Weekend-5-5

Dhaka Tribune 

vol 5 Issue 5 | friDAY, May 19, 2017 

6 

Kitchen 

chronicles 

8 

Food 

diary 

15 Online 

security

CONTENTS 1 

Volume 5 | Issue 5 | May 19, 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 

Ishrat Jahan 

Md Abdul Quayyum 

Rifaqat Rasheed 

Farzana Romine 

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 

4 

10 

Trending 

Women’s fashion 

Photo Story 

Elder care 

Editor’s note 

Dear Readers, 

Eating out and shopping being the 

most common choice of recreation 

for those who can afford it in 

Dhaka, it’s hardly a surprise that 

our beloved capital is fast turning 

into quite the melting pot in terms 

of offering a delightful array of local 

and multi-cuisine delectables, as 

well as a healthy fusion of trendy, 

innovative styles. 

Aarong has long been a 

favourite with both locals and 

expats in Bangladesh and, over the 

years, has only grown in reputation 

as one of the country’s top fashion 

houses. Our Trending section this 

week features a colourful spread 

of their latest line – Herstory by 

Aarong – hot from the runway, at 

the glamorous event they hosted at 

Radisson last week. 

We also have a fun piece from 

an epicurious foodie on the rising 

trend of brunch and all the great 

options you have in Dhaka. 

In our constant effort to bring 

our readers a balanced variety 

of articles every week, we have 

featured a range of other topics 

as well, from online security to 

healthcare initiatives for sex 

workers. 

Finally, in light of World Museum 

Day on May 18, we end with an 

informative list on six museums in 

Dhaka you need to visit. 

Wishing our readers a happy 

weekend. 

Farina Noireet 

News 

2 News 

3 Meanwhile 

Features 

6 Cook your own way 

Kitchen chronicles 

8 Epicurious 

Food diary 

9 App 

Harriken 

12 Event 

Digital innovation 

13 Workshop 

Event 

14 Tech 

15 Musing 

Online security 

16 Digital Culture 

Privacy 

17 Initiative 

Healthcare for sex workers 

19 Biz Info 

20 World Museum Day 

Local heritage 

Regulars 

18 Stay in 

On the cover 

Photo: Aarong 

WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2017

2 News | This week 

The world at a glance 

Trump defends ‘absolute right’ to share ‘facts’ with Russia 

Embattled US President Donald 

Trump insisted last Tuesday he 

had the right to share “facts” with 

Russia, one day after bombshell 

allegations that he divulged highly 

classified intelligence to Russian 

diplomats in the Oval Office. 

According to an explosive report 

from the Washington Post, Trump 

revealed highly classified information 

on the Islamic State group during 

a meeting last week with Russian 

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and 

Moscow’s man in Washington Sergey 

Kislyak. 

“As President I wanted to share 

with Russia (at an openly scheduled 

WH meeting) which I have the 

absolute right to do, facts pertaining 

to terrorism and airline flight safety,” 

Trump pushed back in an early 

morning tweet. 

Trump wrote that he was motivated 

by “humanitarian reasons, plus I want 

Russia to greatly step up their fight 

against ISIS and terrorism.” 

Photo: AP 

Local 

Murder case 

lodged against 

Test skipper 

Mushfiqur’s 

father 

Iran reformist drops out of election, supports Rouhani 

reformist candidate dropped out 

A of Iran’s presidential election last 

Tuesday and threw his support behind 

President Hassan Rouhani, in a widely 

expected move that will strengthen 

the incumbent’s campaign against a 

hard-liner. 

Eshaq Jahangiri, senior vice 

president under Rouhani, dropped 

out, leaving just four candidates in 

the race. Rouhani also has the support 

Archaeologists last week dug up 

17 mummies and other artifacts 

from ancient Egypt near a historical 

Osama bin Laden’s son has vowed 

revenge on the west for killing 

his father and is set to become the 

next leader of al-Qaeda, according to 

documents seized from bin Laden’s 

Pakistan compound when he was 

killed by US Navy Seals in 2011. 

“I consider myself... to be forged in 

steel,” Hamza bin Laden, now thought 

to be around 28 wrote. “The path of 

of former President Mohammad 

Khatami, another reformist, who 

endorsed him on Sunday. 

On Monday, Tehran Mayor 

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dropped 

out of the election to back hard-liner 

Ebrahim Raisi. 

The election is largely viewed as a 

referendum on the nuclear deal struck 

with world powers and shepherded by 

Rouhani’s administration. Iran agreed 

17 new mummies from Ancient Egypt 

animal graveyard, and they expect to 

discover even more. 

AFP reported the mummies, which 

were not of ancient royals, were 

uncovered in catacombs a few hours 

southwest of Cairo while the experts 

were “following a trail of burial shafts.” 

They were not the only discovery. 

There were limestone and clay 

sarcophagi, the decorated coffins 

often used in ancient Egyptian burials, 

documents written in the ancient 

Osama bin Laden’s son vows revenge on the west 

jihad for the sake of God is what we 

live.” 

Bin Laden hoped his 

son Hamza would eventually succeed 

him. 

Hamza was 22-years-old when the 

letter was written and his leadership 

potential had been recognised when 

he was a boy. 

Photo: AFP 

to limit its enrichment of uranium 

in exchange for the lifting of some 

economic sanctions. 

Photo: AP 

Egyptian script called Demotic on 

papyrus and gold, and animal coffins. 

The mummies still need to be 

officially dated, but it’s possible they 

are from 300 years before Alexander 

the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BC, 

known as the Late Period, or from a 

period shortly afterward during which 

Ptolemy, Alexander’s general, and his 

family ruled the land until 30 BC. 

Photo: AFP 

murder case was filed 

A against Bangladesh Test 

skipper Mushfiqur Rahim’s 

father, Mahbub Hamid Tara, 

his brother Mejbah-ul-Hamid, 

a local municipality councillor 

of Awami League, and 14 others 

in connection with the killing 

of teenager Mashuk Ferdous on 

Sunday. 

The victim’s father, Emdadul 

Haq, filed the case with Bogra 

Sadar police station on Tuesday 

evening. In the case statement, 

the plaintiff alleged that 

Mahbub was involved in the 

killing of his son over previous 

enmity regarding a position in 

the managing committee of 

Matidali High School in Bogra 

town. 

Mashuk was found lying near 

his home with grievous head 

injuries. He was taken to a local 

hospital where he was declared 

dead the same night. After the 

murder, Mahbub claimed that 

he had no rivalry with Emdad 

and condemned the incident, 

demanding punishment of the 

killers. 

News: Dhaka Tribune 


. . . Meanwhile 3 

Photo of the week 

Dhaka dwellers 

spending Shab-e- 

Baraat in prayers, 

in the midst of the 

city crowd at Baitul 

Mukarram Mosque in 

the capital on May 11. 

Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu 

Say what 

Last Monday, things really 

went off the rails at Union 

Station in Washington DC 

when a video screen meant to play 

ads started showing porn instead. 

The porn suddenly appeared on 

the digital screen in the Main Hall 

around 5:30pm and lasted about 

three minutes. 

A bystander recorded the 

explicit footage, which appeared 

to be streaming from the Pornhub 

website, according to the 

Washington Post. 

One woman who witnessed the 

accidental porn told the paper it left 

her speechless. 

“I couldn’t believe this was 

happening in public and especially 

during rush hour,” the woman told 

the paper. “I mean, it was really 

explicit porn being shown on this 

huge screen and no one could turn 

it off.” 

Porn blasts 

on huge 

screen 

at train 

station 

during rush 

hour 

Beverly Swaim-Staley, president 

and CEO of the Union Station 

Redevelopment Corporation, said 

the video screen is supposed to 

display ads, announcements and 

names of businesses in the station. 

She suspects the screen was 

hacked, but is still investigating.• 

News and photo: Huffington Post 

Aries (Mar21-Apr19): You’ll be willing 

to think outside the box and embrace 

new ideas in a very down-to-earth 

way. Studying and networking could 

also be important. 

Taurus (Apr20-May20): You might 

want to share ideas that you’ve been 

mulling over recently. You’re very 

much in your element this week, 

and it could be an opportunity to 

take steps to fulfil one of your heart’s 

desires. 

Gemini (May21-June20): You may 

find that you’re naturally more 

connected with your feelings. This 

week and over the coming weeks it 

may become easier to discuss issues 

that you’ve so far kept to yourself. 

Cancer (June21-Jul22): Your social life 

gets a boost, which could encourage you 

out and about. If a new club or dating 

website beckons, this might be the time 

you go for it. 

Leo (Jul23-Aug22): You might be in the 

spotlight this week. This is your chance 

to show off your skills and let others 

know what you can do. 

Virgo (Aug23-Sep22): You may become 

curious about exploring countries or 

cultures you’ve never encountered 

before. The coming weeks might see you 

booking a vacation to a place that can 

provide sensual delights and plenty to 

explore. 

Libra (Sep23-Oct22): You may be thrilled 

by a relationship that seems to offer 

something different. This person could 

be a breath of fresh air in your life, 

enabling you to see key issues from a 

fresh perspective. 

Scorpio (Oct23-Nov21): If you’ve 

experienced some difficulty in your 

money making ability recently, a key 

blend of energies could coincide with a 

job offer that is very good for you. 

Sagittarius (Nov22-Dec21): You could 

find that a new hobby or creative activity 

has a liberating effect on you, bringing 

new friendships your way. 

Capricorn (Dec22-Jan19): While you may 

be very busy with your job, a focus on 

your leisure sector could entice you to 

explore hobbies that you might relish. 

Aquarius (Jan20-Feb18): This week 

could see you getting organised at home 

by clearing out closets and tackling 

chores. You might be able to earn extra 

money by selling items you no longer 

need. 

Pisces (Feb19-Mar20): This can be a good 

time to increase your income if you act 

on an idea. It could be a game changer 

for you. • 

horoscopes 


4 Trending | Women’s fashion 

HERSTORY by 

Aarong 

One of the country’s 

leading labels puts 

on an excellent 

presentation at their annual fashion show 


Entering the show through a curved, cave-like tunnel, 

guests were instantly embraced by the pristine ambiance 

of a rainforest. It has to be noted that the conventional 

layout of a runway has been thrown out the window. 

Aarong’s deep-rooted connection to its ethnic background remains, 

but it’s good to know they play quite well with modern aesthetics. 

The runway in the Grand Ball Room at the Radisson Blu was a figure 

eight, winding around propped up tropical trees and other lush 

greenery, complimented by the flawless lighting. 

The new collection introduced a series of looks that could have 

easily been used for print or online consumption as a brilliant visual 

treat. The first run was a vintage take on hair and makeup, which 

was accompanied by 1930s throwback of the Big Band era, playing 

“Sing, Sing, Sing” by Benny Goodman through the appropriately 

placed speakers. The show transitioned through the local tongues, 

subtle jazz tunes and even an eardrum assault by the unapologetic 

MIA. The latter introduced the new sub-brand HERSTORY – a fresh 

new take on designer wear for the modern woman. 

Each line of the new collection was on display in the finest form. 

From exquisite Mughal inspired sarees to infused splashes of capes 

and unorthodox elongated jewelry, each look demanded the proper 

attention. What began as the first steps to discovery in uncharted 

territory, quickly turned into an elegant summer soiree in this 

particular plush jungle. The reactions gathered by the audience 

seemed to be a pleasantly surprising one. • 


5 

May 13, 2017, Aarong’s Fashion Show 

Photos: Courtesy 


6 Cook your own way | Kitchen chronicles 

Light, summer meals 

Farzana Romine 

Summer is here and spending time in the kitchen in this hot, humid weather is getting tougher by the day. During summer, I 

really like having easy simple meals, with big portions of salad on the side. Today I am sharing my very quick recipes for two 

salads and a grilled dish, which you can whip up in less than 30 minutes. It’s really refreshing in this hot weather and you 

don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen. Hope you will enjoy them. 

Grilled 

shrimp 

and 

chicken 

Ingredients: 

For the chicken: 

1 chicken breast 

1/4 tsp red chilli flakes 

1 tbsp olive oil 

2 tbsp hot sauce, such as 

Tabasco or Sriracha 

1 clove of garlic, minced 

For the shrimp: 

10 medium sized shrimps 

1 tbsp minced cilantro root 

2 tsp mixed dried herbs like 

oregano, basil, thyme, etc 

1 tsp minced garlic 


Directions: 

Mix the ingredients for the 

chicken and shrimp separately. 

Leave to marinate for 30 

minutes. 

Heat your griddle pan over 

high heat. Oil it lightly. Grill the 

chicken for five to six minutes 

and shrimp for four to five 

minutes until cooked through. 


7 

Mango 

Avocado 

salsa 

Ingredients: 

1 avocado 

1 ripe mango 

1 small cucumber 

2 tbsp minced red onion 

2 green chillies, finely chopped 

2 tbsp fresh lime juice 

A handfull of cilantro leaves, 

chopped 

Salt to taste 

Directions: 

Cut the cucumber, avocado 

and mango into small cubes. 

Now mix everything together 

and serve with the grilled fish 

and chicken. 

Note 

You can make these 

salads without avocados 

too. You can use any 

available fruits or 

veggies you like. 

Glazed 

carrot 

salad 

Ingredients: 

1 medium sized carrot 

1/2 avocado 

1 small bunch of lettuce 

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds 

1 small cucumber 

For the dressing: 

1/2 tsp toasted poppy seeds 

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 


2 tsp honey 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp black pepper 

For the glaze: 


1 tsp sugar 

1/4 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp salt 

Black pepper, as needed 

Directions: 

Mix together the ingredients 

for the dressing and set aside. 

To glaze the carrots, heat 

olive oil in a pan. Cut the 

carrots like thick French fries. 

Once the oil is hot, add the 

carrots. Cook for two minutes. 

Now add the sugar, salt and 

black pepper and cook until the 

sugar starts to caramelise. 

Once it’s slightly 

caramelised, add 1/4 cup water, 

then mix and cook the carrots 

until they are tender and the 

water has evaporated. Sprinkle 

paprika and take it off the heat 

and let it cool slightly. 

Slice the other salad 

ingredients as you like. 

To assemble, mix everything 

together and add the dressing. 

Toss it well and serve. • 

Photos: Farzana Romine 


8 Epicurious | Food diary 

Its 

Brunch 

time! 

Rifaqat Rasheed 

So, I like to keep a close eye 

on what is happening in 

the local culinary scene in 

Dhaka; I mean eating out 

is what keeps us Dhakaites sane 

right? I guess I could go to the park 

or watch football or do whatever 

wholesome activities the normal 

populace indulges in, but activities 

which involve the possibility 

of dessert seem so much more 

appealing. Under my watchful 

(and high blood sugary) gaze a new 

and delicious trend seems to be 

emerging, a trend that every food 

junkie can appreciate, a trend that 

takes your standard three meals 

day and then laughs at it for being 

malnourished and underweight! 

Rejoice all ye worthy, a new meal 

has joined the holy trinity! Say 

hello to brunch! 

Brunch (although not named 

thusly) was initially a repast 

favoured by hunters who would 

be up at the crack of dawn to track 

their prey. I imagine someone up at 

the wee hours of the day would be 

hungry enough to eat their boots 

by lunchtime. So they would pack 

something simple, most often bread, 

cheese and egg to tide them through 

until the afternoon meal. Now 

the actual term, this delightful 

portmanteau combining two of 

my favourite three words in the 

English language (the third being 

dinner of course) was first coined 

in 1895. However brunch, as we 

see it now, came about in the USA 

half a century later. In true red and 

blue style, the common hunter’s 

meal transformed itself into the go to 

repast for the jet setting upper crust. 

Basically the J-Los, and Brad Pitts 

of the 1930s would rise bleary eyed 

and hungover from a night out on 

and order a late breakfast from room 

service. Hoteliers (being cannily 

adept at separating dollar bills from 

their owners) realised quite quickly 

that this was a grand opportunity to 

earn some incremental greenbacks. 

They also realised that it was in their 

best interests to ensure that their 

clientele were suitably “mellow” 

for the rest of the day as well. Thus 

the modern brunch menu was born, 

filled with “decadent spreads of food 

and signature morning cocktails, 

such as Bloody Marys, Bellinis and 

Mimosas.” 

“But kind sir,” I hear you ask 

“Why this convoluted history 

lesson on this oh so delectable 

topic?” Well we in modern day 

Dhaka are experiencing a restaurant 

renaissance of sorts. The burgeoning 

middle class and the increase in 

disposable incomes have resulted in 

a boom for the culinary industry in 

this fair city of ours. And of course 

the sophistication of the industry has 

created a gastronomic citizenship 

with a much more sophisticated 

palate than the foodies of yesteryear. 

To keep up with this increasingly 

international client base, many 

We in modern day Dhaka are experiencing a 

restaurant renaissance of sorts 

eateries are now offering menus 

which cater to these sophisticated 

aspirations. And if sophistications 

and class were an Olympic sport then 

brunch would be on the winner’s 

podium cradling a glass of Moet and 

reaching for the orange juice. 

So over the course of these past 

couple of years I have had the good 


fortune to sample many of the fine 

brunch menus our city has to offer. 

There are a bunch of options at 

different price points, so I thought 

I’d give my two paisas on where 

I experienced the best brunch in 

Dhaka so far. 

The first contender is to Bistro 

E. Located in the gorgeous Bay 

Edgewater Tower in Gulshan by the 

Baridhara lake, this is a stylish eatery 

with a great (albeit bereft of variety) 

brunch menu. The eggs benedict 

was delish, just the right amount of 

runniness and the hollandaise was 

smooth with enough bite to give it 

character. For dessert, the French 

toast with strawberry compote was 

also good, but nothing to write home 

about. All in all, a solid effort but 

there was something missing. Like 

modern remakes of classic songs, 

everything (including the décor) was 

very nicely done but a little sterile 

and missing a certain charm. 

On to contender number two, 

Izumi. First of all for those who have 


9 

not been, Izumi is one of Dhaka’s 

classiest Japanese joints boasting 

(IMO) the best quality beef in the 

country. Also for those who haven’t 

been, the location is somewhat 

of a nightmare to find. It’s tucked 

away in a corner off Gulshan 2 and 

would be quite difficult to find 

without Facebook directions (thank 

god for technology). The décor 

is as you would expect, Japanese 

motifs, wooden and organic but 

very sophisticated and classy. The 

menu is again, compact. I ordered 

the French omelette which was 

too plain! The croissants however, 

were to die for and I’m guessing 

are sourced from the famed Holey 

Artisan Bakery. All in all, it was good 

but left me wanting something more. 

That brings me to the champ, 

numero uno; can we get a drum roll 

please! This is also my most recent 

brunch experience so one that is 

quite fresh in this Swiss cheese I 

call a memory. Over the weekend 

the family and I took a trip down 

to Chows to sample their Terrace 

Brunch. For the uninitiated Chows, 

is a delightful new eatery located in 

Banani road 19A, which has made 

quite the splash with their authentic 

Chinese cuisine (the dumplings and 

cold beef are to die for but that’s a 

story for another day). The terrace 

brunch is a collaboration between 

the Gourmet Food Company (GFC, 

the latest food venture of Mishal 

Karim, the main man behind Chows) 

and head Chef George Smith (an 

American expat who is one of the 

best trained chefs in the country). 

Upon a little conversation, I came 

to understand that the GFC is a 

premium food delivery service 

in Dhaka applying the farm to 

table concept where the freshest 

ingredients are sourced directly from 

the producer. 

Onwards to the experience; firstly 

the premises are fantastic. The 

restaurant is housed in a sprawling 

duplex, all marble and natural 

light. We were led to a cosy terrace 

overlooking the lake. The menu is 

great, with an amazing variety of 

items to choose from. They have 

your traditional English breakfast 

style; eggs, sausage, beans, beef 

bacon etc, along with pancakes and a 

whole bunch of Gourmet pizzas. We 

asked for the chef’s recommendation 

which was a brick oven mushroom 

pizza, chocolate chip pancakes and 

freshly squeezed OJ. 

The pizza was in one word 

delicious! Perfect, crunchy, 12 inch 

thin crust drizzled with just the right 

amount of tomato sauce and basil 

then topped with what I understand 

is their own house made mozzarella, 

and then the perfectly charred fresh 

mushrooms and gruyere cheese 

liberally scattered on top. That pie 

did not last very long ‘cos we totally 

inhaled that thing! Next up were 

the pancakes. A plate of three large 

chocolate chip pancakes with a little 

cup of thick blackberry zabaglione 

chocolate sauce to go with it. Being 

a total savage I guzzled the first half 

without the sauce and prematurely 

started complaining to my wife on 

its lack of flavour. She calmly poured 

the sauce onto the plate and the 

resulting goodness kept my trap shut 

for a good five minutes (a miracle)! 

Last but not least was the OJ, a 

seemingly simple concoction but one 

that is very difficult to perfect and 

this one got pretty damn close! 

All in all we had a great time. The 

staff was very cordial, the ambience 

was great and it’s safe to say that I 

shall be back again to sample more 

of their wares. The Terrace Brunch 

menu offers a lot more and usually 

gets updated every week, so I look 

forward to my next visit. Entirely a 

delightful experience; what more can 

a hungry man desire? 

So if you want to try out this 

delightful new repast, IMHO Chows 

Terrace Brunch is the best place 

to begin, middle, and end! Keep 

calm and have brunch ladies and 

gentlemen! • 


10 Photo Story | Elder care 

A home 

for those who 

need it 

“The true measure of any society can be found in how it 

treats its most vulnerable members.” 

While there is debate on who actually said this, there can 

be no doubt regarding the truth behind this statement. At 

the Boyoshko Punorbashon Kendra (Old Rehabilitation 

Centre), the elderly and vulnerable members of society 

are taken in and taken care of, but the shadow of being 

abandoned by or losing family members still hangs over 

the venerable women who spend their days together at 

the centre in Gazipur. 

Photos: Mahmud Hossain Opu 


11 


12 Event | Digital Innovation 

Supporting the leaders of 

a digitalised world 

Weekend Tribune Desk 

In 2013, a couple of young 

Bangladeshi innovators 

developed Bipod Barta - a 

digital alarm system that, once 

initiated by a user in a dangerous 

situation, simultaneously sends 

notifications of his or her location 

to the police, the user’s family, 

and social media networks so that 

immediate help may be dispatched. 

Inspired by a similar alert system 

in India, the tool is particularly 

useful for young women commuting 

alone in the roads of Bangladesh. 

Launched at the Telenor Youth 

Summit 2013 (now Telenor Youth 

Forum) organised by Telenor, 

Grameenphone’s parent company, 

the system was subsequently 

adopted by the Dhaka Metropolitan 

Police (DMP). 

Two years later, in 2015, a group of 

young entrepreneurs started working 

on the idea of Sheba.xyz - an online 

platform that would establish direct 

connections between customers 

and service providers from various 

industries. Service providers from 

corporate, household, automobile, 

general electronics, and various 

other sectors are readily available to 

customers on Sheba.xyz. Launched 

at the GP Accelerator 2015, the 

project is now a fully operational 

business that has already attracted 

large investments from enthusiastic 

local and foreign investors. 

The two projects mentioned 

above represent a few of many other 

groundbreaking ideas developed 

by modern Bangladeshi youth 

who have not only envisioned 

enriching society through digital 

technology, but actively worked 

towards transforming their ideas 

into realities. Accelerator projects 

and other similar initiatives by 

the public and private sectors to 

support innovative startup projects 

have become common in countries 

around the world. In Bangladesh, 

the number of such initiatives are 

growing. 

Supporting innovate startups 

GP Accelerator and Telenor Youth 

Forum, organised by Grameenphone 

and its parent company Telenor 

respectively, are prominent 

examples. Over the years, these 

initiatives have supported and 

continued to patronise innovative 

startups. The companies work as 

facilitators to help these young 

entrepreneurs develop their ideas 

into actual businesses that integrate 

a variety of conveniences into the 

daily lives of people. Many of the 

projects aim at addressing and 

effectively solving social problems 

digitally as well. 

“Over the years, Grameenphone 

has transformed from being just a 

telecom service provider of voice 

services into a leading digital 

service provider. However, what 

makes Grameenphone stand a class 

apart is its continuous lookout for 

young innovators through various 

programs. We have designed a 

program that provides eligible 

candidates comprehensive support 

to enable them to make sustainable 

businesses out of their ideas. These 

see that these individuals go on to 

eventually establish them as youth 

leaders who are changing society 

for good, maybe in a way a young 

Photo: Courtesy 

Elon Musk or a Mark Zuckerburg 

changed the world forever,” says 

Kazi Mahboob Hassan, Head of 

Transformation of Grameenphone. 

Many other companies in the 

private sector of Bangladesh 

are also stepping forward to 

make a contribution. SD Asia, an 

organisation dedicated to the startup 

scene, which has partnered with 

organisations such as Grameenphone 

to promote promising startups, 

stands out as an example. 

A Digital Bangladesh 

A well-deserved notable mention 

is the government’s Access to 

Information (a2i) project, under 

which a myriad of initiatives are 

ongoing to gradually digitise the 

nation and propel its transformation 

into the much coveted Digital 

Bangladesh. Comprehensive support 

programs for digital service-based 

startups are one of the key agendas 

of the project, which is directly 

regulated by the Prime Minister’s 

Office. 

“Combined efforts by the public 

and private sectors are essential 

in achieving the vision of a Digital 

Bangladesh. Besides being an active 

part of GP Accelerator and Telenor 

Youth Fourm, Grameenphone has 

also conducted digital eco-system 

enabler programs such as the Smart 

City Hackathon, and is currently 

operating White-Board, a platform to 

support and empower the disruptive 

innovators of tomorrow. The 

company has played a leading role 

in the development of the telecom 

and digital sectors of the country 

in the last 20 years, and in the next 

20 years, one of our priorities is to 

be a trusted partner of tomorrow’s 

leaders in their pursuit to carve a 

digitally enriched future for the 

nation. Our partnership with the ICT 

Ministry for its National Demo Day is 

another good example of how GP is 

supporting the government’s agenda 

for digital innovation through publicprivate 

partnership,” continues Kazi 

Mahboob Hassan. 

Increased participation from 

the public and private sectors to 

nurture the innovative ideas of 

young innovators in Bangladesh 

ushers in greater optimism about 

a digitalised future in a Digital 

Bangladesh. Continuing this trend 

can only accelerate Bangladesh’s 

march towards comprehensive 

digitalisation, much like many of her 

developed counterparts. • 


workshop | Event 13 

Social Innovation Design Week 2017 

Ishrat Jahan 

In today’s rapidly changing 

world, we face a diverse set 

of challenges for which the 

solutions we create are often 

ineffective. We usually forget that 

solutions need not be disruptive in 

order to solve prevalent problems, 

and that answers are often found 

in the smallest change through 

insights. The idea that insights and 

observations have the power to 


staff shop and improving 

health and hygiene in the 

RMG community. The SIDW 

Fellows made for a diverse 

gathering of 20 individuals 

from multidisciplinary 

backgrounds. From artists, 

engineers and architects 

to health workers and 

approach is necessary if we want to 

build sustainable processes,” said 

Nabeera Rahman, an SIDW Fellow 

and a consultant of Bangladesh 

Textile Competitiveness at IFC. The 

Fellows reflected that spending 

time at the Mohammadi Group 

factory and understanding its 

processes became an essential part 

change people’s’ perspectives and 

thus, change how we approach our 

challenges, is at the core of Toru and 

IDEO.org’s event - Social Innovation 

Design Week (SIDW). 

In April 2017, Social Innovation 

Design Week - a co-design 

workshop – was conducted by Toru 

- Institute of Inclusive Innovation 

in partnership with IDEO.org and 

Mohammadi Group, with the 

support of Levi Strauss Foundation. 

SIDW was conducted with the aim to 

create an engaging and empathetic 

lens which can open the possibility 

to developing human centered 

solutions through design and 

collaboration. 

This year, SIDW hosted a weeklong 

workshop with Mohammadi 

Group, introducing Human-Centered 

Design (HCD) to a multidisciplinary 

group of 20 Fellows. With a focus 

on improving the work and life 

experience of RMG workers, the 

Fellows were immersed into the 

RMG community at the Mohammadi 

Group’s factory. The workshop 

immersed Fellows into the everyday 

experiences of those workers, 

making them put the theories to 

test and see how solutions could be 

curated to their needs. 

“People often sit in rooms and 

offices to design innovations and 

that is a core reason why many fail 

to create a desired impact. Being 

immersed can help us empathise, 

and critically analyse through the 

eyes of the user. This builds real 

solutions that have higher possibility 

to scale and create an impact that 

can become sustainable in the long 

run,” says Saif Kamal, founder of 

Toru. 

The workshop was led by Rob 

Gradoville, the Portfolio Manager 

for IDEO.org’s Amplify program who 

possesses expertise in implementing 

design challenges and teaching 

human-centric design tools. It 

became an engaging space for design 

and collaboration with five teams 

working in developing day care 

systems, improving living facilities, 

worker’s happiness, creating a 

entrepreneurs, they all came 

together to co-design solutions 

through HCD. Throughout the five 

days, Fellows were taken through 

the intensive process of HCD. In the 

beginning of the week, they went in 

with specific ideas and assumptions 

that, along the week, were 

disintegrated and reassembled into 

ideas that they had not even been 

considered before coming in. 

“The immersive experience of 

learning to design a human-centered 

solution gave us a chance to see 

why standardised solutions often 

don’t work and a more user centric 

of the workshop - broadening their 

understanding of how local RMG 

factories operate and breaking long 

held stereotypes in the process. 

SIDW sprung from Toru’s 

belief that people are at the core 

of every innovation. Solving 

today’s problems requires skills 

that are currently absent in the 

ecosystem. There remains a dire 

need to cultivate empathy and 

a collaborative spirit in order to 

build ourselves to be responsive to 

problems in communities and to 

be able to design for positive social 

impact. • 


14 Tech | Apple Bites Back 

A positive outlook (part 1) 

This is a 

bit of a 

rebuttal to 

the several 

reasons 

why Apple 

should fear 

Microsoft 


Just recently, CNET published 

an article that discusses 11 

different reasons why Apple 

and Adobe should fear the 

new and improved Microsoft. It’s 

true that Apple has lost the tight grip 

they once had under the leadership 

of Steve Jobs, but using the term 

“fear” might not be appropriate. 

Realistically, it’s more about being 

aware or staying “woke” when it’s 

regarding your competitors. These 

tech giants may not always have a 

detailed cheat sheet by their rivals, 

but they’ll always have a heads up 

on what to expect. Don’t be deluded 

into thinking Apple would cower in 

the presence of Microsoft. 

Both companies have contributed 

to the tech world like no other, 

and we can applaud them for that. 

But let’s take a look at the more 

significant points, shall we? 

Interface 

It’s the first thing you see when 

you boot up your fancy gadgets. 

No matter which device triumphs 

in performance, you still have to 

make things, well, pretty. Design is 

a huge component when creating an 

operating system or software that’s 

available to the public. It has to be 

pleasing to the eye as well being easy 

to navigate. The article on CNET 

notes how this is an advantage for 

the new look Microsoft because of 

the company’s Xbox platform and its 

influence through game design. 

The use of the new Fluent Design 

System is actually quite impressive; 

it’s a gorgeous new look. And it’s 

true, Apple haven’t made any 

significant design changes in a very 

long time for its OS and devices. 

People have appreciated Apple’s 

signature minimal, easy-to-use 

design, more so for professionals. 

Although we are in the dawn of 

a new age for Microsoft, it would 

be foolish to fall asleep on Apple’s 

movement forward in design. There’s 

always an evolved stage, Apple is 

definitely due for another, and quite 

sooner than we might expect. 

Playing catch-up 

This one, unfortunately, is quite true. 

Well, sort of. Apple does have to play 

a little catch-up. Even though the 

company hasn’t lost its core target 

market (fanboys shall remain), it 

lacks in the department of advancing 

technology in virtual reality. Apple 

is still king when it comes to crossplatform 

syncing, but you won’t 

be seeing any new VR integration. 

There will be no motion controllers 

or headsets either. Then again, when 

has Apple ever boasted about being 

the ultimate gaming system? Never. 

This addition might be a plus 

for PCs; however, it’s not a make 

or break element to Apple’s line of 

devices or future plans. Nonetheless, 

there will be similar tools that will 

be featured for Apple devices in the 

near future. 

Capabilities for a pro 

This point is more of a gripe than 

anything else – a minor nuisance. 

The article claims Apple had 

abandoned creative professionals 

a very long time ago. In order to 

rectify the neglect, the company 

introduced thinner and lighter 

devices, just like the iPad Pro. 

We can agree so far as to say 

there has been a slight turn of the 

cheek for professionals that used 

to rave about what Apple had to 

offer. While the iPad Pro won’t 

fix anything initially, it’s actually 

the right step towards bettering 

the experience for creative 

professionals. 

It also must be highlighted that 

there are many users that have 

stuck to their older MacBook Pro 

and iMac devices, and haven’t 

complained or had the fear of 

missing out. The biggest fear 

might be them jumping ship for 

the Surface Pro. However for most 

Apple users, no one is being sent 

to the plank or taking a dive in the 

deep end just yet. 

Dancing by itself 

The argument here is that Apple 

only talks to itself, linking only 

Apple devices and not focusing on 

incorporating other devices outside 

its ecosystem. A device or service 

has to be flexible to a certain 

extent, but fresh on the dance floor, 

Apple has always been about its 

own ecosystem. The company has 

always taken pride in that fact. 

Microsoft does allow Windows 

devices to connect outside its 

ecosystem. For example, you 

can toss in audio files from your 

Windows PC to your Android 

or iPhone (through iTunes). 

It’s another one of those minor 

annoyances, but downloading a 

simple app in your iOS or Mac can 

easily fix the transferring files 

issue. A little extra effort won’t 

drive anyone away. • 


Online Security | Musing 15 

Ransomware: 

the kidnapper of your data 

Saqib Sarker 

It is the year 2053. Mujahidul 

Huq Shahin is sitting on a 

sofa in his drawing room. He 

doesn’t know how to break 

the news to his wife. 27 Petabyte 

(27 thousand Terabyte) of their 

family data has been taken hostage 

by data pirates. This means he will 

lose all of his family memorabilia 

– all the photos, videos, 3Deos (3D 

videos) – if he does not pay them 

0.80 satoshi (digital currency 

prevalent in 2053, equivalent to 

3000 US dollars). The pirates have 

also threatened to encrypt the data 

in his home appliances within the 

next five hours. Shahin knows that 

the pirates can do it because he 

has just moved from commercial 

servers to independent servers. 

His wife warned him not to do so. 

Shahin’s desire to stick it to the big 

corporations has now blown up in 

his face. 

In 2053, most things are 

automated. If the data for your home 

appliances get scrambled you cannot 

turn on air-conditioning or wash 

your clothes. Shahin remembers 

a simpler time when all of these 

machines weren’t connected to a 

network. The idea that a washing 

machine or a table fan can be hacked 

would induce laughter when he 

was growing up. But they all need 

to be connected to a network now, 

because otherwise the stove cannot 

auto-order refills when it runs out of 

battery. 

The network connection, though, 

comes at a price. It creates the 

opportunity for pirates to invade 

and hack your data. Shahin could 

not help but think that it was all a 

bit pointless. “Yes, it was a bit of a 

chore to order everything manually, 

but we survived,” Shahin thought 

affectionately of the past. But there 

isn’t much time to dwell on his 

thoughts. He slowly gets up from the 

sofa and heads to the kitchen to tell 

his wife. 

Holding your information 

hostage 

Back in good ol’ 2017, we are actually 

not very far from the technological 

reality Shahin lives in. The recent 

global ransomware attack provided 

a glimpse into the kind of security 

problems we are going to experience 

as societies become completely 

immersed in and dependent on 

technology. 

People at different institutions 

across 150 countries turning on their 

workplace computers last Friday 

were greeted with an unfamiliar 

red screen with the taunting 

message: “Oops, your files have been 

encrypted!” 

The message also demanded 

money through online bitcoin 

payment; $300 at first, but the 

amount would be doubled if not 

paid within three days. The message, 

delivered in 28 languages, also 

snidely declared: “We will have free 

events for users who are so poor that 

they couldn’t pay in 6 months.” 

The attack, which came to be 

known as “WannaCry,” crippled 

healthcare services and government 

agencies, among all sorts of other 

institutions, through a vulnerability 

in the Microsoft operating system. It 

is believed to be the biggest online 

extortion scheme ever. 

Glaring security flaws 

Microsoft bluntly blamed the US 

government for “stockpiling” 

software code which was used in 

the attacks. The hackers exploited 

software code from the National 

Security Agency that was leaked 

online. The “stockpiling” refers to 

the America government secretly 

finding out flaws in operating 

systems or any software in 

general, and then keeping those 

vulnerabilities for it own use, as 

opposed to alerting the company 

that developed the software. 

“This attack provides yet another 

example of why the stockpiling of 

vulnerabilities by governments is 

such a problem,” writes Brad Smith, 

president and chief legal officer of 

Microsoft, in the company’s official 

blog. Smith wrote that information in 

the hands of governments have leaked 

into the public domain repeatedly and 

resulted in widespread damage. “An 

equivalent scenario with conventional 

weapons,” Smith wrote in the strongly 

worded statement, “would be the U.S. 

military having some of its Tomahawk 

missiles stolen.” 

So, how much did The Shadow 

Brokers (creators of Wannacry) make? 

Interestingly, the ransom has not 

been paid by many people relative 

Photo: Bigstock 

to the massive scale of the attack. 

Considering that the malware affected 

29,000 organisations in China alone 

and its total number of victims has 

reached 200,000 so far, the total 

amount of money deposited to the 

hackers’ bitcoin accounts is puny, less 

than 70,000 US dollars, at the time of 

writing this article. Approximately 250 

payments have been made. 

Technically though, the hackers 

have not made a single penny, as they 

haven’t withdrawn any of the bitcoin 

currency deposited to their three 

accounts. Even if they do withdraw, 

they will have to convert that to a 

conventional currency, which would 

be unlikely for them to attempt, given 

the amount of attention this has 

gotten. • 


16 Digital Culture | PrivAcy 

The right to be let alone 

Mahmood Sadi 

Some of you might not agree 

with me but in my opinion, 

it’s been a long time since 

there was a true generation 

gap, perhaps 50 years — you have 

to go back to the early years of rock 

and roll, when old people still talked 

about “jungle rhythms”. Everything 

associated with that music and its 

greasy, shaggy culture felt baffling 

and divisive, from its fashion sense 

to its eating habits. 

That musical divide has all but 

disappeared. But in the past decade, 

a new set of values has sneaked in 

to take its place, erecting another 

barrier between young and old. 

And as it did in the 70s, the older 

generation has responded with a 

disgusted, dismissive squawk. 

Yes, I, a representative of the 

barefaced youth, officially am saying 

to the elder generation that you have 

got it right. We, the youth, without 

any meaningful standard by which 

to measure our worth, have turned 

to the public eye for attention, 

sacrificing the sense of shame along 

with privacy. 

When it is more important to be 

seen than to be talented, it is hardly 

surprising that the less gifted among 

us are willing to do even the dirtiest 

stuff on our way to spotlight. 

Why do we over-share? 

Can anybody from our generation 

brush aside the fact that we are 

toying with our privacy? I am not 

against these social networking sites 

or chat rooms, as it makes me sounds 

like a grumpy old man. 

But what is really the point of 

sharing our most private things 

Photo: Bigstock 

online? What is really the point 

of broadcasting or disseminating 

information about the most private 

matters that have happened between 

individuals and what is really the 

point of making it a ‘talk of the town’ 

amongst us? 

Fact is, we do succumb to the 

allure of peeping into someone 

else’s private matters - be it the 

video of a TV actress making love 

to her boyfriend (which the angry 

boyfriend later posted as an act 

of revenge), or a video of a young 

violent kid violently beating another 

over a supposed girlfriend, or just an 

unnecessary hateful and venomous 

monologue by a seemingly unknown 

singer bashing a late writer’s wife. 

Because of the support we provide 

in the form of clicks and views from 

the comfort zone of “not being 

involved thus why not take pleasure 

in someone’s suffering” - these 

things have become commonplace 

now. And maybe because of that, we 

see the rise of a clan who have this 

notion that stardom will be bestowed 

upon them if they do the same, even 

at the cost of their or someone else’s 

privacy. 

Not the technology, but 

the people 

The problem here with the word 

‘privacy’ is that it falls short of 

conveying the really big picture. 

Privacy isn’t just about hiding things. 

It’s about self-possession, autonomy, 

and integrity. 

As individuals in the 

computerised world of the 21st 

century, privacy is becoming our 

most important civil right. But this 

right of privacy isn’t literally the right 

of people to close their doors and 

pull down their window shades; it is 

the control over what details about 

their lives stay inside their own 

houses and what goes out. 

The protection of privacy is 

deeply embedded in the laws 

and institutions of the modern 

democratic state. Moreover, one has 

a strong visceral sense of privacy 

and apprehends clearly when it has 

been abrogated. It would be like 

saying that an individual does not 

understand liberty and justice. Yet, 

while passersby on the sidewalk 

might be hard-pressed to give a 

textbook definition of privacy, 

they could easily provide several 

examples of violations of their 

privacy. 

Since privacy is fundamentally 

about the power of the individual, 

in many ways, the story of 

technology’s attack on privacy is 

really the story of how institutions 

and the people who run them use 

technology to gain control over 

the human spirit, for good and ill. 

That’s because technology by itself 

doesn’t violate our privacy. It’s 

people using this technology who 

do. 

Science, society and 

markets 

Personal identification information 

- your name, profession, hobbies, 

and other bits that make up your 

self - is being turned into a valuable 

property right. But instead of 

being given to individuals to help 

them exert control over their lives, 

this right is being seized by big 

businesses to ensure continued 

profits and market share. Yes, 

if you want the convenience of 

paying for a meal by credit card, or 

getting some free Cloud storage, 

then you have to accept the routine 

collection of your purchases and 

browsing habits in a large database 

over which you have no control. It’s 

a simple bargain, albeit a Faustian 

one. 

Privacy-invasive technology does 

not exist in the vacuum though, of 

course. That’s because technology 

itself exists at a junction between 

science, the market and the society. 

People create technology to fill 

specific needs, real or otherwise. 

And technology is regulated, or not, 

as people and society see fit. That’s 

why the people on the ‘other side’ 

argue that when they invade our 

privacy, the invasion is usually the 

result of conscious choice, and for 

making that choice they give you the 

freedom and vehicle to post your 

next privacy-invasive post which 

might lead you to quick yet airy 

stardom! 

Now, due to the popularity of 

overexposure, it may be time to 

consider the possibility that young 

people who behave as if privacy 

doesn’t exist are actually the sane 

people, not the insane ones. For 

someone like me, who grew up 

sealing my diary with a literal lock, 

this may be tough to accept. 

But under current circumstances, 

a defiant belief in holding things 

close to your chest might not be 

high-minded. It might be an artifact— 

quaint and naïve, like a determined 

faith that innocence is pure. Or 

at least that might be true for 

someone who has grown up “putting 

themselves out there” and found 

that the benefits of being transparent 

make the risks worth it. • 


Healthcare for sex workers | Initiative 17 

‘I don’t want my daughter to 

grow up ignominiously’ 

Bonded sex workers in Bangladesh have tough choices 

Md Abdul Quayyum 

Reshmi* (name changed) 

says she doesn’t enjoy her 

evening walks in a nice, 

green park of Dhaka like 

others do. While a stroll in the park 

may be a healthy choice for most, 

for Reshmi it is about survival - she 

walks every day in the park to hunt 

clients who will pay to have sex. 

“People come in the park to enjoy 

the greenery of it and have fresh 

air but for me, I come here for my 

ignominious livelihood, against 

my will, so that my daughter can 

continue her studies,” says Reshmi. 

A young bonded sex worker, 

Reshmi turns 25 this year, but her life 

changed at the age of four when her 

father died in a road accident. 

“I was living with my family 

at Khalishpur in Khulna district. 

My father died in a road accident 

when I was only four years old and 

it was very hard for my mother to 

arrange meals, three times a day, let 

alone study. I never got a chance for 

schooling.” 

A life of extreme poverty 

She continues to share her miserable 

childhood - “to handle the situation, 

my mother sent me to Dhaka for 

domestic work and I had been doing 

that for a few years. But when I 

turned 13, my mother forced me to 

get married to an older man, without 

my consent. I didn’t want to get 

married at that age so I escaped with 

a friend of mine, to change my luck. 

But worse came to worst, and I was 

trapped in sex slavery. Since then I 

am part of this trade,” Reshmi says. 

After attending to three or four 

clients a day at a hotel near the 

park, Reshmi gets back to her little, 

damp house at midnight to catch 

a few hours of sleep. The house is 

only rented for nights at double the 

regular price, and on condition that 

she can not show her face there 

during the day. She hardly gets the 

time to shower or have breakfast 

before it’s time for her to leave. 

As a hapless sex worker, she was 

lured by the promise of a better life 

by a man she married when she 

was 18, only to later find he was a 

human trafficker who planned to 

sell her across the border. At the 

time, Reshmi was pregnant and 

that actually saved her from being 

trafficked. She became the mother 

of a beautiful daughter at 19 and was 

instantly abandoned by her husband. 

She had not a single penny with 

which to feed her daughter and had 

to return to the sex trade again. 

“Many a time, I faced gang 

rape and sex without condoms. I 

was heavily injured at times and 

managed to escape from being 

murdered. But I want to give my 

daughter an education, a good life. 

That’s why I need money and have 

to keep myself safe from diseases,” 

Reshmi says. 

Essential services 

As there was no one to look after her 

baby during work hours, Reshmi was 

struggling with her daughter. She 

had no place to rest from dawn to 

dusk, except under the open sky, and 

no option of getting a health check. 

Then she came across the Drop-in- 

Center’ of Save the Children where 

she is now enlisted for essential 

services. 

In the centre, Reshmi is learning 

different life skills, getting basic 

education and receiving counselling 

on safer sex and HIV prevention. 

The lessons enable her to remain in 

good health to earn her livelihood 

and increase her confidence to 

negotiate with the clients for 

condom use. There is also a ‘Hotline’ 

and ‘Community Squad’ introduced 

by Save the Children and its partner 

organisation for the sex workers for 

any kind of help, like when faced 

with violence. 

“I wanted to test my blood to be 

sure about HIV following the advice I 

got from the drop-in-centre. The test 

was negative. I go there everyday 

Photo: Courtesy 

now. I have learned what to do in 

emergencies and how to seek police 

assistance. It helped me save my 

life,” said Reshmi. 

It is estimated that there are 

1,02,260 female sex workers in 

Bangladesh who are at high risk 

of HIV. Save the Children and its 

partner organisations have brought 

26,000 female sex workers under 

their coverage to provide essential 

services through 43 drop-in-centres 

in 26 districts and bring them under 

universal health access with financial 

support from the Global Fund. 

While it’s uncertain if Reshmi and 

her daughter can live a happy life in 

the near future, there is always hope 

from Save the Children that armed 

with an education, her daughter will 

be able to choose a different path. • 

The author is 

Senior Manager- 

Communications and 

Media, Save the Children 


18 stay in 

Clues 

Mini cryptics 

ACROSS 

1 Tool for shooting a cream 

cocktail (6) 

6 Dislocated elbow underneath 

(5) 

7 Throw away fight (5) 

8 Happy the spanish consumed 

dish initially (6) 

DOWN 

2 Einstein a Canadian 

province (7) 

3 Sell pie remade for 

round shape (7) 

4 For good, like Jolson 

methods (6) 

5 Sounds like pursued the 

pure (6) 

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: How to 

make a sugar 

lip exfoliating 

scrub 

Tasfia Huda 

diy 

Give your lips some much needed 

Last week’s solutions 

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

month of the Dhaka Tribune. 

ACROSS 

1 Southwest garden in Scandanavia 

(6) 

6 Fruit beer contains hollowed pulp (5) 

7 Parent loses head over something 

else (5) 

8 Head first into rubbish beat (6) 

DOWN 

2 Sport around the rain and 

shine (7) 

3 Leaves of French regions... 

(7) 

4 … want the French stylus (6) 

5 Am lost, confused nearly (6) 

Last week’s solutions 

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

win one free month of the Dhaka Tribune. 

love with a scrumptious DIY lip 

scrub recipe. Homemade lip scrubs 

only require a few ingredients and 

are super easy to whip up! 

You will need: 

• A tablespoon of brown sugar or 

white sugar 

• A dash of honey (just enough 

to make the sugar really stick 

together) OR a bit of olive oil/ 

coconut oil 

• A teeny tiny little drop of vanilla 

(it makes it smell yummy, but isn’t 

necessary) 

• A small container 

Directions: 

Mix a tablespoon of brown sugar 

with just enough honey (or olive 

oil) to get it to stick together. Once 

a week (twice at the very max) rub 

the scrub onto your lips, vigorously 

enough to loosen the dead skin. 

Let it sit for 1 minute, and then wipe 

off with a damp washcloth. Apply lip 

balm after use. • 


Biz Info 19 

Dhaka Regency hosts PATA Night 2017 

PATA Night 2017, organised by 

Pacific Asia Travel Association 

(PATA) Bangladesh Chapter 

was held at Dhaka Regency on 

Saturday, May 13. 

With the aim of “celebrating the 

best in the Bangladesh travel and 

tourism industry”, PATA Bangladesh 

Chapter recognises the outstanding 

contributions made by individuals 

and organisations in the travel 

tourism sector. The award recipients 

have worked selflessly and with 

dedication towards improving the 

industry as a whole and their efforts 

translate to a better Bangladesh. 

Rashed Khan Menon, MP Minister 

of Civil Aviation and Tourism was 

the Chief Guest while Andrew Jones, 

Chairman of PATA was the special 

guest. 

In his opening speech, Shahid 

Hamid FIH, Chairman of PATA 

Bangladesh Chapter, stated: “We 

have seen a double digit growth 

in domestic and regional tourism. 

Private airlines are expanding their 

fleets for domestic and regional 

routes. Dhaka airport is handling 

about six million passengers 

in a year. Expansion of Sylhet, 

Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Jessore 

airports are being undertaken. 

Dhaka- Chittagong 4 lanes highway 

complete. Beautiful Marine drive is 

now open to the public. Opening of 

Padma Bridge will be a milestone 

linking the capital with Southern 

part of the country. Similarly, Capital 

cities, flyovers made the substantial 

improvement on the transportation. 

Elevated Expressway and Metro rail 

work is going on.” 

Minister Rashed Khan Menon 

MP stated: “I am pleased to see 

the initiatives taken by the PATA 

Bangladesh Chapter to bring all the 

leaders and influential entities under 

one roof to recognize their valuable 

contribution to the travel and 

tourism industry of Bangladesh. 

The Chairman of PATA Mr. 

Andrew Jones in his speech has 

stated, “I am pleased to attend 

this very special event and to be 

a part of PATA Night organised by 

the PATA Bangladesh Chapter. All 

of us at the Association are happy 

to see that the PATA Bangladesh 

Chapter and associates are making 

concerted efforts in providing much 

needed support to the development 

of tourism in Bangladesh. Such 

actions and enthusiasm are 

fundamental to the principles of 

PATA in promoting responsible and 

sustainable tourism throughout the 

country.” • 

MIB Summer Meet-up 2017 at Banani 

MIB Spirit – Made in 

and many more. You will 

Bangladesh is back again, not believe how sugar 

this time in celebration of and art can be such a 

summer. After much anticipation, 

they are hosting their Summer 

Meetup 2017 on the grounds of 

Claystation Dhaka at Banani. 

Enjoy a discount of 10% on all 

products with your purchase on a 

check-in. Not only that, Hems and 

Hues, 6 yards story, Meehee will 

be there with their wide range of 

apparel and jewellery. 

For book lovers and Tumblresque 

hearts, Made with Love will be 

featuring their back to school 

essentials like – side bags, 

notebooks, pencil cases, stickers 

potent combination if 

you haven’t seen what 

Hoang Cakes are. Hoang 

Cakes are the first ever 

3D Jelly art cake brought 

in Bangladesh by Jelly 

Hoang. Each of their 

creations is an absolute 

masterpiece that is too 

pretty to eat. 

Last but not least, come and 

have a go in making your first ever 

pottery as Claystation Dhaka guides 

you. All this and much more are 

awaiting you all at the MIB Summer 

Meet-up. The two day event ends 

today, so be sure to drop by Clay 

Station Dhaka, House 28, Road 20, 

Block K, Banani, between from 

12pm–8pm. • 

Special Ramadan offers at Lakeshore Hotel 

Lakeshore Hotel has 

There will also be options 

month of Ramadan at Golden Goose 

announced attractive offers for the banquet iftar and dinner Restaurant. • 

on special delicacies for the for corporate and family 

holy month of Ramadan. Guests programs. 

will be able to enjoy special banquet Customers of BRAC Bank 

iftar and dinner menu options at the Ltd, Dhaka Bank Ltd, NRB 

Golden Goose restaurant, as well Bank Ltd, Standard Chartered 

as special takeaway iftar boxes at Bank, Banglalink, and Hungry 

reasonable prices. 

Naki will get special privileges 

Their iftar menu will feature at a price of Tk2,500++ buffet 

delicious mutton haleem, jilapi and iftar followed by dinner 

special dahi bora. 

menu offered throughout the 

Crimson Cup 

in Uttara 

Crimson Cup Coffee is proud to 

announce the launch of their 

new store in Uttara. Ever since 

2015 when the franchise started 

operating in Bangladesh, it has 

gained tremendous success in 

both the Banani and Dhanmondi 

stores, and is very thrilled to 

open and effectively run the 

Uttara store from May 25 this 

year. 

The latest store in Uttara will 

hold the largest floor space the 

American franchise has to offer 

their valuable customers in 

Dhaka. The store is located on the 

Gausal Azam Avenue in Sector-13 

Uttara. A special addition for the 

Uttara store will be the “quiet 

room”. Here customers can 

study, read and have meetings 

as they have a sip of the famous 

Crimson Cup Mocha. Uttara holds 

a significant residential portion 

of Dhaka city and Crimson Cup 

Coffee will be glad to serve their 

customers with a wide variety 

of hot and cold beverages. 

Moreover, the franchise is also 

bringing attractive additions to 

their bakery and sandwich line. • 


20 World Museum day | Local Heritage 

Frozen in time 

Six museums in Dhaka you need to visit 

Tasfia Huda 

Museums are a great 

way to gain insight 

into various aspects 

of a city, and 

Bangladesh has plenty of fascinating 

museums to explore. In honour of 

International Museum Day observed 

internationally yesterday, we bring 

you a list of some of the many 

museums in the city that highlight 

major events and conflicts that have 

shaped this region and throw a light 

on its culture and society as well. 

Delve into our folk roots 

The Folk Art Museum was 

established in 1975 in Sonargaon, 

and has not only become a major 

attraction in the city since then, 

but also for the entire region. The 

main museum building focuses on 

displaying the skills and expertise 

of the artisans and artists of the 

country. The two smaller Folk 

Arts and Crafts Museums exhibit 

wooden crafts, brass, bamboo and 

metal crafts, painted work, musical 

instruments, pottery, textiles, 

ornaments and much more. The 

museum complex also includes 

a crafts sales centre, restaurants, 

crafts village, library, rest house and 

documentation centre. 

Lest we forget 

The Liberation War Museum (LWM) 

is dedicated to the memory of the 

sacrifices made by soldiers and 

civilians during the Liberation War. 

Located in Agargaon in Dhaka, the 

museum was started by community 

leaders who wanted to honour and 

preserve this part of the history 

of Bangladesh. The project grew 

as community members began 

donating mementoes, documents 

and other items related to the 

Liberation War, as well as making 

donations for funding the museum. 

The LWM has recently moved 

to new premises, and is able to 

display a much greater portion 

of their collections, which ranges 

from documenting the country’s 

struggle against colonial control 

and the period of Pakistani rule to 

documents of the genocide of 1971, 

the resistance and declaration of 

independence. 

From there to now 

Originally established as the Dhaka 

Museum in the year 1913 by Lord 

Carmichael, the museum developed 

into such a large establishment 

that its wealth in artefacts was 

acknowledged in 1983, by changing 

its name to the Bangladesh 

National Museum. Located in 

Shahbag, the museum consists of 

a conservatory laboratory, library, 

three auditoriums, photographic 

gallery, temporary exhibition hall 

and an audio-visual division. Some 

of the artefacts include sculptures, 

tapestries, votive seals, terracotta 

pieces, water colour drawings, 

porcelain items, metal work, 

weapons and medieval armoury, 

wooden furniture, quilts, fossils and 

traditional crafts. 

One revolution to another 

The Museum of Independence in 

Dhaka depicts the history of the 

nation since Mughal tenure to 

independence in 1971. It is the first 

and only underground museum in 

the country. The museum is part of 

a 67-acre complex at Suhrawardy 

Udyan, the site from where Sheikh 

Mujibur Rahman gave his historic 

speech declaring the struggle for 

independence in 1971, and where the 

Pakistani forces surrendered after 

the Liberation War. The museum 

was opened to the public on March 

25, 2015, the 45th Independence Day 

of Bangladesh. The underground 

museum contains a multimedia 

projection theatre, an amphitheatre, 

three water pools, Shikha Chirantony 

(eternal flame) symbolising the 

eternity of Bengali nationalism, 

a mural based on the struggle for 

independence and other ancillary 

facilities. 

Polices of the past 

The Liberation War Museum of 

Police began its journey in 2013 

with limited resources. Later in 

2015, Inspector General of Police 

(IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque laid 

the foundation stone for the new 

museum at the eastern border of 

the police line, and Prime Minister 

Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 

museum on January 23 of this year. 

The museum is divided into three 

portions. The ground floor includes 

a corner dedicated to Bangabandhu 

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and a 

library with nearly 2,000 books on 

the Liberation War. The basement 

is split into six different galleries 

which are organised chronologically. 

These relics range from the different 

uniforms worn by police during 

British and Pakistani regimes to a 

number of weapons and equipment. 

Stock up on your science facts 

The National Museum of Science and 

Technology (NMST) was established 

in 1966 by the government of 

Pakistan. It was first based in the 

Dhaka Public Library building, after 

which the museum moved a number 

of times before it was established 

in its permanent home in 1981. The 

NMST in Bangladesh is divided 

into three categories – Technology, 

Biological Science and Physical 

Science. It also contains galleries 

with static and working exhibits, 

as well as models, diagrams, charts 

and animated posters. The exhibits 

provide detailed information 

concerning experiments and 

inventions in a number of fields 

including electricity, light, heat, 

magnetism, communication, sound, 

as well as motion, force and energy.•

Weekend-5-5

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