Weekend Tribune Vol 3 Issue 18

vol 3 Issue 18 | FRIDAY, August 21, 2015 Dhaka Tribune

12 QuIcksIlveR DeAth 15 tYpes oF

selFIes 20 the Bong MoMMA

All that you can’t leave behind

Dear Readers,

This week we perform a high-wire act between the tech world and the natural one.

Sit down with the head of overseas, (South Asia) of Lenovo, to hear about the tech giant’s big dreams for Bangladesh. Follow Leepu’s meteoric rise to car-modding fame. Lean back and let us tell you about our music partnership with Bongo BD and Radio Shadhin. Come, take a selfie with us.

Let’s head to the museum to meet some cute, fluffy ducks. Dive into our photo-story this week for a trip to Cox’s Bazar.

Finally, the circle of life doesn’t come without its hurdles, as the Bong Momma gets down and honest about her pre-partum problems.

Wishing you cool breezes and dry feet this week.

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

All that you can’t leave behind

Photo: Ata Mohammad Adnan

Editor’s note

Questions? Comments? Send them to [email protected]

WEEKEN D TRI BU N E | FRI DAY, AUGUST 21 , 2015

1CONTENTS

Volume 3 | Issue 18 | August 21, 2015

EditorZafar Sobhan

Features EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Asst Magazine EditorFarina Noireet

Weekend Tribune TeamSaudia Afrin

Moumita AhmedFaisal MahmudSakib MridhaSaqib Sarker

ContributorsMinu Ahmed

Jennifer Ashraf KashmiAta Mohammad Adnan

Tahsin Momin

CartoonistPriyo

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]

TOp 10Types of selfies

15

News 2 News

3 Meanwhile

FeatuRes 6 Focus

Modern day slavery

8 Feature Music

12 Focus Quicksilver death

16 Feature Biodiversity

20 The Bong Momma Tales from a first-time mom

RegulaRs14 Leagales

18 Stay In

19 Go Out

TEChHome-made designer cars

phOTO STOrycox’s Bazar

4

5

9

TEChLenovo in BangLadesH


2 NEwS | This week

Iran’s supreme leader is not happy about this McDonald’s knockoff in TehranThe supreme leader of Iran went off about American influence in his country, saying that even with a newly struck nuclear deal, they will “block all attempts of penetration of Iran.”

Much of the concern seems to revolve around American culture seeping into Iran – like the knockoff fast food restaurants that have popped up in the country.

“We thought that they would bring Boeing technology, but they want to bring McDonald’s,” Gen. Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a leader

of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said.

Interestingly, restaurants like Mash Donald’s, Kabooki Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hat have recently been spotted in and around Tehran.Imitations of popular American restaurants exist because, while there is an appetite in Iran for American food, the government’s attitude toward the US makes it nearly impossible for any genuine American food franchise to operate there.Photo: AFP

The world at a glance Weekend Tribune Desk

China film lambasted online for distorting history

Russian ‘strongman’ Vladimir Putin burnished his action man image once again.

On Tuesday he dove down in a mini-submarine to explore a shipwreck off the coast of the Crimea peninsula that Moscow seized from Ukraine last year.

Putin, wearing a beige pantsuit, plunged down to a depth of 83 metres seated alongside the pilot in the glass-bubble cabin of the Dutch-made vessel.

“83 metres is a pretty substantial depth,” Putin told journalists in televised comments after the dive. “It was interesting.”

The Russian President went

underwater to view the Byzantine-era wreckage in the Black Sea off Crimea that included a trove of 10th century pottery.

The remains were discovered off the coast of Sevastopol by Russian divers earlier this year.

“It is a galleon that was transporting civilian cargo through the bay of Balaclava,” Putin said.

Putin has become known for his eye-catching stunts during his fifteen years in charge of Russia, that have included flying with cranes, riding topless on horseback and darting an endangered tiger.Photo: AP

Social media users blasted a new Chinese film for portraying false information about the World War- II.

The Cairo Declaration – an upcoming war film produced by a company affiliated with China’s military has depicted a summit of world leaders during World War II which showed revolutionary leader Mao Zedong as vital to a conference he never attended.

Originally, the US, Britain and China met in Cairo in November 1943 to map out a post-war path for Asia, during which they decided

that territories ceded to Japan before the war should be returned to China.

But the film’s trailer and poster have faced a backlash on social media and state media, with internet users pointing out Mao played no major role at the conference.

Even an editorial in the Chinese-language edition on Monday of the newspaper, which has close ties to the Communist Party, called the use of Mao to promote the film “inappropriate.”Photo: AP

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said they will reconsider the exclusion of time scale and selection grade before implementing the new pay structure for government employees.

“I had a wrong idea about time scale and selection grade. Now, the concepts have become clear to me,” he said.

The government is implementing the new pay scale for government employees on the basis of and after reviewing the recommendations placed by the 8th National Pay and Services Commission (NPSC).

Among other things, the NPSC had recommended that the two provisions be scrapped because these had over the years bred corruption and discrimination.

Time scale and selection grade have been used to compensate those public servants who deserve

promotions but have not got any due to shortage of posts.

Most public servants have strongly opposed the government move to drop these two provisions.

Muhith said two weeks ago that the new pay structure would be placed in a cabinet meeting in August and implemented thereafter.

The minister yesterday said that there is no reason for the government employees to be worried as the new structure would be implemented with retrospective effect. This means that alongside the hikes, they would get the arrears for July as well.

The pay commission recommended nearly doubling the salaries of public servants at all grades. The government has made some changes to the commission’s proposals after review.Source: Dhaka Tribune

Time scale, selection grade will be reconsidered before new pay scale

Putin dives in mini-sub to shipwreck off Crimea


. . . MEaNwhILE 3

Vladmir Putin’s face appears in NYC bird swarm

A video posted to YouTube on Aug 11 shows a flock of birds swarming, and forming the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The video was posted by user Sheryl Gilbert, who filmed it while crossing the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn.

The video has more than a million page views at this point, and almost as many opinions as to its meaning.

The Washington Post points out the so-called face in the video could be Steve Jobs, Robin Williams or Jerry Mouse, but Putin became the most popular possibility after the Russian news station Zvezda posted the video.

One person posting on Gilbert’s YouTube page said the bird-brained video is a “warning to the US that they shouldn’t start a war with Russia,” according to Newser.

Of course, a simpler answer may be more likely.

One YouTube poster suggested that the birds in the video, starlings, tend to fly in circles to avoid predators, and any similarities to Putin are coincidental.News: Huffington Post

Vacations are pretty great already. But as psychological researchers discover more about how the human brain works, we’re gaining insights into exactly how to crank up the enjoyment factor—and why you should. Here are three strategies for getting the most bliss out of your precious vacation days, and returning without needing a vacation from your vacation.

1. Planning may be the best partAnticipation accounts for a major chunk of human happiness. One study of vacationers found that they were happier than people who weren’t getting away, but almost all of the happiness boost happened

before the vacation itself. When you think about the fun you’ll be having, you feel much of the same joy the experience itself will bring. The difference is that it can last a lot longer. So pick the dates for your vacations well in advance, and revel in thinking about what you’ll do.

2. Opt for quantity over “Once in a lifetime”A once-in-a-lifetime trip, like a month in New Zealand, would be amazing. But the “once-in-a-lifetime” aspect of such vacations limits their overall contribution to happiness. Research increasingly finds that we return to previous happiness levels fairly quickly

(we spend life on the “hedonic treadmill”), and so smaller pleasures experienced frequently contribute more to overall well-being than major but less infrequent ones. Another study found that the health and wellness benefits of a vacation peaked at about eight days in. So look for already-shortened workweeks for getaways so you can plan several eight-day vacations (weekend plus workweek plus weekend) in a year for the price of three to four vacation days a pop.

3. Do new thingsIn his TedX talk on the nature of time, former Olympic speed skater John Coyle notes that when we were 8 years old, summer seemed to last forever. Now, not so much. So how to make time slow down? For an 8-year-old all is new, and time goes slowly as the brain processes all these new adventures. Adults stick to routines. A vacation is a great opportunity to consciously plan in new experiences, be they kayaking, zip-lining through a rainforest, learning to make cheese, whatever.Source: fastcompany.com

Three proven ways to have the best vacation ever

Two children on a swing on top of Nilachol, Bandarban

Photo: Tanvir Ahmed Siddiky

You’re welcome

Photo of the week Say what?

Photo: Bigstock


4 TECh | Lenovo in BangLadesh

As head of overseas (South Asia) of Beijing based tech giant Lenovo, Ranjan Baruah has a hectic job. “It’s

an emerging market and we are one of the best tech brands in the world. Keeping our reputation intact is a part of my duty and that job isn’t easy,” said Baruah, a person with an amicable presence and a friendly smile.

The next thing he confessed over a meal at the corner of cricketer Shakib Al Hasan’s new signature restaurant Shakib’s is “Onek chap, bujhtei parchen (There is a lot of pressure, you understand).”

For a person originating from Bangalore, his Bengali was surprisingly good. On being praised about that he replied, “We consider

Bangladesh as the next big potential market for us. If I don’t know the language, I can’t hit the right note with the people here,” he said.

He was patient and we talked for long. His phone rang several times and he fired off instructions to his sales team.

When asked what brings him here at Shakib’s restaurant, he said Lenovo has signed Shakib Al Hasan as its brand ambassador in Bangladesh. “He is the best all-rounder in the world and like Lenovo devices, Shakib exudes style and performance. Besides, Shakib’s restaurant is using our tablets to display their menu and is providing customers the ability to order from the tablet’s screen.”

He said that the brand Lenovo is speaking the language of today’s ‘netizen’ consumer audience (18-34 year olds). “Lenovo helps millennials translate their dreams into reality as well as enables businesses to achieve more. We are now investing more than ever in the Bangladesh market and our association with Shakib is a step in this direction,” he said adding that they have big plans for the Bangladeshi market.

According to Baruah, Lenovo appears poised for an ambitious global expansion drive after the computer kingpin signed, sealed and delivered its two biggest corporate acquisitions of Motorola and IBM in the last two years.

“After the acquisition of IBM, especially its critically acclaimed ‘ThinkPad’ laptop series, Lenovo is the world’s largest PC maker and certainly the most reliable one. We are very confident about our products and planning on expanding the market,” he said.

On the global front, data speaks for its success. Lenovo reported revenue of US$11.3 billion for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2015 – up 21% year-over-year.

Baruah said it delivered an expectation-beating quarterly net income of US$100 million, with a better balance of revenue where 64% was generated from PCs, 25% from Mobile and 9% from the Enterprise segment, compared with the previous year where the PC segment made up a total 83% of total revenue.

“South-East Asia (especially in India), Malaysia and Singapore experienced the largest year-on-year growth across the three business segments,” he said adding that Lenovo is focusing on strengthening its presence in Bangladesh through a well-defined retail and partner strategy, backed by a stunning portfolio of innovative Consumer tech devices.

He said that Bangladesh is a mix of mature markets with an appetite for premium and cutting-edge technology, as well as fast-growing emerging markets with entry-level technology penetration, giving us the opportunity to grow market share quickly.

“It’s a great market for us. While our Q1 CY 2015 market share in Bangladesh at 9% depicts steady growth, the upcoming Q2 CY2015 market share as per IDC, is expected to be much stronger than the previous quarters,” he said.

“Lenovo will continue to increase investments in Bangladesh in its bid to become a leader in all segments. Key areas of investment include: geographical and channel expansion; relationship building with business partners; retail presence growth; company infrastructure and resources improvements; after-sales enhancements; and more innovative products to suit Bangladeshi customers,” he added.

“As of now our main focus is selling Lenovo laptops and tablets in the Bangladeshi market. We have different types of laptops with different price ranges. So I think we will be able to serve from young students to corporate customers”, he said.

About Lenovo tablets, he said that those are cheap are and of great value to the money. “Our tabs are running on android-the most popular operating system-so the customers can avail all the apps they want,” he said.

Lenovo’s big plan in Bangladesh however is to sell smartphones. “We are one of the fastest growing smartphone makers in the world and our smartphones have already become the most sought after smartphones in countries like Malaysia and Philippines. We will introduce the smartphone in Bangladesh soon,” he said. n

Tech giant lenovo plans big for BangladeshFaisal Mahmud

The next step

Photo: Courtesy


I do to cars what the fairy

Godmother did to Cinderella before

she went to the ball

Meet Nizamuddin Awlia, better known as Leepu. He is a car designer from

Bangladesh and his dream is to become one of the greatest car designers of all time. Leepu’s alchemy turns the base metal of a knackered old junker into a custom one-off super car.

Leepu is charming and humble. He is, plainly, a metal-basher who creates his designs using nothing more than just hammers, and welding pieces of sheet metal together. Watching him at work, it becomes obvious that he knows his way around with the raw materials of this trade. No one builds cars today the way Leepu builds them. Hammering a piece of metal into shape and then feeling it with bare hand is a lost art.

So, how did this man from Bangladesh end up mastering the great Italian coach-building technique? Well, his inspiration actually came when he was 16, living in Saudi Arabia. It was his first time at a motor show and, this being in

the Middle-East; he feasted his eyes on the most exotic machinery. He fell in love with the Ferraris and Lamborghinis he saw. “They made me crazy. I wanted to buy them, but all the price tags were thousands of dollars. My dad said no!” He ended up driving home in a Mazda that his dad bought him. This car was far away from being the sports car of Leepu’s dreams.

It was not long before Leepu figured out that the only way he can get the sports car of his dreams, would be to build it himself. Back in those days it was quite hard to find car magazines in Dhaka, so, Leepu watched Magnum PI and Knight Rider just to look at the cars. He also took his inspirations from the cars on the street.

In 1989, Leepu, with the help of his brother Deepu made his first car, the “Leemo-bil.” Leepu was never going to set the world on fire with his first design and if truth be told it was a boxier affair than his more recent works. But soon after, anyone who wanted a car that looks like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini based on a scrap

car knew who to call. Leepu went to the General Motors

Institute in Michigan to earn an automotive degree but he was put off by the sheer volume of technical work. Instead, he opened up his

An automotive alchemist, who transforms rusty old bangers into beautiful one-offsTahsin Momin

home-made designer cars | TECh 5

The designer’s story

Leepu (left) and Pitbull (right) posing for the season premier of “Leepu & Pitbull”

own workshop, which he ran for three years to get some practical experience, and then came back to Bangladesh. Here, he started making cars based on tired old Toyotas and Daihatsus.

His creations first caught the attention of Intersection magazine, and from there on the international interest began. He went on to do television shows in Bangladesh “Bangla Bangers” and the United Kingdom “Chop Shop: London Garage.” He is now an international star, with commissions from around the world. Leepu currently resides in New York, where just finished wrapping up the first season of “Leepu & Pitbull.” “Pitbull” is Steve Tromboli, a master mechanic from New York. Together, Leepu and Pitbull transformed seven junkers into what Leepu calls “affordable custom cars for the average Joe,” and these cars are not just for show, these are proper thoroughbreds, meant to be driven hard. n

Photos: Courtesy


6 FOCuS| modern day sLavery

In late August, 1791, an uprising began in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic). The slave rebellion

in the area weakened the Caribbean colonial system, sparking an uprising that led to abolishing slavery and giving the island its independence.

It marked the beginning of the destruction of the slavery system, the slave trade and colonialism and started the tradition of celebrating the occasion of abolishing slavery.

International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was first celebrated in many countries, in particular in Haiti, on August 23, 1998, and in Senegal on August 23, 1999. Each year the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reminds the international community about the importance of commemorating this day.

This date also pays tribute to those who worked hard to abolish slave trade and slavery throughout the world. This commitment and the actions used to fight against the

system of slavery had an impact on the human rights movement.

Modern day slaveryThe irony, however, is that slavery did not end with abolition in the 19th century.

The practice still continues today in one form or another in every country in the world. From women forced into prostitution, children and adults forced to work in agriculture, domestic work, or factories and sweatshops producing goods for global supply chains, entire families forced to work for nothing to pay off generational debts; or girls forced to marry older men, the illegal practice still blights the contemporary world.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), around 21 million men, women and children around the world are in bound in one form of slavery or other.

The ILO study said that modern slavery is a multi-billion dollar industry with estimates of up to $35 billion generated annually. The United Nations estimates that

roughly 27 to 30 million individuals are currently caught in the slave trade industry.

The Global Slavery Index 2013 states that 10 nations account for 76% of the world’s enslaved. India has the most slaves of any country, at 14 million (over 1% of the population). China has the second-largest number with 2.9 million slaves, followed by Pakistan with 2.1 million, Nigeria with 701,000, Ethiopia with 651,000, Russia with 516,000, Thailand with 473,000, Congo with 462,000, Myanmar with 384,000, and Bangladesh with 343,000.

Bangladeshi scenarioIn Bangladesh, slavery exists in different forms such as human trafficking, sex trafficking, forced labour, forced child labour, domestic servitude, forced begging, forced marriage, etc. Hereditary slavery is found too in Bangladesh among tea garden workers and prostitutes.

Modern-day enslaved people, specifically women and child labourers, are also found in fields

(agricultural sector) and factories who labour under brutal and unscrupulous employers. Some enslaved people also work in homes for families that keep them virtually imprisoned. Moreover, some people are forced to beg in the streets.

Experts concerned have since long said that the victims of modern slavery have their freedom denied. They are used, controlled and exploited by another person for profit, sex, or the thrill of domination. They are also ill-paid or unpaid. In some cases, they are kept in isolation. They are physically and mentally tortured so that they can not escape from their chained or enslaved lives.

The new faces of horrifying slaveryModern slavery in the country took on a new dimension since last year after November 17, when the Bangladesh Navy rescued 600 overseas job seekers from a large trawler in the Bay of Bengal while being trafficked to Malaysia.

Unbent and unchainedin light of the upcoming world day against slave trade on August 23, we talk about slavery and slave-trade in and around the country – how and when it was introduced and why relentless pockets still exist, unhinderedFaisal Mahmud

Photo: Bigstock


7

Photo: Mainoor Islam Manik

Beaten, abused and left with no food, those wretched men tell a horrific tale of how they were abducted in a style similar to the 17th century slave trade in Africa and forced to work in plantations under the most hazardous conditions.

Unlike in the usual cases where job hungry people voluntarily cooperate with human traffickers’ designs, the victims here were first entrapped by traffickers and then forcibly taken to boats to be finally shipped to an unknown destination.

The fact that these men were so easily lured into bonded labour abroad is proof of the hopelessness of their lives at home. Although some of the men said that they had not known that they would be shipped to Thailand, most of them were ready to set sail into the unknown.

Individual accounts of how these hapless people landed themselves in such a tragic situation reveal a thriving modern-day slave trade operated by a powerful human-trafficking underworld right under our coast guards’ noses.

Why the slavery?Questions arise over why the

government kept quiet all through this crisis and failed to see the developing crisis and take pre-emptive steps to foil such criminal attempts.

According to the Bangladesh Coast Guard, despite their knowledge of the ongoing illicit smuggling of people from the coastal areas by small fishing boats to traffickers’ ships, they cannot challenge those ships as they remain outside our territorial waters. The Thai marine police, too, are more or less, in the same position.

Experts concerned, however, said that this modern form of slavery is a complex problem and its roots lie partially in the government’s failure to reopen the manpower markets for Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia and UAE which have been closed for Bangladeshi workers since 2009 and then again in 2013.

Malaysia also stopped recruiting Bangladeshi nationals in 2010 and Dhaka’s subsequent failure to handle the government to government agreement to replace sending workers through private sector agents made the poor, desperate job seekers resort to this risky and uncertain route. Manpower exports

have also nose-dived in Kuwait, Qatar and some other countries.

Ashfaqur Rahman, former ambassador and an expert on modern day slavery said that the causes that are responsible for modern-day slavery in Bangladesh are poverty, lack of awareness, illiteracy, hereditary obligation, forced marriage, sexual exploitation and involvement of the most powerful section of people in slavery-like activities.

“It must be remembered that modern day slavery in any country is also related to corruption and lack of human development in those countries. Poverty is also responsible for increasing the risk of enslavement of the vulnerable population.”

Rahman said that access to financial services also determine the spread of modern slavery. When it is difficult to get access to legal sources of credit, the poor will mortgage their own lives, leading to slavery. “The government must look into all these factors and craft a comprehensive plan to address the scourge of slavery,” he said. n

There are many different characteristics that distinguish slavery from other human rights violations. However, only one needs to be present for slavery to exist. Someone is in slavery if they are:• Forced to work – through

mental or physical threat;

• Owned or controlled by an ‘employer’, usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse;

• Dehumanised, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as ‘property’;

• Physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement.


8 FEaTurE | music

On-demand entertainment is fast becoming the easiest (and only) way for singers, composers and

bands to get their material across to their fans. It also lets the artists stay true to their self, without the music industry bigwigs interfering with their art and auto-tuning everything to death.

Raw, unbiased music, the ever dwindling stalwart and backbone of every artist is something that fans rarely get to see nowadays. Some of the artists have taken to YouTube, where they upload self-made versions of their songs, but the lack of a video production crew and audio recording equipment make things difficult for them. Making a properly funded video would again involve producers who’d want to zip and zing your music and the vicious cycle starts again.

With this in mind, Bongo BD, a music website, Radio Shadhin and Dhaka Tribune have decided to take up an initiative to change that. In comes Open Mic – the show dedicated solely to music and nothing else. There are no hosts, no producers, no elaborate stages. The show revolves around the idea of an

open mic night in any theater. Open mic sessions have served

as a great alternative for the music industry. You can have new and upcoming artists come and showcase their music for the general audience to experience, while established names can come and perform their hits in a more intimate setting, breaking their songs down to alternate versions or even exploring

their roots by playing the covers they grew up practicing.

This is the simple concept behind the show premiering on Bongo now. Every week a new artist will be featured, each artist playing numerous originals and covers. Radio Shadhin will be playing the songs from the show on air as well, so tune in to catch them. Dhaka Tribune will be featuring a new

artist from the show every Monday. The show will be an exhibition of the plethora of talent that the Bangladeshi music scene has to offer and give them a platform to play whatever music they want and however they’d want to play it. No bigwig producers involved. Straight from the artist to the audience. n

Bongo Open Micradio shadhin presents Bongo open mic in association with dhaka TribuneWeekend Tribune Desk

Photos: Courtesy


cox’s Bazar | phOTO STOry 9

While the world might not know about coxs Bazar being the world’s longest un-interrupted beach, it is quite easily the most popular holiday destination among local tourists.

The sun and the sea have a special sort of magical power that pulls everyone into its charm and waves. cox’s Bazar isn’t only for tourists’, one can see a whole lifestyle surrounding it. You can feel people’s loneliness, freedom, friendship and more importantly a

connection with nature.As the sun comes out in all its glory, people

turn into small silhouettes, insignificant against the vastness of the sea.

Photos and Text: Ata Mohammad Adnan

Sand and surf

Ata Mohammad Adnan, 26, is a doctor by profession and a photographer out of passion. In his five years of photography, he has been fortunate enough to have won acclaim in Bangladesh and outside and has recently won 1st prize in the national leg of the Sony World Photo Awards UK. His photos have been exhibited in 10 different countries and also published in CNN, BBC, Huffington Post, Dailymail UK, Gulfnews to name a few.


10 phOTO STOry | cox’s Bazar


11


12 FOCuS | QuicksiLver deaTh

Mercury poisoning remains unheeded in the countryFaisal Mahmud

Ever wonder what happens to your used thermometer? What happens after you dispose them?

A recent study conducted by Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) reveals what happen to those and what it finds is scary.

The ESDO survey on products containing mercury in 2015 found that 887472 thermometers are used yearly in Bangladesh and 37.8% of these thermometers break (552007.58) because of random and unplanned disposal.

Similarly, the study found that the yearly use of sphygmomanometers

is 305926 and 10% (275333.4) of the total sphygmomanometers break under different circumstances.

So, what happens if those break?A standard thermometer

contains 0.5g – 2.0g mercury and standard sphygmomanometers contain 80-160g mercury. It is therefore estimated that, in a year, approximately 0.69 tonnes of mercury is released into the environment and atmosphere due to thermometers breaking, and that 3.3 tonnes of mercury is released due to sphygmomanometers breaking.

And the released mercury in the environment is nothing but poison for human health.

The dark picture of mercury poisoningThermometer or sphygmomanometers however is not the only source of mercury poisoning in the country. In fact, these are rather small sources of poisoning if compared with the industrial ones.

According to the ESDO study, a huge amount of toxic mercury, approximately 58.5 metric tonnes was imported in 2014 which was used in producing cosmetics, jeweller, electronics, measuring devices, etc.

It estimated that the release of mercury from the 33 cement factories of Bangladesh is 0.56265

million tonnes. A total of 1.44 million tonnes mercury is released per year from paper and pulps mills in Bangladesh.

Based on the same ESDO survey, 1.09 million tonnes to 6.22 million tonnes mercury vapour is released from mercury amalgam fillings per year from dental sector in Bangladesh. It is estimated that potential mercury emissions from the energy sector (coal, gas, oil refining etc,) is 3058.158kg.

Besides, CFL production in Bangladesh is 19,688,097.2 units in the period of 2012-2014 and mercury release from CFL light bulb is 0.118 million tonnes. Also mercury release

The silent killer

Photos: Courtesy


13

from the jewellery sector was estimated to be 4.1 million tonnes, said the study.

The scary partExperts concerned have identified the scary part – mercury poisoning, a major health hazard that remains completely unnoticed and unheeded in Bangladesh, putting public health in great concern.

Products and equipment containing mercury or mercury compound have been used and imported in Bangladesh since the 1960s and this mercury continues to harm the environment many years after it has been disposed of.

Bangladesh has no specific guidelines regarding the management of mercury disposal, nor how to safely manage the use of either products or equipment that contains mercury or mercury compounds.

Dr Shahriar Hossain, UNEP mercury specialist and Secretary General of ESDO said that mercury

is a highly toxic element and there is no known safe level of exposure. Ideally, neither children nor adults should have any mercury in their bodies because it provides no physiological benefit, he said.

“Mercury exposure can cause acute and chronic intoxication at low levels of exposure. Mercury is neuro-, nephro-, and immunotoxic. The development of a child in the uterus and early in life is at particular risk,” he said, adding that mercury is ubiquitous and persistent.

“Mercury is a global pollutant, bio-accumulating, mainly through the aquatic food chain, resulting in a serious health hazards for children,” he added.

Dr Hossain said that historically, high exposures, such as those that occurred near Minamata Bay, Japan and Basra, Iraq have contributed to our understanding of the toxicity of mercury.

“Studies have since focused on assessing the impact of mercury on children’s health. There are

many large-scale, prospective epidemiologic studies assessed the effects of low-dose in utero exposure to mercury across the world. In Bangladesh ESDO has conducted this study to raise awareness against this silent poisoning,” he said.

“Public health is at stake because of the wide exposure of mercury in Bangladesh. According to the Minamata Convention, Bangladesh would have to ban mercury by 2020. As a signatory country, Bangladesh will have to lessen mercury emission from thermometer, fluorescent bulbs, electric power plant, and cement industries.”

Professor Dr. Ainun Nishat, prominent environmentalist in Bangladesh and the Vice-Chair of ESDO appreciated the initiatives ESDO has taken in Bangladesh. He said, “This report not only reveals the sources of mercury, but it also the highlights the adverse impacts of mercury very clearly.” n

• The international demand for the control of mercury emissions arose following the UNEP’s Governing Council 22nd session in February 2003. After considering the key findings of the Global Mercury Assessment Report, the governing Council decided that there is sufficient evidence of significant global adverse impacts from mercury to warrant further international action to reduce the risks to humans and wildlife from the release of mercury into to the environment.

• The Governing Council decided that national, regional and global actions should be initiated as soon as possible and urged all countries to adopt goals and take actions, as appropriate, to identify populations at risk and to reduce human-generated releases.


Home and highway

14 LEGaLESE | Jennifer ashraf kashmi

My family owns a piece of land, of 5 gonda or 6 katha or 10 shatak. The current value of the land is approximately 30 lacs per shatak. It is a situated in a residential area in Chittagong city. The government is planning to build a highway which will go through the area and in order to do so, has a plan to acquire at least part of our land, if not all.

Can you please inform me of the laws regarding the acquisition, what percentage of the current price would the government pay for every shatak and the procedure regarding it? Thank you very much for your time and co operation.

Dear ReaderThank you for sending in your query. It’s always wise to seek out independent legal advice in situations

such as this, but I am going to try my best to assist you with your queries. Land acquisition law in Bangladesh favours the Government quite strongly, but there are provisions in place to ensure that the party or parties giving up the rights to their land are adequately compensated. Let us look at the issues in detail below.

Land Acquisition in Bangladesh is principally governed by The Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and The Acquisition and Requisition of Immoveable Property Ordinance, 1982. Other supporting laws and regulations include, but is not limited to, the following: The Emergency Requisition of Property Act, 1948; The Civil Defence Act; 1952; The Union Council (Property) Rules, 1960; The Acquisition of Waste Land Act, 1950; The Chittagong Hill Tracts (Land Acquisition) Regulations, 1958; The Cantonment (Requisition of Immovable Property)

Ordinance, 1948, etc. In order to acquire land, the

Government will usually pay the owner(s) of the property a respectable amount of money in exchange for the acquired land. The owner of the land is entitled to get compensation determined in the prescribed manner. This includes compensation for all structures, buildings, corridors, huts, trees or standing crops thereon. Usually the following departments of the government assess the rate of compensation and submit it to the designated District Commissioner for approval:

• Public Works Department (PWD)- To assess the cost of Structure as per government approved rate schedule.

• Department of Registration (DR)- To assess the price of Land.

• Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)- To assess the per acre crop production for final calculation of compensation.

• Local government Engineering Department (LGED)- To assess the cost of Structure as per government approved rate schedule for the requisition area.

• Department of Forest (DF)-To assess the market price of trees.

• District Marketing

Department (DMD) - To assess the market price of crops.

Upon completion of the valuation a land/property owner might also be entitled to get an additional compensation of 50% more to the valuation cost. It would be premature to comment on the current compensation price per decimal which might yet to be fixed by the government. I would therefore advise that you get in touch with the departments above, and work on obtaining a valuation of the property to begin with.

There is a certain legal procedure to be followed when land acquisition is done by the Government. Whenever it appears to a public body of the Government that it needs to occupy or exquisite any land or property, it should first apply in writing to the Ministry of Land through the concerned ministry requesting for requisition and transfer of the land or the property in question. A detailed statement specifying whether the land mentioned in the application is needed for public or private purpose, the area of the land, sketch-map, purpose for which it could be used etc should be submitted as well.

The Ministry of Land examines the application and sends it to the

concerned Deputy Commissioner for necessary action. The Deputy Commissioner then authorizes the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Land) to prepare and execute a plan of action for requisition. The Additional Deputy Commissioner in turn issues a public notice regarding the requisition with a view to settling matters relating to payment of compensation to the owner or owners of the property or any other person or persons entitled to compensation, and any other related issues. He also makes arrangements for payment of compensation determined on the basis of the average market-value of the property during the preceding twelve months.

In conclusion, please note that any person can make an objection to a requisition by a written application within 15 days from the date of receipt of notice. The Deputy Commissioner, after giving the applicants an opportunity of being heard, prepares a report. In case of requisition or acquisition of any private movable or immovable property for a public purpose, any objection on the part of the owner of the property stands legally void. Additionally, it is a punishable offence to cause any obstruction to the requisition process. I hope this helps! n

Q

A

Jennifer ashraf Kashmi is a barrister and solicitor of England and Wales. She is currently Senior Partner at Legacy Legal Corporate.

got a

problem?

Write to Jennifer at weekend@

dhakatribune.com

Cartoon: Priyo/Dhaka Tribune


Car selfie – Oh yes, a Facebook profile picture

favourite. Whether or not you’ve taken one, you’ve definitely seen one. One man, a pair of sunglasses and mad, mad swag. Usually taken by men as they take the front seat of their rides, most of the times car selfies takers pretend like it’s a candid shot when we all know it’s really not.

The mirror selfie - For selfie lovers, there’s no greater

partner than the mirror itself. Forget instagram and Cymera – if there’s one platform that ensures that you’ll achieve an A+ selfie game – it’s the mirror. n

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SelfishSelfies are a fun way to show

the world your confidence, personality, fashion sense and of course, your vanity. From

presidents to Academy Award winners, to that girl sitting in the corner of your classroom, everyone’s guilty of at least one beauty shot of themselves.

Interestingly, Samsung found that selfies make up 30% of the photos taken by people aged 18-24. By 2013, the word “selfie”

became commonplace enough for it to be included Oxford English Dictionary. What’s more is that in November 2013, the word “selfie” was announced as being the “word of the year” by the Oxford English Dictionary. Whether you love it, hate it or secretly take it, you can’t deny that selfies have made it and they’ve made it big. Read on to find out about ten of the most common kinds of selfies.

Types of seLfies | TOp 10 15

Ten most common selfie types Moumita Ahmed

The duckface selfie: Perfected by the Kardashians,

this is one of the most common type of selfie. The duckface selfie is one that accentuates the cheekbones, puckers up your mouth and leaves most women feeling like they’ve just put their best face forward.

Bathroom selfie - The bathroom might sound

like an unlikely place for a fashion moment as it certainly lacks ambience, but beneath the glow of those fluorescent overhead lights, selfie magic can sometimes happen. Beware though, because these selfies have the potential to go wrong in many tragic ways - from dirty laundry hanging in the backdrop to accidentally revealing that you’re on the toilet – anything can happen.

Victory selfie - If you just tried out the new joint in

Gulshan, or got home after surviving two hours of sitting in the traffic jam, or completed any other amazing accomplishment, it’s not complete without the official selfie. There’s no victory if there’s no selfie to prove it and us Bengali’s know how to maintain a strong selfie game when it comes to winning.

The staged selfie - No matter how candid and casual your

snapchat photos are, selfies are not always the same. We’ve come a long way from the odd, roughly taken selfie you send to your best friend. Now it’s all about the perfect angle, the perfect pose and of course, the perfect

lighting. The staged selfie is usually the one that garners the most likes, thanks to all the effort that goes behind it.

The validation selfie: Got a haircut? Don’t wait for your

co-workers to notice Sunday morning; instead snap a quick selfie in the mirror to show off your new locks. Usually social media aficionados are the ones usually guilty of this kind of selfie.

“Just woke up” selfie – If you’ve watched Star Plus,

you know all about the stunning just-woke-up face (or the secret behind it). No matter how hard women try to make others believe they’ve woken up looking like Kim K, we all know the amount of hard work and contouring the photo actually took.

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Gym selfie – People believe that just by being at their local fitness centre, their bodies magically get toned in front of the camera. It

is more like a mirror selfie, except not only do their faces grace their photos, their body does too, spanx, tights and all.

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The beach feet brag selfie - Because the only way to

let people know you’re relaxing in paradise is to take a photo of your feet! This not only allows selfie takers to brag about their whereabouts, it also gives them one more instagram post that is worthy of a couple of hundred likes.

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16 FEaTurE | BiodiversiTy

our national Museum, in addition to the many other important exhibits, also provides an in-depth “itahash” of the adored “patihash”. in short, here’s a story of local ducksSaqib Sarker

What the duck?

Anyone who has seen a newborn duckling and wasn’t overwhelmed by the cuteness, probably

has numerous unresolved issues. Bangladesh is home to a lot of different species of this adorable bird, some are domesticated and some are wild.

Our national museum at Shahbagh showcases ten different species of ducks. “We are trying to publish a detailed catalogue and expand our natural history section,” says Shawkat Imam Khan, the Assistant Keeper at Bangladesh National Musem. Khan hopes that these publications will be able to inform the visitors more adequately. “We already have a very well maintained website and are working to make it even better,” he said. The displays at the museum, however, were inadequately lit and there wasn’t much information.

Here are the amazing ducks that dwell in different parts of Bangladesh and that are displayed at the musuem:

1. Cotton Teal(Bengali name: Bali hash)They are among the smallest waterfowls in the world. These tiny birds have beautiful plumage fashioning prominent black collar and white wing-bar. They reside mainly in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Australia.

Exhibits at the national museum

Photos: Courtesy


17

2. Large Whistling Teal(Bengali name: Boro Shawrali)With wonderful slender body and golden-brown plumage the whistling teal looks simply gorgeous. The species lives across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Lucky for the whistling teal they are not considered very tasty to eat. Thus they are not threatened by hunting.

5. Lesser Whistling Teal(Bengali name: Choto Shawrali)With big flipper feet the Lesser Whistling Teal looks more “duck like” than many of the other duck species. This species largely resides from the Pakistan lower river valleys eastwards across most of peninsular India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, south China, to Vietnam.

7. Common Shelduck(Bengali name: Rajmoni hash/Sachka)This astoundingly colourful bird has a reddish-pink beak, pink feet, a white body with chestnut patches, a black belly, and a dark green head and neck. They move in very large flocks which in some areas reach up to 100 thousand birds.

8. Pintail(Bengali name: Lenja)The pintail got its name apparently due to the fact that it has a long slender tail. It has a wide geographic distribution ranging from northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. The pintail feeds by dabbling and upending in shallow in the evening or at night.

6. Tufted Duck(Bengali name: Jhuti hash/Khopa hash)The awesomely round headed Tufted Duck earns its living by diving. That just means it finds lunch by diving into water and catching its prey betraying its charming appearance. Believe it or not these small creatures travel to United States and Canadian open waters during winter.

3. Brahminy Duck(Bengali name: Chawkha)The graceful looking Chawkha is not actually very well behaved in real life. They are known to be very aggressive and territorial. These birds belong to many different places because they are migratory. They travel across north west Africa to south east Europe to central Asia to southeast China. They winter in Bangladesh and other areas in south Asia.

4. Spot-billed duck(Bengali name: Pati hash)The spot-billed duck is a dabbling bird and it is also migratory. The Pati hash is a bird of freshwater lakes and it feeds by dabbling for plant food mainly in the evening or at night. It nests on the ground in vegetation near water, and lays 8-14 eggs.

9. Bar-Headed Goose(Bengali name: Raj hash)The gentle appearance indicates little as to how enormously daring and tough these birds are. The species has been reported as migrating south from Tibet, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia before crossing the Himalaya. They have to reach extreme heights when they migrate over the Himalayas. Bar-headed geese can fly higher than Mount Everest making them the world’s highest flying birds.

10. Shoveler(Bengali name: Kodali/Pantamukhi)The Shoveler is named for its shovel like bill. It lives on plant food. They actually have comb-like structures on the edge of the bill that act like sieves allowing the birds to skim crustaceans and plankton from the water’s surface. n


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

ACROSS5 Always is French mountain (7)6 Search for what Spanish saint (5)9 The rain destroyed coiffeur protection (7)

DOWN1 Moisture sounds like it is ready (3)2 Tuna pie arranged like a flower (7)3 The first relaxation of playful mocking (7)4 Consumed blended tea (3)7 Which person found in straw house? (3)8 Best yacht contains enclosure for pigs (3)

Last

wee

k’s

solu

tion

s

aCROss1 Relative new gap surrounds SA currency (7)4 Virgin, for example, makes song and sentence (7) 6 Pamper with independent new glue (7)7 Looks to express best wishes (7)

DOwN1 5 Down after girl ‘s first window fitter (7)2 Harsh atmosphere Air conditioning cleansed (5)3 New sea legs make forever young (7)5 Riled about the less hard working (5)

Clues

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

Mini cryptics

There is nothing wrong with a simple movie plot, but sometimes, it can be both simplistic and mediocre

at the same time. And Bajrangi Bhaijaan is just that. People working in Salman and Kabir Khan Films probably don’t agree. Moreover, they don’t really care because US$92 million box office return makes for a convincing argument against anything else anyone can put forward.

The story of the film revolves around a little Pakistani Muslim girl from Azad Kashmir who is speech impaired, and an unwittingly, honest Indian man who tries to return the lost girl to her parents. Shahida (Harshaali Malhotra), the speech impaired kid, got separated from her mother as they were returning to Pakistan from India after visiting a holy shrine. Pawan (Salman Khan), a devout Brahman and mentally immature man, finds Shahida and takes it upon himself to return the child to her parents.

In the course of their journey Pawan and Shahida bond and Pawan starts to care deeply about Shahida.

Pawan’s fiancé (Kareena Kapoor) supports Pawan in his quest to take the girl back to her parents. Due to a series of bizarre incidents (and mostly lack of common sense) Pawan was forced to sneak Shahida into Pakistan illegally.

The story may evoke the thought what someone like Majid Majidi (an Iranian film director) might have done with the material. But a big budget Bollywood movie released during Eid, only exists to draw millions from the box office, not to execute any cinematic ambition of any sort. And Bajrangi Bhaijaan is no exception.

The acting is mediocre at best and the emotional manipulations demonstrate that the film makers regard their audience to be of the mental caliber of the film’s title character. Of course, the star power is there to ensure that a coherent and intelligent filmmaking is not needed.

The most interesting character in the film is Chand Nawab (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a journalist trying to catch a break in his freelancing career. Chand tries to document Pawan and Shahida’s

story and tag along with them in their journey in Pakistan. Kabir Khan recreates a famous YouTube clip in which a television journalist tries to complete his report but gets interrupted repeatedly by passing crowds.

The film is not without its funny moments. Rasika’s (Pawan’s fiancé) father is very conservative and considers coming into contact with non-Brahmans blasphemous. Muslims, of course, rank lower than non-Brahmans. So, in one scene when Shahida starts to cheer for the Pakistan team, while everyone was watching a India - Pakistan cricket match, the ensuing situation evokes genuine chuckle. Like other Bollywood films of this nature, Bajrangi Bhaijaan also addressed some moral issues relating to animosities between Hindus and Muslims. The movie criticised the ultra conservative mentality that still exists among many Brahman families in India. But the film has a running time of a massive 159 minutes and far overstays its welcome. n

Bajrangi BhaijaanSaqib Sarker


GO OuT 19

When 10am-5pmWhere Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Segun Bagicha, RamnaWhat Moviyana Film Society is arranging a two days workshop with living legend Anwar Hossain. Born in Dhaka in 1948, Anwar Hossain is a veteran photographer, cinematographer, architect and a writer. He won about 60 international awards in photography since 1970, and more than 100 international Salon acceptance in about 25 countries since 1974. He also won 15 Bangladesh national and cine journalists’ awards for film cinematography since 1979.

He is author of eight major photo and pocket books: Sonar

Bangla and Banglar Prem 2010, A Ballad of Bangladesh, A Voyage Through Bangladesh, Dhaka portrait, Woman and A Journey Through Bangladesh, and so on. Behind the camera, his works after the Liberation War are legendary. His works in Surja Dighal Bari, Emiler Goenda Bahini, Shuruj Mia, Lalsalu, Shyamol Chhaya, Nadir Naam Madhumati, Chitra Nodir Pare, Lalon are state of the art.

In this two day workshop, he will discuss each corner of cinematography and teach how to make a great film. For registration or more information, please contact: 01971 101106, 01675 642777 n

Weekly Planner

Aug 22Poetry | Poetry Gathering 2When 4:30am-8:30pmWhere Bengal Cafe, Dhanmondi 27 (Beside Meena Bazaar) What In a time like ours, poetry is a solace to look forward to. We welcome all poets to an evening of poetry and shared thoughts, where poets from all the corners of this very busy city will gather and read to us their work, their life. The deadline for the registration is August 20. You can register for the event here - https://www.facebook.com/events/1461236000871285/

Aug 23Education | How to Write Admission EssaysWhen 3-4 pm Where EMK Center, House 5, Road16 (new), 27 (old), 9th floor, Midas Centre, DhakaWhat Personal statement/admission essays are crucial part of the U.S. university application package. Join this event for tips and advice on writing effective essays that will show off your personality and skills. For information regarding joining, visit - https://www.facebook.com/events/1114497865231001/

Aug 23Education | English Club: American CentreWhen 2-3pmWhere The American Centre, J-Block, Progoti Sharoni, Baridhara (Opposite to the U.S. Embassy Dhaka) What Join the free English Club, featuring interactive discussions led by native English speakers at the American Center to practice English while learning about American culture. To attend the English Club, simply arrive to the American Center as per

the schedule of the sessions; no prior registration is required. For more inquiry, visit - https://www.facebook.com/events/677509879048224/

Aug 27-29Photography | “RAINDROP PHOTO EXHIBITION”When 10:30am- 4:30pmWhere Drik Gallery, House 58, Road 15A (New), Dhanmondi R/AWhat Raindrop Media Communication proudly announces Raindrop Photo Exhibition 2015, a photography exhibition in Drik Gallery trying to bring out the creative and talented ideas under a new platform within young thoughts. Not only professionals, but amateur photographers are also displaying their works. The very best portraits, wildlife/natural, lifestyle, still life, landscape, conceptual, macro photos judged by veteran photographer Chanchal Mahmood will be displayed in the exhibition. For more information, browse their page- https://www.facebook.com/events/513150432172980/

Aug 22- Sep 11Art | Art Exhibition “Amar Shonar Desh”When 5pm onwardsWhere AJ Heights, Cha-72/1/D, 2nd floor, Progoti Shoroni, Uttar BaddaWhat A solo art exhibition is being arranged by prominent artist Shohag Parvez. The event will continue for three weeks. This is the 6th art exhibition by the artist. Bangladesh, our beautiful, colourful country will be portrayed by the artist in the exhibition. For more information, visit their page: https://www.facebook.com/

Aug 22Seminar | Let’s Talk about Dance

Aug 21-22Workshop | ‘Surja Dighal the Lalon’ with Anwar Hossain

When 7pm Where EMK Center, House 5, Road 16 (New) 27 (Old), 9th Floor, Midas Center, DhanmondiWhat EMK Center invites you to the dance performance by Mashrur Rahman, a modern contemporary dancer in EMK Platform Presents – Let’s Talk about Dance. Tickets will be available at the venue before the event starts. Mashrur Rahman was first exposed to dance when he went to the University of Texas at Dallas during 2007. Under the arts and performance department, he took courses on contemporary dance, jazz class and ballet. As the years advanced, he had performed under renowned international choreographers such as Renana Raz from Israel, Birgitt Bodingbauer from Germany and Lily Cai from China. Soon, he became a regular member

of the UTD dance ensemble and travelled to American College Dance Festivals. He also helped establish and sustain the contemporary dance club at his university. After coming back to Dhaka, he has taught dance workshops at Jaatra Biroti and also performed with Shadhona under the direction of Donald Byrd of Spectrum Dance Theater.

The program will highlight small segments of contemporary dance, followed by brief discussions with the audience after each performance. The program will include six or seven different pieces, and include variety so the audience understands how contemporary dance can have variations, through the use of music, style, technique and props. Tickets are Tk50 only, will be available at the gate before the event starts. n


At four months pregnant, I entered the next phase of the pregnancy trilogy – the second trimester.

My new best friend Google told me that Jellybean was now three to four inches in length and weighed about an ounce. That’s roughly the size of an ear. If you’ve unconsciously reached for an ear to feel it up, feel no shame, I had done it too!

Speaking of shame, it was around this time that I had to seriously start planning on my upcoming reception festivities. The events were scheduled to take place in two months, and I had absolutely nothing done. It didn’t help that I kept having nightmares where I saw myself resemble a pumpkin on my holud day. A big, yellowish, trying-to-join-in-on-the-dancing-but-shamefully-couldn’t pumpkin.

To make matters worse, all the downsides of pregnancy seemed to happen all at once: heartburn, acidity, pregnancy gingivitis and yeast infection. That’s right folks, I was hit with the mother lode; pun fully intended.

The doctor prescribed antacids to help with the heartburn, and I found pudin hara to be a good herbal remedy. I also avoided food

20 ThE BONG MOMMa | TaLes from a firsT-Time mom

Photo: Bigstock

that was prone to being acidic, since pregnancy increases acidity in the stomach. Nevertheless, whatever gaseous expulsion I could prevent from coming out from the top, would always find a way out the other way! Some advice – be patient, quickly run to the other room if you have to, and carry deodorant. Or, you could do what I did and blame it on The Husband.

Pregnancy gingivitis was something I did not expect at all, because I hardly had any teeth problems while growing up. I found that my gums were swollen and bleeding and despite brushing and flossing, it wouldn’t go away. I couldn’t take antibiotics on my own, so a visit to a dentist revealed that it was gingivitis that occurred during pregnancy, and was apparently, very common. One round of scaling and some medicine later, my gums were as good as new!

The yeast infection was also a common thing for pregnant women, my doctor said. And so were swollen ankles, pigmentation, hot flashes, skin tags, cramps, headaches, incontinence, backaches, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, deep vein thrombosis, haemorrhoids, and some more weird-sounding stuff. Thankfully I didn’t have any of the complicated

stuff above, but after I took an ultra sonogram, the doctor said I have placenta previa. This is a condition where the placenta lies lower than normal in the uterus and partially blocks the cervix. It usually gets resolved on its own, which it did for me luckily. The Husband and I had planned a trip around this time, because we never got to go on a honeymoon and wanted to travel alone before Jellybean came. With the discovery of the condition, we had to cancel all travel plans because the doctor told me to take bed rest. Placentra previa, a.k.a. “PP”, a.k.a. party pooper!

Another “ailment” many mums think about but don’t talk about too much is the much tabooed, physical intimacy during pregnancy. If your first reaction was a chi chi or a tauba tauba – relax! It’s not a sin and if you’re unsure or afraid, you can always speak to your doctor about it. Unless there are any complications, you should be good to go and as Nike eloquently put it – just do it. Or if you ladies out there are feeling particularly evil, bring up the

topic with your doctor when the husband is around, and watch him squirm uncomfortably! Muhahaha!

The ultra sonogram also showed my four month old Jellybean, who now resembled a humanoid figure, with a large head and tiny arms and legs. Her strong heart beat thumped in the silence of the room. My eyes welled up at the sight and the fact that my baby was growing steadily and strongly became a reality.

Baby related websites said that this was the time that I would feel the baby moving and kicking. For the first few weeks of my second trimester, I felt nothing. At times I would feel slight fluttering that felt like gas movements. I’d run to the loo in anticipation of a great big offloading, but lo and behold, zilch. Near the end of the fourth month, I woke up early one morning feeling a very distinct movement. It felt like there were butterflies hopping around in my uterus. I quickly checked the Internet and sure enough, there it was. This was called “quickening”, or the first movements of the baby. Pretty soon after that the movements became more frequent, especially after eating.

I knew then that Jellybean would probably take after her father’s side of the family, who are famous for being great foodies. The Husband’s grandfather had once made a bet on how many chaaler rutis he could eat and won it – the winning number was eighty! My father in law was a bit more disciplined, but he had a fascination for sweet treats and varieties of nuts. And The Husband, was (unfortunately) famous for downing three plates of biriyani at one go. No kidding! My prediction turned out to be true though – these days you will find Jellybean chilling with her grandpa with a bowl of nuts, sticking her hand out repeatedly and asking for more, “aalo batam dao”. Or on some Friday mornings father and daughter would be lounging in front of the TV, shirtless, with a plate full of luchis. Ki moja! n

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

Woe is me!The Bong momma faces the first phase of pregnancy ailmentsMinu Ahmed

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Weekend Tribune Vol 3 Issue 18

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