Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 43

Dhaka Tribune | vol 2 Issue 43 | FRIDAY, MARch 13, 2015

8 PAlM-ReADIng4 gooD luck chARMs 20 YAMIn khAn

WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015

1CONTENTS

Volume 2 | Issue 43 | March 13, 2015

EditorZafar Sobhan

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Asst Magazine EditorFarina Noireet

Weekend Tribune TeamFarhana UrmeeFaisal MahmudTausif SanzumSakib Mridha

ContributorsN Anita AmreenTanusree Ghosh

Shehzaad ShamsSakib SarkarYamin Khan

GraphicsMd Mahbub Alam

Tahsin Momin

Colour SpecialistShekhar Mondal

AdvertisementZia Ur Rahman

ProductionMasum Billah

CirculationMasud Kabir Pavel

Websitedhakatribune.com/weekendfacebook.com/WeekendTrib

Email your letters to:[email protected]

Editors note

About the cover

Dear Readers,Its Friday the 13th! If you find yourself crossing yourself every time you see a black cat walk by, weve got a juicy issue ready for you.

First up, arm yourself with our list of good luck charms from around the world. We also have a selection of popular local superstitions from our own culture. Stick your palm out for a reading, not by a palmist, but a chirologist.

We also bring you the revelry of Holi, the incredible vistas from a trip to Argentina, the success story

of an enterprising middleman, and a chitchat about your favourite shopping portal, Kaymu.

And if youre a well-brewed sceptic who finds all superstitions a little hooey, join us on Funnybone as Yamin Khan talks about his take on mystical powers.

Hope lady luck shines on you this week.

-Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

News 2 News

3 Meanwhile

Features 4 Listology Good luck charms

5 Local Culture Superstitions

8 Feature Palm-reading

12 Feature Hand Touch

14 Event RFL Inspiring Women Award

15 Digital Bangladesh App hype

16 Interview Kaymu

20 Funnybone Yamin Khan

regulars18 Stay In

19 Go Out

PhOTO STOryHoLI

6

9

A brightly-sailed boat floats peacefully over the Kirtonkhola river in Barisal.

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain

TravELARGenTInA


2 NEwS | This week

Thailand tests floating homes in region grappling with floods

IS Syria-Iraq communication lines smashed: coalition

Israel demolishes EU-funded shelters in Jerusalem

Nestled among hundreds of identical white and brown two-storey homes crammed in this neighborhood for factory workers is a house with a trick - one not immediately apparent from its green-painted drywall and grey shade panels.

Hidden under the house and its wraparound porch are steel pontoons filled with Styrofoam. These can lift the structure three meters off the ground if this area, two hours north of Bangkok, floods as it did in 2011 when two-thirds of the country was inundated, affecting a fifth of its 67 million people.

The 2.8 million baht ($86,000) amphibious house in Ban Sang village is one way architects, developers and governments around the world are brainstorming solutions as climate change brews storms, floods and rising sea levels that threaten communities in low-lying coastal cities.

We can try to build walls to keep the water out, but that might not be a sustainable permanent solution, said architect Chuta Sinthuphan

of Site-Specific Co. Ltd, the firm that designed and built the house for Thailands National Housing Authority.

Its better not to fight nature, but to work with nature, and amphibious architecture is one answer, said Chuta, who is organizing the first international conference on amphibious architecture in Bangkok in late August.

Asia is the region most affected by disasters, with 714,000 deaths from natural disasters between 2004 and 2013 - more than triple the previous decade - and economic losses topping $560 billion, according to the United Nations.Photo: AFP

Peoples Protection Units (YPG) fighters patrol at sunset on the outskirts of Tal Hamis, southeast Qameshli, on February 26, 2015, after they retook parts of the town from the Islamic State (IS) group.

Forces fighting the Islamic State group have cut critical communication and supply lines used by the extremists between Syria and Iraq after a two-week operation, the US-led coalition said.

Backed by air strikes, the forces overcame ISIL (IS) resistance in northeastern Syria near the strategic town of Tal Hamis, once an IS stronghold, and denied the terrorist group its freedom to maneuver in the area, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.

During the operation, which ended Saturday, the IS group lost access to primary travel routes it has previously

used to move personnel and materials into Iraq.

Anti-ISIL forces were able to seize critical portions of route 47 in Syria, a key ISIL communications and supply line leading into Iraq, it added, noting that 94 villages were freed from the clutches of the extremists.

The coalition said multiple IS weapons systems, vehicles and fighting positions were also destroyed.

This operation demonstrated the ability of anti-ISIL forces to further degrade Daesh influence in this region, Combined Joint Task Force commander Lieutenant General James Terry said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for the IS group, which commands vast areas of Iraq and Syria.

The determination of these anti-ISIL forces and our precision air strikes enabled us to deny Daesh this key terrain in Syria.

Kurdish forces seized Tal Hamis on February 27 with the help of Arab fighters, but fighting then continued in the area. Photo: AP

Israeli authorities on Tuesday demolished an EU-funded shelter in Arab east Jerusalem, the European Union said, denouncing the move.

We condemn todays demolition of temporary shelters funded by the European Union... as part of its response to the needs of the affected communities, an EU statement said.

EU funds have helped to pay for some 200 temporary buildings used as shelters in villages inhabited by Bedouin communities in the West Bank, just outside Arab east Jerusalem.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it, in a move never recognised by the international

community.The structures demolished on Tuesday were small metal constructions put up on the outskirts of Arab neighbourhood Issawiya, an AFP correspondent said.

The area was empty of

residents following the demolition by bulldozer.

A spokeswoman for the Jerusalem municipality said the process was initiated by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

A spokeswoman for the authority told AFP the structures were in a national park within the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem municipality, which had been informed of the violation and demolished the structures.

A spokesman for Regavim, a right-wing lobby group, said the move was unusual.Photo: AP

Obama announces changes for student loan repayment

The United States said on Tuesday it would respond through diplomatic channels to Venezuelas demand for a cut in US Embassy staff in Caracas, but added that Caracas had drastically underestimated its own diplomatic presence in the United States.

Venezuela on Monday ordered the US Embassy in Caracas to come up with a plan within 15 days to reduce staff to 17 from 100 amid the worst diplomatic flare-up between the two ideological foes since socialist President Nicolas Maduro was elected in 2013.

Maduro said there were 17 staffers at his countrys embassy in

Washington, a figure disputed by the United States during a brief meeting on Monday between Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez and US Charge dAffaires Lee McClenny.

We noted that the numbers the Venezuelan government has offered regarding its mission in the United States dramatically understate the number of Venezuelan diplomats in the United States, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

In addition to its embassy, Venezuela has eight consulates in the United States, as well as missions at the United Nations and Organization of American States.

The world at a glanceWeekend Tribune Desk

Fundamentalist Islamic State militants are believed to have kidnapped two Bangladeshis among the nine foreigners they took hostage in Libya on Friday.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed the identities of the Bangladeshis as Helal Uddin from Jamalpur and Mohammad Anowar Hossain from Noakhali.

A press release said Anowar was at first mistakenly identified as a Sudanese national with a similar name. However, his identification was later confirmed by a Bangladeshi working at a neighbouring oil field.

Unidentified gunmen stormed the Al Ghani oil field near Sirte, about 700km south-east of the capital Tripoli, and kidnapped the nine people who were reportedly from Bangladesh, Philippines, Austria, Czech Republic, and Ghana.

The militants also beheaded eight guards, a Libyan military spokesperson said, adding that one oil worker died of a heart attack after seeing the grisly execution.

There are disputes about which Islamist group was behind the attack.Source: Dhaka Tribune

Two Bangladeshis kidnapped in Libya


3meanwhile ... | NEwS

The FBI in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka

Photo:Nayeem Yakub Khan

If you would like to cut back on your added sugar intake, and better still, not even realise you are cutting back, here are the easiest ways to do it.get rid of breakfast cereal which contains dried fruitWhile dried fruit does contain fibre and a number of nutrients, drying fruit also concentrates the sugar content. For example, just one tablespoon of sultanas contains 11g or two teaspoons of sugar.

Cut it out by choosing cereals such as oats or wholegrains that are fruit free.

go greekYoghurt is a rich source of protein, calcium and magnesium but fruit yoghurts can contain as much as six teaspoons of sugar in a small 200g serve.

Slash this added sugar from your diet by instead choosing natural or plain Greek yoghurt and then adding a little honey, vanilla, cinnamon or berries to sweeten it naturally.

go easy on the saucesRarely do we consider the extra calories and sugars that the sauces we add to our favourite dishes have. Sweet chilli sauce for example contains two teaspoons of sugar for every tablespoon, while even Asian sauces such as oyster contain significant amounts of the white stuff.

Use herbs and spices along with olive oil and marinades to flavour your food and limit portions of added sauces to stir fries and mixed dishes to ensure little extras dont slip in.

watch your juice and smoothie mixesSmoothies and juices are so popular but if you consider that every ingredient you add to a juice or smoothie including vegetables contains some sugar, we need to be careful.

Limit your sugar intake to 20g, which is still a lot in an average serve of juice or a smoothie but choosing at most one fruit-based addition and avoid frozen yoghurt, syrups and powders which again can bump up the sugar content.

Consider your coffee orderMilk is a nutrient dense food but it does contain the milk sugar lactose and if you consider that a large sized latte or cappuccino can contain almost 20g of sugars from lactose, you can see you will be much better with a small coffee for just 10g of sugar or piccolo for less than 5g.

And contrary to popular opinion, skim milk does not contain significantly more sugar than full cream, this is a myth, they both contain relatively high amounts of the naturally occurring sugar, lactose.Source: Daily Mail

Event

If You Pee On The Walls In This German Town, Theyll Pee Right Back On YouSt Pauli is a neighborhood in Hamburg, Germany where folks go to have a good time. And when folks have a good time (AKA get drunk), they tend to pee as a result.

Unfortunately for the party-goers of St. Pauli, not everyone is there to get drunk and pee on things. People actually live there, and they are annoyed with the amount of urine that covers the place they call home.

So the residents came together and decided to take matters into their own hands, and the solution to their problem is pure brilliance.

Its really the perfect revenge. Imagine these drunk dudes trying to keep partying after theyre covered in their own urine?

And so we say good luck to the residents of St Pauli with Operation Peeback Time! May your walls stay repellant and your noses stay un-distressed by the smell of urine.News and photo: Distractify.com

Say what?

Youre welcome Five easy ways to cut down sugar


4 LISTOLOGy | Good luck charms

Charms and symbols to ward off evil and bring luck are a part of almost every culture. In light of today being Friday the 13th, heres a list of some of the most famous theories across the world

Tausif Sanzum

One for luck

Evil Eyes The curse of the evil eye transcends national boundaries and it has been been provoking fear in various regions of Latin America, Central Asia, Africa, Europe to name a few. The curse is inflicted from evil glare when a person is unaware and is believed to be harmful and cause severe injury.

More popularly known as buri nazar or nojor in our part of the world, various talismans have been created to ward off this curse. These charms or talismans are known as evil eyes.

Four-leaf CloverAs the saying goes, when Adam and Eve were made to leave the Garden of Eden, she took one of these with her. This known saying combined with the mystery factor caused by the rarity of the four-leaf clover has made it a popular lucky charm by those who have stumbled upon one of these. Each leaf of the clover stands for one special aspects: faith, love, hope and luck.

SevenSeven is considered to be the anti-thirteen of numbers. Seven features a number of times in various religions: the number of heavens in Islam, the number of promises taken during Hindu weddings, the seven sins and the seven virtues according to Christianity. Even among gamblers, the number seven is considered to be lucky. Though the number is considered lucky almost universally, the Chinese culture consider it to symbolise death.

Laughing BuddhaOften mistaken as the Gautam Buddha, the Laughing Buddha is actually Budai. The Chinese mythology portrays him as an eccentric monk carrying a cloth sack containing his few essentials. He symbolises contentment despite being poor. This figure graces various

temples and restaurants in China and has become popular in various parts of the world as a symbol of good luck.

SwastikaWhile there are bad memories centering the Swastika during the

Nazi period, the symbol is mostly considered a symbol of good luck, honesty, stability, purity and truth. The origin of the symbol can be traced

in Hindu mythology. Even in Buddhist tradition the symbol represents the footprints of Buddha and is often

used at the beginning of texts.

DreamcatchersA popular symbol originating from

Native America. It is believed that dreamcatchers pull out the negative parts of our dreams and bring good luck.

RudrakshaThe mythology goes that when Lord Shiva saw his devotees suffer, he shed one tear and this grew into the Rudraksha tree. The tree is found in Southeast Asia, Nepal, the Himalayas and Australia. The seeds of this tree symbolises a tear of Lord Shiva and are used to make rosaries, necklaces and earrings and are considered to be pious and bring good luck. You can grab your Rudraksha from Jatra or Aranya.

Horseshoes A very popular lucky charm symbolising good luck, fertility and victory over evil. Keeping a horseshoe in the house is said to ward off evil and protect ones house and property. When a horseshoe is hung on a wall, the U shape supposedly holds good luck inside while placing it in the downward position represents fertility.

KeysIt is a popular belief that holding three keys in a key chain unlocks the door to love, health and wealth.

Goldfish, Ladybird, TigerKeeping goldfish in offices and homes supposedly brings harmony and abundance in life. The Chinese believe that tigers are saviours from evil and bad luck, particularly fire. Ladybugs are considered to be symbols of peace and many believe that wearing a ladybird talisman will make all wishes come true. There is a myth that if a ladybird lands on the hands of a newly married couple,

the number of dots on the insect symbolises the number of kids they will have. n


5supersTiTions | LOCaL CuLTurE

Never sneeze before you start any new task. We have come across such advice every now and then on what to do and what not to do. Some believe, some do not. There are many who not only believe in such superstitions, but even assume that some bring luck. Look around you how many will you find not becoming happy when his or her right palm itches? Yes, this is a sign of money coming your way. Mothers, educated or illiterate may give you something sweet to eat before you go to start something good and meaningful. How many of us deny that offer from our beloved mothers? And the sweet meat she offers, is not harmful; the extra calories will be invested in the extra efforts you are going to expend in your new task.

Heres a list of a few others that we invariably seem to follow:

Super beliefsUtterly ridiculous? Or would you rather just play it safe?

Farhana Urmee

If a vehicle carrying a dead-body passes you by on your right side, it is supposed to bring you good luck

Why is it so? Is it the celebration of the death angels sparing your soul and taking away someone elses? So what do you do, laugh at people dying around you instead of mourning? Good luck indeed.

Never eat an egg before an exam

Eggs are rich in protein and are supposed to give you energy for a long time. Examinees, who often skip breakfast out of anxiety, can easily eat an egg which can a good substitute of a plate full of bread/roti, vegetables or dal. But some smarty-pants was probably more concerned over the oval shape of the egg which visually resembles the shape of a zero, and, in his wisdom, proclaimed that shape matters, so avoid eggs. And who wants to take the risk of contradicting such logic right before exams?

One should not go to the roof right after sunset, particularly girls with lovely locks

Good parenting is to always be informed of the whereabouts of ones children. While this is true indeed, the forbidden hair-flaunting theory could do with a rain-check. Does open hair have extra gravity than the bound ones? Or are ghosts and evil spirits bald and are likely to be jealous in the presence of long and thick hair?

If it drizzles on a sunny day, somewhere a pair of foxes are getting married

Foxes pair up for reproduction during December to February possibly without getting married. But even in France, there is apparently a time when wolves wed and in Bulgaria the saying slightly alters to bears getting married during rain on a sunny day.

It seems that members of the animal kingdom have chosen some schedule or the other throughout the year to be romantic.

Never trim your nails after sunset, it brings bad luck

It is clear that there are numerous donts after sunset in or culture. This is possibly because, as third world countries, we produced electricity a lot later than the developed world, and such rules were conceived in order to safeguard ones fingers during nail-trimming and avoid accidents in the dark.

Children, do not tear or cut paper, because this will make your parents drown in debt

Such advice is good to curtail misuse of paper. But what about the child of a millionaire who is into origami? n

If a pregnant woman eats twin bananas or eggs with twin yolks, she is likely to have twins

She may have the banana on the third month of her pregnancy when the baby is already there twin or single. Again, what about those childless couples who are eating twin bananas for years and they are yet to have a single baby? Reproduction is not such a simple process to be predicted by a pair of bananas!

Photos: Bigstock


6 TravEL | arGenTina

there is morein Argentinathan Messi!Team Onetimefashionista visits the home of some of the worlds most magnificent waterfalls and brings back some valuable pointers

Tanusree Ghosh and Shehzaad Shams

Photos: Onetimefashionista.com

Now this shouldnt come as a surprise to the thousands of Bangladeshi fans of Argentine football that there is more to Argentina than Messi and Maradona. If you ever wonder why human beings used to worship nature, what were the motivations to bow down before the might and mystery of what surrounds us, you have to visit the Iguazu Falls to know for yourself just how gorgeous Argentina is.

Bold statement you may think, and not surprising as we have grown up hearing of Argentina only through football, and not knowing what else this beautiful South American country has to offer. You can rest assured that even bolder is what you will see if you go to the mighty Iguazu Falls, which is taller than Canadas Niagara Falls and twice as big. How is that for a starter? Read on then.

Located near the northern Argentine border with Brazil, the best way to reach the falls is to take a short early morning flight to Port Iguazu from Buenos Aires. We got lucky to have met a cab driver who was gentle, friendly and informative. During the 20 minute ride from the sleepy airport to the entrance of the falls, he gave us specific information to make the most of the day in hand. When we got in, we were among the first to have entered the National Park area. You could feel the serene silence of the early morning broken slowly with the chirping of the wild birds who were flexing their wings. Also, there was a certain smell of the earth which was soaked from an overnight rain.

While you will make your way inside the well-marked park, taking left and right trails, you will feel a sensation of being close to nature, but a bit afraid too. May be nature is best enjoyed in a group who knows! Being alone or just a couple may still make you feel exposed to the might

and mystery of the unknown. At times you will feel as if something is stalking you, at times as if something just hid itself behind the trees. After a while you will keep making your way to the falls, the only thing you may hear at some point will be the sounds of your own footsteps and a very unusually increasing noise which will get only stronger. You know what it is, but since you havent seen it yet, your imagination will run wild, in parallel with the wild trail you will be walking through. There are two marked trails Upper and Lower.

You should start with the upper trail first and walk down to the lower trail to get a different perspective. Once we got the first glimpse of the mighty falls, we stood still in awe for a few minutes. As much as your naked eyes can see in three dimensions from your left ear to your right you will only see waterfalls, mighty, super-fast, strong, foamy and noisy!

Iguazu contains 275 falls across 2.7 kilometres. You will realise the magnitude of the natural gem that got discovered by Spanish Conquistador lvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541, after whom one of the falls is named. The falls were rediscovered by Bosetti at the end of the nineteenth century, and one of the falls in the Argentine side is named after him. Its worth noting that the falls span across both Brazil and Argentina and you will need visas for both countries if you want to visit both sides. Enjoying from Argentina is recommended.

You will feel at some point that cameras are not doing justice to capture this enormous might of nature, the strength and sound of the rushing water is only to be heard with eyes closed. You can take the lower trail to see the falls from a close distance, you will look up to the mouth of the falls to see how it keeps flowing and falling all the year round,

Rainbows are a regular sight, once they are there, once they are gone!

Argentine beef steak is the best in the world.

Photos: Courtesy


7

Part of the Salto Bossetti falls

without stopping. From wherever you are in the park, you will hear the roar of the foamy monster. The Devils Throat among them is the most breathtaking of all.

The river, aptly named after the indigenous term for great water forms a large bend in the shape of a horseshoe in the heart of the two parks and constitutes the international border between Argentina and Brazil before it flows into the mighty Parana River less than 25 kilometres downriver from the park.

If you are brave enough and are carrying extra dry clothes, you can dare to take the speedboat to get a splash under the falling waters. You can try to get as close as possible but the sheer force of the water will keep you at bay. But its worth the adrenaline rush if you fancy so.

Once you look up at the sky just above the falls, you will see scores of birds hovering in circles. You may wonder why they are never tired of the magnificent view below, and they can get to see everything for free and so easily. Rainbows are also a natural phenomenon which play hide and seek with you. Once you will see them appearing near the place where the waters thrash and land on the river below, and in the next moment they may be gone! While you pause a bit to hold the rails and absorb the beauty of your surroundings with all your senses, you may see charismatically colourful, tiny butterflies negotiating with the forces of wind to keep flying.

While returning it is recommended you take the shuttle train to enjoy a different view among the greenery. After a long walk around the trails to see the falls you can stop for lunch at the Iguazu Sheraton where the steak is one of the best. We recommend sitting outside from where you can see the falls and the rising vapour while you enjoy your lunch.

You can stay as long as you want unitl 6pm when the park closes, but on a good day, 4-5 hours are just fine to complete seeing the Argentine side of the falls. So if you are planning a trip to Argentina, make sure you visit the mighty Iguazu Falls. You will know what nature is in all its strength and glory. n

Check out Shehzaad and Tanusrees blog onetimefashionista.com

The butterfly attempting to make a landing

Team Onetimefashionista sends you greetings from mighty Iguazu Falls, Argentina

The Iguazu Falls national park is well served with foot trails.

Interesting fruits

As much as your eyes could see, its only waterfalls everywhere

Dos Hermanas Two Sisters

La garganta del diabolo The Devils Throat is the most impressive

Isla San Martin from the Upper Trail look at the force of the water


8 FEaTurE | palm-readinG

If you want to know what chirology is, meet Hasib Mumammar Rashid. But one word of caution: dont try to call him a palmist.Its frustrating. People try to

confuse me for a palmist, said Rashid who is popularly known as Appu among the people who know him. I try to use the word chirology to distinguish the art of palm reading from traditional palmistry.

He said that traditional palmistry has its merits: But really they (chirology and palmistry) are two different philosophies.

Palmistry is primarily about predicting events by the observation of these particular markings on the hand and these date back to medieval times, where people were fascinated by fate.

And so naturally, this whole tradition grew up around this predictive sense. You could actually do a degree in palmistry in the Middle Ages. You could study astrology and

palmistry, and that would be perfectly normal, said Appu.

He explains that palmistry was like math and science, all of which were considered to be weird and bizarre during those times. Those (math and science) were considered a very strange and new business! So to some extent, palmistry is still connected with many of those and is still obsessed with lines, symbols and predictions, and particularly in predicting sudden changes of fortune, said Appu.

What is chirology?According to Appu, chirology is completely different, and a relatively new form of art. The first real chirologist was a man called William Benham, who was a soldier in Crimea. He went to see a gypsy, and she read his hand, and told him some fascinating things about his wife and mother, all completely true. He was absolutely knocked out by this, so when he left the army, he decided he

would study hand-reading, explained Appu.

He was a very rational, scientific and thorough character and he went on to write a book called The Scientific Laws of Hand Reading which is an extremely good book, where he looks not just at the lines themselves, but at the whole hand the shape, the texture of the skin, the balance of the fingers, the thumb.

He also recognised that some things are given, that is to say you are born with a certain quality, and other things are developed. He also noticed that the hand changed over time. Appu said this is a radical departure from palmistry, which does not recognise that the hand changes over time. Palmistry is fascinated by the predictive, and obviously if the line changes and they are reading the lines, they are in real trouble arent they? Because those lines are not going to be the same in the future and therefore it immediately counteracts the whole philosophy.

So, said Appu, from William Benhams book, a lot more rather scientific and investigative hand readers came along, although it must be said, very much in the minority.

A chirologist into beingAppu said that he came to know about chirology when he went to study electrical engineering in the University of Nottingham.

When I was at university I practised Yoga, and the teacher happened to be part of the Chirological Society, and he started teaching me hand reading, and Ive practised it ever since then.

Appu said, it probably takes two years to make a good chirologist. You need to learn to look at the hand shape, the skin texture, the balance of the fingers etc. There is also a lot to learn about psychology.

He said that ultimately character is future. One sees future in the terms of how they are now. The person you are now, reflects the kind of future you are going to have. If you are an obsessive sort of person, then probably, that is going to create problems in your relationships.

So you can make predictions about relationships based on your psychology and character. But also the lines might foretell a crisis and you must get the person to change, to prevent this. You also have to recognise that the character can change.

The importance of informationAppu said that in chirology you try to pertain your advice to the particular strengths or weaknesses of that person. I always read the thumb and the head line, which may sound a bit odd. But you look at the person and

see how clever they are or how they think and try to read according to that kind of mind.

There is a certain line at the top of the heart line or water line, which if someone has, you know they tend to be very dreamy and artsy, ruled by Uranus, which is all to do with TV and the world of illusions things that are not real.

So they love to be described to in symbolic language to be told about their karma and their past lives and their motives and their spiritual life. You need to be more imaginative in your descriptions when you are talking to someone like that, said Appu.

Or you might meet someone with a very level, straight, head line or air line. It might not be curved at all. They are not going to be impressed by that kind of arty-farty language. Theyd rather talk about material things, like family, money, and pretty much be more hard headed with things.

So one great skill is to learn to read to the individual, and not to give a standard reading. That is one of the secrets of giving a good reading. It makes an enormous amount of difference.

Its all about the identityAppu thinks to a certain extent in modern society, a lot of people dont really know who they actually are. I think a lot of the time in palm reading, you are telling people who they are, because they have no idea. Years ago, we would all have lots of different experiences. And now we are all very much exposed to the same influences. The same schools, the same teachings, same lifestyles, same adverts We all have very similar lives, and I think therefore we think the same things will make us all happy, and unfortunately for many, thats not the case.

So actually a lot of the time as readers, we are in the position of saying, This is what you are like this is your ideal lifestyle.I cant tell you the number of people who come along and say, I need to know my lifes purpose.And Ill say, You better go away and find someone who can tell you that because I cant!

Im certainly not going to go around telling people their lifes purpose. I can certainly give them an area and narrow down the field a lot. I can say, You have an air hand. So you should develop a specialist area of knowledge and have lots of space.

I can give them clues, and point them in the right area, but I certainly cant say that, this is your lifes purpose. And it would be wrong to do so. You must take responsibility for the path you choose and find your own way, trusting your own judgement. Know thyself. I think it is a golden rule. n

Know your fortuneFaisal Mahmud

Its chirology, not palmistry!

Photo: Courtesy


9holi | PhOTO STOry

Holi-day hullabalooPhotos by Mahmud Hossain Opu

As neighbour to India, the country with the largest Hindu population in the world, its no wonder that we share an abundance of cultural traditions. This weeks photo story features candid moments from the recent Holi celebrations, in all its glory, throughout the capital, including Sheikh Shaheb Bazar, Charukola and Dhakeshwari Temple.

Turn for more photographs


10 PhOTO STOry | holi


11


12 FEaTurE | hand Touch

Mohammad Ali Khan roams around the capital carrying a handmade jute bag on his shoulder. He looks for places, from where he can buy textiles at a low price. He left his job in a tea garden to chase his dream of doing something in the textile industry.

At the beginning he wasnt quite sure about what to do and how to go about doing it. He just knew he wanted to have his own business and a he wanted to do something meaningful, and not just to making money.

The 49-year old, ever-smiling Mohammad Ali, recalls the very first day of his endeavour back in 2002. With very little money he finally found a place from where he acquired some good-quality fabric and after selling them elsewhere he was able to make a profit of Tk1500.

Today when I look back, I feel so thrilled recalling how that trivial amount of money gave me a huge ego boost and led me to believe that I had the right skill to start a profitable business, says Mohammad Ali. Today, he has his own company Hand Touch that works as the mediator of clothing stores in Dhaka and hundreds of weavers across the country. Mohammad Ali himself heads at least a 100 weavers in

different districts across Bangladesh who produce hand loom textiles, which he sells to different boutiques in the capital, to regular retailers and exports on the basis of orders as well.

Generally, in any sector we have a stereotypical idea of the profit-hunter and exploiter middlemen who deal with both the parties at producers end and retail consumers end. This notion has a valid ground as we often see minimally-paid workers and highly-priced products at retail stores. But Mohammad Ali has not only come out of the profit-making-game of the intermediary, rather his idea to supply hand-loom textile to different deshi-styled fashion houses contributes to the sustainability of the lives and professions of the weavers and artisans in different crafts.

Changing lives in craftsAt a village in Panchagarh, Mohammad Ali came across a few weaver families living in utter despair. Most of the hand loom parts were uninstalled and abandoned in their cowsheds. These weavers families moved in that area after river erosion in Shirajganj. Some of the families had one member travelling regularly to Shirajganj for weaving work while the rest of the artisans hardly made a few gamchhas and sarees for domestic and local use at best.

In pursuit of reviving a sustainable hand-loom industryFarhana Urmee

Photos: Courtesy

The intermediarys insight


13

Mohammad Ali took an order from a designers house in Dhaka to make some pieces of customised textiles. His first attempt was successful and he never had to look back. After the very first orders by Emdad Hoque, the then chief designer of Banglar Mela, I restarted work for the Panchagarh weavers. Later I went to Jatra and Bibi Russel with my samples and their approval not only gave me further scope to produce more, but I also learned to develop new patterns in textiles which was gladly welcomed by the designers, says Mohammad Ali, Eventually I expanded my business in Panchagarh by leasing a piece of land and installing hand looms there and set up my own factory.

In his very first year, Mohammad Ali realised that the textile business cannot run well year-round, as clothing is not a daily need. There often comes an idle period when one has to wait for Eid or some other festival for business to warm up again. Mohammad Ali had to plan his business accordingly. Thus he started contacting jute craftsmen and did the same thing; taking orders from the designers and making the artisans produce interesting jute made household products.

Alis way of business He was always interested in doing business with a good purpose. After completing graduation he studied in Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute on silk. At that time my purpose was to study something that has practical implications. Later I did another masters programme on silk from China. After graduating I worked in both government and non-government jobs for 16 years, says Mohammad Ali.

My specialisation was in silk technology. I started my career in the Sericulture Board. Later I moved to NGOs like BRAC, RDS and Bangladesh Silk Foundation and my expertise in the jobs was also all about silk, adds Mohammad Ali. I kept all the

contacts that I got in touch during the course of my work as I knew these would be invaluable for me when I started my own business.

Sustainability of hand loomEverybody is conscious about their appearance today. Comfort and our climate are also big concerns where cotton, or textile made in an indigenous and environment friendly way are important considerations. Hand loom textile has that appeal of being fashionable, eco-friendly and affordable and are in high demand. Unlike power loom, hand loom cannot produce hundred pieces of cloth at a time which preserves the possibility of exclusiveness in style and patterns, says Mohammad Ali.

The quality of the fabric, the growing demands from designer houses is not only fashionable and affordable but it can also save a big industry that we can be proud of. And above all, wearing deshi clothes is not just fashion, it is contributing to the lives of the artisans who will otherwise be forced to leave the profession of their fore-fathers, adds Mohammad Ali.

Success yet to be achievedBusinessmen like Mohammad Ali, accompanied with the efforts of the deshi boutiques are helping revive the hand loom textile but that is still done in a very small scale.

While India has a weaving board which centrally develops new designs in fabric, develops hand loom technology and tools to support the new designing effort and has a central dying unit to maintain environment friendly mechanisms, we lie far behind in this arena.

Our goal should be to revive the handloom industry in a sustainable way and it should be further developed to reach out international markets too, observes Mohammad Ali whose business, Hand Touch, is already participating in different international fairs and festivals and sending hand loom products abroad. n


14 EvENT | rFl inspirinG women award

Achievers and Inspirators

In light of Womens Day this year, RFL group organised an exclusive award ceremony to celebrate the contribution of women in leadership roles on March 8, in Dhaka. Titled RFL Inspiring Women Award, the event honoured professional women of the country across various sectors. The event was held at Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden hotel, where around 500 invited guests from the local and multinational corporate sector, development agencies, government bodies and dignitaries from the embassies attended the ceremony.

The opening speech was given by Nazia Andaleeb Preema, President, Women Leadership Project, Advisor and Creative Editor, Bangladesh Brand Forum (BBF). Among the facts she shared, she mentioned that in the education sector, the women of Bangladesh achieve better scores than their male counterpart. However, the representation of women in various professional sectors needs to be increased. She assured the present audience that BBF is dedicated to empower more women in leadership roles across various sectors.

Other speakers at the event also included Uzma Chowdhury, Director Finance, Pran-RFL Group. She expressed that RFL is proud to be the

title sponsor of the award, and wished all the participants and partners her best wishes.

The award ceremony honoured female professionals in 16 broad categories including one special category for female students. Among the professional categories, a honourary recognition award titled Inspiring Corporate Leader of the Decade was given to Ms Rupali Chowdhury, managing director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd for her years of dedicated service as a female leader. Seven honourary awards were also given in the category Inspiring Regional Leader to seven Joyeetas from seven regions of the country. The award ceremony also honoured the most female-friendly organisations from both the private and public sectors of the country respectively, giving an emphasis to the necessity of conducive working environment for female professionals. In the categories that called for nomination and selection, crests were handed over to the winners in each category, and certificates to honourable mentions in each category.

An insightful speech was given by Shariful Islam, Founder and Managing Director, of Bangladesh Brand Forum, where he shed light on the long-term commitment of the project Women

In Leadership. He mentioned that the Award is part of the Women In Leadership project where BBF will work throughout the year to inspire females in leadership positions. Award winners and nominated inspiring females will be engaged further through multiple platforms and activities so that there are more women in leadership positions. Their future plans include: mentoring and grooming of female professionals, inspiring leaders of tomorrow through university engagements and a bi- monthly publication Women in Leadership.

The event came to an end with

multiple cultural performances and a thank you note to all participants and audiences, followed by dinner. In addition to RFL as title sponsor, the event was supported by a2i, FICCI and Parachute Advansed as Partners, The Daily Star as Strategic Partner, HR Next as the Leadership Development Partner, JCI West as the Future Leaders Grooming Partner, Masthead PR as PR Partner, Gtv as Media Partner, Webable as Social Media Partner, Colours FM as Radio Partner, Maverick Studios as Digital Partner, Hoda Vasi as Audit Partner and GBG Sonargaon as Community Partner. .

Honouring women in the professional arenaWeekend Tribune Desk

Photos: Courtesy


15app hype | DIGITaL BaNGLaDESh

App ConsultationAn app firm that offers much more than technologyFaisal Mahmud

The office premise of MobioApp is not as neato as Google. After all this is not Mountain View, this is Dhaka, housing over 16 million people across only 360 square kilometres.

This very fact of space crunch however makes MobioApps the Google of Dhaka. When software companies are renting pigeon holes to accommodate programmers and business analysts, MobioApps actually has pigeons nurtured and taken care of inside its office premises spanning over five bigha (two acres) land at one of the premium locations in the capital.

And we have other birds too including two big turkeys, said Jamil Rahman, an intern business analyst of the company. I heard all sorts of things from people like how they have Sunday morning blues (like Monday morning blues), but in MobioApp, we dont have that. We love to be in the office, said Rahman.

The office premise consists of six one stories buildings amid the greeneries, it reminds people more of a country house rather than an office. And its located on the Airport Road, right after the Farmgate over-bridge!

Programming is not an easy task. After writing all those codes and debugging, a breath of fresh air amid the greeneries is something that we all need. Mobioapp gives us that, said Fida Muntasir, a programmer there.

Yes fresh air is aplenty there and to take it to a new level, it recently launched a program called Fresh air.

What is fresh air? Fresh air is a consultation program of MobioApp, said Asraf-ul-Jubair, a senior business analyst at the company.

MobioApp is a sister concern of Datasoft Ltd, the largest software houses of the country and it solely focuses on the development of mobile apps. Mobile apps are the future and people want new apps. Keeping that in mind, Mobioapps decided to include common people and try to get an insight from them about what sort of app they want, said Jubair.

Lashkar Palash, the managing director of MobioApp said, I believe its a ground breaking attempt because No one yet has thought of doing such a thing.

He said its the time of app revolution. Programmers are

relentlessly developing mobile apps to make things easier for people. Our company is a frontrunner in doing so in Bangladesh. This fresh air program is taking it to a new level.

The first consultation The company had recently launched its first Fresh Air program in its office premises. People from different backgrounds and professions gathered in its offices to share their ideas about new apps.

Mahadi Abdur Rauf is a doctor by profession. He came to the open consultation to share his idea of an app. I want to open a night time pizza delivery restaurant. For that I need an app. People can place the order of their customized pizza in their app through an interactive

Photos: Courtesy

process. Then they can track their delivery man real time like the famous Uber app. I came here to know how and for what price such app could be developed.

Nihad Ferdous, a banker came to the consultation to give an idea for developing an app for personal financial assistant. These days we have loads of online marketplaces. Id like an app which would suggest for me one particular best offer on one category by analysing the offers under similar category in all the marketplaces.

Assalutazzaman, a senior business analyst with another software firm came to the consultation to share the idea for a large enterprise level RMG management app.

Many others have also came up

with ideas for different games and connectivity apps.

Its all about ideaPalash, the MD of MobioApp said that the first consultation was very successful. We wanted to have that- interaction with others. We want that because we want to develop apps that would actually help people to do things.

Palash said that people in Bangladesh are not that habituated in using smartphone in their life to the fullest. Smartphones are not just for your communication and browsing experience. You can use them to conduct your business as well. It is also there to be your personal health assistant. You just need to have apps for doing those things.

He said during such consultation, MobioApp gets the idea of apps that people want. Our developers will develop these apps. We just need to get the ideas.

Jubair, senior business analyst of the company said that MobioApp will keep on continuing arranging such consultation. Keep an eye on our website or Facebook page to see when the next consulation happens. .


16 INTErvIEw | kaymu

A quick peek into the PR and communications heads behind the success of KaymuN Anita Amreen

A global company spearheading the e-commerce sector

From an online marketplace that began its journey in 2012, today, Kaymu operates in 34 countries, focusing on Asian countries such as Pakistan, Srilanka, Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh. Ever since they began their journey in Bangladesh a year ago, they have now secured the number one place in the e-commerce industry, with over 6000+ sellers using Kaymu as the ultimate platform to get their goods sold. This week we talk to Gabriela Salord, Global Head of Communications and Syeda Umaila Akhter, Head of PR of Kaymu Bangladesh to find out the secrets behind this companys astronomical success in Bangladesh. While Gabriela monitors, Umaila spearheads Kaymus local PR messages, going above and beyond to help with stories on Kaymu Bangladesh. In just a few months she has brought Kaymu to the e-commerce forefront. Read on to find out the perks of holding a communication job, the secret tools used to create a buzz online and what really makes Kaymu the leading brand in the e-commerce sector.

From working for leading cosmetic brands, you are now the global

communications head for Kaymu. Whats the best part of having a communications job?

Gabriela: I started my journey as a marketing expert in the cosmetics industry and had the opportunity to work for Clairins and Loreal. However, I slowly switched to communications because I believe this is where all the fun is; plus I love to meet and interact with different people, which is the essence of Communications and Public Relations. In communications you get the opportunity to develop and present your message to various target audiences which for me is very exciting. An effective and appealing message has the power to actually impact the whole community. On top of that, you get to work closely with various stakeholders from within your organisation and outside it. Its an action packed and challenging, yet exciting job to have. There are long hours, you need to work weekends sometimes and if you dont like it you definitely cannot make it. Its all about loving what you do, and its all about your personality and how you communicate with people.Gabriela Salord, Global Head of Communications, Kaymu Photos: Courtesy


17

And what brought you to the PR scene Umaila?

Umaila: I have started my career in Bangladesh by working for SCB followed by working at Grey Advertising Limited and Airtel Bangladesh Limited. All of my past jobs required the ability to build long lasting client relationships. I consider myself an extremely extrovert person and believe that I have always tried to use that as an advantage to establish interpersonal relationships. Because of my personality, working in Communications/PR in Kaymu doesnt feel like work at all. The best part of my job is that every day is different, different projects, different people and different stories. I love living a new life every day. I love thinking of creative ways to break through the noise and generate brand awareness of my company. As a Head of PR, being responsible for protecting and leveraging our companys image and reputation across the country is extremely rewarding.

For someone overseeing so many countries, how do you ensure that Kaymu's core values aren't lost?

Gabriela: We have 34 countries right as of now and it can get quite challenging, but thats why we have such an amazing local team. We have Umaila and our very own Bangladeshi Kaymu family here. Kaymu is essentially a local company that empowers and works with local buyers and sellers. We make sure that this is the resonating fact behind our operations and that is how we adapt our messages to be as local as possible in the countries we set up in.

Is there a reason why youve chosen younger executives for the Kaymu team?

Gabriela: The global team we have hired is also full of young people; the average age of our employees is around 28. I think this is what gives us the passion and motivation to expand Kaymu globally. No matter where we're located, both the global and the local atmosphere of our office are very dynamic. The atmosphere is energized and exciting, and everyone is charged to meet new challenges.

Whats the best part about setting up Kaymu in Bangladesh?

Gabriela: Bangladesh is a land of opportunities - everything is possible here. When you talk to people here they are so entrepreneurial, it's amazing! The online shopping community that we are empowering, we are giving local sellers every kind of tool to get into the e-commerce bandwagon. We also launched a students programme to get more students on board.

Umaila: E-commerce is still a new concept in Bangladesh, andmotivating new entrepreneurs and other individuals to take an active role in developing online businessesis necessary for the growth of the countrys e-commerce sector. As one of Bangladeshs leading online marketplace, Kaymu offers entrepreneurs a unique opportunity tostart sellingonline with little up-front investment. Our company is eager to work with small entrepreneurs, students and housewives to help them capitalize on this business opportunity. Everybody wants to start up their own businesses here in Bangladesh so we want to ensure that all our buyers and sellers can access the tools and have adequate knowledge they need to succeed in their businesses

What do you think is the ultimate secret behind Kaymu's success here?

Umaila: We give top priority to relationship building. The sellers who are enlisted with us all have one key account manager dedicated to them. We give our buyers and sellers top priority; we make sure they are comfortable working with us. We aren't limiting our sellers to just those who know how to sell online. We try to make it our business to get everyone on board from those sellers who don't even know how to use the internet to those who already have a Facebook store and also offline store. We give them training and business advice every step of the way. People feel connected with us because they know they can trust us and rely on us. We don't just want to create a platform for buyers and sellers we want to engage with them and build a lasting relationship.

Gabriela: Building strong relationships with your customers and sellers is the paramount for the success of any organization; and that is exactly what we focus on as well. This is our message and this is how we want people to know us; that is one of the core duties of the communications and PR at Kaymu. We want people to read about us, recognize us and want to be part of our team. Although we actively work on brand awareness to win the trust of our customers, our main goal is to empower people. We want to give them tools to write their own success stories.

What do you think about how PR/brand awareness works in Bangladesh? Do you think people are more responsive to these messages here?

Gabriela: I think what's working here is word of mouth and the fact that we build a loyal seller base. You see that more here than in Europe.

Umaila: From raising brand awareness to attracting people into the online community clearly, PR and communications is highly beneficial to business growth and is a cornerstone of our companys marketing strategy.

Are you guys taking an aggressive approach to strive to be number one? Gabriela: Yes, we definitely are. We are planning to expand more, get more sellers with many more products to offer.

Umaila: We ARE number one. And we aim to remain as one of the leading online marketplaces for the long haul. .

Syeda Umaila Yakub, Head of PR


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 weeks sudoku solutions

Mini cryptics

aCrOss1 Float above ground initialy half finished (5)5 Im in a right atmosphere (3) 6 Stain changed cloth (5)8 Sign on right in single return (5)10 Strange spirit (3)11 Rugby Union comeback veto in city (5)

DOwN1 Tale of greeting in the past (7)2 Check credentials of medic (3)3 Managed and belted (3)4 Type of sleep left in family citadel (7)7 Man in a muddle (3)8 Bird described in dance music (3)9 Endless probe into hold-up (3)

Last

wee

ks

solu

tion

s

aCrOss1 Pull of Christopher and his building? (6)6 Fathers gratitude for noodles (5)7 Sounds like bloom could be self-raising (5)8 Cricket equipment let loose for fight (6)

DOwN2 Strike left a sympathetic connection (7)3 Climbing beast holds saint right in nose (7)4 Chicken keeps road to paradise (6)5 Made in advance, mixed fare is lead lined (6)

Clues

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

The Wind Will Carry Us comes from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. This enigmatic but resonant film takes its title from a modern Iranian poem. The main character recites to a peasant girl as she fills a jug of milk for him in a dark cellar. We never see the woman. In fact, we never see several principal characters in the story.

But story and characters arent the point here the setting, symbols, and rhythm are. Kiarostami opens with a long shot of a jeep driving along a winding road in the Iranian desert, looking for a village that isnt on any map. We never see anyone except the leader of the group, whom villagers call the engineer although he isnt one.

The leader encounters a young boy who guides his group to the

village, an ochre-coloured warren of huts perched on a barren hill. Women climb wooden ladders up and down from one house to another. The place looks as if Kiarostami was inspired by an MC Escher print. The village is not beautiful, but each shot captures the eye.

Each frame finds a peaceful beauty that contrasts the hurried life of the engineer, a prisoner of his cell phone, with the rhythms of people whose existence hasnt changed much in hundreds of years. We infer his mission is to wait until a 100 year old woman dies. Why? We dont know, but one guess is that he and his crew are supposed to covertly film the funeral ceremony.

The problem is that the woman doesnt die while he and his unseen crew remain on watch. We never see the woman either. The movie sets up a dialogue, via its technique, between the engineers Westernised expectations and the slow friction of village life he comes to expect and even value. The engineers cell phone is a good example of how recurring patterns in this film amplify its themes. Every time his phone rings he has to drive his jeep to high ground, near the village cemetery, to explain to his unknown caller that the old woman has not died yet.

These interruptions become almost comic, a way of structuring sequences in which little happens from his point of view. On another level, an awful lot has happened. The engineer is working his way into the

life of the village through indirections that mirror his initial problem in even finding the place.

Kiarostami does not set up a plot in the Western sense. Much remains unexplained, and characters, like the engineer, dont undergo sudden conversions of the kind we are used to in movies. Some critics have likened the film to Samuel Becketts play Waiting for Godot because much is imminent but nothing happens. The comparison is inexact.

The directors modernism stems from the visual tension between the push of the engineer his needs and deadline versus basic realities of people who live close to nature because they have no choice. Yet their lives, imaged in the directors camera, retain a beauty and connection his life cannot hope to attain. Becketts bleakness exists in a realm apart from Kiarostamis humane vision. Small moments resonate with that vision. In one scene the engineer, frustrated by another phone call, kicks over a tortoise. Flailing on its back, the creature might die. But when the engineer drives away, the camera cuts to the tortoise righting itself and moving on.

This would be a throwaway moment in any other film, but here it symbolizes a reality about village life the engineer cannot yet grasp: these people, including the old woman, live; they dont die on cue. A simple insight like this yields a harvest of riches in The Wind Will Carry Us. n

Saqib Sarkar

Movie review:

The wind will carry us


GO OuT 19

Weekly Planner

Mr Zahir Ahmed, Executive Director of International Admissions, Southeast Missouri State University, USA, will be here at Mentors for a spot assessment session and seminar.Southeast Missouri State University is one of the most affordable yet reputed universities in the USA.Interested students are requested to join the event with their academic certificates and transcripts for a spot assessment.Please check www.semo.edu for more information about the university.You can also call and talk to their counselors at 01713243410, 01713243420, 9131828 to know about requirements and other information.

To support the burned victims in the recent arson attacks across the country, a charity concert titled Concert for the Burned will be held on March 14. Twelve bands including Arbovirus, Powersurge, DR. Doctor, Ond, Parah, Sahajia,

Samudro, Quanta, Embrace of Death, Page 31, Candle Carmen and Silent Time will perform at the concert, which will be held at the National Library Auditorium at Shahbagh. Guests at the event will include Dr Samanta Lal Sen

of DMCH, singer and writer Fakir Alamgir, and singer and lead vocal of Maksood O Dhaka Maksood ul Haq. The tickets for the concert are available at Tk250 only and can be collected at the venue. While the money raised from tickets will go directly to DMCH, there will be room for extra donations as well as donations of medicine, food, bandages and other medical equipment. The venue gates will open at 11am. The raised money will be donated for the welfare of the burned victims.

The event is sponsored by Prime Islami Life Insurance Limited, and partners include: Hamdard University Bangladesh, Ekushey Music Lab, Radio Goongoon Live, The Pages, and the Dhaka Tribune.

To know details about the concert and to buy tickets, please contact 01680 636579, 01684 936320, 01678 714737.

Mar 13spOrts | Cube aDDa When 3:30-5:50pm WheRe Rabindra Sarobar, DhanmondiRubiks Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ern Rubik which was initially called the Magic Cube. Cubing Bangladesh is arranging a get-together for the Rubiks Cube lovers at Dhanmondi Lake. Everyone is invited whether they can solve a cube or not. Those who cant will have the opportunity to get tips from those who can solve a Rubiks cube. There will be game shows and other fun activities. For more information, contact: 01961684202, 01534300361

Mar 13DraMa | VaNga baNgaWhen 10am-5pmWheRe Bangladesh Shilpokola Academy, 14/3 Segunbagicha, RamnaAronnyok Theatre is presenting their drama Vanga Banga at Bangladesh Shilpokola Academy. The play is written by Mamunur Rashid, with music from Rabindranath Tagore and directed by Fayez Zahir.

Mar 14DraMa | preseNtatiON OF baDi-baNDer rupkathabaseD ON alibaba aND 40 thieVesWhen 6:30-8:30pmWheRe Jatio Nattayshala, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy

IGCC is presentating Badi-Bander Rupkatha, based on Alibaba and the 40 Thieves by Srishti Cultural Center at Jatio Nattayshala, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Mar 15eDuCatiON | aDVisiNg ON u.s. uNiVersity aDMissiONsWhen 3:30pm onwardsWheRe EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old) , 9th Floor, Midas Center, DhanmondiUS Embassy-Dhaka is offering a session on advising for university admissions in the US. Anyone interested in pursuing higher education at the US is encouraged to join this free session. No prior registration is required to attend this program.

Mar 16

MusiC | aMeriCaN CeNter MusiC buzzWhen 4-5pmWheRe American Center, Plot No 1, Progati Sharani, J-Block, Baridhara, Dhaka (Opposite the US Embassy Dhaka, next to Notun Bazar by the Maa O Shishu Clinic) The American Center presents Music Buzz, a music club arranged every other Monday at the American Center library. The club is open to all and entrance is free.

Send your events to [email protected]

Mar 14Music | Concert for the BurnedwheN 11am onwardswhere National Library, Shahbagh

Mar 14Education | Spot Assessment-Southeast Missouri State UniversitywheN 12pm onwardswhere Mentors, 166/1 Mirpur Road, Kalabagan


20 FuNNyBONE | yamin khan

The Super WomanMyatical powers, or hogwash?Yamin Khan

As an average kid raised in a religious minded society, you learn that all kinds of Babas and Sadhus are special individuals. They are to be respected, admired and if needed, even pampered. But then as you grow older you begin to realise that maybe the existence of questions, something which you grow up hating because of exams, isnt such a bad thing after all.

Let me share a story with you. There was this Pakistani lady, who had her office, if I may call it one, in Mohammadpur. Her company had a workforce of two people: the lady herself, and an aspiring debt collector, who was in charge of the finances. And just like all the super heroes you grow up reading about in comic books, this lady also had a super power. She could tell everything about an individual, simply by looking at their face. Which is a great gift to possess, but then again, her social interactions as a face reading child prodigy must have been super awkward.

Random Passerby: Yowhat you looking at? Gifted teenager: Does the wife know about this fine young lady amidst your arms? Random Passerby: I hope you rot in hell!

Anyway, so one fine Thursday, myself, along with my mother and sister, decided to pay the lady a visit. Her office was in a narrow alley, in fact too narrow for a car to enter, so we had to cover the last stretch of our journey by foot. And the office of the-lady-with-the-superpower was nothing more than a

shabby old house consisting of only two rooms. One of which was the toilet. My first thought while walking in was, how unfair was this world? We have this lady in possession of a super power and she cant even afford an extra room in her house? I mean the whole night I was imagining news reporters, countless fans, dozens of bodyguards and this was just it? I guess superman is one lucky bugger.

We quietly walked in and sat amidst ten-twelve strangers. Who were all seated facing Lady Supremo. Who herself was a grey-haired, frail looking individual with dejection written all over her face. I guess she was very stingy when it came to using her powers.

As time went by, one by one, people sat in front of her and she kept on dictating their problems. The first person had financial troubles, the second one had a cheating husband, the third was a victim of black magic and the fourth, who looked unusually similar to The Chosen One, had her Nikon camera stolen two days ago at 22:34 hours, which was currently in Apartment 3-C, 284 Rampura (Banasree), next to a wooden cupboard and inside a green box. The whole room let out shouts of rejoices and not to mention that I was the most excited one in the lot.

With the passing of every single minute it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to contain the excitement. And after an agonizingly long wait of 45 minutes it was finally my turn to experience her magic. As I sat in front of her she slowly raised her head, looked at me and said the following words in a very calm voice, I guess you have Daal smudged on your face. You can go and wash it if you want to.

Since I was the only one asked to wash the face, it did not take long for me realise that her instruction had nothing to do with the spiritual endeavour. So I quickly dashed for the wash-room and the moment I stepped out I could see 10 million eyes looking at my direction, accompanied by giggles and smirks. After facing this unbearable humiliation, I decided to abort the mission and sat in one corner of the room counting down to the moment we leave.

The Spiritual Maestro

was never mentioned in our house, ever again. Until recently, when she became the news headline as the Police arrested her, along with her accomplice, for charges of fraudulent activities. Apparently, she had taken money from this gentleman and promised him a life of affluence abroad. But unfortunately his boat was stopped by coast guards along the borders of Italy and deported back to Bangladesh.

So at the end of it all, our Mystical Madam is currently counting her days inside the Central Jail, as she still refuses to use her powers for personal gain. n

yamin khan is a comedian and CEO of Bangladesh Struggling Artist Survivors Foundation

Photo: Bigstock

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Weekend Tribune Vol 2 Issue 43

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