Weekend 233

vol 3 Issue 23 | FRIDAY, oCT 2 , 2015 Dhaka Tribune

8 DhAkA hoTspoTs 14 RoCkNATIoN

2015 16 lIsTologYTRAvellINg

Dear Readers,

With Eid just behind us, some of us are still in that coming-out-of-the-holiday mode. With the start of the daily grind right in front of us, we’re easing into October with a slightly more leisurely Weekend.

Kicking off with an interview with Maliha Mannan Ahmed, founder of the Meena Herbal cosmetics brand, we explore the rise and rise of our homegrown organic beauty products.

The famed folk drama Behular Lachari continues on its journey through Bangladesh, and we follow in its wake.

Our photo story this week takes a look back at Qurbani Eid in all its glory.

For those with a few days left before real life resumes, we’ve got lists on travelling, cultural hotspots and more.

Finally, relive the music and the magic of 2015’s Rocknation concert.

Here’s wishing you a grand week ahead.Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu

Editor’s note

Questions? Comments? Send them to [email protected]

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, OCTOBER 2, 2015

1CONTENTS

Volume 3 | Issue 23 | Oct 2, 2015

EditorZafar Sobhan

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Asst Magazine EditorFarina Noireet

Weekend Tribune TeamSaudia Afrin

Moumita AhmedFaisal MahmudSakib MridhaSaqib Sarker

Syeda Samira SadequeShuprova Tasneem

ContributorsMahmud Hossain Opu

Dina Sobhan

CartoonistsPriyo

GraphicsMd Mahbub Alam

Tahsin Momin

AdvertisementShahin Ahsan

ProductionMasum Billah

CirculationMasud Kabir Pavel

Websitedhakatribune.com/weekendfacebook.com/WeekendTrib

Email your letters to:[email protected]

BuSiNESS COluMbus COffee

20

News 2 News

3 Meanwhile

FeatuRes 8 Culture

Dhaka hotspots

12 Travel

In and about Dhaka

14 Event

RockNation 2015

16 Listology

Travelling

RegulaRs15 Tough Love

18 Stay in

19 Go Out

4

CuLTurE AN ANCIeNT fOlk TRADITION

PhOTO STOryQuRbANI eID

6

9

iNTErviEw MAlIHA MANNAN

AHMeD


2 NEwS | This week

Pope ends US visit with stern wordsPope Francis has returned to Rome after a six-day tour in the US. During the visit, he ruffled Republican feathers by praising Obama’s focus on the environment and urging the international community to take urgent actions on climate change. The 78-year-old pontiff also offered strong words of support to Hispanic and other immigrants in the States, referring to himself as “the son of immigrants”, and asked Congress to reject a hostile mindset towards

them.Pope Francis also called for a global abolition on the death penalty, and spoke harsh words against the global economic order at the UN General Assembly, stating that boundless thirst for wealth and power is destroying the Earth’s resources and aggravating poverty. He ended his trip with visiting victims of abuse by Catholic priests and vowing to punish sex abusers. Photo: Reuters

The world at a glance Weekend Tribune Desk

Volkswagen emissions scandal can cost over $6.5 billion

Russia has launched its first airstrikes on Thursday against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, according to US officials. Earlier on Wednesday, Russian parliament granted Vladimir Putin permission to deploy the military for bombing raids in Syria. The development came amid reports that President

Assad had formally requested Russian military support.The air strikes targeted northern areas in the Homes countryside. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 27 people were killed, including six children, while dozens were wounded. Photo: Reuters

Volkswagen AG has admitted to using a piece of engine software to cheat on diesel car emissions tests in the US. Germany’s transport minister says it also manipulated tests in Europe, where Volkswagen sells about 40 percent of its vehicles.About 11 million vehicles were fitted with software capable of cheating emissions tests, including 5 million at its VW brand, 2.1 million at luxury brand Audi, 1.2 million at Skoda and 1.8 million light commercial vehicles. The company has promised to refit

up to 11 million vehicles installed with the “cheat” software in one of the biggest such recalls by a single automaker, a move which some analysts have said could cost more than $6.5 billion.The company has also promised to submit details to regulators next month, with customers anxious to know whether the mileage and efficiency of their vehicles will be affected. Car manufacturers are worried the crisis could lead to more costly regulations and hit sales of diesel cars.Photo: Yonhap/EPA

Islamic militant group Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for killing an Italian national in Dhaka’s Gulshan area on Monday night.

Cesare Tavella was shot dead by three unidentified assailants who purused him on a motorcycle. The killers fled the scene after one of them shot Tavella thrice. He was taken to United Hospital by a car driver, Mohammad Bilal, where he was pronounced dead.

Tavella had been working as the project manager of PROOFS (Profitable Opportunities for Food Security) at the Netherlands-based development organisation ICCO cooperation since May. ICCO

Country Representative Hellen Vander Beek filed a case with Gulshan police station on Monday, and the case was handed over to the Detective Branch (DB).

Meanwhile, the UK government has issued an alert for its citizens living in Bangladesh, and asked its citizens to remain vigilant in the wake of threat from terrorists. The Australian cricket team has also delayed its planned departure to Bangladesh after being warned by its government that there was a potential security risk from militants.Source: Dhaka Tribune

Russia launches first airstrikes against Syrian targets

IS claims responsibility for murder of Italian aid worker


. . . MEaNwhiLE 3

When we think about foods to avoid, most of us will quickly come up with a list that includes things like: candy, doughnuts, soda, and other junk food. These are the easy foods to try and keep out of your diet. Unfortunately, our marketing saavy world has promoted certain foods as health foods, despite their ugly reality. So with that in mind, I’d like to talk about some specific health foods to avoid.

1. SoySoy has been promoted as a health food for a long time. For vegetarians, it is marketed as a source of protein. Many sources have asserted that Asians have been eating lots of soy for millennia. However, the real story behind soy paints a much different picture. Soy is higher in phytoestrogens than just about any other food source. Phytoestrogens are plant-based estrogens that mimic estrogen in our bodies. Independent research has clearly shown that consuming phytoestrogens is downright dangerous for the human body.

2. Agave NectarThis sweetener has been the entire buzz the past few years. Prized as a “low glycemic” miracle, many health conscious people have placed agave in their pantries with a sense of pride. Most agave nectar or syrup is made through a highly chemical process using genetically modified enzymes, caustic acids, and filtration chemicals. Also agave nectar is devoid of virtually all nutrient value.

3. Canola OilPromoted as a “heart healthy” oil, Canola oil is in everything from salad dressing to mayonnaise. No wonder people think it’s healthy. The truth is, like other modern vegetable oils, most canola oil is refined under heat and pressure, which damages its omega-3 fats. Besides, the presence of long-chain fatty acids, including erucic acid, which are thought by some to cause CNS (Central Nervous System) degeneration, heart disease, and cancer.Source: thankyourbody.com

Three healthy foods one should avoid You’re welcome

Photo of the week

New Zealand Denies Jedi Religious RightsNew Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs recently denied a request from the New Zealand Jedi Society for tax-free status, as it is not a religion. According to the Department, Jediism was not “structured, cogent or serious” enough.

The news came as a blow to the 53,715 Jedi Knights who listed Jedi as their religion on the 2001 census in New Zealand. This is more than 1.3 per cent of the total population that year, and considerably more than many other recognised

religions in the country. According to Anthony Bremner

of the New Zealand Jedi Society, the society will renew their request. “Not achieving charity status would be disappointing to those without Jedi training, but disappointment is not a Jedi trait.”

For the uninitiated, the Jedi are an ancient spiritual organisation known for their good deeds and mastery of a mysterious power called the Force in the Star Wars Universe. Source: Washington Post

A mystical full moon peeks through the branches of a date tree in Nolam, Savar

Photo: Sakib Mridha

Say what?


4 iNTErviEw | Maliha Mannan ahMed

Maliha Mannan Ahmed is the founder of Bangladesh’s very first masstige organic

cosmetics brand, Meena Herbal. The brand represents the growing sophistication of local players – not just in more advanced emerging markets such as Brazil and China – but also in smaller markets such as Bangladesh, thus adding an extra layer of competition in the global beauty industry.

In an interview with Euromonitor International, Maliha discusses the competitive landscape in a market such as Bangladesh and what advantages and challenges a brand such as Meena Herbal faces against more well-known global brands as well as regional brands.

Why did you decide to launch Meena Herbal?Meena Herbal was conceived as part of a larger dream. In 2000, we ventured into organic tea plantation. For eco balance preservation, herbal trees were planted as shade trees. Being professionally trained as a medical physician, I was familiar with the health benefits of these herbs, prompting me to experiment by mixing the different herbs to

come up with the first prototypes. We started with a range of traditional herbal facial packs, facial masks and hair packs, which were very well received by the customers. Awareness of “organic” as a way of life was being created at that time and Meena became an integral part of that awareness. As part of being organic, we place an emphasis on ingredients that we don’t use. For example, as a rule we do not use hydroquinone, which is a key ingredient in fairness creams, we do not use formaldehyde or DMDM hydantoin, which are used in shampoos, no steroids (used by many small, local herbal companies), and no dyes that affects the kidneys.

You are present in facial rinse off and have recently entered hair care. Is there any specific reason for concentrating on facial rinse off and hair care?Our strategy is to keep our focus streamlined to be able to concentrate on high-quality product development and remain competitive against our larger rivals. So far our objective has been to specialise in products designed to provide nutrition for skin and hair in the rinse off category. Nutritious herbs like amlaki (Indian Gooseberry), haritaki (Chebulic

Myrobalan), bahera (Belleric Myrobalan), vasaka, henna, neem and tulsi are readily available from our garden and the market for high-standard traditional beauty packs like uptans, chandan (sandalwood), multani mati (Fuller’s earth), neem packs and hair packs made from henna and amla (amlaki) were less saturated in our country, providing us with the perfect opportunity to enter the market. Moreover, what gives us a unique competitive strength in comparison to our larger rivals, in the categories we compete, is the fact that the ingredients are directly from our own garden, thus allowing us to place extra stress on quality and reliability.

Who are your target consumer groups? What was the reason for selecting this target group?We target a diverse group of consumers. Men and women of different age groups use our products. Our traditional powder packs are fast becoming a staple in bridal hampers and festival hampers and are frequently taken abroad by many as indigenous Bangladeshi products. We want to have something for everybody.

What is Meena Herbal’s positioning in terms of price? Why did you choose this specific pricing segment?We are placed in the masstige segment, given we focus on providing high-quality benefit and product experience, but price is one of the most sensitive factors in Bangladesh. Except for the shampoo bottles, we procure all our raw materials from our garden and local market vendors. We have developed an innovative herbal extraction method in our lab and use a variety of these extracts for our shampoos, face wash, ready face packs and scrubs, and keep our formulations as simple as possible. This helps control product manufacturing cost along with ensuring the luxurious feel of them. There are plans to use nut oil/seed oil or essential oil for shampoos and introduce more environmentally friendly packaging that can be recycled.

You carry some cutting-edge innovations that are quite new to even the Western markets, ie conditioning shampoos, face masks etc. What are your inspirations for innovations/product development and

Meena herbal and its local competitive advantagesOru Mohiuddin

Photos: Courtesy


5

eventual launches?Earlier our backward linkage would take us forward. Now we try to bring out niche products that aren’t available in the market. Our uptan, neem face packs, chandan and multani mati actually contain the promised ingredients, unlike many other herbal company products. Maharani face pack is our one-of-a-kind mask, amla hair pack is basically a pack shampoo as well as scalp food. Our Amla shampoo made with amlaki extract was hugely popular and we are in the process of relaunching the range. The most unique products from Meena Herbal in the last four years have been our ready face mask, our hand and foot scrub and body scrub. The ideas are mostly generated from a couple of queries, what does a man or woman want when taking a shower? What would become an essential product in a woman’s toilet bag or cabinet? A person does not always have time to go to a salon or spa, but sometimes really needs a quick fix. So why not set up a range that takes care of the spa services at home and that, too, while we are taking a shower? No extra time is invested to take care of the spa regime!

How important is the digital media in branding/marketing cosmetics in Bangladesh? And what are your strategies for digital marketing?The new generation is hooked on their smartphones and hence digital platform is a key element of marketing. Presence in social media and YouTube are some of the internet portals to create brand buzz and awareness, but, even now, to build the customer base for

a brand like ours, we need direct sampling. Through social media platforms, people will know and talk about us, but product experience is also a must. We continually try to strike an optimal balance between product experience and social media awareness.

From our observations, we see that there are three levels of competition – first it is the global vs regional vs local, secondly regional vs local, and finally local vs local? How would you classify the competitive level in Bangladesh?Bangladeshi consumers give quality precedence. The new generation is more beauty conscious than the previous and are very confident, thus opting on the basis of product offerings and not necessarily just brand familiarity. The multinational global brands are dominating the consumer goods market along with a couple of big local players, but if a smaller local brand has the right product with the right brand strategy then they don’t go unnoticed. Regionally we have a neighbouring country whose advertisements dominate our satellite TV channels and brand familiarity is high, consequently leading to more scope for dealership and distributors, allowing them to penetrate deeper into the market. Local brands do not have the same branding and market development budget as these multinational and regional brands, but they know that if they are able to strategically combine product offerings with the right pricing, there is scope for them to survive the competition.

What would you say are your advantages being a Bangladeshi brand catering to Bangladeshi consumers?As a Bangladeshi brand, marketing only in Bangladesh at the moment puts us in an advantageous position, particularly because our direct competitors operate through dealership and hence their access to consumer feedback is one step removed. Our customers are within our reach, which allows us to study individual SKUs more easily and we can directly access customer needs and wants. We get direct feedback from our customers from various points of sale. Data accumulation is frequently updated and, most

importantly, the various queries and product feedback from our customers help us to introduce new SKUs and tweak our existing range. Nevertheless, Meena Herbal faces competition from brands with much larger resource bases and there are many steep challenges ahead, but we are confident that we have the right strategies and are on the right track and there is ample scope for growth in the future. n

This interview was originally published on September 17, 2015 in the Euromonitor International blog.


6 CuLTurE | an ancienT folk TradiTion

On the last days of the Bengali month of Sraban, the residents of Tangail and Ghatail continue

an ancient tradition of re-enacting the powerful tale of Behula and her journey to rescue her husband from the serpent goddess, Manasa. One of the best loved myths of Bengal, this story is an important part of the local culture and has been immortalised in countless folk dance drama retellings.

During the rainy season, when snakebites are common, the Manasa devotees of Tangail and Ghatail have a festival to please the Serpent Goddess, and reenact the story of Manasa and Behula through folk musical performances called Behular Lachari. Although this epic tale has its roots in Hindu or animist traditions, it has evolved for centuries into becoming a part of Bengali culture. In Tangail, the participants of the festival belong to all the local religious groups, including Muslims, and it has in

essence become a secular cultural tradition. This celebration of Manasa’s authority and Behula’s heroism does not only happen in this area, but all over Bengal, where it has adapted according to local traditions, such as the Poddarnachon in Kushtia.

Behular Lachari for cultural tourismThis festival generally happens in Sraban and on a relatively large scale that involves the whole village. The performers don’t belong to any specific dance/drama group; rather they are just local farmers, shop owners or traditional healers who have been taught by the generations before them to participate in the Behular Lachari. These traditions are passed down orally, and in the modern age, it is at risk of dying out.

For this reason, Shadhona - A Centre for Advancement of Southasian Culture, and Jatrik, a cultural tourism and arts management company, organised

a trip to Tangail on September 18th-19th, to experience the magic of Behula Lachari. This included a curated boat ride where the local troupes performed, as well as a competition between ten different performing groups at the Bhuapara High School in Tangail. The competition was opened by

the Minister for Cultural Affairs, Asaduzzaman Noor MP, and was supported by Green Delta Insurance Co Ltd. The panel of judges included Dr Shamsuzzaman Khan, Director General of Bangla Academy, Professor Jamil Ahmed of the Theatre Department of Dhaka University, Artistic Director of Shadhona Lubna Marium and Md Rezaul Huq Sholok of the Toma Shilpi Goshthi in Kushtia.

Traditionally, the performers float down the rivers and sing and dance on the boats, while the rest of the village watches from the shores or nearby boats. The processions stop at seven banks to perform a Manasa puja, and give offerings to the Serpent goddess. For the boat ride organised by Jatrik and Shadhona, the group was able to stop at one bank to perform the puja, but the rest of the performance was the same as the traditional ones. Women do not generally participate so the female characters were played by men, all of whom were in colourful costumes, and wearing heavy make-up.

The influence of modernity is obvious in the performances themselves, with drums and

Behular LachariA re-enactment of the story of Manasa and behulaShuprova Tasneem

Photo: Najmus Saquib

Photo: Md Mozammel Huq Tetu

Photo: Md Mozammel Huq Tetu


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trumpets accompanying the tabla and harmonium, and the songs being blared over loudspeakers. Despite the heat and noise, the energy and skill of the dancers making their way across the river, enacting a story that has been passed down through generations, was a sight to behold.

Recognition for sustainability of folk arts According to Artistic Director Lubna Marium, it is extremely important to sustain the Behula Lachari traditions, not just in Tangail but all over Bangladesh, in order to keep our secular roots and encourage pluralism.

“Due to increasing division and specialisation of labour in urban societies, life becomes one-dimensional and is narrower in perspective, thus concretising boundaries of identity, caste and class. Life in rural systems is more accommodating and provides space for pluralism. The blurring of

boundaries between Hindu-Muslim during the Behula Lachari is an example of this.”

Although this is a tradition that has gone on for hundreds of years, the scale of the Behula Lachari festival has reduced over time. According to 16 year old Babul, a resident of Bhuapur, “I hear from my father that these dance performances and jatras used to happen here all the time, but I haven’t seen as many, which is why I’m excited to see this competition happening on our school grounds.”

The event was a huge success, and many village members appeared on the school grounds to watch. The judges and guests applauded Shadhona and Jatrik’s efforts to bring the Behula Lachari into the public eye and promote it as a part of our cultural heritage for sustainability.

At the event, Minister Asaduzzaman Noor spoke of his surprise at discovering such a large-scale festival in Tangail, and said

“within an hour of my being here, I was presented with three books of poetry, short stories and research – all written by local residents. This just goes to show the far-reaching effects of the folk tradition here. It is not only a celebration of the myth of Manasa, but a celebration of the arts that has created so many artists, poets and writers in a small town like this, and I hope will continue to do so.”

According to Sadaf Siddiqi, CEO of Jatrik, this is exactly why the event was organised – to showcase how such folk traditions create and sustain a vibrant local culture in all corners of Bangladesh.

“We have been trying to promote our intangible cultural heritage and raise public awareness and government support so that communities can continue to find value in passing down these ancient traditions in the modern age. We want to bring this festival more into the public eye and create incentives

for locals to continue performing the Behula Lachari, and hopefully we can begin to organise such trips throughout the following year, not just for foreign tourists but local ones as well.”

These Jatrik tours will be similar to the ones they organise to experience the local culture in Kushtia, which includes travel and food. For more details, visit www.jatrik.com n

The ancient heroine and her damoiseau in distressManasa, the Serpent Goddess, was not on the best of terms with Chand Saudagar. He was a great devotee of Shiva, but refused to pay homage to Manasa. In her fury, she used her snakes to poison and kill six of Saudagar’s seven sons.

In his final attempt to preserve his last son Lakhindar’s life, Saudagar built an iron-palace, with no hole big enough for a snake to pass through, for Lakhindar and his bride-to-be Behula. However, Lakhindar was betrayed and a tiny hole was built into the structure, and on the night of their wedding, Manasa sent Kalnagini, one of her deadliest snakes, to kill the unfortunate groom.

Kalnagini’s mission was successful and Lakhindar was

killed. Behula became a widow on the same day she became a bride. However, she refused to submit to her fate, and decided to rescue her husband from death. Behula used a banana trunk raft to take the snake-bitten corpse of Lakhindar to Shiva’s abode. She faced a long and difficult journey on the river, but she persisted and impressed with her strength of character and limitless courage, Lakhindar’s life was restored. In return, Chand Sadagar had to acknowledge Manasa’s power and pay homage to her.

Behula’s story is one of the most beloved myths of Bengal, and is a celebration of female strength, both of Behula and the female deity Manasa.

Photo: Md Mozammel Huq TetuPhoto: Tanvir Taolad

Photo: Tanvir Taolad


8 CuLTurE | dhaka hoTspoTs

Last November, on the night when Dhaka was immersed in a nationwide blackout, lights flickered from a

rooftop in a corner in Banani. It was the first day of what has

soon escalated to a social hype and weekend hotspot for the youth and expat community of Dhaka – Jatra Biroti.

“We used a generator to start our programme,” Sabbir, one of the founders and current organisers of the Jatra Biroti events, tells me. “Back then, we thought it was bad luck, but now we realise it was actually good luck – while the whole country was basking in the blackout, we lit up our roof.”

Those lights went a long way. And so began the journey of Jatra Biroti – a space that hosts three-day events every weekend, featuring musicians and artists from various backgrounds. On Thursday nights, they feature local artists performing Bengali music, especially folk music. Friday nights is open-mic, and Saturday night features electro-acoustics.

Over the next few months, the event picked up a lot of hype and became a popular event for many of Dhaka’s youth. Today, organisers Seth Panduranga Blumberg, Anusheh Anadil, Don Donadoni, Zunayed Sabbir Ahmed and Yameen Khan work to arrange a completely unique set every weekend.

A safe space On a good show day, Jatra Biroti hosts close to 150 people. But even the organisers weren’t prepared for such a huge response in such a short time.

“I go there every other week,”

says Karina Zannat, who recently moved to Dhaka from her home in Virginia. “Initially I was attending on Thursday and Friday nights, but now I only attend Thursdays because I’ve realised the Baul “bhaab” nights are the closest to my heart.”

In fact, Jatra Biroti, which had begun as an informal session of musical performances, itself was built over the last year along with the audience, says Anusheh Anadil, founder and CEO of Jatra: A Journey Into Craft, that has provided strategic partnership and a venue for Jatra Biroti.

“We did not expect such a huge audience,” says Anusheh. “Actually that’s one of the reasons why we ticketed the events – to limit the number of people. We can’t fit 200 people on the roof, it’s not safe.”

And yet there are evenings when people line up along the stairs of the four-storied building to get in. This explosion of the crowd says something about Dhaka’s need for an open, safe space.

Anusheh explains: “One of the things I see is a lot of girls smoking – and I see that they feel comfortable in a space like this, where you can be yourself. The crowd Jatra Biroti attracts is not the judgemental kind. We need more spaces to feel comfortable, where you can be yourself – where you can be of any identity.”

Challenges However, challenges remain for the team. With Jatra Biroti completing almost a year since their inception, Anusheh says it is still a struggle to compensate the musicians for their work.

A firm believer in independence of her organisation without the influence of sponsors, Anusheh says she has so far paid the musicians with the money raised through ticket sales only.

“How did musicians make money earlier? Because the audience used to pay for it and musicians made money,” she says. “But these days, because of sponsors, people are getting used to free concerts and aren’t used to paying money for shows anymore. But we need to bring that back.”

But with the money raised through ticket sales only, Jatra Biroti has to pay the musicians they feature, the unlimited chaa and phuchka that comes with the ticket price, the sound and lighting.

“The challenge is to be able to make this work in a way where we can truly compensate the performing musicians for their great work,” says Anusheh.

The journey aheadToday, the Jatra Biroti team has expanded their activities from music to other arenas: films, children’s events, yoga and more.

There are occasional “Movie Nights” that feature amateur or beginner film-makers.

“There are many film-makers who have made movies out of their passion but don’t have any place to screen, and we give them the platform,” says Sabbir.

Additionally, on every first Friday of the month, Jatra Biroti organises a children’s event that features interactive workshops, puppet shows and fun learning activities centered on a certain topic.

The space is further rented out to organisations and movements for hosting their events. But this is available very strictly for organisations whose mission aligns with that of Jatra’s, says Sabbir.

For example, Teach For Bangladesh (TFB) recently held a networking and information event for TFB’s fellowship programme.

“We were looking for a venue that was fun, trendy and easily accessible and Jatra Biroti was perfect for that,” Maimuna Ahmad, founder and CEO of TFB, tells me. “It’s great for casual networking or social events.”

Jatra Biroti may have begun as a safe space open to musicians and artists for various backgrounds – and to rejuvenate Dhaka’s otherwise dull and negative atmosphere, but in its journey of less than a year, it has done much, much more.

“I truly believe Jatra Biroti nights are helping Westernised Bangali youth reconnect with a part of their culture that was often dominated by the imported music culture,” says Karina.

There are bigger – grander dreams for Jatra Biroti – both from the Biroti team, as well as from the audience. Jatra Biroti has so far had an organic growth, and the lights that flickered that November night, foreshadowed the journey ahead – the hope, the light that shines upon Dhaka today.

Karina summarises the spirit of Jatra Biroti in one sentence: “Where else are you going to see toddlers, college students, and impeccably dressed silver haired women in one place tapping their fingers to the beat of the same drum?” n

Jatra Biroti: the lights that shineMusic, lights, and unlimited chaa-and-phuchka – the trinity that brings Dhaka together on the weekends Syeda Samira Sadeque

Photos: Taufiq I Sufi


Qurbani eid | PhOTO STOry 9

Eid madnessPost eid, while most of us are still digesting all the beef we’ve consumed over the past few days, let’s take a moment to look at some incredible moments that capture the fervour of the holiday that is eid-ul-Azha.

Photos: Mahmud Hossain Opu


10 PhOTO STOry | Qurbani eid


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12 TravEL | in and abouT dhaka

A trip back in time to the days of gloryJackie Kabir

One rainy Friday morning, our tour team had taken an endeavour to visit the Ahsan Manzil and Boldha

Garden. We reached Ahsan Manzil at 9am and the guards asked us to return at 4pm as it was open from 4pm to 6pm on a Friday. We were disappointed but planned to go to our next destination, Lalbagh Fort which was open from 10am to 3pm

on Fridays.As we walked in through the side

gate, the main structures came into view. There was a mosque, a tomb and a Diwan-i-Aam or the Hall of the public audience, which has been turned into a museum that displays relics of the Mughal era. There was a Hammam or Turkish bath adjoining the museum which looked like it could have been a residence once.

Dhaka’s Heritage: The Tale of the Nawabs

Pari Bibi’s grave Photos: Courtesy

The verandah overlooking Buriganga


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The Hammam consists of a room where one first gets warmed up by hot air being forced in through a tunnel, then proceeds to an even warmer room, to finally go for a cold shower in the bathtub. There was a big underground tank where hot water was preserved. The idea of this Hammam may have been taken from the Victorian Turkish bath. It was built by the third son of Auranjeb, Muhammad Azam in 1678. However, he couldn’t finish the work. There is a huge fortification wall around the three structures and the roof of the southern part has a beautiful garden which can be accessed through the staircase along the fortification wall.

The gardens all around the structure were well maintained and still bear the sign of lavish lifestyles led by the rulers of Bengal. Shaista Khan, the next Subedar of Bengal took over Lalbagh fort where his daughter Pari Bibi had a sudden death. He considered this a bad omen and abandoned the construction of the fort. Today, Pari Bibi’s tomb lies in one of the structures as witness. Some say she may have not been Shaista Khan’s daughter but an Ahom princess from the neighbouring country. Behind the heavy pour of monsoon, the fort stood beautifully, and we walked around with our colourful umbrellas.

Our next destination was Boldha Garden’s Psyche and Cybele, two adjacent parks which have about 672 species of plants and around 18,000 plants and trees. This garden was built in 1909 by Narendra Narayon Roy Choudhury, who was the landlord of The Boldha Estate. This is the oldest botanical garden in the country with an area covering around 3.15 acres. It took three decades to complete the garden.

Many rare species of plants can be seen in the garden, especially the giant Amazon Lily. There are a number of Camelia trees which inspired Rabindranath Tagore to compose the poem Camelia. There is also a sun clock in the Psyche portion of the garden.

We then moved to Beauty Boarding: an age old restaurant in Old Dhaka where many famous poets and writers are known to have had their meals. The reason for this may have its location right at the heart of Bangla Bazar, where most of the publishing houses belong.

After waiting, we were served food on round steel plates. We had smashed prawn, dal with catfish and chicken. The dal was very hot and as we tried to breathe out the hot air from our mouth, the owner served us sweet mango pickles.

Finally, we returned to our main destination Ahsan Manzil as it opened its gate to us. By now, it was

already filled with visitors - some school children, some couples trying to escape the rain, walking around the majestic building standing on the bank of the river Buriganga. It had a big spiral wooden staircase, very similar to the royal palaces we watch in movies. The placard at the entrance informed us that this was a recreational place of Sheikh Enayetullah, zaminder of Barisal. His son Matiullah sold it to the French who used it as a trade centre.

Khwaja Alimullah, Nawab Abdul Ghani’s father bought this mansion from the French in 1880. He renovated the palace to make it his residence, where Dhaka’s famous Nawab Ashsanullah was born. The palace was thus named after him. The renovated Manzil has beautiful architecture with a huge verandah overlooking the river Buriganga, and stands witness to many historical events of Bengal.

In the beginning of the 19th

century, the Muslim leadership began from this Manzil, and it was the cradle of the All Indian Muslim League. All British viceroys and governors who came to Dhaka spent time in Ahsan Manzil. Lord Curzon stayed here during his visit prior to the partition of Bengal in 1905.

The Bangladeshi government in 1985 acquired the palace, and the national museum was given charge for its maintenance. Today, the palace is more or less well maintained but a lot of dust has accumulated on different objects which could be seen through the screens that separate the visitors from entering. The most attractive room is the dining hall with a magnanimous wooden table with utensils of the bygone era and a metal vault with some 200 chambers that stood as witness of money and wealth that defined the glory of Ahsan Manjil. n

The sun clock in Boldha Garden Boldha Garden

The crystal lamp in Ahsan Manzil Ahsan Manzil replica in the museum


14 EvENT | rocknaTion 2015

Live Square (or Live2) has organised a total of five live rock concerts in Dhaka since 2013. After positive response

from rock music lovers of Dhaka, Live2 are back with a grander and bigger sixth show titled Rocknation Resurrection. The concert took place on September 18 with a line-up of all the biggest names in the local rock scene.

This time around, the venue was the Gulnaksha 1 hall at Bashundhara Convention City. The journey to the venue was hectic for people outside of Bashundhara but that is hardly the organisers’ fault. Dhaka traffic is no more merciful to rock fans and metal heads than it is to everybody else. But it could not seem to diminish the spirit and excitement of the fans. Everyone was ready to rock with their favourite bands.

The venue looked spectacular from the outside. And the stage inside the hall was even more wonderfully set up. The organisers did a fantastic job of pretty much everything – from efficiently managing the ticket counter to the food court, as well as all the nitty gritty inside the hall. The staff were very helpful and polite, the queue was expertly managed, and the entry was easy, as it should be.

But for all their efforts they could not fix what was already broken. The big Gulnaksha hall is not acoustically treated. This means loud sounds reverberate and echo off of the walls and that makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get great sound output from the PA system. Thankfully, the sound was still just good enough to rock the attending crowd.

There was at least over a thousand people at the venue at the beginning of the show when Owned took the stage. After their energetic performance Minerva came on to a loud cheer from the audience. The crowd was definitely responsive and animated – happily cheering, clapping and headbanging away to all of the performances. The audience was probably the biggest reason behind the show being such a hit.

What made the event even better is the high energy performances from all the artists. Minerva was great as usual – the drummer headbanged and the singer jumped around throughout their number.

Powersurge gave an extremely energetic performance as always. The crowd loved it and happily joined in all the popular choruses. The band thrashed like a hissing whip and left the audience in an

adrenaline high, leaving them pleasantly exhausted.

Nemesis came next and rocked the crowd with the hits Kobe and other catchy tunes. They were just fantastic to watch.

Even though not on the original line-up, Avoid Rafa showed up as a pleasant surprise. Avoid Rafa is fronted by the singer, songwriter, session musician, sound engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and easily one of the most talented rock musicians in the world today – Rafa Al Hasan. Rafa is most well known for being the drummer of Aurthohin. His singing prowess is as gripping on record as it is evident in live performances. Rafa was joined by his new reverend guitar and talented band mates.

Another unexpected appearance was by Indalo, who weren’t on the bill originally. Indalo is fronted by former Black singer John Kabir. John has evolved and matured so much that his singing is no longer comparable to his former singing self. His falsetto voice and overall smooth delivery is just outstanding.

Unsurprisingly, the most theatrical performance came from Arbovirus. They appeared on stage with a bang and took the audience on a wild ride. They gave a

spectacular and exhilarating show. The next artist on the line-up was the legendary heavy metal band Cryptic Fate. But they cancelled their performance for unknown reasons. It was disappointing for fans. But thankfully Artcell was present to uplift the audience with their well-loved number, Onnoshoy. Hardcore Artcell fans (that’s everyone) miss Sezan and Shaju but Lincoln and the rest of the boys still put out a great show.

Aurthohin played without Rafa but people were still excited to hear the classics by this pioneering rock band. Bassbaba Sumon has been having health problems for a long time and unfortunately, this affected his performance. The virtuoso bass player, who wrote so many wonderful songs, sounded somewhat nasal and flat.

But Vikings made up for what was lacking. These classic rockers are very powerful musicians and performers. Although many in the crowd were not totally familiar with their tunes, everyone was engaged and enjoyed their flawless performance.

Overall this event – to use a rock and roll expression – kicked everyone’s bottom. Well done to Live2. n

Rocking the music sceneSaqib Sarker

Photo: Rajib Dhar


dina sobhan | TOuGh LOvE 15

The leach and the slob

Cartoon: Priyo/Dhaka Tribune

Dear Dina, My BFF of many years has recently started behaving really weirdly. Whenever

we hang out, she keeps bringing up stories of my former high school crushes, trying to make me sound promiscuous, which I wasn’t. And if that doesn’t satisfy her (although I’m not sure what she’s trying to achieve), she starts asking really probing questions about my in-laws, really digging for dirt. This is a fairly new phenomenon, and while I’d hate for any tension to come into such a long term friendship (we’ve known each other since school). I’m starting to lose patience. What’s the best way to deal?

Dear Dina, One of my colleagues has this incessant habit of ordering curry and spice-

based food items to snack on while at work, and leaves oily, smelly stains all over the desk, keyboard, mouse, etc. This particular colleague is also incredibly adorable and widely loved by everyone, but how do we make this gross habit stop without being outright rude?

Dear Fed up,I’d like to paraphrase a favourite Dr Seuss story (taking some creative liberties, naturally): I’m

sorry to say so, but sadly it’s true, that bang ups and bad friends can happen to you. And when that starts to happen, don’t worry, don’t stew, just kick the old girl to the curb. It seems your former BFF is suffering from an acute case of

‘schadenfreude’, loosely defined as deriving pleasure from another person’s misery and misfortune – something we Dhakaites are particularly adept at. Maybe she’s jealous of the well-oiled machine that is your life and wants to throw a spanner in the works. Maybe you’re encased in a cocoon of domestic bliss, while she has a fat slob of a husband who’d rather use the bed as a dining table than entertain her in it.

Whatever her reasoning, the bottom line is she wants to find a way to make you feel like crap. I’d say the situation is plenty tense already so it wouldn’t hurt to just lay the cards on the table and ask her what’s up (her backside). If she doesn’t come clean, cut her loose. While it may seem a tad harsh, it’s entirely possible that this old friendship probably passed its sell by date years ago.

Dear Disgusted,I fully sympathise with your plight and advise you to take a stand before the smell of curry permanently

attaches itself to the office upholstery and follows you home at night. It’s not normal practice to treat the office desk as your dining table, and only in Bangladesh is it acceptable to bring a 5-tiered tiffin carrier packed with bhaat and torkari and chow down with your feet up

on the chair like it’s your “baaper bari.” It may be time to change that paradigm. Be a pioneer and tell your chubby colleague to confine her Kosturi take-out to the canteen, or better yet to her home. If you want to avoid embarrassing her in front of the whole office and incurring the wrath of her adoring fans, pull her aside and point out the large yellow grease stains on her kameez, and the shinghara crumbs on her chin. Tell her that she needs to invest in

an industrial strength body wash because her signature scent has become Eau de Korma. If the direct approach has no effect, tell her you’re pregnant and strong smells may cause you to lose your lunch in her proximity. There is nothing worse to a glutton than being put off their food. If you’re lucky, she’ll move her whole operation elsewhere, maybe even relegating her meals to the – gasp! –cafeteria.n

Q

Q

A

A

got a

problem?

Write to Dina at weekend@

dhakatribune.com

Dina sobhan is a freelance writer and cautions readers not to take her “advice” here too seriously!


A few things you need to know before you go and while you are thereSakib Mridha

Do’s and don’ts in Rangamati

Do’s: • Direct buses from Dhaka to

Rangamati aren’t up to par. A better option is to go to Chittagong first by bus or train, and then change buses to go to Rangamati. But if you are not up for this hassle, talk to people who have visited Rangamati before to know more about this.

• Before travelling to Rangamati, make sure you have a good view of the lake from your hotel (not all the hotels have that kind of sight), or at least find a hotel that is not suffocating. Some hotels are very good looking but way too congested and not well ventilated.

• Make reservations from the respective authorities before visiting the Kaptai dam.

• If one wants to go to the Hanging bridge, make sure you’re visiting in dry season. The bridge drowns in a few days rainfall. Then again, it can rain any time in hilly areas,

so get proper information first.

• Try local food. Doesn’t matter how authentic the restaurants in your locality says they are, it just can’t be more authentic than Rangamati’s local food. Try their fish from the lakes, which are fresh and absolutely delicious. Chicken, beef and mutton can be found everywhere but fresh fish are scarce. Try their local fruits, ie pineapples, bananas and so on. They are wonderful and totally chemical free and if you are lactose tolerant, drink local milk.

• Carry your own medicine. Pain-killers and antacids are available but expensive medicines aren’t. Keep oral saline in your bag. Average humidity of Rangamati is over 70% which will causes a lot of sweating. Dehydration is inevitable if you’re not taking a sufficient amount of water. Better safe than sorry.

• Carry an extra pair of prescription glasses for emergencies.

16 LiSTOLOGy

The largest district of Bangladesh is Rangmati, located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. A picturesque place to get away from the hectic daily routine, far from the madding crowd. Rangamati is particularly beautiful and brimming with aquatic wildlife during

the monsoon season. Here’s a list of things to do and avoid when planning a trip to the lake city of Bangladesh:

Shovolong Fall


17

• Eat cucumber or carrot while trekking instead of drinking water. Water will make you feel heavy and slow you down. Cucumbers/carrots will give you enough water intake and will provide you with energy to carry on.

• Keep salt in your backpack. If you get leeches, apply salt and they will come off.

• When you rent a trawler, make sure it contains life jackets. Currents can be aggressive time to time.

• When buying clothes from the local markets, take expert help. Clothes are not always necessarily hand loomed as the sellers say they are.

• Although the power distribution is good, carry a power bank for your phone, a few candles and a lighter (matches can get wet).

• Hotel management can be helpful while renting a trawler, auto-rickshaw or sumo (local name for micro-bus).

• If you have plans for a barbecue, ask your hotel management how to find jungle fowl. They are not very hard to find and they are delicious.

• Always make a plan B for every plan, so your time isn’t wasted.

• Carry extra cash as ATMs are scarce, and from Comilla onwards, ATMs are not open after evening. Put your money in different places so that even if you lose your wallet you won’t fall short.

Don’ts: • Don’t document the tribal

lifestyle without local authority’s permission. They will make proper arrangements and introduce you to a few families so you can document them.

• Don’t stare at local people; imagine what you’d feel like if a bunch of people stared at you. It’s awkward and uneasy for the person who’s on the other side.

• Don’t drive your own vehicle. Roads are too serpentine for an outsider to drive.

• Don’t stay out of town after evening. It’s a vast mountainous woodland with various vicious creatures. Besides, there are

kidnappers too and the ransom is too high.

• Don’t ride a trawler in heavy rainfall. When the lake’s water rises, the tides go wild. Doesn’t matter how good a swimmer you are, the situation can go out of hand in any moment.

• Don’t be shy while bargaining with the auto-rickshaw drivers. Ask every term and condition, and also time restrictions. There are some extra charges (police tolls) for travelling in certain locations. Make sure you tell them every location you want to visit and ask them to repeat because they can be really cunning while it comes to payment at the end of the day.

• Don’t get into any kind of argument with anyone. Remember that you are a visitor and it’s just not worth anything.

Travelling in Rangamati is a real adventure, and the perfect way to escape your usual routine and bring some excitement into your life. When visiting this beautiful lake city, make sure you keep an open mind and delve into the local culture as well as experience its natural beauty. So don’t forget to visit the Tribal Museum, Rajbon Bihar, Eco-park, Navy base and Suvolong fall, Kaptai dam, and the hanging bridge to get the full Rangamati experience. n

Photos: Courtesy

Bamboo chicken


18 STay iN

S u d o k uuse the numbers 1-9 to complete each of the 3x3 square grids such that each horizontal and vertical line also contains all of the digits from 1-9

Last week’s sudoku solutions

ACROSS1 Take ages, like a mythical beast (6)6 Aviator, one of the geometry crew? (5)7 French road between 100 and 50 is nasty (5) 8 Located in America, or gone travelling (6)

DOWN2 Delight at new pure rat (7)3 Astronomer sees girl and a lion (7)4 Sign says no rocks (6)5 Sticky cloth made from clover (6)

Last

wee

k’s

solu

tion

s

aCROss1 Bird place in disarray (7)4 Abbreviation a friend made initially (7) 6 Assorted Danes aboard SS Blue Mood (7)7 Containers for sketch artists (7)

DOwN1 Messy diapers enthusiastically received (7)2 Bright and free after lunch starters (5)3 Enemy seems in confusion (7)5 Frenchresortholdsfirstofeventsforrelative(5)

Clues

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

Mini cryptics

All beefed up?

It is evident that with the Eid festivities going on, people all over Bangladesh and the globe have been eating like

a horse. Especially since we just celebrated Qurbani Eid, we have been indulging ourselves with meat and finding different ways of gorging on it. However, it has been over a week now, and maybe it’s time to detox or cleanse your body, and pick something healthy to eat.

Of course you can work out, drink some green tea, or even skip meals. But going on a semi vegan-diet would be the ultimate choice, after getting OD’d (overdosage) on Qurbani meat. Here are some healthy salad recipes which just might save your life.

Curried Chicken Salad - Turn leftover chicken into a zesty part of a simple salad.Combining curry powder and fat-free yoghurt upgrades a boring salad to a spicy, tangy bowl of greens. Ingredients: Fat-free yoghurt, grapes, curry powder, salt, walnuts, lettuce, chicken Calories: 238 (approximate)

Cold Potato Salad – This classic potato salad takes only 10 minutes of hands-on prep time.Ingredients: • 6 medium boiling potatoes (2

pounds)

• 1 ½ cups mayonnaise or salad dressing

• 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard• 1 teaspoon salt• ¼ teaspoon pepper• 2 medium celery stalks,

chopped (1 cup)• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2

cup)• 4 hard cooked eggs, choppedDirections: Scrub potatoes. Leaves skins on if desired, or peel thinly and remove eyes. Heat 1 inch water (salted if desired) to boiling; add potatoes. Cover and heat to a boil; reduce heat. Cook 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain. Cool slightly; cut into cubes (about 6 cups). Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in 4-quart glass or plastic bowl. Add potatoes, celery and onion; toss. Stir in eggs. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

And for those who are still craving some meat, and have left over at home, here’s what you can do.

Thai Beef Salad - You can substitute the beef with the same amount of chicken breasts or thigh fillets, or some firm tofu. When preparing this salad in advance, cook the beef, prepare the salad, and make the dressing, but make sure to store them in separate containers. Do

not combine until you are ready to serve. Ingredients:• 30 ounces sirloin steaks,

trimmed (rump or fillet)• 7 ounces salad greens (any

kind)• 2 small red onions, finely

sliced• 10 kaffir lime leaves, shredded• 3 large mild red chillies, seeded

and shredded (can add more if you like a BIG punch)

• 2⁄3 cup cilantro leaf (coriander)• 2⁄3 cup mint leaf• 2⁄3 cup basil leavesDressing: • 1 teaspoon soya sauce• 2 tablespoons fish sauce• 2 tablespoons lime juice• 2 tablespoons brown sugar or 2

tablespoons palm sugarDirections: Brush the beef with

a little oil and char-grill, barbecue, or pan-fry till cooked to your liking. Medium rare for this recipe would be appropriate, if you can handle a little blood. Set aside for five minutes and slice it thinly. Place salad greens, onions, kaffir lime leaves, chilli, cilantro, mint and basil into a salad bowl and toss lightly. To make the dressing, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Stir the dressing well. Place the beef on the salad and pour over the dressing. Serve immediately. n

Three healthy recipes to detox after Qurbani eidMoumita Ahmed


GO OuT 19

When 3-8pm Where Drik Gallery, House 58, Road 15A (New), Dhanmondi Residential AreaWhat Online Photography School BD is arranging the biggest mobile photography exhibition of the year. Experience the very best contemporary photography from around the nation with the National Mobile Photography Competition.Online Photography School BD is the first online photography

learning concept in Bangladesh.Join and meet photographers from all over the country to share and exhibit your photography. This competition does not only showcase the selected photos but also provides a platform for photographers from all over the country, both professional and amateur photographers, irrespective of age and gender. Living legend Anwar Hossain (Anwar Pix), is the sole judge of this exhibition. n

Weekly Planner Oct 2-3Photography | The Art of Studio Lighting by Ali P RehanWhen 9:00am- 4:30pm Where Counter Foto, 29 Gareeb-e-Newaz Avenue, Sector 13, UttaraWhat Through The Lens and Counter Foto will jointly organise a two day workshop on The Art of Studio Lighting by Ali P Rehan. Theories and introduction on light and lighting, lighting equipment, modifiers, light meter, portrait lighting, butterfly lighting, broad lighting, different setups of lighting, fashion side lighting, 1940’s Hollywood style lighting and many more lighting setups will be shown and taught in this workshop. Course fee is only Tk3,500. For details, please call: 01711507894, 01677068735

Oct 03Culture | An Evening of Rabindra Sangeet When 6:30-8:30pmWhere Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Gulshan, House 35, Road 24, Gulshan-1What Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre is organising An Evening of Rabindra Sangeet by Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya, and narration and recitation by Dr Ranjit Biswas.

Oct 6-21Culture | A joint art exhibition - Anamnesis When 11am-11pmWhere Peda Ting Ting, House 69, Road 26, Gulshan 1What Mazharul Islam and Iskandar Mirza request the pleasure of everyone’s company at the opening ceremony of their art exhibition Anamnesis on Tuesday, October 6. Please feel free to bring guests with you.For more information, contact: 01798324478, 01913562272

Oct 08Education | Memorial University: Spot Assessment & SeminarWhen Kalabagan: 11am-3pm Banani: 4-6pmWhere Mentors’ USA Student Admission Center, 166/1 Mirpur Road, KalabaganWhat Mr Keir McIsaac (International Student Recruitment Officer) from Memorial University, Canada will be here at the offices (both Kalabagan and Banani) for interviewing prospective students for undergraduate admission.

Memorial University is a very popular undergraduate destination in Canada

with very affordable tuition fees and an excellent location. Please keep your academic documents for on-the-spot assessment. Please call 01713243410 (Kalabagan) or 01713243428 (Banani), for more information.

Oct 06Education | EducationUSA South Asia Fall TourWhen 2pm Where EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old), 9th Floor, Midas Center, DhanmondiWhat EducationUSA invites everybody interested in higher studies in the U.S. to attend its free US University Fair. The event will feature representatives from 13 US colleges and universities, who will share valuable information on programs to study, the application process, scholarship opportunities, and campus life. The University Fair is free and open for everyone interested in studying in the US. No prior registration is required to attend this program. Please do not bring bagpacks. Participating US universities are Baker University, California State University, East Bay, Colorado State University, Savannah College of Art and Design, Wichita State University and many more.

Oct 07Cinema | EMK Cinema Nights - Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilWhen 5pm – 8pmWhere EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old) , 9th Floor, Midas Center, DhanmondiWhat EMK Center welcomes you to the screening of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ under EMK Cinema Night series.The film is adapted from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt and directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Kevin Spacey, John Cusack, Jude Law and few other renowned Hollywood stars. A young journalist, John Kelso, travels to Savannah, to cover the city’s Christmas celebration amid a backdrop of eccentric characters. He becomes intrigued by a sultry singer, Mandy, and engrossed by a murder trial. Wealthy society figure Jim Williams is accused of shooting his male lover, and the question is whether it was in self-defense as he claims. This 155 minute film is filled with mystery, which EMK invites you to join.

Oct 3-4Screening | Bengal Cinematheque — October 2015

Oct 5-6Photography | I shoot manual with mobiles

When 7-9pmWhere Daily Star-Bengal Arts Precinct, 64-65 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Kawran BazaarWhat This, the third cycle of Bengal Cinematheque, inflames our greed for the traumas and pleasures of our past and then reveals to us their brutal, unbridgeable distance.

On October 3rd, SaturdaySans Soleil (Marker)1983, 104 minutes, colourFictions within fictions, memories coursing through memories. A cameraman sends back footage from his travels through Japan and West Africa coupled to intricate letters that think through his being - his existence and coexistence. Natural idiosyncrasies and perplexing wisdom slowly cement a character that plays, smiles, cries, and confesses - yet who always slides away, always escapes. The absurdity and persistent re-emergence of meaning is felt, catalogued and thrown into the sea. The fractal details of his discursive being

combine into a form that is the closest the medium has come to the act of thinking and reverie.

On October 4th, SundayVertigo (Hitchcock)1958, 129 minutes, colourThere is a rhythm to obsession and murder. This flow of seduction and entrapment entangles a solitary and weakened man into labyrinthine desires and subterfuge. What is shown is so captivating that we too become one with his unbearable fixation. His feelings are ruthlessly exploited and shamed, and the epistemological lacunae lead to a catastrophic breakdown. He recovers not into his old self, but into a compulsive searcher, looking for his own victim to control, his own remaking of the past. Driven by incompleteness he finds an accurate simulacra where physics and hope can tangle. The perpetrator as victim is slowly worn down to her soul. The sun goes out. nFree entry. Doors close at 7:00 pm. Limited seating.


When Mohaimin Mustafa, a former student at Ohio State University, landed

in Ohio earlier in April this year, his dreams were still at a standstill.

Despite numerous efforts to convince Greg Ubert to extend his Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea branch all the way to Bangladesh, Mohaimin and his partner Rehan Rahman, had had no luck.

They had been trying for months, to study the coffee market in Bangladesh and report back to Ohio about the coffee culture here, but with no luck.

“If you even Google it, you cannot find anything on the coffee industry in Bangladesh,” says Rehan. “So, in order to study the coffee culture, we used to sit at the coffee shops – weekdays and weekends – from morning till night, in order to study customer traffic.”

Today, just a few months later, Mohaimin and Rehan sit with me in their crowded coffee shop on Banani Road 11. There is music, there is coffee, and there is a bit of America siting here in this corner of the city.

Making Dhaka a ‘first’ for CrimsonsBut it didn’t come easy. Both Mohaimin and Rehan were recent returnees from the US and the UK, respectively, when they decided to bring a franchise of Ohio’s famous Crimson Coffee.

“We named it Columbus Coffee because of a reference point,” says Mohaimin. “Because in Bangladesh a lot of people don’t know the reference to the Crimson Cup.”

Last year, upon his return from Ohio, Mohaimin caught up with Rehan, an old friend, to discuss ideas to bring an outlet of Crimson Cup to Dhaka.

However, the idea was as new to Crimson Cup as it was for the duo. They spoke to Greg Ubert, founder and CEO of Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, to start the business but faced a lot of difficulty.

20 BuSSiNESS | coluMbus coffee

Until then, Crimson Cup did not have any international outlets – which is possibly why it was so difficult for them to convince him to allow them to bring the franchise here.

Additionally, explaining the coffee culture of Bangladesh to him was difficult.

“We were rejected three times,” says Rehan. “His reasons varied from: ‘why is the store not on ground floor’ to ‘why is it not a drive through?’ But that’s not possible in Bangladesh, and there was a misunderstanding because it took some time for him to understand the market here.”

But the two did not give up. They continued to follow whatever Greg asked of them – to gauge the market, to provide an idea of the customer base, to give him numbers.

However, despite their efforts, Greg rejected them a third time. And that is when the team decided that Mohaimin should visit Greg in Ohio.

“After going there, I met Greg and his officials, and then they realised how serious we were,” says Mohaimin, who then participated in a week-long training on making coffee.

Of coffee and conceptsAnd so began their journey. On May 22, Columbus Coffee was officially launched in Dhaka, inaugurated by popular actor and director Ananta Jalil.

Throughout their journey, Mohaimin and Rehan were firm about one thing: they wouldn’t borrow money from their parents. This proved to be difficult, since this meant they had little financial foundation.

For this, they approached an old friend Tarek Rafi Bhuiyan, a business consultant in Dhaka who also owns a Japanese restaurant. They also approached other investors and now have Mirza Abdul Khalek of Lion Group on board as an investor.

After convincing Greg, the team had to set up the store in Dhaka. In mid-May, the operations manager of Crimson Cup Steve Bayless came to Dhaka to train the baristas at Columbus Coffee.

Steve had an experience of training more than 400 coffee shops across America, and was here for around 10 days to train Columbus Coffee’s baristas.

Even during their test-run, Mohaimin and Rehan faced criticism for the culture they were infusing to the coffee house.

Practices such as having two condiments section, self-service and writing names on coffee cups are new in the country and were not welcome by all.

“Many said people would steal sugar if we have two condiments sections; many said self-service wouldn’t work,” says Rehan. “But I always say: we are not just selling coffee, we’re selling a concept. And the concept is self-service, quick service.”

“What crimson cup is in the US, we try to bring it here,” adds Mohaimin.

Sitting in the café just a few months since their beginning, it does feel like a quaint American coffee shop, with people from various backgrounds either working, or catching up with friends or going through the inescapable round of selfies. But it’s crowded, and it brings in people from different echelons of the community, given the reasonable prices and generous portions served.

Indeed, the Bangladeshi concept and culture of coffee that Rehan says you cannot find on Google – you can see it being built here. n

Creaming the crimson concept How two young entrepreneurs from bangladeshi convinced an American franchise to set up their first-ever international store in Dhaka Syeda Samira Sadeque

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