Weekend-5-3

Dhaka Tribune 

vol 5 Issue 3 | FRIDAY, May 5, 2017 

16 reducing 

maternal mortality 

17 Maternal 

health 

20 Digital 

news

CONTENTS 1 

Volume 5 | Issue 3 | May 5, 2017 

Editor 

Zafar Sobhan 

Features Editor 

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad 

Magazine Editor 

Farina Noireet 

Deputy Magazine Editors 

Khan N Moushumi 

Shuprova Tasneem 

Weekend Tribune Team 

Saudia Afrin 

Mahmood Hossain 

Moumita Ahmed 

Tasfia Huda 

Baizid Haque Joarder 

Saqib Sarker 

Mahmood Sadi 

Sabiha Akond Rupa 

Contributors 

Jennifer Ashraf 

Nidhi Gupta 

Mahfuza Mun 

Farzana Romine 

Subah Shaheen 

Cartoons 

Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy 

Priyo 

Graphics 

Md Mahbub Alam 

Alamgir Hossain 

Shahadat Hossain 

Colour Specialist 

Shekhar Mondal 

Advertisement 

Shahin Ahsan 

Production 

Masum Billah 

Circulation 

Masud Kabir Pavel 

Website 

dhakatribune.com/weekend 

facebook.com/WeekendTrib 

Email your letters to: 

weekend@dhakatribune.com 

6 

10 

Cook your own way 

Kitchen chronicles 

Photo Story 

Metal workers 

Editor’s note 

Dear Readers, 

Mother Nature always seems to 

have some sort of influence on 

our moods – the heat bringing to 

a simmer, sentiments of anger, 

irritation and impatience, while the 

cooling wind and rain soothe the 

soul, inspiring poetry and creativity 

and other positives. Which is 

why this particular season of 

unbearable heat and then sudden 

torrential rainfall leaves us in a 

different league of personal turmoil. 

This week’s magazine is themed 

around Mother’s Day, featuring a 

few articles that focus on the more 

difficult and less-talked about 

aspects of motherhood like postpartum 

depression and post-natal 

healthcare. While motherhood is 

indeed a thing to be celebrated, 

there is no denying that there is 

a dearth of awareness regarding 

issues pertaining to a mother’s 

mental and physical welfare. 

May Day having just passed, we 

also have a feature piece on the 

current state of the country’s long 

distance transport workers. 

For a lighter read, we have the 

second segment of the Greece 

travel series, with Globetrotter 

Jennifer island hopping across the 

Aegean. 

Finally, with World Press 

Freedom Day having been on 

May 3, we end with an informative 

feature piece on the current state 

of digital news in Bangladesh. 

Wishing our readers a happy 

weekend. 

Farina Noireet 

News 

2 News 

3 Meanwhile 

Features 

5 Trending 

Women’s fashion 

8 Tech 

Huawei P10 

9 App 

Personal security 

12 Travel 

Greece 

14 Motherhood 

Post-partum depression 

15 Parenting 

Analog entertainment 

16 Issue 

Reducing maternal mortality 

17 Innovation 

Maternal health 

19 Workers’ welfare 

Transport sector 

20 Issue 

Digital news 

Regulars 

4 Tailored 

18 Stay in 

On the cover 

Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain 

WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2017

2 News | This week 

Local 

The world at a glance 

Section 57 to be 

dropped from ICT 

act 

Minister of Law, Justice 

and Parliamentary 

Affairs Anisul Huq last week said 

Section 57 of the ICT act will be 

scrapped. 

The law minister said at an 

award ceremony on Tuesday that 

a new digital security law was in 

the works. 

He said: “The new Digital 

Security Act will clarify what 

section 57 is supposed to 

represent. It will for once and for 

all prove that our government has 

no intentions to clamp down on 

freedom of speech.” 

“The law ministry is working 

on vetting the new Digital 

Security Act draft. We will 

collaborate with several state 

ministers to work on a revised 

draft to introduce it as a bill.” 

Section 57 of the Information 

and Communication Technology 

Act stipulates that any post, 

image, or video on an electronic 

format that “causes to deteriorate 

law and order, prejudice the 

image of the state or person 

or hurt religious beliefs” are 

non-bailable offences. The 

punishment is a minimum seven 

years in prison up to a maximum 

of 14 years. The fines can go up to 

Tk1 crore. 

Numerous journalists and 

students and teachers have 

been imprisoned under Section 

57 of the ICT act, which led to 

numerous civic leaders and 

journalists to speak out against 

it. The act has been called 

draconian in its implementation 

and criticised for how it can be 

interpreted by law enforcement 

agencies. 

Despite numerous protests 

and appeals, ministers and 

government officials have 

defended it. 

News: Dhaka Tribune 

FBI translator marries Islamic State fighter she spied on 

An FBI translator who was hired 

to spy on a German member 

of the Islamic State group instead 

apparently grew attracted to him and 

sneaked off to Syria to get married. 

According to court documents 

Australia will this year review 

visa rules for wealthy wouldbe 

migrants, mostly Chinese, 

a government official said last 

Wednesday, as the country tightens 

requirements for granting residency 

The Taliban have announced they 

will launch their spring offensive 

on Sunday, signaling plans to step up 

seen last Tuesday, Daniela Greene, 

who had a “top secret” security 

clearance, told her colleagues at the 

Detroit office of the Federal Bureau 

of Investigation that she was heading 

to Germany to see her parents for a 

few weeks in June 2014. 

Instead she flew to Turkey and 

sneaked across the border to meet 

up and marry an IS fighter. He was 

not identified in the documents, 

but according to CNN, he was Denis 

Cuspert, a notorious former German 

rapper who went by the name of 

Deso Dogg. 

Cuspert was officially designated 

rights. 

He did not elaborate on the 

changes under review but hinted at 

the need to be proficient in English. 

The announcement comes only 

days after Australia axed a temporary 

work visa popular with foreigners, 

replacing it with a tougher program, 

and raised the bar for attaining 

citizenship. 

Nearly 90 percent of applicants 

for the Significant Investor Visas 

are Chinese who need to bring in a 

minimum A$5 million ($3.75 million) 

to become eligible for Australian 

residency. 

attacks as the weather warms across 

Afghanistan, making both travel and 

fighting easier. 

The statement comes toward the 

end of a month that already has been 

the deadliest of the year. 

The militant group’s leadership 

vowed last Saturday that “every 

possible tactic will be utilised 

in order to detain or inflict 

heavy casualties on the foreign 

transgressors,” including suicide 

attacks on military bases and 

diplomatic areas. 

a terrorist in early 2015 by the US 

State Department, which described 

him as an IS recruiter focusing on 

German speakers, and noted that 

he had appeared in numerous IS 

videos, including one in which he 

was holding the severed head of an 

Islamic State opponent. 

It was not clear how Cuspert, 

also known as Abu Talha al- 

Almani, wooed her. Court 

testimony suggested they may have 

communicated privately via a Skype 

account he used that Greene did not 

report to her FBI colleagues. 

Photo: Reuters 

Australia to review millionaire migrants rule as it tightens 

immigration 

Taliban announce start of spring offensive 

Australia has seen the rise of 

nationalist, anti-immigration politics 

with far-right wing parties such as 

One Nation garnering strong public 

support, while the popularity of 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s 

ruling center-right government has 

been languishing. 

Many Chinese millionaires seek 

to move to Australia for a better 

lifestyle, although some may also 

seek to avoid a sweeping corruption 

crackdown in China that is 

prompting many wealthy Chinese to 

move their money. 

Photo: Reuters 

The leadership also threated more 

so-called insider attacks by members 

of the Afghan security forces against 

their colleagues or foreign troops. 

Such attacks threaten the strength 

of the Afghan forces as they work 

to take over responsibility from 

international troops. The latest one 

occurred in March, when a member 

of Afghanistan’s government-backed 

militia program shot and killed five 

of his colleagues in Badghis province 

in northwest Afghanistan. 

Photo: AFP 


. . . Meanwhile 3 

Photo of the week 

Say what 

Some 

female 

dragonflies 

fake death 

to avoid 

males 

A 

researcher has observed 

female dragonflies doing 

something that many human 

women have probably considered 

when confronted with unwanted 

male attention - faking death. 

The University of Zurich’s Rassim 

Khelifa, who has studied dragonflies 

for the past decade, told New 

Scientist that he was collecting 

moorland hawker dragonfly larva in 

the Swiss Alps when he first saw the 

phenomenon. A male was pursuing 

a female, at which point she dove to 

the ground and lay motionless on her 

back until the male left. 

Khelifa’s study on the behavior, 

titled “Faking death to avoid male 

coercion: extreme sexual conflict 

resolution in a dragonfly,” was 

published in the science journal 

Ecology last week. He observed 

27 out of 31 female dragonflies 

attempting to avoid males in this 

way, and in most cases playing dead 

appeared to be successful. 

So why might a female 

dragonfly be so desperate to avoid 

males? Khelifa told Gizmodo that 

Brotherhood 

A candid picture of two 

brothers having fun 

in the sunshine near 

Bede Community in 

Abdullahpur, Dhaka. 

Photo: 

Mahmud Hossain 

Opu 

sex can be hazardous for the female, 

and that sex with a male can remove 

the sperm left inside the female by a 

previous mate. 

“In fact, males have evolved 

a sophisticated penis structure 

that sweeps sperm out of the 

reproductive tract of the female,” 

he said. “Therefore, since one 

copulation is enough to fertilise all 

eggs, it is disadvantageous to carry 

out extra-copulations...given the 

potential survival costs.” • 

News and photo: Huffington Post 

Aries (Mar21-Apr19): Something that 

you’ve spent a long time building may 

need to be partly dismantled if things 

aren’t proceeding as they should. 

Doing it now may be better than 

leaving it too long. 

Taurus (Apr20-May20): You may 

feel a lot more at ease as the week 

progresses, especially if you had a 

minor falling out with a friend. By 

the weekend, it seems you’ll have 

forgotten the issue and be ready to 

move on. 

Gemini (May21-June20): Your energy 

may be spent on deeper and soulful 

issues as your spiritual zone helps 

you to process and release difficult 

emotions. Friends will encourage you 

out and about, though! 

Cancer (June21-Jul22): If certain 

situations have weighed you down 

recently, the coming weeks could 

encourage you to talk to those concerned 

and find closure. 

Leo (Jul23-Aug22): The focus on your 

mission continues signalling that you can 

now start on a key goal. You may have the 

option to grow into an opportunity that 

seems made just for you. 

Virgo (Aug23-Sep22): The coming weeks 

sizzle with promise, especially if you’re 

willing to think outside the box and 

explore new terrain. 

Libra (Sep23-Oct22): It may seem 

that a situation is repeating itself in 

a relationship that may have taken a 

backward step. 

Scorpio (Oct23-Nov21): You may wonder 

if an idea you’ve invested in is such a 

good one after all. Although things may 

seem to be a little slow at the moment, 

rest assured that they will pick up. 

Sagittarius (Nov22-Dec21): It’s time 

to get serious about your health and 

wellness routine. There could be a strong 

desire to meet your diet and exercise 

goals. 

Capricorn (Dec22-Jan19): You may feel 

an urge to explore your family tree and 

find out more about your ancestors. 

Doing so could provide you with 

information that is surprisingly relevant 

to you today. 

Aquarius (Jan20-Feb18): If a group 

project seems to have stalled, this is the 

time to find out why. It might be easy to 

spot what went wrong, and before you 

know it your enthusiasm will return. 

Pisces (Feb19-Mar20): Someone may 

offer you a deal that seems perfect, and 

it may well be. But it would be wise to 

check the terms and conditions before 

signing. 

horoscopes 


4 Tailored | Men’s fashion 

Summer essentials reboot 

Take those notes out, gentlemen, time to check some boxes 

Mahmood Hossain 

Goodness gracious that heat is relentless 

during these months, while the 

weather blindsides you with ferocious 

rainstorms at night. Don’t let yourself 

be fooled, the real business gets done during 

the day. And of course, there are the weekend 

hangouts with family and friends. Well, let’s take a 

look at the versatile items for the season. 

The Oxford button-down 

When we talk about versatility, we aim for pieces 

that can blur the lines between casual and formal. 

In other words, it’s not a bad idea to stack up on a 

lot of semi-formal clothing. The button-down shirt 

can be used for both a suit or simply on its own 

with a more relaxed, untucked combination 

with casual, slim-fit trousers. The classy or 

smarter approach would be a light blue Oxford 

button-down shirt that can last for seasons 

beyond. 

Knitted tie alert 

The informal approach to the squared bottoms of 

the ever-so-stylish knitted tie. Even though 

this should be a year-round staple in your 

wardrobe, this season will call for it more. 

Another one of our versatile pieces on the list, 

the knitted tie should be two to 2.5-inches 

wide at the most. It’s just a tad narrower than 

the traditional business ties. You can wear it 

with an Italian wool suit or even with a denim 

jacket and chinos. 

‘Those cotton chinos tho’ 

The cotton chino, 

in all the summer 

colours, has become 

a go-to for the grown 

and sophisticated. 

And let’s not forget 

how comfortable 

these suckers are, 

especially in the 

scorching and 

unforgiving heat. A 

slim-fit or straightfit 

pair of these are 

your best bet for 

substituting your 

jeans. Again, this 

item can find itself in between casual and formal. 

Even if your pair isn’t slim-fit the straight option 

will still feel as if they are tailored to your needs. 

They can be as cool as jeans and not lose too many 

points compared to a tailored pair of trousers. 

Pristine white sneakers 

Sure, the pristine part will go out the window 

after a couple of wears, but white sneakers are 

super versatile and has become a staple in a man’s 

wardrobe. What you should be more concerned 

about, more than avoiding dirt and grime, is how 

many combinations you can churn out. A proper, 

quality pair of white sneakers can keep its game 

athletic or one-up an entire outfit, worn with a polo 

and dressy jeans. How do keep them clean and avoid 

creases? Well, you could always get more than one 

pair and allocate their public viewings overtime. It’s 

an investment, not a spring fling. 

A legendary Wayfarer 

No matter how old you are or how often you like 

dressing up, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer will never 

become obsolete. There are plenty of brands 

that have mimicked the signature design from 

Ray-Ban, but nothing beats the original. Not 

that there’s anything wrong with other high-end 

brands taking a shot at the design. Those are 

equally stylish. However, keeping within tradition, 

and slight design modifications over the years, you 

can never go wrong with the Wayfarer. 

You’re a no-show 

Apart from dress socks, the no-show socks are the 

popular choice of feet companions by the most 

stylish men around. It’s ridiculously obvious and 

practical to have no-show socks with sneakers, 

loafers, slip-ons and so on. The no-show makes it 

seem you aren’t wearing any socks yet makes sure 

you avoid giving off sweat or unfavourable odours. 

Let’s not forget those nasty blisters you might 

develop if you don’t wear socks at all. Also, we 

cannot stress this enough, unless you’re playing a 

sport, do not wear white socks. Do the right thing, 

say no to white. • 


Women’s fashion | Trending 5 

Save it for a rainy day 

Dressing for the weather 

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad 

For a country that experiences rainfall – even entire seasons of it – fairly regularly throughout the year, somehow, 

when the clouds let loose on its capital city, its citizens are almost always caught unprepared. Here are a few ways 

to stay prepared when the weather gets moody. 

Portable shade 

is invest in some high platform 

are slightly easier to find, and 

reach for your more waterproof 

This one’s a no-brainer, but 

sandals in rubber or PU leather 

relatively affordable too, especially 

bags. Reccine, vinyl, PU leather, are 

it’s amazing how few people 

that are easy to rinse off and give 

if you go hunting for them at Doja 

some of the materials that are, if not 

remember: keep an umbrella 

your feet a little bit of elevation for 

or Bongo Bazaar. Throw one on 

waterproof, at least water resistant 

handy in the summer months. 

when you have to run the obstacle 

and it’s more manageable than 

and will keep your valuables safe. 

Not only does it provide cover 

come rain or sunshine, a pretty 

parasol makes a fine accessory, and 

course over platforms. 

The long and the short of it 

an umbrella. If, for some reason 

you’re reluctant to commit to a 

raincoat, consider wearing more 

Back it up 

Despite your best intentions and 

a sturdy brolly can in a pinch be 

Capri-length bottoms are a great 

layers, so that if you have to make 

precautions, there’s bound to be 

used in self defense. 

choice for the summer in general, 

a dash for it, it takes time to get 

at least one day when you end up 

Stepping in it 

but if you’re a little chary of 

investing in them, just roll up your 

soaked, and you can peel off a few 

and still be relatively dry. 

getting soaked. Leave a spare set of 

clothes, a pair of rubber flip flops, 

Rain boots would be the perfect 

solution to the waterlogged streets, 

jeans till the cuffs rest above your 

ankle bones, and you should be fine. 

Carry it around 

and a hand-towel at work for just 

such an occasion, and you won’t 

but alas, finding a good pair at local 

shoe stores can be something of a 

Layer on 

When the meteorologist predicts a 

shower, leave the genuine leather, 

have to spend the day in damp 

clothes spreading some of that 

project. What you can do, though, 

Rain coats and waterproof jackets 

suede and canvas at home, and 

“eau de wet dog” aroma.• 


6 Cook your own way | Kitchen chronicles 

Aubergine array 

Farzana Romine 

Every Bengali out there will profess a deep love for the “Begun Bhaja”, one of the staples of Bengali cuisine and 

my personal favourite. But it’s not just Bengalis who hold the eggplant in such high esteem; almost every country 

I have ever visited has featured some sort of eggplant dish. This week, we feature two totally different eggplant 

recipes – one is more Middle Eastern inspired and the other is cooked in a Chinese style, but both are guaranteed 

to be delicious and easy to cook. 

Chinese eggplant in garlic sauce 

Ingredients: 

• 4 cups of eggplant, cut into one 

inch thick pieces 

• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup 

• 2 tbsp tomato purée or paste 

• 3 tbsp chopped garlic 

• 2 tbsp sliced onion 

• 1 tbsp minced ginger 

• 3 tbsp soy sauce 

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce 

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar 

• 1/2 tsp chilli powder 

• 2 dried chilli sliced 

• 1 tbsp brown sugar or white sugar 

• 1/2 cup green onion 

• 1 tbsp cornflour 

• 1/2 tsp black pepper 

Directions 

Heat half a cup of oil and fry the 

eggplant until soft. Put them on a 

paper towel to soak excess oil. 

Heat two tablespoons of oil again. 

Add the ginger, garlic and onion. 

Sauté for two minutes. Add the chilli 

powder and sliced chilli and sauté for 

a few seconds. Add the tomato paste 

and cook for 30 seconds. 

Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, 

tomato ketchup, vinegar and 

sugar. Mix well and add 1/2 cup of 

water. Let it come to a boil. Add the 

eggplant. Mix well and add the green 

onions. 

Mix the cornflour in a little water 

and add half of it first. Bring it to a 

boil. Use the rest of the cornflour if 

needed. Add the black pepper. Taste 

and adjust the salt and sugar. 

Serve hot with rice. 


7 

Zataar chicken with eggplant puree 

Tip: 

Frying eggplant can be a little tricky. 

Make sure to cook them over medium 

heat all the way through, while you 

fry them. If they are not cooked 

through and soft before putting them 

in the sauce, they will be crunchy and 

hard. Since there is sugar in the sauce, 

it won’t soften up after putting it in. 

Ingredients: 

For the chicken: 

• 2 chicken breasts 

• 2 tsp zaatar (Middle Eastern spice 

blend) 

• 2 cloves of garlic mashed 

• 1/2 tsp paprika 

• 1/2 tsp salt 

• 1 tbsp olive oil 

For the eggplant puree: 

• 1 medium sized eggplant 

• 3 cloves of garlic 

• 1/3 cup tahini (paste made from 

ground sesame seeds) 

• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder 

• 1/2 tsp paprika 

• 1 tbsp lemon juice 

• 1 tsp salt 

• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder 

• 1/4 cup water 

• 2 tbsp olive oil 

• Crumb (optional) 

• 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes 

• 1/4 cup pine nuts 

Directions 

Cut the chicken breasts into three 

thin slices each. Apart from salt, add 

all other ingredients and marinate 

for 30 minutes. To make the eggplant 

puree, prick the eggplant and garlic 

cloves and brush some oil onto the 

skin. Pricking prevents the eggplant 

and garlic from bursting. 

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C 

and roast the eggplant for 20 to 30 

minutes. Add the garlic during the 

Note: Since zaatar is not readily available here, you can make your 

own spice blend as a substitute. To make about 1/2 cup of zaatar, put 

3 tbsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp lightly toasted sesame seeds, 1 tbsp ground 

sumac (use lemon zest instead), 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and 1/4 tsp salt 

in a spice grinder. 

All other spices and ingredients listed above such as sundried 

tomatoes, tahini, pine nuts, etc, are available at Direct Fresh as well as 

local supermarkets such as Dhali and Lavender. 

last 10 minutes since it takes less 

time. Bake it until the eggplant is 

soft. 

Once it is soft, take it out of the 

oven and let it cool. Peel the skin of 

the eggplant and remove the seeds. 

Remove the skin off the garlics too. 

Now, put all the ingredients for the 

puree in a food processor and blitz 

it until smooth. Taste and adjust the 

seasoning. Once done, set aside. 

For the crumb, bake the sundried 

tomatoes and pine nuts for five 

minutes. Take it out and let it cool. 

For the chicken, heat your griddle 

pan over high heat and oil it lightly. 

Add the salt in the chicken and mix 

well. Grill it over high heat. 

To serve, spread the puree on 

the plate and place the chicken on 

top. Sprinkle the crumbs. You can 

add your favourite boiled or grilled 

vegetables and roasted potatoes too. 

Tip: 

This eggplant puree can be 

used as a dip as well. 

Photos: Farzana Romine 


8 Tech | huawei p10 

A P10 

with a 

touch of 

Leica 

Unique Bokeh 

effects and more 

in Huawei’s Leica 

Dual Camera 

Weekend Tribune 

Huawei, the leading global 

Smartphone brand, has 

captivated the attention 

of people across the 

globe by introducing one top quality 

product after another. Last year, 

the company created a stir with its 

P9 smartphone, which was made in 

partnership with Leica, the worldrenowned 

camera maker. This was 

Huawei’s attempt at making the best 

camera sported by a smartphone in 

response to a growing popularity 

of handsets as a medium of taking 

photographs. 

This year, Huawei has followed 

up on the success of the P9 by 

introducing the brand new P10 and 

P10 plus, also made in partnership 

with Leica. This is an improvement 

on its already state-of-the art 

features. However, special focus 

has been invested this time again 

on the camera, especially keeping 

in mind aspiring and established 

photographers. 

The main attraction of the Huawei 

P10 and P10 plus is the camera. 

Huawei’s latest flagship phone boasts 

Leica lens, this time in its front 

camera as well. 

For taking photos, the P10 and 

P10 Plus feature a 12(RGB) + 20MP 

(mono) Leica Dual Camera 2.0. The 

improvement over the previous 

version includes much clearer 

photos at night and at low light, and 

superior quality indoor photos. 

Some of the unique camera 

features include hybrid zoom, 

authentic mono portrait, laser 

autofocus, 3D facial detection, and a 

mesmerising bokeh effect. 

The front camera, 8 MP, is 

equipped with Leica lens that 

enables better selfies and video chat 

experience. The selfie camera also 

enables selfie panorama, as well as a 

special low light selfie mode. 

Other camera features include 

ISO change, white balance, better 

image quality, touch shutter, etc. 

However, the most notable feature 

on the phone is the bokeh effect. 

The feature is most used while 

taking portrait photos. Bokeh 

effect basically refers to the blur 

produced in the out-of-focus objects 

in a photo, allowing maximum 

focus on the object of focus. The 

feature, meticulously mastered by 

Huawei in its P10 and P10 plus, is an 

addition that will definitely enhance 

the photography experience of 

users, both for outdoor and indoor 

photography. 

In the handset, HiSilicon Kirin 960 

chipset has been used. In addition, 

the handsets have 2.4GHz Cortex A73 

and 1.8GHz Cortex, and have Mali-G71 

MP-8 GPU for graphics processing. 

Sporting a powerful 4GB RAM, the 

phone has an internal memory of 

64GB, which can be expanded up to 

256GB using a memory card. 

The device, which is 4G 

compatible, can be used with two 

SIM cards, or a SIM card and a 

micro SD card. Moreover, there 

are connectivity features such 

as WiFi and GPS. Overall, the 

Huawei P10 and P10 plus are high 

end smartphones that offer an 

enhanced photography experience, 

which keeps them a step ahead of 

competitors. 

Huawei P10 and P10 Plus 

pre-booking in Bangladesh has 

started on April 22, 2017, through 

www.huaweip10.pickaboo.com; 

delivery for the pre-booking will 

be accompanied by a special gift 

box, business bag, and power bank. 

Customers can also avail up to 24 

months EMI facilities while prebooking 

the devices. 

The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus 

smartphones are conveniently 

priced at Tk56,900 and Tk66,900, 

respectively. They will be available 

at the Huawei Experience Centres 

in Jamuna Future Park and 

Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in 

the capital, as well as other Huawei 

branded shops across Bangladesh 

from May 2, 2017. • 


Personal security | App 9 

Nibedita 

Subah Shaheen 

For a woman to succeed in life, she has 

to conquer innumerable odds everyday. 

As a young girl learning to be vigilant 

to a young woman having to multitask 

between home and work, it does not get easier. 

So as an initiative to promote women rights 

Green Delta Insurance, the leading insurance 

provider of the country, has developed the 

Nibedita insurance policy. 

Safety and strength 

Green Delta Insurance’s Nibedita plan 

is an empowering tool for women 

everywhere. While in most scenarios 

being female comes with a unique 

set of problems, Nibedita takes the 

initiative to reward women by making 

this policy accessible to females only. 

Whether one is a working mother 

or a student turned housewife, 

Nibedita opens its gates for women 

to create a separate identity for 

themselves and is a policy for 

females from all walks of life. One of 

the best parts of the Nibedita policy is 

that it provides a free app for its users. 

This complimentary app has valuable 

built in features designed to benefit 

women specifically. The dimensions 

covered range from health, security, 

lifestyle, counselling, education and 

finance thus incorporating all sectors 

of social and professional life. A main 

highlight of the app is the panic button 

mentioned above which attempts to make 

life safer for women. This panic button 

is to be pressed whenever the client feels 

unsafe. And it will then immediately send 

her location via GPS to the law enforcement 

agency, friends and family and to Green Delta 

itself. A major problem for women is thus 

successfully addressed by the Nibedita app. 

The Nibedita policy therefore not only 

provides financial relief in times of trouble 

but also creates a pathway for women to move 

forward through guidance and proper support. 

Equipped with a number of impressive 

features which provide valuable solutions on 

lifestyle, healthcare, finance and other much 

needed issues, the app acts as a one stop 

solution saving valuable time and energy which 

the customers would have spent researching on 

various sites. 

Giving women a unique financial identity 

Empowering women by providing them with a support system the 

way Nibedita does will not only assist career driven individuals by 

providing financial relief but gives a voice to homemakers too by 

providing to them a unique financial identity. Nibedita has thus been 

developed as the champion of all Bangladeshi women from all sides 

of society. Moreover, the app that comes with the policy improves 

the inflow of information received by women and empowers them to 

make better informed decisions. 

A housewife in Tangail might have, for example, faced difficulties 

in learning about certain aspects of health or needed proper 

guidance as to best utilise the money she had been setting aside for 

years. Becoming a Nibedita through Green Delta would make her 

stand more firmly on her feet and she will act as an inspiration to 

other individuals around her for making the most of her means. In 

not just the traditional departments of insurance coverage, Nibedita 

has sought to become the shield of women in almost every respect. 

Along with an affordable premium, this policy includes features 

exclusive to sensitive issues which, sadly, many women continue to 

face in the course of their lives. 

Openly supporting women who are facing trauma or have been 

physically victimised is something which most firms still haven’t 

been able to do due to the social stigma and multiple complications 

associated with the volatile situation. Nibedita extends its support 

for women by providing financial coverage for those suffering from 

trauma caused by acid violence, road bullying, rape or any kind of 

natural calamity and other cases of extreme difficulty that might 

arise from the most unexpected sources. Covering rehabilitation fees 

and providing women with support as they recuperate has probably 

been Nibedita’s greatest objective. In doing so, Green Delta not only 

acknowledges the severity of the situation but also assures women 

that the company has faith in their ability to get better and will assist 

them both psychologically and financially to regain their ground. 

Moreover, to prevent the occurrence of such tragedies and address 

the omnipresent question of female safety, the Nibedita app provides 

women with the panic button option in their apps. Not only does the 

usage of this panic button improve the social security of women but 

it increases the chance of the perpetrators being caught due to the 

immediate response generated. 

The idea of Nibedita has been recognised by UN Global Compact 

with the Managing Director and CEO of Green Delta Insurance, 

Farzana Chowdhury ACII (UK), being recognised as a local SDG 

pioneer for her contributions towards women’s economic security 

aligning with SDG Goal 5. She said, “Nibedita is a voice for the 

voiceless and it has been created addressing the national issue. A 

girl with Nibedita at her side will be independent, empowered and 

fearless.” 

Nibedita is being hailed by international organisations for its role in 

shaping people’s lives. Though this policy directly benefits women, it 

will benefit men as well in the long run. • 


Photo: M 

10 Photo Story | metal workers 

Metal and 

mettle 

This week’s photo story provides a snapshot of what 

it is like to work in the foundries that provide the 

foundation materials on which modern structures are 

built. 

Workers are seen cutting metal, working at the 

furnace, handling molten iron, and engaging in other 

manual labour. In one photo, a few workers are taking 

a shower in the background, apparently to soothe the 

scorching heat in which they work long hours. 


11 

Photo: Mehedi Hasan 

ehedi Hasan 

Photo: Mehedi Hasan 

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu 




12 Travel | Greece 

The Globetrotter’s 

Chronicles (Part 2): 

Sailing the 

Aegean, 

Greece 

Jennifer Ashraf Kashmi 

No matter how ready you 

think you are, nothing 

can ever prepare you for 

your first morning aboard 

a sailing yacht. I woke up to strong 

sunshine glaring down on me, the 

rhythmic rocking of the boat and 

loud, excited voices along with the 

sound of water splashing. Feeling 

surprisingly refreshed (despite going 

to bed at four in the morning), I 

made my way to the deck. Everyone 

else was already up and in the water, 

exploring the gentle lagoon our 

skipper had chosen for our morning 

swim. I remember sitting quietly and 

just taking it all in – the sun on my 

Travel Tip: Once in a while, 

before your holiday settles into 

a comfortable grind, ensure that 

you consciously take time out to 

revel and appreciate the magnitude 

of what you are witnessing and 

experiencing. Say a silent prayer 

of thanks. This is how conscious 

memories are made. 

Breakfast was fruit, bread and 

butter, cornflakes with Greek 

yoghurt and honey, all served on the 

deck of the yacht. This was going to 

be our staple breakfast for the next 

seven days and even now the taste 

of cornflakes with Greek yoghurt and 

cycle – a spot of swimming before 

enjoying lunch which was cooked by 

our skipper on board. We had already 

discussed and devised a system on 

the first day, whereby every day 

one of us would take turns to go 

and purchase the groceries and the 

skipper would cook lunch from the 

fresh ingredients. 

The second island on our itinerary 

was the beautiful island of Hydra. 

Piece of advice – do NOT miss out 

on Hydra. The island is gorgeous 

and it simply mesmerised me with 

its beauty. There were several 

yachts parked at the marina, which 

meant that we had to park alongside 

another boat and jump across three 

boats and a barge to reach land. Not 

exactly ideal, when you are wearing 

a skirt! We stopped for a quick gelato 

(a bargain at Euro 2.50!) and patted 

and posed with the cute donkeys 

standing nearby. We didn’t partake in 

a donkey ride and I would encourage 

you to avoid it as well, simply 

because the animals looked tired and 

a little overworked. 

bays and natural harbours, and has a 

strong grip on the maritime culture. 

This is a vehicle free island. 

The beauty of Hydra hits you 

as soon as you enter the enclosed 

marina but, trust me, nothing 

prepares you for the jaw-dropping 

views as you explore the island 

on foot. We asked around for 

the most beautiful spots on the 

island and happily set off on the 

path recommended by the locals. 

They did not disappoint. This 

was probably where I first started 

appreciating the striking beauty of 

face, the gentle breeze, the sounds 

of “splish-splash” in the water – and 

I just couldn’t help but compare it 

to the same time last week (stuck in 

traffic, en-route to work). 

Photo: Bigstock 

honey takes me back to those lazy 

mornings by the sea. 

After breakfast, we sailed for a 

while before anchoring again at our 

lunch stop, where we repeated the 

Travel Fact: With a perfect horseshoe 

shaped port, Hydra lies at a distance 

of around 69km from Athens port, 

easily accessible by yachts, high 

speed catamarans and ferries. 

Largely dependent on tourism, 

Hydra is blessed with numerous 


13 

water. I happily lapped up the rays of 

the afternoon sun and drank in the 

gorgeous scenery. 

After an hour of swimming, we 

decided to head towards the cliff 

again and picked a gorgeous spot 

for dinner, a cliff-side restaurant 

with an unobstructed view of 

the sunset. Although pricey, we 

decided to sample more of the local 

cuisine and tried fried feta cheese, 

ratatouille, poached king prawns in 

garlic sauce and sun-dried tomatoes 

with roasted eggplant. With lively 

company, the sound of Greek music 


Greece. Whichever way I looked, the 

sight of iron cannons and thatched 

umbrellas against the deep blue 

sea greeted my eyes. Words cannot 

describe how beautiful the cliffs 

are. We put down our cameras 

and drank in the beauty. A little 

way downwards at the bottom of 

one of the cliffs, we arrived at a 

gorgeous swim-point with a ladder 

descending into the sea. As I was the 

only one who didn’t know how to 

swim, I was entrusted with the task 

of safeguarding cameras, wallets 

and valuables, whilst the rest of 

my group happily jumped into the 

from hidden speakers and the sunset 

in the distance, it was a dinner to 

remember. 

Travel Tip: Sometimes, do let go 

and splurge. There are some things 

which will always haunt you in life 

– choosing to miss out on a unique 

memory is one of them. Splurge out 

for the chance to enjoy a beautiful 

view, without any worry about being 

hassled to leave the premises to 

make way for paying customers. The 

best memories may not be cheap, but 

they will certainly be worth it. 

Although the rest of the group 

chose to explore the island nightlife, 

Sarah (my bunkmate) and I decided 

to head back to the boat instead to 

relax and have an early night. We 

both fell asleep on our pillows and 

comforters on the yacht deck, and 

actually woke up around 3am to 

move into the bunk itself as it was 

getting chilly. 

Awoken by the sun’s rays again 

the next morning, I was greeted by 

the most exquisite lagoon where 

our skipper had chosen to dock 

for the morning swim. The water 

was the perfect bluish green mix 

and an empty blue and white boat 

bobbed gently on the waves. I 

decided against swimming because 

I just wanted to enjoy the view and 

grin gleefully whilst thinking of all 

the work that I was missing back 

in Bangladesh. The best part? We 

decided to dispose of the uneaten 

food in the water (apparently that is 

actually environmentally friendly – 

disposing food, not anything which 

is non-biodegradable) and were 

immediately greeted by a school 

of silver and blue striped fish. 

Stupendous! 

After another scheduled swim 

spot and lunch, we then sailed 

towards our next destination – the 

port of Plaka on the quiet island of 

Leonidio. 

Travel Fact: Leonidio Plaka is 

the picturesque port of Leonidio, 

situated 4km from the town. It 

functions mainly with the help of 

tourism, but a small fishing fleet is 

also to be found; a well-regarded 

beach lies 4km across the shore. The 

port takes in a number of taverns 

and bars immediately adjacent to the 

sea, while every August, it also hosts 

the “Tsakonian Eggplant Festival”, 

attracting well-known chefs from 

Photos: Courtesy 

across Europe and achieving evergrowing 

popularity. 

We disembarked and looked 

around, a little lost and quite 

enchanted. Lost because the 

scenery was a far cry from what we 

had witnessed during the last two 

days – this was like a place time 

had forgotten. The port was almost 

deserted, and so was the beach. 

Little did I know that two of my best 

memories of Greece would be on this 

very island!• 

Jennifer aims to travel 

all of the Globe within 

the next 10 years, either 

solo or with company. 

Suffering from a serious 

case of wanderlust, 

she seeks to absorb 

the essence and soul 

of a place, rather than 

chilling back in a resort. 

She is always up for new 

travel adventures so if 

you’re a kindred soul, get 

in touch! 


14 Motherhood | Post-partum depression 

Not always rainbows 

and butterflies 

A new mom’s honest account of 

adjusting to motherhood 

Mahfuza Sarwar 

“Mammuni!” 

That’s what my 20 months old calls 

me. I’d prefer to be called by another 

name but that’s what she chose. I 

don’t mind. My life is not about me 

anymore and she has the right to 

call me whatever she wishes. And it 

brings me immense joy that I have 

her in my life. 

My daily life now has a very 

mundane routine. I wake up at 6:30, 

feed her, wake my husband, have my 

breakfast at home if I am lucky. Most 

days, I have my breakfast in the car 

to save time. In the meantime my 

husband showers, gets ready and 

tries to wake my daughter so that she 

sees me before I rush out for office. 

Most of the days she does wake up, 

and I end up being late for work. I 

wish I could live closer to my office 

but I can’t afford a place in one of the 

most expensive locales in Dhaka and 

support is available at my mother’s 

place. So I live approximately 20 km 

away from office. 20 km away from 

my baby. 

I was not ready to have her in 

my life when she became a part of 

me. I had naively imagined that my 

6-months maternity leave would be a 

getaway from my busy life. I bought 

an easel, colours, and paper two 

days before she was born because I 

wanted to brush up on my painting 

skill. We were in hospital for three 

days when she was born, and I was 

glad to return on the fourth day 

when we were released, because I 

thought I’d have time to paint! 

I know I am supposed to be 

unconditionally in love with my 

child, stay up for her all night long 

without complaint, should wear 

the pain of my stitches like a crown, 

should automatically know how 

to hold and feed a baby as soon as 

she comes out of my womb! Well, 

at least that is what people around 

me were expecting. “Maa der koshto 

kortei hoy,” said 

my mother; “Tomar 

onek sowab hochchhe,” my 

husband said. 

Hence, days passed by, my 

sleepless nights increased and my 

longing for some “me time” soared 

higher than ever. I was gaining more 

weight and losing hair faster, dark 

circles around my eyes were getting 

darker. I didn’t know why this was 

happening to me, why I was getting 

frustrated. Was it because I was not 

getting enough sleep? I got addicted 

to food, and make-up. Make-up 

became my refuge from this world 

that made me feel ugly and useless 

because I was fat, slow, could 

not remember things. I got more 

depressed than ever. Suddenly I had 

no control over my life. 

I could not go out and meet 

my friends because I had decided 

to exclusively dedicate myself to 

breastfeeding my baby until I joined 

office. An inexplicable sadness 

loomed over me all the time. It 

was like I had everything, yet I 

had nothing. I looked at the mirror 

every day and could not recognise 

the person I saw. People around me 

criticised my body, stressed on how 

I should lose weight and eat less 

and also stay healthy for my baby. I 

had no idea what I was doing. In the 

meantime my baby learned to sit and 

hold my face with her small hands 

and I felt heaven at home. But I still 

could not explain my sadness. 

In desperation, I finally searched 

Google for light in my darkness, to 

know if there is any information 

at least on my 

condition. I found 

out there is a term 

for this sadness; it’s called ‘baby 

blues’. So, baby blues became my 

unexpected, unloved friend and 

would not leave me. I would cry, cry 

while feeding her, and cry while I 

went to shower and when she would 

sleep. I hoped that someone would 

drag me to a therapist but nobody 

did. Somehow people around me 

never realised that I needed it. And 

if you are depressed you tend not 

to actively seek out solutions to it. I 

didn’t either. 

At seven months I joined work. 

It felt good because I thought I 

could focus on my career again. My 

boss told me to take time because 

he, being a father, understood how 

difficult it was for a new mother 

to fall into the routine of work life. 

Days passed by and I could never go 

to office on time. I stayed up to feed 

her because she would not take the 

bottle, I stayed late at home in the 

morning because I had to feed her, 

then pump milk so that she could 

have at least two servings a day. I 

stayed at office late to fill up the 

required nine hours and that started 

getting longer too. 

Work was not fun anymore 

because I was always the latecomer. 


It did not matter how hard 

I worked, my efforts or results 

were never appreciated because I 

was a latecomer. And that did not 

help my depression. There were 

comments about how I should not 

work because I was a mother and 

how they thought that I didn’t need 

a job. There were snide comments 

saying that I don’t want to work 

on Saturdays because obviously I 

was not serious about my job. It is 

a man’s world after all, and I was a 

woman and a mother. 

Data shows that approximately 

70-80% of new mothers experience 

baby blues. Although the exact cause 

of baby blues have not yet been 

discovered, it’s thought to be related 

to hormonal changes that occur 

during pregnancy and after the child 

is born. And it may last from one 

week to, in some cases, an extended 

period of time. I would urge friends 

and families of all new mothers to 

extend help to them so that they 

don’t feel left out or feel unwanted. 

If I did not have my parents or my 

husband I know I would probably 

not be able to fight the blue demon 

of my life. And what happened to my 

easel and paint? They must be lying 

around somewhere. • 


analog entertainment | parenting 15 

Where Peppa Pig is not at home 

6 ways to give your toddler no-screen entertainment 

Nidhi Gupta 

Involve her in other chores 

We let her help around and 

she loves that and being called 

“helpful”. When we put the 

dustbins out, we let her carry 

the lighter one. She has her 

own dusting cloth and takes 

it out whenever one of us is 

dusting around the house. 

While putting laundry in the 

machine, she takes clothes out 

of the laundry bag and then 

again hands them to us, while 

we put them out to dry. 

Using videos to entertain 

toddlers is a slippery slope, 

because a two year old will 

not understand the concept 

of screen-time. Of course, the 

activities that I listed above can 

be and are very tiring. And they 

take up a lot of our time. But 

hey, no one said that bringing 

up children was a walk in the 

park. 

Our daughter is now 20 months old 

and I can happily say that she doesn’t 

yet know how to use the phone or 

any other screen device. By that I 

mean, that she isn’t aware that a 

phone (or a laptop) can be used for 

things other than talking to people. 

Actually, that’s not right. She knows 

that we can sometimes have a video 

chat with some family and that there 

are some photos that she can see 

on the phone (or laptop). And that 

mumma and papa use it for work. 

While talking to a friend, who 

has a similar aged daughter as ours, 

I realised that most parents actually 

don’t know how to entertain their 

toddlers if showing them a screen 

is not an option. This becomes 

especially true while feeding a child 

or while on a holiday (when the 

parents also want to relax). In an 

age where Peppa Pig, Baby Einstein, 

and ChuChu TV are every toddler’s 

friend and personal entertainers, our 

daughter has no clue that such things 

exist. 

Other than the usual suspects of 

taking her to the park everyday and 

giving her extended baths, here’s a 

list of activities that we have been 

doing with our daughter to keep her 

busy and entertained. 

Involve her in the kitchen 

Since she was a baby, we would take 

her to the kitchen whenever any of 

us would cook. As we washed and 

peeled vegetables, we would tell her 

what is what and then keep talking 

to her as if reading the instructions 

aloud. As she grew up, her place in 

the kitchen moved from her pram to 

the kitchen counter. She now knows 

how an omlette is made, what goes 

in tea, names of a lot of veggies and 

almost all fruits, and can identify 

most of the things in our fridge. She 

even insists on rolling a chapati! And 

we let her do it when she says she 

wants to. 

Dance with her 

Our daughter has always listened to 

normal music that we listen to. That 

means that we never play nursery 

rhymes on any music device. We 

play “our” music and dance with 

her everyday. Her current favourite 

songs are “You spin my head right 

round”, “I like to move it move it”, 

and “Big rock candy mountain”. 

Photos: Bigstock 

Read to her. Tell her stories. 

We spend at least an hour everyday 

reading books. Most of this reading 

happens around mealtimes, but 

recently she has started to ask us 

to read books at other times. We’ve 

been doing this since our baby was 

born. While reading a book, we 

spend enough time taking out the 

sounds of things and enacting what 

the characters in the book are doing. 

In fact, this is what she most looks 

forward to. We also tell her stories 

(and sometimes rhymes) before she 

goes to sleep. 

Play hide-and-seek 

Whether it’s peek-a-boo or proper 

hide-and-seek, babies love it. And it’s 

so cute when they hide behind that 

chair where only their face can’t be 

seen. Of course, it gets boring for us 

when she keeps hiding at the same 

place every single time. But, her 

giggles on being found more than 

make up for it. 

Run and jump around 

This is the most fun. We let her 

run behind cats and dogs in our 

apartment complex (under our 

watch). She is now on first-name 

basis with most of the cats and dogs 

in our complex. We also let her 

explore the play area (in the park) by 

herself, while we watch from a close 

distance. 

The author is a public policy 

enthusiast, mom and avid reader. To 

read her work, visit https://medium. 

com/@nidhi1902 • 


16 issue | reducing maternal mortality 

Simple treatment for severe bleeding 

could save lives of mothers in Bangladesh 

New evidence suggests low-cost drug 

should become frontline response for 

major blood loss after childbirth 

Weekend Tribune 

An inexpensive and widely 

available drug could 

save the lives of one 

in three mothers who 

would otherwise bleed to death 

after childbirth, according to a major 

study published in The Lancet. More 

than 300 women from five hospitals 

in Bangladesh took part in the global 

trial, which included 20,000 women 

in 21 countries, mainly in Africa 

and Asia, but also in the UK and 

elsewhere. 

The drug, called tranexamic acid 

(TXA), works by stopping blood 

clots from breaking down. The study 

found that death due to bleeding 

was reduced by 31 percent if the 

treatment was given within three 

hours. The findings also show it 

reduced the need for urgent surgery 

to control bleeding (laparotomy) by 

more than a third (36 percent). 

Severe bleeding after childbirth 

(known as post-partum haemorrhage 

or PPH) is the leading cause of 

maternal death worldwide. More 

than 100,000 women globally die 

each year from the condition, but 

this clot-stabilising drug has the 

potential to reduce the number 

substantially. According to the World 

Health Organization and partners, 

Bangladesh has a maternal mortality 

rate of 176 deaths per every 100,000 

live births. In 2015 there were an 

estimated 5,500 maternal deaths 

in the country, and postpartum 

haemorrhage was the single biggest 

cause. 

New strides in science 

The London School of Hygiene & 

Tropical Medicine coordinated the 

study, which is called The WOMAN 

(World Maternal Antifibrinolytic) 

Trial. It was funded by The Wellcome 

Trust and UK Department of Health 

through the Health Innovation 

Challenge Fund, and the Bill & 

Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Dr Kaosar Afsana, Director of 

Health, Nutrition and Population 

at BRAC (a leading international 

development organisation based 

in Bangladesh), is part of the 

WOMAN Trial committee. She said: 

“Post-partum haemorrhage is the 

prime cause of maternal deaths in 

Bangladesh. I am so excited about 

the results of the Woman Trial. 

Timely use of simple tranexamic 

acid will save many lives of mothers 

in Bangladesh by averting 

unnecessary maternal 

deaths, even in 

remote health 

facilities where 

there are no 

obstetricians 

or trained 

physicians.” 

The results 

show that of 

the women 

given tranexamic 

acid within three 

hours, 89 died from 

bleeding compared with 

127 given placebo (in addition to 

standard care). The researchers 

found no side effects from the 

drug for either mothers or babies. 

These findings provide the first 

comprehensive evidence on using 

tranexamic acid for post-partum 

haemorrhage and suggest it should 

be used as a frontline treatment. 

Haleema Shakur, Associate 

Professor of Clinical Trials at the 

London School of Hygiene & Tropical 

Medicine and Project Director of 

the WOMAN Trial, said: “We now 

have important evidence that the 

early use of tranexamic acid can 

save women’s lives and ensure more 

children grow up with a mother. 

It’s safe, affordable and easy to 

administer, and we hope that 

doctors will use it as early as possible 

following the onset of severe 

bleeding after childbirth.” 

An old remedy finally being put 

to use 

Tranexamic acid was invented in the 

1960s by a Japanese husband 

and wife research 

team, Shosuke and 

Utako Okamoto. 

Ian Roberts, 

Professor of 

Clinical Trials 

at the London 

School of 

Hygiene 

& Tropical 

Medicine, who 

co-led the study, 

said: “The researchers 

who invented tranexamic 

acid more than 50 years ago hoped 

it would reduce deaths from postpartum 

haemorrhage, but they 

couldn’t persuade obstetricians at 

the time to conduct a trial. Now we 

finally have these results that we 

hope can help save women’s lives 

around the world.” 

Almost all of the deaths from 

postpartum haemorrhage are in 

low- and middle-income countries. 

Although giving birth in a health 

facility increases the chance of 

surviving post-partum haemorrhage, 

women still die from the condition 

even within hospitals. 

Tim Knott, Senior Partner in 

Innovations at Wellcome Trust, 

said: “Globally, severe bleeding in 


childbirth remains one of the main 

causes of maternal death – with 

alarming numbers of women dying 

in many low- and middle-income 

countries. The WOMAN Trial team 

undertook a hugely important and 

incredibly ambitious study. Their 

work stands to make a critical 

difference in preventing women 

dying after childbirth.” 

While the WOMAN Trial found 

that tranexamic acid significantly 

reduced death due to bleeding, it 

did not prevent hysterectomy. The 

researchers say this is because in 

low- and middle-income countries 

where blood supplies are limited, 

a hysterectomy is sometimes 

carried out immediately after the 

onset of very severe post-partum 

haemorrhage to save the mother’s 

life. This means there is no time for 

tranexamic acid to have an effect. 

The study builds on previous 

research involving 20,000 trauma 

patients, which showed that 

tranexamic reduced deaths due 

to bleeding by almost a third if 

given within three hours. 

Current World Health 

Organization guidelines, based 

on the previous trauma research, 

recommend the use of tranexamic 

acid in post-partum haemorrhage 

as a subsequent treatment option 

if uterotonics (drugs to induce 

contractions) fail to control the 

bleeding, or if the bleeding is thought 

to be due to trauma. Post-partum 

haemorrhage is defined as a blood 

loss of more than 500ml within 24 

hours of giving birth. • 


maternal health | Innovation 17 

COEL 

The smart bangle for 

maternal wellness 


An innovative concept, taken up by Grameen Intel 

Tasfia Huda 

Many women in developing 

for the underprivileged sections of 

like cooking, which often involves 

Foundation, the Health Alliance and 

countries, including Bangladesh, live 

the country, and that is how they 

burning wood, charcoal or animal 

BabyCenter. GISB has translated 

in remote and rural areas where it is 

came up with the idea of designing a 

dung. In order to let the air in so that 

MAMA messages on proper diet, 

a real challenge for them to access 

smart wearable bangle for pregnant 

the device can analyse it for indoor 

vaccination, when to see a doctor, 

healthcare facilities and midwives. 

women. GISB planned to design 

air pollution but keep water, dirt, 

and preparations for delivery into 

Moreover, these women have no 

it in such a manner that it would 

and dust out, a special type of sensor 

Bangla for this smart bangle. 

knowledge of the importance of 

seeking medical advice from skilled 

professionals. As a result, they often 

give expecting women necessary 

information at regular intervals over 

a certain period. 

has been used inside the bangle. 

It can run for the entire pregnancy 

period, that is 10 months, without 

Local language audio and 

LED alerts 

find it difficult to get medical support 

The bangle has been named 

charging. Moreover, the device does 

If the mother is in a harmful 

to improve their chances of a having 

COEL, which stands for Carbon 

not require internet connectivity to 

environment, the device beeps and 

a safe pregnancy and delivering a 

Monoxide Exposure Limiter. It is 

function. 

asks her to move to a safer area. 

healthy baby. 

a wearable device that provides 

Pregnancy wellness audio 

tips (MAMA messages) 

When the bangle’s sensor detects 

carbon monoxide at a harmful level, 

a red LED light flashes as an alert for 

Another unique feature of the 

the wearer. It also produces a voice 

device is that it can be programmed 

warning customised to the wearer’s 

to “speak” about 80 pregnancy- 

language, telling her to open the 

related wellness messages. There 

windows and doors or get outside. 

is a dedicated microprocessor 

After initial trials in India, the 

that can process pre-programmed 

Grameen Intel team in Dhaka has 

instructions, and a speaker that can 

distributed nearly 5,000 of these 

deliver programmed messages in 

bangles among women in rural 

about 80 different languages. An 

Bangladesh, and gained a lot of 

automated voice provides wellness 

positive feedback from them. 

messages telling the expecting 

Currently, they have only one size, 

How the idea was born 

As women in developing countries 

pre-recorded pregnancy related 

advice for pregnant women. It is a 

water resistant bangle, 0.8 inches 

mother when to visit the doctor 

and informing her about blood 

deficiency, convulsions, and cramps. 

which fits around 60% of all women. 

This however, is too big or too small 

for some women, so they need to 

perform all the household work, 

wide and weighs only 38 grams, and 

It also keeps the mother informed 

work on that. 

the well-being of her child is always 

made of high quality durable plastic. 

about the size of her child. 

GISB hasn’t launched the device 

at risk. However, most women are 

GISB designed it to be wearable in 

COEL can be set up according 

commercially yet. It is in the final 

neither aware of these risks, nor have 

the form of a bangle specifically for 

to the pregnancy dates, and it will 

phase of research and development, 

access to proper healthcare. 

women in Bangladesh. 

provide around two messages each 

and they plan to launch it 

Keeping these in mind, Grameen 

Intel Social Business Ltd (GISB) 

has developed a state-of-the-art 

smart bangle, designed for pregnant 

Indoor air pollution 

detection 

COEL can detect the level of carbon 

week to ensure the wellness of the 

mother and the child. The messages, 

known as MAMA messages, have 

been jointly developed by Mobile 

commercially within this year. COEL 

will soon be available in the local 

market, costing around Tk1,000 to 

Tk1,200. Apart from a commercial 

women, that can play a significant 

monoxide in the air. Pregnant 

Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) 

launch in Bangladesh, Grameen Intel 

role in improving maternal health. 

women in Bangladesh are often 

through a partnership between 

plans to launch it in other countries 

GISB focuses on developing products 

exposed to this during daily activities 

USAID, Johnson & Johnson, UN 

as well. • 


18 stay in 

Clues 

Mini cryptics 

ACROSS 

1 Direction holding gun feels most 

heat (7) 

4 Boxer between it and an adored 

cuisine (7) 

6 Important gap for accessing lock 

(7) 

7 Model in reserve lies down (7) 

DOWN 

1 Narrow margin of 

omelette chef? (7) 

2 Fit and willing (5) 

3 Ask rent anew for oil 

ships (7) 

5 Presses for golf 

equipment (5) 

Sudoku 

Use the numbers 1-9 to complete each 

of the 3x3 square grids such that each 

horizontal and vertical line also contains all 

of the digits from 1-9 

DIY: Add 

a touch of 

extravagance 

to your plain 

mugs 

diy 

Moumita Ahmed 

Solved it? Email answers to weekend@dhakatribune.com and win one free 

month of the Dhaka Tribune. 

Last week’s solutions 

Last week’s solutions 

ACROSS 

5 Company cars I moved 

for island (7) 

6 Escape of French after 

Hitlerís wife (5) 

9 New dog loan for 

Venetian transport (7) 

DOWN 

1 Legal term for part of play (7) 

2 Stop before hole where air escapes (5) 

3 Hurricanes or an English castle (7) 

4 Sound like a lion before cooking (3) 

6 Time of silver and energy (3) 

7 Hat found in Acapulco (3) 

Solved it? Email answers to weekend@dhakatribune.com and 

win one free month of the Dhaka Tribune. 

You will need: 

• a plain white mug 

• masking tape 

• a can of matte-finish, gold spray 

paint 

• clear sealer 

Directions: 

Apply the masking tape in your 

desired pattern on the mug. Use the 

gold spray paint, keeping it 13–18 

inches away from the mug. Wait 

for five minutes, then apply the 

clear sealer. Leave it for another 

five minutes and then remove the 

masking tape. • 

Note: Your new mug will not 

be dishwasher friendly! 


Transport sector | Workers’ welfare 19 

Hard lives on highway 

Transport workers are most vulnerable 

Mahmood Sadi 

It was a rainy Thursday afternoon 

and Fokrul Amin, a frail, tired man in 

a grimy vest, climbed out of his truck 

and slammed the door. He had been 

driving for seven hours straight. 

“Summer means being drenched 

in your own sweat all day and feeling 

ill all the time,” he said. 

For Amin, it’s also a season of 

harrowing delays. Roads flood with 

intermittent and unusual rain and 

sweeping winds. Traffic won’t move. 

Vehicles break down. And even if 

none of that happens, Amin is forced 

to stop every so often and climb to 

the top of his truck to check that 

the goods he is ferrying are still well 

covered. 

“It makes it harder to concentrate 

in this heat. The increased traffic in 

the highways makes it even worse. 

So, when I get a free road, I have to 

speed up. The other vehicles do the 

same. That makes the highway a 

dangerous place.” 

Amin’s words are indeed true. As 

per the recent study of Bangladesh 

Institute of Labour Studies 

(BILS), the research and advocacy 

organisation which prepares an 

annual report on the number of 

workers’ deaths in workplace 

accidents, long distance transport 

workers comprise the highest chunk 

of the death toll. 

A total of 699 workers had died in 

workplace related accidents in 2016 

out of which, 249 died in workplace 

related accidents in the transport 

sector. In 2015, the respective 

numbers were 363 and 125. 

The hard lives of transport 

workers 

Long distance drivers like Fokrul 

Amin lives a hard and solitary life, 

spending weeks on the road at a 

time while hauling cargo and people 

from point A to point B, covering 

vast distances on seemingly endless 

stretches of road. 

“In our field of work, the risk 

is high yet the gain is very low in 

comparison,” said Atahar Ali, a driver 

of a transport line. Ali said that he 

is hired on a contractual basis – the 

more trips he can make, the better 

his earning. 

“We don’t get paychecks like a 

regular employee at the end of the 

month. We get our salary based on 

the trips. It’s not an easy task to drive 

on the highway on a daily basis. 

Besides, the resting time that we get 

is very low,” he said. 

Romesh Chandra Ghosh, owner 

of Shyamoli Paribahan said that, 

if one of their drivers makes a trip 

of 250km, he usually gets a resting 

period for four hours before sitting 

behind the steering wheel again. If 

that driver crosses 400km, then he 

gets a resting period of six hours. 

Talking with a number of drivers 

of the same transport line, it surfaced 

that such resting norms are hardly 

being practised there. This is because 

the drivers are compelled to cut their 

resting period as they are given the 

catch of earning more if they make 

more trips. 

When asked about that, Ghosh 

said, drivers are being managed 

by a proper management team 


comprising of several supervisors. 

“Yes, there are opportunities for 

overtime, and in the transport sector, 

drivers actually ask for it; it’s not like 

we impose it on them. But, in long 

distance driving, we have to think of 

passengers’ safety, so we make sure 

that no sleep-deprived driver sits 

behind the wheel.” 

Khondoker Enayetullah, Secretary 

General of Bangladesh Sharak 

Paribahan Samity and owner of 

Ena Paribahan said, through the 

association, they have imposed the 

rule of giving proper rest to long 

distance drivers. 

Mohammad Mozammel Haque 

Chowdhury, Secretary General of 

Bangladesh Passengers Welfare 

Association however said, since the 

transport workers lack education, 

proper training and job insecurity, 

their profession has increasingly 

turned into a dangerous one. 

“The rules of the association 

or the government hardly matter. 

Unless the drivers get job security 

and they are well paid, they will be 

forced to spend extra hours behind 

the wheel to earn their living.” 

Besides, because of such long 

work hours, they have to be away 

from family for extended periods, 

which puts added psychological and 

sociological stress on them. 

What the data says 

Atahar Ali said that he hardly gets to 

spend quality time with his family. 

“Sometimes, I get to see my two sons 

after an entire week,” he said. 

The number of long distance 

transports registered under 

Bangladesh Road Transport 

Authority (BRTA) is 40,935. However, 

it is estimated that another 5,000 

unregistered long distance vehicles 

are in use. 

In each of the vehicles, there is 

at least one driver, one supervisor 

and one assistant. Considering the 

workforce engaged at the terminal 

and the repairing workshops, the 

number of workers involved in long 

distance vehicles is estimated to be 

1,837,40. 

Another BILS study conducted on 

the long distance transport workers 

said, in long distance transport 

sector, 100% of the workers are 

male workers and around 92% of the 

workers are involved with some sort 

of trade union. 

The workers under 18 comprises 

of roughly 4% of the workforce. 

More than 64% of them have 

education upto primary level. Only 

24% of the workers have passed SSC 

examination. 

There is no formal appointment 

letter for the workers working in the 

long distance transport sector. Almost 

100% of the workers work here for 

more than eight hours a day. Around 

46% of the workers work for more 

than 15 hours a day while 40% work 

for more than 13 hours a day. Around 

20% of the workers work without 

taking any day off in a month. 

More than 90% of the workers 

here don’t have any weekly or 

government holidays. If they get 

free time, around 48% spend that 

time with family at home, 16% go 

out with their families, around 10% 

spend their time with their children, 

while 12% mostly spend the day by 

sleeping. 

Around 94% of the workers here 

are hired on a contractual basis. The 

monthly salary is usually between 

Tk10,000 to Tk20,000. 

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, 

BILS Executive Director said that 

transport workers must be helped 

to better understand their rights 

relating to workplace safety. 

Employers too have a vital role 

to play and need to be fully aware 

of their obligations. Workplace 

safety should be top priority for 

them. In case of transport workers, 

that should be in the form of giving 

drivers proper rest, better pay and 

proper functioning vehicles. • 


20 Issue | digital news 

Digital platforms: 

bearers of fake news? 

A look at news and fact-checking in the digital era 

Saqib Sarker 

Members of a household 

patiently waiting 

their turns to read 

the newspaper in 

the morning or fighting over the 

favourite page are perhaps a rare 

scene nowadays, if not non-existent. 

Although much of this is due to the 

proliferation of visual media, some 

part of the decline of newspapers is 

certainly due to the availability of 

digital content. 

Ever-increasing online content 

Despite increasing dissemination, 

there is still very low Internet reach 

in Bangladesh. 96.92 percent of 

Bangladeshi households did not 

have internet connectivity in 2011, 

according to the Population Census 

Sample Survey by Bangladesh 

Bureau of Statistics. In contrast, 

44.66 percent of households 

were reported to have newspaper 

readerships. However, this is 

gradually changing and specifically 

with the revolutionary spread of 

hand held devices, people are slowly 

adapting to getting their news 

digitally. 

The online news sources exist in 

many different iterations, with the 

most common being online versions 

of print newspapers. There are also 

standalone online newspapers. Some 

of these have grown to attract not 

only huge numbers of online readers, 

but have also attained acceptance 

because of quality journalism. 

The first online newspaper in 

Bangladesh was by The Daily Star, 

opening up its digital iteration in 

1997. 20 years later, every newspaper 

in print has their own online 

versions. 

The Daily Star website currently 

ranks at 38 in Bangladesh with over 

64 thousand unique visitors per day, 

according to Alexa. The top news 

site, which also happens to be the 

top Bangladeshi website overall, 

Prothom-alo.com comes at 4, only 

after Google, YouTube and Facebook. 

With a staggering 60 million views 

per month, Prothom Alo’s Facebook 

page also enjoys the distinction 

of being the largest Bangladeshi 

Facebook page with over 11 million 

‘likes’. A number of other news 

outlets have gained profound growth 

in the digital space too. Only four 

years after the first publication, 

Dhaka Tribune has gathered nearly 

half a million ‘likes’ on its Facebook 

page, becoming one of the fastest 

growing English dailies in the 

country. 

Even though the advent of 

Facebook was initially meant for 

messaging and networking, the 

website eventually took over the 

internet with the force of a superstorm. 

The integration of digital 

contents into the social networking 

site resulted in people increasingly 

relying on it for entertainment and 


news. 

The immense proliferation of viral 

content through Facebook impacted 

how people see and read news. A 

2015 Pew Research Center survey 

reveal that younger adults are more 

likely to name social media as a 

main source of news. “Even beyond 

the young, fully 62% of U.S. adults 

overall now get news on social media 

sites,” a report by Amy Mitchell and 

Jesse Holcomb on the Pew survey 

reads. 

The need for fact-checking 

With the unstoppable spread of 

Facebook news and with marketers 

racing to grab every piece of the 

digital revenue, click-bait and ‘fake 

news’ started to occupy the digital 

landscape. To combat the situation, 

Facebook announced in December 

last year that it would be partnering 

with independent fact-checkers 

to crack down on the spread of 

misinformation on its platform. Even 

though this is not available to wider 

Facebook users yet, this feature may 

just be the solution, or at least part of 

the solution, to the outbreak of false 

news in the social media. 

Co-founder of BDFactCheck.com, 

Qadaruddin Shishir thinks that the 

feature will help to a certain extent 

to control the current flow of fake 

news stories floating around the web. 

Founded recently, BDFactCheck. 

com hopes to become the long 

needed public fact checking service 

in Bangladesh and the go to place for 

finding out pure, nonpartisan facts. 

In order to partner up with Facebook, 

Shishir’s website has to sign up with 

The International Fact-Checking 

Network (IFCN) first. 

The Facebook feature operates 

by prompting a red alert if someone 

attempts to share a story that is 

disputed by the designated fact 

checking sources. Clicking on that 

warning produces a second popup 

with more information “About 

disputed content”. “Sometimes 

people share fake news without 

knowing it. When independent factcheckers 

dispute this content, you 

may be able to visit their websites 

to find out why,” the warning reads. 

That’s where the IFCN comes in, 

as Facebook will only show factcheckers 

who are signed up to 

Poynter’s non-partisan code of 

principles. The IFCN is hosted by the 

Poynter Institute for Media Studies 

and the code promotes excellence in 

non-partisan and transparent factchecking 

for journalism. 

“We have contacted them. And 

after a certain period of observation 

the IFCN will sign us up if they 

are satisfied,” Shishir informed. A 

senior researcher at Jamuna TV, 

Shishir co-founded BDFactCheck. 

com with Zahed Arman, a Graduate 

Assistant at Edinboro University 

of Pennsylvania to create a 

nonpartisan, nonprofit platform that 

will “reduce the level of deception 

and confusion in Bangladesh.” 

Shishir thinks fact-checking 

should go beyond ‘news’. “It should 

be done to a much wider scale, 

spanning the fields of literature, 

history etc. If the general public has 

access to the correct facts, it will 

empower them,” said Shishir. 

He correctly stipulates that making 

the facts available to the public is 

a “moral imperative” because the 

wider public will not read the big 

books and documents. “So, if there 

are mistakes in important documents 

or books then it should be brought 

to the attention of the people,” he 

said. Shishir strongly believes that 

if people in the past had an option 

to fact-check certain information or 

claims, it would have had immense 

positive impact on our national life 

and “we could have averted a lot of 

damage”. •

Weekend-5-3

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