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Dhaka Tribune<br />
vol 5 Issue <strong>16</strong> | friDAY, august 11, 2017<br />
12 Migration <strong>16</strong><br />
Shelter for<br />
17 the homeless<br />
Waterlogging
CONTENTS<br />
Volume 5 | Issue <strong>16</strong> | August 11, 2017<br />
Editor<br />
Zafar Sobhan<br />
Features Editor<br />
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad<br />
Magazine Editor<br />
Farina Noireet<br />
Deputy Magazine Editors<br />
Khan N Moushumi<br />
Shuprova Tasneem<br />
<strong>Weekend</strong> Tribune Team<br />
Saudia Afrin<br />
Mahmood Hossain<br />
Moumita Ahmed<br />
Tasfia Huda<br />
Baizid Haque Joarder<br />
Saqib Sarker<br />
Mahmood Sadi<br />
Sabiha Akond Rupa<br />
Contributors<br />
Minaal Choudhury<br />
Naushad Ali Husein<br />
Farzana Romine<br />
Editor’s note<br />
Dear Readers,<br />
While the monsoon season is known to<br />
bring out the poet in many a romantic,<br />
the current bout of rainfall does little to<br />
uplift the mood of Dhaka’s inhabitants,<br />
as it floods our streets and make daily<br />
commutes a nightmare, turning life for<br />
many into utter chaos.<br />
As the heat and humidity continues<br />
despite the rainfall, this week, we<br />
bring our readers a couple of articles<br />
on two very current issues – one on<br />
waterlogging, the current state of<br />
News<br />
2 News<br />
3 Meanwhile<br />
the city’s drainage system and the<br />
authorities responsible for it, and the<br />
other, on the state of the homeless<br />
people on Dhaka’s streets.<br />
This week, we also begin with the<br />
first of a series of articles on the coffee<br />
scene in Dhaka and how new and<br />
trendy cafes have become a regular<br />
stomping ground for the cities young<br />
and old.<br />
Wishing our readers a pleasant<br />
weekend.<br />
Farina Noireet<br />
On the cover<br />
Cartoons<br />
Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy<br />
Priyo<br />
Graphics<br />
Md Mahbub Alam<br />
Alamgir Hossain<br />
Shahadat Hossain<br />
Colour Specialist<br />
Shekhar Mondal<br />
Advertisement<br />
Shahin Ahsan<br />
Production<br />
Masum Billah<br />
Circulation<br />
Masud Kabir Pavel<br />
Website<br />
dhakatribune.com/weekend<br />
facebook.com/<strong>Weekend</strong>Trib<br />
Email your letters to:<br />
weekend@dhakatribune.com<br />
Features<br />
4 Tailored | Men’s fashion<br />
5 Tech<br />
6 Cook your own way | Kitchen<br />
chronicles<br />
8 Cafe society | Review<br />
9 Diet | Green groceries<br />
10 Photo Story | Indigenous rights<br />
12 Special feature | Migration<br />
15 Interview | Edward Kim<br />
<strong>16</strong> Issue | Shelter for the homeless<br />
17 Issue | Waterlogging<br />
19 Biz info<br />
20 Decor | Green interiors<br />
Regulars<br />
18 Stay in<br />
Photo: Nguyen<br />
Nguyen<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017<br />
1
News | world at a glance This week<br />
Donald Trump vows to answer<br />
North Korea nuclear threats<br />
with ‘fire and fury’<br />
Last week, Donald Trump vowed to respond to<br />
North Korea with “fire and fury” if it makes any<br />
more threats to attack the United States.<br />
Trump’s comments came after Pyongyang<br />
threatened “physical” retaliation for new<br />
United Nations sanctions – and on a day<br />
when fresh evidence emerged that the North<br />
Koreans have overcome one of the last major<br />
technical obstacles to being able to hit the<br />
US or western Europe with nuclear-armed<br />
missiles.<br />
“North Korea best not make any<br />
more threats to the United States,”<br />
Trump told journalists at his club<br />
in Bedminster, New Jersey. “They<br />
will be met with fire and the fury<br />
like the world has never seen.”<br />
Experts on North Korea<br />
have warned that aggressive<br />
rhetoric could backfire on Trump,<br />
convincing Kim Jong-un that his<br />
regime is in imminent jeopardy<br />
and triggering what he sees as a<br />
pre-emptive attack.<br />
“It is dangerous and reckless and<br />
counterproductive for Donald Trump to<br />
threaten the annihilation of North Korea,” said<br />
Daryl Kimball, the head of the Washingtonbased<br />
Arms Control Association. “What we<br />
need is a dialogue to reduce tension and avoid<br />
catastrophic miscalculation. We are currently<br />
on the road to a conflict and we have to get to<br />
the off-ramp.”<br />
Photo: AFP<br />
Iranian president’s cabinet cuts<br />
Guard from defence ministry<br />
After decisively winning re-election almost three<br />
months ago, Iran’s president on last Tuesday<br />
proposed a new Cabinet for his second term<br />
that cuts out the hard-line Revolutionary Guard<br />
from controlling the Defense Ministry for the<br />
first time in nearly 25 years.<br />
However, Hassan Rouhani’s Cabinet for<br />
now also fails to include women and his<br />
pick for the Justice Ministry is on a European<br />
Union sanctions list over human rights abuse<br />
allegations.<br />
The Cabinet selection shows Rouhani, a<br />
cleric whose stances are moderate compared<br />
to others in the Islamic Republic, remains<br />
pragmatic about how far he can push his<br />
administration that is under the ultimate<br />
control of Supreme Leader Ayatollah.<br />
Photo: AFP<br />
Local<br />
Khaleda gets<br />
permanent<br />
bail in Zia<br />
Orphanage<br />
graft case<br />
The High Court has granted permanent<br />
bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia<br />
in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption<br />
case.<br />
The bench of Justice M Enayetur<br />
Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim<br />
passed the order on Wednesday after<br />
holding the final hearing on a ruling<br />
issued by the High Court in 2008.<br />
The court in 2008 issued a rule<br />
asking the government to explain why<br />
the BNP chief should not be granted<br />
regular bail in the case.<br />
The court said if Khaleda misuses<br />
the bail, the trial court concerned may<br />
scrap her bail.<br />
The Anti-Corruption Commission<br />
(ACC) filed the case in 2008 against<br />
six people, including Khaleda and<br />
her eldest son Tarique Rahman, for<br />
allegedly misusing Tk2.1 crore from the<br />
funds of the Zia Orphanage Trust.<br />
In addition, in 2011, the ACC<br />
accused the BNP chief and three others<br />
of misappropriating Tk3.15 crore from<br />
the Zia Charitable Trust Fund.<br />
The orphanage case is under trial at<br />
the Dhaka Special Judges Court 3. •<br />
News: Dhaka Tribune<br />
‘El Chapo’ moves to hire top-flight NY mafia defender<br />
Drug kingpin<br />
Joaquin “El Chapo”<br />
Guzman wants to<br />
dump his US public<br />
defenders for a<br />
quartet of top-flight<br />
criminal defense<br />
lawyers, including<br />
attorneys who got an infamous New York<br />
mafia boss out of prison.<br />
Guzman, one of the world’s most notorious<br />
criminals who twice escaped<br />
prison in his native Mexico, has<br />
moved to hire Jeffrey Lichtman,<br />
Marc Fernich, Eduardo Balarezo<br />
and William Purpura, three of the<br />
lawyers confirmed to AFP.<br />
But there is a sticking point:<br />
the quartet want a guarantee that<br />
US prosecutors will not seize their legal fees<br />
as part of the $14 billion forfeiture they are<br />
seeking of Guzman’s alleged drug profits.<br />
That issue will be discussed at the next court<br />
hearing scheduled August 14, which Fernich<br />
said the private lawyers would attend only as<br />
observers.<br />
“I’ll represent him along with the other three<br />
provided this fee issue is resolved. I expect that<br />
to happen,” Fernich told AFP.<br />
“We are confident we see him vindicated<br />
provided all these preliminary wrangling works<br />
out, we’ll fight the case very hard,” he said.<br />
Photo: AFP<br />
2<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
. . . Meanwhile<br />
Photo<br />
of<br />
the week<br />
Say what<br />
Internet freaks out over 19thcentury<br />
books featuring boy<br />
named ‘Baron Trump’<br />
The internet tends to trump things up, but<br />
even this boggles the mind: A series of books<br />
from the late 1800s depicts a character named<br />
Baron Trump. The boy is aided in his quest by<br />
a man named Don.<br />
Reddit users have been discussing the<br />
books, along with a number of other Trumprelated<br />
conspiracy theories.<br />
The books are credited to Ingersoll<br />
Lockwood, a lawyer who dabbled in fantasy<br />
fiction.<br />
Newsweek also wrote about the books,<br />
noting that the coincidences go beyond the<br />
lead character’s name ― which is just one<br />
letter off from the name of President Donald<br />
Trump’s youngest child, Barron.<br />
In Baron Trump’s Marvellous Underground<br />
Journey, Baron is a wealthy young man living<br />
in a place called Castle Trump, but his real<br />
adventures begin when Don, the “Master of<br />
all Masters,” inspires him to travel to Russia,<br />
where he finds a portal that allows him to<br />
travel to other lands.<br />
Considering all the hoaxes that appear on<br />
The rainy season is the busiest time of the year<br />
for boat-makers. This photo was taken at Aatghor,<br />
Kuriana, Pirojpur, Barisal.<br />
Photo: Noor Ahmed Gilal<br />
sites like Reddit and 4chan, it’s understandable<br />
that this all sounds like some elaborate prank.<br />
However, the books are all listed in<br />
WorldCat, and some can be found on the<br />
Library of Congress website, in addition to<br />
Google Books and Amazon.•<br />
News and photo: Huffington Post<br />
Aries (Mar21-Apr19): Changes could be in<br />
the cards early this week, and they could<br />
affect the social groups or people you hang<br />
out with. Certain friends may leave your<br />
circle, but others will join over time.<br />
Taurus (Apr20-May20): You might need<br />
to make a radical decision concerning your<br />
job. It’s also possible that events could<br />
alter your plans, and new opportunities<br />
may become available as a result.<br />
Gemini (May21-June20): This week,<br />
feelings could reach a peak and be a<br />
cause of intense discussion. If you and<br />
another can’t see eye to eye, matters could<br />
intensify, with the possibility of a falling<br />
out.<br />
Cancer (June21-Jul22): A financial matter<br />
may need attention, particularly if it’s<br />
something you’ve so far avoided. You<br />
might need to make a swift decision or<br />
action to settle a key matter.<br />
Leo (Jul23-Aug22): Your relationships<br />
could go through a period of instability.<br />
Feelings that have been held back may<br />
come out into the open, and this could<br />
encourage you or another to make a key<br />
decision.<br />
Virgo (Aug23-Sep22): Something may need<br />
to change. It could be your routines, habits,<br />
and daily schedule that need to alter.<br />
Libra (Sep23-Oct22): You may be looking<br />
to move in new circles, make new friends,<br />
or involve yourself in activities that can<br />
harness your creative potential. You might<br />
need to move away from situations that no<br />
longer serve you.<br />
Scorpio (Oct23-Nov21): It may be decision<br />
time this week, and this could involve<br />
tension with family members concerning<br />
career plans. It might have been beneath<br />
the surface for some time, but now it could<br />
come out into the open.<br />
Sagittarius (Nov22-Dec21): If a certain<br />
matter has brought up objections in the<br />
past, these could intensify over the coming<br />
week.<br />
Capricorn (Dec22-Jan19): At the start of<br />
the week, you may sense that something<br />
needs to change. Over the coming days,<br />
this urge could grow stronger and possibly<br />
encourage you to take action.<br />
Aquarius (Jan20-Feb18): If one<br />
relationship has been under pressure for<br />
some time, this is when things could come<br />
to a head. Your feelings could erupt and<br />
lead you to make an impulsive decision.<br />
Pisces (Feb19-Mar20): A wellness issue or<br />
the sense that something needs to change<br />
regarding your overall health could act as a<br />
catalyst. You’ll want to feel as positive and<br />
energised as possible going forward. •<br />
horoscopes<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 3
tailored | Men's Fashion<br />
If you got it, flaunt it<br />
There are some shirts that will help you show off those guns<br />
Mahmood Hossain<br />
When the weather isn’t being a petulant child, and the sun is on full-assault, there are a few summer shirts that will enhance your outfit<br />
and that fit body you’ve been maintaining. Some may hate or hint to body shaming, but what actual laws are you breaking by looking<br />
fit and healthy? None. Okay, maybe harness in those weapons of mass destruction from time to time, and never wear anything that<br />
resembles George Clooney’s nipple-suit in Batman & Robin.<br />
The following flattering shirts cannot be worn by every man, which is the unfortunate truth. Yes, you actually have to be in shape and<br />
maintain your overall look. And we cannot go without mentioning how important grooming is before you decide to swap shirts either.<br />
When all is said and done, your summer body will thank you for these options.<br />
Crew neck tee<br />
The most comfortable and casual of the lot, a slim-fitted crew neck tee is the<br />
perfect off-hours option to show off. The fit with these kinds of tee shirts will<br />
have a snug fit around the shoulders and chest, which gives more exposure for<br />
your sculpted arms. The sleeves will lay in a flush manner and end right where<br />
the bicep meets the armpit.<br />
Depending on the colour, you can style this tee shirt with contrasting fitted<br />
chinos or dark-wash jeans. And of course, a pair of sneakers of your choice.<br />
The entire look is a minimal approach, you want to look as light as possible and<br />
let your biceps do the rest.<br />
Knit polo<br />
Ah, yes, we take things to a more sophisticated note. You can already tell<br />
this type of shirt goes best in a semi-formal setting or simply on a night out.<br />
More specifically, look for a knit polo that have cuffs designed on them. The<br />
reason for this little characteristic is to draw more attention to your defined<br />
arms. Here is another shirt that will hug your body rather than squeeze it.<br />
Remember, no Batman & Robin nipples. These will contour your shape more<br />
than the pique version of the polo.<br />
The knit polo will also go well with fitted chinos or dressy jeans to look its<br />
best. While sneakers aren’t completely out of the equation, loafers will be ideal<br />
in this kind of look. And this is also an occasion to add more accessories to the<br />
look, be it a wristwatch or a couple of woven leather bracelets.<br />
Short-sleeve button down<br />
There is no doubting the class a fitted short-sleeve button down shirt can<br />
bring into a joint. You can always opt for a high-quality fabric that has plenty<br />
of sheen, but a closer-to-formal short sleeve shirt works too. It’s especially<br />
at an advantage if you can combine this kind of shirt with dress pants or suit<br />
trousers.<br />
Out of the three styles, this gels in perfectly for a fancy night out or event<br />
that requires some classic lace-ups on your feet. The beauty of the entire look<br />
is that it seems everything is tailor made. It’s almost as if you went out of your<br />
way to make the entire look custom-made just because it’s summer, and just<br />
because you felt like it. Swagger, gentlemen. This shirt will do exactly that. It<br />
will bring plenty of sophistication and a completely different look you usually<br />
don’t see around often. In fact, not many men will dare to attempt this look. Go<br />
forth, gentlemen, and let the commoners enjoy the gun show. •<br />
4<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
Tech<br />
Snapchat for your browser<br />
You read that right; Mozilla’s new Send is a page out of the social media app<br />
Mahmood Hossain<br />
Mozilla, the developers of Firefox, have<br />
recently launched a new website called Send.<br />
In the most basic terms, the website allows<br />
one person to send a file to another. Once<br />
the receiver has downloaded the file, the file<br />
disappears forever. Well, that’s if you don’t<br />
decide to upload the same file again.<br />
You might wonder, “Well, what’s the big<br />
deal? Why will I need this service?” Sure, it<br />
may seem like a gimmick but it’s meant for<br />
a quick and private transaction between<br />
two people. It’s definitely for those who are<br />
seeking a service closer to Dropbox. Mozilla<br />
Send’s files are encrypted and will disappear<br />
after one download or wait until it has been<br />
up for 24 hours.<br />
The website<br />
supports files up to<br />
1GB. Once the file has<br />
been uploaded, it will<br />
provide you a link that<br />
you can send to the<br />
person you are trying<br />
to reach.<br />
The whole system<br />
is simple and easy<br />
to use but for now,<br />
the company is simply keeping this on<br />
a temporary basis. It might not even be<br />
around for too long, unless of course, it<br />
catches on and more users visit the site<br />
frequently. Head on over to http://send.<br />
firefox.com and give it a try. •<br />
Red in the palm of your hands<br />
The brand that is known to have the best filming cameras around now take a<br />
shot at being a smartphone<br />
Mahmood Hossain<br />
For those who aren’t familiar with a Red<br />
camera, you’ve possibly seen its incredible<br />
video quality on YouTube or in theatres.<br />
Red cameras have been used in films like<br />
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, The Martian and<br />
the most recent, Transformers instalment. In<br />
fact, any quality, big-budget Netflix project has<br />
used Red cameras too.<br />
They are that damn<br />
popular and that<br />
damn good.<br />
Although only a<br />
handful of YouTubers<br />
have access to Red’s<br />
equipment, the brand<br />
will be releasing their<br />
first ever phone, the<br />
Red Hydrogen, next<br />
year. And yes, as<br />
expected, this phone<br />
is not going to be<br />
cheap. Just like its<br />
line of cameras, the<br />
Hydrogen will cost<br />
nearly $1,600 for the<br />
all titanium build. The aluminium alloy version<br />
will cost around $1,195. However, there is<br />
obviously a legitimate reason for the build and<br />
its pricing.<br />
Red is promising certain features you might<br />
not find anywhere else. The phone apparently<br />
has a revolutionary tech called a “holographic”<br />
display that is known as 4-View. It not only<br />
provides for a glasses-free 3D image but it will<br />
let you take a look around and behind objects<br />
by projecting multiple angles or perspectives<br />
on whatever you are watching.<br />
Apart from what looks like to be the most<br />
advanced display around, the specs are quite<br />
impressive too. The phone will run the most<br />
recent version of Android with front and<br />
back cameras. It’ll have a 5.7-inch screen with<br />
nanotechnology that can seamlessly switch<br />
between 2D, stereo 3D and 4-View holographic<br />
display modes. It also supports modular<br />
attachments, including an upgraded camera<br />
module. Obviously. There’s also a headphone<br />
jack (which people still want on their phones),<br />
a MicroSD card slot for more storage and<br />
charges through a USB-C port. Another<br />
advantage for Red camera users is being able<br />
to use this phone as a touchscreen monitor.<br />
The design of it is also like no other. It’s a<br />
tad bulky with plenty of grip and sturdy design<br />
features. As it should be, with specs and parts<br />
of that quality, you’ll want to protect this very<br />
expensive investment.<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 5
Cook your own way | Kitchen chronicles<br />
Breakfast duos<br />
Farzana Romine<br />
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I like to indulge in some of my favorite breakfast treats once in a while, specially on weekends.<br />
However, of the many breakfast treats I love, these two definitely take the cake(pun intended) – almond croissants and crepes.<br />
You can make your own croissants or you can buy croissants from a store and turn them into sweet almond ones in less than an<br />
hour. Crepes are also super easy to make, both the sweet and the savoury versions.<br />
Crepes<br />
You will need:<br />
• 1 cup flour<br />
• 3/4 cup milk<br />
• 1/2 cup water<br />
• 2 eggs<br />
• 2 tbsp butter, melted<br />
• 1/4 tsp salt<br />
• 1 tsp vanilla (for sweet crêpes)<br />
• 1/4 tsp black pepper and other herbs<br />
preferred (for savoury crêpes)<br />
Directions<br />
• Mix the salt with flour.<br />
• Make a well in the middle. Add all the<br />
liquid ingredients and with a whisk, mix it<br />
well. Make sure there are no lumps. You<br />
can do this in a blender too.<br />
• If you do use a blender, let it rest for 30<br />
minutes so that all the air bubbles can<br />
subside.<br />
• Heat a small non-stick frying pan over<br />
medium heat. Add a little butter and<br />
swirl, so that it coats the pan well.<br />
• Add 1/4 cup batter and swirl the pan<br />
so that it spreads evenly. Cook for 30<br />
seconds. Flip and cook the other side for<br />
another 15 seconds.<br />
• Continue with the rest of the batter. This<br />
amount makes around 10 small crêpes.<br />
• Sweet crêpes can be served with fresh<br />
fruit, jam, nutella, whipped cream,<br />
chocolate sauce or anything you like.<br />
• I like the savoury ones with sour cream<br />
or cream cheese, sautéed mushroom,<br />
spinach, smoked salmon or whatever else<br />
you prefer.<br />
6<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017<br />
Photos: Farzana Romine
Almond<br />
croissants<br />
You will need:<br />
• 6 plain croissants<br />
For the almond cream (Frangipane)<br />
• 1 cup ground almond<br />
• 1 egg<br />
• 1/2 cup soft butter<br />
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
• 1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
• 3 tbsp flour<br />
• pinch of salt<br />
• 1/2 cup flaked almond<br />
Directions<br />
• To make the almond cream, beat the<br />
butter and then add the sugar. Beat until<br />
light and fluffy. Then, add the egg and<br />
vanilla extract. Beat it well.<br />
• Then add the flour, almond meal and salt.<br />
Mix it well. You can use it right away or<br />
you can keep it in the fridge for two-three<br />
days.<br />
• Preheat your oven to 350F/180C.<br />
• Slice the croissants in half. Fill the<br />
croissants with the almond mixture. I use<br />
about two tablespoons for each croissant.<br />
Sprinkle some flaked almonds inside and<br />
close the croissants.<br />
• Spread one tablespoon of the almond<br />
cream on top of each croissant and<br />
sprinkle some almonds on.<br />
• Bake them for 15-20 minutes, until the the<br />
almond cream is set and little brown.<br />
• Take them out of the oven and let them<br />
cool down on a wired rack.<br />
• Serve with coffee or tea.<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 7
Café Society | Review<br />
Caffeine-fuelled conversations<br />
Three meals at CBTL<br />
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad<br />
For a nation of hardcore cha-samosa enthusiasts, the coffee culture is a relatively new one in Dhaka, and the idea of a café as separate<br />
from a diner or restaurant is still something that’s taking time to catch up in some areas, but we can finally boast a range of fine coffee<br />
franchises and local joints. In this new series, we review the experience of some of our favourites.<br />
warm tones and casual seating, with the giant<br />
TV on in one corner, gives the place a feeling<br />
of intimacy, like we’re all sitting in someone’s<br />
living room.<br />
Our meal of choice is the Caesar Salad, and<br />
we both opt for added chicken in ours. I’m<br />
getting my usual dark chocolate latte, while he<br />
takes a regular sized daily brew. CBTL’s coffee<br />
is mainly premium roasted Arabica, and the<br />
aromatic dark roasted brew in particular has<br />
an intense flavour with a pleasantly tart finish.<br />
The salad is a medley of romaine lettuce, hard<br />
boiled eggs, croutons, caesar dressing and<br />
parmesan cheese shavings, and of course,<br />
for us, chunks of grilled chicken, all tumbled<br />
together to provide texture and taste.<br />
From traffic jams to water shortages,<br />
there’s so much your average Dhakaite<br />
has to deal with on a daily basis, that<br />
when you find a favourite café near your<br />
place, which provides not only great coffee,<br />
but an ambience that can simultaneously<br />
accommodate quiet work time, and casual<br />
conversation, you consider it cash well spent<br />
to be able to frequent it. Coffee Bean and<br />
Tea Leaf, a popular franchise from sunny<br />
California, is definitely one of those.<br />
What makes this place a favourite? In the<br />
spirit of “research”, I sat down with three<br />
regulars over three separate visits at the joint<br />
to share their go-to orders.<br />
Brunch with the bestie<br />
It’s bright sunny Saturday midday, and I’m<br />
already late for my brunch meeting with my<br />
best friend Diya. When I finally scramble up<br />
the stairs, I find her waiting in the airy patio<br />
area, immaculate in an indigo Aranya sari,<br />
nursing an Earl Grey tea and a long-suffering<br />
expression.<br />
We make a show of perusing the menu,<br />
but really, we both know what we’re going to<br />
have: the Eggs Benedict. Everyone does their<br />
Benny a little different, and CBTL’s one sits on<br />
Photo: Courtesy<br />
rosemary foccacia bread, and is topped with<br />
cheese, turkey ham, drizzled liberally with a<br />
hollandaise sauce. Served with a side garden<br />
salad, it’s the perfect choice for brunch. While<br />
Diya asks for another Earl Grey, my staple is<br />
the dark chocolate latte, which combines a<br />
freshly pulled shot of espresso with a velvety<br />
kiss of chocolate and a splash of milk – the<br />
perfect choice for someone who’s not a<br />
habitual coffee drinker.<br />
This time of the day, somewhere between<br />
high noon and the afternoon, it’s quiet, and<br />
sitting out here, in the sun-dappled patio,<br />
munching away on a meal made for quiet<br />
gossip, it’s a recipe for serenity, and worth the<br />
splurge.<br />
Dinner with the hubs<br />
Sunday night, and I’m back in with my favourite<br />
partner in crime. As the doors swish open, we<br />
can tell it’s a lively evening, but even then, the<br />
baristas greet us with broad smiles and their<br />
signature singsong “Welcome to Coffee Bean”,<br />
which for some, is a reason for repeat visits.<br />
As luck would have it, we do manage to<br />
snag a window seat, so have a clear view of<br />
the road outside as we get comfortable. All the<br />
other tables around us are occupied, and the<br />
Late night coffee with the crew<br />
It’s a rainy Friday night, and this time, I’m<br />
putting my favourite café to a sort of litmus<br />
test. Tomal and Reeti are friends who just got<br />
back from LA, the birthplace of Coffee Bean<br />
and Tea Leaf. I’m curious to know how ours<br />
compare to the OG outlets, hence the meet up.<br />
It’s an hour from closing time, and we’re in<br />
the mood for something sweet. Sidling up into<br />
one of the red booths in the area behind the<br />
coffee counter, we can see we’re not the only<br />
ones. The place is abuzz with nyctophiles on a<br />
coffee high. The servers whiz past us, loaded<br />
trays in hand.<br />
Tomal takes an Americano, while Reeti<br />
opts out of coffee. We decide to split two<br />
cheesecakes among us, so we get a Blueberry<br />
Cheesecake, and a Chicago Cheesecake. For<br />
fans of the no-bake cheesecake, this is a pretty<br />
decent choice. Our forks sink into a bed of<br />
creamy sweet cheese till it hits the delightfully<br />
crumbly crust. The blueberry adds a piquant<br />
counterpoint to the sweetness of the dessert,<br />
while the Chicago cheesecake is perhaps a<br />
bigger hit for those with a sweet tooth.<br />
I’m eyeballing the pair over my latte as they<br />
take everything in. Finally, with a nod, they<br />
acknowledge that the spacious, yet cosy<br />
settings, the friendly staff, and the quality<br />
food have all met, and even exceeded their<br />
expectations. Test passed, the caffeine-fuelled<br />
conversations continue. •<br />
8<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
Diet | GREEN GROCERIES<br />
Five foods to boost<br />
your immunity<br />
Minaal Choudhury<br />
With Chikunguniya running amok across the city, it is important that we take care to boost our health in addition to avoiding mosquitoes as much as<br />
possible. An easy boost? Watch what you eat. A few healthy additions to your regular diet will give you the much needed boost you need to fight off<br />
any illnesses and in case you are already sick, it will help you recover.<br />
Limes<br />
Limes are packed with Vitamin C and<br />
antioxidants. It is a regular at any<br />
household. Have the juice of a whole lime<br />
and it will give you an added boost. This<br />
also helps with weight loss.<br />
Guavas<br />
Guavas are also filled with Vitamin C and<br />
are rich in antioxidants. Considered a super<br />
fruit, guavas are rich in manganese that<br />
helps absorb nutrients from other food<br />
or supplements that we take. Guavas also<br />
have high magnesium content that helps<br />
with relaxing the muscles and nerves of the<br />
body. Guavas help to combat the physical<br />
stress that accompanies pain and fatigue.<br />
Pomegranates<br />
Pomegranates have been hailed as a<br />
miracle fruit since ancient times and<br />
the tales are true. This incredible fruit is<br />
beneficial in maintaining effective blood<br />
circulation that helps in regaining strength<br />
after a long illness. In addition, it helps to<br />
reduce the inflammation in the body that<br />
will also help relieve body pains that many<br />
experience during and even after recovering<br />
from Chikunguniya.<br />
Pineapples<br />
Pineapples are delightfully sweet and<br />
beneficial. Pineapples contain high amounts<br />
of manganese, and also contain high<br />
amounts of thiamin, a B vitamin that is<br />
involved in energy production. Who doesn’t<br />
need a boost after surviving traffic?<br />
Fresh Leafy Greens<br />
Consume a lot of vegetables. They are<br />
packed with nutrients including potassium,<br />
fibre, folate (folic acid) and vitamins A, E<br />
and C. Options like spinach, tomtoes and<br />
garlic provide additional benefits, making<br />
them a superfood. In addition to that –<br />
fresh veggies taste great!<br />
These are a few and very simple<br />
ways to help boost your body’s immune<br />
system to fight off fatigue and other<br />
illnesses. However, it is important that<br />
your fruits and vegetables are fresh<br />
and safe. Bangladesh still continues to<br />
have food adulteration issues, so please<br />
make sure you know your source. Direct<br />
Fresh is a brand that stands against food<br />
adulteration and has their own farms<br />
to grow fresh, chemical free, safe fruits<br />
and vegetables that are safe for you and<br />
your family to consume. In addition, take<br />
care in storing your vegetables and try<br />
to buy in smaller quantities of fruits and<br />
veggies, so they are consumed fresh.<br />
They taste better and you will get the<br />
most nutritional value. Now you armed<br />
against the monsoon maladies! Enjoy the<br />
weather! •<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 9
Photo Story | Indigenous rights<br />
International<br />
Day of the<br />
World’s<br />
Indigenous<br />
On the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the<br />
Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, indigenous groups from different<br />
parts of Bangladesh celebrated and demonstrated at the Shaheed<br />
Minar in Dhaka on August 9. This is also the International Day of the<br />
World’s Indigenous, meant to commemorate the UN declaration.<br />
Dressed in their traditional outfits and armed with musical<br />
instruments, the people gathered performed traditional dances and<br />
held up signs. Artwork depicting the suffering in the recent Langadu<br />
tragedy were seen and signs protesting encroachments in their<br />
native lands were displayed, which gave the colourful celebrations an<br />
ominous undertone. Photos: Mehedi Hasan, Mahmud Hossain Opu<br />
Mahmud Hossain Opu<br />
10 WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
Mehedi Hasan<br />
Mehedi Hasan<br />
Mehedi Hasan<br />
Mahmud Hossain Opu<br />
Mehedi Hasan<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 11
special feature | migration<br />
Escape to the promised<br />
Why Bangladeshis are risking everything to get to Europe<br />
Naushad Ali Husein<br />
Jillur Rahaman bet all he had, and lost, for a<br />
simple dream: a ‘paka’ house, made of bricks<br />
and concrete. The plan was to work abroad for<br />
a number of years, and return to his wife and<br />
two children with enough money to build it.<br />
He had sold all of his land and used up his<br />
savings to pay an agent 5.5 lakh taka for his<br />
passage to Libya. After flying to Khartoum,<br />
Sudan, on a 15-day tourist visa, he was passed<br />
from agent to dubious agent on a road journey<br />
to Libya through the Sahara.<br />
From Libya, he had to gather $500 to pay<br />
for a passage across the Mediterranean to Italy<br />
on an inflatable rubber dinghy crammed with<br />
people. Had things gone according to plan,<br />
Italy would throw open the doors to Europe<br />
and prosperity.<br />
Italy has been overwhelmed with migrants<br />
arriving at its shores from across the<br />
Mediterranean. More than 82,000 have arrived<br />
so far this year. Most European Union nations<br />
have refused Italy’s appeal to accept their<br />
share of immigrants, preferring to pressure<br />
North African states to take them back. Some<br />
EU leaders have advocated accepting only<br />
those fleeing war and persecution, and turning<br />
back those seeking economic opportunity.<br />
Bangladeshis make up the second largest<br />
nationality among the cross-Mediterranean<br />
migrants entering Italy and represent the<br />
“economic migrants.”<br />
If economic growth is any indication,<br />
Bangladesh should be flourishing with<br />
opportunity. Bangladesh has achieved a<br />
sustained growth rate of over six per cent since<br />
2000. Then why are people so desperate as<br />
to attempt the most lethal sea voyage in the<br />
world to escape to Europe?<br />
of Manda. The nearest college is several<br />
kilometres away, and expensive to attend.<br />
Kamal comments on the few two-story<br />
houses as we pass them. Most belong to<br />
families with members living abroad.<br />
The same is for larger businesses. “This<br />
chicken farm is owned by three partners, one<br />
of whom lives abroad.” says Kamal. “They can<br />
invest because they have the means.”<br />
But Kamal, an agricultural labourer, can just<br />
about scrape up day-to-day expenses for his<br />
family of three. With limited cash available, he<br />
I would not say that<br />
migration is due to our<br />
economy being particularly<br />
weak,” says Dr. Siddiqui.<br />
“Our overall political and<br />
socioeconomic reality is<br />
that from within the system,<br />
there is no way to reach<br />
the top. You have to have<br />
political connections<br />
and did not prevent them from sliding back<br />
into poverty.<br />
“In our district just about every household<br />
has people who have attempted to go abroad,”<br />
says Jillur.“Most of them try for Italy. Saudi and<br />
Dubai are also popular.”<br />
“If you can make it to Europe, then you’re<br />
pretty much settled,” says Kamal. Ten years<br />
ago Kamal sold all his land to get to Libya<br />
with a placement as an office helper. He sent<br />
between Tk.12,000 and 15,000 home every<br />
‘Everyone has a dream of<br />
going abroad’<br />
Jillur’s village, Manda is some 10 km from<br />
Shariatpur town. The paved road passes at<br />
a distance from the village. A five foot road<br />
leading in is only now being constructed.<br />
A muddy trail winds through paddy fields,<br />
ponds and corrugated iron houses. School<br />
children dodge the puddles and leave us far<br />
behind.<br />
Very few of them will get beyond secondary<br />
education, says Kamal Sheikh, a resident<br />
is hesitant to invest in livestock or poultry.<br />
A World Bank study on rural poverty in<br />
Bangladesh indicates that the economic<br />
success of migrant workers has been crucial<br />
for drastic and long-lasting social mobility.<br />
Rural households who moved out of extreme<br />
poverty to incomes above 1.5 times the<br />
poverty level between 2000 and 2008 said<br />
migrant family members contributed most of<br />
the additional income.<br />
Income from trade, business and services<br />
contributed modestly to increases in income,<br />
Jillur Rahaman, back at home<br />
12<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
land<br />
If we had not been lying<br />
down, we should surely have<br />
been shot. The walls were<br />
completely pockmarked<br />
month until the civil war that would overthrow<br />
Gaddafi broke out.<br />
Kamal found himself trapped in a lawless<br />
state. At one point he was kidnapped and<br />
thrown in a freight container with no windows.<br />
His kidnappers gave him a cell phone to<br />
procure his own ransom, and a 250ml bottle of<br />
water. For three days he suffocated in the heat<br />
with nothing else to eat or drink.<br />
After getting free, Kamal attempted to flee<br />
to Italy by boat but got arrested off the coast<br />
of Malta and was voluntarily repatriated. “We<br />
paid off some family debts. Most of the money<br />
I sent back went into day-to-day expenses. On<br />
the whole, it would have been better not to<br />
have gone at all.”<br />
Photo: Courtesy<br />
Presently we are joined by a Kamal’s friend<br />
and a random passer-by, both of whom have<br />
migration stories to share.<br />
Neither hunger nor depravity drove the<br />
people to emigrate. But Manda offered little<br />
opportunity to change the circumstances they<br />
were born into. Their families would only ever<br />
have better homes or a higher education if<br />
they went abroad.<br />
This might be because economic growth has<br />
been largely concentrated in urban centres.<br />
Even so, most of those seeking to enter Europe<br />
are from semi-urban backgrounds.<br />
Jillur, for example, broke out of his rural<br />
economy by obtaining a driver’s license and<br />
finding employment with the founders of the<br />
Refugee and Migratory Movements Research<br />
Unit (RMMRU) in Dhaka. But to fulfil his<br />
aspirations, he would have to use his driver’s<br />
license to get work abroad.<br />
“I applied to go to Algeria, then Qatar, then<br />
Malaysia,” says Jillur. “None of them worked.<br />
After trying and failing for over two years I got<br />
frustrated.” He settled on the illegal route to<br />
Italy.<br />
“Everyone has a dream of going abroad,”<br />
says Dr Tasneem Siddiqui founder and director<br />
of RMMRU, “They feel that it will result in a<br />
holistic change, [a promotion in] class, which as<br />
it is, is not possible in Bangladesh.”<br />
His second child was born just before he<br />
left. Jillur was earning about Tk.12,000 per<br />
month at the time. If he wanted to give his<br />
new born daughter a different life, he had no<br />
choice.<br />
“Here, at the very best, I could earn Tk20,000<br />
to 30,000 a month,” says Jillur. “How many<br />
years would it take to save enough to even<br />
begin to build a house with that? [In France],<br />
once I get citizenship, earning more than one<br />
lakh taka a month is no big deal for a person<br />
like me.”<br />
The chances of that kind of success are<br />
slim. Thousands of deaths are recorded each<br />
year in the Mediterranean, and many more<br />
go unreported. Many irregular migrants are<br />
apprehended by Libyan forces before they can<br />
reach Italian waters.<br />
“It’s a risky game,” says Dr Siddiqui. “But for<br />
some people, it has worked out very well.” Dr<br />
Siddiqui says she met a Bangladeshi migrant<br />
who earned the equivalent of three lakh taka<br />
a month in 2010 doing heavy labour work.<br />
But most people have to struggle for years<br />
before they can establish themselves and start<br />
sending money back home.<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017<br />
13
special feature | migration<br />
In hindsight, Jillur feels he shouldn't have left at all<br />
Opportunities for the wellconnected<br />
Sadmanur Rahman’s oldest brother went to<br />
the UK in 2002, and easily found irregular<br />
work at a restaurant. He would send Tk40,000<br />
to 50,000 back home every month after<br />
comfortably meeting his expenses, and even<br />
putting away some savings.<br />
Over the years, the family paid off their<br />
loans, dug a pond (for fish farming), got one<br />
son married and bought land adjacent to their<br />
village home in Kulaura in Moulvibazar. The<br />
house itself, formerly a four-bedroom home<br />
with one bathroom, was expanded so that it<br />
now has 10 rooms and four bathrooms.<br />
Despite the added income, Sadman feels<br />
that his prospects in Bangladesh are bleak.<br />
“To get a [government] job [in Bangladesh]<br />
you have to pay a bribe. You have to have a<br />
‘big brother’ who will recommend you for a<br />
post.” The bachelor’s degree he just completed<br />
thus holds little value.<br />
Sadman says his fellow graduates have<br />
the same problem. “My peer who has a 4/4<br />
average, is earning in France, he has given up<br />
studying altogether.”<br />
Studies show that a relatively small portion<br />
of income from migrant family members is<br />
invested in business. Political corruption is<br />
a major deterrent. “Before starting anything<br />
locally one has to think, do I have any political<br />
support?” says Sadman.“Otherwise you have<br />
to pay bribes to local political leaders and<br />
bureaucrats until there’s nothing left.”<br />
“I would not say that migration is due<br />
to our economy being particularly weak,”<br />
says Dr Siddiqui. “Our overall political and<br />
socioeconomic reality is that from within the<br />
system, there is no way to reach the top. You<br />
have to have political connections.”<br />
Which leaves those who don’t have any such<br />
connections, like Jillur, Sadman, and Kamal,<br />
short of options.<br />
Tough luck<br />
Jillur’s upbeat demeanour belies his enormous<br />
disappointment.<br />
He says he knew well what the risks<br />
were, having had many friends who had<br />
attempted to get to Europe and a few who had<br />
succeeded.<br />
“Everyone has to die someday. This way if<br />
they succeed, they become heroes; if they die,<br />
they become martyrs.”<br />
“The agents always tell you that it’s going<br />
to be very comfortable. They told me an airconditioned<br />
bus would take me across the<br />
desert.”<br />
Instead, for three days he was crammed<br />
with over a hundred people from Bangladesh<br />
and various African countries in the back of<br />
a truck. “There was one person beneath me<br />
and another person on my lap. It was difficult<br />
to breathe.” With the sun beating down, two<br />
Bengalis and two North Africans died of heat<br />
and exhaustion on that trip.<br />
Upon entering Libya, Jillur found himself<br />
trapped in a lawless country embroiled in<br />
Photo: Courtesy<br />
civil strife between countless armed factions.<br />
“Twelve and 13-year-old kids roam around<br />
with guns. There is no justice if they kill you.”<br />
Friends he made were abducted by armed<br />
factions or miscreants seeking ransoms.<br />
Finding work in Libya was the easy part.<br />
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” says Jillur.<br />
“But you never knew if and when you were<br />
going to get paid.”<br />
“There is no functional justice system so<br />
there was nothing we could do if we didn’t get<br />
paid.”<br />
Eventually Jillur gathered up enough money<br />
to pay for his passage to Italy. But he lost it all<br />
in a robbery. Attackers kicked in the door to<br />
his apartment and sprayed it with bullets. “If<br />
we had not been lying down, we should surely<br />
have been shot. The walls were completely<br />
pockmarked.” Then they looted the apartment<br />
and took everything.<br />
Afraid and penniless, Jillur called his former<br />
employer who lent him 1.5 lakh to get on a<br />
plane back to Bangladesh.<br />
Jillur now works for his former employer for<br />
a better wage than he had before. He supports<br />
his wife and two children, and chips away<br />
slowly at his debt.<br />
“I can tell you my story, but nobody will<br />
understand my pain.” says Jillur, “To this day, I<br />
think about my debt before buying fish. I often<br />
forego meat for daal or spinach.”<br />
“My dream house has remained a dream.”•<br />
14<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
Interview | Edward Kim<br />
LG plans big for<br />
Bangladeshi market<br />
A conversation with Edward Kim, MD of LG Bangladesh<br />
Mahmood Sadi<br />
A small session with Edward Kim, the Managing Director of LG Bangladesh would give you a hint<br />
about why he is given the charge of representing a brand that has the tagline – ‘Life is Good’.<br />
This convivial Korean will patiently answer all of your questions, no matter how many you have<br />
asked, and he does that with a smile.<br />
<strong>Weekend</strong> Tribune recently went to his office and talked about LG’s operations in Bangladesh.<br />
Before you took charge of the operations of<br />
LG in Bangladesh, where else did you work?<br />
Bangladesh is my third overseas assignment<br />
from LG. Before, I worked in LG’s Thailand and<br />
Singapore operation.<br />
What is your impression about the<br />
electronic market of Bangladesh?<br />
The first impression that I had while working<br />
here is that the electronic applications market<br />
has a lot of potential. Every morning when I<br />
take a look in the newspaper, I can see many<br />
initiatives taken here in Bangladesh and<br />
this opens up and increases people’s need<br />
for electronic appliances. I believe that the<br />
Bangladeshi market can achieve recognition<br />
like that of the Indian market within a few<br />
years.<br />
There are a lot of electronic brands today<br />
in Bangladesh, so why will people be<br />
interested to buy your product?<br />
We have already become one of the most<br />
trustworthy brands across the world. In<br />
Bangladesh, it is no different. When people<br />
see the brand name of LG, they feel a sense<br />
of trust here. This is because we provide a<br />
warranty of 10 years for our products.<br />
We have also customised some of our<br />
products for the Bangladeshi market. One<br />
such product is the mosquito-repelling<br />
air conditioning system. In Bangladesh,<br />
mosquitoes are a big problem and our airconditioners<br />
will make homes mosquito-free.<br />
The air-conditioner can generate inaudible<br />
ultrasonic waves at a specific frequency of over<br />
30kHz that repels mosquitoes.<br />
Who do you consider your fiercest<br />
competitor in the market?<br />
I will give you the answer in a different manner.<br />
Basically there are two types of competitors<br />
- the collaborating brands and the local<br />
manufacturers. Among all the collaborating<br />
brands, I consider LG to be number one in the<br />
field of electronics here in Bangladesh.<br />
Among the local brands, you have Walton,<br />
Singer and some other newcomers. Although<br />
globally we are in the number one position,<br />
yet we have to compete against local brands<br />
in the local market. In Bangladesh, the local<br />
brands are mostly targeting low and medium<br />
Our prices are competitive<br />
and I think a large number of<br />
customers who want quality,<br />
long lasting products are<br />
opting to buying our products<br />
segments. However they are increasingly<br />
targeting the high segments as well.<br />
Some might think that LG is a global brand<br />
and therefore they are selling the most<br />
expensive products. Yes, we target the high<br />
segments but that does not mean we simply<br />
focus on premium customers. Our prices<br />
are competitive and I think a large number<br />
of customers who want quality, long lasting<br />
products are opting to buying our products.<br />
When I think about LG, I think about its<br />
refrigerators, TVs and air conditioners.<br />
But you also have other products like<br />
smartphones and laptops which are not<br />
that popular in our country. So are you<br />
taking any initiatives to make these<br />
products popular?<br />
Yes, we have other products like laptops, water<br />
purifiers, air cleaners, etc, and their demands<br />
Photo: Arifur Rahman Riad<br />
are increasing in an emerging market like<br />
Bangladesh. We plan to do more promotions<br />
about those product lines. About our<br />
smartphones, I can say that entering into the<br />
smartphone market will not be easy because<br />
of the huge competition prevailing there.<br />
But this year onwards, we have big plans for<br />
increasing our smartphone market share.<br />
Many Chinese electronic products are sold<br />
here at cheap prices and people do have<br />
the idea that electronic products won’t last<br />
long or new models will arrive so there is<br />
no point of buying a high-end product from<br />
LG or other brands instead of the cheaper<br />
Chinese products. How do you deal with<br />
that sort of mindset?<br />
People might like buying cheap products but<br />
the question is whether they are getting any<br />
long term satisfaction by using those products.<br />
I don’t think so. For example, a laptop company<br />
told me to use their product which weighs<br />
around 99gm. It was very expensive but since I<br />
am visiting abroad quite a lot, I took it despite<br />
the high price and I am completely happy<br />
about it. So as long as I can satisfy customers<br />
and serve their needs, I think I will not lose my<br />
segment of customers.<br />
Also as I told you earlier, the customers who<br />
want quality products, will know the difference<br />
between cheap Chinese products and those<br />
from LG.<br />
LG has a partnership with JAAGO<br />
foundation. Why? What sort of activities it<br />
is doing with JAAGO?<br />
LG is based on the idea “Think globally and<br />
act locally”. To facilitate ICT education for<br />
underprivileged children, LG Electronics<br />
Bangladesh and JAAGO Foundation have<br />
jointly established LG IT Academy, where<br />
underprivileged children are given quality<br />
education through the usage of technology<br />
that they would otherwise have no access to.•<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 15
Issue | shelter for the homeless<br />
Rain-soaked, sleepless nights<br />
How do the homeless sleep in the rain?<br />
Saqib Sarker<br />
In the past few weeks, Dhaka and the entire<br />
country has experienced heavy rainfall. The<br />
landslide in the hilly areas claimed lives and<br />
damaged properties. Dhaka’s waterlogging<br />
problem once again rendered the city even<br />
more motionless than it usually is from<br />
constant gridlock. While everyone suffered<br />
in one way or another, the most devastating<br />
effect must have been on those who do not<br />
have a roof over their heads. In an already<br />
crisis-ridden city like Dhaka, the situation<br />
is immensely exacerbated when there is a<br />
spell of incessant rain for four or five days,<br />
sometimes longer.<br />
The homeless are ever-present in Dhaka.<br />
They are so common that you hardly notice<br />
them. But where do they go when torrential<br />
rain and thunderstorms make people shut<br />
their windows extra tight? How do they<br />
sleep in relentless rain that literally doesn’t<br />
stop for days, as we have experienced in the<br />
past few weeks?<br />
When all you can do is<br />
endure<br />
Dilu lives on the footpath adjacent to the<br />
Taqwa mosque at Dhanmondi 12/A. A young<br />
woman in her 20s, Dilu is quite indifferent<br />
to the problem, appearing to find the<br />
question of where she sleeps when it rains<br />
quite pointless. “You have to find shelter<br />
somewhere,” she says simply. She refuses<br />
to be specific about where exactly she goes.<br />
“Do you find shelter on shopping mall stairs,<br />
late at night?” Dilu laughs and nods, thinking<br />
it’s a silly question. “Listen, sir,” she said,<br />
“you can write all you want in the newspaper<br />
but no one will give us a home.”<br />
In an elaborate and methodical study<br />
by Research and Evaluation Division<br />
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu<br />
(RED) of BRAC, published in March 2011,<br />
the researchers found 36 percent of the<br />
homeless live on footpaths, 14 percent at<br />
rail stations and 13 percent in stadiums,<br />
and move to places having some kind of<br />
cover during the rainy season. The survey<br />
interviews a total of 2,264 street dwellers<br />
from 20 spots in Dhaka city.<br />
“Don’t take pictures,” said Khayrul, Dilu’s<br />
disapproving brother. Khayrul works as a<br />
labourer during the day, six days a week.<br />
He shares that they just have to resort to<br />
polythene sheets and they actually don’t<br />
always find shelter. Even the little spaces<br />
underneath shopping mall shades are too<br />
difficult to come by sometimes. They also<br />
don’t want to leave the place they usually<br />
sleep in. In retrospect, it seems that they may<br />
have found it undignified to admit that they<br />
just clench their teeth and endure the rain.<br />
The RED study found that sleeping on<br />
footpaths on rainy days actually increased<br />
with time among the group that are living in<br />
the streets for more than one year and less<br />
than five years. “In contrast to conventional<br />
wisdom (that what this population needs<br />
most is provision of water and sanitation),<br />
shelter (especially during rain and storms)<br />
and security were found to be the two main<br />
concerns of the street dwellers,” the RED<br />
study read.<br />
From the sample studied in the survey,<br />
during the rainy days 24.6 percent of the<br />
street dwellers slept on footpaths, 15.7<br />
percent in stadiums, 14.8 percent in bazaars,<br />
13.1 percent at railway stations, 11 percent<br />
in slums, 9.1 percent in launch terminals,<br />
4.1 percent at bus stands and 7.7 percent of<br />
the respondents found other miscellaneous<br />
shelters.<br />
No shelter, no sleep<br />
Slightly further away from Dilu and Khayrul,<br />
on the North side of the Dhanmondi 32<br />
bridge, sat Mokhtar Shah, where he begs<br />
during the day and sleeps at night. Aged<br />
over 60 and with a filariasis affected leg,<br />
Mokhtar is more or less immobile. He came<br />
to Dhaka from Nilphamari quite recently.<br />
When asked where he goes during the rain,<br />
he pointed to the other side of the road<br />
where there are dense trees sheltering the<br />
sidewalk, but that is not nearly enough as<br />
protection. When asked how he sleeps, the<br />
elderly man simply said, “No sleep.”<br />
Mokhtar Shah had difficulties speaking<br />
full sentences and sounded exhausted when<br />
he spoke. “I find shelter in buildings too,” he<br />
said. When asked if he gets thrown out from<br />
building premises, he merely stared, unable<br />
to explain his methods.<br />
Mokhtar Shah sitting at his ususal spot<br />
Photo: Saqib Sarker<br />
Like Mokhtar, Dilu and Khayrul, there<br />
are thousands of people in Dhaka who<br />
live without a roof over their heads.<br />
Different studies find different numbers -<br />
one study found the number of footpath<br />
dwellers to be at 15 to 20 thousand, but<br />
these figures are inconclusive because of<br />
a lack of proper, exhaustive studies. The<br />
situation is further complicated by constant<br />
migration into the capital. According to one<br />
estimate, approximately 320,000 migrants<br />
enter Dhaka annually. The RED study<br />
recommended a comprehensive census and<br />
a number of short-term interventions, but<br />
what should clearly take precedence above<br />
all else is providing some form of shelter<br />
where the homeless can stay in the most<br />
turbulent weather. •<br />
<strong>16</strong> WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
Issue | Waterlogging<br />
Whose fault is it anyway?<br />
Looking into Dhaka’s water-logging crisis that disrupts the lives of millions<br />
every monsoon<br />
Mahmood Sadi<br />
After the scorching heat of summer<br />
comes monsoon as a blessing for<br />
Dhaka’s “drained” citizens.<br />
An insufficient and inefficient drainage<br />
network however, soon turns that blessing<br />
into a curse as the heavy downpours flood<br />
the city, submerging a large part of its roads<br />
and streets in semi-treated murky water and<br />
throwing its already hectic traffic, completely<br />
out of gear.<br />
Water-logging in Dhaka is an outcome<br />
of several seemingly related factors –<br />
infrastructural limitations of respective<br />
authorities, lack of capacity in establishing a<br />
functional sewerage system by the authorities<br />
and their sub-contractors, and collective<br />
unawareness of the citizens who fail to realise<br />
that they have been playing a big part in<br />
choking the city’s drainage network.<br />
Insufficient infrastructure<br />
Data available from the Dhaka Water Supply<br />
and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) shows that the<br />
capital has 370km of storm sewerage network,<br />
and 2,840km long surface drains to discharge<br />
rain water into 22 canals.<br />
At the same time, Dhaka North and South<br />
City corporations collectively maintain over<br />
2,000km of feeder drains (narrow sewer<br />
system) to carry rainwater, and liquid waste<br />
from homes into canals and the wider<br />
diameter storm sewer system.<br />
However, these figures matter little in front<br />
of bigger numbers that represent the capital<br />
city – a population of about 1.7 million, 7,000<br />
tonnes of daily waste generation, and an<br />
annual average rainfall of 1,900mm.<br />
Dr Quazi Azizul Mawla, Professor of<br />
Architecture of BUET, who has done a lot of<br />
research on Dhaka’s sewerage system, said<br />
that one doesn’t need the understanding of<br />
an expert to realise why Dhaka gets deluged<br />
during monsoon.<br />
“The rainwater has to be channelled out<br />
from the city to a lower plain and through<br />
a functional, properly-managed network of<br />
drainage systems, so that rainwater instantly<br />
runs into the low-lying retention areas.”<br />
Now, if rainwater stagnates, it either means<br />
the drainage system is insufficient or it means<br />
the whole system is inefficient, said Prof<br />
Mawla, adding that in Dhaka’s case, it is both.<br />
Dhaka must have at least 20 retention ponds<br />
the size of Hatirjheel, to tackle the storm water.<br />
But the fact is, there is only one Hatirjheel in<br />
Dhaka.<br />
He said that almost all the storm water<br />
drains in Dhaka were designed long ago<br />
and are not capable of handling the excess<br />
rainwater. “Dhaka’s drainage system was<br />
planned back in the early 20th century for a<br />
maximum rainfall of 25mm per hour, assuming<br />
that half the rain would be absorbed by the<br />
soil and only half would flow into the drainage<br />
system.”<br />
However, with the onset of rampant and<br />
indiscriminate urbanisation, most areas are<br />
now paved with concrete or asphalt. As a<br />
result, very little rainwater is absorbed into the<br />
ground. Thus even at one inch per hour, the<br />
drainage system has to cope with almost twice<br />
its intended capacity, he said.<br />
Incapable authorities<br />
Besides, Wasa, the custodian of Dhaka’s storm<br />
water sewerage system, now has the capacity to<br />
drain out 20mm of rainfall through its pumping<br />
facility. That means, if the rainfall is above<br />
30mm, it will take at least two hours to recede.<br />
Meanwhile, Wasa and other respective<br />
authorities meanwhile have engaged in some<br />
sort of blame game to shift the responsibility<br />
on others. They also have very little<br />
coordination amongst them.<br />
During this government’s first tenure, in<br />
September 2012, Dhaka Wasa prepared<br />
a 23-year sewerage master plan involving<br />
US$2 billion to bring the whole city under its<br />
network.<br />
However, in the last five years, the<br />
implementation of the first phase of that<br />
masterplan is going at a snail’s pace.<br />
Kamrul Hasan Chowdhury, Chief Engineer<br />
of Wasa, said the project work under the<br />
masterplan is currently underway. “But you<br />
have to realise that we have the responsibility<br />
to look after the drainage of 39 percent of the<br />
capital.”<br />
He said that the problem is that they carry<br />
out the de-silting of drains once before the<br />
monsoon. “We however want to carry out the<br />
de-silting throughout the year but the budget<br />
to do so is only disbursed in April-May.”<br />
Meanwhile, the capital’s civic agencies<br />
have turned a blind eye to the construction<br />
debris lying unattended near various drains<br />
across the city. The construction work, which<br />
is supposed to give a facelift to the capital, is<br />
simultaneously damaging the city’s drainage<br />
system, said the Wasa Chief Engineer.<br />
Md Mesbah ul Islam, Chief Executive Officer<br />
(CEO) of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC),<br />
said that the duty of looking after whether the<br />
construction debris choke the drain or not falls<br />
on Rajdhani Unnayan Kortipokkho.<br />
The CEO of DNCC said that, from their<br />
part, they have been trying to maintain their<br />
network of feeder drains. “But you have to<br />
understand that narrow drainage networks like<br />
feeder drains will not be sufficient enough to<br />
solve the water logging crisis of Dhaka.”<br />
He also stressed on the importance of<br />
reclaiming Dhaka’s 22 canals from grabbers.<br />
“Without water bodies like canals, you cannot<br />
discharge the rainwater run-off even if you<br />
develop a network of sewerage lines,” he<br />
said. •<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 17
stay in<br />
Clues<br />
Mini cryptics<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 No return after a group<br />
leave (7)<br />
4 Cat naked in show (7)<br />
6 Rare confusion about lie<br />
before (7)<br />
7 California DNA returns<br />
for country (7)<br />
DOWN<br />
1 Her cars destroyed Cupid<br />
and Eros (7)<br />
2 Resin used by Team<br />
Bermuda (5)<br />
3 Catch sun up on mountain<br />
without artifice (7)<br />
5 Feeling sorry for disrupted<br />
GI run (5)<br />
Sudoku<br />
Use the numbers 1-9 to complete<br />
each of the 3x3 square grids such that<br />
each horizontal and vertical line also<br />
contains all of the digits from 1-9<br />
HOW TO MAKE<br />
YOUR OWN GEL<br />
AIR FRESHENERS<br />
Tasfia Huda<br />
DIY gel air fresheners are easy to<br />
make – you can customise them<br />
with any scent you prefer, and<br />
they are very nice to look at! The<br />
process is so simple, you can easily<br />
diy<br />
make a bunch of air fresheners in<br />
just a few minutes.<br />
Last week’s solutions<br />
Solved it? Email answers to weekend@dhakatribune.com and win one free<br />
month of the Dhaka Tribune.<br />
Last week’s solutions<br />
Ingredients:<br />
• 1 cup water<br />
or 1 cup<br />
liquid potpourri<br />
• 2 individual<br />
envelopes<br />
of<br />
unflavoured gelatin<br />
• 1 tbsp salt<br />
• 20 drops of your favourite<br />
essential oils (only if you’re<br />
using water)<br />
• Heat-safe containers<br />
• Food colouring (optional)<br />
• Silk flowers (optional)<br />
1. In a small saucepan on the<br />
stove, heat 3/4 cups of water<br />
(or liquid pot-pourri) and the<br />
salt. When the salt is completely<br />
dissolved, slowly add the gelatin,<br />
and stir until that is completely<br />
dissolved as well. If you add the<br />
gelatin too quickly, it might get a<br />
little sticky and clumpy, but just<br />
ACROSS<br />
1 The French follow transplanted organ<br />
with cereal (7)<br />
4 Horror writer returns held by fat cat<br />
(7)<br />
6 Turn around same woe to make great<br />
(7)<br />
7 Toss she flipped made party holder (7)<br />
DOWN<br />
1 Hit goal switched for giant<br />
(7)<br />
2 Sounds like a way in to love<br />
(5)<br />
3 Talk to commercial clothing<br />
(7)<br />
5 Adobe mix makes a home(5)<br />
Solved it? Email answers to weekend@dhakatribune.com and<br />
win one free month of the Dhaka Tribune.<br />
keep stirring until it dissolves.<br />
2. Remove the saucepan from the<br />
heat and then add the remaining<br />
liquid. Stir until fully blended,<br />
and pour the mixture into the<br />
containers of your choice.<br />
3. Now add your essential oils<br />
(only if you used water). You can<br />
always add more or less essential<br />
oils based on your preference, and<br />
you can do different oils in each air<br />
freshener!<br />
4. Some silk flowers and a drop or<br />
two of food colouring can make<br />
them look prettier. Now that<br />
your air fresheners are scented,<br />
coloured and decorated, let them<br />
cool to room temperature.<br />
You don’t have to add a lid, but<br />
the gel will dry out a little faster<br />
without a lid. Just a couple of<br />
punches through a standard lid will<br />
work perfectly.•<br />
18 WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017
iz info<br />
A Journey through China with<br />
Shakib Al Hasan<br />
<strong>Weekend</strong> Tribune Desk<br />
This Eid, five lucky fans got a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to tour China from June 29 to July 04 with Shakib Al Hasan, the best cricket allrounder<br />
in the world. Organised by Huawei Consumer Business Group, the tour comprised of visits by Shakib Al Hasan and the fans to stateof-the-art<br />
Huawei facilities as well as historic and modern Chinese sites.<br />
The lucky fans were selected through a contest titled ‘Who Doesn’t Want to Go to China with Shakib’ launched by Huawei Consumer<br />
Business Group. Commenced on June 11, the contest continued till June 23, 2017. The contest involved contestants taking selfies at a Huawei Store<br />
nationwide and posting on Facebook with the hashtag #ShakiberSatheChina, with privacy set at ‘Public’. They then received a quiz consisting of simple<br />
questions on Huawei and Shakib Al Hasan, which they answered. Huawei selected five lucky winners from those participants.<br />
The following are the accounts of a couple of fans on the visit.<br />
Raiyan Kabir<br />
Our journey began on June 29. It was<br />
hard to believe that Shakib Al Hasan, the<br />
best all-rounder in the world, was about<br />
to join us for the tour, till he reached the<br />
airport at noon.<br />
We started the journey together and<br />
had a stopover at Kunming. The flight got<br />
cancelled due to bad weather, which is<br />
why we were taken to a hotel. At around<br />
3pm, we resumed our journey for Beijing<br />
from there. The next morning, just<br />
before moving to the Huawei Exhibition<br />
Center, Shakib himself visited us to get<br />
introduced. It was a memorable moment.<br />
We, along with Shakib got to know<br />
Huawei’s present and future technologies<br />
at the Huawei Exhibition Center. Later,<br />
we walked through the whole campus<br />
area and took some group pictures. We<br />
hung out there for a while with Shakib.<br />
This was probably the best moment of<br />
the tour, where we were able to strike<br />
up a conversation with Shakib. Moving to<br />
the Huawei Research and Development<br />
Center, we observed the processes of<br />
making a handset.<br />
The destination for the<br />
next day was the Great Wall<br />
of China, one of the Seven<br />
Wonders. Shakib with his<br />
wife and daughter joined<br />
us that day. We got tired<br />
climbing up the wall, but it<br />
was fun. We later had lunch<br />
at Burger King and had a<br />
short shopping break.<br />
The next morning, right<br />
after having our breakfast,<br />
we caught our flight for<br />
Shenzhen from Beijing. In<br />
between, we roamed around<br />
Beijing airport. After a long<br />
wait, we reached Shenzhen<br />
at around 12 am.<br />
Huawei Headquarters was our next<br />
destination and like the other days,<br />
Shakib accompanied us. Huawei officials<br />
welcomed us and gave us a detailed brief.<br />
At an interactive session, Shakib also<br />
asked all his fans some questions. Shakib<br />
was given a crest from Huawei and he<br />
presented a signed jersey to Huawei.<br />
We moved to the canteen to have lunch.<br />
Then we went to watch a Chinese cultural<br />
program. The next day, we came back<br />
home to Bangladesh.<br />
I never imagined being in such close<br />
proximity to Shakib Al Hasan in person.<br />
This was truly a wonderful experience<br />
for me. Visiting the Huawei Research<br />
and Development Center and Huawei<br />
Headquarters was an unbelievable<br />
experience for me as well. And Shakib’s<br />
friendly attitude towards us deserves<br />
mention. The amazing hospitality from<br />
Huawei was memorable. I am sure to talk<br />
about this remarkable tour to my next<br />
generation someday.<br />
Fardeen Arafat<br />
The journey through China was undoubtedly the<br />
best Eid gift I could expect, especially because<br />
the exceptional Shakib Al Hasan was among my<br />
companions during the journey. I considered<br />
myself very lucky when I first saw Shakib and his<br />
family in person at the airport on June 29. After<br />
reaching Beijing, at 4.30 in the morning, we were<br />
introduced personally to Shakib and took our first<br />
group photo.<br />
Our first scheduled destination was the Huawei<br />
Exhibition Center, where we witnessed Huawei’s<br />
latest, advanced and incredible technologies. After<br />
that we hung out with Shakib at the lounge where<br />
he shared some of his stories regarding his cricket<br />
journey. The next day was scheduled for a visit to<br />
the Great Wall of China. The experience of visiting<br />
a wonder of the world exceeded my imagination<br />
and expectations. We then moved to another<br />
beautiful city Shenzhen, to attend a conference<br />
at the Huawei Headquarters with the Huawei<br />
technical team. Later, I got Shakib’s autograph, had<br />
traditional Chinese cuisine, and visited the world’s<br />
greatest electronics market named Huaqiangbei,<br />
pronounced huá qiáng běi.<br />
We returned home with a lot of unforgettable<br />
memories. To sum up, this journey was like<br />
Huawei’s motto - ‘Make It Possible.’ Huawei indeed<br />
“Made It Possible.” •<br />
WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017 19
Décor | Green Interiors<br />
Five ways to make your home<br />
décor more in tune with nature<br />
Give these sustainable décor ideas a try<br />
Saudia Afrin<br />
In today’s world, living a healthy life is an everyday struggle, especially in the toxic cityscapes we tend to live in, with very few natural elements and<br />
greenery to soothe the eyes and mind. It can be tiring to breath in polluted air and be surrounded by manufactured things all the time, and adding<br />
natural and organic elements around your home can go a long way in giving it a friendly, more lived-in atmosphere, and giving you some much-needed<br />
peace of mind as well.<br />
Here are a few ways to use natural material and add a modern, eco style to your home décor.<br />
What do you say to Bonsai?<br />
Did you know why the Chinese<br />
keep bonsai trees in their<br />
homes? They believe that it<br />
promotes relaxation and inner<br />
peace. In today’s world, people<br />
can barely open their windows/<br />
doors or spend hours in the<br />
scorching heat outdoors, let<br />
alone stroll about under trees.<br />
A tiny yet adult tree in a corner<br />
can add that green serenity and<br />
purity to your home to make up<br />
for the bleak outside.<br />
For a rug-ged effect<br />
You can bring fresh changes to an old<br />
room by simply throwing in a few rugs to<br />
add some style and colour to your floors<br />
– remember, they are just as important<br />
as what you have on your walls. However,<br />
before doing so, it is essential to consider<br />
choosing the right material, and the best<br />
rug space. If you’re looking for simplicity<br />
and elegance, the sisal rug is a good<br />
organic material based rug to invest in.<br />
Try a honey coloured sisal rug, which<br />
will mostly be made out of sea-grass,<br />
mountain grass and jute. Alternatively,<br />
bamboo rugs or patis spread in different<br />
corners will add a chic, country touch to<br />
your home.<br />
They’re not just for<br />
pandas<br />
Bamboo is eco-friendly, sustainable, and<br />
bound to be chemical-free. And for an<br />
authentic, local look, bamboo furniture<br />
is an apt choice. Instead of exclusive PVC<br />
doors, bamboo is a great alternative<br />
option to use as room dividers. If you want<br />
to create a reading nook or a little private<br />
corner, a creative use of bamboo can<br />
transform your room into a natural haven.<br />
Light up the lanterns<br />
You can now find lanterns in all sorts<br />
of vibrant shades and interesting<br />
geometrical shapes nowadays, made of<br />
jute, cloth, bamboo and other organic<br />
materials. Let the soft and diffused<br />
lighting of lanterns spread its magic to<br />
every corner of your room. Or instead,<br />
cover the lanterns with solid structures<br />
like coconut-shells for added effect.<br />
A few other options<br />
Other natural elements can be incorporated<br />
into your home decor as centerpieces or even<br />
corner-pieces. Tree branches, pebbles, sea<br />
shells and dry flowers in a chunky vase will<br />
compliment your coffee table as well as your<br />
book shelf.<br />
Apart from creating stunning kitchen<br />
accessories, tree stumps also make wonderful<br />
stools. And nowadays stumps are also being<br />
used for wall decorations. Even wooden mirror<br />
frames are making a comeback this season.<br />
A bunch of home decor outlets around town<br />
have some lovely wooden mirror frames in<br />
different shapes and designs.•<br />
20 WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017