’s basically all you need. Now place an even player of the grated paneer on of the tortillas, scatter the apple slices on top of the cheese and top with the other remaining tortilla. You can have it for breakfast or wrap it in foil paper to take to school.

Pop-ToastTake two pieces of whole wheat bread, one teaspoon of softened butter and jam. Start by buttering both pieces of bread, then spread the jam over the butter, put some freshly cut fruits like apple, banana, our local tart strawberries etc, and top it with the remaining piece of bread. Wrap the sandwich in cellophane paper and toss it in your backpack.

Microwaved scrambled eggsFor this simple snack, you will need to beat two eggs in a microwave-safe container and add veggies like cherry tomatoes and spinach leaves, or, if you prefer, steamed veggies and cheese. Combne the ingredients together with a fork, and then cook for 30 seconds until the egg mixture is solid. You can put it in a container and take it to school or store the raw mixture in the fridge to eat it later.

Apps to the rescueBuy Me a Pie! (For making grocery list)Mint Bills (It stays on top of your bills proactively monitoring your bank accounts and credit cards, all in one place), chaldaal.com (To help you buy groceries online)

What’s cookin’

Simple hacksYour mother is perhaps exhausted from cooking you that delicious savoury of hers. You can spare her from the challenge of removing that stubborn stain on your clothe by following these simple hacks, to make her life simpler. Here’s how you can remove different kinds of stains.

Ink stains Soaking the fabric with milk over night will do the trick. You’ll need to wash it the next morning. Also, you can pour a thick mixture of salt and water and dab with a wet paper towel. Then, remove the towel and brush off the salt. However, you may need to repeat the process until the stain if lifted. Correction Fluid Unfortunately, if you stained your clothe with a petroleum-based correction fluid, scratch off as much as possible with a coin or your fingernail. After the excess has come off, apply a citrus-base cleaner to dissolve the stain.

Glue If you end up staining your clothe with tougher glues, like super glue, rub acetone with with an old toothbrush to remove the hardened layers. To be on the safe side, rub acetone on the back side of your stain. Rinse well and toss it in the wash.

Spots, spatters and splotches If you catch your stain soon enough but it’s a long way home, just wet the fabric so it doesn’t set. Once you get access to the aforementioned ingredients, follow the steps and beat that stubborn stain.Photo: Bigstock


At this point, your daughter has only a vague notion of what it means to have a sibling. You must start

introducing the concept to her at every opportunity, in order to prepare her for the eventuality. Let her watch TV shows and read books geared towards her age group that will help explain the concept in simple terms. Also narrate the day’s events as they will be when a new baby is in the house, with an emphasis on the fact that her sibling will become her friend and playmate soon. If you try and make it seem like a wonderful and welcome change, your daughter will be more receptive to the idea. Of course, that does not make it easy when the baby does arrive. Your

daughter will feel neglected and will desire more time and attention from you. It will be challenging but make sure to incorporate her into activities with the baby, such as fetching toys and diapers. And try to spend at least an hour or two with her every day without the baby around so she does not feel as though she’s losing you. The only way to arm yourself is with love and patience. n

16 DRaMa MaMa | dina soBhan

Controlled chaosMy three-year-old niece has just started to colour on walls. I am of the opinion that this is a time

to start teaching her not to vandalise property, but her mother (my sister) accuses me of trying to stifle her child’s creativity. I don’t want to dis-invite them to my house simply to protect my walls. Please tell me there’s a good middle ground we can meet at.

Your niece is old enough to know right from wrong and that other people and their property should be treated

with respect. Children are at their most malleable during these early years, and they require boundaries in which to grow and flourish in the right direction. Mothers mistake discipline for punishment, and have a hard time understanding the difference and teaching their children how to channel their instincts in a productive manner. Your sister will have a lot more to deal with when her

daughter gets older if she does not begin to teach her these important lessons now.

Your niece’s creativity should be explored, but not at the expense of your interior décor. While it is not

your role to discipline her per se, you can certainly steer her in the right direction. When she attempts to deface your walls on her next visit, gently tell your niece that you like your walls the colour they are,

and provide her with a large sheet of paper and tell her to draw something that you can hang on your wall instead.

I’m three months pregnant with my second child. My firstborn is a needy three-year-old who’s already starting to show her displeasure at the prospect of having to share attention. My relatives suggested that I try to prepare her for the news by telling her she will have a new plaything, but

she destroys her toys, so I’m not sure that’s a good idea. How do I arm myself for what I can see could be an epic saga of sibling rivalry?

Dina Sobhan is a free-lance writer, a part-time counsellor and a full-time mom


Clay arT | CRaFT 17

More than mudUntold tales in terracotta Mahmood Sadi

Pablo Picasso, as much of a genius and eccentric he was, made a frantic decision in 1947 to quench his eonian

artistic thirst. Already world famous for his

paintings, and with his notorious Blue, Rose and Cubism periods behind him, Picasso, aged almost 65, started to learn the art of clay sculpting from scratch.

Why? Simply because he visited a pottery and ceramics exhibition that had him so enchanted by the strength and possibilities of this media, that he asked to be introduced to the artists to see their work in action.

So the great artist left Paris, and headed

to the Madoura pottery village in southern France to take up an apprenticeship in pottery and clay work, in the small Cote d’Azur town of Vallauris. Picasso lived for seven years with Francoise Gilot, the 41 years old artist and his junior, and experimented with everything that the ‘textbook’ of clay sculpting had and hadn’t. The rest is history!

So to speak, ‘almost’ the same thing happened with Niaz Majumdar, a Delhi-based artist born to a migrated Banladeshi couple. He had completed all his academic degrees and studies on painting and printmaking in India.

Dyring his years as a student in Visva Bharati, Santiniketon, he was

very lucky and privileged to have printmaking maestros like Somnath Hore, Shorbori Ray as his mentors and Majumdar learned the art of printmaking well, as his critics had opined on numerous occassions.

But during that time, the legendary artist K G Suramanyan was also experimenting and perfecting his mesmerising works on terracotta (a form of clay scuplture) at the Visva Bharati premises. Majumder observed his work and became interested in the medium. He started working on clay sculpting, especially on creating terracotta.

The results of his new found love and devotion are some of best

terracottas that have been created in modern times.

“I, as an artist, is nomadic

by nature, Majumder, a

middle-aged

gregarious man who has long been famous for his printmaking skills, admitted to this correspondent recently during an informal meeting over a cup of coffee. And my nomadic nature somehow blends well with the clay sculpting.”

He said that to perfect his craftsmanship and to bring dexterity in shaping clay to sculptures he used to visit several ‘pal paras’ (potter’s village). “I mixed with them, took lessons on how to work with clay and potter’s wheel. I saw and learned how niftily they carved out different shades and shapes out of that ordinary clay,” said the artist.

Majumder said that he has been fascinated by the adhesive force and viscosity of the clay as an artistic medium. “Especially, shaping pictures in clay or creating terracotta makes me feel like that I am carving a little nature in my whole little niche. I mold my grief, my joys, my sorrow and happiness in clay,” he said.

Working within the realm of figurative clay, he used abstract and stylised symbols and motives in cooperation to embellish both his sculptural and utility forms. He is intrigued by the sculptural contrast between closed and open forms, and firing effects on exposed and shadowed clay surfaces.

Majumder said that he enjoyed playing with impressions of

volume and movement, having the advantage

of expressing in three dimensions

even though he uses the

clay burned plaque as his canvas.

About some of his best works, he

mentioned his terracotta

works of three series - Sompur

Bihar series, Fishermen Community

series and Study series - which he had created in a potter’s

house at Shariatpur district in two years.

Seven terracotta works under the Sompur Bihar series, follows the style of the historical artifacts of Shompur Bihar in Paharpur in Naogaon district

in Bangladesh, which is among the best known Buddhist temples in the Indian Subcontinent. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

“The Sompur Bihar inspires me as the origin of lives and livings, history and tradition of Bangladeshi people and Bangladesh,” said the artist.

He himself however considers his Fishermen Community series as the best one. It reflected the artist’s memories in the coastal Indian city Kerala while teaching at the Kerala University, 20 years ago.

Those terracotta works on fishermen community addressed Majumdar’s fascination and involvement with the marine life. His works, therefore, becomes narratives of the stories of pains and pangs of fishermen and fisherwomen. Even the titles of the works are revealing, such as, Fisherman of Kovalam, Fisherwoman of Kovalam, Mourning Fisherwoman, Condolence, and Condolence Meeting.

“I tried to capture the life of the fishermen’s community in my terracotta which is full of uncertainties, full of expectations met and unmet,” he said. n


18 STaY IN

S u d o k u

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

ACROSS1 Hidden, finished in hollow court

(6)6 Greek god, it is in bronze (5)7 Untruth in an extraterrestrial (5) 8 Witness, witnessed playground

ride (6)

DOWN2 Not in silhouette summary (7)3 Country moved into sea (7)4 Let gin cocktail give a thrill (6)5 Get around near skip (6)

Last

wee

k’s

solu

tion

s

Clues

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

Mini crypticshoroscopes

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19) - You may need to convince yourself that you have what it takes to succeed this week. The reason is that a splendid alignment of energies midweek could see you just getting on with it.

Taurus (Apr 20-May20 ) - What your friends say may count for a lot this week, which is why you shouldn’t pay too much attention.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) - A positive blend of energies at the top of your chart could see you making a special effort to realise a goal or dream.

Cancer (June 21-Jul22) - There’s so much to explore that you could be occupied for hours on end with all the information and opportunities you uncover.

Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22) - You could be a big spender this week. You may not be satisfied with small luxuries and feel the urge to splurge on something big and expensive.

Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22) - You may find other people to be quite distracting this week, particularly if you’re very excited about a project.

Libra (Sep 23-Oct22)- A major focus on your zone of work and lifestyle could see you inventing all kinds of reasons not to get on with deadlines or other important activities.

Scorpio (Oct23-Nov21) - Money, or the lack of it, could be the reason that you need to cut back on leisure activities or social events. Sagittarius (Nov22-Dec 21) - It might seem like you’re in the hot spot and that the buck stops with you in the week ahead.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan19) - You’ll need to keep your wits about you this week, as someone could appear charming yet try to pull the wool over your eyes.

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18) - While it’s great to be generous, you may find that others are starting to take advantage of your kindly nature, which might leave you wondering how to respond.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20) - All eyes are on you, as you seem to be the flavour of the week! While others might enjoy your company, you could have mix opinions about it.

aCrOss5 Sounds like sick bird

is against the law (7)6 I am back in

the Spanish communication (5)

9 QE2 home new in words (7)

DOwN1 Hold down centre of

backbone (3)2 Lion may switch payments to

spouse (7)3 Not for win in a street (7)4 Winged insect and what it

does (3)7 Number contained at work

(3)8 Big boat without light,

heading off (3)


GO OuT 19

Weekly Planner Mar 25Food | Lime and Thyme Steak Festival – 2nd Wave! When 1pm-11pmWhere Lime And Thyme, Road-08, House-24, Block-F, Banani, 1213 Dhaka, BangladeshWhat Due to overwhelming participation and love by the customers in the first ever Steak Festival, Lime and Thyme is arranging the second edition of their popular festival. This time, their signature Salmon steak will be a new addition to their menu. On top of that, more than 10 drinks and smoothies are on the table too. Their service will be on first come first serve basis.

Mar 26Poetry | Courting Haiku: The

Quamrul Hassan WayWhen 11:30am Where Red Shift Coffee Lounge,Bays Galleria, 5th floor, 57 Gulshan Avenue, 1212 Dhaka, What Poetry enthusiasts are invited to participate in a session titled’Courting Haiku’, led by Quamrul Hassan. Spend the morning at an interactive event exploring the beauties of the Japanese Haiku form of poetry.

Entry fee is Tk230 redeemable for coffee/beverages.

Mar 25-27Art | Out of The Box 6 ExhibitionWhen 3pm-8pm Where Dhaka Art Center, House 60, Road 7/A, Dhanmondi, Dhaka.What Drik Gallery welcomes you all to the 6th yearly contest and

exhibition of TTL ‘Out of the Box’.Like every year they have

received thousands of entries for the contest and awards will be declared during the exhibition.

This year the exhibition will feature imagination and creativity in three categories: single photo, portfolio/story and mobile phone photo.

For each category there will be four awards including honourable mentions and one grand award for the best of the show sponsored by Sony Alpha.

You are cordially invited to the exhibition.

Mar 28Food | Shadhu ShombaarWhen 6pm-10pm Where Jatra Biroti, 60 Kemal

Ataturk Ave, 1213 Dhaka, BangladeshWhat Forget everything you think you know about plant based foods and visit Shadhu Shombaar (formerly known as Mongolmoy Monday) launch at Jatra Biroti, to get a proper introduction! From March 28, every Monday evening, Obhoyaronno and Jatra Biroti will be offering you tasty, innovative, exciting vegan menus to give your tummy and soul a much needed break. Eat to your heart’s content, listen to Shayan’s soulful music and learn all about eating foods that are kind to you, the animals and the planet.

The menu will include: palak alu biryani, veg kofta, jhingey posto, daal, steamed rice, vegan chocolate covered caramel balls.

Mar 25-27Art | Water Colour Workshop by Liza’s Brushes

When 10am-8:30pm Where Leela, 60E Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani. 3rd Floor, Dhaka 1213.What Leela is happy to bring you the first of the monthly workshops with Liza.The schedule: 25th March: 10am-12pm26th March: 6:30pm-8:30pm27th March: 6:30pm-8:30pmThe workshop will feature artwork done with water colour only. The instructor, Liza, will work on the techniques and also cover a short history of watercolour. Liza will provide the colours,

brushes, papers, boards, and palettes and other tools needed for the class.

Participants must be aged 16 and above. The charge for the three day workshop is Tk5000. You are requested to pay on the 25th. Please register your name and phone number at [email protected]; they will send you a conformation mail.

Seats are limited at only 15 participants for the session

For more information, visit - http://lizasbrushes.tumblr.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/lizasbrushes/timeline

Mar 25Film | Red Shift Presents Disney Friday

When 3:30pmWhere Red Shift Coffee Lounge. Location: Radius Centre, 5th Floor, Bay’s Galleria, 57 Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan, Dhaka. What The first movie is Alice in Wonderland at 3:30pm Followed, after a short break by the second movie, Cinderella at 5:30pm.

These two films are of course among the most celebrated of Walt Disney’s animated movies and they retell some favourite children’s stories in the incomparable Disney style.

(The seating area will be arranged on the floor so please bring cushions if you wish)


While I’m wondering about what to write this week, my gaze drifts to the little

sleeping person next to me, and there’s a little foot sticking out of the blanket. I look from toe to toe and stop at the fourth. It was unnaturally curved to one side (left foot, so it curved right towards the big toe). The other foot was the same!

After a few seconds of silent retrospection, I laughed because I remembered where I’d seen the ‘origin’ of the curvy toe – The Husband. The fourth toes of his feet were curved in exactly the same way!

It got me thinking about all the things that our parents have passed onto us, and what we, inadvertently, passed onto little Jellybean.

Starting with looks, my sister and I look nothing alike. I am apparently a spitting image of my mum, just darker and I inherited my father’s dimples. My sister on the other hand, looks a lot like my dad, got his nose, but is very fair-complexioned. I used to be very

skinny until Jellybean happened and now I resemble my mum more than ever, extra weight and all. My sister was always shaped like a twig, and it is only now that she filled out a bit (it’s the age I say) and doesn’t look like a bony teenager anymore.

As for The Husband and his brother, one can tell that they are brothers, yet with some stark differences. The Husband might be fairer in complexion, but my brother-in-law is taller. They both have the trademark stick-out ears though, which they inherited from my father-in-law. My brother-in-law and mother-in-law have almost matching feet, while The Husband’s hands and feet are totally different and match neither parent. But one thing that runs strongly within all the men in my father-in-law’s family is that they all end up looking the same after a certain age. They gain weight, become all plump and rounded-off, and lose their hair. I can already see this happening to The Husband. My once fine and strapping young spouse – so sporty and muscular – has slowly migrated to the

other side and gone all squishy and paunchy.

Personality-wise, I probably carry traits of both my parents, but am in vehement denial of it. My sister took on the short temper of both parents, is very frank and outspoken. I’m a bit more reserved and more the “silent anger” type. But one thing my sister and I have in common is our sense of humour and wackiness – which we didn’t inherit from either parent!

The Husband is a very good mix of his parents when it comes to personality, he is very protective and responsible like my father-in-law, but also very short-tempered like my mother-in-law. My brother-in-law is quiet and keeps to himself, but is as stubborn as a mule, something which he didn’t get from my parents-in-law. My mother-in-law says that he turned out more like her younger brother, our beloved Ron-Ron (or Non-Non as Jellybean calls him).

Now we come to little Jellybean herself. Despite being such a concoction of personalities, some

things stand out like a fog light on a dark night. As I have mentioned many times before, Jellybean looks just like her father. However she did get a few things from me. She doesn’t have curly hair like mine, but it’s thin, straight and dark brown like my side of the family. Her eyes aren’t big and dark brown like mine, or slightly slanted and honey-brown like her father’s, rather they turned out dark and almond-shaped. The Husband has a sharp and high-bridged nose, and mine is snub and goes wide when I smile. But Jellybean’s nose is neither sharp nor snub, but something in between, with almost triangular nostrils. Her hands and feet turned out just like The Husband, which means we outgrow shoe sizes twice a year!

Then there’s her personality, such a mix! She inherited the short temper from her lineage, and is equally stubborn as her uncle. She has a love for song and dance like her aunt, and a cheeky sense of humour, which I proudly claim is from me. She acts like a grown up in a little body, and yet seeks approval and attention like most children do. At different times I see different people in her, snippets of different individuals displaying different emotions. It feels wonderful to experience that, and I can’t wait to see how she develops further.

One day I was telling The Husband how Jellybean sometimes eats another kid’s tiffin at school. The Husband’s eyes widened and he started chuckling. When I asked what was so funny, he informed me that he used to do the same when he was in school.

You know how they say that, “The apple does not fall far from the tree”? Well in Jellybean’s case, the apple didn’t fall from the tree at all! n

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

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

Of apples and oranges

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Minu Ahmed

Weekend 483

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